Chapter 12
The menacing tension that had seemed ready to explode quickly died down, thanks to Zion pouring cold water on it at just the right moment.
The proposal itself wasn’t bad. Being invited to dinner meant they’d grown that much closer, after all.
The only problem was that her irritating rivals had been invited too... but she could put up with that much.
‘In the end, gifts are the best way to raise someone’s favorability.’
‘I’ll win Zion’s heart for sure with the gift I’ve prepared!’
‘What are those people plotting now?’
‘No matter what, I’ll protect Big Sister Zion.’
While the High Rankers prepared to compete, each with their own elaborate plans, an entirely different crisis descended upon Zion.
They’d narrowly avoided the worst-case scenario of the chapel being destroyed, but now she had to serve a meal she’d never expected to make.
She hurried to the kitchen and searched through the cupboards, but all she had left was mayonnaise, cheese, sugar, and salt.
‘If only I’d known this would happen. I should’ve saved some.’
Dusk had already begun to fall outside. Even if she went down to town now, there was no way the shops would still be open.
But even when the sky falls, there’s always a way out. There was exactly one dish she could make with the ingredients she had left.
Even Zion, who wasn’t particularly good at cooking, could make it easily—and it was guaranteed to taste delicious.
‘That’s right. It’s the only option left!’
All she had to do was mix the corn kernels with the right amount of mayonnaise, sugar, and salt, then top them with cheese and bake until golden.
It was almost embarrassing to call it a recipe, but with next to nothing on hand, it was the best choice.
A little while later, a savory, sweet aroma drifted out of the kitchen and filled the chapel.
“I don’t have much to offer, but…… I hope you all enjoy it.”
“What a savory, sweet smell……”
“This is a dish I’ve never seen before. Did you make it yourself, Saintess?”
“Yes, you could say that.”
To come right out with it, Zion had made corn cheese. She plated it, then poured it over bread, and it was ready to serve.
Fortunately, it seemed none of them had ever tried corn cheese before. They were all looking at it with curious interest.
Leon was the first to move. He happened to be hungry, and he wasn’t particularly picky about food.
‘Th-this is……!’
Tap. Tap.
The savory richness of the golden cheese and the sweet-and-salty flavor held in the corn kernels burst across his tongue all at once.
Leon’s eyes widened at the perfect harmony of sweet and salty flavors he’d never experienced before. But that wasn’t all.
[Strength has permanently increased by 15.]
[Agility has permanently increased by 15.]
‘What?!’
For a High Ranker to raise their stats, they had to train for at least ten years or find a legendary elixir.
And yet, just now, he’d eaten a single dish—and not just one, but two of his stats had increased.
It was no wonder Leon’s consciousness began to blur under the weight of an even greater shock, before he’d had time to recover from the first.
“Guh!!”
“What? Why’d he suddenly do that?”
“That beast suddenly passed out…… What kind of food is this?!”
When Leon, a High Ranker, passed out, Elena immediately used her [Appraisal] skill on the corn cheese Zion had made.
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< Corn Cheese of Unyielding Will >
She simply prayed earnestly.
May no one suffer in this cold and painful world.
Perhaps it was because that sacred heart had been imbued in it.
The imperfect ingredients were transformed anew into a miraculous flavor by the Saintess’s touch.
On use: Permanently increases Strength and Agility by 15.
“I can’t help wondering whether a Church that turns its back on suffering lambs and does nothing but persecute them could truly have anything called ‘the will of God.’” - Saintess of Beginnings
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Elena nearly lost consciousness too. It was a treasure beyond anything money could buy.
The dish before her was so valuable that scooping up gold coins by the bowlful and eating them would feel cheaper.
At that moment, Elena bit her tongue. The taste of blood from the torn flesh was just enough to keep her conscious.
‘I can’t pass out with food this precious right in front of me……!!’
Elena lifted her head. Two Rankers were already wolfing down the food, practically inhaling it rather than eating it.
Under normal circumstances, she would have reprimanded them for abandoning their dignity as High Rankers…… but today was an exception.
