After being dried on the fireplace overnight, the peanuts were completely dry, and the skin could easily be rubbed off. Ina poured a plate of round, white peanuts into the frying pan, where they bubbled and rolled as the moisture inside escaped.
This dessert was quite simple, with the only control needed being the temperature to fry the peanuts, ensuring that the peanuts remained plump and white when they were taken out. Ina rinsed off the excess oil from the fried peanuts with cold water, added a little water, and blended them in a food processor.
It was the first time Lusen had seen a food processor that could turn ingredients into extremely fine powder. Surprised, he couldn't help but study its principle, seemingly wanting to apply this tool to the process of concocting magic potions. The principle seemed simple: several sharp blades combined with a powerful motor. Lusen silently noted the structure of the food processor in his mind.
The fried peanuts turned into peanut paste, which was filtered to become peanut milk. Ina added fresh milk and sugar to the pot and simmered it gently. She thickened the mixture with some cornstarch, as the dessert was more delicious when thick. Many ingredients could be added to this dessert: without the cornstarch and adding almonds, it became a peanut almond tea; with cooked tapioca, it became peanut tapioca milk; and with coconut milk and fruits, it could be made into a coconut fruit salad.
Ina looked at the ingredients she had available – only apples. Apple peanut milk? It sounded as terrible as strawberry dumplings, so she quickly shook her head, banishing the idea from her mind.
The liquid in the pot began to boil, and Ina skimmed off the foam, serving a bowl of peanut pudding to Dusì and Lusen each. The two had already eaten breakfast but still happily drank the dessert. The fragrance of peanuts and milk blended together, with a rich and silky texture lingering in the mouth, finally leaving a touch of sweetness.
Cradling a bowl of peanut pudding on a slightly chilly morning and savoring it slowly brought a dual sense of warmth and sweetness. The morning guests had already arrived, so Dusì and Lusen quickly finished their peanut pudding and got busy serving dishes and collecting money. While enjoying peanut pudding as a dessert was a great treat, the priority for mercenaries who came to the restaurant to eat was to fill their bellies, so the morning's breakfast was Ina's prepared pan-fried sausages and cheese potato pancakes.
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The first thing Simon did when he woke up in the morning was to wake up Sage next to him, "Wake up quickly, is the effect of the boiled fish still there?"
Sage, with messy hair, opened his eyes in a daze, pulled off the blanket, and opened the window. He felt the temperature in the air and nodded, "It's not cold at all, so it must still be effective."
After eating the boiled fish that day, both Sage and Angus said that they indeed felt the slight warmth and resistance to cold that Simon had mentioned earlier. However, Sage had a worse physique than Angus, so the effect was more noticeable, making him the main subject of Simon's research.
Although Sage was pleasantly surprised by this effect, meaning that he would not have to feel the bone-chilling cold for a while in the Midnight Swamp, he didn't understand why Simon was so keen on understanding the effectiveness of the boiled fish so thoroughly, "Is it crucial whether the effect lasts for two days or just a day and a half? We can only eat it at most once before leaving the town anyway. Do you plan to eat boiled fish in the Midnight Swamp?"
Simon gave a disdainful look as if to say, "You guys are really ignorant." He snorted, "You think you got to eat boiled fish because of who? It's all because of me!"
Dwarf Wally, seeing Simon's self-important attitude, quietly splashed cold water on him, "Isn't it mainly because of the owner of the Dragon Flame Restaurant? Even if you didn't mention its effect, we would eventually find out when we eat it in the future."
Simon's expression became even smugger, "Have you heard of any other mercenaries eating boiled fish? Have you seen it on the menu of the restaurant on any day?"
The others thought about it, and it seemed to be true. The boiled fish had such an essential effect, but they had never heard other mercenaries mention it or seen anyone discussing this spicy and stimulating dish that they couldn't stop eating. Old John took the initiative to ask, "So how did you find out that the Dragon Flame Restaurant sells this boiled fish dish?"
Simon recounted his experience that day. "I voluntarily asked to try it, and the owner even tried to stop me. It's clear that it's a special dish prepared by the owner for himself and not for public sale."
"Last time we went there, we also got to eat it. Is it true that the owner only makes this dish if you actively ask for it?" Angus asked, puzzled.
Simon slapped his thigh, "Exactly! This is a hidden dish at the Dragon Flame Restaurant! If I figure out the specific effects of boiled fish, the owner might reveal more hidden dishes with magical effects to me. After all, I am the one who chose boiled fish at first glance!"
"Enough about this for now, lads. We've received a commission," Old John interrupted the excited Simon.
