Book Four – Chapter Five – Part Six – Surrounded by Love

Claire swirled around the chicken until they had just the right color. She also made sure to mention that if there wasn’t a nice coating of flour on the bottom of the pot, then keep going just a bit longer. Since that was there, she had Momo remove the chicken from the pot and place them on a separate plate.

Srassa asked if she could do anything, and Claire told her to take the celery, carrots, garlic, and onions she had sliced earlier and pour them into the pot. After washing her hands, the helpful noble did just that, but cleaning her hands wasn’t necessary. In any other case, it was instrumentally important.

However, they had an Itarr. She was constantly keeping Momo’s hand as clean as possible, and she spread off into doing the same for the Elf and noble in a way they didn't quite notice. That had an effect of them not realizing it. In the end, it didn't help the two unaware of her existence because they resorted to washing their hands anyway.

“Thanks for that! Now, we want to cook until the onions are soft. The moisture inside the veggies will be released, and that's what we use to scrape the flour off. You see, the flavor is down there in the flour. The compound butter we used has a ton of herbs and spices in it. That melds with the flour that rolled off the chicken. If there's one thing I can say about my cousin, he definitely knows his way around a kitchen.”

While the vegetables were softening, Srassa and Momo stood to the opposite side of Servi and held her hands. “If we are going to get a name, what should it be?” asked Momo.

“I don’t have the foggiest idea. But wouldn’t it be prudent for you and Servi to come up with it? I haven’t even—“

“Nope! Srassa, you’re a part of our group, and your input is super important. You know, Servy did something similar a while back. I asked what quest we should take on, and she said it was my choice. I told her the same thing... That we’re a group, and we have to make decisions together. It isn’t fair for one person to make all the choices. Even if everyone agrees to it, it still isn't right. Especially since we haven’t decided on a leader yet. Unofficially, we’ve done that, but not in an official way. That’s going to be something we all have to discuss once she’s back with us.”

Srassa replied back, then waited a moment before blurting out the first name that came to mind. Momo offered her thoughts, and Claire just watched. She did wish that she was more capable. Not just physically, but the Elf desired to be mentally stronger as well.

Ah, if I did keep with it, I'd have never met Servi, Momo, and Srassa. Even Dineria wouldn’t be in my life since I probably would have drifted off to another town and started anew… Yeah, I think I’m doing alright for myself…

Once there was enough moisture in the pot to scrape off the flour, Claire added a little bit more and continued to sauté the veggies for another few minutes. By now, it was smelling heavenly. That went doubly for Momo, who loved vegetables more than meat. Her stomach growled, interrupting the conversation about their group’s name. Laughs were shared all around, and Claire thought it was time for Momo to handle a dish of her own.

The Singi was nervously shaking, but she was up to the task. The first step was to heat up the oven, and since she didn’t know how to work the thing, she left it up to Claire.

“The first thing you want to do is make sure the mushrooms are clean. I’ve already washed them, so we can skip it. Next, cut off the stem and use a spoon to hollow out the mushroom cap. Make sure it’s completely empty because that’s where the mixture will go. Oh, and grab one of the baking trays in the cupboard over there.” Claire waited a second while Momo shuffled to complete those tasks. The Elf herself left the pot unattended while she fetched a frying pan, and she passed that to Srassa and Servi to hand over to Momo.

“It’s simple. Just added the mushrooms to the baking trays. Very lightly drizzle them with oil, salt, and pepper. But not a lot since we will be adding pepper to the stuffing mixture.” Claire kept stirring her own pot and turned around. She saw Momo take some of the peppercorns and pour them into the grinder. The Singi turned the handle and watched as the peppercorns were pushed into a coarse wheel. Flakes started to shave off, and they were collected in a small bottle attached to the bottom of the device. Next came the salt, and it was done the same way.

Claire turned back to her own pot and verbally spoke aloud what she had to do next for the chicken stew. “Once the flour has been combined, we can add in the chicken we cooked earlier. Srassa, could you do the honors? I have to grab the potatoes, rosemary, thyme, parsley, sage, the chicken broth, and the vegetable broth.”

