The Archmage’s Restaurant - Chapter 203
# 203
Chapter.40 Cooking Competition
“Let’s see. Is this the end? Merly branch? It’s Merli’s branch, but is it the last one? “Wow, that’s amazing.”
While saying those words, Count Belhel was concentrating on the dish that Licent was baking. Since it smells good, it seems like I’m naturally concentrating.
“Oh, does it smell good? Besides, isn’t this a dish you’ve never seen before? “Did you come up with this?”
He looked up from cooking, looked at Licent, and then turned his head towards me.
Count Belhel’s eyes met mine.
Count Belhel’s behavior became strange at that moment. With a very mechanical movement, he turned his head a little more and immediately looked at Lurin.
“Tsk tsk tsk?”
While eating beef jerky, Lulin looked into Count Belhel’s eyes and narrowed his eyes.
As soon as his eyes met Lulin, Count Belhel quickly looked down.
Of course, Count Belhel doesn’t know that Lurin is a dragon. However, I knew that he was a strong wizard. Most of the key executives of the Allied Forces who participated in the Monster War knew that.
Only the emperor and the duke know Lurin’s identity.
I mouthed the words towards the count who was trying to say something.
It doesn’t really matter.
It’s just a simple word: don’t pretend to know anything.
Fortunately, Count Belhel seemed to understand and turned around.
And while moving very awkwardly, he began to walk towards the head of the event room where he was originally sitting.
***
Kwagwagwagwang-!
Destroy monsters with spells more powerful than anyone else.
Kwagwagwagwang-!
The woman next to him used magic no less powerful than him.
The Allied Commander-in-Chief and the wizard next to him.
The Commander-in-Chief was too strong, and the black-haired wizard next to him was even more ruthless and silent than the Commander-in-Chief, and was just as strong as the Commander-in-Chief.
It could be said with certainty that it was thanks to the magic of the Commander-in-Chief of the Allied Forces that it became a hope for humanity, which was on the defensive, and drove the monsters all the way to the northern lands.
He was harder than steel when dealing with his enemies, but was soft with his subordinates. Yet, he was a perfect commander who was thorough in military law.
His poker face broke down only for the black-haired wizard next to him.
The black-haired wizard also spoke only when he was next to him.
Count Belhel still clearly remembers the night he almost died while trying to talk to the dark-haired wizard who was alone.
Although he was praised as a war hero only in his territory, in the actual war, Count Belhel was only a minor player.
Archmage Ellesion.
A being known to have easily surpassed the 7th class, which is the standard for an existing archmage.
A being that ended the war against monsters that lasted for decades.
He is a hero who drove monsters to the north and created a sealed border. However, he was also a hidden hero who was not well known to the general public. That’s because he refused any praise and suddenly disappeared the day the monster war ended.
I witnessed its existence right away.
Count Belhel sat down, breathing heavily. My heart was still pounding.
At first, I thought it was a similar person or something I had mistaken. I’ve never heard of it appearing after disappearing.
But when I instinctively turned my head, I found her. That black-haired wizard.
I was convinced the moment I saw her casually eating something.
It is impossible for two people to look alike. That’s why I was shocked and almost fell to my knees for a moment. In front of so many people.
The fear engraved in my body was so great that I automatically took that action.
But El said. Don’t pretend to know anything.
If so, you shouldn’t pretend to know.
That’s the only way to see it.
The more Count Belhel thought about it, the more absurd he became. Why is he cooking over there?
The play of someone who has achieved everything-?
What is the real meaning of not pretending to know?
Doubts linger. Count Belhel’s brain began to work hard for the first time in a long time.
If you take the wrong action, both mice and birds could die without you even noticing.
There’s nothing good about offending humanity’s strongest archmage.
If I had just heard it through hearsay, I would have thought it was nothing more than an exaggerated rumor, but Count Belhel was different. I witnessed war right in front of me and saw its power with my own eyes several times.
If so, you have to adapt to that play.
Don’t touch the stomach.
How can I avoid offending people? Count Belhel’s mind was complicated by those thoughts.
As a count, he didn’t have any of the humble pride that was characteristic of an aristocrat.
It’s just monsters.
I heard that the reason he became commander-in-chief was because of his achievement in saving the empire’s capital during the Dragon War.
What kind of fool would challenge a human who can kill a dragon?
Count Belhel quickly asked a question to Leain Saint next to him for information.
“What is the eastern branch of Merli over there?”
“Have you been there? Hehe, I brought a girl from outside and left her in charge of a restaurant to test her abilities. It’s just a trivial family matter. And if you don’t seem to have any special abilities, I’m planning on kicking you out right away, so why are you doing this? “Did you like that child?”
It’s also something that comes in handy right away. On the contrary, it was also a huge boon.
Leain Saint was curious about the intention of the question, so he thought about it, but Count Belhel was not interested in such things right now.
