Volume 9, Chapter 38 – A Brief and Lively Routine

“It doesn’t look very pretty, seems like you just threw some stuff together, but it smells amazing. Is this some kind of angel cuisine, like the ‘soy sauce’?”

“Hey, Yisi, can we eat yet? Can we eat yet!?”

Red, who had looked utterly pathetic moments ago due to the aftermath of [Dragon Breaker], now eagerly leaned in front of Yisi with a “Hoo,” her eyes filled with impatience, reminding Yisi of a starving pet dog.

But even faced with such an expectant expression, Yisi could only gently shake her head while infusing magic power into the tree stump.

“Just a little longer. The meat inside might not be fully cooked yet.”

The ‘dish perfect for this season’ she had mentioned earlier was none other than hot pot. In this other world, there were almost no dishes eaten while being cooked. Even stews, which were similar, were served after being fully cooked and didn’t bring the lively atmosphere of a hot pot.

“If you really can’t wait, the sukiyaki over there should be almost ready. You can try that first, Red.”

Considering different people had different tastes, Yisi had spent extra time preparing both Japanese-style sukiyaki and a spicier Chinese-style hot pot. The necessary soup bases were reserves Yisi had prepared in her spare time and stored in her storage.

Although seasonings like star anise and fennel didn’t exist in this world, thankfully, she could find substitutes with similar flavors. For example, a light purple lump that tasted like ginger was actually the stamen of a Giant Jaw Flower. Eating it raw or adding it to dishes would cause death by respiratory failure. But if soaked in a potion filled with magic power—that is, a magic potion liquid—for a day, the toxins would be neutralized by the magic, turning it into a condiment usable as ginger flavoring.

It was worth mentioning that discovering these seasonings was an accidental find for Yisi. Previously, while preparing magic liquid needed for magic items, Yisi had accidentally smelled ginger among a large pile of materials. She then found the Giant Jaw Flower stamen, chewed it lightly, and discovered it indeed had the spicy flavor and aroma of ginger. Since then, Yisi had started experimenting with seemingly edible alchemy materials in her storage, eventually finding items corresponding to various seasonings.

As for considerations like toxins, Yisi initially felt apprehensive, but after getting used to it, she stopped caring. Although she could get sick and have diarrhea, she absolutely wouldn’t be poisoned. And if she tried various materials after switching to [Third Form Awakening], she could even fully digest food that should have caused stomach upset. In her [Third Form Awakening] state, she seemed to possess a beast-like powerful digestive ability.

“Hey, hey, what’s this stew-like dish called? I’ve never seen anything like it before.”

Eyes wide like a curious child, Purple, squatting beside the tree stump with Yisi and sniffing gently, asked. The reason they were squatting wasn’t because they were using the stumps as stools, but because Yisi was using two close-together, sufficiently large tree stumps as pots and stoves, holding the Japanese and Chinese hot pots respectively.

Just hollow out the center of the stump, sterilize it with creature-killing magic, and finally lay an iron plate engraved with complex magic circuits at the bottom, and a natural stove is ready. Since the iron plate’s material couldn’t withstand complex magic circuits and would easily melt at high temperatures upon receiving magic power, Yisi could control the heat by adjusting the amount of magic injected through an input port opened on the side.

This task could only be done by Yisi. If someone else with less refined magic control tried it, the stump would explode with a bang the instant magic was injected. The reason she didn’t use the [Eye of Dusk] was because its heat was too intense and would easily evaporate the soup.

Purple’s question put Yisi in a slight bind.

“The name…? Just call it hot pot? You just need to prepare a soup base with various seasonings and add whatever ingredients you want to eat.”

To pursue a stimulating taste, she had thrown some unusual monster ingredients into the stump, things not normally considered food, like Human-Faced Mushrooms parasitized by poisonous slimes, which caused a numbing sensation on the tongue when eaten, and the chewy but overlooked-as-food Minotaur hind spine, valued instead as an ingredient for high-grade magic potions.

