The morning air around Crescent Moon Inn buzzed with energy.
By sunrise, a small crowd had already gathered outside. Word had spread like wildfire through the village — the inn was serving something new today: Spirit-infused dishes.
Adventurers, farmers, merchants — everyone wanted a taste.
Inside, Ethan stood behind the counter with his arms crossed, grinning like a man about to start a battle.
"Alright, team," he said. "This is it. Our first Spirit Menu. We keep it clean, fast, and full of flavor."
Luna gulped. "Chef, there are… fifty people outside."
Maris adjusted her sleeves calmly. "Fifty hungry people."
Ethan cracked his knuckles. "Then we'll feed all fifty."
---
The door burst open, and the first customers poured in, filling every table. The air turned thick with chatter.
Ethan rang the small bell on the counter. "Let's move! Luna, prep station! Maris, plating and coordination!"
"Yes, Chef!"
Orders started coming in — too many at once.
"Three Fire Fried Rice!"
"One Frost Herb Soup!"
"Two Infernal Omelets!"
"Add a Spiced Beef Skillet!"
Ethan moved like lightning. Knives flashed, pans hissed, and the Infernal Stove's blue flame roared to life.
He tossed vegetables into the wok, and the scent hit instantly — a mix of garlic, herbs, and spirit essence. Every motion was sharp, deliberate. The flames followed his rhythm like a living creature.
Luna ran between stations, nearly tripping over herself. "Chef! We're out of prepped onions!"
"Then slice them fresh!" Ethan called without looking.
"But they sting my eyes!"
"That's the smell of commitment!"
She groaned, grabbing a knife.
Maris, calm amid chaos, plated dishes with surgical precision. "Ethan, the omelets are browning too fast. The Spirit Heat's fluctuating!"
"Adjust the mana valve to sixty percent!" he shouted.
"On it!"
Steam filled the room. Plates clattered. The kitchen was alive — like an orchestra of heat, metal, and energy.
Outside, the aroma spread through the inn like magic. Customers leaned forward eagerly as the first dishes arrived.
A merchant took one bite of Fire Fried Rice — his eyes widened. "It's… it's like the warmth of sunlight!"
Another adventurer tried the Frost Herb Soup and let out a blissful sigh. "Cold and refreshing, but somehow comforting."
Word spread from table to table. The crowd got louder. More orders came in.
"Chef! Ten new tickets!" Luna cried.
Ethan grinned. "Good! Let's burn brighter!"
---
The Infernal Stove's blue flame flared, glowing hotter. Ethan felt it pulse with his heartbeat, like the fire itself was sharing his excitement.
But then, the flame flickered strangely — heat spiked suddenly.
"Wait," he muttered. "No… not now."
A red warning flickered in front of him.
[System Notice: Mana Overload Detected.]
[Infernal Stove Output Exceeding Safe Limit.]
[Warning: Essence Instability — Possible Explosion.]
Ethan cursed under his breath. "Not today."
Maris noticed the glow. "Chef! The stove—"
"I got it. Keep cooking!"
He pressed his hand against the metal. The heat was insane, but he didn't pull back. He could feel the Essence buckling, struggling under the strain.
"Hey," he whispered to the flame. "You're not my enemy. You're my partner. Let's cook together, not fight."
For a moment, the flame hesitated… then settled, steadying back to its calm blue.
The red alert vanished.
[Stability Restored.]
[Flame Sync: +10%.]
Ethan exhaled. "That's more like it."
"Chef!" Luna called from behind him. "We're ready on the rice!"
"Good! Maris, plate those with Ember Sauce!"
"Already done!"
They moved in perfect sync now — Luna stirring, Maris plating, Ethan leading the charge. The air shimmered with mana and heat, like a living storm of flavor.
---
Hours passed in a blur.
When the last plate finally left the counter, Ethan leaned against the wall, covered in sweat, hair sticking to his forehead. Luna collapsed onto a chair, her apron splattered with sauce.
Maris, still composed but visibly exhausted, wiped her hands on a towel. "That was… intense."
Ethan laughed breathlessly. "You did good. Both of you."
Luna looked up. "We actually did it?"
He nodded. "We fed the whole crowd. Not a single complaint."
Outside, applause erupted — real, loud applause.
Customers were standing, cheering, some even chanting: "Crescent Moon Inn! Crescent Moon Inn!"
Luna's face lit up. "They're cheering for us!"
Ethan smiled. "No. They're cheering for the food."
Maris gave him a sideways glance. "You're too humble."
"Maybe," he said, looking at the blue flame, now calm and warm. "But this—this is what cooking is about. Feeding people until they can't help but smile."
---
The door opened, and a man in a long red coat stepped in. He carried a polished chef's knife at his belt and wore a smirk that didn't reach his eyes.
"Well, well," he said, looking around the busy inn. "So this is the place everyone's been talking about."
Ethan straightened, his instincts immediately on guard. "Can I help you?"
The man's smirk widened. "Name's Gareth. Executive Chef of the Silver Spoon Guild. Heard rumors some back-alley cook was drawing my customers."
Maris froze. "Gareth… He's one of the top Guild chefs in the region."
Luna whispered, "Uh oh."
Gareth looked around the kitchen, unimpressed. "Cute little setup you've got here. But you're playing in the big leagues now, boy. If you think you can compete with the Guild… you'd better be ready to prove it."
Ethan wiped his hands on a towel and met the man's gaze. "If it's flavor you want, I'm always ready."
Gareth grinned. "Then consider this an official challenge. Three days from now — Silver Spoon Arena. A public cook-off."
The crowd outside, hearing his words, gasped.
A Guild chef versus the newcomer from Crescent Moon Inn.
Gareth turned to leave, tossing a silver token onto the counter. "Try not to burn your food before then."
As the door closed, silence filled the inn.
Luna looked at Ethan. "Chef… you're really going to face him?"
Ethan smiled faintly, eyes gleaming with quiet fire. "Of course. Can't call myself a chef if I turn down a cook-off."
Maris folded her arms, trying not to smile. "Then I suppose we'd better start practicing."
He looked at his team, his stove, his kitchen — his battlefield.
"Yeah," he said. "Let's show them what real cooking tastes like."
The blue flame roared in agreement.
To be continued...