Herald of Steel



"Ladies and gentlemen, today's luncheon will be a bit different. I hope none of you will mind," Alexander first addressed the guests at the table.

"*Clap*, *clap*, *clap*, oohhh, I love it when Your Grace invents new food items." And was quickly greeted with an enthusiastic cheer from Mikaya, who then very naturally added, "Will they be as amazing as this clear glass?"

The cheerful, vivacious way she managed to weave in a question everyone was dying to ask was proof of her cunningness as she was basically asking, 'Where did you get this new glass from?'

Alexander ignored this part of the question, and instead answered the first, "The new dishes are all the products of my kitchen. And I will let our guests be the judge of their worth."

As Alexander said this, the waiters finished pouring the wine into all the goblets and started to bring out the first course- Fresh Pea soup.

This soup was carried in large bowls on wooden trolleys and was served to individual guests by the waiters.

The reason why it was done like so and not the usual way of presenting a bowl of soup on the table and letting the guests serve themselves was simple.

'What are we, peasants?'

Asking a guest to serve his own food was a cultural taboo, especially on formal occasions, and more so an act unimaginable for the nobles.

And hence also why there were no soup bowls on the table, but instead they were given a crystal bowl filled with the piping hot liquid.

This fresh appetizer was made of the simplest of ingredients, just peas, lettuce, and cream, cooked and mashed, and then garnished with some cheese.

And though the true nobles like the Queen mother and Mikaya were a bit surprised by the simplicity of the dish, remembering Alexander's pedigree, they soon dug into the thick, green, liquid using their golden spoons.

'Mmmm, it's quite good. Hot and creamy, but also light and refreshing,' Alexander said to himself after tasting the first spoonful.

And then looked around to see that the dish had been mostly well received.

Warm, hearty pea soup in winter was a fantastic combination and so the dish was consumed quickly and in silence, as everyone focused their attention on the beautiful and rich earthy flavors, occasionally paring it with the sweet, mild taste of the new grape wine.

After everyone had enjoyed their appetizer course, and the small, glass bowls were empty, it was time for the main course of the luncheon.

The waiters first removed the soup bowls and soon the smell around the dining table began to change as the waiters bought out the first item of the main course- Barbecued Steak!

These had been cooked in the bbq grill that Alexander had made and as the guests placed their eyes on the prime rib cuts, their mouth could not help but salivate.

These huge cuts of meat, had their outer surface charred and grilled, and a smoky, buttery smell was emanating out of them as they rested in a pool of gravy, furnished with a side of two cuts of buttered bun and garnished with salad, consisting of pickle, cucumber, radish, and lettuce which had been dressed with olive oil.

The guests were all very excited to dig into the dish and soon following Alexander's example, they placed their knives against the soft flesh and felt the meat melt away like butter under them with the slightest touch, as the perfectly cooked meat revealed its still pink core, and dressed the gravy underneath with its delicious meat juice.

The dish looked heavenly, and when it entered the mouth, it tasted arguably better, with all the butter, the salt, the pepper, the thyme, and the rosemary rub amplifying the taste of the charred, smokey flavor, making the meat sing inside.

And then came the fresh salad, made of winter vegetables, and olive oil, helping to cut through the richness of the meat and cleansing the mouth, thus making it ready for the next bite.

Alexander only enjoyed the meat and salad, skipping the butter buns and purely relishing in the taste of the exquisite cut of meat, the flavor of which also made him reminisce about his past time.

This heavy main course was followed by a second main course, which was a gravy dish named- Chicken fricassee.

This was the French version of the butter chicken, usually made of chicken, onion, mushroom, garlic, butter, and yogurt, but this time the chicken was substituted for fowl.

The guests were given this curry dish in another glass bowl, along with thick slices of soft, white bread, which they dipped into the mushroom and onion curry made from thick chicken stock.

