Chapter 4

"Is this for a gourmet guide?"

"Yes, the capital has many restaurants, but their quality varies greatly. Therefore, we plan to secretly taste and evaluate them, compile a list of delicious places, and sell it."

---

I had thought such a project might come up someday, but it finally has.

Abel, who was explaining the project enthusiastically, was a man in his early thirties, a bit on the chubby side.

He was the third son of a certain noble family and couldn't inherit the estate, but he had no lingering attachment to his title. His main job was at a publishing house that produced a kind of newspaper, though it was a small circulation and not a daily.

At this publishing house, Abel was also in charge of book publishing and editing, and it seemed he did work similar to that of a writer, not just a journalist.

The project he brought in was the creation of a gourmet map of the capital.

"But why me?"

"I've heard the rumors. That you're involved in the renovation of several restaurants, have a keen eye for good food, and can provide extremely fair reviews. I'm sure you would be happy if such a book existed, wouldn't you, Lord Bauwmeister?"

"Well, that's true."

Occasionally, I go to restaurants in the capital with Elise and others, but sometimes I encounter terrible food.

Moreover, such bad restaurants are often recommended by nobles.

I've thought several times that they must be tasteless, but noble families can't easily change their favored shops, and when a shop changes hands, it often relies on the 'noble patronage' and lets the quality of the food decline.

Sometimes, I have to guide people to such shops out of obligation, or because of a relationship with a large trading company that supplies ingredients, I have to visit such bad restaurants as a duty.

Thinking that you can't say bad food is bad, that's why feudalism is...

But in my previous life, there were also TV gourmet reports that introduced subtly bad-tasting restaurants.

I can't help but think that connections and favors are a hassle.

"We won't publish any bad restaurants, so there should be fewer problems."

"But if this book becomes a hit and many people read it, making the restaurants prosperous, there might be attempts to bribe Abel and other editors to get listed."

The publishing house and the restaurants are not public entities.

Even if there were bribes or kickbacks, it wouldn't be a crime.

While it's an exaggeration to say bad, there's a risk that restaurants with mediocre taste might be listed.

"This is tough. But if Lord Bauwmeister is worried about such things, I feel reassured. We want to publish this book annually, so we won't disclose the names of those involved in the editing. We'll also conduct blind tastings, and if a restaurant that has been listed before declines in quality, we'll stop listing it."

It almost sounds like the Michelin Guide.

"It sounds interesting, so I'll take it on."

I don't need any payment.

It's nice to be able to eat at various restaurants.

If there were such a book, the possibility of a big failure when trying a new restaurant would decrease.

"I might ask Lord Vilma as well."

"That's good."

Vilma isn't just a big eater; she's also picky about taste.

If a restaurant is bad, she hardly eats anything and wants to go to another place, making every effort to eat delicious food.

"Recently, in the capital, there has been an increase in all-you-can-eat, large-portion, and delicious restaurants, and since Lord Vilma holds the title in most of them, I'm sure she can provide a fair evaluation."

"I'll take it on."

Vilma immediately agreed, and now we have two people.

Still, it's impressive that someone who makes newspapers knows Vilma's eating history.

"I... should I quit?"

"Yes, actually, Mr. Betty's brother's restaurant is also on the tasting list. For the sake of fair reviews, I'm very sorry, but..."

"I'm disappointed."

Betty, whose family runs a restaurant, was also picky about taste, but upon learning that her brother's restaurant was on the tasting list, she reluctantly decided not to participate, looking disappointed.

I don't think she would favor her brother's restaurant, but if people think she does, it might lead to doubts about the credibility of the gourmet guide.

"I'm going. I have to guard Ver, and I can eat delicious food."

El also agreed to participate, and we moved to the capital with Abel, making us a group of four.

---

"Is it almost time?"

"Are you waiting for someone?"

"Yes, there's one more guest. He's someone who can be expected to provide a fair review."

We arrived at a square in the center of the capital by 'Instant Teleportation,' but Abel said he was waiting for someone and hadn't yet set out for the restaurant.

I don't know who it is, but we're going to taste and decide whether to include the restaurant in the guide with this group of five.

"Who is it?"

"Everyone should know... 'Hey! Sorry to keep you waiting!'"

It seems the last participant has arrived.

In such a crowded square, a muscle-bound man called out to us without any hesitation.

We were embarrassed to be the center of attention, but the man who shouted didn't seem to mind.

Impressive...

The Archmage must have a spirit made of orichalcum.

"Is it the Archmage?"

"Yes, I was appointed as a judge, and I was so excited that I couldn't sleep well last night!"

