Cardboard Houses Do Not Tear

136 – Waiting in front of the canyon

How long did you wait under the scorching sun?

The wooden barrier shook in the heat as if to tease us, but there was still no sign of popularity in the desolate field.

‘It’s hot.’

It was scorching heat through the helmet he was wearing, but now he couldn’t do anything about it.

I got here way too late to go back the other way, and my life was too unique to ignore this damn sign.

The moment I’ve been waiting for so long.

“Mercenaries?”

The young lady called from behind.

“No matter how much I think about it, it seems wrong to skip today, so how about camping nearby?”

Let’s listen to her suggestion and turn around to ask her opinion,

The party, who looked tired from the heat, were slowly nodding their heads.

At that word, I stopped the wagon in search of a place near a wooden fence with overgrown bushes and friendly Ongdalsam.

Then I quickly got off the steamy wagon.

The reason why the sunlight was peeled off in the fable was because I learned the secret story that not only the traveler’s clothes but also patience were included.

As they got off the wagon, Prianian said, each carrying a tent cloth and a pole.

“I and Priest Rien will set up the tent, so G-House-san will do the cooking for me.”

“Then take care of me, mercenary!”

After speaking, the two quickly started pitching the tent.

“I will carry it. One.”

“Two!”

As if they had come to an agreement after spending a few days camping, the two of them were erecting a tent rather than pitching it.

“Mercenaries, why don’t we prepare ourselves soon?”

The young lady who was watching the two people setting up the tent from the side opened her mouth.

“Don’t even think about cooking alone this time.”

“Yes. Let’s do it together this time. Young lady.”

After answering that, I took out a piece of thick meat from the corner of the wagon and set it aside.

Chaaak.

The sound of sticking to a chopping board like sticky rice cakes.

It was a sign confirming that this scarlet beef was suitable for dinner tonight.

“Lovely.”

I picked up the knife I had left beside me, gently scraped the fascia of the meat, and then ripped it off.

With a squeaking sound, the thin silver film was quickly peeled off.

The young lady crouched next to me and silently watched the process of getting rid of the tough part of the meat.

After removing all the fascia, I put the meat in a flat wooden bowl so that it doesn’t overlap, and then I took out a mortar and pestle that had been put down next to me.

The young lady who saw it asked me.

“What are you doing with it?”

“I’m going to make seasoning for the meat, would you like to try it?”

The word is preparation, there is really nothing special.

Just put coarse salt, whole pepper, and dried herbs in a bowl and grind them up.

After hearing that it was a really simple task, the young lady reached out to me.

“I do.”

At the perfect opportunity to poke around, I held out her mortar to her.

I didn’t expect to enjoy the luxury of having the Count’s daughter do kitchen chores.

With a crackling sound, the smell of tear gas filled with fragrance penetrated my nostrils.

“Cough, Cough.”

The young lady who had left the bowl too close turned her head and coughed.

“Are you okay?”

“Kellock.”

After twists and turns, sprinkle the seasoning evenly over the meat as much as possible. Pour a little oil on it.

The light green oil mixed with the black, grayish powder, and soon began to color the meat slowly.

Now, after rubbing it with your hands like a massage, put it in the coolest place possible and you’re done.

Before rubbing the meat, I asked the young lady who was staring blankly at it next to me.

“This is called a marinade, would you like to try this too? This one is really easy.”

Then she shook her head and said.

“I will never do it this time.”

“Sure.”

After putting the seasoning on the meat, I washed my hands and knives with water from Ongdalsaem and came back.

“Thank you for your hard work. Now take a break. Young lady.”

“I didn’t do anything.”

“You just did one.”

During the marinade, we watched two men pitching a tent in the shade of the wagon.

Because I had to play goofball while I could.

From the side, the young lady took off her hood.

“Whoa.”

The long silver hair was revealed to the world again, and she wiped her forehead with her sleeve.

“Is it possible that making good steak as well as stew is a basic skill for mercenaries?”

I shook my head.

“One of my friends cooked a good steak. She saw what the guy was doing and copied it.”

He was a guy who learned to cook over his shoulder because his older sister was a chef, and this was what he would do right away when he went to his room.

It was nice to have a drink because they made all the side dishes for just the price. I miss that time.

The young lady who heard my muttering asked from the side.

“What is he doing? Chef?”

“No. Became a highly intelligent serf. Young lady.”

“A highly intelligent serf?”

“It’s a nickname we call each other.”

