Chapter 167 Shirou vs
Faced with expectations shattered by the cruel reality and a result completely different from what she had imagined, people's reactions vary. It is often at this moment that a person's character is revealed.
The wise sage might choose the method with the least loss to make amends. The active and optimistic hero might accept this result and look for new opportunities to challenge it again. As for people of low character, they might choose to constantly shirk responsibility, blaming all problems on the mistakes of others.
And as for the tyrant, she seemed ready to punish the world that caused all this.
In this moment, Artoria clearly felt the world's malice. Just like Britain, which she struggled to maintain, there are always rebellious subjects trying to cause destruction. Now, won't the world even let her have her meal in peace?
"Why? I clearly came according to the cafeteria's meal schedule? Why is there nothing here? Why do all these people look so satisfied? Why am I the only one who came here with an empty stomach... I was looking forward to it so much..." Artoria lowered her head sullenly, muttering softly under her breath. The dark aura emanating from her body would make even the Evil Dragon Vortigern bow down in defeat.
"There is! There's delicious food! I'll go get the ingredients right now!" Shirou said, holding the girl's shoulders.
"Really? Until I'm satisfied?" Artoria looked up, the light of hope rekindled in her eyes.
"Yes! Until you are satisfied! Trust me!" Shirou appeased the girl, to save this school.
"Yes! You sit here for a while. Leave it to me!" Shirou said, running over to the male teachers and asking, "Senseis! Senseis! Do you happen to have any ingredients left here?"
"What's wrong? Is someone still hungry? Although the quantity was indeed insufficient when divided among so many people, everyone should be full with the corn and potatoes," the principal said.
"Please, the Head Maid came over before she had eaten," Shirou explained.
"What! The Head Maid!" The teachers' expressions all changed, and even the principal was startled into standing up.
Everyone looked over at the chair by the barbecue racks, where the blonde girl was sitting quietly, playing on her phone.
"Gentlemen! Quickly go gather ingredients, and bring all the best materials here!" The principal looked seriously at his teachers, waving his large hand as he spoke.
"There's a big pile of flour in the warehouse! I'll go carry it over," the P.E. teacher said.
"Ah, there's also some bacon in the fridge in the boys' dormitory kitchen," the male dormitory supervisor said.
And so, all the male teachers were mobilized, bringing back a considerable amount of flour, sugar, milk, and eggs, as well as bacon.
"Shirou, I'm hungry," Artoria said.
"Yes, yes, almost ready!" Shirou knew how terrifying the girl was at this moment. In her Alter state, she was far more unstable than her normal state. If she, in full-on Tyrant Mode, were to truly get angry, there's no telling what she might do.
A hungry wolf cub can be scolded, and a starving tiger will be unreasonable and make trouble, but if the one who gets angry from starvation is a giant dragon, the consequences are unknown.
To appease the girl's anger, Shirou was fully mentally prepared, refilling the charcoal beneath the iron racks and heating up the iron plate set atop it. At the same time, he also requested rice and a rice cooker, starting to cook the rice.
He took the new potatoes, sliced them into individual pieces, but left the end not fully cut, then placed slices of bacon into the cut crevices. He brushed them with sesame oil and seasoning and put them into the earth oven to bake. In only fifteen minutes, the Hasselback Potato with Roasted Bacon would be complete.
During this time, Shirou began operating on the smoking hot iron plate. He casually mixed flour with milk to form a thick liquid, which he poured directly onto the oiled iron plate. In less than two minutes, he flipped it, fried it for another minute, and the simple fried egg crepe was done.
Artoria seemed to be venting her resentment at having been abandoned and missing out on the smoked and grilled meat. The girl ate heartily with a released appetite.
Shirou pulled out all the stops, constantly mixing flour, beating eggs, adding spices and side dishes, making teppanyaki, dorayaki, and savory pies, all cooked and eaten fresh.
But the girl's appetite was like a bottomless pit. No matter how much the boy cooked, in just a few minutes, the food on the table had fallen into the girl's mouth, and the plates were empty.
When the rice was cooked, Shirou made some quick stir-fry and fried eggs for Artoria to eat with the rice. After the rice had cooled slightly, he could pair it with the bacon fried until the fat rendered out, adding a prepared sauce to make simple and convenient Garlic Bacon Lard Fried Rice.
The sunlight shone into the courtyard, glinting goldenly as it hit the boy. Although it was winter, fine beads of sweat formed on the boy's forehead.
Artoria glanced at the boy, who was sweating from exhaustion, and said, "Shirou, that's enough. I'm full now."
It was then that Shirou finally put down the knife and spatula, sitting in a chair and gasping for breath. He had spent 1.5 hours on preparation and cooking for the Bristol Branch School teachers and students, from ten thirty to twelve o'clock.
To satisfy Artoria, Shirou had been busy from half past twelve until past three in the afternoon. Serving one person was more tiring than serving a group.
