Chapter 284

The inn where Kurt and his party were staying was none other than the very same inn they had stayed at when they came to hunt the Sea Golem before.

The inn had changed quite a bit since their last visit.

“It’s so crowded even though it’s dinner time…”

“No, it’s probably because it’s dinner time that it’s so crowded.”

As Kurt said, the inn was bustling with people.

Even before, the inn had been famous in Leila as a renowned eatery, but in the past six months, it had flourished even more, to the point where it was now packed to the brim.

The secret to its success was the recipes Kurt had taught them, including Menbosha.

The Clam Chowder made with bomb clams alone had already earned the inn a great reputation in the area, but when a few more dishes on par with the chowder were added, it was no wonder people flocked to the place.

Whether it was because the innkeeper was grateful for Kurt’s recipes that helped the inn thrive even more, or simply because he respected Kurt’s exceptional cooking skills regardless of the inn’s success, the innkeeper warmly welcomed Kurt’s party.

“Ah! Isn’t that Master?”

“You don’t have to come out to greet me, especially during such a busy time. And stop calling me Master.”

“But didn’t you tell me not to call you ‘Teacher’?”

“That was just to make you feel more at ease…”

“Hahaha, how could I ever treat Master so casually?”

The man who laughed and called Kurt “Master” was none other than the innkeeper.

The innkeeper called Kurt “Master” not because he had seen through Kurt’s martial prowess, but because Kurt had refused the title of “Teacher,” so he used “Master” as a sign of respect instead.

Kurt seemed a bit burdened by the innkeeper’s attitude, but the innkeeper, oblivious, treated Kurt as if he were his superior, with utmost politeness.

“By the way, you just got back—have you eaten yet?”

“I just got back, so I was about to.”

“Ah! Then I’ll bring you some Clam Chowder right away. And if there’s anything else you need…”

“No, I was planning to cook myself. Can I borrow the kitchen? Ah, but it’s a busy time, so maybe later when it’s less crowded…”

“Not at all! If Master wishes, I’ll prepare it for you right away!”

“But…”

“I’m fine! If I can repay even a fraction of the debt I owe Master this way…”

“If you insist… I’ll gratefully accept your offer. Then… it’s time to cook.”

With that, the innkeeper immediately led Kurt to the kitchen.

Thanks to this, despite the busy dinner hour, Kurt’s party was able to borrow the kitchen without much trouble, and soon Kurt entered the kitchen with the Man-eating Crab they had hunted.

—

While Kurt was cooking, the three who had settled at a table reminisced about memories from less than a year ago, looking nostalgic.

“Hmm… Sitting at this inn’s table reminds me of when we first came to Leila.”

“Right… That was when we first ate the Sea Golem Kurt cooked for us here.”

“Huh~. So you guys had fun events like that before I even joined the party?”

Serena, who couldn’t relate to the memories of their first visit to Leila, pouted with a sulky tone.

Since she had joined the party after their visit to Leila, she felt left out and couldn’t help but react grumpily.

“Ahaha… But this time, Serena, you’re here with us in Leila too.”

“Well, that’s true… By the way, how did you even think of eating a Sea Golem? It’s basically a giant sea bug.”

“But even you eat shrimp normally now, Serena. And we also threw a huge fit at first, refusing to eat the Sea Golem when Kurt offered it.”

“We came up with all sorts of excuses to avoid eating it…”

“But you ended up eating it anyway, right?”

“That’s because the Menbosha Kurt made was incredibly delicious.”

“Plus, Menbosha doesn’t retain the original form of the Sea Golem, so the psychological resistance was much lower. If it had still looked like a Sea Golem, no matter how good it smelled or tasted, I wouldn’t have been able to eat it.”

“True… I can eat fried shrimp now, but I still get creeped out every time I see one.”

“Right. Crustaceans are just inherently creepy.”

“They’re tasty, but their appearance is horrifying.”

As they chatted about the grotesque appearance of crustaceans, they found common ground.

Not long after, Kurt returned with the finished dish.

“Ah…! It’s Kurt. The food must be ready.”

“Of course… You’re always the first to notice when food’s coming.”

“Well, Kurt’s cooking is delicious!”

“You’re good with words.”

*Thud*

Kurt placed the finished dish on the table.

Mari, Karina, and Serena, upon seeing the dish Kurt brought, looked at it with a mix of confusion and bewilderment.

