NOVEL NEXT Chapter 362
The organization consists of distinct departments for administrative tasks.
This is to clearly delineate responsibilities among each other to enhance work efficiency, while also preventing excessive power consolidation in one department.
The society of the gods was even more pronounced.
Unlike Earth, where believers and non-believers engage in decades-long debates about the existence of gods with physical confrontations, in Europa, the gods are real.
The power and authority of the gods are directly tied to the number of their followers.
Thus, the gods strictly divided their domains.
When one has concerns about an unfaithful husband, they pray to the god of the household; when seeking the creation of tastier alcohol, they make offerings to the god of wine; and when hoping for better equipment, they pray to the blacksmith god.
Thousands of years ago, disputes between the gods were common, often driven by reasons like believers, territorial expansion, or pride. Many nations fell victim to these conflicts. It’s not that gods enjoy losing territory—they prefer to expand their domain.
Therefore, disputes among the gods were as frequent as wars among mortals.
Until the Demon King’s army appeared, that is.
The number of gods had obviously diminished physically compared to before.
The surviving gods felt a sense of crisis.
It wasn’t just about gaining power and authority. If the number of gods continued to decrease, it would disrupt the very governance of the world.
To put it plainly, there weren’t enough gods to manage operations!
A shocking situation where the lack of divine beings could plunge the world into chaos due to insufficient manpower!
A global crisis resulting from a declining population!
While the domains and powers of the deceased gods were divided, the workload that came with them was also an issue.
Already overwhelmed with tasks, they had less free time.
They couldn’t afford to engage in needless disputes.
If it could be settled with words, then it should be resolved with words!
In the past, it wasn’t uncommon for beliefs to be imposed.
However, since the establishment of the Temple of Many Gods, enforcing beliefs had been prohibited in Europa.
With the most significant cause for disputes among the gods removed, the overworked gods gradually regained some of their leisure, and they eagerly consented to the expansion of the temple’s authority.
When believers prayed, it became the temple’s role to discuss which god to pray to and provide guidance.
Thus, Yustitia found herself in a dilemma.
[What if I chose the wrong god to pray to…?]
Typically, cooking pertains to abundance or the household. And she was the goddess of justice and judgment.
From the start, Yustitia didn’t even know what miso was. If it’s somewhat similar to making cheese or alcohol… shouldn’t she go to the gods of the household or abundance? Isn’t seasoning and spices also within that realm?
If this had been the Temple of Many Gods, there would have been a procedure for the priests to verify which god they should pray to.
The problem was that Kareem, without such knowledge, just randomly prayed to the Three Gods, exuding an unintentionally impressive divine power while suggesting to pray to the god he primarily believed in.
[Hey, can’t he realize he’s praying to a perfectly normal human instead of a god…?]
Meanwhile, Yustitia held her head in distress as she witnessed Michael’s actions.
Seeing him pray to Kareem, who was right next to him, was giving her constant headaches.
Moreover, even Yustitia’s followers were beginning to shift their faith towards Kareem, captivated by the divine power displayed by Michael and Kareem, coupled with the allure of a 3 Crown salary.
Though their feelings of faith towards her hadn’t decreased…
Worshipping a human like a god… If this were pre-temple times, she was certain that other gods would have hurled down divine punishment or curses for such sacrilege.
Setting aside her headache for a moment, Yustitia summoned a fixer to resolve the current situation.
[Yustitia? First time I’ve been called like this. Oh? Is that Kareem?]
[Indeed. Heir of Allfather. It’s a troubling situation.]
[Hehe, praying to the goddess of justice and judgment, don’t expect miracles.]
[Kareem is a believer of the Three Gods, correct?]
Skadi gazed down at the royal miso workshop on the outskirts of Bendleig, a place still unnamed.
Long ago, her domain was solely winter.
However, as the number of followers grew, and she ascended her apostle Tutatis to become her husband, along with the natural authority gained from the dwindling number of gods, her area of jurisdiction expanded.