"Ooh-ooh-ooh!" The surrounding people applauded, unclear whether they were expressing admiration for the boy's superb craftsmanship or marveling at the Head Maid's magical appetite.
The students held an even greater respect for the hardworking young man.
After that, the boy hadn't rested for even an hour before the bell on the blue-domed tower chimed again.
Dong, dong, dong, dong...
Four chimes.
"Is it that time already..." Shirou smiled wryly, feeling helpless. There is a folk saying in Britain, 'When the clock strikes four, everything in the world shall cease for tea.'
The bell had not chimed earlier at two or three o'clock, which clearly indicated that this chime was set specifically for this special time.
"Then, teachers and students, the refreshments are ready. Let's enjoy some afternoon tea," Shirou, transformed into a butler, said courteously to the people around him.
"Oh, oh, how thoughtful," the principal and the male teachers praised.
"Afternoon tea prepared by Shirou?" The female teachers also clasped their hands in delight.
"Since I had a bit of an excess amount of ingredients, I simply made enough for afternoon tea as well," Shirou explained.
"Shirou, I want afternoon tea too," Artoria said, raising her hand.
"Eh? But Artoria, didn't you just finish eating?" Shirou exclaimed in surprise.
"Hmph, as long as it's converted into magical energy, I can digest any amount. I can eat as much of Shirou's cooking as you can make. I only stopped eating because I saw you were tired." Artoria said, turning her head away.
"Well, thank you for sparing my life with your mouth," Shirou said, wiping his cold sweat.
Shirou poured milk into the exquisite colorful porcelain teacups on the tray. Snow-white nectar flowed out of the bottle neck and into the cup. The boy's hand, holding the milk bottle, glided from left to right, not spilling a single drop outside.
The milk was poured evenly into each cup, moving as smoothly as floating clouds and flowing water.
Then, he added sugar cubes, finally poured in the brewed black tea, stirred it with a small spoon, and served it to each seat.
The school's teachers and students could leisurely spend the afternoon drinking black tea, eating refreshments, and chatting.
Yes, Britain doesn't have much of a culinary culture—This is something even the British themselves jokingly admit. However, this country does possess the world's unique culture of afternoon tea.
In the 18th century, the era when the Sun Never Sets Empire was at its peak, the object used by the nouveau riche and nobles to compete in wealth and vie for prestige was none other than tea! Even when the royal family imposed a tariff of nearly one-fifth on tea, it couldn't stop the wealthy from pursuing it. At that time, being able to afford afternoon tea was a symbol of status.
In English novels of that era, one often sees plots where the protagonist, along with British nobles and wealthy merchants, gathers friends and family for afternoon tea.
Great nobles and ladies would use court porcelain teapots from Huaxia (China), brew top-grade Chinese tea, eat refreshments, chat about the scandalous rumors among the nobility that only the upper class knew, and admire the expensive and exquisite porcelain teacups.
This is the same principle as the modern wish-fulfillment novels where the protagonist buys a luxury car at a dealership while wearing shorts and flip-flops, or buys an expensive designer bag for his girlfriend—all to show off wealth and be impressive.
In the years before tea plants were grown in Britain, high-quality Chinese tea was more precious than gold when transported there, and Bristol was the largest and most prosperous port in Britain at the time. As descendants of the first people to encounter these things, it's not hard to imagine their love for afternoon tea.
Of course, in modern times, the expensive and luxurious porcelain and tea sets displayed in the porcelain shops on the streets of Britain still show traces of Chinese porcelain craftsmanship, but the producers have long since been replaced by European porcelain artisans. As for genuine Chinese porcelain, you can only find it in various museums or antique dealers.
Here, the gentlemanly teachers sat at small round tables on one side, while the ladylike teachers sat at another, discussing their respective topics of interest.
Shirou stepped forward to light the pipes for the principal and the teachers with a match, lighting the principal's and one teacher's first, extinguishing the burning match in his hand, then taking a new one from the box and striking it to light the next teacher's pipe.
The principal and teachers, who observed these actions, realized that this was a level of etiquette far beyond what could be achieved by simply having a good upbringing. The principal opened his mouth and asked, "Shirou, have you received professional butler training?"
"Yes, I studied briefly with a butler from the 'Land of a Thousand Lakes,' Finland," Shirou replied courteously.
"That Nordic country, eh? It seems the lady your teacher served was not from an ordinary family. You already possess skills that would qualify you to serve as a royal butler. Among the butlers I know with over ten years of experience, none perform better than you," the principal said approvingly.
"Yes, Finland is a good country. There are lakes everywhere, surrounded by vegetation. You can swim in the lakes in summer, and although it's covered in ice and snow in winter, it has a unique charm. I learned a lot there," Shirou said with a smile.
"If he is a talent like this, then we heartily welcome him to participate in the exchange program at our school dormitory," another teacher interjected.
"And in the girls' dormitory, we have nothing to worry about. In this era where people are increasingly tending toward gender neutrality, there are many girls who are braver and tougher than boys."
