“Indeed, making it the elven way results in a different taste.”
Through alternating bites, Luke definitively realized that this was unavoidable.
If the ingredients are different, the taste cannot possibly be the same.
That is to say, it was only natural.
Of course, it wasn’t that it tasted bad, but Luke’s promise was to create ‘the same flavor’.
The plant-based whipped cream inevitably had a difference in texture and taste compared to the whipped cream made with milk, and the bread made with almond milk felt a bit drier and greasier than usual.
While it was delicious, perhaps the intended flavor was simply different.
If the taste of bread made in the elven style emphasized nuttiness and texture, then the officially made melon bread was softer, moister, and neater.
“Now then, how should I go about making it?”
Luke still had a major problem remaining.
That was, Luke had never baked bread even once.
Instinctively, Luke turned his head to look at Yerna and shook it.
‘Of course, asking Yerna would yield no results.’
He had no baking tools at home, didn’t particularly like bread, and was a beginner in cooking.
If Yerna could bake, it would indeed be a special occurrence.
Luke simply turned on the computer and searched for ‘how to make melon bread.’
As if it were the most natural thing in the world, the screen displayed that information, and Luke nodded in relief.
“At least this sort of thing comes up when you search for it.”
Since he hadn’t found any useful information in the meantime and had been mainly watching cat videos, the computer began to seem a little different.
——-
After that, what Luke did was buy baking tools with Yerna and return with a full load of ingredients.
With a click, he opened the door and brought all the ingredients into the kitchen.
Seeing them laid out like this, there were indeed a lot of ingredients.
Flour, various types of milk, sugar, yeast, and so forth…
Luke was not merely making simple melon bread but was aiming to recreate the flavor of milk using elven ingredients, so he prepared as many different ingredients as possible.
Luke felt a sense of satisfaction seeing the kitchen filled with ingredients.
‘Good, this should be enough to experiment with.’
He had been losing the sensation of researching and exploring as a mage, but now the given blood of a dragon could serve as an intriguing study subject.
However, having lost the dragon’s blood due to a ridiculous mistake, Luke desperately needed a new research focus to cover that disappointment.
In the midst of that, the idea that popped into his head was surprisingly to make melon bread.
Well, why not? It was perfect for passing the time, wasn’t it?
Luke requested Yerna to tie his hair back.
Yerna willingly brushed Luke’s hair back and neatly tied it into a ponytail as she spoke.
“Luke, once you finish making them, you’ll share some with me, right?”
“Of course. You need not worry about that at all.”
“Hehe, I’m looking forward to it.”
Luke found himself donning an apron and decided to embark on the serious task of baking.
‘For now, should I make one of each?’
He took out all the available bowls, placed a sieve over them, and shook flour into each one appropriately.
Then Luke poured the other ingredients in right away.
Yerna, watching, asked.
“Luke, why are you taking out so many bowls? Isn’t that going to make cleaning difficult…?”
“I’m planning to make the dough in different ways. The goal of this experiment is to replicate the exact flavor using plant-based ingredients instead of milk and butter and eggs. Don’t worry too much about the cleaning; I’ll handle it once we’re done.”
“Is that so? I understand. I’ll be cheering for you.”
So that’s why he bought such a variety of ingredients…?
She thought he simply wanted to buy what he felt like eating.
——–
Ding.
The oven, one of the few heating tools in Yerna’s house, signaled the completion of the bread.
The created breads included variations with milk, coconut milk, and soy milk, among others.
Additionally, there were also variations using eggs and substitutes like flaxseed and tofu, resulting in quite a number of types, though each was merely the size to disappear in a single or two bites, being experimental in taste based on the ingredient combinations.
Nonetheless, there was a decent quantity.
Moreover, upon closer inspection, they looked closer to cookies rather than bread.
Perhaps because they were made smaller, they felt a bit crispier than typical melon bread.
Luke grabbed a properly made melon bread, made with sufficient milk and butter, and brought it to his mouth.
“Hmm, maybe I should have lowered the oven’s heat a bit or reduced the time.”
Unfortunately, what he made was something that straddled the line between bread and cookie.
However, it seemed to taste fine.
Py made a gulping sound as he looked at the scene, but Luke, feeling apologetic, briefly patted Py on the head.
“When you can eat them someday, I’ll make as many breads as you want, so just hold on for now.”
Hearing that, Py sparkled with excitement and bounced around, letting out small joyful sounds.
The meaning of that voice was…
“I want to eat the cookies Luke made soon!”
Luke sighed slightly and murmured.
“…It’s bread, not cookies.”
Py seemed a little resentful.
However, Yerna, looking at the result Luke created, shared a similar sentiment.
“Hmm, was it cookies you were trying to make?”
“…No, this is definitely bread.”
Luke replied somewhat curtly to Yerna’s question.
He felt as though everyone around him was denying his results.
“R- really? I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine. Well, you likely had no malicious intent. Huh, this is a failure then. I didn’t really expect it to work out from the beginning.”
“No, no! This looks delicious, right? How can it be a failure!”
Seeing Luke’s sulking attitude, Yerna immediately comforted him and picked up the bread? Cookie? Regardless, she examined it.
