"Yes, yes, the most important of all. What time is our lunch? I can't work on an empty stomach, you see," said Bowen.
This was the most shocking and unexpected question of all. Everyone was worried about how to finish their dessert in time as they only had 6 hours. But Bowen, on the other hand, was thinking about lunch. In Grimesphere, people typically only have two proper meals at the beginning and end of the day, which they consider important. Lunch is merely a complimentary meal that they take as a snack if they wish or if they are too hungry. However, for Bowen, being an earthly person, he couldn't live without three meals a day.
While everyone contemplated how daring Bowen was and anticipated that he would be scolded by the prince, the prince surprised them with his response. "Count, as adults, we cannot let young ones suffer from hunger, right?" he asked, unexpectedly.
This time, the count already understood what was going on. "Yes, your highness. We must do something about his lunch," nodded the count shamelessly.
"But I cannot provide lunch for you alone. If I do that, it would show partiality," the prince said, looking at Bowen. "How about this: you can cook your own food. I will order the servants to bring all the ingredients you need," said the prince.
"Okay, I'm fine with that," said Bowen casually, inciting jealousy among all the other participants present in the hall. Everyone could clearly see how the prince showed favoritism towards Bowen, despite claiming to be impartial. Others also wanted to voice out for their lunch, but when met with the intense gaze of the prince, they swallowed their words, which they didn't even utter.
With no more doubts, the prince declared the start of the competition, and everyone began taking out their ingredients, busily preparing. The prince, the count, and the butler started going around to check if everything was normal and if no one was cheating. When they reached Bowen's table, they encountered another surprise. Firstly, there were minimal ingredients. He only had some fruits, flour, sugar, milk, and spices, which were the bare minimum for producing a dessert. On the other tables, ingredients overflowed, ranging from local specialties to rare spices and fruits. Secondly, there were eggs. Eggs were typically used in main course spicy meals in Grimesphere, so why were they present for cooking desserts? And most importantly, there were some black seeds, the oddest of all.
"Are these seeds from ruberry fruits?" asked the prince doubtfully.
"Oh, I was wondering what they were. So they are from ruberry fruits," wondered the count, and the butler nodded. "But as far as I know, ruberry fruits are only used as animal feed, right?" the count added.
"I'm only using the seeds," said Bowen, startling the three invigilators.
"Pfft... only seeds? Pfft... kid, even animals don't eat those seeds," said Eega from the adjacent table. Even the prince and the count had the same thought in their minds. They really wanted to ask Bowen if he knew anything about cooking. The prince motioned for the others to leave him be, so they could wait and see what Bowen was doing.
The count couldn't keep silent any longer. He went near the prince and whispered, "Your highness, pardon my opinion if I speak out of my position, but it feels like your favor towards the kid will be wasted. Won't people say and laugh if you show partiality towards him, and he fails terribly even after you've given him all these perks that others don't have? Just looking at the ingredients, even I, who know very little about cooking, can tell that his cooking is going to be a disaster or completely plain. Should we still allow him to continue?" asked the count.
"Three things," Count said the prince calmly. "Firstly, he was the only one who dared to ask for a cooling system and lunch, so I did give it to him. Secondly, he is an anomaly. With little and odd ingredients and a unique cooling method, aren't you curious what kind of dishes he will make? And finally, what if I showed partiality to him? I am a prince, and I have the power to do whatever I want."
[Ah! Now I know why even the crown prince of Starfall is so cautious with the third prince. He is a person who doesn't go by rules nor does he care about the consequences. If only he showed a little interest towards the throne, the entire city of Starfall would have been his ages ago]thought the count.
Soon, it was 1 pm, and everyone's preparations were going at a fast pace. Bowen cleared up some space on his table to cook his lunch. He washed and cut the chicken into big chunks and let it soak in buttermilk. Soon, he added some unknown sauces and spices he had prepared previously before coating it with flour. He cut some common vegetables and placed them in the bread toast he had prepared. He started frying the chicken pieces in hot oil, which sizzled with a wonderful sound. Soon, the smell that drifted from the pan started gathering the attention of everyone present there. Some of them salivated from the corners of their mouths, some of them halted their cooking process. Eega, who was close to Bowen, was the first to bear the mouth-watering smell of the cooking, and she could very well see how brown, delicious, and beautiful the chicken pieces looked when taken from the pan.
