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Godwin’s tongue quivered.

The meat hadn’t even brushed against it yet.

But the intense scent of fire, both familiar and unfamiliar.

That alluring aroma filled his mouth and tickled his nose.

For anyone from Sephorn who was sincere about meat, the enticing smell of fire combined with the delectable scents wafting from the diverse dishes laid out on the Great Hall’s table was irresistible.

Indeed, Godwin’s previously wavering appetite crumbled under the pressure.

He quickly withdrew his fork from his mouth.

A piece of chicken, about the length of a finger, touched his tongue.

Intense sweetness and saltiness.

And something indescribable.

A unique umami flavor he had never encountered before.

The sauce, thick and rich, didn’t spread throughout his mouth but remained entirely on his tongue, enhancing the distinct taste of the sauce even more.

Until now, Godwin’s diet had been bland beyond belief.

A little bread baked only with water and salt.

A vegetable salad without dressing and some fruit.

Boiled meat and salt were all he had.

There had been no stimuli for his tongue.

But conversely, this meant his tongue had been resting all that time.

Now, Godwin’s tongue was more sensitive than ever, steadfastly analyzing the ingredients in the black sauce that enveloped the roasted chicken from the very moment he tasted it.

A subtle seafood umami flavor was present in the sauce.

Yet, no fishy smell was felt at all.

Godwin was certain garlic and ginger were in it, and then, he couldn’t help but feel perplexed.

He couldn’t identify the unique aroma that intensified that umami taste.

But Godwin soon calmed himself.

After all, the one who prepared this meal was Karem.

Certainly, he had created something new.

The charred, chewy texture of the skin was infused with chicken fat.

Tender thigh meat oozed with juices that paired perfectly with the sauce.

Pork, roasted alongside the chicken, was similarly delightful.

It seemed this cut had more lean meat, with a stronger aroma and texture that matched well with the sauce.

Only then did Godwin realize that the aroma was different too.

He should have only sensed the intense smell of fire that should cling to the chicken from burning firewood, yet he detected flavors he had never tasted before.

To put it metaphorically, it was like stew burnt onto a pot after simmering for a long time.

The crust formed on a steak’s surface.

Similar to caramel that had burnt during the boiling of sugar.

But similarity was all it was.

The flavor was impossible to describe precisely.

That was what drove Godwin mad.

“Karem. What the heck is this black sauce?”

“To be honest, you’re absolutely right, Prince Godwin.”

“Huh? Out of the blue?”

“Most of the dishes you’re served are tasty but lack stimulation, so I specially made this sauce.”

“What? For me?”

“Yes. Well, I did make another sauce that’s part of this one, soy sauce.”

Godwin stared at Karem with a gaze filled half with surprise and half with admiration.

Of course, Karem’s words were merely lip service.

His ridiculous rebellion against making tomato sauce and paste had resulted in a prayer while offering sacrifices at the temple for several days, after all.

To be blunt, it was accurate to say he just made it on a whim.

But the opportunity to impress his superiors had immediately arisen, and he couldn’t let it slip by.

Karem’s flattery was effective.

And Karem nailed it with:

“Could you please name this black sauce?”

“Let’s call it Blacklight. Blacklight fits perfectly.”

Godwin replied without hesitation.

Despite being a black sauce, its glossy appearance made it incredibly fitting to call it by such a contrasting name.

Crunch! Snap! Crack! Crunch!

“Hmm, I was surprised when you said it was steamed oats, but the taste itself is quite bland, isn’t it?”

“That’s because it’s a staple. So I made sure to season it heavily.”

“That must be why I can’t stop reaching for it.”

“Otherwise, you would have disregarded the oats and focused only on the other dishes.”

“Um, ahem! By the way, what’s that pot?”

Godwin, embarrassed by Karem’s piercing insight into his thoughts, cleared his throat and changed the topic.

“Look over there.”

“Huh?”

Godwin turned his head in the direction Karem pointed.

At the very front of the guest area.

A servant, seeking permission from the guests, touched the pot.

-Bubble, bubble, bubble, bubble-

The pot that had been still suddenly began to boil.

Receiving the power of the magic tool that kept the pot warm, as the broth boiled, thin leafy vegetables and beef quickly wilted, while mushrooms began to shrink in size.

“Is that how it’s supposed to be eaten?”

“Yep. But it will take a little time, so why don’t you try something else first?”

“Hmm, alright. I’ve had enough meat, maybe I should eat some vegetables too.”

The barbecue was undeniably delicious.

The intense umami flavor was impressive and paired exceptionally well with rice.

However, as he continued to eat, Godwin felt his mouth becoming heavy.

It was now time to refresh his palate.

His gaze naturally fell upon the second most extravagant dish.

Thinly sliced eggplant, tomatoes, and onions layered on a pan with bell peppers.

“I’ve been curious about this since earlier. Is this a vegetable dish?”

“Yes. You might not know it.”

“What’s it called?”

“Um, it’s Ratatouille.”

“Hmm. I don’t know it at all.”

Of course, that was natural.

The Ratatouille from his previous life was a French countryside dish made famous through a movie.

Since he heard there was a similar country, he asked just in case, but even Zigmeser didn’t know what it was, and only one chef who had spent childhood years in Bersengzeto’s kitchen in Winterhome had barely known about it.

It was a dish for the poor that steamed whatever vegetables were available.

Regardless, Godwin couldn’t be expected to know about a foreign countryside dish.

Thus, even Zigmeser had initially rejected it.

After all, country dishes are still country dishes.

For the reason that they didn’t suit the grandeur of a banquet.

