Chapter 46

It's okay to have foods you don't like, right?

※The author is not fond of green peppers, leeks, and spicy foods. ← Childish taste

"What is this! Is this some kind of harassment!?"

Hermine was incredibly angry. In front of her, a mountain of green peppers spread across the kitchen counter. These peppers were a thank-you gift from a farmer they had saved from a monster attack. Yurii was very happy because he got free vegetables. However, Hermine was furious. The reason was simple: she absolutely hated green peppers. Despite looking like a young teenager, Hermine, as a feathered person, was indeed equivalent to a human teenager in age, but she had actually lived for several times longer. Even so, she hated green peppers so much that she would shout about it. She even despised them.

"It's not harassment. I just thought we could use them for dinner since we got them."

"So, that's why it's harassment!"

"Hermine, you don't like green peppers?"

"I hate them! I really hate them! ...I did try to get used to eating them, though."

Perhaps feeling embarrassed about shouting so loudly, Hermine muttered as if making an excuse. Yurii, however, smiled brightly and said, "Oh, I see." Hermine, who had expected to be scolded or blamed, looked at Yurii with a puzzled expression.

"…You're not angry?"

"Huh? Why would I be? Everyone has a few likes and dislikes, right?"

"But Yurii always says not to leave food, doesn't he?"

"Sure, leaving food is bad manners. But I think that if you force yourself to eat something you don't like, it won't be nutritious unless you enjoy it. I have foods I don't like or find difficult to eat too."

"Really!?"

"…Why is everyone so surprised?"

Not just Hermine, but Yak, who was helping with dinner preparations, and Rere and Curre, who had brought the peppers back, and even Camille, who had come to watch out of curiosity, all shouted in surprise. They all thought Yurii didn't have any food dislikes and would eat anything. ...To be honest, Yurii just didn't use ingredients he didn't like in his cooking. They probably wouldn't realize this fact.

"I do have foods I don't like. I don't like spicy or bitter foods, and I'm not great with dishes that use alcohol."

"But those aren't specific ingredients."

"Alright, alright. I won't force you to eat something you don't like. But maybe you can try it at dinner time? Just give it a shot?"

"…No way. It's green peppers, right? Impossible!"

Hermine's answer was clear. She hated green peppers that much. She didn't dislike green vegetables in general or the bitterness; it was just that, for some reason, she couldn't eat green peppers. Even bell peppers, which others found easy to eat, tasted the same to her and were not at all delicious.

Smiling as usual, Yurii returned to preparing dinner. Hermine watched intently to see how Yurii would cook the green peppers she hated so much.

"…Are you watching?"

"Yes, I am."

"Why?"

"Because I'm curious to see how Yurii will make the green peppers I hate into something I can eat."

"Ahaha, I see. Well, watch away."

Laughing happily, Yurii resumed his work. First, he washed the green peppers thoroughly. The large, shiny green peppers looked fresh and well-maintained. For Hermine, who hated them, they might have seemed repulsive, but to others, they were beautiful vegetables.

Yurii cut the peppers in half lengthwise, carefully removing the seeds and white pith while keeping the stems intact. The stems were removed by pinching and twisting the top part. This part was too tough to eat. Yurii continued this simple task, cutting a seemingly endless number of peppers in half. Yak, who had been asked to help, was mincing bison and orc meat with a knife. When Yak looked a bit tired, Rere and Curre, who had nothing to do, offered to take over and happily chopped away. ...Trainees usually didn't help with cooking, but they could, and this task of mincing meat was apparently a good stress reliever, so everyone was happy to help. For some reason.

"Yak, is the mince ready…? …Why is Curre so excited about using the knife?"

"Sorry, Yurii. Mincing was fun."

"Well, I'm glad you helped… Mix this onion into the mince, and add the egg and breadcrumbs too."

"I'll do it. I'm the cook today."

Curre transferred the mince from the cutting board to a bowl, and Yak took the bowl to Yurii. Yurii had finely chopped onions ready. The onions were added to the bowl, along with breadcrumbs and eggs. Yurii sprinkled salt and pepper to finish. Yak mixed the ingredients with his clean hands, kneading the mixture to ensure everything was well combined. The sight of the freckled boy working hard was somewhat endearing, though it made him look childishly young.

After entrusting the meat mixture to Yak, Yurii turned to the large number of halved green peppers. He took out a tea strainer, a common item in a world where green tea exists. ...Yurii found it odd that there were no miso strainers, but miso wasn't available in the capital, Drachen, so it made sense.