Is it okay for the head royal mage to take on such a job?

"It's fine. The judges' names will be kept secret."

That's right.

"Since it's the Archmage, it's fine."

Vilma also gave her stamp of approval to Abel's selection.

"The Archmage will say what's delicious is delicious and what's not is not."

He doesn't hold back when it comes to the taste of food.

There will be few people who will confront or argue with such a person.

"But, won't this group stand out? Ver is one thing, but especially the Archmage."

Indeed, as El said.

I can change my clothes to avoid being recognized, but the Archmage is tall and stands out, so I don't think he's suitable for a secret judge.

"There's no need to worry. Here, please take these."

Abel handed us rings.

They look like magical artifacts.

When I used 'Detect,' they were indeed magical artifacts.

"These are disguise rings. They are perfect for this kind of undercover review."

Abel put on the ring and transformed into a slender young man.

"I see."

When El put on the ring, he turned into an old man, and Vilma transformed into a common-looking middle-aged woman.

"Quite an impressive magical artifact!"

The Archmage transformed into a tall, slender old man, and I...

"How does it look?"

"Lord Ver, you're cute."

"What?"

For some reason, I turned into a child around ten years old.

Why am I a child?

"Vilma is your mother. You're coming to the restaurant with your family."

"So, why am I a child..."

"Let's go, Vendelin."

"Vilma, you're really into it?"

"Into it."

I was led by Vilma, who was playing the mother, and we headed to the first restaurant with Abel as our guide.

---

"This is the first one. This restaurant is known for its delicious meat dishes."

"That sounds great."

Most people get excited when they hear about meat dishes.

El also looked very happy.

He looks like an old man, but...

"El, it's delicious, but if we start with this, how many places can we visit today?"

In the capital of Stadburg, a city of a million people, the number of candidates for a gourmet book is enormous.

While the Archmage and Vilma are fine, we started to worry about the strain on our stomachs.

"There's a limit to the number of places we can visit in a day, so we've taken that into consideration. There are several groups of undercover judges visiting restaurants throughout the capital."

"Will there be conflicts in the evaluations with so many groups?"

"It's difficult for one judge to visit all the restaurants, so each group has a set number of restaurants they can choose. It's also dangerous to have one person make the final decision."

If the information leaks to the restaurants, there might be operators who try to influence the person.

"Let's eat first and then review the taste later."

This restaurant specializes in meat dishes, and its steak, meat pie, and stew are popular.

It was a bit past lunchtime, but there were still quite a few customers.

"What would you like, Vendelin?"

"Are you going to keep that up?"

Vilma, disguised as a middle-aged woman, spoke to me, disguised as a child, just like a real mother.

"(Lord Ver, you have to talk like a child or it will look unnatural.)"

"(Right.) Mom, I want to eat a meat pie."

"Good, eat a lot and grow up quickly."

"Wait, is the Archmage playing the father?"

"This is the most natural setting."

The Archmage is disguised as a normal old man, so it's the most natural for him to be my father in this situation.

Still, even though our appearances have changed, Vilma is playing the mother and the Archmage is playing the father.

"...Undercover investigations are tough."

"Lord Ver, you're still better off."

"El, watch your words."

"...That's right... Today will be fun."

El, disguised as an old man, became my grandfather.

It wasn't specifically decided, but it naturally turned out this way.

"So, I'll be the Archmage's brother and Lord Bauwmeister's uncle."

"Ah..."

"If it's revealed that we are the judges deciding which restaurants will be included in the guide, the restaurants might prepare in advance, and we won't be able to conduct a fair investigation."

Abel is from a noble family, but his heart is completely that of a publishing industry person.

What he says is not wrong.

If we say, "We'll come to taste your food on such and such a day," the restaurant might try to influence us.

We will only include the restaurants that the undercover judges found delicious in the book.

If the quality of the food declines after being listed in the book, the restaurant will be reviewed again the following year and not included if it's not up to par.

We won't send the same group of judges to the same restaurant for more than two consecutive years.

Abel explained these measures to us.

"Restaurants that are closely related to Lord Bauwmeister are assigned to other groups of judges. The fact that all the restaurants you helped open are on the candidate list is impressive. That's why I asked you to be a judge."

The restaurants that Alteo supplies with ingredients, Betty's brother's restaurant, and the eel restaurant 'River' are being visited by other undercover judges.

"In that case, I should have brought Betty along."

If we're not going to visit restaurants related to me, I could have brought her along.

"Let's do that next year. Now, let's start tasting. Miss."

Since there's no point in just sitting and talking, Abel called a young waitress to place our order.

