The Artist Who Paints Dungeon

Gio had no thoughts.

People imagined all sorts of things because of his stiff expression, gloomy atmosphere, and overly polite speech. They thought he might have lost a loved one or have done something dangerous in the past…

It was a misunderstanding.

'What should I eat today.'

Seo Gio was just a pig potato.

“… Cheese fondue ….”

A spring breeze blew over the bed. He, who had stretched out like a sleepy cat, got up.

“Cheese fondue sounds good.”

Today's meal was fondue.

When it come to meals, the pig did not hesitate. Gio went down to the ice storage to pick out the cheeses to use for this dish.

“How should I do it.”

Cheese fondue could be easily made by anyone as long as they had the ingredients. Of course, there would be idiots who would refute it if he said this, but it didn't matter because Gio was not an idiot.

However, cheese fondue was not a dish that required complicated techniques, and there were also various recipes for cheese fondue.

“The base should be Brie cheese.”

Brie cheese was the most common choice among the ingredients used to make cheese fondue.

“Is this Brie cheese?”

The brie cheese wrapped in white paper had white mould spread surrounding it like silk. It was as if sweet sugar powder had been sprinkled generously on the sticky surface of the rich cheese.

There was no name written on it, but when he smelled it and cut it in half, it was definitely Brie cheese.

“It's mild-tasted and nice.”

Brie cheese is not a strong-smelled cheese. It's soft and has a subtle mushroom and nutty scent, making it just perfect to use as a fondue cheese. It goes very well with bread or fruit.

“If I only put this in, it might be a bit bland.”

The downside of brie cheese is that it can feel greasy and burdensome if eaten in a large amount.

The soft melted brie cheese has a creamy quality that melts smoothly without being chewy, and due to its mild scent and texture, one can easily become tired of it.

Gio blinked and then muttered to himself.

“I wish it was a bit saltier.”

He was attracted to cheese that had a strong scent, salty, and pungent. Since Brie cheese is mild ….

“Parmesan would be appropriate.”

The formal name would be Parmigiano Reggiano.

'Parmesan cheese' is known to Koreans as a seasoning usually sprinkled on pizza. However, this is a degraded version of Parmigiano cheese, and the two are almost nothing alike.

“It was here.”

Gio found the parmesan cheese that had been divided into smaller pieces.

“It would be troublesome to cut the whole thing…”

This cheese is a very difficult cheese that requires ageing for more than a year. So it was very hard, but the texture inside was clear. If not cut along the texture, it will shatter into pieces.

In that sense, the fact that it was pre-divided was very appreciated. Parmesan cheese sold in whole is larger than a tyre and also very expensive, so Gio had never tried dividing it himself.

'It's good that I didn't have to waste the cheese.'

Gio put the appropriately sized cut cheese into the basket.

The scent was already strong.

“Nice.”

The parmesan cheese, which emits a pungent aroma, has a very diverse taste.

First of all, it's very salty. Even if you eat only as much as a fingernail, your tongue tingles and the aroma goes straight to your head, as the flavour is very intense.

At the same time, it gives the pleasure of the rich sweetness of honey that gently moistens the tongue like a soft peach and then disappears without a trace.

'That's why it's also delicious to eat raw.'

Unheated hard cheese retains a much milder aroma. If one is new to cheese, it's recommended to eat it raw, as there are flavour peaks in the crystals at that state of Parmesan cheese.

Gio liked that small but crunchy texture.

'It also has a nutty aroma.'

If one puts too much, it may be overwhelming, but if one adds a small amount, it's suitable for enhancing the flavour of the fondue.

“And…”

If he were to add one more thing.

“Gruyère.”

Gruyère cheese would be appropriate.

This cheese is hard like Parmesan cheese, but it's a bit more flexible than Parmesan, it ages up to a year and is saltier and much sweeter than Brie cheese.

'One of the interesting things about it is that it has a subtle walnut aroma.'

The rich nutty aroma was attractive in many ways. This deep aroma would surely match well with the previously collected cheeses.

“… I should stop with the cheese.”

Too much would make the scent and taste strange. Gio went up to the kitchen on the first floor.

“Now…”

Clatter.

Gio found a thick earthenware bowl in the drawer.

