Chapter 92
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 92
Gio’s mind went completely blank.
“Mmm…”
A single spoonful of stew sent a wave of warmth spreading through his body.
This is it.
Gio nodded to himself.
To think about anything other than the food on the table was an insult to the meal and a virtual declaration of war on all pigs. More importantly, it was impossible to think of anything else while eating something so incredible.
This is the perfect food for when your body feels cold or empty.
Even a Priest of the Sun, who lived with constant warmth by his side, wasn’t immune to a cold or body aches. Whenever that happened, Giovanni would cook and eat this very stew. The comfort of a hot dish was always more appealing when one was sick.
“It’s delicious.”
“Kuuu.”
Of course, it tasted just as good when he was perfectly healthy.
So this is why people eat stew.
The natural acidity of the tomatoes deepened as they were heated, releasing a complex aroma reminiscent of a thick, sweet broth simmered from chicken feet for hours. The pulp, which melted softly on his tongue, carried an elegant sweetness.
“It goes well with the carrots, too.”
“That’s the beauty of Edlen Stew—it goes well with whatever you put in it.”
“Though I suppose that’s a characteristic of most tomato stews.”
The carrot’s unique, slightly bitter yet sharp aroma was subtly infused throughout the stew. It wasn’t overpowering enough to be off-putting; instead, the carrots, having fully absorbed the broth while mingling with the other ingredients, revealed a uniquely tender texture.
“And… I think adding potatoes was a good choice.”
When it came to absorbing broth, one couldn’t possibly leave out potatoes.
“Iser recommended them, didn’t he?”
“We used to… put them in our stews at home quite often.”
“Indeed. It brings back memories.”
“They’re cooked perfectly.”
“That’s thanks to Iser stirring so diligently. I can tell the heat was distributed evenly.”
Infused with the rich juices of the other vegetables and the vibrant flavor of the tomatoes, the potatoes were so tender they could be mashed with one’s gums. Their characteristic starchy texture anchored the stew, lending weight to a dish that might otherwise have felt too light with only acidity and sweetness.
Maybe it’s because the other ingredients have such strong personalities, but adding something with a mild flavor really deepens the stew’s taste. And there’s no ingredient better for that role than a potato.
Besides, the potato didn’t just act as a blank canvas.
“You can really smell the other ingredients just by tasting the broth.”
The starch released from the potatoes acted as a bridge, binding the various vegetables together and smoothly elevating their combined juices.
Gio smiled faintly as he looked at Iser.
“Your arm must have ached from stirring so many ingredients.”
“That’s… embarrassing. I’m well past the age where my arm would hurt from something like this.”
“Is that so? To my eyes, you still look so young. This is quite a problem.”
The cabbage tucked in here and there was also a nice touch.
“The cabbage is cooked beautifully.”
“Krrr.”
“Yeah, I like cabbage cooked this way the best, too.”
The cabbage had soaked up plenty of the tomato-based broth. Stained by its color, the leaves offered a strange elasticity when bitten, only to collapse immediately and release their mild juices. That even warmer liquid spreading through his mouth felt distinctly different from the rest of the stew.
“Ah, right.”
Gio looked back at the campfire where the clams were cooking.
“I think it’s about time we ate the clams.”
“Mew?”
“You have the makings of a pig, don’t you? Just wait a moment.”
When he stroked Dana’s small, round head, her triangular ears flattened backward before popping right back up. The way they flattened even before his hand made contact was incredibly cute.
I would gladly serve her for the rest of my life.
Just the feel of her small, precious skull fitting perfectly in his palm made him feel full without even eating. His heart felt as warm and hearty as a bowl of beef bone soup. This was how you raised your life satisfaction.
“Let’s see…”
Most of the clams were cooked, so Gio gathered them onto a tray and brought them to the table, the shells clattering against one another. The distinct scent of the ocean, infused with the aroma of charcoal, blended with the gentle spring breeze of the forest as a pleasant smoke wafted up.
“They look done.”
“Are you going to shuck them for us?”
“No, you’re all grown up. You can open them yourselves.”
“That’s a shame. I feel like the clams Teacher opened for us personally always tasted better.”
“What do you mean, a shame—ah, hot!”
“Huh??”
Iser was taken aback.
“Is it hot?”
“Of course it’s hot.”
Aria, who scolded her brother as naturally as breathing, turned to Gio in disbelief.
“Teacher, for someone who harbors the Sun God’s divinity, what’s all this fuss about?”
“Freshly grilled clams are hot. I just reacted without thinking.”
“How can someone become deified and still not shed their human habits…?”
“It happens. Why are you picking on me? You should cast aside your prejudices.”
“Prejudices? That’s so unfair. I’m only saying this because it makes no sense.”
“One must always live with an open mind.”
“Is this really something an open mind can solve?”
“You shouldn’t have such narrow thoughts.”
Having successfully broadened his student’s horizons, Gio began to shuck the clams with his signature noble—or, to some, shameless—smile. The perfectly cooked clams proudly displayed their plump, pale flesh, releasing the sweet and savory aroma unique to shellfish.
“Being the second Sun God does have its perks.”
“…Shucking clams with your bare hands?”
“It was always such a waste to wait for them to cool down. This is great.”
“Is it really okay to use divinity for something like that?”
“Why not?”
Leaving the bewildered mermaids to grapple with this sudden blasphemy, Gio and the Teddy Bear were thoroughly enjoying themselves. Their stomachs were still far from full, leaving plenty of room for grilled clams. The Teddy Bear waited with an excited expression for a piece of meat. Gio handed him the flesh of a Black Tray Clam, which was steaming hot and filled with juices as rich as fresh sea urchin roe.
“Here you go, Father.”
“Kuuuu.”
“How is it?”
