280 To Castle Town ③ - Tastes of different worlds

"It's a waste of time, so let me make you an easy baking dish"

Numerous ingredients and cookware before, Vulcus declared so.

At its feet are also placed the water bottles carried by the lowest surnames. This place, which had not been used as a cook for a long time, did not have water ready.

After thoroughly washing the cookware with that water, they arranged earthen bottles of vanilla and seasonings, and now they're finally ready.

"... by the way, Lord Asta, are those women you refrained from there your squire?

"I'm not a squire, I'm a cooking assistant. I'd like to give them a taste, if possible."

"… you may have a tongue that correctly discerns the flavour"

Saying, Vulcus plugged his hand into the pocket of his top.

Pulled out of it was a small, folded white cloth.

I wondered if it would be hand-tufted, or even a hat, but it was a little different. It was a cloth mask with holes only in the eyes, nose and mouth.

Varcus flies his gaze from the other side of the round hole at us for losing words.

"If even a drop of sweat drips, the flavour of the dish will change. As a cook, it's only natural."

I looked back at Polearths, but he was also watching Pokémon and Vulcan oddities.

That means that this was still a unique way of doing things for Varcus.

"Okay, I'll start cooking"

That's what Varcus said in a voice that felt a little twitchy because he was being compressed around his mouth.

And then turn your foot to the pantry again.

He didn't let me carry the meat of Karon or Kimmus, so I'm sure he's going to use the raw fish. We were supposed to follow him around.

Varcus, who entered the living room, took the patterned nets that hung against the walls and stared at the fish with a quiet eye.

Among the survivors, about four species of fish seemed to be released.

Elongated body shape like Ivana, scaly fish with white spots in yellowbrown.

Crowdye or a fish as dark and circular in shape as Tilapia.

Yellow or red is still raw, a fish as sloppy as Okinawa's Iravcher.

And an emerald green fish with a figure fat and big body, like Rygyo.

Only the last one, like Rygyo, occupies a whole bunch of one raw fish, and the other two have three species of fish teasing around and swimming.

From that, Vulcus picked out a fish like Ivana that would be 30 centimeters, and gave it only one tail.

Observe it up close, check with your fingertips to the elasticity of the elongated torso, and then turn back to the net-by-net cook.

"You really eat fish. What the hell does that taste like?

Rimi-Lou is sneaking a whisper behind my back to Ai-Fa.

Varcus also saw salt alive in the fish freed from the net, and washed it away with water from the water bottle. I'm sure he's taking the plush.

Then take up the cooking knife for the fish while pressing the body of the fish still in motion against the slab.

The tip of the blade is plugged into the abdomen with extreme smoothness, and it is cut straight up to the throat.

That's how he pulls his guts out, and the remaining blood on his spine peels off with his nails as well.

It's a procedure not so different from the way I know how to twist.

Wash him again, then rub his fingertips against the first incision and peel him all at once.

He has a luxurious fingertip like a woman, but he's quite the arm.

"Hey, that's a brilliant arrangement. This is the first time I've seen you cook live fish."

Polearth voiced innocently, but Varcus did not answer.

The round-naked fish is dropped in the head and lowered to three pieces.

The head and middle bone were thrown into a jug of scraps, and the remaining right and left bodies were wrapped in black vanilla.

Varcus washes his hands, lights the kama which one, and starts warming the small flat pan.

So when the heat turned to the pan, I washed my hands again and threw in the first peeled skin and reddish vanilla.

The fat content of the carrots from the skin starts to make puffiness and noise.

When the fat comes out, the skin is discarded and the herbaceous wrapped fish body is gently laid at the bottom of the pan.

The sour aroma spread to the cook.

This is, uh, vanilla that arouses Thai cuisine, which I turned down in "Giva Curry".

Since the amount of fat and other products coming out of the skin is known, the vanilla immediately begins to dissipate to the burnt odor.

But Vulcus didn't mind, he took the time to put the fire through both sides carefully over low heat.

