Collecting ingredients and cooking a dish were only part of the challenge. The most difficult part of the contest was delivering the finished dish to the judges waiting at the plaza.
If another team ambushed them along the way interfering or outright stealing their completed dish all their efforts would be wasted.
It was, by far, the most perilous part of the competition.
On the way back, Ethan Chen and Tifa were confronted by a large group of furious chefs.
"You bastard!"
The leader, a burly, thickly-haired man who looked more like a pirate than a chef, glared at Ethan with a face full of rage.
"You used an ability user to disrupt the competition! Where's your chef's honor?"
"You actually made it out?" Ethan stepped protectively in front of Tifa, who was carrying their stew. "I thought Mona's trap would keep you tied up a bit longer."
Using elemental powers took both focus and stamina. Even with Mona's boosted affinity in this world, her star-based skill, Destined Orbit, could only restrain so many chefs for so long before exhausting her strength.
"Hand over the dish if you know what's good for you," barked another man, this one wearing sunglasses and sporting an equally piratical air. "Let's all start fresh. If you give it up, we might let you walk away. If not, we'll beat you black and blue and toss you into the sea!"
Ethan glanced from the two thugs to the man standing behind them arms folded, face grim Red-Leg Zeff. Judging by his expression, the Baratie's team hadn't fared well either. They'd likely been caught in Mona's trap until just now.
But Ethan showed no fear. Instead, he smirked and gestured tauntingly. "Come on then. But if I were you, I'd stop wasting time and get back to gathering ingredients. Break your legs, and you won't be able to finish the round anyway. Ah sorry, old man. Forgot about your leg."
"No worries," Zeff stepped forward, still visibly annoyed, but composed. "We're wasting time here. Let's go. No need for unnecessary fights."
"Ugh..." The two goons didn't look pleased, but with their leader giving the order, they had no choice but to back off and search elsewhere.
Other chefs followed suit. Though frustrated, they didn't dare escalate things not with time ticking away and their dish still unprepared.
Besides, after seeing that young girl who'd immobilized half the plaza and the swordswoman guarding her, it was clear that Ethan's team was no easy target.
Better to avoid direct conflict and beat them with culinary skill instead.
Time was running short.
Ethan and Tifa exchanged a glance and continued toward the plaza with their dish.
They'd barely taken a few steps when another wave of attackers charged at them this time brandishing baseball bats, clearly aiming for Tifa's dish.
"Leave it to me!"
Ethan sprang forward and met the first attacker head-on. As the bat swung down, he ducked low and slammed a punch into the man's gut, hard enough to make him retch up last night's dinner.
Without missing a beat, Ethan snatched the bat from the man's hands and hurled it at the second assailant. Before checking the result, he lunged at the third, grabbed his face, and slammed it into the cobblestones.
In the blink of an eye, all three were down.
Wait-three?
"Tifa, watch out!"
"Got it!" Tifa's eyes sharpened. She spun gracefully, landing a high kick squarely on the face of a fourth attacker trying to sneak up from behind, twisting his face with the force of impact.
Ever since the incident in the alley where she'd been knocked unconscious, Tifa had remained on high alert against ambushes.
With those attackers handled, the rest of their journey was uneventful. They regrouped with 2B and Mona at the plaza and delivered the stew to the judging table.
There were five judges. In addition to the ever-plump mayor of Antia, there was a rotund elderly man with a discerning eye, a kindly-looking grandmother, and a young man and woman seated at either end.
"Good afternoon, esteemed judges," Tifa said politely, placing the stew on the table. She ladled a half-bowl into each of their empty dishes. "This is a creamy beef stew tender, rich, and hearty. I hope you enjoy it."
"This looks fantastic," said the mayor, lifting the bowl and downing it in a single gulp. "Delicious! Give me another full bowl!"
"Of course." Tifa beamed and served him a second helping.
The other judges sipped their portions more slowly, savoring the flavor with thoughtful expressions.
"Excellent," said the portly old man. "The beef is stewed to perfect tenderness, and the broth is thick and flavorful. The pepper adds just the right kick. This is a wonderfully warming dish perfect for sailors who spend long months at sea surviving on seafood."
"However, since this is a stew, it's typically paired with rice or bread. That's a critical component missing here, so I'll have to deduct points. I give it an 8.5."
"This is a standalone dish, not a rice bowl," countered the grandmother gently. "It doesn't need to be paired with a staple. This is the best stew I've ever tasted. I'm giving it a full 10."
The young man and woman each gave a 9, also citing the lack of a main accompaniment.
As for the mayor, who'd polished off the entire pot, he happily awarded another perfect 10.
Altogether, their team received a total score of 46.5 a very strong result.
They remained in the top ten as the other teams trickled in, presenting their dishes and receiving their scores, which varied widely.
When the round ended after ninety minutes, teams that failed to deliver a dish in time were disqualified first, followed by those who ranked outside the top twenty.
The rest advanced to the second round in the afternoon.
...
"Cheers!" Ethan raised his glass. "To making it to Round Two!"
"Cheers!" the others echoed.
Glasses clinked as they celebrated their victory over fruit juice.
After a few sips, Mona frowned slightly. "We got through the first round mostly by stalling the competition. What about this afternoon? Even if the rules stay the same, we can't pull that trick again."
"Why worry now?" Ethan passed her a perfectly grilled short rib. "Let's deal with the afternoon when it comes. I believe everything will work itself out."
"You're really the optimistic type."
"What else can you do?" he laughed, placing a rib onto Tifa's plate. "Thanks for your hard work this morning. If it weren't for you, we couldn't have pulled off such a delicious dish. You were right on time."
"It's nothing," Tifa said modestly. "We're all crewmates. Helping each other is only natural."
Ethan turned to 2B, offering her a juicy rib and refilling her glass. "Let's all give it our best this afternoon too. We're in this to win the championship."
"Let's do it," Tifa said with a determined fist pump. "We're going to win this thing."
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