Despite the heat, his hand, clad in a leather glove, was firm and reassuring. As Sylvia took his hand, Felix exerted strength, lifting her off the horse. Sylvia, momentarily suspended in the air, instinctively tried to use wind magic, but he was quicker.
He gently grasped her waist and gently lowered her to the ground.
“Uh… thank you.”
Felix did not respond to the word of thanks but took the lead with the horse. Watching him tie the horse to a tree, Sylvia surveyed the surroundings. She walked towards an open space next to a large tent while watching the mercenaries set up camp with practiced ease.
[Sylvia!]
Erin, along with other fairies, flew out from inside Felix’s armor where they had been hiding. Familiarly settling atop her head, Sylvia gently stroked it with her hand.
In front of her, Sylvia channeled magic into a peridot ring engraved with a plant magic circle. Trees she envisioned in her mind began to grow. Thin vines grew upward, intertwining to form a tent-like structure.
It quickly took the shape of a small tree house. Sylvia opened the door and went inside.
The interior was quite spacious.
She crafted a vine bed in one corner and pulled out bedding from a spatial bag. After fluffing a soft pillow, she retrieved cypress wood containers from another spatial leather bag.
First, she made long skewers from wood. Then, she cut pork, beef, and chicken into bite-sized pieces, placing them in a bowl. After seasoning them with salt and pepper, she chopped paprika, eggplant, bell peppers, and zucchini into bite-sized pieces. She skewered the vegetables and meat in turn, adding pineapple to the chicken skewers.
She neatly arranged the various types of meat on a wide wooden tray and then took out a pot large enough that she could not wrap her arms around it to make tomato soup.
She started by cooking onions and tomatoes first, choosing small, flavorful tomatoes. Once cooked, she pureed them using wind magic and made a roux in the pot with butter and flour. After adding the pureed tomatoes and onions, she seasoned it with salt and sugar while stirring.
She sprinkled dried parsley and pepper over the smooth, sweet tomato soup.
Having finished the preparations, Sylvia came outside. As she opened the door, Felix was standing right in front of her.
“My goodness!”
In that brief moment, the sunset had deepened. The dense red sunlight filtering through the thick trees landed on Felix’s black armor.
“You scared me!”
Startled, Sylvia tapped his chest with her hands, only hurting her own hands because he was wearing armor.
Felix was momentarily tied up in wonder at how she had managed to build a house on her own and disappear into it. He was curious about how well she had built it, and the familiar vine pattern perhaps added to his intrigue.
Recalling the vine bed she used inside her house, he was examining it closely, indifferent to whether his men were setting up tents around him.
He felt the presence of black dragon magic from inside, a magic only he could sense, so he didn’t need to mind the gazes of others. But he was certain she was cooking.
Knowing how long she usually spent in the kitchen, he was staring blankly at the house when Sylvia’s voice made him jump too.
Though he didn’t show it, the small hands tapping at his chest seemed surprisingly cute to him.
He was startled by his own thought before he looked down at the small head moving in front of him with widened black eyes.
“Felix, can you carry this for me?”
Sylvia looked up at him and asked. He looked where she was pointing, seeing a large pot and various raw meats inside the house.
Amazed at how much she had accomplished in such a short time, he gladly entered the house to carry out the pot. Dennis, who was setting up a tent, saw his lord carrying a pot and hurried over in surprise.
“I’ll carry it!”
It was surprising enough that Felix, who usually disappeared for a bit and then reappeared, stayed around this time, but seeing him carry something was even more astonishing.
Felix was unconcerned. He effortlessly lifted the large pot and asked Sylvia, “Where should I put this?”
“Oh, just a moment!”
Sylvia hurried off and grew a tree in a spacious area among three tents, just like the vine house she had made. The vines grew and intertwined, forming an arch.
“I’m thinking of hanging the pot here.”
She hung the pot’s handle on the arch-shaped wooden loop. Concerned about the weight at first, she was reassured to see the arch hold up well.
She called Bernard after laying out the firewood she had taken out of her spatial bag beneath the pot.
“Could you light a fire here, please?”
She had to be cautious because only Felix knew she could use various elemental magics. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust others, but it seemed like it would be bothersome if they found out.
“Yes, Miss Sylvia.”
Attracted by the fresh and savory smell, Bernard quickly approached. While he was lighting the fire, Sylvia took out a wide metal plate from her spatial bag.
