Although the physique of a Space Marine has been vastly enhanced, making his movements swift and precise, the art of cooking still relies on the slow mastery of time.
Ignis placed the lid over the pot, letting the ribs inside simmer gently—aided by the union of fire and water, slowly absorbing the fragrance of the spices.
He then turned to handle the mackerel Nicole had brought back, removing the head, cutting open the belly, cleaning the entrails, and slicing along the spine to divide the flesh into three neat fillets.
Nekomata watched from the side, eyes wide with awe.
"Fresh mackerel, nya… I've only ever eaten frozen fish before…" she swallowed hard. "How are you going to cook it?"
The Salamander looked at the greedy cat, cut off a fatty piece of belly meat, and popped it into her mouth.
"I think pan-frying it would be best—the fish is fresh, a little lemon and thyme will do nicely." Ignis's hands moved fast; the few fish were neatly portioned in no time. "The bones can go in a tofu soup."
"Ah… Nekomata's stealing bites again." Anby came over too, so Ignis handed her a piece as well—a small price to keep her quiet.
The Salamanders of the Adeptus Astartes actually had a surprising sense of life's pleasures. When not on combat duty, they lived on Nocturne with their kin and the common folk—forging, hunting, sharing meals. To them, such things were everyday life.
It was precisely this closeness to Imperial citizens that made the Salamanders truly understand the value of human life—that saving even one more soul on the battlefield meant preserving potential for the Imperium, whether as a worker, a soldier, or perhaps one day, a battle-brother.
Ignis, however, had crossed over during an unfortunate time—straight into a string of battle missions, without any chance to rest on Nocturne.
Still, this wasn't so bad. The Cunning Hares shared his values: they didn't dwell on one another's pasts, but cherished the bond they had now.
"Already sneaking bites, huh." Nicole stepped into the kitchen, grabbed a piece of raw fish from the cutting board, and tossed it into her mouth. "Expensive, sure—but fresh tastes better."
Seeing how the girls were acting, Ignis decided to prepare sashimi from one of the fish, grating fresh wasabi and mixing it into soy sauce.
"This is amazing!" Nekomata picked up a slice, dipped it, and scrunched up her whole face. "Spicy… but so good, nya!"
"You greedy cat…" Nicole laughed, ruffling her hair. "Oh right, why's there rebar on the grocery list? What's that for?"
"That?"
Ignis pulled a short piece of rebar from the fridge and stuck it in his mouth. Under the others' horrified stares, he crunched down—it broke with a sound like fresh cucumber.
"Don't look at me like that. It's good for me. I've been low on trace elements." He offered the bitten rebar to Nekomata. "Wanna try?"
"Try your head, nya!" Her fur puffed up instantly. "You can't seriously eat that!"
"Technically speaking, I'm still human… I think," Ignis said with a grin. "At least, self-identification-wise."
Nicole's eyes darted between his mouth and the steel bar, stunned, until the Salamander swallowed and opened his mouth to show.
"It's just mineral supplements, same idea as vitamin pills." He popped the rest of the bar into his mouth and got back to work.
"Nicole, about my blade…" Anby finally brought it up—her beloved weapon had been shattered in the explosion.
"I remember that knife was custom-made. We'll have to check the Inter-Knot to see if someone can forge you a new one." Nicole said easily. "We've made enough lately; we can afford it."
"Forging, huh?" Ignis turned around. "I can do that too."
"Wait, you can?" Nicole looked at him skeptically.
"Forging and cooking—both are arts of fire." Ignis thumped his chest. "Didn't you notice when I burned my enemies with a flamethrower, there was artistry in it?"
That line left Nicole speechless. "How much artistry are we talking about?" she asked reflexively.
"At least three or four stories' worth." Ignis deadpanned—an old joke from his own time. "I'm serious though. I made my own power armor's plating by hand."
Technically, that armor was built by the original Ignis before his transmigration—but the reforging and repairs were all his work. In any case, forging a new weapon for Anby was well within his skill.
"You mean that armor—the one that tanked the Dead End Butcher's slap and three carloads of explosives—you forged that?" Nicole felt like she was learning too much in one day.
