The Fat Aristocrat Waltz in the Labyrinth - Chapter 26
Chapter 26: The fat aristocrat knows hope
‘Dining was not such a simple matter.’
“…Grace, dining is enjoyable—we eat because it’s necessary for our bodies, but if we fill our needs with just anything, it’s pitiful.”
“Well, I understand what you’re saying, but this is an unavoidable circumstance—things would be different if we had cooking utensils, wouldn’t they?”
“Um, I have some.”
Canule timidly raised her hand.
The two looked at Canule and tilted their heads.
“…Canule, did you bring cooking utensils to the labyrinth?”
“…Canule, can you cook?”
Both questions overlapped, and Canule shook her head left and right, returning the answers in a panic.
“Um, yes, Grace-san. I brought them, hoping they would be useful. Yes, Mitrof-san. I can cook, but not at a professional level.”
“That’s fantastic! Who knew you were a cook!”
Mitrof let out a rough breath.
“Oh, no, please don’t expect too much!—I’m not skilled enough to open a shop or anything like that!”
“What?! I don’t care! If you can make even this tasteless and withered ingredient taste a bit better, can’t you do something about it?!”
“Well, okay.”
In response to Mitrof’s enthusiasm, Canule nodded.
She took out a small trunk from her luggage. Upon opening it, well-maintained utensils were packed inside. And not only that, but there was also a small stove.
“Oh, I’ve never seen this before…”
Grace widened her eyes.
“These are tools often used by traveling merchants—it’s difficult to start a fire every break, so they use this—don’t adventurers also use them?”
“Hmm, I often heard stories about adventurers from my father, but I didn’t know about cooking utensils like these—maybe because it’s a changing era—what about you, Mitrof?”
“I don’t know either—but with this, you can have a kitchen anywhere, right?—It’s a fantastic product—I wonder who came up with it.”
“I don’t know that much,” Canule chuckled. “But I think he’s a famous alchemist.”
Canule assembled the stove with practiced movements and placed a small pot on it, igniting the fire.
She cut the dried meat with a small knife and fried it. She then added water and tore the black bread into pieces, stirring it in. The bread crumbled in the pot and melted into a thick porridge.
Taking a cheese grater out of the box, Canule grated the cheese into a fine powder and mixed it into the porridge. She then added seasoning from a small bottle and brought it to a boil before serving it in dishes.
“Well, aren’t you skilled!” Grace received the dish with an amazed voice.
In response, Canule nodded with a slightly troubled expression.
“I’m sorry. I can’t taste it myself…so if the taste is not good, could you let me know?—I’ll adjust it.”
“The smell is fantastic!—What kind of dish is this?!”
While inhaling the steam and smelling the aroma, Mitrof spoke.
“What’s the name?—Black Bread Risotto?”
“Food that you can easily carry, like this, is much better than bland dishes!”
After reciting a polite prayer as etiquette for nobles, Mitrof scooped up a mouthful of risotto with a spoon and ate it.
“——Delicious!”
He exclaimed without realizing it.
The bread, which had been cooked until it fell apart, was soft, like porridge. The rich flavor of melted cheese mixed with the savory taste of grilled meat. It had a flavor that penetrated the tired body.
“This is so delicious—It’s a bit salty, but perfect for the body after exercising.”
Grace nodded in agreement with Mitrof.
“Was the salt too strong?”
“It’s because of the dried meat—adventurers tend to lose salt by sweating, so they add more salt to the dried meat for merchants and travelers.”
“I see… I didn’t know that—I’ve learned something new.”
Canule’s nodding impressed Grace.
Canule always showed a lack of confidence, taking one or two steps back, but when it came to cooking, all her hesitations disappeared. Perhaps it was Canule’s earnestness in cooking that allowed her to excel in it.
“This is delicious—I can eat as much as I want!”
Mitrof quickly finished his portion of porridge. He looked at the empty bowl with a hint of regret.
Canule let out a modest chuckle.
“I’m glad you think so—It gives me a sense of purpose to cook.”
“I want to eat your cooking every day—the food at the inn is terrible.”
“Hyah.”
Canule was surprised, causing Mitrof to wonder what happened.
Grace thumped Mitrof’s knee.
“That’s a common phrase used to propose among commoners.”
“…What? I’m sorry, I lack common sense among the commoners—please forgive me.”
“No, no, I’m sorry too—I was just surprised.”
As Grace watched the two of them bow their heads and apologize repeatedly, she chuckled and slurped her porridge.
The girl named Canule, whom they met suddenly, was cursed and turned into a skeleton. It would be a lie to say that they were not anxious about delving into the labyrinth together.
However, now that they were actually cooperating, it wasn’t so bad.
Above all, the porridge was certainly delicious.