As I entered the kitchen, two Female Priestesses bowed their heads to me.
They then opened the way and showed me the ingredients I had asked for, all prepped and ready.
Apparently, since these Female Priestesses had a long-standing culinary experience,
the prep work was even more meticulous and prettier than what I could have done myself.
“Thank you for your hard work, ladies.”
“Oh, no thank you, Priest.”
“Yes. We were rather looking forward to seeing what dish would be created.”
The Female Priestesses, standing by the kitchen table, were clearly excited to see what kind of magical gourmet creation—perhaps another magnificent burger—I would whip up.
Certainly, there was excitement about the new menu, but
most of the Female Priestesses at the Artemis Temple have a favorable impression of me due to the hamburger recipe I shared.
As such, these Female Priestesses tend to fulfill any of my usual requests.
This is why it’s important to maintain good relations with those around you.
“Well, ladies, I’ll carry on from here. Thank you.”
“Yes, thank you for your efforts.”
With that, the Female Priestesses exited, closing the door behind them.
The moment the door shut, I began my preparations to make tteokbokki.
Though I had easily procured the rice cakes and seasoning ingredients from Liam’s Trading Company,
the challenge was with the fishcake.
Yesterday, I ground up fish, mixed it with starch and flour, and baked it. The result was a commendably chewy fishcake.
Now, let’s begin cooking.
A spoonful of gochujang and red pepper flakes, two and a half spoonfuls of soy sauce.
And the key point—sugar!
When you bite into tteokbokki, the flavor should start spicy and finish sweet for the best taste.
I threw three spoonfuls of sugar into the boiling pot.
After stirring a few times with a ladle, it quickly turned into a vibrant red broth.
As the broth began to bubble, I added the tteok, fishcakes, onion, green onions, and boiled eggs.
“Since I don’t have instant noodles, I prepared pasta—but putting pasta in here and calling it ‘ra-bbokki’ wouldn’t be right, would it?”
Pasta is on hold.
That’s an adventure I’ll try later, after I taste it myself.
Finally, I let the ingredients simmer so that the seasonings blend well.
While the tteokbokki bubbled, I decided to finish up the assorted fried foods.
“Does it look like the batter’s sticking properly?”
The Female Priestesses had neatly prepared shrimp, peppers, squid, potatoes, and more, all coated in egg mixture and breadcrumbs.
As I dropped them into the hot oil one by one, they began to fry up golden brown in no time.
After frying for the appropriate time, I removed them and drained the excess oil.
The fried foods, steaming and glistening with a golden hue, stimulated my saliva glands.
I arranged the tteokbokki and assorted fried foods onto plates and neatly placed them on the restaurant table next to the kitchen.
Smiling contentedly at the meals I prepared myself,
“Is the food ready?” came a voice.
A pretty old familiar insect flew into the restaurant, opening the door with a loud bang.
She must have an incredible sense of smell for cooking.
Still, she had one notable strength:
Her reactions!
During our camping trip at the summit, her reaction to the hamburgers was absolutely stellar.
I’m really looking forward to seeing how she reacts this time.
“Sit down. The food is still very hot.”
“Hee hee!”
Curiosity brimming, Artemis, holding forks in both hands, began scanning the food on the table.
“What’s this yellow thing?”
“It’s fried food.”
“The frying’s different from what I know, though.”
This world also has frying. Early medieval frying here simply means submerging ingredients in oil.
“The ingredients are battered with egg and breadcrumbs before frying.”
“Huh? Even so, it’s still frying, what’s so different?”
Already aware of frying, she quickly lost interest in my fried assortment.
But what she knows and what she doesn’t—she’ll soon learn that even the batter alone can be delicious.
“What’s this?”
This time, the fork points to the tteokbokki.
“It’s called tteokbokki. Take a bite. It might just surprise you.”
“Alright, let’s try…”
Artemis speared a piece of green onion with her fork.
Why start with the vegetables? I was about to wonder when
the next thing she did was spear tteok and fishcake in succession, making an improvised skewer.
Opening her mouth wide, she began eating the tteok and fishcake piece by piece.
As she rhythmically chewed the rice cakes and fishcake, nodding her head,
she suddenly stiffened, her eyes widening as though struck by lightning.
“How’s the taste? Edible?”
“…”
Ignoring me, she picked up another piece of tteok and shoved it into her mouth.
She chewed the chewy tteok multiple times, savoring the texture as if it was made of pumpkin candy.
She repeated the process, this time with the fishcake.
“The smooth texture of the rice cakes as they slip down your throat—it feels like eating a silky piece of tofu. Plus, every bite explodes with the sweet and spicy flavors.”
“That… sounds about right.”
“And this fishcake.”
She pointed at the fishcake I had clumsily made and continued talking.
