The Elemental Sword Demon King
Episode 209: New Dish
Beside the pot there were a large number of vegetables collected from the forest, diced and dismembered fish, as well as meat from hunted prey.
"Hot pot, yeah. It looks so good."
Since the soup was boiling, Kaizo intended to put in the meat, but was stopped by Aura.
"Kaizo, what are you doing!?" Said Aura hitting Kaizo's arm with a spoon.
"Ouch! W-what's up, we can't put it in yet?"
"Slower cooking ingredients such as tubers should be added first. The hot pot needs balance." Aura glared at Kaizo with her charming emerald eyes.
Kaizo quietly spoke to Victoria beside him, "E-whether does it feel like Aura's personality is changing?"
"He's always been like this, once it's hot pot time, he likes to show off."
"Heat pot is indeed a simple cooking method, but it is precisely because it is simple, it is deep. Don't underestimate the traditional Neidfrost hot pot cuisine!" Aura crossed her arms and looked at everyone. In that posture, he was akin to a hot pot guard.
Nyx pulled Kaizo's sleeve and said, "Kaizo, I want to eat fish soon."
"Well, leave it to Aura." Kaizo smiled wryly as he rubbed Nyx's head.
Aura added meat and vegetables into the pot with a trained movement. Kaizo and the others swallowed their saliva as they watched Aura in action.
"Okay everyone, let's get started!"
Finally receiving permission from the guards, Kaizo reaches out to the pot with his chopsticks. The base of the soup was not made from ordinary water, but medicinal soup made specifically by Aura.
Its delicious aroma helps stimulate appetite. As Kaizo bit off a piece of cooked meat, a delicious juice filled his mouth, producing an indescribable sense of happiness that began to spread from his heart.
"Wow, this is really delicious!"
"Hmph, of course!" Aura puffed her chest with pride.
All the young women enjoyed the delicious food as they blew their food to avoid their mouths burning.
"Wait, Victoria, I'm planning on giving Salamander that piece of meat!"
"Hey, stop deciding on your own to feed my contracted Spirit!"
Eve and Victoria quarrel as their chopsticks make a sword move over the pot. Under the table, their contracted spirits were waiting for the rest of the food.
"Hey, hey, what's this?" Tiana frowned as she pierced through the mysterious bouncy material that was at the bottom of the pot. Kaizo was also very curious.
"It's called the tofu flower. It's like a pudding made from coagulated soybeans. I heard it came from Kaizo's homeland, so I researched it in a book and tried to make it."
"This is the specialty of my homeland?"
Kaizo's childhood memories are very hazy. Because ever since he remembered, he received killer training at «Instructional School». All he knew was that his homeland was an island country on the eastern border, which did not even have a name.
But no matter what, just from his good intentions making this dish special to Kaizo was very satisfying to him.
Kaizo scooped the pudding which looked very elastic as she thanked Aura, "Aura, thank you."
Trying to hide her embarrassment, Aura looked extremely sweet as she wrapped her hair around her finger repeatedly, "Bu-not that I made it special for you alone, Kaizo!"
"Huff." Kaizo tried to bite a little nervously and said, "Well, this is really delicious!"
(With a smooth texture and rich taste, it tastes very good.)
"I'll try it too. Ah, right!"
"Amazing texture. I've never felt anything like this even in the imperial capital."
Nyx seemed to enjoy it very much, expressionlessly muttering to herself "Enak..." While eating the flowers tofu with pleasure.
"Come on, I-it's made for Kaizo!"
Eve, who was eating the tofu flower in silence, suddenly widened her eyes in surprise, "Hmm?"
"What's up, Eve?"
"Hmm?"
"Ma-eating hot pot together, umm, mom-doesn't that include indirect kissing?"
Facing Eve's sudden statement. All the girls around the table instantly froze.
Kaizo made a sour expression as she waved her hand and spoke, "Hey hey, what are you talking about, that kind of thing..."
"Y-yes, that's right, this level, any indirect kiss is impossible!"
"Su-really, you think too much about things!"
But everyone's faces turned crimson as they frantically avoided eye contact with Kaizo.
(Be-so. Since all the girls were pure and innocent upper-class women, they were very worried about that.) Kaizo felt a little hurt.
After this, the festive dinner was almost over. Victoria quietly put down her spoon, cleared her throat and spoke, "Everyone should have known, there are only two days left in «Steel Style Festival». If you don't want any regrets, let's fight by giving everything we've got."
"Hm, yeah."
"Yes, we're definitely not going to give up on winning."
Indeed, the final game is about to begin. To take the initiative in the competition for the few remaining «Magic» stones, they need to attack the team hiding in their «Benti».
This applies to other teams as well. Most likely, a more intense sword clash would be imminent.
Kaizo suddenly realized the gloom in Tiana's expression. He then asked, "Tiana, are you okay?"
"Yes, pretty good. I just look a little tired."
"Well, ritual dance is exhausting."
"You should lie in bed and rest." Despite fighting with Tiana earlier, Victoria now gave her attention.
Thinking about it further, Tiana's fatigue was only natural. After the performance of the ritual dance on the sword style against «Four Dewa», he had to use divine power to heal Kaizo.
Magic to restore fatigue did exist, but it was only a temporary effect obtained from the blessings of spirits. Therefore, the basic solution is to keep sleeping soundly.
"Yes. I need to rest as you all suggest. I'm done eating." Tiana stood up silently and headed towards the tent.
****
After dinner, Kaizo helps Aura wash the cutlery by the river. Victoria and Eve go on patrol while Nyx plays with Salamander.
"Because you're hurt, Kaizo, you can rest, that's okay."
"It's just washing the dishes so it won't be a problem at all. As for you, Aura, wouldn't a classy woman like you be making your pretty hands wrinkle if you kept washing dishes like this?"
"Fufuu, don't worry. My skin won't wrinkle. Know that I am the Ice Demon Aura, who has a good relationship with the water spirit."
So that's what happened. The wooden bucket where he immersed his hands was filled with purified light while the gel-like elastic spirit was washing the equipment thoroughly.
“How is Tiana's condition?”
"Just now, Victoria went to pick some very effective herbs to relieve fatigue."
"The girl seems to be an inexplicable workhorse whenever someone is sick or injured."
Victoria obviously rules Kaizo like a slave all the time, but whenever she gets hurt in a school match or something, she always visits him and carries canned peaches.
"Hmm, he's actually good at taking care of others in a certain way. Back at the Academy, he used to keep stray cats in the neighborhood."
...
*Connected.....
*Note: This story is fictitious. If there is a similarity in the name of the character, the scene, or the story, it is a mere coincidence and there is no element of intentionality.