I was shocked that my friends had done so much for me while I’d had my little nap. Ragna had been extra busy. She had not only located a caldron big enough to cook the meal in but had cleared an area in the back big enough to build a firepit for the pot.

As I waited for it to heat up, I noticed a few orcs making their way through the streets of Everspring toward the tavern.

The orcs slowed and watched the humans as they continued their activities while keeping watchful eyes on the approaching orcs. Although they may have helped save the town, a war had raged between the races only a few months ago. There was going to be distrust for a long time.

Women hung freshly washed clothes on lines strung between buildings, leaving colorful fabrics fluttering in the gentle breeze. Children played in the streets, laughing and shouting at each other. However, as soon as they spotted the orcs, their games abruptly stopped. Some children ran off, while others remained, too curious about the green skins to flee.

The orcs, in turn, gawked and pointed at the sturdy stone buildings. One of them stopped and sniffed the air. I didn't blame them. It was filled with the scent of freshly baked pastries. It reminded me of the stuffed puffs at the inn where I'd stayed. I needed to get back there ASAP to close out my stay and retrieve Morthisal's staff. Maybe I should take the cursed thing to the woods and burn it.

Urzan greeted every orc that showed up by yelling at them. I don't know what he said, but it sounded angry.

"Damn, bro. You only have one volume, and it's set to eleven."

"Urzan talk with purpose! Urzan head of orc warband! Urzan happy when human look impressed with Urzan speech!"

Impressed? More like scared.

"Dude. You're a bright spot in my day. I'll tell you that right now."

"Urzan understand! Maybe! Varix is okay human!"

"I'll take that as a compliment," I replied.

As the cauldron slowly heated up, I busied myself preparing for the cook. Shellen and Caden had arrived with a huge haul of meat, and I quickly moved to assist them in unpacking it all. Shell had gone all out and created piles of different kinds of meat, from fatty to lean and everything in between.

"This is wonderful, Shell. Thank you so much."

I spotted Milo nearby and waved him over. "Hey, Milo! Can you start bringing out the chopped vegetables? We're going to need them soon."

The young barista nodded eagerly and set off to gather the prepared ingredients.

Ragna reappeared, walking up the street, accompanied by an older man. Between them, they carried a long wooden table, which they set up near the cauldron. It was the perfect surface for organizing all the ingredients needed for the meal.

“Thank you, Ragna!” I said with a big smile.

“Thank him. Old Farmer Hulster wasn’t doing anything except complaining about life to anyone who would listen.”

“Oh, leave off, Ragna. I have plenty to do without you getting on my backside.”

Ragna stopped and patted Hulster on the shoulder. “That’s what I normally say to you.” She raised her voice, “Get off my backside!” and slapped her hand against her thigh as she nearly fell over laughing.

“Mother…” Doan rolled his eyes.

I had to turn away to stifle laughter.

As all the chopped food came out, I slipped back inside the tavern to retrieve the spices I had purchased from the vendor. The aromatic scents of cumin, paprika, and dried peppers would help send this chili to the next level, although I probably didn’t have enough.

I called Milo inside and asked him to make a list and retrieve more spices.

“Sure thing, Mr. Vel’Naris.” He scratched his head and asked, “How much do they cost?”

I dug out a few silver and handed them over. "Hopefully, not as much as this."

“I’ll be back with them,” he said and dashed off. I wondered if he could remember everything I had shown him.

I verified that the bottom of the cauldron was burning hot by splashing some water inside. The water turned into bubbles that danced and hissed.

"Perfect."

I threw a huge dollop of grease into the caldron. The fat started to melt immediately, and the sizzle was like pure heaven.

I didn’t have what's popularly known as chili powder back on Earth. That is, the mix you buy at the store. But I had a basic idea of the ingredients, and chief among those was chili powder, that is, actual ground chilis I'd picked up from the herb vendor. I added a large amount of oregano leaf, cumin, and paprika. I had to wing it and wait for the smell to clue me in on how much each spice was needed.

