Chapter 50

As the magic stone activated, it began to emit heat.

Directly emitting heat could set the wooden table below on fire, so the magic stone, placed on a dedicated stand, directed its heat towards the pot containing the hotpot ingredients. To prevent the ingredients from burning, I quickly poured in the broth.

The broth used for the hotpot was a traditional and simple mixture of water and soy sauce.

For other dishes, I might have avoided soy sauce and used different seasonings to create a Western-style dish, but for hotpot, that wasn’t an option.

Well, I could have made it Western-style if I wanted, but the mushroom hotpot I desired wasn’t like that, so I didn’t compromise.

Even though soy sauce was quite expensive, I decided to splurge and buy it.

It wasn’t a wasted expense, though.

I had a good reason: I needed to make the best mushroom hotpot for the three people who needed to recover.

I wanted to save money, but what could I do?

You have to feed patients delicious food, right?

As the broth I poured in filled the pot, the table was soon filled with the savory and salty aroma of soy sauce.

Ah, how long has it been since I last smelled this aroma?

Soon, all the hotpot ingredients were submerged in the broth.

As time passed, the pot absorbed enough heat and began to boil, with steam rising from the hotpot.

Bubble, bubble.

The pot steamed, releasing the savory aroma of soy sauce and beef.

The smell was so enticing that even Mari, who had never tasted soy sauce in her life, couldn’t help but salivate.

Perhaps because soy sauce is made from beans, the unfamiliar yet stimulating aroma wasn’t unpleasant.

Gulp.

Mari unconsciously swallowed her saliva, but it wasn’t due to her usual appetite.

In fact, despite the delicious smell, her appetite was diminishing in real-time.

Bubble, bubble.

“Hmm. It seems done. It’s ready to eat.”

“Huh? Wow, wow! It looks delicious……”

Just as Mari was getting nervous, Kurt informed her that the hotpot was ready. Hearing this, Mari forced herself to perk up and lifted her plate.

She grabbed the ladle and, with trembling hands, scooped a portion of the mushroom hotpot onto her plate.

She wanted to only take the shiitake mushrooms, cabbage, and meat, but if she did, the other two would have to bear the burden of the grotesque-looking mushrooms.

So, they all silently agreed that each of them would take at least one type of mushroom.

Without speaking, they negotiated through glances, and Mari bravely took the first scoop.

The mushroom she chose was the Mad Dancer Mushroom.

Both options were unappealing, but if she had to eat one, the Mad Dancer Mushroom, aside from its occasional twitching, looked the most normal.

Following Mari, Karina took the ladle.

“Hoo… Hoo…”

Her face was no different from Mari’s, like a soldier drafted to the battlefield, trying to convince herself that everything would be fine.

With trembling hands, Karina also scooped some hotpot onto her plate.

She chose the Thorn Horn Mushroom.

In her mind, at least the Thorn Horn Mushroom didn’t twitch grotesquely like the Mad Dancer Mushroom, nor did it have the dangerous appearance of the Paintbrush Mushroom.

In fact, aside from its long, horn-like protrusions, it looked quite ordinary.

After Karina took her share, only Serena remained.

“Ugh…”

Serena, holding the ladle, made a face as if she really didn’t want to, but she couldn’t back out now.

They should have spoken up before activating the magic stone, or at least before starting the hotpot.

But now, it was impossible to refuse without ruining the mood or making a bad impression on Kurt.

Finally, Serena steeled herself, closed her eyes, and scooped some hotpot onto her plate.

She chose the Paintbrush Mushroom.

Her reason was simply that its colorful appearance was pretty.

Thus, all three had their portions of hotpot.

By the way, Kurt took a normal portion with shiitake mushrooms.

As the four of them filled their bowls, Kurt, seemingly unaware of the others’ feelings, smiled and said,

“Oh. Eating while cooking at the table really creates a different and nice atmosphere.”

But Mari, who would usually be the first to cheerfully agree, or Karina, who would mutter things like “Freshly cooked food tastes better…” and jot down Kurt’s words, or even Serena, remained silent, just staring at their bowls.

Just before Kurt noticed their hesitation, Mari was the first to act.

She had promised to eat the mushroom hotpot to not disappoint Kurt, so if she hesitated now, everything would be for nothing.

Mari picked up her spoon, scooped a large portion of the mushroom from her plate, closed her eyes, and put it in her mouth.

Gulp.

“Wow. She’s really eating it.”

Kurt might have muttered something, but Mari’s attention was entirely on the mushroom in her mouth, so she didn’t have time to care.

Of course, the mushroom in her mouth didn’t emit any dangerous or disgusting smells.

Despite their terrifying appearance, all the mushrooms were safe to eat.

As Mari held the mushroom in her mouth, she realized this anew and mustered the courage to start savoring the taste.

At first, she felt the rich broth made from vegetables, soy sauce, and beef fat.

The most impressive was the soy sauce.

Soy sauce isn’t originally an ingredient from this continent but an import from the eastern continent across the sea.

Thus, the taste of soy sauce was something she had never experienced before.

The black liquid she occasionally saw at the market with Kurt had such a strong aroma that it seemed like it could numb your nose. Kurt had always wanted to buy it, but she never thought it would taste good.

However, the flavor of soy sauce in her mouth now told her how wrong she had been. It imparted a unique fermented aroma and saltiness that couldn’t be found in other ingredients.