Bowen, without giving a damn about others, blew on a piece of drumstick and took a bite. "CRUNCH!" came a sound from the bite that made others widen their eyes. Now they were like dogs putting their tongues out for a piece of meat. Some people even bit their fingers, unable to contain themselves from running to grab a piece. "Aaah! ... ummmmm ... so yummy, so delicious..." said Bowen, enjoying the tasty spicy fried chicken. The last strand of the prince was broken. Unable to stand any longer, being an avid food lover, he walked quickly and stood before Bowen's table.
"Umm, if you don't mind, may I know what dish you are eating right now?" asked the prince.
"Oh, this! This is fried chicken, and ... if you keep it in a toast with veggies and cheese, it's called a fried chicken sandwich," said Bowen, taking big bites of the sandwich as much as he can.
"Seems delicious," said the prince, but in reality, his ego stopped him from asking for a piece for himself as he is a prince.
"Yes, it's too delicious," said Bowen, savoring the chicken and licking the sauce that dropped from his lips.
[Why don't you ask if I need a piece? Wherever I go, people beg me to taste their food. I was never treated like this. Should I lower myself and ask him directly?] thought the prince.
Seeing the chicken pieces disappearing one by one, the prince was pushed to a now-or-never situation.
"Umm, kid, can you spare me one?" he asked, startling everyone in the hall. It didn't end with that. What Bowen said next thunderstruck everyone.
"Aah, I only have so little and worked so hard," said Bowen, making a sad face as if it was too hard to part from the food.
"[This guy's audacity knows no bounds]," thought the count. The butler shook his head, unable to believe what was happening there.
"Oh, not for free. I can pay for the food," said the prince.
"Really? Usually, I would sell this for 1 large silver, but since Your Highness has helped me a lot, you can have it for 50 small silvers," Bowen said without hesitation.
"What? It's so expensive," uttered the butler.
"I never said I was selling it to you," Bowen replied, looking at the butler.
"No problem, no problem. Get me one of those bread things with chicken," said the prince.
Bowen took 50 small silvers and passed a sandwich to the prince. The smell alone was enough for the prince to trust Bowen's cooking. He took a large bite of the sandwich and felt like he was in heaven. It was a spicy heaven indeed. The softness of the bread, the aroma of fresh vegetables, and the crispiness of the chicken mixed with unknown spices and cheese. He didn't know tastes could blend so perfectly well. This was his first time eating something like this. In Grimesphere, bread is usually eaten alone or as a complement to soup. How could vegetables go so well with bread? Moreover, they seemed raw. What kind of magic was this? he thought. He had forgotten himself while relishing the food and was only brought back by Bowen's voice.
"Here, this is for you, Miss Knight. Since you helped me, you can have it for free," Bowen said and offered two big chicken drumsticks to the female knight guarding the prince.
She didn't expect Bowen to do something like this in front of the prince. Her mouth secretly watered for the food, but she maintained her stern appearance as she had been focused on her work. Now Bowen himself offered the delicious food to her, and she kept looking at the prince for orders.
"Take it, Farah. I bet you won't want to miss such wonderful food," said the prince.
"Yes, Your Highness. I will take the food as you ordered," said the knight with a stern face but suddenly started blushing after a little while. After taking a bite, she muttered, "Umm... Your Highness, it's too spicy for me. If you don't mind, can you help me with the second piece?" She offered another piece to the prince.
"Haha... you still have a sweet tongue, huh! Fine, let me have the other one," he said and took the drumstick generously, savoring the taste with his eyes closed.
Bowen, with his keen senses, had already noticed what was going on. [So, Miss Knight has a crush on the third prince, huh?] he thought.
Prince and Bowen grew closer during the short lunch period, while the count and the butler had a bitter time. They wished the competition could end as soon as possible.
#Toris Kingdom Guild Tavern, 12:05 pm#
The server girl respectfully brought a glass of cold beer and placed it in front of Luther. To commoners, Luther seemed like a great D-rank magician, but he knew very well that he would be at the bottom of the food chain when he ventured outside the Yuria continent. He had been working hard on guild requests, killing E-rank spirit beasts with his team to earn money for buying intermediate grade magic techniques. Approaching 30 years old, he wondered if he could secure a permanent job with good pay. There, he could settle down while honing his skills and climbing the ranks, avoiding risky jobs that endangered his life.
"[Haaa! Who would marry someone risking their life every day?]" he thought, frustrated, as he drank and contemplated his uncertain future.
