3 bar menu

Chapter 50

「…However… She was truly dirty. If we hadn’t rented the place, it would have inconvenienced the other guests.」

Saying this, Lilith entered the inn’s dining room with Liz.
Liz woke up just around dinner time.

I could have had my meal first, but since she was with us, I decided to wait in the dining room.

On the table were white bread, sirloin steak, mashed potatoes, broccoli, and a potage soup.
The sirloin steak, in particular, was made from the highest quality raw beef from Lilith’s item box, which she handed to the inn’s landlady for cooking.

Much of the meat available in this area’s market was of inferior quality, so Lilith’s time-stopping item box came in very handy for ensuring the best ingredients.

Lilith also had a shared MP with me, so if she put her mind to it, the storage capacity could become astronomical… Well, that’s a good thing.

And of course, the steaks and other items on our table were far from something that the average person or adventurer could afford.
We could afford it because we’re wealthy.

In the early days of my training, I would eat raw monster meat… But once you develop a discerning palate, there’s no turning back.

The eight-year-old golden-haired elven girl, Liz, sat down at the table and looked at the steak with longing in her eyes.
After a moment, she turned to me with a hopeful expression.

「Can I eat this…?」

She asked me with desire in her eyes as she stared at the steak.

We found her not long ago, abandoned in the slums.
Given her circumstances, it’s natural for her to react this way, but Lilith firmly responded.

「…No, that’s not possible. This is for me and Lute.」

「I see…」

Liz put on a downcast expression.
Her long eyelashes lowered and her eyes closed, looking as if the world had ended.

I mean, this girl… she sure has an incredibly beautiful face. She has a straight nose, large eyes, golden hair, azure eyes, and the characteristic long ears of an elf.

If I were some middle-aged man with questionable tastes, I’d be drooling.

In a few years, she might even grow up to be as beautiful as Cordelia or Lilith.

「…I have a special menu prepared for you.」

With Lilith’s words, I snapped my fingers.
The innkeeper then brought over a clay pot.

「This is a special rice porridge made with a chicken broth. It contains seven types of herbs and chicken eggs as ingredients. You probably haven’t had a proper meal for days, have you? Eating solid food immediately would shock your digestive system. Well, I’ve simmered this until it’s nearly liquefied, so this well-cooked porridge should be easier on your digestion.」

Upon hearing this, Liz’s eyes widened with astonishment.

「Chicken eggs… are incredibly rare, right?」

「Don’t worry about that too much.」

In reality, it wasn’t just chicken eggs but a phoenix egg porridge made with phoenix bones.

The seven herbs included a generous amount of herbs that would make alchemists and pharmacists faint, with elixirs at the core.
Its effect on nourishment and strengthening was excellent.
It should be a level of porridge where someone bedridden for years could get up and participate in a marathon the next day.

I couldn’t stand seeing Liz remain in such a weak state forever, so this time, I decided to give it my all.
The innkeeper had a puzzled look on her face when we handed over the ingredients, but they probably wouldn’t recognize the materials. So it was safe.

Once the porridge was served on a plate from the clay pot, Liz cautiously took the spoon and brought a spoonful to her mouth.

「Oh… it’s delicious.」

Well, it should be. It’s a porridge of a level that you couldn’t assign a price to.

A phoenix had an enormous impact on nutrition and strength. It was an excellent ingredient in itself.

Despite the absence of condiments or normal ingredients, with this phoenix bone, even someone with my cooking skills from my part-time jobs at a yakitori restaurant and a ramen shop could confidently compete with a top-class ramen shop that had lines of customers.

「No… this is… really… delicious.」

Liz continued to scoop and eat the porridge, one spoonful after another.
At an incredible pace, with a tremendous momentum I would say…
Liz devoured the porridge with such intensity, as if she were a high school rugby team during an all-you-can-eat yakiniku session.

「Hey, take your time and chew your food properly.」

Seeing her like this, Lilith and I exchanged glances and shared a wry smile.