Chapter 448: Returning to the Original World!
Barbecue could only be considered an appetizer to pad the stomach.
The main event for lunch today was the luxurious version of fancy steamed seafood, Earth Pot Chicken, and a clay pot overflowing with the fresh aroma of mushroom chicken soup—the staple food being the white flour flatbreads stuck to the sides of the Earth Pot Chicken.
Ryohei had someone move a table next to the earthen stove, setting up the dazzling array of seafood dishes and that pot of mushroom chicken soup.
Glug glug glug—!
In the large iron wok aside, the broth of the Earth Pot Chicken was rolling and boiling. Misty white steam curled upwards, carrying a rich, enticing, and mellow aroma with a hint of spiciness, permeating the air.
"Is this... Iron Pot Stewed Chicken?" Holding a bowl, Elma excitedly came in front of the iron wok. Picking up a piece of shiny, reddish-brown chicken meat, she looked at Ryohei curiously.
"Elma, are you missing a word?" Lucoa's voluptuous body leaned over, and she seriously opened the eyelid of her left eye to look at her.
"Mn? What did I miss?" Elma brought the chicken to her mouth, took a bite, and turned her head strangely, her face full of innocence.
"Shut up!"
Ryohei had already guessed it. Speechless, he put a piece of chicken into Lucoa's bowl, trying to stop her mouth, and then introduced it to Elma:
"The name of this dish is Earth Pot Chicken."
She probably felt this was a bit like the Iron Pot Stewed Delinquent Duck they had eaten before, which was why she thought of the name 'Iron Pot Stewed Chicken'.
Ryohei smiled and added: "This is not in the same series of dishes as the Iron Pot Stewed Delinquent Duck I made before."
"Mn." Elma nodded while gnawing on the chicken.
It was indeed different!
The previous Iron Pot Stewed Delinquent Duck had a mellow sauce aroma, with a salty and savory flavor profile, not spicy at all. But this pot was a layered fusion of salty, savory, fragrant, and spicy.
Looking closely, the side ingredients in the pot weren't as rich, and the flatbreads stuck to the pot were different too; they were pure white flour pot-baked flatbreads.
But they were all very delicious!
The chicken meat was firm and chewy, not dry in the slightest.
The mellow broth had been deeply stewed into every fiber of the chicken. As she chewed, the sauce aroma, salty umami, and slight spiciness spreading from the inside out perfectly blended with the natural deliciousness of the chicken itself...
"So delicious—! Salty, savory, fragrant, and spicy, it simply makes people unable to stop!" A cheerful smile bloomed on Elma's face. Having just finished one piece, her chopsticks impatiently reached into the pot again.
"Dipping the flatbread into the thick broth, then wrapping a piece of chicken and putting it into your mouth together, letting the wheat aroma and crispy char of the bread fuse with the tender chicken and mellow broth... It's truly a masterpiece!"
Benefiting from the experience of eating the Iron Pot Stewed Delinquent Duck last time, Minos found the best way to eat it.
"Mmm—! You really know your stuff, Minos!" Elma turned her head to praise Minos, then learned to do it properly with mimicking movements.
"Knows how to eat."
Kobayashi, struggling with the seafood, turned her head and praised.
Minos proudly lifted her chin, her tail pointing up.
Then she lowered her head and took a big bite of her homemade "flatbread-wrapped meat"—
"..."
Suddenly, Minos felt as if she had arrived in an unfamiliar city she had never set foot in, becoming a tourist.
Led by a young male tour guide, she arrived at the supposedly famous Huilongwo Historical and Cultural Block.
She visited the city wall museum built on the ruins of the ancient Ming Dynasty city wall, and came to the Moonlight Market, which gathered special snacks, handicrafts, and intangible cultural heritage experiences.
Suddenly, a rich, enticing aroma wafted over.
Minos subconsciously swallowed her saliva and looked around—her gaze quickly locked onto a shop on the street named 'Earth Pot Chicken'!
Seeming to have seen through her thoughts, the young tour guide raised his hand, smiled, and made an inviting gesture, saying in a gentle tone: "Would you like to try our local specialty?"
"Yes, yes, yes."
Minos didn't hesitate and nodded repeatedly.
"..."
When her consciousness returned to reality, the "flatbread-wrapped meat" in her hand had already been finished.
Minos shifted her gaze to the grand seafood feast nearby.
Let's taste the seafood next!
Holding this thought, she happily leaned over with her bowl.
"Ryohei-kun, this shrimp feels exceptionally delicious."
Yurine peeled a large pink-and-white shrimp, dipped it in some sauce, took a bite, and turned her head to share with Ryohei.
"Really? Let me have a taste."
Ryohei, who was currently dealing with a crab claw, naturally opened his mouth.
Yurine cooperatively brought the shrimp meat to his lips, and Ryohei took a bite—
The first thing the tip of his tongue touched was the salty umami of the dipping sauce. Immediately after, his teeth sank into the shrimp meat, feeling a firm, bouncy texture.
And the moment he bit down—
He seemed to hear a soft crack, as if prying open a treasure trove of fresh sweetness hidden within the shrimp meat!
That sweet, pure ocean flavor mixed with the shrimp's own juices instantly filled his mouth. Along with chewing, the fibers of the shrimp released a deeper level of umami...
Ryohei felt quite amazed eating it.
"Feels even more delicious than the top-tier 'Arctic Sweet Shrimp'... Elma, could you help me catch some to take back later?" Ryohei turned his gaze to Elma, who was eating joyfully.
"Mn, no problem!"
With bulging cheeks, Elma found time to return an "OK" gesture.
"Mmm—! This mushroom chicken soup is so umami it'll make your eyebrows fall off!" Tohru, holding a small bowl nearby, praised with satisfaction.
...
The picnic ended when it was approaching 2:00 PM.
Elma wiped her mouth and ran off to help Ryohei catch shrimp. The rest of the people didn't return to the castle either—Ryohei asked Lucoa to bring out two tents and set up camp right there to rest.
Afraid everyone would be bored, Lucoa voluntarily contributed a few fashion magazines and two decks of playing cards.
Next, everyone leisurely killed time.
Waiting until past 4:00 PM, when the sun started to set, Kanna finished making the Dragon Orb and finally returned to the castle.
Handing the Dragon Orb to Kimun Kamui, the group then returned to their original world together...
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