chapter 90
Humming a tune, I tossed ingredients into the pot.
Thickly sliced radish and green onions, dried shiitake mushrooms, ginger, and garlic.
As I added them to the pot that had already been simmering, the greasy, beastly stench that had filled the cave gradually faded, replaced by a rich, savory aroma.
“Wow, if this simmers a bit more, it’s going to be delicious just like this.”
The pot had already been boiling for two hours.
The ingredients that had been pre-cooked were none other than the black meat of the Grim Bear and the dark marrow of the female blood bear.
Both ingredients were too contaminated or decayed to eat as they were. But I could find a way quickly.
― Purification Lv. 1
By consuming divine power, one can cleanse the magical energy from monster fluids, contaminated ingredients, spoiled herbs, and return them to their original state. When used on living beings, it can remove some of the toxicity within them. (Consumes 200 Divine Power)
Currently purifiable ingredient rank: Rare
The magic shop in the “radical magic” section had a spell that could remove contamination from ingredients.
The problem was that I had no divine points left after buying the Disassembly spell.
I could cook with the ingredients in my inventory, but these were precious spoils from a glorious battle. Cooking them immediately would give me an incredible sense of accomplishment.
‘I just need more divine points. There’s also the Monster Purification quest, so maybe I should go earn some.’
I assumed I’d achieved many linked quests from killing so many Grim Bears, but the “Monster Purification” quest hadn’t progressed much from before.
Apparently, monsters that had been disassembled with the Disassembly spell didn’t count as “purified.”
‘Since the last bear ran away, no more have come near. Do I have to go hunting monsters again…’
The bears that had charged at me so many times were now nowhere in sight.
I joked that perhaps I’d become famous among the Grim Bears, and was about to go out to hunt monsters for divine points when suddenly:
[Quest conditions fulfilled. Quest complete.]
[‘Recruit Believers III’ quest cleared. Linked quest ‘Recruit Believers IV’ has been generated.]
[Quest rewards granted. (Achievement Rank: S)]
― Experience +300
― Divine Power +400
― Saint Points +550
“…Huh?”
Suddenly, a linked believer recruitment quest was completed.
“What… what? Why now?”
It was strange.
During the two weeks of expedition, a few elite palace knights had shown signs of converting to the Amur faith, but none had actually done so yet.
For someone to become a proper believer, they had to either sincerely tell me, the Saint, that they believe in Amur, or declare their intention at an Amur temple. Only then would the recruitment quest progress.
‘But nobody said that to me during the expedition. Did someone declare at the temple? …Fifty people?’
The condition for ‘Recruit Believers III’ was to recruit 50 believers. I hadn’t personally persuaded anyone, yet this many converted to a suspicious religion?
Scratching my head at the implausibility, I decided it was better not to question it. After all, I got divine points from completing the quest.
Once I returned to the capital, I’d check on the believers. For now, I used the points to buy the Purification spell and immediately purified the ingredients.
“Purify.”
[Purified the magic from the ‘Contaminated Grim Bear Black Meat’.]
[Obtained ‘Grim Bear Black Meat’.]
[Purified the magic from the ‘Decayed Female Blood Marrow’.]
[Obtained ‘Female Blood Marrow’.]
All the tags marking the ingredients as inedible vanished. Even their descriptions no longer mentioned contamination.
I didn’t waste time, took out the pot, filled it with water using water magic, and added the black meat and marrow to boil.
The water turned a slightly murky color—not because of magical contamination, but likely because the meat and bones were naturally dark. Not very appetizing in appearance.
Yet the aroma growing stronger was undeniably rich and deep, filling the area with a smell that stimulated the appetite.
Once I judged the broth sufficiently flavored, I slowly added the pre-cut ingredients into the pot.
As the ingredients fell in, a ladle stirred the pot naturally, without anyone touching it.
It was the magic ladle I’d received as an F-rank reward, and it was proving very useful.
“Though the real reward is this… hehehe…”
I chuckled as I pulled an ingredient from my inventory.
