The Boar King collapsed to the ground, letting out agonized screams as it writhed and thrashed with all its remaining strength, forcing the hunters to keep their distance.
The feathered arrows stuck in the left side of its neck and just behind the left shoulder had nearly turned that area into a porcupine's back. Now, as the Boar King rolled violently, all the shafts snapped off with audible cracks—but the embedded parts only drove deeper.
Dark red blood gushed from the arrow wounds, its iron scent mixing with the crushed, muddied aroma of trampled grass. The air rang with pig screams, and the sight made Victor Wang wince in sympathetic pain.
Draff glanced at the sun. "Time's getting tight—we need to finish this now."
He gestured and retrieved a heavy claymore from another veteran hunter. Its blade had a pronounced ridge, forming a deep blood groove down the center.
Draff climbed into a tree with practiced ease, gripped the sword tightly, and timed his descent. With a sharp leap, he plunged downward, aiming for the Boar King's shoulder. The entire blade sank in, and the beast's struggles instantly slowed.
Standing atop the creature, Draff gripped the hilt and gave a powerful twist before leaping back.
Though the claymore was still lodged in the boar's dense muscle, the twist had opened enough of a gap. A geyser of blood erupted from the wound, spraying several feet into the air.
"That's the heart. If you don't pierce the heart, a boar can still thrash for ten more minutes," Draff explained to Victor.
Then he turned to the others. "We're not moving this thing with just a few of us. Gotta wait for the transport team. But Brooke needs the prime cut fast—I'll slice it out and head back. You all stay here and hold the perimeter."
The hunters, well-versed in procedure, nodded without hesitation.
Draff carved a large slab from the most scarred region, wrapped it in cloth, and slung it over his back. Then he turned to Victor. "Come on. Morning hunt's done."
They retraced their steps.
"Was it boring?" Draff asked.
"Not at all. For most people, that was thrilling."
"Hunting doesn't need flair. What matters is bringing down the prey safely—any method that works is a good one."
Even with over ten pounds of meat on his back, Draff didn't slow. The return trip took another hour, just like the way there.
It was nearly noon when they arrived. Brooke stood anxiously outside her restaurant, finally receiving the "prime, tender cut of meat from the victorious, wounded Boar King just after a territorial duel" she'd been waiting for.
"Thank goodness Xiangling's not back yet. I'll get this prepped. Draff, find someone to set up a second kitchen station for her."
"I'll handle it. Victor, give me a hand."
...
At 12:30, Xiangling finally returned, arms full of ingredients—and accompanied by someone who looked strikingly like Draff.
"This is... really Springvale, right?"
"Yes. I've answered you several times. But I don't recognize any of the people you're looking for."
"That can't be. They all lived here! My neighbors, my friends..."
"Now that's odd. What's going on?" Everyone fell into thoughtful silence.
"Hmph! If you ask me, you were probably frozen for hundreds of years—just like the boar you brought back. For you, everything here has changed."
"Eh?! Humans can live that long?" Paimon gasped.
"W-Wait, that actually... makes sense?" Xiangling was stunned.
"Hmph! You're excused, unidentified flying object, for being ignorant. But you, a Liyue native, shouldn't be so surprised. Descendants with even a hint of Adepti blood can easily live a few centuries.
"Catfolk like her may not be a long-lived race, but if a boar can survive being frozen for centuries, why not a human?"
Draff shrugged. "Even so, it's hard to believe…"
"Hmph! Didn't he say he's from Springvale? Just ask what year he's from, or what his surname is. He looks so much like you, he might be your ancestor!"
The young man finally spoke up. "My name is Olaf."
"That name's in our family record! I don't remember which generation, but it's definitely there."
"I... really made it to the future? My friends, my family... gone... even my house..." Olaf was overwhelmed, the bitterness too much to bear.
"Don't worry about the house. If you're my ancestor, you can stay at mine. Though... our ages are similar, so I won't insist on calling you great-great-great-grandpa. That'd be weird."
"Special case. No helping it." Draff gently comforted his many-times-great-grandfather. "There's nothing we can do about this kind of situation. All we can do is accept it."
He then turned to Xiangling. "I've heard about your cook-off with Brooke. Everything's ready—come with me."
