HC:Pacifist | Ch. 296 - Taste of the Ocean (Patreon)

Roth threw the doors open, revealing a large paneled room. The bright, glossy cedar floors reflected the reds and yellows of the fire in the hearth, while the gold patterns in the crimson wallpaper added to the room's warmth.

The occasional painting made the place look more tasteful, and a bright chandelier shone from the top, illuminating the beautifully carved dinner table filled with candles and flowers.

"Whoa," Mel exclaimed. 

"Do you like it?" Roth asked.

"This is so romantic. I love it!" Mel said.

"I'm glad you like it. Come, have a seat." Roth remembered to pull the chair for Mel like a gentleman.

"Well, thank you, sir," Mel said gracefully. Roth went around the table and sat across from her. Seeing her brilliant smile filled his chest with joy.

"Did you do all this?" Mel asked.

"I had a little help from my friends."

"Really? Who do I have to thank?" Mel looked around as if they were hiding behind one of the curtains.

"You'll see."

“Please come out. We’re ready.”

A crew of waiters and waitresses appeared from a side door. They looked like an army marching into battle. Instead of military uniforms, they wore white shirts, black slacks, and black vests.

“Look at them! They even got bowties,” Mel praised.

Roth chuckled, seeing the 14th take their roles as waiters and waitresses this seriously. Maggie filled Mel’s cup with ponche.

“I love your dress,” Maggie said to Mel.

“Thank you! Maggie, isn’t it? It’s great to see you again.”

“Thank you, dear.”

“Sir, you might want to wipe the drool from your chin,” said Sarg while filling Roth’s glass.

“Haha. Thanks for this, Sarg.”

“No problem, my boy,” he said, clasping Roth’s shoulder before heading out. Only H stayed behind, playing the part of a master of ceremonies.

"Could I interest you in some soup to get you started? Some breadsticks, perhaps?" 

Mel giggled, hearing H act so formally. "Yes, of course. H, was it? Thank you so much.”

"H, this is amazing," Roth echoed. "Thank you so much for doing this for us."

"You deserve it. Now sit back and enjoy your lovely ponche, and we'll be back with the soups in a while." 

H turned around, like a soldier shifting direction, and walked with precise steps out the door. As the door opened, Roth could see the rest of the 14th trying to take a peek at the room. 

“I didn't take you for the kind of person who outsources romantic dinners to your friends," Mel accused playfully.

"Well, what can I say? It all started with me asking Pete who was the best chef in the game. When he asked me what it was for, I told him I wanted to prepare a romantic dinner for you. Pete told everyone about it, and, before I knew it, all my friends were involved."

"Good friends you have here. How did you meet them?" Mel asked, leaning closer and inviting Roth to tell the tale.

“It’s kind of embarrassing,” Roth warned.

“Come on! Please tell me!”

"Fine. Fine. Yes, when I first started playing the game, I went nuts whenever I saw anyone hurting an animal."

"What do you mean you went nuts?"

"Well, I kind of ran after people and tried to pin them down, healing the monsters, trying to get them to run away," Roth said, scratching his head.

"You what?" Mel burst out laughing. "You didn't."

"I did. Remember the hunt of the Hive King?"

"But why?"

"I don't know, maybe it was because they reminded me of what my old crew put me through. Or maybe it was because of how I had to take care of a little chick when I was in prison. The thought of an animal being hurt just broke my heart. It just made me flip, you know?"

Mel stretched her hand and put it over Roth's. "And you still think you’re a rageaholic?"

Roth looked away. "Well, I am. The fact that I couldn't control myself and threw myself in the way of players hunting animals in the game proves that. Anyway," Roth tried to get to the part of the story that mattered, "one day, the whole 14th was hunting foxes, and I got in their way. They did quick work of me, of course, but later on, Sarg bumped into me and took the initiative to ask if I was suffering from PTSD. He then gave me his contact information if I needed to talk."

"And I guess you did.”

"Yes, I did. Later, I told them how I was trapped in the pod. They volunteered to help. Then, they met Drake, and we became friends."

"So you've never met them in person?"

"No."

"Once you're out of here," Mel said, squeezing his hand, "we're going to have a big party and invite all your friends. It will be great to meet everyone in the flesh, don't you think?"

Roth felt his eyes tearing up, and his voice choked up a little. "That'd be great."

The door slammed open, and Pete entered with another chef in tow. Roth was thankful for the interruption. If they hadn't come at this precise moment, he wouldn’t have been able to hold back the tears, and he didn't want to cry in front of Mel. 

Pete was followed by someone Roth had never met before. He was tall and had a pointy nose with big ears. He wore a pristine white coat and a top hat almost as long as his head. From his equipment alone, Roth could tell he was at a higher level as a chef than Pete.

Mel was taken aback. "Isn't that Chef Gustav?"

"You know him?"

"Do I know him? He's one of the best chefs in the game," Mel said, excited. 

Pete bowed politely, greeting Mel, and then turned to Roth. "Our honored guests, meet Chef Gustav. He has joined the Union recently, and when I told him about your date, he volunteered to make the soup tonight."

"Is that so?" Mel asked, stunned.

Gustav stepped forward, pushing the cart with a silver cloche. "This is my giant kelp soup. It's made with water from the Crystal Fountain in the Evermountain and a variety of tasty algae. I hope you like it." 

