Chapter 92

Jio had no thoughts.

“Mm….”

As he took a bite of the stew, warmth spread throughout his body.

‘This is it.’

Jio nodded his head.

Thinking about anything other than the food at the dining table was an insult to the food and no different from a declaration of war against pigs.

Above all, while having such an amazing meal, he couldn't even think of anything else.

‘It’s a really good dish to eat when your body is cold or weak.’

Even as a Priest of the Sun who always lived with warmth by his side, it wasn't as if he never caught a cold or a body ache.

At times like that, Giovanni would cook and eat a stew like this.

The charm of a warm dish like stew was especially more appealing when one was sick.

“It’s delicious.”

“Kkuu.”

Of course, it was delicious even when eaten while healthy.

‘This is why I eat stew.’

The inherent acidity of tomatoes brings out a deeper flavor when it embraces warmth.

It produces a complex aroma, like the sticky and sweet broth of chicken feet simmered for a long time, and the pulp, which gently crushes with just the tongue, has a somewhat elegant sweetness.

“It goes well with the carrots too.”

“That’s the good thing about Edlen Stew, it goes well with anything you put in it.”

“That’s also a characteristic of tomato stew, though.”

The carrot's unique bittersweet and sharp, stimulating aroma was subtly infused into the stew.

Without being so assertive as to be off-putting, the carrots, blended with various ingredients and soaked in the broth, revealed a texture with a special quality.

“And… I think it was a good idea to add potatoes too.”

When it came to soaking up the broth, potatoes were indispensable.

“Iseur recommended it, right?”

“We used to… put them in our stew often.”

“That’s right, it reminds me of the old days.”

“It’s cooked really well.”

“It’s thanks to Iseur stirring it well. I can tell the heat was distributed evenly.”

The potatoes, having absorbed the deep juices of the vegetables in addition to the red flavor of the tomato, were so tender they could be mashed with the gums.

The unique, crumbly texture of the potato added weight to the stew, which felt like it might float away with its acidity and sweetness.

‘Is it because the other ingredients have such strong characters? When you add an ingredient that gives a simple taste like this, the flavor of the stew deepens significantly. And there’s no ingredient that fits that role as well as the potato.’

Besides, the potato didn’t just play the role of a blank canvas.

“I can taste the aroma of the ingredients just by drinking the broth.”

The starch released from the potatoes also served as a stepping stone, binding the various vegetables together and gently sublimating their juices.

Jio looked at Iseur and smiled slightly.

“Your arm must have hurt from having to stir so many ingredients.”

“That’s… embarrassing. I’m past the age where my arm would hurt from something like this.”

“Is that so? To my eyes, you still look so young, this is quite a problem.”

The cabbage that was casually mixed in was also quite good.

“The cabbage is cooked very well.”

“Kkurrrr.”

“Yes, I like this kind of cabbage the best too.”

Cabbage that had soaked up plenty of the tomato-based broth.

The cabbage, mottled with the color of the broth, seemed to give a strange elasticity when chewed, but quickly disintegrated, releasing a simple juice.

The even warmer broth that spread throughout the mouth was different from that of the stew.

“Oh, right.”

Jio looked back at the bonfire where the clams were cooking.

“I think we can start eating the clams now.”

“krukrukkruu?”

“You have the qualities of a pig too, just wait a little.”

As he stroked Dana’s small, round head once, the cat's distinctive triangular ears folded back and then returned.

The way she flattened her ears even before his hand touched them was very cute.

‘I must serve and cherish her for the rest of my life.’

Just the feel of the small, precious skull that fit perfectly in his hand made him full without eating.

His heart felt as warm and reassuring as a bowl of bone broth soup.

This is how you raise your life’s satisfaction level.

“Let’s see….”

Most of the clams were cooked, so Jio placed them on a tray and brought them to the table.

The clamshells made a clattering sound as they hit each other.

The unique sea scent of the clams, infused with the aroma of the charcoal fire, combined with the forest’s gentle spring breeze to create a pleasant smoke.

