Chapter 314: Culinary Giant

Partially out of curiosity, and partially since the crowd wouldn't let them do otherwise, they headed in the direction of the commotion to get a better look at the chef. In the process, they were treated to a lecture from Professor Morris.

"...Which is why the Mythril Chef title is typically a ceremonial one, only given to those who have not only won one of the cooking competitions hosted in various cities in the Riverlands, but been acknowledged by at least three other carriers of the title. That said, there are whispered rumors of an Adamantine Chef that is supposedly capable of promoting talented individuals on the spot. They say he or she wanders the country, visiting small restaurants and food stands, bestowing their blessing on any who meet their impossibly high standards."

"So, let me get this straight. Despite being home to some of the greatest warriors and generals to have ever fought in a battle, the Riverlands' major claim to fame is that they have the best cooks in the Inland Sea Region?" Mike asked while pushing through the crowd. He'd gotten more than a few elbows in the ribs already, and he was beginning to feel a bit irritated.

"Arguably, yes. I'm sure the Bergellens would disagree. After all, they still hold themselves to be the pinnacle of culture, even this long after the fall of the Pyrathian Empire, but the general international consensus is that the best chefs and the best fighters both come from the Riverlands. With the former actually being the more highly sought after of the two." Morris replied while nearly falling over a couple of times as surges of motion ran through the crowd.

"Their dessert chefs are world renowned, too." Sera chimed in from behind them.

"Indeed." Morris continued. "Their placement at the mouth of the Inland Sea, coupled with surprisingly robust trade relations with the steppe peoples to the west, and a heavily diversified agricultural portfolio, has given rise to an unusually high level of culinary innovation. This has, in turn, led to some truly unexpected developments in the food industry."

"Do you know anything about this Hammerfist guy? He seems to be quite famous." Mike asked, hoping to direct the conversation to a more relevant topic.

"I'm afraid I'm not familiar with him. He must be a recent contest winner."

Suddenly, one of the people crowding around them turned with a look of abject shock. "You haven't heard of Korgan Hammerfist?! Where have you been? Living under a rock?"

The speaker was a thin man with slightly pointed ears and pale skin. He seemed mostly human, but a quick Appraise revealed his race to be Human (Sun Elf), and his name was Yuln.

"We've actually only just arrived a few minutes ago." He explained patiently. "I'm afraid we don't know too much about your country just yet."

Yuln gave them a suspicious look for a few seconds before shrugging. "Then you'll be in for a surprise. I haven't had a chance to see him in person before, but if he lives up to even half of the stories I've heard about him, this will be worth it."

"Hm? What do you mean by…" Mike started to ask, but then trailed off when the center of the crowd finally came into view, and he could see what everyone was focusing on, or rather who.

It was easy to get a good look at the man known as Korgan Hammerfist, since he stood a good head and shoulders above the rest of the crowd. He must have stood nearly 2.5 meters tall, but had a stout, stocky build which spoke of incredible strength. With skin a deep chestnut brown, hair and beard the color of seasoned wood braided into an elaborate pattern with a seemingly random collection of beads, and intricate tattoos made with a silvery ink, he definitely was an unusual sight compared to the rest of the cityfolk.

"Mother Teun…" Yuln uttered breathlessly, "He's even more impressive than the stories said...I've got to get in there!"

And with that, the cooking fanboy took off into the crowd, earning himself a tirade of verbal abuse from his fellows he was pushing past. However, he was not the only one attempting such a thing, and it looked like the situation would soon devolve into a riot as a small legion of maddened fans began to fight their way towards their idol.

"They're quite...dedicated? I suppose?" Sera offered, obviously taken aback by the almost religious devotion that the Gildusan natives were showing for this strange, giant sized figure.

Curious, Mike used Appraise on the giant.

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Korgan Hammerfist

Age: 139

Race: Half-Giant (Human)

Class: Grandmaster Chef

Title: Mythril Chef

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[Huh. I guess he really is a chef.]

That of course didn't prevent him from being a dangerous entity nonetheless. He could, after all, recall several stories from his old world where professional cooks turned out to be highly trained combatants, and deadly in their own right. In a world full of monsters, he supposed it made sense that chefs would need to be strong in order to acquire the best ingredients.

Or at least he assumed as much until he expressed those thoughts to the others.

"I hate to break it to you," Morris started, "but most chefs just buy or request rare materials from the Adventurer's Guild if they need something unusual. While there are probably a few individuals out there who hunt for themselves, it would be hard to put into practice. The sheer number of skills one would need to accomplish such a thing is hard to imagine. Not to mention the fact that most crafting classes have a limited number of primary skill slots."

[That's right. Other people have limitations on the number of primary skills they can learn…I forget how much of a cheat I am sometimes.]

"Still strong." Tal added while looking at Korgan.

