Chapter 76: A Culinary Alliance

On the bustling food street of the City of Light, Aesop carried a large loaf of bread, while Alicia, her hands laden with various delicacies, enthusiastically stuffed them into her mouth. Periodically, she would feed Aesop a bite.

They appeared to be an enamored young couple.

Initially, Aesop had no interest in such festive activities. He would have preferred to spend his free time delving deeper into the local S-cuisine.

However, Alicia had told him that true culinary treasures were often hidden among the common folk. It was better to broaden one’s horizons than to toil in isolation.

Aesop found her reasoning sound, but seeing Alicia’s eager demeanor, he felt the need for a small safeguard.

“This isn’t a date, is it?”

Alicia blinked, her eyes sparkling. “But it is a date!”

Aesop, with a stern expression, countered, “You know I never date.”

Alicia clasped her hands behind her back and stepped closer to Aesop. Rising onto her tiptoes, she gazed up at him, their faces so near that he could discern a single eyelash at the corner of her eye.

“How about considering this a reward for all the time I’ve spent taste-testing for you, Mr. Aesop? Besides, right now, it’s just my unilateral declaration of a date. As long as you don’t feel anything, Mr. Aesop, then this ‘date’ doesn’t really mean anything, does it? Or could it be that after all this time together, Mr. Aesop has developed feelings for Alicia?”

Aesop’s face flushed slightly. He recoiled a step, turning his head away. “Hmph, a despicable ploy to provoke me,” he scoffed.

Then he followed her out.

This was primarily to unearth the delicious flavors scattered among the populace, with only a minuscule fraction of his motivation stemming from a desire to prove he hadn’t been swayed by Alicia in the slightest. Just a tiny fraction, indeed!

Alicia, bypassing the various festival customs, headed straight for the food street to embark on her culinary conquest.

Though Aesop was skilled in cooking, his appetite was merely that of a normal person. After tasting less than a third of the delectable dishes, he was utterly sated.

Consequently, Alicia became the primary taste-tester.

It was truly astonishing to imagine such a small body capable of consuming such an immense quantity of food. Even though Aesop had no particular interest in biology, a desire to investigate still sparked within him.

“What’s wrong, Mr. Aesop?”

Alicia turned her head back, curious.

Aesop immediately averted his gaze, clearing his throat. “Nothing. I just wanted to thank you for all your help with the taste-testing over this past month.”

Alicia had indeed been helping him taste-test for the entire month.

Taste-testing wasn’t like Catherine’s method, where she would simply gobble down food, burp, and declare it delicious.

Instead, it required a profound understanding of food, an ability to discern the quality of different ingredients, cooking techniques, and flavors. It meant evaluating the overall quality of a dish based on experience and knowledge.

Aesop excelled at cooking, but he lacked an exceptional food critic to help him analyze the strengths and weaknesses of his dishes and how to refine them.

He had never expected Alicia to possess such a talent, but she truly did, and she was outstanding at it.

As for the numerous bags in her hands, they contained the S-tier delicacies Alicia hadn’t yet managed to eat. Since he was already full, it was only natural for him to help carry them.

Her occasional feeding of him later on was simply Alicia sharing a particularly tasty bite, wanting him to savor the flavor. This, too, was perfectly normal.

Finally, they ventured to an area noticeably off the food street, a place for leisurely enjoyment. After indulging in so much food, it was only natural to walk and digest.

In short, he was not on a date. This was merely a culinary research expedition.

****

The two now stood atop a sightseeing tower in the City of Light. Aesop remarked, “The preparation methods for these folk dishes are quite simple. I could recreate them for you back home, and they would taste far better. Speaking of which, Alicia, you aren’t a chef, are you? Yet, based on your critiques of my cooking, it’s clear you possess professional skills.”

Alicia sat on the edge of the tall tower, her calves, clad in white stockings, dangled and swayed gently in the air. She brushed a strand of windblown hair behind her ear, a bright smile gracing her face as she turned to Aesop. “Would you be deeply moved if I told you I studied specifically for you, Mr. Aesop?”

