Raon headed to the dining hall of the Lord's Manor with Wrath. Though there were some suspicious aspects about the guy, his intentions were so obvious that it didn't seem bad to indulge him this time.
-Ohhh!
Wrath let out an excited exclamation as soon as he entered the dining hall of the Lord's Manor.
-The Lord's Manor truly is wonderful! There's never a food they don't have!
The guy drooled as he looked at the various foods displayed on enormous silver platters.
'It's not usually this extensive.'
Raon shook his head as he took out an empty plate to serve himself some food.
'Grandfather specifically arranged this so we could eat well considering how difficult the training is.'
The quality of food at the Lord's Manor's dining hall was already considered the best in Zieghart, but this buffet was a special benefit Glenn had ordered specifically for the swordsmen undergoing rigorous training.
-Whatever the reason, isn't it wonderful!
Wrath didn't care about the circumstances; his heart was already stolen by the food spread out before his eyes.
-Hehehehe!
His eyes darted across the dishes as rapidly as when he'd encountered Lust.
'So...'
Raon sighed as he held the empty plate against his waist.
'What should I get?'
Not expecting much from Wrath, he just lightly jerked his chin.
-Now bring exactly what this king tells you to!
Wrath stretched out his chubby hand as if he'd made a decision.
-Get two slices of that white pizza on the right, and bring honey and sesame seeds from over there!
The guy was already smacking his lips in anticipation.
'Pizza, honey, and sesame seeds? Just that?'
Raon tilted his head as he stood in front of the pizza.
-First, I shall properly teach you what gastronomy truly is! (E/N: Gastronomy? From this pineapple pizza, mint chocolate demon king?)
Wrath snorted as if to say just do as he's told.
'Alright.'
Following Wrath's instructions, Raon grabbed two slices of the seemingly plain pizza and some honey, then sat down.
-First, try the pizza.
Wrath pointed at one of the pizza slices.
'Okay.'
Raon nodded and took a bite of the pizza.
-How does it taste?
Wrath asked, rolling his eyes slightly.
'It's pizza?'
Raon nodded, saying that since he ate pizza, it tastes like pizza.
-Sigh, this...
Wrath deeply furrowed his brow.
-Do you think this king doesn't know that! I'm telling you to describe the taste!
The guy gritted his teeth, insisting it was important and demanding a proper answer.
'It's not bad. The cheese is a bit salty with a slightly pungent odor, but the crust is crispy, and there aren't many toppings, so it has a nice, clean flavor.'
Raon calmly explained the pizza's taste to Wrath.
-You know well. That's the advantage of that cheese pizza.
Wrath rubbed his chin, indicating he did understand flavors after all.
-Now try dipping that pizza in the honey and sprinkling it with sesame seeds.
He swallowed repeatedly in excitement as he said this.
'Hmm...'
Raon narrowed his eyes as he picked up the pizza.
'What difference could this possibly make?'
-Just do as I say!
'Fine.'
Brushing off Wrath's shout, Raon dipped the end of the pizza in honey and put it in his mouth.
'As expected, nothing's different... huh?'
Raon's eyes widened as he slowly chewed the pizza.
'What, what is this? It's completely different from before!'
When he ate the pizza earlier, the saltiness and aroma of the cheese had felt like drawbacks, but with honey and sesame seeds penetrating it, it had become an entirely different dish.
'The saltiness is neutralized by the sweetness, and that pungent smell is gone. Plus, the sesame seeds add a nutty flavor.'
The sweetness of honey perfectly dissolved the saltiness and aroma of the cheese, and the sesame seeds added nuttiness. He almost laughed in disbelief that such a transformation could occur just by adding honey and sesame seeds.
'This is delicious?'
The first pizza wasn't bad, but this honey-dipped pizza could rightfully be called gourmet cuisine.
-That's right! Seems your tongue isn't completely broken after all!
Wrath nodded vigorously, as if they were finally on the same page.
-Next, get that fried fish over there!
The guy pointed to some boneless fried fish, already thinking of the next dish.
'Fish is good. It's rich in protein, reduces inflammation in the body, and digests well so I can wield a sword right after eating.'
Raon nodded in approval, saying it was a good choice.
-That's not the point!
Wrath shook his head vigorously.
-As I just said, we're not thinking about whether it's good for training or whatever, just focus on the taste!
The guy gritted his teeth, begging Raon to get swords out of his head.
'Hmm, alright.'
Raon nodded slowly. Thanks to Wrath, he'd tasted a new kind of pizza, so he decided to keep following along for now.
-Next, from the dessert section, bring a lemon and that basil with tightly packed leaves.
'This is strange again.'
With a slight smile, Raon brought the foods Wrath mentioned and sat back at the table.
-Try the fried fish on its own first.
Wrath gestured with his hand, telling Raon to try the fried fish plain first, just like with the pizza.
'Okay.'
Raon nodded and popped a piece of fried fish into his mouth.
'It's exactly what I expected. Savory but greasy. Makes it difficult to eat a lot.'
-That's right. You're correct.
Wrath softened his expression, saying he felt the same way.