Buckets of onions followed. I swirled them in the bottom of the large pot so they were all good and coated and let it cook, roasting the spices in the process. Next, I threw in what felt like a pound and a half of crushed garlic that my sous chefs had prepared. The smell was immediate and got the attention of everyone in the vicinity.

"I'll take a bowl of that!" Doan laughed.

As I stirred the massive cauldron, the aroma of simmering onions with the roasted spices wafted through the air. Another group of orcs approached from up the street. I waved to them when they were about half a block away. A smile spread across my face when I noticed a familiar face behind the orcs. Without hesitation, I dropped the giant spoon and rushed toward them.

"Lady Churl!" I exclaimed, my voice filled with genuine happiness. "How are you doing?"

Lady Churl nodded at me. "Been busy, boss. Had to fight off that pesky bear again, but I managed to reclaim me cave. Tha' bear never had a chance. All growl and no bite."

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I couldn't help but chuckle at her story. “Of course you did. Wait. Are you saying you bit the bear?"

She gave me a toothy grin.

“Glad to see ya again, boss. Reckon you made out okay after last night,” she said as she looked over the orcs, humans, and then her eyes settled on the tavern. “This the place?”

“That’s it.”

Lady Churl pulled a large canvas bag off her belt and held it up. “Brought ya something. Ain’t nothing special.”

I took the bag curiously and opened it up. When I glanced inside, my mouth split into a big smile.

"Lady Churl. You're the best," I told her.

"Ah. Come on, boss. It's just peppers."

I pulled out the bunches of red and green peppers and showed them off.

"Big heat!" Urzan exclaimed.

"Here, buddy." I handed him a couple.

He chewed them with relish and said, "Good! Good heat! Better heat when cook by Varix!

"Who's your friend, Varix?" Caden asked, his eyes darting between me and my goblin friend.

"Everyone, this is Lady Churl," I announced. "She's a good friend of mine, and she's the one who took out those archers firing flaming arrows at the town during the attack."

Lady Churl nodded. "Aye, that was a good bit ‘o knife work, if I do say so myself. Got one right under the ear with the blade. Slid right in without a bother." She mimed the action, her hand slicing through the air in a sideways jab. "Second one got a cry out. Tackled him as he turned and slit his throat,, clean. Held him down as he bled out. Serves him right. Hiding out, trying to burn down the town."

"I do so love how psychotic the little one is," Lady Ophelia chimed in.

“Well. That sounds horrifying,” I said under my breath.

"Impressive, Lady Churl," Doan said and offered her a slight bow.

She waved him off. "It's nothing. Happy to help and all that." She jerked a thumb at me. "Gotta keep an eye on this one."

I laughed.

"Are you here to eat? It's going to be a bit," I told Lady Churl.

"Reckon I can help. Whatcha need, boss?" she asked.

"For now, just for you to keep me company."

"Aye, boss. I can do that."

Milo returned with bottles of spices. He had many piled up, leaving him jumbling the lot as he tried to set them down.

"The herb guy said you can have these. Next time, it will cost you. But when he said that, he sounded happy, so I don't think he will charge you over when you return."

"Thanks, Milo."

Lady Churl hopped up on the table next to the piles of vegetables and looked over the goods, and grimmaced.

The onions and garlic were searing away, so I added a healthy batch of chopped bacon and let the mass cook for a few more minutes to release the flavor. Next up were the spices. I had to wing it, but the smell was a good enough indicator of what was needed.

The next step required several hands. Lady Churl and Milo helped me bring the meat to the pot. We dumped it in, several pounds at a time, so that I could get some brown on the meat. After about twenty minutes, we had all of it loaded. I constantly worked the big spoon, which was more like a metal oar. After a few minutes, I was sweating.

"Milo. You're young. Take over here." I held the spoon out.

He grinned, grabbed it, leaned over the pan, and continued for me.

