Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Butterfly Effect

Jeongsik. A word meaning a meal composed of a fixed set menu.

This word is originally Japanese, and entered Korea as Korean society rapidly modernized and urbanized in the 1940s. Then combining with the side dish culture continued from the Three Kingdoms period long ago, it changed into a word meaning the Korean-style table setting that provides rice and various side dishes, soup, and main dish (mainly meat or fish) together.

Then where on earth did the Japanese word 'jeongsik' originate from being influenced?

Western-style course cuisine. Even during the Meiji Restoration there was no concept of selling menus 'fixed' in Japan. As Western culture spread this concept was introduced together, and fusing with Japan's traditional side dish culture of ichiju sansai (*one soup three dishes), the word jeongsik was created.

Then do all Westerners only eat course cuisine? Is there no culture of placing several foods on the table at once and eating together like the East?

In fact the course-style composition started from the noble culture of Italy and France after the Renaissance. The idea of enjoying luxurious and formal high-end food according to an elaborate order, that is noble culture. Then the commoners?

That is, Family Style.

The long eating habit of the West is the method of placing several dishes on the table at once, and each person taking the food they want. In fact this side is closer to traditional Western home cooking.

And Family Style is said to have established itself as a general eating habit even among commoner-class immigrants who later moved to America.

So, even if I put out the course cuisine I prepared all at once like this, there's nothing awkward for these people!

Cooking methods, tastes, smells, textures all completely different dishes. Rather than putting them out one by one and being defeated individually, putting them all out together in Family Style is correct. That way they create synergy effects with each other and catch the overall balance!

I received help from Lady Edith and gathered the Waldorf Salad, tofu steak, tofu lasagna, tofu mushroom tangsuyuk, and lemon pasta all at once and served them to the central hall.

"Hmm...?"

"Th-these dishes what on earth are they?!"

[Nikola Tesla: What is this smell? Suddenly I'm hungry! Surely...? / Emotion: Anxiety / Satisfaction: -]

[Thomas Alva Edison: Is this the cooking of Britain that rules the world! Amazing! / Emotion: Astonishment / Satisfaction: - ]

I know even without looking at the status window. This reaction already sold! Even Lord Crookes was watching me with eyes wide open.

"Young Jean-Paul Durand! These dishes, even I am seeing all of them for the first time, don't you need an explanation?"

Do I even need to explain? In fact this request of Lord Crookes is quite exceptional even as a customer.

1901, the cooking of this period was merely a means to satisfy the five senses. There was almost no concept of putting story and philosophy into cooking and enjoying it like modern times.

In modern fine dining the chef kindly explains the background and inspiration of the cooking and sublimates the meal into a comprehensive experience, but until the early 20th century such a culture didn't exist.

An era before even Nouvelle Cuisine (*Nouvelle Cuisine, a cooking movement centered on presentation) and the Michelin Guide (*Guide Michelin, restaurant evaluation system) appeared. That is, there was no custom at all of the chef explaining his own cooking.

So, in Europe right now no matter how much a customer, just eating what is given is enough. The customer is king? That concept is still far! The various explanations I added during the Duke commotion last time were also in fact just statements that came out by chance while trying to make up something.

But this time to win the bet, I carefully put storytelling into these dishes. It means intention is imbued in the work. Wouldn't it be okay to show just a little taste for shock?

I thoroughly wet my lips with saliva. From now on it's time to flap my mouth. And that was my specialty.

"By any chance do you know how Pythagoras and Plato obtained scientific inspiration?"

"Pythagoras? Plato? You mean the ancient Greek philosophers?"

"Yes, those people are correct. By any chance do you know?"

"Hmm... Well, how did they obtain inspiration?"

"It's vegetarianism. At that time philosophers believed that if you intake meat the animal's soul interferes with clean thinking. So whenever solving important problems they definitely did vegetarianism."

"Was there such a saying? It's the first time I'm hearing it."