"More or less. Hammered it out one strike at a time. Proper old blacksmithing." Thankfully, his dark skin hid any trace of prideful blushing.
"That's incredible." Anby looked at his massive arms and decided he wasn't exaggerating.
"Still, if I'm to forge anything, I'll need tools—an anvil, a forge, and ideally, a lathe."
"Doesn't sound cheap." Nicole's instinct for money kicked in immediately. "Maybe we can find some second-hand ones at the scrapyard."
"Nicole." Anby grabbed her hand. "That's logistics—military expenses. Non-negotiable."
"Aaaargh…" Nicole clawed at her head. "Fine, fine, I get it."
She turned back to Ignis. "Okay, here's a deal: once we've got the gear, can you make things we can sell? Help cover the Cunning Hares' finances. You'll get a cut, of course."
"Let's see… simple firearms I can manage. Some basic explosives too." Ignis rubbed his chin. "If I can get explosives and a seal, I could even handcraft a direct-fire cannon."
"Why would you even build that, nya?!" Nekomata's fur puffed again. "Who would buy that—are we fighting Public Security now, nya?!"
"Nicole—blacksmiths' guilds," Anby said suddenly, recalling the artisans she'd seen on TV. "A single blade can sell for tens of thousands."
"How much?" Nicole's eyes lit up instantly. "Ignis, I'm ordering you to get a blacksmith's license! The Cunning Hares will sell your blades—20% commission!"
When profit was involved, Nicole's efficiency skyrocketed. But forging blades was no issue for Ignis—after all, he'd once hand-built a chainsword.
"Let's make it fifty-fifty, and you supply the materials," Ignis offered generously.
"Deal! Once we're done today, we'll sign a contract!" Nicole laughed, hugging Anby. "First commission—Anby's new weapon!"
"Of course. I'll have to think carefully about the design," Ignis said, turning back to tend the simmering pot.
"Nicole? You home?" came Belle's voice from outside. "Brother, you sure this is the right place? Nicole's place can't be this fancy."
"The navigation led us here," Wise replied. "No gate, but their car's in the yard—this must be it."
"Whoa…" Belle gasped. "They live this well? No way—next time, Nicole's not getting away with debt, and our commission fees are going up!"
Nicole's face went pale. She dashed to the entryway. "Wait! We're just house-sitting! Don't raise the price!"
Belle burst out laughing, clutching her stomach. "Told you it'd lure her out, brother. I win the bet—you're buying me milk tea next time!"
Nicole's face twitched. Dealing with the Phaethon siblings was never easy. Still, she welcomed them in.
When they saw the black-skinned giant in an apron working in the kitchen, both were momentarily stunned.
"I'd heard rumors about you cooking," Belle said, circling the pot. "You actually look like a pro in that apron."
"More than just looks. You'll see when you taste it—try not to swallow your tongue." Ignis grinned, flashing white teeth. "I'm a master of flame."
"I've seen you turn the dead to ash," Wise replied dryly, holding up a bag. "Where's Billy? He asked me to bring the latest Starlight Knight tape."
"He's resting," Nicole said, pointing to his room. "He was our main porter today. Exhausted."
Just then, Billy burst out of his room.
"I heard Starlight Knight! Shopkeeper, you brought it!" He spotted Wise instantly.
"Perfect timing! Let's all watch it together!" Billy said eagerly.
"Fine, fine—just don't crowd me here. The kitchen's mine alone." Ignis grabbed some fruit, cut it up deftly, and assembled a platter.
"Here, take this. I'll call you when dinner's ready." He handed the plate to Nekomata.
"Why me?" she complained, reluctantly holding it.
"You," Ignis said, patting her head, "need to start fitting in."
Nekomata pouted but carried the fruit to the living room—only to be seized by Belle, who immediately started playing with her tail.
Listening to their laughter and chatter from the kitchen, Ignis felt a kind of warmth and contentment he'd never known before.
When dinner was served, everyone praised his cooking—though most agreed it leaned spicy. Ignis curiously asked how Billy could eat, and the robot explained that his body housed a biomass reactor that broke food down for energy.
"At least four or five days' worth of power," Billy said proudly, giving Ignis a thumbs-up.