In my left hand: a bean.
This bean was the A-rank reward for the event quest.
Having achieved ranks from F up to A, I also obtained all the rewards from the other ranks.
Honestly, D-rank rewards were just nice-to-have items or ingredients, like the magic ladle. Not really essential.
But from C-rank onward, the rewards became highly desirable.
And this A-rank bean—at first, I thought, “Are you joking?” when only one appeared.
― Ancient Sage’s Bean (Rank: Epic)
― Type: Ingredient
A bean containing the essence of all bean-based recipes in existence. Whoever holds it can make fermented sauces without fire or a cauldron, and craft countless bean dishes effortlessly.
This was a super-genetic bean.
The possibilities were endless. It could be eaten as-is, or used to make tofu or soy milk—the ingredients I often ate in my past life.
Most importantly, it could ferment sauces.
Amazingly, it could create any sauce desired.
“Miso, soy sauce… even gochujang!”
Just this one bean could make any sauce I wanted.
Although beans were cultivated in the Empire, fermenting sauces required meju beans. The Empire only had peas—not meju beans. I hadn’t expected much.
Though I had been cooking delicious meals since converting, I often missed the foods of my past life, which had more seasoning than just salt.
‘I had resolved to eventually obtain meju beans through gacha.’
But now, with just this bean, there was no need for gacha.
The bean in my hand multiplied into dozens. The “infinite” crafting ability was no exaggeration.
I stored one bean in my inventory and mashed the remaining dozens in a bowl. I put the mashed beans into a magic jar for sauce-making.
A clock-shaped hologram appeared in midair. After one minute, the production completion screen popped up.
Inside the jar:
“…This is incredible. Incredible! It’s real miso!!”
The aroma was exactly like real miso I remembered from my past life.
No time to waste—I poured the miso into the simmering pot.
The murky broth instantly turned a rich, smooth brown.
I could have let the ladle stir on its own, but impatience won, and I stirred the pot manually. The ladle seemed to wiggle in my hand, but I ignored it.
After enduring the necessary time:
― Grim Bear Hot Pot Lv. 10 (new!)
― Additional Stats: Purification +45 (+15), Mana +20
A hot pot simmered with Grim Bear black meat and female blood marrow. The rich broth is infused with the deep aroma of meat and perfectly blended with the savory flavor of miso, creating a sublime taste.
Affected by the exclusive skill ‘Holy Blessing’, the purification stat increases.
“This… this is amazing…”
Gazing at the creation, I swallowed hard.
I had never seen a level 10 dish before. The stats alone were far beyond anything I’d cooked before.
Especially the Purification stat—if fed to the duke, maybe it would even speed up the main quest involving breaking his curse.
I ran calculations in my mind, but my body was honest in front of food.
I couldn’t take my eyes off the pot and unknowingly scooped a spoonful into my mouth.
The first bite:
“…!”
A vast meadow spread across my mind.
Meanwhile, at the Amur faith temple.
The grounds were usually quiet due to few believers, but today, for some reason, a significant number of people were gathered.
Some admired the intricate temple decorations, others sipped lemon honey water and expressed awe.
Some may have even been busy tending the fields within the temple grounds.
But the largest crowd was at the temple entrance.
Around a man standing at the entrance, people gathered.
The man wore a deep hat, hiding his face.
Those in front spoke cautiously, looking tense:
“…I heard the rumors and came.”
“I can’t believe it until I see it myself. Are the rumors… true?”
At first glance, they seemed random, but they had clear common traits:
One, they were all men.
Two, they wore attire indicating noble status.
“…The rumors are true.”
Three, their hair, glinting in the sunlight, shone brightly.
“Since being blessed by the Saint, I have gained a new life.”
—Clang!
Maurice removed his hat.
Glossy, long hair spilled out like flowing water.
Without the Saint even knowing, rumors about the Amur faith began to spread, and the number of believers steadily increased—quietly among certain nobles.
