Chapter 29

"Ha ha ha, Old Mac, you don't know this. Ji Ran is a companion we met during our adventure, and his cooking skills are top-notch!" Beck laughed heartily.

Old Mac felt deeply that his authority was being challenged. As a 209-year-old dwarf who had dedicated his entire life to cooking, how could he be told that he was not as good as an 18-year-old human?

"Hmph, very well, you have successfully provoked Old Mac. So, you will have to pay the price for your words and actions! This is war! A war! I challenge you, you called... Ji Ran, right? What a strange name... I challenge your cooking skills! If you win, I'll treat you to this meal! If you lose, you'll stay and wash dishes for a week!"

Old Mac was so angry that his beard was fluffed up—still, Ji Ran couldn't see his mouth, which showed how long and messy his beard was.

Ji Ran was taken aback and then felt both amused and exasperated. What did this have to do with him? He hadn't said anything, and Old Mac's food tasted pretty good. How did this end up on his head?

"Old Mac, stop fooling around. Beck just said the wrong thing, I'll apologize on his behalf. So many people are watching, don't you worry about affecting your tavern's business?" Rais spoke up. It was clear he didn't want to draw attention to himself.

But it was a bit too late. The adventurers who were eating and drinking in the tavern had already turned their attention to their table. Dwarves have loud voices, and Old Mac, being the owner, naturally drew more attention.

"Apology? An apology won't solve the problem! My reputation has been seriously damaged, and I must reclaim my dignity as a gourmet and chef through a competition!" Old Mac stood straight, and at that moment, his figure seemed unusually tall, almost matching the seated Rais...

"Old Mac, right? Well, food is something that everyone has different tastes for. Some people like sweet, some like salty. Some prefer light flavors, while others like rich and hearty dishes. It's unfair to say one dish is better than another. As fellow food lovers and chefs, do we really need to determine a winner?"

Ji Ran didn't want to have a cooking competition. He had just come out of the Blue Pine Forest and wanted to rest for a while before preparing for his entrance exam. He wasn't afraid of losing, but as Rais and the others said, revealing too much might not be a good thing...

Old Mac's expression softened slightly after hearing Ji Ran's words, but he was still unwilling to back down on the competition.

"You're a pleasant child to talk to, but this time I'm really determined to have this competition! For years, no one has questioned my skills! As a dwarf who loves food more than life, I must wash away this disgrace!"

No one is disgracing you, Grandpa! Ji Ran felt extremely wronged and cast a fierce glare at Beck.

Beck, however, was the type who enjoyed stirring up trouble. Seeing Old Mac propose the competition, his eyes gleamed with excitement.

"Ji Ran, just compete with him! It's just ordinary meat, no big deal, let him know there are better chefs out there! Hey, Old Mac, we don't care about the cost of a meal. If you lose, how about giving us a barrel of your Ice Dew wine?"

At the mention of Ice Dew wine, Rais and Ban's eyes also lit up. Even Aileen seemed a bit interested.

Ice Dew wine? Is it that delicious? Ji Ran wasn't particularly fond of alcohol and knew nothing about the wines in this world. But seeing the others' expressions, it seemed to be a very precious drink?

"Ice Dew wine... Hmph, Beck, you've had your eye on Ice Dew wine for a long time, haven't you? No problem, if this kid's cooking really surpasses mine, giving you a barrel of Ice Dew wine is no big deal. But compared to that, a week of dishwashing is too small a bet, at least a month!"

Old Mac's face showed a hint of pain at the mention of Ice Dew wine, but for the dignity of a gourmet and chef, he was willing to go all out!

"Old Mac, Ji Ran and Lidiya are about to take the entrance exam at the Azure Wind Academy and don't have time to wash dishes. How about this..." Rais, hearing that Old Mac was willing to bet a barrel of Ice Dew wine, no longer opposed the competition. Instead, he took out a plain-looking root-like object.

"Purple Silk Potato?" Old Mac's eyes were immediately drawn to the root.

"That's right, a Purple Silk Potato. I heard dwarves can use this to make quite aromatic wine. Using it as a bet for your Ice Dew wine should be enough, right?" Rais tossed the fist-sized root up and down.

