C287: FOOD OF LOVE

Thus, I became acquainted with the tree spirits in the dungeon orchard, and the dispute between the mushroom and the bamboo shoot has also been settled. During the fight, I also became acquainted with King Kaka, a cacao spirit.

Today, I’m taking on a new challenge.
I’m going to try making chocolate, which is made from cacao.

“I’m honored to be of service to you right away, Lord Saint.”

King Kaka is here with me in the house.
I thought he’d be fixed in one place, but he’s surprisingly mobile.

“The cacao fruit is also called the cacao pod, you know.”

As expected of the person (?) himself, he knows a lot about cacao.

“Cacao seeds are packed inside their coconut-like hard shell.”

And our cacao tree spirit looks just like a floating cacao pod with eyes and a nose.
Apparently, he can separate himself from the tree by imbibing its soul.
Then, King Kaka snaps himself open, cacao beans gushing out.

“Please use these to make chocolate.”
“O-Okay…”

I appreciate the convenience…

“To make chocolate from cacao beans, you must first roast them.”
“Okay…”
“Next, they must be crushed into powder…”
“Yes…”
“Add the sugar and mix it in while heating it up…”
“Ah…”
“Once melted, put it in a mold and chill it until it’s ready to serve!”

The instructions are too fast!

Goodness, King Kaka!
Must you leave nothing else to be desired?!

Usually, there’d be a lot of trial and error involved in making a new recipe, but there was none at all this time!
This is the smoothest one I’ve had!

I guess the best way to prepare food is to ask the ingredient (???) themselves, after all!

“Yay, food.”

And when did Platy get here?!
She’s already eating the chocolate without permission!

“Bitter!!! This is a novel dessert!”

Well, I’m just glad it suits your tastes.
But be careful not to overeat. They say caffeine is bad for the pregnant.

“It’s similar to cake or ice cream, but with a hint of bitterness… Almost sophisticated in taste! …Huh? I don’t see Veil here, do you? She would’ve zoomed straight here if she sensed something as tasty as this.”
“The thing is… She’s still at her dungeon…”

Shocked that no one there treats her like the guardian.
She said she would focus on regaining control of her dungeon to make up for all the time she spent here.
There must be a purge initiated by a brokenhearted dragon going on there right now.

“We can just put some in the fridge for her to eat later.”

The fact that chocolate can be stored is what makes them superior to other sweets.

“Lord Saint, let’s try to separate the cacao butter from the cacao powder next!”
“O-Okay!”

Thanks to King Kaka, everything is proceeding at a brisk pace.

Crushed cacao beans are called cacao mass, and when the fat content is separated, it becomes cacao butter, and the remaining is cacao powder.

“So this is cacao powder…”

The same powder you use for making hot cocoa…
So chocolate and hot cocoa use the same ingredient?!

If so, I need to try making hot cocoa, pronto!
I got some milk from Panu’s place and warmed it up.
Now that it’s hot, I’m going to add some cacao powder!

“This is hot cocoa?!”

Taste test…
It’s soothing.

It’s not like tea or coffee, but it’s a relaxing drink!

“What should I do with the remaining cacao butter?”
“You can use it to make chocolate with new cacao beans to make it creamier and softer.”

Thus, chocolate and hot cocoa were introduced to our farm.
It’s becoming more and more like paradise…

“Um…”
“Whoa!” “Eek!”

We were both startled when someone suddenly spoke from behind us.
It’s Eryngear, one of the demonesses currently studying at our farm.

“Please try not to do that again. I thought my heart was going to jump out of my chest!”
“Me too! I thought the baby was going to come out of my belly!” says Platy.

Anything but that, please.

“Sorry, but that thing you have just piqued my curiosity…” says Eryngear, pointing to the chocolate.

Oh.
Well, she is a girl.
It’s inevitable that her desserts radar would set off.

“I’ll give everyone some after dinner, so be patient until then, okay?”
“No, that’s not what I meant!”

No?
What then?

“Um… I need to ask you a favor! That chocolate… That chocolate…!”

“Huh? A present for me?”

What did Eryngear do with the chocolate, you ask? She gave it to her boyfriend, Ritheseus.

“D-D-Don’t get the wrong idea! I just happened to learn how to cook from Lord Saint and made too much, so I’m just sharing it with you!” she says in a typical tsundere-tone, offering the chocolate.

…
…I am now witnessing a startling scene.

Frankly speaking, it’s just someone giving a gift.

But the giver is a woman, and the recipient is a man.
Gift = chocolate.
The conclusion to be drawn from this pattern is…

“Valentine’s…”

No, wait.
This is a different world.

What’s common sense in my world doesn’t necessarily apply here as well.
In particular, confectionery companies’ marketing scheme to give lovers chocolates on February 14th every year can’t have taken root in this world, going beyond spatio-temporal borders.

What else could this mean then?
Did Eryngear, without any prior knowledge, figure out that chocolate is something a woman gives to the man she loves?

“She terrifies me…”

It was at this moment that I first felt her exceptional talent.

“Y-You don’t have to take it if you don’t want to! Everyone has their own likes and dislikes. It doesn’t make me happy if I force someone to eat what they don’t like!”
“Anything you give me is delicious! Thank you!”
“Ahn~ I love you!!!”

And then her tsundere mask is taken off.

“It’s homemade food from Eryngear, huh? I wonder what it is… W-Wha?”

Ritheseus, opening the package, is confused.

I don’t blame him.
It’s rare for someone to look at chocolate for the first time and say with certainty that it’s food.

“W-What’s wrong? Does it look bad?”
“That’s not true! I’ll eat it right now!”

Nevertheless, the power of love encourages the brave Ritheseus.
He eats the unknown black food with his eyes closed!!!

Krak!

“It tastes great!!!”

And then, he looked radiant from the bottom of his heart.

“Really?!”

Eryngear, too, became radiant.

“Yeah, it’s surprisingly sweet even though it’s all black! I can also feel that it’s pretty nutritious! One bite of this could probably alleviate my fatigue from the day!”
“Right? Right?!”
“I can’t believe you made this by hand, Eryngear! You’re incredible!”

…
Handmade, huh…

“There’s no way for Eryngear to make it with my beans,” says King Kaka, who’s peeking with me.

“She’d have to be as skilled as you, Lord Saint, to succeed.”
“Then what part of it is handmade?”
“Melting the chocolate you made and pouring it into a mold.”

That’s precisely just like making “handmade” chocolate for Valentine’s Day.

But Eryngear has good taste since she chose a heart-shaped mold for the chocolate.
Yep, you read that right. She gave Ritheseus heart-shaped chocolates!!!

“Okay, I’ll be finishing this…”
“Oh, wait.”
“What?”
“Eat it like this.”

Eryngear then takes the remaining piece of chocolate in her mouth and offers it to Ritheseus.
Mouth-to-mouth feeding?!

“Too bold!!!”
“Shh! Keep it down, Lord Saint! They’ll see us!!!”

Is this what the youth is like nowadays?!

“I-If you say so…!”

Ritheseus bites into the chocolate with a hint of embarrassment.

“Is this what the youth is like nowadays?!”
“Lord Saint! We mustn’t peek any further than this! Let’s retreat!!!”

I was urged by King Kaka to leave the passionate couple.

Is this what the youth is like nowadays…