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Poppins had momentarily stepped away. Alicia took this chance to wander around the campsite, evading everyone’s attention.

It wasn’t particularly difficult.

Though it wasn’t as familiar as Winterhome, it was still just a campsite in the end. It wasn’t as complex as Winterhome either, and with the many people and shadows around, it was the perfect hideout for a little while.

In fact, she had calmed down a long time ago.

Alicia liked her grandfather. That much was undeniable truth.

After two years of not seeing him, she couldn’t help but express her joy through her whole body when he came, bringing with him a hefty gift of mammoth meat. What granddaughter in the world would dislike a grandfather like that?

‘But Poor Fluff Cloud is too pitiful…’

Alicia still vividly remembered how Fluff Cloud’s fur got all wet and messy as it eagerly licked up the snacks she handed out, its bright eyes sparkling with joy.

And yet, that fluffy thing was subjected to relentless violence.

In Richard’s hands, the giant dungeon hamster had fainted.

Of course, Alicia roughly understood the situation. Her eyes had rolled back thanks to the seductive scent of butter that suddenly wafted through the air. Fluff Cloud had attacked Karem’s kitchen tent because she was too distracted by that aroma, allowing the reins to get loose.

Not to mention, Fluff Cloud had shed fur all over the kitchen. The fur even made its way into the ingredients and got mixed into the cooking.

But this was way over the line.

Alfred told Alicia so.

The blame for a pet’s misdeeds lies with its owner.

In other words, the blame for Fluff Cloud’s actions fell on Alicia. After all, she was the one distracted by the smell.

However, her grandfather had knocked out poor Fluff Cloud. This truly was too much—this was Alicia’s thought.

At first, she thought it was dead.

Of course, it wasn’t really dead.

Regardless, it was shocking enough.

Alicia could relate to the feeling of being stifled in her freedom because of Poppins. Moreover, Fluff Cloud just got a little blinded by greed for food. It was too pitiful to be punished for that.

So, every time she visited Fluff Cloud, she brought a bunch of snacks. Even though it still lay fainted, unable to get back up.

‘Ugh… Grandpa seems to feel sorry too.’

Alicia had lived her whole life being loved.

Maybe that’s why she found it hard to stay angry for long.

Of course, her older brother Robin was a different story.

That useless, sickly, skinny Robin who constantly teased her calling her a pig. It was bad enough when he lay in bed, but once he got up to learn magic, he got even worse.

Anyway, Alicia was sure that Richard would be returning soon. She didn’t want to send her grandfather away in an angry state after seeing him for the first time in two years.

“But did I get mad at Grandpa…?”

At that moment, a scent brushed against her nose and Alicia involuntarily turned her head.

As the sun began to set, the campsite started to fill with the smell of food.

The aroma of hot broth and greasy meat. The sharp scent of nasty beer, the deceptive odor of bitter and astringent wine, and honey wine wafted through the air. The intoxicating aroma of butter and sugar transforming into caramel mingled around.

Alicia found herself unable to ignore the tangled, imprecise curtain of smells and swallowed her saliva.

Rich, oily, salty, spicy, with a hint of sweetness—the aroma brimmed with umami.

Guuuuuuuuuulp—

Taking advantage of Alicia’s brief lapse in her rationality, her body reacted instinctively.

Before she knew it, guided by her primal instincts, Alicia headed toward the source of the tantalizing aroma.

*

The giant dungeon hamster was a creature that any adventurer who has entered a dungeon at least a few times would have eaten.

For adventurers, a dungeon is a land of opportunity.

And also a space filled with variables.

No matter how firmly prepared with magic tools, unexpected events happen all the time.

Even veteran adventurers could be taken out in one shot, and it was natural to lose one’s way while being pursued by monsters and traps.

It often occurred that adventurers found themselves isolated while fleeing from each other, aiming for their equipment and loot, not just dungeons, traps, and monsters.

