Chapter 31

Munch munch.

Ria's cheeks were puffed out, stuffed full of food.

I thought as I watched her eagerly eating a pork cutlet bigger than herself, though she hadn't even finished half of it yet.

Anyway, I had solved the Chef's problem too.

So?

How do I escape from here now?

Considering how things disappeared when I solved an Outer God's problem, the same should happen with the Chef.

But the Chef's restaurant was still being maintained.

Could it be that the desired direction was different?

No, if it's about enjoying the food, there's another person here.

I looked at the woman collapsed on the table.

The strange woman who comes back to life even after dying from eating food - let's call her the Immortal Woman for now - the Chef makes food for her, and she eats it saying it's delicious while banging her head on the table.

The Chef likes cooking for someone.

She likes it even more when they enjoy her food.

Outer Gods probably love her food very much.

But what about humans?

Come to think of it, didn't the Chef say something about forcibly feeding humans she caught, and they ended up in a terrible state?

What if there was a slight distortion in those words?

"...Chef."

"Yes?"

The Chef walked over at my call.

It wasn't logic I particularly wanted to speak of, but I had to say it to escape from here.

Even if something were to happen, at least this was the only escape method I could think of.

"May I ask you something?"

"Yes, what is it?"

"...Chef, did you want everyone to say your food was 'delicious'?"

The Chef's eyes widened, as if she had realized the implication of my words.

"What do you mean...?"

I didn't bother to answer the Chef's question.

I just hoped she would mull over my words a few times.

The Chef's eyes slowly began to tremble, and soon she spoke with a smile tinged with sadness.

"...So you saw through me after all?"

I guess things won't be resolved so simply after all.

"The first time I saw humans was in the midst of a raging blizzard."

The so-called fallen knights from the Furnace City.

They were gripped by hunger and fear.

So they made a prayer they shouldn't have.

They wished for salvation from a god that violated the precepts.

"I found you all starving in that blizzard, and I tried to save you."

But humans were arrogant even in that moment.

Because the food of gods is not something beings of this world can handle.

The Chef wore an expression full of guilt.

"Other friends told me my food was the most delicious in the universe. I had my own pride in that.

But humans couldn't withstand my food. At first, I thought they might already be under some other curse, but even perfectly healthy humans ended up like that when they ate my food.

That's when I felt despair for the first time. To think there was food that someone couldn't eat. This couldn't be perfectly delicious cooking."

It's not cooking for one person.

The Chef's food is for everyone.

The anchor binding her was the desire for many people to eat food without dying through meals.

The Chef handed me a piece of paper.

Originally, one shouldn't look at an Outer God's writing, but am I an ordinary person?

A notepad with various ingredients written on it.

The fact that various recipes were written in neat handwriting all over the paper showed how much she had thought and tried.

"This is...?"

"It's traces of my research on how to make food that humans can eat.

Yes, this space was created for me to do research alone. Also, I intended for lost wanderers who came here to spend time not feeling too cold."

As she said this, the Chef placed a cup of instant coffee and a peppermint candy on the table, which she had prepared at some point without my noticing.

I tried drinking the instant coffee first, which seemed much easier to consume.

It had that rich taste you get at meat restaurants.

How does she know my taste preferences so well?

If she weren't an Outer God, I'd want to ask her to make my breakfast every morning.

"I researched hard. Food that I hoped humans could eat and gain strength from.

But... it was the same. The ingredients were clearly not a problem... Yet humans couldn't withstand my food.

So I got angry and... threw away all the food I was researching in a fit of rage. It was messy outside, wasn't it? I'm sorry, it was all my doing."

So that's why those fused foods were found.

The foods that received relatively less force just maintained their shape and flew far away.

If even food made for humans is deadly, food filled with an Outer God's anger must be extremely dangerous.

That's why Ria told me not to eat it.

"So I was about to give up.... But then that person came. We couldn't communicate, but even after dying three times upon encountering me, she was fine."

She died three times just from encountering you?

And her mind still held up after that?

"Her stomach was growling, so I gave her something edible. She looked so hungry, how could I ignore that and pass by?"

She wiped away a tear with an emotional tone.

"At first she refused, but when I fed her, she said my food was... delicious."

To other people's eyes, the Chef's food probably wouldn't look like food.

I wonder what it looked like for her to refuse?

Though she seems to have adapted now.

"I cried at first. Ah, I had made food that humans found delicious too. But in the end, they can't withstand it, can they? Because they can only die without resolving their hunger..."

That's when I came.

I had noticed that unique gimmick and ate without any problems.

Then what could be the problem?

Eating while maintaining the original shape was fine.

But humans can't withstand it when eating while mashing the original shape with a spoon.

In the end, what the Chef makes can only be seen as a 'mimicry' of what humans can eat.

The end product is the same, but because the process is different, if you can't perfectly maintain that completed form, you can't maintain that balance.

That kind of feeling.

But looking at the manufacturing process, there didn't seem to be any particular problem.

It was the typical way of making stir-fried pork.

No.

I can only get out of here if this space disappears by leaving it as is.

It would be better to make her stop quickly so this space disappears.

But my meddlesome sensor wouldn't let this be.

How could I ignore such a story?

"Chef."

"...I've taken up too much of your time. I'm sorry. If you need to escape from here, I'll let you out."

Even if she lets me out of here, the anchor binding the Chef won't disappear.

Even if I could leave after undoing that restraint, I couldn't ignore the chain binding her, feeling sorry for her.

"Thank you, but now..."

"No. Won't you try doing as I say once?"

