Amelia the Level Zero Hero

Chapter 178

Average. That was what it was. It wasn’t horrible, nor was it even good. It was not bad. That was the most charitable description Edlyn could provide the shrimp fried rice.

As a high-leveled [Chef]— and the head [Royal Chef] of the Astra Palace— she could clearly see what Amelia was trying to do here. But there were still a lot of issues with how the dish was made.

First of all, the presentation was absolutely horrible. The rice wasn’t uniformly cooked into a glistening golden-brown. There were parts of it that were burnt black, and other parts that were a dirty white due to a lack of the seasoning and sauce. That was ignoring the fact that the entire dish looked like it was just thrown into a large pan and stirred without any delicacy or care.

But that was expected from someone who was clearly not a [Chef], let alone a kind of [Fine Dining Chef]. However, Edlyn had met [Street Cooks] who were able to make some of the most delicious meals she had ever tried, whilst simultaneously looking like some of the worst meals she had ever seen. So she knew better than to be a snobby noble who judged food based purely on its aesthetics.

After all, flavor mattered the most. And… that wasn’t what was going on here either.

Edlyn wrinkled her lips as she took another bite of the shrimp fried rice. It’s just… average.

The thought crossed her mind as she stared at the plate. Whatever spices Amelia added to the shrimp fried rice was too muted, overwhelmed by the sauce she used. It was like there was something missing. And more than that, the proportion of ingredients was off too. Too much shrimp and rice, too little vegetables to balance the flavor.

And yet, despite this…

“This is quite the extraordinary dish,” Baron Lyzon said as he sat back down in his seat. “I must know the recipe.”

He posed the question to Amelia who just shrugged in response. Next to them, a group of other nobles whispered excitedly amongst each other, forgetting their manners as they quickly scarfed down the food.

“The rich taste— the flavor! It feels like it has quenched a thirst I never knew I had my entire life!” a Lady exclaimed.

“I have never been quite the lover of seafood, but I think that has changed…” a Duke murmured as he wiped his mouth.

And that was not all. Edlyn swept her gaze over the rest of the table. She watched as the [Chefs] under her retainer gushed over the unique mix of ingredients Amelia used for the shrimp fried rice. They had never once praised the [Royal Chef]’s cooking, yet here they were, praising Amelia’s cooking as they attempted to deconstruct it.

The [Knights of the Astral Order], too, were impressed. Edlyn looked on as Wyn Stefard nodded approvingly, and even Jordan Cel— the man who tried and failed to apprehend Amelia— gave a begrudging grunt to show his satisfaction with his meal.

“It is as you said, Sir Rowland,” King Jalen said as he leant back in his seat, eyeing the brown-haired woman from afar. “In addition to being a force of nature, she is quite the terrific cook too.”

“Indeed, my liege.” The [Knight]-Captain nodded with a hearty laugh. “Her culinary skills are truly unique in this world.”

King Jalen leant forward, propping up his elbows onto the table and resting his chin on his knuckles. “I wonder, where is she from?”

“I am not sure—”

Edlyn tuned out of the conversation as she looked back towards her plate. She felt like she was living in an alternate reality— like she was the only sane person left in the room. But more than that, she felt almost… insulted.

It felt like all her effort and work for the last year and a half she’d work here in the Astra Palace was utterly wasted. It wasn’t the fact that they liked Amelia’s cooking which sat wrong with the [Royal Chef]. It was the fact that Edlyn had incessantly labored day and night to provide the best meals she could for everyone, but she never once received any kind of reception quite like this.

Edlyn gritted her teeth as she eyed her shrimp fried rice. “This…”

She opened her mouth, and a voice drew her attention from behind. “Are you not going to finish that?”

Immediately, Edlyn froze. She recognized the voice, even if it was mostly unfamiliar to her. But it was clear who had asked the question. Stiffly, the [Royal Chef] craned her neck to face Amelia.

The brown-haired woman was standing there with her arms crossed and a brow raised. She ignored King Jalen and Sir Rowland who were seated right there, instead focusing only on Edlyn.

“Do you not like it?” Amelia asked, tilting her head.

