Flavor of Magic

Secrets in the Soup

At the rendezvous time in front of the Adventurer Guild, the members of Iron Will were already gathered.

“Sorry I’m late,” I apologized.

“No worries, we just got here early,” Mr. Werner, the leader, replied with a laugh. They were always prepared, which I appreciated.

“Let’s get going then,” he said, and I nodded, joining them on our journey to the Kingdom of Everlight.

We made our way out of the city of Kelaria, with the formation of Iron Will surrounding me. Rita, the scout, led the way, with Vincent, the swordsman, on my right, Mr. Ramon, the wizard, on my left, and Franca, the healer, and Mr. Werner, the leader, covered the rear. Their formation was meant to protect me, their client, from any potential threats.

“Time for a break,” Mr. Werner announced, signaling our lunch break. As promised, I started preparing the meal.

First, I took out the cassette stove I bought from the online supermarket.

“Is that it? You have the item box skill and a magic stove. Impressive,” Vincent remarked.

“Yes, though the capacity is small,” I replied. I had set up the item box as a skill with limited capacity to avoid attracting too much attention. It was convenient and less suspicious than hiding it altogether.

“I got this magic stove from someone I know. They didn’t need it anymore, so I got it cheap,” I explained, sticking to my prepared story. It was easier than explaining the truth.

While chatting with Vincent, I made sandwiches with cheese and ham and prepared instant consommé soup in wooden cups. Using the cassette stove, I heated the water and quickly had lunch ready.

“Everyone, your meals are ready,” I announced, handing out the sandwiches and soup.

“Well, let’s eat,” Mr. Werner said, signaling everyone to start.

“This is delicious!” Vincent exclaimed.

“This bread is so soft,” Franca added.

“Yeah, this soup is great too,” Rita chimed in.

“This is a treat,” Mr. Ramon said, clearly enjoying the meal.

Their reactions made me happy. I knew the bread would be a hit, since soft bread was usually reserved for nobles. I explained that it was homemade bread from my hometown and that I had stocked up before leaving.

Although they were initially hesitant to eat such precious food, they eventually accepted it. I assured them there was plenty more where it came from, thanks to the online supermarket.

“It’s nice to have something warm to eat on the road,” Mr. Werner commented, and everyone nodded in agreement.

“Absolutely. Taking this request was the right decision,” Vincent said.

I was glad I could make their journey a bit more enjoyable. Good food made a big difference on long trips, and it seemed to strengthen our bond.

Iron Will shared that they, too, were planning to leave this country due to the increasing unrest. My request for an escort was timely, and they decided to take it despite having higher-paying offers. The promise of good meals on the road was a significant factor in their decision.

“I’m so grateful you accepted my request,” I said. “I wanted to leave this country as soon as possible, and with the suspension of the boarding carriage service, I wasn’t sure what to do. Thanks to all of you, I’m on my way to the Kingdom of Everlight. I’ll make sure to take care of our meals along the way.”

Everyone smiled, and I felt a sense of camaraderie. This journey would be challenging, but with Iron Will’s support, I felt confident we could make it safely to Everlasting. And in the meantime, I’d do my best to keep everyone well-fed and happy.

It's been three days since we departed from Kelaria. If we had used a stagecoach, we would have already crossed into the Kingdom of Everlight and reached the border town of Faliel. But since we're traveling on foot, we've only made it halfway.

Traveling by foot takes more time, but there haven't been any significant incidents so far. The members of Iron Will are incredibly skilled and swiftly handle any goblins or monster wolves that appear. As C-Rank adventurers, they said these monsters aren't even a challenge.

“The sun will set soon. Let's stop here for today,” Werner said, and we all began setting up camp.

I started preparing dinner. I decided to keep it simple, as extravagant meals might seem suspicious in this world. Tonight's menu: fried sausage, pot-au-feu, and bread.

Everyone loves meat, so I knew they wouldn't complain. I heated the pan and began by frying some sliced bacon. Then, I added the vegetables and sausages. After a quick stir-fry, I added water and let it simmer, dropping in a consommé soup cube for flavor.

“Hmm, this tastes good,” I said to myself after a taste test. The bacon and sausages provided enough seasoning, so no adjustments were needed.

Next, I lightly fried some sausages.

“Dinner’s ready!” I announced, passing out wooden plates with bread and fried sausage, along with wooden bowls of pot-au-feu.

“This is delicious!” Vincent exclaimed, devouring his meal.

Rita nodded enthusiastically. “Yeah, It’s really good right. Is it because of the good food, I feel that my moves are sharper than usual after all.”

“I also felt that my strength increased compared to usual after I started to eat Riri’s meals” Franca added.

“Eating well is essential for maintaining your strength,” Ramon, usually quiet, said thoughtfully. I appreciated his compliment.

Werner nodded. “It’s true. Good food is a blessing, especially on a journey like this.”

Their praise made me blush a little. It was a victory for Japanese cuisine, but I was curious about what Rita and Franca had said. Could my cooking really make them stronger?

I decided to use my identification skill to check.

Name: Rita

Age: 17

Job: Scout

Level: 18

Stamina: 135 (+27)

Magic Power: 64 (+3)

Attack Power: 119

Defense Power: 107

Agility: 138

Skills: Short Sword Techniques, Eavesdrop, Silent Steps

I nearly choked on my soup. How did their stamina and magic power increase like that? Could it be from my cooking?

I identified the pot-au-feu in my hand.

Pot-au-feu: Made with different world ingredients. Increases stamina by about 20% for 1 hour.

My god… It's my food!

I quickly identified the sausages and bread.

Sausage: Increases magic power by about 2% for 10 minutes.

Bread Loaf: Increases magic power by about 1% for 10 minutes.

This was unbelievable. My cooking was enhancing their abilities. If anyone found out about this, it could be dangerous. Thankfully, only summoned heroes have identification skills, and identification magic items are rare.

I decided to keep this discovery to myself. No one else needed to know.