Srassa nodded, unclasped Servi’s hand, and got to work. Claire went to retrieve the items and started to toss them on. The broth for the chicken and vegetable were different and a tad unusual. Her family had always made them by hand using their own recipes. Claire did have some stashed away for use, but her tune changed when she came across them in the store. They were mighty expensive, costing as much as a full seven-course meal from a famous restaurant. Srassa was adamant about purchasing two clear bottles of each since that was written on Claire’s list.

In her mind, she noted that they looked the same as what she made, and they smelled quite similar as well. Another thing that caused her to give in to Srassa’s intense generosity was her curiosity about trying something reserved for the wealthy nobles. If it could best her cousin’s recipe for his specific stew, then that was just more ammo for her to tease him with.

Claire poured the broths into the pot, then gave it a nice stir to get everything evenly combined. From behind, Momo asked what was next, and she answered her. “Take the frying pan I put down and melt some butter in it. Dice half an onion and chop up the stems you cut off. Add just a pinch of salt to it. After five minutes, mince four cloves of garlic and add them. Next, it’s time for some herbs. I’m leaving the choice between rosemary, thyme, or parsley to you. Cook for a few more minutes, then take the breadcrumbs we bought and add about three tablespoons to the frying pan. When they're toasted, pick your choice of the different cheeses we bought and string them into the pan. Make sure it’s mixed up really good, and I’m leaving the amount up to you.” Claire smiled, adjusted the heat for her burner, and brought the pot to a boil. Something strange happened, and she only just realized it when the constant chopping noise ceased to exist.

She had forgotten Momo was just a beginner. There wasn’t any way she could remember every one of those directions. Not to mention that the Elf hadn’t taught Momo the right way to peel and mince garlic. After placing a lid to her own pot and lowering the heat by just a smidge, she rushed to help Momo, who looked at the clove of garlic like it was a strange monster. Srassa was right there, attempting to help, but the sheltered girl always had servants to cook her food. She didn’t even know how to cut a slice off of a tomato, nor did she know the proper, safe technique to prevent any injuries.

“Sorry about that,” Claire said while sitting down. She told Momo that the prep for the chicken stew was done, and now they only had to wait while it simmered to perfection. “But you’ve done well so far. Good job! Now, for the garlic, follow what I do.” Claire took the cutting board and knife, which had remnants of onion and mushroom on the blade. After a quick wipe with a clean rag, it was good to go. She took one of the four cloves of garlic and cut off the root and stem. Next, she laid the knife flat over the garlic and bashed it down after making sure she had a solid grip on the handle. “Smashing it like that makes it easier to peel. So you just peel it, lay it down, curl your fingers on it, and slide the knife back like this. Do it until you have equal-sized pieces. Now, you try.”

“Got it!” energetically replied Momo. She was powered by the delicious stew cooking just a little bit away from her. The meaty poultry and the succulent broth, not to mention that the recipe called for all of her favorite veggies, made it seem like it was just for her. She used that to fuel her dedication to improving her culinary skills.

And she would need a lot of practice. When it was time to bash the garlic, she was too fearful and used very little strength. Then she tried again with more force, and Claire had to stop the cheese grater from falling onto the patiently waiting mushrooms. A meek apology later, Momo found her strive and hastily prepared the rest of the garlic. Now came the mincing, and Claire taught her a method of rocking the knife back and forth over the sliced cloves. It was simple, easy, and effective.

“Good. Now, we have all the raw ingredients ready to go. Take that butter and drop about a quarter into the frying pan. Oh, remember to use that knob there to adjust the heat for that burner your pan is on. If it’s running low, remember to give it some more Skill Energy.”

“Got it! Srassa, do you think you could help me?” Momo asked. She stood up with all of the ingredients she would soon need on the cutting board. The noble unhooked her hand from Servi to grab the board.

“Of course! Servi, we’ll be right back, okay?” smiled the pampered noble.

Yep! Servy, just hold on tight… The power of my stuffed mushrooms will undoubtedly help you! I believe it! And you know… If they do turn out scrumptious, I’ll make them for you whenever you want… Hehe, that seems like a good incentive to come back, right? That and the fact I love you very much! Now, let’s get to cooking!

