Chapter 145 Cooking a Meal Using a Noble Phantasm
Shirou could understand Mor-chan's perspective. In the 5th century, resources were even scarcer than in the present world. Here, at least, the population was small, and there was soil.
Before the four major crops—wheat, rice, corn, and potatoes—spread across the world, except for a few fertile regions like natural paradises or areas abundant in fish and rice, food was scarce almost everywhere. During famine, being able to eat two meals a day just to stave off hunger was considered good enough.
Thus, people cherished rare ingredients and tried to consume every part of an animal. Dishes using pig intestines, giblets, chicken gizzards, or duck blood originated from this practice. In modern times, combined with various spices, they've become delicious cuisines.
But in the beginning, without ingredients to remove the gamey smell, the taste was far from enjoyable. At that time, the native Britons probably didn't even know where the brightest gem on the crown was, let alone how to obtain spices.
Naturally, the methods for handling food were primitive and monotonous. Even in modern times, this hadn't changed much.
In 5th-century Britain, an island separated from the Eurasian continent by sea, people had yet to master large-scale fishing or the preservation and transport of fish. Inland, they had to rely on hunting and cultivating rye and wheat.
'This child seems never to have tasted delicious food. I feel a bit sorry…'
Shirou now had another reason to cook properly. Perfect! It was time to bring out his strongest cooking skills.
"Once the blood is drained, the prep work goes quickly. Mor-chan, wait a moment. I'll first make a few simple snacks to whet your appetite," the boy said, smiling at her.
"Oh! Shirou, no rush. As long as there's enough, I'm fine," Mor-chan replied casually.
After finishing the preparations, Shirou, with Mordred's help, carried buckets of water and the blood-drained deer back to the camp, deciding to set it up at the entrance of the white tent where Pellinore's forces were stationed.
He first brought two dry wooden logs from the kitchen and lined them up. Shirou projected a giant axe, glaring fiercely!
Nine Lives!
Nine flashes of axe light, and in an instant, the wood stacked neatly.
Shirou projected five independent stoves, assembled them, lit the wood, and placed a bucket of water to boil. During this time, he gradually projected all the necessary cookware.
He projected Kanshou and Bakuya: Kitchenware Series—everything from specialized butchering knives, bone-chopping knives, and boning knives, plus an almost all-purpose Chinese cleaver—and began processing the deer on the preparation table.
Black and white lights danced along the deer's body, the blades flashing. In terms of culinary skill, the boy's knife work wasn't quite at the legendary level of the master chef Pao Ding, but it was very close.
After a few minutes, the deer was skinned and cut into parts: intestines, organs, thighs, back, chest, head, fat, lean meat—everything separated and placed on a dedicated table. After cleaning, some parts were marinated, and others were ready for the pot.
On a small table next to the stoves, red-and-black Taiji-marked pots and bowls were arranged. Of course, the decoration was purely for interest; they were ordinary tableware. The pot, besides cooking, could only really be used to block bullets.
He peeled several potatoes, placed them in a container, added water, and used a projected, continuously rotating spiral red sword—though it couldn't break dimensions, it functioned perfectly as a mixer—to crush the potatoes into a thick powder, creating potato starch.
Soldiers and farmers from the camp stared, dumbfounded. As natives, they could not imagine cooking a meal being such a meticulous process.
"Mom, look! Someone is using a Noble Phantasm to cook!"
Ignoring their gazes, Shirou lit the fire under the first stove, placed the fattiest chunk of deer meat in a large Chinese pot to render the deer fat.
He sliced lean meat into thin layers, took some to marinate with oil, starch, cilantro, garlic, ginger, and salt—unfortunately, without soy sauce, but his technique could make up for it.
Shirou continued processing other ingredients. On the third and fourth stoves, he set up an iron pot and a clay pot.
In the iron pot, he poured boiling water to make a bone broth for a venison hotpot, including rare fresh deer liver.
The clay pot contained fatty, flavorful deer meat with ginger, garlic, and wild mushrooms, stewing to become tender braised venison.
"Shirou, can we eat now?" Mor-chan asked, her mouth watering.
"Almost~!" Shirou grabbed the non-stick pan, added some deer fat, sautéed onions and garlic, then added the marinated lean meat. Stir-fry briefly, and pan-fried venison was ready.
"Try this first," Shirou handed her the plate with knife and fork.
Mor-chan eagerly dug in, her eyes widening, sparkling, continuously stuffing meat into her mouth: "Delicious! What is this? It's amazing~!"
"Eat the vegetables too," Shirou smiled, then reserved the fried deer fat, took the ribs, and prepared a French-style baked venison dish.