Green eyes peeking from the back of the mask are as serious as they've ever been.

It's not handy at all.

That's how he baked both sides, then Varcus took up a largely blue earthen bottle.

The contents are caron milk.

I'm a little surprised you're using caron milk here.

When Varcus poured the contents of the earthen bottle into the ceramic cup, he threw a pinch of salt and sugar there and then turned it into an iron pan.

Fat and moisture quarrel and start a good economic tone once and for all.

"... that black vanilla on caron's milk is the same trick as a cook named Timaro, right?

Raina-Lou has been sneaking in my ears.

It's been almost two months now, and Rayna-Lew knew exactly what this vanilla smelled like.

Varcus furthermore threw several varieties of vanilla there.

Instead of shredding them, they broke them apart on the pan and mixed them in.

It's a truly unwrought cue, but I'm sure the portions are calculated exactly. Stop breaking every vanilla along the way and throw whatever you have left in your hand in the scraps at all costs.

Trace amounts of oil are suppressed by caron milk, after which only the tone of simmering sounds.

Listening to that tone, Vulcus stopped moving for about thirty seconds.

And suddenly I soak up the ingredients with a wooden slab, as if it had been switched on.

Two bodies, filled with fragments of black vanilla and white caron milk, were placed on a ceramic plate.

Clothes that are as unbroken as scraps of garbage are scrubbed down beautifully by a wooden slab.

What emerged from under it was a feverish white meat.

Because it was protected by vanilla, or none of the burning marks there.

Moving it to another plate, Varcus carefully washed his hands again and sliced them into pieces about a centimeter thick.

The cut body is arranged so that the cross section is exposed, and then the red one is placed on top of it properly with a silver spoon.

It was tucked away in a small pot, which apparently was a jam that shredded and simmered aloof fruit.

"… is complete"

Varcus leaves the workbench.

"This dish is easy to escape heat, so taste it soon"

"No, it was brilliant! … it's just a dish I can't imagine the flavor of"

Polearths takes the initiative and approaches the plate.

We followed it, too.

"This dish is treated as an appetizer in my Silver Star Hall. There are a limited number of fish you can take home, so you can only handle them for a few days."

Saying, Vulcus peeled off the white mask.

The white side is wet by sweat and the long brown hair is sticky.

"Well, let's have it! Damn, he's good at it."

With silver utensils like forks divided into three strands, Polearth carries the dish to his mouth.

His eyes opened with excitement.

"This dish - no, I suppose I should refrain from expressing my thoughts before Lord Asta speaks"

I picked up the wooden spoon and took the dish softly, being careful not to drop it.

It is a white fish fillet, not to say.

The dish was baked, but the fillet itself did not touch the iron pan, so the finish was as if it had been steamed.

It is incredible that it is moist and wet with caron's milk and has jams of aloe on it when it comes to strawberries.

And with so many different kinds of vanilla thrown in, the aroma is less complicated.

After watching the exterior carefully, I put the fillet in my mouth.

Tong - The complex fragrance spreads along with the complex flavour.

(This guy...)

What the hell should I describe it as?

It was such a feeling that the spiciness of the vanilla, the acidity of the aloe and the sweetness of the caron milk ran through the mouth in a spiral tease.

No, even when it comes to spiciness, it comes from several kinds of vanilla, and the sourness of the aloe is also accompanied by the sourness of the vanilla when it comes to lemongrass.

It was also difficult to tell which flavor was brought by which ingredient, as the sweetness of the caron milk also varied with the slightest sugar content of sugar and aloe.

And there's a fish in the center of it.

The flavour of the fish, twisted and roasted in vanilla, unites all flavours.

Cook the white fish with the vanilla and add the jam after simmering in milk. There's no way I can cook delicious dishes like this - it was established as a dish.

Even though sweetness, spiciness, acidity and, whatever, a little bitterness of vanilla are added, and everything is likely to be ruined together, they maintain harmony at the rind. It was also difficult for me to imagine what kind of calculation could produce such a flavor.

