I was an apprentice in Ferren

Chapter 19 Purpose
It's so convenient to do things with smart people. DuPont, without a hint of shame, stuffed all 10 parchments into his pocket and quickly left.

As long as you stay calm and adjust your mindset, completing the task of 10 scrolls is not a big deal, and you might even have the energy to try copying the scrolls and selling them to your classmates to make money.

However, copying scrolls yields a profit of at most 1 gold coin per scroll, and even if he can keep up with the speed, the experience points are not enough to pay off his loan.

DuPont's original plan was to go to nearby villages and towns to see if there were any missions he could try to take on.

冒险任务最低的是4个人做的1-3级挑战任务，比如猎杀狼群灰熊或者是难度更高的清缴哥布林/土匪/怪物巢穴，赏金一般在100至1000银左右。

Although the amount of gold coins isn't much, DuPont doesn't need to share money with others since they do it themselves, and cleaning up the loot is all theirs. If they can complete the task, the pressure will be greatly reduced.

Although it was very risky, he had to give it a try.

However, DuPont wasn't in such a hurry at the moment; he wanted to see what the butcher was talking about.

Compared to the purely self-interested relationships with the mages in the academy, this barbarian was undoubtedly much easier to talk to. If he could build a good relationship with him, he might be able to learn a trick or two from him and improve his own skills.

Even if it doesn't work out, it's still like having another friend. Asking him for information about the surrounding mountains and fields shouldn't be a problem.

Besides taking on adventure missions, hunting large animals and skinning them is another way to make money. A complete bear pelt is quite valuable and can also provide experience points, which is his most important task right now.

As a retired adventurer, Butcher obviously has some wealth and rich adventure experience. Some things or matters that he looks down on or is too lazy to care about should be just right for him.

Real combat is not a game; if you encounter danger, you're dead. His lone wolf strategy is even more perilous, so having a mentor who can impart experience is very important to him.

What's a little cooking for him? Besides, this meal didn't even cost him any gold coins.

Back in the kitchen, the bustling scene was gone, leaving only a few chefs preparing food or cleaning dishes. DuPont then discovered that quite a few people also knew how to use the dust removal technique.

Although it was just a simple and easy-to-understand trick, normally anyone with an IQ of 12 or higher could learn it if they were willing to be taught, DuPont still felt a bit amazed.

Even a kitchen helper without a professional ranking can perform magic tricks; that's the depth of Harua's expertise.

Upon arriving at the slaughterhouse, the large cauldrons were already steaming with delicious aromas. Judy and the butcher sat there scratching their heads, extremely impatient.

"Hungry?" DuPont removed the white cloth from the dough, leaving a small white indentation on it with his finger.

It's just the right firmness and softness.

"It smells pretty good, but does it really need to be cooked for that long?" Judy's eyes were glued to the pot. "The chicken shouldn't need to be cooked for two hours, right? It'll probably fall off the bone by then."

“An hour is enough, but if you want it to taste even better, you can remove the heat and let it simmer for a while. I think it's a few minutes short.” DuPont didn’t say it was ready to eat, after all, he still had work to do: “Do you have a rolling pin? You know, the kind of wooden stick used to press dough, like a mop handle will do.”

"There's no mop here." Judy thought for a moment and picked up a wine bottle. "Will this do?"

"It'll have to do." DuPont took it, kneaded and pinched the dough, and with a flick of his wrist, a thin sheet of dough quickly appeared on the table. The finished product, however, disappointed Judy: "Isn't this just pizza dough?"

"Pizza is made with unleavened dough, but this isn't. You'll see when you eat it. Get me a pot and some oil, lard is best."

The results would be ready soon, so Judy naturally cooperated fully. He watched as the thin pancake expanded and stretched in the pan, and couldn't help but sniff it.

The lard mixed with the aroma of wheat makes this dish absolutely delicious.

Once cooked through, flip it over. Each pancake takes about a minute and a half to cook. DuPont placed the pancakes on a glass plate: "If you're hungry, you can try some first. Of course, it tastes even better with braised meat."

The butcher didn't move, but simply pushed the plate towards the halfling. Judy, without hesitation, reached out and tore off half of the flatbread. Years of culinary experience had made her completely unafraid of heat. "This feels good. Hmm, rich wheat flavor, soft and chewy. Although it's not as good as the Queen's Bread, it doesn't have any extra toppings. It would probably taste much better with soup. The only problem is the speed of serving; it has to be made one by one, and it's quite oily, so it'll probably get greasy when it cools down. It can only be eaten while it's hot." "As expected of a halfling, you know your stuff." DuPont gave a thumbs up in approval. The butcher looked at it carefully for a moment and felt it wasn't fake, so he also tried a piece.

