the guild was as lively as always even at sunset with adventurers shuffling around the place. It's starting to get dark and Matt was getting worried about Yosif. Just then he spots the Lana's party entering the building having just finished their herbs gathering quest for the local chemist. He waves them over with a few drop of sweats rolling down his back the more he think about Yosif.
Lana: What is it uncle Matt?
Matt: Kids it's getting late, i think your friend may not make it back.
Luna: awww have some faith in him uncle Matt.
Matt: But it's near impossible for him to make it back from a quest like that, chances are he's already de-!
Matt was cut off by someone kicking the door to he guild open also drawing attentions from the other staff members as well as adventurers. People have to fight their urges to puke when they saw the figure covered head to toe in blood with bits of flesh stuck to them. The smell wasn't making it easier too... The figure casually walks to the counter where Matt and the others are before tossing the head of a goblin shaman onto it. That figure is no other than Yosif himself.
Luna: ugh! what happened Yosif? You looks disgusting!
Jacob: Jeez can you not make your kills clean or something?
Derek: oh gods... oh-*runs over to a bucket and vomits into it* *BLEAGH*!
Lana: Are you okay Yosif?
Matt: THIS IS! how many goblins did you kill, how was there a shaman with them?
Me: ummmmmmm... I lost count after the first hundred, the shaman was their leader in this goblin town. Don't worry, i burned the entire shithole to the ground with them in it.
The surrounding adventurers pale at this man's ruthlessness combined with his monstrous strength to easily clear a platinum quest alone. The staff members as well, just this morning he was a new copper adventurer and now he is on par with a platinum party.
Me: well i'm off to the inn, i have something i need to do and a shower to take.
Making my way back to the inn i see that the restaurant just cleaned up. Now most of the people are staying in their room and by the door to the kitchen, i see my requested ingredients neatly stacked there. Walking in i find Roxanne washing the dishes.
Me: hey Roxanne did you get all of the things i need?
Roxanne: yeah i did though i have to ask, why do you need so much food right now? *she turns to look at me still drenched in goblin blood* OH MY GOD WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU!
Me: Goblins
Roxanne: i-i-but-you...huh?
Me: i'm going to go take a shower and do you mind if i use the kitchen for the night?
Roxanne: *sigh* whatever, i'm already starting to have a headache so i'm calling it a day. Knock yourself out.
[40 minutes of cleaning later]
Right then, time for the grand goulash, i will make you proud Boris. First off is cooking the beef to golden brown with pan. I neither have a pan big enough for 15kg of beef or time even if i have said pan. Good thing i have [flames] or this would be a hell of a mess to deal with so i just laid the beef on the kitchen counter and roast them, 3 minutes should do the trick. Onions are next, add sugar paprika and garlic with cumin seeds then fry for roughly 25 seconds. Wait... Fuck i can't hold all of this, what can i use to hold all this stuff in to boil? *ding* i have the perfect idea.
[shortly afterwards]
*thump* *thump* *CLANG*. Now that is a big pot. And by pot i mean the giant cauldron in the alchemist's brewery that i 'borrowed'. add water to the goulash and boil for 35 minutes. Hmm i guess i can use this time to make improvised bouilon cubes for the goulash. i think we still have some stew leftover from last night, take some of that and mix with pig fat and vegetables then dry and powderize it. It definitely doesn't look or smell like a bouilon cube but desperate times call for desperate measures. Oh right the goulash, now to take off the lid. add the 'bouilon cubes' into it with garlics and 30 teaspoon of salt and pepper with thymes because there is no marjoram here and that's the closest i can get. Now the boring part again as i have to sit down for 1 hour straight and cook it with [flames], tiresome but i need to ensure the quality for the final part and not accidentally burn it. Suddenly my flames stop coming out after 47 minutes, looks like i ran out of mana. Oh well the thing should be done by now. To preserve it, i guess i have to store the entire cauldron in the ring with the bread. Holy shit that took a lot of space, i guess considering food items are 15 per slot it's reasonable to have 45 loaf of bread in 3 slots but... the fucking cauldron takes up 135 slots! That means using 15 times the amount to make a big goulash pot is enough to feed a village hot damn. The butter and mayonnaise are just condiments so i can just carry them by hand i suppose.
hmm that only took 5 hours to finish so i still have 2-3 hours before people start waking up. Well i guess this calls for good old advertising, i'll just put a message to come to the town center at morning around every part of the ghetto without any context, curiosity will get the better out of them. Gobi has around 1000 people living in it and about 90 of them are poor, really poor even for a farmer. This will work perfectly, i hope.
Roxanne wakes up rather later than usual because she worked overtime a little bit last night until Yosif came back covered in god knows what. She freshen up and take a quick shower before going down to start preparing breakfast in the restaurant. Roxanne was still confused about Yosif's order and why he would need to use the kitchen at night. Surprisingly, the kitchen was squeaky clean without even a spot of grime in it. Something was missing... The Order! All of the ingredients Yosif ordered is gone! How? What weirded her out more is that she can hear a faint sound of a guitar strumming inside the reception hall. Roxanne rushes there to see Yosif sitting on a stool tuning the old guitar she used to have at the inn before the local bard retires.