The color was quite lovely. The sugar coating on the outer surface looked crispy and sparkled like jewels embedded in it.
Regardless of whether it was bread or a cookie, it certainly looked delicious.
“Yerna, since that one has butter in it, try this one.”
“Oh, really? Thank you.”
Taking what Luke offered, Yerna put it in her mouth with a bit of anticipation.
“Hmm…”
The outside was crispy with a sweet sugar coating, while the inside had a texture more moist and softer than a cookie, bursting with sweet cream.
It felt like a magnificent blend of the strengths of both cookies and bread.
Although Luke considered it a failure, it seemed to him quite a beautiful failure.
“It’s delicious! It would be perfect with tea!”
“Is that so?”
Luke also didn’t truly dislike the taste, so he nodded appropriately.
It wouldn’t hurt to save a few for Shirud as well.
——-
After a few more experiments, once all the ingredients ran out, Luke slumped onto a chair, sighed, and looked around.
Bowls and cups, regardless of size, were strewn about haphazardly on the table, along with ingredient packets, and flour, eggs, butter, and others splattered everywhere during the vigorous mixing process.
The traces of numerous attempts left behind, but Luke’s expression was not particularly bright.
“Things really aren’t going well.”
It wasn’t easy.
Could it really be that different ingredients would not yield the same taste?
Logically, it was an obvious conclusion, but he had thought he could do differently.
After all, potions could be created to produce the same effects using different ingredients.
However, even flavor changed with even the slightest, most subtle difference…
Considering the difficulty of making them, he thought potions were more challenging.
That was because potion-making involved balancing the effective properties of different herbs along with the concentration of mana and magical effects, while food only needed to simply taste good.
Yet, that was an ignorant statement.
The flavor too changed with very subtle differences, and so changed ingredients would certainly not yield the same taste.
“Hmm.”
Luke contemplated.
He could simply retract his previous statement and give Shirud any bread made in the elven way, but that would bruise his pride.
It was an outcome he could not accept.
He could not find satisfaction in a half-hearted compromise.
He wanted to uphold the promise he had made, even if it wasn’t very significant. He wanted to definitely keep the promise made with a child.
‘Somehow, I need to find a similar taste without using milk…’
After thinking for a while, Luke snapped his fingers as a sudden idea struck him.
“Shall I change my approach?”
To achieve a similar taste without using milk.
‘But if it’s not milk, it won’t taste the same.’
Experiments had proven it time and again.
To reproduce the same taste, one needed to use the same ingredients.
Then it was simple.
“I just need to start making the ingredients myself.”
Luke smiled slightly.
Perhaps this idea would make the research quite enjoyable.
He took out the many mana herbs he had collected while strolling through the forest and began alchemy. Grinding the herbs, drying them, distilling, and adding.
If something didn’t exist, a mage should just create it, right?
‘Should I add zircone for umami flavor? I can imitate the nuttiness of milk by extracting components from dirix herb. I could neutralize toxicity with geranium and adjust the texture by diluting…’
——-
“It’s finished.”
Luke finally wiped the sweat from his forehead, as if he had made a satisfying result.
He had theoretically perfected a melon bread by recreating the texture of milk using dozens of types of mana herbs and tea leaves.
“Alright, this should do.”
The taste was perfect when he tasted it for the first time.
Since it contained not a trace of animal product, it would surely pose no problem for elves to consume.
Luke beamed with satisfaction as he stored it in the refrigerator along with the other melon bread-cookies and started cleaning up.
As Luke finished cleaning and started doing the dishes, Py was currently in a complete state of restlessness.
That melon bread in the fridge… There was no doubt the concentration of mana was remarkable.
The mana manifestation was akin to an elixir. Though Luke had only calculated the physical effects when making it, the mana was far from trivial as it was made by blending dozens of mana herbs together.
Py stood entranced as he approached the melon bread Luke had made.
-Maybe, I can eat this!
——-
“Yerna, by any chance, did you eat the large melon bread I put in the fridge?”
“Uh? No? I didn’t eat any bread today…”
“Hmm… Is that so? You’re not lying to me, are you?”
“Why would I lie to you?”
“…I see.”
Luke lightly closed his eyes.
He knew too well the reactions of a person lying, so he could tell Yerna was not lying at that moment.
Surely the spirit Py wouldn’t have eaten it either.
Well, perhaps a thief had come?
But that also didn’t make sense. It seemed no other items had been stolen, so just how bored of a thief would go through the trouble of breaking in and only stealing a single bread from the fridge.
If that were the case, they’d be a rather conscientious thief.
Alternatively, it was possible Yerna had eaten it and simply forgotten.
However, not wanting to press further, Luke resigned himself.
After all, eating one simple bread wasn’t that big of a deal.
‘I guess I’ll have to make another one later.’
But now, he had nearly depleted his supply of mana herbs.
He would have to head to the forest again or to the herbal shop to replenish his stock.
Then it dawned on Luke, as he felt a sense of something lacking.
He quickly realized the source of his unease.
‘Py hasn’t been around all day, has he?’
Where had he disappeared to without saying a word?
