'Good luck idiots, trying to find my secret. Even if you find out I make each of my food specially tailored for each person (along with the major secret being that you have to get exactly the correct/precise amount for each ingredient, in microgram, otherwise the ingredients wouldn't naturally combine to work. ) I wouldn't care, as you won't be able to replicate it like me.
The tailor-made food is just a coincidence. If crown prince James didn't have that one book or had Smith edited the one James, brought in then, I wouldn't be able to tailor the food for each person exactly. My reason for getting the book was mainly to understand what weakness or other things I could exploit from them in the future but using it for enhancing their taste is a bonus feature.
There was a reason why when my control was increased to the range of micro-units, I started using different ingredients, as first, anyone who copies me wouldn't be able to make it work, as they can't naturally cut ingredients in micrometres or measure them out in micrograms, or time it in microseconds.
The second reason higher level of senses brings out more different flavour in the ingredients, as I cut them up, measure them out precisely, or boil/cook them in the exact frame of second/time. This means I will have to change ingredients otherwise the different flavour brought out by the ingredients won't combine with other ingredients, and this will ruin the whole food if even one ingredient is in the wrong place or measured out incorrectly.'
I thought all this as I watched the nth number of agent wanted to come with me to kitchen to see my cooking, when in fact he probably wanted to retrieve the recording device. After he left I stretched and went back to sleep.
As I was in light sleep, I soon noticed the sound of the storage room slowly being opened.
Oh, someone sneaked into to storage room, while escaping from my superior sense. When my body evolved my eyes, ear, nose and other senses naturally evolved with it. And to see someone able to mask their presence so much that it escapes my detection, he is either an award user or a really high rank magi. Both cases means someone sent by the emperor.
But why is he going to the storage room? Did they already place a bug in the storage room? No that can't be possible, because if they did they would have taken it when Albert came to take the other one. So, he/she is here to place the bug.
But why in the storage room?
Suddenly the reason hit me. I really wanted to laugh but I held it in as I pretended to sleep. Oh, this is funny, they actually fell for that crap.
After cooking level 5 beast food, fearing that eating it might cause meltdown, similar to level 3 beast food, so I first went in there to cool myself down. But unexpectedly nothing of those sort happened.
So, from then on I thought why not lure some idiots into that room thinking there might be something special hidden there letting me enhance my food. I can't even believe they fell for that.
After I ran out of level 5 beast ingredients, I started using other higher levelled beast ingredients that I have stored in the storage room. But instead of fully cooking them, I only cooked them, so they only release enough energy and nutrients in the same level as level 5 beast ingredients. And I used that to lure them into the storage room.
I guess I would have to find somewhere else to eat my food from now on.
Suddenly I heard the storage room's door slam shut. Wow the security device really works. He/she will be stuck in there for quite a while now, unless they die.
After 10 minutes I heard someone attempting to open the door from the outside. Oh, so the person inside had a partner outside. They came well prepared. I waited for 10 more minutes before opening the door using the remote access in my pocket. I pressed it secretly, as I can't let them know I am not sleeping and I am aware of the intruders, as they could have more backups in here.
20 minutes in the frozen tundra might have been hell for that person. I just want back to sleep, while imagining all sorts of cold the person might have got.
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Soon another few days passed and soon it was time for the Founders Celebration. This was a special festival celebrated throughout the empire, in commemoration of the first emperor who brought all the war-torn kingdoms together, to make the peaceful empire it is today along with the birthday of the Empire.
The celebration lasted for 11 days. The first 10 days honouring the first 10 commandments of the emperor, followed by the last day dedicated to the first emperor. Each day is started with the head of each commandment coming up to make a speech and some kind of ceremony where they pay respect to the first emperor and commandment. Finished by the 11th day where the emperor himself pays respect.
After the speech and ceremony, people can explore everywhere in the empire as there are lots of stalls, activities, events and competition going on during these 11 days. One of the main events this year being 'The Grand Chef', which last happened 17 years ago from which the emperor found his talented head chef, Oliver.
Many people were excited as not only could they witness the cooking of great chefs, but they are also able to eat some of the greatest food for free.
Today was February 1st, other than the celebration there was another special event going on. It has been almost 1 month since Ez arrived in this God-forsaken world- literally and figuratively.
Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
During the past few days, he witnessed as agents came and left collecting their recording devices. While some of them came back while I was asleep to place a recording device in the storage room although not as sneaky as the agents sent by the emperor.
I was woken up by someone coming in. It was a well-built man in his late 50's. He wore a white tight fit suit, made of what I assumed to be a fabric from Level 3 beast material. His posture and everything screamed rich businessman/ merchant.
He walked up to me while observing me and took out his hand for a handshake. "Hi, I am Jeff."
"John" I said as I shook his hands.
"I heard that you sell one of the delicious and most coveted food in the whole empire?" He questioned me while he took back his hand.
"I do, the menu is here." I showed him the menu. As he looked at the menu I closed my eyes and looked through the pages of 'Nobles and Kings of the Empire' for who he was. Jeff Richardson, the wealthiest man alive in the empire, capable of causing a financial crisis in the empire if he were to suddenly withdrew all his invested money. He is currently living in one of the kingdoms south of the capital of the empire, about 20 days of walking time.
