Chapter 106: A Noisy Encounter
Puru was chopped and sautéed in olive oil with garlic, and since the color was rather dull, I sprinkled a small amount of Italian parsley on top. The garlic wasn’t fully grown yet this season, but I pulled one from the field to use something fresh.
I used a generous amount of olive oil, while the garlic was kept to a minimum. I’m not really used to this kind of flavor, nor do I particularly crave strong aromas. But everything was ready before I came here.
The main ingredient was mushrooms, but the star of the dish was the meat. The meat should be at room temperature when cooked—though it’s always at room temperature in the pantry. I trimmed off excess fat and sinew from the four-centimeter thick cut, then coated the surface generously with coarse rock salt. I skewered it with four golden skewers, creating a spot over the red-hot coals in the fireplace to grill it while turning.
The consomme soup, which had cabbage cut into eighths, was simmering nicely on low heat against the wall of the same fireplace.
The butler was supposed to fetch the bread, so I had Ash call Retze and the others over.
Rishu sniffed at Ash’s scent, and Ash stood still with a scary expression until Rishu was satisfied. It was hard to tell if he liked dogs or was afraid of them just by looking at his face!
The meat crackled as the salt fell, and the fat sizzled, releasing a delightful aroma. The smoke enveloped the meat, enhancing its fragrance. The outside was perfectly browned, with some parts slightly charred. If I turned the golden skewers smoothly, the inside would be just right.
As for the side dishes, I grilled halved turnips sprinkled with salt and sautéed some Pio that Retze had gathered in butter.
“Load up as much as you want,” I said, piling sliced bread high in a basket and serving it alongside Puru.
Puru had considered making pasta or risotto, but it wouldn’t taste good once it cooled down. I decided against it, thinking of the butler and Dinoss who would be arriving later.
On the table, three bottles of high-proof wine brought by the others were already lined up.
“Let’s eat!”
“Alright! Let’s eat!”
“I shall partake!”
“Let’s eat!”
I sliced some mushrooms raw for the locals who were excited about them. It seems there are many mushrooms that can be eaten raw besides truffles.
“Ahh~. What a lovely aroma! This is the scent of spring!”
“Yeah, I’m glad we can enjoy it again this year,” Chris and Retze said, biting into their bread piled high with Puru.
“Hmm, the fragrance is wonderful,” Ash commented, though he didn’t dive in just yet.
“Meat! Whoa, this is amazing!” Dean exclaimed, despite having come back battered from gathering Puru, as he sank his teeth into the meat.
As I cut into the meat, it was cooked perfectly inside. Taking a large piece and bringing it to my mouth, the umami spread across my palate. The aroma wafted pleasantly through my nose.
I washed down the meat’s fat with wine and took a bite of the bread piled high with Puru. The texture was reminiscent of king oyster mushrooms, and the flavor was strong. Looking at Chris and Retze, it seemed like once you got hooked, you couldn’t get enough.
I also offered Rishu some meat without salt, which was quite rare. Without salt, it would burn easily.
“Sounds like someone’s here?” Chris said, and just as he mentioned it, I heard a knock at the back door.
“Ah, it’s the butler and our neighbor.”
“Did a family you know come by?”
“They just arrived today,” I replied to Dean while carrying a candlestick to the kitchen.
“Please, come in.”
“Thank you for having us.”
“Hey there.”
Just as I expected, it was the two of them.
The wife and siblings had already returned home. While I was cooking, deliveries of firewood and tables, presumably ordered by Dinoss, had been arriving one after another.
“Guests?”
“Yeah, I got a lot of Puru mushrooms, so I was preparing dinner with them. I’ll bring some in jars too—”
“Wait, hold on. Let’s wait a moment?”
“What’s up?” Dinoss interrupted me in a panic.
“That’s outside my responsibility,” the butler said with a smile.
“Don’t answer first! Is this my fault? Did I say something wrong?!”
“I also agreed, so I suppose I share the blame… but it’s outside my responsibility.”
“Huh?”
“You! You’re not showing this to anyone, are you?!” Dinoss pointed downwards.
“If it’s Rishu, I just introduced him to Ash and the others a moment ago,” I said, as Rishu followed me, sniffing at Dinoss’s scent.
“You’re kidding me!”
“I think Ash and the three of them should be fine, but…” The butler looked somewhat troubled while Dinoss was unnecessarily tense.
“What’s the matter? Didn’t you say to bring the Spirit along?”
“Eh?! Is it a Spirit or a puppy?!”
“No, Dean. There’s no such thing as a puppy that doesn’t make a sound.”
“Is it a Spirit that’s visible to me but not to others?”
“Um… it seems so,” Dinoss shouted, causing the four who had come from the dining table to look over here.
“Huh?”
“So, if it’s visible to someone who usually can’t see it, that means it’s a strong Spirit,” I realized, as Rishu had always been visible.
Wait, even though he was so weak and a puppy, is Rishu actually strong?!
“Now?! You just realized that now?!” Dinoss looked like he was about to cry.