Elpina, a trainee taking Kang Jinwoo’s cooking class, “El’s Kitchen.”
Also known by another name... “El-Brat No. 1,” she had been harboring doubts.
Until she saw the umami bomb before her eyes: onion soup.
“I... I had no idea it would be this kind of soup.”
In the elven society of Noirdel, onion soup was considered on the same level as vegetable stew.
The pan was barely hot enough to warm the vegetables, much less sauté them properly.
A tiny sprinkle of salt went in, and if the elf cared about flavor at all, perhaps a pinch of precious pepper.
Then, if you tore off a little lump of water-and-flour dough and boiled it together?
Wow! Noirdel-style vegetable stew—yellow-dog slop—complete!
The half-released starch from the carrots and potatoes, the sticky viscosity of the flour.
The pale, watery broth, yellowish like snot, was enough to kill even an appetite that hadn’t existed in the first place.
Before Kang Jinwoo’s “elf enlightenment movement,” she had eaten even that vegetable stew without thinking twice.
But thanks to Kang Jinwoo’s food, Elpina had opened her eyes. She was an enlightened elf now.
To someone like her, Noirdel-style vegetable stew, onion soup, Elskit, and so on...
There was a reason her homeland’s cookbooks were suspiciously thin.
Elpina could no longer eat Noirdel’s traditional food.
The new wind Kang Jinwoo had brought with him: tomato sauce and pizza, ratatouille, risotto.
Only Earth’s European cuisine could satisfy her palate now.
In that sense, Kang Jinwoo’s remark about “onion soup” had been quite a shock.
“Why... why would you leave all the delicious dishes aside and make that snot?!”
She had even given up sleeping in that morning, come out at dawn, and spent ages chopping onions.
And all of that had been for the sake of making that dreadful onion soup?
That was why Elpina had been deeply disappointed when Kang Jinwoo said he was making onion soup.
Of course, she did not show it.
If she did, Kang Jinwoo’s elf-hating verbal abuse and curses would come pouring down on her.
Hiding every trace of dissatisfaction, Elpina quietly watched the cooking while listening to Kang Jinwoo’s explanation.
It did not take her long to realize.
The onion soup being created by Kang Jinwoo’s hands was an entirely different dish from the one she knew.
The onions were sautéed until they turned a deep brown.
But they were not burnt; this was called “caramelizing.”
The browned scraps stuck to the bottom of the pan were called “fond,” and they were scraped together.
To scrape up that fond more easily and dissolve all the umami remaining in the pan, he performed a “deglaze.”
A feast of professional terms and cooking techniques poured out in the blink of an eye.
Elpina forgot even her complaints and tried desperately to cram that knowledge into her brain.
Before long, as if by magic, the flavor of the onions began to change.
It was not that raw onions had no sweetness, but they were spicy and had a sharp bite as well.
But the brown onions Kang Jinwoo had caramelized... were sweet.
And on top of that, an umami she had never sensed before was wafting powerfully from the onions.
At that point, Elpina cast away her doubts.
And in her heart, she cried out.
“Great Jinwoo! I believed in you!”
When he scolded her, he said terrible things that were hard to even repeat,
and even though she worked hard, he always only picked on her.
But in the end, the reason she had entered “El’s Kitchen” was Kang Jinwoo’s cooking skill.
Elpina did not regret her choice.
It seemed El-Brat No. 2, Luena, beside her, felt more or less the same.
The closer the onion soup came to completion, the more Elpina and Luena pestered him.
“All right, it’s done.”
And so Kang Jinwoo’s onion soup was placed before them.
At that fragrance, which seemed to pierce past her nasal membranes and stab directly into her central nervous system, Elpina shuddered.
“Th-this is soup made only with those onions?”
The onions I chopped can turn into a dish this beautiful?
Like freshly fallen snow no one had yet stepped on, the cheese had melted into a fine, smooth form.
The pieces of bread faintly exposed where the cheese had been sprinkled more thinly had been toasted crisp once, then soaked up the soup’s broth until they were soft.
That flavor of dipping something crispy into delicious broth—a pleasure known only to those in the know.
