Chapter 41: Cooking Time

Author: Kurohitsuji
Raw: https://ncode.syosetu.com/n2086fk/42/
Translator: Lilia v4
Editor: Yuriko AYA

On the way back I stop at the guild and settle today’s goblins.
Uumu. The pay really is pretty good.
Maybe the adventurer trade is viable… no, it isn’t. Scary, and dangerous.
I think a bakery or a diner suits me better; no matter how far I go the town-girl nature doesn’t come out.

Even now I can’t help wanting to cook huge amounts of food.
Cookware I can use without worrying about getting it dirty, a knife with a terrific edge, and the capital’s main street lined with all kinds of ingredients.
My hands honestly itch.

I eat delicious food at the inn every day, but I want to make something soon.
Ingredients I never even saw when I lived in town, I can buy in bulk now.
Maybe this cooking method, maybe that seasoning.
I end up thinking things like that.
I might even leave the inn and rent a house.

“That’s what I think, anyway. Do you know any good places?”

For now I try asking my reliable older-sister figure for when I’m stuck, Liza.

“Hmm… a house, huh. Shall I look?”
“Ah, please. I’m not in a hurry.”
“Understood. Also, if you want to cook you can use the back? We use it for meal duty too.”

That so. Guild people have it hard too.

“I see. By the way, how many portions do you make?”
“Me and the guildmaster together, twenty people. It turns into quite a big job.”
“…Hohou. Whose duty is it today?”
“Mine. I can never decide what to make.”

Liza puts a hand to her cheek, looking troubled.
Hoh. Well well.

“Fumu. Liza. A bit of a proposal.”
“Nn? What?”
“Can I borrow the kitchen a little?”

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First I check the ingredients.
…Ooh, this many seasonal vegetables.
Meat they buy each time, I think. Then that butcher’s… so this is the budget.
Then pork and… no, I can get griffin meat with this.
Then that, and… fumu, there’s a fine mushroom, even.
This and that. All right. Mostly decided.
Next is shopping.

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The butcher on the main street.
The croquettes they sell here are superb; I’ve bought and eaten them on the street a few times.
But today’s target is something else.

“Konchaaas.”
“Ou, welcome. Croquettes?”

The uncle grins at me in the usual way.
A good-natured smile as always; just looking at it settles me.

“Nah, buying meat today. Got griffin?”
“Griffin, huh. How much?”
“Twenty portions. Chunk or cuts, either’s fine.”
“Ah, Adventurer’s Guild? Then I’ll cheap it a bit.”

A nikkari smile and a thumbs-up.
Ooh. As expected of uncle.

“Yay. Uncle, you’re handsome!”
“Haha, I’ll put it out back. Here, this is extra.”
“Sausage!? Thanks! …Uwah, this is good!”

After that I go around back and pick up the meat. Mr. Item Box, super convenient.
I buy the seasonings I’m short on too and go back to the guild.
I mean why are you out of salt. Salt is the one thing you don’t run out of.
A few herbs while I’m at it. Griffin meat has strong savor but a quirky smell.
If I stew it together and pull the funk, it should eat easier.

Now then. Shall we begin.

“Ring, I’m doing it.”
“—Sakura-Drive Ready.”
“Ignition! First, a knife!”
“—Understood.”

I form a mana blade at the tip of a handgun.
I peel potatoes and root veg, cut them bite-size, and line them in a basket at the water.
The potatoes I split in two places, and soak only one batch.

The mushrooms I cut to a suitable size and send to the water the same way.
Next the meat. I pound it with the knife spine to cut the sinew, tenderize it, then divide it into large bite-size pieces.
This I soak in a pot with milk and herbs.

“Frying pan.”
“—Understood.”

I make a fairly large frying pan with mana and add oil from sesame.
I sauté the root veg until they take color, take them out for now, then the meat.
I cook it the same way until it browns, then throw in the potatoes I set aside.
When the potatoes soften I move it to a normal pot, add the root veg and mushrooms and water, and stew.

Seasoning is salt only. Spices are expensive, so not this time.
Instead I use herbs generously.
Those I can pick in the forest as much as I want.

When a fresh scent spreads I turn the heat down for a bit and make a deep frying pan.
I pour in plenty of oil and warm it.
When it’s the right temperature I lower the leftover potatoes in quietly.
All at once cools the oil, so a little at a time.
When they fry up crisp I move them to a basket and scatter a light salt on top.

Fufufu. This is the sure-kill fried potato.
Cheap, easy, and filling.
It was the most popular menu at the church too.

All right. The griffin milk soup is done too.
Now just put out bread… nn?

“Uwah!? Eh, what!?”

When I notice, the guild staff are all staring at me.
Eh, what, scary!

“Ou, what’s all this fuss?”
“Ah, Glad. I was making dinner.”
“…Aahn? Why Ouka?”

He peers in with a dubious face, like he’s checking on me.
No, stop bringing that face closer. It’s fairly scary.

“I wanted to cook for the first time in a while, so I imposed on Liza.”
“That’s a help, but… ah. These guys, so that’s it.”
“It just finished. Want some?”
“Ou, but we can’t all fit here. Use the guild hall?”
“Eh. Not in shifts?”
“You. You think these guys will listen?”

Ah. It smells insanely good, after all.
Can’t be helped. Move it pot and all.

“Glad, bring the potato basket.”
“Idiot. I’ll take the pot, obviously. That’s heavy.”
“Ah, true. Then the pot, please.”
“Yeah. Anyone with free hands bring plates.”

Anyway, let’s get it over before it cools.

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A sudden aside, but Adventurer’s Guild staff also settle fights between adventurers.
Given the clientele, the staff train quite a bit, and a lot of them can handle themselves.
Besides the desk work, it’s a workplace with a surprising amount of physical labor.

Anyway, what I want to say is.
I made extra, supposed to be thirty portions, and it was eaten in an instant.
Like a war had started.

They’re eating about as much as our energetic boys at the church.
I went and made extra stir-fry and potato salad midway, and that got eaten too.
Yep. Well, that’s a cook’s reward.

I thought I should have set my own portion aside, while I finished a mountain of dishes.

That said, I went back to the inn and got to eat the mistress’s delicious food, so I’ll call it fine.