Oh crap—!
The cocoa was relentlessly ground with body reinforcement, and by the time the apprentices had lost the light in their eyes, it had become a gooey paste.
"Well, it's the first time, so this should do. Grinding it finer would make it smoother, but..."
The apprentices' eyes began to regain their light, but at my latter words, that light started to fade again, so I hurriedly moved on to the next step.
"Sugar and skim milk... but since we don't have skim milk, we'll use regular milk... um, how much should I add? I don't want it to be bitter, so let's add a lot of sugar and gradually add milk while checking the consistency."
"Understood! Everyone, follow Cristea-sama's instructions!"
"”””Y-yes…”””"
The apprentices seemed disheartened about having to continue mixing, but as we added sugar and milk, they realized that this was some sort of dessert.
Despite having started to work again, the apprentices were all young, likely around adulthood. They must love sweets as much as filling foods, and seeing their eyes shine a little while mixing was a relief. I must let them taste it once it's done.
Thanks to the apprentices taking turns mixing, we managed to make something that resembled chocolate.
I vaguely remembered things like mixing it in a double boiler and tempering, so I'll ask Mariel-chan if she knows how to make it. Though... her cooking skills are catastrophic.
Um, you see, there was an anime based on a manga where the protagonist was a chocolatier in my previous life, so she might know the method, right?
For now, we poured the chocolate-like substance into a tray and used ice magic to carefully cool and harden it.
If I had molds, it would have turned out prettier, but this is just an experiment. I broke it into pieces and popped one into my mouth.
"Hmm..."
As someone who knew chocolate from my previous life, the result was far from satisfactory—it was more like "meh," or even "meh-three," but yes, it's chocolate.
However, despite all the effort the apprentices put into it, the texture was still grainy. Chocolate making is hard work...
I deeply admired the passion of the culinary pioneers from my previous life when I noticed the Head Chef and others looking at me anxiously.
"Um, excuse me..."
"O-oh my, I’m sorry? Please, do try it."
Before I could finish, they quickly popped pieces of chocolate into their mouths.
"Ugh! It's bitter... no, sweet? No, bitter!"
"Uh, what is this? Bitter-sweet?"
"Eh, is this really a… dessert?"
While the apprentices and Shin were bewildered by the taste, Kurogane and Mashiro, who had been guarding me in their beast forms, shifted into human form and put some chocolate into their mouths.
"Hmm, it's interesting how it's not just sweet but also has a bitter taste. And it seems to have a magic recovery effect."
"Bitter... but also kinda sweet. It's a strange taste. Yeah, I feel like my magic is recovering?"
Huh? A magic recovery effect?
I had heard chocolate was high in nutrients, so maybe that's what this is?
"Indeed... just a small amount makes me feel energized."
"Me too! I was tired earlier, but..."
"Ah, I feel rejuvenated."
"... Ah."
Ah? I looked at one of the apprentices, and there was a nosebleed.
"W-whoa! Is it poisonous!?"
"Stay with us!"
Another apprentice, who had taken a large piece, was also bleeding from the nose.
"Oh, they got overheated because they're not used to it. That can happen if you eat too much."
I quickly wet a towel and cooled it with ice magic before handing it to them.
"Lie down for a bit and rest."
"Y-yeth, I'm thorwy... for the inthonvenienth..."
The apprentices wobbled as they left the kitchen.
"Are you okay, Head Chef?"
"No problem. They're still physically immature and have relatively low magic reserves. They probably recovered beyond their capacity."
The Head Chef shrugged with a laugh.
I see. The higher a noble's rank, the more magic they tend to have, and my magic capacity is much larger than the average person, so this amount doesn't affect me. But for those with less magic, they could get overheated.
… So, the fact that the Head Chef seems unfazed means his magic capacity must be quite high? Well, he did make it to vice Head Chef as a royal cook, so I guess that makes sense?
"But Cristea-sama, this is amazing! It can be used as a magic recovery item!"
The Head Chef gazed at the chocolate with excitement. Wait, is he getting overheated too?
"I didn't intend to make it as a magic recovery item, though..."
Originally, chocolate was used as an aphrodisiac, so maybe that's why. The increase in magic must have made their bodies heat up, and they mistook that for *something else*.
I diplomatically explained this in a roundabout way, as befitting a noble lady, and the Head Chef seemed to understand.
"From now on, it might be revered not as an aphrodisiac but as a magic recovery item. No other food or dessert can provide such recovery in small amounts."
Eh... I don't want it turning into some sort of medicine.
It wouldn’t be something you could enjoy casually anymore.
"Cristea-sama, I suggest we refrain from serving this 'chocolate' at the banquet. Some may overheat and faint."
Wait, that sounds scary. If I accidentally serve it, people might mistake it for poison like earlier, right?
"Yes, let's do that."
"I'll report this to the lord after dinner. Oh, we might need to notify the royal family as well. I'll set aside a well-preserved piece for offering."
Wait, is this serious enough to report to the royal family?
Well, I suppose it's ideal for those who need a quick recovery, like in the Magic Division.
… I don't like the idea of chocolate being used for military purposes.
Noticing my glum expression, the Head Chef smiled awkwardly and placed a large piece of chocolate in an ornate wooden box, storing it in the refrigeration room.
"Cristea-sama, should I clean the pot with the remaining chocolate?"
"Huh? Oh, wait a second. Add milk and warm it up. Let's drink it as hot chocolate."
"Ah, but... oh, of course. With your magic capacity, it shouldn't be a problem. Please wait a moment."
The Head Chef added milk to the pot, adjusted the heat using fire magic, and expertly made hot chocolate by adding sugar and warming it in a double boiler.
"Here you go, Cristea-sama. And for the Sacred Beasts as well."
"Thank you... it's delicious. Aren't you having any, Head Chef?"
"I'm already at my limit from earlier."
"I see..."
Since the Head Chef declined, I felt a bit guilty leaving the cleanup to him, but I enjoyed the hot chocolate with Mashiro and Kurogane.
"I like this sweeter version better. It's delicious."
Mashiro said, gulping down the hot chocolate from the cup he held with both hands.
"I prefer the more bitter version from earlier. With the added milk, the recovery effect is weaker."
Kurogane also finished his cup quickly and made his comment.
"Really? Then maybe we could adjust the magic recovery effect by making it into hot chocolate?"
When I looked back at the Head Chef, he nodded in agreement, so I'm sure he'll report that as well.
As I was savoring the hot chocolate, a servant peeked into the kitchen.
"Um... is dinner preparation not done yet? The master is anxiously awaiting."
That made me realize it was well past the usual dinner time.
Panicking, I hurriedly pulled out some dishes from my inventory, left the rest to the Head Chef, and dashed to my room to change.
What do you think about this chapter?
