Story IV / Part XLIX: The Red Dawn of Crimson Sky (XVI) / The Wicked Fate That Awaits Us (VIII)

I made this military meal because I feel sick of the foods provided in barracks when I am still in the Knight Academy and when I participate in joint force with other races on small or big Skirmishes, International Friendly Matches, Military Expeditions, Military Explorations, Scouting Missions, Extermination Missions, and many others. I grow tired of it because the normal military foods don't have any taste or they have a disgusting taste.

My military instructors and commanders often told me that soldiers don't need luxury named "tastiness" in their food on the battlefield. As long as it can fill the soldiers' stomach and support their body with balanced nutrients for long time is enough, the taste is none of their concern.

"The food that is provided for the knights is made just to supply us with necessary nutrients. Taste is insignificant, if it can feed you for a whole daesh then it's good enough."

When I disagreed with that, they punished me by making me run one hundred times on the field.

That experience among many is one of the reasons I quit the army and chose to become adventurer instead. I served for around two Eelvariash and I will never forget those tiring daesh full of bullshits. After hearing I quit from Military Service, Queen Anne asked me to re-enlist many times but I refused. I even went into a fight with my mother. She said I had better live as a Knight because I kept making amazing military achievements for the army, but I refused because I have gotten tired from dealing with military chain of command bullshit and my other reason is, I don't want anybody to control my life.

My freedom is mine and mine alone and I don't want to swear loyalty or bow down before anyone who never even talk to me or appreciate my feeling. Mother completely gave up after I said I wanted to become a merchant like my father as well as household's head in the future. Of course, father quickly agreed with me and as you know, this is the benefit if you have a doting parent.

I started making my own [Calorie Meal] to guarantee my enjoyable adventuring life. First, I asked my father to let me accompany him when he went to another country. Thanks to him agreeing with my request without hesitation, as I expected, I can visit all Empires in Yamato Island, except Onigashima, The Great Empires in Xiantian Land, and other Kingdom of Magical or Demi-Human Races.

From there, I gathered all ingredients that I need to try to make my own recipe. I asked Ken and Ameryl to assist me when making them. Ken helped me as food tester and critiques while Ameryl taught me cooking techniques. She taught me various cooking techniques, from simple and easy cooking methods and techniques until almost impossible and extremely hard techniques. I needed an Eelvariash to master all of them, thanks to my racial abilities and passive skills that popped out from nowhere, which speeded up my learning skill.

From that point, I tried to make my own [Calorie Meal] by combining specific, even exotic ingredients to make it "tasty". Ameryl and I created it with many trials and errors, with Ken as the victim from our experiments. I kept failing and I almost gave up but accidentally I found a hidden book on father's library with title "Gaiven Rusel Ionaiger Exoticus Genc" (Hidden Exotic Ingredients on Gaia) and I read it carefully.

The book itself is old, but it contains many exotic ingredients that I have never seen. I need a wikliviash to finish that thick book but it motivated me to complete my recipe. I finally went on a long journey secretly to find those ingredients.

Of course, father and mother were panicked at that time. They thought that I ran from home because mother kept forcing me to return into Chivalric Order. Well, thanks to Ken, Ameryl and another cyborg maid named C who kept the secret, I can freely to go anywhere I want.

Although when I returned one Eelvariash and four movanth later, I got a teary reunion. After that incident, father and mother never interfere with my personal affair again. To be honest, I feel a bit a guilty for not telling the reason I went for a journey at that time, but if I tell mother about this, she will beat me without mercy.

In my journey, I visited all Sylph Elf's Kingdoms and lived there for almost two Eelvariash. I submitted the activities that I wanted to do there in the local adventurer guilds and in return, I must take at least one quest each wikliviash that posted by the citizen there.

Well, I only took the quest that has long period and vast exploration area to find the exotic ingredients that written on that book. I went into hidden mountains, caves, magical forests, magical lakes, etc., and fought against "The Guardians" there. Although, my journey was tiring and almost killed me, but I obtained all exotic ingredients that I needed.

I gathered all exotic materials such as [Medena Grass], [Auvrigal Flower], [Liokal Leaf], [Vanter Root], [Opassel Flower], [Erei Honey], [Faerfer Herb], [Barekk Salt], [Uniel Sugar], [White Ailol Pepperium], [Tocas Pepper] and [Aracia Mushroom] from hidden places around Sylph Elf's Kingdoms, Ignish Elf's Kingdoms, Alfheim World inside Yggdrasil Tree and Holy Elf's Kingdoms.

[Medena Grass] can slow the digestion process on the stomach and make it feels full for six heverra, [Auvrigal Flower] can kill the harmful microorganisms in the food and body (after cooked and consumed), [Liokal Leaf] can protect you from dehydration for a half of daesh. [Vanter Root] can warm your body as well as raise your endurance and strength for a half of daesh.

[Opassel Flower] can enhance your senses for a half of daesh, [Erei Honey] has two effects that can preserve the food so it won't spoil forever and raise your body immune system, [Faerfer Herb] can be used to accelerate the blood circulatory in your vein. [Barekk Salt] can protect your mouth from scurvy as well as make the food tastier.

