Chapter 287

The story of two restaurants competing for the title of the best eatery in Leila spread throughout the city in an instant.

The Inn ‘Red Shell,’ boasting a long-standing tradition spanning three generations, had recently grown even more skilled under the third generation, solidifying its position as Leila’s undisputed top restaurant.

And then there was the mysterious restaurant that had suddenly appeared in Leila—Lowdrake Restaurant.

The strongest, a showdown, tradition versus the new.

It was a battle composed of elements that were more than enough to pique people’s interest.

By the time the day of the showdown arrived, the venue was packed with spectators eager to witness the clash of pride between the two restaurants.

Among the crowd, Kurt and his group naturally found their place.

Outwardly, they acted as if they were burdened, but in truth, they were worried that the innkeeper, who regarded Kurt as her mentor, might lose the cooking duel…

…or so one might think.

“Lowdrake Restaurant… I’m looking forward to seeing what kind of dishes they’ll present.”

It was purely because Kurt wanted to taste the food that Lowdrake Restaurant would showcase in the cooking duel.

Even before the cooking battle began, Kurt couldn’t hide his anticipation, licking his lips.

Though it wasn’t obvious, Kurt was a Lizardman who enjoyed delicious food as much as he enjoyed cooking it himself.

After all, his connection with the innkeeper of Leila, who had taken a liking to him and considered him her mentor, began because Kurt had enjoyed the food she prepared.

Thus, the existence of a bold new restaurant challenging an inn capable of making Clam Chowder that met his standards was an enticing story.

However, this excitement seemed to apply only to Kurt, as the other three members of his group didn’t share the same enthusiasm.

“A battle for the title of Leila’s best restaurant… It’s not like the food will match Kurt’s level, no matter who wins.”

“Well, it’s still interesting, isn’t it? Besides, since we’ve been hunting Man-eating Crabs so diligently these past few days, their numbers along the coast have significantly decreased, leaving us with little else to do.”

“The speed at which the Man-eating Crabs are decreasing is faster than we expected. But then again, we’re not the only adventurers in Leila. Someone else must have been hunting them.”

The only reason they had the time to attend the cooking duel was because the recent hunts had significantly reduced the Man-eating Crab population, leaving them with little to do.

Otherwise, they would have been out hunting Man-eating Crabs instead of watching the cooking duel.

“By the way, who do you think will win?”

“Hmm… I think it’ll be hard to beat the long-standing reputation and tradition of the Inn ‘Red Shell.'”

“On the contrary, wouldn’t Lowdrake Restaurant have challenged them precisely because they were confident they could defeat such a renowned establishment?”

In response to Mari’s question, Karina and Serena offered differing opinions.

Seeing their disagreement, Mari made a complicated expression and soon turned her gaze to Kurt.

After all, cooking was Kurt’s specialty.

“Umm… So, Kurt, what do you think?”

“That’s a foolish question.”

Kurt snorted arrogantly, as if the answer was obvious.

“Oh? So, you already have an idea of who will win?”

“On the contrary. Speculating about who will win before tasting the food is meaningless.”

“…So, you’re saying you don’t know?”

“Exactly. I’ve deliberately avoided visiting Lowdrake Restaurant until now because I don’t want to spoil the outcome of this duel.”

“Ah, I see… Oh! It looks like it’s about to start.”

As they chatted, the time for the duel finally arrived.

The chefs from both restaurants stood at the venue, ready to begin the cooking duel.

One was the innkeeper of the Inn ‘Red Shell,’ who had unilaterally decided to regard Kurt as her mentor.

Though his muscles had grown from cooking, he also had the belly typical of a middle-aged man, giving him a robust yet approachable appearance.

The other was the chef from Lowdrake Restaurant, a man with a completely different impression.

Introducing himself as Drake, his sun-tanned skin and lean, battle-hardened muscles suggested a life spent at sea. Unlike the innkeeper, whose friendly demeanor suited the hospitality industry, Drake’s fierce smile made him seem more like a warrior than a chef.

Two men with entirely different impressions.

They stood facing each other before beginning to cook.

“I don’t know how things escalated to this point…”

“Are you saying you’re not confident?”

“It’s not that… I just don’t understand why I have to participate in this duel…”

In truth, the innkeeper had been swept up in the momentum and agreed to the duel. By the time he came to his senses, the story had become so famous that he couldn’t back out, leaving him with no choice but to participate.

