Part 2
The sixth underground floor──
『What seeks a meal in a dungeon is......』
This time, it was a stage that looked like they were in a forest where vegetation grew rampant. It helped that it wasn’t that hot or that cold.
There was even a gently flowing river, and they were able to replenish the water in their canteens.
Horun was disheartened.
「I, I am terribly sorry -ssu......I unconsciously, became fascinated, and my step ended up being short......N, next time! Next time, I will definitely make it a success -ssu, Producer-san!」
──That’s already come to an end!
Diablo shrugged his shoulders.
「Do not worry about it.」
「I will absolutely be super useful -ssu!」
Rem breathed a small sigh.
「......Please don’t push yourself too much. It will be enough if you just don’t hold us back.」
Those were words that seemed like she was comforting him but looked like they were gouging into him with a knife.It was acrimonious.
Shera smiled.
「It’s alright, it’s alright, everyone is safe after all. We’ll be able to handle the next one too, definitely.」
As usual, it was baseless encouragement.
Lumachina nodded.
「Horun-san, it is all thanks to you that we were able to make it this far, so please do not be discouraged.」
「R, right -ssu! Next time, no matter what kind of monster appears, I will take them down -ssu!」
Horun had a fighting spirit that was greater than any he had shown up until now.
Diablo pointed forward.
「It’s here, a monster.」
A large crab that had an overall length of 30 meters was enshrined in front of the door.
The 《Grand Cancer》 was level 99──It was a top-class monster in terms of sturdiness. Its gigantic pincers could bisect even a knight’s armor. Its movement by means of its eight legs was surprisingly fast, and it possessed a bubble breath that had a poison effect.
It was an aquatic monster, but it was stronger when on land.
Since it looked like Horun was going to charge at it, Diablo picked him up by the collar and stopped him.
「You will die.」
「So harsh～ -ssu!?」
His dagger was a poor quality article that didn’t even have magic bestowed upon it. It was N (normal) grade iron trash.
It probably wouldn’t even give scratch damage on the 《Grand Cancer》.
And then, although Horun was fast for being around level 20, it was impossible for him to evade the attack of a level 99 monster.
Being unable to bestow damage even if he were to hit, he could only see a future where he would be bisected by the pincers.
As he was complaining, a voice was sent out from the monster that originally shouldn’t be able to talk.
『Dedicate an offering to me!』
Shera’s eyes went round.
「That crab, it talked!?」
Rem shook her head sideways.
「......Just like the riddle telling from earlier, it’s surely a mechanism of the dungeon. I don’t like its self-important attitude but......What does it mean by offering?」
『Offer onto me soft chicken meat that is grilled with fragrant herb, and a flavorful seven herb soup!』
Rem narrowed her eyes.
「......Its unpleasantly specific, isn’t it.」
「It’s like an order at a restaurant.」
Shera tilted her head.
『Also, a drink too.』
It was totally an order at a family restaurant.
Lumachina put both of her hands together.
「In other words, we have to cook, correct?」
「......That seems to be the case......It’s a mechanism that seems like a joke, but I suppose it’s better than having to fight.」
Rem surveyed the area.
On the ceiling, the bare rock lit up and it was bright as if sunlight were shining. Their surroundings had turned into a forest.
There was the sound of a river, and the cries of birds could be heard in the distance.
「......Is this place telling us to use this?」
On top of a flat stone, an iron pot, a frying pan, and plates were prepared.
Shera caressed her stomach.
「Now that you mention it, I’m pretty hungryー.」
「......Certainly, taking a break around here does not sound that bad. People can die due to hunger after all.」
Lumachina nodded.
「That is true. Kami-sama is saying this, that "this is not where you should die".」
「I’ll do the cooking -ssu! I request the best equipment -ssu!」
Horun clenched his fists and got some fighting spirit.
And so, this was a floor where you make the cooking that was ordered. If they succeeded in the cooking, the 《Grand Cancer》 would move away from in front of the exit.
Rem put up her fingers.
