“You’re telling me magic cooking is feasible?” Tobias asked. Watching Zach from the side as the Gardwin lad sliced a part of the meat into thin strips. For someone from Brittania, Tobias was an open-minded man, and adding his status as a Highbrow, the topic of magic didn’t bother him much as he just saw it as another branch of untapped knowledge.

“Based on what the book said then yes,” Zach said. He threw the meat into the pot of boiling water. “The question right now is whether I can do it or not.”

He threw in a few vegetables, courtesy of Milly who found them near the fort. They were quite odd-looking vegetables if Zach had to comment, but Milly reassured him that the taste was similar to the usual vegetables they ate back home.

Zach stirred the soup gently with a makeshift ladle made by Milly. She being an experienced cook was definitely a boon for this group, more so in a situation like this. Zach concentrated on the soup with his mind repeating those words written in the book. He imagined a pathway being carved from his heart to the tip of his fingers that held the ladle. Then he felt something from his heart. It was like a warmth that oozed from the walls of his heart, flowing into the imaginary pathway.

“It’s glowing,” Tobias said. His eyes were like a hawk’s, observing Zach’s action to the most minute details, and he saw it. There was a subtle glow enveloping the ladle like gray smoke with its density neither increasing nor decreasing. Zach saw it too and stably kept his motion. He still was not sure whether this was right or not, but at least he succeeded in manifesting his mana out from his body. It was a feat he had never thought he could do in just a mere day. But the end result was as he expected.

“In my point of view, my lord, I think this cooking of yours is a failure,” Tobias said. Hands behind his back, looking at the blackish goo in a pot. For some unknown reason, the savory-smelling soup suddenly turned afoul in a blink of an eye. It was like a pinch of poison dropped inside, wasting the ingredients to what they were now.

Milly, who stood behind them a bit, pinched her nose as the smell of this failed stew was diabolical. It was even worse than a silent fart.

“Well, it was worth a shot. My control in mana wavers a bit at that last part though and I reckon it’s the reason for the failure,” Zach said. The tedious boring process let Zach’s mind wander for a second and it was enough to ruin it all. “But at least now I know it’s not impossible. So how about it? This is pretty great than the bull-spider, am I right?” Zach flashed a smirk.

“Indeed it is,” Tobias said, smiling. He glanced at the book in his hand, the book where it detailed the cooking which infused mana in its very essence. “I know this might be rude of me, but can I loan this book, my lord?” his eyes twinkled.

“I’m sorry to say this but for now it’s a no,” Zach said.

The twinkle in Tobias went away. “A book fit for the wise,” Tobias said. “I deeply admire your intelligence to further understand the step-by-step process of such profound technique. I guess I have to tame my hunger in check for now.”

“Hey,” Zach patted Tobias on the shoulder. “Not giving doesn’t mean not sharing. If you’re up for it, care to join my quest in breaking down the cantrip? I thought about finding out which part of the cantrip that could be used outside of its intended purpose . . . For a more general function.”

The invite made Tobias’ face bloom. He had never thought Zach would have such intent that went beyond his thought process. For someone who had never dealt with the arcane before, Tobias was like a baby that couldn’t even crawl. This invite sparked a newfound passion in him that had long been gone for the past few years.

“It will be my honor, Lord Zachary,” Tobias said. Bowing with his head while his hand rested on his left chest, a sign of a Highbrow showing their deepest respect.

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Zach was confused a bit. He knew the meaning behind Tobias’ gesture, but he had never thought an invite for a study would deserve such a reaction. Despite that, he just kept his silence and let things flow. Sometimes things were better left as they were. Tobias left to tend to the injured parties that had just returned while Zach continued his attempt at the arcane cooking.

He had a few more failures, and in the end, he abandoned it and took his time savoring the bull-spider meat for eating rather than experimenting. Milly had the honor of joining in the fun, and both had a shock when tasting the exotic meat. At first, Zach thought it wouldn’t be any different from the usual beef he ate, but boy he was wrong.

