Chapter 322: The Angel Imprisons Shirou
Inside the building on the side of the domed palace specifically used as a kitchen and dining hall, Prince Shirou's popularity was currently skyrocketing.
"I didn't expect that even people like us... he would treat us so kindly."
The kitchen workers followed the army on the march; they were a group of "tough women" who had been campaigning for so long that they hadn't encountered a man in ages. At this point, they could watch an old man doing square dancing with rapt attention, and here before them was a cute boy with a top-tier personality.
Not to mention, he was a Prince from an Eastern Kingdom—a noble existence that heroes and warriors of all tribes competed for. The fact that he came to the kitchen to work alongside them felt like an incredible honor. He even had skin-to-skin contact with them, personally putting on gloves that looked extremely precious.
Well, such is the nature of people; when they meet a good-looking boy who treats them even slightly well, they tend to flock to him, treating him like a "god" to be pampered. It's all the fault of human genes—the instinct to reproduce influencing the brain. It makes them believe they are favored by a deity; even if he is hot and cold, the occasional "sweetness" makes them feel they have a chance, entirely unaware that they are just one of many "spare tires."
Compared to those "gods," the current Shirou was far too pure. His genuine, gentle smile and his kindness toward everyone acted like a healing balm for the souls of the kitchen staff, much like an actual angel.
The adjutant clutched the gloves Shirou had personally put on her and said, "Ah! I didn't think such a boy existed in this world. So gentle, so considerate—he really is a Prince of the East! At first, I didn't appreciate his worth; he was just a handsome prince. But now I understand! Yes, if it's Prince Shirou... if I were qualified, I would risk my life to fight for him."
The demon girl standing nearby was dumbstruck by the scene. "What on earth is going on? Why are these people so good to Shirou when they just met him? Especially that adjutant—she's always so casual and dismissive toward me, the Great Satania-sama!"
"Well, Shirou is a boy, after all," Yuigahama said, walking over to the demon girl and patting her shoulder comfortingly.
"Eh? What's so special about being a boy?" Satania asked, not quite understanding.
"Satania-chan, you've seen popular girls at school who are always surrounded by people, right?" Yuigahama explained as the "elder" of the group.
Satania put a finger to her lip, thinking. "I guess. Vignette is a busybody and is trusted by the girls, but the boys don't like her class-monitor personality much. But Raphi seems pretty popular with the boys."
"Exactly. It's just that the types of boys who liked those girls in our world have become girls in this world, which is why Shirou is so popular," Yuigahama said, raising a finger.
"EH! Is that how it works?! I knew the women here felt a bit different. Does that mean my Dad became my Mom?!" A thunderclap of realization went off in Satania's mind as she cried out in shock.
"That doesn't seem right either... it should be that the roles of men and women are swapped? No, wait... that..." Yuigahama tried to explain with hand gestures, but the more she tried, the more confused she got, eventually waving her hands wildly in frustration.
"Eh? Eh! EH!?" Satania waved her hands in sync, shouting along, though her expression remained utterly blank.
"Yuigahama... Satania... you two really are best friends," Yukinoshita said, covering her face in resignation.
Meanwhile, the cooks were whispering.
"So that's the legendary charm of the Eastern Prince! Now I understand why so many warriors would fight to the death against Western knights for him."
A companion teased her, "Hey, aren't you already married? Be careful, if word gets back to your hometown, you'll be kneeling on a washboard when you get back."
"What are you saying?! What's my status at home? I'm the head of the household! Think about it—who is the one out here campaigning to earn money for the family? Who endured the pain of childbirth? If he dares talk back, I'll slap him! I'll..." The cook rolled up her sleeves, gesturing wildly as she subconsciously started walking.
Her companion asked in confusion, "Eh, why are you walking further away as you talk?"
The cook, having walked back to her workstation, said righteously, "I have to earn money to support my family!"
The companion shook her head and muttered, "I knew you were henpecked. You send your whole salary home every month and only keep a little 'blood-replenishing' pocket change. Gutless woman."
"Yukino, Yukino, it's strange. Seeing this scene doesn't actually make me angry. Seeing 'little' Shirou surrounded like that... he feels like a small animal," Yuigahama said, walking to her friend's side.
