Chapter 7 - Delicious Pot-au-feu
"Oh, it's quite a feast today."
Elgis-san said happily as he looked at the dishes lined up on the table.
Before our eyes was a hearty pot-au-feu filled with chunks of potatoes, carrots, sausages, cabbage, and broccoli; wild greens and mushrooms sautéed in butter; herb-roasted chicken; and bite-sized pieces of bread with melted cheese.
It was a menu that wouldn't be an exaggeration to call a feast. Just looking at it made my expression soften.
"A new resident is joining this village, after all. Today is a celebration."
"That's right. Since it's a day of celebration, I shall open a ten-year-old wine as well."
"Thank you very much."
Hearing their warm words, I reflexively bowed my head in thanks.
To be this kind to someone they had only just met... I was so moved I felt like I might tear up a bit.
Elgis-san stood up and hurried out of the room, returning shortly after clutching a wine bottle. Elgis-san's face looked somewhat joyful, and I could tell very well that it was a wine he had been looking forward to.
"...Nordende?"
I muttered reflexively upon seeing the brand of the wine.
"This wine is made at Aisha-chan's place."
Ah, Aisha is a grape farmer, so that makes sense. She chose a brand name that simply represented the location.
While Elgis-san opened the cork, Fiona-san brought glasses for the four of us without being asked.
"Aisha-chan's wine is mellow and easy to drink. Our Flora doesn't like wine much, but she likes the wine Aisha-chan makes."
Flora, whose shoulder was being patted by Fiona-san (T/N: possible typo in source — original reads Sophia-san), nodded while looking down bashfully.
Heh, I'm looking forward to that.
To think that frank Aisha would make such a wine... Well, I suppose grapes and Aisha's personality aren't exactly related.
The sound of the cork popping echoed through the room, and red wine was poured generously into each wine glass. A rich aroma of grapes drifted from the glasses.
"Well then, a toast to celebrate our new resident, Aldo-san!"
Following Elgis-san's words, we lightly clinked our glasses together.
The high-pitched 'ting' unique to glass echoed in the room, and everyone put their glasses to their lips.
"Whoa, this is easy to drink. The texture is smooth."
As expected of something aged for ten years, the taste was mild.
The astringency and body were just right; even people who dislike the unique bitterness of red wine could probably drink this.
"Do you like it?"
"Yes, very much."
I'd want to drink this every day.
"This cheese was also made in our village. It goes very well when eaten with this."
Perhaps sensing that I liked it, Elgis-san recommended the cheese with a happy look.
Since I was drinking red wine, it would be a waste not to enjoy it with cheese, so I decided to have some immediately.
I rubbed a bite-sized piece of bread into the melted cheese in the dish.
The thick cheese instantly covered the bread, and I popped it into my mouth, looking so delicious I almost drooled just watching it.
The taste of cheese with just the right richness spread through my mouth all at once.
I chewed a little to enjoy the flavor of the cheese itself, then took a sip of the mellow wine.
The cheese, with its perfect aroma and flavor, and the wine, with its moderate body, were a perfect match.
"They go well together!"
"Don't they?"
When I said that, Elgis-san replied with a smile while dipping bread in cheese and enjoying it with his wine.
Flora and Fiona-san, sitting across from me, also seemed to be enjoying the cheese and wine elegantly.
I remembered Keel's words that there's no going wrong when you combine red wine and cheese from the same place of origin. He said that if the characteristics of the cheese and wine are similar, they won't clash with each other. I think he called this kind of combination of wine and food a 'mariage.'
At the time, I wasn't that interested in wine, so I can't remember anything beyond that, but with this combination, I feel like I could drink many glasses of wine.
Since cheese loses its deliciousness once it cools down, I continued eating the cheese and wine.
Midway through, perhaps because the cheese was so thick, I caught a glimpse of it dripping slightly from Flora's mouth, but I tried not to look. Or rather, even without looking, I could tell she was blushing and feeling embarrassed.
After finishing about eighty percent of the cheese, I moved on to the large pot-au-feu sitting prominently in front of me.
I cut a large, chunky potato in half and put it in my mouth.
The flavor was perfectly balanced with salt, pepper, and herbs, and the taste of the potato, which had fully absorbed the soup, was the best. The simple, fluffy taste of the potato was given a nice accent.
It was a world of difference from the meager pot-au-feu served at inns and such.
My spoon wouldn't stop scooping the soup.
"This pot-au-feu is incredibly delicious. You could even serve this in a shop."
"Oh, isn't that nice, Flora? The pot-au-feu you made is being praised highly."
"Th-thank you very much."
Flora said her thanks while looking up at me tentatively.
Her face and ears were bright red, and she looked very shy. She looks like Fiona-san, but I suppose her inner shyness must have come from Elgis-san.
I tasted the carrots, cabbage, and broccoli, which were similarly soaked in flavor.
According to Elgis-san, all these vegetables were also harvested in this village. Apparently, the broccoli and carrots were grown by Elgis-san himself.
They were so sweet and had such a firm texture that I could hardly believe they were the same things I had eaten before.
So this is what freshly harvested vegetables are like.
Perhaps because I tasted such fresh vegetables, I want to grow crops in a field even more now.
I enjoyed the juicy sausages and dipped bread into the soup to taste it.
While I was eating the pot-au-feu, I felt occasional glances from Flora, but she didn't speak to me.
I figured she was just happy to have the food she made praised, so I tried not to pay it any mind.
I handled the cooking back when I was an adventurer, so I understand that feeling. It's a happy thing to have the food you made eaten with relish.
Elgis-san and Fiona-san, noticing Flora's behavior, were watching her with warm eyes. It was a comfortable silence that wasn't awkward at all, even though no one was speaking.
As I finished the pot-au-feu and moved on to the herb-roasted chicken and the butter-sautéed wild greens and mushrooms, I noticed Flora, sitting across from me, starting to get restless.
Although she held a fork in her right hand, that hand wasn't moving at all. Her gaze went back and forth between my empty pot-au-feu plate and my face.
I'm not so dense that I can't tell what she's looking for.
My stomach wasn't full yet, so I think I'll be bold enough to ask for seconds. Since it's such a delicious pot-au-feu, of course I want to taste more.
Just as I was about to open my mouth to ask for a refill myself, Flora spoke up.
"Um, would you like seconds of the pot-au-feu?"
"...Yes, please."
"Yes!"
When I smiled and handed the plate to the timidly asking Flora, a smile like a blooming flower spread across her face.
She set down her fork, took the plate with both hands, and moved happily toward the kitchen.
Then, Flora returned with my plate piled high with pot-au-feu.
"Here, please!"
"Thank you."
When I broke into a smile seeing her look so happy, she also laughed bashfully.
Perhaps she had gotten a bit used to me despite her shyness; she began to answer with a shy smile when I spoke to her, and Flora even asked me a few questions.
I feel like the distance between us closed a little by sharing dinner. I'm sure she won't run away the next time we meet.
After that, I had two more helpings of pot-au-feu.