Chapter 191 : The chef will not take off his mask
Cold sweat beaded on Sekke's forehead. He hadn't expected the two captains to fight to this extent. The Silver Eagles captain's prized long braid on his forehead had been severed, and his own Captain Jack was covered in serious wounds, even worse off than the Silver Eagles captain.
The moment Nebra and Solid took over Nozel, Sekke seized the opportunity and slipped away.
He didn't want to be left behind and interrogated about what had happened.
"Um... I'll be going now. As for the message you asked me to deliver, Captain, you should go tell him yourself. See you next time, fu-ha..."
Watching the figure flee like the wind and vanish from sight in an instant, Solid turned his head to look out the window at the base. A carriage with absolutely no taste or aesthetic appeal was hovering in the air, with a lean, lanky figure on it.
"That is... The Emerald Mantis Group captain, Jack."
——————————————————————
Heart Kingdom, a small town on the outskirts of the Boronfrum Forest.
Clear creek water meandered out from the forest. Under the clusters of buildings with red-tiled roofs, wisps of cooking smoke drifted out, accompanied by the aroma of food. A temporary stall selling golden-hued food had naturally attracted a long line of people.
Gazing from afar at the Masked Man earnestly cooking food at the stall, Gacha was conversing with Petrov, an Elf Guardian wearing a round hood.
"That guy is here again."
"That's right." Petrov watched the meat tossing from the pan into the air under the Masked Man's manipulation and couldn't help but swallow his saliva. "We've been in contact with him for a while, and he doesn't seem to have any malicious intent."
"Plus, his culinary skills are excellent; the things he makes are quite delicious."
"Don't let your guard down!"
Gacha crossed his arms over his chest and warned, his gaze slightly cold. "A guy whose intentions are completely unfathomable—who knows if he might have some other special agenda in the future."
"Furthermore, we haven't investigated his background... although I'd really like to go to the Clover Kingdom to scout, or get some information from Asta, but we are hindered by the contract he signed with the Queen."
"Perhaps he doesn't have any malicious intent?" Petrov said, though his gaze remained fixed on the rising flames and the fragrant food. "Being able to prepare food so deliciously doesn't seem like something a villain would do."
"Who knows?"
"Regardless, as long as he appears in the Heart Kingdom, it's better to keep a close eye on him." Gacha sighed, turned around, and began to walk away. "I'll leave this matter to you for now. The training time agreed upon with that guy Asta is almost here, so I'm leaving."
"Yes, Lord Gacha."
After Gacha left, a huge rumbling sound came from deep within the forest, with billowing dust rising continuously. The people queuing in front of the food stall changed expressions. "Is that him?"
"Definitely!"
The dust drew closer and closer, and a petite figure appeared. Following behind her were various animals living in the Boronfrum Forest: rabbits, foxes, monkeys, parrots...
"Charmy, she's brought the gluttonous animals from the forest!"
"So fragrant! It's food! Food!" Charmy's eyes were glowing, and her short legs scurried as fast as a pinwheel.
As those figures kept approaching, a force from thin air blocked them in place. No matter how hard they tried, they couldn't take a step forward; from a distance, it looked as if they had been anchored to the spot.
"The rules are the same as always, Charmy. You can't cut in line~"
A transparent-style four-leaf clover grimoire hovered beside the Masked Man in the food stall, looking exceptionally beautiful as it emitted waves of magical light.
Attracted by the food, Charmy regained her sanity due to the magic. She pouted and sized up the situation for quite a while, knowing that she still couldn't cross the rules set by the food stall owner, so she began to queue up with the small animals behind her.
And the one queuing in front of her was none other than Petrov, who had previously been conversing with Gacha.
"Haha~ Charmy has finally decided to come out of the forest." Petrov looked at the frustrated Charmy and began to chat with her familiarly. "Since you've come out, don't think about burrowing back into the forest!"
"If you keep eating like this, there won't be much food left in the forest!"
"Eek!" Hearing the ominous tone in Petrov's voice, Charmy hurriedly stepped back twice, and the animals following her copied her actions. "I got it!"
...Not allowed to enter the forest? That is absolutely impossible!
After eating the food made by that masked guy, I have to find a way to get away from Petrov.
'I'll have to trouble you a little bit more.' Charmy rubbed her still-hungry belly and flashed a smile.
"It really is delicious."
Villagers who bought the food ate fish cakes and pancakes wrapped with vegetables and pork, wearing satisfied smiles. The soft, glutinous fish cakes carried the scent of the ocean, and the sensation upon entering the mouth was like silver fish swimming on the seabed.
As for the golden-fried pork paired with various red and green vegetables, it was simply a perfect combination.
Charmy, waiting in line, gazed at the crowd enjoying the food, and drool couldn't stop flowing from the corner of her mouth.
Time passed quickly. The azure sky turned golden, and the lingering rays of the setting sun shone on the trees and the small town, peaceful as if it were a kingdom immersed in a fairy tale world.
Having worked all day, Bai En looked at the ingredients that had completely run out and finally surrendered to Charmy.
"For today, let's stop here. The prepared food has run out."
"...Dudu... Eh?" Charmy, whose belly and mouth were both stuffed full, turned her head to look at Bai En. After hearing the words "food has run out," her satisfied expression became miserable, as if she had missed ten thousand interesting things.
However, she quickly remembered the food she had collected in the forest using her Cotton Chef, and just as she was about to speak, she was interrupted by Bai En: "That's about it. I have things to do later, so even if you provide the food, I won't cook anymore."
"Don't compare me to you, who possesses Food Magic."
"Study hard, and see you next time." In a golden halo, Bai En waved his hand and vanished without a trace in a flash, as if he had never been there.
Watching the Masked Man disappear, Petrov, who was sitting next to Charmy, asked: "Charmy, do you know that masked guy? How come you two seem so familiar?"
"Hm? I don't know him... It's just that the food he makes is delicious!"
"Every chef who cooks delicious food will be Charmy's good friend."
Listening to Charmy's answer, Petrov recalled what the Masked Man had said, "Charmy... Food Magic?"
"But isn't her magic Cotton Magic? How strange."
"Maybe I misheard. Never mind." Petrov emptied his thoughts. The potential crisis of the Spade Kingdom surged into his mind, and he asked Charmy, who was eating, "Charmy, how is your learning of the Mana Method I taught you?"
...
Returning to the Aqua Deer Squad base, Bai En took off the mask on his face and began to feel the growing magic power within his body. The condensed magic power was growing day by day, having long surpassed that of every Magic Knights Squad Captain, and was now even more potent than the devil that had appeared in the Shadow Kingdom that day.
But the strength of a Mage cannot rely on magic power alone; magic is also extremely critical.
Thinking this, the grimoire in Bai En's satchel flew out. A small, pitch-black sword leaped out from the pages like a black line, flying freely around the room in chaotic trajectories.
Suddenly, strange golden characters condensed around the small sword like ants, wrapping it into a closed golden circle.
The flying small sword's speed increased abruptly, and the black lines formed by its trajectory became increasingly chaotic.
Through long-term observation, perception, and study in the Heart Kingdom... the preliminary construction of the Mana Method was complete. Although not perfect, it was basically mastered.
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