Round 2: Team Competition

Round One had been far more successful than expected.

On the first day, there were a few empty seats.

Some people had been skeptical even after hearing it was a cooking competition, while others were unhappy that it was being held in place of the swordsmanship competition.

But once the first upset occurred and word spread that a famous chef had been eliminated by an unknown inn cook, the situation changed.

Tickets sold faster starting on the second day.

On the third day, the noble seats filled first, and on the fourth, even the commoner seats had lines.

On the final day, the amphitheater was full.

I sat in the judges' section and looked up at the audience.

The amphitheater, packed with people, looked much smaller than it had when empty.

Instead of the pressure of bare stone steps, it was filled with the heat and noise of the crowd...