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Just press a button and the electric cooking range turns on.

A convenient multifunction oven with time, temperature, and moisture settings.

Countless cooking tools powered by electricity.

It would be a lie to say I don’t miss the products of modern civilization that advocate for “more convenience, simpler methods,” but eleven years since my reincarnation have been enough to adapt to a life that barely resembles modern civilization at all.

No, in fact, there was nothing to adapt to. My ten years as a serf in Moston Village meant I had to scavenge whatever I could whenever the opportunity arose just to survive, leaving me no time to worry about anything else.

Perhaps it would have crossed my mind had I entered Iceland’s Winterhome sooner.

Of course, it didn’t.

What mattered more was how convenient Mary was.

Hail to the ultra-versatile, super maid brownie!

Thanks to her, who just naturally takes on tasks as if every household should have one, three-quarters of the expected inconveniences vanished.

Though the remaining quarter of inconveniences still persisted.

Still, there were merits.

Cooking in a wood-fired oven, which is a hassle to control the flames, and the bread (baked by Mary) carried a rich aroma that created unique flavors and scents, unmatched by mere wood chips.

Unlike the household range from my previous life, the strong firepower from the start allowed me to create dishes I would struggle to attempt or frequently fail at before.

Unless I suddenly realized with memories from my past life.

Living as a serf for ten years and having Mary around made things manageable, to some extent.

But, humans are greedy creatures.

Karem occasionally longed for those cooking tools from my previous life.

It’s a thought all cooks must have: wanting better quality and advanced cooking tools rather than mere convenience.

Just a thought, though.

“So, is that cube on the table it?”

“Huh? No, no. That’s something I made just for fun. The project and research are this way.”

“Hmm. Is that so?”

Catherine turned her interest elsewhere and followed Robin, but Karem couldn’t do the same.

“Your Highness Robin, may I take a look?”

“As long as you only look!”

“Of course, that goes without saying.”

Having obtained permission from the owner, Karem casually walked towards the cube that caught his interest.

“Upon closer inspection, it’s definitely not plastic.”

The transparent cover with a dial didn’t seem to be glass; it was rather opaque. The gray edge surrounding the body was actually made of gray pottery, while the black body, upon close observation, appeared to be pitch-black wood.

“So, what was the old man’s assignment?”

“Here. Research records and samples.”

“Hmm. Using monster materials and sample creation, huh?”

Flap-flap—

Looking closely at the inside of the opaque lid, the magic circle drawn on the top, bottom, left, and right pulsated, giving a dim glow that illuminated the interior.

“There should be a wave generator in here.”

The inside was completely unlike the range from my previous life. I couldn’t decipher the magic circle either.

Karem diverted his attention and walked around the table to inspect the outside of the cube more closely. In the center of the back, a gem was tightly fixed like a ring.

Of course, it differed in many ways from the gems he had seen previously.

“There’s already a noticeable difference in color.”

Catherine had called the opaque blue-black gem he saw during his trip to Afterglow of poor quality. In contrast, the crystal before his eyes was the complete opposite.

“A slime, huh?”

“Well, the skin is for the skin, the body fluid is for its body fluid, and the core is for its core. Its versatility as a subject is considerable, so I lightly chose it as one of my themes.”

“Hmm. The forest slime can be found in the woods of Iceland, so that’s not surprising.”

That clear sapphire-like gem looked certain to be what led to its previous categorization as trash.

“Then is this the power source?”

Most of the magic tools Karem had seen until now lacked anything that could be considered a magic stone, no matter how he looked at it. Perhaps it’s hidden out of sight. All that mattered was whether he could use it.

Suddenly, Karem glanced at the ring on his left hand.

“Then is this also a magic stone?”

He stealthily brought his left hand next to the magic stone. But again, no matter how he looked at it, to someone who was unfamiliar with magic, the magic stone and the ring both looked like mere gemstones.

Flap-flap— clink.

“Well, in that case, it’s more than decent.”

“Is there anything that Atanitas disapproves of?”

