Chapter 59

Facing the chawanmushi (steamed egg custard), Enrico listened intently to the voices that filled the world.

In Enrico's understanding, the world is filled with wonders and miracles.

Even without considering the movements of celestial bodies like the sun and moon as major issues, everything encountered in daily life is determined by the deep love of God.

Therefore, even the filled pudding is imbued with God's grace.

By the order in which the ingredients appear, one can divine the will of God.

This was one of the divine arts that Enrico had mastered after long and rigorous training.

It is a legitimate form of divination.

Like the method of sliding copper coins over parchment inscribed with letters or astrology, it is a technique recorded in the old records of the Holy Office.

Recently, due to Hyurhitegott's reforms, old divination methods are said to be outdated, but the Archbishop highly valued Enrico's divine arts.

Taking the wooden spoon in hand, he focused his mind.

The din of the izakaya (Japanese pub) Nobu gradually faded away, and the chawanmushi before him gradually became more prominent.

When the water in his mind was completely calm, Enrico posed his question.

(What kind of existence should the Holy Office be?)

Slowly inserting the wooden spoon into the chawanmushi, he touched something.

This was the answer.

Carefully scooping it up, he found a thin, trembling, half-moon-shaped white food, with the edges colored pink.

"That's kamaboko. It's made from fish paste."

A server's voice came from outside his concentration, sounding strangely distorted, as if heard while listening to the outside world while floating in water.

Kamaboko.

This half-moon represents half of the world.

Indeed. The Holy Office should occupy the religious world, and other matters should be entrusted to the emperor or king, as the old teachings dictate.

He wanted to move on to the next question, but for that, he needed to empty the spoon.

To avoid arousing suspicion as a spy, he had to pretend to be eating. He brought the spoon to his mouth, thinking it was just that.

But Enrico almost dropped the spoon.

It was delicious.

Smooth and creamy, delicious.

Completely different from the tasteless pudding served in the monastery.

The kamaboko was also good. The chewy texture was something he had never experienced before.

An overwhelmingly rich, dense, and substantial flavor. Could such a food even exist in this world?

No, this might be a kind of magic wielded by a witch.

He was about to eagerly scoop up the next bite but restrained himself at the last moment.

No, that's not it. This is a dialogue, a question.

Don't let your concentration waver. Don't fall into the witch's trap.

To calm his mind, he asked a question he often posed.

(What is the nature of God's existence?)

While focusing, he inserted the spoon.

He touched something again. It seemed to be a leaf.

Looking closely at the spoon, he saw something unbelievable.

"That's mitsuba (Japanese parsley)."

Mitsuba. Three leaves, yet one.

This represents the three aspects of God.

The dialogue is taking place. With this, he should be able to ask about the shop without any problems.

But for that, one bite.

He wasn't eating because he wanted to, but to empty the spoon.

He hadn't fallen into desire.

*Chomp.*

When he put the leaf in his mouth, he realized it wasn't just steamed.

It seemed to have been blanched first and seasoned.

Otherwise, it couldn't be this delicious.

Not just good, but delicious.

Why is it so delicious?

A fleeting doubt arose in Enrico's mind.

Was the next question really "Is this the lair of a witch?"

If the answer was that this was indeed the lair of a witch, Enrico, as a member of the clergy, would need to leave the shop immediately.

In that case, what would happen to the remaining chawanmushi?

Would it be thrown away as leftovers?

That would be a waste.

Was there a way to finish the chawanmushi?

There was.

He would ask his final question with the last bite of the chawanmushi.

That way, even if this was the lair of a witch, he could finish the chawanmushi before leaving.

Each time he asked a question, the spoon found an ingredient.

The rooster that creates time. The yurine (Japanese lily bulb) that shows the importance of continuous questioning rather than the content. The ginkgo that continues to bear seeds through the ages.

Each provided a satisfactory answer to the question.

And it was delicious.

Before he knew it, only one spoonful remained in the bowl.

Reluctantly, Enrico asked his final question.

(Is this shop really the lair of a witch?)

If it were the lair of a witch, it should contain an ingredient that indicated this.

However, the spoon held only the trembling chawanmushi custard.

The result of the divination was white.

Licking the last bite from the spoon, Enrico thought.

Is this really not the lair of a witch?

Indeed, looking at the warm and friendly atmosphere, it was hard to imagine this as the garden of a heretical sect that opposes faith.

Originally, the information that this shop was suspicious came only from Damian.

While the presence of witches in the ancient city is important to the classical revivalists, there's no need for this shop to be one.

Most importantly, the chawanmushi is delicious.

To ensure the accuracy of the divination, should he order another chawanmushi?

Just as he thought this, Enrico felt a strong gaze from behind.

It wasn't a human gaze.

Shuddering, he slowly turned around, but there was no one there.

Only an altar to a foreign deity stood there.

"Customer, is something wrong with the kamidana (Shinto altar)?"

The altar, which the server called a kamidana, definitely housed something.

It wasn't evil. It had a sacred presence, but what it was was beyond Enrico's imagination.

"Thank you for the meal!"

Taking a silver coin from his pocket, Enrico pressed it into the server's hand and fled into the drizzling night of the ancient city.

What lair of a witch?

There's no way a witch could infiltrate a shop guarded by such a high-ranking holy beast, probably a fox or some other spirit.

With a sense of frustration and an empty stomach, Enrico was troubled about how to report to the Archbishop.