Elpina, whose horizons of taste had broadened through Kang Jinwoo’s food, could guess at least a little of its destructive power.
Gulp—
As if swallowing the saliva that had pooled across her tongue, she wanted to scoop that onion soup into her mouth until it was full.
Appetite surged in Elpina’s eyes.
Tap—
A portion of onion soup was ladled out for her, and a spoon was set down.
The moment everyone’s servings were prepared and the tasting began, she picked up her spoon faster than anyone else.
Haaap—!
And just as she had imagined, she stuffed her mouth full.
“Mffbub!!”
“Oh, for—El-Brat!!! When are you going to become a proper person, huh?! When!! It’s obviously hot just by looking at it!”
Dribble—
The instant Elpina put the onion soup in her mouth, she spat it back out.
The onion soup had already been heated continuously, then covered with cheese like a lid and melted in the oven.
The heat trapped inside was beyond imagination.
“Ugh... hoo—hoo!”
Elpina cooled the onion soup slowly, but persistently.
This time, she finally took a generous mouthful of onion soup.
“Hup, haa...!”
It was still hot, but this much was bearable.
A clean, light vegetable stock, simmered and drawn out with only onions, carrots, and celery.
Caramelized onions that exquisitely filled the slight emptiness left by that clean taste.
It was a dish without a single bit of added sugar, honey, or any other sweetener,
yet its gentle sweetness and warmth made her smile on their own.
Stock drawn separately, caramelized onions sautéed separately, soup bread toasted separately and placed on top.
Ingredients cooked individually could, with one wrong step, end up tasting as if each were going its own way.
What prevented that accident was the salt sprinkled at every stage.
A bridge connecting ingredient to ingredient, taste to taste, flavor to flavor: saltiness.
Salt, the representative of salty taste, perfectly bound together the flavors of the ingredients that had been separate before being assembled at the end.
Elpina, grinning as she spooned up the broth,
shifted her target to the bread that had soaked up plenty of soup.
The cruelty of deliberately soaking a crisp-cooked ingredient deep in broth.
But no cooking method existed without a reason, and there was a reason behind that cruelty.
The bread, brushed with olive oil and toasted crisp, carried a flavor similar to something fried in oil.
Into carbohydrates that had been toasted almost like frying and had their umami multiplied, the umami-bomb broth seeped all the way to the core.
At that point, this bread was no longer just bread.
It was something of exponential umami, where layers upon layers of flavor synergy had broken through the damage meter.
“Heek. Heeeek...”
Crunch—! Crack!
Under Elpina’s merciless spooning, the bread, which had retained only the framework of crispness, crumbled vainly.
Streeetch—!
Elpina soaked that soggy piece of bread all the way to the bottom of the soup, then lifted it up together with the cheese on the surface.
It had been sliced, fried, and drowned in water.
As if asking, “Don’t you feel sorry for this bread after all the torture it went through?” the cheese stretched out like it was clinging to her pant leg.
“Hehe. Be good and get eaten.”
Haaap—
Elpina swallowed the bread without hesitation,
then slurped up the cheese as well.
Pshuk—pyut!
Every time she chewed the bread, now thick and soggy with broth,
the soup that had been absorbed through the bread’s air pockets spurted back out in reverse.
A cheerful rebellion from the bread she had thought had resigned itself to being consumed.
A delicious revenge drama unfolded on Elpina’s tongue.
“Hup, mmph!”
Well... that was from the bread’s perspective, at least.
The power of life and death over the onion soup belonged entirely to Elpina.
And she had no intention of letting this bewitching soup live.
“I’m going to eat you. Without leaving even a drop...!”
Elpina did not stop moving her spoon.
She scooped, and scooped, and scooped again.
Clatter—
Clink—
Before long, Elpina’s spoon was scraping against an empty bowl.
At last, she had annihilated it completely. The onion soup that had been portioned out for her.
“Huh? More, please. Chef!”
“No. There isn’t any left anyway.”
Elpina demanded a refill with dismayed eyes,
but what returned to her was the soup pot, cold and empty.
