Putting Aside Nationalistic Bias, It’s Really Delicious

28 – I’ll give you 300,000 gold for bypassing that person.

I watched the wagon of the Golden Wagons with Kobi.

On the GW-marked carriage, there were two sacks filled with beans, along with crates of green-bottled soju.

“Is this it?”

“Yes. Lord Danju said these are the best variety in the empire, but I personally don’t understand it. This is… soybean, isn’t it? Isn’t it the most common variety? I don’t know why he says this is the best.”

“For Lady Camilla, these might be the best beans.”

It was the variety I had introduced to Camilla.

Soybeans, which were common in the East, are called soybeans in this world.

Who knows how happy I was to learn that this bean, which is used in countless bean dishes, exists here.

-This is the ingredient for tofu used in Doenjang-jjigae. Doenjang is also made from these beans.

Usually, in the empire, these beans were used for simple soups or livestock feed.

They cooked with kidney beans, called Kinibean, more than these beans known as soybeans.

So it’s no wonder that Kobi can’t understand.

Why are these soybeans, which are used for livestock feed or soup, considered the best?

‘Would they be surprised if I told them that most of my dishes are made with soybean paste from these beans?’

At that time, their perspective might change.

“Does Kobi not need to go with Lady Camilla?”

“It’s okay since the disciples are going with her. Lord Danju is better at dealing with nobles than I am.”

His expression didn’t seem regretful at all.

“But don’t you have anything to say about that?”

When I pointed to the review Kobi wrote after drinking, he started sweating profusely.

“A-ahem, I-I don’t know. I think… someone might have impersonated me and wrote it.”

Seems like he got scolded properly.

I knew this would happen.

“Don’t you talk about the dung-house? It was written so blatantly that someone must have said something.”

“Right! Why did you write it as dung-house? You said it was coco sand-house! You should have corrected that!”

“I respect the preferences of the guests.”

“Please clear up the misunderstanding. Lady Danjoo thinks I’m a weirdo.”

“Ha-ha, alright. Then please help me with moving these.”

“……Okay.”

I carried a sack of beans with Kobi to soak them.

***

While Lukas was busy with the preparations for making tofu, Camilla was facing Louis Brinton, the lord of Brinton estate and the head of the family.

“……”

“……”

“……”

A heavy silence occupied the room where even the lady of the estate was present.

Sweating profusely as if he might collapse at any moment, Lord Brinton was quite different from Camilla, who was leisurely drinking the tea served by the lady of the estate.

It was a cheap variety, but the taste was fine.

‘The lady knows her tea well.’

There were those who could make a pleasant cup of tea with cheap tea leaves and those who, no matter how expensive the tea, would brew a rubbish-like cup.

The lady of the estate happened to be the former.

The bitter yet fragrant scent swirled inside her mouth and went down smoothly, clearly indicating her vast knowledge in brewing tea.

‘Delicious.’

Such a deep aroma from these cheap tea leaves.

It had been a long time since she had tasted proper tea after leaving the capital.

The tea served by other nobles who hosted her during this time had been too inferior.

She leisurely enjoyed her tea.

Her lips curved up naturally.

It was quite a satisfactory estate, except for the fact that they had taken away her future cook.

She did not open her mouth.

This was her negotiation skill.

Somehow making the other party speak first.

It was a way to secure a more advantageous position.

After all, in this situation, Camilla held the initiative.

All she had to do was wait for the other party to speak first.

“Um, what brings you to our territory?”

Of course, the first to break the silence was Viscount Britten.

Only then did Camilla look at Viscount Britten.

The way he was shivering in front of someone young enough to be his child wasn’t much different from other nobles.

“I see you went straight to the knight’s restaurant upon arrival, so I assume you have some idea, my lord.”

“…You sought out Sir Lucas’s restaurant.”

He seemed a bit disappointed.

Did he want something else?

“Yes. I want that man.”

She wanted the dishes Lucas made.

Every day, she wanted to start her day with the food Lucas made for her.

She wanted to start her morning with a delicious soybean paste stew and spend every day with the special dishes he created.

In fact, it’s why she secretly visited the knights more than three times a week, or even more.

Later on, it was reduced to once a week after Diana caught her, but still.

“You must be aware he’s a former member of the Imperial Knight.”

“I know. I also know that he’s an incredible knight. I’ve seen his swordsmanship as well.”

Good to know she’s aware; things should go smoothly.

Camilla set down her tea cup and continued.

“I’d like you, my lord, to persuade him for me.”

“Persuade…you say?”

“Yes, please persuade that man to become my personal chef.”

“It seems that you liked Sir Lucas’ cooking.”

“It seems that the lord has also tasted his cooking.”

“Yes, it was special.”

Viscount Britten’s eyes sparkled as he recalled the taste, seemingly forgetting his tense situation for a moment.

Indeed, it was unforgettable.

“To be honest, I want to possess the uniqueness he has. If you, my lord, can help me, I will offer something special in return.”

Camilla held up three fingers.

“I will give you three big boxes.”

Three big boxes meant 300,000 gold.

If Lucas heard this, it was an amount that would make him open his mouth in astonishment, equivalent to 30 billion.

It was an enormous sum for just persuading one chef, or rather, a cook.

She knew it too.

But Lucas’ existence was even more valuable.

He was the only person who could significantly reduce her stress just by existing.

His ability to make her move efficiently was worth even more.

“Furthermore, I will build a road connecting the Viscount’s territory to Rupe Town. I’ll make it three times wider than the current road. It will be much easier for you to transport crops.”