「......There were two orders. They were chicken meat and soup but......What did it mean by "grilled fragrant herb" and "seven herb"? 」
She looked at Diablo’s direction.
They might not exist in this world.
「Herb cooked means to cook chicken meat that was covered with herbs. Seven-herb indicates a season’s vegetation. On this floor, there should be seven kinds of plants that have "herb" in the name.」
「......I see, so we will have to obtain plants from the forest......And that will be preparations for the soup at the same time. Come to think of it, about how good is everyone’s cooking skill?」
This was his first time doing genuine cooking.
When they were in Faltra City, they only took quests where they could either come back within the day, or go to a nearby place where they could get by with some food that they carried. They would always use the inn 《Relief》 or restaurants in the vicinity.
Even when they slept outdoors, at most they would heat up jerky and dried sweet potato.
First, Rem made a personal statement.
「......To be honest, cooking isn’t really my strong point. Meat being raw is the best.」
「Eh, doesn’t your stomach get upset with that?」
Shera found that strange.
Rem puffed up her chest.
「......There isn’t a Pantherian that would get a stomach ache from eating raw meat.」
「Is that so!?」
Pantherians were wilder than expected.
Shera raised both of her hands.
「As for me, gathering nuts and berries are my specialty!」
Elves were said to live their lives in fertile and abundant forests that were blessed by God, and obtained only the necessary amount of fruits and berries when it was necessary.
──It was a mistake to expect cooking skills from her.
Lumachina expressed a calm and collected smile.
Expectations gathered on her who was overflowing with knowledge and devotion.
「Meals are things that are lined up while praying to Kami-sama, aren’t they?」
Come to think of it, she was the temple’s High Chief Priest-sama that was nothing more than sheltered young woman. It seemed like she has not even washed her own plates before.
He didn’t know since they only munched on preserved foods in their adventure up until now but......It seemed that Lumachina had absolutely no Housework Skills.
Diablo muttered.
「That was surprisingly useless.」
「......That really was useless.」
「That was pretty much no good at all.」
「Hau!?」
It was a rare occurrence where Lumachina grew timid.
Horun raised his hand.
「Here -ssu! If it’s cooking, I’d like for you all to leave it to me -ssu!」
「Hou?」
He was pretty promising.
However, maybe because of all the things that happened up until now, Rem turned doubtful eyes towards him.
「......Is cooking your specialty? Well then, have you ever made grilled fragrant herb chicken and seven herb soup before?」
「N, no -ssu! But I can grill -ssu! If it’s grilled, anything is delicious -ssu!」
「......Now that you mention it, you just spit-roasted everything. Rejected. Just go and make the fire or something.」
「Uguu」
Shera placed a hand on Horun’s shoulder.
「Ehehe, well then, we’ll leave making the hearth to you, okay? Rem and I will go and gather the, seven herb was it? We’ll go and get that.」
「G, got it -ssu! I’ll leave it to you -ssu!」
Horun hit his chest.
Lumachina tilted her head.
「Um, what should I do?」
「......Why don’t you just pray to Kami-sama or something......No, please go and wash the pot and dishes.」
Having been given a duty, Lumachina expressed a smile.
「Yes, I will do my best. I can fetch water too, right?」
It was probably a situation where their lives were at risk, but the girls were able to put that aside and were proactive.
Rem called out to him.
「Now then, let’s go, Diablo.」
「Eh?」
He involuntarily let out his original voice.
While he was gazing at the girls, he completely went into his "when his classmates are discussing and getting roused up, he would separate from that ring" self. It was his usual habit but......
「Umu, I will allow it.」
Diablo corrected himself with a Demon King-like tone.
Although she was tilting her head, she continued talking.
「We do not know what this seven herbs thing is. I was thinking that we would have Diablo choose them out and we would go pick them.」
「That is reasonable.」
Since he had only seen them as graphics, he wasn’t sure if he could tell the correct one by seeing the actual one growing in the forest.
He didn’t have much confidence, but he had no choice but to do it.
