"Hey! That was mine, you little thief!"
"Let's trade!"
"Half, half!"
Riala followed behind the three young girls with a bright smile, watching as they relished the cookies and chips. In her inventory were the portions needed for the quest, and anything extra could be enjoyed by the girls.
"Here, Riala. Those are for you!"
"Oh, how nice of you to think of this old woman."
"You are not old!"
Shaking her head with a smile Riala took the few chips from Serena. Of course, she could tell that the young girl didn't enjoy the salt and vinegar taste. But it still felt nice to experience some kindness from the kids. Especially the last few words made Riala's day.
Laughing and talking the group of four strolled through Moonspear City. Even the heavy atmosphere of the military fortress couldn't dampen their spirits. Soon, they reached the teleporter and with a flash of light returned to the Enlightened Society. They finally quietened down a little as they entered the previous building and appeared in the spacious library.
Looking ahead one could still see the three Moon Archivists hard at work. And sitting next to the door was their quest giver. Serena approached him swiftly and announced with a joyful expression:
"Sir Moon Archivist, sir! We have all the food prepared for the three elders!"
With a bang the Moon Archivist closed the book in his hand and looked up.
"Oh, the young elves are back? And you are done preparing the food. Well done, I will call my colleagues."
The elf didn't shout out loud in the serena library. Instead, he waved his hand lightly and specks of light accurately rushed towards the three elders, knocking against their shoulders. This was not a physical impact, but the sharp senses of the old elves perceived the lights and even grasped a certain meaning from it. They all reacted somewhat annoyed as they put their work aside, floated to the floor, and approached the entrance.
"Let's go over here!"
The Moon Archivist waved at Serena and her friends as he stood up and walked towards a table standing in a corner. Compared to the other desks standing around it looked less like a reading table and gave off a more practical vibe.
"Phonaohl! I hope you have something important to say. Otherwise, let me get back to work!"
"Yes! I was so close to unravelling the mystery of a certain high devil's disappearance. Just a bit more! I really hope you are not wasting my time."
"Tembanimn! The devil is Tembanimn! Just say it. No need to cower just because of a mere name! Ahh, my back…"
"Hevrioohl, you old fool, a devil's name is not mentioned lightly!"
"Ah, whatever. You are getting more cowardly with age."
Serena and her friends looked at each other and giggled. Who would have thought that the refined looking elderly elves would bicker as soon as they appeared. Their image was irreparably damaged. Only at this moment did the three elves seemingly notice that there were outsiders here. They stopped talking, straightened their white robes and approached with dignified steps.
"So, Phonaohl, what is your purpose for calling us here?"
Phonaohl, the original quest giver, sighed inwardly as he replied:
"Respected colleagues. I greatly admire your dedication, but you shouldn't neglect your own health. I took the liberty to ask these kind adventurers to procure some food for you. Please, take a seat. I hope the dishes are to your enjoyment."
"Eating? Phonaohl, you know how busy we are. I really have better things to do! I'm out."
"Yes. A war which can decide the future of Crunaboul is brewing and you think we have time to eat. Phonaohl, I'm disappointed."
The two male elves both shook their heads and were about to turn around when Hevrioohl grabbed their shoulders with hands like claws. Genariohl and Benfrohl turned their heads in annoyance but when they met Hevrioohl's glare they didn't dare to say anything.
"You two old men. I know that our work is important, but you shouldn't forget the most basic kindness! Look, these three young elves spent hours in the kitchen for our sake, and you are dismissing their kindness like this?!"
Genariohl and Benfrohl didn't know what to say. They looked towards Serena and her friends.
[Red Sparkle: Quick, put on a sad face!]
Serena and Dark Hammer hastily complied. The corners of their mouths drooped, their eyes blinked. Serena even managed to press out a single tear.
How could the elderly elves withstand such an insidious attack? Their hearts instantly softened as they said:
"Ok, ok, don't be sad. It was indeed our mistake. We are sorry. Of course, we want to taste the delicious food you made for us. Thank you very much for your efforts."