Considering that telling her companions upfront the ingredients were from monsters might make them resistant and miss out on the deliciousness, Yisi decided not to reveal what they were unless asked. Just like getting Count Pescia accustomed to slime blood, once her companions got used to the delicious taste, they might grudgingly accept it even if told they were monster ingredients. All ingredients had been carefully processed by her; even a toddler eating them would absolutely not be poisoned.

“It’s called hot pot? Mm-hmm. Can you tell me how to make it? I want to try making it myself when I get back. I have absolutely no resistance to this kind of spicy food. Honestly, just seeing the bright red soup makes my mouth water.”

“No, no, you must be mistaken, Purple! Obviously, this dish called sukiyaki is more delicious! Dipped in the sauce, the melt-in-your-mouth tender texture combined with the flavor explosion of the sauce… Mmm~ Mmm~—Super delicious!”

“Hey! Red, why did you start eating already! Yisi hasn’t even eaten yet!”

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“Eh? I-I was just tasting to see if it was done! Didn’t Yisi ask me to come over just now?”

So Red prefers the lighter Japanese flavor over the Chinese hot pot?

Yisi nodded inwardly. Thankfully, she had prepared two different flavors, otherwise Red would have had nothing to eat. Dividing by numbers, standing by the sukiyaki pot were Red, Tiffany, Refina, and Laxy who didn’t need to eat. Everyone else was a spicy food lover like Yisi.

While feeling fortunate, Yisi picked up her chopsticks and tasted a slice of Minotaur meat.

The flavor of the soup base blended perfectly with the dense, elastic meat slice. Although it required effort to chew due to the meat’s texture, it was precisely this chewiness that made the aftertaste linger wonderfully.

It should be ready now.

When Yisi, who had been savoring the taste, opened her eyes, she found everyone, including her companions and Lin who was a bit further away, looking at her expectantly.

“What’s wrong?”

“Can we start eating? Don’t keep us waiting too long.”

“You can, but…”

Yisi glanced at the knife and fork in Pepe’s hand. Although chopsticks were the matching utensils for hot pot, even if she presented bamboo chopsticks to Pepe now, she probably wouldn’t use them. After thinking for a moment, Yisi had no choice but to do it herself. She scooped the food out of the boiling stump, placed it in bowls containing some soup base, and then put the bowls in front of her companions for them to eat with knives and forks.

Somehow, this doesn’t feel like hot pot anymore.

While Yisi felt wistful, the others, given the green light, picked up their utensils almost simultaneously.

“Ow! So hot! But so delicious! Master secretly practiced her cooking skills!”

“Cough… Cough cough, this spiciness is too choking.”

Although she said that, Purple’s body was quite honest, taking a large gulp of water before continuing to pick up thick-cut meat. At the same time, she didn’t forget to discreetly crane her neck to see how much food was left in the stump.

“This mushroom-like thing makes my tongue feel numb after eating it. I’ve never tasted anything like this before. It’s a bit novel.”

“How is it?”

Pepe’s comment made Yisi ask eagerly. Seeing Yisi’s expression waiting for praise, Edith couldn’t help but chuckle lightly.

“Not bad.”

“That’s good.”

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What Pepe had just eaten was a monster ingredient, the Human-Faced Mushroom parasitized by a poisonous slime. In its complete state, it resembled a human face and would emit a baby’s cry when touched, so no one had ever considered it food. To make her companions accept it, Yisi had specifically cut it into unrecognizable small pieces. In terms of taste alone, the Human-Faced Mushroom was more delicious than any fungus Yisi had ever tasted—provided it wasn’t parasitized by a poisonous slime. Yisi had chosen the poisoned version, which carried a very slight toxin, causing the tongue to tingle and producing a flavor similar to Sichuan peppercorns.

“Mmm, this is the first time I’ve tasted meat with this texture. Can you tell me what kind of animal this is, Yisi? It’s very chewy, and every bite bursts with spicy soup. The rich meaty flavor combined with the deep taste of the soup base… the texture is almost like legendary red dragon meat.”

