When Ye Chui, Debbie, Lesha, and Green arrived at the lord’s mansion, they spotted Jacob waiting at the side door. Seeing them approach, Jacob seemed nervous. He regarded the trio as friends, but as someone from the slums, often scorned, he felt unworthy of associating with such important figures.
However, Ye Chui and Debbie’s reactions quickly eased his concerns.
“Jacob, long time no see. Are you waiting for us?” Ye Chui said with a grin, patting his shoulder, showing none of the airs of a three-star guild president.
“Yeah,” Jacob nodded, a touch of awe in his voice. “I never imagined you were such incredible people. I once dreamed of being a magic mentor, but I lack the talent. You guys are amazing.”
“Have you awakened a magic book? Even if you can’t be a magic mentor, you could try being a swordsman,” Ye Chui suggested with a smile.
“I actually tried learning swordsmanship, but my talent’s lacking there too. I injured myself the first time I held a sword,” Jacob said, his expression troubled. “I also tried being a summoner and a believer, but those didn’t work either.”
“Looks like you’re destined to be a chef,” Debbie teased, then laughed. “We’ve been working hard to gather ingredients these past few days. Wait till you see Ye Chui’s cooking.”
“I’m looking forward to it,” Jacob replied eagerly. A chef this skilled and so formidable? His admiration for Ye Chui couldn’t grow any stronger. He stepped aside to let them pass. “Hurry inside. Everyone else is already here, just waiting for you.”
There were four chefs competing for the role of wedding head chef, including Ye Chui. Besides Lloyd, there were two plump chefs, one dark-skinned and one pale, likely foreigners. They had probably heard about Ye Chui and were craning their necks to size up this formidable rival.
When they saw the chef was just a teenager, their expressions turned odd, a hint of disdain flickering in their eyes.
“This is the chef who joined at the last minute? Just a kid.”
“Heard he’s the president of a three-star guild. So young, hmph. If he’s a guild president, he should stick to mercenary missions. Why compete for head chef?”
The two muttered under their breath.
Lloyd, busy preparing his ingredients, snorted at their words. He’d thought the same initially, only to be thoroughly humbled. His gaze toward Ye Chui carried undisguised hostility. Relying on the head chef’s favor was no longer an option, so he’d have to rely on his true skills.
“Mr. Ye Chui, please prepare your dish here,” the head chef said, introducing the two plump chefs briefly before leading Ye Chui to a stove. His attitude was noticeably more polite than three days ago, even tinged with respect.
Ye Chui and his group approached the stove.
Jacob followed, wanting to help.
But the head chef grabbed Jacob’s arm, his voice low and cold. “Jacob, what do you think you’re doing?”
“I want to help them…”
“You? Hmph, who do you think you are? If your mother hadn’t begged me, I wouldn’t have kept you in the kitchen. Mr. Ye Chui is a three-star guild president. What right does a slum kid like you have to befriend him?” the head chef snapped viciously. Unable to vent his resentment at Ye Chui, he had no qualms targeting Jacob, who was close to them.
“But…” Jacob tried to argue, but the head chef pointed to a side door. “Go wash and peel the potatoes in the storeroom. We need them for dinner.”
Jacob looked reluctant but didn’t dare defy the head chef. He headed to the storeroom, pausing at the entrance as two maids entered from the door connecting the kitchen to the mansion.
He recognized the plump maid, Miss Windsor’s personal attendant, and another woman, around forty, with a stern face, also tasked with caring for Miss Windsor. Jacob had only seen her a few times and never in the kitchen. He nodded to them before entering the storeroom.
Feeling resentful, he didn’t know that the head chef’s spiteful punishment would soon save his life.
Ye Chui’s group began their preparations.
Green opened the music box as a cover for the sound, while Ye Chui activated the God of Cooking BGM. Debbie and Lesha started handling ingredients. Buddha Jumps Over the Wall was an intricate dish, and with the BGM’s influence, Ye Chui knew its recipe precisely.
The dish required complex ingredients, some unavailable in this world, but as long as the approach was correct, outclassing this world’s chefs was no issue. Green had gone to great lengths to gather similar ingredients.
