I, reincarnate as the leader of the villainous knight order

Chapter 90: How to Spend a Holiday 2

“What are we making this time!?”

In the kitchen space renovated from the storage room, Marius’ eyes sparkled as he lined up the ingredients he had bought. I pondered what I could make with those ingredients and what was left in the magic bag.

“Well, let’s see. We don’t have vanilla, so we’ll make milk ice cream, your favorite cookies, and maybe some pancakes on the side.”

Ice cream and cookies need time to chill, so the only thing we could make in between was pancakes.

“Can ice cream be made individually!?”

Usually, confectionery recipes are like treasures of the shop, known only to the apprentices. That’s why even simple sweets made by children at temple bazaars sell like hotcakes. Otherwise, you’d have to buy recipes registered with the commercial guild, which cost as much as a house.

I heard there were even malicious shops that would hire orphans who knew how to make bazaar sweets, suck up the recipes, and then dismiss them. Some of these shops were later exposed and shut down by the temple, leading to their downfall. After that, they started letting children only mix or bake without teaching them the exact measurements.

“You need a freezer to make ice cream, so only pretty wealthy households among commoners can make it.”

Not just the recipes, but also magical appliances with freezers are much pricier than those with just refrigerators. The refrigerator here naturally came with a freezer, ordered with the authority of the captain.

“Wow, does the captain know dessert recipes because he’s a noble? In noble mansions, they must have lots of cooks who know many desserts for after-dinner treats.”

“That’s right. The status at tea parties and evening gatherings depends on how rare the sweets and dishes served are.”

I wasn’t lying, and it was easier to leave it at that. Normally, it would be the cooks who know, not the noble himself.

“I envy that. If I could advance in rank and get invited to noble evening parties, I could eat all I want…”

“As a knight, you’d likely be called as security personnel, and there probably wouldn’t be many unusual sweets at gatherings where you’re invited as a guest. But, for example, if we succeed in defeating the evil god, we might be invited to a party as a reward. Then, we can attend the party with the most sweets and dishes in the country. Now, mix this until it’s fluffy.”

“Yes!”

While talking, I handed Marius a bowl with measured butter and sugar at room temperature, along with a whisk. Marius’ eyes, sparkling with a sense of duty, returned to normal. Meanwhile, I mixed milk, sugar, and eggs for the ice cream, strained it, poured it into a metal cake pan, and placed it in the freezer.

“Captain, it’s mixed!”

“Good, now beat these eggs and gradually add them while mixing. Keep the whites separate, they might not care, but it changes the texture.”

“Yes!”

Thanks to his experience as the cook during camping, Marius worked efficiently. As he cracked the eggs and removed the whites, I sifted flour for the next step.

“Come to think of it, we don’t have cocoa, but is plain okay?”

“Well, um, buying cocoa would reduce the quantity of other ingredients, so I prioritized the amount and gave up.”

Indeed, cocoa is considered a luxury item, so the price difference between a handful of cocoa and a kilo of flour is significant.

“If you’re going to knead butter and sugar again, then you can use my cocoa.”

“Thank you very much!”

The response came with great eagerness. Ah, so he reluctantly gave up. After measuring out another batch, I sifted the flour again.

“After the plain is mixed, spread it out, wrap it in plastic wrap, and put it in the refrigerator. Next is the cocoa. I’ll prepare the pancakes in the meantime.”

“Wow! It’s been a while since we had Captain’s honey pancakes!”

As Marius progressed happily, my cheeks relaxed. By the time I finished making the pancake batter, Marius had also finished his tasks, so we put the batter in the refrigerator to rest.

“Let’s take a little break then. Your arms must be tired, huh? It requires a different kind of stamina than training.”

As I brewed tea and stood in the kitchen drinking it, I heard the joyful voices of Jest and Simon playing beyond the door. Marius and I exchanged smiles.

“He’s a good playmate for Jest since they’re on the same level. Simon from the Justin’s Squad is surprisingly good at dealing with children. He’s not only good with kids, but also knows how to win people’s hearts.”

After the break, we started by mixing the ice cream. Ice had already formed around the edges. As I peeled it off and stirred, Marius stared intently at the spoon. It seemed he wanted to taste it, so I let him try it, and his widened eyes eloquently spoke of its deliciousness.

“They’ll complain if they find out, so let’s keep it a secret.”

I put a finger to my lips, and Marius nodded in agreement. While Marius shaped the cookies, I cooked the pancakes. Suddenly, loud voices came from outside the door.

“Huh!? I smell honey pancakes!! We’re in luck! Jest, we can have honey pancakes!”

“Yay!”

Since the restless presence outside the door didn’t fade even after the voices, I decided to serve tea for two first. Alright, now we can continue with the work in peace.

The ice cream wouldn’t be ready until evening, but the pancakes and cookies were done before dinner. At just the right time when they had cooled down, there was a knock on the door, and as expected, it was Arnault and Gaspard. Some others had also been lured by the smell.

“Here they are, all done. Take these cookies and honey pancakes. You can return the dishes later. …And you guys, remember, these ingredients were bought with their own money, so make sure to thank them properly.”

“Eh?”

I signaled to the subordinates around the room and said so. Arnault and Gaspard’s eyes widened. With a smile, I closed the door, leaving them surrounded, but it was only natural retribution for those two who neither helped nor played with Jest.