The sizzle of butter roared alive. It enjoyed a tasty sacrifice of diced onions, chopped stems, and a pinch of freshly ground salt. The shimmering pink crystals released their flavor in the mixture as Momo took command. Claire had fetched another wooden utensil for her to use. And in all honesty, she was thinking about gifting it to her. Then she thought that would be the perfect gift for her favorite Singi. Granted, the Elf was working an unhealthy amount of overtime, and there was the annual winter bonus in her future. The set she would buy wouldn’t be top of the line, but it would be more than enough for the novice cooker. By then, maybe the determined Singi would have enough skill to fix a course for her friendly culinary instructor?

“Claire, didn’t you say something about the garlic and cheese? When do I add that?”

“Wait until the onions are soft. That’s when you add the garlic and herbs, but it's up to you on which one to add. Remember to smell them and pick the one you think would best complement the dish. As for the cheese, that is added once you remove the mixture from the pan and place it in a bowl. But before that, you need to add in the breadcrumbs we bought. In short, garlic and herbs when the onions are translucent. Two minutes after that, add in three tablespoons of breadcrumbs and cook until they’re lightly toasted.”

Momo did just that. When it came to picking between rosemary, thyme, or parsley, she asked Claire for her help. The Elf turned in her chair, facing her three friends near the stove, and explained that rosemary was pungent, with a raw smell similar to charred wood. Thyme had a minty, almost lemony taste and was easy on the nose. Claire described parsley as having a peppery aftertaste a touch of ‘earthiness.’ It was hard to accurately describe the differences in a way Momo could understand because it all came naturally to the girl touched and blessed by the forest spirits. She naturally had a vast understanding of herbs because she had been around them all her life to the point where it was almost engrained within her very being.

She did her best, though, and agreed that a hint of parsley would add just enough flavor. This was right after Momo remarked about the compound butter and how it already had various herbs and spices.

Claire asked Srassa to stir the stew, and she did so with an elegant and lady-like manner. Such mannerisms were instilled into her by her mother and Evie, and since there wasn’t much for the sheltered girl to do, she put her all into being the perfect noble. Or at least mastering the art of acting like one.

A couple of minutes later, the breadcrumbs Momo poured in were getting nice and brown. Following her instructor’s instructions, the determined Singi grated off a gracious helping of orange cheese and mixed that into the frying pan. It didn’t take long for it to become a cheesy, gooey mess of deliciousness. After tasting it with a spoon, Momo’s tail started to wag as fast as the winds in a tornado. That was all Claire needed to see to proceed onto the next step.

This one was something all four could do, but only three took part. In her limited function, Servi was more than content to stare on as Momo, Srassa, and Claire started to stuff the mushrooms with the cheesy onion filling they had made. Claire retrieved three more spoons, and they began to work. As expected, Srassa’s efforts looked the worse since she had never done something like this. The noble used too much pressure, splitting a few mushrooms open and leaving them unable to be filled. She also tried to overstuff a couple while leaving three or four under-filled.

“It’s all a learning experience. Don’t let it get you down. Besides, it isn’t like this is a work of art. It’s just a yummy appetizer to hold us off until the stew is done,” Claire said, giving Srassa a friendly pat on the back. “Before we put this in the oven to bake, we have to take some breadcrumbs and sprinkle them on top. Not a lot, but just a little bit here and there. It makes a big difference because the crumbs act like a ‘crust,’ preventing the good stuff from flowing out as it cooks. The oven should be nice and hot, and we just have to bake it for about twenty minutes. And now, it’s time to bring out the star of the show!"

Claire stood up and walked over to a small shelf set off to the side. She picked up a covered glass bowl and brought it back to the table. “If you can go pop that in the oven, we can get started on the cisseanate bread.”

Momo went and did just that after using a pair of mittens to protect her lovely hands from the heat. Speaking of that, the poor girl got a blast of hot air right as she opened the oven door. Her yelp of fright was quite adorable, and Claire started to giggle. “Sorry, Momo. I forgot about that.”

