Chapter 84

Chapter 84

Dueling Ground

I returned to the restaurant office and was absorbed in thought.

The quest message that suddenly appeared.

And that the first time-limited quest.

Until now such new quest messages were output only after achieving the quest completion conditions so considering that it was a quite exceptional matter.

Moreover the content was also absurd.

Spread spicy taste to Britain in just one week. Is that such an easy matter?!

Moreover if a time-limited quest shouldn't one at least inform the reward...?

For example if not achieving one can't receive some benefit, or there's a penalty... But the message that appeared was only that one.

Extremely unkind. Well from the start this damn status window has never been kind even once.

"Shall I just ignore?"

For nothing resistance like a contrary frog only arose.

Then soon I changed my mind. It's unpleasant. What if the result is a penalty?

I quickly opened the notebook. The hint given to me is only one sentence. I have to analyze this as much as possible and use.

"Spread spicy taste to Britain."

First the basic premise was wrong.

Britons have no resistance to spicy taste, not that they don't eat at all.

Representatively mustard.

One might think mustard brings out sweet taste because of honey mustard sauce, but that was Korean standard who intake spicy taste like eating three meals a day.

Strictly mustard is a plant of the spicy taste category. Only the spicy taste that slightly pokes in the nose is different in texture from the hot and stinging spicy taste of 'capsaicin' Koreans like.

The strongest of this system of spicy taste is Western wasabi called horseradish but the stimulating component is the same as mustard or wasabi. Only the amount is different, only the amount.

Also ginger or pepper often used as food ingredients in Britain are also included in spicy taste. Onion the main is sweet taste but it's also spicy taste.

Then do Britons not know chili taste at all? That wasn't either. Fusion-style Indian restaurants are spread all over London?

"But the quest occurred after feeding gochujang? Then in the end the problem seems to be gochujang?"

Clearly they said the ingredient that made this gochujang is Spanish chili.

Spanish chili imported to Britain wasn't much different in variety from the red chili used in Korea.

That was because the ones who brought the chili propagated from South America to Joseon were Spanish explorers.

The exact propagation path of chili is unclear, but the theory that Spanish merchants exported to China or Japan, and that flowed into Joseon again is the established theory.

So, the focus isn't chili. If going to the market one can easily obtain Spanish chili. In the end, the method of attacking with gochujang looked the safest.

"Addict with the spicy taste of gochujang that makes tears and snot come out?"

Like I did to Miss Edith?

Where how, to whom show that?

To His Majesty Edward VII the symbol of the British Empire? No matter how much quasi-knight, sending a letter first saying let's meet the king or requesting an interview is the top of rudeness among rudeness. Until called first one can't meet His Majesty. This is rejection.

Then to all British people? That is truly an absurd mission. If that's a real quest just giving up would be comfortable.

Then to some celebrities? How decide that?

In fact people like Joe who have innate resistance to spicy taste, and slightly sadistic taste of enjoying the pain from spicy taste weren't completely absent in Britain.

I even saw in the newspaper recently. A recruitment notice looking for colleagues to enjoy hot sauces of various countries in the world together. The joining condition was able to eat Tabasco sauce?

Because an era without social media newspapers even played the role of minimal information exchange means, job advertisements of course, obituaries, family news, local community event notices, club or club member recruitment, lost and found, item sales and exchange various information coming and going through newspapers every day was daily.

So recruitment notices gathering people with similar gourmet tastes weren't special matters either. As befitting a country that likes social gatherings a lot, making various gatherings for trivial reasons was frequent.

Even just what I saw haggis tasting clubs, jellied eel making gatherings, sardine pie research societies etc. strange monster dish clubs were rampant, people who enjoy spicy taste about, well, sufficiently possible.

Looking at newspapers it seemed two or three spicy taste clubs arise and disappear a month.

"Since I can't know the quest achievement conditions I have to try something. Wander around with a dojang-breaking feeling and suddenly feed?"