As he raised the cloche, a crystalline soup twinkled under the chandelier's light, with floating sliced cucumbers and algae in all tones of red, green, and brown. The smell of the ocean flooded the room. Roth could almost taste the salty spray of the waves. 

Gustav poured a serving for Mel and another for Roth. "Please let me know if you want seconds," Gustav offered kindly.

Roth studied the milky broth, then glanced at Gustav, who regarded them nervously as if his restaurant’s reputation was hanging on this one meal, and then at Pete, who was grinning proudly. Something fishy was going on here. Roth beckoned Pete to approach. 

“What’s up, Roth?”

“Pete, from Mel's reaction, I take it this guy is a heavyweight in the world of cooking, yes?"

"No one makes soups like him; they're to die for.”

“And how did you convince him to come to serve us food on this date?" If Pete had said that this chef would cook them the entire dinner, Roth would have believed it. However, this chef had come on purpose only to make soup! That meant that more chefs were working hard in the nearby kitchen. 

Pete slapped his forehead. "Oh, right, I forgot to tell you. At the end of the dinner, add whichever chef who cooked your favorite dish to the VIP list of the Union, alright?"

"What?"

"It was the best way to get you two the best dinner possible. This is your first romantic dinner with Mel," Pete accused, sliding over to Mel’s side. "You have to treat your lady right, Roth. Half-hearted efforts just won't do. You have to impress."

Mel applauded Pete’s bold declarations. Roth could see her mouth was watering, and she was holding herself back from digging into the soup.

Roth shrugged. "Sure, why not? Are you ready?"

"Yes," Mel said, putting a spoonful of soup in her mouth. “So yummy!”

Roth followed. Even though the soup's broth was nearly transparent, it was thick, almost like honey. Once he savored the soup, he could feel his pores opening, and his heart raced. The depth of flavor! It was the perfect balance of strong and mild favors. How could a soup be this good?!

You've eaten a giant kelp soup. 

+6 intelligence;

+4 wisdom;

You can taste the ocean;

+1 water affinity.

Roth choked, and looking at Mel, he saw she was also surprised.

"Roth, did you also get the bonuses?" she asked.

Roth nodded, speechless. What kind of food was this? It gave so many stat boosts. It even unlocked a new affinity! While Roth tried to imagine the rarity of the ingredients for this soup and how many hours the chef had put into it, Mel already had brought another spoonful in her mouth.

"You know, I already thought you were handsome, but you have become way more attractive now," she joked.

"Chef Gustav!" Roth screamed from a distance. "This is the best soup I've ever had."

Gustav bowed humbly. The chef was relaxed, fully confident that this soup would win him a place in the Union’s VIP roster. Roth finished the soup, and he grinned as he thought of the [Vegetarian Gourmand] title. “Chef Gustav, can I have seconds?”

*

Roth thanked the heavens that he could not get full in this game. He had eaten two servings of each dish in this full-course meal, allowing him to soak up twice the stats for each meal. 

Not only had the chefs been able to put together incredible vegetarian meals, but every single one of their dishes boosted stats. This was cooking at a whole new level of premium. Roth and Mel had gained so many permanent stats after this meal that they had climbed in the rankings. Mel had climbed up to 30, while Roth had managed to occupy the place previously held by his girlfriend, number 32. 

He wondered how their competitors would feel knowing that while they were grinding in moldy caves and scorching deserts, hunting beasts and slaying monsters, he and Mel gained stats from having a romantic dinner together. It made the dinner all the more satisfying.

"Oh my goodness, this is the best meal I've ever had," Mel said with a satisfied smile.

"I know. Me too. What I would like to know is if this was the best date you've ever had."

"Maybe," Mel said, blushing.

Roth puffed up his chest. He had succeeded in impressing his girlfriend! 

Seeing that they had finished their meal, the 14th came into the room one by one. They all chatted happily about God knows what while giving Roth and Mel privacy. Drake finished telling a funny story that had everyone bursting out laughing. Even the usually stoic Pete was hugging his belly. 

All four chefs who had cooked for them that night also appeared and stood to the side, awaiting Roth and Mel’s verdict. Their gaze on them was so intense that Roth felt he would catch on fire if he didn’t tell them who had won, stat!

Mel was feeling the pressure, too. “Uuh. Those chefs are eying us like madmen. You have to decide who did best, right?”

Roth gave Mel a wolfish grin. “No, no, no, missy. We have to decide.”

Mel shrugged. “I don’t mind. Let’s do this.”

"So, what do you think? What dish should we give a reward for?" Roth asked.

"I don't know, they were all amazing. That soy steak was incredible. It tasted like real meat. And that parfait at the end, oh my goodness, that was delicious."

Roth felt his mouth water as he remembered each of the dishes. "In terms of sheer stats alone, that soy steak was unbelievable."

"I know, 15 strength? It's even more than a power truffle," Mel praised.

"I know, but that soup was amazing, too. It unlocked water affinity. How crazy is that?"

Mel nodded in agreement. "I can tell you that the soup alone would sell for at least 100k gold."

"Well, I think we've come to a decision. Do you want to announce it?" Roth offered.

"I'll let you do it," Mel said.

"Okay. But you’ve got to help me a little too."

They withdrew from the corner near the hearth where they had been conferencing, and the chefs suddenly went quiet. The 14th also quieted down, eager to hear the verdict.

Ch. 295

INDEX

Ch. 297