The next day, 10 AM.
Shirou sat in the dorm living room, watching videos on his phone.
The members of Penguin Logistics had all gone out for work so this was one of Shirou's rare moments of leisure.
…Well, not entirely accurate. He was usually pretty free anyway.
He would wake up, make breakfast, send everyone off, do some light cleaning and the rest of the day was his.
Most of his free time was spent reading, but since he had been reading nonstop these past few days he decided to take a break.
Though "rest" just meant browsing his phone and looking up new recipes.
"This Caponelli cooking channel is pretty good…"
The humorous commentary and the uploader including their own failed attempts made it entertaining and educational. Shirou even learned new ways things could go wrong.
If there was a downside, it was that some recipes were quite difficult and niche.
Also… way too many spicy dishes.
He could handle spice, but not the kind where you dump piles of chili peppers.
Still, it was enough to learn about new methods. As for trying them…maybe later. The Penguin Logistics kitchen did not have nearly as many tools as a professional setup.
He had found this channel after being told by everyone that his entertainment options were too limited. He followed Sora's content and the rest were recommended by the site.
The internet really was powerful, after just searching for cooking techniques, tons of related videos popped up.
"Hmm… fried feathered beast… fried chicken, huh."
Watching the video on frying feathered beast legs, Shirou recalled making fried chicken before.
Not for Penguin Logistics, but long ago when Shirou saw his friends overworked and made fried chicken pieces for them.
Thinking about how everyone fought over dishwashing yesterday, Shirou felt like rewarding them.
Since Penguin Logistics seemed to enjoy fried food, he decided to give it a try.
Better to make it himself than order takeout, it felt safer to make it himself.
He had time and the expenses were covered by the boss so there was no problem at all.
Without realizing it, part of Shirou's mindset had been "assimilated" by Penguin Logistics.
From a diligent employee who worried about costs… to someone who thought, "Well, the boss is paying anyway, might as well eat well."
Still, it was not excessive so no one had noticed yet.
"Alright, since I have decided, time to head out!"
With a clear goal, Shirou quickly went to the market.
Given how much they usually ate, he figured he would need a lot, maybe even enough to buy out a supermarket's supply but that would be too troublesome and expensive.
For large quantities, the market was better, it was fresher and vendors could debone the meat.
"Though… maybe Texas would enjoy gnawing on bones… no, no, that is stereotyping."
Walking through Lungmen's streets, Shirou planned his shopping.
He briefly wondered if Texas, being a Lupo (wolf), liked bones but quickly dismissed the thought as rude.
"…Maybe I should get some whole legs and try frying them like in the video."
Repenting for his random thought, he decided to add extra portions.
After arriving at the market, he went to a poultry shop recommended by Jaye, it was well-known and often sold out if you came late.
Besides the meat, he bought garlic, ginger for marination, and lettuce for plating.
While waiting for the meat to be deboned, he went to ask Jaye about Rope.
"She came by last night and picked it up. I even treated her to fish balls, so do not worry."
To reassure him, Jaye even showed a photo of her happily eating.
That was when Shirou realized Rope was actually a purple-haired Cautus.
Seeing her satisfied smile while eating, Shirou felt relieved.
That is how a kid should look.
"Thanks. I will drop by your fish ball shop sometime."
Shirou knew Jaye also worked at a fish ball shop at night, though he rarely had time to visit.
After saying goodbye, Shirou carried a large bag of deboned meat and ingredients back to the dorm.
There was still marination, coating, and frying to do.
Frying itself was quick but the sheer quantity meant it would take time.
With their small fryer, he would have to do multiple batches.
Without counting marination it would take about 1.5 hours, but including it, the time will be closer to two hours.
"I wonder if they will like it."
Back at the dorm, Shirou rolled up his sleeves and got to work.
Since the meat was already prepared, he started with the marinade:
Grated garlic and ginger, soy sauce, salt, pepper, and cooking wine.
Then he cut the meat into bite-sized pieces and let it marinate.
While waiting, he prepped the rest.
The key to fried chicken was the marinade and after that it was just egg wash, coating, and frying.
He planned to double-fry: first cook through at lower heat, then increase temperature for crispiness while locking in moisture.
Finally, placing it on a draining rack was crucial so that the oil would not seep back into the crust.
"…Whew. It is simple but making it in large quantities is tiring."
