Today's Content: Gambas

This was a world where even human lives were treated as resources. When some wicked seed who had muddied society's waters was dragged off by something that was neither monster nor anything else, not a single person sincerely worried over the missing man.

They were merely curious.

"Do you think he's dead by now?"

"When did the information processing team confirm the time of disappearance?"

"Around four in the afternoon on the twenty-second."

"Today is the twenty-fourth. Roughly two days have passed… We could probably count him as deceased."

"In that case, the manner of the killing itself becomes a subject of interest."

"Or it may not have killed him at all. It might have taken him as a toy."

"Given that it has been assessed as possessing considerable intelligence, that possibility cannot be ruled out."

Because they still had not grasped the true nature of the Black Cloak, the Association staff could only measure and judge it by comparing it to a humanoid monster.

And when they considered how humanoid monsters typically dealt with humans who had broken their rules, the grim speculation came naturally.

"If it simply killed him cleanly, we might reconsider the meaning of 'punishment.' Wouldn't that imply a lack of personal grudge?"

"It may not have been 'punishment' so much as 'cleanup.' Wanting to remove a human who violated its rules right in front of it is only natural, so we can hardly call that absence of feeling."

"We need a clear result from this incident if we are to adjust the Black Cloak's response rating… We also had the advice of former research team leader Hunter Yu Seong-un."

The Black Cloak's kindness when it encountered polite, decent people was of little importance. What mattered to the Association, which had to account for every dangerous variable, was how this thing—monster or otherwise—would harm humans.

"Is there no way to determine the missing person's location?"

"According to witness testimony, he was not carrying a separate tracking device."

"Even if he had possessed such an item, there's no guarantee it would have functioned."

"Still, simply processing this as a disappearance and closing the agenda is not enough."

"Is there any method for summoning the Black Cloak separately?"

"We have not yet found information regarding that aspect."

Amid the orderly clamor, the Association President spoke.

"Let us request cooperation from the Three Great Guilds."

"…From all three of them?"

"Yes. Contact the leaders of each guild."

"Understood."

Only the executives gathered here knew that another name for the Black Cloak was Ji-oh's Portrait. The man who had purchased it at auction was none other than Bi Sa-beol of the Collectors—the guild master of the Collector Guild.

Therefore, seeking cooperation from the Three Great Guilds here was no different from asking them to inquire of the Black Cloak itself about the results of Hunter Park Eun-gyeom's disappearance.

Such a direct and naked request might sour the mood of Bi Sa-beol or of Ji-oh's Portrait…

"As long as we show no intention of touching the artwork, the Collector will offer ample assistance. We cannot know how the Black Cloak will react, but the Collector Guild's curators manage it directly and will assess the situation. If things truly grow dangerous, they will restrain themselves of their own accord."

Above all, judging by the direction in which the Collector Guild had been moving, the curator currently in charge of Ji-oh's Portrait was highly likely to be Gardener Yu Seong-un.

He was a man of considerable gravity when dealing with the existence of the Source, so attempting either approach would do no harm.

"We will conclude this agenda here."

"Yes, Mr. President."

"Then the next item of business is…"

The Association was always busy.

And so accepting help from friends was, from time to time, a necessary thing.

Meanwhile, inside the peaceful cabin within the portrait.

"Today's content," Seo Ji-oh declared,

"has been decided: gambas."

"Kkureureureuk."

Honey cried out in delight.

"Kkureuk, kkung, kkureureureureuk."

"Calm down, son. Gambas won't fly over just because you hurry it along the way you do."

The name of the Black Cloak had spread widely through the world—especially in Korea—but the finer details of that circumstance were none of Ji-oh's concern.

The ultimate optimist who had accepted life as a portrait simply because he hated paying rent was once again peacefully contemplating his next meal.

"I said gambas, but… hmm."

For Seo Ji-oh, excellent gourmet and prodigious eater, the greatest content of his life was deciding what to eat.

Living in a dream cabin rich in time, stamina, and capital, Ji-oh poured body and soul into meal preparation to his heart's content.

"Gambas al ajillo is the original proper name, of course."

"Kkureu?"

"Gambas means shrimp, ajillo means garlic."

"Kkureureu…?"

"Yes. A literal translation makes it garlic-fried shrimp."

In truth, though he had said he would make gambas, what Ji-oh intended to cook today was something entirely different from the original.

"To begin with, there won't even be any shrimp."

