Read Novel Full Vol 22 Chapter 8
Vol 22 Chapter 8
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Chapter 8 – Certain Victory
On a tour of the Mermaid Kingdom, I bought a lot of fish at the market. Then, I went to the square and was surprised to see how the clay pipes were used. I also experienced the harshness of nature with the cute mermaid children. Afterward, I tried to have the fish I bought prepared by the chef of the castle, and I ended up wanting the chef’s unusual knife. Although I had just had an orichalcum knife made for me…
“Then I will start cooking.”
“Hmm. I’m looking forward to it.”
“Yes, I’ve never thought of cooking for myself before.”
After the castle cook prepared the seafood, I decided to invite the Queen and Princess Adalicia to dinner as a thank-you for last night’s dinner.
Well, the main course won’t be the seafood I bought.
I figured seafood wouldn’t be out of the ordinary for a mermaid royalty who lives in the sea, so I just tried a few different spices from the land.
I also decided not to think about the etiquette and various other issues involved in inviting such important people as the Queen and the First Princess to dinner.
The main dish I’ve chosen is a hot sandwich maker that is very popular on the southeastern island.
It’s a bit of a crazy idea to let a great person cook for themselves, but I have a plan that I think will work.
Because in anime and manga, great people always seem to have a sparkle in their eyes when they experience cooking for themselves.
You might think it’s a bit strange to apply knowledge from manga and anime to real life, but I think there are truths hidden in these forms of entertainment.
In other words, if you can combine a new experience with a delicious hot sandwich, you’re guaranteed to win!
Well, it was a spur-of-the-moment idea.
Because there was a big cooking room with air in a part of the kitchen. I found it, so I decided to invite Her Majesty and the First Princess on a whim. I must have caused trouble in several places. I’m really sorry.
But as I imagined, Her Majesty and the First Princess were very excited when they heard the explanation that various ingredients would be laid out, and they could choose and grill the ingredients themselves.
I think I had the same look on my face when my mother made me hand-rolled sushi as a child. At times like this, age, nationality, and even race don’t seem to matter.
“Let me show you how it’s done. First, we’ll make the classic ham and cheese. Put the bread in the hot sandwich maker, put the ham and cheese on top, then put the bread on top and press the top and bottom together. Then all you have to do is cook both sides on the grill. Why don’t you try it?”
I showed them how to do it, but it was so easy that they didn’t ask any questions and just started cooking.
I was worried about the air circulation because of the fire, but as you’d expect in the kitchen of a royal castle, the air was constantly circulating, and there was no risk of oxygen deprivation.
“How long should we cook this, Wataru-sama?”
“Well, as a rough guide, when the bread is golden brown, it’s ready to eat, so it’s a good idea to check it halfway through.”
As for my own preferences, checking the progress is a bad idea. It’s important to hone your senses and bake it beautifully, but it’s not right to impose my preferences on Her Majesty and the First Princess.
“I see.”
Her Majesty and Princess Adalicia nodded, then turned to the hot sandwich maker with serious expressions.
Next to them, Ines, Felicia, and Marina-san also faced the hot sandwich maker. It was a peaceful but strange sight, with humans, dark elves, beastmen, and mermaids cooking together in harmony.
“Here you go.”
The sandwich was successfully cooked, and I handed the bread knife and cutting board to the queen.
“…Wataru-sama, isn’t this knife and cutting board made of orichalcum?”
“Yes, it’s very sharp.”
Her Majesty and Princess Adalicia had basically looked at me with respect, but for the first time, they looked at me as if I were crazy. I couldn’t deny it.
But if Her Majesty was going to use it, I had to prepare the best. Besides, I wanted to show off.
Her Majesty stared at the orichalcum knife for a while. In a way, it was the work of a fool, but even so, the blade, forged with all the strength of a skilled blacksmith, had a unique power.
“Oh, how beautiful…”
After looking at the knife for a while, Her Majesty the Queen, who had decided to ignore the orichalcum bread knife on the grounds that it wasn’t the point, let out a gasp of admiration at the cross-section of the hot sandwich.
There’s something indescribably attractive about the cross-section of a hot sandwich.
“It’s beautiful. It looks delicious…”
Princess Adalicia, who had just cut her own hot sandwich, seemed to have her appetite whetted and swallowed her saliva as she looked at the cross-section.
“Well, shall we eat the half we just cut?”
Arranging hot sandwiches with different ingredients looks better, but you should eat the first hot sandwich while it’s still hot.
“Well then, let’s eat it right away.”
“Itadakimasu.”
Her Majesty the Queen and Princess Adalicia bite into the hot sandwich at the same time. A pleasant crunching sound can be heard.
“I-it’s delicious!”
“It’s so delicious!”
The two of them, who had been eating with their eyes closed, opened their eyes wide as if a fire was about to appear in the background and started talking about how impressed they were.
