Pans, Pots, Knives, Spatus, Ladles, and a variety of kitwares. Throughout the whole room, there was a myriad of tools and ingredients that one wouldn't be able to help themselves from being amazed. It was the battleground of cooks, the kit!

  Standing menagly in the said battle ground were Grey and Gerd with an intense and bright smile apparent in their faces. The sheer passion ing from the two was enough to rival the fighting spirit of elite warriors.

  On Grey's side, he will be cooking the dish which Yuna boasts to be the best in the world. The infamous curry which was known throughout all of Earth, served in many forms and varieties, is now preparing to take the stage in Merusia. A truly versatile cuisine!

  Ladle in hand, Gerd is going to cook his specialty which made the "Rabbit's Den" famous throughout all of Galderia. The "Gold-spotted Boar Stew", a dish which explodes to a plicated yet harmonious fvor. A dish whie would yearn over and ain.

  "Oh? That's a good number of spices there, Grey." ［Gerd］

  "I could say the same to you, Mister Gerd. What's with that absurd amount of broth you have over there." ［Grey］

  "For that, you'll just have to wait and see." ［Gerd］

  "Then you'll have to do the same too. Just wait and see." ［Grey］

  The two smiled while versing with each other, no, rather than versing, it would be more appropriate to see they were teasing one another.

  Although both have a great number of ingredients, there was one kind which stood out amongst them. There were just too many that those who have no knowledge in cooking would surely be fused.

  Frey, he had a good number of spices ranging from sugar, salt, ginger, and many more. And ferd he had a good number of broth, each of different kinds. There was chi, beef, pork, and animals which are only present in Merusia.

  Even Yuna, who was also knowledgeable in cooking from helping Grey out from time to time, was fused by the amount of spices. She had never seeake out that amount of spices at once.

  Of course, the purpose of Grey's spices was to make curry powder. Unlike Earth, pre-made curry powder is not avaible in Merusia, he could only experiment with different spices until he got what he wanted.

  "You ready to cook, Grey?" ［Gerd］

  "Ready as you are." ［Grey］

  "Huhu, then what are we waiting for? Let's get started!" ［Gerd］

  With Gerd's decration, fmes burned brightly on top of the magic stoves. Some were red, while some were blue, but ohing was certain, all were ready to heat some pots and pans.

  The dies also sat out on the cook off as it was agreed that only the two men were going to pete. They were only there to observe the two grown-up men act like children and of course, to taste the resulting dishes.

  g Thong

  A metallic sound reverberated throughout the kit as rge pans were pced on top of the magic stove. A spsh soon followed as water poured from the faucets to the ingredients.

  Large ks of meat were pced on top of the ters, produg a loud thud as they made impact to the tertops. A single gnce was all it took to see how red and fresh the meats were.

  Gerd brought out the Gold-spotted boar meat which was a delicaown throughout all the kingdom of Alfrione. Although it may look like it's made purely of lea, wheouches it, one could easily feel the fats and tenderness hidden behind.

  Slow aly, Gerd diced up the red meat he brought out and tur into bite sized pieces and turhe stove to low heat. With a little oil, he then sautéed garlic, pepper, and ginger, waiting for the aroma to slowly waft throughout the whole kit.

  Sizzle... As Gerd slowly put the diced meat on the heated oil, a new aroma joihe already existing smell, creating a harmonious st which was enough for ao salivate at the mere smell of it.

  "Ohh, what an exquisite smell." ［Grey］

  "Hahaha, you're oo talk. Isn't your dish quite aromatic too?" ［Gerd］

  As Gerd prepared his, Grey was als on his curry, not losing in any aspect from Gerd's cooking.

  The meat he brought out was something not avaible oh. It was from a rge multicolored bird named Adarna, one which they hunted a couple of quests back as they were tasked to subjugate a group of orcs. It tastes simir to chi with hints of beef, an odd yet delicious bination one could only get in a fantasy world.

  But befrey prepared the meat, he first prepared the curry powder using a bunch of herbs which were identical to , turmeric, ginger, amon, bay leaves, yuzu, cloves, bck pepper, and other spices from Earth.

  Grey then diced the Adar into even smaller pieces than Gerd. It was a size where even small children will have no problem eating it. With each slice, the meat's natural juice came slightly dripping out.

  He then seaso slightly with salt and pepper and fried it in the vegetable oil, slowly stirring the meat until all of them became golden brown. But unlike Gerd, Grey didn't sauté any spices, there was only the meat on the pan.