The only common points would be the use of bitter-fragrant olive oil and plump garlic cloves. Still, the method of cooking would be fairly similar, so Ji-oh decided not to bother changing the name.

"Honey, you remember the Club Trumpet Clams we saw last time? If you go to the storehouse, Daddy has some already cleaned and prepared."

"Kkureuk."

"Go down with Dana and scoop up as many as you want to eat—including portions for Daddy and Grandpa. If there's anything else you want in the storehouse, bring that out too."

"Kkureureureu."

Honey nodded vigorously, then fluttered over and settled on Dana's head.

A spring breeze drifted gently through. Dana, who had been lying sprawled like a cat spilled across the subtly warm floor, flailed her two front paws.

"Kkureu."

"…Mya-aaang…"

Screeeetch—.

Dana rose from her spot, arched her back in a long stretch, and padded away with quick little steps.

With the basket sized just for her body clamped in her jaws, the two children vanished. Ji-oh nodded at the sight.

"They're getting along well."

"Kku-wu?"

The Sun God asked whether it was all right for Dana to go into the freezing cold ice storehouse, but Ji-oh shook his head.

"Dana is not family I painted myself, so she might take a hit from this forest, but her body is so cold to begin with—and strictly speaking she is not an ordinary living creature—that going into the ice storehouse has never been a problem. If she went somewhere truly dangerous it would be another matter, but she will not fall ill just from the cold."

Having soothed the household elder's anxiety, Ji-oh thought to himself,

He's especially attentive to Dana.

Ji-oh understood the feeling. Honey came of his own accord to collect his daily ration of attention and affection, but if left alone Dana would often disappear so thoroughly that one had no idea where the child even was.

She doesn't even meow except at mealtimes…

When she had no particular interest in food she vanished entirely, which seemed to cause the Sun God a great deal of worry.

The child had survived perfectly well even in that barren Vein of Gems, so major trouble seemed unlikely—but if Grandpa felt that way, Ji-oh could certainly respect it.

"Then for now I should…"

Seafood grew tough if heated for too long. The Club Trumpet Clams Honey and Dana would bring were meant to go in almost last, so Ji-oh only needed to handle the rest of the work in the meantime.

"Honey and Father don't particularly enjoy spicy food, so I'll keep the spices moderate."

"Kku-wu, kku."

"Yes. I'll adjust it carefully so you can simply enjoy the fragrance. There's no need to worry too much."

"Kku…"

"It's true that spicy dishes were not very common in Giovanni's world. It's natural that it would feel unfamiliar."

Ji-oh poured olive oil generously into a shallow, wide square pan.

"But in the village of Edelon, spicy food had developed quite a lot."

"Kku-wu?"

"I found it peculiar as well. Usually coastal villages that often encounter fresh seafood don't use many spicy seasonings…"

Fundamentally, spices served not only to enrich aroma but also to mask unpleasant smells in ingredients.

Using strong, pungent chili powder to cover the gamey odor of meat or the fishy smell of seafood was common enough even on Earth.

"Well, the climate was hot and humid. The annual temperature range was large as well. It was an environment where ingredients spoiled easily, so they may have used heat to extend shelf life… or aimed for a sterilizing effect."

Above all, while Edelon's specialty products were shellfish such as Club Trumpet Clams, one of the neighboring villages specialized in spices.

With that kind of spice easy to obtain, the conditions for developing spicy cuisine would have been excellent in many ways.

"One of Edelon village's representative dishes was a spicy fried fish. It was a menu often sold in taverns, and if you requested it you could get extra dry bread to dip in the red oil."

"Kku-wuuu…?"

"It was spicy, but thanks to the distinctive fragrance of tomato and the savory oil of the fish it paired especially well with bread. The fish used for it had particularly oily, plump livers, and the oil that flowed from them was truly rapturous."

"Kku…"

"Thinking about it now, if one had been able to add pasta noodles as well, that would have been rather good in its own right."

Drawing a little on those memories, the gambas he would make this time would also be accompanied by bread and noodles.

"We have ciabatta and baguettes I made last time. It would be best to toast both lightly in the oven once. Which do you prefer—olive ciabatta or cheese ciabatta? There's also baguette baked with dried tomatoes."

"Kkukkukkukku…"

"Yes, that's wise. Following Father's words, I shall set out a little of everything. Dana may be another matter, but Honey takes after me and is quite the big eater, so nothing will go to waste. I'm glad I baked the bread ahead of time."

Yu Seong-un, who knew of Ji-oh's deep interest in cooking, often gifted him ingredients.