An unstoppable castle seeker, a cruel earth mage who sees blasphemy just by looking at the ruins, and a true joke that made the joke that money comes out when you dig the ground.

Today was the day I missed that friend’s steak.

‘Are you still digging at the excavation team, or are you digging after completing your master’s thesis?’

As I stared blankly at the outside, the reddened sky somehow started to stir me up.

When she was young, she used to play outside and go home when the sun went down and eat her mother’s meals.

‘I miss my mother.’

“Mercenaries. Why are you covering your face?”

“My eyes are a little tired, so I want to give them a break.”

The only good thing about the blackness in front of my eyes was to give myself an excuse to make excuses even if I couldn’t recall the face of the forgotten person.

For now, that was enough.

***

Time passed, and the night of the camp came.

A half-eaten moon was floating in the sky as wide as the field of view, and the stars were wrapped around it.

With the bonfire burning, we sat around and talked about tomorrow’s schedule.

“Assuming we cross the barrier during the day tomorrow, we can rest at the inn in the village for the evening.”

“Mercenary, shouldn’t we also consider camping in the canyon?”

At Priest Rien’s question, I thought for a while before opening my mouth.

“First of all, you should refrain from staying in the canyon since there are signs like that. That’s why I intend to break through there, even if it means running the wagon until late.”

If you go a little further past the canyon beyond the barrier, you will come to a small village. The party would prefer to rest comfortably in an inn room rather than sleeping inconveniently in a dangerous wilderness area.

“I hope there will be many strong people among the party who will join us.”

At the young lady’s words, Prianian nodded.

“Anyway, the only one among us who wants to engage in close combat with monsters right away is Mr. G-House. The more shared the risk, the better.”

“If things don’t go well, we’ll go elsewhere, so there’s no need to worry too much. If you go around the road for about three days, you will find a safe road.”

After saying that, I lifted the plate next to me.

“And I guess it’s time to eat.”

Smoke from the evaporation of oil on the pan began to embroider the air with sparks.

“Ego.”

The eyes of the four focused on the meat in the wide wooden platter.

He picked up the seasoned meat and slowly placed it on the pan.

“The steak is here.”

Chiik…

The low voice held everyone’s expectations.

That’s why it’s already enough to make you feel the taste in your mouth.

Cheeyiik!!

After a while, the fat melted and began to sprinkle the flavor on the pan, and at the same time, drips of oil began to splatter in all directions.

As a result, he proudly opened his mouth, pointing to the surface that was being fried to a brown color.

“This is the process of trapping the juice-“

“As expected, if you bake it that quickly, it really brings out the umami.”

Prianian, looking at the meat, drowned out my voice.

At some point, she came next to me and said with a smile.

“As expected, it’s really nice that Mr. G-House, who knows this kind of knowledge, is in charge of our meals.”

“Miss Priyanian seems to be the one who will be in charge of the meal.”

She seems to be trying to say what Priianian is trying to say with that, she said as she looked at Priest Lien this time.

“So, the two of you, please join us. I will pitch the tent now-“

―Chaaagh!

“Sorry for interrupting, Mercenary, but the meat looks like it will burn!”

“Oh.”

After she rested the meat that was already cooked on the cutting board, she started grilling vegetables to serve as garnish.

Even if I only had butter and potatoes, I would put butter on whole potatoes and bake them.

‘Next time I’m going to look for potatoes when I buy ingredients.’

Let’s scrape off the scorch on the bottom of the pan with a spatula and stir-fry it in vegetables with beef gravy mixed with beef oil.

A garnish of moderately satisfying quality has been completed.

I put the garnish on the plate and quickly cut the rested steak.

It was medium rare with a bright red core that showed off its presence within the brown border, and was easy to eat at a glance.

Let’s even plate it on a wooden plate and share it. The eyes of my companions looking at me were not very good.

Looking at the eyes of an all-powerful slave, I averted my gaze and quietly buried my nose in the plate.

“Enjoy your meal.”

***

Multiple, multiple.

After eating, washing the dishes with hot water, and returning to the fire, I heard the sound of horses hooves in the distance.

Also, strange noises at night do not bring good things.

That’s why everyone had no choice but to move their hands around the waist.

Multiple, multiple.

The approaching sound soon stopped, and a human form emerged from the bush.

“Nice to meet you! We are merchants on the way up, are you by any chance passing through the gorge?”

The top, the top Why.

‘I’d rather have a slave wagon.’

When I turned my head, Prianian was also looking at me.