Chapter 289

As Drake confidently placed the pot down, the crowd gathered to watch the cooking duel fell silent, as if in unison.

But it wasn’t because they were overwhelmed by Drake’s intimidating aura or the appearance of his dish. Quite the opposite.

“Ah, right. I forgot we still had this kind of opponent,” they thought, closing their mouths for that very reason.

“Honestly, if I’ve already eaten such delicious soup…”

“See? I told you! There’s no need to even watch the outcome…”

“Wait a minute! That’s a bit harsh! The duel isn’t over yet!”

“But you’re not exactly holding out much hope either, are you?”

“Ahem…! Well…”

Despite the new dish being presented, the crowd’s atmosphere showed no signs of anticipation. Instead, there was a palpable anxiety, as if they were worried that eating a mediocre dish might ruin the mood.

However.

“Hahaha! Perfect! This lukewarm atmosphere! It’s just the right mood for my dish to turn things around dramatically!”

Despite the crowd’s lack of enthusiasm, Drake didn’t shrink back. Instead, he laughed heartily, as if he relished the situation.

“Now! Whether this cooking duel ends in an obvious result or a surprising twist will be decided after you taste this dish!”

With that, Drake pushed his pot forward.

And the dish inside the pot was…

“Is that… soup?”

“Soup? Doesn’t that overlap with the Red Shell Inn’s menu?”

“Of all things, he chose soup… It’s going to be compared directly.”

As the three remarked, the dish inside Drake’s pot was indeed a soup with a slightly yellowish, transparent broth.

From the moment he started cooking in such a large pot, it was somewhat expected to be a soup. Certainly, in a situation where a large amount of food needed to be served to many people, soup was a practical choice. It could be cooked all at once in a pot and divided among everyone.

But this wasn’t just about serving food to a crowd. This was a cooking duel.

In a cooking duel, the story was entirely different. While soup wasn’t inferior to other dishes, it generally served as an appetizer before the main course, lacking the impact of a dish like steak.

At least the innkeeper’s clam chowder, a signature dish with a long-standing traditional recipe, could still impress despite its inherent disadvantage. But could Drake’s soup really stand up to the innkeeper’s signature dish?

Frankly, it didn’t seem likely. By choosing the same type of dish as the innkeeper, Drake’s mediocre soup would likely be overshadowed by the clam chowder.

This thought wasn’t unique to me. Despite Drake’s bold claims, the others also wore subtle expressions of doubt.

But Drake paid no attention to the atmosphere and began ladling the soup into bowls, one for each person.

“Hmph. Go ahead and try it.”

As the soup was distributed to the spectators, a bowl was soon handed to me.

“This is…”

As I received the soup, I carefully observed its contents.

The soup’s color was transparent, almost see-through, with a slight yellowish tint. It reminded me of samgyetang broth, but with a thicker texture.

“Is this a flour-and-butter-based soup?” I wondered. But if it were, it wouldn’t have such a transparent color.

Next, I turned my attention to the solid ingredients. There were yellow egg pieces, ivory-colored bamboo shoots, and something long and white that looked like noodles.

Wait, no. It wasn’t noodles. It was too short and had a blunt end, unlike typical noodles.

Ah.

These were enoki mushrooms.

So, was Drake’s dish egg soup? If so, it seemed too ordinary…

Just as I was about to feel disappointed, I noticed something reddish mixed among the enoki mushrooms.

At first glance, it resembled the mushrooms, but I quickly realized what it was.

It wasn’t hard to figure out.

It was something I had eaten almost daily not long ago.

“This is snow crab.”

“Oh, you recognized it? That’s right. This dish is called crab meat soup!”

Crab meat soup…

Indeed.

Drake’s dish was crab meat soup, with bamboo shoots added.

I hadn’t expected to taste this dish here, so I was somewhat surprised.

Crab meat soup, while called a soup, was actually an Eastern dish, belonging to Chinese cuisine in my past life. And in this life, where much of the culture resembled my past life, this type of dish was unheard of on this continent.

In fact, the idea of using snow crab as an ingredient was rare here.

Noticing my surprised expression, Drake kindly explained his dish without me asking.

“Heh. This is a recipe I learned from an Eastern Continent sailor during my time as a sailor. But this isn’t just any crab meat soup. I’ve specially改良 the recipe I learned from the Eastern Continent sailor. The ingredients in this dish aren’t ordinary… Oh, I’ve said too much. It’s no fun if I spoil it before you taste it.”

“So, it’s from the Eastern Continent.”

Hearing Drake’s explanation, I quickly understood the situation.

Unlike the western part of the continent, inhabited by goblins, orcs, and ogres, the Eastern Continent was physically separated from where I lived. It was known for its unique culture, shrouded in mystery.

But to me, it simply preserved the Eastern culture from my past life. For instance, the soy sauce I bought at the Astram market was imported from the Eastern Continent.

If this was an Eastern Continent recipe, it made sense that crab meat soup would appear.

With this understanding, I looked at the crab meat soup before me with renewed interest.

Now that I knew it was crab meat soup, I could clearly detect the crab’s aroma hidden within the egg’s fragrance.

Unlike soups based on butter and flour, this one had a lighter, more delicate flavor, with the crab’s sweet and salty aroma blending seamlessly with the egg’s scent.

It wasn’t overpowering, but the more I smelled it, the more my appetite grew, like clothes getting damp in a light drizzle.

“The aroma… is good.”

“Ha! Finally starting to get excited, are you?”

Excited? Of course I was.

I never expected crab meat soup to appear here.

It was a dish that defied my expectations, different from anything I had anticipated.

But if you asked if that was a bad thing, I’d say absolutely not.

It was a pleasant surprise.

In this life, the only Eastern dishes I’d eaten were the ones I’d made myself. I never imagined I’d get to taste someone else’s Eastern dish here.

And from the looks of it, this wasn’t some half-hearted attempt. It closely resembled the crab meat soup I’d eaten in my past life.

That alone was enough to pique my interest, and the aroma suggested it would be quite delicious.

It felt like receiving an unexpected gift.

And I wasn’t the only one starting to feel anticipation for Drake’s crab meat soup.

“Ahem…! Well, since this is a cooking duel, it’s only fair to try both dishes.”

“Crab meat soup… I’ve never heard of it. It probably won’t beat the Red Shell Inn’s clam chowder, but… I’m a bit curious.”

“Eating snow crab? Are you out of your mind?”

“Then are you not going to eat it?”

“Well… That’s not what I meant…”

Though not as much as me, the initially lukewarm atmosphere of the crowd was gradually shifting.

In this slightly more excited mood, they each picked up their spoons.

Not wanting to fall behind, I slowly lifted my spoon and took a bite of the crab meat soup.

Slurp.