Among them were unusual flours and vegetables obtainable only in the present world, and Ji-oh gladly remained in Yu Seong-un's debt.

I ought to revere him as an elder brother.

He possessed an adult's composure in abundance, was capable, easygoing in temperament, and even socially skilled. In order to survive this hellish Korea, Ji-oh resolved once again today to cling faithfully to Yu Seong-un.

"Ah, topping a baguette with cream cheese and smoked salmon would be delicious too…"

Even without salmon, thinly sliced sausage or ham made an outstanding combination as well. Ji-oh brought in the fish jerky from the Breathing Sea that had been drying in the yard and sliced it thin and wide.

"Excellent. It has dried well."

"Kkukku."

"Then I shall entrust the bread preparation to Father."

He sliced the garlic he had prepared earlier—not too thin—and dumped the whole lot into the pan that had not yet heated up.

The teddy bear, who had been slicing the baguette studded sparsely with sun-dried tomatoes, turned toward Ji-oh at the sound of something pouring out in a rush.

"Kku?"

"Yes? There is no problem whatsoever."

"…Kku?"

"Garlic is supposed to go in in this quantity. That is normal."

"……"

The teddy bear soon seemed to give up and began slicing the baguette. Thanks to being a doll that actually possessed fingers, it looked as though it could just barely manage knife work. Ji-oh continued the gambas cooking with peace of mind.

You have to put the garlic in from a low temperature so its fragrance infuses the oil properly.

The point of caution was that if you left the garlic in the olive oil for too long it would burn.

But the garlic grown in this cabin forest was particularly firm and large-cloved; even if he left it long enough to draw out the fragrance, the misfortune of it suddenly scorching through seemed unlikely to occur.

"And next…"

Ji-oh took out the dried Galaxy Pepper.

"Where did I put the pestle?"

"Kku-wuuu."

"Ah, I see. Thank you for telling me."

Thanks to the Sun God's guidance he was able to retrieve the pestle that had been stuffed into a cupboard. The Galaxy Pepper, thoroughly sun-dried, glittered black and translucent, its grains so hard they could not be crushed by hand.

Grind, grind.

"……"

A sharp, pungent fragrance rose.

Just as I thought—similar to black pepper.

Pepper that carried a faint chili aroma, one might say.

Even if I add a lot it isn't that spicy, so shall I be a little generous?

The fragrance of black pepper was highly volatile; if left ground for too long the aroma faded. Galaxy Pepper, however, had no such issue—its intense scent lasted a long while—so putting it into the olive oil at this stage would be no problem.

"Pepper's in…"

Next was the Weeping Lace.

"I'll only add a little of this."

"……"

"If the spicy fragrance is too weak, the dish will be so oily we won't be able to eat much."

"…Kku-wu…"

"Please trust this son of yours."

When cooking a dish that used this much oil, dried spices were preferable whenever possible. Moisture entering oil heated to high temperatures produced an environmentally friendly and highly effective bomb.

And I dried the Weeping Lace in advance precisely for a day like this.

When dried in the sun for more than a month, Weeping Lace turned pink and developed an extraordinary sweetness. But when dried indoors over a lightly heated pan—rather like toasting dried fish—its spicy fragrance grew stronger instead.

The fact that the color remains teal makes it feel distinctly different from chili powder, but…

The aroma was roughly similar.

And the overly complicated sweet notes have largely disappeared as well.

The fire-dried Weeping Lace was crumbly like thin teal hanji paper, its edges crinkled and ruffled like lace. When pieces of suitable size went in, the spicy fragrance—which had remained quiet even after the Galaxy Pepper—suddenly bloomed.

"That's it."

"Kku."

"……"

Ji-oh, who had clenched his fist without realizing it, lowered his arm.

"…It won't be very spicy."

Ah, truly.

Faced with the unrelenting gaze of suspicion, he volunteered as court taster just in case—but it really was not that spicy.

Even Seo Ji-oh, who had no remarkable tolerance for heat, found this level manageable; so even if the teddy bear, who looked the picture of mild flavor from the start, tasted it, there should be no great problem.

"I mean it."

"……"

"If Father will not trust his son, who will trust me?"

"Kku."

"Abuse of trust, you say? Trust exists precisely to be used at times like this."

Regrettably, the suspicions of a spice-averse palate were not easily dismantled.

The adults who had not grown old in vain continued their peculiar standoff until Honey and Dana returned.

(To be continued)