Chapter 37: Pot-au-Feu

I go to the kitchen while taking all the stuff with me. Inside the kitchen there is an earthen oven which I ignore, as there is no way I know how to use it.

I go towards the brick stove which has an opening where I can add firewood and 4 different supports to put the pan on. I put all the stuff on the counter, go back and bring the firewood which we bought today. They are basically bundles of wood and twigs.

I put the firewood inside the stove. Then I cast a firewall at a distance and bring a piece of wood inside the fire so it can burn. I then add that burning wood into the firewood so it can all start burning. Now that the stove is on I put the deep pan on one of the supports.

Checking to see if the fire has started burning I sigh, this is just so much work. I miss the modern cooking appliances.

As the fire is still just starting, I take the shell powder balls and use the mortar and pestle to grind them into fine powder. I keep adding the powder into a different wooden cup and stop when it is 1/4th full. Then in another wooden cup I empty satchels of Koichi fruit.

This is the same Koichi fruit that Roxanne said is used to wash clothes. It is a kind of washing powder. I stop when a wooden cup is filled with Koichi fruit.

Seeing that the fire is still burning I go to the room where the bath is. I can see that the bath is 3/4th full already and I can even see steam coming out of the water surface making the whole room steamy. I take the Explorer's bottle and come back to the Kitchen.

I turn the knob to the hot water setting and add 2 wooden cups of hot water in the deep pan. I then start adding the 1/4th cup of shell powder while constantly stirring the water with a long wooden spoon.

The water starts frothing showing that shell powder is really baking soda. Then I slowly add the cup filled with Koichi fruit. Even after it is added I keep stirring it.

The thing that I am making here is Soap. In the og story MIchio figured out that Shell powder was Baking soda and that Koichi fruit's vegetable oil contains Fatty acids. Mixing both of them with hot water he made a soap-like substance. Not the hard bar of soap that I was used to but a liquid kind.

So as this is my first time making a soap, I am not gonna experiment by adding some different stuff and am just gonna follow the way it was made in the og story.

The main thing I am doing all of this is to get a new Job. Because I am pretty sure that I could buy Soap at the Imperial Capital and it may have been costly for the og Michio but will just be chump change for me.

As I was stirring the thickened solution Roxanne entered the Kitchen with a bunch of candles and a lantern.

There is still a slither of sunlight but it is almost sunset so it's a good thing I told her to add the candles and everything before it got completely dark. Oh how I miss electricity.

"What are you making?" Roxanne asks looking at the deep pan

"Soap, although I don't know if it will work yet" I reply while stirring the solution

"You know how to make soap? That's amazing" Roxanne looks at me in amazement.

"You remember the shell powder I bought. That shell powder when mixed in water can be used in cleaning, the dirt will come right off when you apply it" I tell her while pointing at the shell powder balls

"I never knew. I will try it out when I clean the rooms" Roxanne replies in wonder

"You can also use Vinegar if something doesn't come off with the shell powder"

Sodium bi carbonate or baking soda is a base, it will work against acidic dirt but for basic dirt you will need an acid, which acidic Vinegar will take care of.

"Okay Master, I will keep that in mind" Roxanne nods and starts placing candles in the candle holders.

Seeing that the brown solution has thickened considerably I take the pan off fire and keep it on the side to cool off. I should keep it like that for a day so it can harden a bit.

"What will you be making for dinner?" I asked Roxanne who just placed the last candle.

"If you trust me, I will like to make Pot-Au-Feu. I am great at making it" Roxanne replied while pumping her fists.

Isn't that a french dish? Whatever, maybe it's being translated into that word for me.

"All right I will also help you in making it" I reply, looking forward to a french dish.

"I can make it myself Master, cooking is my Job" Roxanne tells me seriously.

"Lets just make it together, that way we can have dinner earlier" I tell her, already feeling a bit hungry.

"Hmm alright. Well then I will go first and draw water" Roxanne acquiesced to my reasoning.

"No need we have this bottle right here, it can produce unlimited amounts of both hot and cold water" I picked up the Explorer's Bottle and showed it off.

"U-unlimited! … H-how?" Roxanne asked, flabbergasted.

"Sometimes even I don't know how my Bloodline power works, so let's stop thinking about it" I smile wryly as even I don't know how it produces all this water.

"Still Master is Amazing" Roxanne replies while looking at me with shining eyes.

Roxanne goes and brings water jugs and I give her the bottle to fill them up. Then according to her instructions, I started cutting leeks, celery and onion on the cutting board. Some vegetables are called the same as my previous world even if they looked a bit different.

Roxanne also joined me in cutting vegetables. She was cutting something long and white which was called a carrot even though the kyupiko fruit looked more like a carrot than this.

After I completed that I started peeling potatoes. Roxanne started cutting Beef into smaller pieces. It was dark outside now but the candles kept the Kitchen bright.