-Now squeeze lemon juice over it and add some basil.
'Rather than doing that, I should just eat quickly and leave...'
-Just do it!
'Alright...'
Raon slightly lowered his shoulders and followed Wrath's instructions, adding lemon juice and basil to the fried fish before eating it.
'Huh? This is different too?'
The savoriness of the fried fish remained, while the tartness of the lemon juice and the fragrance of the basil completely eliminated the greasiness. It was now filled with a clean, nutty flavor that made him feel he could keep eating until he was full.
'Delicious. Definitely improved!'
With wide eyes, Raon ate the remaining fried fish.
-Whehehehe!
Wrath grinned widely, delighted both by the food and by having his recipes acknowledged. It was a childlike laugh.
'Did you develop all of these?'
Raon let out a small laugh as he looked at Wrath.
-Gorgonzola pizza with honey is traditionally eaten that way, but adding sesame seeds was this king's innovation. Similarly, eating fried fish with lemon juice is common, but adding basil was my idea.
Wrath proudly stated that he had added his own special touch to existing methods.
'Wow, I didn't know about pizza with honey or fried fish with lemon juice either.'
Raon chuckled. The food at the annex building was decent no matter what, so he'd just eat whatever was given to him before immediately going out to train. Because of that, he had never considered that such a world existed.
-That's why you're a fool.
Wrath sighed, saying Raon must have suffered because of this ignorance.
-So what do you think? Isn't it fun?
The guy snorted as if to say this kind of life wasn't bad either.
'Yeah...'
Raon formed a thin smile as he looked at the foods that had created such big differences with small changes.
'It is fun.'
-Then what are you waiting for!
Wrath shouted, raising his hand.
-Let's move on to the next one! This time, bring lamb and mint!
*** (E/N: Considering how often Wrath brought Raon out to eat delicious things, I find this whole scene a bit hard to understand)
"Am, am I dreaming right now?"
Krein rubbed his eyes as he watched Raon putting food on his plate.
"That man is staying in the dining hall this long?"
He let out a disbelieving laugh.
"I'm thinking the same thing."
Burren deeply furrowed his brows.
"Raon—no, the Palace Master staying in the dining hall for more than five minutes is something I haven't seen in a long time."
He swallowed dryly as he recalled how Raon would normally stuff all his food into his mouth within five minutes and then leave.
"Is he really going crazy?"
Martha lowered her head slightly, looking suspicious.
"He was trying to sleep next to Runaan earlier, and now look at him—he's not just eating food normally, he's eating weird combinations."
She bit her lip, saying Raon wasn't acting like himself.
"Raon is still Raon... It's just..."
Runaan tilted her head while holding a fork.
"He seems to be becoming more approachable..."
She nodded, saying that when Raon had slept next to her, she felt something different about him.
"Approachable, huh..."
Martha frowned, indicating she wasn't convinced yet.
"We should trust him for now. I'm sure he has his reasons."
Burren nodded, saying they should wait and see even though it was strange.
"Hmmmm!"
Dorian had already brought various foods on his plate and sat at the table.
"What's this? The combination is unusual?"
Krein narrowed his eyes as he looked at the food, which was a bit different from Dorian's usual preferences.
"I brought what Raon was eating."
Dorian said he wanted to try eating like Raon, dipping the pizza in honey and sesame seeds before putting it in his mouth.
"Woooow!"
His eyes bulged as soon as he chewed the pizza, as if he'd discovered a new world.
"This is delicious! The pungent cheese flavor is gone, and it's sweet and nutty!"
Dorian swallowed the remaining pizza in one bite, claiming it was really delicious, then began eating the fried fish with lemon juice.
"This is amazing too! The savoriness is dancing in my mouth like a sword dance!"
He trembled with excitement, saying every one of Raon's choices was delicious.
"I, I want to try it too!"
"Is, is it that good?"
"I need to try it too."
"Hmm..."
Krein couldn't resist and took out a new plate, Burren looked around hesitantly, while Martha and Runaan had already stood up and were serving themselves pizza.
"That guy..."
Burren slightly furrowed his brow as he watched Raon continuously bringing food and trying new combinations.
"He's not suddenly planning to become a chef, is he? Please, no..."
***
After learning about the world of gastronomy from Wrath, Raon went to find Dorian.
"What? You want to learn my supply methods?"
Dorian's mouth gaped open as if he couldn't believe it.
"Yes. I want to learn how you select and store supplies." (E/N: Sleep, Eating and Supply? Well, at least Supply is not something he has been constantly doing the last 15 years)
Raon nodded, saying that was why he had come.
"It's, it's not difficult! As expected, you truly appreciate my supply work!"
Dorian nodded, saying it was worth risking his life to follow Raon.
"Then let's start right away! Please follow me!"
He headed into the forest, saying he was just about to add some supplies.
"Today I'm planning to add some good wood and stones. We gave away all sorts of wood and stones at the Suphren Holy Kingdom before."
Dorian nodded, asking Raon to watch carefully.
"You should gather stones and wood like these."
He smiled as he put stones and wood fallen around North Grave Mountain into his pouch.
