The Legendary Rebuilding of a World by a Realist Demon King Chapter 78

The Best Pot-au-feu

It was just us in the kitchen now, and so Jeanne asked me what I would like to eat.

Some men might have said ‘you,’ at that point, but I wasn’t like that.

However, saying ‘anything’ would also not do.

And so I considered the question.

Hmm. I looked at Jeanne who was now dressed as a chef.

As she was always wearing white, she did not strike me as looking that different. And then I remembered something.

She was from a country called France.

That was a country known for its food.

Perhaps she could make something like mayonnaise.

It was one of the best condiments that the French had invented.

But when I asked her about this, she looked at me with confusion.

“Mayo-nnaise? What is that?”

Then I remembered that it was invented in the 18th century.

Jeanne was from the 15th century, so she missed it by about 300 years.

(It was still the middle ages, and food hadn’t advanced much yet.)

That made me realize she wouldn’t be able to do much at all. And so I decided to ask for something simple instead.

“Alright, I would like you to make Pot-au-feu then.”

“Ah, Pot-au-feu. That I can do!”

She said excitedly.

It was just vegetables and bacon boiled in a pot.

You cut up radishes, carrots, cabbages and boiled it with bacon or sausages. Anyone could do it.

And yet it was very satisfying and delicious.

Though she had boasted of her cooking skills, upon further interrogation, she revealed that she had merely hunted wild birds and boars and roasted them with salt. Being a ‘good cook’ was clearly not true.

Eve could bake with flour. Such a thing would be too much for Jeanne.

In any case, my decision was the correct one.

As she found using knives too troublesome, she threw the ingredients in the air and sliced them with her sword.

This seemed like a horrible use for her holy blade, which was called Nouvelle Joyeuse, but she seemed oblivious to my reaction.

As she was cutting them in the air, some of the ingredients fell to the floor.

She scooped them up and said,

“Three-second rule.”

And tossed them into the pot.

Well, the heat would kill any bacteria anyway. But it was clear that she didn’t have the best notion of cleanliness.

And so I warned her.

But she replied,

“You were wealthy in your previous life, Demon King. I was poor. Not only did I eat vegetables that had fallen on the floor, but I even ate vegetables that rats had half-eaten.”

“…”

It was hard to argue after hearing something like that. But I told her to be careful next time, and she agreed.

Of course, she did not sound very sincere. It was likely that she wouldn’t change at all.

But maybe I was being paranoid.

This world was not as rich with food.

God would be angry if we threw away food that had fallen on the ground. That was her view and it made sense.

And so I let the matter slide and prepared the dishes.

Jeanne looked at them and gasped in surprise.

What was so surprising? She asked. Apparently, she was not used to seeing men prepare the table.

“How very advanced. What a gentleman.”

She exclaimed.

Well, perhaps it wasn’t too usual in her world.

And this world was not too different from the medieval one she had come from. Culture and learning had had not advanced much. And so men who did such things were still in the minority.

“You are very perceptive, Demon King. You will make a good husband.”

She declared.

I wasn’t so sure about that. In any case, I would be the first Demon King to taste her cooking. Several minutes later, the Pot-au-feu was ready.

It was served in the bowls and placed on the table.

It was seasoned with salt.

A simple dish that made use of the flavor of the vegetables and meat.

And that alone was enough to be delicious.

I had watched her the whole time, and aside from her method of cutting vegetables, she did not do anything that was terribly abnormal.

She didn’t use sugar, vinegar or anything else that was unnecessary.

As long as you stuck to the recipe, anyone could make this successfully.

And so I took a bite without really worrying about it. And it was good.

The natural sweetness of the vegetables and the flavorful juices from the meat.

Jeanne brought her face close to mine and asked, ‘is it good?’

I was honest.

“It is. The best Pot-au-feu in the world.”

She smiled then. And her face shone like the stars of the night sky.