“Let's start cooking.”

The cooking method was simple. First, prepare the ingredients you want to eat with the cheese.

Anything is fine. Cherry tomatoes, asparagus, sweet potatoes, potatoes, onions, broccoli, zucchini… In addition to these, soft-textured white bread, crispy croutons, chewy ciabatta, etc.

It was even good to eat with fruits.

'But I'll pass on this.'

Since it was not for a snack but for a meal, sweet and sour things didn't appeal to him.

“Should I stir-fry it roughly?”

After putting the ingredients cut into bite-sized pieces into the wok and heating them once, Gio put all these ingredients into the wood-fired oven. The thick surface was roasted with strong heat briefly and then taken out.

The ingredients roasted in the wood-fired oven emitted a subtle smoky aroma. It was worth preparing firewood with a good scent in advance.

“This one is ready.”

Next is the cheese.

The brought cheese is finely chopped into small pieces. All the cheese must melt at the same time to mix well without separating, but if the chunks are too big, the melting times of each cheese differ, and the oil and fat layers will separate.

'I remember the first time I made it, the whole thing melted, and the cheese oil formed a river. Even now that I think about it, it was a disaster.'

In the preheated earthenware bowl, pour olive oil and add a clove of garlic to make it smell good.

“And wine.”

It's a cheat key that captures the cheesy scent and enhances the flavour.

In Gio's basement cellar, there were also bottled wines without labels. Among them, he used the cleanest-tasting wine, white wine, which had a pleasant scent that blended well with the garlic and olive aroma.

Tap.

Gio closed the wine cork and thought.

'I should try making alcohol sometimes.'

All he had left was time, so the cumbersome process was hardly a big deal. Gio vowed to try making everything from wine to spirits, flower liquor, and fruit wine. An unemployed person has the right to waste time.

When all the alcohol had evaporated, Gio brought out the cheeses he had cut.

“Put it all in…”

He dumped the messy cheeses in the earthenware preheated over low heat.

“Next is stirring.”

When the cheese had melted enough for the oil to rise to the surface, he added a bit of starch solution prepared in advance. It helped to blend the oil and fat layers of the cheese which separated no matter how well it was melted.

“A spoonful of alcohol.”

He preferred a high alcohol content with a strong flavour like whiskey or brandy.

And so, the cheese fondue that was smooth like porridge or soup, yet somehow still chewy, was completed.

“Ta-da.”

He was pleased.

Gio brought the cheese and various ingredients to the table and sat down. To keep the cheese warm and stretchy, a small candle was lit underneath.

'This part is a bit of a hassle.'

If the cheese cooled, it would harden again, so it had to be heated continuously like this. That's why fondue tools are essential if you want to eat cheese fondue.

“Good thing I made it in advance.”

Anyway, the meal began.

“Firstly ….”

Gio picked up a well-ripened asparagus.

After dipping it deep into the cheese and pulling it out, the cheese, softened by alcohol and starch, stretched out. The asparagus, which had been roasted in the wood-fired oven, still maintained its deep green colour.

The unique aroma of fresh vegetables and the soft, subtle scent of asparagus wafted up. Especially, the fresh flavour of asparagus, which pairs well with fat, looked promising.

“Mmm…”

Crunch.

The stem snapped crisply.

'Delicious.'

The sweet water that oozes out of the asparagus, like the juices from well-grilled meat, contains a mysterious bitterness.

Just enough to not be out of place, the bitterness of the asparagus was like the astringent taste of yuzu tea, harmonizing very well with the other ingredients.

The once burnt surface was like crumbling thin leaves. Just beneath it, the stem was tender and juicy from being heated in the pan and wood-fired oven, and further below, the still-alive core of the plant was crunchy.

'It goes well with the cheese.'

The creamy and smooth brie cheese provided a solid base. The sharp aroma of Parmesan prevented it from being bland, while the rich walnut scent of Gruyère connected everything.

The delicate flavour of asparagus pairs especially well with fat. This means things like cheese, whipped cream, and butter matched perfectly well with this fondue flavoured with garlic.

Moreover, thanks to its juicy and crunchy texture, it felt like eating well-ripened spring vegetables.

This is life.