“It’s fine. It kinda felt good. Imagine sitting in a heated room like that when it’s the dead of winter,” chirped the happy Singi. She returned to the kitchen table after depositing the tray full of mushrooms. Now it was time to wait.

“They have those, actually. They’re called a sauna. Most work by putting superheated stones in a basket. If you pour water on them, steam immediately fills the room. It eventually gets quite toasty, but it can be damaging to stay in because it’s possible to pass out from the heat.” Srassa, the walking encyclopedia, further explained to Momo, who imagined how it would feel.

Staying in a hot room with other people? While sweating? She thought that would be too uncomfortable if she was with strangers. But if she had Servi by her side?

Well, that sounds kind of fun… But Servy can’t sweat… She even said she won't freeze. And she can’t burn, but she might be talking about feeling cold or hot. Or maybe I’m wrong, and it’s impossible for her to be frozen… I’m sure there will be long nights ahead of us where we talk all about her immortality…

If she can’t age, and I can, then I’m gonna get old eventually... She's gonna stay the same… But if I join the Bloodline or whatever that skill is called, when will I stop aging? Is it possible for me to become immortal as well? If I do, then when should I accept her offer? Now? A year from now? I might be an adult, but I’m still growing… Yeah, I’m gonna have to talk with Servy and Itarr about that… And what about Srassa? Would she want to join? How will it work if there are three immortal girls and a Goddess running around?

Grampy said death was the natural to end to life. He said there was no one out there who could defy it... I'm sorry to say this, but you were wrong about this, grampy.

It almost feels... No, what am I feeling? I don't want to get gray while Servy stays so beautiful, but being unable to die...? Why is that scarier than losing my friends? Servy accepted Itarr's offer so readily when she perished the first time...

'Died the first time?' If I do take it, how many times will I have 'died' in the first decade alone? Or the first century? Is there even a time limit? What about a hundred thousand years from now? Will I still be the same? Or... It's just so hard to wrap my head around...

Momo, this is a heavy topic, and now isn’t the place to think about it… Just have some fun and enjoy your time with friends.

“But now, let’s get back to the bread,” Claire said while tapping the table with a knuckle. “Before I left for work, I did the preliminary steps for making this awesome dessert, so now we just have to bake it. After that’s done, it’s time to melt the chocolate we bought. We drizzle it over, then add a dash of cinnamon and top it with cherries and the other berries we bought. You can either eat it hot or cold. With the former, it’s nice to have a delicious cup of iced tea to go with it. But if you stick it in the refrigerator, then a cup of steaming coffee should be your go-to drink. Coincidentally, we bought both tea leaves and coffee beans, so the choice is yours.”

“While I do like coffee, I like tea a lot more,” said Momo. She stared as Claire started to take the bread out of the bowl.

“Tea is always a delicious choice. Srassa, could you walk over to that cabinet and hand me another cutting board?”

“I’ll be glad too. As for me, I’m the same as Momo. Right now, my favorite brew is the bearel geey. A while back, I went to her shop and bought tea leaves to give to my mother as a present since Dineria said it was perfect for pregnant women. As for coffee, or the kind my parents enjoy… It is far too bitter for my liking,” said the noble. She brought the requested item and watched as Clare doused it with flour. Next, she put the dough on the board and kneaded it to get the air out. Next came the rolling pin, which she gathered from a nearby drawer, and it was time to flatten the bread.

That was Claire's favorite part because she imagined she was thinning out her boss's fat head. The Elf had some pent-up anger towards him.

Just a little bit of anger...

“I forgot to mention that cisseanate bread goes well with milk. It’s pretty much a dessert. And I’m sorry, but making it the way my grandfather prefers takes over twelve hours. Granted, most of that is waiting for the dough to rise. But if I started when we got here, then we wouldn’t eat until tomorrow morning.” Claire used a clean knife to cut the long dough into equal vertical slices, then rolled them up until they were in a cylindrical shape. After sealing the edges with her fingers, she carved the six rolled-up pieces of dough into seven equal shapes.

“So you’re making 42 of them? And that’s fine. Before I tackle something as important as your grampy’s favorite dessert, I want to level up my cooking skills.”