“The texture is soft yet chewy—it’s excellent. It crumbles softly when you bite it. Did you make it with fish?”
“Eh, yes…”
Impressive.
Not only did Artemis recognize the difference between glutinous and regular rice cakes without me telling her,
but she also identified the main ingredient of my handmade fishcake through its texture and taste.
How do I say this…
It feels like she’s awakening to the nuances of culinary taste.
I fear her palate is becoming too discerning.
“Did you make this fried food to be dipped in the tteokbokki broth?”
What?!
She even cracked the dish combination.
Oh my…
Should I start sealing away modern cooking?
Unfazed, Artemis grinned, picked up a shrimp fry, dipped it in the tteokbokki, and took a bite.
Crunch!
The crispy batter crumbled satisfyingly in her teeth, releasing the aroma of shrimp and oil.
All that, coated with the spicy-sweet tteokbokki sauce, delivered an explosive collaboration.
“Mmm~! So good!! That’s it!”
Her hands cupping her cheeks, Artemis wore an expression of pure bliss.
But her girlish demeanor was fleeting.
In the blink of an eye, she transformed into a hunter, devouring everything on the table.
She first finished all the tteok, fishcake, and vegetables,
then proceeded to dip the fried foods in the tteokbokki broth, mastering the process.
She ate every seasoning until there was nothing left—not even requiring me to wash the dishes.
And it all happened in five minutes.
What had I just witnessed?
Bang!
She slammed the table with her fists, still clutching her fork.
The fork pointed upwards towards the ceiling, sharper than ever before.
“More!!”
“…”
“More!!”
Though Artemis seemed to know that her behavior was a bit embarrassing,
she avoided my eyes and stubbornly pounded the table.
Is this a reward for my efforts or Artemis’s rewards?
It’s amazing.
Still, what can I do?
If I get to see the beaming smile of this beautiful Artemis every day,
I’d gladly make as much tteokbokki as she wants.
“Eat your fill.”
“Yay hahahah!”
After completely emptying the pot, she finally set down the fork on her plate.
Patting her full stomach, she signaled she was satisfied.
With her cropped shirt showing off her belly, her protruding tummy seemed particularly striking today.
That mountain of a belly was ample proof of my culinary prowess, and I was pleased by it.
Though it was a feast of maidens lacking Athena and Hestia,
it was still a success.
Now it’s time to prepare for the future with Artemis.
I took a letter from my pocket and placed it in front of her.
“Artemis, read this first.”
“It’s from Hestia. She didn’t come to my temple, so it must be a refusal reply.”
She exaggeratedly indicated we were alone in the dining room and logically deduced.
But as she was about to hand it back, saying there was no need to read it,
I stopped her and insisted she read at least the last part, the postscript.
Artemis, who dislikes anything bothersome after a full meal, glared at me.
When I tapped the empty plate, she realized it was a tteokbokki bribe and reluctantly started reading.
“Hmm… concerning Metis. Anyone could have guessed that. And the dismissal of Ark… what?! Ark’s dismissal?! Who made this decision?!”
Fuming at the absurd suggestion, Artemis crumpled the letter and tossed it to the floor.
Picking it up again was my job.
What is it with that temper?
“This is an overreach! Who has the authority to dismiss my Priest?! How audacious!”
“Hera will be hosting the general meeting, this must be her agenda.”
“H, Hera-sama?! Even Hera-sama…”
Artemis, exploding like a volcano upon hearing of my dismissal,
instantly transformed from an active volcano into a dormant one upon hearing the name Hera.
What is the temperature change about?
Let’s confirm this again.
“Ark’s dismissal matter.”
“Overreach!!”
“Hera-sama.”
“That’s a bit…”
“…”
Hera’s name causes her voice to shrink.
Her pupils dart around, and her body even trembles subtly.
Her restless demeanor is infecting me with anxiety.
Is she like the school prefect or something?
“Artemis, are you… afraid of Hera?”
“N, not afraid! It’s just… Hera-sama makes me uncomfortable.”
“You call Hestia just ‘Hestia,’ but you use the honorific with Hera?”
“Shh! You also call deities by their names!”
“That’s a good point.”
Sure, there were people in my modern life who made me feel awkward and uneasy.
Since everyone has someone they don’t mesh well with, I’ll let this slide.
“In any case, I want to attend the upcoming Olympus emergency general meeting.”
Athena said humans not sanctioned by Olympus cannot go.
But since there’s a chance my dismissal will go through,
I need to attend that meeting, somehow.
“Ark, you can’t go, you’re human.”
“Yes. Hera probably had that in mind. But how about this?”
“What is it?”
As I wiggled my finger, Artemis leaned in to hear closer.
“It’s about this…”