“… A life where you fall asleep even while eating  … Nothing could be more ideal than this.”

Eating the fondue that gently caressed his insides, while feeling the soft spring breeze coming in through the wide-open window, this place was heaven.

“After I finish eating, I should go out and take a nap. Where should I sleep today?”

Next, he chose Ciabatta.

“It's well-baked.”

Ciabatta was a bread famous for its fluffiness and chewiness. The surface, lightly dusted with flour, was swept away with butter, giving off a flavour like the roux in soup.

Thanks to being baked in the wood-fired oven, the outside was very crispy, and the side heavily coated with butter had a crunchy yet soft texture, like croutons in soup.

“Now then, the cheese …”

Plop, soak it in.

Chomp.

He put it in his mouth.

It was very good.

'This is it.'

Gio placed a well-baked potato on top of the cheese-covered bread.

“Ummm ….”

Indeed, the joy of fondue was to eat in combinations.

The crispy and chewy bread, the cheese with its varied textures, and the fluffy, strongly flavoured potatoes cooked in butter. From texture to taste, the composition was flawless.

'I'll cleanse my palate with a tomato …'

Crunch!

“… Ah, this is also delicious.”

The cherry tomato, which was briefly and intensely heated to prevent the flesh from being overcooked, was still crunchy with a subtly warm juice inside. Its surface had a tender snap, like a well-cooked sausage.

“It should go well with the cheese.”

After eating it with the cheese, he felt happy with the diverse flavours.

“Should I try adding croutons this time?”

Gio ate whatever he could grab.

Crunchy croutons dipped in chewy cheese once, perfectly cooked tender broccoli in cheese that spread like cream once, sweet and fluffy sweet potatoes in salty, savoury cheese once…

It was quite a lot, enough to fill a large bowl, but Gio quickly finished them all.

He marvelled at the miracle his stomach had performed. Even though it couldn't be as good as Noah's Ark, it seemed like it could be Gio's Ark.¹

“Have my appetite increased?”

He was definitely a glutton, but he didn't think he was this much before he entered the painting.

Gio's ultimate positive mindset kicked in.

'It's fun anyway, so it's fine.'

Ta-da.

His rationalization was successful.

Even after eating so much, he didn't feel full. For Gio, a gourmet and a big eater who truly found joy in eating, this was a welcome occurrence.

“These days, people are spewing fire from their mouths, compared to them, I'm nothing.”

People can evolve as they live, can't they?

“Now I should take some snacks and go out for an afternoon nap …”

Gio packed a cleanly washed basket with well-dried Goby fruits, Vaivamnil tea leaves, and a glass bottle filled with warm water. The deep golden Goby fruit had shrunk to the size of raisins, becoming a handy snack.

'The ones dried outside have completely hardened. Soon, I'll be able to make Goby fruit medicine.'

Gio wore a black cape.

'I also want to upgrade this later.'

The cloak he made when he first regained consciousness inside the painting was still usable. It was made to avoid being seen by any dangerous beasts and to prevent his body from brushing against poisonous plants or his clothes from tearing.

For something hastily sewn together from the fabric in the cabin, it was quite good.

'Light, thick, and well-ventilated.'

Although his body wasn't sensitive to cold or heat, lying on the bare ground inevitably made his back feel cold. In such a situation, the cloak would make a pretty good blanket. After adjusting his clothes, Gio headed to the spring.

As he walked slowly, he soon arrived at the spring, which was still beautiful, quiet, and yet filled with the sounds of various creatures bustling about.

So what to do now?

Sleep.

“Nice.”

He was sleepy.

Chewing on the dried Goby fruit, Gio soon fell asleep without even taking a sip of tea. The cloak, large enough to wrap around his body, turned out to be an excellent blanket as expected.

Flutter― flutter―…

Soon after he fell asleep, butterflies resembling sunlight landed on top of him.

“Ppik.”

“Purr…”

“Keung.”

Followed by five or six rabbits with round bodies. A long-legged deer. Plump cats resembling civets, and several small and large birds that chirped away.

And they all gathered together, falling into a deep sleep.

It was a peaceful nap time.

¹: Noah Ark is the ship from bible that was said to be so huge and carried a whole lot of animal pairs as the world come to an end with flood from what I remember.