"Like this?"
Raon picked up a stone about the size of a human face from beneath his feet and brought it to Dorian.
"This is useless!"
Dorian shouted with deeply furrowed brows, as if he had never been smiling.
"Huh...?"
Raon's eyes widened as he looked at Dorian.
"Not like that! This is completely different!"
Dorian pulled out an almost identical stone to his own and muttered that it was different.
"This is unusable! Try again!"
He shook his head with the eyes of a veteran commander who had spent decades on the battlefield.
"Then how about this..."
Raon brought him a piece of wood from the same type of tree that Dorian had collected.
"This is different too! It's curved and can't be used anywhere! Don't you have any eye for detail, Raon?"
He shot a fierce glare and irritation, saying this wouldn't work either. While he might be different at other times, when it came to supplies, he was frighteningly serious.
"Ah..."
Though Raon thought he might have come for nothing, he continued to follow Dorian and help with supplies until the end to understand what Dorian found interesting about supply work.
"Now you're starting to understand. Not all supplies are the same. Even if it's the same type of wood, its use differs depending on how it's bent, which direction it breaks, and its thickness."
Dorian nodded, saying he now acknowledged Raon a little. The next day during break time, Raon sought out Burren.
"What? You want to learn about my fashion?"
Burren's eyes widened in surprise, but he couldn't hide the smile forming at the corners of his mouth.
"So you've finally noticed my fashion sense!"
"In the Light Wind Palace, you pay the most attention to clothes."
Befitting his Direct Lineage birth, Burren had worn expensive clothes since childhood and considered fashion and color combinations even in training uniforms. It seemed there was something to learn from him in this area as well.
"Great! I'll teach you as kindly as I can!"
He smiled and gestured to himself as if to say, leave it to him.
But Burren's determination didn't last even ten minutes.
"No, what were you thinking with green pants and a red shirt!"
Burren shouted in outrage, wondering how Raon could choose such a combination no matter what.
"...I'll try again."
Raon swallowed dryly, changed his clothes, and came back out.
"This, this time sky-blue pants with a yellow shirt? Ah..."
Burren squeezed his eyes shut as if he couldn't bear to look.
"Get out! You're beyond teaching!"
He waved his hand, saying this was the first time he'd encountered such a stinking sense of style.
"Just, just give me one more chance."
Raon clasped his hands together and bowed his head.
"Now you're dressing somewhat like a human. Yes. If you're unsure, at least wear solid colors like a white top with black pants. Stay away from difficult colors like yellow or red!"
Fortunately, thanks to Burren's much-softened personality over time, Raon avoided being kicked out and was able to learn at least a little about fashion. After gaining some confidence thanks to Dorian and Burren, Raon went to find Runaan again. But this time too, he couldn't keep up with her.
"Raon. You're terrible at this."
Runaan shook her head as if teaching him was useless.
"Ah..."
Raon clutched his head.
'This really isn't working.'
He'd learned how Dorian selected supplies and why, and understood Burren's method of choosing clothes, but taking naps as easily as Runaan still seemed nearly impossible.
"Hmm, but your face has relaxed a bit..."
Runaan looked at him intently before stepping closer.
"Raon. Try tensing your entire body."
"That's not difficult."
Raon nodded and filled his entire body with tension and strength.
"Now release it all."
"Okay."
Following Runaan's words, he released all the tension he had built up throughout his body.
"Try to sleep after repeating that ten times."
"Got it."
Raon followed the instructions of Runaan, the goddess of sleep, tensing and relaxing his body ten times.
'Hmm, this is making me feel drowsy?'
After repeatedly tensing his entire body until his bones and muscles creaked, then releasing, the tension naturally drained away and his body began to feel languid.
'My eyes are closing naturally...'
Unlike usual when he had to force his eyes closed to sleep, his eyelids now grew heavy naturally.
'Haah...'
Embracing that feeling, Raon sat on the ground and leaned his back against the wall. The wall and ground warmed by the gentle sunlight amplified his drowsiness. He slowly exhaled while breathing in the warm air.
"Hup!"
Raon's head tilted backward, then he unconsciously bent his waist forward.
"Ah, what a waste. I could have slept!"
He felt deeply disappointed that his focus had broken at the last moment when he could have fallen asleep just now.
"I'll try again."
"No..."
Runaan slowly shook her head as she looked at Raon.
"You did sleep. Less than five minutes, but still."
She gave a faint smile as if Raon had finally succeeded.
"I slept? Ah, now that you mention it..."
It was very subtle, but through his transcendent mental image, he could sense that a short time had passed.
"This is fun. I want to sleep more."
A smile formed on his lips at the desire to sleep, however briefly, in this state of drowsiness and languor.
'For Dorian it's supplies, for Burren it's fashion, for Runaan it's sleep. Finding what you want and fulfilling that desire.'
Raon formed a gentle smile as he felt, however faintly, something about what it means to be human.
'That might be what being human is about.'
Just as he had unknowingly fallen asleep moments ago, he was now slowly stepping toward a higher realm.
'Not revenge against Derus, but what is my true desire?'