No abalone? They used magic snapper, a rare, delicious freshwater fish native to Windrock City.
No king oyster mushrooms? Dragon blood mushrooms, collected in bulk from the Dragon Head Mountain ant nest and stored in [Storage Space], were a rare delicacy.
For meat, gelatin, and tendons, the leg of a flying magical beast would suffice.
Seasonings were trickier, but Green, an expert in this area due to combat needs, had gathered a variety of spices. Under the BGM’s guidance, Ye Chui selected suitable ones to approximate the needed flavors.
This magical world had its advantages. Even ordinary animals here were as delicious as those in his original world, not to mention magical beasts.
When Ye Chui pulled out the beast’s leg, Lesha blinked, suddenly realizing something. “Wait, that doesn’t look like an ordinary animal’s leg. It’s like… a priest’s flying magical beast.” She looked at Ye Chui in surprise.
“You’re mistaken, definitely mistaken. We bought this beast meat at a high price,” Ye Chui said, laughing to change the subject. Green had skinned the leg, which was needed for its tendons and elbow meat, but Lesha still noticed something.
Lesha looked skeptical. While at the church, she’d heard about the missing priest who had gone to Stan Town from Windrock City, expected to return the same day but never did. The church later reported his death. She’d felt satisfied at the news, but now, seeing this beast leg and recalling the exquisite dishes they’d eaten along the way…
No way, right?
Meanwhile, Lloyd was laying out his ingredients, all rare and painstakingly acquired. Among them was a long-necked goose, bought for five gold coins, a rare bird akin to swans in Ye Chui’s world, restricted in some countries to royalty only.
(ps: In medieval England, swans were indeed protected, reserved for the king’s table. Long-necked geese are similar…)
Lloyd was confident, thinking his ingredients were at least as good as Ye Chui’s, giving him a shot at victory. But seeing Ye Chui’s ingredients, his pride crumbled.
Dragon blood mushrooms and magic snapper were one thing, but that strange beast leg… was it from a magical beast?
As a renowned chef, Lloyd knew rare ingredients and animal anatomy well. Magical beasts differed vastly from ordinary animals, with diverse species. Though he couldn’t identify every kind, he could tell this was at least a third-tier flying magical beast’s leg, with features resembling both poultry and robust ungulates.
Third-tier magical beasts were incredibly rare. Some nobles raised low-tier beasts for food, but high-tier ones were kept as magical or battle pets. Their meat was only consumed if killed by chance, making third-tier beast meat a once-in-a-lifetime ingredient for a chef like Lloyd.
And now, Ye Chui was using it for a cooking competition? Lloyd trembled. Did he have to be so extravagant?
Ye Chui’s stove had a large black ceramic pot, bought by Green for its durability, often used by poor households instead of iron pots. As the fire roared, Ye Chui added the processed ingredients one by one. With the God of Cooking BGM, his movements were fluid and mesmerizing.
Finally, he cast the [Flame Serpent] spell, conjuring a burning snake that coiled around the pot, ensuring even heating. Using magic to cook wasn’t new, but Ye Chui’s flair was unmatched. The small serpent slithered around the pot, perfectly distributing heat.
A rich aroma soon wafted from the pot, blending the scents of various ingredients, instantly stirring everyone’s appetite.
Buddha Jumps Over the Wall’s flavor deepened with longer cooking. In the movie *God of Cooking*, with inner strength, it took three to four minutes. Ye Chui, using magic, could speed it up but chose to extend the time for perfection.
This was a magical version of Buddha Jumps Over the Wall.
The two chefs who had initially dismissed Ye Chui for his youth lost all disdain at the aroma. The dark-skinned chef, in shock, dropped a dish with a crash.
Lloyd’s gaunt face grew solemn.
It was afternoon, so the kitchen bustled with chefs and servants, but they stole glances at the four competing chefs, especially Ye Chui. In this medieval-inspired magical world, they’d never encountered the rich essence of Chinese culinary culture.
Besides the kitchen staff, higher-status servants, butlers, and escorts from the mansion appeared, serving as judges for the competition, though it wasn’t overly formal. They gathered around, discussing the chefs’ merits.