After I peeled the potatoes, Roxanne told me that she would like to do the rest herself. As I also had things to do I let her do it.

Knowing that it would take some time for dinner to be prepared, I went to the bath and placed the candles there and lit them all. Then I placed the bottle at the edge once again so it can continue to fill the bath with hot water.

Telling Roxanne that I will be going out for a while, I used warp and went to the Iron gate. Using the key I closed and locked the Iron Gate from the inside.

Looking at the dark surroundings even I was creeped out a bit. I will have to figure something out for the security of this large property. Using Warp again I came out inside the Explorer's guild.

I was already wearing my equipment, with a normal Knapsack and had a lantern with me so I didn't look out of place in the still crowded Guild. Going out of the Guild I went towards the Knight's order station. There was no queue at the station right now.

Most of the people who go into the labyrinth queue up in the early morning. They pay the entrance fees and stay inside the labyrinth for the whole day so that they don't have to pay again.

I went up to the counter and paid 1 silver coin as the entrance fee.

"How about a Quratar Labyrinth's Conquest Map."

The knight showed me the stand beside the counter. On it there were some poor brown papers lined up. The map is just some simple arrows written on the paper. It looks like Knights are doing all kinds of business here.

"Each floor's capture map is 20 nars, if you buy the entire booklet you can get it for 1000 nars. 20,000 nars for a High quality parchment, bound book version"

The brown paper must be papyrus. It looked so flimsy that it would be torn with just a little force. As I would be using this map for a long time I bought the book. With him being a Knight the 35% off didn't apply and I had to pay him 2 gold coins. Books are also a luxury it seems.

After that I go to the entrance of the labyrinth. There was also a very high leveled Explorer here at the entrance. If I pay him 91 silver coins he would take me directly to the 91st floor.

I think this must be all propaganda for the First Emperor as from what I have heard there is no party strong enough right now to break through the 90th floor. I ignore him and enter the labyrinth.

I came into the familiar cave-like room. I can't even tell any difference between this and the Vale's labyrinth. I cast Warp at the side wall and go through it.

Even if someone saw me they would think I am using Dungeon Walk. I came out at the Entrance Hall.

"I am back Roxanne"

I announce while coming into Kitchen.

"Welcome back Master" Roxanne keeps the wooden ladle aside and bows.

If she was wearing the maid clothes with this then it would have been perfect. But Roxanne told me that they are expensive so she won't wear them while actually working.

I smile and come beside her.

"It smells wonderful" I said, smelling the wonderful aroma coming out of the pot.

"Thank you master. The food is ready, you can sit in the Dining room and I will serve the dishes soon" Roxanne told me while bringing out the bowls.

"Let me bring the pot there, I want both of us to sit and have Dinner together" I go forward to pick up the pot

"Is it alright for me to eat the same food as Master?" Roxanne asked in worry.

She must have thought that I would give her some leftovers to eat.

"Roxanne I am not like a typical slave master" I come in front of her and hug her tightly. "For me you are not just my slave but my lifelong companion." I start caressing her soft ears "So this luxury, this food, this wonderful experiences, I want us to enjoy all of this together" I give her cheek a kiss and leave her embrace.

"Thank you, Master" Roxanne replies with a bright smile.

We bring the pot, bowls and spoons to the smaller dining room. With a candle on the table and the room lit up by different candles this looked just like a romantic candle light dinner. We both sat in front of each other.

The Pot-au-Feu looked like a stew with beef and various vegetables in it. According to Roxanne, the Master is supposed to serve the food to the slaves. Shaking my head at the weird rules I used the wooden ladle to take a portion for myself and then gave Roxanne her part.

There was still quite a bit left in the pot. I took a seat and used my wooden spoon to cut a piece of the beef and ate it with some of the soup.

"How is it, is it tasty?" Roxanne asked me in anticipation

"It is very delicious, Roxanne. Well done" I replied while going for the potato this time.

"Thank you master" Roxanne also started eating happily

The Beef and vegetables were well made, the potatoes and the carrots were especially delicious. Only the taste of the soup was a bit mellow.

"We should buy all kinds of seasonings and spices from the Imperial Capital" I tell Roxanne while drinking the soup from the bowl and going for seconds.

"You think so?"

I also gave Roxanne another portion when her portion was done.

"I went to the Quratar's labyrinth earlier, so now we can both go directly inside without paying the fees" I talk with Roxanne while eating

"That is wonderful Master"

After we both finished the pot, Roxanne took the dishes to wash inside the kitchen and I followed her.

Inside the kitchen I took the lemons and cut them in half. Then I used the mortar and pestle to squeeze the lemon juice out. I used wooden cups to store that lemon juice. I stopped when I used up all the lemons. After a while Roxanne also finished her work.

"Let's take a Bath, Roxanne!"