“I think they’re all cooked.”

“Will you shuck them for us?”

“No, you’re all grown up now, so you have to shuck them yourselves.”

“The clams you shucked for us yourself seemed to taste better, so that part is a little disappointing.”

“Disappointing, my foot… ah, hot.”

“What??”

Iseur was flustered.

“Is it hot for you?”

“Would it be hot for you?”

Aria, who chided her brother as naturally as breathing, then looked at Jio in disbelief.

“What kind of tantrum is this, for someone who holds the divinity of the sun, teacher.”

“It’s natural for freshly grilled clams to be hot, so I couldn’t help it.”

“Is it possible to not shed human habits even after deification…?”

“It could be possible, why are you doing this to me? It would be good to abandon your prejudice.”

“Prejudice? How unfair. I’m saying this because it doesn’t make sense.”

“A person must always live with an open mind.”

“Is this something that can be solved by opening your mind?”

“You shouldn’t have such narrow-minded thoughts.”

Jio, who had broadened his student's world, began to shuck the clams with his characteristic noble, and to some, shameless smile.

The properly cooked clams each boasted their milky white flesh, emitting the sweet and savory aroma unique to shellfish.

“Becoming the 2nd Sun God has its perks.”

“…Shucking clams with your bare hands?”

“It was always a shame to let them cool down to eat, so this is great.”

“Is it okay to use divinity in such a way?”

“Is there any reason not to?”

Leaving the mermaids flustered by the unexpected blasphemy, Jio and the teddy bear were just enjoying themselves.

Their stomachs were still far from full and there was plenty of room for grilled clams.

The teddy bear was waiting for the clam meat with an excited face.

Jio handed the flesh of a Black Tray Clam, steaming hot and full of rich juice like fresh sea urchin roe, to the teddy bear.

“Here you are, Father.”

“Kkuuuu.”

“How is the taste?”

“Kkukukukukuku….”

“I’m so glad you enjoy the taste of clams.”

The teddy bear clapped its cotton paws.

Jio was proud and the mermaids looked dumbfounded.

Honey stealthily hid in the stew pot again and Dana, after eating all of her stew, flopped over and lay down.

‘A peaceful mess.’

This could be called a summary of a true life.

It was gratifying and proud.

As expected, there was nothing he couldn't do.

Jio picked up a new Black Tray Clam.

It had a shape similar to an abalone, but its shell was much blacker and smoother and the flesh cooked over the charcoal fire boasted a white and soft appearance.

‘Compared to this, abalone is closer to yellow.’

The Black Tray Clam was a clam that boasted such a vivid black and white that it hurt your eyes to look at it for too long.

The whiteness of its flesh was different from an abalone.

It was also different in that its edges were not bumpy at all and were perfectly round.

But its taste and texture were certainly reminiscent of an abalone.

“……”

Chewy.

“Oh.”

The insane springiness struck Jio’s brain.

‘It’s nice to eat it after a long time.’

His salivary glands threw a fit at the crazy umami.

It was truly a natural seasoning.

The flesh of the Black Tray Clam, which felt full of strong life force, was soft to the point where its elasticity was not unpleasant and the taste, which became more savory the more you chewed, was like fire-roasted nuts.

‘Maybe because I didn’t grill it for that long, it’s also tender….’

Should I say you can feel the grain?

The flesh, which scattered smoothly like silk, broke apart helplessly when pressed firmly with the teeth, giving the pleasure of chewing.

The generously flowing juice of the clam felt similar to the clam soup one eats on a winter day.

“……”

Because the clam meat was not small, it filled his mouth.

It was a while later that Jio opened his mouth.

“It’s so delicious.”

“…So it seems.”

“This is life.”

“Your appetite has grown since I last saw you.”

“And yours has disappeared.”

“Haha….”

Iseur gave a calm smile that resembled Giovanni's.

“Since there’s no need to eat, I just don’t find myself eating regularly.”

