(Morcster Chef Book 2) - Chapter 90 (Patreon)

“I’ll tell you what,” Gernon said, clearly not particularly bothered by his loss. “Go enjoy your day. I’ll give you your prize later tonight. You should spend today relaxing and having fun, not thinking about a new recipe.”

Before Arek could respond, Ming’s small form blurred through the crowd. She skidded to a stop in front of Arek and Gernon, eyeing the remaining food in their plates. “I knew you’d win! Did you make any extra for me?”

Gernon raised an eyebrow at the small mage. “A friend of yours?”

“My party’s resident food storage unit,” Arek replied, offering Ming the plate with a wink. She snatched the remaining chicken within it and shoved the entire piece into her mouth like a hamster.

Ming chewed several times and swallowed. For a moment, the orc thought she would choke. He should have known better – there was no food that Ming couldn’t defeat. She smacked her lips and gave Arek an appreciative nod. “Tasty. Should have made more, though.”

“I’ll keep that in mind for the future.”

Ming gave Arek a sage nod. Her eyes slowly moved to the remains of Gernon’s meal. She edged towards it, piercing the chicken with a gaze sharp enough to cut flesh. The large chef burst into laughter and lowered the plate to Ming. She eagerly grabbed the serving fork and speared a piece of chicken.

She pushed it into her mouth, smearing her cheeks with bright orange sauce. She chewed once, then polished off the piece and went on to clean the rest of the plate. Gernon’s eyebrows steadily rose on his forehead as she devoured everything in sight.

“Fascinating. Can she even taste anything when she eats at that speed?”

“Ask her, not me,” Arek replied.

Ming let out a loud burp. She flushed and wiped her mouth off with a napkin. When it became that there was no more food to be eaten, she curled her nose. “Thanks for the meal!”

“Of course, small one,” Gernon said. “Which dish did you enjoy more?”

“They were both food,” Ming said. “Tasty food. Arek, let’s go to the market! I’m still hungry.”

She shot back off through the crowd, pushing past the amused spectators to find the rest of the Happy Sunflowers. The two chefs watched her go with bemused expressions. Gernon let out a thoughtful grunt.

“I think we could all have something to learn from that girl,” Gernon said.

“So long as it isn’t her eating habits,” Arek agreed. He wiped down his cooking utensils and started to put his belongings away. “I’ll take you up on your offer, I suppose. I must admit that I’m quite interesting to see what your Market District has to offer.”

“I’m confident you’ll find it fascinating,” Gernon said, smiling. “Off with you, and great job on your win.”

Arek nodded, raising a hand in farewell and setting off after Ming. The crowd parted before him. People called out praises and congratulations as the orc passed them. Arek tried to keep his face impassive, but he couldn’t help a grin from crossing his lips. He couldn’t remember the last time anyone other than Ming had cheered for his cooking like this.

The rest of the Happy Sunflowers were standing a short distance from the rapidly dispersing crowd. Belmont didn’t look particularly pleased about all the attention they were getting, but even he had managed to keep a tight grin on his face.

“Great job, Arek!” Malissa exclaimed. “We couldn’t see all of it, but that was awesome!”

“You did very well,” Belmont agreed. He drew a deep breath. “The crowd loved you. A little too much. All the people staring are making me a little nervous. Someone is going to recognize us.”

“Don’t worry so much,” Malissa said, flicking Belmont in the forehead. “We’re on a floating island in the sky. We aren’t going to meet anybody we know here.”

Arek caught a flash of black and red in the crowd out of the corner of his eye. Without stopping to think, he spun and bounded towards it, crossing the distance in the blink of an eye. His hand shot out and he grabbed onto the shoulder of a thin, blonde man before he could escape.

The man yelped as Arek grabbed him and several people stepped back in shock, but the orc ignored them. He pushed the man’s robes to the side with his claw, revealing a Starpiercer guild insignia.

“No fighting inside the city! You’ll get in trouble!” Someone yelled.

“No, it’s okay!” the Starpiercer member called out. Arek blinked in surprise, his grip on the man’s clothing loosening. “We’re old friends. This is just how we greet each other. I’m sorry for any fear it might have caused – we just haven’t met in a long time. Come, friend. Let’s take this somewhere more private.”

The Starpiercer member shot Arek a pointed look. The orc released him, mostly out of complete confusion.

“What are you playing at?” Arek asked in a low tone. “You’ve been watching me all day.”

“What are you scared of, orc?” the man asked. “You outnumber me four to one. We need to talk. Away from the crowd.”

“Fine,” Arek said, forcing a grin onto his face. “Come with us. And don’t make any flashy moves.”

The man nodded and led the way back over to the rest of the Happy Sunflowers. Belmont slowly slipped his staff out from its place at his side and Malissa’s hands clenched.

“He’s peaceful,” Arek said. “Wants to talk in private. We can’t cause a scene here.”

“An alley works,” Belmont said. “Easy disposal if things go wrong.”

“Thank you,” the Starpiercer member said. “I’m right here, you know.”

“I don’t care,” Belmont replied. “Start walking.”

The man shrugged and the five of them headed away from the baffled crowd. They traveled down side street after side street until they’d put a good amount of distance between themselves and anyone who might have been watching.

After they turned down a small alley, Belmont stopped and turned to face the man with a cold expression. “This will work. Start talking.”