Chapter 421: Distribution
“The flavor is within the realm of apples…”
Haulon can tell just by swallowing it whole!?
“…”
Karn silently chews, lost in thought.
“Can I take one of these?” Retze asks, pinching one.
“Sure, go ahead.”
“Even if I borrow power from the Spirit, I can’t see a future where I can use it properly. I’ll grate it into the pot and mix it with the soil.”
Retze wraps the Usa Apple in a cloth. Is it really going to be grated? Usa…?
“Ugh… Grating the Spirit Sword into a pot… Sunlight…”
Haulon seems to be suffering from a different kind of damage.
“Shiva… It’s too much power for the children. Besides, unless it’s from a specific Spirit, we can’t predict how the influence of the many Spirits around them will turn out.”
Dinoss also takes one for himself.
The Butler secures one on a plate. Where did that plate come from? Oh, right, from his sleeve. Then he offers another to Dean.
“Alright. I’ll give this to Chris.”
Dean accepts the plate and places it at the edge of the table.
“We have leftovers.”
The Butler looks thoughtfully at the two baskets brought by Dinoss and himself.
“Ex-Staff, do you want to eat the leftovers?”
“Yes, yes!”
When I speak to him, he pops open and responds cheerfully.
Then he swallows the rest one after another. What’s going on? Is swallowing whole the proper etiquette here?
“And the King’s Branch that will be carried around…”
Haulon seems to be losing consciousness.
“If we’re eating, I’d like a bit more punch.”
The Ex-Staff chimes in. The Golden Apple seems to belong to the same category as the Spirit’s Droplet. It’s more of an item to enhance the Ex-Staff’s power than food.
“Ah, then how about we have some Garlic Rice with meat?”
“Yes!”
“Yes!”
The Ex-Staff and Dean respond almost in unison.
“I missed dinner, so I’m going to head back and bring my wife some soup. Hand me the pot, the pot.”
Dinoss says.
“What size do you need?”
It’s Shiva’s soup, after all.
I hand the pot to Dinoss and move to the second floor with the others. For now, I set out some wine and cheese.
The rice, cooked with chicken broth and oil to a firm texture, is in [Storage], so it’s perfect for saving time. It’s a bit crumbly, which makes it suitable for fried rice.
I chop the garlic finely after removing the green sprouts; if I don’t, it’ll burn from there! I cut the pork belly into small pieces, add some butter, and if it’s too greasy, I’ll mix in some rice oil. Some say it’s better to sauté slowly and carefully for flavor, but I prefer a more robust approach. After all, the sound is delicious.
The fire lizard quickly twists its body, snatching a grain of rice here and there. When I fan it, a few Spirits help separate the rice grains, incorporating air. Thanks for the assist!
“Smell, smell!”
The Ex-Staff, being a Spirit, seems to enjoy the aroma literally, bouncing with excitement. Now that I think about it, Haralfa’s pollen-sucking is somewhat similar.
“Hey, I brought it!”
Dinoss slams the pot down onto the table. The table isn’t coated like in Japan, and there’s no trivet. Since it’s been transferred, the bottom of the pot isn’t dirty.
A gentle aroma wafts up. Peering in, it looks like cabbage soup. I can see turnips too.
“Let’s serve it up.”
As the Butler says this, Retze retrieves deep plates for the soup from the shelf.
I also pile some meat on top of the Garlic Rice and sprinkle some fried garlic slices on top. Since Shiva’s soup is vegetable-based, I skip the salad.
“I already ate the Usa Apple (for dessert) first.”
“Separate stomach, separate stomach.”
Wait, Dean, isn’t that the opposite? Normally, dessert is supposed to be a separate stomach—though I guess it doesn’t change the fact that it is.
I’ve allowed Spirits to come and go in the kitchen, so Karn should be able to taste it too. Well, the Garlic Rice is a small portion, and wine is the main dish. Everyone gathers together to say grace.
“This is it! A punch of garlic! The sweetness of butter! The convenience of eating it with meat!”
Why does the Ex-Staff love such junky, easy-to-eat things so much?
I guess it’s because he tends to gulp down most of it in one bite, making individual servings less appealing? Plus, mixed rice seems to be more popular than plain white rice.
“The offering to the King’s Branch is…”
Haulon hasn’t returned, but at least he’s still bringing rice to his mouth with a spoon.
“What a friendly King’s Branch…”
Just as I think that, I notice not only Haulon but also the Butler seems to be unfocused.
With a big mouthful, the Ex-Staff eats heartily, while Karn wears a subtle expression. I shouldn’t compare him to Shahira.
“I prefer meat that’s thick and chewy, but this rice? It goes well with it! That pork bowl the other day was delicious!”
Dean is in high spirits.
“Ah, my wife’s soup has a gentle flavor and is delicious.”
The turnip retains its shape, but it can be easily split in half with a spoon, achieving the perfect tenderness.
“Shiva’s cooking now is never boring and always delicious!”
When I compliment him, Dinoss beams with joy. If he says “now,” does that mean it wasn’t like this in the past…?
Well, if it’s exquisite now, that’s all that matters! The cabbage is the light green variety I brought from Japan, and it’s also soft and sweet. I’m feeling pretty good too.