I Cook Limitlessly In a Fantasy World

"Brother Ain is strong!" Ron shouted.

"He is stronger than you for sure," Syl said with a pout.

"Shss, don't say that. We don't know that for sure." Ainen wryly chuckled.

"You…" Zeilin was speechless. 'Does this bastard think he has a chance against me, who is one rank higher, with his chef class?'

'This is brother's chance! Such a grand-sounding academy. Brother will be set for sure.'

'If brother Ain goes to this academy, and we also go, we will be able to learn magic!'

Ron and Syl were internally excited and wanted Ain to go there.

But of course, they wouldn't force Ain to do that just because of their feelings. That's why they didn't insist and only said the truth they knew. Their brother Ainen was strong!

Though young, these two had matured thanks to the rough life since they started walking, and it was Ainen who raised them with much difficulty. If their Brother Ain didn't want to go there, then so be it.

"Well, we have some rules and regulations in the academy. We are inviting you because you displayed a certain potential by triggering Arcane Blessing. You are a future powerhouse, but that doesn't mean you will be an exception just because of that."

Lilian sharply smiled. "If you want us to make an exception, you have to prove you are exceptional. So the first thing we will do is to assess you. And for every exception you want us to make, you will have to prove you are worthy of it."

"In that case," Raashik said with a smile. "The nearby Labyrinth that recently spawned is a perfect chance for that. Combat prowess is the pinnacle of authority in this world, and if you are not strong enough, you will be just like many others. Like the countless stars in the sky."

As Raashik finished speaking, Lilian smiled and asked. "So, what is your decision, Chef Ainen?"

"In that case, I will give it a try." Ainen smiled. "If I don't like it there or I don't meet your expectation, I can leave or get kicked out, right?"

"…"

"Why are you even asking that? I can't believe someone like you exists," Zeilin annoyingly said.

"Naturally, you can leave. But as you will use the facilities and resources of the academy, you must make a certain amount of contribution before being able to leave."

"That's fair. Alright, I accept."

Raashik wryly smiled. "Somehow, this recruitment turned into something like a business deal."

"Right." Lilian chuckled. "Well then, get on the ship. Since we are here, we will mediate the matter of the Labyrinth and also get you assessed."

"Can I finish cooking food first? My siblings and I need to eat. Of course, you should have a seat as well. I cook very delicious food."

Lilian lightly laughed. "Sounds good. We'll do that."

'Madam Lilian, you are being awfully nice to him. Did something else catch your eye?'

'I am not sure, which is why I am eager to see him use his arsenal of powers. His stats, for one, are absurdly high at the moment. I sensed bodily that his aura is not all foundational, so he has an active buff right now. Still, they are way past the peak of Awakened-rank's ceiling.'

'What? That high? I haven't been able to measure him yet due to interference from his outfit, so I didn't know.'

'It should be due to the buffs from his food, thanks to his chef class, but that's not all. I sensed his Magic Core briefly, and it was…strange. Strangely powerful. Perhaps, he refined a Magic Core of Legendary-rank quality or close to that.'

Ainen's Cultivation Method was tier-2, but in terms of quality, it wasn't legendary or anything. It was special. Because the quality of his Magic Core was entirely dependent on the catalyst he cooked. So, the cocktail Ainen cooked was good enough to make his Magic Core give him a 30% stat boost, though it wasn't legendary-rank quality yet.

He had a 30% boost, so it was Epic-rank quality for now.

Lilian's calculation was a bit off because she didn't consider that the cocktail Ainen drank, which gave him a temporary buff, could give him such a high stat buff. The thing was, his buffs were boosted by 200% because of his class perks, so it was more absurd.

So she underplayed buffs while contributing more to his Magic Core.

Raashik was dumbfounded. 'Legendary? Are you saying his Magic Core gives him a stat boost between 40% to 50%?'

'Maybe...his stats are strange. Even with a Legendary-rank quality Magic Core, his stats are high. Maybe the buff he has is more than what I expected. Maybe his food gives more buffs than usual if his class is of high rank.'

Well, she was about to find out soon what kind of food Ainen was capable of cooking.

Soon, Ainen finished cooking and came out of the kitchen before waving his hand and presenting the food on the glass dishes and bowls.

They were already tempted by the smell, but when the real aroma came from this food and they looked at the dishes, their hunger awakened, which usually wouldn't awaken that easily.

"Is your Adventurer Card updated? Show us your status if it's updated," Zeilin said while showing his card to Ainen. "This is mine."

'Kiddo,' Raashik wryly smiled. 'I apologize for this, Madam Lilian.'

'It's fine. He is feeling competitive since someone his age got blessed by Aracane.'

"Sorry, my card is not updated. I'll show you later."

"..." Zeilin.

"Let us dig in. This food looks and smells absolutely delicious," Raashik said.

"It is super delicious!" Ron and Syl started eating without further ado.

Ainen grinned as he looked at the trio taking their first bites. 'Come on, time to have some foodgasm.'

…

In the Duke's Palace, Irnia was alone in the garden, inside a barrier, talking with her Master.

"An Awakened-rank kiddo blessed by Arcane was snatched away by Sacred Aurelian? In your own Kingdom?" a feminine voice rang from the crystal in Irnia's hand.

"I…" Irnia didn't know what to say.

"Those bastards have a powerful Arcane Eye, so they managed to detect it first. Did they already leave?"

"They left, but since we spawned a Labyrinth here, I suspect they will assess him there. There's a chance for that."

"Hmm. It's true that many Magic Towers assess new recruits using Dungeons or Labyrinths. In that case, we have a chance. I am coming there."

"You personally?"

"Humph. That Lilian is there. Any Lord-rank I send will cower before her, so of course, I will have to come. An Awakened-rank kid getting blessed by Arcane is unheard of. We can't let that person get snatched by Sacred Aurelian Magic Tower."

"Master, is getting blessed by Arcane that amazing?"

"It is Amazing because it already shows he will progress fast, breaking bottlenecks others consider tough easily. Every person blessed by Arcane I know of has reached Emperor-rank if they didn't die. Meanwhile, you may be a prodigy, but your potential cannot be considered higher than someone blessed by Arcane."

"…I see. So when will you be here, Master?"

"In twenty minutes. I am coming at full speed. You go to that newly spawned labyrinth and see if they are there. I am also bringing some people for that."

Irnia's eyes flickered. "You want to send Magic Tower's people into the Labyrinth?"

"It's in your kingdom, so it's up to you. Do you have a problem?"

'Yes!' Irnia was internally delighted.

"No, of course not. In fact, I had already sent the news about this Labyrinth there. I just didn't contact you directly because you were busy, but I thought I should inform you about this Arcane Blessed person."

"Good that you did. Now go and prepare. We'll be there soon."

"Yes, Master."