...
"Brooke, I've brought my ingredients. Are you ready?"
"Of course. For the match, my assistant will be Miss Siegfria here."
"Then Lumine and Paimon will assist me. I'm counting on you two!"
Lumine sighed. "You're impossible..."
"Let's start the match. I'll serve as judge, along with the Honorary Knight, Victor Wang. I've known Brooke longer, and Victor seems to know Lumine. That keeps things balanced. But we'll judge fairly, right?"
"I swear I'll be fair and fabulous!" Victor said.
"In that case, we're counting on you," said Brooke and Xiangling in unison.
The two chefs began picking from Brooke's stock of regular ingredients. Since Brooke's restaurant focused on meat—especially grilled meat—lunchtime wasn't as busy as dinner. So, there weren't many patrons. Victor, Draff, and Olaf took seats at a nearby table to wait.
"A Mondstadt–Liyue culinary clash... sounds exciting just thinking about it."
"We used to just roast things and eat them plain. Now there are so many techniques..."
Did Springvale not have any chefs a few centuries ago? Victor wondered. "But in Liyue, even thousands of years ago, cooking was already highly developed."
"Really? No wonder Liyue chefs are famous all across Teyvat."
"But I think Brooke's cooking is good too. Mr. Draff, why not have her promote Springvale's cuisine?"
"Brooke only specializes in meat. Besides, until Diona brought you here, had you heard of her? She's not well-known beyond town."
Washing radishes, managing the fire, cooking mushroom chicken skewers, and Jade Parcels—Victor watched Lumine scramble around while he relaxed, secretly delighted not to be the one doing the work for once.
After finishing the Jade Parcels, both Brooke's and Xiangling's grilled ribs were ready. The dishes were brought forward.
Before he even looked at the ribs, Victor burst into laughter at Lumine and Paimon's faces.
"You two look like little soot-covered kittens."
"Blame Xiangling! She worked us to the bone!" Paimon complained.
"Aww, but I made something delicious to reward you! Everyone's hungry, right? Judges, dig in!"
Xiangling's ribs were garnished with Qingxin flowers and Jueyun Chilis, plus one special ingredient from Lumine—frog, butterfly, or lizard tail. But that ingredient had vanished into the mix.
Visually, the dish was vibrant and appetizing.
Brooke's ribs looked similar to what Victor had eaten the night before—no garnishes, just her signature spice blend. Not bad-looking, but no match for Xiangling's presentation.
Victor and Draff took knives and forks and began to taste.
"For fairness, let Paimon count us down. We'll say our answer at the same time." Draff looked at Paimon.
"Okay, here I go! Three, two, one—!"
"Xiangling."
"Xiangling."
Xiangling jumped with joy. "Yes! I won!"
"Sigh... I thought that 'prime cut from the victorious, wounded Boar King' wouldn't lose. But even that can't beat a now-extinct boar."
Draff froze. "Wait—what? That was extinct boar meat?"
"Of course. Didn't we say? Olaf and that boar were frozen together for centuries—it's a boar from hundreds of years ago," Paimon cheerfully explained, already eager for a bite.
"Then I just... ate tens of thousands of Mora's worth of meat?!"
"Haha! Who cares about Mora if it tastes good? Now that judging's done, everyone dig in!"
Xiangling had grilled the entire ancient boar into ribs—plenty for everyone.
"This taste... it's Springvale... No, it's the old Springvale. This... this is the final taste of that era..." Olaf suddenly burst into tears.
A simple hunting trip had ended with a Teyvat-style Rip Van Winkle moment. Eating the same era's boar was the final straw.
"Aw, don't cry! If you want that flavor again, I can make it!"
"R-Really? But that ancient boar species is extinct..."
"The ingredient might be gone—but not the flavor! I can recreate it with others."
"Um..." Victor raised his hand. "Isn't it possible other places have frozen boars too? Like Dragonspine? I read in a book that Dragonspine has not only extinct boars—but also a massive Great Snowboar King, over five meters long and four meters tall."
He had compared the markings on the boar from Xiangling's quest with the Snowboar King—and they were identical.
"Four meters tall?!" Even Draff, used to boars, couldn't hide his astonishment.