"The taste is indeed okay, but it's a bit too bland."

"Don't rush, it'll be ready when it's time to add the meat." DuPont said, tossing out another pancake, but before the butcher could eat it, Judy took it away and brought it to the kitchen: "Hey, you guys should try this too, it's interesting, maybe it can be rated as a mentor's meal."

DuPont was of course unconcerned, but the butcher was a little annoyed. He muttered under his breath, "Still such a nice guy," and then ate the whole pancake without lifting a finger, his eyes involuntarily drifting towards the pot.

"It's been about an hour, I think we can eat now, right?"

Playing hard to get too much isn't good. DuPont pretended to check the time: "The chicken is ready. If you're in a hurry, cut the pig's head in half first and taste it."

The butcher had been waiting impatiently. Hearing this, he took out the strainer he had prepared beforehand, scooped out the braised meat, and as if by magic, pulled out a half-meter-long knife from his waist, splitting the fat chicken and pig's head in two: "That half is for both of you, and this half is mine."

DuPont was also hungry, but he pretended to be calm and took the opportunity to look down on the barbarian: "Judy, cut this meat into small pieces so you can taste the specific flavors of different cuts. Don't be like him and only know how to eat."

Judy, of course, knows how to eat, and her status as a seasoned gourmet gave her a sense of ease; when cutting the meat, she didn't forget to leave some for DuPont.

Meanwhile, the butcher had already finished the chicken, wiping the grease from his mouth and muttering, "You little brat, you have no respect for your elders. By the way, what did you say about a pig's head having nine flavors? How do you calculate that?"

"Pig tongue, pig snout, pig ears, pig eyes, pig brain, pig's hindquarters, pig's cheeks, and crispy bits. There are only one pig, yet it has nine flavors." DuPont pointed them out one by one, and was about to make pancakes when Judy patted his knee with the back of her hand.

"Let me help you, you should have a bite too."

Man Shi was somewhat surprised to hear this.

Although the Northwest Academy of Law is not large, it is of a high level. Its Dean, Grand Master Lavoisier, is a formal member of the Secret Law Council and is a potential successor after the current Supreme Leader, the over 600-year-old Speaker McCondir, retires.

Judy is good-natured and down-to-earth, but she is also the head chef of the academy. She may not be aware of this identity, but outside, it is a status and honor that many halfling chefs would envy.

Not only does it bring wealth, but it also allows you to meet a powerful and influential master, which is no ordinary achievement.

Judy got this position not just because she's a good person, but also because she's an excellent chef. She can cook almost all of Ferren's main cuisines except for the underground dishes, and she would be more than qualified to do this job in other colleges.

But now he's actually willing to be this kid's assistant?
DuPont had no idea what the arrogant barbarian beside him was thinking. He simply thanked him and scooped a spoonful of gravy onto his plate. "This way the flavor is stronger. By the way, Manshi, you can also cut these vegetables into strips about the size of your finger. Then you can wrap the vegetables and the fattest part of the cheek meat in a pancake and eat it together. This way you'll have a better texture and won't get tired of it. You can try it."

The butcher's hands followed, but his mind was thinking about something else entirely.

This little brat speaks so eloquently, but how could a normal apprentice mage in the academy possibly know these things? Judging from Judy's expression, she doesn't seem to have ever seen such dishes before.

Although he's not a great wanderer, Judy is an expert when it comes to food; it's probably only some little-known private chef recipes that could fascinate him so much.

Thinking of this, Man Shi looked at DuPont.

The cook's son clearly couldn't afford to study here; his accent was so perfect that no one else could tell, indicating he had received a good family education and knew about this rare delicacy.
This guy's background is probably quite extraordinary; his ancestors might even be related to some noble bloodlines who have fallen on hard times.

While rolling the pancake, Man Shi pondered for a moment, then stuffed the pork pancake into his mouth, chewed a few times, and praised it repeatedly.

"Great, delicious!"

　Thank you to Necromancer Big Rat, the Ten Popes of Prussia, and Little White Funny for their generous donations. Thank you everyone for your votes, and thank you for your support!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)