In one of the balcony rooms, lunch was being served. There was a lovely family who knew the things before them and was delighted to eat something normal and familiar in this place for the first time.
Of course, the things before them were normal for them. It wasn't something common people or even the higher class people like the ones down there knew anything about.
There was some kind of salad with greens and meat, weird things wrapped in strangely big lattice leaves, and a strange but too much attractive-looking thing that they knew was something lavish just from the looks.
It was like those very, very, costly foods from the highest-grade restaurants, so they didn't mind the strange other things.
Everything was served before their separate chairs, so they also didn't have to move anywhere.
There were servants as well as strange magical machines that roamed the room and distributed beverages of various kinds.
People were familiar with them and the good quality drinks they served, but there were some new things that attracted the attention of many people.
They were cool-sounding drinks and when they asked for them, the thing they got also was something they had never seen in high-class bars.
This was better treatment and food than the previous years, just like the items that were better than ever.
If not for the appearance of that son of a gun no.369, every buyer would have enjoyed their food without any problem.
But they were already in a complicated mood because of the last item.
That person, that unknown person that had hindered many of them without buying anything, had bought a simple-looking book for more than a million gold.
Though one of their unknown kings did them justice by increasing the price by more than a hundred thousand gold, the fact that the unknown bastard still bought that book was a historical event.
Maybe he was also someone like their three unknown kings, but different from those three nobles, he was a bastard.
Many had thoughts that he was someone from the staff of the Hiraani who helped the internal people, but that thought was pointless.
Everyone knew the strict policies of this place and employees were never allowed to bid for any item.
And the auction master wasn't someone who would set up someone to increase her profits.
She wouldn't do such a thing… they all believed that.
So the unknown bastard was someone who either voluntarily did this to help the auction or he was someone with absurd money to back his bloody actions.
And the second thing was most likely the case.
Not many even had a hundred thousand gold to spare for a useless book and some decorative glass slab, much less millions.
The people with that kind of money were few in the empire. Maybe he was someone from outside, like many people sitting around them?
That bastard might also be here somewhere, laughing at them while munching on these things.
So, they, either in helplessness, hate towards the person, or in disbelief that they would see such an amazing thing today, took their first bites from the normal, abnormal, and amazing-looking delicacies before them.
And regardless of what they were eating. The salad, the big lattice that was instructed to best be eaten like a sandwich by hand, the pyramid made of three bright colors, or even the new drinks.
Whatever they eat… produced a particular kind of reaction.
"T-this…!"
"What is a thing!? The taste…!"
"The looks aren't that great, but the tender meat inside it full of exotic flavors feels like the highest grade meat famous in <Royal island>!"
"Delicious!"
"Divine!"
"Heavenly!"
They all were either so speechless by the taste that they forgot the basic manners and ate the whole thing or were so surprised just from the first bite that they started analyzing or praising the delicacies.
Many of them also noticed that the ingredients themselves weren't that great and might even be called of lower quality than usual, but they couldn't explain the unreal richness of the food they were eating.
It was amazing. And even though they didn't know what they did to the simple ingredients or what special, secret thing they used, the things they were eating were just… impeccable.
They were surprised. And so were the people above them.
"Mom, the chefs are amazing. And the head chef too. I give these things a gold star. Can't wait to meet them after these things are over."
The family was delightfully eating their lunch. And Anna was sitting between her big brother and sister Elle, having her cute face stained with her special chocolate milk.
She liked the food too. It was just like they made at home, so she also gave her approval.
"I give them two stars~! Chocolate milk is the best~!"
She was cute, but he smiled and wiped the milk from her face. This was already her second cup. She was drinking this special milk he asked from the head chef more than the food.
It was good but eating was also important so he fed her a piece of meat from the salad.
It was crispy and exactly like he instructed so he was happy.
"Hehe. They said you were the one to tell them about such amazing cooking methods. These normal ingredients didn't just turn into these fine things on their own baby.
They also can't wait to meet you. Even the head chef serving his majesty and her highnesses would be praising you."
Who would think the lavish looking three colored pyramids were something made of simple meat, eggs, bananas, and some unique species?
The cooking methods used today were like divine knowledge to the chefs and head chef.
And the best cook of the continent, the lady who had received the highest blessing from the god of cooking, also agreed with them.