After tasting and confirming it was good, he covered the food with a mesh lid.
Dust-proof, bug-proof… and Croissant-and-Exusiai-proof.
A must-have for any home cook.
After finishing, Shirou took off his apron and went to freshen up, deep frying left a lot of oil fumes.
Ding-dong—
Shirou's phone chimed.
"Hmm? A message?"
He checked it and saw it was from Yith.
Yith: Sorry to bother you at this time, but Texas's team ran into some trouble during a mission today. Exusiai used explosives, so now everyone is being held at the Guard Department.
The situation is a bit serious, so someone needs to bail them out. I am tied up with other work so could you go pick them up?
"..."
Reading the long message, Shirou could feel the sheer exhaustion behind it.
He replied that it was no problem. Yith then told him to go in about an hour, right now they were probably still undergoing "ideological education" at the Guard Department, and going too early would just mean waiting.
"…Yith has it rough too."
Seeing how familiar Yith was with the process, Shirou could not help but wonder—
Why are you so experienced with Guard Department procedures?!
That is the Guard Department! You should not be this used to it!
Putting down his phone, Shirou looked at the freshly made fried chicken filling the room with aroma… and suddenly felt like maybe Penguin Logistics did not deserve to eat it right now.
Perfect timing, Snowsant worked nearby and Swire had mentioned last time she wanted to try his cooking.
He might as well bring it to them.
As for rewarding Penguin Logistics?
Next time. Definitely next time.
That said, he only packed part of it, leaving the rest properly covered.
After messaging Snowsant and Swire, Shirou grabbed a large bag and headed out.
Even though Yith said he could go later, Shirou wanted to drop off the food first and he was also a bit curious about what "ideological education" at the Guard Department was like.
"After payday, I should get a bicycle. It would make things easier."
Walking along Lungmen's streets, Shirou thought about buying one. Going to markets and stores took too much time on foot.
Besides, he kind of missed riding a bicycle.
Passing by Snowsant's workplace, he informed the front desk and left the food there. She was probably busy, she usually only checked her phone during lunch or after work so he sent her a message reminding her to pick it up.
"Mr. Shirou, right? Officer Shi mentioned you."
As soon as he entered the Guard Department, a feline officer waved at him.
"She does not like being called that, right?"
Following her, Shirou quietly asked, remembering how angry Swire got last time he used that title.
"Ah… we're just used to saying it in private. Do not tell her, okay?"
The feline officer gave an awkward, playful grin just like Exusiai when she got caught messing up.
"I will not."
Shirou sighed internally.
Is Lungmen doomed?
Even the Guard Department has this kind of atmosphere?
"It is that door, just go in and find Officer Swire. Penguin Logistics will take a bit longer, we will notify you when they are done."
Relieved, the officer left.
Shirou entered.
Inside, officers were busy working. He carefully made his way over without disturbing anyone.
"Oh? Shirou?"
Swire looked up from her screen and saw him wearing a Penguin Logistics jacket and red scarf.
Ignoring the shopping bag, he looked pretty decent and much better than before.
Penguin Logistics might be quirky, but their fashion sense was not bad.
Swire had just been logging reports when she received word Shirou would come and that he would bring fried chicken.
This was a good sign. He was getting closer to the Guard Department!
"Yeah, I brought some food."
Shirou set down the bag and took out two large lunch boxes.
"They are huge… fried feathered beast, huh?"
Swire glanced around to make sure her "nemesis" was not nearby before opening them.
If she got caught eating during work hours, it would turn into another argument.
Not that she was afraid but she wanted to maintain a good image in front of Shirou.
Unfortunately for her, Shirou's impression of the Guard Department had already taken a hit thanks to the earlier officer.
"…Gulp."
As soon as the lid opened, the aroma of fried food spread out.
Swire swallowed.
She was starving, she had not eaten properly all day, she just chugged an energy drink and kept working.
Now faced with this delicious smell, her mouth watered uncontrollably.
And not just her—
Other overworked Guard Department officers turned to look as well.
It was like someone opening a bucket of fried chicken at the office after a long day, drawing envious stares from coworkers.
"…Lungmen profanity Do Penguin Logistics people eat like this every day?"
Skewering a piece with a stick, Swire watched the juices glisten as she took a bite.
At that moment, she became fully convinced—
Leaving Shirou in Penguin Logistics was a complete waste of talent.