Feasting Lord in Another World

#The Devil's Hand Appears in the Sea (4)

"Hahaha! Finally, Sir acknowledges Dominic's culinary skills! Although this guy can be a bit brusque, his cooking is exceptional. He's well-versed in a variety of ingredients and consistently amazes people with his unconventional cooking methods. Hehehe, in that regard, may I have another serving, please?"

"Ah, rice is quite costly."

Despite his grumbling, Dominic's actions of scooping rice into the bowl indicated his approval.

"Sir, does it taste good?"

"Yes, it's delicious. Please, let me enjoy my meal without further conversation."

"So, what shall we do about that now?"

"What?"

"The seaweed, no, I meant the Devil's Hand."

"Well, if the knight can assist us, we should consider how to displace the turtle farmers. Once we drive them away, it won't be too challenging to deal with the Devil's Hand. A few skilled divers will have to work hard for a few days, that's all."

"Do we need to completely eliminate it?"

"What are you talking about? Of course, we have to get rid of it."

"Why?"

"Why? Because we need to go fishing! If the Devil's Hand continues to grow, we won't be able to set sail."

"Even for small boats?"

"We might manage with small boats like rafts, but they can't venture far out into the sea. If the waves are strong, we'll become fish food. You don't want to become fish food while trying to catch fish, do you?"

"Do we need to launch large fishing boats?"

Calron frowned, feeling like he was being taunted.

"Why are you playing with words? I'm not here to argue with you."

"Why would I? Arguing with you would be like fighting a heavyweight."

"Then why ask if we have to use large fishing boats? Of course, we do! How else are we going to make money?"

Calron sighed in apparent frustration. Ian shared his sentiments. Neither of them could decipher Dominic's intentions.

Just then, Dominic pointed at the dining table with a sly grin.

"You said this was delicious."

All three sets of eyes turned simultaneously to one spot.

***

"Do we really need to stop here? Looks like a tiny village with nothing to offer."

A young man, both an employee and the grandson of the merchant, was complaining to his grandfather. Even to his inexperienced eyes, this fishing village appeared to have little to offer.

"Evergreen is a small fishing village. But think about it, what will it be like in 5 years? Or 10 years? Human affairs are unpredictable. Don't judge by appearances."

"But still…"

"Furthermore, for small merchants like us, even a small customer is important. You need to value your customers."

"Yes, Grandpa."

However, as they reached the outskirts of the village, the merchant sensed something different.

The unusual excitement among the villagers clearly indicated that there was something to sell.

"Ah, welcome, sir?"

"Village chief!"

"Haha, stop calling me the Village chief. I passed that title on to this young man because it was too cumbersome."

"Hehe, still doing things your own way."

Calron laughed heartily and slapped Dominic on the back.

"We've met before, haven't we?"

"Yes. You bought our dried fish and smoked fish at a good price."

The young man, who had even left a strong impression on the elderly merchant, approached him as the new village chief.

They had a connection where the merchant had fulfilled several requests to bring ingredients not commonly used in the empire, such as garlic, peppers, and onion seeds.

"This time, I've brought four bags of rice. What do you think?"

"Absolutely, I'll purchase all of them. Have you had a meal yet?"

Dominic, who was inspecting some ingredients in the wagon, suddenly seemed to recollect something and inquired.

"I hurried here and missed my mealtime. Could I perhaps borrow some fire?"

"Why don't you join us for a meal with our fishing community? It's just about lunchtime."

"Would it be acceptable for us to join?"

"Of course. We have plenty."

Dominic's face lit up with a sly smile.

Ian, who was observing the scene from a distance, shook his head as if unable to intervene.

"The mornings and evenings are still chilly, so they must be cold."

The conditions of the small merchant group were apparent, indicating they hadn't paid much attention to staying warm. Furthermore, this is a coastal area.

If they had traveled for several hours in the moisture-laden sea breeze, it was evident that their bodies would be stiff.

"Come this way."

However, Dominic led the merchants to a makeshift tent on the shore.