It's hard to tell if it tastes good or not.

You want to try something like this? If you were asked, you would immediately say no.

Still, I can't say it doesn't taste good.

No, it must be delicious.

I just don't get the sensory gear meshing in me.

If it were Timaro's or Roy's dishes, I wouldn't have been confused so far.

I guess some people think this stuff is delicious, it's funny how the differences in food culture are, and they were able to guide the answer away from their sensibilities.

But I could not discern this dish.

It tastes strange.

It tastes complicated.

It tastes amazing.

That's the only way I can twist it out.

I shook it off in a different direction than I did, which was exactly what I should call a different world of cuisine.

"This is..." Rayna-Lew snaps with a bitter voice.

Apparently, everyone was finishing their tastings while I was being stunned.

Rayna-Lew was staring at me with a gruesome eye.

"Asta, please tell me… is this dish delicious?

What a strange question.

Once Dan-Rutim also tasted 'Giva Curry' and said, "Is this delicious?," he said.

But again, different, Rayna-Lew's voice was filled with more emotions than I could contain myself.

Tool-din is staring at me like he's about to cry.

Rimi-Lou has a difficult face that says "hmm".

"I'm kind of not sure about Limi... is that it? Ai-fa don't you eat?

"I'm not your number, and I'm not interested in cooking in Castle Town"

On the wood plate, there were still a few fillets left.

I make up my mind and give it to Ai-Fa.

"Ey-fa, if you don't like it, can you let me know what you think too? I'd like to hear the frank opinions of the people by the woods."

Ey-Fa frowned scratchy, but pinched the fillet with his fingers as he tried not to ask back anything.

Put it in your mouth, chew it faceless, and then swallow it.

"... what do you say?

"Stick, there's nothing to it. It doesn't even taste good to me. I'm not even going to say it tastes bad."

I = fa said that very lightly indeed.

And he's coming to my ear with his mouth.

"To put it further, I don't even think it's the flavor we forest folks need. If you had cooked such a dish, neither I nor the Ziva lady nor Donda-Lou would have had my heart moved.... you just have to go your way, Asta."

I closed my eyes and pushed my swirling doubts and annoyances back into my chest to the bottom of my belly before staring back at the top of the Buddha in Ai-Fa.

"Okay. Thanks, Ai-Fa"

Ie-Fa comes to my chest silently poking small.

I looked back at Polearth.

"I'm not likely to be able to put my surprise into good words for a bit. Could you let us know what you think of Pol Earth?

"Me? I thought it was amazing! Somehow, it's as if they've tasted the point of arrival of something called delicious dishes that the cooks of Genos aspire to!

Polearths looks more like Varcus, laughing uncontrollably.

"Lord Varcus. Even I must have tasted your dishes several times, but I've never been surprised so far! Once you're free to use the ingredients that exist in this Count Turan residence, you'll be able to cook stunning dishes to this point! No, I'm impressed!

"… it's an honor to compliment you"

Varcus responds with a careless look.

Polearth laughs a lot as he stares at you.

"But Lord Asta's cooking is completely different, after all. It may indeed be a coarse and wild dish for a castle town human, but it does not stay just a rare country dish. It has such a delicious taste that it spills a laugh just because you say it."

"... Really?"

"Yeah. If I hadn't, I don't think Lord Genos or Lord Leeheim would have admired Lord Asta's handiwork that far. And just as Lord Asta was amazed by Lord Varcus' cooking, I wonder if Lord Varcus will be amazed by Lord Asta's cooking."

After all, the look on Varcus's face didn't move.

But Polearth nods with a satisfied face and turns back towards me.

"Now it's Lord Asta's turn! You expect good food, don't you?

"Yes, I will do my best to meet my expectations"

I got my hands on my nose and pulled a tired white towel.

I have nothing but to cook my dishes.

Besides - I couldn't help but be sure of how Varcus would feel about eating my food.

