Chapter Sixty-seven: When You Roast Meat, Does It Multiply? Is There Some Kind Of Magical Trick Involved?
After cooking for about an hour, I pierce the meat with a metal skewer to check the internal temperature. I touch the skewer to my lips… Yes! The heat has transferred well, so it’s done cooking! I move it to a large plate, cover it with aluminum foil, and let it rest to allow the juices to settle.
The potatoes I roasted alongside the meat weren’t charred but were fluffy and perfectly cooked. I also place them on the plate with the meat. I will mix the juices that accumulated on the baking sheet onto the sauce for added flavor, so nothing is wasted!
"…Isn’t Ms. Aria and Mr. Ed quite late…? I hope they aren’t hurt or anything…”
"Come to think of it, it’s been over an hour… Well, it is those two…”
"You don’t need to worry too much. They’re probably just enjoying themselves after going out together for the first time in a while.”
As I was about to season the thick steak with salt and pepper, I suddenly realized. Aren’t Mr. Ed and Ms. Aria late? I may just be a rookie porter, but does it really take this long to explore and gather nearby? Peering out the kitchen window, I still don’t see them around the Camping Car.
Did they run into a powerful enemy and are struggling? Or get caught in some trap, unable to move…?
Mr. Ville and Mr. Xenon, who were shaping dough for pull-apart bread, looked up at my worried muttering… but they didn’t seem particularly concerned…? Their explanation puts me a bit at ease though. Ah, so they’re just taking the chance to be lovey-dovey while out hunting.
I probably don’t need to worry too much about injuries then, huh?
“Well then… should I start grilling the steaks after the two of them get back? In the meantime, feel free to have a taste of this.”
“R-Really?”
“You helped with the cooking! It’s a benefit of being on kitchen duty.”
Steak doesn’t need to rest as long as roast beef, so it would be best to start grilling after Mr. Ed and Ms. Aria get back so everyone can enjoy it piping hot off the fire. But the guys will probably get hungry waiting, and they did lend a hand cooking… so I should give Mr. Ville and Mr. Xenon something to tide them over.
I served the potatoes roasted with the meat topped with a simmering sauce, along with a slice of savory cake I made yesterday. Normally, you wouldn’t serve this much before dinner, but with the Gourmands, there’s no worry about spoiling their appetite! Although the savory cake was originally meant for rations, I only put out the edge pieces as tasting portions. Personally, I find the edges of bread, pound cake, yokan, and castella to be particularly delicious.
"The sauce alone is delicious! I can’t wait for it to be on the meat.”
"The, hmm, savory cake? This is tasty too! I love having the meat and cheese together!”
As I watched the plates empty quickly, I started slicing tomatoes and put a pan with dough pieces over the fire, moving as I had planned in my mind. One of the great things about cooking is that I have complete control over the process.
Around when the sizzling pull-apart bread fills the air with an appetizing aroma, I hear Mr. Ed’s boisterous voice and footsteps climbing up into the cabin.
Looks like Mr. Ed and Ms. Aria are back.
"Welcome back…! Wow, that’s quite a haul!”
"Ye-s, we reeaally went all out!”
"It had been so long since Aria and I went on a date, we kinda lost track of time! Kept you waiting for dinner, so we went hunting as an apology of sorts.”
The two return hand-in-hand, their faces glowing as if they thoroughly enjoyed their rare "date" adventure. But more noteworthy is the mountain of meats and other ingredients cradled in the arms opposite their linked hands.
…Huh? That’s strange.
In my experience, a date is something like going for a drive, to an aquarium, out for a meal, to the movie… that kind of thing. Hunting for meat, foraging veggies, fishing—do "hunting dates" exist?!
…Well, I can see fishing as a date, veggie-picking like fruit-picking, or a community garden day as an outdoorsy date… but hunting for meat? I’ve never heard of a hunting date!
As I’m swept up in this quiet maelstrom of confusion, Mr. Ed and Ms. Aria are piling up their date spoils on the kitchen counter and dining table before me.
[Orc General/Loin (Aged)], [Orc General/Flank (Aged)], [Stalactite Wasabi], [cabbage-like hajirokanran], [Cavern Trout], [Cockatrice/Bone-In Thigh (Aged)], etc…
…!
My vision is overtaken by Survival’s info windows, giving me a brief bout of dizziness from the sudden influx of data into my brain.
Something is gently placed on my slightly swaying back.
"You alright there, Rin? Did you overdo it?”
"Ah, yes… thank you, Mr. Ville. I was just caught off guard by the unexpectedly large haul.”
It seems Mr. Ville supported me just in time. Thanks to him, I didn’t fall over! Grateful for our caring leader, I looked back at the tables. The information overload happened because I tried to view all the ingredients at once. If I focus on each one using Survival, I can read the information easily.
"…That said, what an incredible amount!”
"Lotsa yummy stuff! Hit the jackpot!”
"To score drops like that, you must have fought quite a few monsters, huh? Are you tired? Any injuries?”
"Not a scratch! Thanks for the concern though, Rin. By the way, Ville. The monsters here are similar to the fire bear.”
"…Deceptive appearances, it would seem.”
"Yeah, no way Aria and I could’ve taken down an Orc General otherwise.”
"…We’ll need to look into that more thoroughly.”
Drop items only come from defeating monsters. But to get a haul like this, they must have fought through quite a few battles. Hurriedly scanning Ms. Aria from head to toe, I don’t see so much as a speck of dirt on her clothes, let alone injuries. And Mr. Ed just waves his hand in that carefree way, so they seem unharmed at least…
A relief, for now.
“Huuungry," as Ms. Aria hugged me and rubbed her cheek against mine, I overheard the men discussing something serious. But my own challenge was figuring out what to do with the sudden influx of ingredients.
Hamburger steak, ginger pork, pork steaks, skewers, curry, stew, tempura…
If there are still leftovers after that, I guess freezing is an option, much as I’d rather avoid it.
Partially absorbed into the whirlpool of swirling thoughts… a wafting, toasty aroma snaps me back to hurriedly flipping the pull-apart bread.
Making me hungry fr
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