"... Huh? Why does it stop here?"

　On his way back to the city of Gilm after completing his request to subdue Bicorn, Ray mutters, feeling that the carriage suddenly slowed down.
　Looking out of the window, the view was slowing down, and it was clear that the carriage was about to stop.
　But Marca, sitting opposite Ray, opens her mouth arm in arm, taking it for granted.

"It's already past noon," It's time for lunch, isn't it?"
"... oh, I see,"

　After somehow agreeing to it, I tilt my head again.
　In the first place, if you were going to have lunch, you could have had it where you fought against a bunch of bicorns. I don't have a clock to keep accurate time, but it's still true that it was already close to noon.
　Or they could smell the blood of the bicorns and have other monsters attack them, but they were not afraid of being attacked by anything other than a powerful monster or a stupid monster who could not feel the difference in power unless Seto, the glyphon, hid his presence.
　But Ray's question is solved by the words of Coan, who opens his mouth with a small smile.

"It is not uncommon for adventurers to eat in places where there is some smell of blood. Mr. Residence, a guild official, will be the same. He's probably a former adventurer, as far as he goes. But it's hard to expect that from the nobility. I don't want your daughter to eat in such a place."
"It certainly doesn't make sense,"

　Or in the Dusker neighborhood, which is also the lord of the town of Gilm, you might as well dine with adventurers. Thinking of the faces of the three aristocrats who are working together this time, I immediately understand.

(Marka doesn't seem to care much about it. You probably don't want to go out of your way to change places because you don't like troublesome things even if you're an Orchide. Then, is it Arnicht who is in question? if that's really the nature of the thing, though)

　Arnicht, who has had several conversations before, approaches examiners, including Ray, in an important tone and manner each time. But in Ray's eyes, he did not look like the same race as the nobility he had been associated with so many times.
　And above all, Seto has no alarm or aversion to Arnicht. That was decisive.

"Here we go," for others will be waiting for their mistresses."

　After being taken out of the carriage by Marka, Ray sees Lovre, Stee and Ons near the residence.

"Well, this place is all right, please go." I'll take care of your daughter."
"Well, Coan, don't treat concubines very much like children,"
"But your daughter is still young,"
"...you look like you've told me you're young." Well, that's all right, Ray should go over there."

　Encouraged by such a Marka, he would have moved close to the residence and waited for Ray to come. nod a little

"Well, I think we've heard each other in the carriage, but it's lunch time now. I will ask you to make meals for those who include me."
"...what?"

　As expected, Lovre gives a stupid voice to the residence.
　Next to him, Stee was thinking hard about something, but then he opened his mouth to the residence.

"Well, is it related to the rank-up examination for lunch?"
"I don't care if you think so. As you all know, if you become a rank B, you may work with the nobility. It would be nice if the nobility had a cook with them, but not necessarily. Wouldn't it taste bad if the adventurer with you couldn't cook one of your meals.
"No, no, no, no. If so, why don't you let them eat dried meat or baked bread and other preserved food?"

　Lovre tells me he doesn't want to spoil me that much, but the residence shakes its head slightly.

"Because aristocrats are not accustomed to eating that kind of preserved food. That's the way you might get sick because you can't eat it. To prevent it, you should be able to serve some cooked food. I think it would be better if we could do it in this regardless."

　Nevertheless, as long as I heard that this was part of the examination, there is no way for Ray and his colleagues to get away with it.

"Just in case, there are a lot of food in my item box, but is it bad to use it?"
"This is the examination of everybody here, let alone yours." We will only be able to use the ingredients in your luggage and the bicorn meat."
"If I couldn't use the item box, would the others' luggage be in my item box?"
"I will permit you to use it," It was originally possible to bring it in a carriage. Any other questions?"

　Rey raises her hand and opens her mouth when she refuses to serve the food in the box.

"I understand that serving the food itself is a refusal. As for seasoning, then.
"... well, wouldn't it be strange for ordinary adventurers to have some seasoning, as they don't take up much space?" I don't care, I'll give you permission to do anything but cook and ingredients Do you have any other questions?"

　There is no sign of anyone opening their mouths to what the residence said.
　Lovre was wondering if he expected even cooking to be involved in the ranking exam, and Stee was worried about what he would have to cook here and there, and Onds never seemed to change his expression without saying anything.

"Well, then, get ready at once. However, the maximum cooking time is one hour."

　The residence says so and returns to the Markas.
　After seeing it off, Stee immediately calls out to Ray.

"Ray, I'm sorry to interrupt you, but what seasonings do you have?"
"There are quite a few basic things and herbs, including salt, pepper, and sugar. Also, there are sauce for skewers and stuff like that."
"Is there anything else you can use for cooking? The food itself and ingredients were banned?"
"Well..."

　After a few seconds of contemplation, I looked at the list of mysteries that unfolded in my mind... and eventually found something and smiled.

"How about this one?"

　muttered and pulled out a dagger in a sheath embedded with several blue jewels.

"Dagger? This is the bicorn... Oh, yes, I'm sorry, but can you serve me a bicorn first? I don't have time, so I have to sell it first. Please dismantle Lovre, Ons, and Bicorn. As for the materials...
"Well, I get the most bicorns, and I'll serve the bicorns for cooking."
"Thank you. That's why you have to rip off the bicorns, too." Please dispose of the skin and the magic stone properly."
"Oh, I see," Leave it to me."
「……」

　Stee's words make Lovre nod with enthusiasm, and Onds nods in the same silence.The two immediately begin to disassemble Ray as he pulls Bicorn's corpse out of the Mistilling.