Of course it's the first time hearing it. Because it's all a bluff. An era without internet, SNS, or ChatGPT. There was no way to verify my soul-pouring bullshit in this place. I tend to act with sincerity whenever I do this.

But what's important now is not arguing the truth of my statement. That a kind of story was created in my cooking due to the bluff. Exactly like this.

"Anyway so I pondered how I could help the three scientists... and reached the conclusion that vegetarianism would be good. By any chance have you been stuck in research? Do you need new inspiration? Then how about recovering a clear soul with vegetarianism? I prepared the cooking with that heart, so I hope you definitely enjoy it once."

The core is this. Showing my 'sincerity,' and naturally explaining the reason I made 'vegetarian cooking.'

Of course, the fact that I already knew through the status window that Mr. Tesla is a vegetarian, and considered the ingredients and concept accordingly can't be said. As long as the taste is good no matter how you go it's fine, right?

When I bluffed like this, everyone was astonished. Especially Mr. Edison's reaction was the most fun.

"Wa-wait...! Then this is all...?"

"Yes, all are dishes made with vegetables. All of them. There is not a single meat."

"Impossible! This is clearly meat! It smells of meat!"

This is exactly the reaction I expected! In fact the charm of this course is that the main dish looks like a meat dish no matter who sees it. Utilizing the representative cooking methods of handling meat of grilling, baking, and frying, and even coating the sauce with ones commonly used in meat dishes.

Moreover right now is an era where vegetarianism is just sprinkling mayonnaise on salad and eating rye bread or dried fruit! Would they have even imagined this is vegetarian cooking?

People receive a great shock when what they expected and reality diverge. And the gap of that shock is larger the smarter the person!

"I can't believe it! Excuse me, but I'll taste one bite first!"

Mr. Edison quickly picked up the fork and knife, cut the tofu steak and immediately brought it to his mouth.

And the reaction that came out soon after was...

"Hmmm!! This taste! Impossible! How can the juices be this rich!"

【 Acquired 10 Cooking Points. 】

The reaction is fast!

"What on earth is the ingredient! Please tell me! I'm too curious I can't endure!"

"If I tell everything here it wouldn't be fun, right? Right now this is a bet match, right? I'll explain about the cooking slowly later. For now Mr. Tesla please try it once too. Quickly!"

I gestured toward Mr. Tesla whose expression suddenly darkened. Unlike Mr. Edison who was deeply immersed in the tofu steak and tofu mushroom tangsuyuk and eating in a hurry, Mr. Tesla couldn't bring the hand holding the fork and knife to the cooking.

"Young Tesla, did your appetite suddenly disappear? Why are you doing that? It's food that young Jean prepared with sincerity. Just staying still like that seems rude."

As expected Lord Crookes, as the best scientist in Britain his sense is quick. He immediately noticed Mr. Tesla's strange attitude.

"Phew, understood. Jean-Paul Durand, I have something I want to ask you, did you know I'm a vegetarian? Where did you hear it?"

"Yes? You were a vegetarian? It's the first time I'm hearing it, did you do an interview in some magazine?"

"Of course I haven't done that."

It's useless to dig at me. Because I tend to put sincerity when bluffing.

Mr. Tesla turned his head and looked at Lord Crookes.

"Lord Crookes, by any chance did you say it?"

"Me? No! I've been with you the whole time, right! The bet was also something I thought of impromptu! You also saw how surprised young Jean was at the coffee house earlier!"

"That's true. Phew."

It seems this Croatian Holmes noticed something? So what are you going to do? Do you have evidence? Do you have a warrant?

But, an unexpected reaction popped out from Mr. Tesla.

"I lost."

"What? Just like that? Without even eating one bite?"

"Yes, just smelling it makes my mouth water. And look at the appearance of Mr. Edison concentrating on the meal unable to speak like that. I've known Mr. Edison for over ten years, but this is the first time I've seen such an appearance."

Mr. Tesla pointed at Mr. Edison with the fork. He was eating with the momentum of finishing almost all the tofu mushroom tangsuyuk alone in a short time.