"Raina-Lou, can you prepare a flat pot and a one-handed pot one iron skewer at a time, plus a few plates? Thur-din asked the people on the table for three kimmus eggs and a pot of caron milk fat before preparing the fire. Rimi-Lou is with me preparing other ingredients."

"Rika-yi!

Rimi-Lou, who brings back a smile, speaks up energetically.

Raina-Lou and Tour-Din each showed us a way to dispel anxiety and agitation before silently getting ready.

Having moved to the pantry with Rimi-Lou, I choose the ingredients I need and hand them to my little cooking assistant.

"Hey, what does Asta make? Wouldn't it be tough without giva meat?

"Right. But thanks to that, we can compete head-on."

If you do the mansion a favor, you can use Kimmus or Karon meat.

But if you're going to use ingredients that you can't use anyway, you'd better make some impact and guide the results. Because this is not a simple comparison of flavors, but a way to convince Varcus.

I entrust the transport of the ingredients to Rimi-Lou, and I go between them with my feet.

Among the same fish that Varcus chose, he picked and captured something as similar in shape and size as possible, and took it back to the net-by-net cook.

"Holy shit! Do you use live fish to Lord Asta?!?

"Yeah, I was born in an island country, so I can handle fish."

Varcus kept his eyes open and protected my behavior.

I entrust the patterned net to Ai-Fa and pull the santoku knife out of my waist.

That's all I didn't feel like leaving it in my luggage.

(I'll borrow it for the first time, Dad)

Ever since I bought the meat cutter from Deal, I have refrained from using this knife as much as possible.

But I don't feel like bumping into the production with an unusable cooking knife.

I pulled out the Sandeok knife from Park's white sheath, put it on the slab, and then I received the patterned net.

Just like Varcus, first rinse the fish with salt and rinse off the mulch.

That's how you punch the iron skewer into your head, fasten it to the slab, and then rip your belly.

As much as I grated the fish into three pieces, I had been six months and there was no obstacle whatsoever to any blank.

"Hum, it's a handsome thing! Do you mean to show the leadership of an emigrant people?"

Listening to Polearth-inspiring voices on my back, I sprinkle my fillets with salt and pico leaves. The town had paid pico leaves, and of course this pantry was well stocked.

By the way, I didn't peel the skin off the fillet.

Besides, the scales seemed small, just like Ivana and Nijmas, so it didn't seem necessary to treat them there either.

While you're doing that, I'll just boil two Kimmus eggs with Tul-din ready.

One of the rest remains raw and is made of mayonnaise using the oil of Leten and the vinegar of Mammalia.

Chop the boiled eggs, add a small amount of aria and mayonnaise and tailor them to a tartare sauce.

"Hmm. He seems to be a dish I don't know about."

Polearth's voice was playing with a groan.

That innocent look has inspired my heart a lot.

If you try to polar earth, you want Varcus to shut up about the trouble he said, I guess the best thing you can do.

But it's a different story, and you're purely looking forward to my cooking. I didn't feel like questioning that mood.

(You're an unusual person, aren't you?)

With that in mind, I'm going to heat a one-handed pot this time.

When the heat passes, sprinkle the fillet with fuwano powder with the underlying flavor and cook both sides with milk fat.

It is Muniel the river fish.

The aroma of heated milk fat and fish baking is really aromatic.

Transfer the roasted fillets to a plate, cut them apart with a knife and then hang the tartar sauce and you're done.

"Thank you for waiting. It's my hometown dish called Muniel."

"Hmm. I can't wait to smell the milk fat."

Polearths comes up first again.

"Oh, this is -! Hey, it's dangerous. Lord Varcus should also check the flavour."

With an emotionless face, Vulcus took up the fork.

Wait for the dish to be transported to its mouth before Raina-Lou and the others take up the wooden spoon as well.

This time, Ai-Fa also had a wooden spoon in his hand from the beginning.

At the end of the day, I make sure my tongue tastes good.

It was not a bad finish.

