Chương 55: A New Discovery (Through Food)

The grilled meat that evening was superb. By the time the other three Hero Candidates returned, I had just finished grilling the final batch. Drawn in by the aroma, they decided to eat before sunset and leave the discussions for after they had filled their stomachs. I had neutralized the gaminess of this mutton using ginger and salt, then marinated it with rosemary and minced garlic before pounding it tender and grilling it.

This method significantly reduced the odor while leaving the meat soft and uniquely flavorful. Everyone ate incessantly.

"Gosh, this grilled meat is fantastic!"

"Mr. Chef, you are a true genius."

"This is the best piece of meat I've ever tasted." The chef looked a bit embarrassed by the praise since I was the one who had cooked it. However, I signaled him to keep quiet and shook my head when Lealia glanced my way. It wasn't that I was being particularly kind by cooking for them. I had simply reached my limit with the oversalted, pungent meals I'd been forced to endure. In the capital, I didn't have easy access to a kitchen, so I dealt with it.

But now that I had the chance to cook, why mistreat my own palate? Still, I had no desire to become the group's designated chef for the next few days, so there was no need to flaunt my talent now. However, after finishing a few piece of meat, I sensed something different. Ever since my experience as a "Mana Slave," I had become extremely sensitive to fluctuations of mana within my body. If I wasn't mistaken, my mana had just increased. I opened my status window and observed.

Indeed, it was rising, slightly, but unmistakably. A normal person doesn't suddenly gain 5 mana within thirty seconds. I checked the stats of the others and discovered that the mana levels of everyone sitting at the table were also experiencing a slight uptick. This hadn't happened during lunch. I had spent a long time examining Nathan and Edgar's stats earlier today, and neither showed this phenomenon. The cause, therefore, was most likely my grilled meat.

Was it the meat itself, or was it because I was the one who cooked it? I pulled up my status window again. One thing that had always puzzled me was that I possessed several skills that seemed "obvious," such as Cooking or First Aid. I mean, those are basic human skills; anyone can learn them if they want to. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Take the chef who was cooking with me earlier, for instance.

He clearly knows how to cook, yet the "Skills" section of his status window was completely blank. This proves there is a connection between my Cooking skill and the fact that my food can increase a person's mana. It's possible that during the cooking process, I unintentionally triggered something that converted the inherent mana of the ingredients into a form humans can absorb. Or, more directly, I might have infused my own mana into the food.

I'll have to monitor my own mana levels during the next cooking session to be certain. Basically, I can now conclude that the Skills appearing on a person's status window are specifically those that require the consumption of mana. This realization makes my previous conclusions about mana usage feel entirely flawed. I used to think that utilizing mana required activating the "mana flow" within the body.

However, I have Swordsmanship in my skill list, yet I've never felt that internal flow when wielding a blade the way Jullius or Kale do. Perhaps the Halunar's Eye wasn't an exception after all. Mana can be utilized without a perceptible flow. That "flow" might just be a high-level manifestation that appears only when one reaches a certain degree of mastery over a skill. Since I lack sufficient data to confirm this, I decided to shelve the thought for now.

For the time being, knowing that the food I cook can grant a slight mana boost to those who eat it is enough. In the future, I shouldn't be so quick to cook for others. It's far too generous. Looking back at my first isekai life, I cooked countless meals for the Hero's party. I was essentially being exploited for labor without even realizing it! With that thought in mind, I quickly snatched the last few pieces of meat and put them on my and Lealia's plates, nudging her to eat a bit more.

After dinner, the dishes were cleared so everyone could gather around the courtyard table for a briefing. Iris began, "I visited three households this afternoon. Their conditions were all quite similar - pale skin and unconscious most of the time. I attempted to use my healing skills, and they were effective. One patient even woke up and was able to eat and drink." Edgar chimed in, "One patient also mentioned that the sound of my flute made him feel better.

This proves that the condition can be improved through mana-based treatment. How about your herbs, Lealia?" Lealia shook her head.

"No obvious effects yet. Medicinal herbs require time to manifest their healing properties, after all." Edgar continued, "Does anyone have a guess as to what this illness actually is? To be honest, I'm not exactly an expert in diagnosis, and I've never encountered a condition like this before." Both Iris and Lealia shook their heads. Iris added, "I questioned the locals, but the connections between the patients are unclear. Some are close neighbors, while others have never even met.

In one household, the entire family is sick, but in others, only one person is afflicted while the rest are perfectly fine." With no further conclusions to draw, the table fell into a heavy silence. Seeing this, Iris spoke up as if trying to bolster everyone's spirits:"Fortunately, mana healing works. If Edgar and I put in more effort, perhaps we can heal everyone without even needing to find the root cause." Lealia furrowed her brows.

"We must find the cause to eradicate it. Even if we heal these people now, what happens if new cases appear after we leave?" Iris offered a sympathetic, almost patronizing smile.

"Lealia, I understand that you feel helpless because your herbs aren't working, but no one is blaming you. We just need to do our best. As for what happens afterward... no one can predict that."