"Head chef…"
In the greatest balcony room reserved for the greatest family of the empire, the four people eating a special menu that 'he' decided for the royal family were unexpectedly surprised.
And most surprised of them was empress Madeleine, the best chef of the continent and (Second coming of Pochimi).
"How do you know this cooking method? Just what kind of epiphany inspired you to use such unconventional methods?"
She had a rare surprise on her face. It was rare, but this rare sight was seen on the faces of all four of them.
The dishes they were eating were naturally quite different from the rest of the people.
And all of them had a special menu item aside from the common things.
The emperor had a dark red piece of steak that didn't look anything normal. One can tell it was spicy just from the look, but it was actually spicy enough to amaze the emperor who was known as (Ruler of flames).
The elf lady Aina, sitting on the end of the table one chair away from the three, was eating the warm thing that looked like meat but was purely made of beans, potatoes, and vegetables.
She was a pure high elf, so she was surprised when the head chef who had severed them for past years served her this strange thing.
But, when she looked, smelled, and tasted it, she actually was surprised to find this strange sensation.
It was something she only felt from the things Madeleine made, so it was even more surprising.
She wasn't eating only salad for the first time outside the palace.
It was delightful for her but, just as much delighted was empress Vera, the oldest, wisest, and some of the most beautiful ladies of that world.
She was a witch and a royal adviser of the royal court who had stood by the side of many previous emperors. Though the current times were different, as she and the emperor had a deeper relationship than just an employee and employer.
Well, their stories were famous, but not her current delighted mood.
It was something that reminded her of her mother's and master's cooking, something not perfectly at that level but certainly nostalgic.
She wanted to reward the chef for this, but before she could finish her bowl of thick, green soup, empress Madeleine spoke up while eating her normal-looking meat and eggs.
"Cooking the meat then pressure cooking it, and after that, working on it with Mana condenser.
Not using just any top-class ingredients but ones that could be best suited with the unique methods.
Condensing milk extracts to make this unique blend cheese.
The method to increase spiciness by using a concentrated spice essence.
And this meat that looks like eggs while this egg that looks like meat…
Unconventional, but definitely innovative.
You surprised me with this one chef. Truly, you're amazing."
She was called the best chef for two reasons. One, because she made some of the best delicacies in the world, and second because she was some of the best supertasters.
And getting a compliment from her was a dream of anyone who called themselves a chef.
He was one of those people, too.
He also wanted the compliment of this person.
He was a chef before he was a dwarf, but this praise from the greatest chef of the continent… he wasn't deserving of it this time.
"I'm undeserving of this praise, your majesty. It wasn't me who came up with these special methods. In fact, the only thing my fellow men and I did was follow the instructions we received to the best of our abilities.
I do not know him yet but, your praise should belong to the one who gave us such divine knowledge."
The head chef was a dwarf. Not one of those tiny, muscular people with awesome beards… well, his beard was awesome too, but he wasn't the dwarfs depicted in many stories we know.
He was a dwarf, but unlike the normal ones who were naturally shorter than the average humans, this one was as tall as a normal human.
He was different from his kind. He didn't have either the higher strength of the dwarves or their high intelligence.
He was also not some mech fanatic and instead… he was a chef.
Not many knew him, but he was a famous person and a master chef, though not someone nearly on her level.
His height was as tall as a normal human, his ears were larger and round, the racial characteristic of a dwarf, and he had a muscular body and a white beard, indicating his old age.
Still, his humble presence and decline of her praise as well as admiration for this unknown person intrigued her.
"Divine knowledge, you say…"
She had a rare smirk on her face as she ate her food that truly deceived even her heightened senses.
"Can't wait to meet this special person."
She liked the food, strangely, but definitely.
It was good. Not the best, but better than the usual stuff she ate.
There was only one variable in this year's auction that could have caused this ripple effect.
She knew who he was. She knew this young, capable, interesting person… and she will soon meet him.
"Yes~. I'm excited too."
The chef was innocent, so he didn't understand her unique smirk.
The three partners who enjoyed their food were also eager to meet this special person.
He was cool enough to excite even the highest powers of the greatest empire.
They naturally looked forward to meeting the boy and having a long chat with him.
It was well and good but, at this moment, they didn't know what unique events this same special boy was going to cause in this empire, this world, and in this whole great nature…
RECENTLY UPDATES
