Chapter 137: Legendary Dish

Even though it was a little disappointing to have plenty of bean sprouts piled on top of the monkfish, they were still essential to the steamed monkfish dish. Minhyuk quietly lifted some bean sprouts off of the bowl. One would be able to see how the bean sprouts were thoroughly soaked with spices from how red it was. Then, he slowly placed it in his mouth and chewed.

Crunch, crunch━

Minhyuk heard the pleasant crunch of the fresh bean sprouts as the spicy flavor of the sauce slowly spread in his mouth. He smiled happily as he picked up a piece of monkfish. The monkfish was so plump and white that it looked like he picked up a piece of meat from a spicy stir fried chicken dish, instead of a steamed monkfish dish. Then, he placed the piece of fish in his mouth. It tasted light, fragrant and spicy. Chewing on it felt like he was chewing on a softer piece of chicken meat.

“Kghhhhk! It’s really delicious!” Locke exclaimed as if he was trying to convey both his and Minhyuk’s feelings about the dish.

Beanie also exclaimed loudly. It was also eating steamed monkfish with them. It sounded like Beanie was agreeing with Locke’s words as it squealed, “Oink, oink, oink!”

Minhyuk picked up a piece of monkfish, topped it with some bean sprouts and water parsley. Then, the tasty combination entered Minhyuk’s mouth!

Crunch, crunch━

Minhyuk felt the fresh and lingering fragrance of the water parsley as he chewed carefully. Water parsley was truly a mysterious ingredient. If you added this ingredient to a spicy soup or any seafood dish, its taste would definitely change. After chewing on the water parsley and bean sprouts, the flavor of the steamed monkfish was truly divine.

“Haaaaaa!” Minhyuk unknowingly exhaled loudly in satisfaction. Then, he turned to Beanie and said, “Beans, let’s try to eat it evenly this time. Look at how I’m doing it and try to copy it.”

“Oink?” Beanie oinked as it tilted its head in confusion. Beanie liked to eat meat, but still, it added water parsley and bean sprouts on its chopsticks and followed Minhyuk’s suggestion before chomping down. As it placed the food in its mouth and tasted the combination, Beanie’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Ooooink…” Beanie cried out as tears welled up in its eyes. It seemed like this was the first time that it had ever tasted such a delicacy.

“Oink, oink!”

‘Today’s meal is a success, oink!’

Khan and Genie just stared at Locke, Minhyuk, and Beanie as they ate the steamed monkfish deliciously.

“Slurp!” Genie slurped, wiping the drool off of her mouth as she turned to look at Khan and said, “D…do you want to go and get some steamed monkfish later?”

“C…call...!”

Minhyuk even used the remaining red sauce to make some fried rice before finally putting down his chopsticks. After they had finished eating, Beanie climbed on Minhyuk’s shoulders and laid down. It must have felt so satisfied with the meal that it ended up falling asleep after laying its head down.

“Wow. He fell asleep the moment he laid his head down...!”

“So jealous... It’s best to lie down after eating!”

Minhyuk sent Beanie back to the summoning room to let it sleep peacefully. ?On the other hand, Locke jumped up after finishing his meal. It looked like he was filled to the brim with energy. He said, “Let’s go! Quickly!”

“Where?”

“To attack the dungeon!”

Genie and Khan were both brought back to their senses. Right now, Locke could act as two people. He could be both a healer and a dealer. Thanks to Minhyuk’s incredible buffing ability, they would be able to take down the dungeon, even if Genie and Khan did not eat any buffed dish.

“We’ll see you later, Minhyuk!”

“We’ll be back soon!”

“I’ll pay you back later for the steamed monkfish!”

As soon as they disappeared, Minhyuk pulled out an ice cream from his inventory.

“Hehehe...!” Minhyuk laughed.

‘Eating ice cream after eating something spicy is the best! Melon flavored ice cream, Meluna!’

At that moment, some priests and knights approached Minhyuk.

Chomp, chomp!

Minhyuk quickly took a bite of his delicious Meluna as he looked at the approaching knights and priests.

“We’re really sorry, but we need you to come with us.”

***

Chief Priest Eidni’s expression was not that good. The knights kept on whispering as Minhyuk continued to enjoy his Meluna behind them.

“Th…that’s the 100th piece...!”

“...!”

“You’ll definitely catch a cold...!”

Minhyuk looked at the knight with confusion when he heard his words. He said, “Eyyy. I tried it a few days ago. I’ll still be fine even if I eat 300 of these.”

Gasp?!

“My goodness?!”

All Eidni could do was shake his head in helplessness. Eidni might be a priest, but he also had a title that was on the same level as the Commander of the Royal Knights. He was also a man with great devotion and piety. Right now, he could barely understand the situation.

‘You want this guy to make a meal for Goddess Juis on behalf of Rald?’

That was impossible. It was also impossible for him to know the reason why King Varen trusted and believed this person so much. He clearly believed that something would definitely go wrong.

Then, at that moment…

Plop!

“A…aaaack! M…my Meluna...!”

.

