The Artist Who Paints Dungeon - Chapter 126



Only Noblemtl

Episode 126

Since ancient times, meat boiled or steamed in alcohol could not be tasteless.

“The savory aroma of alcohol removes the meat’s gamey smell, and the mild heat softens the chewy texture.”

There just so happened to be just the right ingredients.

“therefore….”

candy trap tree

A tree with a round, swollen base like a candy. It is a monoecious plant, with leaves on the outside, but the fruit grows inside the swollen trunk. If the fruit of the candy trap tree, which has a strong sweet and bitter taste, is not removed in time, it will start to rot from the inside, and depending on various conditions, this fruit mixes with the tree’s sap to become vinegar, juice, or fruit wine.

“Yeah, this.”

Geo took a small piece of ceramic from the basket in Dana’s mouth. When Dana, who had run an errand to the icehouse, spat out the basket, Argio put a piece of golden-step lamb’s flesh in her mouth.

The omnivorous cat, who is not a picky eater, did not refuse raw meat. Unlike regular cats, Dana, an anti-cat with teeth lined up in a single row, enjoyed the flesh with gusto.

“John Ryu?”

“What a wonderful thing.”

I heard that you grow up so fast these days. I wish you could eat a lot and grow up like a pig. Then you have to poop five more times instead of just once. Geo was happy.

“The good thing about these candy trap trees is that each tree has matured to a different degree. That’s why the taste is slightly different. This one… has a strong woody scent.”

The heaviness unique to alcohol that makes your tongue burn as soon as you touch it was strong, and the bitter taste unique to plants that seemed to roll around in your mouth. The scent of the sugar trap tree itself was added, giving it a somewhat smoky feeling.

This liquor was delicious even when drunk on its own. It was to the point where I thought people who enjoyed drinking wouldn’t understand why it was used in cooking.

“Naturally produced alcohol did not exist even in the Avilas rainforest.”

“… … .”

“Honey, would you like to try it?”

“Gurrrr.”

“It’s nice to see all the children eating well. They’ll grow up well.”

Geo tried to pour the fruit wine into a small dish, but Honey didn’t care and squeezed her way into the narrow ceramic entrance. He watched quietly for a while, and soon Honey’s chubby face suddenly popped out.

“… … .”

“… … .”

The water bird hanging slightly at the entrance tilted its head.

“B-kung?”

“Oh, like that.”

“…Kungkungkung…”

“It didn’t taste good, did it?”

“Gulp.”

“They say that some people are better suited to drinking alcohol. I may have told the child about that too.”

“Kung… .”

“Would you like to try it deliciously?”

Argio, who enjoys drinking as much as fighting, was happy to give advice.

“There are several ways to enjoy fruit wine. You can hold it in your mouth and feel its weight and texture, analyze the unique bitterness of the plant, or appreciate the aroma of the fruit itself or the aroma that comes afterward.”

“Kuruk.”

“It’s probably hard for a young child like you to enjoy alcohol. I’ve always enjoyed this kind of texture and smell since I was little, so I’ve kept alcohol close to me, but if it doesn’t suit you, you can use it in cooking. I just happened to win the perfect alcohol.”

Whether it was the cat’s keen sense of smell or simply the one she brought with her that looked the best, Dana brought the one that went best with meat among the fruit wines she had been collecting whenever she was bored.

“If it’s regular alcohol, its flavor and taste will almost disappear during the cooking process, but the alcohol here is special, so that won’t happen. The meat stew I’m making this time will be quite delicious.”

Geoda always felt sorry that when cooking with alcohol, the flavor and aroma almost disappeared during the boiling and stir-frying process. However, the things that grew in this forest did not disappear so easily.

“I should say that it truly has strong vitality.”

“Gurrrr?”

“Yeah, just like you.”

Geo, who was caressing his son sitting on his shoulder, soon turned to look at the teddy bear.

“so….”

“… … .”

“Why is our father so distant?”

“Kkuu… .”

“Is your new son so unfamiliar?”

Geo’s hair, which was a deep red like wine, soon faded and became platinum blonde.

“So how is it now?”

“…dream.”

“Yes, it’s the same person. It’s no different at all.”

“Kuk kuk kuk.”

The traditional god who once ruled over a dimension smiled and applauded. It wasn’t exactly a situation worthy of applause, but no one was there to point it out.

