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Chapter 204 - Volume 2 Promotional SS: Little One's Chef

"...So this is washoku."

In the Pandæmonium kitchen, Adonis looked at the dishes and cooking utensils he had never seen before with great curiosity.

Dashi and nerimono, hikigiri and sogigiri, they were all things he was seeing and hearing for the first time. Not to mention the knives and ladles, there were even several types of oroshigane alone. Adonis's eyes widened when he heard that specialized tools were made for each purpose.

"If you don’t cut it in one stroke, the cells on the surface will be crushed, and the texture will be poor. Texture is directly linked to taste..."

The chef in charge of sashimi explained.

"Like this, you stick it onto a board or a stick, then grill or steam it. The ingredient? It’s grated fish."

This was a craftsman in charge of nerimono. He was working silently in a secluded area.

"Unlike other things, it’s difficult to grill in large quantities, so for large groups, we use Oisoyaki. It’s a method where you just sear fish that has been cooked in hot water."

This was the yakikata, who was quickly skewering fish while holding several iron skewers between his fingers.

Unlike the royal palace, Pandæmonium had craftsmen in charge of each specific task. The royal palace also had staff in charge of each dish, but it was more common for them to handle various cooking tasks concurrently. Whoever was free would assist where help was needed. But this place seemed different, with each section having its own dedicated kitchen space. A large kitchen was connected to multiple small rooms, and various things were brought in from here and there.

Adonis didn't know it, but the connecting small rooms were artisan rooms. They were rooms for making processed goods like nerimono. Beyond them were seasoning storehouses for brewing and distillation, where many people were coming and going. Since he was unaware of these internal workings, to him, everyone looked like a chef from the kitchen.

"I think a clean cut is important, but does the way you cut it really make that much of a difference?"

Adonis stared intently at the chef's hands. He was also amazed by the knife. The knife there was like a sharpened butchering knife. There were several types lined up, and they were used differently according to their purpose.

"I’m not familiar with the inner workings of the Frontier Royal Palace, but don’t you do things like mentori for vegetables?"

When this was mentioned, Adonis remembered mentori, the technique of rounding the corners of vegetables. The texture in the mouth is completely different with and without corners. It also prevents the vegetables from falling apart during cooking, resulting in a beautifully finished dish.

Is it the same as that?

Adonis nodded in understanding. Though their fields were different, they were both chefs. He was a quick study.

"The proof is in the pudding. Please try this and this."

With that, the itamae who had been cutting sashimi placed two plates in front of him, one with sashimi beautifully sliced with a specialized knife, and the other with sashimi cut with a regular knife. They didn’t look very different.

Adonis nodded and tasted them with some condiments to compare.

He was a chef. The result was obvious.

"...It’s different. Completely different."

Adonis unconsciously covered his mouth and stared at the two plates. The one cut with the specialized knife clung to his tongue, conveying its deliciousness without reservation. Conversely, the one cut with the regular knife had a mealy texture. It wasn’t bad, but it seemed like a completely different thing. As soon as he confirmed the taste, Adonis realized that even the appearance, which he had thought was not so different, was completely different. The sashimi correctly cut with the specialized knife had a surface that glistened like a jewel.

"It makes this much of a difference..."

"Each ingredient has a cooking method and tools that suit it. I believe it is the duty of a chef to bring out the best in them."

The itamae smiled at the stunned Adonis.

And so, the chef who would be called a genius in Frontier's history was born.

Adonis, who had been exposed to the principles of washoku at Pandæmonium, became a chef who was particularly meticulous about his tools and cooking methods, and the dishes born from his meticulousness would leave behind numerous legends. As is common for those who get involved with the Little One, Adonis, who strove with all his heart to please her, made his god given talent blossom.

Adonis, who later succeeded Drago and became the Royal Head Chef, was given the nickname "Little One’s Chef."

The episodes of the Little One's secret maneuvering behind the scenes of his legendary cooking would, as usual, remain unknown to anyone♪