If Tabasco sauce I've also eaten before.

Hot sauce made with Tabasco chili origin from Mexico.

From the late 19th century produced in America and building recognition to the point of becoming the representative of spicy taste sauce reaching Britain across the sea.

The intensity of spicy taste is a bit lower than Cheongyang chili, so the problem is ordinary people after eating get sick of it.

Moreover because an import it's even expensive. At department stores selling over 4 shillings for one small bottle.

If people who can eat Tabasco sauce, they'd accept gochujang dishes too?

Anyway there weren't many things I could do.

I have to write a challenge letter in the newspaper.

###

Marcus Samuel sat in the lobby of the Carlton Hotel spa wearing a gown, and opened The Times after a long time.

Having just returned to London after finishing several months of Russia business trip his whole body was full of fatigue, but still he had to do what he had to do.

To an international merchant like him information is soon money.

The ability to excavate jewels buried in the soil ahead of others and invest, with only that ability he became a successful British businessman from the son of a poor Jewish peddler.

Those words weren't wrong. The first thing he brought to Britain was clam shells rolling in the mud fields of Japan.

Samuel transformed those useless clam shells into beautiful ornaments with the energy of the East and earned big money. Thanks to that even now he excavates treasures buried in the ground and lives not envying others.

Only that thing changed from clam shells to burning black water.

The Oil King of London, Marcus Samuel.

He developed the world's first steam oil tanker and pioneered the oil transport route passing the Suez Canal, and achieved big success with the business of extracting kerosene in Russia and selling to East Asia.

Thanks to that now he was a rich man even counted in Europe.

But, business wasn't always smooth.

Lately the nerve war between European countries becoming more serious also troubled him.

There were many problems. Germany and France constantly growled, Britain desperately tried to block Russia's advance into the Mediterranean, Italy somehow tried to step into the colonial empire and scattered mud here and there.

The reason he hurriedly returned this time was also for such a reason. Contacting information that the British government is trying to restrict his oil export business, and returning to find Chairman Balfour and appeal.

If blocking the Suez Canal no different from his lifeline one would have no choice but to raise hands.

However when actually returning it wasn't a matter to the point of hurrying. As always he diligently greased with pounds and solved the problem.

Like that when the matter was resolved, somehow energy drained. At times like this relieving stress with delicious food is appropriate, but unfortunately British cooking was the most tasteless food in the world.

At least the Carlton Hotel had a chef who well implements authentic French cooking so he was willingly receiving the favor, but after eating greasy food full of fat lumps in Russia for several months trying to eat greasy French cooking based on cream again wasn't very exciting.

At times like this anything is fine so one has to madly shed sweat soaked with Far East spicy taste dishes to be refreshing.

Unfortunately there were no Eastern cooking specialty stores in London. There were Indian restaurants, but he didn't particularly like Indian cooking with a lot of strong spices.

It didn't suit the taste, and wasn't the preference either.

Anyway he continued flipping the newspaper. Although receiving news of the home country through telegrams from Saint Petersburg, the taste of holding the newspaper in hand and slowly flipping without any thought like this was incomparable as expected,

1st and 2nd pages were always political news.

"Prince George returns after finishing a long colonial overseas tour? It took really long. It's not even exile, tsk."

Politicians are troublesome because of this. If even one thing sulks they interfere without fail.

If sulking one has to put candy in the mouth to soothe. How expensive is that candy too?

Real fun was from the 3rd page as expected. From here advertisements also come out, and one can also read London's latest trends and trends one had no choice but to miss in Russia.

The part he has to excavate raw stones was also exactly from here.

Just in time there was an interesting article that captured his gaze.

So he unconsciously blurted the content out of his mouth.

"Oh, Arthur Conan Doyle finally publishes a new Holmes series! I have to obtain this without fail! How many years is this on earth?"

