A Remarkable Discovery
Christina turned her body to deliver the praise.
“Even without giving specific instructions beforehand, simply by observing the ingredients in the kitchen, you understood the palate of the Water Clan perfectly.”
Bolgva waved his hand to dry the moisture clinging to the bodies of his clanmates and opened his mouth.
“How very clever. A hatchling who has only just exceeded one hundred years.”
Next, Christina lightly stirred the surrounding mana.
Everyone present here was an existence that controlled mana.
Manipulating mana artificially was a signal that summoned movement.
Whoosh!
Soon, accompanied by a faint light, the group was instantly transported to the reception hall.
“Was this the place…?”
Rune looked around with a puzzled gaze.
He had only closed and opened his eyes, yet the reception hall had completely transformed from its usual appearance.
Dullahan circled the area with a strange exchange in his green glow, while Jed struggled to suppress the tingling feeling in his mouth.
“Hah! It’s so pretty!”
Without realizing it, Heungmi clasped her hands together and exclaimed in delight.
Above the golden chandelier, Rai, the light spirit, gently sprinkled small light orbs.
The reception hall, which had usually been illuminated by the light and sunlight that Rai emitted from his lair, had now become a banquet hall decorated with exquisite magic stones and gemstones, adorned with live flowers that exuded a profound fragrance and beauty.
“This was the reception hall from earlier…?”
Perdikion muttered in confusion, and Rune answered him.
“Now that I think about it, I heard that this light lair can be altered according to Christina’s will.”
Of course, Rune himself had never imagined that the reception hall would be decorated this extravagantly.
“Well, everyone, please take your seats. We can fill the chairs from this side.”
Once everyone had settled, Christina moved her hands.
“Ah!”
Heungmi’s eyes widened.
On the dining table sat the dishes prepared by Rune and Christina.
The tableware set itself.
The atmosphere naturally softened in response to this performance.
“Thank you for coming. Since Rune and I prepared everything with care, please enjoy yourselves.”
As Christina’s words ended, the dishes were served one by one onto the table.
An appetizer of fruit delicately pickled in tangy brine.
Followed by tomato soup and a refreshing drink.
A whole-wheat bread baguette that contained neither butter nor milk.
And an ice sherbet decorated with jelly cut into flower shapes.
Each dish in sequence brought out its own distinct flavor.
“It’s delicious! Right, Lord Perdikion?”
“It is. I can feel my brother’s skill at work.”
It was a course meal as described—tasty and eye-opening.
The problem was the timing for the meat or fish that should come next.
Originally, a dish of meat or fish should have been served, but the Water Clan did not eat either.
Their parents might have skipped this course altogether, but contrary to expectations, an elegant plate of steak was placed before them.
“…!”
A hamburger steak with a clear grill mark in the caramel sauce.
No matter how you looked at it, it was a dish using meat.
“Ah, ah…”
Amelia unintentionally let out a startled sound.
When Rune and Christina, who knew of an alternative to meat since they did not eat it, openly presented a meat dish, the water-colored girl looked at her parents.
Whether it seemed to others or not, Amelia sensed that her parents were in trouble.
‘Ah, they really look uneasy. What should I do?’
While Amelia looked at the steak again with an anxious thought.
She had never eaten meat before, so the feeling was completely unfamiliar.
If it were only her, she would have eaten it.
But this was a gathering where her parents were present.
And her parents’ expressions were far from pleased.
“Hmm, this will be difficult to eat.”
Bolgva finally showed an uncomfortable expression.
“Yeah… was there some misunderstanding…?”
At that moment, Natalya, who had lowered her eyebrows in silence, frowned slightly and agreed.
At that time, Rune opened his mouth.
“This is meat made from beans, so you may eat it.”
Upon hearing Rune’s words, all the Water Clan members turned to look at him.
“Co, co, meat made from beans…?”
The question from Amelia made Rune nod and reply.
“Yeah. It was made by mixing mushrooms, brown rice flour, and nuts without adding any meat.”
Amelia blinked in surprise and looked back at the steak.
“So, this means… it’s made from beans?”
Perdikion, unable to hide his astonishment at his brother’s words, stared at the steak anew.
“Mother… is this true, Christina?”
While shaking her cold, water-colored hair, Natalya turned her gaze to Christina.
Anticipating the question, Christina smiled faintly.
“Of course. I watched the process of this child making it myself. You may safely eat it.”
Furthermore, Christina explained the manufacturing process in detail so that they could trust it completely.
Meanwhile, Heungmi’s eyes widened as she pressed her fork against the steak, which was exactly like real meat in texture.
“Wow, this is made from beans? Then, there’s also small meat here?”
Heungmi looked at the bulgogi and sausages piled in front of the steak and asked.
“Yeah. These are bean meat and bean sausages made for barbecue.”
Upon hearing Rune’s words, Heungmi opened her mouth and laughed.
“It’s amazing! Can I try it, Heungmi?”
“Go ahead.”
When Christina allowed it, Heungmi pierced a piece of meat with her fork and brought it to her mouth.
Munch.
And her eyes sparkled.
“Ho ho ho…! Chewy!”
Heungmi, her cheeks puffed with the tender, marinated meat’s texture and flavor, looked deeply moved.
The Amelia family also took up their knives and attacked the steak.