“Your daughter? So do you know the chef she hired? “The man I’m cooking with!”
“no? Come to think of it, I heard you hired a good chef. Why is that?”
“No. “It’s done.”
Leain Saint clicked his tongue inwardly, and Count Belhel was still rolling his eyes and thinking.
Judging by the fact that the representative of the Leain Chamber of Commerce in front of me had no clue, it seemed like he had absolutely nothing to do with the Chamber of Commerce.
So are they really there to cook? What on earth are you trying to do?
The more I thought about it, the more I couldn’t figure it out. So I decided to watch for now.
Hoping to only go in a direction that is out of sight.
“The dishes are arriving!”
“Oh finally. “Then let the judging begin!”
The judges, including the head of the market association, stood up from the head table and moved toward the judging table.
And as I ate the dishes that arrived, I started keeping score.
In that situation, Leain Saint misunderstood that Count Belhel was frowning and shouted at the union leader.
“Hurry and serve a separate dish to your Excellency!”
“I will!”
Thanks to this, the submitted dishes soon began to be brought in front of Count Belhel.
The judges began the tasting normally. Of course, the rankings were fixed. Leain Deren let out a bitter laugh at the head table. The head of the market association noticed this and started planning.
“Wait a minute this… “It’s so new and delicious, right?”
One of the judges holding a skewer in his hand said with a surprised expression. Then, one by one, the other judges began to agree.
“Wow, this has so many different textures!”
Of course, the market union leader frowned. This is because the store that served the skewers had already been ranked last.
But all the judges were already focusing on that dish. It was a scene that would have been a big problem for anyone to see.
“The order seems to be to eat from this to this, but the order of starting with soft breast meat and then going from crunchy to chewy to soft again is amazing.”
“It really is!”
The judges, excluding the restaurants participating in the festival, were merchants and influential people from the city, so they knew how to distinguish between tastes and were all fascinated by the unique and amazing sauces and various textures.
“The taste is excellent. But the best is the traditional maa noodles.”
In such a situation, the head of the market union grumbled and called attention. And he pointed to the noodles at Merly’s main branch.
The other judges also got their money’s worth, so they eventually nodded.
“That’s right. Ho Ho. “It’s delicious, but it doesn’t meet the festival’s regulations, so why not give it a reasonable review, saying it’s last place?”
Although they were saying that, they were still holding skewers in their hands. So it’s just a very funny move.
“Then, first place will go to Merly Main Store again this year. “You have no objection, right?”
The market association president looked at the judges. The judges all nodded.
Count Belhel was astonished to hear the sound from afar.
Normally I would never have intervened, but now it was different. I knew it was being manipulated and it flashed at that moment.
Yes, I don’t know anything else, but you shouldn’t be disadvantaged. It’s not a good idea to deliberately pick on his cooking.
That’s rather annoying. Count Belhel shook his head because he knew El’s personality to some extent. That may also mean not to pretend to know.
However, since I came from a foreign country, I could have been unaware of the fact that it was a competitive game.
What if you find out?
That can also be a matter of your own responsibility.
That should never happen.
You’re asking the Grand Wizard, who served as Commander-in-Chief of the Allied Forces, to participate in a festival of weaving and playing?
I didn’t know why I was participating in this festival, but I instinctively started to think that I shouldn’t let anyone know about the word ‘jjajjajjima’.
So, Count Belhel hastily put into his mouth the skewered dish served at the eastern branch of Merly.
“This is delicious.”
It was literally delicious. So, I tried a little bit of other dishes. However, it is always the same dishes that appear at festivals without much development. The skewered dish was definitely unique.
“Market Association President.”
“yes?”
Although he could only hear it at first glance, in order to hear clearly, Count Belhel called the head of the market association, who was the head of the judging panel, to the front and asked.
“Has the ranking been decided?”
“That’s right!”
“Recite it sometime.”
“So, first place is Merly’s main branch, second place is… 3rd place… … And the last one will be the headquarters east of Merly.”
“what?”
“yes?”
“Merley East Headquarters is last place?”
“Yes, but… .”
“The clothes you guys wore were just decorations!”
Count Belhel suddenly stood up. Everyone at the head of the table was shocked and stood up, as anyone could see that he looked like a person who was completely angry.
And Count Belhel glared at Leain Saint.
“Leain Saint!”
“Your Excellency?”
“How long have you guys been planning on ruining the festival by exchanging bribes? How much did this guy, the mayor of the market association, go to such lengths to manipulate the rankings? Huh?”
“go… dismissal. That is… .”
“Hello!”
“Yes, Your Excellency!”
The knights rushed forward and Count Belhel began pointing.
“Arrest the head of the market union right now! “We will investigate thoroughly!”
“My lord! “What is this?”
The mayor of the market association began praying for the sudden thunderstorm, but Count Belhel paid no attention.
“And you Saint! “Does my territory look funny!”