Chapter 9

Chapter 9

#The Devil's Hand Appears in the Sea (4)

"Hahaha! Finally, Sir acknowledges Dominic's culinary skills! Although this guy can be a bit brusque, his cooking is exceptional. He's well-versed in a variety of ingredients and consistently amazes people with his unconventional cooking methods. Hehehe, in that regard, may I have another serving, please?"

"Ah, rice is quite costly."

Despite his grumbling, Dominic's actions of scooping rice into the bowl indicated his approval.

"Sir, does it taste good?"

"Yes, it's delicious. Please, let me enjoy my meal without further conversation."

"So, what shall we do about that now?"

"What?"

"The seaweed, no, I meant the Devil's Hand."

"Well, if the knight can assist us, we should consider how to displace the turtle farmers. Once we drive them away, it won't be too challenging to deal with the Devil's Hand. A few skilled divers will have to work hard for a few days, that's all."

"Do we need to completely eliminate it?"

"What are you talking about? Of course, we have to get rid of it."

"Why?"

"Why? Because we need to go fishing! If the Devil's Hand continues to grow, we won't be able to set sail."

"Even for small boats?"

"We might manage with small boats like rafts, but they can't venture far out into the sea. If the waves are strong, we'll become fish food. You don't want to become fish food while trying to catch fish, do you?"

"Do we need to launch large fishing boats?"

Calron frowned, feeling like he was being taunted.

"Why are you playing with words? I'm not here to argue with you."

"Why would I? Arguing with you would be like fighting a heavyweight."

"Then why ask if we have to use large fishing boats? Of course, we do! How else are we going to make money?"

Calron sighed in apparent frustration. Ian shared his sentiments. Neither of them could decipher Dominic's intentions.

Just then, Dominic pointed at the dining table with a sly grin.

"You said this was delicious."

All three sets of eyes turned simultaneously to one spot.

***

"Do we really need to stop here? Looks like a tiny village with nothing to offer."

A young man, both an employee and the grandson of the merchant, was complaining to his grandfather. Even to his inexperienced eyes, this fishing village appeared to have little to offer.

"Evergreen is a small fishing village. But think about it, what will it be like in 5 years? Or 10 years? Human affairs are unpredictable. Don't judge by appearances."

"But still"

"Furthermore, for small merchants like us, even a small customer is important. You need to value your customers."

"Yes, Grandpa."

However, as they reached the outskirts of the village, the merchant sensed something different.

The unusual excitement among the villagers clearly indicated that there was something to sell.

"Ah, welcome, sir?"Updated from novelbIn.(c)om

"Village chief!"

"Haha, stop calling me the Village chief. I passed that title on to this young man because it was too cumbersome."

Encouraged by his grandson, the merchant raised the bowl with both hands and downed the soup.

'It's a comforting flavor.'

For the elderly merchant, meals on the road had always been a challenge.

Dried jerky, tough bread, and coarse grain powder had taken a toll on his already weak teeth and digestive system.

'And there's hardly enough time to simmer a broth properly.'

While camping, they did make soup, but due to time constraints and limited ingredients, it often turned out to be a salty broth.

"You must have put in quite an effort making this. It must have taken quite some time."

"Today, we included beef, so it did require a longer cooking time, maybe about an hour? If it had been mussels like usual, boiling for just twenty minutes would suffice."

"...Twenty minutes? Is that really the case, Village Chief?"

The merchant, who had been savoring the soup with a contented expression, widened his eyes and inquired,

"If what you just said is true, then the flavor comes from this dark ingredient?"

"That's correct."

"Sell it to me! I'll offer you a fair price!"

The merchant, driven by his merchant instincts, quickly made his offer without much consideration.

"Is the quantity adequate?"

"Absolutely."

"Hmm, since it's a living thing, it might be challenging to transport a large amount at once... Let me think..."

"It's not a living thing. Here."

While the merchant contemplated how to handle shipping, Dominic retrieved pieces of seaweed that had been salted and dried, then cut into a convenient size for consumption.

"Soak this in water for about 10 minutes, then saut it in sesame oil or perilla oil and add water. That's all there is to it. Simple, right?"

"Ah, what a revelation! But you call it 'seaweed'? I've heard it referred to as algae... something. Isn't there a more commonly used term?"

"There is, but..."

Dominic hesitated for a moment.

Considering the taste, appearance, and cooking method, he had no doubts about its marketability, but preconceptions could be a significant factor in ingredient selection.

"It's known as 'Devil's Hand'..."

"Devil's Hand? Ah, I see! You're talking about that ruthless and fearsome sea creature, but why?"

"..."

"...Don't tell me..."

"It's just the name; it's not actually related..."

Clink-.

The metal spoon fell to the floor with a thud.

"...Perhaps we should reconsider this deal."

"Hold on a moment!"

The merchant's reaction was more intense than expected.

He abruptly stood up as if there was nothing more to discuss. Dominic had miscalculated, assuming the merchant's response would be similar to Calron's or Ian's.

That's when it happened.

"I'll purchase it! Let's make a trade!"