With the main ingredient added, I took a break and wished I had a drink. One thing the tavern still lacked was ale or beer. I'd have to remedy that soon, provided this meal didn't bankrupt me.

While the meat cooked, Lady Churl leaned in and said, "Don't want ta break your concentration, boss, but I been hearing rumors of a dark figure outside the town. Don't know much more."

"Hmm," I muttered.

"Probably ain't nothing. Thought you should know, is all."

"One of yours?" Ophelia asked Zyn.

I looked up at Zyn. He shrugged, but said nothing.

"As helpful as ever," Ophelia said and rolled her eyes.

Garin drew himself up and said, "Take us out there tomorrow. We'll get to the bottom of it."

"It's probably nothing," I said under my breath, but loud enough for the ghost to make out.

It also wasn't my business. I wasn't a fighter, nor was I any scout. If the rumors persisted, I'd say something. We had the orcs on our side. We had the town guards in the hands of the entirely capable Alic. Warriors were returning from the war every day. The bandits had been driven off.

Traders were out on the road. It was going to be a time of peace, and I was here for it.

I returned to the cauldron, where the meat was sizzling away. The aroma was tantalizing, but I knew we weren't done yet. "Alright, folks, time for the peppers!" I called out. "Can I get some help snapping and cutting these beauties?"

Mira and Caden were eager to help. I handed them each a handful of peppers, demonstrated how to remove the stems and slice them into thin strips, and warned them not to touch their eyes afterward. The capsaicin would burn the hell out of them.

I grabbed one of the red peppers as we worked and broke it open. The pungent aroma hit me immediately, and I couldn't help but recoil slightly before a wide smile spread across my face.

"Oh man, these smell just like jalapenos!" I exclaimed, my eyes watering a bit from the spicy scent. "I wish I'd had time to smoke some of these. They'd make amazing chipotles."

Lady Churl, who was perched nearby, perked up at my words. "Chipotles, eh? Never heard of 'em, but if you're keen on smoking peppers, I know just the place." She leaned in conspiratorially. "There's a big batch of peppers growing wild not far from here. Next time you're out foraging, I can show ya's boss. Bet they smoke up real nice."

I grinned at her, grateful for the information. "That would be fantastic, Lady Churl. I'll definitely take you up on that offer soon."

Milo and Doan had gone inside to retrieve the simmering broth. They returned with the pot, straining their muscles to carry the sloshing pan. "Milo, can you fish out those ribs before you pour in the broth?" I called out. And see if you can find something in the kitchen to hold back the veggies while you're at it."

"I like Milo. He has a big heart," Garin observed.

Ophelia scoffed. "He's an oaf. Milo is here trying to secure a job."

It all came together as the ghosts discussed Milo. I'd felt he was here for more than offering a little help, but a job? I didn't even know how I would be able to afford to open the tavern, let alone pay employees.

Milo nodded eagerly and returned to the kitchen to retrieve another large spoon. Soon enough, he had a pile of bones sitting on a platter. Most of the meat had cooked off, but that didn't stop Urzan from picking one up. He held it to his nose, sniffed, gripped it in two hands, and broke it in half. The big orc put one piece in his mouth and sucked out the marrow and gave a satisfied lip smack before picking up another.

I grabbed handfuls of tomatoes, onions, and carrots and tossed them into the pot. The carrots would add a touch of sweetness to balance out the tomatoes' acidity.

Ragna appeared at my side, a massive lid in her hands. Together, we maneuvered it into place, leaving just a small crack for the steam to escape. The aroma of the chili intensified, and I couldn't help but take a deep breath, savoring the scent.

I turned to face the growing crowd of orcs and townspeople, a grin spreading. "Alright, folks, it will need a few hours to simmer. Sorry about the wait, but it will be worth it."

Urzan groaned, but the waiting crowd nodded and cheered me on.

“It will be worth it, Urzan. I promise!”

“Varix say worth it! Orc say hope so!”

“Is that a threat?”

“What difference?” Urzan replied, but his tusks appeared in what I recognized as a smile.