Only then was Elpina able to come back to her senses.
“This onion soup is... dangerous.”
Aside from the cheese, it was a dish made entirely of vegetables.
For a human, that might have been a drawback, but to an elf, it felt like a mouthwatering delicacy.
Was it not the most dangerous dish Kang Jinwoo had shown them so far?
Thinking that, Elpina licked her innocent spoon.
The other apprentice elves besides her seemed to feel the same.
All of them could not take their eyes off their empty bowls and simply held their spoons, which had nowhere left to go.
Even Iseria, who had spent the longest time with Kang Jinwoo among the elves, was like that.
It was enough to guess just how much destructive power onion soup had against elves who preferred vegetables.
In the silence filled only with lingering regret, Kang Jinwoo opened his mouth.
“How was it? Looking at you all right now, I feel like I don’t even need to ask.”
“It was so delicious! To think I only learned about something like this now. I wasted half my elf-life!”
“I think it’d be fine even without the cheese, and then it would be completely vegetarian! The perfect elf dish!”
Wow, wow!
The apprentice elves passionately praised the incredible taste of the onion soup.
Kang Jinwoo looked at each of their faces in turn, from Iseria to Elpina.
Then he said to Elpina,
“Hey. You can make it too.”
“Eh. Me?”
“Yeah. The cooking knowledge I taught you earlier, proper knife work, an accurate recipe. As long as you have those, you can make it too.”
“I... I can make a dish like this?”
From the first day until today, Elpina had been scolded every day without a single word of praise.
She had volunteered for El’s Kitchen because she liked delicious food, but she had felt troubled by her lack of talent.
Then Kang Jinwoo’s one sentence gave her hope.
Elpina herself could make such delicious food too.
Elpina imagined herself learning all of Kang Jinwoo’s teachings
and cooking for her family.
Her family, who had lived their whole lives with no connection to fine food.
At the dinner table with her mother, father, and younger sibling, the onion soup she made was placed before them.
“My goodness, Elpina. Did you make this?”
“To think food made by our daughter could be this delicious. Live long enough as an elf, and you really do see everything.”
“Big Sis, did you drug this or something? Why is it so good?”
In her imagination, Elpina’s family each conveyed their joy in their own way.
A future that had not happened, yet could now happen.
Elpina smiled.
Not a sly grin, nor a half-hearted lift of the corners of her mouth.
“I’ll work hard, Chef!!”
She burst into a bright smile,
so radiant that the dimples sinking into her cheeks bloomed beautifully.
***
Ever since the cooking lessons began, I had felt like I’d been riding El-Brat No. 1 a little too hard.
So I’d only thrown her one clichéd line for comfort and motivation...
“I’ll work hard, Chef!!”
And El-Brat steeled her resolve with a beautiful smile I had never seen before in my life.
Well... it was good for me.
But her reaction was better than expected, so I was surprised.
Not only No. 1’s reaction, but their response to the onion soup overall was fervent.
Even Iseria, who had eaten tofu, the elf cheat code, ate with fire in her eyes.
So it was only natural that the other apprentice elves were frantically scraping the bottoms of their bowls.
In any case, I had shown them once while explaining the recipe and techniques.
Until breakfast time... there was about an hour left.
If we started now, it would be finished right on time. Nice and hot, without cooling down.
I spoke to all the elves standing before me.
“All right. Now you try.”
““What?””
“Make onion soup. Are you going to let the guests skip breakfast?”
Get yourselves together, get yourselves together.
Did you come here to play? You came to learn cooking and do cooking.
I tightened discipline among the apprentice elves and gave cooking instructions.
“Since laundry dries faster the hotter it is, wouldn’t the moisture from the onions evaporate faster if we sautéed them over high heat?”
“Mm-hm, sure, sure. You’re going to die eventually anyway, so you might as well die by my hand right now.”
“Hieeeeeek...”
I carefully checked whether any of them were doing anything strange along the way, and monitored the progress of the cooking.
Fortunately, everyone was keeping their wits about them.
In particular, perhaps because some wind had gotten into him, Elf Brat No. 1 produced excellent results.
