I Am Tired Of Being A Hero-Chapter 72: Noodle Soup

Most extraordinary person. Amazing.

What are these words? These words for him? Ravi was flabbergasted, he moistened his throat and explained, "Captain...Arlen. It is just a garden. And the orchard was here when I came."

Arlen still had that enraptured look, "Ravi, I have seen deserted areas after a Nest erupts. Harlan’s Nest happened 12, 15 years ago. No matter how the orchard was when you arrived, you are the one that made it look like this and this garden. The dedication, discipline, and care one would need to make something like this appear in a place like this must be insane. You are amazing, Ravi."’

Seeing the confused look on Ravi’s face, he insisted, "If you give me a potted plant that only needs water to raise, It will die in three days. I would overwork, be distracted, and forget." He looked around, "Can’t you see how amazing this is and how amazing you are? It would look so beautiful in the morning."

The way his heart raced made Ravi dizzy. He looked at the vegetables in front of him. It actually had not been so easy for him, he had no idea about planting or farming, and he had bought books and watched videos.

He had failed. But he had been determined to buy a home so he continued.

The leaves were green and lustrous, like one could squeeze water from it. Does this mean that you have done a good job with this farm? He had worked hard so it was okay?

"Thank you."

Arlen smiled. He looked around. The self-reliance of this place, it had almost everything. Was it a fort or a shelter? He looked at Ravi but he did not bring it up.

"I am so excited. I don’t get to cook much." He said as he collected the basket from him.

Ravi scoffed, "It is just noodle soup and I am the one cooking."

"I would help you with preparing the ingredients then." He grinned and followed Ravi back into the kitchen.

Ravi entered the kitchen and took the basket from Arlen, he washed the vegetables and looked at him.

"How about you watch the fire?" He said after thinking for a minute about what errand he should assign Arlen.

Arlen blinked, "I can do other things. I can cut the vegetables. I am good at cutting vegetables. I promise."

Ravi gave him another look as he opened the refrigerator and bent over to look for the suitable ingredients. After taking out what he needed, he took out the jar of strawberry juice and poured some for him.

"My favorite." Arlen happily took a sip.

"En." Ravi knew Arlen had mentioned it once or twice before. He always remembered everything the other party told him. He took out the pork belly and carefully washed it. The fire this time was hotter than usual, he placed the pork belly in the pot with some hot water and took it out after 180 seconds.

He sieved the water out and rinsed the boiled pork belly.

"Why did you rinse it again?’ Arlen asked as he hovered around. Ravi raised an eyebrow, he had not had someone else in the kitchen when he was cooking before, especially someone like Arlen who walked up and down ==, checking this and checking that.

"To remove most of its blood and the impurities. We would be having it with noodles. Here cut some carrots and leeks. The spring onions as well."

Arlen nodded obediently and he looked for an apron, he opened drawers and drawers.

Ravi was exasperated, "What is it?"

"Apron?"

"To cut the vegetables?" Ravi asked.

Arlen nodded and then shook his head a few seconds later, "I would go and cut them now."

Ravi’s lips could not help but pull into a smile. Arlen did not know how to stay quiet. It was like having another slice of apple.

Sweet.

The pork belly had cooled down a bit so he began to cut them. He went for thin cuts., then started cutting ginger and onions. He dry-fried the onions and ginger for a bit before mixing them with the cut pork belly. He mixed the sauce, a tablespoon of light soy sauce, and another of dark soy sauce with a scoop of sugar. After adding some water, he added the sauce and let it boil for a while.

After the pork had boiled for three minutes, he turned down the heat of the gas cooker and decided to let it braise. He then took out a container from the deep freezer.

"What is that? Sorry. Zip." He made a notion of padlocking his mouth.

Ravi chuckled, ’You can ask questions, I just don’t want you to hover around when I am cooking that is. This is bone broth. For the noodles.``

"I thought you were making braised pork noodles."

Ravi shook his head, "Not exactly, more like a mixture. Is that okay?" He hesitated, he experimented at times because he was the only one but now there was Arlen, maybe he should just make the tradition...

"I am so excited now. I can’t wait. Look, this is how I should cut it."

Ravi came over, the strips for the carrots were thin and long. The scallions were also cut properly.

"You are not a learner."

Arlen chuckled, "My elder brother does not like to eat outside so he cooks by himself and I always had to help. I am an expert in being a kitchen cutter."

He hardly ever heard Arlen mention his family. His eyes softened, there was a feeling of getting closer. He poured the bone broth in the container into a pot and stitched on the gas. He liked it, that feeling.

"Your elder brother. Do you have other brothers?"

Arlen stopped cutting, he looked at the figure busying himself in the kitchen, he took in the aroma from the braised pork and he could not find it in himself to be sad at the mention of that bone head.

"Just the one, Anouk. I have two older sisters though. Sienna and Sahara. They are twins."

"Beautiful names."

"They are also married." Arlen added.

Ravi nodded seriously. He started to prepare the soup ingredients for his brother. He grated some ginger and minced some garlic, "that is good news. I wish them a happy marital life."

Marriage was not rare among Sentinels but they were almost always with Sentinels. Those Sentinels would swear an oath of the red thread so they could find each other even when they reincarnated, they would always take missions together. The Sentinel Realm had nothing against marriage.

It was a beautiful, eternal union.

"Thank you." He was quiet for a while and then looked up, "In the afternoon, it was my elder brother who called."

"Oh! Did something happen at home?" Ravi paused, his eyes filled with concern.

Arlen shook his head, "Not at all."

"He came to visit." Ravi looked out of the window, he felt a little guilty. He was here enjoying Arlen’s company. Was his brother home alone waiting for him?

Visit.? As if? "He was chasing a trail and it led him here."

Ravi looked at him. Arlen’s face was the same as always with that light smile but why did he feel that the voice right now had a sense of defeat?

He paused and walked over, he hesitated and asked, "Are you alright?"

Arlen looked surprised when he looked at him and then he smiled, "Yes. Don’t worry. The moment I saw you, I felt better. Much better." He saw the sharp look on Ravi’s face, almost like a cat about to bite him and he chuckled, "I am not teasing you. It is not like me and my brother are enemies. We just don’t get along as we should." It was more like he did not get along with him anymore. Nowadays, Anouk was not his brother, he was the rightful heir to the throne of the Sinclair family, one of the most gifted heroes in Avalon.

Saying it in his mind sounded funny and he chuckled.

Seeing Ravi’s concern, his heart melted, "Really, I am fine. Thank you for being concerned."

Ravi looked at him to be sure he was alright, "Is he still at home?"

"No. He went back. Turns out that the trail is cold. He could not find what he was looking for." Arlen explained. It was unusual seeing that expression on his usually blank-faced elder brother. That expression of pure hate, just what kind of villain was his brother looking for?

Ravi went back to his cooking station and opened the bone broth. He began to add things to it. Minced garlic, grated ginger, chill oil, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, sesame oil, and some fish sauce.

"Arlen, I am confused about how to react, is it a good thing that he failed his mission or a bad thing? Since he failed, he would be punished, right?" Friends always hated and liked people together. Someone who caused Arlen grief even if he was his brother was on Ravi’s blacklist.

Arlen chuckled. His laughter. If Ravi was to describe it, it was like the sun at the edge of the ocean.

Incredibly warm.