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There are currently three big eaters sitting at this table.

If we add the condition of flour and dairy products, it bumps up to four.

Karem was somewhat lacking compared to the other three big eaters.

Though the other three had indulged in ice cream before coming, it was clear that Karem, even though he didn’t classify as one of the four, remained in a state of despondence.

Everyone sitting at the table felt hungry.

“But what’s with that awkward Servianus language?”

“Hmm… Did I poke a sore spot?”

Gordon, who was munching on a mini calzone, frowned as if he had just been jabbed in a tender spot.

“Was it that awkward?”

“A little, yeah?”

Not to mention his previous life, even in Winterhome, there were local or expatriate chefs, so he was somewhat accustomed to the Servianus tongue.

“Well, I just copied something I saw at a famous restaurant.”

“If that’s the case, then fair enough.”

Karem decided to brush it off and focus on the dishes in front of him.

After rubbing his hands together towards Corvus, tomatoes popped out, and Karem prepared to indulge in the Italian dish he often made in his previous life.

There was indeed a clear difference between what he made and what was before him.

“What was the issue?”

Karem slathered a generous amount of ragu over the noodles he had plated and began mixing them.

The tangy acidity of the tomatoes mingled with the sweetness of the vegetables, creating a richness from the beef that was so intense it almost tricked his taste buds into thinking it was too heavy. The fragrant basil topped it off.

“Basil? No way, basil? But I added basil.”

“Basil? More like garlic, I’d say.”

Catherine declared decisively.

“I’m not one to talk, but Karem, what vegetable do you think garlic is?”

“I’ve heard that before.”

“So are you planning to reduce the amount a bit?”

“Well, when making it, that’s easier said than done.”

Mary often said something quite appropriate in such situations.

It’s not an easy task.

Karem truly felt that way.

Garlic was a sort of instinct.

An instinct etched into the soul of a Korean from a previous life.

Of course, he had attempted Catherine’s not-so-subtle advice, but every time he did, Karem couldn’t possibly be satisfied.

How can one catch off-flavors with just a single clove? At least four or five have to be minced and added. And that’s already a reduction due to teasing.

“Do you know the saying that if you overflow, it’s worse than being lacking?”

“Of course I know. There’s also the saying that being lacking is worse than overflowing.”

“Having tasted these Servianus dishes with tomatoes, I certainly understand that.”

Mary was presenting a piece of rabbit meat simmered in tomato sauce to Catherine.

“Servianus cuisine is famously known for its copious amounts of garlic, but the amount Karem puts in is beyond that.”

“…That much, really?”

With the two closest to him saying that, Karem could only reconsider.

If those eating were saying that, the one making it would have to adjust to their tastes.

Though a bit disheartened, Karem chuckled inwardly.

‘I’m already eating much more than before.’

Just like how one becomes accustomed to spiciness, he could gradually increase the amount of garlic over time to adjust the taste.

“By the way, this is the first time I’ve eaten Servianus cuisine with tomatoes since meeting you.”

Catherine remarked, and then paused to sip her wine.

“I often think it’s strangely well paired with Servianus cuisine that it’s rather astonishing.”

“Isn’t that the case, Madam Mage? While the existing dishes were tasty, I can only say it feels like they’ve reached a higher realm…”

“Rather, it feels more accurate to say we’ve found a lost piece of the artifact.”

“Ooh, indeed. That fits better. Hmm? Hmm.”

Gordon, who had been nodding, suddenly shut his mouth as Flora packed ossobuco (slow-cooked veal shank) into his mouth.

‘Of course, that’s understandable.’

There was a saying in his previous life.

Without tomatoes, there’s no Italian cuisine.

Tomatoes are the master key in Western cuisine.

Especially in Italian cooking, they’re indispensable.

In Korea, garlic might come close to this.

Soy sauce? Soybean paste? That would be tomato paste.

Servianus cuisine in Europa is, by default, like Italian cooking without tomatoes, so it could be said it finally reached perfection with the addition of tomatoes.

“But what’s there to do after eating?”

“Well, who knows?”

Well, who knows? As if dragged in like a social butterfly? Karem left his Servianus-style seafood stew filled with tomatoes and turned away. Gordon met his glance with an expression of confusion.

Gulps-

“What do you think this place is? Winterhome? Obsidianberry?”

“This is just the village below Armsport, isn’t it?”

“Right. It’s just a slightly larger version of the standard village beneath the lord’s castle—Bersengzeto-style.”

Gordon made a look of incredulity as he briefly stopped Flora from grabbing anything else when her mouth was empty.

“Of course, it’s close to Winterhome. But this village has been noisy ever since the territory was wrecked two years ago—are there any attractions at all?”

“Surely, there can’t be.”

Catherine nodded like that made a lot of sense, and Karem lost the inclination to ask anything further.

“Well, there are supposed to be merchants who give prizes based on scores for hitting captured fairies with darts.”

“Eh?”

What is that? Hearing it alone sounds fun.

“There are certainly no loud attractions. But there is.”

“Huh? Fairy darts. In a town without a single ‘fa’ of fairy, they say there’s a seasonal activity in Europa?”

Catherine chuckled lightly, seemingly bemused.

“Well, unlike Jack Frost, the radiance of a fairy is weak enough to be knocked out with a fist, and they can be captured with a net, so they probably think similarly.”