"It's true. Now that he's shrunk, seeing this doesn't feel irritating at all. It must be because Shirou is so small," Yukinoshita said, resting her chin in her hand as she watched Shirou with a look of bewildered fascination.
"What's wrong with that? Small is best! Small is the greatest!" Asuna sighed. She was currently glowing with sparks of lightning; the Asuna who loved younger, cute boys and the
Heroic Spirit Minamoto no Raikō who loved children had merged via Possession Summoning to form an invincible existence.
"I told you! Stop calling me small!" Shirou turned around and shouted at the three familiar girls. "Ahem. Anyway, let's get started on the potato chips and cola."
"Shirou! One more thing! Don't forget!" Satania shouted, waving her hand frantically.
"Ah, right. The melon bread," Shirou nodded.
"Yes, yes!" Satania nodded vigorously, covering half her face with one hand in a strangely imposing pose. "Kukuku, make it well, kid. As the Great Archdemon Satania-sama, I certainly won't mistreat you after I rule the Earth!"
"Speaking of which, how do you plan to make cola?" Yukinoshita asked curiously.
"Question: if you want to make bread fluffy right now, what additive would you use, Yukinoshita?" Shirou asked.
Yukinoshita nodded and provided the encyclopedic answer: "Baking soda. The scientific name is sodium bicarbonate, chemical formula $NaHCO_3$. Ah, I see."
"Yeah. While making baking soda powder from scratch isn't too hard, let's just use soda water here," Shirou said, projecting pH test strips to check acidity and alkalinity. The kitchen had spring water from various famous local sources; he just needed to test them.
Edible soda water is essentially weakly alkaline water that can neutralize the acidity in daily food intake. France originally had natural soda water, and in this era, there was already technology using alkaline water to proof buns and bread to make them fluffy. Because Shirou had studied food production, he could, if necessary, project a full set of equipment to manufacture any food additive.
However, considering the influence of this world, he chose to stick to traditional methods.
It wasn't strange for Yukinoshita to have doubts. After all, the recipe for cola had once been hyped up as being worth a fortune—a myth built up by public relations. Cola is likely the most-consumed beverage in the world; statistics suggest a billion people drink it every day. But no matter how much it was hyped, in the modern era, it was just a common drink. If you poured Pepsi and Coca-Cola into identical cups, most people couldn't tell the difference. Even "cola" made from powder mixed with soda water tastes roughly the same.
The origin of cola was humble—developed by chance in pharmacies and at parties, with the flavor constantly adjusted for the audience. There's cherry cola (Warren Buffett's favorite), cinnamon, yogurt, and even cucumber flavors.
Shirou explained to the girls, "Because cola started as a medicinal syrup developed in pharmacies, people found the taste was good, so it was used as a mixer for alcohol at banquets. Eventually, people added the ingredients to soda water, and it became the beverage everyone knows."
Shirou pulled out a type of fruit and a lemon found in the kitchen storehouse, smiling. "The key is caffeine extract and carbonic acid. Here, we'll use this mixed with soda water to achieve that carbonic acidity."
"Vignette, could you please go to the storehouse and bring a bag of these fruits?" Shirou asked the other demon girl.
"Of course, Shirou-senpai," the black-haired girl said obediently.
"What fruit is that?" Yukinoshita asked.
"Kola nuts. The scientific name is Cola acuminata. It's the fruit of a green leafy tree common in the tropics, Africa, or India. It was originally used for medicinal purposes and contains the caffeine needed for cola. In modern times, other plants are used as substitutes."
The other cooks didn't quite understand, but they could feel that Shirou was very impressive.
"As expected of a Prince from the East—he's actually undergone culinary training. I thought these princes were all super-spoiled young masters who couldn't do anything. An Eastern Great Power indeed; the Prince is so kind and well-bred," the helping cooks whispered, their reverence for the Eastern Kingdom growing.
After some technical maneuvers, the natural sparkling water with citric acid was mixed with crushed kola nuts and sugar. After stirring, bubbles formed.
"Now, let's have a taste." Shirou poured a cup for everyone.
"Eh, Prince, isn't this beverage for the Angel-sama?" a cook asked.
"It's fine. This is just a test batch. The finished product will go to the Angel. Drink up; there are no ingredients that violate any religious doctrines here." Shirou placed the cups of cola on a tray and invited them to taste.
