Chương 71: Chapter 34 : Cooking Lv. 1

1 Aldric was gradually settling into his new home. Every morning, he made his bed, opened the window overlooking the rooftops of Paris, checked that every object was in its proper place, and then left for work. Every evening, he returned to the little room with the same feeling of satisfaction. It was modest, but it was his. Still, one challenge remained. Until now, he had been living on sandwiches, a few pieces of fruit, and ready-made meals. He now owned a saucepan, but it had yet to be used.

As he finished putting away the groceries he had bought the day before, a translucent window appeared before his eyes. △ SIDE QUEST △ Prepare Your First Meal Difficulty: D Objective Cook a complete meal. — Prepare a meal... His gaze wandered across the kitchenette. The stovetop. The saucepan. The sink. Everything was ready. Only the knowledge was missing. In his world, he had often cooked during military campaigns.

He knew how to make soup with vegetables, roast meat over an open fire, and bake bread on a hot stone. Those skills came naturally to him. Modern appliances, however, still seemed mysterious. Electric stovetops had replaced fire, ovens worked without glowing embers, and the small microwave oven continued to inspire deep suspicion. He had not yet dared to press a single button. He took out his phone. As was often the case whenever a new quest appeared, only one name came to mind.

An hour later, Emma was already knocking at his door. — So... another disaster? — Not yet. — That's reassuring. — I must prepare food. She immediately opened the refrigerator: two tomatoes, a few eggs, a piece of butter, grated cheese, and a bottle of milk. — We'll keep it simple. — Simple quests are often the most instructive. Emma let out a quiet laugh. — You always manage to make the most ordinary things sound heroic. — This quest is important.

A man who cannot prepare his own food will always depend on someone else. She opened a cupboard, took out the saucepan they had bought a few days earlier, and placed it in front of him. — Today, I'm going to teach you a recipe. Aldric immediately reached for his notebook. — You're really taking notes? — Naturally. — You know there are thousands of recipes on the Internet? — Yes. But today, you are the one teaching me. — All right...

— Then we'll start with something that even you won't be able to turn into a disaster... — I accept this challenge. — Pasta. She took the package from the cupboard, placed it in front of him, then pointed to the saucepan. — Step one: fill the saucepan with water. Step two: bring the water to a boil. She continued explaining each step while Aldric carefully wrote everything down. Nothing was left to chance. The amount of water, the cooking time, the pinch of salt, the moment to add the pasta...

Every instruction received its own line in his notebook. When she had finished, Aldric reread everything. Then he closed his notebook. — This recipe bears a remarkable resemblance to a battle plan. Emma burst out laughing. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. — That wasn't exactly my goal. — And yet... if I follow every step, then the mission should succeed. Emma placed the saucepan on the stovetop before stepping back. — This time, you're the one cooking.

Aldric gave a solemn nod. He took his notebook from his pocket and placed it prominently on the table. — I am ready. — Then begin. Aldric picked up the saucepan, held it under the faucet, and filled it to the indicated level. He checked the amount of water a second time before placing it on the burner. His gaze shifted from the saucepan to his notebook, then to the controls of the electric stove. — Step two... He carefully turned the dial. Then he waited. — You can do something else while the water heats up. — Why?

— Because it takes several minutes. — I know. — Then use that time to prepare the other ingredients. — The recipe does not indicate that. Emma burst out laughing. — You don't have to follow every line to the exact second. — Yet that is the order of operations. — In cooking, you can improvise. Aldric frowned. — Why? — Because every situation is different. — Like a battle? — If you want. — In that case, improvisation is only acceptable once the original plan has been mastered perfectly. — Well...

She pointed at his notebook. — Keep doing it your way. Clearly satisfied, Aldric turned his full attention back to the saucepan. When the first bubbles appeared, he consulted his notes. — The water has reached a boil. He opened the package of pasta and poured a portion into the water. — You can add a little more. — The recipe specifies one hundred grams. — It's not a problem if you use one hundred and ten. — A ten percent error is still an error. Emma rolled her eyes. — You're impossible.

He then picked up a wooden spoon and stirred the pasta before consulting his notebook once again. — Wait eight minutes. He immediately started a timer on his phone. — Eight minutes. He set the spoon down. Then he stood perfectly still. — You can stir it from time to time. — How many times? — However feels right. — I do not know what that means. Emma burst out laughing. — Once or twice is enough. He wrote that in the margin of his notebook. The timer rang. Aldric turned off the burner and reached for the saucepan.

— Careful! You're going to burn yourself. — What should I do? — Use this. She handed him a dish towel. — Thermal protection. — I see. He used it before pouring the pasta into a colander. All the water drained into the sink. — The cooking appears to have been successful. — Keep going. Aldric reread his notes: Add the butter. He opened the wrapper, cut off a piece, and dropped it onto the pasta. Then he added a handful of grated cheese. He stirred everything one last time before placing the saucepan on the table.

— The mission is complete. She looked into the saucepan. Nothing was burnt. The pasta was cooked properly. The sauce was evenly mixed. The plan had been carried out to the letter. She picked up a fork. — I think you've just discovered your talent. Aldric tilted his head. — Which one? — You turn a cooking recipe... She let out a soft laugh. — Into a military operation. — Yet both pursue the same objective. — Oh? — Avoiding disaster. Emma burst into laughter again.

The room was now filled with the smell of melted butter and cheese. He reread his notebook one final time to make sure no step had been forgotten, then closed it before turning toward Emma. He set two plates on the small table and served them. — The mission is complete. — There's one last step. — Which one? — Finding out if it tastes good. — That step was not included in the recipe. — Because it's implied. — I am still discovering this world's unwritten rules... Emma laughed again before sitting down.

She picked up her fork, looked at the plate, then raised her eyes to Aldric, who was still standing. — You know, you can sit down. — I am awaiting your evaluation. — It's only a plate of pasta. — Every mission deserves to be evaluated. She twirled a few strands of pasta around her fork and took a bite. For several seconds, she said nothing. He noticed the slight movement of her eyebrows, the time she took to chew, and even the way she glanced down at her plate before looking back up. — Well? he asked.

— It's excellent. The pasta is perfectly cooked. There's just the right amount of butter and cheese. Honestly... I was expecting something much worse. — Because I'm a beginner? — Let's just say that... after the washing machine incident... — That assumption was reasonable. He finally sat down across from her and tasted his own meal. — The recipe works. — Yes, it does. — The proportions were correct. — See? You almost could have improvised a little. — Why alter a method that produces the desired result?

Emma rolled her eyes. — Maybe one day I'll convince you that cooking isn't just about following instructions. — Once I have mastered this recipe. — Then the next one. — Very well... one step at a time. They finished their meal while chatting. Emma gave him a few more tips about storing food, avoiding waste, and keeping a kitchen organized. △ SKILL ACQUIRED △ Cooking Lv. 1 △ QUEST COMPLETE △ Prepare Your First Meal — What's wrong? — I have just learned a new skill. — That's good.

She stood up to clear the table, but Aldric immediately stopped her. — No. He picked up both plates. — This time... I'm going to learn how to wash the dishes as well. △ NEW SIDE QUEST △ Wash the Dishes Difficulty: E Objective Clean every dish.