"Escort four students from the Star Academy to find the Conjugate Tree."
The rest of the group showed disapproval on their faces. Serving as guards for the magic academy students was a very troublesome task, as these young nobles were extremely demanding and difficult to serve.
"Ten gold coins as a reward," Old John continued.
The four people immediately changed their attitude, "That's easy! We 'Scavengers' are the most experienced mercenary team around here!"
"For just four students, we'll carry them on our backs if we have to, all the way to the Conjugate Tree!"
"That's right! Not only are we familiar with the environment of the Midnight Swamp, but we also offer the most thoughtful service, ensuring that these young ladies and gentlemen have a great time!"
The menu for today's lunch at the restaurant had been set the day before: porcini mushroom bolognese pasta. The porcini mushrooms were smooth in texture and had a rich aroma, making them a perfect match for the perfectly al dente pasta.
One of the benefits of having a refrigerator cabinet is that the food stays as fresh as when it was first put in, even if it was prepared in advance. That's why Ina, the chef, was able to slack off in the restaurant during the busiest time. She had a scroll of Eternal Inscriptions drawn by Lusen in front of her. Even without comparing it to the complete inscriptions nearby, it was easy to see that many of the magical patterns in Lusen's draft were broken, with magic power only circulating within some of the fragmented patterns.
Could such a damaged one still have some preservative effect? The power of Eternal Inscriptions surprised Ina. After all, if a magic array, no matter how perfectly drawn, has a break or twist in one place, the whole array will become completely ineffective. In this regard, inscriptions are indeed the legendary gift from the gods.
As Ina pondered, she used a simple first-tier spell: Grasp. She wanted to move the broken inscriptions on the scroll to the paper box in front of her. The success of the Grasp spell depends on the user's magical strength and the amount of magical power contained in the target, so she succeeded easily.
Furthermore, because the inscriptions could not form a complete magic loop, the fragmented inscriptions actually needed to be activated by inputting magic power to function. However, this made the preservation period of the inscriptions controllable, rather than taking effect immediately after completion.
These few damaged versions of Eternal Inscriptions drawn by Lusen, once activated, could probably keep the food in the paper box in its original state for about three to four days. It was like a perfect preservative lunch box.
Ina nodded in satisfaction, it seemed her idea could be realized.
At this moment, a mercenary suddenly approached Ina stealthily and whispered mysteriously, "Boiled fish can raise your body temperature to resist the cold, and the effect lasts for two days."
After saying this, he revealed a slightly smug expression, as if to say, "You know what I mean."
[Congratulations on completing the random side quest 0-3: Reap Without Sowing!]
[Reward: Chef Skill Book: Special Function Recipe Collection 1]
As described in the mission, the progress of this random side quest came running towards her, and the reward fell from the sky without her making any effort.
Did boiled fish really have such a special effect? Ina had never noticed, probably because she couldn't feel the cold in the first place. What would a little chill mean to a black dragon?
Ina flipped through the newly acquired Special Function Recipe Collection, and the description of boiled fish appeared prominently on the first line.
[Boiled Fish: Increases body temperature, resists cold, with the duration extended as the amount consumed increases, with a maximum effect of Cold Resistance +30, lasting for 48 hours.
Required materials: Coldthorn Fish★★★+ Chili☆]
The recipes that followed were blurred and unclear, seemingly waiting for Ina to unlock them.
[Porcini Mushroom Stew: Increases strength, and extends endurance, with the duration increased as the amount consumed increases, up to 24 hours.
Required materials: Porcini★★+ Beast Meat★★☆]
[Fresh Shrimp: Increases swimming speed, expands lung capacity, duration of one hour.
Required materials: Large River Shrimp★☆+★]
Ina became engrossed in reading the recipes, while Simon could only see her staring blankly into the air, further confirming that he had shocked the restaurant owner by revealing the effect of boiled fish.
"Miss Ina, besides boiled fish, are there any other special foods with unique effects?"
Ina raised an eyebrow and looked at him with a smile that was not quite a smile, "You're right. If I were to prepare and sell such special-effect food, I would draw a ★ next to the corresponding menu item on the small blackboard. When the time comes, you are welcome to taste it."
Simon was secretly delighted, but he had another mission this time, "Our team would like to reserve 5 servings of boiled fish for tomorrow morning, is that possible?" They were leaving for Miye Swamp tomorrow, and the team unanimously agreed to eat a serving of boiled fish before setting off.
"Of course, it's possible." There were indeed no more cold thorn fish fillets in the restaurant, but there was still plenty of time. Ina could go catch a few later, and it would be a good opportunity to check on the progress of the Lizards' assessment.