Chapter 172: Strong Flavor Camp, Mild Flavor Camp
After processing the salmon, it will be salt-grilled.
Sure enough, when it comes to Japanese-style meals, it has to be salt-grilled salmon. I think that salmon and buri teriyaki are grilled fish dishes that match well with rice.
After that, we boil spinach and let it soak in water. When it’s cold, drain the water and cut it into the length that will make it easy to eat.
After that is done, add soy sauce, mirin, and a bit of dashi, then just mix it all up.
Crispy and juicy spinach is delicious in this hot time of the year. And finally, let’s chill them a little bit with Ice magic.
After those two are done, the next one is miso.
I increase the nameko’s pot fire - which had already released such a strong smell -, and mix the miso just before it boils.
I don’t need dashi this time since we already have the umami from the nameko. Just the flavor from the miso and nameko alone are already enough.
As I stir the pot after mixing the miso inside, the rich smell of miso drifts in the air.
「Aah, smells good」
「This miso has such a strong smell, but it can make you feel so calm when you dissolve it like so」
As I muttered while sniffing the smell of miso soup, Bartolo said that with a somewhat soft expression on his face.
The smell of miso soup is really able to calm you down, aren’t they?
Even when I had no appetite and was busy with work, when I smell this I was able to strangely relax and started to eat. If you throw plenty of vegetables inside then you’ll get quite the nutrition from it, so it really helped me.
I can hear some whispering coming from the direction of the kitchen’s exit when I was seriously thinking about that kind of thing.
「So that’s Kagura’s dish, huh? It smells so good!」
「There’s something comforting about this mysterious scent」
「You’re right」
The smell of miso is drifting and spreading inside the mansion from the kitchen, and it appears that the maids - Mina and Sara - and also Elna-kaasan are drawn by the smell.
Setting Elna-kaasan aside, I wonder if Mina and Sara are okay by not working? Oh well, there’s also Sara over there, so it doesn’t seem like they’re abandoning their work.
I turn around to look at Bartolo while ignoring those three faces peeking from the door.
「Wanna have a little taste?」
「Ou, that’s right! Please do!」
At the same time as Bartolo answered, I heard an envious sound of 「Aah!」 coming from the door, but I decided to ignore it.
I ignored the gazes piercing my back, and served the miso soup on a small plate.
Bartolo slowly sipped the miso soup on the small plate after receiving it.
Then, Bartolo’s frightening look calms down
「……oh, ooh, just drinking it alone made me calm down」
「I’ve never seen Bartolo-san with such a calm expression on his face! Could it be that it’s that delicious to make him look like that?」
「…………」
「……I also want to have a taste」
Elna-kaasan, you’re saying that deliberately so that we can hear you, right?
And also Sara, don’t make an appeal that you want to taste it just by staring at me. Not saying anything like that is actually scary, you know.
「Miso tastes good, isn’t it?」
「Yeah! There‘s not going to be any problem if you throw in all sorts of ingredients into it. But, I think that it’s a bit light. No, I mean I think the light flavor is just right, but some people would prefer something stronger………」
Aah, I see, that’s because there are people who like to have light or strong flavor in their food in this mansion.
Nord-tousan and Sylvio-niisan prefer the light flavor and don’t like food with strong flavors like deep-fried food, kushiage, or deep-fried bread. Even the maid Sara is on this camp.
On the other hand, Elna-kaasan, Eleonora-neesan, Mina, and Mel, each of them like to have strong-flavored foods, and they ate a lot of them.
Incidentally, I’m in the middle. There are times when I prefer the strong flavor, and also times when I like to eat food with a light flavor. Still, I don’t eat a lot of sweets or deep-fried food like Elna-kaasan and Eleonora-neesan, but when I do have to eat it then I still ate them.
Maybe it’s because I was already full of them back in my previous life that it’s kinda obvious that my preferences changed depending on my mood.
「So we have to find out about the flavor that suits each of those people, huh」
「……yeah. But well, don’t you think it’s actually better for them to try and taste it themselves? 」
Bartolo cast a fleeting glance toward the door while saying that.
The three people at the door are sending gazes full of expectation toward us, perhaps they were listening to our conversation.