“Maybe an adventurer from a foreign land told them?”

“That could be possible. Anyway, let’s eat first. The food is getting cold.”

Even with a casual tone, the gravity behind those words echoed Karem’s own hunger. He had no intention of eating cold food either.

It seemed that others shared the same sentiment, and as they focused on the meal, the dishes that had filled the large table slowly revealed their bottoms, one by one. Thus, bowls, plates, and pots became empty.

“Now, cough! Regular customers and friends.”

Just as they were emptying half the table, the innkeeper entered through the door.

“We’re about to bring out dessert; is that alright?”

“What kind of nonsense is that? Hurry up and bring it!”

“How fantastic! I shall bring it right away.”

And then, a feast of desserts followed. Although pies dominated the offerings, they were not any less than before.

In addition to that were nut biscotti, cannoli, and a variety of tarts, topped off with a whole container of ice cream.

“It looks like this place is doing quite well for itself. Ice cream is on the menu.”

“There’s a bingo by the village outskirts, so as long as there are ingredients, there’s nothing preventing them from making ice cream.”

In his past life, there were structures similar to ice houses all around the world; wouldn’t there be one called ‘Iceland’? As soon as autumn, or late summer arrived, snow and ice would still stick around. If you made an ice house and stored it, that’s it.

Clap, clap, clap, clap-!!!

“Porong! Pororong! Pororong~♪!”

Suddenly, Flora began clapping joyfully. She pulled something out of her waist pocket and showcased it triumphantly.

“What’s in there making her all excited?”

“It’s the fairy dust I accidentally swatted at earlier.”

“That? What do you plan to do with that?”

Gently raising a leather pouch with the revered manner of a sacred artifact, Flora closed her eyes with a serious expression. The two hands that cradled the pouch flickered with a soft green light.

“-What is that?”

“Here we go again. Is it because of the ice cream?”

“Here we go again, you say?”

“What I meant was, I mixed the fairy dust with the snack ice cream I made earlier that spontaneously burst in your mouth…”

In the meantime, Flora seemed to have finished, her bright expression as she opened the pouch was infectious.

“It appears I liked it more than I initially thought?”

“…Did you infuse life into it?”

“At first glance, it seems so.”

Karem turned to Catherine and asked.

“Isn’t that right?”

“Yes, yes? What do you mean?”

“The reason fairy dust pops in your mouth.”

Meanwhile, Mary placed a new plate of apple pie before Catherine and topped it generously with ice cream.

“Fairy dust is a type of life essence. On top of that, I infused it with life essence. From there, it’s likely that it detonates upon contact with the mucous membranes, which have the thickest life essence in a person’s body.”

“Catherine? Catherine?”

“That would certainly imply that there’s a certain level of magical effect. The effect itself likely resembles existing enhancers—”

It seems that once the engine revs up, Flora’s fairy dust piqued their interest.

Tok-tok- Tok- Tok-tok-

“Huh? What’s that?”

Suddenly, a sound like something tapping brushed past his ears.

No matter where he looked in the private room, nothing had changed.

“Karem, why the sudden change?”

“Did you not hear that sound a moment ago?”

“Well, I heard it.”

“Huh?”

“Nah, nothing strange about it.”

Gordon said nonchalantly, chewing on a tart.

“It’s probably the sound of the fairies going crazy outside or an attack from someone chasing them colliding with the building or windows.”

“…Well, that could be.”

Though he felt uneasy, Karem decided to let it slide. After all, just moments before they entered, the village had been bustling with the commotion of capturing fairies.

“I should probably eat some ice cream.”

Anyway, since he was beginning to fill up, Karem pulled the bowl of ice cream closer. It was vanilla ice cream marbled with red from the stewed strawberries.

“Porong~♪”

“Huh? Flora? What’s up?”

In response to that question, Flora took out the green fairy dust from her pocket and sprinkled it generously over Karem’s ice cream.

Tatatatatatata- tok! Tok! Tatatata!

“Porong!”

“It’s not tasty on its own, but it has a good synergy.”

It seems that the original itself and the life essence lack taste, so that makes sense.

“Flora. Do make a request on this side too.”

“Porong~♪ Porong?”

“Ah, me? Huh. I would decline, thanks.”

“Porong? Pororong Porong~♬”

Though the harmony was unexpectedly nice, Karem still harbored reluctance regarding fairy dust. Even though Mary looked expressionless, her indecision was apparent. After all, she had already eaten it.

“More importantly…”

Tatatatatatata! Tok! Tatatata!

The tapping sound grew stronger than before.

If it were just a few times, it wouldn’t be a big deal, but since it was repetitive, it felt suspicious.

Seeing as Gordon must have felt the same way, he slowed down his eating pace a bit and clutched the utensils he had left to eat ice cream, rising from his seat.

“If it were a glass window, we might have seen something.”

“This inn certainly can’t afford something so expensive.”

“Can you sort of feel what it’s about?”

“Hmm. It feels like something is colliding continuously. It’s like it’s piling up. I should take a look.”

Gordon quietly opened a window that had been shut tight from the fairies to check what was happening outside.

He shouldn’t have done that.

Pachurururu! Padadak! Patak! Patak!

Giggle, giggle, giggle, giggle, giggle, giggle, giggle!

Through the slightly opened gap, a swarm of fairies began to pour into the room.

 

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