"I'm sorry to interrupt you." And what is this dagger?"
"It's a magic item called a flowing dagger. It's a magic item that has the effect of letting out water... Here, drink it."

　Rey who invokes a flowing dagger and hands it to Stee by pouring water into a wooden cup taken out of the mistling.
　I received it, and though I was a little suspicious, I took a sip or two of water in my mouth."

"Oh!? This is... delicious." It's awfully delicious, this water."
"I hear that ingredients are no good, but the use of magic items is not prohibited. Why don't you use this water to make soup or something like that."
"Well... well,"

　muttering and repeating the same words, Stee eventually shook her head.

"There is no way without this water," However, considering that this water is a little too delicious, I think the ingredients will be overwhelmingly inferior to the soup. Then I think we should serve it as normal drinking water."
"Is that so? Well, if Stee, who seems to be better at cooking than I am, I think she should."
"As for soup, let's make it with ordinary drinking water. Bicorn meat and... vegetables are the problem. I've brought some dried things. Ray, will you take out my things?"

　Listening to Stee's words, he pulls two bags out of the mistling.
　Stee receives it and takes the bag out of it.
　The bag contains several kinds of dried mushrooms that appear to be used to make soup.
　Other than that, Stee thinks about cooking by taking out salted or dried vegetables, meat, or nuts.
　Looking sideways, Ray magically sets fire to nearby dead trees before heading towards Lovre and Ons, who are dismantling the bicorns.

"What do you think?"
"You can tell by looking at it," It's almost over."

　Lovre responds curtly to Ray's voice.
　The reason may be that he saw his girlfriend Stee discussing the lunch menu with Ray -- from Lovre's point of view.
　But Ray, who is slow with his hands, shakes his head slightly to the dismantled bicorns, unaware of the cause of Lovre's displeasure.
　The skins have already been removed, the internal organs have already been removed, and the magical stones have been removed along with the heart.
　We are already in the process of chopping the meat, and it is safe to say that the process is remarkable in less than ten minutes.

"Grull".

　Next to them, Sett was gurgling and tasting some raw bicorn meat from Onz.

"Seto, don't eat too much."

　Ray also says so, but he doesn't seem to stop and lets Seto do whatever he wants.

"Lovre, bring me some meat! I don't have time, so I'll start making simple dishes!"
"All right, I'll bring it right away!"

　After hearing Stee's voice preparing soup in front of Ray's bonfire, he glances at Ray with a triumphant look on his face and carries a lump of bicorn thighs on his shoulder.

"...what?"

　But Ray, who didn't understand the meaning of Lovre's actions, looked at him with a puzzled look on his face.

「……」

　Next to such a ray, it's too hard to eat after a short cooking time."Onds, who had cut the meat off, turns to Ray.

"What's the matter?"
"Can I give this meat to Seto?"

　Rey nods to Onzu's voice after a long absence.
　Seeing it, Onds passes the shin to Seto with a silent expression on his face and a slight smile on his lips.

"Glu, glu, glu, "Grunt, grunt!"

　This is also raw, but even if the meat is a little hard, the seto kuchibashi is easily eaten up.
　It was eaten one after another with a stick, and the size of a bicorn and four legs would fit in Seto's stomach in an instant.
　After about half an hour... the food is finally finished.

"Now that we're ready, it's lunchtime!"

　One of Ray and Sett and one of them, to be called by such a voice like that. And Onds, who was trying to feed Seto, heads towards Stee, who he calls.
　In addition, the portion of bicorn meat that is not used for cooking after being disassembled is already stored in Ray's mistling, except for the portion that Robre has come to pick up and brought and the portion that Seto has eaten. Of course, the same goes for stripped materials such as magic stones and skins.

"... well, it's unexpectedly gorgeous." According to a story I heard from Coan before, the food we are requesting is more about preservation than taste, such as dried meat or baked bread."

　Marka exclaims with admiration at the food served.

"Well, this time there was a monster meat called bicorn, and I guess it was because I bought some food before I left town."

　Koan reaches for a bicorn skewer, telling Marka to explain.

"But I don't think it's a bit of a matter of asking us, as aristocrats, to sit on the ground and dine." Besides, cooking is extremely simple compared to being served at home."
"Well, don't say so. It can't be helped because we cooked outside the city, can't it? And I'm welcome to think of the troublesome manners and things like that."

　A slightly frowned Arnicht reaches out to the soup and Orchide reaches for the skewers with a happy smile, saying that he doesn't have to worry about troublesome manners.
　The three dishes made by Stee were bicorn skewers, bicorn meat and dried vegetables, edible wild grass soup, and bread baked and hardened for preservation.
　However, various parts are used for skewers such as bicorn meat, roast, thigh meat, rose meat, and fillet meat, and seasonings are made from herbs and multiple sauce possessed by Ray in addition to salt and pepper. Originally, meat tastes better when it is aged, but various meat parts or flavors entertained the tongue.
　And above all...

"It's delicious! What's this water!? I've never had such delicious water before.

　Arnicht drinks a glass of water and screams so.
　Yes, it was made by Ray with a running dagger.
　The flowing dagger, which has the characteristic of changing the taste of the water by the magic contained in it, is the water produced by Ray's enormous magic. The water has already tasted like a dish rather than just water.
　It's as good as skewers and soups.
　Thus they enjoyed Stee's cooking and Ray's water -- even though Stee was shocked to hear that the water tasted better than the elaborate one -- they were able to finish their lunch safely.