For him, this duel was a no-win situation. Even if he won, there was little to gain, and losing could mean significant losses.

Thus, the innkeeper muttered listlessly, lacking enthusiasm.

In response, Drake laughed heartily, as if the question was absurd.

“Of course, it’s for the title of the best! The best! The strongest! Isn’t that the kind of honor that stirs a man’s heart?”

“That may be true for you… Sigh… Never mind. Let’s just begin.”

“Hahaha! Good! Today, we’ll decide who Leila’s best chef is!”

Seeing Drake’s cheerful laughter, the innkeeper gave up trying to persuade him. After all, with things having escalated this far, there was no turning back.

If it couldn’t be avoided, all he could do was give it his best.

With that, the innkeeper steeled himself and took his place to begin cooking.

Seeing the innkeeper take his position, Drake also moved to his own station.

The venue was equipped with outdoor cooking facilities and tools prepared by Lowdrake Restaurant.

The innkeeper laid out the ingredients he had prepared for today’s cooking.

From basic spices like salt, pepper, and herbs to key ingredients like flour, everything was meticulously arranged.

Despite the unfamiliar kitchen setup, the innkeeper began cooking with swift and skilled hands.

As he cooked, the innkeeper no longer seemed like the friendly owner of Leila’s famous inn or a reluctant middle-aged man dragged into an unwanted duel. Instead, he appeared as a veteran chef who had dedicated years to his craft.

The cooking duel was simple.

Both the Inn ‘Red Shell’ and Lowdrake Restaurant would prepare their signature dishes and serve them to all the spectators, who would then vote for their favorite. The side with the most votes would win.

There were no strict restrictions on ingredients or cooking methods, nor were there any judges. The only rule was to convince the crowd’s taste buds with a single dish.

Simple, yet intuitive and decisive.

The innkeeper and Drake began cooking almost simultaneously.

Though their impressions were starkly different, their cooking styles were surprisingly similar, both showcasing the skills of veteran chefs.

In that moment, both were so engrossed in their cooking that they forgot about the audience and even their opponent.

The audience, too, watched intently, unconsciously holding their breath.

The first to finish was the innkeeper.

*Clatter*

“Here. It’s done.”

Wiping the sweat from his brow, the innkeeper placed a large pot on the table, enough to feed dozens of people.

The dish he had prepared was none other than the Inn ‘Red Shell’s signature Clam Chowder.

Though the inn had recently introduced various new recipes thanks to Kurt, the Clam Chowder remained the innkeeper’s most confident and representative dish.

Passed down from his grandfather and perfected over generations, the Clam Chowder symbolized the Inn ‘Red Shell’ and its legacy.

Soon, the staff from Lowdrake Restaurant divided the dish into individual portions and served them to the audience.

As the Clam Chowder was placed before them, the spectators couldn’t hide their excitement.

The long-awaited tasting had finally arrived.

One by one, the bowls of Clam Chowder were served, including to me and my companions.

“As expected… It’s the Clam Chowder.”

“Yes, Master. This Clam Chowder is the soul of my Inn ‘Red Shell,’ passed down through three generations.”

The innkeeper answered my question with a somewhat awkward yet confident expression.

“I’m sorry, Master. Even though I’ve learned many recipes from you, the dish I’m presenting today is still my family’s recipe…”

“No. If you had neglected your family’s recipes just because you learned new ones, I would have been disappointed.”

In situations like this, a dish perfected over years of practice would better represent the chef than a newly learned recipe.

But…

“Master?”

“Never mind. Let’s discuss this after tasting the Clam Chowder.”

“Ah, of course. Soup loses its flavor when it cools.”

“But don’t think I’ll give you an advantage in judging just because we’ve exchanged recipes. I’m serious about food.”

“Of course. I wouldn’t want you to show favoritism either.”

In response to my words, the innkeeper thumped his chest and smiled.

Good.

Though I’ve exchanged recipes with the innkeeper, judging must be impartial.

Judging should always be based on equal standards and the same criteria.

There’s no room for bias.

So, even though the innkeeper and I have shared recipes, there should be no favoritism in the judging.

And neither of us would want a victory tainted by bias.

With that in mind, I lifted my spoon and brought the innkeeper’s special Clam Chowder to my mouth.