However, thanks to a genius rat chef from his previous life who had become famous for the luxurious Ratatouille, he changed his mind.

The meticulously crafted Ratatouille, baked with carefully sliced vegetables atop a layer of tomato sauce and roasted in the oven, looked worlds apart from the simple farmer’s dish in Bersengzeto.

“Ah, this subtle sourness and unique sweetness is addictive.”

“It would be wise to savor it slowly.”

“Eh?”

“The tomatoes used in the Ratatouille are in limited supply, so what’s served now is all there is for this banquet.”

“Ah, right, you did say it was recently developed.”

Godwin cautiously scooped the Ratatouille onto his plate with his fork and tasted it once more.

Upon entering his mouth, the fibrous texture, let alone flavor, crumbled apart like a sandcastle collapsing with just a movement of his tongue, exploding with vegetable flavor.

Tender eggplant, sweet onion and tomato, and bitter bell pepper.

The tomato sauce that encompassed all these flavors rinsed away the heaviness from Godwin’s mouth caused by the teriyaki barbecue.

How on earth could vegetables produce such deep flavors? Godwin silently marveled as he paired it with a small portion of oat rice.

The intense sweetness and saltiness balanced out.

Consequently, the concentrated vegetable flavors became even more robust.

“What on earth did you do to make the vegetables yield such depth of flavor? It doesn’t seem like there’s butter in it?”

“Well, there’s tomato, but also bell pepper and onion.”

Many tend to avoid bell peppers.

Yet its true worth is revealed when grilled.

When roasted until the skin turns black, its peculiar raw scent vanishes, while bitterness and sharpness diminish, amplifying the gentle sweetness.

Along with that, the onions, which were stir-fried to a deep brown.

The essence of the red sauce beneath today’s Ratatouille came from blending those three vegetables’ sugars with olive oil and fresh garlic.

“…So, two of the main ingredients in the sauce originated from Fire Witch Finger?”

“The bell pepper is a variant, and the tomato is a variant of that variant, so that’s correct.”

“No, how can two completely different tastes come from the same source…?”

Slightly confused, Godwin shook his head and muttered.

“Okay, okay. Now this is probably something familiar to you, Prince.”

“Alright. Let’s see… Ah, this is something I know.”

“May I serve you some?”

“Of course.”

Karem promptly transferred some dumplings from the bowl to a plate according to Godwin’s wishes.

As he brought the dumpling he had stabbed with his fork closer to his mouth, Godwin turned his head at the familiar yet slightly different appearance.

“Here, if you dip them in the blacklight sauce mixed with soy sauce, vinegar, pepper, and fire powder-”

“Karem, is this really pelmeni? It looks a bit too thin.”

“We adjusted your diet, so we used as little flour as possible.”

“No way, did you really thin out the pelmeni dough as well?”

“I thought I’d cramp up my hands. Seriously.”

The reason why old-fashioned Chinese restaurants had begun discontinuing dumplings from their menus or replacing them with manufactured versions was understood.

For a family-sized portion, perhaps that was understandable.

But for hundreds of guests, the quantity of dumplings that needed to be made was algebraically absurd.

Moreover, if you consider that you had to refill after everyone finished eating, you’d need to prepare thousands of dumplings, which yielded a simple and mindless calculation.

So, calling in servants and maids to kidnap them from their duties to make pelmeni, was a necessity for any cook.

“Hmm, the last time I had it with sour cream, it was delicious. Do you happen to have any-”

“You should be satisfied with this soy sauce, vinegar, pepper, and fire powder sauce.”

“That would be-”

Godwin grumbled quietly as he lightly dipped the dumpling he pierced with his fork into the sauce.

He had hardly eaten pelmeni before, but this was undoubtedly the tastiest pelmeni he had ever eaten.

Unlike the thick and chewy pelmeni he was used to, this one had thinner dough that allowed for a full focus on the rich flavors of the filling.

Moreover, the oils and juices that erupted as soon as they broke made his mouth pleasantly wet, yet were diluted by the tangy, spicy, and salty sauce, resulting in no greasy feeling whatsoever.

“By the way, steak? Is it okay to eat such grilled steak?”

“As it’s direct fired without butter, feel free to have as much as you want.”

“Really? Hmmm. It’s grilled to perfection.”

In addition, there were various other dishes that Godwin could sample.

Beef rolled with teriyaki sauce, asparagus, and mushrooms.

Stuffed mushrooms filled with seasoned ground meat.

Grilled Snowrunner chicken breast stuffed with sautéed onions, mushrooms, and spinach, among others.

Besides that, a parade of healthy dishes crafted under Karem’s conditions in the castle kitchen that strangely left a hollow feeling unfolded before him.

As if attempting to bury the emptiness in his heart, Godwin passionately tackled his meal with fork and knife, until his movements froze as he cut into the second sirloin steak.

Godwin swiftly grasped his own state.

“Am I already full?”

He definitely had eaten a lot.

But that was purely based on the variety.

In terms of volume, he hadn’t eaten much at all yet. How could he already feel full?

No, it wasn’t that he was completely stuffed and couldn’t eat any more.

He felt about halfway full.

But in comparison to his usual amount, he hadn’t even eaten half?

Karem, who had intuitively observed Godwin’s flustered expression from the side, subtly nodded in meaning to Elizabeth, who had been watching Godwin with interest.

This was all part of Karem’s plan.

Strongly flavored foods instinctively drew people to plain staples, like bread or rice, yet here, Godwin’s only staple was oat rice.

Thus, he alternated between meals and the oat rice.

And since oats required more chewing, they quickly filled him up.

Karem decided it was time to drive the nail in.

 

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