It was a grill plate with holes, specifically for meat.
‘I did well to make this.’
It was the grill she had made to cook meat over charcoal later, along with the pot. She then took out a large piece of metal that looked like a drum cut in half and filled it with charcoal.
It was filled with pine charcoal, which she had made for producing tattoo ink.
“Mr. Bernard, please light the fire here too!”
At her request, flames burst up in the charcoal inside the barbecue drum. In Korea, they would have used a torch for a long time, but here, magic solved everything easily.
She placed the grill on top and evenly arranged the skewers Felix had brought.
She seasoned them with just salt and took out a sauce from her bag. It was a pre-made sauce with the taste of soy sauce, into which she had mixed Galbus oil, sugar, garlic, and ginger juice, and finely ground chili powder.
She also took out another sauce, similar to the previous one but without the chili powder, tasting remarkably like teriyaki sauce.
Mercenaries, intrigued by the unusual tools and the strange shapes of meat being grilled, gradually gathered around Sylvia. Felix was already by her side, watching closely.
She turned the skewers over gently in the soft flame, sprinkled more salt, and added some pepper. She cut large pieces of bread with a texture similar to baguette and placed them on the grill alongside the meat.
Beside them, the soup was simmering gently. From her spatial bag, Sylvia took out the dining table she used at home. The people gathered around were surprised to see the familiar table.
“Sylvia, did you bring this with you?”
Their meals while camping out usually consisted of nothing more than roasting a wild boar whole. Hence, there was no need for a dining table. They would just sit and tear into the meal.
However, seeing the dining table from home appear in the middle of the forest made the hardships of camping seem less burdensome. Everyone just stared with wide eyes as Sylvia pulled out chairs to match the number of people.
When Sylvia took out the cutlery box she used at home, a mercenary moved out of habit.
“I’ll help you!”
With hearty voices, the large figures moved swiftly. They automatically transferred plates and set the table.
“Wow! This smells amazing!”
“What kind of dish is this, Miss Sylvia?”
Hubert couldn’t help but smile at the noisy scene of his comrades.
Whenever they had a comfortable meal and rest at Sylvia’s house, the members would talk about Sylvia all night long.
She had become so significant to the Croban mercenary group that eating the packed lunches she prepared made them remark it was like tasting a mother’s cooking.
Specifically, to the knights directly under the Crown Prince of the Capitis Kingdom.
Sylvia placed the perfectly grilled skewers on a large wooden plate. She put more skewers on the grill and filled a plate with bread that had grill marks on it.
She carefully transferred the simmering tomato soup, which was giving off wisps of steam, to the table.
“Please sit first, I’ll just finish grilling these and then join you.”
Even though there was already a considerable amount of grilled skewers, she placed all the remaining ones on the grill. She then applied the spicy sauce and teriyaki sauce, making sure the seasoning was well distributed.
Felix, who had been quietly watching by her side, asked casually.
“What exactly is this dish?”
He was curious about the identity of the dish that involved skewering and grilling, looking appetizing. For Felix, who usually wouldn’t even glance at meat, this was quite a progression.
“This is a skewer dish. These sticks are called skewers, and the food that’s skewered on them is also called skewers. Well, whatever you call it, a skewer is a skewer.”
While explaining that skewers and the act of skewering were essentially the same, she emphasized the most important point.
“It’s incredibly delicious. Do you know how tasty skewers are when eaten outdoors?”
Sylvia smiled broadly and took a hearty bite of a chicken skewer she had just grilled.
The cooked vegetables were sweetly fragrant, and the chicken was chewy. The pineapple, which was only added to the chicken skewers, became even sweeter when grilled.
“Hmm.”
Felix, holding the ends of the skewer with both hands and staring intently at Sylvia as she bit into it, was internally conflicted. He couldn’t take his eyes off her as she ate so heartily, her plump red lips moving chewingly.
As she alternately bit off from both sides of the skewer, the juices from the meat and vegetables smeared her lips. Naturally, her deep red tongue came out to meet and collect the juices.
Felix’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he watched this process intently.
He was sure he despised even the sight of meat…
It was strange.
Why did the meat she was eating look so appetizing…
He convinced himself it must be because it wasn’t the steak he often ate at the palace.
“Umph! Delicious!”