It was a sole advertisement of Strand Magazine. As an avid reader of the Holmes series he also couldn't miss the information.

Almost missed the publication news while in Russia! And and now this novel starting serialization means, all manuscripts are already finished that talk... Can't one spend some money at the publisher and somehow receive all in advance and read?

The moment he muttered like that as monologue, an elderly gentleman who seemed to have just finished the sauna and was gulping carbonated water with lemon floating while sweating profusely chimed in to his words.

"That stubborn guy finally puts out a new work! Fortunate I can read before not even meeting my grandson and being buried in the family grave! Hothotha."

Samuel was startled and raised his head. He never dreamed someone would answer his monologue.

But the elderly gentleman seemed to have spoken without particular meaning. He didn't continue words anymore and leaned his back on the side sofa and closed his eyes. Thanks to that Samuel could glance at the old man's appearance without hesitation.

A large height that looks one head bigger than himself, a firm physique revealed outside the gown. Although skin that became rough with traces of time and age spots, an dignity one couldn't easily ignore was felt from him.

Moreover just sitting in the highest grade spa for VIPs only in the middle of London the Carlton Hotel alone meant this old man was also proven upper class.

At least earl level, but the awkward English pronunciation just heard wasn't the standard RP of British gentry.

A noble of another European country? Looking at the accent Germany? Austria? Just looking at the appearance it seems German lineage.

If the old man continued words more, Samuel could also naturally introduce himself and find out his identity... The appearance of closing eyes was a signal of not wanting conversation anymore.

So Samuel felt regret and turned his gaze back to the newspaper.

Whether because the Holmes new work news was too shocking, the subsequent articles didn't enter his eyes at all.

He stretched his hand and picked up another newspaper. This time it was the Evening Standard.

A long time later, there he discovered a peculiar contribution he couldn't see in the previous newspaper.

"An invitation to a masked gourmet meeting for British gentlemen who haven't found true spicy taste yet...?"

Masked gourmet meeting? What does this mean? Does it mean eat food wearing a mask?

The content was simple. An announcement that at some restaurant they'll present a course menu composed only of spicy taste dishes.

And to recruit those tasters they put up a somewhat strange condition that one must disguise so identity isn't revealed.

"Why do they have to disguise to eat cooking? I'll see all strange people."

But spicy taste dishes.

Just in time Samuel who was desperately craving spicy taste also scanned the remaining content without omission.

It was a tasting meeting with quite many conditions attached. If like this who on earth participates? Spending contribution costs into the air trying to joke. Tsk tsk.

In fact rather than a tasting meeting it was a feeling close to a dueling ground. Content like 'only those confident of enduring can participate', 'receive participation fee to prevent riffraff participation' was boldly carried in the newspaper.

Samuel nodded. This guy was a crazy person.

"Moreover the participation fee is also 3 sovereign gold coins? A crazy guy."

If 3 sovereign gold coins it's 3 pounds. A large sum even middle class in London would roll their eyes. Although he's a rich man now, he hadn't forgotten even the sense of money.

No matter how much the 10th page of the Evening Standard, strictly publication content is pre-censored why did they print such content?

"Hmm, the date is this Sunday lunch... It's the day after tomorrow right away?!"

Samuel suddenly recalled the latest schedule. Urgent matters were roughly all handled, just in time there was nothing to do.

In the evening a dinner with the Marquess of Salisbury was scheduled... If only the place is close, it seemed no particular problem. Bored shall I go once?

Then he shook his head.

If usual a foolish announcement one would laugh and pass, but strangely a feeling that one must go to this place arose.

This was the intuition as an old merchant. There's something that will become money here! And that very raw stone like!

"The place is Culina Divina on Lombard Street? Where is there?"

And as soon as he finished the words, the old gentleman who was closing his eyes suddenly trembled his body and stood up with a jerk.

"Culina Divina? What is that guy doing there?"

"Yes?!"

Samuel looked at the old gentleman with a flustered face.