In this cold, afternoon, such a heavy dish went perfectly, and once they were finished, many of the guests were feeling filled and a bit sleepy.

If only Alexander had arranged for them some nice, soft beds.

And with the third course done, there was lastly the dessert- Pudding.

Now, pudding did exist in Adhania, but it was savory, made of meat, flour, and raisins.

They even had their version of black pudding, made from animal blood, inside containers made of animal intestines.

But Alexander's pudding was the normal, sweet kind, made from egg, milk, and sugar.

"My lord, this is?" Mikaya was surprised seeing the yellow slice of dessert, topped off with a cream and a single, red cheery.

"It is a kind of sweet dessert. Please try,"

Alexander gestured as he took his fork to dive into this classic item.

And was pleasantly surprised to find it soft and fluffy, sweet and creamy.

He had been worried that without any oven, it would be too dense.

Alexander overcame the oven problem by simply steaming the mixture, i.e- he put the pudding mixture in a pan, made it airtight by sealing the top using dough, and then placed the entire thing in another larger pot that was half filled with water.

So as the water boiled and bubbled, it cooked the pudding mixture in the secondary vessel.

And this was the dish that had the most reaction from the people, for they tasted something so sweet for the first time in their life.

"My lord, what is this? It tastes so sweet! Amazing!" A loud roar rang across yhe table as Menes involuntarily exclaimed the praise.

It was so loud and the act to rude that everyone turned to look at the dressed general, who felt all eyes on him shortly after went red and drooped his head low.

'I couldn't help it. It tastes so good,' Menes reasoned to himself while his hand moved by themselves cutting the heavenly dish while being careful to not take too big a chunk at a time.

He wanted to savor the moment, a sentiment that was shared by many.

As Menes went back to quietly enjoying his dessert, his outburst made the Queen mother and Mikaya scoff at all the 'barbarians' made nobles, though this momentary thought was drowned by the delicious sweetness they were tasting.

'Is this honey? But it doesn't taste like so. It's much sweeter." Seelima tried to figure out the mystery ingredient.

'Hmmm, it's definitely not honey. Alex doesn't have so much honey. And besides, cooking honey like this would destroy it,' Mikaya knew a thing or two about cooking because Pasha Farzah liked to eat her dishes, and hence knew why honey was usually glazed over dishes, and not cooked by mixing it.

But both the women kept their curiosity in check for the moment, because this was not the place to be asking questions.

They also knew there were a million more idiots who would ask these questions for them.

So they were a bit disappointed in how anti-climactic it was when Alexander gave the answer by himself, "Hahaha, I'm glad everyone likes the new dish. It's made from eggs, milk, and a honey-like ingredient we have discovered. Many of you might know it as the thing we use to make the sweet-water medicine with."

Alexander frankly revealed this because if he did not tell others he had sugar, how was he going to sell sugar?

Alexander's revelation made many think back on that brown powder but recalled that tasted only mildly sweet.

It was not like anything they were tasting now.

So, they were unsure whether to believe Alexnder's claim or view it as Alexander's smokescreen.

But regardless, they nodded and paid many praises and compliments to the new dish, as finally the feast drew its curtain.

But this did not mean the guests left, for there was still the gift ceremony.

So Alexander and Cambyses still sat on their chair, while all the guests came to them to give their compliments and present them with their gifts, which was received by the many guards around Alexander.

This took some time, though not as long as one might imagine for Alexander had kept the actual number of guests quite short- limiting himself to the people he frequently interacted with in Zanzan, and their family, with only a scant number of merchants Heliptos and Camius had recommended.

And the only ones he had sent a written invitation to was Pasha Farzah and Ptolomy, who naturally could not make it due to the turmoil Adhan was still in, but had sent them their best regards while also promising the appropriate gifts.

And that was it.

No other nobles around the Zanzan were invited and no well-wishes from the nobility around came to greet Alexander, perfectly showcasing the freezy relationship between the pasha and his neighbors.

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