The Crown Prince Who Raises Alt Characters

#Episode 259 Evil Boss Nigel (8) - Shower, 3-Minute Curry "It's true that just turning this handle here makes water come out endlessly." "How on earth do you control the temperature? Is someone up there mixing hot and cold water?" "No way. If that were the case, the temperature couldn't come out so precisely. It must be magic." The atmosphere inside the shower room was incredibly excited. Being able to use clean water freely, and even control it to the desired temperature, was a luxury that ordinary people could hardly dream of. There were voices questioning how this was even possible, but most just assumed it was magic and moved on. 'No, this isn't something that can be done just by using some magic!' And Kasim was someone who didn't belong to that majority. Unlike ordinary people who vaguely perceived magic as omnipotent, Kasim, who had interacted with mages as a high-ranking official in a successful trading company, knew that magic had clear limitations. While water-related mages are most preferred in the Markanda region, the actual number of water-attribute specialized mages in Markanda is much fewer compared to other regions. The reason is simple. Because it's difficult to use water magic in desert regions. 'Even though it looks like they're suddenly creating water from thin air to others, in reality they're gathering moisture from the air or ground in one place.' If the surrounding environment is already damp and humid, you can create a lot of water by gathering just a little moisture. But in a place as dry as a desert, where there's almost no moisture to gather in the first place? Naturally, the difficulty of using water-attribute magic increases dramatically. To avoid being affected by the surrounding environment, one would have to convert mana itself into water, which was said to be impossible unless you were a high-level mage. If such a mage existed in Markanda, the families ruling each region would spend a fortune to bring them over and treat them with great reverence. Then what exactly is the identity of this water pouring out here? What kind of mage could handle water that dozens of slaves could use luxuriously beyond abundance, water without a trace of contamination and with freely controllable temperature? 'Hiring a mage capable of this would itself be difficult, but to use such hired mages just for bathing slaves - that doesn't make sense by common standards!' The only realistic possibility was that Nigel, who purchased Kasim, had the authority to use this city's qanats at will, but this too was equally extraordinary. That would mean Nigel was either a member of the Baharah Family, the rulers of this region, or had a deep enough relationship with them to be granted free use of the qanats. Just where have I been sold to? Lost in deep thought and worry, Kasim couldn't properly enjoy the rare luxurious bath. 'Earlier there were others besides me who still had their guard up. Should I try talking with them?' Kasim carefully looked around and soon found the face he was looking for, but immediately had to be disappointed. "Uhhhhhhh." Because all worry and concern had already disappeared from the face of the person who was emitting vibrations that only a seasoned middle-aged man could produce while enjoying the hot water stream with his whole body. "Geez, why make the water temperature so hot it's steaming? Doesn't your skin hurt?" "It's already hot, so why use hot water when you could use cool water?" The other slaves around looked strangely at him deliberately taking a hot shower when he could freely use cold water, but soon a few curious ones similarly raised their water temperature. And they too realized. "...This is good in its own way?" "It feels like my body is loosening up and relaxing somehow." A cool cold water shower that seemed to instantly erase the stuffy and dry outside air was good. But spraying moderately warm water on the body had its own pleasure. It felt like the body that had been tense and stiff everywhere from harsh slave life was loosening up. As Kasim was looking helplessly at the slaves who were devoted to just enjoying this moment without any worry or concern about the future, someone tapped his shoulder and spoke quietly. "You seem to still be holding onto your senses. It's fortunate there's at least one sane person here." "...Yes, you also seem to be a rational person. Are you from the western regions?" "Where I came from we called it the central continent, but by this place's standards it would be west." The man with somewhat tanned but still pale skin compared to others introduced himself as Rainer. They finished their showers a little faster than the others and talked in the changing room. "Oh my. Not only clothes but even underwear prepared by size. Is this saying take whatever you want? And the feel is incredibly good too?" "No matter how I think about it, this is strange. Giving mere slaves proper bedrooms and beds, letting them bathe luxuriously, and now even providing such high-quality clothes? Rainer, do you think this is normal? Or is this how slaves are originally treated in your homeland?" "How could that be. There too they treat slaves harshly just the same. If it's a high-grade slave with professional skills and knowledge, since the price itself is expensive they treat them somewhat preciously, but even so it's not to this level. Even most nobles would rather fill a bathtub with water to wash themselves than indulge in such luxury of letting water flow freely like this." "No matter how much I think about it, I can't understand the intention. Just what kind of work are they planning to make us do..." While Kasim and Rainer were lost in thought, the other slaves also finished their showers one by one and came out to the changing room. In one corner of the changing room, rectangular cloths used for drying the body were neatly stacked like a mountain, and their texture was also unbelievably soft. Similarly, after using the 'magic tool that blows wind to dry hair' that Noa had taught them how to use, and changing into the prepared clothing, the slaves who had looked