300,000 gold and road expansion.

It was an absurd proposal.

Almost stupid to reject.

It was money that could be obtained just by helping to persuade Lucas.

Viscount Britten’s eyes widened.

The viscountess couldn’t even react.

There was no way they could refuse.

If only there was more money, this territory could be many times more prosperous and developed.

“I refuse.”

“Is the amount insufficient?”

“That’s not it. It’s a matter I cannot handle.”

“….”

“It’s up to the people to enter our territory. It’s a matter I cannot interfere with.”

“What a polite refusal. I understand.”

Seeing that negotiations wouldn’t go well, Camilla stood up without any regret.

“While you are here, our servants will do their best to serve you. This may be an insignificant territory to Golden Wagon’s lord, but please rest comfortably.”

“Thank you for your hospitality. I’ll be sure to repay you.”

Camilla bowed her head.

“Where is my room? I would like to unpack my luggage.”

“It’s over there.”

She followed the guidance of the maid and moved with her entourage.

***

The following day, during the break time after lunch.

After a hectic lunchtime, I checked the beans that had been soaked in water.

“They’re soaked enough.”

“What do you intend to do with those beans?”

Koby, who had spent a boring time waiting, asked.

“I’m going to grind them. I need to finely grind them into a paste to use in tofu.”

“Is there anything I can do?”

“Please continue to slowly pour the soaked beans.”

Then, I took out a large millstone from a corner of a warehouse.

A natural grinder, the millstone, had helped to make tofu in an age without a mixer.

The protagonist of a famous movie quote

Unbelievable.

After dusting off the dust and washing it clean with water, the millstones were stacked in order.

The split bean curd flowed naturally and could be collected in a bowl; the millstone’s base had a slight slope.

Then, after calmly assembling the top and bottom of the millstone, the handle attached to the top of the millstone was grasped and turned.

Soaked beans and water were put into the hole on the top of the millstone.

Drrrrr, drrrr.

As the millstone turned and the soaked beans were ground, the white bean curd flowed through the gaps and trickled down the base.

“Oh, that’s fascinating.”

Koby, who was adding a handful of beans at a time, exclaimed with admiration.

“So you grind grains with a stone.”

“That’s right. It feels different from pounding with a hammer. It’s a product made by the dwarves back in my days as a cook. I had asked for their help.”

The dwarves had made it with significant effort.

It was so precious that it had been personally brought along when moving.

Thinking that it would come in handy someday, and now was indeed the time.

While observing the flowing white bean curd and turning the millstone,

Drrrr, drrrr.

There was something about the weighty sound that brought a sense of peace.

How could it be described?

Following the firing and water steeping, should it be called stone steeping?

The problem was that it had to be done by oneself, turning the millstone.

The thick bean liquid dripped down.

If there was a blender, it would have been as simple as clicking a button.

“Sigh…”

That’s when it happened, while doing repetitive labor with these thoughts to oneself.

“Lucas.”

“Yes?”

“Do you really have no plans to return to the capital?”

“I told you last time. I’m not going.”

“But it seems like it would be better than working here…”

Persistent, huh?

Was Kobi always like this?

He used to be a man who would back off without any lingering attachment when rejected, but today he was unusually relentless.

“I like it here. It suits my taste.”

“Is there a reason you won’t come to the capital?”

“A reason for not going?”

Normally, I would have told him not to speak nonsense, but perhaps it was due to the continuous repetitive labor.

I spoke as if casually throwing a stone while turning the millstone.

“I just like living a leisurely life. And there’s no risk of dying anywhere.”

“… A risk of dying?”

“Well, being in the Knights is a bit like that. You might be dragged into a war, and you never know when a war will break out. I don’t like that.”

“Ah… So, if there’s no war, you might consider coming?”

“I don’t know. Can you control that? I’ve already settled down here.”

Living here, I found that I quite liked the British territory.

This was sincere.

“I see.”

After that, Kobi didn’t ask any more about it.

As we chatted and continued to work, we soon finished grinding all the beans we had piled up.

Now it’s time to make tofu.

It was necessary to heat the bean residue to remove the unique smell of the beans and then filter the bean liquid using a dense cloth.

Made with hemp cloth, did they say?

Since they didn’t have that, they used a fabric tightly woven in a similar way.

They prepared it in advance, pouring boiling bean dregs onto the cloth, adding hot water, and filtering out the bean liquid.

As soon as the hot water met it, steam rose and the rich aroma of beans tickled their noses.

After separating the bean liquid, they saved the remaining dregs separately.

After all, it was quite a delicacy even when cooked into a bean dregs stew.

The problem was that it didn’t seem to suit the taste of the people in this world.

It was only natural since even in Korea, bean dregs dishes were divisive.

They boiled the milky-white bean liquid, as soft as a child’s skin, in a large pot.

It bubbled away, and with it, a misty steam rose and mingled with the thick foam before escaping like smoke through the chimney.

And now came the most crucial item for making tofu.

“When you steam the beans, you’ll pour in the solidifying agent.”

The magical water that turns bean liquid into tofu.

This agent was the key.

Gathering this last night at the beach with Kobi hadn’t been an easy task.

But now, absolutely no mistakes could be made.

If they messed up here, the tofu would be ruined.

Carefully, they poured the solidifying agent into the steamed bean liquid.

Slowly, the misty bean liquid congealed and formed clumps.

From Noble mtl dot com

‘It feels like creating a living organism.’

In the beginning, there was bean liquid.