In the MMORPG Cross Reverie, Diablo had not chosen 《Chef》 as his sub-class. It was probably impossible to do superhuman feats like he did when he was compounding.
And then, even himself in the real world, he was in a predicament where he would go "Cooking? I can heat it up if it’s a convenience store bento, so where’s the microwave oven?"
──Remember! I’ve got to remember the items’ graphics!
Normally, they weren’t things that would grow in a single place, but in this forest, all of the seven herbs were positioned here.
In between suspicious red and blue flowers, there were some green herbs.
「That is, nazuna (shepherd’s purse). No, is it hotokenoza (henbit)? In any case, it’s one of the seven herbs.」
「Understood.」
Shera brought over a wide leafed herb.
「Look, look, Diablo! There was some basil!」
「Umu.」
He hadn’t seen the real thing, but in the game, it was an item that was displayed as 《Fresh Herb》.
It was a necessary ingredient in making 《soft grilled fragrant herb chicken》.
When he created the dungeon, he set it so that the ingredient gathering would be simple. Thanks to that, they were able to obtain them without much effort.
Rem counted the plants they had gathered.
「......With this, it should be enough for the seven herbs, so all that’s left is the chicken meat.」
「What should we do?」
「......How about using your Summoned Beast?」
「Y, you can’t go and eat my 《Turkey Shot》, got it!?」
「......It was a joke. If we prepared it for cooking, it would return to being a crysta......Ah!! Shera, over there!」
Shera readied her bow at the same time that Rem pointed her finger.
In between the plants, a round and fat bird could be seen. If it was that, it would probably be enough meat for several people.
However, there was a problem.
Diablo raised his voice.
「Wait, don’t turn it to stone!」
「Oh yeah!」
Shera’s jet black bow had magic bestowed upon it by the Demon King Krebskrum.
It would 《Petrify》 the target that it gave damage to. The effect time was unknown.
The arrow was fired from that bow.
Just as he was thinking "even though there’s no meaning if it’s a petrified chicken even if it hits!?"──
Shera’s fired arrow pierced through a branch that was right over the target’s head, and made it drop. The 《Petrified》 branch struck the chicken’s head.
*Kokeー!!* Leaving behind that cry, the chicken fainted.
Rem breathed a sigh.
「......That was splendid.」
「I did it!」
「......As expected of a high level Archer.」
「I’m a Summoner!」
Shera pouted her lips looking discontented.
However, even from Diablo’s point of view, she was a praiseworthy Archer. She was a back attacker that could be relied on.
Rem magnificently drained the killed chicken. And then, she repeatedly stabbed a fork into it.
Shera, who was watching beside her, tilted her head.
「What are you doing?」
「......With this, the meat will become soft. The order was for "soft chicken meat" after all.」
「I seeー」
「......I think that keeping it like this is much more delicious though? That’s what I think though?」
He took the fresh meat from the disappointed Rem.
Diablo properly rubbed salt and pepper on both sides of the chicken meat. Since they had shed a large quantity of sweat earlier, he made it a bit more saltier.
It was cooking that the gatekeeper 《Grand Cancer》 ordered, but he would make their own portions as well. Unlike the game, they would get hungry in reality, and if they don’t eat, they would become unable to move.
He minced the herbs that Shera picked, sprinkled it on the skin-side, and pressed down on it with his fingers.
Incidentally, skin-side meant "the side where the chicken meat’s skin was".
Rem was impressed.
「......You’re well-informed, aren’t you, Diablo?」
「I read it in a manga......No, it, it’s because I am a Demon King! It’s only natural!」
「......I see, so you have extensive knowledge in all things. I also, need to expand my knowledge more.」
When he was creating this dungeon, it was a menu that he happened to see in a manga. As for actually making it, this was his first time.
The hard part was, grilling it with the frying pan.
In the stove that Horun created, gathered withered branches were burning. He wasn’t able to obtain a steady heating power like with a gas burner.
