Chapter 4

Chapter 4

How Does It Taste?

Winter in the North is eternal.

The cold waves are brutal, blizzards fall constantly, and there has never been a record in all of history of the frozen earth thawing.

On days when fierce northern winds swept through the harsh weather, outdoor activity became outright impossible.

And once night fell, the already low temperature plunged even further.

Even with several thick coats layered over one another and a blazing stove, the indoor air remained cold, and whenever a draft slipped through the cracks in the doors, even a heavy blanket couldn't keep one's toes from freezing.

For northerners, everyday life was therefore little different from a constant battle for survival.

Yet there was only one reason they refused to leave.

To defend the Wall.

The grand ducal family that stood at the front line, guarding against invasions by magical beasts, commanded the respect of every northerner, and even the cold itself could do nothing to extinguish their desire to stand beside them.

Pride.

That was what drove the people of the North to keep living.

Meanwhile, the harsh climate inevitably shaped the North's food culture as well.

The meals served at the table were generally crude.

Ingredients were simply too difficult to obtain.

Fish and meat were either eaten raw or roasted.

There were no real recipes. Food was less about enjoyment and more about filling one's stomach to survive.

Despite her appearance suggesting otherwise, Yekaterina had grown up eating that kind of food as well.

So it was hardly strange that the food in her hand, called a 'dumpling,' seemed so special.

Of course, as the daughter of an illustrious family and a student at the Academy, Yekaterina had tasted many different dishes.

What surprised her was its extremely simple appearance─

'It's hot.'

And the steam rising from it as though it had just been pulled from a blazing hearth.

How many times in her life had she ever eaten something that looked this hot?

In the North, even warmed food often turned cold again the moment you looked away.

'I'll try it.'

Following the shopkeeper's advice that a dumpling should be bitten into whole so she could taste the juices inside, Yekaterina carefully took a bite.

And then.

'!'

Flash.

Yekaterina's eyes widened more than they ever had before.

Anyone who knew her usual personality would have been shocked by such an intense reaction.

'What is this chewy texture?'

Beside her, Seria was marveling at how soft and fluffy the steamed bun was, but the dumpling's texture was completely different.

The thin wrapper surrounding the filling was chewy, yet gave way much more softly than she'd expected.

At the same time, the meat juices trapped inside burst out with a pop!

This must have been the broth the shopkeeper had mentioned.

'...It's delicious.'

The seasoning was perfectly balanced. There wasn't even the slightest trace of the unpleasant smell of meat or the raw grassy taste of vegetables.

Munch, munch.

This time, she chewed the filling.

The minced mixture of cooked meat and vegetables was savory, subtly sweet, and pleasantly salty.

None of the flavors were particularly strong, yet somehow she wanted to keep eating.

'It's addictive.'

After swallowing one bite, she naturally took another.

As the warm dumpling slid down her throat, it felt as though a gentle warmth spread through her entire body.

Because she had been born with a body temperature significantly lower than most people's, she knew the sensation couldn't merely be her imagination.

Yekaterina found the feeling extremely pleasant.

Anyone who lived in the North inevitably learned just how precious 'warmth' truly was.

'...How strange.'

Yekaterina stopped eating and carefully examined the dumpling.

'It looks so simple.'

It was nothing more than meat and vegetables wrapped inside a round layer of flour dough.

So how could something so simple taste this good?

More than anything, it was perfectly suited to eating in cold weather.

Yekaterina remembered the comfort of eating freshly baked bread or hot soup beside a stove while a fierce blizzard raged outside.

She'd had so few happy experiences like that that she'd almost forgotten the memory.

Yet somehow, this simple-looking food was giving her almost the same feeling now.

'It's almost as if it was made for northerners.'

If she let the people of her territory taste this, they'd probably rejoice and demand that it become a staple food immediately.

As the daughter of the Grand Duke of the North, she was certain of it.

"How does it taste?"

The shopkeeper asked her with obvious anticipation.

Quite impressed, Yekaterina answered sincerely.

"...It's not bad."

For her, that was the highest possible praise.

Unfortunately, the girl raised in the harsh North wasn't exactly eloquent enough to convey her emotions properly.

Disappointment was plainly visible on the shopkeeper's face, but the oblivious Yekaterina simply took another bite of her dumpling.

*

'It's not bad...?'

I barely managed to raise my sagging shoulders after that rather deflating response.

She obviously seemed like the stoic type, so I hadn't expected some dramatic reaction, but I still couldn't help feeling disappointed at how dry her answer was.

Judging by her face, I couldn't even tell whether she'd been startled because it was delicious or because it tasted awful.

