Suddenly, it began—the cooking duel between Frank, the head chef of the current knight order’s cafeteria, and Martina.
The criteria for victory? They had to prepare dinner for the newcomers returning from joint training in about two hours. The winner would be determined by the quality of the meal and its favorable reception. We couldn’t be the judges ourselves; personal bias would inevitably creep in, and that wouldn’t do.
However…
「Hey, Bale, who do you think will win?」
「Kiara, surely you don’t think Martina will lose?」
「Well, of course Martina will win, but still…」
I understood Kiara’s feelings.
Knight Commander Reginald was aware of the issue, Lawrence-san himself has bitterly criticized it, and even Hugo-san, who’s not even working here, has heard of it.
-0-
While they were cooking, I heard a lot about Frank-san from younger knights.
Frank-san, a former knight who retired last year due to age, had always been interested in the culinary arts. Many knights, including Knight Commander Reginald, had been indebted to him for many years and held him in high regard. Because of that, they entrusted him with this cafeteria to support his second life, but perhaps it was a bit premature.
I can imagine how difficult it is for them to replace him, after all, they owed him a lot in the past. Because of that, they turned to us—or, in this case, Martina.
Martina continued to work with her usual incredible efficiency, skillfully progressing through the cooking process.
Meanwhile, Frank remained motionless.
「W-why isn’t he doing anything?」
「I can’t predict it at all.」
「Yes, indeed…」
Charlotte, Hanon, and Simone watched their movements with curiosity. Only Kiara seemed to predict the outcome, saying, ‘Hasn’t he given up already?’. But even from my perspective, that’s not an entirely off-base assessment. Martina is truly remarkable right now—slicing ingredients with a grace akin to dancing.
Yet, there’s an eerie stillness about Frank. Could this be his last-ditch effort?
As time dwindled down…
「—it’s about time.」
Frank-san finally moved.
Martina had already completed most of her cooking, but could he start something new and finish in time?
Regarding ingredients, they were free to use whatever. To ensure fairness, Frank-san could even use our vegetables. However, without sparing a glance at the veggies, he pulled out an enormous slab of meat from the refrigerator.
What caught my attention was the way it was cooked.
What kind of dish could he create with that?
「fu fu fu! Watch closely!」
Confident, Frank cut the meat into large pieces and began frying them in a pan. Once they had a decent sear, he placed them on a plate. And then…
「It’s done!」
「「「「「Eh—!?」」」」」
Surprise echoed through the room.
Just meat, no sauce.
Sure, it’s desirable for knights whose bodies are their assets, but serving it as is? Hmm…
「Meat. Meat solves everything……!」
Frank-san seemed quite pleased with himself.
But perhaps we don’t even need to judge this one.
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