DeokuTeima ~ C58

 

Chapter 58: Cooking Missionary

 

I logged in at dawn. My HP and MP are fully restored.

 

I logged in a little early, so it will probably take longer before Akari logs in.

 

Even though I am with Akari, it doesn't mean that there will be no more battles. I want to prepare some potions while I can. I can make two potions, and one wound medicine with what I have on hand, but that is not enough.

 

I have monster heal, so I can heal Orto and the others, but if I spend MP on that, the number of times I can cast Aqua Ball will be reduced. It will be helpful to have wound medicines.

 

Let's appraise the area around the safety zone and look for medicinal herbs.

 

"Rick, I'll count on you."

 

"Kyu!"

 

With Rick and the others' help, I managed to get the ingredients to make potions. However, I only get 1 Youmei herb, so I can only make 1 lower-grade potion.

 

I got 3 wound medicinal herbs, so I'll make it up with those.

 

I sit down on the big tree's root inside the safety zone and take out my mixing set. I have purified water. The mixing itself is not a problem.

 

Orto and the others are playing by chasing each other. Come to think of it, I've never been away from the beginning town for such a long time. Is my farm going to be okay?

 

I had already watered the farm yesterday. But I want to go back and check it as soon as possible.

 

While I think about that, the shimenawa shines a light purple color.

 

"Whoa!"

 

That was a close one!　I almost dropped my mixing bowl because I was surprised. I almost wasted the lower-grade potion ingredients.

 

"What, what on earth?"

 

"Yuuto-san. Good morning."

 

When the light subsides, Akari is standing in front of me.

 

Apparently, it was a sign that another player was about to log in. Come to think of it, this is the first time I've seen another player log in so closely.

 

"Did I make you wait too long?"

 

She saw my mixing set and thought she was late.

 

"No, no, I just got here early, don't worry about it."

 

"Really?　I'm glad to hear that."

 

"I'll be in your care today. Sorry to trouble you."

 

"Don't worry about it. You'll let me buy the tail. Besides, I will go back to the beginning town to meet a friend. It's not much trouble. Rather, is it really okay to make such a deal? I feel bad about it."

 

Then it's fine.

 

"Are you in the middle of mixing?"

 

"Yeah, I'm just finishing up."

 

"No problem. I'll eat while waiting for you."

 

I planned to finish before Akari got here, but the gathering took too much time.

 

"Sorry."

 

"It's okay, it's okay."

 

Let's finish mixing the ingredients quickly.

 

While I am working again, Akari sits beside me. She takes out something like Dango from her inventory and starts to eat it.

 

I've never seen that kind of food before. When I appraised it, it was a portable Dango. Is it made from another portable food recipe?

 

It looked delicious at first glance, but the look on Akari's face showed that my guess was wrong. If anything, she looks as if she's chewing a bitter bug?

 

"Yuuto-san, what's wrong?"

 

Oops. Before I realized it, I was staring at her. A grown-up man watching a girl eating, isn't that bad?

 

"No, no. It's just that I've never seen that food before!"

 

I realized that my voice was sounding unnaturally rushed. Oh no, would she think I'm weird?

 

But it seems my fears were unnecessary. Akari nodded her head as if she understood what I meant.

 

"By the way, Yuuto-san just came to the 2nd area, right?"

 

"Does that mean that food is not available here?"

 

"Yes. This is usually sold in the 3rd area."

 

"Oh, really? What's the difference between that and a portable meal?

 

".... You'll know once you try it. Here, try it."

 

"Are you sure?"

 

"Yes."

 

Akari smiles and gives me a portable Dango. However, there was a hint of mischief in her smile.

 

I bite the portable Dango.

 

"... Guu! What the hell is this?!"

 

"Ahahahaha. I got you!"

 

"It's no different than portable food!"

 

It tasted the same as the portable food. It was a calorie bar without sweetness and was very bitter. The only difference is that this one is slightly moister than portable food.

 

Maybe we can call it 'Sata Andagi without sweetness'.

 

"It's moister and only slightly better than portable food. The fullness recovery is only 5% higher. That's why I eat it."

 

"Where did you get the recipe?"

 

"I buy this Dango at an NPC store, but I hear they sell the recipe in the 3rd area."

 

It seems like she has no choice. I guess it's better than eating portable food.

 

"My mouth tastes bad."

 

Because of the ridiculously realistic system, I was left with a bitter taste in my mouth after eating it. Hmmm, let's heal my mouth.