For this reason, the giant dungeon hamster, which can naturally appear at a considerable size, is an object of love and hate for adventurers.

The meat wasn’t even drained properly, let alone slaughtered.

Even if it was done properly, the vast majority lacked salt, and the meat was so greasy that it was impossible to taste anything at all.

The former S-Class adventurer, ‘Spirit of the Cold Wave’.

Catherine couldn’t be an exception here.

The dungeon she entered, fitting for her skill, was naturally high difficulty and high risk. Incidents were bound to occur.

There was no way that tough meat, with no salt and still stiff from rigor mortis, would be to the tastes of a valuable wizard.

‘At least it didn’t smell too bad, so I could manage to eat it.’

Thump— Bubble bubble bubble bubble—

Before Catherine, a pot filled with giant dungeon hamster salted meat was placed.

“…This is giant dungeon hamster, right? Is that true?”

“Yes. Have you ever eaten it?”

“Yeah. This is supposed to be tasty?”

“I couldn’t even eat it in my past life.”

Karem, in his past life, was Korean.

And most Koreans loved spam.

Therefore, he couldn’t understand why spam was an object of both hatred and affection after Korean pop culture made budae jjigae famous.

Sure they must have had some circumstances, but Karem was indifferent.

In any case, even the foreigners brainwashed by K-food seemed to enjoy it.

“…The giant dungeon hamster existed in your past life as well?”

“When salted, its taste was just like spam.”

“Spam.”

“Shredded shoulder of pork seasoned and grilled… um… something akin to ham.”

Catherine blinked her golden eyes and turned her head to the table.

In the pot, several types of sausages, salami, rough meatballs, and giant dungeon hamster meat were generously stuffed in a fan shape.

The red broth bubbled up in between, the yellow cheese melted and mixed into the soup, seeping into the ingredients once more.

Honestly, the aroma was good.

“But the vegetables. Did you just put in meat?”

“Ah, I laid it under the meat.”

“…I see.”

Karem halted Mary’s hand and took up a ladle to stir the contents of the pot.

The neatly arranged meat and melting cheese were completely upended. The previously muted onions, leeks, button mushrooms, cabbage, and boiled beans were thoroughly mixed in.

“First, take a big bowl. Try it.”

Saying that, Karem filled a bowl with budae jjigae and handed it to Mary, who took it and set it before Catherine.

“And what’s the name of this stew?”

“It’s called budae jjigae.”

“Does the military have anything to do with its birth story?”

“Well, in a way. I’m still considering a suitable name.”

Catherine looked at Karem with indifference, then turned her head back to the bowl. If the name seemed odd when Karem finally settles on it, they could just scold him later.

Catherine promptly took the spoon Mary brought to her mouth.

The broth itself was a lump of umami.

It couldn’t possibly taste bad.

While she didn’t know what role the giant dungeon hamster played, the broth, loaded with sausages, salami, and cheese, was heavy and rich.

The spiciness hit immediately, while the sweetness of the onions and leeks and the subtle aroma of garlic complemented the greasier parts quite nicely.

And first into her mouth was the meat of the giant dungeon hamster.

“…Hmm?”

Was this the taste?

The giant dungeon hamsters she had eaten before were tough, freshly caught, and grilled, but this was entirely different.

The meat retained some chewiness, but with just a bit of pressure from her tongue, it crumbled. Gushing forth were the salty juices and grease, flowing into the broth.

It stimulated her tongue fiercely, but the boiled beans broke down, naturally lowering the intensity.

And from the end of the beans came a subtle sourness that could not be overlooked, caressing her tongue pleasantly.

“Was there tomato in this?”

“Yes. The boiled beans were lightly stewed in tomato sauce.”

If it were budae jjigae, it should have been made with X company’s canned beans. But here, there wasn’t even a trace of X company’s products, let alone any canned goods.

So, they simply simmered the beans in some thin tomato sauce to mimic the flavors.

No matter how you looked at it, this wasn’t the budae jjigae she used to eat.