Suddenly, a person in a knight uniform approached the staff in the tavern, inquiring about someone named Luther. These knights wore the symbol of Rinshield on their uniforms.
"That's me," Luther said, standing up from his table, filled with confusion.
"Sir, are you an ice magician of D rank?" asked the knight.
"Yes, I am. May I know what I am needed for?" Luther replied.
"We were ordered to bring you to the town of Aswalt."
"Aswalt? What kind of rural town is that? I've never heard of it. And who ordered this?" Luther asked. As a D-rank magician, not even nobles like barons and viscounts could give him orders. D-rankers held a certain level of respect in Yuria.
"It's by the orders of the third prince of Starfall and the count of Rinshield. We have come seeking your help."
"What? The third prince of Starfall?" [Great,] he thought. [Finally, my talents and merits have reached the prince's ears. If he has personally called for me, it must be an important task.]
"It seems like the great Kingdom of Starfall needs my assistance. I am going to fight and bring fame to Toris Kingdom!" Luther exclaimed, shouting to all the people assembled in the tavern, who were much like his friends.
"Hu huuu... great... go Luther! Come back victorious! Hurrah for Toris Kingdom... hurrah Luther!" everyone cheered, sending Luther off with a resounding applause.
Luther followed the knight and traveled to Aswalt on a flying bird transport. With little clue of what awaited him, he followed behind the knight and entered the hall of the competition. He had expected to be led to a battlefield, but instead found himself in a cooking hall. Well, it didn't matter as long as he could see the prince and prove his talents, he thought.
As soon as he spotted the prince in the room, he became overwhelmed with excitement and ran to introduce himself.
"Luther, a certified D-ranker from the Kingdom of Toris, greets the great third prince of the Kingdom of Aswalt," Luther said, bowing.
"Oh! So you're an ice magician," the prince remarked.
"Yes, my lord. Even though I'm not highly talented, I promise to sacrifice every drop of my blood to fulfill the orders of His Highness," Luther replied sincerely. The count and the butler, who overheard this, struggled to control their laughter.
"Is that so? Then go help the little kid over there with his cooking," said the prince unexpectedly.
The magician seemed to hear something wrong. "Pardon, Your Highness, it seems like my ears are playing tricks on me. Could you please repeat your orders?" he said, clearly confused.
"Yes, yes, the most important of all. What time is our lunch? I can't work on an empty stomach, you see," said Bowen.
This was the most shocking and unexpected question of all. Everyone was worried about how to finish their dessert in time as they only had 6 hours. But Bowen, on the other hand, was thinking about lunch. In Grimesphere, people typically only have two proper meals at the beginning and end of the day, which they consider important. Lunch is merely a complimentary meal that they take as a snack if they wish or if they are too hungry. However, for Bowen, being an earthly person, he couldn't live without three meals a day.
While everyone contemplated how daring Bowen was and anticipated that he would be scolded by the prince, the prince surprised them with his response. "Count, as adults, we cannot let young ones suffer from hunger, right?" he asked, unexpectedly.
This time, the count already understood what was going on. "Yes, your highness. We must do something about his lunch," nodded the count shamelessly.
"But I cannot provide lunch for you alone. If I do that, it would show partiality," the prince said, looking at Bowen. "How about this: you can cook your own food. I will order the servants to bring all the ingredients you need," said the prince.
"Okay, I'm fine with that," said Bowen casually, inciting jealousy among all the other participants present in the hall. Everyone could clearly see how the prince showed favoritism towards Bowen, despite claiming to be impartial. Others also wanted to voice out for their lunch, but when met with the intense gaze of the prince, they swallowed their words, which they didn't even utter.
With no more doubts, the prince declared the start of the competition, and everyone began taking out their ingredients, busily preparing. The prince, the count, and the butler started going around to check if everything was normal and if no one was cheating. When they reached Bowen's table, they encountered another surprise. Firstly, there were minimal ingredients. He only had some fruits, flour, sugar, milk, and spices, which were the bare minimum for producing a dessert. On the other tables, ingredients overflowed, ranging from local specialties to rare spices and fruits. Secondly, there were eggs. Eggs were typically used in main course spicy meals in Grimesphere, so why were they present for cooking desserts? And most importantly, there were some black seeds, the oddest of all.
"Are these seeds from ruberry fruits?" asked the prince doubtfully.
"Oh, I was wondering what they were. So they are from ruberry fruits," wondered the count, and the butler nodded. "But as far as I know, ruberry fruits are only used as animal feed, right?" the count added.