In truth, that wasn't the only reason.

It was Iseur who had eaten Jio when he was still breathing.

Perhaps because the sensation of those living, moving muscles, wriggling in his mouth, still remained.

Since then, Iseur hadn't put anything in his mouth unless it was a necessary situation.

“Still….”

“This is delicious, right?”

“…Yes, it is delicious.”

For the first time in a long time, he truly felt like he was eating ‘food’.

“I feel good.”

It was to the point where he had the illusion of having become human.

“The Sunshine Conch… are you going to use the shells, teacher?”

“I plan to grind them finely later and make paint out of them.”

“I see.”

Giovanni used to paint pictures using the shells of such clams.

He especially liked to paint the sea, and his paintings always had the scent of the sea.

“I should collect them, then.”

“Please do.”

Regardless of whether Iseur was lost in his sentiments, Jio this time picked up a Club Trumpet clam.

The clam, which had a round surface as large as the adductor muscle of a pen shell, had already split half its shell, revealing its flesh.

“……”

Munch.

His teeth sank right in.

“…It turned out really soft….”

“Because I grilled it.”

“Excellent, Aria. You really have a talent for cooking.”

It was a characteristic of clams to become tough when grilled for too long, but in the case of the Club Trumpet, one could experience extreme softness if it was cooked at the right temperature and for the right amount of time.

Its tenderness, with the delicate grains melting away, was even softer than the sashimi of a pen shell adductor muscle.

‘To think you can feel this kind of texture from a warm grilled clam.’

It was a texture that Giovanni could taste without difficulty, but for the earthling Seo Jio, it was an unfamiliar and exciting sensation.

Come to think of it, Giovanni’s favorite clam was also the Club Trumpet.

“I think it would be delicious if we grilled it with butter….”

“That’s a dish we never tried when we were in Edlen village.”

Aria smiled slightly.

“Butter wasn’t such a precious ingredient there.”

“Rather, it was being avoided.”

Butter was cumbersome to make, and there was a strong perception that it was a residue of milk.

Moreover, in a seaside village right by the coast, it was difficult to raise cows, so there weren't many dishes that used dairy products.

“But it would really be delicious grilled with butter.”

“…We can try making it later.”

“Sounds good.”

The Sunshine Conch was a bit inconvenient to get the meat out of.

You had to use a special skewer and twirl it around for the meat to pop out and its texture was quite similar to the conches on Earth.

However, its sweetness was exceptional.

“……”

This deep sweetness infused into the flesh itself and a bitter stimulus that somehow reminded one of the scent of medicinal herbs.

The Sunshine Conch had the effect of warming the body, so much so that there was a superstition that eating it when you had a cold would make you better.

‘…I see, so they use it as medicine because it feels like this….’

He also had the funny thought that maybe even the shellfish were a little blessed because it was the Sunshine Conch from a nation that served the Sun God.

It had a sweet and salty taste that seemed perfect for making a spicy sea snail salad.

“I remember the mermaids couldn't handle spicy food well, how are you now?”

“We’ve come too far to consider such things now. In terms of eating, there’s nothing that can be called a problem anymore.”

Iseur, who was cutting and eating the flesh of the Club Trumpet, continued.

“So, I think I can eat anything if I want to. My preferences have also faded a lot, and my biological characteristics have changed from when I was a mermaid living in that sea….”

“Then can you eat something a little spicy?”

“I haven’t particularly sought it out, but yes. Is the next dish you’re making for us a little spicy, perhaps?”

“It won’t be that spicy, but….”

“Remembering the teacher who liked experimental dishes doesn’t reassure me.”

As he said that, Iseur was smiling.

“Will you let me have a taste test before the meal?”

“I can bestow that much mercy anytime. If you’d help me a little with the meal preparation.”

“That sounds good.”

Iseur muttered.

“…Really good.”

He couldn't shake off the strange feeling, and in the end, he asked a similar question to his sister.

Why is it so peaceful?

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