I switched targets to Pinky, who was still nibbling away at her steamed bun.

"How's the steamed bun? Is it good?"

"Yes...!"

That's more like it.

I smiled contentedly and nodded. This girl definitely gave the better reactions.

"It's soft and sweet. What's inside?"

"It's red bean paste. You boil red beans, mash them up, and mix them with sugar."

"Red beans...?"

"Yeah. They're a kind of bean. Small and reddish."

Like baked beans? Pinky muttered softly.

'Well, I guess they're similar...?'

But unlike the soggy texture of baked beans, red bean paste was soft and fluffy, which made its sweetness feel much stronger.

Just then.

"Ah, Yekaterina, would you like to try some too...?"

Perhaps noticing Whitey staring at her steamed bun, Pinky cautiously offered.

'So her name's Yekaterina.'

But judging by her appearance, she didn't exactly look like the type who'd eat something someone else had already bitten into.

So I was genuinely surprised when she casually took the piece of steamed bun Pinky offered her.

"How is it?"

"Sweet."

That was her entire reaction.

'Sigh. Another miss?'

A sigh nearly escaped me, but I forced myself to keep smiling as I spoke.

"Dumplings and steamed buns are best eaten while they're warm. Once they cool down, they get hard and don't taste as good."

"I see. Ah, is there anything else you'd recommend?"

Plenty.

"You seemed to like the gimbap last time, so want to try this?"

This time, I introduced a triangle rice ball.

Since she'd enjoyed gimbap, I figured this should naturally suit her tastes too.

"Oh. Then I'll try that next time I come."

"Ah, not now?"

"I-I'm already full right now...!"

Full?

Even for a girl, I doubted a single steamed bun could possibly fill her up.

She was still at an age when she should be growing, after all.

'And here I was getting excited.'

Still, I had at least gained a regular customer, so I could relax for now.

"Goodbye!"

"Yeah. Come again."

I was waving them off when—

"Ah, hello, Professor...!"

"Oh, hello."

Judging by how the girls addressed the woman entering as they left, she seemed to be a member of the faculty.

"Welcome!"

"Yes, hello."

The woman smiled as she greeted me, and she was quite attractive.

Was it because most people here came from noble families?

Students and faculty alike were all remarkably good-looking.

"I heard the owner of the store changed, so I came by out of curiosity."

"Ah, I see."

"I'm Delilah. I teach alchemy here at the Academy."

Delilah looked young enough to be mistaken for a graduate student rather than a professor. Her short, curly hair only made her look younger.

She was probably around my age. She must have been extremely talented.

"I'm Dante. As you can see... I'm the shopkeeper."

"Pfft. Ah, sorry."

She let out a small laugh before immediately apologizing.

"I haven't had much to laugh about lately, so I end up giggling at silly things."

"I wasn't offended. I said it as a joke in the first place."

"Oh. I quite like your personality."

What was this?

Was she flirting with me?

It was my first experience of anything like this since coming to this world, so I couldn't help feeling flustered.

But then I remembered that she was a professor and forced myself to calm down.

If I got the wrong idea, I might accidentally drive away one of the rare customers who'd finally come in.

"By the way, the inside is really fascinating."

Delilah said this while looking around.

"I put some effort into it."

"I can tell. It doesn't look like the Academy store I remember at all. The lighting is bright too... Did you handle the interior yourself?"

"I asked the facilities manager. He was surprisingly skilled."

I'd imagined a facilities manager would do little more than repair broken furniture or repaint peeling walls.

"Right? Apparently, he once served as the Imperial Minister of Public Works."

...No wonder he'd been throwing around shaping magic like it was nothing every time I asked him to do something.

So I'd basically put a former cabinet minister in charge of decorating my store?

'Am I seriously the only ordinary person in this place?'

I was once again left speechless by the absurd level of the Academy when—

"You're selling nothing but unusual products too. Did you make them yourself?"

"Well, some of them. Some not."

I gave her a vague answer.

'Maybe she's naturally curious because she's an alchemy professor?'

I didn't particularly mind the attention.

After spending so much time staring at an empty store, having an actual conversation for once was a nice way to relieve the boredom.

If only I had a smartphone or something.

Until now, it had felt like I was being punished.

"Wow."

Fortunately, Delilah merely sounded impressed and didn't question whether what I'd told her was true.

In a world where magic and sorcery were commonplace, what couldn't exist?

After watching Delilah slowly scan the shelves in silence, I asked,

"Is there something in particular you're looking for? It might be faster if I find it for you."

"Ah, that's probably true."

She smiled and nodded.

Then she confidently stated her request.

"Give me some alcohol."