"Is it really that strange?"
"That's because Xiangling is the head chef—and next heir—of Wanmin Restaurant, the biggest eatery in all of Liyue."
"She's widely recognized as the best chef in Liyue."
Just as Lumine and Paimon were still lost, a voice suddenly sounded behind them.
Paimon yelped in fright and dove straight into Lumine's arms, then cautiously poked her head out to look back.
Lumine, on the other hand, had already sensed the newcomer. She didn't know exactly who it was at first,
but the familiar aura, completely devoid of hostility, kept her from bothering to raise her guard.
Now that the familiar voice rang out, Lumine instantly knew who it was.
"Hey! Rowan, what are you doing?"
"Why aren't you staying quietly in the palace? What are you doing jumping out to scare us like that?"
Only then did Paimon fly out of Lumine's embrace, puffing her cheeks out and planting her fists on her hips as she glared at Rowan.
Yes—the newcomer was none other than Rowan, who had just left the royal palace.
He'd originally come to check on Springvale's meat situation.
If things were really that bad, he planned to take care of it during his upcoming trip to the Rite of Descension—
by asking Ningguang to send people to purchase Springvale's pork in bulk.
If that worked out, then forget having surplus.
Springvale's pork might end up in such demand that they wouldn't even have enough left for themselves.
After all, Liyue wasn't just the financial and economic center of Teyvat,
it was also the nation with the most import and export trade, the largest trading port on the whole continent.
Once something entered Liyue's circulation network, it would be shipped all over the world in no time.
Springvale might have a lot of forest boars right now,
but compared to the total demand of the Seven Nations, it was still a drop in the ocean.
However, the moment he arrived, Rowan happened to run into Xiangling.
With her here, he stopped worrying altogether.
With Xiangling around, what was there to be afraid of?
"So that's how it is."
"That's right—His Majesty is absolutely right," Duraf said, nodding.
Then he turned to Xiangling and explained,
"Springvale has always been known for its high-quality meat, but that reputation shouldn't be limited to Mondstadt alone."
"On top of that, our current stock has piled up a bit too much, so we were hoping you could help promote it."
"We never expected you to show up in person."
Xiangling nodded, understanding the situation now.
In short, Springvale currently had too many forest boars and wanted to sell off a portion of them.
More importantly, they hoped to raise the profile of Springvale's meat.
That way, even if Wanmin Restaurant didn't end up purchasing their pork in the long run,
other buyers would come on their own, and they wouldn't have to deal with the current dilemma of having product they simply couldn't sell.
In the end, however, Xiangling refused Duraf's request,
saying she didn't want her cooking to be limited or defined by any particular ingredient supplier.
Rowan thought it over. He couldn't just watch this business opportunity slip through their fingers.
After a moment's thought, he reached into the King's Treasury and pulled out a slab of meat radiating an immense aura.
"Xiangling, don't be so quick to turn him down."
"I've got a piece of dragon meat here. Interested?"
"As long as you're willing to advertise Springvale's pork for them, I'll give this dragon meat to you."
He'd acquired this piece by chance—it seemed to be wyvern meat from FGO.
In any case, it definitely counted as a type of dragon meat. The aura clinging to it was unmistakably draconic.
And why had Xiangling come all the way to Mondstadt in the first place?
Naturally, she was chasing after dragon meat.
But after searching for so long, she hadn't found a single dragon.
In the end, she'd drifted to Springvale and been distracted by the forest boars.
"Seriously?"
The moment Xiangling saw the dragon meat in Rowan's hand, her eyes lit up, sparkling as drool practically formed at the corner of her lips.
"Of course it's real. If you're willing, this entire piece is yours."
It might not be from Dvalin himself, but dragon meat was dragon meat.
Hopefully, this would be enough to satisfy this little glutton.
Otherwise, who knew what kind of crazy things she'd try next?
"Well… I suppose I could think about it," Xiangling said, trying to sound reserved.
"But I'd like to cook the dragon meat first, and then we can talk. How about that?"
"If it really comes down to it, I can just pay you in mora!"
She wiped away the drool at the corner of her mouth and returned to her usual, serious expression.
"Of course. If you want to handle the dragon meat properly, you can come with me."
"Our village has its own culinary master—a butcher who's pretty famous around these parts for meat."
The moment Duraf realized there was still room to maneuver, he could no longer sit still.
Without another word, he turned around and took the lead.
Before long, everyone arrived with him outside a house overflowing with rich, savory aromas.
A big pot was set up outside, and the mouth-watering smell was wafting straight out of it.
Just from the thickness of the aroma alone, that so-called meat master clearly lived up to their reputation.
At least, Xiangling had to admit that the person's skill with meat was impressive.
"Brook, come on out!"
"We've got guests!"
Duraf stepped inside and shouted.
A moment later, a plump, middle-aged woman came out, stretching lazily as she eyed the group with clear annoyance.
"Duraf, what are you doing?"
"I've already closed up for the day. You know the rules. Why are you bringing a crowd over now?"
Duraf hurried forward to explain.
"Here's the thing—this is Master Chef Xiangling from Wanmin Restaurant."
"She wants to borrow your place to cook."
"Could you maybe help her set up a pot?"
Then he leaned in close and whispered in Brook's ear,
"You should challenge her to a cook-off. She turned down our request to help promote Springvale's meat."
"So… you know…"
As a Springvale local, Brook understood very well how important their meat was to the village's survival.
Rowan's new roads had indeed allowed Springvale's meat to reach beyond Mondstadt's borders,
but their fame was still limited. Not many people came specifically to Springvale to place orders and buy their meat.
Duraf had practically worn himself out worrying over this problem.
Now that they had run into Xiangling, he wanted—more than anything—for her to lend them a hand.
At this point, all he could do was hope Brook could change Xiangling's mind.
Brook's eyes flashed in understanding, and she turned to Xiangling.
"So you're Master Chef Xiangling of Wanmin Restaurant."
"I'm Brook—probably the closest thing Springvale has to a famous meat specialist."
"If you want to use my kitchen, fine—but only if you compete with me first."
"If I win, you'll help us promote Springvale's pork."
"If I lose, I'll not only provide all the tools you need, I'll even be your assistant and help you process that dragon meat. How does that sound?"
Xiangling thought it over for a while, then nodded in agreement.
"Alright. It's a deal!"
"It's a deal!" Brook echoed.
(End of Chapter)
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