Chapter 23

When you want to forget something unpleasant, what do you do?

Do you drink alcohol? Binge eat? Go out and party?

In my case, I cook.

When I was given an unreasonable task by a foolish boss, when I was forced to clean up after a laid-back junior, or when a colleague dumped work on me because they couldn't make it to a group date, I would go to the kitchen at my parents' house, pound the dough on the counter, chop vegetables relentlessly, and pound meat with a Chinese cleaver to release my stress. My mother from my previous life used to say that when I was completely absorbed in cooking, I had "a face like Asura," and she was afraid of me.

Now, I'm not Shina, and this isn't Japan, but my innate nature hasn't changed.

I kept cutting meat and vegetables and skewering them one after another. I mixed (almost) soy sauce, alcohol, a fruit that resembled an apple given by my grandfather, and herbs that resembled garlic to make a sauce similar to a barbecue marinade and put it in a large pot. Although I couldn't let it age, it was still delicious enough for home cooking.

I thought, "Just meat isn't a balanced diet," so I also made a large amount of salad. The dressing was a soy sauce-based one that Kiri liked, and a simple mayonnaise-based one made from eggs, vinegar, and oil. I put the mayonnaise in a pot, sealed it tightly, and stirred it vigorously with wind magic.

I asked Lord Kyrat to let me use a corner of the kitchen, but the chefs looked unhappy. They must be perfectionists. Even if I'm a savior of the town, they probably don't like their workplace being used for play. No one spoke to Kiri or me, except for the initial greeting.

Hmm... Maybe they were also scared of me cooking silently with "a face like Asura." Plus, the pot was spinning above my head to make the mayonnaise. If I were them, I'd be too scared to approach such an eccentric person.

But as I was making the barbecue sauce, dressing, and frying chicken wings and French fries, and slicing and plating the smoked meat, I suddenly found myself surrounded by the chefs. I was startled when I realized I was surrounded by a group of chefs in white uniforms. I let out a little scream.

At my scream, the chefs retreated like the tide. But their eyes were fixed on the food in my hands, gleaming with interest. Maybe they were intrigued by the dishes that were rare in this world?

I put a small portion of the food on a plate and gently offered it to the head chef. He had arms as thick as logs and a stern, rugged face. He glared at the plate.

"Would you like to taste it?"

I asked hesitantly, and the head chef snatched the plate and took a bite of the salad. His eyes widened, and he started trembling, his face turning red. He kept eating the fried chicken, French fries, smoked meat, and the BBQ meat I had tried cooking. He savored each bite carefully.

It was nerve-wracking to have a high-ranking noble's personal chef taste my cooking. In this world, the pride of the nobility lies in how good a chef they can hire. A high-ranking noble's personal chef is likely one of the best in the country, like a top chef in a high-end restaurant in Japan. I was worried if he would be angry at tasting amateur cooking.

"Miss Shina, where did you learn to cook these dishes?"

I didn't learn them. They are popular dishes, and the basics were taught to me by my mother, Yoneko. I just looked up recipes online and added my own twists.

"I didn't learn them."

I answered honestly. I didn't want to say more. I couldn't say more.

But the head chef's questioning continued.

"If you didn't learn them, then did you create these dishes yourself, Miss Shina?"

"Um, not exactly. I've heard of these cooking methods... but I can't go into the details."

I couldn't say they were recipes from my previous life, so that was the best I could do. I didn't want to lie.

"I see. Then, would you be willing to teach me these dishes?"

"Teach you? Which ones?"

Maybe the soy sauce? It's a special seasoning. Sure, no problem.

"All of them! These innovative and revolutionary cooking methods! These unknown seasonings! I never knew such delicious dishes existed! I've worked as a chef for many years, even being called a former royal chef, and I retired to train the next generation, but I'm ashamed of my arrogance. Lord Shina! Please take me as your disciple! Teach me these wonderful dishes!"

"Wh-what?"

The head chef was bowing on the ground. Please get up. This is just a BBQ menu for a day off. It's not something to teach a former royal chef!

"Even the salad, with its light black sauce contrasting with the rich white sauce! The vegetables, which have unique flavors, are transformed and reveal new charms when paired with these sauces! How profound!"

It's just a Japanese-style dressing and mayonnaise. There are many variations of mayonnaise.

"And the sauce that coats these wild meat and vegetable skewers! What a deep and rich flavor. It goes well with both the meat and vegetables, making you want to eat more and more!"

It's just a simple BBQ marinade. The store-bought ones are better.

"And this chicken! The crispy, thin batter on the outside, and the juices that burst out from the inside!"

It's just fried chicken. A standard menu item at izakayas. It's delicious, and I love it too.

The head chef kept praising my cooking, but I was busy preparing for the BBQ. I had to make a lot because it was for the soldiers and the townspeople.

"Can you help me? I want everyone to enjoy this as a celebration of the town's safety."

The head chef was surprised by my words.

"Everyone... including the commoners of the town...?"

"Of course. Everyone helped protect the town, so it's only natural, right?"

Not just the town's vigilantes and the soldiers of the Kyrat domain, but also the merchants, commoners, and even the children. Even those who couldn't fight the monsters helped with the evacuation, the transportation of supplies for the siege, and the restoration of the town after the monsters retreated. The town was safe because everyone worked together. Everyone has the right to participate in the celebration. I thought a casual BBQ would be fun. Fortunately, we got a lot of monster meat, so it's fine to serve it to everyone. Actually, I want to reduce the amount of meat.

I even made BBQ equipment. I melted materials from the town of Ale and scrap from Kyrat to make about 20 large BBQ grills. What? What should I do? I made them without permission. Do I need some kind of health permit? The appraisal magic said it would watch the ingredients to prevent food poisoning, so that part is fine.

I had to meet the king. Why do I, a commoner, have to meet the king?

Prince Alan and Jin's father, so I was told to be casual, but how can I be casual when meeting the top of a country?

I was thinking about leaving the country secretly and was about to consult Kiri. The moment I thought about it, Jin burst into my room, hugged me, and said with a scary face, "You can't go."

I thought someone was eavesdropping in the room, but I didn't say it out loud. I just thought it. How did he know? I turned pale and tried to cover it up, but Kiri was stunned by Jin's sudden action.

I secretly consulted the appraisal magic about whether Jin could read minds, and it hesitantly said, "He doesn't have a skill to read minds. It's probably his wild instinct. He seems to notice when Shina tries to leave." It had a "don't worry" kind of vibe. I felt bad for making the appraisal magic worry.

With no place to run and feeling depressed, I cooked. Before I knew it, I had made a lot of food and wanted to have a BBQ with everyone. Is that okay?

I didn't tell the head chef about the background and proposed a celebratory BBQ for everyone. He cried, saying he couldn't believe someone cared so much for the people of Kyrat. I apologized, saying it wasn't exactly that, but that I had made too much and needed help eating it.

The head chef ran to Lord Kyrat and brought him back to the kitchen (I'm sorry for the trouble, even though he was busy) and explained my BBQ celebration. Lord Kyrat started crying halfway through, saying he couldn't believe someone cared so much for the town. His loud crying attracted Prince Alan, Jin, Barry, and Jan, making it a big deal.

Jin was concerned that I might be tired from cooking so much, but 72% of the reason was his fault.

I wanted to say that.