“What, what? A dish even Lin says is delicious?” Red, who had been focused on the sukiyaki, suddenly leaned closer. “Since even Lin says it’s delicious, it must be an incredibly flavorful dish! Seeing how you all look like you’re in heaven, I guess I’ll force myself to try a bite of the spicy stuff.”

Spearing a slice of Minotaur meat from Lin’s bowl, Red cautiously put it into her mouth. Immediately, as if struck by lightning, Red froze, the silver fork in her hand clattering to the ground.

“Red? Is it too spicy?”

Lin reflexively stood up and quickly offered Red a cup of water. But Red didn’t take it immediately; something resembling tears began to well up in her eyes.

“S-So Lin has been eating such delicious things all this time… I was born just to taste today’s dish!”

No, no, that’s too exaggerated.

Yisi, who had been tense, started to feel embarrassed.

“But… it’s just…”

“Just what? Red, you don’t look right. Your forehead is starting to sweat. Do you have a fever?”

“Just give me water! So spicy spicy spicy!!!”

Screaming like she was crying, Red ignored the water splashing on herself, snatched the wooden cup from Lin, and gulped down the lemon-infused water with loud ‘glug glug’ sounds.

While Lin and Red were interacting, Purple and Camilla on the other side started a new round of war.

It began when Purple, having quickly finished the meat in her bowl, noticed that Camilla, who had finished long ago, was using strange utensils—two wooden sticks—to pick food out of the stump. In Purple’s eyes, Camilla’s action was cheating. Normally, one should wait patiently for Yisi to redistribute the food. But Camilla retorted with “If you have the guts, go get it yourself from the pot; don’t rely on Onee-sama for everything.” As a result, Purple did try as Camilla suggested, probing the boiling, chokingly spicy stump with her fork. But in the constantly churning pot, picking up food with a fork was simply unrealistic. No matter how Purple tried, she got nothing.

Even though Purple asked Yisi for a set of utensils like Camilla’s, because it was her first time, she didn’t know how to use chopsticks. The result was the same as with the fork—she couldn’t grab anything. Meanwhile, Camilla had already eaten countless pieces of food Purple had her eye on. Enraged, Purple declared that Camilla’s utensils must be magic items. Camilla naturally responded with ridicule, and the two fell into an argument.

Of course, there was a harmonious side to the table as well. Learning from Purple’s failure, Edith delegated the task of retrieving food to Mary. Although Yisi felt that Edith was treating Mary like a cute servant, since Mary looked very happy, Yisi could only watch quietly from the side, occasionally adding new ingredients to the pot.

The lunch, with ingredients constantly being thrown into the stumps, lasted for nearly an hour before everyone finally felt satisfied, contentment showing on their faces.

“Ah~ ah~, this is definitely the most delicious meal I’ve had since I was born.”

“I can’t anymore. I’m completely stuffed. Even one more piece of meat would make my stomach burst. This is the devil’s cooking, demonic temptation! But God, please forgive my weakness; I have been thoroughly captured by the devil.”

Hands resting on their stomachs, leaning back against their chairs and looking up at the sky, Purple and Red sighed respectively.

“Red, Purple, you two are acting so unladylike.”

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Lin pressed her forehead like a parent.

“Eh? Lin, your mouth is covered in grease too, yet you say we’re not ladylike?”

“You two… I haven’t settled the score with you for underestimating the enemy earlier.”

“Ah, I didn’t say anything! That was Red talking just now. How nice, this kind of cooking. If I could eat this every day, I wouldn’t mind becoming Yisi’s handmaiden. No, and those magic items too! If I could get one, forget being a slave, even being a pet would be fine! Damn it, after seeing Mary’s treatment, I’m starting to doubt if I’m even a great believer of the Gospel, being treated worse than a slave.”

Casually uttering problematic statements, Yisi didn’t know if Purple was joking or serious. If it was the latter, she could only reply that if Purple were a bit more mature, she might consider it. Of course, Yisi would never say this out loud in front of so many people, only teasing inwardly.

Seemingly embarrassed by her companion, Lin first gave Yisi an awkward smile, then changed the subject.