Aesop considered this. “I would be very moved, but it’s not quite logical. The skill of critiquing food isn’t something one can cultivate in a day or two.”

Alicia let out a self-deprecating laugh. “Mr. Aesop already knows I’m from the barbarian tribes, right? Then you must have heard that aside from physical prowess, there’s nothing else there. Heh, if I had to say, perhaps it’s a culture of enduring hardship.

“My father and elders believe there’s nothing wrong with this, thinking that arduous lives forge their martial strength and resolute character. Perhaps there are such objective factors, but it’s unreasonable. Others might be excused, but for a barbarian king whose sole thought is personal valor rather than leading their people to a better life, that is truly unqualified, isn’t it?

“A multitude of newborn children perish due to their crude conduct and laissez-faire upbringing. Frequent intermarriage within the tribe also leads to an increasing number of simple-minded individuals. The outside world is constantly developing and changing, yet our barbarian tribe remains stagnant. How long can we rely on the benefits of our bloodline?

“Mr. Aesop, I inquired with Larkin. The potential of magic armor has yet to be fully unearthed. Perhaps in another century, the martial strength our tribe prides itself on will no longer be enough to uphold our pride.”

“Outsiders previously held our barbarian tribe in reverence because of our power. But once that power is no longer a deterrent, our isolated tribes will be forcibly opened by external forces. At that point, our destiny will no longer be our own.”

“I hope our tribe can engage with the world, but not in a way where we are controlled by others. Rather, I wish for us to proactively embrace new things, to allow our people to live better lives, and to still defend our pride and dignity.”

Aesop nodded in understanding. He hadn’t expected such a small figure as Alicia to bear such grand ambitions. Truly remarkable.

Alicia huffed, “Then I think you shouldn’t be staring at my chest! You’re just an unambitious chef whose lifelong dream is to establish his own cuisine and make his dishes famous throughout the world. Given your appearance and noble bloodline, there must be many eligible partners, right? To be honest, I never expected you to be so persistent with someone as unromantic as me.”

Alicia puffed out her cheeks, indignantly. “So, Mr. Aesop knows his actions are quite unromantic! He really is deliberately ignoring Alicia!”

Aesop walked over to Alicia’s side and placed his hands on the railing. ‘This is just how I am.

‘However, I know my actions don’t align with what ordinary people consider correct, but I have no intention of changing myself to accommodate others.

‘What if I’m called an obsessive chef? Is that not a grand ambition? I am who I am, and my ambition is to be a chef for life.’

Seeing Aesop’s proud expression, Alicia suddenly leaned close to him, clenching her small fists. “Mr. Aesop, you absolutely must not underestimate your culinary skills! The moment I tasted your food, I knew you were the man who could save the barbarian tribe!”

Aesop was speechless. “But weren’t you still pursuing the Most Evil Dragon back then?”

Alicia huffed. “Mr. Aesop is so unromantic! Well, back then, I was indeed focused on the Most Evil Dragon because the barbarian tribe reveres martial prowess. To break tradition, I needed to persuade the old stubborn elders in the tribe, and force is more effective than any reasoning.

“But Mr. Aesop, you showed me another path! And that is your cuisine! It’s something that can captivate, even drive mad, the ignorant bumpkins in our tribe!”

Aesop was completely indifferent to other compliments, but if someone praised his food, he would readily agree.

Aesop’s lips curved into a triumphant smile. “My food indeed possesses such power.”

Alicia nodded vigorously. “Martial strength isn’t always reliable, actually, because my father and the others are very stubborn. Sometimes they’d rather die than admit defeat. But with food, they are much more lenient.

“Their isolated environment and worship of martial power have kept their culinary skills quite primitive.

“Their monotonous lives and enormous appetites make them very particular about eating, yet they reject foreign food. But if Mr. Aesop becomes my husband, then you won’t be an outsider, and your cooking is so delicious. Even if they’re stubborn verbally, their bodies will honestly eat it.

“Hehehe, my father and the tribal elders—no, most of our entire tribe are foodies. Once their stomachs are controlled by Mr. Aesop’s cuisine, no matter how stubborn they are, they will meekly soften their mouths when captured by delicious food.

