Brain bloom

"Indeed, this meal is very appealing."

"A meal? It's just a meal. No matter how much human cooking skills improve, it's still the same..." Mori was uninterested, but her thoughts were interrupted, and her eyes moved away from the five thousand gold coins. She slowly remembered that this was a notice posted by a cook.

They were quite arrogant, almost as if they were here to ruin the city's reputation... and they actually locked down the city, not letting even a single craftsman escape.

"Who is this person? Is he a master?"

"Yes, a true master chef, or rather... the soul of cooking ingredients? Anyway, he's one of the world's top richest people, and all sorts of big shots want to eat his food and are willing to pay a lot of money for it."

Mori instinctively felt that this was just a bunch of gimmicks, but then he thought about it again and realized that this was a world where magic existed.

Perhaps there really is some kind of miraculous method...

"Shall we go see him? Just to join in the fun."

"Well, it's okay to go to the Holy Coffin Kingdom slowly. I also want to join in the fun. We can't rush it. The longer we wait, the sweeter the final result will be."

Mori pretended not to hear and continued reading the notice. It clearly stated the chef's location: a place called the Jewelry History Museum.

This is a tourist city, so the residents are used to it and asking for directions is very easy. Plus, there are neat and eye-catching street signs everywhere, so the two of them didn't have to worry about getting lost and could enjoy the sights along the way.

en route--

"Hey, you mage traveler over there, could you help me light a fire?"

A freckled girl with a sweet aura poked her head out of the window and called out to Mori and Dandelion in a friendly voice.

"us?"

"Hmm, kind magician, please do me a favor?" The fragrance emanating from the girl seemed to come from her smile. "I've run out of flint in my oven, but the shop I usually buy from has been called to supply the Holy Coffin Kingdom, so it's closed."

The girl was clearly a local resident, as she owned a charming little house filled with a sweet, cloying atmosphere. Mori went around to the front and saw that it was a pastry shop, while the back housed the living quarters and kitchen.

For the two of them, it was just a job that came easily.

Mori followed her into the pastry kitchen and discovered that this Western-style medieval shop had a surprisingly sophisticated kitchen. After all, it was a shop in a city renowned for its "craftsmanship," and the petite, freckled girl possessed many unique skills.

There was a large pot and a stick. When Senshi asked, he learned that it was used to beat eggs. She would beat thirty eggs at a time, and she would make several pots of this every day.

Sen Shi knew how painful it was to crack eggs by hand, and that's when he realized that the girl's arms were quite strong.

Dandelion was helping to light her magical little stove, and the freckled girl chatted with Mori for a few minutes.

"Are you tourists here to buy jewelry? If so, you should be worried about being scammed."

"It's alright. I travel three times a year and have been experienced in various 4A and 5A scenic spots for many years," Sen Shi said, patting his chest.

The freckled girl blinked several times, seemingly not quite understanding what Mori was saying. But since he was a magician, it was probably some unique terminology…

Mori also had something he wanted to know: "That chef's affair has caused quite a stir."

"Yes, it's been several days. The craftsmen in the city are all feeling embarrassed, and even many retired old monsters have come back to help make kitchen utensils, but I heard they haven't gotten anything to his liking yet..."

"Kitchenware... like knives, cutting boards, and stuff like that, right? And a few pots too..."

"I heard it's not that complicated. All the chef wanted was a kitchen knife..."

Sen listened and thought it would save him some trouble. Besides, the pile of high-grade ore that the prince had acquired through a trade might soon come in handy. Perhaps the legend about him bringing good luck was true…

"Oh, right, thank you for your help. How about I treat you to cake? Although I don't have any energy boosters to offer as payment..."

"Okay, something sweet is good too."

"I baked a strawberry cake and some cream puffs this morning. What would you like?"

"Please, please give me the cream puff." Mori's face was not good. He subconsciously felt the pain of the phantom strawberry and immediately wanted to leave this terrifying place.

"Strawberry cake," Dandelion said rather bluntly.

……

They walked to the vicinity of where the chef was located, near the "Jewelry History Museum" area.

The tourist atmosphere here is stronger, with people of all kinds of accents and styles everywhere. I even saw a devilish nobleman hiding his identity, selecting expensive jewelry with an extremely knowledgeable tone.

"It's just ahead."

"There are quite a lot of people."

"Just like us, we're all here to join in the fun."

It wasn't too crowded, though; there were still gaps to squeeze through. In fact, a special path had been cleared for artisans who came to register. In any case, this chef was incredibly arrogant, as if the entire city revolved around him…

At this moment, the gatekeeper stopped the two women from entering, and was quite polite.

"Young ladies, the visitor passage is over there."

"We are craftsmen from other places."

"But your hands are very beautiful, they don't look like those of a craftsman. There are too many imposters trying to join in the fun, and I think you two look quite like craftsmen too."

The other party was relatively polite and followed the rules, so Sen Shi had no choice but to deal with it and show off his skills.

