The Personal Chef of the Sorceress Who Can’t Eat Alone

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During the winter, the port of Obsidianberry was quiet.

It couldn’t be any other way.

When it came to the open sea beyond the harbor, no one would be foolish enough to brave the hysterical waves of winter and the monsters stirred by them, traveling between islands and continents.

Of course, as usual, there were a few exceptions.

There were those who absolutely had to take a ship, even in winter.

And then there were the sailors seizing the opportunity to catch some quick money by targeting such people.

From those who received irresistible payments that left a bad taste in their mouths, to anyone else you could think of.

But unusually, there didn’t seem to be any of those people this winter.

Consequently, aside from fishing boats returning from the sea and a few others, the port was eerily quiet.

However, as winter came to an end and life surged forth once more.

As the weather began to warm up, the harbor became crowded with ships trying to dock and the numerous people and cargo they brought with them.

Laborers from the Kingdom of Seophone and many others from the continent.

And to draw even one more laborer, employers and wagons, carts from lumberyards and mines all over Iceland breathed life back into the city in an instant.

On one side of the port, a hundred people were busy preparing for the long-awaited visit of an envoy from Adobice for a contract renewal after several years.

Those seeing this spectacle for the first time couldn’t help but frown.

But soon they couldn’t help but smile.

After all, no one could maintain a sour face when faced with fully armored soldiers and knights, with flags and seals embroidered on their armor.

However, the practice drill couldn’t go on forever.

By lunchtime, those directing the welcoming party alongside Alfred suddenly ordered the dispersal.

After all, people needed to eat.

Karem, who had been standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Catherine and Mary in the welcoming party, was no exception.

Reaching a quiet corner of the harbor, Mary quickly distributed the lunch that had been packed in a basket.

Today’s lunch was empanada.

A Spanish-style dumpling stuffed generously with spiced minced beef, cheese, and onions, also referred to as meat pie.

Naturally, it was spicy according to Karem’s standards, given that Catherine, known for her weak spice tolerance, was the reference.

Even though it’s delicious food, too much of a good thing can quickly lead to boredom.

Catherine, who was initially thrilled about the fresh seafood, began to tire of it as Karem had anticipated.

Thanks to the gourmet lid that kept the food piping hot, the empanadas still felt warm like they had just come out of the oven.

The double-baked, crispy butter pastry, with the rich juices of the savory minced beef spilling out and the warm, stretchy cheese that maintained its elasticity, made Catherine smile involuntarily.

“Ah, after a long day’s work, rich meat and cheese? Surely, no one would refuse this. But I think I’m getting used to the spice now.”

“Not quite up to my standards, though.”

Karem mumbled absently before biting into an empanada.

Crispy, did they adjust the spice for Catherine? It barely had a hint of flavor.

For the boy, it felt like he was biting into raw peppers that had just been sautéed and then removed.

Catherine looked at Karem with exasperated eyes.

“Kid. You’re the one who insists on eating things too hot. Just thinking of that blood-red seasoning makes me fearful.”

“The men in the Great Hall eat just fine, especially the knights.”

“It’s merely added to their ignorant brawn, who view excessive drinking as a symbol of strength.”

Considering how he seemed to be getting accustomed to the spice, despite her firm words, Catherine herself was slowly acclimating.

The reason was none other than Karem’s manipulations.

After all, he had been steadily increasing the amount, bit by bit, every other day, until it had grown to about double what he had first eaten in Coldon.

Though, to Karem, this was merely a slight change, the boy decided to be patient.

After all, it was all part of a buildup to introduce kimchi, anyway.

Step by step would work just fine. Step by step.

“But, don’t we have any sauce?”

“Funny you should ask, I’ve prepared something for that.”

To that end, Karem first presented a mayonnaise sauce he had adjusted the spice level for.

It was the dip sauce developed by Zigmeser for the legendary “Pepper Baked Chicken” from his previous life.

“This is the goblin sauce made by Zigmeser.”

“Goblin? Why on earth would you call it that?”

“I believe it’s named after the relentless umami that stays like the life force of goblins.”

Catherine shot him a dubious glance.

After all, a sauce named after goblins.

However, once she tasted the empanada that Mary had dipped, she couldn’t shake the thought away.

Thinking it would be mayonnaise because of its light color, she was surprised by its refreshing flavor.

Seeing Catherine eager for both the sauce and empanada, Karem couldn’t help but smile.

Catherine’s tastes were gradually shifting in the direction Karem desired.

‘Now, I wonder how long this practice drill will continue.’

Of course, Karem already knew the answer.

Until the envoy from Adobice arrived.

But repeating the same monotonous task morning and afternoon day in and day out inevitably led to boredom.

If only there were some changes in movement like the other knights and soldiers.

All Karem did was bow his head and salute Alfred’s signal.

In fact, that was all he did until the ceremony ended.

Though it was called a welcoming party, Karem found himself expecting something fancier.

He didn’t wish for clowns doing acrobatics or even instruments being played.

There was none of the usual rituals like tossing flowers or cheers echoing as would be typical in welcoming events for important guests.

Just the mechanical postures and formations of knights and soldiers, followed by salutes.

That was really all there was.

And that morning, Karem had saluted toward the sea dozens of times, with plans to do it again in the afternoon. And he had been repeating this for days.

At ten, now eleven years old, Karem’s instincts couldn’t handle this act, and he felt his body itching to burst out with a wild urge.