First, he grilled the side sprinkled with fragrant herbs. So that he wouldn’t burn it, he would occasionally lift it up and look at its state.
When the heating power was too strong, it would burn, and the heat wouldn’t get through to the center. That being said, when the fire was too weak, it would take more time and the meat would get hard. It was difficult adjusting the heating power with the frying pan’s location.
Once the skin-side was grilled, he flipped it over and grilled the opposite side.
The aroma of the herbs hung in the air. It had a delicious-looking impression that was enough for Horun to make a slurping sound with his drool.
「Amazing -ssu! Terrific -ssu!」
「How is the soup?」
It was right when Lumachina was sampling it.
「The seasoning is perfect. I would have liked to have bouillon to use though.」
「As long as we were able to make it, it’s fine.」
Lining up the plates, Lumachina offered her prayers to God, and it had become time to eat.
Horun shouted.
「It’sー soー yummyー -ssuー!!」
「It really is, it’s delicious.」
Lumachina elegantly cut the grilled fragrant herb chicken into pieces, and carried it little by little to her mouth. With every mouthful that she ate, her expression broke out into a smile.
Rem bit into the chicken meat that was specially finished half-grilled just for her without cutting it.
「......Putting it modestly, it is the best.」
「So deliciousー!! It might be the most delicious meat among all of the meat that I’ve eaten until now!」
It seemed that it was quite favorable even for Shera who liked vegetables over meat.
Diablo also tried eating it.
The stench of meat was completely gone thanks to the aroma of the herbs. Nevertheless, the juicy deliciousness of the chicken meat spread out right when it was caught in the mouth.
「Umu.」
Feigning calmness, he muttered only a single word.
In his mind, he was making an applause.
──Come to think of it, although this was my first time making it......I feel like I’ll be able to make it better next time. If I have a stove with steady heating power, I feel like I’d burn it less, and it would smell even better.
In this other world, there wasn’t something like a Status display, but if this were the MMORPG Cross Reverie, wouldn’t the current Diablo have acquired the sub-class 《Chef》 at level 1? He had an feeling like it would actually be like that.
Lumachina talked sounding apologetic.
「Compared to the grilled fragrant herb chicken, the soup ended up having an unsatisfactory taste.」
「Ahaha, although it’s delicious. That might be trueー.」
Shera was of the same opinion.
Lumachina didn’t have the Cooking Skill, but since she only ate good things, it seemed that her tastes were sharp.
「I think that the aroma of the seven herbs and the seasoning is sufficient but......the depth of the flavor is lacking. As I thought, I would have liked some meat or fish bouillon. The soup is losing out.」
「I kinda feel like I might want a soft and chewy ingredient in it?」
Surprisingly, Shera also had a high class tongue. Despite being a glutton that would eat anything.
Diablo also tried drinking the soup.
「............Fumu? It is not bad but, you want a unique flavor huh.」
「But, if we put chicken meat in this, it will overlap way too much with the grilled fragrant herb.」
「I think that it’s yummy though -ssu kedo neー?」
It seemed that Horun, having a tongue of the poor, didn’t have any complaints. Rem, who had a cat’s tongue (unable to handle hot food), blew on the soup with all her might to cool it down.
──A more unique flavor huh.
『Devote to me, an offering!』
The 《Grand Cancer》 that wouldn’t move from in front of the gate once again called out to them.
Come to think of it, he was so engrossed with the meal that he forgot about the order.
Diablo muttered.
「A more unique flavor huh.」
Ten minutes later──
Lumachina raised a delighted sounding voice.
「My, how delicious! This is my first time having such a delicious soup!」
「Amazing! So amazing!」
Shera was also satisfied.
Horun was so deeply moved emotionally that he was crying.
「Incredible -ssu! My cheeks are trembling -ssu! It’s one of those things where it’s so good that your cheeks fall off, isn’t it -su ne!」
「......Sho good.」
Rem changed into an infant.
Diablo nodded looking satisfied.
「Umu, as I thought──Crab hotpot is the best!」
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