The atmosphere in the banquet hall of Odelia Palace froze instantly—colder than Queen Eira's ice magic from the Northern Continent. Rian stood at the center of a tightening encirclement of the Emperor's elite knights, their golden armor gleaming under the chandeliers. Before him, Emperor Odelia VI stared with eyes no longer softened by soup-induced nostalgia, but sharpened by ruthless political calculation.
"Arrest him," the Emperor ordered coldly.
"Take him to the White Prison Tower. Use the highest-grade mana-suppressing chains."
Elena stood frozen. Her hand clenched the hilt of her holy sword so tightly her knuckles turned white. This was the moment she had feared most—the moment her duty as the Empire's Hero collided head-on with her conscience as a human being.
"Your Majesty!" Elena stepped forward, blocking the knights' advance. "Rian is not a criminal! He is the reason this empire wasn't destroyed by the explosion of seal energy! Imprisoning him is an insult to his service!"
"Silence, Elena!" the Emperor barked. "You are the Hero. Your duty is to protect humanity from any threat. And that man… he is no longer the cook you know. He is a ticking bomb holding the key to Astaroth's resurrection. Would you sacrifice millions of lives for a single chef?!"
Rian stared at Elena's back. For the first time, he saw the shoulders of the usually unwavering Holy Knight trembling.
He knew.
Elena was at her breaking point.
[Corruption Meter: 2.60%]
[Status: Suppressed Anger.]
[System Suggestion: Do not wait to be saved. Become your own savior.]
"Miss Elena," Rian called softly. "Step aside."
Elena turned, shocked. "Rian, what are you saying? I won't let them take you!"
Rian smiled faintly. It was different from his usual grin—there was a fleeting dark glint in his eyes that Seraphina alone managed to notice.
"I don't like staying at places with bad reviews, Miss. And this suit… it's way too tight. I need room to breathe."
Rian placed his hand on the Black Pan, still wrapped in velvet cloth.
Suddenly—
The cloth burned away in violet flames.
The pan vibrated violently, releasing a low hum that cracked the palace windows.
"Lila! Now!" Rian shouted.
Lila, who had been hiding under the banquet table while gnawing on a chicken leg, instantly pulled out her igniter.
"OKAY! PLOYECT 'FIREWORK ESCAPE FROM PALACE'—ACTIVATED!"
BOOOOM!
A multicolored explosion of smoke erupted in the center of the hall. It was blindingly thick—and reeked of gunpowder, sulfur, and extra-spicy chili sauce. The elite knights began coughing violently, clutching their eyes as Lila's signature "Lava Sauce" did its work.
"Damn it! What is this smoke?!"
"My eyes! It's like pepper spray!"
Amid the chaos, Rian grabbed Elena's and Seraphina's hands.
"Run! Through the kitchen route!"
"But Rian, if we run, we'll become fugitives of the entire empire!" Seraphina shouted, holding her breath to avoid the spicy smoke.
"Better fugitives than lab specimens in a prison tower, Princess!" Rian shot back.
They sprinted through the palace's magnificent corridors. Rian's Black Pan floated ahead of them, acting as a moving shield of destruction. Whenever a locked door or guard barricade appeared, the pan smashed through it effortlessly, empowered by the Void Devourer ability it had absorbed in Atlantis.
CRASH!
The palace kitchen gate shattered into pieces. They burst into the outer courtyard—only to be surrounded by hundreds of dragon archers.
"Stop right there!" shouted the Golden Knight General. "Loose arrows!"
A rain of arrows descended.
Elena reacted instantly. She drew her sword and unleashed a wave of holy light, obliterating the arrows midair. But she did not counterattack—she only defended.
"Miss, you need to fight back!" Rian shouted.
"I can't kill my own comrades!" Elena replied, anguish etched across her face.
Rian glanced at the main palace gate—it was closing fast. They wouldn't make it. He looked at his Black Pan.
"Buddy," he muttered. "I know you're hungry. Want to eat a gate?"
The pan trembled excitedly.
Rian channeled a small amount of energy from the Mark of the Ice Queen and the Mark of Ignis into it. Extreme heat and cold collided, creating wildly unstable pressure.
