Cafe Terra Tales

{Cooking Royale}

The next day....

Neo's POV:

"Uhm chef, there is this rude person at Table 11, asking...no demanding to speak to you."

"Me?" I looked at one of the servers who looked red in the face. "Okay, I'll speak to him. Did he do anything to you?"

"He....also squeezed..my butt."

I inhaled sharply at her words.

"I'll take care of him. Take five minutes off for a while, Moira."

The girl nodded and went to the back porch to cool off.

"Artie, can you give Moira some iced tea?"

"Right away chef."

Since we were not busy yet, I went out to the dining area.

Chef Pepin.

My former superior is one of the four royal chefs in the Palace. In terms of technique and skill, He is leagues below the other three.

The only reason why he got through is because he is the only royal chef to possess a Mana Sprite and therefore his signature dish "Fire Roast" is always in demand at buffets.

But his cooking skills regarding other ingrediens without infusing mana is just mediocre.

This is what I realized after being mentored by Lady Alaina who can make the food delicious even without using mana to enhance the flavors and textures.

As I approached him, he saw me just as he was finishing up his third eggs benedict.

He really likes it, it seems.

"Mr. Pepin. Please refrain from touching one of my staff."

The moment he saw me, his heavy set face turned derive and ugly as he sneered.

"Who do you think you are, boy. The head chef or something. I just tapped the lassie a bit, what is the big deal?"

"We don't allow our patrons to harass our staff. If you are done, get out of my cafe until you are more cordial."

The vein on his forehead bulged as he upturned the table, causing the plate and cutlery to crash and break as he got up and growled at me.

"You stupid nobody! I oughta pound you into the ground." he reached out to grab my collar.

Immediately two of the regulars, an adventurer and the fruit stand seller blocked Chef Pepin's way.

"Go ahead. This cafe is filled with witnesses. Rumors can reach the Royal Palace that you tried to cause trouble here. " I crossed my arms. "That will diminish the Palace's reputation won't it?"

"Grrrrrr Fine! This dingy low class cafe's food is not worth it anyway. The servers are whiny and the chefs here are the lowest dregs of society." he spat out in contempt.

But to me, it was nothing but the ramblings of a loser.

One of the adventurers, a burly swordsman grabbed the fat chef and dragged him out of the cafe, much to my amusement.

I secretly dispelled the invisible air shot I was about to fire should he start attacking someone.

"That guy is such a disrespectful twat." the fruit seller patted my shoulder before going back to his meal.

As the staff calmed everyone down so that they can resume their dinner....

I was thinking of writing an enchanted letter to convey what happened to Lady Alaina.

----------------------------------------------------

"You have my permission to do a "battle royale" the next time Chef Pepin darkens the cafe's doorsteps."

That was the answer my master wrote down in clear strokes....

Along with blue disk shaped hanging ornament.

In short....

I can defend the cafe's honor through a battle royale.

It is what we chefs call a cooking battle with a theme.

Judging from her curt reply. Her spies must have reported what Chef Pepin did.

I received her answer a mere 7 hours after I had sent her an enchanted letter.

Sighing, I prepared to open the cafe.
Taking out a blue disk, I hung it on the menu board outside.

"You!" I heard Chef Pepin's enraged voice.

I turned around to see Chef Pepin along with two of his trusted apprentices.

Bogart and Boris.

One was thin as a stick while the other was muscular.

Both are incredibly dumb and malleable to orders which is why Chef Pepin keeps them as his apprentices aka...

His lackeys.

I sighed as the small crowd of regulars who were already forming around the cafe looked at the spectacle.

"I see you finally got the guts to hang the Cooking Royale Disk eh? I challenge you to a cooking duel!" he smirked the price I want is the recipe for those scrumptious Eggs Benedict!"

"And the prize I want is your Fire Pork Roast recipe."

"W-What!?" the fat chef shrieked. "No! That is my only signature recipe!"

"Too bad. If we do not agree on the prize then no battle royale." I pretended to be bored by blowing on my nails.

"You sniveling litt-GAH! FINE! for my punishment. You will have to grovel down and kiss my feet 10 times. Hehehehhe."

How childish. How like him.

"As for mine....You are banned from eating breakfast at Cafe Terra until I say other...wise."

"GAAHH! I'LL ENJOY MAKING YOU KNEEL, YOU LITTLE NOTHING!"

The moment the "prize and punishment" conditions were set.

The Blue disk glowed and before everyone's eyes....

A huge pedestal formed in front of the cafe, two cooking tables appeared stacked with the materials and utensils you would need for a battle royale.

That includes the ingredients each chefs will use to make their food.

The silent crowd began to cheer and I felt their energy becoming infectious as more people came out to witness the duel.

The Cooking Royale has begun!