Among them, the plump maid and the stern-faced matron kept watching Ye Chui’s group curiously, occasionally whispering to each other.
The head chef noticed the matron, finding it odd. She was said to always stay by Miss Windsor’s side, rarely leaving. Was she here because Miss Windsor was particularly invested in the competition?
With that thought, he didn’t dwell on it.
The plump maid suddenly took a deep sniff, looking ravenous, and edged closer to Ye Chui’s group. She paused, then crept nearer, entranced by the aroma.
Most knew her habit of sneaking food from the kitchen, so they didn’t pay much mind, only chuckling mockingly. Look at her greedy face. Once Miss Windsor marries the fourth prince, he’ll surely send her packing.
Soon, she was right by Ye Chui’s group. Given her near-drooling state, people only marveled at how tempting Ye Chui’s dish was, not sensing anything amiss.
But Ye Chui’s group found it odd. They’d seen her two days ago and knew her high status, so no one in the kitchen dared stop her. But why was she hovering so close, looking like she was about to drool?
As Debbie was about to remind her to mind herself, the plump maid whispered, “Random Name Magic Guild, I have a dangerous mission for you.”
“Hm?” The four froze but quickly resumed their tasks to avoid suspicion. Ye Chui whispered back, “What is it?”
“It’s a highly dangerous mission, one that can’t be registered with the mercenary guild, but I’ll offer a hefty reward,” the maid said, feigning a gluttonous sniff but sweating profusely, betraying her tension. “If you accept, you’ll likely make enemies of Lord Kevin and the fourth prince, facing their wrath.”
Ye Chui glanced at Debbie. This sounded familiar… like when Old Merlin asked them to help Cass rescue Miss Windsor.
“What do you want us to do?” Ye Chui asked quietly, his eyes scanning the surroundings. He noticed the matron watching them nervously.
“I’m Miss Windsor’s personal maid. I need you to escort Miss Windsor and me to Stan Town. We’ll pay ten thousand gold coins afterward,” the maid whispered almost inaudibly. “Ideally, get Miss Windsor to Mayor Cass. You’re from Stan Town, so you must know him, right?”
Ye Chui, Debbie, Lesha, and Green stiffened. It couldn’t be this coincidental, could it?
The maid hurriedly continued, “I’ve heard about your actions these past days. Unlike other guilds or mercenary groups, you have both strength and boldness, so I think you might take this mission.”
“How do you expect us to do it? Miss Windsor’s confined to the mansion. Are you suggesting we storm in and kidnap her?” Ye Chui asked, astonished.
“Though Lord Kevin restricts her movements, she’s still the young lady. She can find ways to leave the mansion. The problem is the pursuit we’ll face after leaving Windrock City,” the maid said, her head lowered, sweat dripping onto the counter. After a pause, she added, “Actually, Miss Windsor is already here. If you agree, we can act immediately.”
What? Miss Windsor was here?
Ye Chui, Debbie, Lesha, and Green couldn’t stay calm, instinctively looking at the matron who had entered with the maid. This matron was Miss Windsor?
She looked over forty, with a stern face, deep wrinkles, and an air of an ill-tempered spinster, far from beautiful or refined. She seemed harsh and shrewish. This was the Miss Windsor Cass longed for? Ye Chui and Debbie exchanged a glance.
Damn, was Cass’s taste a bit heavy?
Then they realized Windsor was likely disguised, made up to look this way to avoid causing a stir if recognized.
“Do you agree or not?” the maid pressed urgently.
“On behalf of the Random Name Magic Guild, I accept your mission,” Ye Chui said with a faint smile.
Many things in this world were connected by fate. Their ruckus at the Coldstone Magic Guild wasn’t fruitless; it showed Windsor their “character.” The cooking competition gave her a chance to approach them.
Meanwhile, outside on the street, Abdu, leader of the Banyan Leaf Mercenary Group, was storming over with his men.
They’d pried Ye Chui’s group’s whereabouts from Hakem.
Less than an hour remained until the teleportation token activated…
