DMS Chapter 180

Flinx observed that everyone in the camp was painfully thin, and he knew for a fact that all of the men were starving. They simply hadn't been able to gather enough food despite the forest's abundant resources.

The surrounding area was too dangerous for them to hunt freely, and they had little experience surviving in a forest. For their entire lives, they had served as serfs under the nobles of the Kingdom of Nemronor.

Hart admitted as much. The leader of the camp explained that although they had some experience hunting, it had only been in nearby woodlands where the largest game consisted of squirrels and rabbits. There were no dangerous beasts or monsters there because the soldiers of Nemronor regularly culled monsters, while large game animals were reserved exclusively for the nobility. Any serf caught hunting such animals for food would be sentenced to death.

Flinx inwardly scoffed when he heard Hart refer to themselves as serfs. They weren't serfs. They were slaves.

He made sure not to let his thoughts show on his face, however. He didn't want the men to think he was looking down on them, especially since he had once been a slave himself.

He also no longer wanted to call them bandits. Although Hart and his men admitted that they wouldn't hesitate to rob travelers if given the opportunity, they hadn't actually robbed anyone. Every group they had encountered had been well armed, and they knew that attacking such travelers would only lead to their own deaths.

Since everyone looked hungry, Flinx decided to feed them.

He asked Hart to take him to the hut that had once been used to isolate the sick. Flinx told him that he would be preparing his dinner and asked not to be disturbed.

"Do you have food?" Hart asked.

Flinx understood the reason for the question. He hadn't been carrying anything when he walked into the camp.

"I have a spatial item. It was given to me by my master," Flinx admitted.

The middle-aged man's eyes widened in awe.

Spatial items belonged only to legends. The serfs had never seen anything like them in their lives.

Once he was alone inside the hut, Flinx retrieved the kitchen equipment he had purchased when he began his journey from Bertol Town to Ilioven with the merchant caravan.

He decided to cook an Asian rice porridge that he had once tasted on Earth. A coworker who had originally come from Asia had brought it from home, and Flinx had been so impressed by the dish that he asked for the recipe. He had even cooked it himself several times before his transmigration.

It was called chicken arroz caldo.

To make sure he didn't make any mistakes, Flinx searched for the recipe online and planned to follow it exactly. He purchased every ingredient listed through the System Shopping Site.

He intended to cook a massive batch, and fortunately, the large pot he had purchased earlier was more than sufficient.

Flinx bought several whole chickens, separated the meat from the bones, seasoned the meat with salt and pepper, and fried it until golden brown before shredding it. He then simmered the chicken bones with spices to create a rich stock for the rice porridge.

Once again, he carefully calculated the amount of food he was preparing. It needed to feed twelve men for several meals.

Next, he sautéed the aromatics—garlic, onions, and ginger—until the entire hut was filled with their irresistible aroma. The delicious smell soon made even Flinx hungry.

He noticed several of the younger men peeking through the hut's windows. When they realized that Flinx didn't mind them watching, more and more men gathered outside. Soon, everyone who wasn't assigned to guard the camp perimeter was watching him cook. They stared in amazement as ingredients and cooking utensils seemingly appeared out of nowhere, and they quickly realized that Flinx was preparing an enormous amount of food.

Flinx noticed their growing anticipation and couldn't help but smile.

Once the aromatics had softened and become fragrant, he added the fried chicken, followed shortly by the rice. Half of it was glutinous rice, while the other half was jasmine rice. Finally, he poured in the freshly prepared chicken stock.

The arroz caldo would take about an hour to finish cooking.

While it simmered, Flinx fried a generous amount of garlic until crisp and boiled plenty of eggs. Those, along with chopped green onions, would serve as toppings for the porridge.

He also prepared several seasonings to allow everyone to adjust the flavor to their liking, including fish sauce, ground black pepper, and sliced calamansi. Everything was neatly arranged on his camping table.

Flinx then retrieved several plastic bento boxes from his fourth tab space so everyone would have a bowl to eat from. He also prepared the wooden spoons he had purchased through the System Shopping Site.

Once everything was ready, he washed all of the cooking utensils and stored them back inside his fourth tab space. Only the table remained, holding the steaming pot of arroz caldo along with the toppings and seasonings.

Flinx then called everyone who wasn't on guard duty.

Eight men entered the hut. The others remained outside to guard the camp, planning to switch places once the first group had finished eating.

"I'll teach you how to serve the food," Flinx said. "Fill one of these boxes with a couple of ladles of the arroz caldo. Then top it with toasted garlic and slices of boiled egg. Add fish sauce, squeeze in some calamansi, and sprinkle in as much pepper as you like."

Flinx demonstrated the process until everyone understood.

He also told them that anyone who wanted more could return for another serving, but no one was allowed to eat more than two bowls. He didn't want anyone getting sick after overeating following such a long period of hunger.

Although Flinx expected the starving men to rush the table, Hart maintained order. The men patiently lined up while Flinx helped each of them season their arroz caldo according to their preferences.

Hart looked at the enormous pot and asked, "Why did you cook so much?"

"I wanted to make sure the food would last for several meals," Flinx replied simply.

As the first group finished eating, they relieved the guards stationed around the perimeter. Hart personally taught the second group how to prepare their bowls of arroz caldo.

After everyone had eaten, Flinx instructed Hart to keep the pot near the campfire so it would stay warm and be less likely to spoil. He also pointed to the extra pot containing chicken stock and cooked rice, explaining how to use them to replenish the arroz caldo whenever necessary.

Overall, Flinx estimated that the food should last the men for at least a couple of days.

Flinx was amused as he listened to Hart and the others talk while they ate. They repeatedly declared that the meal was probably something only nobles could enjoy. One man even claimed it was food fit for the gods.

Several of them quietly wept as they ate.

Flinx joined them, enjoying a bowl of arroz caldo himself.

He couldn't help but sigh at their reaction. Although the arroz caldo was undeniably delicious, it was still a simple, humble meal. Even so, he silently congratulated himself for choosing something warm, comforting, and gentle on the stomachs of starving men.

With the weather beginning to grow colder, it was the perfect meal for the season.