READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 55
Traditions can differ greatly depending on culture and history.
But just like anywhere people live.
There are certainly similarities in customs.
Wherever one goes, the etiquette of hospitality remains the same.
The host treats the guests well, and the guests don’t threaten the host.
Although there are a few exceptions, this tradition is still respected even by tribes in remote areas untouched by civilization.
And this holds true even in another world.
At least, that’s how Karem has experienced it so far.
A sudden encounter with the youngest princess.
For some reason, Alfred Felwinter, who had visited frequently before my mayonnaise fiasco, is now here along with various other guests at the Wizard’s Tower.
When guests arrive, Karem’s duties are simple.
Prepare some light snacks or a meal, and Mary takes care of the serving.
And he thought it would be just like that again this time.
But that’s not what happened.
Catherine, upon returning to the Wizard’s Tower, arrived at the reception room and immediately spat her tongue in disapproval at the old man seated there.
“Karem! If you have any rock-hard bread from ten days ago, bring it out! That’s all I have for this disaster of a grandpa!”
“Y-Yes, of course… um?”
What did I just hear? A weapon?
The old man calmly spoke up despite the words being directed at him.
“Reaching sagehood seems to have buried any potential I may have had deep underground. What a shame, unable to even serve a warm wine to guests.”
“Old man, how can you spout such nonsense when you keep thinking about the trouble you’ve caused?”
“Catherine Calendula Athanatos. Where has your respect for your master gone amidst all your skills?”
“Respect? I’d rather think of all the incidents you’ve put me through! My magical energy could burst from the tension I’ve built just thinking about it!”
“Ah, but isn’t it your issue if you can’t control your own energy after such incidents? Care for a bit more apprenticeship under me?”
Crack— The moment those words left the old man’s mouth, Catherine’s temple visibly throbbed.
Immediately, Catherine shot a small icicle in his direction.
“Hahahaha! You old man! This time, I’m going to pluck that beard right out!”
“Not a chance! Hah!”
The old man waved dismissively as the approaching icicles disintegrated into countless sparkling butterflies, fluttering back towards their original caster.
Thus began a miniaturized, flashy war between Catherine and the old man.
The magical battle that unfolded across the table was mesmerizing.
A fiery butterfly became a lightning bolt that was deflected, while the old man scattered the lightning into sand before converging it into swirling water to fire back.
Catherine snapped her fingers, and a burst of leaves caught aflame like arrows, while the old man refracted them back with a flat stone slate.
Witnessing true mages at war, Karem initially gazed in shock but quickly calmed down as the skirmish continued.
After all, observing the old man’s balding beard and Catherine, claiming to be hundreds of years old, was quite the amusing sight.
It felt like watching preschoolers who didn’t want to lose to each other.
Small spells exchanged atop the hospitality table, eliciting a small sigh from Karem.
It really did feel childish.
Mary seemed to think the same, as she stared at Karem with exasperation before gesturing towards the door of the reception room.
The meaning didn’t even need to be articulated; it was clear.
Karem silently agreed and exited the reception room with Mary.
“What on earth happened in the past to make them like this…”
“It’s not really our concern. But hey, Karem, are we really bringing that out?”
“What? What do you mean?”
“The one the contractor instructed to serve for hospitality.”
“Ah, the ten-day-old baguette? Isn’t that what we should do?”
Mary’s expression soured at that thought.
It could have meant she would treat them poorly, and given how Catherine was treating the old man, it wasn’t far off.
But, as luck would have it, they happened to have that very bread.
Not just any day-old bread; it had become a hard, weapon-like object.
This wasn’t exactly intentional, but rather kind of a coincidence.
Of course, there were various reasons behind it.
The bread, left unattended in the storage room, was in a cool and dry environment, and for a time, jam doughnuts had occupied the dining table.
Or perhaps they simply forgot while trying to recreate the flavors of modern cuisine.
“But if we really serve that to the guests…”
“It would be a fitting punishment.”
“True that.”
However, serving such a weapon to guests was certainly not an ideal scenario.
Moreover, it wouldn’t be good to treat guests poorly either.
While it might not be impossible, it would still feel wrong.
Then suddenly, Mary had an epiphany.
“Although, if there was going to be punishment, it should have been issued long ago.”
“Hmm, that’s true.”
Mary looked down at the table with a scrunched-up face.
“I can’t believe we’re actually going to serve this bread as it is.”
“Trust me, there won’t be any left to eat.”
With that reassurance, Mary nodded and began to wield the saw.
The bread had turned so hard that no bread knife could penetrate it.
But in front of the brownie with a saw, it was a different story.
With Mary’s strength, skill, and the tools in hand, the immovable bread was diced into bite-sized pieces that stacked up on the board.
Meanwhile, Karem hadn’t been lazy either.
He chopped a ton of garlic, sprinkled a little salt, and crushed it before throwing it into a bowl filled with melted butter.
Mary muttered, drenched in resignation.
“Here we go with garlic again, huh?”
“Here we go with garlic again.”
Garlic bread.
You can’t make garlic bread without garlic.
You need enough to make your mouth burn without getting tired of eating it.
Karem generously spread the honey-butter-garlic mix onto the stony slices of bread.
Usually, Mary would have been bouncing with excitement whenever making treats with bread, but not this time.
As much as the house fairy loved bread, chewing on something so hard would have been too much even for a brownie. Luckily, Karem didn’t stop there.
