X
Join our Discord server and get release updates for every novel you follow.
Join the Server“The droppings aren’t collecting as well as I thought.”
Blade-beaks were considerably larger than ordinary chickens.
If I had to describe them, they were about the size of a Brazilian chicken?
So I thought I’d be able to easily find droppings around, but I was mistaken.
Even after hunting two or three Blade-beaks and searching all their nests, I didn’t even have a bottle’s worth.
– Master! Instead of just picking up poop, how about we make something to eat? We have plenty of ingredients!
“Then, shall we take a short break?”
Since I had been hunting mostly with Cooking Swordplay to improve my skill proficiency, my satiety was already depleted.
As the manual said, it seemed like a good idea to fill my stomach.
“Candied sweet potatoes… that was the last of them.”
I felt annoyed for no reason.
That I had given away the last of the candied sweet potatoes to those thoughtless users.
Even though it was a Magic-grade item.
– Ah, there are lots of eggs here! This is the perfect time to try a new dish!
“Yeah. But let’s keep it simple, just in case.”
This was a hunting ground, after all.
Blade-beaks were monsters that stuck to their territory, so other Blade-beaks probably wouldn’t suddenly attack, but I still needed to be mindful.
That meant dishes like samgyetang or braised spicy chicken, which the manual had been shouting about, were out of the question.
– Then eggs! Fried eggs and boiled eggs should be fine, right, master?
“That’s easy enough. Let’s make both.”
– Oh, that’s my master! I like it!
After all, to fill my satiety, which was close to 300, one or two dishes wouldn’t be nearly enough.
And for the sake of the Cooking Swordplay I would use later,
it was best to fill my satiety as close to 300 as possible.
“…Flowing water. Wash.”
Fwoosh—!
I used water magic to clean the eggs I was about to eat.
I didn’t want any droppings on the eggshells getting into the food while cooking.
After washing all the eggs, I took out the pot I had received as a gift from the chef.
After filling it with water using water magic, I carefully dropped the collected eggs in.
– Wow, how many are there! Master, you’re generous!
“I’m not the only one eating. Chorong?”
Whoosh!
– Kkyuu, kkyu!
When it came to eating, our Chorong wasn’t left out either.
One or two eggs wouldn’t even fill my satiety.
Next, I stacked some stones to make a stove and took out the frying pan I had also received from the chef.
“Chorong, can you maintain flames in two places at once?”
– Kkyut!
“Haha, good.”
Chorong answered confidently, as if telling me to trust it.
Even without a system message, I could feel that I had grown closer to Chorong.
‘I wasn’t even this comfortable with Ignis.’
The Fire Spirit King, Ignis.
He and I had a strictly contractual relationship.
At that time, Ignis and I had respected each other and simply used each other according to the contract.
Though Chorong and I were also in a contract, the feeling was a little different.
Whoosh!
– Kkyu, kkyu!
“Oh, good.”
Was it because it had grown by increasing in grade?
Chorong managed to maintain suitable flames for both the pot and the frying pan without any issue.
– Master! Put a little salt and vinegar in the pot!
“Huh? Why?”
– Huh? You don’t know that? If you add salt, it makes peeling the shells easier later!
“Then what’s the vinegar for?”
– The vinegar helps the egg white solidify quickly if the egg cracks while boiling! So hurry!
“Okay, okay.”
Following the manual’s advice, I sprinkled an appropriate amount of salt and vinegar into the pot.
Doing this made even the simple act of boiling eggs feel like cooking.
“Alright, shall I make the fried eggs while the eggs are boiling?”
– Kkyut!
I put an appropriate amount of oil into the already hot frying pan.
Then, I tapped a fresh egg on the rim of the pan and gently dropped the contents.
Sizzle!
The clear egg white quickly cooked, turning white as its name implied.
I used a spatula to break the yolk without hesitation.
– Aaaagh! Master, what are you doing!
“Huh? Breaking the yolk. I’m going to eat it hard-cooked. Why?”
– Un~comfortable! No, to think you don’t know the true taste of soft-boiled! My master is a hard-boiled person…
“Come on, it’s just eggs…”
– Un~comfortable!
Whatever the manual said, I was a hard-boiled, yolk-breaking person.
In culinary terms, it was over hard.
I flipped the appropriately cooked egg and cooked the top side thoroughly as well.
– Aaagh! I can’t watch! To make a fried egg like that! Sob sob!
Then, I took a pinch of fine salt and sprinkled it over the top…
“Done!”
A fried egg with no visible moisture—a well-done equivalent in steak terms!
I picked up the hot egg, blew on it, and ate it in one bite.
Crunch!
“As expected, eggs are best hard-cooked!”
– Poor egg…
The thin edge of the egg white was fried golden brown, giving a crispy bite.
Thanks to breaking the yolk, the savory flavor was evenly distributed.
The light taste combined with a bit of salt!
It was the perfect ‘hard-cooked’ egg, just the way I liked it.
– Kkyuu!
“Alright, alright. Wait a moment.”
Before the boiled eggs were done, I made and ate several fried eggs in a row.
Chorong was also wriggling with pleasure at the light taste.
After about seven minutes,
– Master! Now! Take out the boiled eggs!
“Isn’t it still too early!”
– Aaagh! You’re not going to make them dry and chalky again, are you! No! I can’t let this one slide!