…Minhyuk accidentally dropped his Meluna as he blamed himself saying, “This stupid idiot, worm, sea cucumber, sea squirt, sea anemone! How can you drop your own food...!”

Then, Minhyuk plopped down on the floor in tears. He tearfully reached out to his fallen Meluna, muttering, “W…won’t I be able to eat it, if I just dust it off?”

Minhyuk was the only foreigner who would say such weird things! His face was covered with snot and tears.

‘Sigh...’ Eidni let out a sigh.

‘The future of our kingdom is in his hands?’

Not long after, Eidni brought Minhyuk to the temple’s waiting room where Varen was staying. When they opened the door, they could see Varen pacing back and forth, waiting for them anxiously.

“Come in.”

Minhyuk quietly entered the room, the door closing behind him. Eidni shook his head after seeing Minhyuk off. He said, “How can we let such a crude and vulgar person cook for the Goddess Juis?! To think that we’re betting the future of the kingdom on a man who will cry when he runs out of ice cream!”

“...Even if you’re just looking at him superficially, you should at least know his cooking skills before judging him like that. His Highness had told us that he had personally seen his skills…”

“Sir Perle.”

Perle was the head of the knights of Valkyrie Kingdom. He was one of the most powerful men and could easily compete with Rumad. The only reason why Perle did not accompany King Varen on his journey to Eivelis Empire was that he was tasked to obtain the ingredients needed for the ritual.

At Eidni’s call, Perle tilted his head.

“You seem to be believing in His Highness’ choice right now, but I still think that we should all be careful,” Eidni said as he peeked inside.

“Goddess Juis was mad because her food had been poisoned and you’re still putting up with someone ridiculous to make her food?”

“...Hmmmm. Yes. That’s what I heard.”

What if Goddess Juis was angered once more? At that time, perhaps, Valkyrie Kingdom would have no future at all.

“But…we might not know it now… perhaps this foreigner is as good as Rald.”

“Ha...!” Eidni scoffed before clicking his tongue. Perle might be a good swordsman but he was definitely not as excellent in such areas. Rald was literally a legendary chef. He was a man who was hailed to be even better than the top craftsman in cooking!

‘How can you compare him to that vulgar guy inside?!’

“I’m telling you, we’ll just be wasting all of our ingredients. Even if he used all the ingredients, it would still be lucky if that guy created a rare dish!”

“What would happen if he served a rare dish?”

Then, Eidni continued to talk confidently, “I’ll take off my underwear and dance in front of him if he ever did that!”

“...I suggest that you don’t talk carelessly,” Perle said, sighing lightly. Truthfully, he was also slightly doubtful of the king’s choice. His Highness had told them that he was starving for days when they were outside of the kingdom, until he came across the power that Minhyuk’s dish had given him. He had recounted the tale clearly, with such confidence as well.

‘If he ate it because he was hungry, then he might have thought that it was really the best dish.’

Perle was also quite worried. At that moment.

“You two. Come in.”

“Yes? Ah. Yes, Your Highness.”

…Varen poked his head out as he invited them inside.

***

Varen smiled softly at Minhyuk. He asked, “Is it delicious?”

“Yes. It’s really, really delicious!”

Varen smiled at him kindly as he nodded at Minhyuk. Varen had once believed that Minhyuk was unreliable. However, Minhyuk saved him from his enemies and even fed him delicious food. He promised to give him the best possible reward, but everything had been postponed because of the ritual and the situation with Goddess Juis.

“I’m sorry.”

“...?”

Minhyuk looked at him in confusion. So, Varen continued to say, “I was supposed to feed you the best sushi, but it turned out that Rald is not feeling well and is on the verge of death.”

Minhyuk nodded in understanding. He knew about the matter since he had heard the people talk about it.

“There’s something else that I want to ask you,” Varen sighed as he explained everything to Minhyuk.

“Legendary dish?”

“That’s right. But! I’ll make sure to give you plenty of rewards. Furthermore, if Goddess Juis’ catastrophe and anger is lifted, Chef Rald will also be able to recover! At that time, I’ll be able to feed you delicious food!”

Minhyuk thought carefully about his words. A legendary dish! The royal court even said that they would support him and provide him with all of the ingredients that he needed. This was what mattered the most.

‘They’re saying that they’ll keep on supplying me with the ingredients until I make a legendary dish, right?’

They could only put one dish on the altar. That meant that Minhyuk had to repeat the process until he could make a satisfactory dish. So, what did that mean?

‘I can eat anything that’s not legendary, right?’

Of course, his ‘Create a Recipe’ Skill was only for a single person, but it did not mean that it was something that others would not be able to eat. It just said that they would not be able to get the buff effects if they ate it!

“And before that happens... I think you need to prove your cooking skills to my subjects?”

“My cooking?”

“I told them that your cooking was comparable to Rald’s…. But my subjects won’t trust you with just that. So please cook just one dish for them.”

“Well, it’s not that difficult. But I have a condition.”

“Condition?”

