kscans

Chapter 450 - Let's Cook

After the bare minimum base preparations were complete, more time passed, and dusk began to fall.

Considering the time elapsed since the event started and the state of the sky, it seemed safe to assume that the first of our three nights and four days was set for exactly eighteen hours.

That meant we had three full days left, which was thirty-six hours times three, for a hundred and eight hours. A grand total of one hundred and twenty-six hours, meaning the event would likely end late at night.

—And so, as the surroundings gradually darkened, inside the extra-large log house that also served as our banquet hall, preparations for the greatest pleasure of survival were steadily underway.

After a break, Nia and I went out to gather more plant-based ingredients, and we now had a plentiful supply, enough to not worry about tomorrow's meals.

Not only that, but the guys who went out to earn their keep had also brought back a massive haul of protein. While the meal from a few hours ago had its own charm, if possible, I still wanted to seek out delicious food.

In that regard, the boar they brought back this time held promise—or rather, according to our chef who had already appraised it, it was of 'good quality.'

My expectations were high; it was practically a guaranteed win. Hell yeah.

"Whoooa..."

"From your reaction, it seems you're not used to seeing cooking in the virtual world."

"Embarrassing as it is to admit, I've been all about battles until now."

—Once again, I found myself staring with great interest as Tetsu-san processed a mountain of meat, one piece after another. He was just prodding the ingredients with his knife, and he chuckled at me.

I'd been busy with pioneering work when the monkey stew was prepared earlier, so this was my first time seeing a 'chef' at work in this world.

It was a different atmosphere from magic... In a way, you could say it was a more game-like sight than anything else.

"Is that knife special? Or is it the power of a skill?"

"Both, but the skill is more important."

"Huh."

In a corner of the cooking area we had managed to set up—though I'd hesitate to call it a kitchen—on a large table serving as a cutting board, the meat that Tetsu-san's knife touched was transforming before my eyes.

He wasn't cutting it with the blade. The moment he literally touched it, the giant block of meat flashed with light and was reborn into various cuts, from thick to thin slices.

"As you can see, cooking in Arcadia doesn't require technique."

He seemed to be kindly giving me a commentary as I stood beside him. He continued speaking as he flawlessly prepared one piece of meat after another.

"What's required is skill proficiency gained through repetition. It's the sheer volume of knowledge crammed into your head from trying out an astonishing variety of combinations to see how all sorts of ingredients interact with each other—and, this is the most important part..."

As he spoke, he picked up a large chunk of meat—and in the next moment, a roaring flame erupted, completely engulfing his hand.

"Huh? Wh—?"

It happened so suddenly that I was left stunned.

It was nothing compared to the lethal explosions I'd often seen on the battlefield, but it was still a scorching red flame that didn't seem appropriate for 'cooking'... On a side note, the relationship between color and temperature for fire in this world is completely unreliable.

Sora's flame sword and Hinayo-san's heat rays are basically red flames, but they can easily melt metal as if incomplete combustion is a foreign concept.

Therefore, the 'red' I just saw was likely not at a realistic temperature—see, even though it was just for a moment, the meat is completely charred black.

"The common sense of the real world rarely applies to cooking in this world. You can use magic to ignore the laws of physics in the cooking process, and sometimes crazy cooking methods can produce crazy delicious results... In other words, imagination is key. Here, try it."

When Tetsu-san prodded the charred chunk of meat with his knife again—what appeared, arranged like a plate of sashimi, was fragrant, grilled, bright red, raw meat.

My brain instantly threw an error, bombarded with information that made no sense.

Even though the appetizing smell of grilled fat reached my nose, the visual information told me the meat was completely raw. Where did the charred exterior go?

"Uh... is this, is this safe to eat? Wild animals, raw..."

"Don't worry. It's cooked through."

"Ehhh...?"

Well, if he says it's fine, I'll eat it. But it's wild, and it's pork, so there's a different kind of revulsion that I can't shake, unlike with the monkey...

"So, just like this? Is it seasoned?"

"It's already seasoned. Lightly, though."

When did he even do that? Is that another skill I don't know about? As I pondered this, I timidly picked up a slice of the mysterious grilled raw meat and popped it into my mouth.

—After a full thirty seconds of savoring it.

"Tetsu-san."

"Yeah?"

"Please, I insist, add me as a friend."

"...Well, I don't mind."

I didn't care if he chuckled at me again.

Because in that moment, it was decided, at least in my mind, who the undisputed boss of our group was for this event.

I was seriously shocked. So shocked that I was shocked.

If I had to describe it, it was a sashimi steak. You might question my sanity for saying something so ridiculous, but that was the only way to describe this impossible culinary experience.

The juicy fragrance of grilled meat and fat, and the supple elasticity that should have been lost from the cooked red meat. The positive characteristics that can only be found in 'raw' food were retained even after the irreversible cooking process, and the flavors enhanced by grilling were harmoniously—no, with the greatest contradiction, coexisting.

It must be a characteristic of the boar meat itself, as there was a slightly wild flavor... but that didn't matter. Or rather, the shock that ravaged my mouth was so intense that I couldn't care less.

It was a new and strange sensation. The texture was rare, but not rare. The feeling of being able to sink my teeth into it and the crisp, clean bite coexisted, confusing my brain. There was no unpleasant toughness at all.

It made no sense.

It made no sense, but it was endlessly delicious. The seasoning, which seemed to have been applied by some method, was also an exquisite touch of salt that subtly delighted the tongue, and it was infinitely good.

It wasn't that the meat was delicious because of the salt, but that the meat, enhanced by the salt, was delicious.

It must be a special feature for this event. Combined with the sensation of food actually filling my stomach, which is unusual for virtual world meals, I was overflowing with an almost laughable amount of emotion.

There was only one thing I wanted to shout at the top of my lungs at this very moment—

"I need carbs...!"

Rice, bread, anything would do. A main dish to complement this unknown delicacy...! From the bottom of my heart, I earnestly wished for it...!

"I wonder if we can find some somewhere...?"

"In the forest? Whether it's rice or wheat, the chances seem slim."

"You're right...!!"

There are probably plenty of people who are fine with just meat, but I'm the type who wants rice with it...! I'm the kind of guy who orders a large bowl of rice at an all-you-can-eat yakiniku place...!

I was crushed, and Tetsu-san let out a quiet, amused chuckle.

And—

"Hmm... I thought he was an incredibly lively and out-there person, but he's also a thoughtful, kind, and normal-seeming young man—but then again, he is a lively and fun person, isn't he? Hmm?"

"What's with that face? Don't look at me with that smug grin."

As the guys noisily settled down onto the floor—our 'seats'—with their stomachs rumbling, my eyes met with Nia's, who was still playfully joking around with her friend. Her companion blinked, then stuck her tongue out at me with a 'bleh.'

Why? I didn't even do anything this time.

---

It was obviously a gesture to hide her embarrassment from being caught happily watching you.

Also, the boss says 'technique isn't necessary,' but it is. The moment he went 'poof,' set his hand on fire, and grilled the meat, he actually activated four skills in parallel.