Chapter 99

The flower festival has ended, but the school break still has seven days left. Since the students who have returned to their territories have not come back yet, the dormitory is very quiet. After completing his daily routine of running, which he had continued even after coming to Saerium, Cain changed clothes and headed to the dormitory cafeteria for breakfast.

"Come to think of it, the cafeteria lady isn't here."

There was no one in the kitchen behind the cafeteria counter. During the break, the kitchen is open, so the remaining students can cook for themselves. However, in this school, which is attended by the children of nobles, there are few students who can cook.

The students who had arrived at the cafeteria earlier were nibbling on bread and fruits they had taken from the kitchen's food shelves. Seeing this, Cain smiled wryly, thinking, "Of course, the students with homes in the capital would go back home."

In his previous life, Cain had been a single salaryman. Due to his low salary, he mostly cooked for himself, but he used a rice cooker for rice, and for fried chicken, he used an oil spray and an oven toaster. For simmered dishes and miso soup, he used an induction cooker that automatically adjusted the temperature and had a timer to prevent overcooking. His cooking in his previous life was made possible by the conveniences of modern technology, so he didn't expect to be able to cook at the same level here. However, he thought he could at least fry an egg and went to the kitchen, but then reconsidered.

The kitchen equipment was all commercial size. Of course, it was designed to cook for all the dormitory residents. The pots were large, and the stoves were big. Most importantly, it would be difficult just to start a fire in the stoves and ovens.

"Madie?"

While looking at the kitchen tools, he was called from behind. Although it was a mistake, there was no one else in the kitchen besides Cain, so he turned around, thinking he was being addressed.

"It's Cain. Madie-senpai isn't here."

"Ah, sorry. I thought only Madie would come into the kitchen on a holiday. So, Cain? Can you cook?"

The one who called out was a male student who seemed to be an upperclassman due to his large build. He was scratching his head and standing at the entrance to the kitchen.

"I thought I could make simple things, but the tools and equipment are too big, making it difficult."

"Ah, in that case, look over there. There's a stove for the kitchen staff and for students to cook on their own during days like today. ... Come to think of it, I've seen it before. Cain, didn't you work part-time in the kitchen?"

"I only did prep work and stirring simmered dishes. I've never looked behind the cabinets. Thank you. I'll take a look."

After thanking the male student, Cain went behind the cabinets. Indeed, there was a small stove installed. It was similar to a gas stove with a fish grill in his previous life, where you could burn wood in the grill part and cook on the gas stove part. There were two round holes with footed stands, and it didn't seem to take long to heat a pot with the wood. The pots and pans hanging on the wall were also regular size.

"Madie often cooks here. By the way, can you cook?"

While looking at the cooking tools, Cain was startled by a voice from behind. When he turned around, the upperclassman male student from earlier was following him. Cain, who had not expected him to enter the kitchen, was caught off guard.

"Simple things. If there are eggs, I might try making an omelet..."

"Right! Making one is the same as making two, right? Right?!"

Deciding on his own, the upperclassman male student disappeared into the pantry with a cheerful expression and returned with ten eggs.

Cain took some firewood from the stack by the wall and threw it into the stove's lower hole. Although it seemed easier to use than the commercial equipment, it was Cain's first time cooking in this world. He didn't know how much firewood to use, so he decided to put in as much as possible and remove some if the heat was too strong. He placed a bucket of water nearby for extinguishing the fire.

"Do you know how to start a fire? I think Madie said it's over there..."

"Ah... It's okay."

Cain was hungry. He had been running since morning and hadn't eaten breakfast yet. He couldn't afford to spend time starting a fire from scratch.

"O Flame, emerge from my hand and spread to the target I indicate."

As Cain recited the spell, a flame appeared at his fingertips and flew into the stove's lower hole. It made a crackling sound as it spread to the firewood, and soon small flames began to leak from the holes above the stove.

"Wow. Is that magic? That was magic, right? ... Ah, you're the one! The exchange student from Break!"

"My name is Cain Elgrandark. Nice to meet you."

"I'm Thibault Kintiana. I've never seen magic before. It's really convenient."

Cain placed a frying pan on the stand, cracked ten eggs into a bowl, and mixed in some seasonings. When he saw smoke coming from the frying pan, he took it off and cooled the bottom in the water bucket. Before putting it back on the stove, he added a generous amount of butter to the frying pan and mixed in half of the beaten eggs. He then returned the frying pan to the stove and stirred the mixture with the edge of a wooden spatula, gradually shaping it and pushing it to the side.

"Here it is!"

He flipped the large omelet onto a plate and, before putting the frying pan back, added more butter.

"Since it's my first time using this equipment, the edges are a bit burnt, but if you don't mind, Thibault-senpai, please go ahead."

While stirring the remaining half of the beaten eggs, Cain cooked an omelet for himself. Since it was the second one, he adjusted the heat by lifting the frying pan and managed to make a nice omelet. When he turned around to plate his own and have breakfast, he saw a line of students holding eggs and plates.

"Um..."

"The smell of the butter made me curious, and I saw Thibault with a hot omelet."

"I was resigned to only having bread and fruit since Madie isn't here."

"It's not fair if Thibault can have it and we can't, right?"

"I can help crack and mix the eggs, okay? Okay?"

There were few students left in the dormitory during the flower festival break, and some had already finished eating and left the cafeteria. Still, over a dozen students were in line.

"Even if you wait until I finish, we want hot food!"

Even if he was told that, he couldn't enjoy his omelet with over a dozen students watching him.

"Please make as much beaten egg as you want and line up. Add as much salt and pepper as you like. I'll just cook it, so I can't guarantee the taste!"

Cain's omelets were not particularly good. They were at the level of a single salaryman's self-cooking. The surface was a bit lumpy and browned in some places. The heat distribution in the frying pan was uneven due to the wood fire. However, for the students who thought they would have to make do with bread and fruit for breakfast, it was a feast. Some of them, who had probably eaten real feasts before entering this school, which is attended only by nobles, were even crying while eating the omelets.

Cain, who had been stirring the frying pan continuously, ended up eating a cold omelet with his tired arms, but in exchange, he managed to get third and fourth-year textbooks.

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