“That’s a good mindset to have. Between the four of us, I’m sure we can handle it. If Servi’s appetite is anything to go by, she’d probably scarf them all down and ask for seconds. Regardless, if anyone walks away hungry, they’re a liar. I’m serious. There’s going to be a ton of food.”

When asked about when they should put the dough in the oven, Claire said the most optimal time would be when the mushrooms were finished. That would be when the stew was just about done. “If I do have everything timed out correctly, the moment we devour that stew, it’ll be time to munch on some cisseanate bread. Well, almost time. I still have to melt the chocolate and place the berries on there, but it’ll be good having a ten to fifteen minutes break. It isn’t a lot of time to digest our food, but it will give us some space in our stomachs for some sugary deliciousness.”

Until that magical time, the girls continued to chat amongst themselves while doing a bit of tidying. It was unfortunate, but flour had gotten on more places than it was supposed to. It didn’t take long to make the kitchen table presentable, and by then, it was time to start on the appetizers. The delicious cheese inside the mushroom cap of pure flavor sizzled with excitement. Momo couldn’t stop her nose from sniffing, and even Srassa was unladylike in how she licked her waiting lips.

Claire divided the appetizers into four equal portions while depositing the tray in the sink. She wouldn’t have enough uses of her Drip Stone to wash all of the dishes, but that was fine. It wouldn’t hurt anything at all to procrastinate. Before she sat down, she dug out six loaf pans her grandmother had given her as a present and used a little bit of butter to lubricate them. The last thing was to place seven pieces of dough in each one and plop all those into the oven. Then she finally sat down and flashed a hungering smile.

“Here’s to a fun time!” Claire said, raising her glass of water. Four cups clinked together in a joyous cheer. Again, she wanted to pull out the booze she had stashed away but didn’t know if it was an appropriate time. The last she needed was an energetic Singi or a noble ready to prove herself to get as drunk as a skunk. Claire was a lady of many talents, but she didn’t think she could take care of three people at once. “Once Servi’s all better, we can do this again. This time, I’ll pull out the good stuff. I’ll make my father’s favorite alcoholic drinks. He taught me a little bit about mixing and being a bartender, but not enough to get a job as one.”

“Alcohol? I’ve never tried it before. Grampy wasn’t a big drinker of the stuff either. We didn’t have that much money, so I guess the budget for it just wasn’t there. And Servy once told me she’s a fan of a drink called an aviation. I think it’s purple or something?”

“It’s a lavender-colored drink that has a slight burn, but it ultimately leaves behind a sweet and savory aftertaste. My father’s a fan of them, and he always has Jony make them for him.” Srassa, The Walking Encyclopedia, shared some of her vast knowledge once again.

“Aviation? I don’t know how to make them, but I’ll certainly learn. Now, that’s enough talking. Let’s dig in!” Right as Claire said that, she stuck her fork into the juiciest mushroom on her bowl—she went with those instead of regular plates to save on dishes— and watched as the savory liquids ooze out. She wasn’t the only one whose eyes were stunned by just much delectable flavor could be packed into an average-size fungus.

Momo was the first to conquer the courage to try it, and the noise from her tail pounding against the chair said all that needed to be. If that wasn't enough, her ears twitched and danced around. Even sparkles seem to appear around her eyes. Her tongue tasted the rich cheese. Her taste buds caught the onions and garlic, and the amount of parsley she had added gave it just the smallest amount of kick.

Even more than that were the mushrooms themselves. Momo especially loved them in all manner of dishes. And now she just found out it was possible to stuff them? Her mind kicked into overdrive when thinking about the various things she could put in there. She could brown some pork and stuff it in there. Or perhaps fry some bacon and crumble it apart to use as a substitute for breadcrumbs. Goddess forbid Momo decided to be a mad lass and attempted to fill the hollow cap to the brim with nothing but delicious cheese and beef.

And it was cooked in a way that it wasn’t mushy at all. As the girls bit into their snack, the mushroom had just enough of a backbone that it didn’t immediately fall apart and spread out onto their tongues. The pink salt added a definite noticeable but unique taste to the onions. And the peppercorns were mild enough that Momo believed she might turn into a rare Singi who enjoyed the black spices of life.