Amongst those were surely abundance and the household.
[What on earth is that rock-like thing praying there?]
[You know what it is. Can’t you guess?]
[Um… I can’t even begin to guess.]
[It’s the raw materials for soy sauce and kongarum.]
[Oh, I see. Wait a moment.]
Listening to the prayers directed at her from the workshop, Yustitia turned her head sharply.
[What did you say?]
[I just heard it clearly.]
[That brick made of beans is a spice?]
[Technically speaking, it’s a seasoning, but even though my prayers were answered, I never imagined I could also make spices from beans…]
At Skadi’s words, Yustitia gazed incredulously at the clumps of miso that had begun to ferment.
[Isn’t garum similar in a way?]
[Garum is different!]
[I was surprised too, the first time I learned that fish could be used to make seasoning.]
[But garum at least contains some salt. Yet that’s fish, and this is beans, right!?]
[Reincarnators have brought plenty of strange and wonderful knowledge from their homeland, you know?]
Her suggestion that understanding only brings headaches—Yustitia chose to heed Skadi’s advice.
[Well… the power of Fitzgerald was indeed wondrous.]
[So… is the reason you called me because of this?]
[Isn’t that the expected course?]
Yustitia blinked in disbelief at the expectation.
[He seems to be devoted to you and the other two, after all.]
[Well, I was the one who first answered his prayer, so isn’t that only natural?]
[That’s a valid point.]
[However.]
Before taking a light breath, Skadi tilted her head slightly at Yustitia, who was observing from the side.
[When thinking of the other followers praying towards you, it seems faith needs to be shared.]
[If you say that much… hmmm.]
[Oh my, does that mean you’re suggesting it’s unnecessary?]
[No, that’s not it… Allfather’s heir!!!]
Realizing she was being teased, Yustitia unleashed a cry of rage.
*
*
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Samples are crucial in any field.
They allow us to check the quality of the products being produced, and if an issue arises, we can quickly identify, correct, and improve it.
This is particularly important in the food industry.
Unlike metal products that can simply be remade if they malfunction, food cannot be remedied but must instead be discarded in case of problems.
Especially with fermented products, which use microorganisms.
It takes a considerable amount of time too.
A moment’s negligence can turn thousands of hours of effort into waste, as microorganisms cultivated to enhance flavor might instead become bacteria, leaving the product as compost, necessitating even more meticulous and delicate management.
However, Kareem had somewhat different circumstances.
He possessed a magic tool that could be deemed a treasure by all those involved in the craft of making drinks and dishes.
“Well… this is good.”
Kareem inspected the pea miso taken from the oak barrels of abundance, piece by piece.
“The management points are as I mentioned. After drying, don’t let it get too dry or too moist. Maintain a warm temperature.”
“Understood, Lord Kareem.”
Tom, the former cheese workshop employee appointed as the interim manager, nodded.
“Besides keeping it warm, it’s similar to cheese.”
“The ingredients differ, but both are fermented foods.”
“But may I ask one question?”
“What is it?”
“How do you use this?”
Tom didn’t ask too extensively, but all the workers in the same space continued their tasks while listening closely.
Honestly, they were just as curious. The other workers boiling, mashing, kneading, and drying beans in other parts of the workshop would have the same thoughts.
Unlike cheese, ham, or sausages, the miso was something they could not even imagine as it was their very first time seeing it.
Not to mention, they’re fermenting tasteless boiled peas to create seasoning!?
Even more so, the final product Kareem had brought looked like clods of miso with cracks, resembling poorly made bricks.
“Ah, but this aspect also applies to cheese and ham.”
“Well, I can understand why you’d think so. It’s beans.”
“If the one who enables us to receive a 3 Crown salary says that he can make bread out of air, then we should believe him.”
“It’s not impossible…”
“What did you just say?”
“Nothing. Just talking to myself.”
Kareem, who managed to vaguely gloss over the subject of dismantling the Malthus trap and killing the Black Knight of famine with diabetes, slung his magic tool over his shoulder.