  Just as Grey's Adar had fiurning golden brown, Gerd's was also the same. The moment the meat was fried to perfe, the meaty aroma in the room intensified, being more appetizing by the moment.

  "Ughhh... I'm getting hungry... Grey, Dad, hurry up!" ［Helen］

  "Helen, stop pining like a spoiled child!" ［Selia］

  "Ehh?! But Mom, the aroma is too appetizing! I 't take it anymore!" ［Helen］

  "Curry..." ［Yuna］

  As the mother and daughter tandem bantered with one another, Yuna was silently watg Gerd and Grey cook passionately, only mumbling one word from time to time.

  As for the two men, they were so caught up in their own world, they pletely ighe dies in front of them. The only thing they paid attention to was their dish and the other's, hoping to learn a thing or two.

  Sizzle... As Gerd noticed the boar meat fry into perfe, he then poured the gold-potted boar broth to the pan, sitting the meat gently to prevent the sautéed spices from stig at the bottom.

  "Huh? That is..." ［Grey］

  Grey asked as he saw a Gerd grab a strange ingredient, then mix it to the pan. It was a dried herb bearing resembo that of maple leaves, only a lot smaller.

  "Ah, this? It's called Atsuete. It has a special property whiables blending of multiple fvors without them tradig each other. It won't matter if the broths used have rid strong fvors, they will still blend perfectly." ［Gerd］

  With Gerd's words, Grey finally put the pieces together. It was actually the reason why he asted the taste of boar meat iew. It was actually because it was not just one fvor, but a variety of fvors brought to harmony by a single herb.

  Another amazing thing was that the herb Gerd was holding wasn't a part of Grey's "knowledge". It only showed that it was an herb not many people knew, eve was such a game ger when it came to cooking.

  "Amazing, right? This is a herb cultivated by our family for selectively breeding the Saltinta feions, so not many people know this." ［Gerd］

  Just as Grey wondered, Gerd had already answered his question without him asking about it. It was as if he had read Grey's mind.

  What was more amazing was that, acc to Grey's "knowledge", Saltinta was a herb Used to separate different kinds of toxins. It was amazing how Gerd's family made it to how it is today.

  'You really do learn things every day, huh...' ［Grey］

  Grey thought with a light smile visible on his face. He was thinking of buying some from Gerd after they have finished cooking.

  With an even more determined heart, Grey removed the fried pieeat from the pan and then sautéed ginger, garlid other spices until they started to produ appetizing aroma.

  Chop Chop Chop

  As soon as the aroma reached Grey's nose, he then added finely grated carrots and potatoes to the mix, stirring them gently in order to spread them evenly. Soon after, it was time to add the improvised curry powder he made.

  With all of the spices mixed, Grey slowly turned down the fmes into low heat aly stirred the mixture, taking great care as to not burn them.

  Grey then added the Adarna broth he had prepared a few days ago after getting it. He had inteo use it after some time but he hought the ce would e so soon. Of course, it was a wele surprise to him.

  He gently stirred the mixture until it became smooth and viscous, proceeding to add back the mest to the pan, along with a mixture of sauces and spices. He also added water from time to time if the curry became too viscous.

  It took a few minutes until the curry achieved the perfect sistency. There were only a few more things to be done and it was ready to be served.

  "You done, Grey?" ［Gerd］

  "Almost." ［Grey］

  Grey replied as he took yet anredient from his "Iory", but this time, it was Gerd who was unfamiliar with the said ingredient. That ingredient was rice!

  A spsh of water surged in the air as Grey washed the rice he so proudly cultivated. Although not as white as the ones in his previous life, it was delicious rioheless. One which could pete with ercial brands.

  Soon after, another fme was brought to life as Grey pced a pot on top of it. Of course, the tents of the pot were the rid water Grey had prepared in a jiffy.

  While Grey cooked the rice, Gerd also did not slow down in his dish. After he brought the boar meat to a boil for about 10 minutes, he added yet another broth to the mix. A few mier, he added Atsuete, then another broth. The process repeated itself until the dish was almost ready to serve.

  "Mister Gerd, does the order in which you pour the broths affect the taste of the soup? Or is the oute still the same?" ［Grey］

  "Not really. Only the ratio of the broth and the amount of atsuete added ge how the dishes will taste." ［Gerd］

  "I see..." ［Grey］

  As the two tio cook, they exged notes with one another and observed carefully how the other cooks, not letting a sihing to be missed.