“Yisi still hasn’t said what that chewy meat was.”

“Ah, that was meat from a Minotaur’s back. I initially just wanted to try it, but I didn’t expect it to be really delicious.”

“Minotaur?!”

As if electrocuted, Red and Purple, who had been lounging in their wooden chairs, immediately sat bolt upright. Including Lin, sitting beside Yisi, all three wore tense expressions, as if facing a great enemy.

As expected, knowing it’s monster meat makes everyone resistant?

No, that’s normal. When I first came to this world, I couldn’t accept monster meat either. Maybe in their eyes, Minotaur meat is as disgusting as cockroach meat.

“I’m sorry… I thought it would be fine as long as it was tasty and non-toxic. I didn’t expect you to react so strongly…”

“No, no, why are you apologizing, Yisi? W-We should be the ones apologizing, right?” For some reason, Purple swallowed with an expression that looked like fear. “Minotaurs are demons; their value as alchemy materials is immeasurable. I remember a finger-sized piece costs a hundred gold coins. All that meat we just ate… if it was all Minotaur meat, it would probably add up to several platinum coins…”

Hearing that it wasn’t disgust for the ingredient, Yisi couldn’t help but sigh in relief, scratching her head awkwardly.

“Ahaha… There’s no way I’d put only Minotaur meat in! It’s too tough to chew, after all. So I also added some easier-to-chew meats. Camilla likes softer food.”

Camilla cupped her face with one hand, her cheeks slightly flushed.

“So Onee-sama did it for me… Thank you, Onee-sama.”

“Hah, it wasn’t all Minotaur? That’s good. I’ll pay Yisi back for this meal later. Just platinum coins should be within our means.”

Lin said very seriously.

“No need, no need! As the cook, just hearing you say it was delicious is enough satisfaction for me. Paying would be too formal.”

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“No, you must be paid. Otherwise, I’ll develop a sense of dependency later. As the Hero, even towards Yisi who has always helped me, I must be clear about money matters.”

“That’s right! It’s just the cost of one lunch! We must pay Yisi as thanks!”

Red chimed in.

“Is that so…”

Perhaps this was Lin’s principle. Continuing to refuse might make her angry.

Yisi had encountered similar situations before, where colleagues insisted on paying the bill, eventually leading to arguments and unpleasantness.

“Since you put it that way, Lin—alright then.”

“Right, right! Yisi said earlier she also added easy-to-chew meat. What kind was that?”

Red, equally relieved as Lin, asked casually.

Yisi touched her index finger to her chin, tilted her head up slightly, and looked at the azure sky.

“Hmm… Chimera meat?”

That was a monster she encountered in the underground labyrinth while searching for the Mana Source—a creature with a lion’s body and two giant snakes growing from its back. Because it charged at her roaring upon sight, she had turned it into meat chunks and stored them away so she could search for the Mana Source in peace. Initially intended as dinner for the Cerberus, but now that they were with Evelyn and Andrea, the Chimera meat hadn’t been used. While experimenting with various ingredients earlier, she had tasted some on the side and found it surprisingly good.

“Chi… Chimera! Are you serious, Yisi!? Isn’t that a legendary monster? Rarer than dragons! Just eating its meat can cure any hidden illness!”

Purple let out a sound like a wail.

Yisi blinked her cute eyes strangely.

“Yes, that’s right. It’s Chimera.”

After all, the [Omniscient Map] wouldn’t deceive her. However, she had never heard about it curing hidden illnesses.

“Not only did we eat Minotaur, which is used for high-grade magic potions, but also Chimera, the raw material for panaceas and immortality elixirs! Lin… now we really can’t afford to pay even if we sell ourselves…”

Looking like she was about to cry, Purple wore a mournful expression and tugged at Lin’s sleeve like she was seeking a savior. But she didn’t notice that Lin wasn’t faring much better, her cherry lips pressed tightly together, her expression exceptionally complex.

If only I hadn’t insisted on paying just now.

This was likely the thought shared by all three at that moment.