Endless Horde: Through the Eyes of a Godking

--

The crowd didn't fully understand what's going on, but they do know that these 'Culinary Arts,' as these humans are called, are truly marvelous.

Everything was harmonious as they moved: their actions, the atmosphere, the music, and the smell...god, the smell...

Everyone here had evolved to the point where they no longer needed food to survive. Even the fanciest meal commercial worlds could offer no longer whets their appetite, yet, lo, an exception appeared. Just the smell alone caused their long-forgotten appetites to return. The faint grumbling of their stomachs surprised them; some were even salivating already.

They haven't even seen the actual food yet. This was just the scent.

As if showing mercy to them and their impatience, it didn't take long before they were served their first meal. It looked the same for everybody, but they were informed that it was modified for their personal preference, one that they never disclosed before, yet somehow these culinary masters knew of.

As the server left, the crowd eagerly tasted their meal, and at the very first bite, the decision was already made. The deal was sealed.

"God..."

"Heavens!"

"Oh, my!"

"Mmhmm!"

Some couldn't help but exclaim in disbelief as flavors burst on their tongues. A few even felt their eyes rolling at the back of their head because of how good it was.

This was followed by immense satisfaction, of course. One that seeped through their very souls. It brought them unprecedented peace and serenity. It felt like everything was right in this world, and nothing could possibly change that.

But of course, it didn't end there...

Godwyn prepared nothing but the best for his clients, as he should, obviously. He planned a complete fine dining experience for them, a full-course meal crafted specifically for each of their personal likings.

They hadn't even recovered from the experience brought to them by the first meal, and yet the second course was already served. Obviously, who were they to complain? Of course, they dived in. Some even dropped all pretenses and embraced the full experience wholeheartedly.

And just as they thought that the experience had already peaked, the next meal shattered that idea. Because somehow, in a very inexplicable manner, the second meal was even better than the last.

The experience wasn't just limited to taste alone. Somehow, these meals reminded them of their fond memories, ones that they've locked away at the deepest recesses of their minds or have completely forgotten altogether. It caused them to reminisce in a daze, absent-mindedly finishing their meal on autopilot.

Moreover, the real experts within the crowd sensed another secret in these meals.

Not only did they taste heavenly, but it also improved certain aspects of them as they consumed it. It's like their food had unknown yet favorable medical properties in them. This was shocking, of course, because all of them here were at least at the Grand Solar level.

Medicines or resources that could affect people of their caliber should be very rare and valuable. Moreover, even if they were to consume a lot of pills or elixirs, it should barely produce any effect on them because at their level, it's all about Law Comprehension.

Yet somehow, even though it's faint, these meals had the same effect on them, and they haven't even eaten a lot of them. It wasn't restricted to the food; these properties are also present in their drinks: wine, ale, beer, or whatever they preferred—it's all the same.

And just as they discovered this, the third course arrived. And at this point, the expectations had already peaked. And as they tasted it, they weren't disappointed.

They were moved, truly. This experience has been fantastic so far. They never had anything like this before, and by now, some could even say that they won't be able to live without it anymore.

At this point, even the skeptics were convinced. They tried their best to remain skeptical about all of this, but they were defeated at the first bite. They never stood a chance, actually.

The experience continued until it was announced that they're on the last course. That was such a bittersweet announcement, though, because on one hand, they wanted more, yet on the other hand, they didn't think they'd be able to handle it if there were more.

They stuffed to the brim, not because they were fed a lot, but because of the sheer quality of the food. It filled them with a deep sense of satisfaction, one that would stay with them for a while but, obviously, will never be forgotten.

But what truly surprised them is that, after their meals, the full effect of the full-course meal was unleashed upon them.

One by one, they experienced some form of breakthrough. Whether it was a slight increase in their cultivation base or some form of enlightenment, a breakthrough was a breakthrough, and none of them were fools to not realize what this entailed.

It was here that they saw Godwyn again, still as fresh and noble as he appeared earlier. He disappeared at some point when the dining experience started, but hardly anybody noticed.

"I hope you enjoyed our little presentation, ladies and gentlemen. If you find this a little lacking, please excuse us; we're still perfecting our craft, after all. I assure you that once we establish a firmer hold, the quality of our services and our menu will increase accordingly."

"Once again, I'd like to remind you that the time to make your decision starts now. Like I said before we started, I won't say more. The depth of our partnership depends on you. I'll accept whatever your final offer would be. I'll return after three hours to finalize everything; please have the contracts by then."

After saying this, Godwyn disappeared again, and nobody could even sense how he disappeared, not that anybody was concerned about that at this point, especially after what they had just experienced.

"I've severely underestimated them," the Archfae muttered softly to himself; his tone was filled with self-deprecation and mockery aimed at himself.

Despite coming here knowing who he's dealing with, deep down, he still carried the pride and arrogance of a Mystic Fae. He knew that this so-called culinary arts wasn't simple, but he never expected it to be this formidable.

He came here with some level of expectations, and he fully anticipated for it to be met, not completely blown out of proportion. He was thoroughly convinced at the first bite, even more so as the meals kept coming.

It's unbelievable to think that this was something that an underdeveloped and weak civilization invented on their own.

His voice was faint, but with how solemn the room had become, pretty much everybody heard it. And they too felt the same.

This is incredible, really. It's an unforgettable experience. One they don't mind revisiting or experiencing all over again.

With that said, they had to move. Realizing the severity and importance of this business partnership, they all began to think of new ways to approach this.

At this point, nobody in this room thought of leaving without forging a deep bond with this governor. It's one thing for your food to taste divine, but for it to cause surprising breakthroughs after the first experience? Now, that...that is something that is worth a lot. And none of them were fools to let this opportunity go.

As for learning culinary arts? Hmph! That would be nice, but very unlikely to happen unless humans themselves decide to teach it.

They had no doubts that humans had already applied for a patent on this unique art of theirs. Godwyn also showed that he wasn't one to be trifled with, so there's no way he didn't cover all of his bases, so no, they shouldn't even entertain any ideas about it.

And yes, their assumption was correct. Godwyn indeed has everything covered. It's for this very reason why he's never been afraid of letting anybody watch how his Culinary Masters performed.

If someone were to be so bold as to steal their art and try to make a profit with it, they could legally sue them and apply the maximum amount of judgment to them since the alliance rules were specifically strict about matters like this.

The envoys began contacting relevant parties, be it their superiors or their friends, and told them about the experience so far. They made it a point to tell them that they simply can't miss out on this opportunity, or else they will truly regret it.

The envoy of the Mystic Faes didn't hesitate. He already made his decision, one that shows the enthusiasm and eagerness of his race to build deeper connections with this mysterious governor.

He was given the authority to do what he thinks best before he was sent here, and that's exactly what he did. If others think that his offer was outrageous, well, he can just let them experience the same thing he just had, and he believed they'd understand and support him.

Once the three-hour wait passed, Godwyn reappeared, and the contract signing started.

'As expected, nobody can resist good food.'

'This is great. A lot of opportunities opened up because of this'.