The sad expressions were immediately replaced by bright smiles. Phonaohl felt relieved when he saw that the three elderly finally sat down. He gestured towards the group of adventurers and Riala immediately understood, stepping forward and placing the food on the table.
"Respected Moon Archivists. These are the dishes we created for you. Revitalising Dark Carrot Cookies for Genariohl. Mutton with Cirtus Sauce for Hevrioohl. And Salt and Vinegar Chips for Benfrohl. I hope everything is according to your tastes."
After Rials's explanation Benfrohl and Genariohl instantly had their eyes light up. No matter the taste, just that their meals were cookies and chips would mean they could take them away and snack during their work. How thoughtful!
However, they still remembered Hevrioohl's words. Thus, in order to show the appropriate respect, they would first test the taste before returning to work.
The three elderly elves looked at the white and golden plates in front of them. Now that they were already sitting, the manners ingrained in their bones showed themselves. The elves pulled the plates closer and straightened their backs. Hevrioohl pulled a pair of silver fork and knife out of nowhere and even the two men each held a fine, white cloth.
Nodding at each other they finally began to eat. Serena and her friends watched, anxious yet confident. Under their expectant eyes the three elves took the first bite. Immediately three pairs of eyes lit up brightly.
"Great, great! Soft and sweet, exactly how I like it. Your cookies are not even as crumbly as usual, very much to my taste! Adventurers, this is delicious!"
"Wow, this mutton is heavenly! So tender, it melts on my tongue. The citrus sauce is an unexpected delicacy. Adventurers, this has to be some of the best food I have ever eaten!"
"Oh, and these chips! I love the crispy texture. Salt and Vinegar, you say? How novel, delectable!"
Listening to the praise and watching the three elves who didn't want to stop for even a second, Serena and her friends felt a sense of validation. Especially Hevrioohl, who was eating the only 5-star quality meal, appeared to be in her own world, completely enrapture by the mutton.
"Phonaohl, this was great. Don't forget to generously reward the adventurers!"
After a while Benfrohl and Genariohl stopped eating and stored away the rest of the food. They gave Phonaohl a quick reminder before returning to their work. Only Hevrioohl stayed and silently enjoyed her meal. Consequently, Phonaohl was also happy as he addressed Serena and her friends:
"Adventurers, you did our Enlightened Society a great service. Thank you very much. Your choice of dishes was impeccable. This will undoubtedly allow our elders to improve their efforts in preparing for the upcoming war. Here, these rewards are more than deserved!"
A notification appeared in front of the players, and the quest was officially completed. The rewards were extremely generous. Apart from a large amount of EXP and 80 preparation points they each received a piece of equipment as well. Serena furrowed her brows as she studied the necklace in her hand. It was made from a dark metal and the workmanship looked rather rough. A bunch of cooking utensils hung from it. Serena almost thought it was a joke but as she read the description she let out a shocked gasp.
[Amulet of the Wandering Heavenly Chef
Category: Unique
Level requirement: 1
Intelligence: +14
Dexterity: +8
Effect 1: Increase all profession EXP earned by 5%.
Effect 2: You have a low chance to gain insight during cooking, allowing you to spot a flaw in your dish. Improving on the flaw will increase the quality of your dish by at least 0,5 Stars. This effect can break the limit of 5 stars. Limit-breaking dishes are called Blessed Dishes and carry special effects.
Restriction: Intermediate chef, bound upon wearing
The Wandering Heavenly Chef was a renowned grandmaster chef travelling all of Crunaboul. Through his dedicated pursuit of the ultimate dish his skills reached unbelievable heights. Eventually he caught the eye of the minor god of food, Nosta, and was granted the god's blessing. Some of the power of the blessing also flowed into this necklace which The Wandering Heavenly Chef wore. But one day he disappeared and only the necklace was left behind. Since then, the legend spread that The Wandering Heavenly Chef is now preparing meals for the gods.]