Thanks to Martina’s quick thinking, our Dungeon Farm team emerged victorious in the cooking competition.
When combined with the points from the previous day’s tasting event, we secured the overall championship.
Sherice-san and the Marklight couple graciously congratulated us, saying the result was only natural. However, Sherice-san’s younger brother, Oren-san, vehemently protested, exclaiming, 「How is that even fair!?」
But his sister’s calm and authoritative remark—「Even in a straight contest, we wouldn’t have won. That soup was just that perfect.」—shut him down immediately.
According to Sherice-san, Oren-san had already accepted his loss deep down but struggled to admit it due to his pride as a contest-dominating champion.
Following the decision, an awards ceremony took place, where we received special medals directly from Princess Raina and the King.
「Martina… your cooking was absolutely delightful.」
「T-Thank you so much!」
To have her name remembered by a princess of the kingdom—well, Martina’s cooking had certainly made that strong an impression. She was undoubtedly the MVP of this event.
Watching them chat with smiles, I felt relieved that we had something good to report to Gregory-san and the others.
After the competition, a grand after-party was held. Attendees celebrated not just the tasting event but the entire country-engulfing festival’s successful conclusion.
The event had been far more popular than expected, leading the King to publicly declare that a second contest would be held next year. We were asked to participate again as defending champions.
「Of course!」 I answered without hesitation.
Despite the challenges, the event had been immensely enjoyable. We made new friends and learned so much. It was truly a worthwhile experience.
The atmosphere gradually turned into a city-wide celebration, and Martina, Kiara, and the rest of the team were inundated with congratulations as the winning team.
Martina, in particular, was approached by adventurers who admired her keen observational skills from the final round and tried to recruit her for their parties. However, she politely declined each offer.
While her skills as a chef were top-tier, Martina still aspired to be an adventurer. Even so, she felt a deep attachment to the familiar dungeon with the treehouse and farm and preferred it as her main field of activity.
Meanwhile, I spent the rest of the evening reflecting on the contest with Walter, the Marklight couple, and the Rockwood siblings, enjoying Xenodia’s exquisite cuisine.
Tomorrow, we set out on a long journey toward the town of Driessen.
I’ll need to gather all the energy I can for what lies ahead.
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