The Personal Chef of the Sorceress Who Can’t Eat Alone

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Karem was taken aback by the sudden notification.

However, she quickly realized what she wanted.

Upon seeing Catherine’s reaction, it was clear that the outing she mentioned was not just a trip to the inner and outer castles of Winterhome, but rather something akin to the previous Ice Worm subjugation.

The insistence on being well-prepared was also plainly understood.

It probably meant to prepare edible dishes or provisions, right?

The previous cheese, dried fruits, sausages, jerky, and butter biscuits weren’t bad, but they were certainly a bit monotonous after days of having them.

Karem immediately sought Mary’s help and began preparations for the next few days.

On the day of departure, she loaded up plenty of gear and followed Catherine out of the tower.

“Uh, Mary?”

“What is it, Junior Karem?”

“This doesn’t seem like just a simple outing.”

“Indeed.”

Karem still remembered the makeup of the subjugation team from the last outing.

Dozens of knights and riders on various kinds of animals.

Hundreds of adventurers and soldiers led by knight commanders.

Workers who accompanied them for supplies and chores as well.

But now, the number of people gathered in the square of Winterhome was even greater than before.

Just by estimating, the number of fully armed knights waiting was more than a hundred.

The workers and retainers alone surpassed the numbers of soldiers and adventurers from the last subjugation, and the count of soldiers seemed to be three times that of the previous expedition.

On top of that, there were carts and fancy carriages filled to the brim with supplies.

It was the first time since Wintersend that the square of Winterhome had been so bustling.

The carriage Karem had boarded with Catherine, Mary, and Olivier was larger and more spacious than before.

As they began the procession, it was easy to hear the chatter.

“Well of course. After all, it’s the lord himself and his children traveling personally.”

“Wait, the Duke and all of his children?”

“More precisely, the lord, his first son Godwin, and his second son William.”

Naturally, with the Duke himself taking action, such a large force was to be expected.

But—would they really be bringing the heir Godwin, and possibly even the next heir William?

If they were moving with just the two of them without the other family members…

“Is it heir training?”

“Well, it’s not entirely incorrect to say that.”

“But is it a bit rude for heir training to include His Highness Prince William?”

“Well, if something were to happen to Prince Godwin, then Prince William is next in line.”

Hmm, that wasn’t entirely wrong.

Only a short while after setting off, Catherine, having commanded Mary to fetch snacks, continued speaking.

“Above all, right now, the lord is meeting with someone extremely important, perhaps as significant as the king of Iceland.”

“…Are they a duke from some other region or country?”

“A duke, now that’s not entirely incorrect.”

Typically, a duke is someone without equal in their territory, regardless of family ties, so Karem’s assumption seemed valid.

But if that were the case, wouldn’t news have spread around the castle at least a month ago?

Catherine answered nonchalantly.

“Of course. This is basically a fixed event that happens once every few years.”

“In such a massive scale, the duke is actually moving himself?”

“Exactly. Given the nature of the counterpart.”

Who could that counterpart be to warrant such a fuss?

This time, Catherine, who didn’t seem keen to answer plainly, simply smiled while munching on the biscuits Mary offered.

Yet, it was Olivier who chose that moment to ruin the mood.

While gazing out the window, he straightforwardly provided the answer.

“Well, before we talk about the starving predators after winter and chasing away monsters, the counterpart is the cherished safe-keeper of none other than the King of the Kingdom of Adobice.”

“Just a mere safe-keeper, wait, the King of Adobice?”

“Yes. Ruler of the desert, emissary of the Sobek River, avatar of the sandstorm—”

Following that, Olivier began to enumerate the countless titles held by the ruler of the Kingdom of Adobice, and Catherine, suddenly dusted with salt, shot him a disapproving glare.

Normally, she would’ve cast some magic at him for such insolence, but given the circumstances, she simply clicked her tongue and continued.

“That’s right, they hold a status as high as that of any average duke, so it’s appropriate for either the duke’s representative or the duke himself to be there to welcome them.”

“But if it’s the duke himself, it must mean they’re quite an important counterpart?”

“Certainly. They’re practically feeding Iceland half the time.”

“Oh, I see.”

At last understanding, Karem nodded.

Certainly, with such a standing… Wait, what had he just heard?

The boy briefly cleaned his ears, wondering if he had misheard something.

Having never left the Kingdom of Seophone since his reincarnation, Karem was only familiar with regions he had personally visited— a few villages and cities in Kingsland and Iceland—yet he was aware of the approximate location of the Kingdom of Adobice.

It was a desert country that required passing through several other nations before reaching by land.

Though it might take a shorter time by sea, it would still be a journey of over a month, especially if the weather worsened.

But what did it mean that such a distant nation was practically feeding Seophone? What kind of nonsense was that?

“Sir Atanitas, why are you coming all the way here from some desert country overflowing with snow and ice?”

“Well, the Kingdom of Adobice is absolutely crazy for the timber from here. The ruler himself, the nobles, and even the commoners and slaves are all clamoring to get it.”

“Wait, that doesn’t sound right. Hmm, I see.”

Thinking that such a simple reason wouldn’t be enough, Karem began slowly coming around to understanding.

The Kingdom of Seophone was surrounded by ocean.

So, they’d clearly be coming through a port.

If it were for money, traveling more than half the globe, whether by land or sea, would be a merchant’s instinct, and it wouldn’t be any different here.

Spices and silk were representative western exports from Asia, and even in ancient times, trade routes had developed due to items like gems.

Going even further back, trade was taking place during the stone age too!

However, there was a prerequisite that the trading goods have equal value.

