It was already past noon when Victor returned to the temporary campsite.

The Azure Mystique Crab had been cut into pieces and sprawled across three campfires with all kinds of self-made cooking stations; it seemed that various cooking methods were being employed to cook this crab.

“Headmaster, you’ve returned!” Zero exclaimed, approaching with a polite welcome.

“Mm, are you preparing the crab?” Victor inquired, his gaze surveying the organized chaos.

“That’s right. We would have been at a loss without CookieMons. Just the thought of cleaning this behemoth or breaking through its formidable shell would cause us to scratch our heads figuring it out…” He glanced toward the dismantled titan of a crustacean.

Fortune had favored them indeed, for CookieMons, one of the academy’s cooks, was part of the team. With him around, there was no need to worry about being unable to process the giant crab, as this guy even brought some seasonings and cooking knives. After all, this crab was no ordinary crustacean and required the combined strength of several men even to part a limb.

The cook, now the topic of praise, ceased his work at the spit and approached. “Headmaster, sir.” He smiled respectfully at him, believing he was about to be praised and rewarded.

Victor gave him a nod of acknowledgment and questioned, “How did you cook the Azure Mystique Crab? I see that there are three campfires here.”

“Well… it’s like this…” CookieMons launched into explanation with a chef’s zeal. Despite that, his explanation was euphemistic — maybe prompted by Victor’s position as the headmaster — but it made it easy for a cooking novice like Victor to understand.

At first, he admitted to a small oversight — he didn’t bring a pot large enough to contain the crab even if he cut them all into pieces. Resourcefulness, however, was his strong suit after playing this game for almost a month. Using the available materials in the surrounding forest and near the river, he devised several ingenious methods of outdoor gastronomy.

For the first method, he skewered the crab on a robust stick, roasting it slowly against an open fire. The next method involved the use of wide leaves to wrap the cleaned crab and bury it under burning wood to let it cook. Because the upper part was unused, he made a small cooking station and used the small pot to make a crab stew. The final method saw him employing a large, flat stone as an impromptu griddle, upon which he seared the crab’s flesh and seasoned it with a medley of wild herbs scavenged from the forest.

Any one of these cooking methods were enough to make the surrounding players sitting on the floor to salivate in anticipation. Really a job well done.

“I see. Well done.” Victor paused for a moment to think about this player’s achievement. “Your inventiveness hasn’t directly benefited the academy, but it deserves recognition. For your ingenuity and effort, I will reward you with one hundred merit points.”

“Yes, thank you, esteemed Headmaster!” CookieMons clasped his hands together, his smile broadening under the watchful and somewhat jealous eyes of his fellow players. Then, seizing the moment, he stated, “If I may, Headmaster, would you care to sample the roasted crab?”

The scent of the grilled crustacean wafted tantalizingly toward Victor, and the sight of the succulent, milky flesh of the pincer was indeed alluring. His mouth watered slightly at the thought of sinking his teeth into the meat and indulging in the delicacy, but he was mindful of maintaining the decorum expected of a headmaster NPC.

“Erase your thoughts; currying favor with me will not get you anywhere.”

“That’s not within my intention, Headmaster!” CookieMons hastily clarified, presenting a slice of the pincer that had been seared on the stone. He placed it on a clean wooden platter, then filled a bowl with rich crab soup, offering both to Victor with earnest pride. “Please, sir, I insist you try.”

This wasn’t the first time that he had offered Victor the dish he cooked, so everything seemed natural. Still, even though he didn’t bring an adequate-sized pot, for him to bring a plate with him, this guy really did come prepared.

“Well then,” Victor conceded, taking both the plate and the bowl into his interspatial ring with a wave of a hand, “let’s see how this fares.”

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He didn’t stay there with the players to eat but retreated up the ravine wall to a discreet distance. Normally, the conversations of the players would become a muffled buzz over here, but he could tell what they were speaking clearly.

“Damn! You gave the headmaster the choicest piece, thick with meat and light on cartilage… While we’re left to fiddle with these ridges just to snag a bite!” one player grumbled.

“Yeah! It’s not fair. Look at the seasoning on his portion — way more generous than any of us!”

“You really are kissing ass!”

“Shut up! Which one of you hasn’t addressed the headmaster with ‘esteemed’ or ‘respected’? Who here hasn’t tried to curry favor?” CookieMons retorted, his voice rising in defense.