The giant was in the process of signing an autograph, giving a hearty laugh as he did so. His bearded face was full of mirth as he chatted amicably with the swarm of fans teeming around him. Clearly, he didn't seem threatened by the possibility of being crushed to death by the mob of people seeking to get close to him.

[Probably a byproduct of his bloodline. If Lily is any indication, having giant ancestors makes you pretty powerful.]

They stood and watched the proceedings for a good ten minutes, or rather, they were held captive by the press of the crowd until Korgan decided to move on, easily pushing his way through the solid mass of people.

With the subject of their attention departing, the gathered fans gradually dispersed, freeing the group from the crush of bodies.

"Well, that was unpleasant." Morris muttered while dusting himself off. He'd somehow become partially covered in a fine layer of dust. "Should we see about finding some lodgings?"

While they technically didn't need to get an inn, thanks to the demi-realm, not doing so could potentially draw attention to themselves. Mike was intending on spending no more than a few weeks in this city, just enough time to explore the local dungeons and gather information about Tal's former teacher. So long as they could avoid getting tangled up with any of the powers that be during that time frame, things should still work out alright.

Of course, he'd sent Selene on ahead for this exact reason. So far, she'd managed to infiltrate a few of the more well-informed organizations in the city, and now had a decent understanding of the power politics of the region. As long as he followed her guidance, they could probably get away without dealing with any of the Riverlands' internal problems. 

As a collection of city-states theoretically confederated on the principle of mutual defense, the Riverlands should have been relatively peaceful. However, it was in actuality a raging political warzone with dozens of intricately linked factions contending for local dominance while two Tier 4 individuals and their followers skirmished behind the scenes.

"I've heard that the third level has a few inns that accommodate merchants, lesser nobles, and mid-rank adventurers. Why don't we try over there?" Mike suggested.

While he did earn a few odd looks from the rest of the party, who weren't used to him knowing anything about the places they were visiting, they nevertheless went along with his idea. Two surprisingly quick lift rides later, and they were walking down a broad and well maintained street.

This level of the city seemed dedicated more to office space and stores than anything else, and bustling crowds of shoppers filled much of the area. A surprising number of food stalls and restaurants lined the thoroughfare, saturating the air with a multitude of enticing aromas. It didn't take long before rumbling stomachs pushed them to try some of the local cuisine.

Mike bit into the seasoned meat skewer as he walked, savoring the intense and slightly spicy flavor of the marinade. It reminded him a bit of beef bulgogi, but with a more tangy undertone that suggested the use of fruit in the sauce. Regardless, it was quite satisfying.

[Gotta love street food.] He thought to himself while watching Lily sampling a round pastry that appeared to be filled with a meaty stew. It was pretty obvious that while she was enjoying the snack in and of itself, she was trying hard to figure out how it was made. 

"Gildusi certainly lives up to its reputation as the culinary capital of the Inland Sea Region." Sera commented through a mouthful of cake. "The sheer variety available here is amazing."

"This is not the norm, apparently." Morris broke in. "I talked to a few of the vendors, and it seems like a major cooking competition is coming up soon. Hopeful contenders from all over the Riverlands are flooding the city. A lot of them have opened up food stands in order to make a bit of money and keep their skills honed while they wait for it to start."

"Huh. They really seem to take this stuff seriously." Mike muttered, looking over the crowded streets again. If every one of the stalls was run by a potential competitor, the event must be massive in scope.

They sampled a few more products before moving onto an inn that seemed to fit their needs, and booked two rooms for the week. It was a little surprising that they still had vacancies considering how many visitors the city was having, but they didn't question their good fortune.

Once the group was settled in, Mike took a moment to step outside and make a quick mental connection with Selene.

[How goes the investigation? Any sign of our target?]

[Not really. It would help if you had something more than 'accomplished Spirit Mage' to go on, Boss.] Came the slightly annoyed reply.

[Well, you know she's a moon elf, and I gave you a rough description, didn't I? I'm sorry, but Tal was only with her for a few weeks, and she studiously avoided giving out her name.]

[I'm aware of that, I just want you to know what you're asking of me. I have to pursue multiple leads at once since I can't eliminate any potential candidates that might fit the mold. It's time consuming.]

[Understood, and I appreciate the effort. It's a somewhat pressing issue we need to discuss with Tal's teacher. I can maintain the status quo with a little bit of effort, but there is no guarantee things won't change in the near future.]

[...*sigh*...Alright, I'll see what I can do.] She replied while cutting off the connection.

Mike sighed himself, scratching the back of his head. He hadn't noticed any sign of the entity that was supposedly possessing him since he'd broken through to Tier 4, and part of him was hoping that the transition had been enough to finally knock the creature loose.

It would be one thing if he could explore his own soul with Life Magic, but it was strangely difficult. His attempts up to this point had always felt like he was trying to look over the back of his own head.

[Well, whatever. I'll just concentrate on the next task for the time being.] He thought before going back inside and asking the woman working behind the counter about the city's Guild branch.