Elena’s gaze shifted to the right. But at that moment, someone seized her beautiful hand.
“You’re reaching for someone else’s bowl? Do you really want to die?”
“Tch!”
That’s right.
That Elena—the esteemed High Elf who administered the 33rd floor—had actually been caught trying to steal someone else’s food.
Rather than feel ashamed of her actions, Elena clicked her tongue openly, as if she deeply regretted missing out.
“You may be a beast, but you’re awfully quick to catch on.”
“I’m not giving it up. Not a chance.”
‘……Looks like the corn cheese is to everyone’s taste.’
Of course, since Zion couldn’t see their status windows, all she could tell was that they were fighting because the corn cheese was so delicious……
◇
Even after the frenzied meal finally ended, the High Rankers still didn’t leave. They remained in the chapel.
Zion let out a tired sigh. She’d even served them dinner, so she wished they’d all just get out of here already.
But contrary to Zion’s earnest wish, their business was only just beginning. Elena was the first to make a move.
“First, let me thank you, Zion. Thanks to you, I’ve enjoyed a truly fantastic dinner for the first time in ages.”
“It was nothing. So, if you’d all just leave now……”
“This is a token of my gratitude. Please accept it.”
“……?”
Zion was a little taken aback. The only thing Elena had offered her as a thank-you was a rather spindly branch.
What was this? Was she making fun of her? But Elena—and even the other High Rankers—looked completely serious.
Zion examined the branch in her hand more closely. It was brown, with green leaves clinging to it like dewdrops……
“Um, what is this……?”
“It’s a branch from the World Tree. There’s only one in all the Towers.”
The World Tree.
There was only one tree of its kind, on the 33rd floor administered by the High Elf Elena, and its value was beyond measure.
It was an item that even ordinary Rankers—let alone High Rankers—couldn’t easily obtain, yet Elena had offered it so readily.
‘Tch. Not bad for a weakling. She really went all out.’
‘A mage or alchemist would gladly pay a fortune for that, and she handed it over so easily……’
The High Rankers recognized its value at a glance. They kept their expressions calm, but inwardly they were astonished.
Of course, that was only their concern. Zion herself had a completely different thought in mind……
‘Looking at it, the tip is slightly rounded and hollow. It’d make a perfect spoon.’
In an instant, a branch of the World Tree—impossible to obtain even for a fortune—had been reduced to nothing more than a mere spoon.
Unaware of what Zion was thinking, Elena looked around at the other Rankers with a triumphant expression.
She was certain no one could possibly offer a better gift than this. But that confidence didn’t last long.
“You’re sure of your victory over a gift like that?”
“Perhaps it’s because you’re a beast. You can’t recognize the value of this treasure……”
“A branch of the World Tree. They say you can make the finest staff from it, or use it as an ingredient for a legendary elixir.”
“Oh, you know your stuff. But what makes you so confident?”
“Because my gift is every bit as good!”
Thud!!
With a confident voice, Leon pulled a fairly large, cylindrical glass bottle from inside his clothes.
But the instant Elena saw the red, heart-shaped jewel inside, her expression crumpled like a sheet of paper.
“……Could that be……?”
“That’s right. A Dragon Heart. I had a hard time getting it on an expedition to the Dragon Valley on the 79th floor.”
A Dragon Heart.
It could be used to craft weapons and equipment. Even if you simply ate it, it would raise every stat by 10 for a High Ranker……
It was an item that truly deserved to be called all-purpose. Its value was no less than that of a branch of the World Tree.
“I suppose you really are a High Ranker, even if you’re a beast. I never thought you’d have something like that ready……”
“And I never thought you’d pull out a card like that. But I’m not backing down either!!”
“Tch! How childish. I could give a gift like that too, if I wanted.”
“Big Sis Zion, actually, I have a gift for you too……”
It was already enough of a headache with just those two, but now Ifrit and Rin had joined in too. Zion felt her head begin to swim.
Was it really right to give someone a branch of the World Tree and a Dragon Heart in return for a little corn?
No matter how hard she racked her brain, Zion couldn’t come up with an answer.