“So, what’s for dinner…? Huh?”

“This dish… doesn’t look like it’s been cooked…”

“Isn’t this just the Man-eating Crab?”

The dish Kurt brought was the Man-eating Crab they had hunted, its appearance almost entirely intact.

The only differences were the steam rising from it and the reddened shell from the heat.

Kurt’s dish had preserved the original form of the Man-eating Crab.

It was unclear whether it could even be called a dish, and Mari, unable to hold back, voiced her confusion.

“Um, Kurt… This is just the Man-eating Crab, right…?”

“To be precise, it’s steamed Man-eating Crab.”

“Steamed?”

Mari looked at the dish with a ‘seriously?’ expression.

It wasn’t because she had only been out of the elf village for a year and lacked knowledge about meat dishes or cooking with fire.

Karina and Serena also shared Mari’s confusion at Kurt’s explanation.

Because, even if it was steamed, usually ingredients were processed first before being steamed with vapor.

The steamed dishes they had eaten before were closer to stews with reduced broth.

Even if meat was cut into bite-sized pieces or steamed whole like a steak, it was at least processed to the point where the original form was unrecognizable.

But the steamed Man-eating Crab Kurt brought looked no different from when they had hunted it, and there was no sign of any special sauce or seasoning.

Of course, that was to be expected.

All Kurt had done was wash the crab’s shell, clean out the sand and dirt it had swallowed, and then steam it in a pot with herbs to neutralize the monster’s poison.

It was a simple cooking method, hardly requiring professional culinary skills.

It was a rather crude and straightforward approach, quite different from Kurt’s usual cooking style.

But Kurt, confident as ever, simply looked at the three of them.

Kurt, a Lizardman who enjoyed cooking ingredients in various ways and believed that cooking methods were the culmination of human wisdom to make food tastier, wasn’t the type to think that only complex recipes could create delicious dishes.

“Well, I didn’t do much to it, but it’ll still be delicious.”

Sometimes, even simple cooking methods without any special techniques could produce excellent dishes.

No, in fact, the lack of elaborate techniques could sometimes maximize the natural flavor of the ingredients.

And the steamed crab was definitely that kind of dish.

With that, Kurt broke off one of the crab’s legs and used a skewer he always carried for various purposes to extract the crab meat, handing it to Mari.

—

But just because Kurt confidently handed over the dish didn’t mean the recipient would always accept it with a positive attitude.

Mari, receiving the crab meat from Kurt, forced a smile and felt awkward.

“Ah, ahaha… It looks delicious…”

From her perspective, the steamed Man-eating Crab Kurt had brought as a finished dish didn’t look appetizing at all.

Although Mari had overcome much of her aversion to crustaceans after tasting the Sea Golem, that only applied when they were processed into forms like Menbosha or fried shrimp.

The steamed crab, retaining its original form, still triggered a psychological resistance in her.

To put it in perspective, many people can enjoy eggs and chicken, but eating a nearly hatched chick, known as ‘balut,’ is considered a disgusting delicacy.

Similarly, while people can drink strawberry milk with pink food coloring extracted from bugs, they wouldn’t eat the bugs raw.

There’s a significant difference between consuming processed ingredients without their original form and eating something that still looks like a living creature.

*Gulp*

Mari, receiving Kurt’s dish, swallowed dryly, not out of hunger but for other reasons.

Not anticipation, but anxiety and tension.

It had been a while since she felt this way while eating Kurt’s cooking.

The steamed Man-eating Crab he had made was enough to tighten her stomach, which had grown lax.

It was a scene reminiscent of when they first ate the Sea Golem in Leila months ago.

“I, I’ll…”

“There’s plenty of food, so eat as much as you want.”

“Since Kurt gave the first serving to Mari, I’ll eat after she tries it.”

“Y-yeah. But when the chef offers food, you should follow the order!”

She looked around as if seeking help, but all she saw was Kurt, eagerly waiting to see her reaction, and Karina and Serena, who, like her, couldn’t bring themselves to eat the crab in its original form.

“Karina… Serena…”

“Ahem!”

“Cough!”

“Hic…”

Mari looked at them with a betrayed expression, but the two quietly averted their eyes, refusing to meet her gaze. Finally, Mari, like a condemned prisoner heading to the execution ground, gave up all hope, closed her eyes tightly, and put the crab leg into her mouth.

*Chomp*