Preparing for the Journey

Ignatius and Bruno were chatting amicably.

It seemed Ignatius had been having his meals prepared here and then taking them with him.

"No, this time, he'll be the one cooking," Ignatius said, nodding toward Shen Xinghui.

"Ah, the boy will be cooking? That's wonderful," Bruno saida nx smiling warmly at Shen Xinghui.

He nodded his head several times in approval.

"The Dragon Man certainly eat a lot. Even the portions we're serving now are just enough to fill them up to about 80%. When cooking, you'll need to make larger quantities, or it'll be gone in no time."

"I understand," Shen Xinghui replied, nodding.

He realized he had to get serious about this.

There had to be a large pot around here somewhere, right?

The meal continued and Shen Xinghui sipped at the alcohol he'd been served.

It was sweet with a hint of fruitiness, making it easy to drink.

Since he could handle alcohol fairly well, he figured he could enjoy the drinks in this world.

"You really can eat, huh?"

Ignatius's eating habits were both refreshing and slightly astounding.

The food on the table disappeared almost immediately.

Naturally, the alcohol was being consumed just as quickly, as though it were water.

"Let's go shopping tomorrow. We'll rent horses here for five days. There's a town along the way, but we'll camp out for about two days. We'll rest the horses a few times along the way, so we can have lunch in between."

"Understood."

Shen Xinghui nodded, feeling determined. Tomorrow was the real test.

He needed to be of helpful, even if just a little.

The next day, they set out as soon as the shops opened.

First, Shen Xinghui went to a clothing store to buy some essentials.

He picked up a couple of new pieces: black, seven-eighths pants, a white long-sleeved shirt, and a green vest with a leather cord woven into the collar.

AHe bought a matching set and decided that was enough for now.

He also picked up a knife that would be easy to hold.

Since he wasn't planning to use it for fighting, it was more practical to be used for cutting ingredients.

Next, he went to the market, where he was pleased to find the ingredients he recognized by name.

He bought everything he needed and returned to the inn.

Mr. Bruno who had kindly offered to let them use the kitchen, said that he was free to use any spices he liked, so Shen Xinghui took full advantage of that generosity.

Ignatius was allowed to rest, while Shen Xinghui focused intently on the ingredients and containers to store them in, rolling up his sleeves.

"Alright, let's do this!"

First, he decided to make a stew.

It would take some time for the flavors to meld.

He peeled potatoes and carrots Nx making sure to use the stems of shiitake mushrooms as well.

He didn't forget the onions and cut the meat into bite-sized pieces.

The ingredients were seasoned with mirin, soy sauce, and sake, with sugar set aside.