"Oohhh! Sweet! Such a magical taste!" the cooks praised as they took the cups.
"Is this the drink of angels?" The adjutant held the small cup as if it were a treasure, taking small, precious sips. Then, gas rose in their mouths, and one by one, they began to burp, making strange, funny faces.
"Hmph, what ignorant humans! Watch closely; let the Great Archdemon teach you! Drinking cola should be done in big gulps like this to be satisfying!" Satania tilted her head back and downed her cup in one go, followed by an unstoppable long burp and a coughing fit.
"Honestly, drink slower, Satania," Vignette said, patting her friend's back.
Shirou and the three girls couldn't help but burst into laughter.
At this time, the melon bread in the furnace was finished baking. Because materials were plentiful and free to use, Shirou also made some pizzas and cakes to share with everyone.
Satania first scanned the area to make sure there were no dogs before she felt safe enough to eat. Taking a bite, tears welled in her eyes. "My melon bread! It's delicious! Super delicious! It's even tastier than the ones from the shopping district. And there are no dogs to fight me for it—eating my fill of melon bread has always been my dream. I'm so happy. Ugh... so good. Even if it's just for this, I will conquer the world!"
"No, Satania doesn't need to go that far... but it really is delicious. As expected of Shirou-senpai," Vignette said, looking at the boy with admiration as she tasted the bread.
"Eat as much as you like if you enjoy it," Shirou said with a smile. He then turned to the three girls. "So, what are your thoughts?"
"As long as it's made by Shirou-kun, I like anything. Mama... I mean, I love it," Asuna, possessed by Minamoto no Raikō, said with a smile, reaching for the boy's head.
Shirou was prepared and dodged her hand. He looked at the other two. "What about you?"
"Yes, it's definitely the taste of carbonation. There isn't much difference from store-bought cola," Yukinoshita nodded.
"Yeah. If we had ice, it would be even better," Yuigahama said while drinking.
"True. Then let's make some," Shirou agreed.
After producing the cola and sealing it in empty wine flasks, Shirou had someone bring a bag of saltpeter. He poured it into a large basin of water. Although saltpeter (nitre) is harmless and ice made from it can technically be eaten, saltpeter in this era was mostly impure minerals mined from the surface, giving it a slightly bitter taste. For safety, he placed a smaller basin inside the larger one.
It would take several dozen minutes for the water in the small basin to freeze.
He turned back to make the simplest potato chips. He took the peeled, soaked, and repeatedly boiled cassava and sliced it into thin wafers with a blade. He blanched them twice more in boiling water and then rinsed them with cold water; this removed about 60% of the toxins. Then, through high-heat frying, the toxins were further destroyed. The flat slices curled in the hot oil, turning a beautiful golden brown. They looked no different from modern potato chips made from potatoes. As long as humans didn't ingest a massive amount at once, there would be no problem.
"Done." Shirou scooped out the fried chips and put them on two plates to cool.
Then, using fennel, star anise, and cinnamon ground into powder, he made a cumin seasoning. He mixed this with prepared beef sauce and spread it evenly over the chips—Cumin Beef flavored chips were complete. The other plate used roasted lamb crumbles to create a Cumin Roast Meat flavor.
He used the back of a knife to break the ice from the basin into small chunks, placed them in a clean bowl, and put them on the tray next to the cola flasks and chips.
"Miss Adjutant, could you come here for a moment?" Shirou said to the official who had received him.
"Yes, Prince! What are your orders, hehehe." Hearing her name, the adjutant ran over happily, gave a polite bow, and asked with a ten-tooth grin.
"Take these to the Angel to taste," Shirou said, pointing at the plates.
"Of course! Leave it to me! Prince, I will personally watch the Angel taste them and bring back her feedback. Though I believe that any dish made by you, Prince, will certainly be flawless," the woman said with a warm, sincere smile. At least, that's what she felt—if the Prince were willing to cook for her, she would eat even a pile of charcoal with a smile and lick the plate clean! Hehehe.
"Then I'll trouble you," Shirou said with a dry laugh.
The adjutant turned to the red-haired demon girl and shouted, "Satania! Hurry up! Follow me! As the Angel's personal servant, how can you be so lazy? Move! Or no dinner for you!"
"Damn it... the difference in attitude is huge!" Satania stuffed a third melon bread into her mouth with a conflicted expression and followed grumpily.