"Chef Technique: Explosive Pressure Cooker!"
Rian hurled the pan toward the massive gate. It expanded to the size of a carriage—
BOOOOOOM!
The supposedly indestructible marble gate was blown open, leaving a massive, gaping hole.
They leapt through and fled into the dark forest surrounding the capital.
Several hours later, they reached a hidden cliff overlooking Lumina. The city lights burned brightly—clear signs that a massive manhunt had begun.
Silence fell over the group.
Lila had already fallen asleep from exhaustion on Seraphina's shoulder. Seraphina herself was tending to a cut on Elena's arm. Rian sat at the cliff's edge, staring at his Black Pan, now eerily calm—as if it hadn't just obliterated a palace gate.
"I'm sorry," Rian said quietly.
Elena looked up. "For what?"
"Because of me, you're all criminals now. You, Miss Elena, lost your hero status. Princess Seraphina can't return to the embassy. And Lila… well, she was probably born with criminal talent—but still, I feel guilty."
Elena stood and walked over to him. Moonlight reflected off her silver armor, now dulled by dust and battle.
"Rian," she said softly, "I didn't follow this journey because of the Emperor's orders."
"At first, yes. But after all the bread you baked… after you saved me from the ghost storm… after you let your soul be contaminated just to seal the rifts… I realized something."
She turned to face him, eyes glassy yet resolute.
"The Emperor is right about one thing: if Astaroth awakens, you would be a threat to the world. But he's wrong to think you're just a 'vessel.' You're my friend. And I would rather fight the world with you than save the world without you."
Seraphina exhaled softly, offering a weak smile.
"Me too. Atlantis owes you its life. If the Empire wants to take you, they'll have to go through the Princess of the Sea first."
Rian felt his throat tighten.
He—a mere cook thrown into this world by a system error—now had people willing to abandon everything for him.
Then, a cold voice echoed inside his mind.
"How sweet… a friendship that will end in blood."
Rian jolted.
Astaroth's voice was clearer than ever.
[Corruption Meter: 2.75%]
[Warning: Astaroth's soul is beginning to merge with your emotions. Caution—affection can become dark obsession.]
Rian clenched his fists. Thin black vein-like lines were spreading across his palms.
"Miss Elena," Rian said again—this time, deadly serious.
"Yes?"
"If someday… I truly change. If I'm no longer Rian who grills steak for you. If I become someone who wants to destroy this world…"
He looked straight into her eyes.
"Promise me one thing. Don't hesitate. Kill me with your holy sword."
Elena froze. The night wind howled, lifting her blonde hair.
"Rian, don't say that—"
"Promise me!" Rian snapped, startling Seraphina and waking Lila.
"Only you can do it. Only a hero's blade can stop me. I don't want these hands to hurt you. So please… promise me."
Elena stared at him for a long moment. She saw the genuine fear in his eyes—not fear of death, but fear of losing himself.
Slowly, she raised her hand and cupped his cheek.
"I promise, Rian," she said softly.
"If that day comes… I'll be the last person you see. And I'll bring you home—one way or another."
That oath was sworn beneath the moon, witnessed by stars that seemed to know their fates were now bound to a tragedy that would climax hundreds of chapters later.
"Well then," Rian suddenly forced a cheerful tone, "since we're fugitives now, we need a new plan. We can't go to human settlements. We're heading to the Wasteland of Despair."
"The land of monsters and outcasts?" Seraphina asked nervously.
"Exactly. Imperial authority doesn't reach there. And I've heard there's a rare ingredient called Corruption-Delay Mushrooms. We need those so I don't become a Demon King too fast."
Rian stood, slinging the Black Pan over his shoulder.
"Let's go. A long journey begins now—the second act of the Fugitive Chef's adventure!"
As they walked away from the cliff, Elena glanced at Rian's hand.
She had seen the black lines too.
She knew the promise she had just made might be the heaviest burden she would ever carry as a hero.
Meanwhile, deep within Rian's mind, Astaroth chuckled softly.
"This… is only the beginning, Chef. Let's see how long you can resist the hunger for destruction."