like beggars just moments ago became surprisingly neat. "Did they say to come to the dining room next? Looking at how things are going, I wouldn't be surprised if there was a giant whole roasted pig on the table." At Rainer's jest, Kasim couldn't argue that such a thing was impossible. Because even he didn't think ordinary food would come out. "Now, everyone. Please pay attention." Sure enough, the beastkin slave named Noa once again presented strange objects. "Currently there are no separate cooking staff in the dining room, so you'll need to cook your own meals. The cooking method itself is very simple, so you'll be able to understand it quickly." She first opened a shelf, and inside there were rectangular yellow board-like things packed tightly like books. When Noa pulled out one of the boards and turned it sideways, a picture of food drawn on the front of the board became visible. "This small box can be opened by pulling here like this. Then the contents wrapped in silver packaging come out like this. Now, everyone take one and try it yourselves." At her words, the slaves hesitantly stepped forward one by one and took out the yellow boards - no, small boxes - from the bookshelf-like space. "...Rainer, did you notice?" "Oh, yes. It's unbelievable." Kasim and Rainer were shocked. "This is paper. They made boxes out of paper!" "And the pictures drawn on each box are all identical. Even with woodblock printing, it should be impossible to print such clear and smooth pictures identically." They would have liked to continue a deeper consideration of this aspect, but unfortunately Noa didn't wait for them. "Then let's move on to the next step. Take this silver packaging you just took out and this instant rice here. Put these two into this black box, and press this part firmly. When the number 3:00 appears here and then gradually decreases, you've succeeded." Whirrrrrr. At the sight of the black box moving with some ominous light and sound, the slaves nervously backed away while glancing around. Kasim and Rainer tried to maintain calm attitudes while showing pride in being intellectuals, but they too couldn't help their bodies stiffening with tension. And finally, the timer that had appeared reached 0 and the black box stopped. Noa took out the contents from inside the box, tore open the packaging, and poured it onto a plate. At the intense aroma that instantly spread, all the slaves trembled in surprise. 'Spices?' That spicy yet strangely appetite-stimulating aroma was undoubtedly the result of blending various spices. Noa looked at the completed plate with satisfaction and said to them. "There, that's how it's done. Pretty easy, right?" Kasim blinked his eyes. It certainly wasn't such a difficult process. Just put the prepared items in the black box, press a button, wait, then tear open the packaging and put it in a bowl. The usual cooking processes of washing ingredients with water, preparing them with a knife, and cooking them with fire weren't needed at all. But why did he want to argue so much with that 'Pretty easy, right?' comment? At Noa's suggestion for everyone to try it themselves, Kasim followed the exact process he had just seen. Take out the silver packaging from the yellow box, partially tear open the packaging of the instant rice without completely removing it, put both items into the black box (microwave) at once and run it, then put it in a bowl. 'This is... rice?' In Markanda, which serves as a gateway connecting the Liu Empire and the western continent, rice isn't such an unfamiliar grain. But since rice plants themselves required so much water, it belonged more to the diet of the wealthy rather than commoners. What was before his eyes was white rice that was clearly finely polished at first glance, even seeming to have a lustrous shine. It was shorter in length than the rice varieties Kasim knew and felt more glutinous, but it definitely felt luxurious. 'The sauce poured on top is also somewhat familiar, if I had to say.' A dish made by putting spices, meat, and vegetables together and simmering slowly. That itself was a very common food in the Markanda region. The cooking methods and combinations were so varied, and each household had its own characteristics beyond just regional differences, that there were easily over a dozen different names for it. Kasim carefully scooped up the food that Noa called 'curry rice' with a spoon and tasted it. 'Ah.' Sweet. Salty. Spicy. Savory and oily and fragrant. Kasim cursed his vocabulary, which was capable with numbers but not particularly outstanding literarily. Because the few words he knew couldn't perfectly describe this violent flavor he felt in his mouth. He had eaten rice before. He had also eaten spice sauces and stews. But this wasn't that. Putting what Kasim had eaten before in the same category as this would itself be an insult to this curry rice. Only after frantically scooping up three or four spoonfuls did Kasim gasp and momentarily grasp his senses. This wouldn't do. If even he lost his mind like this, how could he possibly prepare for the future? Ignoring his stomach and tongue that were screaming about why he stopped eating, Kasim tried to attempt conversation with Rainer. Because he felt he could somehow maintain his composure that way. "Phew, that was dangerous. I almost fell for it..." Kasim's words couldn't continue to the end. After seeing his comrade-in-arms (past tense) beside him shedding tears while indulging in curry rice, Kasim stared at the ceiling for a moment. And he smiled broadly. 'Ah, I don't know. Let whatever happens happen.' Even if he died after devouring this, wouldn't that be a rather good death? With that consideration as his last, Kasim too surrendered himself to the great flow. Later, upon Noa's report that the slaves' reaction was very enthusiastic, Nigel smiled coldly and said. "Good. Now I can stock up on jjajang, meatballs, hamburgers, dakgangjeong, rice bowl sauce and such, and just tell them to take care of their own meals. If I did something like this in a modern employee cafeteria, there would be an explosion of complaints... What easy guys they are!"