Chapter 233

Serena continues to taste the fried coating of the Coconut Shrimp.

Although Serena’s favorite cooking method is grilling, she doesn’t particularly dislike frying either.

No, how many people actually dislike fried food in the first place?

Because fried food is an excellent accompaniment to beer, whenever Kurt agrees to Mari’s request to make fried dishes, Serena always orders a beer from Wendy and starts her meal.

In that sense, Serena felt her thirst growing as she tore off and ate bits of the fried coating of the Coconut Shrimp.

It wasn’t a physiological thirst caused by a lack of water, but a mental dissatisfaction that seemed like it could be filled but never was.

‘Just the coating… Just the coating is too teasing!’

Serena had already used a lot of magic in the morning to quickly finish a request, leaving her more fatigued than usual.

Her body and mind were demanding a more delicious dish, something that could relieve her physical and mental fatigue.

For her, nibbling on the fried coating of the Coconut Shrimp was like drinking a 135mL mini can of beer after a long day of work and a hot shower.

The can of beer would be empty before her throat moved twice.

Even if she flipped the can and tapped the bottom with her palm, only a drop or two of beer would fall out.

Eating only the fried coating of the Coconut Shrimp was just like that.

The moment her esophagus, stomach, and taste buds began to feel the cool, refreshing carbonation and alcohol of the beer, it was already over.

In the end, the fried coating was just a shell covering the core ingredient.

No matter how much she nibbled on the coating, she wouldn’t feel satisfied unless she ate the actual filling.

The ambiguous state of neither having eaten nor not eaten only deepened Serena’s thirst.

Gulp.

‘Why does the shrimp look so delicious…?’

So, Serena’s gaze had completely changed compared to when she first started her meal.

At the beginning of the meal, the curled shape of the shrimp created a sense of fear, as if it would wriggle out of its fried coating at any moment, and the reddened tail, heated to a high temperature, reminded her of the originally creepy appearance of shrimp.

But now, her thoughts were filled with compromises like, ‘If the shell, legs, and head are all removed, it’s just pure meat, so there’s nothing creepy about it, right?’ and ‘If only the tail is left, then eating everything except the tail means there’s no bug-like element, right?’

And then…

‘Come to think of it… Since I’ve already eaten the fried coating, which has absorbed the shrimp’s juices, can I really say I haven’t eaten the shrimp just because I only ate the coating?’

She pondered a fundamental question.

That’s right.

Even if you eat the fried coating, it still contains the flavors of the base ingredients.

As evidence, the fried coating of the Coconut Long already had not only the aroma of coconut but also the savory taste of shrimp.

Gulp.

‘Right. If I’ve already eaten the shrimp, then not tasting the shrimp to the end would be a waste…!’

With her physical and mental fatigue fueling her appetite, even the logic that had been holding her back began to falter.

And so, Serena slowly picked up a piece of Coconut Shrimp with her fork and gradually raised her arm.

Hesitation.

For a moment, her arm paused in front of her mouth, as if hesitating.

But as soon as she caught the savory and sweet aroma of the fried shrimp, her hesitation vanished.

Gulp.

Munch… munch…

Serena savored the Coconut Shrimp in her mouth.

…

Crunch, crunch…

…

Chewy, chewy…

“…Hmm!?”

‘What, what is this!? This chewiness!?’

Soon, the unique chewiness of the shrimp, which couldn’t be felt just by eating the fried coating, seemed to protest, as if asking why she had waited so long to eat it.

When her tongue touched it, it pushed back, and when she used her jaw to crush it, it resisted at first but then softened, as if saying, ‘…Idiot! I’ve been waiting for you!’

It was a texture that couldn’t be found in birds, pigs, cows, or fish—a texture unique to shrimp.

And shrimp wasn’t just a unique-textured ingredient.

Hidden within its chewy texture was the shrimp’s unique sweetness and umami.

This sweetness was different from the sweetness of fruits like coconut; it was the sweetness unique to animals.

