Chapter 115: Fruits

Ethan studied the fruits carefully and smiled. "Looks like we’ll be having dessert first today."

"What are you planning to make?"

He picked up a bunch of grapes. "Candied Fruit Skewers."

"Candied Fruit Skewers? What is that?"

"A type of dessert where fruit is coated in sugar syrup. It tastes really good." Ethan remembered eating them often as a child, that sweet-and-sour crunch was unforgettable, unfortunately, there were no hawthorn berries here.

He carefully selected the freshest and plumpest fruits and placed them into a basket.

"Hey, young man, you’ve got a good eye, those are all top-quality."

"Your fruits here are all very fresh."

"Of course they are, my husband picked these from the mountains first thing this morning."

"They were picked in the forest?"

"Yes, but apart from the forest, there are fruits in other places too."

"Meow? Other places?"

"If you head north out of the forest, there’s a mountain with lots of wild fruit trees."

"Meow, should we go take a look?"

"There’s no need." Since they could buy everything at the market, there was no reason to trek into the mountains.

Besides the fruits for the skewers, Ethan also bought some other produce, intending to juice them for drinks at dinner.

"I’ve decided on dessert, for the main course, let’s make something spicy. Is there anything you guys want to eat?"

"Anything is fine. I’m sure whatever you make will be delicious," Leon said.

"Me too, oh hahaha." Elara added.

That settled it. After buying the ingredients, Ethan left the market with Leon and Elara.

Now they needed to find a place to prepare dinner. Fortunately, they didn’t have to search long.

"I know a good inn where we can borrow the kitchen."

Leon led Ethan and the others to a somewhat old-looking inn. Next to the building was an empty lot where several elven children were playing.

"A children’s playground right next to the inn... is this really okay?" Elara seemed to find it a bit odd.

Leon smiled and explained, "The boss of this inn really likes children, so he specifically cleared out the lot beside the inn as a playground for them. Guests who don’t like children simply won’t come here."

"But some guests might find it too noisy."

"Hahaha, that’s why only those who don’t mind will stay here. Let’s go in. Rockle, I’m here."

"Oh, if it isn’t Count Leon? Are you here to sell wool?"

Leon and the boss seemed quite familiar with each other. After exchanging a few pleasantries, Leon turned to Ethan. "The boss agreed to let us borrow the kitchen. He said if we need any spices or seasonings, we can just use the ones in the kitchen."

"That’s wonderful! Let’s start preparing dinner right away." They had spent a good amount of time at the market. Starting now would time things perfectly for the evening meal.

Ethan walked into the kitchen with Pearl on his shoulder. "Meow, there are so many kitchen utensils in here."

"Perfect. Just relying on the Cauldron of Blessing alone wouldn’t be enough."

"Meow, what are you going to make?"

"I want to make spicy roasted meat." He rubbed his chin, thinking.

"Pairing Candied Fruit Skewers with a spicy hot pot would be nice... but I couldn’t find all the spices I’d need for that at the market."

’In that case, mildly spicy roasted meat paired with refreshing vegetables will have to do.’

He neatly arranged the purchased ingredients one by one and began mixing the sauce.

"The quality of these ingredients is pretty good." He nodded in satisfaction.

Everything was locally grown or wild-foraged, but the quality was surprisingly high — especially the chili peppers.

"Chili peppers are notoriously finicky. I didn’t expect there to be wild chili peppers here, let alone ones of such good quality." Ethan began to wonder what it would be like if he brought some of these chili seeds back to the Great Forest to plant.

"Phew, the sauce is finally mixed." Ethan placed the thinly sliced pork into the sauce to marinate. Then he started preparing the side dishes.

’Elves don’t even know how to farm, so why do they buy so many seeds?’ he wondered, looking at the various seeds he had bought from the market.

"Meow? Who said seeds can only be used for farming? They have lots of uses, meow~" Pearl answered lazily from his shoulder.

"True — they can be used for spices and seasonings." Ethan nodded. He stopped worrying about it, gathered the seeds he’d bought, and headed outside with them, leaving the marinating pork in the kitchen.

There was an empty lot outside the inn. He found a spot, carefully checked the soil, and began sowing lettuce seeds.

"Are you going to farm here, meow?" Pearl asked curiously.

"The lettuce at the market wasn’t very fresh," Ethan replied.

"Rather than picking wilted ones, it’s better to grow my own to guarantee freshness."

As soon as he finished speaking, several elven children who had been playing nearby gathered around curiously.

"Big brother, what are you doing?"

"Do grown-ups play in the mud too?"

The children were far more interested in Ethan himself — the oddity — than in what he was actually doing, surrounded by curious faces, he wasn’t sure whether to laugh or sigh, he had no choice but to hand Pearl off his shoulder.

"Pearl, help me look after these little ones."

"Meow, everyone, be good, there’s going to be a good show soon, meow~" Pearl looked insufferably smug.

"I just asked you to babysit, not hype the crowd." Ethan shook his head, this little cat was getting better and better at stealing the spotlight.

"Alright, let’s begin." He ignored Pearl, focusing all his attention on the vegetable patch before him, he extended his palms and spoke in a low voice.

"Growth Acceleration."

As he activated his ability, the previously still soil began to churn, seeing this, the children let out gasps of amazement.

The next second, tender green seedlings broke through the soil, growing at a visible speed.

"Wow! So amazing!" The children excitedly clapped and cheered.

Ethan ignored the children’s exclamations and continued casting Growth Acceleration and Soil Fortification in tandem. Under his meticulous care, the seedlings rapidly grew into heads of vibrant, emerald-green lettuce.

"Done." He plucked a leaf and popped it into his mouth. Crisp, refreshing, and incredibly tender.

"Can you eat this?" a child asked curiously.

"Of course. Do you want to try?"

The children nodded eagerly. Ethan picked a few lettuce leaves and handed them out.

None of them had ever eaten lettuce this fresh before, they ate with sparkling eyes, each one relishing every bite.

Looking at their bright, innocent faces, warmth spread through Ethan’s chest. He picked up the basket of lettuce, turned, and headed back to the kitchen.

Pearl trotted after him. "You’re too gentle with children, meow~"

"Children deserve a bit of gentleness, of course." Ethan smiled and placed Pearl back on his shoulder.

He began preparing the marinated pork. As he tossed the meat into the pan to stir-fry, a mouth-watering aroma instantly filled the air, before long, the fragrant roasted meat was ready, Ethan plated the meat and prepared some fresh onions, scallions, and the just-picked lettuce, bringing it all outside.