The Chef tilted her head at my words.

***

The Chef's cheeks flushed, and her movements became sluggish.

Soon, as if touching something, the Chef made a sound with her mouth as if flustered.

"Huu, haa..."

"Now, so from here like this..."

"Nngh, it feels warm..."

"It's always like that the first time. Now, I'll do it slowly for you..."

"It's getting... more familiar..."

I held both of the Chef's hands and moved slowly.

The Chef also became immersed in my movements, and it felt like we were becoming one.

Watching this, I felt satisfied too.

"...But to think it's your first time, I'm surprised. I thought you would have done it at least once..."

"...Don't say such things!"

The Chef closed her eyes and shrieked.

"If I do it directly with my hands... the food gets mashed right away..."

"It's okay. Food has its own charm even when it's rough."

"Is that so...?"

The Chef seemed to accept my words and started cutting the tomatoes directly again with a determined look in her eyes.

Since it was an Outer God's body to begin with, there was no risk of getting hurt while cutting with a knife, but she still asked me to help because she was nervous or something.

So I was helping with the knife work while sticking close like this.

The part I thought was problematic was that the Chef used her 'ability' to cook.

Of course, that allows for faster cooking, but food made that way is still interfered with by an Outer God's supernatural power.

In this world, rules and such play a very important role.

That's why there's no problem reading words engraved by humans, but problems arise with words engraved by Outer Gods.

No matter how much you look at humans, there's no problem, but just looking at Outer Gods causes problems.

Then shouldn't it work if Outer Gods make food not with their abilities, but like humans using human tools?

It's humans who can't withstand Outer Gods, not Outer Gods who can't withstand humans.

Well, that was the idea.

"It's certainly a reasonable thought. It's a solution that wouldn't even come to mind unless you really thought about it."

"Hmm... I want to eat too."

Since it was a well-grounded idea, even the Gardener spoke admiringly, which made me feel more confident for no reason.

Finally, the spaghetti fried in the pan was placed on the plate with a glossy color.

Compared to the stir-fried pork I ate earlier, it looked infinitely shabby and somewhat clumsy in appearance.

"...Ugh, the food shape is so uncomfortable..."

"Let's try it anyway."

I handed the spaghetti to the Immortal Woman.

The Immortal Woman quickly took the bowl and started frantically mashing the noodles with a spoon and shoveling them into her mouth, just like before.

Considering she had been eating like that without getting full even before I came, she was an amazing big eater.

I could see the Chef's Adam's apple move as if swallowing dry saliva.

Some time passed, and the Immortal Woman, who should have collapsed, finished eating all the food without collapsing once and held out her bowl.

"What a fresh taste! One more bowl!"

"Please make dessert for the last course."

The last thing the Chef brought out was the iced Americano recommended by the Recorder.

With cake too.

Strangely, fire was rising from the iced Americano, which should have been cold.

I can't believe it, the legendary warm iced Americano.

What a blasphemous food, is this what makes an Outer God an Outer God?

But I didn't see the making process, how did she make it?

"Come to think of it, what ingredients did you use for this?"

"Um... do I have to say?"

I asked because I didn't know what went into it since she made it alone without my help this time, but the Chef blushed and refrained from answering.

No, what on earth did she use as ingredients?

"Just know that... I used something precious of mine."

...It was an answer that only made me anxious.

Fortunately, the Immortal Woman was fine while eating this too.

I don't know what it is, but there doesn't seem to be a problem in the manufacturing process.

Ria also took a bite and gave a thumbs up as if it was good.

Good, Ria's reaction is good too.

Is my method really working?

The Chef covered her mouth with both hands, overcome with emotion at the sight of the Immortal Woman.

"Not yet."

Because it needs to be confirmed for sure after I eat it too.

I deliberately messed up the shape of the food left in the frying pan, then nervously put it in my mouth.

This was the part where problems arose.

I started chewing several times as if savoring it.

Soon, the thought that came to me was.

It was delicious.

It was too delicious.

It was delicious enough to die for, but now it seemed I could be full without dying.

"...Congratulations. You've made food that's fine no matter how it's eaten."

When I said this, the Chef ran to me and hugged me tightly.

As if very happy.

"Thank you. Thanks to you... I was able to fulfill my wish."

I understand the grateful feeling, but hugging me so tightly...

I was trying my best to look elsewhere, but the Chef, slightly separated from me, held my cheeks and fixed my face to look at her.

"...Um?"

"But still, I think seeing you enjoy the food will be the most fun."

Then she smiled brightly, stroked my chin once, and stepped back.

"I'll try to develop the technique you taught me so you can enjoy it even more deliciously."

So, wait for me?

Watching the Chef say that, my face turned red involuntarily.

I know what she means, but the word choice...

Get a grip, Laydan Tanton!

She's an Outer God!

Have you gone crazy?!

And since I have the party flute, I'll see her again soon anyway, so hearing such words didn't feel very real.

She probably has no idea I'll be calling her soon.

How could I give up stir-fried pork and pork soup with rice, hehe.

Anyway, with those words, the Chef started to evaporate along with the store, or rather, the space.

And before I knew it, I found myself, the Immortal Woman, and Ria alone under the blizzard.

It seems we came out of the distorted space and were placed randomly.

The fortunate thing was that the 'warm' iced Americano I had eaten earlier was warming my body.

I could feel the Chef's thoughtfulness, not wanting me to be cold.

"Huh? Where is this? Who are you?"

...Before I could feel any lingering emotions, what hit me was the thought of what to do with this Immortal Woman.