Less than ten minutes later, the adjutant returned with Satania and nodded heavily.
After Shirou demonstrated the process a few times, he handed the tasks over to the cooks. Four large oil vats were set up, and the cooks worked in an orderly fashion. The adjutant even ordered another ten crates of cassava to be brought in for peeling and soaking. To keep the Angel-sama stay peacefully on the side of the Abbasid Empire, the adjutant was pulling out all the stops; she wasn't about to pass up this method. She planned to provide an infinite supply of these "potato chips" the Angel liked.
Seeing this, Shirou thought, An Angel's stomach should be stronger than a human's, right? He could only choose to believe that and pray for Gabriel's stomach.
Flavors like tomato weren't possible due to missing ingredients, but using local materials, he could manage Roast Chicken, Roast Duck, Roast Goose, Onion, Cheese, Curry, and even Mint flavors.
Once all the food was prepared and he had fulfilled his promise to Gabriel, Shirou returned to the palace. However, as he walked toward Gabriel's room, the female warriors of the Empire guarding the door silently raised their weapons, crossing them to block the entrance.
"No unauthorized entry. The Angel-sama intends to meet and speak only with the Prince this time," the armored guard said coldly.
Blocked at the door, Yukinoshita and Yuigahama asked in surprise, "Wait, what's going on?"
"Is this a joke? Bad children get punished, you know. Do you intend to do something to Shirou? Step aside!" Asuna smiled with her hand to her face as she looked at the guards, then her eyes
widened. Instantly, a murderous aura like a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood erupted from her. The black shadow of the female warrior appeared behind her, her weapon beginning to manifest physically.
The guards' expressions changed; cold sweat broke out as they gripped their weapons, as if facing a great enemy.
"Wait! Raikō!" Shirou called out.
"Ara, so Shirou already knew Mama came here?" The manifested Minamoto no Raikō said with a curious smile.
"You were exposed ages ago. Also, you aren't my Mama!" Shirou denied flatly.
"How can you say that... so cold, just like Kintoki. Have you entered a rebellious phase because your body shrunk?" Raikō held her face, acting the part of a worried mother.
"I apologize for the offense; I know you are just doing your duty. My companions are only worried about me. I will go in alone; let my companions wait outside. Please don't blame them; they won't cause trouble." Shirou walked to the door and spoke to the guards with a smile.
"No... No! Prince!"
"It's no problem at all!"
"We understand, we'll do as you say."
The guard sisters blushed and waved their hands in agreement.
Shirou nodded to his companions and turned to walk into the lavish room. Inside, the blonde girl Gabriel was still lying sideways on the Persian carpet. She said unhurriedly, "Shirou, well done! I really have to praise you. I didn't think you could actually recreate cola and chips in the 8th century."
"However... these chips! They do taste a bit different from the ones I had before." Gabriel sat up, crumbs still on her lips, and evaluated the chips on the tray that had just been brought in.
When one's culinary skills reach Shirou's level, they can bring out the perfect flavor of ingredients with a casual touch. In that process, even a tiny mistake breaks the balance, creating a noticeable difference.
"Shirou! Did you think I wouldn't notice?!" Gabriel propped her hands on the table in the signature Gendo Ikari pose, looking profound. As an Angel with taste and standards, she would not compromise on snacks.
"No, Gabriel. From the start, you said as long as there were cola and chips, it was fine. And I tasted the chips made by the chefs in the kitchen with everyone; there was nothing wrong with the flavor," Shirou countered.
"Uh... I mean, in terms of whether they're tasty or not, they're obviously tasty," Gabriel pouted. The chips made by the cooks were subtly different from the ones Shirou had made earlier. While they were good, having just finished his batch, these felt like they were missing something.
"If there's no problem, then I plan to say goodbye and go find my other companions. Thank you for taking care of Yukinoshita, Yuigahama, and Asuna," Shirou said.
Gabriel slammed the table. "I don't care! I'm an Angel! The chips I eat must be the absolute best! Besides, the people here have a very high opinion of you; they want you to stay."
"Mm-hmm!" the adjutant outside nodded vigorously.
"So it's decided! Shirou, you have been chosen. As the Holy Child serving God, stay in this palace and make delicious food for me for the rest of your life!!!" Gabriel declared, raising both hands.
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