On the last stove, a steamer contained minced venison mixed with bird eggs and seasonings shaped into meatballs on the top layer, and mashed potatoes as the staple below—white rice being unavailable, this would suffice.
Fortunately, the diners were not particularly picky.
"So good! So good~ Shirou, it's amazing!" Mor-chan cheered, eating non-stop.
"Talk or eat, pick one. Here's the venison hotpot," Shirou said, handing her a steaming bowl.
She continued eating without pause, eyes squinting in enjoyment, her face shiny with oil.
"You chose the hotpot…." Shirou laughed helplessly. Seeing her childlike happiness made him happy as the chef.
As the stir-fried dishes and hotpot neared completion, Shirou projected thin black sword handles between his fingers. Using magical energy, thin blades appeared, skewering deer meat and vegetables to roast over another fire.
"Oh, thanks Shirou! Delicious! Deer is such a magnificent creature!" Mor-chan said with tears in her eyes from joy.
Over an hour passed as they cooked and ate. Shirou then served the prepared dishes from the clay pot, with its aroma erupting like a volcano, spreading through the camp, especially toward the white tent.
"…AA…"
Smelling the scent, Pellinore and Lamorak peeked out awkwardly, then retreated inside, but even closing the door could not block the enticing aroma.
"Let's eat too," Pellinore swallowed and said.
"Yes, Father," Lamorak replied.
However, when servants brought their meal—grilled meat, dried cod, corn soup—they had no appetite.
"Hahaha, Shirou, I like you like this!" Mor-chan said between bites, laughing mischievously at the tent. She wished she had a fan to blow the aroma inside for them to experience.
Shirou's full venison banquet focused on the natural meat flavor due to limited ingredients, with two hours of effort spent just for this moment.
The stew in the clay pot gently bubbled, releasing a rich aroma infused with wild ginger, garlic, and mushrooms. The blood had been drained, reducing gaminess, and the lean meat was tender, soft, and easy to swallow.
"Here!" Shirou served Mor-chan, who had been waiting impatiently.
"Ohhh! Shirou, you can be my Master forever!" she exclaimed, blowing on the bowl and digging in.
The aroma carried to the white tent, attracting knights, and Pellinore gnawed on his meal dumbfoundedly, hungrier with each bite.
Shirou's complete focus on cooking left everyone in the camp amazed, wondering if it was some magical illusion.
The knights were eager to approach, but Mor-chan's gaze kept them at bay.
"What to do… even toward Prince Lamorak from our army she is this fierce, the aura is terrifying," some thought.
"Even one step forward could mean death…"
"…But still, I want to taste that magical dish," they all thought.
"I'm a bit annoyed with Pellinore too, so this is a way to show it," Shirou said, serving baked venison.
"Serves them right! Let them envy us!" Mor-chan cheered, eating with joy.
"Cough… cough…" She ate too fast and choked, tears forming.
"Eat slower," Shirou handed her a bowl of meat soup.
"Thanks…" she drank and patted her chest, calming down.
"Honestly, if you'd been here during the expedition, we'd have starved before reaching our destination," Mor-chan said, smiling brightly.
"Is that a compliment?" Shirou joked, taking a skewer himself. Choosing fresh venison and cooking immediately was the right choice. Fresh vegetables would have been even better.
Wild deer from this era were excellent. In Chiba, one could only buy frozen meat, and even in Hokkaido, despite deer overpopulation, transport was difficult, so few could enjoy it.
"Are you full?" Shirou projected a towel with hot water for her.
"Full! Shirou, it's delicious!" she cleaned her hands and mouth.
They extinguished the fire and gave the bones to the camp's hunting dogs, who eagerly chewed them, wagging their tails.
After seeing Shirou and Mor-chan leave, the dogs turned to the remaining pots and dishes, thinking meat would taste better with bones.
"Lord Mordred! Those…" The knights, unable to resist, asked.
"I've eaten enough, suit yourselves, Shirou?" Mor-chan waved dismissively.
"Help yourselves," Shirou replied. The extra ingredients had already been cooked, but Mor-chan didn't want others disturbing them, so they weren't invited.
"Oh… oh." The knights were stunned at the straightforward answer.
"Shall we leave?" Shirou asked Mor-chan.
"Ah!" Satisfied, she followed Shirou to the stables.
The projected cookware would disappear over time, and the leftover ingredients could be consumed by anyone who needed them.
Seeing the remaining several kilograms of meat in the pots and pans, the knights exchanged glances and charged forward, shooing the dogs and grabbing the food with their strength.
Read ahead (60 chapters) by supporting me on buymeacoffee com/varietl or ko-fi edwriting