Chapter 224

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Chapter 224: Dorothy’s Cooking Test

In the past week, many events have unfolded around Vera Plain, particularly in Hillenbrand Town, though most residents remained unaware.

Many of these matters remain unresolved; whether it’s the half-plane, the newly arrived Dorothy, the rarely active Kululu, or a certain unnamed tavern landlady, they all suggest that more developments may lie ahead in the near future.

For Lolth, however, this is not a time requiring heightened alertness or caution.

Past issues have been settled, and future concerns still feel distant.

Now, life has settled back into a peaceful and steady rhythm.

The most notable change is that the once-quiet torture tower now houses a new resident, Dorothy, along with a slumbering Killer Whale.

After waking refreshed from a nap in the Orc’s interrogation room, Lolth decided to visit the lookout before breakfast. She observed that construction in the western new area of Hillenbrand Town had resumed, prompting a quiet sigh.

“These guys were told to rest and not start work so early, yet here they are, already busy at this hour. What are Tina, Maider, and Isabella doing? They really ought to discipline those sneaky workers!”

After looking around, Lolth spotted Tina, wearing a safety helmet and directing dwarf craftsmen at the western construction site, and Maider, chewing on a spoon while studying blueprints. Even Isabella was mingling among the Superoperators, though her exact purpose was unclear.

Glancing at the sun, Lolth suddenly realized that the current “time” could scarcely be called morning anymore.

It seemed she had slept in, a rare occurrence for her.

Descending from the lookout and checking the clock inside the torture tower, she saw it was already ten-thirty in the morning and touched her slightly swollen face.

“Alright… It seems I overslept. Well, that’s fine.”

“It’s time to give Dorothy an admission test!”

Feeling slightly sheepish, Lolth gathered the plan and materials she had prepared yesterday in the office and quickly made her way to the kitchen.

At present, the “school” has not yet been constructed, and even once it is, Dorothy won’t actually attend it.

She is Lolth’s personal student, and their training will follow the traditional method of teaching and mastering skills.

Thus, calling it an admission test isn’t entirely precise.

Upon reaching the kitchen, Lolth found Dorothy, who had been waiting for two hours, and Kanor, who was cooking meat nearby.

“Teacher Lolth.”

Despite the two-hour wait, Dorothy offered no complaints. She greeted her lifesaver, Lolth, with unwavering respect.

While this world lacks tales of ancient masters testing students in quirky ways, Minstrel’s stories often feature similar themes, such as “an old Sword Master feigning sleep to assess his pupil’s character” or “the Great Sage posing as a beggar to select kind-hearted commoners as his secluded disciples.”

So, even Kanor refrained from prompting Dorothy, and the young girl wondered if Lolth might be testing her resolve to learn from “a succubus from the abyss.”

Dorothy felt confident in her dedication, so she waited patiently in the kitchen without objection.

“Ahem, I was delayed a bit and arrived later than expected,” Lolth said, noting that neither Dorothy nor Kanor commented on her tardiness. “Anyway, as I mentioned yesterday, before I officially accept you as my student, I need to test your skills—first, demonstrate your cooking abilities. Use any ingredients and tools in the kitchen to prepare your best dish for me.”

“Yes, Teacher Lolth.”

Following Kanor’s “advice” from the previous day, Dorothy no longer questioned why cooking was her first lesson and promptly began her task.

During those two hours, Dorothy hadn’t simply waited; she had observed her “senior sister” Kanor’s movements and studied the kitchen’s layout. She marveled at the array of magical cooking tools imbued with extraordinary power and the ingredients radiating magical energy, feeling increasingly at ease in the space.

She sprang into action, confidently stepping into the cold storage to select several ingredients.

Lolth’s eyes lit up slightly at Dorothy’s choices.

The vegetables and meats Dorothy picked weren’t specialties of the Golden Peacock.

Instead, most were varieties Lolth had cultivated herself, utterly novel to the world.

“That’s right… a bold choice.”

Lolth offered Dorothy some encouragement.

Meanwhile, Kanor, having lowered the heat on her pot of stew, joined Lolth’s side to watch her future peer’s efforts alongside her master.

“Master Lolth, what is she planning to cook?”

Eyeing Dorothy’s selected ingredients, Kanor felt a touch of confusion.

Lolth, seeming to catch on, smiled and patted Kanor’s head.

“Just watch… she may not match your talent in some areas, but this little girl is more intriguing than I’d expected.”

After briefly reviewing the theoretical knowledge of various continental cuisines, she deduced that Dorothy’s dish would certainly not be a traditional Golden Peacock recipe.

“Teacher Lolth, I must admit I know next to nothing about cooking or culinary skills. This is my first attempt at making a dish,” Dorothy said earnestly, standing at the forefront of the counter, oblivious to Lolth and Kanor’s exchange. “But… I don’t want to recreate the dishes I knew from the Golden Peacock, which I’ve eaten countless times yet felt indifferent toward. I want to try something different.”

With that, Dorothy began handling the ingredients clumsily, guided by intuition and her theoretical understanding.

She rinsed the vegetables with clean water, her frail arms struggling to lift the heavy cutting board, and chopped the ingredients awkwardly with a knife.

The vegetables ended up in uneven pieces, and the fresh meat proved even trickier to cut; she even nicked her finger by accident.

Yet, after bandaging her finger, Dorothy pressed on with the ingredients, her movements evolving from initial clumsiness to a beginner’s typical proficiency.

“She’s picking it up fast,” Kanor murmured, mildly impressed by Dorothy. “But… what exactly is she trying to make?”

Kanor’s puzzlement didn’t linger long.

When she saw Dorothy reach for a clay pot from the shelf, her expression betrayed a hint of surprise.

“Does Dorothy intend to…”

“Ah, exactly. That’s why I said… this one’s quite interesting.”

Lolth smiled and shook her head as she spoke.