Still, it was delicious enough to belong to the realm of budae jjigae.

“The combination isn’t bad at all.”

The pairing was quite nice.

Satisfied with the dish, Catherine continued to clear her bowl.

In some ways, it felt like a luxurious stew made seldom at inns, full of sausage, salami, ground meat, and preservation foods.

Yet, the taste was incomparable.

It was on a different level than eternal stew.

“But where are Duke Godwin and Duke William? I sent them. They should’ve gotten permission.”

“Were they the ones you sent?”

Catherine looked away with a glance.

“I turned them down.”

“Oh, what’s the occasion?”

“There’s no occasion; it’s just that duo was visiting too frequently.”

Honestly, they had come too often.

She intended to refuse any requests to come here from anyone other than those two for a while.

Karem could feel that Catherine was uncomfortable about something.

Whatever the reason, it was good enough for him.

Catherine sighed, eating the budae jjigae Mary handed her.

“Ha, this is a drink-inducing dish.”

“I figured you might say that.”

With a grin, Mary dashed out of the tent and quickly returned, placing a small jar sealed with a cork down on the table.

“I’ve brought honey wine.”

“Good preparation.”

At Mary’s unspoken request to pour a drink, she filled a glass with the transparent honey wine and served it in a way that Catherine desired, so she could gulp it down in one go.

“So, why is Karem’s junior staring at me like that?”

“Wasn’t the honey wine not on our stock list?”

Karem hadn’t laid a single hand on grocery preparations.

Yet, he was aware of all the groceries piled on the cart.

This was necessary to calculate what dishes could be made.

And as far as Karem knew, honey wine was not on that list.

As for the alcoholic beverages, wine and beer were all that existed.

“The smell of greasy, spicy broth was wafting outside the kitchen tent. Just in case, I exchanged a bottle of wine with a passing knight as payment.”

Mary generously served the ingredients into Catherine’s empty bowl.

“I expected that a contractor would definitely look for alcohol. And seeing the ingredients, my prediction was correct.”

Catherine intended to praise Mary.

But there wasn’t time for that.

Salted giant dungeon hamster and onions.

Ground beef and button mushrooms.

Various types of salami and sausages, vegetables, and meats.

Cleaning her palate with the cabbage soaked in broth, each time Catherine returned to consume the budae jjigae, it shifted flavors, spicy yet refreshing with a hint of richness.

The spicy red greasy oil and the saltiness of meat fat made her mouth feel coated.

As Catherine signaled to Mary, a high-proof clear honey wine glass was deftly brought to her lips.

The gentle sweetness drifted amidst the heated alcohol, calming her stimulated tongue and restoring her appetite.

“Ha, I shouldn’t drink too much of this.”

“Is it that delicious? Alicia wants to try it too.”

Karem watched Catherine eat with satisfaction, but then his expression twisted in dismay.

Catherine nearly choked, and Mary also closed her eyes.

This familiar feeling of déjà vu.

They felt no sign nor sound approaching.

The three turned their heads as a voice came from the table. Alicia was peeking in like a mole, just her head sticking out.

‘Come to think of it, this stew was originally something requested by the late Duke to cheer up Princess Alicia, wasn’t it?’

‘As far as I know, that is correct. He brought the salted meat of the giant dungeon hamster.’

‘Will the princess get an invitation then?’

As Alicia stomped her feet, silent glances were exchanged among the three servants.

It would be uncomfortable to throw her out like the first and second Felwinter.

Mary readied additional empty bowls and tableware at Catherine’s gesture.

“Kitty. Alicia wants to taste that too.”

“Who’s calling me Kitty? Who? And this is alcohol.”

“Eh. It smells like tasteless water that tricks the nose.”

…But can I really let her drink this?

A shudder ran through Karem as he dished out the budae jjigae, momentarily forgetting the not-so-hidden backstory between budae jjigae, Richard, and Alicia.

 

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