Yurii held the tea strainer in one hand and a spoon for scooping flour in the other. The peppers were arranged on a tray with their cut sides facing up. Yurii began sifting flour over the peppers. The green peppers were gradually covered in a thin layer of flour. Once all the peppers were coated, Yurii nodded in satisfaction. By then, Yak had finished mixing the meat.

"Yak, let's stuff the meat into the peppers."

"Got it."

"Use the spoon to scoop the meat and pack it in tightly so it doesn't fall out…"

Yurii and Yak worked together, firmly stuffing the meat into the peppers. Hermine, watching the process, still looked skeptical. Unaware of her doubts, Yurii and Yak continued stuffing the peppers.

Once they had stuffed enough, Yurii arranged the stuffed peppers in a frying pan with oil. The meat side was down, and the sizzling sound and appetizing aroma filled the air. The team members, who were eagerly anticipating dinner, watched from behind. Yurii continued his work.

After the meat was browned, Yurii flipped the peppers and took out a bottle of sake. The sake used in cooking was mainly rice wine, so this was rice wine too. It might have been a good brand, but Yurii didn't care since he was underage and didn't drink.

He added a small amount of sake to the pan, covered it, and steamed the peppers on low heat. The aroma of the sake and meat mixed, making the children's stomachs growl, but Yurii pretended not to hear.

While steaming, Yurii turned his attention to a pot on the adjacent stove. The pot was boiling with a clear broth. After tasting the broth, he added sake, salt, and soy sauce to adjust the flavor. He made the seasoning a bit stronger, then added a slurry of water and potato starch to thicken the sauce. The sauce quickly became a smooth, savory gravy.

Yurii turned off both stoves, transferred the steamed stuffed peppers to a deep plate, and cut one in half. He poured the hot gravy over it, completing the dish.

"…Well, how about this?"

Yurii took a bite of the half-stuffed pepper, chewing thoughtfully. The others watched intently, but he ignored them. If he let everyone taste it, there wouldn't be enough for dinner.

He cut the remaining half into quarters and placed one quarter on a small plate. He gave the plate to Yak, who was the cook for the day and had the duty to taste the food. Yak eagerly tasted it, savoring the flavor.

Then, Yurii offered another small plate to Hermine.

"Hermine, would you like to try a bite?"

"…But it's green peppers, right?"

"Yep. If you don't like it, you can leave it. This is just a taste test."

Yurii smiled and offered the stuffed pepper with gravy. The crispy, browned meat and the fragrant, savory gravy tempted Hermine. The green peppers, however, were flattened and almost hidden by the meat.

Hermine hesitantly cut the quartered pepper in half and took a bite. The gravy was delicious, and the minced meat with finely chopped onions had a wonderful flavor. The meat was rich but light, and the taste made her stomach growl. The green peppers, which she hated so much, were surprisingly...

"...Delicious."

Hermine whispered. It wasn't that the green peppers were delicious, but the bitter taste she usually hated was masked by the meat and gravy. The texture was unmistakably that of green peppers, but the taste was gone. The flavors of the meat and gravy filled her mouth, making the lack of taste irrelevant.

After swallowing the first bite, Hermine ate the remaining half with a determined look. She whispered, "Delicious," again.

"Can you eat green peppers like this?"

"...Yeah. They're soft and mix with the meat in my mouth. Usually, the taste spreads while I'm chewing, making it even worse."

"Right. I think you become more sensitive to flavors you dislike."

Yurii smiled, and Hermine whispered, "Delicious," again. She felt a bit embarrassed by Yurii's kindness. He was always so considerate, even adjusting his cooking to help her eat foods she disliked. It felt unfair, and she probably said it unconsciously.

"Did you say something?"

"Nothing. I'll eat this, so please make enough for dinner?"

"Sure thing."

Hermine smiled, mirroring Yurii's smile. ...The other children, who were complaining about being left out, were ignored. Only Yak, who was being pressured to hurry, looked pitiful.

Incidentally, the stuffed peppers were a hit with the others, and a battle for them broke out at dinner. As usual.

Note: This dish won't make everyone who hates green peppers eat them.

The author just finds it easier to eat green peppers this way.

I can eat stuffed peppers with gravy, but I still find other green peppers difficult.

Your opinions and feedback are welcome.