“Uh, that’d probably be me.” Aphrodite shrugged, pausing in his search for minerals to point at himself.

“…”

Victor almost laughed at watching their banter. These players never failed to entertain him with their absurdity — they were more fitting to be jesters than acolytes.

“Still, I didn’t know that an NPCs in this game could actually eat,” one player mused thoughtfully after a moment.

“Haven’t you ever seen him drop by the kitchen?”

“I have. But I thought it was the game’s setting, you know, so that it appears realistic and all? I mean, he never sits down to eat with us.”

“Huh? Since when does a king dine with their subjects?” someone offered with a laugh, the logic simple yet irrefutable.

“Eh, true…”

Not minding them further, he hoisted the roasted crab resting on the wooden plate in his hand. The rich aroma of the cooked meat, infused with a blend of forest herbs, went into his nostrils. Unable to hold his anticipation, Victor brought the piece of the succulent white flesh to his lips and took the first bite. The tender meat effortlessly gave way between his teeth, releasing a burst of complex, mellow flavors that melded perfectly with the subtle hint of smoke from the open fire roasting.

“Not bad at all,” Victor mused. Even an acolyte with a Magus family background like himself, such a meal was not an everyday meal. Only full-fledged Magi could indulge in such delights at their leisure.

Next, he tried sipping the crab soup, which did not disappoint. Not losing to the sensation of sinking his teeth into the juice-white flesh, the rich, mellow broth flowed over his palate like a gentle stream, enhanced with nuts and forest-foraged herbs. The warmth of the soup was comforting, its complex flavors seemingly capturing the very essence of the Azure Mystique Crab.

But while the meat and the soup were definitely top-notch, Victor couldn’t help but notice that something was missing…

True enough, glancing at the players below, it was clear that not everyone enjoyed this meal. For example, the only female player in the team, a girl with freckles adorning her face and blonde hair, MariaC, covered her mouth and nose with her hand and looked sadly at the bowl. She was part of the second batch of players who had a considerably good mana aptitude.

“Ugh, this would have been better with some oyster sauce… I admit that it’s better than the usual, but still…” she lamented. It seemed that she was a very picky eater; it was a wonder how she had been surviving in this game world eating magical beasts’ meat with minimal seasoning.

CookieMons, who wasn’t far away, overheard and responded, “You think oysters grow in rivers? I’ve done what I can with the seasonings we have. The academy doesn’t have a lot in reserve left, you know.” His expression made it clear whether she liked to eat or not, that was all he got.

Suddenly, seizing that moment, Mike slid next to her with a grin. “How about I help feed you that crab meat, pretty? I’m more than willing to lend some… personal assistance.”

“No, thank you.” MariaC’s response was immediate as she scooted away, leaving Mike in his awkwardly extended pose.

These players… Victor shook his head in thought. But what CookieMons said is quite right. The smithy should be finished soon, and it shouldn’t be a problem to go to the village tomorrow morning with the players too.

However, there might be a need to select a mix of individuals among the two teams for this endeavor. Victor already had several players in mind who had shown exceptional skill in the hunt or possessed traits valuable for interacting with the villagers. Besides, it was about time that the merchants that the old village head said would arrive at the village, and it would open new avenues for trade and resource acquisition.

On that note, there would also be a need to do some preliminary preparations and address certain issues upfront to ensure a smooth continuation of the academy’s progression. With the growing number of true acolytes, Victor was in the mind of introducing new spell models specifically designed for enhancing life skills on the virtual shop. These spells would be particularly beneficial for tasks such as constructing, farming, foraging, and what have you — practical applications that would support the activities of the players, thereby enriching their overall experience and contribution to the academy.

The players, particularly those involved in the recent hunting expeditions, were also getting rich by the day, so they would’ve spared no expenses to invest in these new spells. Thus, it would become a win-win situation for him and the players. No, it was a double win for him since he won twice; he only needed to involve the villagers so he could win thrice.

With a clear strategy forming in his mind, Victor finished his meal and effortlessly descended from his elevated position. He approached the group and announced authoritatively, “Let’s pack up and head back. We’ve got much to prepare for — an upcoming venture is on the horizon.”

As they began to dismantle the camp, Victor’s thoughts were already leaping forward. The new spells, the impending village visit, and potential trading opportunities — each was a critical piece in the intricate puzzle of the academy’s future. Handling these elements with precision and care was essential to ensure nothing could go wrong.