BBQ (1)
---At the Training Grounds.
The preparations were helped along by the private army.
Kira, with her Earth attribute, and the young Ellie [♂] built the stoves, while Martin, the blacksmith’s second son, brought back iron plates and grids made at his family’s forge.
Of course, being outdoors, there were no tables or chairs. Instead, we placed a few logs that hadn’t yet been chopped for firewood.
We began grilling the ingredients with everyone from the kitchen and served drinks as well. Tonight’s beverages included ale, cocktails like Gimlet and Salty Dog, and non-alcoholic options such as Cinderella and Milange Iced Tea, which we had made before.
“Thank you, as always, for your dedication to our household. Tonight, eat and drink to your heart's content. Now then, to the prosperity of the Lampail territory and everyone’s health… Cheers!”
[Cheers!!]“Yum~~~!!”
“I’ve never eaten anything this tasty!!”
“This garlic sauce is amazing!”
“Who knew grilling tamaon would make it this sweet?”
“Even the nassu is so flavorful—who would have thought it could be this delicious?”
The barbecue was a big hit with the private army.
It seemed they really liked the sauces too.
“Mm~ this cocktail is delicious~”
“Lamb brapes and cream cheese pair so well together~”
“The leek salt lemon sauce makes the meat so light and easy to eat~”
“The garnikku salt sauce is great on the meat too. It pairs perfectly with ale!!”
“Hey, pass me some of those canapés, will you?”
“Don’t be so noisy! You guys just stick to eating your vegetables over there!”
“Corn tastes better grilled than boiled, doesn’t it?”
“Yeah, but it’s kind of salty for some reason.”
The servants seemed to be enjoying themselves too.
The canapés were mainly popular among the maids.
Come on now, everyone, eat peacefully~
“Father, Mother, how are you liking the barbecue?”
“Oh~ my sweet Joan. This garnikku-salt sauce is incredible. I might end up eating more than usual.”
That prefix doesn’t sound quite right, though.
“Father, ale goes wonderfully with the garnikku-salt sauce.”
Saying that, I pulled out some ice-cold ale from my storage and handed it over.
“Ahhh, this is just perfect!”
“Joan, it’s not fair that only Stan gets one~”
Mother, don’t sulk.
“Mother, here’s something for you.”
I took out a Beer Spritzer from storage and handed it to her.
“Mmm, this is tasty. A new cocktail, isn’t it?”
“Yes, it’s called a Beer Spritzer. It’s made with equal parts ale and white wine.”
“”Gulp.””
I heard the sound of someone swallowing their saliva... Ah, it was Mr. Gray and Nancy.
Turning to face them, I asked:
“Which would you prefer?”
“U-um, ale for me…”
“I’ll have the cocktail, please.”
I handed ale to Mr. Gray and the Beer Spritzer to Nancy.
“Mmm!!”
Both of them seemed pleased, which was a relief.
“Father, doesn’t food taste better when you’re eating with family?”
Father looked around and replied:
“Ah, you’re right. I haven’t spent this much time with the private army or the servants before.”
“Indeed. Everyone seems so happy. It brings back memories. Thank you, Joan.”
Mother seemed to be enjoying herself too.
“Mother, what do you mean by ‘brings back memories’?”
“Oh? Have I not mentioned it before? Back when I was with the Mage Corps, we often had meals like this during expeditions.”
“That does bring back memories. The feasts after defeating monsters were just like this.”
Nancy chimed in.
“Although, we didn’t have food or drinks this delicious back then.”
Father was reminiscing too.
“Father, don’t you think this sauce would make meals during expeditions more enjoyable?”
“Expeditions? Why do you ask?”
I explained to Mother and Nancy, who hadn’t been there, about improving the private army’s meals and how I’d be going to teach them to cook. Father and Gray were sitting quietly, looking down.
Oh, I still needed to ask Nancy to accompany me as a chaperone.
“So, Nancy, could you come with me? Just for the first time.”
“Huh? Me?”
“Yes, because out of everyone I’ve seen so far, you’re the strongest and most reliable.”
“Hehe, that’s true.”
Mother agreed.
“So, Nancy, please. Just two hours tomorrow.”
I bowed my head to Nancy.
“If I’m good enough for the task, I’d be delighted to act as your bodyguard.”
“Thank you.”
With that, the cooking lessons were set.
Now, should I go check in with everyone else?
I want to hear their thoughts on the sauces and whether they’d be suitable for expeditions.
Also, since Father has given permission for others to switch from calling me “Young lady” to using my name, I’ll have to let everyone know~
What do you think about this chapter?