As Karem grumbled, Catherine, who had just pulled a string of melted cheese from her empanada that Mary held, reprimanded him.

“How can you not stand there and salute comfortably? Are you a brat?”

“I am a kid, eleven years old, thank you very much.”

“Childish—no wait. You really are a child, huh?”

Now that she thought about it, it was true. Despite behaving so maturely, this little boy was, without a doubt, a child.

Of course, technically speaking, this was no incorrect statement based on their current ages.

As Catherine realized the fact she’d been overlooking out of sheer familiarity, she regarded Karem with newfound surprise.

Feeling Katherine’s now-familiar gaze, Karem stared at the wide expanse of the sea visible between the warehouses.

Despite being brand new to him, the ocean was strikingly similar to the one he’d seen in his past life when he was Garam, where the waves were named fierce.

The sea was as bustling as the harbor.

Indeed, every person overflowing in the port had arrived on departing ships, and more vessels were coming in as well—

“Huh? Something seems different.”

“What’s up, kid?”

Karem silently pointed toward the horizon across the sea.

Two, or perhaps three ships, passing through the Obsidianberry port were not particularly different.

However, as he watched the vessels on the horizon drawing closer at an angle, the differences became clearer.

First off, the shapes of the ships were different.

The ships Karem had seen so far looked like they were crudely pulled back and forth, with dark and white eyes painted on parts of the bow that touched the sea.

And regardless of their size, none had the figureheads they usually adorned.

Instead, he noticed a U-shaped structure facing the front, appearing to cross the sea.

“Is that replacing the figurehead?”

“Hey, kid. That’s good news.”

Catherine, still chewing on the last half of the empanada Mary offered, swallowed and spoke.

“You won’t have to practice anymore. Only the real deal is left.”

“Wait, does that mean those ships—?”

“They’re the envoys from the Kingdom of Adobice who have come all the way here. Mary, just in case, let the lord know too.”

“Yes, Contractor.”

There was nothing for Catherine to worry about.

By the time Karem returned with her to the port, the bustling crowd was all gone, leaving only those preparing to welcome the envoys standing in line.

As the diagonal ship of Adobice approached, even the grumbling people straightened themselves, whispering quietly to each other.

“The shapes of those ships are definitely different.”

“Look at the sails’ symbols first.”

While the ships going in and out of the harbor had many white, striped, or checkered sails, the envoy of Adobice sailed as one fleet, all with the same emblem drawn on a white background.

An inverted triangle surrounded by halos emitting light.

The emblem representing the Kingdom of Adobice and its divine king throughout generations.

“A royal emblem? So it’s directly under the divine king’s fleet, right?”

“That isn’t inaccurate. The treasurer solely manages the king’s personal assets, thus the divine king’s fleet will naturally guard it.”

“Oh.”

Impressed by the scale larger than he had anticipated, Karem quietly marveled.

Before long, the exotic ships began to dock at the pier in turn.

As the murmuring crowd hushed when the knights began bellowing orders and discreetly striking down on them, silence quickly fell.

Now, even Karem, in his small stature, could see the bustling figures moving above the Adobice fleet.

Though they hailed from the desert lands and were bundled up in thick clothing, their identities were unmistakable.

Their copper-toned skin that the dreary Icelandic skies could not conceal.

Long, pointed ears sticking out as if extending back.

Distinct, beautifully structured faces that could undeniably be called beautiful.

‘Dark Elf?’

Of course, not everyone was a Dark Elf.

In terms of ratio, it was more like four Dark Elves to six other races.

Yet, every single one of them donned attire that steeped in Middle-Eastern and Egyptian essence.

Perhaps due to the heat from the hot, fiery desert country, most of them appeared to wear clothing suited for winter in Iceland, unlike the few others from various regions.

The first ship to dock at the pier lowered its gangplank.

Upon it marched a group of soldiers and warriors escorting a batch of people.

Marching with unwavering discipline, soldiers in ordinary armor stood aside as warriors clad in Egyptian-style full-body armor with no visible eye holes joined the welcoming line.

Beside them, attendants adorned in rich clothing decorated with jewels and gold ornaments also moved aside, revealing the envoy they had long awaited.

‘Hmm?’

Karem felt perplexed.

He lowered his head at the voice rising from below.

“The air is heavy, the weather is damp, and the sun’s grace cannot be seen—the muddy backwaters of Europa remain as inhospitable as ever.”

Oh, it was just someone on the shorter side.

The face of a Dark Elf girl—beautiful in proportions like a sculpture crafted from copper—wore a mocking smile despite the gloom of the weather.

It was the kind of voice that sounded annoyingly grating.

As the girl scanned the surroundings, she approached Alfred and placed her hand over her heart, bowing slightly.

“May the sun and moonlight ever shine upon you, Lord Alfred. Even so, I have told you several times that the simplicity of Iceland can’t be hidden, and you needn’t have gone through all this effort, really.”

“Hmm, well, I’m glad this winter was safe. Nepanek. I minimized the welcoming ceremony this time, so bear with this much.”

For a brief moment, Karem clearly saw it.

Veins stood prominently on Alfred’s forehead.

Noticing this, Nepanek simply smiled and shook her head as if to say it was unavoidable.

Something tickled Karem’s mind. Someone who liked to rile people up came to mind—

Before he could delve deeper into these thoughts, the welcoming ceremony began, and he set his mind to focus on that instead.

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