Fortunately, she still had quite a few unfinished gems in her bag, which she could cut into a few perfect mirrors to make the other party obediently make way and apologize.

Dandelion, however, looked impatient and walked up to the other person, secretly tossing a gold coin to him.

"If you don't have any skills, how can we possibly get rid of you? Nobody wants to come here and embarrass themselves, understand?"

"Please...please come in."

Volume 1, Chapter 270: They Started Arguing

There's a sense of tranquility inside the museum.

Unlike the noisy outside world, stepping inside, it's as if they themselves become one with this tranquility, and then become the exquisite jewelry in each crystal display case.

This feeling was wonderful, allowing one to appreciate the beauty of these crafts with great care, but Mori quickly realized that it was just a simple illusion that was hinting to everyone who entered.

Neither Senshi nor Pugongying were affected. They calmly observed the surroundings before following the instructions to go up to the top floor.

Some craftsmen were already waiting here, but they all looked displeased.

Soon, they understood why this was the case—

A gruff voice shattered the museum's tranquil atmosphere. Upon hearing the first syllable, Mori knew it was an insult, and he was numb with disappointment.

"Do you... own a shop in Silver Ring City?"

"Yes."

"How many years have you been doing this?"

"Thirty years: one year to learn what jewelry is, one year to learn about tools, three years to learn about the types of gemstones. Five years of apprenticeship, studying grinding..." The person who answered spoke with a sense of pride.

"Alright, you don't need to describe how you've wasted your life, old man."

"But I benefited greatly from this; it wasn't a waste at all..."

"No, it's just that the person who took you on as an apprentice thought you were stupid and had no talent, so they were too lazy to teach you. Later, they found that you had some perseverance, so they kept you. You proved your stupidity by wasting your time like that."

"..."

"Moreover, I want a kitchen knife, not a shovel studded with expensive gems."

The waiting around him became even more unbearable. Mori could hear someone whispering, saying something like, "This time she was really gentle. She's probably the best one yet."

Sen Shi and Dandelion looked at each other, knowing without asking that this was the famous chef examining the things he had collected.

Moreover, Mori noticed something: most of the craftsmen were carrying expensively packaged boxes, while the two of them had their hands empty.

"How about we..." Sen Shi whispered, meaning he wanted to take Dandelion and leave first.

"Hmm, waiting is boring, so let's take our time browsing. The jewelry displayed on this floor is all top-of-the-line, and there's one of the twelve precious rings. Shall we go take a look?"

As the most composed person present, Dandelion was full of confidence in Mori, completely unaware that she was actually starting to feel uneasy.

"Alright—who else wants me to see the junk they brought? Oh? Someone came empty-handed?"

The moment those words were spoken, everyone's gaze turned and fell upon Morishi and Dandelion. The atmosphere froze, and Morishi felt an urge to tear up a few magic scrolls and burn everyone to the ground.

She thought they were going to make it on the spot... Who knew that these people would all bring finished products?

"Well, it seems we don't need to wait anymore." Dandelion crossed her arms and gestured, "Make way, you can go home today."

Anger, shame, curiosity... a mix of emotions, and the path was cleared.

"Let's go, Mori Toki."

"You're carrying bags made with spatial magic, so it seems you've brought more than just ordinary kitchen utensils. I'm curious to see what kind of impact they might have on me."

Sen Shi was stunned for a moment, and the embarrassment was washed away. She never expected that the chef in front of her would look so special.

The chef stared at Mori: "However, let me remind you, I'm here to ask for kitchen utensils because I was invited by the current Pope to prepare a special banquet. I hope I won't see anything too shabby."

The chef stood right in front of Mori, his eyes filled with anticipation.

Its entourage was quite extraordinary, surrounded by a dazzling array of jewels. Many cabinets had clearly been specially opened to keep it occupied. Beside it was a female attendant, of average appearance, but clearly possessing considerable strength; Mori estimated her to be around level 95.

What's even stranger is that it came with a tree.

The branches were cut off, leaving only one straight branch with a unique wood grain.

And it stands on this branch, more proud than anyone else.

"This... uh, a bird?"

"Yes, didn't I tell you? This is exactly how the chef is."

With its azure feathers speckled with fluorescent green light, it's honestly a very beautiful little bird. But it has a fiercely proud nature, and every now and then it will peck fiercely at the tree trunks around it.

[Level 100 - Listening to the Whispers of the Ingredients' Souls - Neil Moss]

"And...it's a woodpecker?"

"Yes, isn't that amazing?"

"Um……"

"You came here without knowing who I am? Does it displease you that I'm a woodpecker?"

"No wonder he brought his own tree, pfft." Mori couldn't help but laugh, because while the chef was dissatisfied, he started hammering the wood like a jackhammer.

Mori managed to suppress his laughter, only to realize that the atmosphere had become even more strange.

Before the conflict broke out, Mori untied the bow on his bag pocket and reached inside.