「You’re right. Let’s have everyone in the mansion try to taste it. We’ll season it while listening to their opinion」
The moment I said that, Elna-kaasan, Mina, and Sara entered the kitchen while looking really happy.
I actually wanted someone to call Nord-tousan or Sylvio-niisan but, I can’t say it now.
「Okay then, I’ll call Sylvio here」
「Okay」
Bartolo exited the kitchen while smiling wryly as he saw the women approaching.
Bartolo is really kind somehow.
I poured some miso soup on a small plate for three women and gave it to them.
The surprising thing is that Elna-kaasan and Sara - who is the first and second person to get their fingers to the plate - did not immediately taste it.
When I’m having such a doubt, their eyes went to the third person - Mina - as she tried to bring her finger to her mouth to taste it.
「It’s hot!」
When they look at Mina who was suffering from the heat of the soup, Elna-kaasan and Sara start to blow on their small plates elegantly to cool them down.
So they are checking the heat of the soup by using Mina as an experimental subject, huh?
Elna-kaasan and Sara are so sly. Though, I think that this kind of person is the one who lives enjoyably in this world.
After their miso soup has gotten less hot, Elna-kaasan and Sara slowly sip on it.
Then they close their eyes and swallow it as if to savor the taste, then they suddenly open their eyes.
「「Another plate」」
「Quickly tell us your thoughts about it」
「It’s delicious」
「It is delicious」
When I asked them their thoughts about the miso soup, they simply expressed their thoughts at the same time.
I don’t need the kind of reply like Eleonora-neesan.
「No I mean, I wonder if the flavor of the miso soup is strong enough……」
「I understand. I’ll make sure to taste it so please give me some more 」
「That’s because it was my first time tasting it. I think I will be able to determine the flavor if I tasted it once again」
Those two nonchalantly said, even though they clearly understood what we meant and heard our conversation.
「………it’s such a calming taste. Ahh, I also want some more」
As for Mina, even if she said what she thought it will just be considered as she doesn't say anything. I wonder if she properly understands the meaning of ‘sampling the flavor. It feels like dealing with customers who sample the foods without buying in the end.
But well, guess they really like it to that extent. l was relieved about that so I can consider it as a good thing, right?
While being convinced of that, I receive the small plate the three of them pushed out to me and pour some more miso soup.
And when they taste the miso again I’ll be able to receive proper feedback about the flavor this time.
「It’s delicious, but I prefer for it to be a bit stronger in flavor」
「Me too!」
「I think that this is already good enough」
And, the opinions from the strong taste and mild taste camps are divided.
「Ehー? It’s going to taste better if it’s a bit stronger right?」
「This is delicious enough already. If you make it stronger than this then the fresh flavor of the nameko will be spoiled」
「But a slightly stronger flavor will make it go well with rice!」
「It will only go well with rice, not with anything else」
Ooh, it’s unusual to see Sara and Mina arguing about the flavor of food.
It’s unusual for those two - who are usually quiet - to quarrel so strongly like this.
On the other hand, I wonder why was there no reaction from Elna-kaasan?
It’s frightening for Elna-kaasan - who should be the most particular about food taste - to be quiet.
So I thought and then I looked at the person beside Mina, that should have been there, but I can’t find Elna-kaasan there.
Looking around the place in a hurry, Elna-kaasan is standing in front of the pot of miso soup.
Furthermore, she’s trying to make the flavor stronger by scooping miso with a spoon.
「Hey wait a minute! Elna-kaasan! What are you doing, trying to change the flavor on your own! 」
「Don’t bother me! This miso soup needs a bit more miso! And then it will finally be completed!」
「What does a person who barely cooks talk about now, Elna-kaasan!」
「Aah, taking away the spoon and miso with Psychic is unfair!」
That’s dangerous! By taking away the miso and spoon with Psychic, she won’t be able to make it stronger as she pleases.
「………if I can also use non-attribute magic」
「I’m truly glad and relieved that Elna-kaasan don’t have the aptitude for non-attribute magic」
What a worrisome mother. I think she shouldn't have the aptitude for non-attribute magic.
「Only Al is unfair. You can pull things from far away with Psychic, move them, grab them, and lock the door without moving from where you are. I don’t need the aptitudes for Fire and Water magic, I also wanted to have the aptitude for non-attribute magic like you 」
Elna-kaasan hung her head dejectedly, surprisingly grumbling and expressing her dissatisfaction.