Serena didn’t dislike the sweetness of fruits, but if asked to choose between the sweetness of fruits and the sweetness of meat, she, as a dwarf, would definitely prefer the sweetness of meat.

Chew, chew…

At first, the unfamiliar chewiness felt strange, but the more she ate, the more she found herself drawn to the shrimp’s texture.

It was a satisfaction that filled the void left by just eating the fried coating.

Gulp.

After swallowing her first whole piece of Coconut Shrimp, Serena bowed her head and began to tremble.

“…Serena?”

Mari, sensing something was off, called out to her, but Serena didn’t respond and continued to tremble.

Just as Mari, now worried, was about to touch her shoulder…

“This is what frying is all about! Kurt! Does the Coconut Company sell beer?”

“Ah, you can ask me about that.”

“Really? So, do you sell beer?”

“Yes, of course. We have the specialty black beer from the Fog Valley region, which the Coconut Company is proud of. But we sell beer by the barrel, not by the glass. Is that okay?”

“Of course! Bring the beer as quickly as possible!”

With that, she asked Tirmel to quickly bring the beer and began to eat the Coconut Shrimp without hesitation.

Soon, Serena placed a barrel of beer next to the table and continued to enjoy her meal, pouring beer into wooden mugs.

“This Tartar Sauce perfectly complements the fried food! The pickles and vinegar’s sourness transform the richness of mayonnaise into a refreshing flavor! And the sauce itself isn’t overly sweet or salty, so it doesn’t overpower the taste of the fried food! I have to drink this!”

Gulp, gulp…

“Phew…! What is this black beer!? The aroma of the malt is several times deeper and richer than the ordinary beer sold in the market!? The beer’s aroma doesn’t fall behind the Coconut Shrimp at all!?”

Using magic on the spot to chill her beer mug, Serena continued to enjoy her meal, exclaiming how delicious it was.

And seeing Serena like this…

Murmur, murmur…

“What’s going on? It really looks delicious…”

“Gulp… It really seems to go well with beer.”

“I think the fried food looks good, but I’m also curious about the black beer that girl is drinking…”

The onlookers, who had only watched Kurt’s cooking without thinking of eating, began to slowly change their attitudes.

At that moment, Kurt stood up and presented a plate of Coconut Shrimp to the crowd.

“Has anyone changed their mind? I can give everyone a piece to try now.”

“Well, it does look delicious, but…”

“By the way, I originally fried a generous amount, but more people showed up for lunch than I expected, so the amount of Coconut Shrimp for sampling has decreased. If you’re late, you might not get any.”

“L-late? I might not get any…?”

Kurt’s words about first-come, first-served sealed the deal.

The magical words of limited-time pickup, knowing that if you don’t get it now, you might not get it at all, have a power that makes you buy even when you don’t need it.

And now, with the added pressure of today’s limited-time offer, first-come, first-served, and free, the perception that not choosing now would be a loss began to spread.

Before the meal started, Kurt was asking the crowd to try the food, but now, the onlookers had to make an effort to get a taste.

“…”

“…”

The onlookers, who had been eyeing each other, suddenly rushed forward without hesitation, shouting.

“F-first-come, first-served…! I’ll eat first!”

“Ah! You coward! A guard of Astram, who should be working for the citizens, is the first to reach for the limited food!?”

“As a guard of Astram, it’s my duty to ensure the safety of that food!”

“Shut up! Are you even a guard!? Hey, Lizardman chef! Give it to me first!”

“Actually, I’ve always felt sorry for the Goblin Company being criticized just because of prejudice!”

“That’s a lie! That merchant has been spreading rumors that the Cocoa Company exploits pregnant women and operates in a customer-hostile manner!”

“It’s the Coconut Company, not the Cocoa Company! Don’t talk nonsense if you don’t even know the company’s name!”

“Hey, ignore those fighting and give me some…”

And so, Kurt’s Coconut Shrimp sampling strategy was a great success.