He is also the leader of the merchant association. In general, he has in the same league of a single commandment, but not in power but in wealth.
However recently one of his nephews seems to have been afflicted of a serious illness. Although he could hire one of the royal healers from the palace to heal his nephew he didn't. This is because the emperor never allowed his royal healers to go out of the empire, as there was no telling when the emperor might fall ill due to his strange condition.
So that means, Jeff here decided to bring his nephew to the empire to heal him.
"Everything on the menu." He said as I finally understood the real reason why he came to my shop.
I brought the food to Jeff, he sat to eat it. After 10 minutes he came up and said "That was a great meal. I heard if you wanted to bring in ingredients then you have to buy the membership." He wants to use my food to heal his nephew. Cheap and efficient, don't even have to bother waiting for the approval from the emperor, for the healer and pay the huge cost of healing.
I nodded while smiling as I explained to him the requirements. "I would like to buy one, what is the task then?"
"Before I tell you that, let me give you some background information about your task. Since it is the festival season I was planning on to put up a special discount. But I was planning to give this discount and offer to a select group of people."
Jeff had a lost expression as he tried to make sense of where this was going. "Mr Jeff I would like you to announce to the whole merchant association of my store and its speciality. Then inform them that all who wields the membership of the merchant association is allowed to bring in a single beast ingredient of any rank, and I would cook it for them for the set price of 1000 gold, and the condition of having to eat their meal here, without taking it out. You have to announce it for two days at least. Do you agree?"
Suddenly Jeff reeled back in shock. 'He knows who I am? So, then what is his plan with this task?
Wait hang on, all those old fogeys, they are the kind of people who would do anything to get back their youth.
That means he is planning a massive free advertisement among the merchant association because once they taste his food and see that he is able to revert their youth, they will then pay anything to eat it again.
If my information is not wrong once a set time has passed after eating his food, the effect of regaining their youth reverts back to normal. Not to mention the taste of the food, once someone eats his food, then all other foods to people taste like crap.'
All the merchants from all over the empire arrived at the capital these few days for their business and the annual meeting of the merchant association they have here, every year during the festival.
Sighing he asked, "When did you know?"
"Before you ordered your meal." I replied back still smiling at him
"Fine, I agree. It's not too hard of a task." He bought out what seemed to be a crystal
"Do you know what this is?" He asked me
"A communication crystal." I replied back.
He nodded "However this is a special one. This is a communication crystal that shows all the market values or updates from the merchant headquarters. Every merchant keeps one in hand to know the value of certain items or any important announcement. You are open 24/7 right?" I nodded as a screen popped up showing all kind of notice and information.
"Announcement to the whole association. There is store in the empire know as 'Luxury Meals' ran by..." He announced to the crystal about the details of my shop and its benefits, along with my special discount. As soon as he finished, what he said appeared in a box labelled as 'Important Announcement from the Head', which went on top of all notice in flashing red.
"Done" He said as Jeff put the crystal back in his pocket.
"Now we just wait, here Mr. Jeff." I said
"Why is that?" He questioned me while squinting his eyes
"How am I supposed to know that the announcement you send has actually been received to the merchants? Also, what if after you go out, you send some of you lackeys here pretending to be from merchant association to fool me, thus the reason you wait here with me until some of them comes in. Don't worry I will cook food for you for free till someone comes in with the evidence they have received your message."
"Ok as long as I get the food I am happy, waiting here" He said while smiling, as he sat down while I cooked for him some food with the excess amount of beast ingredients I had of level 5 and above, which have been gathering up in the storage room.
After 2 more serving of eating heavenly food and waiting for 2 hours, few people ran into the store, some of them carrying a sack. Seeing their organisation head sat in the garden there eating what seemed to be his 4th serving, they ran to him and asked, "Boss is what you said true?"
He nodded while frowning at being interrupted during his meal, as he pointed towards me. I smiled to them as I shouted at "Everyone, if you would kindly come forward and show me the message you received along with your merchant association member identification card then I will gladly cook for you."
One by one, out of the 8 people, 4 of them who wasn't carrying anything came forward with their communication crystal showing the message they got and their membership card.
"Wait a minute." I took a membership card wrote his name in the code I created and walked towards him with the card.
"Here is your membership card." I said as I gave him his membership card.
"You trust me that much?" He asked me.
I shook my head while smiling "I trust my cooking along with my ability to identify your agents."
He nodded while smiling as well, as he finished his meal and made an appointment for a level 7 beast ingredient for tomorrow morning.
He could remove his message from the crystal right now. But he wouldn't do that, because right now he like everyone else in the empire, is addicted to the taste of high levelled beast food along with its rejuvenation ability. Even if he removed the message now, and I receive no customer from the merchant association, I can easily blacklist him, and he would not want that.
That day and the following few days there was a strange scene in the female district, as merchant started queuing up with a sack in front of a store. The line of merchants extended from the store until the end of one corner of the female district.