“Fine, just a few.”
It was so noisy my ears were starting to hurt.
I preferred hard-boiled eggs as well, but this time I reluctantly followed its advice.
Only for a few, though.
I carefully took out two eggs and rinsed them with cold water.
“For boiled eggs!”
Crack!
“You have to crack them on your forehead to eat them right!”
Whether it was because I added salt as the manual suggested, the eggshells peeled off smoothly without sticking to my hands.
Since it was soft-boiled, even the white looked moist with moisture.
I dipped it in a little salt and took a half bite.
“Ah, hot!”
– Kya! Look at that yolk! As expected, boiled eggs are best soft!
Even though it was soft-boiled, it wasn’t runny like a poached egg.
The white retained its moisture and was tender, and the yolk was half-cooked.
The soft texture unique to soft-boiled eggs and the moist moisture filled my mouth.
And with the savory salt…
It was perfect.
“Still, boiled eggs are best hard-cooked.”
– Un~comfortable!
After peeling the remaining soft-boiled egg and feeding it to Chorong,
I took out all the properly cooked hard-boiled eggs at around the eleven-minute mark.
Then, as if reminding me not to forget its existence, the power of the [Cooking Mastery Manual] manifested.
[[Cooking Mastery Manual] – Fried Eggs, Boiled Eggs completed!]
All stats increase by 2 each.
[The power of the [Cooking Mastery Manual] dwells within the dish!]
As expected, perhaps due to the salt, the shells peeled off smoothly, revealing the firm-looking white beneath.
Sprinkling a little salt on top and taking a half bite…
“Phew!”
The dry, light flavor unique to hard-boiled eggs filled my mouth.
Finding the taste a bit lacking, I sprinkled some salt directly into my mouth and chewed.
“As expected, hard-cooked is best.”
– Un~comfor~table!!
– Kkyuu!
Chorong, who had also tried hard-boiled, seemed to prefer soft-boiled.
But while you can turn a soft-boiled egg into hard-boiled, you can’t turn a hard-boiled egg into soft-boiled. That’s the way of the world.
‘To think they don’t know the true taste of hard-boiled. Tch.’
Chorong had no choice but to eat the hard-boiled eggs I gave it.
As I was slowly filling my satiety, which was as high as 300,
“CLUCK-CLUCK-CLUCK-CLUCK!!”
“Huh?”
– Wow, now that’s a set of lungs. If someone heard that, they’d think the sun was rising.
As the manual said, it was a sound as loud as a rooster’s crow waking the dawn.
A voice incomparably larger than an ordinary Blade-beak.
Which meant its identity was simple.
“A boss monster?”
“CLUCK-CLUCK!”
As expected, my guess was correct.
Crash!
A massive Blade-beak appeared, trampling all the surrounding brush.
It was easily ten times the size of an ordinary Blade-beak.
Moreover, unlike ordinary Blade-beaks, where only some feathers were sharp, most of the feathers on this one’s body glinted, proving their sharpness.
“CLUCK-CLUCK-CLUCK-CLUCK!!”
“Cluck!”
“Cluck cluck!”
And as if responding to its ferocious cry, Blade-beaks began gathering from all directions.
Soon, I was surrounded by a countless number of Blade-beaks.
A situation where any ordinary user would have shaken their head and fled.
Just then, the manual made a sound completely out of place.
– Gulp! Th-that many, how many drumsticks would that be?
“I know. With that many, we wouldn’t have to fight over the drumsticks.”
“C-cluck, cluck?”
As if it understood our conversation, the creature flinched, raising its sharp feathers.
“Chorong, I need a fire enchant.”
– Kkyut!
Even so, it was a boss monster.
It would be quite difficult to handle with ordinary swordsmanship.
Since most of its feathers were blade-like, close-quarters combat would be tricky.
And with its abundant feathers, ranged attacks were also difficult.
So first, I needed to pluck its feathers clean.
With my sword, heated by Chorong’s enchantment.
“Cooking Swordplay, Chapter 1: Fowl Preparation – Plucking Feathers.”
I had used this technique to the point of boredom on the ordinary Blade-beaks since arriving here.
With a fire enchant added, I wasn’t worried.
Besides, I had just filled my satiety to the brim.
– Drumsticks! Chicken breast! Chicken wings! Ah, there’s not much meat, but the neck meat is also great!
Slice!
My body moved, passing by as fast as the wind.
Though I didn’t succeed in one go, I managed to cut off one-third of the boss monster’s feathers in a single strike.
“Cluck-cluck? CLUCK-CLUCK!”
It shrieked, seeming flustered.
At the same time, the ordinary Blade-beaks stationed around all charged toward me at once.
– Master! At this rate, we could have a chicken party in Dever Village!
“A chicken party, I like that.”
“Cluck-cluck?!”
It didn’t take long.
Soon, the boss monster, along with all the other Blade-beaks, had their feathers neatly trimmed and could only feel humiliation.
Let me say it again.
Feathers once plucked don’t come back.
The excitement doesn't stop here! If you enjoyed this, you’ll adore The Moon Reflected In The Water. Start reading now!
Read : The Moon Reflected In The Water
If You Notice any translation issues or inconsistency in names, genders, or POV etc? Let us know here in the comments or on our Discord server, and we’ll fix it in current and future chapters. Thanks for helping us to improve! 🙂