The store ‘Provence,’ known for its incredibly delicious food that people line up for but can’t even get to eat, was bustling from this morning. The kitchen was a battlefield. Today, the avatar of the World Tree, Hana, was visiting. Although they always produce food of outstanding quality and taste, today had to be extra special.
If they usually put in 70% effort, today they had to push themselves to give 100%. While they always put their heart into cooking at home, if they put the same effort into the food sold at the store, they wouldn’t be able to keep the business running.
Because the speed of menu turnover is the lifeblood of a restaurant. No matter how delicious the food is, if it takes too long to come out, it’s just foolish. In a restaurant, maintaining average quality and speed is crucial.
But today was different. Quality was far more important than speed. If Hana didn’t like the food, it would be a disaster. People are lining up to eat now, but if Hana says something bad, the elves will stop coming to this store.
Every word from the World Tree is like a verse from the Bible to the elves. But if they overcome this crisis, it could be an opportunity to thrive even more. After all, they say opportunity comes from crisis.
Normally, the elf with 300 years of cooking experience would be in charge of cooking, but today he was peeling onions in the corner of the kitchen. Elves with less than 500 years of experience were only handling miscellaneous tasks. Only elves with over 500 years of experience were allowed to hold the knife. In human terms, it would be like chefs with at least 20-30 years of experience handling the cooking.
An extreme tension, usually unseen, filled the kitchen. Even though there were chefs with experience serving high-ranking guests, their hearts were about to burst. Serving the World Tree directly? It was like a dream.
“Bring the ingredients here!”
“Is the onion ready yet? Hurry up!”
The chefs were putting all their effort into cooking. The fact that they were serving the World Tree was motivation enough. The thought that their food would enter the mouth of a god! That alone gave them an indescribable sense of satisfaction.
—
“The food is taking a while…”
I fiddled with my chopsticks, soaked in anticipation, and muttered. By the way, what kind of food does this store mainly serve? Curious, I asked Linea, who was standing next to me. She was like my bodyguard, sticking close to me and not doing much else.
“Provence is famous for its delicious duck dishes. The duck dishes made by chefs with over 500 years of experience are said to make your tongue dance with joy.”
“500 years…?”
“Yes. You could say they’ve spent almost half their lives perfecting duck dishes.”
I heard that elves live just over a thousand years on average. I was stunned hearing about such experience. Human cultural assets with 40 or 50 years of experience would be considered rookies here.
With a 500-year veteran, a 40-year experience would seem like a clumsy beginner.
“Wow…”
I was filled with anticipation. I was really curious about the taste of duck dishes made by a chef with 500 years of experience putting their heart and soul into it.
After waiting for a while, the dishes started coming out. Even the staff were extraordinary. I felt that any ordinary person here could make a fortune if they went back to Korea. Because each one of them had looks rivaling celebrities.
The elf serving the food now had the kind of beauty that could win Miss Korea. This was a land where handsome men and beautiful women were common. Of course, the elves here were so used to everyone being good-looking that they didn’t realize how stunning they were.
Anyway, while I was lost in thought, the duck dishes started being set up in front of me. Duck soup, duck bulgogi, duck salad, smoked duck—each dish was a feast for the eyes. The portions were small, just enough to savor the taste and flavor without filling you up.
I picked up my chopsticks, ready to taste each dish one by one. Linea was watching me eat with a satisfied smile. She even started filming, saying we had to capture this moment. I channeled my inner foodie and savored each dish meticulously.
“Wow!”
As soon as the duck meat melted in my mouth, I skillfully maneuvered my chopsticks. How could meat be this tender? It must be the work of a chef with over 500 years of experience—absolutely divine.
If modern foodies tasted this, they’d probably cry and give it a perfect score. I finally understood what Linea meant by “my tongue is dancing.” With every bite of duck, my tongue was practically doing the tango.
“So good, so good!”
“Right? This dish is fit for the gods!”
Linea laughed happily as she watched me. I felt a little bad, but I couldn’t share this dish with her! Even though I’d suggested eating together earlier, it was just too delicious to share. Little did I know, Linea had already eaten it several times and didn’t mind.
I kept eating until I was stuffed. Even though I was full, I couldn’t help but glance longingly at the leftovers as I left the room. If I hadn’t cared about appearances, I would’ve packed it all to go.
The chefs were waiting politely outside. I looked at them and said, “That was incredible! I’ve never had duck this delicious in my life!”
I showered them with praise—they deserved it. The chefs were so moved they started tearing up and thanking me repeatedly. Honestly, I was the one who should’ve been thanking them, but somehow the roles got reversed.
After that, Provence became a hot spot on the World Tree’s foodie list. I didn’t know it at the time, but the place was fully booked for the next year.
—
Maru immediately reported the situation to her superior—Hana was missing. The Starlight Research Institute checked the CCTV footage.
The camera showed Hana sneaking out. After tracking her movements, they confirmed she entered the Mixed Species Research Institute next to the building.
Then, as if entranced, Hana quietly walked toward the room with the elf. When she entered, the elf acted strangely, as if they knew each other. After that, the CCTV footage got all staticky, and the screen went fuzzy.
When the footage returned to normal, both the elf and Hana were gone, leaving only an empty room.
“This is…”
The staff sighed as they watched the screen. They didn’t know the details, but it seemed Hana and the elf were acquainted.
How would people react when they found out Hana was missing? Probably not well. The Starlight Research Institute was heavily dependent on Hana, as were Starlight Food and Cosmetics. A day without Hana wouldn’t cause much trouble.
But what about a week? A month? They’d started stockpiling Hana’s hair after it stopped growing last time, so they had a few months’ worth of reserves.
But what if they ran out and Hana still didn’t return? What if she never came back?
The day Hana disappeared, the Starlight Research Institute was thrown into chaos.