 

I take out the herbal tea leaves and boil them with water. It would be ready when I finished the potion.

 

I eat some cookies first to get rid of the bitterness. Phew, so sweet. Oh yeah, I should feed my kids too.

 

I take their meals from my inventory and give them to each. Since Sakura is the only one photosynthesizing, she just sunbathes on her spot while drinking water.

 

Akari looks at Rick and me as we eat the cookies with a wondering expression on her face.

 

I give her the cookies and a cup of herbal tea as a trial.

 

"As thanks for your portable Dango. Have some."

 

"Are you sure?"

 

"Sure. They are not expensive."

 

"Then, I'll gladly take the offer."

 

Akari brings a cookie to her mouth with a puzzled look. Maybe she's imagining the taste would be similar to portable food. Maybe she thinks I'm trying to trick her into eating something bad to get back at her.

 

Then, as soon as she puts it in her mouth, her eyes widen in surprise.

 

She stares at the cookie and then puts it in her mouth again. Then she nods a few times. Then she takes a sip of the herbal tea and looks astonished again.

 

Her expression is so interesting. It's fun because everyone always looks surprised when I serve these cookies and herbal tea. It's worth the trouble.

 

"Yu, Yuuto-san!　Can I get these in the beginning town?"

 

"These are my handmade foods."

 

"Eh?　These?"

 

"If you have cooking skill, you can easily make cookies, you know?"

 

Don't Akari, Ashihana, and the others know about the existence of cookies in this game?

 

Although I can understand why cooking isn't popular.

 

Apparently, cooking is not so popular. Well, it's easy to get portable food, etc. And it seems that there were no outstanding cooking skill achievements during the beta test.

 

I guess most people think that it is better to acquire magic or battle skills than to spend bonus points on this skill.

 

"I'm sure as the game progresses further and players get more bonus points to spare, more players will take it."

 

"You mean it's not popular right now?"

 

"Yes. I'm surprised that the food could taste this good. Maybe I'll take cooking skill too."

 

"The ingredients are edible grasses, honey, and nuts. I am sure Akari can get it right away."

 

"With such cheap ingredients, could it taste this good?"

 

This is surprising. Isn't this a chance to show off my cooking skill?　No, I'm not trying to promote cooking skill, but it's frustrating when people assume my skill is a trash skill.

 

Besides, if the goodness of the cooking skill is recognized, the number of people with cooking skill may increase. As for me, I want to try all kinds of delicious food, and I'd really like to see that happen.

 

Let's push here. I'm going to serve her something else.

 

Although, the only things I can cook without failure are salad, grilled skewers, and soup.

 

The next is grilled skewers. As the name suggests, it requires a skewer. I ask Sakura to make the skewer after giving her a wood piece. I heard that skewers are easy to make even with the lowest level of woodcraft.

 

The meat used is monster-drop rat meat. This rat meat is sometimes dropped by Fang Rats and Gray Squirrels. Are squirrels treated as rats?　That's a mystery.

 

Name: Vegetable Soup

Rarity: 1 Quality: ★ 4

Effect: Restores 23% of fullness. Restores 3% of HP.

 

Name: Rat Meat Grilled Skewer

Rarity: 1 Quality: ★ 3

Effect: Restores 12% of fullness.

 

The effect is subtle, but the problem is the taste. I bite into a grilled skewer. The meat is very chewy, and it pushes back against my teeth.

 

"Hmmm, not bad?"

 

Because portable food is the standard. Anything would taste better compared to that. When I think about it calmly, it tastes like lightly salted grilled chicken that has turned dry because it has been overcooked.

 

The soup is a simple, lightly salted vegetable soup. In a better word, it has a gentle taste. So about that level.

 

Did I fail on this?　I don't think this will show people the goodness of cooking skill. I thought so, but......

 

Akari eats the food with great enthusiasm. Looks like even these simple foods taste like a treat because she has only been able to eat portable food for so long.

 

"Delicious!"

 

"That's great."

 

"I didn't know such delicious dishes existed!"

 

"Nah, anyone with any cooking skill can make these foods."

 

"These?　I'll definitely take cooking skill!"

 

It seems that there will be one more person with cooking skill.

 

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Translator note:

Sata Andagi are sweet deep fried buns of dough similar to doughnuts, native to Southern China then spread to the Japanese prefecture of Okinawa.

 

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