kscans

Chapter 473 - We Are Now Taking Reservations

We refrain from hunting, simply hunkering down in the base until the sun sets.

To put it that way, it certainly sounds like an unbecoming move for an 'event,' but in reality, survival (camping) is fun just by lazing around in nature.

Aside from the morning raid, no particular irregularities occurred. As we spent our time interacting with our comrades as we pleased, the final night arrived in the blink of an eye.

Even if it's fifty percent longer than in the real world, a day is still short.

The three-night, four-day long event, which initially seemed infinite, now has only about six hours left. With the finale just around the corner, what we (the players) should do is, of course—

"To think this is the last time we'll eat this... that might actually be the saddest part."

"You're dramatic to the very end."

"Oh, listen to you. You went to all the trouble of preparing this mountain of food, so you can't be all that displeased by the praise, can you? Hehehe."

"Shut up. I just used up all the remaining ingredients."

—what else but a grand feast that also serves as an early 'job well done' party.

We've gotten rid of the tables and chairs, returning to the floor-sitting style of the very beginning. However, the distance at which the group members are sitting from each other seems to have shrunk considerably.

Is he just embarrassed, as Nonomi-san's teasing words suggest, or is he, as he himself says, just seeing his 'job' through to the end? Thanks to Tetsu-san's wholehearted release of his inventory, a ridiculous variety and quantity of dishes cover the floor, leaving no shortage of fuel for the merriment.

My partner over here, munching away on a lamb dish, is also quite pleased. Ever since she collected a [Stardust Relic] from a 'sheep,' that's all she's been eating. Is it her favorite food or something?

I wonder if she'd be happy if I made her some roasted lamb chops in the real world.

"But well, the status of the 'Chef' class will probably skyrocket after this event. Maybe a cooking boom is about to hit Arcadia?"

"That seems likely... I mean, if this Starry Paradise becomes a permanent feature, we'd need them to come, wouldn't we? The population would have to increase."

I hear that the population of production-type players in Arcadia is quite large, but chefs, in particular, are not exactly unpopular... but their numbers are significantly lower compared to other pure magic craft production builds.

The reason is simple—there was no demand.

I myself haven't really eaten here since trying things like fried snake in the beginning. One reason is that Arcadia's 'food' doesn't have the buff effects common in games.

And another point is that I couldn't quite accept the incongruity of 'food that doesn't fill you up,' and while I didn't go as far as to avoid it, I found myself not actively reaching for it.

With drinks, I can mentally process them as a gum-like indulgence by focusing simply on enjoying the taste. But with food, the act of chewing and being conscious of the texture makes me strongly aware that I'm 'eating,' and the emptiness after swallowing is just too much.

However, under the special conditions of this event, that sense of incongruity was completely swept away. And with that incongruity removed, the 'food' of the virtual world has, one might say, been sublimated into the ultimate luxury item: 'fantasy cuisine that you can't taste in reality.'

"I wonder. In the end, once the event is over, the mechanics will go back to normal. And even if it becomes a permanent feature as you speculate... I don't know what the pace will be, but at best it'll probably be monthly."

Would the number of chefs really increase just for such a limited field of activity? Tetsu-san himself tilts his head, but the 'rebuttal' is immediate.

"No, no, it'll definitely increase. In fact, regardless of the event period, the demand for Arcadia's 'cooking' is going to explode. I'm one hundred percent sure of it."

With a color of conviction that matched her words, the current third-ranked artisan declared it an absolute.

"In the first place, the food in this world, in terms of taste alone, easily surpasses reality. Oh, of course, it depends on the skill of the chef, you know?"

Her orange eyes turn to me as if seeking agreement, and on that point, I have no choice but to nod. The very existence of 'cooking methods that are absolutely impossible to replicate in reality' due to magical, mysterious principles means that the sheer number of options is insurmountable, so the outcome is already decided.

"The reason why food here was avoided by many people despite that was because the unrealistic feeling of not getting full was too strong—and that canceled out the feeling of it being delicious."

"Well, the sense of satisfaction after a meal is important."

"Exactly. It's one thing if it's just a piece of candy, but eating a huge steak and still being hungry is beyond just feeling off. It's so unrealistic that no matter how much you please your tongue, the final impression ends up being 'cheap.'"

If you don't get full, you can eat delicious things forever, isn't something I didn't think in the beginning. But the reality is that I have, in fact, avoided virtual world food until now. That's the conclusion.

People are complicated. It's a matter of personal preference, and of course, there were players who didn't mind the incongruity and were accustomed to virtual food... but well, the small number of chefs clearly indicates the ratio between the two.

"How-ev-er! The players in groups blessed with a chef this time have been able to fully enjoy 'deliciousness' without any of that incongruity."

As she says this—surely, she's not actually doing that.

As if to say, "Say ah," Nonomi-san holds a fork with a piece of roasted lamb in front of me and smiles mischievously.

"Do you think you can resist?"

"...It probably depends on the person, but yeah, I don't think I could..."

It's not just limited to humans, but living creatures remember 'taste.'

If it's negative, they'll avoid it, thinking, "Never again." If it's positive, they'll want more and more, endlessly.

I see. Now that they've experienced such a supreme positive...

"Is that sense of incongruity now just a trivial thing... for me, too?"

"Probably. We'll find out the answer after the event ends. Here you go, Nia-chan, say ah."

Her serious mode must be over, as her expression breaks into a wide grin and she slides the fork from in front of me. Nia, who had been silently glaring at her for the provocative action, bites down on the offered favorite food rather roughly.

How heartwarming.

"...Well, whatever. In any case, I'll be operating as usual after the event, so if you want to eat something, you can bring your partner along and come to my place."

"Oh, really? You have a shop?"

"Yeah, in a corner of the Safe Area. It's small, though."

It should have been an extremely positive topic for a chef... but the expression on Tetsu-san's face is still calm, or rather, lacking in spirit.

However, as for his next words—

"When you do, I'll serve you something truly delicious—not just some makeshift stuff from a survival environment. But you'll have to put up with that trivial little incongruity."

"Haha, I'll definitely be there. I'll look forward to it."

I can see through to the not-so-displeased feelings underneath. So I offer a genuine smile, and he, in turn, returns a faint one.