They carefully pushed the bean-meat steak into their mouths and let out sighs of admiration.
“This is surprising.”
If one sharpened their sense of taste, it was clearly different from meat.
But it was a flavor sufficient to enjoy the taste of steak.
Bolgva voiced his satisfaction.
“I am not only interested in the dietary habits of people living on the continent, but also in how clever this is.”
There was admiration for Rune in his words.
Christina opened her mouth.
“I have never thought of a recipe for making meat from beans. When I first tasted the meat this child made, I was very surprised.”
They hesitated, then began moving their utensils again, and their chewing speed gradually increased.
After the steak and bean bulgogi were cleared, skewers with seasoning and a drink to wash away the strong flavor were served.
“This is another pleasure prepared by Rune.”
Slosh.
It shimmered with a transparent golden light, as if gathering stars that lived inside, and swayed gently.
A fragrant and sweet aroma was felt.
Rune explained.
“This is fruit juice made from the World Tree fruit.”
At that, the Amelia family, who had seen the powerful healing effect of the World Tree fruit, wore faint smiles on their faces.
Bolgva, smiling at the cute drink prepared by the young hatchling, opened his mouth.
“A young hatchling with such deep thought. Enjoy it well.”
“This is not the end.”
At Rune’s words, Christina waved her hand.
Then, a wine bottle with an elegant label appeared on the table.
“This is wine obtained from the Elf Royal Palace.”
Rune looked at the wine and juice with a nostalgic feeling.
‘Originally, I had only planned to make this into a banjo.’
Rune recalled the situation in the kitchen earlier.
***
After he had stated in the kitchen that he would prepare the main meat course with bean meat.
Rune, who had secretly gauged the timing, opened his mouth.
“Kyua.”
[Christina. Don’t you usually drink wine with steak?]
Upon the black hatchling’s tail-wagging question, Christina watched Rune with a mysterious gaze.
“Even so… what are you implying?”
He had not mentioned drinking at all, yet mentioning wine made Christina’s expression grow suspicious.
“Kyua k.”
[Actually…]
Rune put his paw into his pocket dimension pouch and rummaged.
And he pulled out the wine from the Elf Royal Palace.
“Kyuu. Kyua.”
[I have this.]
Christina furrowed her brow and asked.
“Wine? Who in the world gave this to you?”
Rune answered honestly.
“Kyut.”
[I requested it, and the Elves gave it to me as a gift.]
Hearing this, Christina crossed her arms and said with an unhappy face.
“Rune… are you really going to touch the alcohol…?”
Before the suspicious assumption could fully materialize, Rune stopped her thoughts.
“Kyua, kyuu.”
[No, that’s not it.]
Stashing the wine could cause misunderstandings.
Rune chose his words.
“Kyuu u.”
[It was to treat the Elves who had been affected by the Demon King’s aura. It was necessary.]
“?”
Rune mentioned the Elves to whom he had spoken the truth.
[Did you hear about it from Belianus? They used food with Baekya’s tears as medicine to save the Elves affected by the Demon King.]
Rune recounted the situation of how the grapes and cheese, which had been made and aged in the era when the World Tree’s blessing existed before the Elves’ land was contaminated, had been mixed with Baekya’s tears to create a medicine.
After listening for a long time, Christina nodded and approved.
“Yes. Now that I think about it, I heard something similar from Belianus. I remember.”
The Elves probably did not even know Rune’s age properly.
They would not have known that alcohol was not allowed.
Rune smiled slightly and said.
“Kyua kyua.”
[What if I make this into a banjo? I’m a hatchling like me, so I can drink something like that, right?]
Although it was not proper alcohol, Rune, who had been under a no-alcohol decree for over a hundred years, thought that a banjo with all the alcohol gone could still bring a modest feeling of joy.
Rune looked up at Christina with expectant eyes.
“Yes. If it’s a banjo, it can be boiled for a long time until the alcohol evaporates.”
“!”
Rune had been about to rejoice inwardly at the positive answer.
But he checked his optimism.
“But this wine looks like it has a very high quality.”
“?”
A vague unease brushed by.
And the feeling became reality.
“Rune, this wine is too precious to make into a banjo. It would be better to show it to the Amelia parents as is.”
“Kyuu…?”
After Christina finished speaking, she lightly twirled her index finger and raised it upward.
Swish!
“!”
The wine bottle that had been held between the hatchling’s two front paws flew off uncontrollably.
‘This?’
Rune felt a sense of loss and could not tear his gaze away from the wine bottle in Christina’s hand.
Meanwhile, Christina examined the wine and discovered a luxurious paper tag, then looked at it closely.
“You see? A tag is attached here indicating that it has an excellent taste and aroma because it was made using water closest to the World Tree. It’s kind as well.”
After carefully inspecting the wine seal as well, Christina continued cheerfully.
“Here. The signature of the Elf brewer who indicated the highest grade in this seal is here.”
“…!”
The Elves, who already had a strong favor toward Rune, had graciously given him the rarest wine, considering him a great guest.
But they had not expected such kindness to come back in this way.
‘Why give something this good…’
Christina, who did not know Rune’s feelings, smiled gently.
“With the kindness of the Elves, you will be able to serve a truly excellent marijju, Rune.”
“Kyuu u…”
[So…]
Slowly, his tail drooped.