If this were a gourmet manga, the characters’ eyes would gleam with joy. If they’re that happy, I’m really happy, too.
“Mmm, it’s so colorful and looks incredibly delicious, but I can’t eat any more.”
“…Me neither.”
Her Majesty the Queen and Princess Adalicia look down in frustration.
Of course, they would.
After the first time, they kept eating the sliced half on the spot, so I wonder how many slices of bread they’ve eaten?
I should have been more careful, but not only me, but Ines, Felicia, Marina-san, and even Rimu and Pent started preaching their favorite combinations to them. When that happens, the people doing the preaching want them to eat it in the best possible condition, so there is no stopping them.
By the way, I also tried to evangelize the fashionable shrimp avocado. Princess Adalicia seemed to like it very much, so I couldn’t help but smile.
As I was in such a good mood, Camille-san looked a little down next to me.
Camille-san had prepared a number of dishes on small plates with the intention of letting Her Majesty and the First Princess try the land-style seasoning.
However, the current Queen and the First Princess are so full that even their spare stomachs, which are usually reserved for sweets, are filled to bursting with bread, so there is definitely no room for them to eat any of these dishes. In fact, if they try to force themselves to eat them, they run the risk of vomiting.
However, Camille-san also tries to introduce her own favorite combinations to the Queen and the First Princess. In a way, they have brought this upon themselves.
“Still, it really is a beautiful dish.”
Despite her bulging belly, Her Majesty the Queen admires the cross-section of hot sandwiches arranged in a radial pattern on the platter.
Even excluding Rimu and Pent, there were eight of us grilling, so the colorful cross-sections covered a rather large platter.
The scene is more like a flower garden created by the coming together of different foods than a single flower.
Since everyone is already full, this scene is unlikely to collapse for a while.
“Thank you, Wataru-sama. I had a lot of fun.”
While we were relaxing, Princess Adalicia came over to thank me with a bright smile. Let’s pretend we didn’t see her rubbing her belly.
“I’m glad you enjoyed it.”
Princess Adalicia may be the first daughter, but she’s still at an age where you could say she’s still a child. It’s good for her to have this kind of time for innocent fun.
When we get back to Dark Elf Island, maybe we should have a hot sandwich party with Princess Annemarie. I’m sure she’ll enjoy it as much as Her Majesty the Queen and Princess Adalicia.
I was full before this meal was over because I had made too many dishes and tried them all, but I think it was a great success. Such incidents become part of the memories.
“…Camille-san, would you like me to store this food for you?”
After the meal, we left the large platter of hot sandwiches for the mermaids, but Camille-san’s small dishes were still left over.
“No, I think I’ll let the castle cooks try them.”
I see, so it seems that this time, she’s decided to attack the lower ranks of the castle, leaving the final word of the royal family for another time.
It’s not a bad thing for the castle cooks to try out the spices we can prepare. In fact, it’s quite amazing that we can sell our flavors to the castle cooks, even though the royal family’s backing is too strong a hand to play.
＊＊＊
The day after the dinner party with the Queen and Princess Adalicia, I went to the kitchen knife shop with the soldier, as I had asked.
I bought a large amount of seafood and asked the castle cook to prepare it, and then I invited the queen and princess to a dinner party that evening.
I think I’m being a little too generous. And yet, I’m off to look at kitchen knives again.
Even though I say I’m just looking, I somehow think I’ll end up buying something. It’s the same phenomenon as when you go to look at something for your hobby and end up buying it.
I don’t have a hobby of collecting knives, but maybe it’s because I ended up getting something a little crazy, like the orichalcum knife, that I became interested in unusual knives.
Well, it’s also because I want to use the rare cooking utensils as a topic of conversation with the God of Gastronomy-sama.
“This way.”
The soldier led me to a building that looked more like a workshop than a shop. Next to the workshop were several huge bowls.
I see, so that’s what they call the magic shell.
It looks many times bigger than the shell depicted in the Birth of Venus, but the thing inside isn’t Venus; it’s a monster.
Wait a minute. Venus wasn’t born from the shell; she just rode on it. Right?
But the painting’s title is ‘Birth’. Wait a minute; now I’m really curious. Can I look it up in the library on the luxury liner?
“Wataru, won’t you come in?”
While I was thinking about the difficult question of finding the book, Claretta-san approached me with a slightly nervous look.
Since Claretta-san also likes to cook, she seems to want to see the knives as soon as possible. Maybe she is thinking of buying some.
“Sorry, I’ll be right there.”
Let’s hurry. To be honest, the only people interested in the knives are Claretta-san and me, so except for Camille-san, who is interested in them from a business point of view, it’s no different from a school trip.
I have to take good care of Claretta-san, who is a valuable cooking companion.
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