Although she said one thing after another, Elna-kaasan probably wanted to use non-attribute magic like me. Seemed that Elna-kaasan is envious of me using non-attribute magic, because she also finds things troublesome like me.
I mean, non-attribute magic is so convenient since they are really versatile.
I don’t know that she’s so envious of me. But even so, it’s unthinkable for me to take her feelings into consideration and refrain from using them.
Magic had already become something indispensable in my daily life.
「Oh my, what a nice smell」
「Darling, this is called miso soup. Try tasting it」
Then Nord-tousan and Sylvio-niisan came inside the kitchen when I was thinking about that.
After that, Elna-kaasan - who is hanging her head until now - immediately got a ladle and poured the miso soup onto a small plate, and brought it to Nord-tousan.
Where was your dissatisfaction just now?
Elna-kaasan already has Nord-tousan, so she will be happy even when she doesn’t have non-attribute magic.
「How’s the taste?」
「It’s delicious! The flavor of the soup is to my liking!」
Elna-kaasan asked with a radiant smile on her face, but then Nord-tousan resolutely answered with a completely different view from her.
「That’s right. It has a really gentle taste. I guess I also like this kind of taste」
After Nord-tousan, Sylvio-niisan also gave his views of being in the mild taste camp while having a clean-cut smile on his face.
Elna-kaasan and Mina stiffened unconsciously after hearing them.
And then a few seconds later, the two of them turn their face toward me and Bartolo while smiling brightly.
……your eyes are not laughing, that's scary.
When Bartolo and I involuntarily backed away from them, Elna-kaasan approached me and lowered herself, then she grabbed my shoulder.
「Which one would you prefer Al? It’s the strong flavor, right?」
「……Elna-kaasan, your fingers are digging into my shoulder, you know? Rather, you have already removed the options from me, didn’t you?」
If an outsider were to see us, then it would be a mother who gently places her hand on her child’s shoulder, but the truth is completely far from that.
Her fingers that dig into my shoulder seem to say that my shoulder will be broken if I were to choose the mild flavor.
This is obviously a threat.
「How about Bartolo-san?」
「Eeh? No, I, I wonder which one I would prefer?」
And perhaps Bartolo also realizes what kind of situation we’re in that he’s trying desperately to answer in an ambiguous manner and dodge the question.
However, such a naive answer is unacceptable in this situation.
Maybe because Mina - who got fed up with it - suddenly came up with it, she suddenly says,
「If I remember correctly, Bartolo-san said that he likes the strong flavor, right? Then, the flavor of the miso soup should also be strong!」
「Ara! Well then, then it’s decided by Bartolo’s strong preference!」
「Y, yes」
Giving in to the two women’s pressure, Bartolo nodded easily.
The votes between the strong flavor camp and mild flavor camp are even, and now everything depends on me.
The mild flavor camp Nord-tousan can’t keep silent now as he says,
「Al prefers a mild, calm flavor, right? And Bartolo always said that a tasty dish is the one who makes good use of the ingredients, didn’t you」
「That’s not possible. Al likes to make deep-fried food and sweets, you know? So he must like to eat a strong flavored one」
「No no, Elna-kaasan. I don’t particularly like making sweets ――ow ow ow ow!?」
I was just trying to make a slight correction of what she said, but then her fingers dug into my shoulder.
「Elna, don’t you see that Al is in pain?」
Ooh! Nord-tousan responded to my scream for the first time in my life.
「He just came back from Kagura after all. I just want to touch my lovely son」
……I wonder why. When she said that just now, I feel that the bond between us is terribly light though……
「Now then Al, which one do you prefer?」
「Which one is it?」
Elna-kaasan and Nord-tousan ask while hiding pressure behind their smiles.
But even when I tried to avert my eyes, Elna-kaasan's hand was still pressing on my shoulder, and Nord-tousan was applying his pressure on me.
So I answer incoherently while enduring the oppressive atmosphere.
「……both of them……can I?」
「「No」」
And so, it was after worrying about it for five minutes that I came up with the suggestion that we will adjust the flavor according to each person whenever we will include miso soup in our meal.
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