Chapter 22

"Isn't this mashed potatoes? I used to eat this a lot before coming to the ancient capital."

The dish served in front of Jean was, without a doubt, plain mashed potatoes. After being served two consecutive dishes that he had never seen before, Jean could not hide his disappointment.

If anything, he would have preferred a plate of raw vegetables sprinkled with salt.

From what Jean could see, the empire's people's love for potatoes was beyond normal.

He had traveled from the United Kingdom to the empire, and at every stop along the way, he was confronted with mashed potatoes served as if they were his worst enemy, and he was thoroughly tired of it.

"No, this is potato salad."

"Changing the name doesn't change the content. I don't like such deception."

Most likely, this was a trick because he had boasted at the beginning that he could serve several plates of salad.

His gradually improving opinion of the ancient capital was about to plummet.

"Please, try it. You might think it's a trick, but just take a bite."

"...You're a stubborn young lady. If you insist, I'll try a bite. But let me say this first."

The moment he put it in his mouth, his words stopped at the unexpected flavor.

An indescribable creamy taste with a hint of acidity. The blandness of potatoes he had expected was nowhere to be found; this was indeed something different.

"What is this, exactly?"

Jean cleared his throat, at a loss for words to respond to the server's puzzled look.

It was indeed different from mashed potatoes. Something must have been mixed in, but he couldn't tell what.

The carrots and cucumbers, which he had thought were just for color, added a nice touch, and this dish was indeed worthy of the name "salad."

"You're right, this isn't mashed potatoes. I apologize for doubting it."

"That's fine. When you use plenty of mayonnaise, it tastes quite different from mashed potatoes."

"Mayonnaise?"

"Yes. It's a condiment made from egg yolks, oil, and vinegar. It's delicious."

Jean, unfamiliar with the name, asked, and the server explained with a smile, seemingly without any caution.

"I see. I've never heard of such a condiment. It's quite educational."

"I'm glad you think so. By the way, potato salad can be even more delicious if you do this."

She took out a small wooden salt grinder.

It was a seasoning container used to sprinkle ground rock salt, which was widely used in the Eastern Kingdom. Jean was surprised to find it in the ancient capital, but what was she planning to do?

It seemed unlikely that adding rock salt to the potato salad he had just eaten would dramatically improve the taste.

While Jean was lost in thought, he noticed something odd about the server's movements.

The rock salt being sprinkled was black.

No, that couldn't be rock salt.

Among the stories collected by the Gatherers of Strange Tales, to which Jean belonged, there were tales of colored rock salt, but they were limited to light colors like pale pink.

So, what were those black grains?

"Here, please try it again."

Jean faced the potato salad again, determined to start over.

He had the taste from before in mind. By comparing it, he would figure out what those black grains were. With that intention, Jean brought the spoon to his mouth.

"..."

The taste that spread was unexpected, a spiciness. But it wasn't the spiciness of salt.

It was more stimulating, tightening the overall flavor of the potato salad.

Jean recognized this taste.

"Could it be pepper?"

"Yes. Don't you think it tightens the flavor just by adding a little?"

Does it improve the taste? Tighten the flavor?

Of course. Although the price of pepper has dropped somewhat now, it was once so valuable that it could be exchanged for its weight in gold and silver.

Using it casually on a salad rather than meat was a luxury.

It was delicious. Despite his reluctance, he had to admit it.

It wasn't that it tasted good because it was expensive; pepper simply went well with potato salad. The more he realized this, the more he was frightened.

The ancient capital had the financial power to use pepper daily.

It was likely that a major merchant, possibly connected to the city council, imported pepper in bulk, and the benefits trickled down to the common people.

A city capable of such a feat did not exist in the Eastern Kingdom.

"I'm surprised. Potato salad is indeed delicious."

"Yes! I think potatoes can be enjoyed this way."

Of course, Jean wanted to curse but held back.

He had to leave the tavern and return to the Eastern Kingdom as soon as possible. There was still much to investigate, but timeliness was more important. A wrong decision could have irreversible consequences.

He was about to leave the table, but he overheard the server and the owner talking.

"Tai-sho, since he enjoyed it so much, why don't we serve him one more dish?"

"Another dish? What? I think the combination of salads is quite good."

"Even if it's not a salad, something in the style of a salad."

"Something in the style of a salad... No, no. That's for my evening drink. It was expensive, you know. It's from Norway."

"Come on, don't be so stingy."

What was "that"?

Jean's insatiable curiosity, honed as a Gatherer of Strange Tales, kept him at the counter. A special dish from a place that used pepper so freely.

If he didn't care, he wouldn't be worthy of the title of a Gatherer of Strange Tales.

"Here you are!"

A thinly sliced piece of meat was placed in front of Jean.

It might be fish, but it was hard to tell just by looking.

The sauce it was mixed with resembled dishes from the Southern Holy Kingdom.

"It's carpaccio."

The server proudly announced the dish's name but didn't reveal what kind of meat it was.

He was supposed to try it. Jean hesitated to use a fork, so he picked it up with his fingers and put it in his mouth.

It was soft.

So soft that it didn't seem like meat from an animal. He could faintly smell blood, but it wasn't unpleasant. He couldn't help but put a second piece in his mouth.

He couldn't tell if he was chewing or if it was melting. Such meat existed.

The server was watching him with interest.

Her eyes seemed to challenge him to guess what kind of meat it was.

"This meat is soft."

Jean felt ashamed that his words didn't provide an answer.

He had eaten many kinds of meat, but none of them matched.

Beef, pork, lamb, chicken, horse.

None of these meats resembled the one he was eating. How did they obtain such meat?

"Are you giving up?"

"Yes, I give up. What kind of meat is this?"

After hearing the answer, Jean would return to the Eastern Kingdom.

He would ask to be reassigned from his duties in the empire. He had had enough of this incomprehensible country.

"This meat... is from the tail of a whale!"

Hearing "whale," Jean couldn't immediately understand what it meant.

He had subconsciously expected an answer like "specially raised beef." His mind seemed to reject the server's answer.

"A whale?"

"Yes. You know, the big one in the sea."

Jean was a Gatherer of Strange Tales. He knew about whales.

He also knew that there were methods to catch whales.

But that was a story from a distant land. There were no records in the Gatherers' archives of anyone eating whale within the reach of the Eastern Kingdom.

Jean would be the first person in the Eastern Kingdom to eat whale.

A chill ran down his spine.

He shouldn't be involved with the ancient capital. This was just a backwater tavern.

Curiosity can kill the cat. As a Gatherer of Strange Tales, Jean-François Mont de La Vigny prioritized his own safety.

"That was a very fine meal. I am very satisfied."

"I'm glad to hear that! I'm happy you enjoyed it!"

He took a horseshoe-shaped silver coin from his pouch and handed it to the smiling server.

"I just remembered an urgent matter. I must leave now. It was truly delicious. Thank you."

Jean stood up from the counter as if rolling off a chair. An old monk at the corner of the counter nodded without a smile.

"Be careful on your way back."

The words sounded like a warning. Without looking back, Jean rushed out of the tavern. Could that old monk have been a spy for the empire?

He had been sent to the empire as a Gatherer of Strange Tales, but perhaps all their intelligence activities were known to the enemy.

The sun had long set.

He needed to get out of there as soon as possible.

The only thing dominating Jean's mind was the strong desire to escape from this place.

Still, he thought he might want to try that Caesar salad again.