Roxanne: Yosif? what the heck happened to the stuff you ordered and why are you playing the guitar?
Me: oh that... i cooked it all of course, as for the rest you'll just have to see for yourself. In fact, you can see it right now if you head to the town center with me.
Roxanne: Stop being so dang mysterious will you? But what about the guests, i need to make breakfast.
Me: we still have a whole lot of black bread and jam so it'll be fine, just brew some coffee and tea for them and see me at the town center.
[7:15 am]
Roxanne was still very much confused about Yosif as she makes her way to the town hall in her normal attire, a white button up shirt and a green skirt that reaches her leg. On the way there, she spots Lana and co talking on the streets
Roxanne: hey Lana!
Lana: yes?
Roxanne: do any of you know what in god's name is Yosif doing?
Luna: did something bad happen?
Roxanne: yes... i mean not really? he just told me that he finished the ingredients he ordered over night, that thing can last the inn for a month!
Jacob: huh? that is certainly bizarre.
Derek: maybe he has a monstrous appetite?
Roxanne: i don't know anymore, he told me to go to the town center to see something, do you guys want to come too?
Lana: sure i'm kinda curious about this whole ordeal myself.
The group arrives at the town center only to see loads of poor people crowding the place. Luna went up to a woman with a small child holding her hand to ask about the gathering.
Luna: hey what is everybody gathering here for?
Woman: i don't know myself, yesterday somebody came into the slums and spread these flyers around for us to gather at the town center at morning.
Child: Hey mommy, look there, someone is coming up to the stage.
following the small boy's gaze, they glance towards the podium where the town crier usually stood at to deliver news with Yosif stepping onto it.
Me: So i'm betting you have many questions as to who i am and why did i call all of your here right?
Everybody in the crowd nods including Roxanne and the others.
Me: well i'm here today to deal with the town's most pressing matter... YOU!
Everybody flinches at that and the kids started trembling, is this it? is this the time they finally get kicked out? Roxanne has a down right murderous glare and the party has their own scowls.
Me: woops umm... that was poor choice of words on my part. What i meant is the most pressing matter is helping you.
Everybody relaxes at that but still wonder how can single knight like him can help all of them.
Me: i'm Yosif, a new cook and adventurer that just recently join this humble town. I can't help but see your predicament, to face outrageous tax and pushed around like animals by those filthy rich pricks on their high horse. As an orphan myself, i know how hard it is to go by without parents to care for you, yet in this crowd, orphans still have their own 'parents' to take care of them. It truly amazes me how kind you all are to take the poor kids in despite your condition but get treated like trash for it. It pains me greater as a chef you see all of you living through the day with barely scraps to eat... *i trail off here so the people can see their full situation*
some of the children and even adults start shedding a few tears but they suck it up because that's just it, the harsh reality of the world where the weak don't have a place.
Me: But, that will all change today, no longer will you have to starve, no longer will you have to bear the cold, no longer will you suffer from those sad excuse of a human being bullying you. I have personally made it my goal to ensure your happiness whatever the consequences may be. That is why last night, i have spent all of my time making you this feast.
People were moved by Yosif's words but they were still lost. What feast is he talking about? Then when Yosif snaps his finger, behind the podium and opposite of the crowd a giant cauldron fall out of thin air and lands roughly on the ground with a loud bang. Yosif brought out two sacks from behind filled to the brim with jars of mayonnaise and butter and another snap of his finger made a pile of bread appear. Of course he sets up some tables before hand and took a lot of bowls to serve the goulash, only now do people see what they were meant for. The moment Yosif lifted the cauldron, everybody's jaws drop at the lake of soup inside and a heavenly aroma coming from it. They couldn't believe their eyes at the sight, the sight of a knight knowing such magic and the sight of the free food that is supposed to be for them, the 'trash of society'.
They didn't know what to do before such a scene and stood frozen in place including Roxanne with Jacob Derek Luna and Lana. Eventually, from a crowd a small elven girl reaches for the bread but still hesitates. Seeing this, Yosif jumps down from the stage briefly startling everyone and clearly terrifying the small elven girl that used to be abused for he heritage. Yosif gently grabs her quivering hands and put the loaf of bread in it himself.
Me: what are you waiting for? get it while it's still hot. DIG IN!
Yosif pulls out a guitar and gets on stage again playing a beautiful song that they haven't even heard of before (katyusha). On that day, Gobi had the most cheerful and grand celebration in its history, a celebration of the poor people who couldn't even afford a loaf of bread just a day before.
Total inventory:
The iron castle
1 flintlock pistol (5 shots remaining)
12 iron daggers
Blood reaver
Warp dagger
Helm of clairvoyance
Old knight captain's armor
11 slime essence
20 bone powder
10 scrap metal
4 shard of decay
Leather accessories(pouch, belt, holster)
7 healing potions
Greater ironskin potion
Captain Lambert's journal entry #1
62 coppet 50 silver 11 gold