Chapter 80: Confidential Discussion of the Request
“Soap…”
With the hot water prepared, Ash returned to the house once more, carrying a change of clothes and firewood. It was quite diligent of him to bring the firewood. In the meantime, I had replaced the water.
To boil the water, I usually use about six kilograms of firewood. If you don’t have a decent amount of money, taking a bath at home is quite a luxury; most people go to the public bath instead.
I’m a bit wary of catching something nasty, and I’d rather avoid any risqué services, so I’ve been keeping my distance. I really need to do something about my hair, but the barber is attached to the bathhouse.
The reason Ash can’t use the public bath is probably due to gender-related issues. No, he might also be concerned about hygiene.
“Sorry for the half-used soap, but if that’s alright with you, feel free to use it.”
The soap sitting there isn’t new; I tested it for lathering when I made it.
On top of that, I sometimes splash water on the wall by the fireplace—there’s a bread-baking oven between the fireplace and the wall—to create a steam bath. It’s a method I mimicked from the steam baths at the local bakery.
Speaking of which, here, the place to take a bath is called a “yuyu,” while the steam bath is simply referred to as a bath. I’m not confident I can keep that distinction straight.
“Solid soap, and it doesn’t even smell like a beast. The facilities at Lord Jean’s house are beyond what even the nobility could rival,” the butler said, handing Ash a towel as he marveled at the soap.
“It’s cramped, though.”
“It’s quite functional. I’ve taken the liberty of imitating a few things.”
Flattery won’t get you anything.
“Well then, since the water is ready, it would be a waste to let the fire go unused. How about baking some snacks for after the bath?”
“That sounds delightful. I’ll take care of fetching the water, so please prepare accordingly.”
That’s for the butler’s bath.
The large pot is already hot, so it won’t take as long to boil as it did the first time, but I still need to boil two cups each with the fireplace and the stove, even if I’m diluting it with water. I have to draw the water from the well first.
Ash will probably take a long bath, so there’s time to spare. However, I’m not sure if Ash’s house has restocked its supplies since he just got back, so for now, I’ll bake some meat pies that can be eaten cold as souvenirs.
Once the butler heads to the bath, I’ll need to think of something to eat fresh out of the oven… Cookies? Aside from meat pies, something fluffy would be nice—let’s go with Castella pancakes.
With that decided, I start preparing. I cheat a bit by pulling pie crusts from [Storage] and chop up the ingredients: beef, onions, garlic, carrots, and mushrooms.
Here, carrots come in various colors—purple, white, and colorful long shapes—and you can eat the leaves too. The leaves have a slightly refreshing taste.
I toss everything into the oven and call it done. The Castella pancakes require meringue, so I’ll start on those a little later.
“Ash mentioned encountering something resembling Luf in the forest. Is there some kind of commotion going on?”
I pour tea for the butler after he finishes fetching water and bring up the topic.
“That’s about Luf, isn’t it, my lady Rosa? Rumors have reached us that the Shurmtus Kingdom has summoned a Hero. Lady Rosa has some ties to that kingdom, and she likely wants to find it to counteract it. I thought the idea of a descendant of Luf surviving was mostly wishful thinking… but this time, it might actually be true.”
That’s a miss.
“I won’t be able to visit the Guild for a while. Being Gold Rank means I might be able to see Spirits.”
“Yes, Lady Rosa certainly can. I believe she has the ability to summon and contract them. I’d prefer to keep Ash away from her, but unfortunately, my hands are tied.”
Having ties to a country that summoned a Hero and being eager to counter it is nothing short of a landmine for me.
“If they’re looking for Luf to counter it, Ash, who can see Spirits and seems like a potential asset, might be targeted.”
And if they ask for his cooperation, would he be able to refuse?
“Yes. After a short rest, it seems they plan to head deeper into the forest, so as long as we don’t get caught up in that, we should be fine.”
I think about how tough it must be for the butler while considering disguising the flat construction site I dug out in the sacred area of the forest. It’s quite far, so I think it’ll be fine, but they might move along the water’s edge.
I should have checked where the water flowing from the sacred spring leads. Maybe I should just show myself and declare, “I’m not Luf.” What a hassle.
“Ah, if Ash and I take on a request first, it should be fine, right?”
Given his personality, he should prioritize any requests he takes on first.
“I see. I would greatly appreciate that.”
“But what should the request be?”
The butler and I engage in a brief confidential discussion.
Once Ash and the butler switch places, I refocus and start making the Castella pancakes.
I separate the egg yolks and whites; the yolks are mixed with milk, while I add sugar to the whites as I whip them into meringue. Since I don’t have baking powder, I’ll adjust the fluffiness with the meringue. I can really work hard on getting the bubbles firm and timing the sugar addition just right.
The bread will be fine with yeast. The problem was with dishes like cake salé that can’t use sugar, but I can solve that by mixing dried meringue into the meringue.
I gently fold the meringue into the yolk mixture, pour it into a small skillet, and place it in the oven. Halfway through baking, I take it out and make a cross incision on top. After that, I keep turning it to ensure an even browning.
“It takes quite a bit of effort, doesn’t it?”
“Does it?”
Ash, freshly out of the bath, watches me work in the oven with keen interest. The butler should be coming out of the bath soon.
“Thank you for waiting. The water was lovely.”
Perfect timing.
“Ah, it’s just about done. Be careful; it’s hot.”
On top of the skillet, the Castella pancake has puffed up into a dome shape. The cross incision is a light yellow, while the rest is a golden brown. I slather it with butter and drizzle it with maple syrup.
The fluffy batter soaks up the butter. I want some coffee, but it can’t be helped; even just this is quite a delightful taste.