"Munch munch, is the bet important now? I've already given up! I don't care about DC current or anything now! I'm tasting such excellent cooking for the first time in my life! Sweet! Sour! Delicious! If this is vegetarianism I'll also do only vegetarianism for life like young Tesla!"

[ Thomas Alva Edison: I'll go back to America and do the background music business! First I'll finish this! / Emotion: Ecstasy / Satisfaction: ★★★★★ ]

But Mr. Tesla continued to frown. There was no sign of liking it at all.

...Doesn't the atmosphere seem a bit wrong somehow?

"Anyway, I admitted defeat. But I can't eat even one bite. I'll get up now."

"No, you...!"

"If I eat this food, I feel anxious that I absolutely won't be able to return to ordinary vegetarianism. Clearly my life will change 180 degrees. That is not what I want. Jean-Paul Durand, you won the bet. Later tell me through Lord Crookes what help you want."

Mr. Tesla picked up his hat and tried to get up from his seat. No, then my points? After suffering this much? How many points did I use summoning the tofu?

At that moment the one who grabbed Mr. Tesla was neither Mr. Edison nor Lord Crookes.

The one who intervened was Lady Edith who finished serving with me and was watching this moment.

"Wait a minute! Isn't this too much? Do you know how much sincerity Mr. Jean poured into this cooking?!"

"Uh, who is the lady?"

"Who I am isn't important! What's important is the fact that Mr. Jean put the heart of wanting people to enjoy vegetarianism even a little while making this cooking! To make tasteless vegetables delicious to eat! I also don't like vegetarianism that much, but after seeing this cooking I felt like vegetarianism would become likable!"

"Hmm."

Edith starting to lecture with both hands on her waist and lighting double wicks. Did she have this side too? The momentum is a bit scary?

Anyway after that for almost 5 minutes Edith poured bone-hitting words like a machine gun at Mr. Tesla. Fact violence covering the full range from human reason to philosophy, ethics, morals, and conscience. Words that only a young lady of a noble family who was thoroughly educated could throw.

Against that Mr. Tesla claimed that the cooking I made reproduced the flavor of meat dishes too accurately, and if he ate this he felt he wouldn't be able to do vegetarianism again. A threat to vegetarian beliefs, as expected a reaction befitting the eccentric Mr. Tesla.

I can't know exactly about his personal history, but the tone seems like there's an uncomfortable past related to vegetarianism somewhere.

But the stubbornness of Lady Edith who even staged a fake hunger strike saying she would become an actress even in that strict earldom, it seemed too much for the skinny Mr. Tesla with no strength in his body from only doing vegetarianism to win.

Moreover the single logic that Mr. Tesla absolutely couldn't refute.

The point that if more people come to like vegetarianism through such attempts, vegetarian recipes become richer, and as a result the base of vegetarianism expands and it will also be beneficial to Mr. Tesla.

In the end the rationalist Tesla was sunk by Edith's 1-ton torpedo and sent a surrender signal raising both hands and feet.

"I understand, I understand! I'll taste it for now! Stop! Please stop!"

In the end Mr. Tesla who collapsed into his seat. Bringing the tofu steak cut like Mr. Edison to his mouth...

Chomp chomp!

【 Acquired 10 Cooking Points. 】

"I lost! I really lost!! Jean-Paul Durand! You are the world's best chef! How is this vegetarianism?! This is meat-eating! A scientific innovation of cooking!"

The admission of defeat of the resigned Mr. Tesla was even faster.

Mr. Tesla also started plunging into the meal like crazy like Mr. Edison. Lord Crookes who was watching with anxious eyes also sighed and jumped into the competition.

"Whoa? That's the dish I claimed first! Yield!"

"Where is yielding in competition? You're old so endure a bit!"

It didn't even take 5 minutes until all the food on the table was emptied. Their gluttony was amazing!

[Nikola Tesla: Should I... give up vegetarianism? / Emotion: Great Confusion / Satisfaction: ★★★★★ ]

In the end it concluded like this.