"Ho-ho-ho! After all, our school has a powerful and reliable Head Maid, so there's absolutely no need to worry about anything contrary to discipline occurring," the principal said, letting out a Santa Claus-like laugh.
"Thank you for your understanding," Shirou said with a smile, feeling a sense of relief in his heart. At least he had passed the male teachers' hurdle.
Shirou returned to the oven. At this point, the cream puffs and puddings filled with sweet cream were ready, and he began plating them.
He brought out the three-tiered stand specially used for afternoon tea refreshments. On the top layer, he placed small, neatly cut sandwiches filled with lightly salted bacon and cheese, along with triangular, golden, lightly salted savory scones. The size of everything was controlled to be just right to pop into the mouth, so even a delicate lady could finish it in three bites.
The middle layer held golden-brown small buns, paired with sweet scones, both served with jam and cream for spreading.
The bottom layer contained cupcakes made with a large amount of whipped sugar, and chocolate cream puffs.
The rule for English tea is to eat from top to bottom, with the taste transitioning from light to heavy, and from savory to sweet. Gentlemen and ladies of Great Britain can savor the mellow aroma of the black tea, cup by cup, with the different flavors of the refreshments.
"Shirou, have you spent time in Finland? It's very beautiful there, but I've heard the men there are quite boring," a female teacher asked.
"You've been there too? I also love the scenery there. However, the men I know are all very decent people. Although the men there are mostly taciturn and reserved, they are loyal and family-oriented, and they advocate for equality. Mutual respect can be achieved between both men and women, and between teachers and students. Every household loves to grow flowers and is skilled at baking," Shirou said with a light chuckle.
When he was working for a certain golden drill-curled Ojou-sama, the wrestling-master butler who taught him how to be a bodyguard was just such a strong, black, muscular man with an iron will and a soft heart. He was ruthless toward his enemies, but at home, he not only loved his wife and children but was also very good at taking care of flowers and plants, and his cooking skills were decent. Shirou had also learned some baking techniques from the butler's wife.
Hmm, but then again, there were dangerous people too. There was another elderly butler dedicated to taking care of daily life and travel—a thin, sharp-eared old butler with glasses who always had an unreadable expression, which Shirou found slightly tricky.
"I see, listening to you, Shirou, I feel like going there again," the female teacher said with a smile.
"Finland is a great place! Their heavy metal bands are awesome! Not to mention death metal! Children of Bodom! Nightwish! Wintersun! Swallow the Sun!" Sawako inadvertently exposed her true nature and cried out excitedly.
"Eh..." The British female teachers looked at each other. Did this cute Oriental woman have such interests?
Realizing her slip-up, Sawako gave a dry laugh and corrected herself, "Ahaha, I mean the snowy scenery in Finland is really beautiful..."
"It's okay! Sawako, I like Nightwish too. That Death Note music video is cool," a music teacher from Bristol said.
"Ooh, you understand me! That's wonderful!" Sawako clasped hands with the petite blonde woman. She hadn't expected to meet a fellow enthusiast on this island nation on the other side of the world.
In terms of popular music alone, the two countries—apart from the US, which stands alone in its prominence—can be said to be at the forefront of music creation in the world, and they certainly had a lot to talk about.
After all, both sides have very mature music industry chains. Famous bands like Radiohead and musicians like Lady Gaga often choose to debut their commercially successful albums in Japan, as it has the world's second-largest market, which has even temporarily surpassed the US's in the past.
Japan has an almost pathological sense of copyright protection. Starting in the 1960s, they began holding the Kōhaku Uta Gassen during the New Year, and even people in their seventies and eighties are willing to pay for vinyl records and CD albums released by some singers.
In addition to regular singers, the audience for music radio is also considerable, and there are many distribution channels. The developed entertainment industry means that talented singers, even if they are not good-looking or cannot appear frequently in public, can still become famous as long as the quality of their songs is good enough.
Massively popular movies and TV shows often have composers who specialize in scoring and arranging music for every sequence, launching the careers of many musicians.
Even the most ordinary, formulaic seasonal anime and galgame games have very pleasant and exciting background music. As long as they have a certain sales volume, they are accompanied by the release of CD albums for character songs and background music.
Even in anime focused solely on eating meat or clothes bursting off, there are catchy and exciting songs, fully demonstrating the depth of the composers in this country.
While Sawako and the other music teacher were chatting enthusiastically,
The other teachers also chatted with their familiar friends on various topics, occasionally pulling the boy into the conversation and asking his opinion on a few things.
Fortunately, Shirou, relying on the rich knowledge he had accumulated from traveling the world in his previous life, was able to contribute a few lines to the conversation. Thus, with the boy's accompaniment, the female teachers thoroughly enjoyed this afternoon tea and were extremely satisfied with Shirou.
'In short, it seems I've passed the test,' Shirou thought with a sigh of relief.
So, the boy continued to serve the other tables, and every student received spiritual and gustatory pleasure and satisfaction.
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