“If they don’t agree to reforms, we simply won’t give them good food. We’ll just make them watch every day, only giving delicious food to those who join us and support the reforms. Then, when we become the majority, they will naturally find an excuse to join the ranks of reform!”

Alicia tightly grasped Aesop’s hand, her eyes filled with fervent passion. “The future of the barbarian tribe will be forged by us!”

Aesop felt his hand bones about to shatter. “Don’t get so excited, don’t get so excited. Uh, actually, we don’t necessarily have to get married. Look, we’re already friends, and it’s normal for friends to help each other, right?”

“But my father and the others won’t consider friends as members of the tribe.” Alicia seemed to fall into distress, then a sudden idea struck her:

“Oh, I know! Mr. Aesop, since you don’t plan to marry anyway, how about we just have a fake marriage? Don’t worry, it’s just for my father and the others to see. Once the spring breeze of reform sweeps through the barbarian tribes, we can get a divorce. What do you think?”

Aesop hesitated. After all, such a ‘get on the bus first, buy the ticket later’ approach carried significant risks.

Alicia noticed Aesop’s hesitation, a faint smile playing on her lips. She embraced Aesop’s hands, then, in his gaze filled with astonishment and shame, she whispered softly:

“Mr. Aesop, ingredients are your partners, aren’t they? You use exquisite culinary skills to perfectly blend the flavors of your partners, creating deeply moving delicacies. Over this past month, I’ve been profoundly influenced by your philosophy of personifying ingredients, Mr. Aesop.”

Feeling the softness and warmth of Alicia’s body, Aesop’s heart pounded furiously. He struggled to maintain composure, attempting to pull his hands free. However, it was clearly a foolish endeavor to wrestle with a barbarian. Aesop’s hands remained motionless, even held more tightly. Alicia looked up, her expression serious, directly meeting Aesop’s eyes:

“Mr. Aesop, please listen carefully to what I’m about to say. It’s very important.”

Stunned by her intensity, Aesop was slightly startled. He stopped struggling, saying with some nervousness, “Go on.”

Alicia took a deep breath, then spoke in a solemn voice:

“Mr. Aesop, your partners are being brutally ravaged by my tribesmen!”

Aesop’s pupils constricted as he realized the gravity of the situation. He immediately asked, “What do you mean?”

Alicia questioned, “Mr. Aesop, you must know about Roman Leaves, Blood-Dusk Grass, and Ice Crystal Flowers, right?”

Aesop nodded vigorously. “Yes, yes, yes! These are all precious ingredients! I can only ever procure a tiny amount. Each one has a unique flavor; adding just a little to a dish can transform its entire taste.”

“That’s indeed true, Mr. Aesop. Thanks to our unique environment and the cultivation by our tribesmen, these ingredients are not uncommon in our barbarian tribal lands. However, the things you take for granted in cooking, Mr. Aesop, I only learned after meeting you.”

Alicia spoke with sadness. “Do you know how they treat these precious ingredients?”

Aesop’s heart leaped to his throat. “How do they treat them?”

Alicia replied, “Roman Leaves are simply crushed and used as an ingredient to steep in alcohol, increasing its potency.”

Aesop was speechless.

Alicia continued, “Ice Crystal Flowers are used as a convenient cooling agent, their petals scattered in cellars to preserve other ingredients.”

Aesop was utterly aghast.

Alicia then added, “They aren’t even the worst off. The most tragic is the Blood-Dusk Grass. It’s treated as mere fodder, specifically used to feed the tribe’s livestock.”

Aesop was horrified.

He clasped Alicia’s small hand in his. “Say no more. Where are your barbarian tribes? I can’t listen any longer. My partners need to be saved!”

Alicia glanced at her hand, now held in his, and showed a troubled expression. “But outsiders cannot interfere with the actions of our tribesmen.”

After a brief silence, Aesop declared with firm resolve, “We’re going to register our marriage right now!”

He then paused, reconfirming, “This is merely a mutually beneficial expedient to save my partners.”

Alicia smiled, a profound meaning in her gaze. “Of course, Mr. Aesop.”

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