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Chapter 324 Part 1

We go back in time just a moment earlier to the middle of the match between the narrow-eyed brown-haired girl flashing her black panties from her tight skirt and the freckled girl with red hair in a braid wielding her club.

「God dammit!」

It’s not surprising that the brown-haired girl would shout like that.

『She put almost all of her living expenses into this big match.』

Even though she had poured her magical power into the Thunder Arrow with no less amount than that, it was repelled by the round shield.
The foul language in the middle of the match was for that very reason. Therefore, there is no one who cares about it among the ladies and gentlemen sitting in the guest of honor’s seats.
Except for one person.

「….How pitiful.」

The voice was uttered heavily by a gentleman with a Kaiser’s mustache, dressed in a luxurious pilot’s uniform. He is the commander of the Kingdom knight order.
With a hint of melancholy on his brow, he exhaled a small breath and continued.

「No matter how close to existence they are, we should never forget to appreciate and respect them.」

The nearby guests scrunched up their expressions because they knew he was the 『Gourmet of Gold』.
They guessed exactly what he was upset about.

(He should just shut the hell up.)

He felt like his feeling inside was tainted, but shortly afterward he couldn’t believe his ears.

「It is exactly as you said. I, too, am troubled by young people these days.」

Because an elderly man had expressed his agreement.
The man sitting next to the knight commander was the school’s most knowledgeable instructor, who had identified the Plain Queen as 『Cassabell’s Storm』.
Today, the principal had asked him to entertain the knight commander.

「It seems both of us had a hard time because of them huh?」

The unexpected reply leaves Kaiser Mustache speechless. When he recovered after a moment, he replied with a polite tone of voice.

『One should not be disrespectful to a like-minded person, especially when these people are rare.』

That must be the reason.
The Knight Commander who’s the head of the country’s military and has a seat on the council. But what really matters is in a different world.

「By the way, which part of it attracted you?」

The middle-aged man in pilot’s attire shifted his gaze from the match to the old instructor and asked him a question. He asked cautiously, most likely because he did not want to be disappointed.
A young female reporter who was interested in him and had approached him before was actually a hater of the way of Gold.

「That is a difficult question. This old bone has not studied it very well.」

The old instructor looked very serious and put his hand on his chin to show that he was troubled. The Knight Commander breathes a sigh of relief.
Although the conversation is going well, the old instructor doesn’t actually have a taste for Gold. He cannot hear clearly due to his deafness, so he just replies with 『Roughly』 and 『Approximately』.
However, there is no way the knight commander could know about that. His voice is filled with joy at meeting someone from the same world as him.

「From the ingredients selection to the cooking, everything is done by a single chef. I think that’s what makes it so wonderful!」

Now that he has begun to speak with passion, he is no longer the knight commander of the knight order. He is a man who loves food. The Gourmet of Gold.
It would be cruel to blame him for that. He has had no one to talk to about his interest for years.

「To add to that, not only the ingredients, but even the cooking utensils are all self-sourced. I have never heard anything more wonderful than this.」

「I see. I learned something new.」

The Gourmet of Gold continued his explanation with a strong tone, and the old instructor nodded his head repeatedly in agreement.
Although well-informed, he was unfamiliar with rumors, so the old instructor was unaware of the Knight Commander’s peculiar tastes.

「We chewed it up with the front teeth, crushed it with the back teeth, and ground it in our stomach. The meat is then stewed in the intestines and seasoned with bile and other seasonings of its own origin. This is a true test of skill, or rather, of the stomach.」

With a smile, the middle-aged gentleman moves his hips like a hula hoop. The old instructor smiles back at his antics.

(This feeling… I haven’t felt like this ever since he’s gone.)

The person who flashed into his mind was his best friend who lost his life on the battlefield.
Perhaps it was because he saw the face of the old instructor in his mind as he expressed his knowledge as if he were a teacher teaching his disciple.

「The bacteria for fermentation and the aging room for humidity and temperature are all the chef’s own. It is a living record, a compilation of it if you will. Even if different chefs used the exact same ingredients, the taste they produced would never be the same.」

Then, he exhaled loudly, and the most problematic man, who was also one of the most infamous in the red-light district, shook his Kaiser mustache.

「Every time I eat it, I think to myself. To think a living being can produce something so wonderful.」

The Gourmet of Gold closes his eyes and looks upward in silence for a few moments.
After some time has passed, he quietly opens his eyes and mouth and resumed.

「It might be something that won’t remain in the world for a long time, like a painting, a sculpture, or a structure. But instead, it has a fragrance, a taste, and a texture. There is no comparison to be made as to which is better.」

Truth be told, the old instructor, his head and fingertips shaking slightly, is no longer following the conversation. But he still gave reactions and short replies.

「That’s exactly right. I agree with you.」

Because that is the old man’s art to entertain other people. It is said that 『Yes-men are harmful』, but it is also true that 『It feels good when someone agrees with you』.

『If you want to avoid offending the other party, just don’t deny or disagree with what they’re talking about.』

It is a lesson that this old man has learned in his long life.

(This is…)

Many ideas that had never occurred to him before popped up as the middle-aged man continued to talk in excitement.
The reason for this was probably because the old man listened to him without disagreeing with him.
Even though he was talking to only one person, the current situation was very similar to 『Brainstorming』, a method of thinking.

「It is good to savor a single item to your heart’s content. But it is also good to enjoy many items a little at a time.」

The image he wanted to convey was that of a 『Buffet』 or a 『All you-can-eat 』 like in a hotel.
The Gourmet of Gold continues his story while recalling a specific scene.

「The moment you pass through the doors of the main hall, the appetizing sweet and savory smell tickles your nostrils. Those who are hungry should take something solid and black. Those who drank too much last night may take something light-colored and loose, or perhaps a warm soup with milk added to it.」

The moment one lifts the lid of the ceramic container, the mellow and strong aroma that pierces through your nose rises with the steam. The thought of it makes the Gourmet of Gold’s throat throb.
The scene he envisions in his mind’s eye is an overnight banquet with a group of people who share the same taste. And then the next morning at breakfast.

(Gathering of comrades with the same taste chatting with each other while enjoying the food.)

Kaiser mustache, entranced by the scene of a limitless dream, made a euphoric expression on his face.

「That sounds wonderful indeed.」

The people around them turn blue and leave their seats one after another. But the Gourmet of Gold was oblivious to it.
It was only natural since he did not even know that the match was over. But the appearance of a female student prompted the old man instructor to speak voluntarily.

「Ah! Look over there! It’s the eye of the storm!」

At the tip of his outstretched finger is the figure of Plain-chan sitting in a mock pilot’s seat wearing a crimson butterfly mask on her face.
The Knight Commander, who had surfaced from the Golden Town all at once, switches his gears and looks down to the match venue.

(It seems I went overboard a little.)

He coughed loudly, probably because he was ashamed that he had forgotten my duties.
He urged the old instructor to explain the details, but he only replied with a loud sigh.