  A few mier, Grey checked on the rid split the curry into three portions. On one of the portions, he added extra spice, oher he added extra sweetness, and o one, he made sure to bahem.

  "Oh, yonna use honey?" ［Gerd］

  As Grey poured the honey on to the sed portion, he was met with a question ing from Gerd. A Gerd with eyes full of curiosity,

  "Ah, yes, are you perhaps not fond of sweet dishes, Mister Gerd?" ［Grey］

  "No, no, not at all. I just that I've never heard of a meat-based dish having that much sweetness. It just made me curious." ［Gerd］

  "Well, they may not be popur, but there are quite a handful of dishes using honey and sugar as their main seasoning." ［Grey］

  "Hmm... It really is true that you learhings everyday." ［Gerd］

  At Gerd's words, Grey couldn't help but smile at the back of his mind. After all, he thought of the same thing just a few minutes ago. As it see,s, great cooks really do think alike.

  A few mier the boar stew has been boiled to perfe. Gerd then started crag the eggs and added it to the soup whilst tinuing with his stirring. Lastly, he added a few spices and chopped greens into the mix, waiting for a few minutes for the ingredients to spread evenly.

  Donggg Donggg Donggg

  Just as the third bell echoed throughout the city, Gerd had finished cooking his "Gold-spotted Boar Stew". All that's left is to serve it a it heartily.

  As frey, he had also finished cooking the curry, all three portions taining the right amount of spiess and sweetness. Not only the curry, the rice was also ready to be served.

  Thankfully, eve was lunch time, there weren't any ers looking for food. After all, most of the renters of the "Rabbit's Den" were adventurers who were w in the field during lunch hours.

  "Helehe tabー oh?" ［Gerd］

  Gerd was about to order Helen to prepare the tables, but wheook a quice, it seemed like the three dies already beat him into it. They were so excited to have a taste that they didn't waste any more time.

  At the table, there were utensils, ptes, and a couple of simple foods such as fruits and bread. Of course, there were also beverages chilled with the help of Yuna's ice magic.

  "What are you two waiting for, Dad, Grey? Serve the dishes already!" ［Helen］

  "Un! Time to eat!"［Yuna］

  With Yuna and Helehusiastic smiles, Grey and Gerd carefully served their respective dishes into the dining table, making sure to not waste even a little drop,

  """""Thank you for the meal!"""""

  In unison, the five sang their thanks for the meal they were about to receive, and soon after, they excitedly and happily ate one of the dishes.

  The first one everyone had a taste of was curry. After all, the "Gold-spotted Boar Stew" was something they were already familiar with. Oher hand, curry was something they were going to taste for the first time.

  "Wow～ so delicious! I've never eaten a dish like this before!" ［Helen］

  "Oh my, it really is. I never knew you could cook a sweet meat-based dish!" ［Selia］

  "Un... Curry is the best!" ［Yuna］

  As soon as their taste buds had a taste of the dish called "Curry", eae of the dies gave their positive remarks with aed tone.

  The only one who didn't give a remark was Gerd, he just sat there silently, his spoon not moving an inch with a face that looked like the world was about to end. He was so serious it was w.

  "Umm, Mister Gerd...?" ［Grey］

  "Grey... this... is... this... curry..." ［Gerd］

  With a pause in each of his words, Gerd's body slightly trembled as if he was feeling a very strong surge of emotions.

  "This curry... is one heck of a dish! Although the dish is a little sweet, you still taste its spiess, and on top of that, both the sweetness and spiess goes along with the savoriness of the meat without being too overp to the taste! And even though the dish has a thick sistency, it doesn't make it hard to swallow. I've never eaten a dish like this before! And bined with this thing you call rice, it bees eveer! It's a masterpiece." ［Gerd］

  Although Grey was a little shocked by Gerd's rea, he was still incredibly happy from getting such a pliment.

  Getting an aowledgement from a fellow cook was akin to winning a lottery for him. He was so happy, he wasn't able to put his happiness into words for a quick minute. Not to mention, that cook retty respectable ooo.

  "I'm gd it suits your taste. Your stew is also delicious as always." ［Grey］

  "Hahaha, that's why I like you, Grey! You really do have the heart of a cook!" ［Gerd］

  Smiles blooming on their faces, everyone tinued eating as they shared stories with one ahere was ughing, shouting, and teasing, but overall, it was a very joyous moment.

  Although curry was the main dish for the day, the family of three also fell in love with the white grain called rice. Eve looked like white worms to them, it was really delicious and satisfying.