[Uniel Sugar] can make you feel energetic for a daesh and it works in accord with [Medena Grass], even though it just enhances [Medena Grass]'s effect in higher level. [White Ailol Pepperium] is basically like a bell paper but it has shiny and white-colored fruit, it has an effect to prevent nausea and cold. [Tocas Pepper] is a fruit with strangle looking shape…to be honest it's shape like a ghost screaming. It has an effect to erase the fatigue and prevent any kind of [Mind Debuff] for a half of daesh.

Lastly, [Aracia Mushroom] is the rarest ingredient yet the most powerful one among them. It has many amazing effects such as enhancing other exotic ingredients' effects to EXTREME level. It can also change the flavor of the food. For example, if someone doesn't like Sashimi, if they think about "Baked Ribs", the flavor of the raw fish will change into "Baked Ribs". This mushroom can stimulate the brain to work faster, negating any kind of sickness and debuff for a daesh.

However, the foods that created by using them can only be eaten for a small amount per daesh. If someone eats too much, it can make your stomach really hurt until you feel like your stomach going to explode. You will feel an extreme pain in your body and hallucination in your mind, since these exotic ingredients are originally used to create dangerous psychotic drugs.

"Ah…I see…my great grandmother…on another side of river…wait for me grandmother…"

"WAIT, AYUMI DON'T CROSS TO THE OTHER SIDE ALREADY!" I shook her body and I slap her cheeks repeatedly.

I remember Ken were like this before. He ate the foods that I cooked with [Aracia Mushroom] until he can't stop eating. Well, I thought my foods that he ate were really delicious until he can't stop eating them.

"you….ng….mas….ter….s…s…to…p"

He kept eating and eating until his stomach grew big but his eyes were crying and because that I felt motivated and I kept giving him the foods while asking him to eat them with happy face. Ameryl who realized something wrong with my foods asked me to stop.

"Ghrhh…young…mas…ter…if…you…want to…kill me…do it…don't…torture…me…with this…delicious…food…"

Ameryl looked at Ken and then she said, "Young Master, I think my husband can't stomach your food again. Somehow, I feel like…you have mixed a dangerous material inside your food…look at his face and belly, it seems he wants to vomit and go to toilet but he can't…eh, wait…OH MY MAKER YOUNG MASTER STOP COOKING FOOD RIGHT NOW!"

She quickly turned off the stove and grabbed me. She turned my head to Ken who laying on the floor with opened mouth and crying, red eyes. I shook my head and looked back at Ameryl and she gave me a worried expression at me.

"So, my food isn't tasty…" I sulked.

Ameryl rubbed my head to reassure me and said, "No, no! I believe it isn't that! But what did you mix in—"

"But Ken, I saw you ate all foods given by the young ladies on the market and you ate them happily while being pampered by them…So, my foods aren't tasty enough like the foods they made to you?"

I looked at Ken with teary eyes. Ken suddenly raised his head and he shakes his head strongly. Ameryl who grabbed my shoulders suddenly turned her head to Ken and smiling.

"What's that I wonder…?" Yep, that is a terrifying smile.

Meanwhile, Ken keeps shaking his head strongly but he can't speak. She approached Ken, grabbed his collar and slapped his swollen cheeks many times. Meanwhile, Ken keeps shaking his head as if he wants to say, "No! You got it wrong!"

"Young Master, I believe my husband still want to eat your cooking. He is crying because your food is like a blessing from Irllina itself!" Ameryl smiled at me happily.

I'm who still stupid at that time was very happy with Ameryl's words and cooked 50 foods for Ken with her. Not long after that he said, "Golde…delicious.." and collapsed. I remember Ken was hospitalized for a movanth because my overeating my food.

The worst thing was when my (stupid) father came from nowhere and sniffed the foods that I saved secretly in the cupboard. Then, he devoured all of it without thinking and yeah, he was hospitalized for a movanth like Ken. Mother must run the company in his absent and when he returned to mansion, she beat him into pulp.

At another time, Mother accidentally found me planted these dangerous materials on the backyard secretly. Well, she suddenly collapsed after she saw me planted these things for a daesh and I, who still hadn't fully understood what's the dangerous effects behind these exotic ingredients got an earful scolding for three heverra straight. After she done scolding me, I ran back to backyard and continued planting them without guilty feeling.

"OH, MY MAKER…! DEAR, I BEG YOU PLEASE STOP PLANTING THEM! I SWEAR I WILL NOT FORCE YOU TO RETURN TO CHIVALRIC ORDER AGAIN!"

Mother hugged me from back and crying loudly. Meanwhile, I who still didn't understand anything on that time kept planting the plants until Ameryl came and asked me to stop.

"So…they became like this because eat too much of your food, My Lord?" Vania picked a sweet bread in front of her and ate it.

I nodded, "Yes, I forgot to tell them not to eat them all. Just a small amount is enough to fill their stomach for a half until one daesh. If this was a normal [Calorie Meal] they would be fine, but what I cooked before wasn't a normal [Calorie Meal] that you can find and eat in typical military barracks."