"I'm only using the seeds," said Bowen, startling the three invigilators.
"Pfft... only seeds? Pfft... kid, even animals don't eat those seeds," said Eega from the adjacent table. Even the prince and the count had the same thought in their minds. They really wanted to ask Bowen if he knew anything about cooking. The prince motioned for the others to leave him be, so they could wait and see what Bowen was doing.
The count couldn't keep silent any longer. He went near the prince and whispered, "Your highness, pardon my opinion if I speak out of my position, but it feels like your favor towards the kid will be wasted. Won't people say and laugh if you show partiality towards him, and he fails terribly even after you've given him all these perks that others don't have? Just looking at the ingredients, even I, who know very little about cooking, can tell that his cooking is going to be a disaster or completely plain. Should we still allow him to continue?" asked the count.
"Three things," Count said the prince calmly. "Firstly, he was the only one who dared to ask for a cooling system and lunch, so I did give it to him. Secondly, he is an anomaly. With little and odd ingredients and a unique cooling method, aren't you curious what kind of dishes he will make? And finally, what if I showed partiality to him? I am a prince, and I have the power to do whatever I want."
[Ah! Now I know why even the crown prince of Starfall is so cautious with the third prince. He is a person who doesn't go by rules nor does he care about the consequences. If only he showed a little interest towards the throne, the entire city of Starfall would have been his ages ago]thought the count.
Soon, it was 1 pm, and everyone's preparations were going at a fast pace. Bowen cleared up some space on his table to cook his lunch. He washed and cut the chicken into big chunks and let it soak in buttermilk. Soon, he added some unknown sauces and spices he had prepared previously before coating it with flour. He cut some common vegetables and placed them in the bread toast he had prepared. He started frying the chicken pieces in hot oil, which sizzled with a wonderful sound. Soon, the smell that drifted from the pan started gathering the attention of everyone present there. Some of them salivated from the corners of their mouths, some of them halted their cooking process. Eega, who was close to Bowen, was the first to bear the mouth-watering smell of the cooking, and she could very well see how brown, delicious, and beautiful the chicken pieces looked when taken from the pan.
Bowen, without giving a damn about others, blew on a piece of drumstick and took a bite. "CRUNCH!" came a sound from the bite that made others widen their eyes. Now they were like dogs putting their tongues out for a piece of meat. Some people even bit their fingers, unable to contain themselves from running to grab a piece. "Aaah! ... ummmmm ... so yummy, so delicious..." said Bowen, enjoying the tasty spicy fried chicken. The last strand of the prince was broken. Unable to stand any longer, being an avid food lover, he walked quickly and stood before Bowen's table.
"Umm, if you don't mind, may I know what dish you are eating right now?" asked the prince.
"Oh, this! This is fried chicken, and ... if you keep it in a toast with veggies and cheese, it's called a fried chicken sandwich," said Bowen, taking big bites of the sandwich as much as he can.
"Seems delicious," said the prince, but in reality, his ego stopped him from asking for a piece for himself as he is a prince.
"Yes, it's too delicious," said Bowen, savoring the chicken and licking the sauce that dropped from his lips.
[Why don't you ask if I need a piece? Wherever I go, people beg me to taste their food. I was never treated like this. Should I lower myself and ask him directly?] thought the prince.
Seeing the chicken pieces disappearing one by one, the prince was pushed to a now-or-never situation.
"Umm, kid, can you spare me one?" he asked, startling everyone in the hall. It didn't end with that. What Bowen said next thunderstruck everyone.
"Aah, I only have so little and worked so hard," said Bowen, making a sad face as if it was too hard to part from the food.
"[This guy's audacity knows no bounds]," thought the count. The butler shook his head, unable to believe what was happening there.
"Oh, not for free. I can pay for the food," said the prince.
"Really? Usually, I would sell this for 1 large silver, but since Your Highness has helped me a lot, you can have it for 50 small silvers," Bowen said without hesitation.
"What? It's so expensive," uttered the butler.
"I never said I was selling it to you," Bowen replied, looking at the butler.
"No problem, no problem. Get me one of those bread things with chicken," said the prince.