The garlic-honey-covered stony pieces of bread went into a hot oven and soon began to emit an enticing aroma.
Watching quietly, Mary closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
The sweetness emanating from the heated honey, the nutty and oily smell of the butter, and the pungent aroma of the garlic that spices things up.
“I always say this, but if it’s not baking, my cooking is better than Mary’s, you know?”
“Karem, I’ve never once doubted that.”
“Liar. You always try to sabotage me the moment something happens.”
“That’s just… hmm. It’s the instinct of a brownie.”
Just like a bear and a tiger driving out a competitor from their territory.
It was filled with a deep-seated desire for the house fairy to reclaim her space in the kitchen since Karem had taken over.
It implied that this would continue into the future as Karem shook his head and pulled the garlic bread out.
The crust turned a rich brown.
The inside gleamed a deep yellow, saturated in butter, honey, and garlic.
It could be eaten as is, but that was nonsense.
Karem quickly reheated the remaining seasoning and generously poured it over the garlic bread.
Naturally, the aroma intensified further.
Mary, who had been quietly patient, began to squirm uncontrollably.
In the reception room, a small war had unfolded, and sensing it was reaching the end, the two mages withdrew their powers simultaneously and grumbled.
“I didn’t realize time had passed while cooped up in the laboratory, causing troubles and accidents like some old man.”
“Well, of course. Jealousy of this old man lurks everywhere.”
“Quit the nonsense, Olivier.”
“Eh? You’re young, yet so impatient. Where have you sold your title of being a master?”
Hohoho. The old man Olivier stroked his beard, laughing heartily.
Catherine nearly snapped again but managed to hold her tongue.
What began as a mere test of skills turned into a contest of sorts.
Knowing this, they both aimed to get to the point.
“Well, thankfully, the fight has stopped now.”
“Hmm? Speaking of which, when did you leave?”
Before Mary returned to the reception room with Karem, they were…
“…But Mary.”
“Yes?”
“What are you holding in your mouth?”
With a long piece of garlic bread in her mouth, Mary blinked rapidly before chewing quickly and replying.
“I was testing whether there’s poison in the garlic bread.”
“What, more garlic? What poison is even—”
“I’ll set up the plates and wash my hands for the water bowl.”
Ignoring Catherine’s questions, Mary briskly went about her tasks.
It wasn’t particularly important, so Catherine changed the subject.
“Kid. I definitely asked for bread that’s at least ten days old.”
“No, seriously? Those are technically ten days old toughened bread too.”
“Where do you see anything that’s golden brown?”
“Mary sawed it up, and I poured the sauce and baked it in the oven.”
“You didn’t say not to cook it, did you?”
Catherine unconsciously nodded at her nonchalant response.
Well, she hadn’t exactly given that instruction. Still, it felt a tad annoying.
“Hey. Are you saying you turned this into ten-day-old bread?”
“Yes. Aah, the hardness should be fine. After being sauced and baked, it’s crispy.”
In that moment, Karem wondered if it was truly fine, but as he saw Olivier chomp down on the garlic bread, he felt somewhat reassured.
The garlic bread was surprisingly crispy, despite being ten days old, even in the cold, dry climate of Iceland.
Flavor wise, it was passing.
However, it was quite sticky and tended to cling to his teeth.
For Olivier, who had strong teeth, this wasn’t much of an issue.
The strong flavors suited him well, and the ample garlic aroma actually became a plus for someone who enjoyed thick tastes.
The only problem was that it felt a bit suffocating in the throat, but that could be resolved with the water glass Mary provided.
“Karem, was it?”
“Yes. If there’s anything you need…”
“It tastes plenty good. Just a bit of salt would improve it.”
Karem agreed with Olivier’s comment.
After all, a hint of salt could awaken the flavors contained in the sweet dish.
“What’s with the salt? Can’t you just state your purpose plainly?”
“Hmm. The hospitality was satisfactory. Now, let’s see.”
Leaning his staff against the table, Olivier reached into his cloak.
And out came a familiar scroll.
It was silk, sealed with wax bearing the Felwinter family crest.
Wasn’t this the decree Catherine had shown?
“That’s right. I’d appreciate it if you could place me in a room far from the windows.”
“Old man, what trouble have you brought to this corner this time?”
“Well, my employer, the grand noble, tried to skip out on payments…”
“Don’t beat around the bush! If I inform my master, a mere contract—”
“I merely released control over the chimera ordered. It just caused a little trouble.”
“So the other party broke the contract first, huh? Then there’s nothing that can be done.”
To hear he had caused chaos for the grand noble, such a response?
In contrast to Karem’s feelings, even Mary nodded in acceptance, as if okay, the contract got broken, nothing to be done here.
“Geez, Mary. Prepare the old man’s room.”
“Of course, Olivier. This way, please.”
But no matter what,
Mary was already leaving the reception room with Olivier.
Didn’t he just cause trouble for the grand noble, and they’re letting it go this easily?
“Kid! Why are you standing there like a deer caught in headlights?”
“I… I don’t know.”
“Don’t give me that. Come over here.”
For a moment, closing his eyes and discarding sense, Karem took Mary’s place at the table, serving the two.
Of course, with three people just as they are, that seemed like how it ought to be.
Naturally, it wasn’t, but Karem simply accepted it.