Chapter 314: Touring the Ship
The Fleetwood, a large ship that could be called the partner of Tran, Fleet Commander of the Fifth Fleet of the maritime nation, the Kingdom of Fiesta.
It is a magnificent warship worthy of that title.
Its sheer size seemed to reach a total length of one hundred meters. The giant masts visible from the deck looked like great trees. And, just like the ship’s exterior, they were plated with silver metal sheets.
“That is amazing! Is it all silver?”
When I asked that, Tran tapped the surface of the mast and spoke.
“No, the inside is wooden. Even if it is the main force of the fleet, if we used silver and mithril for everything, we wouldn’t be able to build many ships.”
“Ah, is that so? But, it is still amazing that you are using this much rare metal. Is it to increase durability after all?”
At that question, Tran’s expression tightened slightly. A moment of silent contemplation followed. He seemed to be weighing whether to answer, but his expression softened immediately.
“Well, I cannot give you the details, but thanks to this metal, we can sail without being attacked by large magical beasts. Therefore, all of our country’s ships are plated with metal sheets.”
“To sail safely?”
“Hahaha, since it is a military secret, I cannot tell you that.”
Tran said that, laughing and showing his teeth. At that, I pursed my lips and made a disappointed face.
“Is that so… Then, please guide me to the other parts of the ship. It is interesting since there are so many things I don’t know.”
When I said that, Tran laughed cheerfully and thumped his chest.
“Leave it to me! When it comes to boasting about ships, there is no one better than me! Wahahahaha!”
Tran said that cheerfully and guided us through the ship.
After looking around the ship, we were finally treated to a meal in the ship’s mess hall.
“Th-This! It is delicious!”
It was a dish like sashimi with a twist, using freshly caught fish. Till shouted with sparkling eyes after eating it.
“Indeed, it is a dish so elaborate one wouldn’t think we are on the sea. I wonder what this popping texture is?”
“It is delicious, isn’t it? Is it because the fish is fresh?”
Arte and I agreed with Till‘s impression. Sashimi of white fish with an oil-based sauce. And something with a popping texture like sea grapes, along with crispy fried batter bits like tempura scraps. It also contained sliced fruits and vegetables, and the taste matched the sashimi better than expected.
“It was worth the Head Chef putting his skills to the test. Usually, we do not use this much seasoning, fruit, and vegetables, but since we can procure them immediately right now, we splurged.”
Tran, who was sitting with us, explained the dish boastfully. It seems it was one of their special dishes.
While eating the other dishes lined up in order, I looked at the two burly crew members standing at the back of the mess hall.
“Are there people who specialize in cooking on board as well?”
“They are not specialists. There are five deckhands who can also cook, and two of them manage the inventory as Head Chef and Sous Chef.”
Hearing those words, I recalled the crew members I saw while being given the tour of the ship.
The number of crew members is around fifty. All of them were men between their teens and thirties. They were all tanned, burly men. Perhaps there is a rule that women cannot become crew members.
It might be prejudice, but I could hardly believe that those two dark-skinned muscular men, who would put bodybuilders to shame, made this dish.
After all, the cuisine is at a level where it wouldn’t be out of place served at a royal castle. It is not the rough cooking of men of the sea. It is magnificent cuisine with delicate and complex flavors. There must be a grandpa cook with a white beard behind them.
“I thought one couldn’t make a variety of dishes on a ship, but life on the ship seems comfortable.”
“No, no, one gets tired of eating fish every day. Until now, we returned to our country in about two weeks at most, so I learned the hard way how tough a voyage of over a month is.”
“Then, when you return to the Kingdom of Fiesta next time, you must buy lots of fruits and vegetables. Ah, that’s right! If you’d like, I will gift you some ingredients I like. There are various types of meat too, so I’ll have them made into dried meat for you to take back!”
“Ooh! That is appreciated! No, truly, I am happy to hear that. Thank you.”
In the end, I had a lively conversation with Tran about food. Tran is a straightforward and extremely easy-to-understand man. And he is interesting.
On a ship, meat is likely hard to come by. The same goes for seasonings other than salt, and fruits. Vegetables too. There might be some islands during the voyage, but they aren’t easily obtained.
Now, what should I give Tran to make him happy? Since I’m at it, I want to build a good relationship with the Kingdom of Fiesta.
Even though it is a country I have never visited, thanks to Tran, I have started to think that the Kingdom of Fiesta must be a very good country.