“Nope, especially the slime’s body fluid. The skin and core are often used, but it’s usually disposed of.”

“… Like trolls or drakes? What about the other projects?”

“Nothing to write home about. Keep working on it. Speaking of which—”

Sensing the atmosphere turning towards the end, Karem turned his head.

“What are you up to right now?”

“Uh, I was just curious about this cube.”

“What, that?”

“It looks anything but ordinary.”

“Hmph.”

Catherine agreed to that in her heart. Indeed, the cube’s smooth and shiny exterior appeared unique even in her eyes.

“You have an eye for design, Your Highness Robin.”

“… It feels weird to be praised on something other than the project.”

“You should be happy, I think, Your Highness.”

“No, I’m currently being graded on my homework.”

“So, what’s this cube for?”

“Hey. Karem… never mind.”

Pff. Robin sighed deeply and carelessly placed the graded reagent and documents on the shelf.

“It’s just a hobby project, an aging device.”

Aging? The aging I know?

As I looked at Robin with that meaning in mind, he nodded and approached, tapping the cube, the aging device.

“Reagents, potions, magic materials… there are quite a few things to age before using. Waiting was just too tedious.”

“Oh, is that so?”

“You get what I’m saying, right?”

“Yes.”

In cooking terms, it was like a groundbreaking magic tool that drastically reduces the time it takes for meat to tenderize via aging.

“So this cube?”

“Yeah. But it’s a failed product. A failure.”

Robin shook his head in dismay.

“I don’t know where it went wrong, but the magic materials turn mushy like they’ve been boiled, and the reagents put in a jar or bottle get heated so they have to be discarded.”

“That’s because, Your Highness Robin, trying to create a magic tool while still handling your homework is what leads to that.”

“Ugh. Did I get too greedy?”

While Robin scratched his head as if he already knew, Karem was pondering something else.

“Ah, wait. I think I’m onto something.”

He thought of the hot liquids heating up, the ingredients becoming tender… There was a three-letter cooking technique—what was it?

He realized he hadn’t thought of it for over ten years and couldn’t remember the exact name.

“Oh, this is bringing back memories from my past life.”

It reminded him of the half-year study abroad trend that had taken over when he was in elementary school. In that time, he was bewildered when he couldn’t remember the word for apple after only using foreign languages for a few days.

“It seems to be more like cooking rather than aging.”

“I remember!”

With Robin’s words acting as a catalyst, joy erupted within Karem as he finally recalled the names of the cooking tools and techniques buried in the past.

Robin had told him to only look, but Karem had no capacity to care about such trivial comments.

Sous vide.

That cooking technique holds considerable value.

“Atanitas, why is Karem suddenly acting like this?”

“Haah. Here we go again.”

“It seems like it happens often, huh?”

“When it comes to cooking, his eyes go wild. Just so you know, Your Highness. And hey, Karem, get a grip.”

After briefly rubbing her eyes, Catherine lightly tapped the back of Karem’s head.

Thanks to that, Karem regained his composure.

“Ah, I’m sorry. I got a bit too excited.”

“So, why are you excited this time? Please tell me the reason.”

“Uh, well… I just got carried away thinking about a cooking tool that was in front of me, that’s all.”

Of course, he never expected it to be the same.

After all, a sous vide machine is a product of modern, cutting-edge science.

What lay before him was a failed magic aging device crafted as a hobby by Robin.

Karem knew there was a high probability it would fail.

Even with a well-made sous vide machine, one must go through countless trials and errors before achieving a definite result, so how high could the chances of success be with a failed product?

Expecting a good outcome from something that its creator himself deemed a failure was surely overreaching.

Yet mistakes are the mother of invention.

Conversely, it suggested there was a potential for success.

That was enough for Karem.

“In that light, Your Highness Robin.”

“What? You want to borrow that failed product?”

“Yes, please. I’d also appreciate it if you could explain how to use it.”

“Haah…”

Faced with the sudden request, Robin scratched his messy hair and exchanged glances with Catherine.