Bowen took 50 small silvers and passed a sandwich to the prince. The smell alone was enough for the prince to trust Bowen's cooking. He took a large bite of the sandwich and felt like he was in heaven. It was a spicy heaven indeed. The softness of the bread, the aroma of fresh vegetables, and the crispiness of the chicken mixed with unknown spices and cheese. He didn't know tastes could blend so perfectly well. This was his first time eating something like this. In Grimesphere, bread is usually eaten alone or as a complement to soup. How could vegetables go so well with bread? Moreover, they seemed raw. What kind of magic was this? he thought. He had forgotten himself while relishing the food and was only brought back by Bowen's voice.
"Here, this is for you, Miss Knight. Since you helped me, you can have it for free," Bowen said and offered two big chicken drumsticks to the female knight guarding the prince.
She didn't expect Bowen to do something like this in front of the prince. Her mouth secretly watered for the food, but she maintained her stern appearance as she had been focused on her work. Now Bowen himself offered the delicious food to her, and she kept looking at the prince for orders.
"Take it, Farah. I bet you won't want to miss such wonderful food," said the prince.
"Yes, Your Highness. I will take the food as you ordered," said the knight with a stern face but suddenly started blushing after a little while. After taking a bite, she muttered, "Umm... Your Highness, it's too spicy for me. If you don't mind, can you help me with the second piece?" She offered another piece to the prince.
"Haha... you still have a sweet tongue, huh! Fine, let me have the other one," he said and took the drumstick generously, savoring the taste with his eyes closed.
Bowen, with his keen senses, had already noticed what was going on. [So, Miss Knight has a crush on the third prince, huh?] he thought.
Prince and Bowen grew closer during the short lunch period, while the count and the butler had a bitter time. They wished the competition could end as soon as possible.
#Toris Kingdom Guild Tavern, 12:05 pm#
The server girl respectfully brought a glass of cold beer and placed it in front of Luther. To commoners, Luther seemed like a great D-rank magician, but he knew very well that he would be at the bottom of the food chain when he ventured outside the Yuria continent. He had been working hard on guild requests, killing E-rank spirit beasts with his team to earn money for buying intermediate grade magic techniques. Approaching 30 years old, he wondered if he could secure a permanent job with good pay. There, he could settle down while honing his skills and climbing the ranks, avoiding risky jobs that endangered his life.
"[Haaa! Who would marry someone risking their life every day?]" he thought, frustrated, as he drank and contemplated his uncertain future.
Suddenly, a person in a knight uniform approached the staff in the tavern, inquiring about someone named Luther. These knights wore the symbol of Rinshield on their uniforms.
"That's me," Luther said, standing up from his table, filled with confusion.
"Sir, are you an ice magician of D rank?" asked the knight.
"Yes, I am. May I know what I am needed for?" Luther replied.
"We were ordered to bring you to the town of Aswalt."
"Aswalt? What kind of rural town is that? I've never heard of it. And who ordered this?" Luther asked. As a D-rank magician, not even nobles like barons and viscounts could give him orders. D-rankers held a certain level of respect in Yuria.
"It's by the orders of the third prince of Starfall and the count of Rinshield. We have come seeking your help."
"What? The third prince of Starfall?" [Great,] he thought. [Finally, my talents and merits have reached the prince's ears. If he has personally called for me, it must be an important task.]
"It seems like the great Kingdom of Starfall needs my assistance. I am going to fight and bring fame to Toris Kingdom!" Luther exclaimed, shouting to all the people assembled in the tavern, who were much like his friends.
"Hu huuu... great... go Luther! Come back victorious! Hurrah for Toris Kingdom... hurrah Luther!" everyone cheered, sending Luther off with a resounding applause.
Luther followed the knight and traveled to Aswalt on a flying bird transport. With little clue of what awaited him, he followed behind the knight and entered the hall of the competition. He had expected to be led to a battlefield, but instead found himself in a cooking hall. Well, it didn't matter as long as he could see the prince and prove his talents, he thought.
As soon as he spotted the prince in the room, he became overwhelmed with excitement and ran to introduce himself.
"Luther, a certified D-ranker from the Kingdom of Toris, greets the great third prince of the Kingdom of Aswalt," Luther said, bowing.
"Oh! So you're an ice magician," the prince remarked.
"Yes, my lord. Even though I'm not highly talented, I promise to sacrifice every drop of my blood to fulfill the orders of His Highness," Luther replied sincerely. The count and the butler, who overheard this, struggled to control their laughter.
"Is that so? Then go help the little kid over there with his cooking," said the prince unexpectedly.
The magician seemed to hear something wrong. "Pardon, Your Highness, it seems like my ears are playing tricks on me. Could you please repeat your orders?" he said, clearly confused.