###

Of course the bet also ended in my victory. I vaguely explained to them that what I wanted was a portable home refrigerator. In fact I don't know the exact principle of a refrigerator well. I'm not from the science track either.

Anyway even to the two genius inventors a home refrigerator seemed to be an unfamiliar concept. They also only thought of existing cold storage warehouses when saying refrigerator.

Mr. Tesla who briefly tilted his head and fell into contemplation said.

"I don't know that field well either. I'll have to go back to America and review related materials to know. But well, I promise. I've already received sufficient compensation."

He tightly gripped the paper in his hand. What is that? The recipe.

The recipes of tofu steak, tofu lasagna, and tofu mushroom tangsuyuk.

Right, I handed over all the recipes of the vegetarian dishes he tasted to Mr. Tesla. I even hinted that the most important ingredient tofu could be easily obtained in American Chinatowns.

I don't know if it can actually be obtained, but wouldn't it be possible? Chinese people like tofu too. If he can't find it... well he'll handle it himself. He's that deeply immersed. If he can't find it in America he'll have to go to the Joseon Dynasty, what can he do?

Why did I give the recipe? It was never because a pitiful emotion arose from Mr. Tesla making an expression as if the sky would collapse after eating all the cooking. That expression I also saw from the Duke of York recently.

When I told him to wait a moment and immediately wrote the recipe and handed it over he liked it as if he would really fly. It was the first time I saw a person who was full of complaints about everything become that bright.

Mr. Edison put his hand on the shoulder of such Mr. Tesla.

"Ahem, but is it okay for you to hand over the commercial rights of this recipe within America to me? Even if I operate a vegetarian restaurant in America with this? Even if I touch quite a lot of money?"

"I've said it several times. I don't mind. Use it freely."

"Good, then I'll also add strength to your research in return. If a decent result comes out I'll send a telegram right away."

"Thank you."

"And by the way, if we can make a home refrigerator according to young Jean's idea... If my intuition is correct this seems like it will be quite a big money-maker! Tesla, what do you think? Won't you join hands with me again and set up a company? This time I'll sincerely help your research!"

"A new company that's not General Electric... you mean."

Clap clap clap.

Suddenly Lord Crookes clapping.

"Then how about the name 'Edison-Tesla Refrigerator Limited Company'? If we make a company can I also participate as an investor? It's embarrassing but I have some assets in America. The oil company I invested in previously grew a lot! I'll sell those stocks and invest. And our young Jean..."

This time Lord Crookes put his hand on my shoulder.

"How about recruiting as an outside director? As much as you gave a good idea, if this business succeeds let's give sufficient dividends."

"It's not bad. However, you'll have to add the condition of treating me to delicious vegetarian cooking whenever you come to Britain."

"If my vegetarian restaurant succeeds, I'll also give dividends to you young Jean. How about it?"

What, why is the atmosphere suddenly like this? Weren't these people in a fighting atmosphere until a little while ago? But why are they suddenly linking shoulders and becoming close? Did I touch something again?

Anyway since they're giving money there was nothing to lose. Because it seemed like a large sum of money would be needed soon. I fervently nodded and expressed agreement.

Like this the refrigerator commotion that occurred for half a day finally came to an end. From the academy to the coffee house, and to my restaurant... Ah, it's really hard. This is really the end, right?

###

Only after seeing off Lord Crookes, Mr. Tesla, Mr. Edison, and Lady Edith, I lay my body on the office chair in an exhausted state.

But I couldn't sleep. Because there were messages that had been bothering me since earlier.

I frowned and opened the blinking notifications one by one.

【 General Quest: Impress celebrities with special food (4/99th cycle) - Success 】

【 Quest achievement additional points: 10,000 】

【 Quest achievement additional reward: Spin Spin Random Box x2 】

【 Main Quest Open: Change history with special food (0.42%) 】

【 Random Box Confirmation Ticket Fragment A x1 (1/10) 】

What on earth is all this?

It seemed the time to uncover the secret had come again.