Minhyuk was not a person that would do something for anyone, just because they asked him to. Besides, the quest window had not yet opened, so he would still be able to negotiate and add to the lists of rewards.

“Please let me eat more delicious and special sushi.”

“Alright. I’ll order my knights to bring in only S-grade ingredients for your sushi.”

“S-grade ingredients? Kghk!” Minhyuk exclaimed happily. His so-called A-course meal had now been upgraded to the more expensive S-course meal! This was already enough for Minhyuk.

Then, Varen opened the door and called for the others outside, “The two of you. Come in.”

“Yes? Ah. Yes, Your Highness.”

Eidni and Perle came inside the waiting room. Both of them had confused looks on their faces, especially Priest Eidni.

“I’ll just make a dish for the priest,” Minhyuk said as he used his ‘Create a Recipe’ skill on him.

“Be honored. This child is making a dish for you.”

“Yes, Your Highness,” Eidni answered. He was dumbfounded.

‘I’m afraid that I will lose my appetite if I eat this guy’s cooking.’

“Is it fine with the ingredients that I have?”

“Of course.”

Minhyuk’s words made Eidni think,?‘Without using any special ingredients? Just the regular ingredients?’

Then, Minhyuk began cooking the dish. The recipe that he had checked was none other than toast! Priest Eidni was a very busy person and the only thing that he could grab to eat was toast. Over the course of time, it had become his favorite food. Minhyuk covered the pan in butter as he placed bread on it. Then, he beat the eggs, baked the ham and chopped the cabbages.

‘His cooking form looks quite good.’

However, it was not easy for anyone to achieve a good rank for a dish using normal ingredients. Not long after, the steaming toast was completed. The first person to check the dish was King Varen. After checking the dish, he looked at Minhyuk speechlessly. He thought,?‘As expected... I wasn’t wrong with my judgment.’

Varen was caught in surprise once more. Then, Eidni went ahead and checked the toast.

(Toast)

Material Grade: D

Rank: Rare

Restrictions: Only Eidni can have the buff effects.

Storage Time: 7 days

Preservation Time: 6 days

Special Effects:

Holy Power will increase by 7%

?All stats +4%

Description: A toast made specifically for Eidni. It is made of simple ingredients but the chef that made it is not someone to be taken lightly.

Gasp?!

Eidni was frozen stiff.

‘Are you telling me that a rare dish came out in one try even though he only used normal ingredients?!’

It was something completely unbelievable. Then, Varen reached out for his toast and said, “Eidni, can I eat this?”

“Ah. O…of course.”

Eidni wanted to eat it so badly, but he could not just slap His Highness’ hands and not let him take it away, could he? Not long after, Minhyuk’s Joy of Eating Together skill was triggered and he was also able to enjoy the food. Of course, the buff did not take effect.

“Phew. Boy, your dishes are truly delicious.”

“Hehe. Toast is delicious!”

The combination of the crunchy cabbage, eggs, cheese and sweet apple sauce was superb. It almost tasted like Crunch Toast.

When Varen went out to go to the bathroom, Eidni fought hard to not let his tears fall. He thought,?‘I…I also want to eat...!’

Then, Perle approached him and whispered to him quietly, “Didn’t you promise something earlier?”

“...!”

Eidni coughed vehemently as he tried to deny his words earlier. He said, “N…no! That was just a joke.”

“That wasn’t a joke though,” Perle said. Perle was a man that was sensitive when it came to the word ‘promise’. He also made it clear to Eidni his stance on the matter. He continued to say, “If you don’t keep your promise, I’ll have to report this to His Highness.”

“T…that...!”

Eidni had made a declaration against the foreigner that His Highness had specifically chosen. Once Varen knew it, he would definitely be angry. However, Eidni wanted to try and avoid this ending.

“I…I don’t think he would like that if I just did it so suddenly. Why don’t I ask him first?”

“Hmm. You’re right.”

Then, Eidni went and approached Minhyuk to explain himself. He said, “...I had misgivings about you, so I did not believe in your skills. However, right now I believe that you’re truly a great chef. Taking off my underwear and dancing naked....?Ahem.?Instead of that, should I just give you a blessing? How about it?”

Minhyuk was quite shocked when he heard about the promise that they were talking about. Eidni was already an old man. With his priest’s white uniform, if he took off his underwear and danced in front of him...

“Ack?! J…just imagining it...! Don’t ever do that! I’ll kill you if you do it. I’m begging you not to! If you danced naked like that, your fur...?Ugh!” Minhyuk shouted. He hurriedly covered his mouth at the thought.

Eidni was quite happy with this outcome. He said, “Thank you. Really, thank you so much! Hahahahahahahaha! You’re not only good at cooking, but you’re also magnanimous. I’ll give you a blessing instead!”

Eidni was really relieved. Just then, a thought suddenly flashed in his head. ‘Huh? But why do I feel bad...?’

Then, Minhyuk once again opened his mouth. He said, “I’ll kill you if you do it!”

Eidni got out of the tricky situation, but strangely enough, felt bad about himself.

1. A French cereal that tastes like apple and french toast