Though it was referred to as a tent, it was simply a thick cloth stretched between four poles to provide shade from the sun, and it was an open area where the breeze flowed freely.

"Oh! Is that seaweed today? Wow-."

"There's beef too! Whose birthday is it, Dominic?"

"It's the special meal day that comes every ten days. I've added lots of shrimp, so roll it up with rice. We'll only serve up to two bowls, so make do accordingly."

"Hey, the boss eats five bowls every time, so Dominic's supply will run out!"

"If anyone hears you, they'll think you guys are on a diet, you guys!"

"Hehehe!"

The fishing community received their food rations, creating a lively commotion.

Those who were served first slurped down the soup in their bowls and exclaimed, 'Ah, this is delicious!', 'Hot soup is the best in the cold weather!', 'The hangover from yesterday's drinking is completely gone!'

"What is this, Carlon?"

"It's seaweed, you know, algae...? Anyway, give it a try; it'll warm you up. Hehe."

The merchant hesitated at the unfamiliar black soup. The aroma was enticing enough to make his mouth water, but he hesitated because he had never encountered such a dark soup in his long life.

"Wow! What is this? It's incredibly tasty! Grandpa, try it quickly! The texture is fun too. Ah-. It seems to have a richer flavor than the seafood stew served in regular inns."

On the other hand, the merchant's grandson had a different reaction.

Lacking prior experience meant fewer preconceptions, and without hesitation, he devoured the unfamiliar dish and showered it with compliments.

"It's neither spicy nor bland, and the dark components, shrimp, and beef are all cooked to perfection, so it should be good for Grandpa to eat. Come on!"

"Is that so? Then let's... Oh!"

Encouraged by his grandson, the merchant raised the bowl with both hands and downed the soup.

'It's a comforting flavor.'

For the elderly merchant, meals on the road had always been a challenge.

Dried jerky, tough bread, and coarse grain powder had taken a toll on his already weak teeth and digestive system.

'And there's hardly enough time to simmer a broth properly.'

While camping, they did make soup, but due to time constraints and limited ingredients, it often turned out to be a salty broth.

"You must have put in quite an effort making this. It must have taken quite some time."

"Today, we included beef, so it did require a longer cooking time, maybe about an hour? If it had been mussels like usual, boiling for just twenty minutes would suffice."

"...Twenty minutes? Is that really the case, Village Chief?"

The merchant, who had been savoring the soup with a contented expression, widened his eyes and inquired,

"If what you just said is true, then the flavor comes from this dark ingredient?"

"That's correct."

"Sell it to me! I'll offer you a fair price!"

The merchant, driven by his merchant instincts, quickly made his offer without much consideration.

"Is the quantity adequate?"

"Absolutely."

"Hmm, since it's a living thing, it might be challenging to transport a large amount at once... Let me think..."

"It's not a living thing. Here."

While the merchant contemplated how to handle shipping, Dominic retrieved pieces of seaweed that had been salted and dried, then cut into a convenient size for consumption.

"Soak this in water for about 10 minutes, then sauté it in sesame oil or perilla oil and add water. That's all there is to it. Simple, right?"

"Ah, what a revelation! But you call it 'seaweed'? I've heard it referred to as algae... something. Isn't there a more commonly used term?"

"There is, but..."

Dominic hesitated for a moment.

Considering the taste, appearance, and cooking method, he had no doubts about its marketability, but preconceptions could be a significant factor in ingredient selection.

"It's known as 'Devil's Hand'..."

"Devil's Hand? Ah, I see! You're talking about that ruthless and fearsome sea creature, but why?"

"..."

"...Don't tell me..."

"It's just the name; it's not actually related..."

Clink-.

The metal spoon fell to the floor with a thud.

"...Perhaps we should reconsider this deal."

"Hold on a moment!"

The merchant's reaction was more intense than expected.

He abruptly stood up as if there was nothing more to discuss. Dominic had miscalculated, assuming the merchant's response would be similar to Calron's or Ian's.

That's when it happened.

"I'll purchase it! Let's make a trade!"