This thing hit Old Mac's soft spot. Dwarves' love for fine wine is unparalleled, and every dwarf can drink, but they are also skilled in brewing, with several unique dwarf wines being expensive luxuries on the continent.

Ji Ran found this Purple Silk Potato, originally intending to use it as a seasoning, but Rais took it over—Rais knew its value to dwarves.

Ji Ran didn't know that Purple Silk Potatoes could be used for brewing, but now he realized that the civilization of this world wasn't as backward as he imagined. For example, dwarves could use the Purple Silk Potato from the game to make good wine...

"Fine! It's settled!" Old Mac, the old dwarf, immediately agreed.

Next, they discussed the criteria for judging the dishes and decided to select ten customers in the tavern as judges. Only those who received more than half of the judges' approval would be the winner.

Ji Ran was inexplicably dragged into a cooking competition, feeling quite confused. But since everyone else thought he should compete, he decided to give it a try. After all, Beck had hinted that using ordinary meat would still be delicious without revealing his secrets.

To ensure fairness, Old Mac decided that both would cook the same type of dish to determine the winner—so he brought out two large pieces of beef.

"Do whatever you want, as long as it's made from this beef!" Old Mac declared confidently and started preparing his signature dish, black pepper steak, at the nearby grill.

What should I do with this piece of beef? Ji Ran looked around. This was the tavern's kitchen, fully equipped with all kinds of cooking utensils and a wide variety of seasonings—though there was no soy sauce, it was still quite diverse.

"Alright, let's make something simple." Ji Ran sighed, picked up a knife, and started cutting.

He planned to make braised beef. It was a home-style dish but required a bit more time. But no problem, he had the cooking skills from the game to help.

The people still in the tavern hall were eagerly waiting for the dishes to be served.

In fact, Old Mac's skills were genuinely excellent, and he had a good reputation in Pine Shore Town. Compared to chefs in big city restaurants, he might be slightly inferior, but he was far superior to anyone else in town.

But that young guy, being so highly praised by Rais and the others, must have some skills, right? The onlookers were drooling, and the ten selected judges were especially eager.

About an hour later, both came out.

Old Mac's black pepper steak was well-prepared, which was why it took so long. From the way he carried the plate, he was clearly very confident.

Ji Ran's dish was simpler. Braised beef took a bit longer but was more flavorful. At least from his perspective, this dish was already his best effort—of course, aside from the quality of the ingredients and the lack of certain seasonings.

Both placed their dishes on the table, immediately drawing everyone's attention.

"Oh... Old Mac's black pepper steak! The aroma is still so enticing... What's the other dish? Is it also beef?"

"This dish... has a special aroma... even more fragrant than the steak! What is this dish? It looks great too..."

Ji Ran's braised beef was indeed a feast for the senses, with its rich sauce and dark red meat, garnished with radishes and scallions, making everyone's mouths water.

The judges exchanged glances and then, without hesitation, reached for their knives and forks, aiming for the two dishes.

"This steak is perfectly cooked, bringing out the tenderness of the beef. The aroma of black pepper is truly delicious..." Most of the judges chose Old Mac's black pepper steak first. This dish wasn't cheap, and Old Mac didn't make it for just anyone. It took a long time to prepare, and not putting in the effort would ruin his reputation.

Old Mac's dish didn't disappoint, still tasting familiar. Hearing the judges' praise, he stroked his beard, head held high, looking very pleased.

However, the two judges who tried Ji Ran's braised beef were stunned as soon as the meat entered their mouths. After a while, they exclaimed, "Too delicious!"

Then, they eagerly put the two pieces of beef in their mouths.

"Hey, don't be so greedy! There's only one plate, don't eat it all!" The other judges immediately protested and started sharing the braised beef.

"Wow... This is a taste I've never experienced before! Tender and juicy, with a rich flavor... I've never eaten anything this delicious before! It's truly amazing!" The judges who tried the braised beef were wide-eyed and amazed.

In an instant, Old Mac's steak was ignored.