“But is Iceland’s timber truly of such good quality to warrant coming all this way?”

“The main trade goods are specific types of trees, including Melbourne oak. The feature is that when the surrounding temperature rises above a certain level, it releases the magic contained within and cools the surroundings.”

“Oh, I understand immediately.”

If K. Willis, who invented the air conditioner in his previous life, was hailed as a saint, then it was natural for them to scramble to get such timber.

Let alone the Kingdom of Adobice, which lay in the desert.

There was no need for further explanation.

“But is it only Iceland that has such timber? There are colder places as well.”

“Considering the time it takes to travel by land or sea, Iceland is probably the quickest.”

“From that far away desert all the way here?”

“Correct.”

Catherine curtly affirmed it with two words.

The journey to their destination, Obsidianberry, was as smooth as could be.

It had to be easy, given the knights and soldiers acted paranoid to protect the duke, and they physically crushed any monsters that dared attack.

Bandits? A bandit wouldn’t dare attack such a heavily guarded group, let alone get close.

Thanks to that, the journey was not only safe but downright dull, and the reactions were polar opposites.

Olivier, accustomed to desk work, and Karem, who was barely enduring the boredom, were contrasted by Mary, who was addicted to work, and Catherine, unable to sit still, who constantly fidgeted.

Of course, it wasn’t like that all the time.

Three times a day, when they prepared meals and took breaks, they came alive with a sense of freedom.

A luxury one wouldn’t enjoy on ordinary jobs or commerce.

“Contractor, I have firmly declined all meal invitations.”

“Hoo, I wonder why they’re inviting us so much. I don’t see what’s enjoyable about such invitations.”

Catherine grumbled as she declined the meal invitations due to her poor condition since the day they had set off.

“Well, now that you are officially the Chief Magic Consultant, isn’t that why?”

“Based on hierarchy, you’re at a level that rivals that of the Grand Knight Commander of Iceland, so it’s only natural.”

“Oh, is it that high a position?”

“Mm.”

Olivier stroked his beard and nodded at Karem. Catherine sighed, realizing she might regret this reality more than she had anticipated.

‘Have I really risen to such heights…?’

The Grand Knight Commander, who commands a multitude of knights and vassals sworn to serve the Duke of Iceland, is indeed a significant figure.

Unlike other regions, there was no separate knight order in Iceland, effectively making the Grand Knight Commander the deputy leader of the largest knight order existing in Iceland.

The leader was, of course, the duke himself.

Karem shook his head to clear his muddled thoughts.

It was a natural reaction to sudden elevation in status, but he couldn’t afford to get lost in thought before the fire.

“Mm? Is today’s lunch… doughnuts?”

Catherine peered into the pot.

In the bubbling hot oil, spherical shapes frying to a golden brown clearly resembled doughnuts.

However, Mary categorically denied it.

“Doughnuts are definitely not what they are.”

“Um, but they really look like doughnuts?”

“I swear on my honor as a brownie that they are not doughnuts.”

“It’s more likely your instincts than your honor.”

The house fairy didn’t deny her contractor’s claim.

At her reaction, Catherine turned to Olivier, who was still stroking his beard.

“Hey, old man. You must’ve seen what that is?”

“Of course, I’ve been watching from the very start.”

“Then if that’s not a doughnut, what is it?”

“That’s the joy of a dish being completed, isn’t it? You still lack patience, Kitty.”

“I always tell you—if you call me Kitty—”

“Oh, looks like it’s all done.”

Before Catherine could finish, Karem, confidently sure that the spherical shapes were cooked, transferred them onto a plate.

“Be careful when eating; they are still hot.”

“Then I’ll test it first.”

As soon as those words left her mouth, Mary quickly served the still steaming spheres onto a plate on the table set for them, brandishing her fork and knife.

As the shimmering silver knife swiftly pierced the sphere, a stream of thick, golden liquid burst forth, releasing an explosive fragrance of juicy meat.

The yolk, gleaming all oozing, flowed down, accompanied by the delicious meat juice wrapping the egg.

Watching the scene that seemed to slow time, Catherine couldn’t help but exclaim.

“They’ve wrapped soft-boiled eggs in meatballs?”

“It’s a Highlander Egg, a recipe that Zigmeser adjusted from the native cuisine of the northern tribes of Iceland.”

A dish that wraps boiled eggs in seasoned meat, coats them in batter, and fries them.

In terms of ingredients, recipe, and appearance, it resembled a Scotch Egg perfectly.

Of course, the original Highlander Egg that Zigmeser mentioned was indeed that kind of dish.

He had said that it involved wrapping a fully cooked egg in minced meat and roasting it until crisp.

While in Zigmeser’s opinion, just seasoning it would make it quite edible, Karem couldn’t help but give a negative on the aspect of ingredient usage.

Meanwhile, as Olivier cut into another sphere, he marveled.

“Hmm! Is this a meatball wrapped in pastry?”

“This is called Meatball Wellington.”

“Are all of these different kinds?”

As Olivier’s knife cut through the outer layer, pastry and minced meat split apart, and juices burst forth like magma, slowly pooling onto the plate.

With the jam and sauce prepared ahead of time, it was the icing on the cake!

While the two magicians continued to enjoy their meal, the house fairy serving the meal of one of the magicians surveyed the large plate filled with spheres and looked at Karem.

Siiing—

A piercing gaze.

“I only had enough time to make two kinds, but I’ll show off my skills when dinner comes around.”

“Mm.”

“How about thick, fluffy pancakes?”

“Mm!”

Karem raised his hands in a sign of surrender.

Mary snorted in satisfaction and returned to her work.

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