Chapter 279
"Frieren, Fern, Stark! Didn’t expect to run into you here!"
Haruto smiled as he walked over and raised a hand in greeting.
"Haruto-san!"
Fern turned around, and the moment she recognized him, a delighted smile spread across her face.
"Long time no see."
Frieren turned as well. A faint smile appeared in her eyes as she gave him a small nod.
"Haruto?! What are you doing all the way out here?"
Stark stared at him in surprise, nearly dropping the enormous bag of bread in his arms.
"We can talk somewhere else. The storm’s too bad to stand around out here. Let’s head back to your inn first."
Haruto glanced at the frost already clinging to their eyelashes. Staying out in this blizzard any longer was hardly a good idea.
Frieren and the others immediately agreed and led him toward an inn not far away.
The moment they pushed open its heavy wooden door, a wave of warm air washed over them, creating a stark contrast with the frozen world outside. A large fireplace burned in the center of the common room, its flames crackling pleasantly and filling the building with comforting warmth.
After brushing the snow from their clothes, Haruto followed the three into the suite they had rented.
They gathered around a wooden table beside the heater and slowly caught each other up on everything that had happened since they parted ways.
Haruto told them about his experiences after entering the Northern Plateau: the three-hundred-meter stone giant whose fists could crush half a mountain, the Skyvein Dragon that drifted nearly ten thousand meters above the ground with an entire forest growing across its back, the Ice-type monsters and Holy Snow Crystals of the Shumar Snowfield, and the deep-sea monsters that had somehow adapted to freshwater in Lake Kolidoya.
When it was Frieren’s party’s turn, however, the conversation gradually turned into one long session of complaints.
"Haruto, you have no idea what we’ve been through since you left!"
Stark slapped the table with an aggrieved expression.
"We’ve been eating bread hard enough to use as a weapon!"
Frieren and Fern quietly nodded beside him, both looking as though they had suffered a truly terrible ordeal.
The three took turns recounting their miserable culinary experiences since separating from Haruto.
While he had traveled with them, even in the middle of nowhere and with nothing but the most ordinary ingredients available, Haruto could always turn their meals into something delicious.
Once he left, however, everything immediately returned to normal.
Hard bread.
Thin, bland soup.
That was what they survived on most of the time.
Only when they passed through a town or village could they occasionally enjoy a proper hot meal.
As for monsters, none of them could reliably tell which species were edible and which were poisonous. They certainly were not about to start experimenting, much less turn monster meat into incredible dishes the way Haruto did.
Seeing the three of them looking as though they had endured months of hardship, Haruto could only laugh helplessly.
Then he noticed the expectation they were all trying—and failing—to hide.
"All right, all right. I get it. You’ve had a rough time."
He smiled.
"How about I make something good tonight and give you all a proper meal?"
All three pairs of eyes lit up instantly.
Stark practically sprang out of his chair, nearly knocking over the cup on the table.
"Seriously?! That’s great!"
Fern nodded enthusiastically as well, a faint blush appearing on her cheeks.
"Thank you, Haruto-san."
Frieren’s lips immediately curved upward, and she nodded faster than either of the others.
She had been wanting to taste Haruto’s cooking again too.
Seeing their reactions, Haruto rolled up his sleeves and got to work.
He first checked the groceries the three had just purchased.
There was not much, but it was enough.
A sack of reasonably fine wheat flour.
Two fresh Silver-Scale Fish pulled from Lake Kolidoya.
Several heads of cabbage and onions.
A small bag of potatoes and tomatoes.
And in one corner, a leftover piece of cheese.
Haruto quickly decided what to make.
He took out the tip of a Kraken tentacle he had caught earlier.
Ever since encountering Krakens in the lake, he had wanted to try turning one into takoyaki.
Haruto brought out a takoyaki pan lined with dozens of neat hemispherical molds, each depression polished smooth.
Alongside it came a steamer, a flat iron pan, fine cheesecloth, a stone mortar and wooden pestle, and several other tools.
"I’ll make fish floss first. It’ll go well with the takoyaki."
Haruto spoke while his hands were already moving.
He started with the two fresh Silver-Scale Fish.
His knife moved so quickly that the blade almost blurred, removing the scales in only a few strokes. He opened the bellies, removed the innards, and rinsed both fish thoroughly with clean water.
Next, Haruto scored both sides evenly and rubbed them with a small amount of fine salt, followed by a pinch of finely ground Holy Snow Crystal powder.
That immediately caught Frieren’s attention.
The powder itself glittered beautifully.
"That’s Holy Snow Crystal from the Shumar Snowfield."
Haruto mentioned it casually.
"You use that in cooking?"
Frieren leaned closer with obvious curiosity.
She knew what Holy Snow Crystals were, of course.
She had simply never heard of anyone using them as seasoning.
"Yeah. Surprisingly, they work really well."
Haruto smiled.
"They bring out freshness, cut through richness, and add a clean, cooling note to the flavor."
He lined the steamer with a layer of fresh pine needles, placed the prepared fish on the steaming tray, covered the pot, and set it over the hot coals of the fireplace.
It did not take long for the aroma of pine to mingle with the natural fragrance of the fish and seep through the gaps around the lid.
About fifteen minutes later, Haruto lifted the cover.
A burst of hot white steam escaped.
The fish had turned completely white, and when he lightly pressed the flesh with chopsticks, it separated cleanly from the bones. The texture was perfectly tender.
Haruto removed the fish and left them on the table to cool.
Then he used the Precision Separation Spell he had learned from Serie.
The main bones, tiny pin bones, and even the finest intramuscular bones were pulled cleanly from the flesh without leaving a single fragment behind.
Haruto wrapped the snow-white fish meat tightly in fine cheesecloth and pressed firmly with both hands, gradually squeezing out the excess moisture.
Once the meat had become dry, fluffy, and almost cotton-like, he opened the cloth and transferred it into the stone mortar.
Using the wooden pestle, he carefully crushed and loosened the fibers until every strand was soft and airy, without a single clump remaining.
Next came the actual frying.
Haruto placed the flat iron pan over low heat and brushed the surface with a thin layer of butter.
As the butter slowly melted and released its rich dairy aroma, he poured in all the prepared fish fibers.
Holding a wooden spatula, he stirred at an easy, steady pace, ensuring that every strand heated evenly.
As the moisture continued to evaporate, the fresh aroma of fish blended with the butter and the faint fragrance of pine, gradually filling the entire room.
Stark stood nearby staring at the pan, practically drooling.
Unable to resist, he secretly reached out, pinched a small amount of the freshly loosened fish floss, and popped it into his mouth.
His eyes immediately widened.
The savory flavor of the fish spread across his tongue, soft and fluffy, with a faint buttery richness and gentle saltiness.
There was not even the slightest trace of fishiness.
It tasted so good that Stark instinctively reached out for another handful.
Fern lightly slapped the back of his hand.
"No stealing."
Stark sheepishly withdrew it.
His eyes, however, remained firmly fixed on the pan.
Haruto chuckled at the two of them and continued stirring.
Once the fish floss had turned an even pale gold and every strand was completely dry and fluffy enough to crumble between his fingers, Haruto added a tiny amount of fine salt and white sugar.
He tossed everything together quickly, then turned off the heat.
The finished fish floss was transferred to a white porcelain plate and left to cool.
Piled high on the dish, the golden, feathery strands looked almost like a tiny mountain of gold, filling the room with an irresistible aroma.