“Lord Kareem. Are you leaving?”
“No. I’m just resolving their suspicions and want them to experience what we’re making.”
The best way to resolve skepticism is through experience.
Additionally, Kareem planned to personally prepare an early dinner for the workers, so he built a charcoal stove with bricks in the workshop’s outdoor area.
The menu had already been decided.
‘This is pork belly BBQ.’
Of course, he had no intention of serving rice alongside. Although there was quite a bit of rice left, once the workshop staff started sharing, it would be gone in an instant.
‘It’ll be fine with bread instead.’
The marinated pork belly in thin soy sauce seasoning, wrapped in various vegetables, would taste great when eaten in bread.
“Oh, by the way, Michael. Could you lend me a hand?”
“What can I help you with?”
“Go to the butcher and get plenty of pork.”
“Pork?”
“I’m making pork belly BBQ.”
“Pork belly! It’s been ages since I heard that! I’ll get some wrapping vegetables too.”
“Oh, right. Also grab some bread for the folks. Huh? But wrapping vegetables?”
Although the ingredients arrived sooner than anticipated, thanks to boundless energy, the preparations were already underway. Kareem promptly began to prepare the ingredients.
“Hmm… Oh divine one. May I assist?”
“Huh? You can cook?”
“Of course. Above all, I can’t just sit by while the divine one works alone.”
“Then slice thinly—make it well.”
Large chunks of pork belly, separated by cuts, flew across the table at a speed faster than any machine slicer, stacking up in no time.
He seemed faster than Gordon when he was prepping vegetables.
“It’s been a while since I sliced it myself, so I’m a bit slow.”
Faster than this? No, that wasn’t the point.
Kareem snapped back to focus and hurriedly prepared the seasoning for the pork belly BBQ.
Ideally, the meat should be seasoned for a day, but Kareem wasn’t about to wait that long.
As he was doing this, employees who hadn’t yet been trained on the follow-up tasks began to gather one by one at the call of interim manager Tom.
Initially, they were puzzled about what this situation was about.
Two highborn nobility are cooking for us? Why? One claims to be a chef, but the other is a swordmaster!
Sizzle! Sizzle pop—
However, once the campfire roared to life, those concerns faded away.
“What is… that smell?”
No one among the employees could utter a word. Not daring to admit their ignorance, they found that there was something far more important to focus on.
Sizzle sizzle sizzle—
Pork belly sizzling away atop the large portable stove.
The meat soaked with seasoning spat glistening oil as it charred over the coals.
Droplets of oil and seasoning splattered onto the hot coals.
Sizzle—! Crackle! Pop! Sizz—
The smoke billowing with the soot of the charcoal.
Smoke enriched with the aromas of oils and seasonings rose, mingling in the air.
The aroma that hadn’t penetrated clamored through the air, igniting the desires of the workers who caught whiffs of the meat.
“I heard that the bean bricks we make are used to create that seasoning?”
“What? That stinky cheese-like smell?”
“Oh my goodness! Lord Kareem! How long could this possibly take!?”
Unable to hold it any longer, one employee inadvertently shouted. Tom and the other workers shot him disapproving glares for his rudeness, but they felt the same way.
“It’s almost done, so just wait!”
Yet all that came from Kareem were callous remarks.
Despite the massive amounts of meat piled in the large pot, they had to just sit back and watch! Had Michael not been glaring at them like a hawk, one of the employees might have acted out in desperation.
But Kareem also didn’t mean to test their patience.
‘If they eat too quickly, there’s no helping it.’
At the very least, there should be enough prepared for everyone to get one serving, so if someone wanted more, they could be accommodated.
Nothing could be more dreadful than disrupting the flow of a meal in the middle of eating.
“Well, this should be good enough.”
“Then should I line them up, Your Divine One?”
“Please do. Michael.”
“Everyone, line up! There’s enough for everyone to eat to their fill!”
At last, those were the words they were waiting for.
Grabbing their bowls, the employees rushed forward.