Chapter 167. First Ultra-High-Grade Meal succesful

Chapter 167: 167. First Ultra-High-Grade Meal succesful

Carlos did not send the meal before letting Mira read the reply first.

She had the container closed, but her hand remained on its lid.

"I kept the test portion," she said. "This one can go."

The Unknown Lord sent another message before Carlos answered.

--

[Unknown Lord]- I can send ingredients for another batch too. The three troops still need this quality. I have been buying small amounts whenever they appeared, but there is no regular seller at a price I can maintain.

[Carlos Goldwin]- We start with this meal. I want you to confirm it suits them before we discuss a daily order. Send the listings for the ingredients you can provide.

--

Carlos knew what it was like to keep looking through listings for something that should have been simple to buy.

Cosmic had spent weeks finding a useful mill. This man needed food, and every missing day affected three troops worth far more than Carlos’s ordinary Militia.

But Carlos also wanted to get paid. Mira had worked for this result, and he would not send her food away because somebody wrote a desperate message.

"What should we ask?" he said.

"Ask Cosmic," Mira replied. "I can tell you what went into it. But it’s difficult to say what we should ask; he sounds like a strong lord."

Carlos sent his friend the finished panel and a short account of the conversation. While waiting, he watched the new Hearthkeeper wash the smaller utensils and ask where the clean ones belonged.

Mira answered without leaving the special meal. The other two workers were finishing the normal lunch pots, and the kitchen felt crowded in a useful way now. There were people for each job rather than Mira walking between all of them.

--

[Cosmic Merchant]- She made it? Bro, that is very good. Do not sell it like ordinary cooked food. Ask for two Troop Recovery Potions for the first meal. You need as many of those as you can find before your next conquest anyway. Tell him you will negotiate the regular price after he checks it.

[Carlos Goldwin]- Can you check the market prices properly too? He says he will provide the strong ingredients.

[Cosmic Merchant]- Send the ingredient listings. And congratulate Mira from me. I remember her standing over that slab when everything kept separating.

--

Carlos told her, and Mira smiled before handing him the container.

"I am nervous now. I don’t know what he will say," she spoke, and Carlos laughed.

"I have never seen you nervous. Just relax. If he says something bad, I will tell him to fuck off."

Mira chuckled a little but shook her head. "This person could get us good ingredients I can try to make food with constantly."

Carlos looked at her and then spoke, "I could get you the ingredients too, you know. He isn’t that special."

This time Mira looked at him with slightly widened eyes before speaking, "Are you jealous right now?"

Carlos thought about it and sighed, "Maybe. I can get a little competitive," he spoke with a sigh.

"A man should be competitive. It’s a good trait to have, my dear lord," she spoke with a giggle.

"If you can get me something, I would like to have the mana salt again, the pouch is getting smaller day by day."

He looked at the remaining packet on the table. It had become much smaller than the one from the conquest container. He sent that requirement with the price.

The buyer accepted without trying to reduce the price.

Carlos used a recorded single trade, delivered the confirmed meal and received Troop Recovery Potion x2. He inspected both potions in his inventory, then showed Mira before closing it.

Carlos kept the potions aside for his troops. He remembered how few recovery supplies they had after the earlier fights. Mira had earned these by cooking one meal, and he wanted more of them ready before anyone went through the next conquest.

The reply came after lunch.

--

[Unknown Lord]- It meets the requirement. One of my troops has eaten it. I want twelve each day to begin. Can your cook do that?

[Unknown Lord]- Finally. I checked the finished record three times. You have no idea how relieved I am seeing a proper meal instead of another listing that disappears before I can buy it. I will send the ingredients ahead. Please say yes.

--

Carlos took the message straight to Mira.

"This guy sure is innocent; he is being so vulnerable in front of you. But twelve, huh..." she repeated. "With the same main ingredients and enough salt, yes. I will need more of our cucumber liquid too. We have fruit available without cutting the fruit Rowan has kept for seeds."

"Can the new worker help?"

"No, I will handle this cooking. The normal meals can continue on the other surface by others. Twelve will fit inside the kitchen’s limit with the people you summoned."

Carlos gave the answer, then read the ingredient listings the buyer forwarded. Emberhorn Beast Meat and Hellfire Peppers were the same ones used in the successful recipe. The man had also found another seller for Mana-binding Salt after the earlier failed attempt.

He had not found anyone to use it properly.

--

[Unknown Lord]- I have more raw meat than I have finished meals. Keeping it stored has not helped my troops. Tell me the amount your cook needs and I will send it ahead of the order.

[Carlos Goldwin]- My cook needs enough for twelve full portions, with the inspected peppers and salt. Our own ingredients and her work still have a cost.

[Unknown Lord]- I know. I will provide twice the listed raw amount. Use what is needed for my twelve meals and keep the rest if you want.

--

Carlos read that twice and held the panel toward Mira.

"He is giving us the other half?"

She checked the portion figures before answering. "If those are the amounts he means, we can use it for another twelve meals. The cucumber and preparation still come from here."

Carlos messaged Cosmic with the proposal. His friend took longer this time, checking the separate ingredient values against the buyer’s offer rather than telling Carlos it looked good at once.

The man waited. He sent one message asking when they could begin, but otherwise let Carlos finish.

--

[Cosmic Merchant]- The surplus ingredients are valuable. Keep that written in the agreement, not just this message. Ask for Iron x60 and Copper Coins x120 for each completed twelve-meal delivery as well. That is reasonable for this first arrangement. He is supplying the expensive core ingredients, and you keep the surplus he offered.

[Carlos Goldwin]- You think he accepts?

[Cosmic Merchant]- He accepted two recovery potions for one meal. He will hear this out. Send his answer and I will check the wording with you.

--

Carlos sent the terms. The buyer accepted the payment and asked for the first order tomorrow.

"Three days first," Carlos told Mira. "We see the work before increasing it."

"That is enough to repeat the recipe properly."

The agreement appeared after both Lords reviewed the quantities. Mira’s preparation list was attached to it, with the buyer’s raw contribution measured against the twelve full portions rather than the smaller test serving.

--

[Recorded Food Supply Agreement]

[Supplier: Carlos Goldwin]

[Client: Unknown Lord]

[Duration: Three daily deliveries]

[Each delivery: Ultra-high-quality Water-balanced Emberhorn Pepper Meat x12]

[Client contribution: Inspected Emberhorn Meat, Hellfire Peppers and Mana-binding Salt at twice the attached twelve-portion recipe requirement]

[Contribution due before preparation of each delivery]

[Unused agreed surplus belongs to Carlos Goldwin]

[Payment per completed delivery: Iron x60, Copper Coins x120]

[Renewal requires both Lords’ agreement]

--

Carlos confirmed after Mira finished reading.

The first raw contribution arrived that afternoon, ahead of tomorrow’s cooking. Mira opened the transfer with Carlos beside her, inspecting the condition of the meat and counting the peppers before directing the Hearthkeepers toward Cold Storage.

Carlos helped carry one container. The meat had enough retained heat that he felt it through the outside, though it did not burn his hands.

He had expected the buyer to send barely enough for his order. Instead, Mira divided a full second set of ingredients onto Ironroot’s shelf.

"We can make food like this for our own people too," Carlos said.

Mira looked at the two sets and nodded.

"Once I finish his first batch. Then we can check who can eat it before giving it to everyone."

Carlos thought of Brann and the others returning hurt from the last conquests. Strong troops, good food and ingredients coming in because of Mira’s work. He liked how those things were starting to fit together.

He closed the storage door after the last container went inside. Then he went to the Training Yard to tell Kaia they had another supply worth keeping.