She didn’t sound offended. Her tone was just curious. But still, Edlyn backed up nervously, stumbling over her words.

“W-what? Me? I… I…” the [Royal Chef] sputtered.

And Amelia crossed her arms, speaking bluntly. “You can be honest. I don’t actually care that much if you hate it. I’d just like to know the reason why. I mean, you’re [Chef], right?”

That didn’t offer Edlyn any reassurance. She sank back into her seat, before looking towards King Jalen for help. But he didn’t seem to take a hint, distractedly taking another bite of his shrimp fried rice.

Amelia tapped her fingers expectantly, and Edlyn squeaked.

“I-I-I mean— you kind of put too much… sauce into it?” With each word that left the [Royal Chef]’s mouth, she tried to back up even further away from Amelia, until it wasn’t even possible any longer.

“And?” Amelia pressed on.

Edlyn pursed her lips. Should she even continue? Was Amelia upset? The [Royal Chef] couldn’t tell. But still, she was asked a question, and she couldn’t stop herself from running her lips as her instincts as a [Chef] took over.

“And it’s missing… something?” Edlyn said, losing some of her meekness from earlier. “I don’t quite know what it’s missing, but there’s a key ingredient that needs to be added. And that’s why I think it’s very average—”

She immediately caught herself, covering mouth before she could continue. But the damage had been done. Edlyn sank even further in her seat, almost falling off.

I’m going to die, she thought as Amelia furrowed her brows. I’ve doomed us all. Not that fucking idiot Baron Lyzon— somehow he liked something for once. But me. I was the one who fucked up.

And Edlyn flinched as Amelia raised her head. But contrary to what the [Royal Chef] expected, the entire palace wasn’t blown to bits. Instead, the brown-haired girl just placed a hand on her chin.

“Missing something? Do you mean MSG?” she asked casually.

“M… what?” Edlyn blinked a few times.

“It stands for— oh, nevermind.” Amelia shook her head. “Basically, it’s like salt, but better. It adds a lot of flavor, and it’s honestly the most important ingredient when making fried rice. Unfortunately…”

“Unfortunately…?” the [Royal Chef] repeated, still processing what was going on.

Amelia sighed as her shoulders sagged. “Unfortunately, I have no idea how to make MSG. I don’t even know how to get MSG. So I had to do my best without it.”

“R-right.” Edlyn hesitated. Somehow, she was still alive. She thought she’d be dead by now. But Amelia didn’t seem to be bothered at all by the critique. And that emboldened the [Royal Chef] a tiny bit enough for her to sit up and continue. “But that’s not all.”

“It isn’t?” The brown-haired woman blinked.

“You needed to add more vegetables too. More green onions, more carrots, more peas… and I think you need more sesame oil too?” Edlyn frowned, using [Recall Taste] as she licked her lips.

“Wait, you knew all that just from tasting my cooking?” Amelia stared at the [Royal Chef], her previous dull expression gone, replaced by a look of amazement.

“Well…” Edlyn scratched the back of her head, avoiding eye contact for a moment. “I am a Level 47 [Royal Chef], after all.”

Amelia gave Edlyn an approving look. “That’s impressive. Isn’t that pretty close to Xakor’s level?”

The [Royal Chef] flushed from the compliment. “I mean, I don’t think levels mean everything. But I would say that I might catch up to him soon…”

Most of Edlyn's anxiety was gone now. Somehow, Amelia— the monster who was as strong as an Elder Dragon— actually appreciated the [Royal Chef]’s Skills. For the first time since Edlyn had started working here in the Astra Palace, someone had been impressed by her. And that seemed to calm her nerves.

Maybe we’re not all going to die, after all… the thought crossed her mind as she eyed Amelia standing there.

The brown-haired woman almost seemed harmless— like she couldn’t slaughter everyone in the dining hall in an instant— as she nodded to herself. She met Edlyn’s gaze, and for once, the [Royal Chef] didn’t look away. But perhaps she should have.

Because when Amelia opened her mouth again, Edlyn couldn’t come up with a response.

“Do you,” Amelia said, “want to work for me?”

“...what?” And Edlyn’s eyes went wide.

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