Giovanni smiled, gave his father a hug, and stood up again.

“Hmm.”

His hair turned dark red again.

“But if we do this, I’m worried about how our mermaid siblings will react.”

“Huh?”

“Yes, it’s almost time for those kids to come. This is really…”

Argio laughed.

“That sounds fun.”

It was going to be a very enjoyable meal.

* * *

“… … .”

“Our princess has arrived.”

“Shit.”

The Little Mermaid Aria stabbed me in the eye.

“My geo has been contaminated with impurities.”

Aria was whining, blood streaming from her eyes. She looked just like a crying child, and Argio burst out laughing. He led Aria, who was not coming down from the second floor, to the table and whined.

“If you say it’s an impurity, wouldn’t this teacher’s heart hurt too much?”

“How did this personality of someone so unlike Giovanni come into being? Aren’t there only ‘Geos’ with similar characteristics?”

“Oh, my student. My disciple. Why don’t you understand that in the end, we are all the same Geo?”

“I know.”

Aria, who had regained her sight, clicked her tongue and looked at Argio’s clear golden eyes. Rather than a calm sea bathed in sunlight, they reminded her of a cold lump of gold covered in blood.

Yet there was a familiar affection inside me. It was a love that I could never forget, a love that could not be confused.

“… That gaze cannot be imitated.”

“Be honest too.”

“You know that in the end, you are my teacher.”

That wasn’t a lie.

“It’s not that I didn’t expect it would turn out like this someday.”

The ‘Gio’ in this portrait was varied. In fact, even ‘Sergio’ and ‘Giovanni’ were very different.

First of all, their ages were different, and although they were not visible because of their clothes, their physiques were different. Their bone structures and colors were different, and even the expressions they could make and the types of expressions they could make were different. So it was not strange that such a bright red Geo was added now.

The teacher asked him.

“then?”

“… … .”

Before sitting down at the table, Aria carefully held the hand of Giovanni, who had escorted her.

“Geo.”

It was a soft voice.

“I want to have a meal with you.”

“… Me too.”

Giovanni also smiled as usual.

“I want to brag about this recipe that I made this time.”

“Then why were you making that face instead of just bragging about the recipe?”

“I don’t think you like Argio’s face. I think I should explain it to you….”

“…ha….”

Aria, who was quietly looking at Giovanni’s awkward smile, let out a small sigh and said.

“I can explain it well enough with words.”

“But what explanation could be more certain than showing?”

“You have such a shameless side.”

Only then did Aria sit down in the seat that Geo had shown her.

“Is this something new that was made this time?”

“Yes. It smells really good, doesn’t it?”

“It smells a bit like alcohol. It looks like it will be a delicacy.”

“I don’t think it will be bad.”

Geo, who had returned to his black hair, sat across from him. Honey and Dana climbed onto the table as if they were used to it, and the teddy bear with the sun god also took its place on the chair.

and….

“… … .”

Aria looked around.

“What are those water birds?”

“They’re just watching to see if there’s anything they can take.”

“Why do you have to take it?”

“I think it’s because of the kids who took the golden wool, which is a sheep accessory, earlier.”

“Golden fur?”

“The meat placed in front of Aria now is the skin that was exposed.”

“aha….”

Aria nodded as she looked at the water birds by the window, their eyes sparkling and watching us.

“Now, the golden sheep appears and things are really strange.”

“There was no such thing in our hometown.”

“If there was something like that, it might have been possible to turn people’s attention in that direction.”

“It was such beautiful fur that even the most discerning person would be unable to overcome their greed.”

“So I think it would be better not to put it out there. Well, that’s just my extremely personal desire.”

The mermaid still didn’t trust humans.

“I was worried because the teacher had no sense of caution in some strange areas.”

“Aria has really grown into a wonderful adult.”

Geo was impressed by the way his disciple took care of him. He naturally smiled like Giovanni, even though he was Sergio with black hair. It was because they were completely in sync.

“I used to be really prickly and hot-tempered.”

“Oh… How long ago are you talking about?”

But Aria also acknowledged that part.

“I know that I had many shortcomings back then.”

Aria, who was just born into the world, had a sensitive and prickly side. She was suspicious of everything that approached her, had a hard time acknowledging anyone, and felt annoyed and disgusted by anything that got in her way.

“I’ve become a lot more mature than I was as a child.”

