I Got Transferred in the Middle of a Mountain. In Retaliation, I Chose Amenity over Strength. - Chapter 106

I chopped the prus and sauted them in garlic and olive oil. The color is quite plain, so I sprinkled a bit of chopped italian parsley. Garlics are usually still small during this time, but I got one from my field and used that here.

I used a lot of olive oil, almost enough to soak them, but I went easy on the garlic. I’m still not used to eating this, or maybe it’s just that I don’t really like the aroma. I finished all the preps before they came.

The main ingredient for tonight is mushroom, but the main dish is meat. Meat should be at room temp when grilling — well, not that I had to bring it back to that temp, since the pantry is always at room temperature. I trimmed the excess fat and sinews — meat was 4cm thick —and rubbed the surface with coarsely ground rock salt. I pierced it with four metal skewers so that it would flatten into a fan shape, then made a spot at the fireplace with red-hot coals and started grilling, turning them every now and then.

I set-it up beside the fireplace’s wall, so that the fire would be weak. The consomme soup made with the cabbages (that had been cut into eight parts) should be done by now, too.

Butler is supposed to pick up the bread, so I asked Retze and the guys to call Ash over.

Riche earnestly sniffed Ash too while she stood frozen with a terrible expression until he was satisfied. Does she like dogs or not — I can’t tell by her face!

The fire crackled, making smoke as salt and fat dripped from the meat which had been browned and a bit charred here and there. I let the smoke permeate the meat so the aroma would cling to it. Turning the metal skewers smoothly would cook the inner part nicely, too.

I made the garnish by halving some turnips, sprinkling salt on them then grilling them too. I already did all of this, so I thought I might as well saute the pio that Retze harvested in butter.

「Just put as much as you want on top and eat it. 」

I piled some thinly-sliced bread in a basket and served it with the bowl of pru.

I considered using pru for pasta or risotto, but it won’t taste as good once it cooled down. Butler and Dinosso’s family might be late, so I scrapped that idea.

The few bottles of high-grade wine brought by the trio were all lined up on the table.

「 Let’s dig in! 」

「Yeah! Thanks for the food! 」

「Now I partake! 」

「Thank you for the food. 」

I also prepared some sliced raw mushrooms for our excited locals. So, there are a lot of mushrooms that can be eaten raw aside from truffles, huh.

「Haa~ what a splendid aroma! This is it, the scent of spring! 」

「Yeah, it’s nice that we can eat it this year too. 」

Chris and Retze piled a lot of mushrooms on the bread and sank their teeth on it with relish.

「Mm, the fragrance is wonderful. 」

Ash didn’t take a huge bite, but she did start with the pru.

「Meat!! Ugh, this is so tasty! 」

Dean went through all that trouble getting all scratched up because of the pru, but there he was gobbling the meat.

The inner part was also cooked well when I sliced the meat with a knife. The umami flavor spread in my mouth as I took a huge chunk of meat and bit into it. The aroma filling my nostrils was also amazing.

I drank some wine to wash down the grease of the meat, then took a mouthful of the bread heavily laden with pru. It tasted like a king trumpet mushroom, and the scent was quite heavy. Based on how Chris and Retze were faring, you’re going to love it once you get used to it.

I also gave some unsalted meat to Riche, cooked rare. It would get burned without salt, after all.

「You have a visitor, it seems? 」

It was just as Chris said, somebody was knocking on the back door.

「Yeah, it’s Butler and our neighbors. 」

「The family you know? 」

「They arrived today. 」

I answered Dean’s question while making my way through the kitchen with a candlestick on hand.

「Come in. 」

「Please excuse us. 」

「Yeah. 」

Yeah, just as expected, the two of them came.

Madam and the kids already went home. Firewood, tables, carpets and other stuff that Dinosso seemed to have ordered to be delivered arrived one after the other next door.

「You have guests? 」

「No, no, wait. Wait a sec, alright? 」

「What’s up? 」

Dinosso suddenly cut me off in a fluster.

「He is beyond my purview. 」

Butler said with a smile.

「Don’t answer me first! Is it my fault? Is it because of what I said!? 」

「I’m afraid I am as guilty as you are — however, he is beyond my purview. 」

「Hm? 」

「You! Hey, don’t tell me you showed this to others, huh!? 」

Dinosso pointed below him.

「Ah, I just introduced Riche to Ash and the others. 」

Riche had followed me and was now sniffing Dinosso’s feet.

「Youuu, aaarghhh! 」

「What’s up? Didn’t you tell me to bring a spirit? 」

「Ehh!! This puppy is a spirit!? 」

「Hey, Dean. There’s no such thing as a puppy that doesn’t make a sound when walking. 」Chris.

「So he’s at the level where he’s visible to me, a non-seeing guy? 」Retze.

「Mm…It seems so. 」

Four people left the table and came to us because Dinosso yelled.

Hm?

「Oh, so that’s how it is, huh. Spirits who are visible to those who can’t ‘see’ are strong, huh. 」

Riche was in ‘always visible’ mode for me, so I totally didn’t notice.

Eh, Riche is super weak on top of being a puppy, and yet he’s that strong!?

「Now!? You just noticed that NOW? 」

Dinosso was about to cry.