Regardless of Felix’s gaze, Sylvia was satisfying her hunger. Riding a horse, an unfamiliar mode of transport for her, had been more physically draining than she anticipated, even without having to direct the horse herself.
Having been hungry even before arriving, the skewers, grilled to a chewy perfection with a hint of charcoal, were as good as any gourmet delicacy.
After quickly finishing the chicken skewer, Sylvia picked up a beef skewer next. The tender beef, along with the bell pepper, burst with juices in her mouth. The aromatic bell pepper and onion added a sweet aftertaste.
Humming a little tune, Sylvia picked up her third skewer, this time pork, and filled her mouth with vegetables and pork without saying a word, while Felix watched silently before speaking in a soft voice.
“Me too.”
Sylvia, who had momentarily forgotten Felix was there, rounded her eyes in surprise with a skewer in her mouth. Felix crossed his arms with a clinking sound from his armor.
He then met her eyes squarely with his turquoise ones and requested.
“That, give me some too.”
“Hm?”
Unable to respond with her mouth full of meat, she questioned back with her eyes and expression, to which Felix repeated more clearly.
“Give me some of what you’re eating.”
Sylvia was proud to see Felix showing interest in food. She nodded vigorously and picked up a freshly grilled skewer.
However, Felix shook his head from side to side. He firmly refused and clarified his request even more precisely.
“I want some of what you were eating, just a bite.”
Sylvia finally understood his exact intention.
‘Right, he feels reassured by what’s already been tasted.’
Understanding his sentiments, she nodded solemnly and brought the skewer she was holding up to his lips. With a tense expression, she instructed.
“Open up.”
Observing her expression, Felix also scrunched his brows and opened his mouth. There was an impulsive element to his request, yet his desire to taste was genuine.
The pork touched his trembling lips first, followed by the savory and sweet aroma of grilled vegetables. Smelling it up close intensified the flavors, making his mouth water more than usual.
He closed his eyes and bit into the pork. Expecting it to be a bit dry with only the meat, Sylvia quickly plucked out the eggplant and bell pepper with her fingers. Then, she called out to Felix, who was merely moving his lips, not yet having fully chewed.
“Felix, open wide.”
With his eyes closed, savoring the taste, he obediently opened his mouth to her request.
Despite the heat, his hand, clad in a leather glove, was firm and reassuring. As Sylvia took his hand, Felix exerted strength, lifting her off the horse. Sylvia, momentarily suspended in the air, instinctively tried to use wind magic, but he was quicker.
He gently grasped her waist and gently lowered her to the ground.
“Uh… thank you.”
Felix did not respond to the word of thanks but took the lead with the horse. Watching him tie the horse to a tree, Sylvia surveyed the surroundings. She walked towards an open space next to a large tent while watching the mercenaries set up camp with practiced ease.
[Sylvia!]
Erin, along with other fairies, flew out from inside Felix’s armor where they had been hiding. Familiarly settling atop her head, Sylvia gently stroked it with her hand.
In front of her, Sylvia channeled magic into a peridot ring engraved with a plant magic circle. Trees she envisioned in her mind began to grow. Thin vines grew upward, intertwining to form a tent-like structure.
It quickly took the shape of a small tree house. Sylvia opened the door and went inside.
The interior was quite spacious.
She crafted a vine bed in one corner and pulled out bedding from a spatial bag. After fluffing a soft pillow, she retrieved cypress wood containers from another spatial leather bag.
First, she made long skewers from wood. Then, she cut pork, beef, and chicken into bite-sized pieces, placing them in a bowl. After seasoning them with salt and pepper, she chopped paprika, eggplant, bell peppers, and zucchini into bite-sized pieces. She skewered the vegetables and meat in turn, adding pineapple to the chicken skewers.
She neatly arranged the various types of meat on a wide wooden tray and then took out a pot large enough that she could not wrap her arms around it to make tomato soup.
She started by cooking onions and tomatoes first, choosing small, flavorful tomatoes. Once cooked, she pureed them using wind magic and made a roux in the pot with butter and flour. After adding the pureed tomatoes and onions, she seasoned it with salt and sugar while stirring.
She sprinkled dried parsley and pepper over the smooth, sweet tomato soup.
Having finished the preparations, Sylvia came outside. As she opened the door, Felix was standing right in front of her.
“My goodness!”
In that brief moment, the sunset had deepened. The dense red sunlight filtering through the thick trees landed on Felix’s black armor.
