Kays Translations

Chapter 299: Hot Cookies

The next morning, I began preparing immediately after breakfast. Magic training and lessons were cancelled; there was no time for them.

At breakfast, Father explained the situation again and asked for our cooperation. Brother Alex had evidently continued discussing the matter with him after we parted.

“Lord Julius, where are you headed?”

“I’m going to the kitchen. I need some ingredients.”

“Understood. I will accompany you.”

Nero had become a thoroughly dependable attendant, although the way he kept notes suggested that monitoring me remained part of his duties.

The kitchen staff were clearing away breakfast when we arrived, but the dishwasher-dryer handled most of the crockery, leaving the chefs comparatively relaxed.

“Lord Julius, what can I do for you?”

“I need some ingredients. Middle-grade flour, chilli peppers, milk, eggs, and sugar. If you don’t have sugar, honey is fine too.”

“Understood. I will prepare them immediately.”

They prepared the ingredients without asking for details. Does this mean I’m trusted? Or do they think, “He’s planning to make something strange again”?

With the ingredients from the kitchen, I headed to the compounding room. I had spent so much time in the workshop lately that the room had grown a little dusty.

“Lord Julius, I will clean up immediately, so please wait a moment.”

“No, that won’t be necessary. I was the one who asked everyone not to clean this room. I can use Clean.”

I cast Clean and restored the room in an instant. This version of the spell was specialised for entire rooms and was excellent for tidying a neglected space. An automatic cleaning broom could keep a room clean as well, but it eventually stopped working.

Nero’s eyes widened. I would have to ensure his silence.

“Nero, you didn’t see anything. Got it?”

“Yes, understood. So, what are you making this time?”

“I’m making hot cookies. Eating these will protect you from a certain degree of cold.”

“There’s such a potion?”

That was an exclamation of admiration. I’m glad it wasn’t an exasperated tone.

I immediately began making the hot cookies. Since I wasn’t sure how large the expedition would be, I decided to use all the ingredients I had gathered.

The troublesome ingredient was the chilli pepper. It was essential, but added both heat and a distinctive flavour. I balanced it with herbs from the greenhouse, relying on instinct. The taste might vary slightly between batches, but that was part of the charm.

I placed the ingredients in a large pot, added an extract of antidote herbs and mixed everything thoroughly. Milk and eggs were essential—they were cookies, after all. To give them a stamina-restoring effect, I also added Maxim Garlic. I hoped there would be no women in the expedition party.

I rolled the mixture into sticks, cut them into coin-sized pieces and arranged them on a baking tray before placing them in the oven. A delicious aroma gradually filled the compounding room. If Mira caught the scent, they would come flying.

The bell outside the compounding room rang, followed by an eager “Kyu, kyu!” from behind the door. As expected of Mira—they were quick to act.

“Mira~? This is an important potion, so don’t eat too much, okay?”

“Kyu!”

I wondered whether Mira truly understood, but allowed them to taste one. Mira seemed delighted and waved their forepaws excitedly.

I tasted one as well, as any responsible maker should, and gave another to Nero for a second opinion.

“These are easy to eat and delicious. They’d surely sell well if put on the market. Oh, and it feels like my core is warming up.”

“That’s because it’s a potion. Selling them is a bit… after all, this is a potion.”

They looked exactly like ordinary cookies. A cold-resistance potion in this form might become very popular with children and their parents, opening an entirely new direction for potions. It was worth considering—although Brother Alex would probably end up with even more work.

That afternoon, I went to the territorial knights’ quarters to learn how the expedition preparations were progressing. I would normally have asked Father or Brother Alex, but both were busy, and I wanted to minimise their burden.

“Have you seen Giles, Christopher or Lionel?”

“Well, they went to the mansion, and they haven’t returned yet.”

“I see. Maybe the discussions are going poorly.”

“Is something wrong?”

It appeared that Giles and the others had not yet been informed. As I wondered how much I should say, Lionel returned looking grim. That was understandable: an expedition into the snow-covered mountains could easily become life-threatening.

“Lionel, you’re just in time. Has the expedition plan been finalised?”

“Yes, it has. Where should I begin…”

“Lionel, let’s hear it together with everyone else. You’re going to report to everyone, right?”

“Yes, that’s correct. Then let’s go together.”

Lionel instructed Giles and Christopher to assemble everyone at the training ground. On the way, I told him about the hot cookies, and his grim expression immediately brightened.

“As expected of Lord Julius! I didn’t know there was such a potion. This should significantly lighten the burden on the knights. The problem is how to maintain body temperature.”

He was right. Hot cookies alone would not be enough, so I should prepare magic-stone hand warmers as well. They could not be mass-produced as easily as the cookies, but I could make the required number once I knew the expedition’s size.

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