I stared at the massive pile of 13 oak tables and 52 chairs resting on the cobblestones outside, completely shifting my focus back to our startup metrics. Beside me, Elicia stretched her arms, her borrowed rings glowing with brilliant, amplified mana as she prepared for a lifting marathon.
"Sister, let's start moving them inside," I said, my quiet voice carrying its usual steady rhythm as my crimson wings gave a practical, heavy flutter.
Elicia let out a confident, melodious laugh, stepping right past me and scooping up the heavy basket containing our crimson and blue fabrics.
"Sure, little Ren! Tell you what… I will handle moving the furniture inside myself. Consider it my workout for the day! Give me the cloth basket, and you go ahead and start cooking that magical adobo of yours. The scent of food will make this heavy lifting go twice as fast!"
"Understood. Easy peasy," I nodded, carefully handing her the fabric bundle.
With the grocery basket firmly secured on my arm, I pushed past the tavern doors and walked straight into the back kitchen. The space was completely clean from our earlier scrubbing, featuring a wide, heavy iron stove top built for high-volume cooking. Tucked into the corner of the pantry, my single jade-green eye spotted exactly what I needed: a massive, pristine sack of hardwood charcoal.
"Oho! Fire up the forge, Chef Eirene!"
Plasma cackled inside my head, his dramatic tone echoing with excitement.
"Let's see if your culinary skills match your blade work. Don't burn the place down on day one!"
"Quiet," I thought back, completely ignoring his ghostly banter as I went into full culinary execution mode.
I hauled a generous portion of the charcoal into the iron stove's belly. With a quick, localized spark of fire magic from my fingertips, I ignited the coals. A warm, crackling orange glow instantly illuminated the kitchen, sending a steady, beautifully controlled heat radiating through the iron cooktop.
I unpacked the ingredients from my basket, laying out the fresh meat, the massive head of garlic, the dark soy sauce, the sharp vinegar, and the bay leaves. Drawing on the precious memories of my past life on Earth, I grabbed a heavy iron pot, set it over the roaring charcoal heat, and officially proceeded to cook the ultimate classic adobo.
I grabbed a heavy iron knife, and with rapid, practiced precision, I crushed the entire head of garlic, peeling the skins away before giving the cloves a rough chop. Next, I sliced the pork belly into perfectly uniform, bite-sized chunks and prepped the chicken.
"Look at that knife work! Are you prepping dinner or interrogating a rival guild leader? The garlic didn't stand a chance!" Plasma cracked inside my head, completely unable to stay quiet.
"It is called efficiency," I shot back mentally, tossing the meat, soy sauce, a mountain of garlic, and a heavy handful of slightly crushed peppercorns into a large ceramic bowl to quickly marinate.
After letting the flavors meld for a few minutes, I poured a generous splash of cooking oil into the preheated iron pot sitting over the glowing charcoals. I fished out the seasoned chicken and pork pieces, letting them hit the hot metal with a loud, aggressive sizzle that filled the kitchen with an immediate wave of savory, garlicky steam. I watched intently as a beautiful, deep golden-brown crust formed on the meat, sealing in all the juices.
Once the sear was perfect, I poured in the saved marinade liquid, a splash of water, and threw in three fragrant bay leaves. I brought the whole mixture to a furious boil, then slid the iron lid over the pot and let the charcoal embers simmer it down into a tender, bubbling masterpiece.
Twenty minutes later, the rich, mouth-watering aroma of braised meat and roasted garlic began drifting completely out of the kitchen and into the main dining hall.
I lifted the lid and poured in the cane vinegar. Adhering strictly to the sacred culinary rules of my past life, I left the pot uncovered, refusing to stir.
"Don't touch it, Eirene! It's too sharp! You'll ruin the flavor!" Plasma hollered, surprisingly invested in the cooking process now.
"I know," I muttered aloud in a flat deadpan.
I waited exactly four minutes until the harsh, acidic sting of the vinegar completely cooked off, leaving behind a smooth, deeply complex aroma. I gave it a gentle stir and added just a pinch of sugar to balance out the flavors, letting the sauce reduce until it became thick, glossy, and beautifully oily.
Just as I pulled the pot away from the heat, the kitchen doors swung open. Elicia stood there, a few stray silver hairs sticking to her forehead, but her crimson eyes were wide with pure, unadulterated awe as she took a deep sniff of the air. Behind her, through the doorway, I could see all 13 dark oak tables and 52 chairs perfectly arranged in the dining hall, with the vibrant crimson tablecloths already neatly laid out.
"Little Ren… Whatever you just did in here... it smells absolutely heavenly. I think my heavy lifting metrics just earned me a giant plate!" Elicia gasped, her stomach letting out a highly audible, comedic growl that made her blush.
"Food is ready," I announced, my voice carrying its usual calm, flat deadpan as I carefully lifted the heavy iron pot of adobo off the charcoal stove.
Elicia beamed, clapping her hands together as she took in the rich, savory scent filling the room.
"Perfect timing! It is exactly noon now. The factory shifts are changing, and more people will be out on the streets looking for a good lunch."
She was completely right. I walked out of the kitchen carrying the steaming pot, my single jade-green eye scanning our newly transformed dining hall. The 13 dark oak tables were perfectly lined up, the vibrant crimson tablecloths adding a warm, welcoming splash of color against the freshly scrubbed walls.
Just as I set the pot down on the main counter, the front doors of the tavern suddenly creaked open.
Our very first customer walked in… a tired-looking laborer from the nearby industrial shops, wiping soot from his hands. He took one step inside, drawn in by the mouth-watering smell of garlic and vinegar, but froze completely in his tracks. His eyes went wide, his jaw dropped, and he stared directly at me.
There I stood behind the counter: a young girl with sharp fangs, a single glowing eye, and a pair of massive, deep crimson wings resting quietly against my back.
"W-Woah… You're... you're the vampire girl from the news!"