“You scared me!”
Startled, Sylvia tapped his chest with her hands, only hurting her own hands because he was wearing armor.
Felix was momentarily tied up in wonder at how she had managed to build a house on her own and disappear into it. He was curious about how well she had built it, and the familiar vine pattern perhaps added to his intrigue.
Recalling the vine bed she used inside her house, he was examining it closely, indifferent to whether his men were setting up tents around him.
He felt the presence of black dragon magic from inside, a magic only he could sense, so he didn’t need to mind the gazes of others. But he was certain she was cooking.
Knowing how long she usually spent in the kitchen, he was staring blankly at the house when Sylvia’s voice made him jump too.
Though he didn’t show it, the small hands tapping at his chest seemed surprisingly cute to him.
He was startled by his own thought before he looked down at the small head moving in front of him with widened black eyes.
“Felix, can you carry this for me?”
Sylvia looked up at him and asked. He looked where she was pointing, seeing a large pot and various raw meats inside the house.
Amazed at how much she had accomplished in such a short time, he gladly entered the house to carry out the pot. Dennis, who was setting up a tent, saw his lord carrying a pot and hurried over in surprise.
“I’ll carry it!”
It was surprising enough that Felix, who usually disappeared for a bit and then reappeared, stayed around this time, but seeing him carry something was even more astonishing.
Felix was unconcerned. He effortlessly lifted the large pot and asked Sylvia, “Where should I put this?”
“Oh, just a moment!”
Sylvia hurried off and grew a tree in a spacious area among three tents, just like the vine house she had made. The vines grew and intertwined, forming an arch.
“I’m thinking of hanging the pot here.”
She hung the pot’s handle on the arch-shaped wooden loop. Concerned about the weight at first, she was reassured to see the arch hold up well.
She called Bernard after laying out the firewood she had taken out of her spatial bag beneath the pot.
“Could you light a fire here, please?”
She had to be cautious because only Felix knew she could use various elemental magics. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust others, but it seemed like it would be bothersome if they found out.
“Yes, Miss Sylvia.”
Attracted by the fresh and savory smell, Bernard quickly approached. While he was lighting the fire, Sylvia took out a wide metal plate from her spatial bag.
It was a grill plate with holes, specifically for meat.
‘I did well to make this.’
It was the grill she had made to cook meat over charcoal later, along with the pot. She then took out a large piece of metal that looked like a drum cut in half and filled it with charcoal.
It was filled with pine charcoal, which she had made for producing tattoo ink.
“Mr. Bernard, please light the fire here too!”
At her request, flames burst up in the charcoal inside the barbecue drum. In Korea, they would have used a torch for a long time, but here, magic solved everything easily.
She placed the grill on top and evenly arranged the skewers Felix had brought.
She seasoned them with just salt and took out a sauce from her bag. It was a pre-made sauce with the taste of soy sauce, into which she had mixed Galbus oil, sugar, garlic, and ginger juice, and finely ground chili powder.
She also took out another sauce, similar to the previous one but without the chili powder, tasting remarkably like teriyaki sauce.
Mercenaries, intrigued by the unusual tools and the strange shapes of meat being grilled, gradually gathered around Sylvia. Felix was already by her side, watching closely.
She turned the skewers over gently in the soft flame, sprinkled more salt, and added some pepper. She cut large pieces of bread with a texture similar to baguette and placed them on the grill alongside the meat.
Beside them, the soup was simmering gently. From her spatial bag, Sylvia took out the dining table she used at home. The people gathered around were surprised to see the familiar table.
“Sylvia, did you bring this with you?”
Their meals while camping out usually consisted of nothing more than roasting a wild boar whole. Hence, there was no need for a dining table. They would just sit and tear into the meal.
However, seeing the dining table from home appear in the middle of the forest made the hardships of camping seem less burdensome. Everyone just stared with wide eyes as Sylvia pulled out chairs to match the number of people.
When Sylvia took out the cutlery box she used at home, a mercenary moved out of habit.
“I’ll help you!”
With hearty voices, the large figures moved swiftly. They automatically transferred plates and set the table.
“Wow! This smells amazing!”
“What kind of dish is this, Miss Sylvia?”
Hubert couldn’t help but smile at the noisy scene of his comrades.
Whenever they had a comfortable meal and rest at Sylvia’s house, the members would talk about Sylvia all night long.