A deep brown, yet not at all burnt—perfectly caramelized onions.
From the properly toasted bread to the seasoning of salt added without fail at every stage.
What had gotten into the one who was usually the biggest weak link?
The food I’d made for them earlier must have been a major source of motivation.
“It’s done, Chef!”
“Good. The guests should be arriving soon. Ah, they’re already here.”
There were elves sitting at the dining tables, waiting the moment mealtime arrived.
We ladled out onion soup for as many guests as had come, melted cheese over it, and finished it off.
“Today’s menu is onion soup! Come and get it!”
“Bah. Onion soup? That’s something the wolves on the back mountain would eat... Huh?”
“Ahem, ahem! Considering the care you put into making it, I suppose I should try some.”
The elves who had been frowning at the words onion soup changed their attitude the moment they saw it and smelled its aroma.
We had also prepared onion soup without cheese for those who preferred it that way,
so it was truly an elf-friendly menu, one that took every elf’s tastes into consideration.
And so, once the meal began in the dining hall, an uproar quite literally broke out.
“To think such food existed in this world! I feel so sorry for the me who lived until now!!”
“As of today, I withdraw my support for Kang Jinwoo. From today onward, Kang Jinwoo and I are no longer in a relationship of support, but one body united as—”
“Hey, hey, hey.”
The elf guests praised me endlessly, shocked by the taste and aroma.
However, the ones who had made this food were all the apprentice elves.
Aside from the onion soup I had made as an example, I had not made a single soup.
The apprentice elves, who knew that fact very well, wore expressions difficult to describe in words.
Worry, anticipation, anxiety, impatience, relief, fulfillment, joy.
Their faces contained every shade of emotion an intelligent life-form could feel.
In the end, only fulfillment remained, drawing out bright smiles.
The scent of soup wafted out of the dining hall and throughout the mansion, bringing elf guests in one after another.
Thanks to them, the pot of onion soup showed its bottom, and breakfast passed in the blink of an eye.
I spoke to the apprentice elves, who were completely exhausted and worn out.
“Do you understand a little now? The fulfillment of cooking.”
“Yes. I felt it down to my bones.”
“We’ll work even harder from now on!!”
Each of the apprentice elves’ eyes burned as they renewed their passion for cooking.
When you see people happily eating your food, even if you’re busy and exhausted, it’s enjoyable.
These apprentice elves had done nothing but struggle all morning, but their faces were full of joy.
At this point, I suppose these elves could also be called proper cooks.
At their commendable attitude, I, too, smiled broadly.
Just as that warm and cheerful atmosphere was about to continue—
“K-Kang Jinwoo!”
“Huh? Elioren?”
“Father?”
Elioren, who had never once missed a meal every day, had come looking for me at an unusually late time.
And not with any sign of hunger, but with panic, as if he were being chased by something.
Perhaps Iseria also found her father Elioren’s rash behavior unexpected.
Even though she was inside the kitchen, she called out “Father” out of habit.
What on earth was going on?
‘Did Arthur and the duke come to rescue me or something?’
I idly imagined something absurd in my heart.
They should be starting to notice that I’d disappeared by now, but how would those people get here?
After briefly catching his breath, Elioren said,
“Please follow me quickly. The outskirts have been devastated!”
“Pardon? What does that have to do with me...”
“Duke Kailan of Silbaerin is saying that if we don’t bring Jinwoo to him, he’ll destroy everything that’s left!”
“Pardon?”
Why is this real?
As I stood there dumbfounded, unable to keep up with the flow of the situation, Elioren shouted,
“Oh dear. For now, I think you must come with me! Let’s go!”
“No, wait a second.”
Regardless of my will, Elioren grabbed my hand and pulled me along.
No, why is this old man so strong?
Unable to overcome Elioren’s desperate and powerful strength, I was dragged out of the mansion.
Boom—!
Kwagwang—!
As soon as we left the mansion, a roar rang out from the outskirts where Ailenna’s brewery was located.
Looks like he really is running wild.
Only then did I finally begin to grasp the situation a little, and I started running as fast as I could.