As if timing it to the moment the atmosphere at the dining table seemed to slightly relax, the doors to the dining hall opened.
What the maid brought in was the main meat dish.
The instant the doors opened, an appetite-stimulating aroma wafted through the room, and those who caught it could not help but smile.
Even without taking a bite, they understood—the dish was undoubtedly delicious.
But when the food was carried in and appeared directly before their eyes, Rei...no, Elena and the others as well, wore expressions of being caught off guard.
It was only natural. The dish placed before them was nothing more than what looked like simply grilled meat.
If it were someone who knew nothing of Georgima, it would not have been strange for them to shout, "Stop messing around!" at the sight of it.
The reason that did not happen was likely because everyone present, including Duke Kerebel...and Rei as well, trusted Georgima's culinary skill.
In fact, the soup, salad, bread, and various other appetizers that had been prepared—every one of them had been exceedingly delicious.
It was impossible to imagine that Georgima, who had created dishes of that caliber, would serve meat that was merely grilled.
Above all, Georgima was someone so fixated on cooking.
It was certain that he would never pull a stunt like messing around at an occasion like this.
What was more, if Rei thought from the bottom of his heart that it was delicious, he could be taught an unknown recipe—so there was no way Georgima would cut corners in such a situation.
"...I shall try eating it first."
The first to say so was Duke Kerebel.
Normally, he was the kind of person who should have someone else eat the dish first, and only then eat it himself.
Even so, the fact that Duke Kerebel declared he would eat it himself before anyone else was surely a sign of just how much he trusted Georgima.
...Even in such a situation, doing something like that here should be called reckless.
At any rate, the maid portioned the meat, and he carried it to his mouth...
"!?"
The instant after he put the meat into his mouth, Duke Kerebel's movements stopped.
"..."
Rei, Elena, and Arcadia—the three of them stared closely at Duke Kerebel in that state.
If it were bad, or if it were not that delicious, Duke Kerebel should have said something immediately.
But given that he was not doing so, it was proof that this meat, which at a glance looked like nothing more than simply grilled, was not just that.
And several seconds after Duke Kerebel put the meat into his mouth, he eventually swallowed as if carefully savoring the flavor.
"Pwah!"
A voice that could not be thought of as one coming after swallowing meat escaped from Duke Kerebel's mouth.
It was the kind of voice a man drenched in sweat might let out when drinking a cold beer or something of the sort.
Perhaps because they never expected such a voice to come from Duke Kerebel's mouth, his wife Arcadia, his daughter Elena, and even the maid all directed disbelieving looks at him.
"Dear?"
"...Try eating it for now. If you do, you will understand the meaning of my behavior. This flavor has no persuasive power even if I put it into words. It is a flavor you can firmly understand for the first time only by feeling it yourself."
Saying so, Duke Kerebel carried wine to his mouth as if to rinse the aftertaste of the dish that had been in his mouth.
Prompted by those words, Elena carried the meat the maid had cut to her mouth...and the next instant, she lost her words the same way Duke Kerebel had.
Being shown such a state, it was only natural that the two who had not yet eaten the meat—Arcadia and Rei—took interest in it.
At a glance, it looked like nothing more than simply grilled meat.
But given that eating a dish like that reduced Duke Kerebel and Elena to such a state, it could not possibly be simply grilled meat.
As if by coincidence...no, perhaps it should be called an inevitable flow, Rei and Arcadia both surrendered to the curiosity welling up from within and carried the meat on their plates to their mouths.
"!?"
In that instant, Rei and Arcadia simultaneously received a shock.
The first thing to spread through the mouth was a refreshing flavor.
Next, the flavor of the meat spread through the mouth in an instant, but the cooking method was such that the flavor changed with every bite.
Just when it seemed to be a flavor seasoned with spices, there was the sweetness of fat, a sourness that stimulated the appetite, and the rich umami of the meat itself.
But then, the next moment, a strong flavor like that of rich shellfish or something spread through the mouth, and it was possible to enjoy the taste of a long-simmered seafood soup.
There was no mistaking it—what was in the mouth was a single piece of meat that looked like nothing more than something grilled.
And yet, with just the meat, various flavors spread through the mouth...and eating just a single piece of meat even spread a sense of satisfaction as if one had eaten a full course meal.
"...This is...amazing..."
The impression escaped from Rei's mouth naturally, but there was no one to raise an objection.
If it were only a matter of packing complex flavors into a single ingredient, it would not be that difficult.
But doing something like that would cause all the flavors to mix together in the dish, making it no longer something that could be called delicious by any stretch.
What was more, the way people eat—the place where they chew the meat, where they savor it—differs from person to person.
And yet, without the flavors mixing, the meat before them gave those who ate it the satisfaction of deliciousness.
What kind of cooking could produce such a flavor? Rei could not even guess.
Moreover, the meat had not been prepared for each person from the start; it was something the maid had portioned onto each plate.
It was possible that Georgima had told the maid in advance which piece of meat to give to whom, but even so, when asked whether it was possible to do something so precise, Rei could only tilt his head.
(To begin with, how did he season it like this?)
Even that was something Rei fundamentally could not understand.
Even if he were told to do the same thing, he could not possibly think himself capable of pulling off such a feat.
Rei had experience eating various dishes since coming to this world, so even if he did not know the detailed cooking method, he could imagine that it was probably done this way or that.
Whether that imagination was correct or mistaken aside, he could imagine it in that manner...but even looking at the meat on the plate before him, he could not imagine at all how one could make such a dish.
It truly looked like nothing but simply grilled meat.
(No, rather, I should think that it is precisely because he has this level of culinary skill that Duke Kerebel employs him.)
