Chapter 330

Shail, who had come out of the kitchen, looked at Kurt with a calm gaze.

“Hoh. You finished cooking at the same speed as me. Not bad.”

“It wasn’t that difficult of a dish anyway.”

Though Shail spoke calmly, he couldn’t help but feel surprised as he looked at Kurt.

‘I heard Lizardmen eat meat dripping with blood and bitter grass straight from the dirt, served in a bowl… But that’s clearly a proper steak and salad. It doesn’t seem like he used any tricks…’

The steak and salad Kurt made were flawless, even compared to Shail’s cooking. Honestly, if placed side by side, there was no noticeable difference in quality.

‘From what I observed, he didn’t seem to use any underhanded techniques…’

Even after using an artifact to block telepathy-based magic, Kurt still managed to create such a dish.

Shail, momentarily impressed, shook his head to clear his thoughts.

‘No. What matters in cooking isn’t the appearance, but the taste. Even if the appearance rivals mine, he can’t replicate the flavor.’

“Which dish shall we taste first?”

“I don’t care either way.”

“Is that so? Then let’s start with my dish.”

The first to be tasted was Shail’s steak course.

With the demeanor of a high-ranking noble’s butler, Shail began serving his steak course to the judges’ table.

*Clatter*

The steak courses were placed on the judges’ table.

And for fair evaluation, a steak course was also placed in front of Kurt.

“The steak course I’ve prepared is an imperial-style steak course. Unlike the Kingdom of Eustia’s steak, which focuses on the meat’s juiciness and butter for a soft, savory flavor, the imperial style actively uses fruits to balance the heaviness of the meat. The sauce used on the steak incorporates blueberries, creating a harmony of sweet and salty flavors. The salad uses yuzu, which, while less sweet than blueberries, has a stronger tanginess, providing a refreshing palate cleanser.”

After confirming all the steak courses were on the table, Shail elegantly explained his dish like a curator describing a work of art.

“Ooh… Listening to the explanation, it really sounds delicious.”

“I’m already salivating, and I haven’t even tasted it yet.”

“Hurry… Let us eat it already!”

The judges, hearing Shail’s explanation, unconsciously imagined the taste of the steak course and swallowed their saliva. Shail, mimicking a cheerful young man, smiled pleasantly.

“Hahaha. I’ve been talking too much. Please, enjoy and evaluate the taste.”

Thus began the judging of Shail’s dish.

The judges, trying to maintain a dignified expression, couldn’t hide their anticipation as they cut pieces of the steak and placed them in their mouths.

*Chew chew*

“The steak is so refreshing!”

“Right. Not only the sauce, but the doneness is just perfect.”

“And the yuzu-based salad dressing is so refreshing. This salad alone could be a hit!”

The judges’ praises continued.

Indeed, Shail’s steak wasn’t just flattery. The rich, savory flavor of the beef was beautifully harmonized with the sweet yet light blueberry sauce.

The steak was cooked to an ideal medium—neither too dry nor undercooked, perfectly even on all sides.

The accompanying salad, though seemingly simple with a few mild vegetables, was anything but. The yuzu-based dressing, with its sweet and tangy flavor, perfectly complemented the steak, providing a refreshing contrast.

It was a refined taste that showcased its own charm while enhancing the steak’s flavor.

With such high-quality food, the atmosphere among the judges naturally softened.

In this warm atmosphere, the judging of Shail’s dish concluded, and it was Kurt’s turn.

*Clatter*

*Clatter*

Unlike Shail, Kurt didn’t elegantly introduce his steak. He simply placed the steak courses in front of the judges and spoke in a deep voice.

“No need for introductions. Just eat.”

Kurt’s short, blunt words left the judges puzzled.

“Hmm… It looks tasty, but…”

“Compared to the steak we just had…”

“Ahaha…”

The judges’ enthusiasm dampened at Kurt’s indifferent attitude.

‘Hmph. When serving food, introducing it is an important performance to heighten expectations. Even if he’s not desperately trying to appeal, such a blunt attitude… Is he not trying to earn points?’

Seeing the judges’ reactions, Shail was confident of his victory.

But when the judges, with less enthusiasm, cut into the steak and tasted it…

“Th-this flavor…!?”

“So that’s why there was no need for an introduction!”

“This refreshing taste…!?”

The judges’ attitudes did a complete 180.

And then…

“Hmm… It’s impossible to determine a winner.”

“Right. This is a draw.”

“Indeed. These dishes can’t be ranked.”

They gave their verdict.

“W-what!?”

The most shocked by the judges’ evaluation was none other than Shail.

Having just been image-building in front of everyone, he exclaimed in a voice mixed with disbelief.

“Th-that can’t be…”

He had never doubted his victory over Kurt, so the judges’ words were a shock.

Could Kurt have used some trick without him noticing?

Thinking this, Shail immediately cut into the tasting portion of the steak course with a knife imbued with aura and took a bite.

The moment he tasted the steak, Shail realized the truth of the matter.

“Hahaha! So this was your underhanded trick. With this method, you could never lose to me.”

Shail laughed loudly, as if genuinely impressed.

But his eyes weren’t laughing as they sharply gazed at Kurt.

And for good reason.

The taste of the steak course Shail had eaten was all too familiar.

It was exactly the same as the steak course he had just cooked.

A flawless appearance that even his master-level skills couldn’t distinguish from his own?

That was only natural.

Because Kurt’s dish was an exact copy of Shail’s.

To put it simply, Kurt had perfectly replicated Shail’s dish, down to the last ingredient.

“Now I understand why you accepted this cooking duel.”

Generally, Lizardmen don’t cook.

Because they have almost no culinary culture.

But Kurt was a master-level Lizardman.

Even if he was a novice in cooking, his master-level physical abilities allowed him to perfectly copy the cooking process of someone right beside him, without a single error!

“By cooking beside me to watch for tricks, you instead got the chance to copy my dish! What a clever move!”

With this method, he couldn’t win, but he wouldn’t lose either.

‘Your plan from the start was to keep this cooking duel going indefinitely!’

“But that trick won’t work twice. From the next match, we’ll cook simultaneously instead of taking turns. If you refuse, consider negotiations over!”

Shail declared with a snake-like smile, determined to defeat Kurt.

Meanwhile, regardless of Shail’s declaration, Kurt, belatedly tasting Shail’s steak, thought to himself.

‘Hmm… So this is it. I’ve roughly grasped the Empire’s culinary level.’

“Hey! Kurt! Take this seriously!”

Mari’s scolding voice reached him.

“Ah, my apologies. I was just curious about imperial cuisine…”

“This is an important match! Be serious!”

“Don’t worry. I was just scouting the opponent’s skills.”

“…Really?”

“Ahem! I’ll be serious from now on.”

Kurt awkwardly cleared his throat at Mari’s scolding.

And so, Kurt returned to his seat, and the cooking duel between the two resumed.