Vania stares the bread, "Hmm…true, this has appealing taste and shape. Moreover, I have felt full already."

Alexander laid down Thomas near Jordan, "The meeting is almost started Leader…"

"Thankfully you are here too, Julio, Alexander, Jack, Dolsche, Tobias, Faudel, and Vania. Could you please help me make some antidote for them?"

"Gladly, so what do we need to do?" Tobias gave me a serious look.

I asked them to follow me to the lab and once we arrived there, I took all of my herb processing tools from my inventory as well as the antidote ingredients. The ingredients are [Hydralgium Flower], [Manurica Salt], [Adreigum Grass], [Ioryl Water], and [Starfall Rock]. [Hydralgium Flower] has a relaxant and anti-inflammation effect for lungs and intestines, [Manurica Salt] has buff neutralizing effects, [Adreigum Grass] will make the user feels nauseated and they will be vomiting poisons through their mouth.

[Ioryl Water] will detox the poisons inside the user's body and they will release them in sweat or urine, and [Starfall Rock] has an effect to stop any kind of negative effects these herbs have after they finished their detoxification process. Further effects of this rock will make the user feels calm and relax for 30 minerval, and later it gives them an appetite.

"This is…!!!" Jack is surprised when he sees the ingredients.

"What the…! All of these are exotic ingredients! Where did you obtain these Leader?!"

"I got them during my journey to Sylph Elf, Terra Elf, Undine Elf's Kingdoms, Tobias. Don't worry I have a lot of them in my inventory. Enough to make antidotes for everyone."

"YOU STILL HAVE MORE IN YOUR INVENTORY?!"

"Whoa, whoa calm down Jack! I have more of them in my inventory since I often used them for my cooking experiments and alchemy practices—"

"YOU USED THEM FOR PRACTICING?!"

I was shocked and confused when Jack grabbed my shoulders, and shouted at me with a serious look on his face. I don't get what he means. Meanwhile, Tobias, Alexander and Faudel can only shakes their head.

He glares at me, "It seems you don't get what Jack tried to say. Let me be frank here Leader, practicing or cooking using one of these ingredients, as well as [Aracia Mushroom] and [Starfall Rock] is regarded as insanity. Moreover, you said that you have more of them, from where are they come from, I wonder, Leader?"

"Please don't give me that look, Faudel-san. I just cultivate them secretly behind my man—"

Without thunder, without rain, Faudel slammed his book to ground and then he gives me a very intimidating look. He glared at me for very long time until he gave up and shook his head strongly.

"If other Kings and Queens found out that you successfully cultivate these herbs IN YOUR GARDEN, they will drag you into their castle and lock you in the Academist or Healer Mage Tower to cultivate them there. No wonder your mother panicked at that time…"

"But the information in my father's book said that these herbs usually grow abundant in specific places and very easy to find. The book said that these herbs have a bit stronger effects…I think." I tried to remember another information that is written inside the book. Then, Faudel grabs my shoulders.

"Leader, from which Eelvariash and Era your father's book was?"

"Hmm…the Eelvariash shows, 309.042 A.E.V I…maybe?" After hearing that, Faudel facepalm his own face that it makes his glasses fell. Then, he picked his glasses and wiped it with his handkerchief, before wearing it again.

"THAT BOOK WAS FROM HUNDRED THOUSAND OF EELVARIASH AGO! THE BOOK IS OUTDATED AND THAT'S WHY THERE IS ONLY A LITTLE INFORMATION ABOUT THOSE PLANTS INSIDE IT!"

"But in the book, it's written that these ingredients are used for psychotic drugs and only have serious effects if it consumed over the recommended dosage. So I think it's safe for cooking as long as you know the—"

"BUT IT'S NOT MEANT FOR COOKING! THAT'S THE FUCKING POINT!!" I jolted when he suddenly grabbed my shoulders and screamed at me again. Then, he rolls on the floor while mumbling something.

Tobias sighed, "I wonder if Erick, Mikazuchi, Del and Vetto will have the same reaction like him when they heard about this Leader. There is no sane person in the world who uses these forbidden and dangerous herbs only for making a mere military meal or simple cooking. Alright, let's cut off the talk, chop-chop, time is short!"

I remembered our original objective. Without slowing down again, I asked Dolsche who have been standing quiet near the door to boil the [Ioryl Water] in the pot with maximum heat. Then, I asked Jack and Alexander to cut [Hydralgium Flower] and [Adreigum Grass] into small pieces and then mush them with mortar. At the same time, I asked Dolsche to crush [Starfall Stone] into smooth powder. After the water boils, I lowered the heat and poured everything into the pot then I stir it slowly.

When the sweet fragrance released from the pot, I poured [Manurica Salt] little by little while stirring the medicine inside the pot. I need 25 minerval to prepare the medicine and then I poured them into smaller bottles when it had cooled down. I asked Jack and the others to give one bottle of potion for each of the sick members and let the natural process works.

After I finished making the antidotes, I headed outside and summoned Nida and ride him to the main headquarter that located far north from here.