Preparatory Dinner
Lots of food have been brought inside the orphanage's dining room, or more like a workout room filled with tables and chairs.
There's more than ten types of dishes if we include the extras.
It's mostly simple dishes like grilled meat rubbed with salt and some slightly more involved ones like Jet Boar's pork (boar?) cutlet, but considering the children and director's nutritional balance, these should be good for them. I'd still encourage them to have vegetables though.
Cooking all this would have been impossible for me alone, so the children on cooking duty including Rina helped a great deal.
There are seven children in total who have Cooking Skill. They're incredible for cooking this much food for the children every day.
Though it's usually even simpler stuff like steamed potatoes and sliced tomatoes, so it's not as backbreaking.
But today's dinner is different.
The amount and variety are unlike anything they usually eat.
Even with the help of recipes, they were initially confused and would occasionally stop moving, but it went smoothly once I gave them some examples.
Preparing all this food was absolutely no trivial feat. All of them was knackered out by the time we were done.
And yet none of them grumbled as they cooked, in fact they looked like they were having fun.
I'm told the cooking work was usually very simple so they were happy they could make all kinds of new dishes with the recipes.
Making all this every day is probably unfeasible, but I'd like to make it so they can make at least three kinds as the standard.
This celebratory-like feast today is done to that end. But let's not put the cart before horses, and just enjoy the meal first thing first.
"And that's the last of the dishes~!"
"Uhaa, look super good! Can we really eat all these!?"
"Let's eat, let's eat!"
"Okay, okay, take your seat children! First of all, let's listen to a speech before we say our prayer ssu!"
Director warmly reminded the children who couldn't wait any longer.
That director herself is smiling broadly looking at all the food. Ah, is that a drool I see...
"So, Kajikawa-san. Let's hear what you have to say please."
"...Eh, me?"
"Master chef, don't make those kids wait any longer."
"Master chef, hurry."
"...What's a master chef?"
The director and the kids who were on cooking duty urged me.
...Well, I do have some things to say, but let's make it short considering the timing.
The children seem like they're nearing their limit, I'm scared at their glares.
"Err, good evening. I'm Kajikawa Hikaru who took on the commission. First of all, I'd like to congratulate Director on her successful recovery. The only reason we noticed the commission is thanks to acting director Farannam-kun who posted it at the guild in hope of obtaining an antidote potion."
"Faram-nii, thanksies."
"Faram-nii, well done~!"
"N-no, I didn't really do anything... It was Kajikawa-san and Reina's group who found the antidote potion too..."
"Faram, you went through a lot while I was bedridden... Thank you, you really did your best."
"D-director, u... Sniffle..."
<TLN: Catch the latest updates and edits at Sousetsuka .com >
First, I gotta praise Faram-kun before boasting about our group.
His ability to spring into action in order to solve a huge problem thrust on him despite not even being of age yet is truly commendable.
...Would I be able to do what he did if I were in his shoes. I kinda doubt it.
Farannam-kun looked happy and bashful as the children and Director heaped praises upon him, his hardship rewarded. His dinner's gonna taste a bit salty now.
"Gotta thank Alma and Reina who went all the way to a dangerous magic beast territory in order to fetch the herb too. And not to forget Radiasta-kun who accompanied them and helped with eliminating magic beasts as well as locating the herb."
"Oniichan, oneechan, thanks."
"Reina-neechan got super strong!"
"What's her level now?"
"It's 13."
"Eh, Karla you knew my level?"
"I heard about it from Kajikawa-san when we were tending Director. He also told me about that time you were chased by bears."
"Kajikawa-san what did you tell her!?"
"I mean I'm not lying aren't I? Also, I said nothing about the time before you met us, no worries."
"...What else did you tell her?"
"Like how you kicked the vital of a stalker who showed up out of nowhere."
"Yer' not wrong, but yer' wrong!!"
That should be good for this speech.
The children are gonna burst into tears if I make them wait any longer.
"Well then, let's not delay this any longer, time for the prayer before meal."
"No splitting the food~?"
"It's an all you can eat buffet, you're free to take whatever you want. Well, it'd be great if you didn't hog everything though. Also, make sure you eat your vegetables too, not just the meat."
"Yessire!"
"Join your hands together... Let's dig in."
"""Let's dig in!!"""
Everybody immediately scrambled for the food or fetched them for the smaller children.
We've made a lot so I don't think they're gonna run out of food they want to eat but it's still really hectic.
Oh and there's no particular deep reason for making this a buffet, distributing the food is just a pain.
I mean, all of us on cooking duty were dead tired.
"Yuuum! I get to eat so much meat, it's like a dream!"
"There's lots of fish and prawns and crabs too!"
"The prawns and crabs are Reina's reward from the hunting fest, don't forget to say your thanks."
"Thank you Reina-neechan~"
"Fuffuffu, *smug*."
"This jagged meat is so crunchy and so good...!"
"That's a 'Tonkatsu', Kajikawa-san taught us how to make it. That jagged exterior is from bread you crush and--"
"Oy, I was gonna get that meat!"
"First come, first serve!"
"Kids, you mustn't fight. No meat for you if you don't get along ssu."
"Director, that's way too much meat! Sure you can fit them all in your stomach!?"
Yup yup, it's nice to see them so lively. No I don't mean the situation with Director's plate.
This feast is partly to celebrate Director's recovery, and partly for another reason.
Even though the threat from that upstart pig is no more, this orphanage's financial situation hasn't actually improved.
We can donate but that won't work forever.
I'd like to reform that with the help of the children if possible.
...I'd donate a lot as a stopgap if the plan failed.
Ah, the prawns all gone. I haven't had one...
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