However, an unexpected situation arose.

"Everything from the start to the end of the menu."

"Hurry up!"

Vilma and the Archmage ordered all the dishes without permission.

"Everything?"

"Everything."

"That's right!"

Naturally, the young waitress asked for confirmation, but the two of them firmly ordered all the dishes without wavering.

"(Lord Ver...)"

"(...)"

El and I, though we didn't look it due to the magical artifact, must have turned pale.

It's not that we can't pay for the food.

Abel will cover the cost as an expense, and I am Lord Bauwmeister, after all.

The problem is...

"(Mr. Abel, how many places are we visiting today?)"

"(About five places on average.)"

Five places seems like a lot, but as a mage, it's not a problem for me.

My magic power has increased, and it seems that using a lot of magic consumes calories, so I can visit five places a day without any stomach issues.

El, being a swordsman who moves a lot, was also fine, but being suddenly asked to order all the menu items throws off the plan.

"Wow, it looks delicious."

"Mr. Abel?"

"The amount seems a bit much..."

If we eat so much at the first place, we won't be able to eat anything at the other places, and El and I expressed our concerns to Abel.

"Is that so? I think this amount is fine for about five places."

"..."

Abel's answer left El and I speechless.

Abel, who said this amount is no problem, must be one of Vilma and the Archmage's kind.

That makes sense.

If you don't like eating, you wouldn't participate in a secret review for a gourmet book.

"It's fine, you two."

"If you say so..."

"Is there something good?"

Is there a magical artifact that prevents your stomach from getting full even if you eat a lot?

If so, it should be fine to eat a lot here.

But...

"Even if you get full once, you'll get hungry again after a while, won't you?"

"..."

Abel isn't the only one...

The Archmage and Vilma are also like that.

El and I look at each other in silence, but I'm sure El is thinking the same thing.

"Here you go."

We ordered all the dishes, so the table was completely covered with food.

It's strange for a family to come to a restaurant and order all the dishes.

The staff must be suspicious of us.

"Let's eat!"

"Let's eat a lot."

"Wow!"

As Abel, the Archmage, and Vilma started eating the dishes at an incredible pace, El and I sighed, thinking about what's to come.

---

"It was quite delicious!"

"That's right, Lord Archmage."

"Pretty good."

After completing the first undercover investigation, we were walking to the next restaurant.

We could have gone by carriage, but we wanted to walk a bit to digest the food, as we were so full.

"Ver, are you okay?"

"Somewhat..."

We were scolded by Abel when we tried to taste a little and pretend to eat the dishes we ordered.

"Taking just a bite is cheating in a food review."

"Is that so, Ver?"

"Yes..."

Even if the first bite is delicious, sometimes you get tired of it and can't finish it, or it makes you feel heavy after eating, so a full meal is necessary for an accurate review.

"You must finish the dish."

"Right, as Abel says!"

"What a waste."

So, El and I were already full.

"Lord Bauwmeister, how was the first restaurant?"

It's not just about eating the food for free; when asked by Abel about the restaurant, we had to give a proper response.

So, we decided to try to evaluate the dishes we managed to eat.

"I think the level of all the dishes was high. However, some of the meat used in some dishes was a bit fatty. Since this is a restaurant where you can enjoy multiple dishes, it's not good to make one dish overly greasy. I'll deduct some points for that, so four stars."

"Four stars?"

Oops!

I accidentally used the rating method from a gourmet show I saw in my previous life.

"Lord Ver, are you rating with stars?"

"Yes, Vilma."

As I answered Vilma's question, I explained to Abel that it's easier to understand if the restaurant's rating is indicated by stars.

"Four stars for that restaurant. The highest is five stars, and the worst is one star."

"I see. This is a convenient rating method. Let's adopt it."

Thanks to my suggestion, it was decided that the gourmet book would use stars to rate the restaurants.

"Lord Ver, that's impressive."

"It just came to me."

It's just a copy, though.

"That's good, but are you already full after the first place? Should we end it for today?"

El, nice one!

If we visited five restaurants a day, El and I wouldn't be able to handle it.

I want to try to make it so that we only visit one restaurant a day for the review.

"Unfortunately, we don't have time. We've already spent a lot of time on preliminary research for the restaurants in the capital. This kind of book needs to be published annually to be meaningful, so please bear with it. Besides..."

"Besides?"

"Isn't it wonderful if there's a delicious dish that makes you want to eat more even when you're full?"

Abel didn't understand our suffering at all.

I thought being a gourmet reporter was great because you could eat a lot of free, delicious food, but it turned out to be not as easy as I