The soy sauce wasn’t used straight but diluted with water, making its overwhelming aroma feel subtle and smooth. Unlike the simple saltiness of salt, it had a deep, rich flavor.

But no matter how deep the flavor, if it were just salty, it would be too monotonous.

That’s where the rich fat from the beef came in.

The light yellow broth, with droplets of beef fat reflecting light, added a layer of richness to the soy sauce broth.

The savory flavor of the fat combined with the saltiness of the soy sauce created a satisfying broth that could make a meal feel complete.

The sweetness from the carrots and onions highlighted the saltiness of the soy sauce, while the soy sauce’s saltiness enhanced the sweetness of the vegetables, creating a beautiful harmony.

And finally, the refreshing feeling when swallowing the last sip of broth.

The deep saltiness of the soy sauce and the rich, clean taste of the beef fat.

Both left a strong aftertaste, but what remained was a clean and refreshing finish.

That was the reason for adding cabbage leaves initially.

The juice from the cabbage mixed with the broth, creating a subtle sweetness and an overwhelmingly refreshing aftertaste.

Along with the warm temperature that gently heated the body.

Unbeknownst to Mari, the warm broth was soothing her body, which had been weakened by the monster’s spores and chilled in the cold cave.

It was a broth that felt comforting just by drinking it.

That alone would have made it a great dish by Kurt’s standards, but there was still one more mountain to climb in this meal.

It was the twitching mushroom she had scooped up.

Although she had put it in her mouth, she still lacked the courage to chew it.

But now, warmed by the broth and her heart, she decided to bite into the Mad Dancer Mushroom still wriggling in her mouth.

Chew, chew.

What she felt was the springy texture of the mushroom.

Most mushrooms aren’t particularly moist or elastic on their own.

But when cooked with liquids like oil or water, they absorb them and gain a springy texture.

And of course, the mushroom Mari was chewing had absorbed the hotpot broth and beef fat, becoming moist and springy.

Especially the Mad Dancer Mushroom she chose, which naturally had a strong elasticity, swaying and wriggling even before cooking.

The moment her teeth bit into it, the resistance felt like chewing seafood like squid or octopus.

But the surprise from the resistance was momentary. As she chewed, the broth trapped inside the mushroom gushed out.

“Umm…!?”

“What, what’s wrong, Marisia!?”

“Hey! Are you okay!?”

Mari suddenly stopped chewing and made a surprised sound, causing Karina and Serena to express concern.

But Mari, under their worried gazes, couldn’t pay attention to their reactions.

Mushrooms are useful ingredients in various dishes, but did you know that mushrooms themselves often have little nutritional value and no inherent flavor?

Yet, mushrooms have long been used in cooking, and some varieties are highly sought after by gourmets.

The reason lies in their unique texture and aroma.

Unlike other ingredients, the aroma of mushrooms is nearly irreplaceable, making it a unique flavor.

And now, the broth gushing out in her mouth was on a completely different level from the broth she had tasted earlier.

The only difference was the addition of the Mad Dancer Mushroom’s unique aroma.

But that one addition elevated the hotpot broth to a whole new level.

The broth she had initially found delicious.

But strictly speaking, it couldn’t be called true mushroom hotpot broth.

Because it lacked the aroma that comes from the mushrooms.

But the moment she chewed the mushroom.

The trapped aroma burst forth, transforming the ordinary hotpot broth into true mushroom hotpot broth.

It was like seeing your childhood friend, who was always beautiful without any makeup, suddenly appear fully made up.

The shock of seeing your long-held beliefs crumble, coupled with the overwhelming emotion of experiencing something beyond your imagination.

The aroma was so dreamlike, it felt like drinking essential oil distilled from flowering plants, reminiscent of bamboo or pine.

Or perhaps, it was simply the aroma of the Mad Dancer Mushroom, impossible to describe otherwise.

The hotpot broth, infused with this aroma, felt like a tiger with wings, elevating the flavor several levels and giving her a euphoric sense of satisfaction.

“Haah……”

She let out a wistful sigh, lost in bliss.

Karina and Serena, who had been worried about Mari.

But soon, seeing Mari pick up her spoon and eat the hotpot without hesitation, they realized she was savoring the taste.

Gulp.

“She’s eating the mushroom hotpot so deliciously……”

“Is, is it that good…?”

Seeing Mari enjoy the hotpot so much made them swallow their saliva unconsciously.

But this was different from the nervous swallowing earlier; it meant their appetites were rising.

Visually, the hotpot didn’t look appetizing, but the intoxicating aroma and Mari’s enjoyment were slowly breaking down their resistance.

Thus, the two looked at their plates of hotpot with slightly different expressions.

The first to move was Karina, who was more accustomed to Kurt’s cooking than Serena.

Swish.

With noticeably less resistance, she lifted her spoon.

The first thing she noticed was the appearance of the Thorn Horn Mushroom she had chosen.

The long, pointed spikes that gave it its name had swollen grotesquely after absorbing the hotpot broth.

Even after cooking, it didn’t look like something that would whet your appetite.

Seeing this, Serena asked in a disgusted voice,

“Hey, hey. Are you really going to eat that…?”

“Is there a reason not to?”

“But, but……”

“Well, I trust Kurt.”

Despite having just made a face of genuine disgust, Karina confidently smiled and expressed her trust in Kurt.

She moved her spoon to scoop up the Thorn Horn Mushroom.

And like Mari, she put it in her mouth.

Gulp.

---