Thanks to the fuwano flour, the surface is crisp and cooked, while the inner meat is moist and soft. I guess it's a river fish that doesn't originally have a funny smell. It is neatly familiar with the flavour of buttery milk fat and the taste of tartare sauce without being inhibited.

I think it would be good enough as a bump production to take a little more time to get the bottom flavor on, or maybe we could have used the tau oil based ustar sauce plated together.

"This is the first time Lord Asta has dealt with river fish in Selva, isn't it? And yet, I wonder how you can cook delicious dishes so far?

"This fish also had a similar feeling in my hometown. I don't even know what to do with the fat fish that was isolated."

"I'm impressed! This dish is delicious without complaining.... If you say greed, I wonder if it's out of Genos' flux that you haven't used vanilla at all"

"Really? I wasn't sure if it should be seasoned with myrmu and tau oil. It's better this way, so I thought it might suit everyone in Castle Town."

"Myrmu and tau oil! That looks delicious too! But even this dish tastes unpleasant! It tasted just as good as the fried Kimmus dish I had before."

Polearths looks back at Vulcus as he praises it that way with a melting smile.

"What do you think? This is Lord Asta's skill! It tastes strange enough to write it off, even if it's somewhat out of the Genos routine. I don't feel like complaining at all when I'm served this dish at dinner."

Varcus approached me loosely.

Those eyes remain open, staring at me like they're going to shoot.

"… does this mean that this is the modus operandi of an emigrant people"

"Yes, I learned it in my hometown, it's my country's food"

"There are many cooks who cook incredible dishes, even in Sims and Jagals and also in the King's capital, Alglad. But I've never felt like I was inferior to those cooks."

"Yes."

"Of course, even to you, I don't think I'm inferior. There will still be room for improvement, both in terms of fire and flavoring"

"Yes, I think you're right. I'm just wondering if I've been told enough about what kind of cook I am."

"Yeah, I could clearly understand that"

Varcus is getting closer.

It's faceless and creepy, but I'm sure Ai-Fa's inability to move hasn't exuded any malice.

And - when I was thinking about it, I was suddenly caught scratching my fingertips off my hands.

"We withdraw"

"Yes? What is it?

"I would like to withdraw all the many words I have said so far"

My green eyes are looking at me like they're coming.

As graceful as a woman's fingertips, what comes through my hands is a feeling as rough as leather.

Years of water work have made my skin harder, artisan hands.

"I was completely misguided by the skill of the emigrants. You have the right to use any ingredient you like. And I am honored to be able to cook on the same day as you, Lord Asta."

"Well, thank you for that."

"... it's probably been five years since I've been supposed to have this feeling"

The faceless detail approaches even closer.

"Thou art different from me in manner. Besides, I'm sure the place you're aiming for is different. And yet - no, therefore, my heart is not noisy. Only one person has ever made me feel this way."

"Well, is that maybe about a cook named Michele?

Varcus' eyes narrow to the extreme like Ziza-Lou's.

"Lord Asta, are you..."

"No, my master is my father. Michelle and I had a relationship, but we've never been handy with cooking."

"Really? Lord Michel was my only and greatest enemy. I feel like I've got my best enemy back on my hands."

"With Varcus, even if it's harmless, is it time for you to get yourself away from my family?

And finally, Ai-Fa gave me a warning voice.

At the end of the day, he grabbed my hand and then, unfortunately, Varcus pulled back.

"Excuse me. Too often, I seem to have lost my mind."

I once again turned to Varcus, breathing relief.

"It's an honor to have a cook on the same day as you, Varcus. If you like, why don't you cook more on the day of the welcome party and taste your dishes?

"It's something I don't even wish for. I will never forget the day I met you."

After saying so, Vulcus relieved himself of his mouth.

Doing so makes me suddenly have a gentle atmosphere because I originally have a positive face.

"... but you are still young. It will not be possible at this stage to serve you a dish better than mine, Lord Asta."

That's how Vulcus proclaimed himself as gentle as someone else.