If it were a luxurious dish using rare ingredients, one could make it to a certain degree—though it would still require skill worthy of being called first-class.
But to create a dish that does not let the eater discern what kind of cooking produces such a flavor—that was the mark of someone who should be called super first-class, was Rei's guess.
"I have eaten Georgima's cooking many times until now, but...I have never been this surprised before. Not at all."
Duke Kerebel carried another piece of meat to his mouth, murmuring while savoring the flavor that changed freely and in seven colors.
The tone of his voice mixed two emotions—frustration and satisfaction—likely because he had not been able to make Georgima create a dish of this caliber with the ingredients he had provided until now.
And merely by meeting a person named Rei...as a result of seeking unknown recipes within that, Georgima had produced a dish like this. Yes, Georgima had created an entirely new dish.
At the very least, Duke Kerebel had eaten various dishes from his position until now, but today was the first time in his life he had eaten a dish like this.
He felt happy about that, and at the same time, frustrated.
(For me, was it a bit of a stroke of luck?)
While eating the meat dish that could not possibly be thought of as having been cooked normally, Rei thought in such a way.
The atmosphere Duke Kerebel had carried before eating the meat had vanished, even if only temporarily—that had been pleasing to him.
Considering the gravity of the matter, it would ultimately be only a temporary thing, and there was no mistake that the time would eventually come when they would need to discuss Elena's future—or rather, that expression was probably not correct in this case—but it was certain such a need would arise.
Even so, the fact that everyone's awareness was temporarily directed toward the cooking was, for Rei, a moment to catch his breath.
"Dear, how did Georgima...make a dish like this? I also appreciate cooking to a certain extent, but I cannot imagine at all how one could create a dish like this."
Arcadia asked her husband, but normally, there were not that many children of noble families who took cooking as a hobby.
No, if it were truly destitute nobles—those living a life no different from commoners, nobles in name only—then it would be a different story.
However, Arcadia was Duchess Kerebel. She was the wife of a duke who held a rank second only to the royal family within the Kingdom of Mireana.
For someone in such a position to say she does cooking, normally she would be stopped.
...Even so, pushing through with it was what made Arcadia remarkable.
On top of that, Arcadia apparently had talent in that area as well, for she could cook far more deliciously than an ordinary cook.
Georgima, having eaten Arcadia's cooking, lamented her skill—if he regretted that her arm was not put to use as a cook, it was not difficult to imagine just how high her culinary ability was.
"Even if you say that. If Arcadia cannot understand, there is no way I could understand either."
Unlike his wife Arcadia, Duke Kerebel was not that knowledgeable about cooking.
That said, that was only relative to Arcadia.
From a general standpoint, Duke Kerebel was also sufficiently deep in his knowledge of cooking, possessing knowledge above the general education of a noble.
"Father, Mother, would it not be good to ask Georgima later? If it is that man, he would gladly teach us how he cooked it."
Generally, those who possess high technique tend to want to monopolize it for themselves.
But Georgima was not that type of person; he was not one to begrudge spreading his own knowledge and technique.
Rather, he even desired that his technique serve as the foundation for further development.
Of course, there should not be many who possess technique surpassing Georgima's, so in the end Georgima was always at the forefront of cooking.
"That is fine too, but...even if we ask, whether we can understand is a delicate matter. Truly, what and how does one do to achieve this kind of cooking."
Murmuring pensively, Duke Kerebel once again carried the meat to his mouth.
And once again, a variety of flavors—a course meal of flavors by the meat—unfolded in his mouth.
To be able to enjoy the flavors of vegetables and seafood while eating meat is an experience that is normally impossible in the first place.
What was more, since it was just a single piece of meat being eaten, even after eating a course meal, it meant there was still plenty more one could eat.
And yet, one could also sufficiently obtain the satisfaction of having eaten meat, so there was no way to describe it other than as a mysterious dish.
On top of that, the flavor subtly changed depending on the piece of meat.
For example, while one piece of meat tasted like fish, another piece tasted like crab or shrimp.
In other words, it was something like being able to enjoy a different course meal for every piece one eats...and as everyone was savoring such a dish, eventually the dining hall doors opened.
"Yo, how was today's dish? Did you think from the bottom of your heart that it was delicious?"
The one who called out to Rei like that upon entering the dining hall was, as a matter of course, Georgima.
He opened the doors before Duke Kerebel could reply, and moreover ignored the head of this household, Duke Kerebel, to call out to Rei.
If considered normally, it would be an act worthy of being called insolent, but having thoroughly enjoyed Georgima's cooking from the bottom of their hearts, no one could complain.
He was forgiven even for taking such an attitude, because Georgima had served a dish worthy of it.
...Of course, everyone except Rei, including Duke Kerebel, knew that Georgima always behaved like this.
The sole exception was Rei, who did not know that Georgima took this kind of attitude toward even Duke Kerebel, not just toward himself.
But even so, he immediately understood from the atmosphere around him that it was nothing special, and once again directed his gaze at Georgima and opened his mouth.
"Yeah, honestly, I've never had a dish this delicious...no, that's not all. This is the first time I've been this shocked and surprised by a dish."
"Hahahah. Right? It was worth making a dish this elaborate. This dish—cooking technique is a given as a prerequisite, but on top of that, you need rare ingredients, Magic Items, an Alchemist's cooperation, and various other things to prepare. If I didn't get a surprised reaction from this, I would have been losing my confidence. So? What dish are you going to teach me?"
To Georgima, who asked with his eyes shining with expectation, Rei, feeling there was no helping it, spoke the name of the dish he had been thinking about before this meal. ...Ramen, he said.