“Kukukukuku…”
“I’m glad you’re enjoying it.”
The Teddy Bear clapped its cotton paws together. Gio looked proud, while the mermaids looked utterly dumbfounded. Honey slunk back into the stew pot, and Dana, having finished her share, rolled onto her back.
What a peaceful, chaotic mess.
This was the epitome of a good life. He felt warm and proud. As expected, there was nothing he couldn’t do.
Gio picked up another Black Tray Clam. It resembled an abalone, but its shell was much blacker and smoother. Cooked over the charcoal, its flesh boasted a tender, white appearance.
Compared to this, abalone is practically yellow.
The Black Tray Clam had such a vivid contrast of black and white that staring at it for too long made one’s eyes ache. The pure whiteness of its flesh was on a completely different level. It also differed in that its edges were perfectly smooth and round, without a single imperfection. Yet, its taste and texture definitely brought abalone to mind.
“……”
A springy chew.
“Oh.”
An insane elasticity struck Gio’s brain.
It’s great to eat this after so long.
The mind-blowing umami made his salivary glands burst with excitement. It was practically a natural MSG. The flesh of the Black Tray Clam, which carried a sense of robust vitality, was tender and springy without being rubbery. The flavor grew increasingly savory with every chew, much like roasted nuts.
Maybe because it wasn’t grilled for too long, it’s incredibly tender, too…
He could almost feel the grain of the meat. The flesh, which fell apart as softly as silk, yielded effortlessly to his teeth, offering a delightful chew. The abundant juices flowing from the clam made him feel as if he were eating clam soup on a cold winter day.
“……”
The piece of meat was large enough to fill his entire mouth. It was only after a long while that Gio finally spoke.
“This is incredibly delicious.”
“…So it seems.”
“This is what life is all about.”
“You’ve grown greedier for food since I last saw you.”
“While you two have lost your appetite.”
“Haha…”
Iser wore a calm smile that resembled Giovanni’s.
“Since we don’t strictly need to eat, we just haven’t bothered.”
In truth, that wasn’t the only reason.
It was Iser who had devoured Gio back when he was still breathing. Perhaps because the sensation of that living, moving muscle writhing in his mouth still lingered, Iser hadn’t put anything in his mouth since then unless absolutely necessary.
“But still…”
“This is delicious, right?”
“…Yes. It is.”
For the first time in a long while, he felt like he was eating actual ‘food.’
It feels nice.
It almost gave him the illusion of being human again.
“Are you going to use the shells of the Sunshine Conchs, Teacher?”
“I’m planning to grind them finely later to make paint.”
“I see.”
Giovanni used to paint using shells like these. He especially loved painting the sea, and his paintings always carried the scent of the ocean.
“I should gather them, then.”
“Please do.”
Ignoring Iser’s dip into sentimentality, Gio picked up a Club Trumpet Shell. The clam, which had a round surface as large as a pen shell adductor muscle, had already split its shell halfway, revealing the meat inside.
“……”
Munch.
His teeth sank right in.
“…It turned out incredibly tender.”
“Because I was the one who grilled it.”
“Excellent, Aria. You really have a talent for cooking.”
While clams tended to become tough if grilled for too long, the Club Trumpet Shell offered supreme tenderness when cooked at the right temperature for the right amount of time. The delicate, melting texture of its grain was even softer than a raw pen shell adductor muscle.
To think I could experience this kind of texture from a warm, grilled clam.
While it was a texture Giovanni could easily recall, to the Earthling Seo Gio, it was a novel and exciting sensation. Come to think of it, the Club Trumpet Shell had indeed been Giovanni’s favorite.
“I think they’d be delicious grilled with butter…”
“That’s not a dish we ever made back in Edlen Village.”
Aria chuckled softly.
“It’s not like butter was a rare ingredient there.”
“Rather, it was avoided.”
Butter was tedious to make, and there was a strong perception that it was merely the dregs of milk. Furthermore, in a village right on the coast, raising cattle was difficult, so there weren’t many dishes that used dairy products.
“But they really would be delicious grilled with butter.”
“…We can just make it later.”
“Sounds good.”
The Sunshine Conch was a bit inconvenient to eat. One had to use a dedicated skewer and twist it to pop the meat out, which had a texture quite similar to the conchs on Earth.
However, its sweetness was on another level.
“……”
A deep sweetness was infused into the meat itself, along with a bitter kick that somehow brought the scent of medicinal herbs to mind. The Sunshine Conch had the effect of warming the body—so much so that there was a superstition that eating one when you had a cold would cure you.
…I guess they use it as medicine because it really feels like this…
Perhaps because it was a Sunshine Conch from a nation that worshiped the Sun God, he had the amusing thought that even the shellfish had received some kind of blessing. It had a sweet and salty flavor that would be perfectly seasoned in a spicy sea snail salad.
“I recall mermaids not being very good with spicy food. How about now?”
“We’ve come too far to worry about things like that. When it comes to eating, anything that could be considered a problem has disappeared.” Iser, who was cutting and eating the meat of the Club Trumpet Shell, continued, “So, if I wanted to eat anything, I probably could. Our preferences have faded, and our biological traits have changed from the mermaids who lived in that sea back then…”
“So you can eat slightly spicy things?”
“I’ve never gone out of my way to try, but yes. Is the next dish you’re planning to make a bit spicy?”
“It shouldn’t be that spicy…”
“Remembering how much Teacher loved experimental cooking, I can’t help but feel a bit uneasy.”
As he spoke, Iser was smiling.
“Would you let me taste-test it first?”
“I can grant that much mercy. As long as you help me prepare it.”
“That sounds nice.”
Iser murmured.
“…Really nice.”
Unable to shake off a strange feeling, he found himself harboring a question similar to his sister’s.
Why is it so peaceful?