The bull-spider meat was unlike any meat he had tasted. Savory, and buttery. It melted the moment it touched Zach’s tongue with the umami flavor bursting inside his mouth like a carnival party in Rio de Savanga.

“Grill it more,” Zach demanded, and Milly did as told. She too felt the extravagance of the meat’s flavor and she willingly cooked it.

They chowed down another serving of bull-spider meat, and the flavor only made them place another serving right on the hot-iron cask. They were eating and cooking at the same time, having a preference for medium-well to now a medium rare. They just couldn't wait any longer. Zach and Milly were having the fun of a lifetime alone in the kitchen while the others outside were oblivious to the ongoing eating spree.

After another serving, the notification window finally greeted Zach.

[You have eaten Arachnid Bovinus (Lv.15). Dominion of Satiety activated.]

[You have gained +2 Strength.]

[You have gained +1 Perception.]

The bonus points he gained made him stare in shock. Three points over a single enemy were like a treasure that he had never expected. Then a thought came over. Did a stronger enemy provide more points, or did the rarity of the enemy influence it? From the way he saw it, there were more things he needed to learn about this skill of his.

His gourmet experience ended there for now with a belly full of meat. Milly was unceasingly thanking him for the generosity he had shown to her by sharing such meat, and Zach closed the endless praises by giving her a task of cooking the rest of the arachnid bovinus outside, enticing her that his brother would be elated to have a bit after returning. She ran out faster than he could blink an eye.

Zach walked out to the bailey and the groans of pain greeted his eardrums. More of them had returned and by the sight of them on the ground, wailing, he figured their hunting didn’t go so well. Zach observed the hard-working Tobias from afar, giving instructions to those around him while his hands kept on glowing the light of healing.

Knowing he wasn’t much used to the current situation, Zach ascended the stairs, heading for the battlements. He reached the top, and the mild breeze welcomed him. Zach explored the battlements of the whole fort, and even with a massive hole in one of the walls, a simple leap was all it took to go to the other side. Frankly speaking, he wouldn’t dare take a risky attempt, but his newfound agility bolstered his confidence in attempting the most idiotic acts.

Besides a few cracks and dust, Zach concluded the battlements were pretty intact. Well, stable enough for archers to stand guard on top without any worries of the floor collapsing or the walls crumbling. But as the sky dyed purple, the incoming night was starting to bother him. More so after the ‘impenetrable’ effect only worked during daytime and not night. It worried him what troubles might lurk in the darkness as he had a bad hunch that the night would not be peaceful.

But worrying was useless, and Zach knew that. Rather than placing his concern over an unknown matter, he did what he could. He found himself in a good spot and leaned on the wall. The book came out from inside his tunic, and with what was left of daylight, Zach memorized the cantrip for arcane cooking. He decided as such, seeing that reading wasn’t possible when the sun was down, and remembering was his best bet in studying the cantrip for the night.

Soon, night came, and the bailey of the fort filled with downcast men and women. The aches of pain rang, and Tobias could only administer first-aid treatment as he waited for his mana points to regenerate. The sudden influx of the injured overwhelmed the only healer, turning the fort into a sick bay. Based on whatever he heard downstairs, Zach couldn’t tell whether he had an easy time or was he just that good at killing monsters.

Then rapid footsteps approached him, and soon he saw Calrin standing before him. It was dark, but he could tell, and the subtle moonlight sort of helped him a bit. From that slight glimpse he saw on Calrin, a problem was probably knocking on his door.

“What is it, Calrin?” Zach asked. Getting up while dusting off his pants.

“It’s Teena,” Calrin said. His voice sounded grave.

“So? Did she accidentally shoot Cyrus or something?” Zach asked.

“I’m afraid it’s graver than that, milord,” Calrin said. “Your brother’s hunting party had returned, and both Dayana and Teena hadn’t come back.”