As I returned to my cooking station to wash the pots and pack up my things, the next contestant stepped forward—is the red-haired guy with glasses who looked like he wanted to kill someone. He still hadn't submitted his drink.
The host asked him to introduce himself, and the man responded in a low, emotionless voice.
"Y-You… greetings. My name is Bu...Goo Xingyu. I'm from Malaysia."
"Huh!?"
I actually let out a pretty loud gasp of shock. Fortunately, nobody was near me, so hopefully no one heard it.
But I hadn't misheard, right?
Who exactly was this red-haired guy?
I decided to keep watching for now.
The host didn't respond immediately, probably because both the name and the country sounded completely foreign to him.
"...Ah, Mr. Bu Gooxingyu, you're a foreigner as well, aren't you? No need to be nervous. May I ask where Malaysia is located?"
The host finally recovered, though he butchered the name and mistook the man's cold demeanor for nervousness.
The red-haired man immediately corrected him in the same indifferent tone.
"It's Goo Xingyu. Malaysia is the name of the country."
"I see. My apologies for mispronouncing your name, Mr. Goo Xingyu. Please introduce your beverage."
"This is rose water. Rose petals are boiled in water for four hours, then rock sugar is added."
Rose water already existed in this world, didn't it?
And the preparation sounded ordinary enough. What made this one special?
"Rose water has existed for hundreds of years already. Or is this version somehow different from regular rose water? What do the judges think?"
"It's definitely different from ordinary rose water. It's refreshing and cooling—perfect for hot weather."
"It's sweeter than typical rose water, yet not overwhelmingly so. Very pleasant."
"The rose fragrance is exceptionally rich. It feels as though I've stepped into a rose garden. Though… there seems to be another flavor mixed in."
As usual, it was the viscount, then the duke, then the duchess.
Then came Queen Ainasse.
"It's apple. Why didn't you mention that you added apple?"
"Is apple-flavored rock sugar."
"Apple-flavored rock sugar!? Rock sugar can even have flavors added to it?"
"Yes."
The moment Queen Ainaser heard the phrase "apple-flavored rock sugar," she became visibly excited, as though it were an unprecedented discovery.
So rock sugar could have flavors added to it like potato chips?
That definitely wasn't part of my knowledge.
The queen immediately began firing off questions, clearly unable to hide her enthusiasm for food.
"Is the production process difficult? Is it mass-produced? Where exactly is Malaysia located?"
"The method is confidential. It is not mass-produced. My country does not welcome outsiders."
Goo Xingyu answered every question in the same cold, clipped manner, clearly unwilling to say a single unnecessary word.
"What!?"
"The method is confidential. It is not mass-produced. My country does not welcome outsiders."
Anyone could tell Queen Ainasse hadn't failed to hear him—her reaction was one of shock and irritation.
Yet Wu Xingyu repeated himself anyway.
Was he doing it on purpose?
Or did he genuinely think she hadn't heard him?
Still, his tone made one thing clear—he wasn't backing down.
Eventually, the queen gave up.
"...Very well. Lord Arakeya, do you have anything to say?"
"It's delicious. I like it very much. A shame I cannot obtain the rock sugar itself."
"My deepest apologies. I am merely a commoner and cannot violate my nation's regulations."
His attitude changed completely when speaking to the general.
There was actual respect in his tone now, and his wording became noticeably more careful. Even during the judges' introduction earlier, he had only applauded for the general.
"That's fine. You may leave."
"Understood."
Goo Xingyu returned to his station to clean up.
I had already finished packing and was simply waiting for him to leave.
I needed to talk to him.
At this point, I was certain he deeply hated humans as a race.
I had noticed him from the very beginning because the moment he entered the range of my Detection ability, I could sense hostility from him. That was why I'd kept an eye on him.
But we had never interacted before, and he hadn't even looked my way.
That meant his hostility wasn't directed at me specifically—it was directed at everyone.
And judging from how respectfully he treated the general while showing everyone else cold indifference, that only confirmed it.
But why did he hate humans so much?
What country was he really from?
No… that wasn't the important question.
What I needed to know was this:
Did a country called Malaysia actually exist in this world?
Later, at 3:49 PM, the red-haired guy with glasses finally finished packing up and headed toward the archway on the right. I quickly followed after him.
The moment we passed through the archway, I called out to him.
"Mr. Goo Xingyu."
I was pretty sure I said it loudly enough, yet he didn't turn around or respond. He simply kept walking, so I called again.
"Mr. Goo Xingyu."
Still no reaction.
It felt like I was calling someone else's name entirely. There wasn't even the slightest pause or flicker of recognition from him. It didn't feel like he was ignoring me—it felt more like that simply wasn't his name.
We turned right and entered the area beneath the spectator stands. He was probably heading up to the audience section. If we got into a crowded place, it would be harder to talk.
Even after two attempts, I still couldn't be completely sure, so this time I walked up behind him and tapped him on the shoulder.
"Wait, Mr. Goo Xingyu."
Only then did he react.
He turned around with a stern expression and asked coldly,
"Were you talking to me?"
"...Yeah. Aren't you Goo Xingyu?"
I was honestly speechless.
How could someone forget the fake name they had literally just used?
That's right—the red-haired guy had entered the competition under an alias. After all, registration only required writing down a name. The staff neither verified identities nor questioned anyone.
Meanwhile, I had been suspected simply because my name sounded feminine.
A few seconds later, the red-haired guy finally seemed to remember the alias he'd used.
"...Right. That's me. Hero Karen, what do you want?"
It was normal for him to know who I was. My identity had just been announced through a microphone to the entire arena.
Still, the way he addressed me was far from friendly.
Even so, I decided to stay polite.
"I wanted to ask where Malaysia is located."
The moment he heard that, his expression instantly turned hostile.
"Our country does not welcome outsiders."
If entry were possible, of course I'd want to go. But what mattered most was whether the country truly existed.
I hurriedly explained myself.
"I'm not trying to go there. I'm just interested in geography. I'd never heard of that country before, so I was curious where it was located."
"No comment."
The moment he said that, he immediately turned around and started walking away quickly, almost like he was trying to escape the subject.
So it really was fake.
But then how did he know that name and country?
There was no way this was just coincidence.
I had to confirm it somehow.
Maybe mentioning my family from my previous life would get a reaction.
"Wait. Do you have a younger sister? Her name is Goo Xingen."
The red-haired guy stopped dead in his tracks.
So he really did know something.
Then he slowly turned around and glared at me with a terrifying expression before marching straight toward me with intimidating force.
He pointed a finger directly at my face, close enough to almost touch my nose.
His eyes widened threateningly as he snarled,
"...I have nothing to say to you. Don't think that just because you're a hero, you can do whatever you want."
After saying that, he shoved me hard.
Fortunately, I instinctively stepped backward, so I didn't fall over.
Then he stormed off without another word.