She had become so significant to the Croban mercenary group that eating the packed lunches she prepared made them remark it was like tasting a mother’s cooking.
Specifically, to the knights directly under the Crown Prince of the Capitis Kingdom.
Sylvia placed the perfectly grilled skewers on a large wooden plate. She put more skewers on the grill and filled a plate with bread that had grill marks on it.
She carefully transferred the simmering tomato soup, which was giving off wisps of steam, to the table.
“Please sit first, I’ll just finish grilling these and then join you.”
Even though there was already a considerable amount of grilled skewers, she placed all the remaining ones on the grill. She then applied the spicy sauce and teriyaki sauce, making sure the seasoning was well distributed.
Felix, who had been quietly watching by her side, asked casually.
“What exactly is this dish?”
He was curious about the identity of the dish that involved skewering and grilling, looking appetizing. For Felix, who usually wouldn’t even glance at meat, this was quite a progression.
“This is a skewer dish. These sticks are called skewers, and the food that’s skewered on them is also called skewers. Well, whatever you call it, a skewer is a skewer.”
While explaining that skewers and the act of skewering were essentially the same, she emphasized the most important point.
“It’s incredibly delicious. Do you know how tasty skewers are when eaten outdoors?”
Sylvia smiled broadly and took a hearty bite of a chicken skewer she had just grilled.
The cooked vegetables were sweetly fragrant, and the chicken was chewy. The pineapple, which was only added to the chicken skewers, became even sweeter when grilled.
“Hmm.”
Felix, holding the ends of the skewer with both hands and staring intently at Sylvia as she bit into it, was internally conflicted. He couldn’t take his eyes off her as she ate so heartily, her plump red lips moving chewingly.
As she alternately bit off from both sides of the skewer, the juices from the meat and vegetables smeared her lips. Naturally, her deep red tongue came out to meet and collect the juices.
Felix’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he watched this process intently.
He was sure he despised even the sight of meat…
It was strange.
Why did the meat she was eating look so appetizing…
He convinced himself it must be because it wasn’t the steak he often ate at the palace.
“Umph! Delicious!”
Regardless of Felix’s gaze, Sylvia was satisfying her hunger. Riding a horse, an unfamiliar mode of transport for her, had been more physically draining than she anticipated, even without having to direct the horse herself.
Having been hungry even before arriving, the skewers, grilled to a chewy perfection with a hint of charcoal, were as good as any gourmet delicacy.
After quickly finishing the chicken skewer, Sylvia picked up a beef skewer next. The tender beef, along with the bell pepper, burst with juices in her mouth. The aromatic bell pepper and onion added a sweet aftertaste.
Humming a little tune, Sylvia picked up her third skewer, this time pork, and filled her mouth with vegetables and pork without saying a word, while Felix watched silently before speaking in a soft voice.
“Me too.”
Sylvia, who had momentarily forgotten Felix was there, rounded her eyes in surprise with a skewer in her mouth. Felix crossed his arms with a clinking sound from his armor.
He then met her eyes squarely with his turquoise ones and requested.
“That, give me some too.”
“Hm?”
Unable to respond with her mouth full of meat, she questioned back with her eyes and expression, to which Felix repeated more clearly.
“Give me some of what you’re eating.”
Sylvia was proud to see Felix showing interest in food. She nodded vigorously and picked up a freshly grilled skewer.
However, Felix shook his head from side to side. He firmly refused and clarified his request even more precisely.
“I want some of what you were eating, just a bite.”
Sylvia finally understood his exact intention.
‘Right, he feels reassured by what’s already been tasted.’
Understanding his sentiments, she nodded solemnly and brought the skewer she was holding up to his lips. With a tense expression, she instructed.
“Open up.”
Observing her expression, Felix also scrunched his brows and opened his mouth. There was an impulsive element to his request, yet his desire to taste was genuine.
The pork touched his trembling lips first, followed by the savory and sweet aroma of grilled vegetables. Smelling it up close intensified the flavors, making his mouth water more than usual.
He closed his eyes and bit into the pork. Expecting it to be a bit dry with only the meat, Sylvia quickly plucked out the eggplant and bell pepper with her fingers. Then, she called out to Felix, who was merely moving his lips, not yet having fully chewed.
“Felix, open wide.”
With his eyes closed, savoring the taste, he obediently opened his mouth to her request.