“Actually, I don’t think it’s much different now.”

“Ha, I can just be comfortable in front of the teacher.”

“Suddenly such a touching story?”

“I didn’t say that to be moved, though.”

Aria didn’t even look at the food, just fiddling with the glass of water.

“Who could I be so honest with? Not even in front of my younger brother Isser, because I had to lead him.”

“… … .”

“I’ve become quite skilled. I’ve become more skilled, and I’ve learned to smile in front of anyone, regardless of whether I like it or not. As the teacher said, this has helped me a lot in communication.”

She looked at Geo with pearly eyes.

“Is this the kind of ‘growth’ you like?”

“Maybe so, maybe not. It doesn’t matter what I like.”

“He’s still an ambiguous person.”

As Aria let out a forced sigh, Geo smiled slightly. It was a small, gentle smile directed at his cute student.

“So you’re not planning on eating?”

“I feel sick to my stomach when I think about the meal that some unknown idiot made.”

“That unknown mold could be your teacher.”

“It gets even stranger because it’s clear that he’s my teacher. In an instant like this… .”

I felt really strange.

“… … .”

But I just wasn’t used to it, it wasn’t to the point where I wanted to reject it.

“… As I said before, the scent is nice.”

“It’s because the aroma of the newly brewed liquor remains intact.”

“The meat is very tender.”

“It’s boiled once, then baked, steamed, and then topped with sauce.”

“I don’t know why cooking can be so troublesome.”

And as cumbersome as it was, the dish was delicious.

“You said you put the sauce on separately, so isn’t it a little different from making stew?”

“It will definitely make a difference, doesn’t it make the meat taste better?”

“You said it was the flesh of the golden lamb? Yes, it is a great delicacy.”

The deep black flesh, like squid ink, cuts smoothly when chewed and tears easily. However, the unique, plump, chewy texture adds to the chewiness, making it enjoyable to chew.

In particular, the aroma felt from the meat itself was very impressive. The aroma that came up on the tongue was similar to spices such as garlic or onion. The oily flavor and richness of the meat coming from the juice was indescribable.

“It’s strange how, when you spend time with a teacher, you feel like you’ve become a gourmet without even realizing it.”

“I will take that as a compliment.”

“You end up eating food while thinking about it for no reason.”

“I thought it was a compliment.”

“There’s no one like you, Geo, who thinks positively.”

The sauce was pretty good too.

“My tongue hurts a little.”

“I didn’t add any spicy spices, but it’s probably because the alcohol I used this time is strong.”

“Usually, doesn’t all the alcohol evaporate during the cooking process?”

“Isn’t it because the alcohol itself has largely died out, but the scent itself still remains intact?”

“I can’t understand how a scent alone can be this strong.”

“Mermaids are particularly bad at eating strongly stimulating foods.”

“no….”

Aria muttered to herself.

‘Isn’t it a miracle that someone like me can feel this way?’

It was Aria who had accumulated power to the point of being close to an evil spirit. It was impossible for Aria, who had ‘grew’ over a long period of time, to be like an ordinary mermaid.

And yet, I can enjoy Geo’s cooking like an ordinary person.

‘Did you cook it differently to suit my level?’

or not.

‘Can anyone just enjoy Geo’s cooking as he intended?’

Arya thought it was probably Huzairi. Didn’t even the Sun God, who had no appetite, make Geo wait for his cooking? It was truly a strangely great ability.

He did so simply because he wanted to share his cooking with everyone, whether it be a monster who had surpassed the limits of a mermaid or a teddy bear who was once a god but was blind.

“… … .”

Aria asked.

“… Is there any bread to go with it?”

“I made something in advance. Would you like to eat it?”

“The sauce is so delicious that I want to dip it in it.”

“Then I will cook it for you right away.”

Geo got up from his seat and put the bread he had baked in advance into the oven.

A golden water bird flies over and lands on the shoulder of the black mantle, as if it wants to eat something. The water birds sitting by the window also come over, splashing, and a large human hand caresses my little ones.

“Yeah, the smell of baking is nice, right?”

“Gulp.”

“Let’s wait a little longer.”

The sound of the firewood crackling, the scent of the already baked bread becoming even more golden brown, the warmth radiating from it, and the sound of the teddy bear’s dishes clanking…

“… … .”

Aria noticed it all.