As she shrugged her shoulders as if to say to let him do what he wants, Robin nodded helplessly.

“Well, I was actually curious about what you would make, to be honest.”

“That’s a remarkable choice.”

“Hah, you’re sounding so confident without having even learned the proper usage.”

“I just need the developer to explain it. Can I take it with me?”

As Robin, lost for words, nodded, Karem lightly picked up the (failed) aging device and stepped out of the room.

“… Atanitas.”

“What?”

“Was he like this before?”

“Who do you think discovered the Fire Witch Finger and vanilla?”

“… No way~”

Robin waved his hands dismissively, but Catherine silently gazed at him with a complicated expression before leaving the laboratory.

Robin, who didn’t believe it, promptly followed her.

*

*

*

Kitchen.

While Mary was busy kneading the flour, Karem placed Robin’s aging device on one side of the kitchen and listened to its explanation.

The operation of the aging device was simpler than expected.

Just place the ingredients in the container, close the lid, and turn the temperature dial and time dial, and wait for the results.

However, since it was made for fun, it wouldn’t boil water even if turned to maximum temperature, and it required a full 24 hours to run.

He even had a vivid story about having carelessly tossed a magic material in and having it squashed and melted on the floor.

“So, are you planning to put the ingredients in a bowl?”

“I won’t be using a bowl or container.”

“Well, then it might be hard to find a proper place to put it.”

In response to that question, Karem quietly pulled out a transparent film from the shelf and showed it with both hands.

“Slime Skin?”

“Uh, is this actually slime?”

Karem blinked at Robin’s words while looking down at the slightly thicker, plastic-like texture of the slime skin.

“Zigmeser asked for some to use in baking the other day.”

“It seemed like it was also prepared in the greenhouse.”

“I heard he liked it because it was much more convenient than a funnel. It seems he just scattered them around for everyone to try.”

“Wow.”

Nodding in disbelief at this unexpected backstory, Catherine looked at him with a dumbfounded expression and exclaimed.

“Are you saying you thought it would be fine to use it without knowing what the tool actually is?”

“… Is that really how it goes?”

“You really need to tone down your enthusiasm for cooking.”

“No, Catherine, let me say this in reply.”

“Sure. Go ahead.”

“This is undoubtedly Lord Alfred’s, the most important place in Iceland. So any potentially dangerous items that could be used with ill intent must pass through strict scrutiny to enter, right?”

“That’s not wrong.”

“And if it’s even being distributed in the greenhouse, that means it’s practically used in all kitchens in Winterhome, which suggests it’s essentially been verified as a safe material, doesn’t it?”

As he defended himself while catching Robin’s cold gaze, Karem busily moved his hands.

He opened the slime skin, seasoned the beef tenderloin with salt and pepper, added some herbs, and grilled it over the cooking range, nearly sealing the entrance.

Using a straw, he attempted to suck out as much air as possible through the gap before finishing sealing it to imitate a vacuum pack.

“So, are you going to put that in there just like that?”

“Um… I’m curious about that too, but let’s play it safe.”

While answering, Karem took out a small pot and filled it halfway with water. He dropped the beef tenderloin sealed with slime skin straight into the aging device.

“We’ll let this sit for a day.”

“… The whole day?”

“Yep. The whole day.”

Catherine and Robin looked at Karem in disbelief, as if questioning if this was really the end.

“Well, regardless, waiting for a day to cook remains unchanged. The aging device won’t fit into the 100-fold magic kettle.”

That word meant that he indeed had to leave it in that state and wait. Catherine shook her head in disbelief and left the kitchen.

“Wow. Once you try it, you’ll change your thoughts!”

“The chances of it failing are higher, though.”

“How can cooking ever guarantee success every time?”

“Seriously, this is hopeless—ah.”

As Robin shook his head, he suddenly perked up.

“He was going to ask if your brother William could teach him cooking.”

“Your second prince? Out of the blue?”

“I don’t know either?”

Robin was unable to answer Karem’s question.

Not to mention, he was just as surprised.

 

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