Master and Disciple
Entering the pantry for the first time, I was thrilled.
From floor to ceiling, shelves were packed with ingredients.
*Glance, glance, glance...*
"Pfft. Young lady, is it that fascinating?"
"Well, this is my first time in here. And there are so many ingredients! With all of this, I feel like I could make anything."
"Anything, huh? Like what?"
"Ah... Actually, when I told Father I wanted to cook, he said if I made something delicious for afternoon tea, he'd allow me to cook more in the future..."
"No way! So the cookies you're about to make are like a test?"
"Ah, you're right—they are a test."
"Then you'd better give it your all."
"Yes! For the sake of my future!!"
"!! (Wait, what?! A life-determining test?! No one told me it was this serious!)"
Not just Ben—neither Arthur nor Annie realized Joan was cooking for anything beyond casual curiosity.
"Well, uh, first we’ll gather the ingredients. If you’re serious about cooking in the future, you’ll need to know your ingredients. And not just their names, but their quality too. Being a chef isn’t just about making food, you know. (Ugh, am I pushing too hard? But if she’s serious about this, even as a noble, I need to teach her properly...)"
Despite his casual tone, Ben was serious about cooking. That’s why Arthur had chosen him to assist Joan.
"I understand."
"Alright, then. Let’s start by finding the ingredients for the cookies!"
"Okay!"
Alright, let’s see—flour, sugar, and butter...
The butter must be in the kitchen refrigerator. Sugar—this looks right. But the flour... Hm, I can’t tell the difference between the powders. The packaging doesn’t say anything. What should I do?
Ah, this is a job for my skill! My Assist skill has no incantation requirement, so I’ll just think (Search).
Oh my, oh my, oh my, how convenient~!
Cake flour, all-purpose flour, bread flour, potato starch, cornstarch... Everything’s here!
"Here are the flour and sugar. And the butter is in the refrigerator, right?"
"Y-yes, correct. You’re pretty sharp. (Wait, what?! She can tell the flours apart? I still get them wrong sometimes. It must’ve been a lucky guess... right?)"
"Thank you, Master!"
"M-Master?!"
"Yes! Since you’ll be teaching me all sorts of things, I figured ‘Master’ was appropriate. Would you prefer ‘Teacher’ instead?"
"N-no, Master’s fine. Alright then, my disciple. Back to the kitchen we go! I’ll teach you a lot, but I’m strict. Can you keep up?"
Ben turned out to be a mix of casual, serious, and surprisingly easy to win over.
"Hehe. Yes, Master! I’ll keep up with you!"
Returning to the kitchen, we found the butter, completing the ingredients for the cookies.
"For now, I won’t say anything. Try doing it the way you think is best. But if you get stuck, just ask."
Oh, Master’s casual tone is gone now.
I bet he’s naturally serious but uses his casual vibe to make communication easier. He’s playing the "casual guy" role, like some kind of comedian. And he doesn’t even realize his tone has changed.
"Yes, Master!"
"‘Master?!’"
Arthur, Annie, and Sarah were all startled.
Was it really that surprising...?
"That’s right. I asked him to teach me, so of course, he’s my Master."
"Introducing myself, the Master!"
Ben proudly puffed out his chest.
"You fella~ Just wait till the head chef comes back—"
"Huh? What about me?"
“”””"!!!!"””””
The head chef, Abe, who had been on break, had returned.
What do you think about this chapter?