  Being able to eat like that, Grey had realized once again how blessed he was to be reinated in Merusia. Although there were drawbacks and unlikable people, the happy se before him was something he could only dream of when he was still a lonely saryman trying to get by in life.

  Of course, he was most thankful to the God who gave him su incredible opportunity. Even though that very same God had given Grey a few headaches from, he was still very grateful towards him. Gratefulness which ot be expined by mere words.

  "e to think of it, Grey, what meat did you use for this curry? Although it looked simir to chi, it was also quite different."［Gerd］

  "Hmmm... Normally, one would use chi or pork, but since we got an excelle from a quest a few days ago, I decided to use it."［Grey］

  "And that meat is...?"［Gerd］

  "Adar."［Grey］

  """Ehhh?!"""

  Along with the sound of falling spoons and forks, the family's yell of fusi throughout the whole inn. Their mouths were wide open from shock as they had just heard something very absurd ing Grey's mouth.

  "Ah, so you used the meat of the bird we caught a few days ago. I was w what you'll use it for. To think you'll use it for curry... I'm very happy!"［Yuna］

  "Well, I thought that it would be o use it sioday is a special occasion. Well, I could also use other meats ime."［Grey］

  "Then, I'd like to have Rock Falext time!"［Yuna］

  "Hahaha, sure, sure. Then after that, I'll use the Jet Hawk we caught just the other day. Of course, we could also use redients if you want."［Grey］

  "It's fine. I'm happy as long as Grey cooks it."［Yuna］

  Evehe family of three screamed in surprise, Grey didn't notice it as he and Yuna quickly went to their own worlds, discussing what ingredients from the beasts they caught they would use .

  "Wait a minute! Did you just mention Adar!?"［Gerd］

  It was only when Gerd retaliated with a question that the two snapped back to reality, only to notice a very surprised Gerd, Selia, and Helen.

  And si was just a normal versation for the two, they didn't know what the reas of the three were supposed to mean. They were even fused themselves when they saw their reas.

  "Ah, yes... Is something the matter?"［Grey］

  "Of course there is! An Adarna is a k beast! It's not something you would use as an ingredient for an everyday meal! You eveioned Rock Fals a Hawks, which are both D-ranked!"［Gerd］

  "That's right! Even the gentry and nobility have a hard time pr that meat, yet you cooked it as if it was just pork or chi! If other knew of this, they would surely faint from your as!［Selia］

  Being pincered by the husband and wife bo, Grey and Yuna weren't able to do anything but listen as they were scolded. At one point, it even looked like they were kids being reprimanded fetting a failing grade at school.

  Of course, it wasn't the fact that they thoughtlessly served high-css meat like it was nothing that ed the three. There was a far more severe issue which gave them quite a shock.

  "On top of that, didn't you say you caught it?! Then that means you two are fairly high-ranked adventurers!"［Gerd］

  "e to think of it, although we are celebrating their promotion, we never really asked what rank Grey and Yuna were promoted to."［Selia］

  "Right... Sihey were young, we just assumed they got promoted from apprentice-rank to H-rank."［Helen］

  Normally, that would be the case seeing how young Grey and Yuna were. Not to mention, they just registered at the guild about a week ago, it was only logical why people would think they just got promoted to H-rank.

  After all, rising in the ranks in the Adventurer's Guild was no easy task. It would usually take a normal person a few months to get to G-rank. After a couple of years, they might get promoted to F-rank and then E-rank. For D-rank, it would take a decade or two of hard work to pull off. And there was k whiot everyone attain no matter how hard they work.

  Even Kris, who was sidered a genius, took almost half a year to achieve k. It was just due to pure lud their absurd strength that Grey and Yuna achieved such a feat in a single week.

  "Yuna, this might sound rude, but what rank are yht now...?"［Helen］

  "Umm... I'm a k adventurer, just like Grey."［Yuna］

  """Ehhh?!"""［Gerd and Family］

  Once again, a loud cacophony of screams echoed throughout the guild as a sed shock striked Gerd, Selia, and Helen.

  After that, the family of three kept interrogating Grey and Yuna until they were satisfied. It took quite a few mihat when they fiheir questioning, the food left was already cold.

  It was then that Grey silently swore deep inside his heart that he will never use high-css ingredients when cooking for others. Instead, he'll just use normal ingredients. It was a lesson which took him hell to learn.

  All Grey could do was ugh wryly inside his heart from the simple blunder he had made. A ugh which wasn't a ugh.

  CHAPTER 20 END