novelraw Chapter 98 - 100 Miracles Dish
Chapter 98 - 100 Miracles Dish
Back in the room of the nameless guild leader, Adam was still holding the rainbow fish, which hadn’t stopped moving; even though it had been out of the water for over two hours, it was still alive.
It showed no signs of weakness... or exhaustion.
It was as if it could breathe just as easily in the water as out of it... It really was a rather unique fish, capable even of creating an illusion like the one before.
Claire, flicking her cloak and darting her eyes from side to side, spoke:
"And now, how are you going to save him?"
Adam looked over at the man, who was still breathing heavily; his chest rose and fell at a steady pace... He could understand her concern; his father had been in a similar situation.
It was not an unfamiliar situation to him.
He let out a long sigh and said:
"I need a kitchen."
"..."
Claire stared at him; her expression was as if she’d just heard the most absurd thing in the world.
"...Really?"
Adam tilted his head, his expression unchanged. What he’d just said might sound absurd, but it was true: far in the future, a man would discover this rainbow fish and invent a single dish.
Called the "100 Miracles Dish," the name wasn’t because it could perform that many miracles.
...But that single dish could cure any illness, so cases of poisoning didn’t apply; that was quite curious.
Because if that dish could cure poisoning, Adam wouldn’t hesitate to use it on his father; as far as he was concerned, that leader could die and be thrown into the river, and he wouldn’t care in the least.
There was no conflict in that thought... just a matter of priority.
He pushed his thoughts aside and finally replied:
"This fish is extremely poisonous, so it requires special preparation; once it’s ready, we’ll give it to your leader."
Claire was silent for a moment before saying:
Her gaze lingered on him, sizing him up more carefully than before.
"Even though you look so young, your attitude contradicts that; it’s as if you were much older."
If only you knew that this is my second life, what kind of face would you make?
The thought crossed her mind with an almost ironic undertone. Adam shrugged without answering.
"Better show me the kitchen, or do you want him to keep suffering?"
...
After going down to the first floor and being led to the guild’s kitchen, which was nothing to write home about.
The place didn’t have the same tense atmosphere as the second floor, but it wasn’t exactly cozy either... it was simply functional.
There was a small, worn wooden table, simple knives, some herbs and spices, and a blackened cast-iron skillet... along with other necessary kitchen utensils.
Everything showed signs of constant use, with no regard for aesthetics.
Nothing fancy, but enough to prepare a good meal.
And that... was more than enough for Adam.
He stretched his body and placed the fish on the wooden table, but before he began to prepare it, he lit the fire.
His movements were calm and deliberate, as if there were no rush.
He picked up a few pieces of wood and began to light them. Not long after, the fire began to crackle softly.
The sound filled the small space, breaking the silence with a steady rhythm.
With the rainbow trout resting on the table.
Its presence stood out even in such a simple place.
It didn’t move one bit, yet it wasn’t completely lifeless either; its colors weren’t static. They glided gently across its surface, as if the light weren’t touching it, but rather emanating from within.
As if it were still... alive in a way they didn’t understand.
Adam watched it in silence; a moment before picking up the knife, he placed his hand on the fish’s head and, gently, made the first cut.
It wasn’t a hasty movement... it was almost ritualistic.
The blade sliced through the flesh without resistance, while the fish’s eyes slowly lost focus until they were empty; it seemed it had finally died.
There was no twitch. There was no struggle.
As the blade pierced it, a light, multicolored substance slid onto the cutting board.
It wasn’t blood... or at least, not as I knew it.
Now that I’ve removed the most poisonous part, I don’t have to worry.
The thought came with the confidence of someone who knew exactly what they were doing.
He continued: his movements were precise, measured, almost mechanical. Every cut was deliberate. He wasted nothing. He didn’t rush.
It wasn’t cooking... it was absolute control.
Synes was sitting in a corner, legs crossed, watching him with a faint smile, her cheek resting on the palm of her hand.
She didn’t seem like a casual observer... she was enjoying the process.
"Cooking something like this...?"
She murmured.
Her tone held a mix of curiosity... and amusement.
"What a curious concept."
There was no mockery in his words, only a genuine interest in something out of the ordinary.
Of course, it was curious, given the unconventional preparation. Being such a unique fish, it required a unique preparation; that’s why Adam was taking his time, careful not to make even the slightest mistake.
He couldn’t afford to fail... not with something like this.
He continued preparing the fish, scaling it and removing the organs and gills that were exposed after he’d cut off its head. After doing all that, he made several diagonal cuts with the knife on both sides.
Each step followed a specific order, as if he had done it before.
"Now it’s ready."
Adam smiled with satisfaction at having finished the first part; all that was left was to add salt and some spices that weren’t too overpowering.
Since the fire was already going, he placed a skillet over it and carefully poured in lard, which was the easiest to find and the most economical.
The oil began to heat up immediately, casting a faint sheen over the blackened iron.
Then he added the fish, and the sound was soft, but... strange. It wasn’t the usual sizzle of meat hitting hot oil.
It was quieter... more subdued.
As he began to sauté, a rich, delicious aroma filled the kitchen, while the smoke rising from the pan was multicolored.
It didn’t disperse like normal smoke... it moved slowly, as if it had weight.
Both the smoke and the smell were otherworldly, so alluring and appetizing that even Adam felt his stomach begin to growl loudly.
It wasn’t ordinary hunger... it was something deeper.
The same was true of the mercenaries present, whose saliva could be seen dripping from the corners of their mouths.
Their eyes were fixed on the frying pan... unable to look away.
But that wasn’t the most impressive thing... the rainbow fish hadn’t changed in the slightest; its many colors remained the same, as if the oil couldn’t take away its beauty.
As if the fire... couldn’t affect it.
After a few minutes, the fish was done frying; Adam took it out of the pan and placed it on a wooden plate, as a light, multicolored smoke rose from the dish.
He turned to the mercenaries and said:
"All right, let’s heal their leader."
...
Once again, in the room where the leader of this mercenary guild lay on a simple bed, covered with thin blankets, his chest rising and falling at a steady pace.
The atmosphere remained heavy, thick with that lingering scent of herbs, blood... and something that was already too close to death.
"Here, give him all the fish."
Adam handed the plate to Claire, who took it without saying a word... but he had noticed a glimmer of hope; perhaps it was because their leader was finally going to get better, though he wasn’t sure of that.
Claire gave several instructions on how to position the leader so he could eat without choking; after that, she prepared to feed him the magical fish Adam had brought.
Her movements were quick but careful, as if she feared that even the slightest mistake might make the situation worse.
"Cough... cough... Claire, what is this?"
The leader’s voice came out weak as he coughed violently, and a trickle of blood ran from the corner of his mouth.
Every word seemed to be a struggle for him.
"This is to cure you of your illness, so eat it all; if you do, you will make a full recovery."
"..."
The leader fell silent for a moment before speaking again.
He seemed to be weighing something... beyond words.
"Cough... What kind of deal... cough, did you make to cure me?"
He wasn’t asking out of curiosity... he was asking about the price.
Claire bit her lip and then replied:
A look of doubt flashed across her face for a brief moment.
"Our guild..."
Adam watched the exchange in silence until he felt the dying man’s gaze; in those eyes, he could see the experience of someone who had constantly hovered between life and death.
It wasn’t the gaze of someone afraid to die... but of someone who had already survived too many times.
"What did you ask?"
"I ask the leader," he said.
"Who knows... why don’t you eat first, and then we’ll talk? What do you say?"
The leader nodded and began to eat the magical fish.