Chapter 26 - Cooking Instructions

When the sun begins to go down, we arrived at the camping point.

I wanted to prepare a meal, but it seems the Knights are in charge of meals.

The ones in charge are the knights Cain-san and Heinz-san.

It appears that the menu is High Orc meat skewer, soup, and hard bread.

Cain-san pours water into a large pot and puts a small number of dehydrated vegetables inside. Soup?

Heinz-san is preparing the skewers. He's cutting the Hight Orc meat into chunks and stabbing it on skewers... Fist-sized chunks of meat?

...… N?

"Please, wait a moment!"

"Takumi-san, what's the matter?"

I hesitated to interfere, but... I can't overlook this!

I absolutely feel wrong about this...

"I just want to confirm, but... are you going to put something else in this soup? after boiling it?"

"No, I will just season it with salt afterward!"

"...…"

Seriously...

"Are you going to cook meat of that size?"

"Yes!"

"...…"

...

Oh my... is this normal? It feels like nothing is strange about this...

Nono! Indeed, the meals in "Komadori Pavilion" had a salt-based taste. However, they were appropriately delicious.

This is not normal!

"First, the soup. Aren't you missing ingredients for the stock? It will only have a salty taste like this… Then, make the meat into a bit smaller pieces, if too little they will easily burn, if too big, they will be underdone."

The people here were saying that the cream bread was delicious. Which means that their palate isn't misaligned.

So for what reason are they overlooking this?

When I ask Wald-sama and the other knights―――

"We are mostly people who can't cook, you see."

"Every time during the camp it's 'as long as we eat' feeling. Dried meat and hard bread are better than soup stock alone."

"It's because, in this unit, Cain and Heinz make the best meals."

Most of the knights are noblemen. It should be quite reasonable that they can't cook.

However, since they are nobles they should have refined palates... they don't seem to mind.

They probably make a firm line during camping.

After that, I ask the Dragon Breath party―――

"We also always eat dried meat and hard bread."

"Iris? No way, impossible. This fellow can't cook~mon."

"Rather, this fellow makes hazardous waste."

"... I can live even without being able to cook!"

I got a similar answer.

Apparently, there is no decent cook.

No, but I'm sorry. I don't want to eat the meal Cain-san and Heinz-san are going to make.

Besides, I have to pay attention to Allen's and Elena's meals. Their malnourished bodies finally started approaching the standard.

Dried meat and hard bread are disagreeable, but I will definitely won't let them eat nearly salt water soup and underdone meat!

"Cain-san! Please, finely cut 3~4 pieces of meat and put them into the pot! Heinz-san, please cut all the chunks of meat into 1/4 sizes! I will return right away, so please do it in the meantime!"

I give instructions to Cain-san and Heinz-san without caring for my standing, leave the camping point and enter the forest to gather the necessary things.

Of course, Allen and Elena follow after me.

First, securing the ingredients!

It would be alright to use ingredients from the"Infinite Storage", but I thought it would be better not to use it in front of the other teams.

Besides, the forest is a treasure house of ingredients. I can gather enough ingredients in a matter of several minutes without having to use the ingredients from"Infinite Storage".

"I'm back!"

After returning with edible plants and mushrooms in both of my hands, I immediately start cooking.

"This is?"

"Ena grass and Blue Seed. Both are edible plants. And this is Rook mushroom and Petal mushroom. These are edible mushrooms."

"I have seen those at the market."

"That's right. All of them are common, after all."

I give names and explain about to plants I picked to Cain-san and other interested people.

All these plants and mushroom are commonly sold at the market. I thought they might accept the things they are familiar with easier. I choose the things to pick like that.

I have found some rare mushroom that doesn't appear at the market that much, but I have stopped myself from serving them something they are not familiar with while telling them "It's all right" to eat.

Ah, of course, I picked it and stored it inside the Infinite Storage.

"These grow almost anywhere, so it will be useful to remember them."

After adding the chopped meat, I washed and cut the plants, vegetables, and mushrooms and added them to the pot.

While the water in the pot is getting hot on the fire, I stick mouthful-sized meat onto skewers, lightly sprinkle them with salt, and put them near the fire.

Of course, I have used Cain-san and Heinz-san.

The two are helping without complaining. From a certain standpoint, it may seem like I'm selfishly butting in. Somehow, I'm sorry...

I season the soup lastly after the veggies and mushrooms cook. Because the dried meat comes with salt, using just a little bit of salt is okay.

The mushrooms and dried meat in the soup leave a nice feeling to it.

I grill the meat carefully without exposing it to intense heat.

All right, it's finished!

"!!!!"

Everyone takes a mouthful of the completed dish and their movements stop.

Was it not palatable? I thought for a moment, but the next moment, everyone started vigorously stuffing their mouths.

"Oh!"

"Delicious!"

"Ngu!"

Seems like I was worried for nothing.

They continue quietly eating after that, and all of the soup and grilled meat disappeared.

"My~ I'm stuffed! That was delicious~!"

"I'm glad it suited your tastes."

Because it was a simple food that didn't take much effort to make, I didn't think they would be so pleased with it. If they are pleased like this, it was worthwhile cooking it.

"Well~ Takumi is talented. I can't think that he just came of age."

"... Haah?"

Wald-sama suddenly says something strange.

What did he just say? Did he just say "came of age"?

It means becoming an adult in Japanese. However, on Aetherdia, one becomes an adult at 15 years of age, you know?

Is this that... I look five years younger?

"... I don't know how old you think I am, but I'm 20, you know?"

"Eh!?"

Ueh!? Everyone!? Everyone here is surprised?

"Seriously!? I thought you would be 16-17 at most."

"...…"

Was I only seen as someone who just came of age? So it's true that the faces of Japanese people look young... I have realized it for the first time.

A silly talk continued after that.

I had to tsukkomi a few times as the talk flowed, but it went well.

When it became dark, the night watch has been selected.

There will be three shifts, but I was told I don't need to be on duty today, so I gratefully decided to sleep.

"Here, Allen, Elena."

I put the blanket over Allen and Elena, and they cuddle to my sides as always.

"Do you always sleep like that?"

"Just when sleeping outside. They don't seem to like sleeping on the cold ground."

"Fuun~"

I have tried spreading the blanket on the ground once before, but the two opposed by shaking their heads.

It seems like they recall the time before meeting me….. their environment when they were slaves. They don't appear to remember much, but they remember this.

In addition, the two seem to have taken a liking to sleep like this after the first time.

"Then, I will gratefully accept your offer and sleep."

"Ou. Have a good sleep."

Suu~ Suu~ the two have already fallen asleep. After gently patting their heads, I closed my eyelids.

The next day when I woke up, everyone was staring at me with expectations to make breakfast.

Of course, I made it...

I mean, I might as well make something delicious.