When Serena's group of four entered, the high elf sitting on a chair slowly looked up from his book. His face was incredibly handsome, his long black hair emitting a mysterious sheen. A pair of glasses rested on his nose. Coupled with his simple white robes he exuded the air of a studied scholar. Even the scholars of the Xia Dynasty would pale before him.
"Guests?"
The elf's voice was light as a feather, creating a special atmosphere. Even the three young girls didn't dare to make too much of a ruckus here. Dark Hammer gestured towards Serena, who took a step forward and began talking with the elf.
"Hello, Sir Moon Archivist. We came here because we heard you needed some help."
When children played the game, they would often show two very different attitudes. One group treated everything as a game, were unruly, and didn't show much respect to the NPCs. The other group would be amazed by the game's immersive world, treat the game like a real world, and didn't make a difference between NPCs and real people.
Serena and her friends were clearly of the latter type, which was also influenced by Liam. It was no secret that treating NPCs well brought some advantages like slightly better rewards and more quests. If a NPC disliked a player, they might very well withhold information or even block quests. Thus, professional players would always show the necessary respect to NPCs. Of course, children often didn't care about these subtleties.
Luckily Serena was not the unruly type and mostly listened to Liam's words. The Moon Archivist also seemingly had a good impression of the young girl as he smiled lightly.
"Yes, this is indeed the case. You see, we at the Enlightened Society are working hard to do our part in the fight against the void. We search through history, exploring all kinds of methods which could be of help. You see my three colleagues over there? They have been working without break for days, so much so that they even forget about eating and drinking. Although our archivists are powerful this is still not good for their health, but they are adamant on working. If I want them to take a rest, I have to present some dishes which can really entice them. Are you willing to help me with that, young elf?"
[Do you wish to accept the quest 'Nourishing meals for the elderly'?]
[Yes]
[No]
"Of course! I'm an intermediate chef! Leave it to me!"
Serena didn't hesitate. This was after all the reason they came here. Hearing the enthusiasm in her voice the Moon Archivist nodded gently and said:
"Thank you very much. Now, I need three dishes suitable for the tastes of my colleagues. First, Moon Archivist Genariohl has been working the most. He needs something revitalizing. He is fond of soft ingredients and likes sweetness. Also, your meal should align with the earth element to stimulate his magic. Oh, and don't include anything spicy. He hates that…"
As the Moon Archivist began to explain Serena was flustered. She lightly elbowed Red Sparkle, whispering:
"Quick, write that down. Write that down."
"I'm already on it!"
Red Sparkle had already taken out pen and paper, noting every word. Her handwriting was astoundingly beautiful, even impressing many elves who saw it. The Moon Archivist made a small pause before continuing:
"For the second meal. Moon Archivist Hevrioohl has been complaining about back pain recently, so she needs some food to help with that. She likes a sour taste and disdains sweetness, often arguing with Genariohl. Also, her meal should be tending towards a fiery element.
Last but not least we have Moon Archivist Benfrohl. He is constantly lamenting that their work isn't progressing fast enough. He has even taken medicine to increase his speed. If his dish could provide such an effect, he would surely be delighted. Benfrohl only eats crispy food and loves a salty taste, hating anything bitter. He is strongly aligned with the wind element."
When the Moon Archivist finally stopped Serena and Dark Hammer felt as if their heads were spinning. Only Red Sparkle nodded, as she meticulously checked her notes again. After making sure that she hadn't missed anything she raised her head and asked the elf:
"Anything else?"
"Hmm. Well, obviously the food shouldn't be below 3,5 stars in quality. I don't want the stomachs of our elderly to revolt."
"Got it."
Red Sparkle simply nodded but Serena as an intermediate chef suddenly felt the pressure. One shouldn't think that just because she produced 5-star products before, that she could do so at will. Especially recently during the various guild wars where quantity often took priority over quality, the chefs were often already satisfied with a 3-star product.
Dark Hammer noticed that Serena's expression changed slightly. She thought for a moment before realizing what might be troubling her friend. The young girl boxed her friend's shoulder and encouraged her:
"No need to worry. Aren't you an intermediate chef? With a bit of caution 3,5 stars is nothing. And furthermore, we are here to help, right?"
Serena nodded lightly, showing a thankful smile. But inwardly she was thinking that with Dark Hammer's cooking skills she should be even more worried.
Just then the Moon Archivist spoke again:
"Thank you for your help, adventurers. If you need a kitchen, you can seek out Master Cuiseohl. It has always been him who prepared the meals for our Enlightened Society so he should have suitable recipes. But at this time Master Cuiseohl is busy as well. Thus, I could only turn to you for help."
"Don't worry, mister. We are happy to help!"
"That's reassuring to hear. Then I will await your good news."
With that the Moon Archivist nodded and sat down again. Serena let her eyes wander over the library, watching the three elves in the distance browsing through book after book.
"Let's go! We don't have that much time left!"
Dark Hammer was already jumping on the spot, eager to go. Serena and Red Sparkle couldn't help but chuckle. They nodded and Dark Hammer took the lead, leaving the place. The three young girls came back to the village with Riala following silently behind them.
As a chef Serena got to know Master Cuiseohl quite some time ago and her friends had been at the elf's place before. Thus, they didn't need to ask around. They stepped onto the teleporter and in a flash appeared in a big elven city called Moonspear City.
This city didn't quite fit the usual vibe of elven cities. It was less refined and more practical. With wide streets and plazas, the buildings looking comparatively more simple. A majestic wall protected the city, turning into a terrifying fortress. Moonspear City was the city where the elves trained their army, a military stronghold.
At this moment the atmosphere in the city was tense. Elves in white armour were patrolling and tamed hawks were circling above the city. Everyone was busily preparing for the upcoming war. But even such an atmosphere couldn't suppress the spirits of Serena and her friends as they skipped through the streets approaching a large building.
"It's always so nice coming here. Just the smell is so good!", exclaimed Dark Hammer. Serena and Red Sparkle took a deep breath, nodding fiercely. The smell was indeed extremely fragrant as many flavours mixed to create one appetizing whole.
The girls were led by the smell and quickly entered the building before them. But inside there was none of the serene atmosphere of a restaurant that one might have expected. Instead, it was incredibly busy. The clanking of pans and hacking of knives could be heard. Chefs shouted across the room. Workers delivered ingredients or fetched the completed meals.
And amidst all the chaos stood a tall elf in white. But compared to other elves he had a rather rough face and perhaps, maybe, even a tiny, little belly. Although he hid it well below his wide robe. When Serena and her friends spotted the elf, they quickly ran over, almost colliding with some helpers carrying freshly cut vegetables.
"Master Cuiseohl! Master Cuiseohl! We…"
"What? Can't you see how busy we are? What do you need?"
Serena flinched. She knew that the master chef could be harsh, but she never experienced him like this. While she fell silent Dark Hammer snorted and took a step forward.
"Old elf, is this how you should speak to children? Hmpf. We are here on an important mission. If you treat us like this, I will tell the Enlightened Society!"
Master Cuiseohl scrunched his nose but eventually he let out a sigh and spoke a bit more gently:
"You are on an important mission but do you think I am different? Fine. Just tell me what you need."
"That's better. We need to make nourishing meals for the elders over at the Enlightened Society. Can you help us?"
"Young elf. You can see for yourself how busy we are. I really don't have time for that. I can only offer you the few workstations over there. Look up the recipe book. You should find something suitable for the elders."