Chef

As I was working in the field the next day, an idea came to mind.

I reflected on the idea throughout the work, ignoring the women who approached me.

After eating a hardy lunch, I approached Priestess Kalamay with my idea.

"Can I make dinner?" I asked.

She gave me a weird look. "Why?"

"I want learn to cook."

"I don't know what the culture you come from is like, teaching men to cook. Around here, that would draw attention."

"All girls around here without man want. They cook to make me want, but I not want to pick only because can cook or looks good. I cook, they think."

"Thats a very outlandish notion. I don't recommend it."

"I still want to try."

"Fine, but don't show it off to any travelers who visit town. You never know who might be looking for outlanders like you."

After my language lesson, which for obvious reasons was centered around kitchenware, I began my first foray into cooking in this world.

I aimed for a stir-fry. I sliced some of the chicken we had, as well as a variety of vegetables. Then I lit the cooktop with a brief request to the God of Fire. As I cooked, melting butter on the pan to serve as oil, Kalamay and Stephasha watched curiously.

I finished it with adding some seasonings that Kalamay suggested. I could almost see how it was going to taste by looking at it with the eye that I had unbandaged for my lesson.

As I wrapped up and brought it to the dining room to serve up, a knock came from the door. We all expected it by this point.

"Could you get that, Stephasha?" Kalamay said.

She nodded and ran to the door, as they knocked again.

I listened for the conversation.

"Is Argolex here?" a feminine voice asked. If I placed it correctly, it was the girl I had seen around with short blond hair.

"Yes," Stephasha answered.

"I want to give this to him."

"I'm sorry. He decided to cook for himself today."

There was a long silence, during which I smirked and finished serving the last plate. "He what?" the visitor shouted.

I came around the corner, wearing an apron and pan still in hand. "I made me own dinner. Is there problem with that?"

She looked stunned to silence. I was correct about the identity of the visitor.

"It good you not hungry." I added with a smile.

She just stood dumbstruck at what was going on. I gently closed the door, then smiled at Stephasha. "Dinner ready. We go eat?"

She nodded, and we went back to the dining room.

The stir fry wasn't the best stir fry I'd ever had, but it was still pretty good. Stephasha wolfed it down, saying how good it was with a full mouth.

Priestess Kalamay was more dignified, but I could tell she liked it.

That night Stephasha and I returned to the roof. She had finished gushing about the stir-fry partway through the after-meal chores.

Now we were able to just sit, look out at the stars, and talk. We talked about favorites. We laughed about the girl who was stunned by me cooking. All while keeping it quiet so that we didn't wake Kalamay. After a couple hours, we climbed back down and went to bed.

That day repeated itself the next day. After three days of girls being turned away because I was making food, I was greeted with glares instead of flowery smiles.

A couple of the bigger girls confronted me while I was at work.

"Why do you cook for yourself?" one of them accused.

"That's the woman's job." another agreed.

"I don't care about that." I replied, continuing to work the irrigation of the field I was in.

"Maybe he fancies himself a girl." one of them commented.

I shook my head. "The girl I pick will know why. Right now, none of you tell me you know."

"Do you not like our cooking or something?"

"Have you always admired your mom for cooking?"

"Are you worried that we won't have enough to eat?" one of the girls I remember turning away recently asked.

I stopped them all by turning to them. "One girl in village catch my attention right. The rest, not."

They turned on each other, accusing and pointing fingers as they argued about who it was. I used the opportunity to finish activating the irrigation. I watched a rune on the 3-foot-wide wheel I turned glow blue as water flooded into the ditches between crops. After a few minutes, I turned it off, and inspected my work, continuing to ignore the arguing gaggle of girls.

The water didn't reach the other end of the field, so I called on the Goddess of Water to finish the job.

I left the shouting group to their own devices as I went to the next task for the day. If any of those girls could figure it out with the hints I gave them, I would give them a chance. Though, based on their behavior, I doubted it.