Chapter 143: An Abrupt Assignment (1/2)
”Why do I have to do all of these...”
Bruce begrudgingly said as he carried several blankets and placed them over the bodies of the drunken Cavaliers. He also made sure that Vincent Dela Cruz was sufficiently covered and comfortable so that he wouldn't be sick the next day.
”You say all of that yet, you are still covering them up with blankets...” Calvin couldn't help but comment. A smirk was plastered across his face for he couldn't help but think that Bruce was such a cold and warm person, ”Why did you even have to drag me out here anyway... You know that it's my celebration... It's my glory, but why am I helping you wash these dishes?”
Calvin looked displeased.
”I don't even want to talk about that...” Bruce let out a sigh.
”Are you hungry?”
”After talking to you non-stop for several hours, do you think that I wouldn't be hungry?” Bruce raised an eyebrow.
”All right, once we're done with this, I'll cook us a simple meal.” Calvin smiled and he didn't say anything anymore. He got to work and cleaned all of the mess that the others made in the coffee shop. While he was at it, Calvin decided to clean the coffee machines and then afterwards, he checked out the kitchen wherein he was greeted with a pleasant surprise.
There was still uncooked meat within the kitchen!
And they seemed to be suspended in a strange ball of liquid...
Calvin poked the ball of liquid and he realized that what he was thinking was right. The ball of liquid was a bubble made to preserve the meat while it was being exposed to the outside air. This way, the meat wouldn't spoil nor rot. In short, this slab of meat encased in this ball of liquid was perfectly fine to cook and eat!
”Bruce, we're in luck... There's are still some meat that we can cook! We won't go hungry!” Calvin carried the slab of meat to show it to Bruce, but Bruce only let out a sigh.
”And what are we going to do with that slab of meat?”
”Aren't we going to cook it?”
”Makes sense, but I can't cook.”
”Oh, you can't?” Calvin furrowed his eyebrows. Though the way Bruce carried himself made Calvin understood that he was someone pampered, so this wasn't strange, ”All right, I will cook it for us.”
”Wait, you can cook?”
”Yeah... Is that strange?”
”Nope...” Bruce shook his head and turned his attention back to his dishes. But when Calvin returned to the kitchen carrying the slab of meat with him, Bruce gnashed his teeth and mumbled, ”I'm his senior, but I can't cook... He's my junior but he can cook! Where is my dignity going to? Damn it, I need to know how to cook!”
It wasn't strange that Calvin could cook, he was an overachiever after all before he became an addict. He could easily whip up a meal or two, but the question was what dish should he make out of these leftovers?
Calvin scanned the kitchen and he suddenly remembered the recipe for one of his favourite meals here in Ashmelion.
The smell of meat, herbs and spices soon filled up the air and the aroma was so fragrant that as soon as it wafted out of the kitchen, Bruce couldn't help but snap his neck to the direction of the kitchen. He subconsciously licked his lips as his stomach growled out of protest. But he was now, according to him— a senior member of the Cavaliers...
He couldn't possibly go into the kitchen and beg for food from one of his juniors. He had to keep his dignity in check.
Bruce took a deep breath. He mustered all of his willpower to suppress the urges that threatened to come out of his heart.
Fortunately, his suffering didn't last that long for Calvin was finally done with the cooking.
The meal that he had prepared for the two of them greatly took advantage of leftovers. The excessive bags of flour that Vincent Dela Cruz brought over was turned by Calvin into some noodles. Then, he topped those noodles with a thick tomato paste-looking sauce as well as some fragrant herbs and garnishes above it.
He presented it to Bruce and said, ”Good work, senior... You must be hungry... Here you go, and enjoy...” Calvin smiled as he lifted his own bowl of noodles and started slurping away without even waiting for Bruce's reply.
”All right...” Bruce stared at Calvin, ”If this satisfies me, then I will grant you the permission to call me by my name, Bruce!”
Calvin made a sidelong glance at him, ”Oh, the B-word pass?”
”B-word pass?”
”Nothing...” Calvin revealed a silly smile and shook his head as a reply, ”Taste it, senior... You won't be disappointed.”
These words were said by Calvin from his heart.
The noodles that he made didn't just come from any random recipe.
It was a favourite of someone he loved that he had to abandon back then for the sake of humanity.
Eating this bowl of noodles made him remember that familiar silhouette. The fragrant aroma of the spices and herbs made him feel as if she was standing right beside him at this moment.
”I've disappointed you back then...” Calvin softly whispered.
”What?” Bruce unexpectedly heard what he had said.
”No, it's nothing... I was just thinking of something else...”
”Oh, could it be that you are worried about what will happen to your life now that you are a part of us Cavaliers?” Bruce stared at him.
Calvin smiled, 'What a convenient misunderstanding... I really like those people that often jump into conclusions, they make my life way easier than it should...' He didn't deny what Bruce had said which made the latter think that he was correct.
”Hahaha, I know what you are thinking. But to be honest, you should not worry about it. The Captain gave your wife a job here in the Coffee Shop, so we consider her as one of us now. In short, she would have our protection. Don't worry about the Yellow River Gang taking revenge against your daughter and wife...”
”But if you are worried about not being an ordinary human anymore... I would say that your worries aren't farfetched, but you're exaggerating things. We may look like we are only striving to act like ordinary humans, but we are still humans in our hearts. The blessing that the Goddess bestowed upon us is the proof that she loves us, so we must take responsibility to help keep the world at peace...”
”You know what they say— with great power comes great responsibility...” Bruce winked at Calvin and praised, ”Damn, these noodles are good! Did you use tomato paste for the sauce?”
”Nope...”
”Makes sense, this doesn't taste like tomatoes at all. It's too sweet to be made out of tomatoes! What did you use to make this? I reckon the Wise One would be curious. I heard that he's recently into cooking.” Bruce kept on slurping the noodles as he said all of these, ”Do you have another bowl?”
”No, I only had enough ingredients for two portions. I used bananas for the sauce.”
”You used what?”
”Bananas...”
”Then, why is it red?”
”It's because I added in some tomato paste...”
”Ah! So that is why the taste is so refreshing, yet familiar at the same time. Wow, Calvin... You're a culinary genius!”
”Hahaha...” Calvin only laughed.
No one in this world knew other than him that this laughter contained more emotions than what meets the eye.
'I'm sorry, but if I had to choose again... I would choose to save humanity... I just can't abandon everything to be with you... But If I ever meet you again in this timeline, I would make sure that you'd never be forced to make the same decision that you did in the previous timeline...' A rueful smile was plastered across Calvin's face, but he was feeling incomparably confident.
He was able to achieve such heights back then without the help of a goddess or god, but now that he had a strong backer and was also given the strongest commandment in existence. There was no way that Calvin couldn't return to his previous peak or even exceed it. If he couldn't, then he might as well give everything up and cease to exist.
The dinner ended quietly. Bruce wanted to wash all the dishes by himself as a gesture of gratitude to Calvin, but the latter insisted that he must help since he couldn't possibly let his senior do all the work by himself. This made Bruce appreciate Calvin even more. The two talked idly as they worked on a tandem in cleaning up the entire coffee shop.
When they were done, they proceeded to carry the drunken Cavaliers to the second floor of the coffee shop. Calvin wanted to let Bruce carry Ashlynn at first, but the former profusely refused— saying that it would be more appropriate if Calvin carried Ashlynn to the second floor since he was married and no malice would possibly come out if he was the one who moved Ashlynn up there.
Calvin didn't say anything anymore and the curtains in this celebration soon ended.