Chapter 81
Let's place another order; the money will be on Theresis's tab anyway.
He set the famous Victoria dish aside, and then, in a moment of leisure, glanced at the young man in front of him who had kindly offered him advice.
"I never expected this gentleman to have such a deep understanding of the restaurant environment in Victoria. This is something that not just anyone could come up with, is it?"
Duhkare glanced at the Victoria around him; they seemed to be having a good time and didn't appear to be the type to make such demanding requests about their own food.
"Sigh... I lived in the Flame Kingdom for a while, you know? Flame Kingdom."
Duhkare narrowed his eyes for a moment, staring at the man in front of him.
Flame Kingdom.
"Really? What's wrong? It seems that your short few years in the Flame Kingdom have made you feel uncomfortable with your own food?"
"No, no, no, it's not that I'm not used to it, it's just that, you know, compared to all the dishes I tasted in the Flame Kingdom back then, Victoria's recipes are practically child's scribbles!"
Aiden made an exaggerated gesture and shouted.
"Did you know that the cuisines of the Flame Kingdom can be divided into several major schools? The differences between the different schools are ridiculously large, and there are even various branches. Chefs even need to master basic skills such as controlling the heat, observing ingredients, knife skills, and tossing the wok?"
"Victoria's dishes are simply boiled vegetables, then plated, or whatever is used, it's deep-fried first, or she just tries to stew everything together in one pot!"
Aiden, looking utterly disappointed and disheartened, said this.
"Look at this, look at this, is this acceptable?! How can you cook like this! Is this cooking?! Every Victoria claims to be good at cooking because in their minds, cooking in the kitchen is as simple as brushing their teeth and washing their face every day."
"But in the Flame Kingdom, almost no one dares to say they are truly 'skilled' at cooking."
"This is no longer a matter of complexity; it's a devastating gap between culture and its underlying essence!"
"Damn it! Victoria never thought cooking was difficult. These guys, don't underestimate the battles that take place in the kitchen! Damn it!!"
Aiden poured out his grievances to Duhkare as if he hadn't confided in anyone for a long time.
However, the latter, seeing his appearance, raised an eyebrow and asked with some doubt.
"Then, since it's so easy for you, why are you still here? Isn't Flame Kingdom a good place? Why don't you go to the Flame Kingdom?"
The former was taken aback, then looked at Duhkare and said seriously.
"I am Victoria."
"Oh?"
The Bloodfiend Great Lord suddenly found this person rather interesting.
Then he asked another question.
"I remember Flame Kingdom; they shouldn't discriminate against a non- Infected Victoria."
"That's not the point. Of course I know I could have done very well if I had stayed there. In fact, I did have the opportunity to stay there."
As Aiden spoke of this place, he was reminded of his days in the Great Wilderness City...
"Aiden... Wilson, right?"
The old man spoke calmly from the rice paddy.
"Yes, teacher."
"So nervous?"
He looked at the tense young student behind him and slowly began to speak.
"Shu seems to think you're pretty good too, that's why you're able to get..."
Gaining her approval wasn't easy. Should we keep her? I need an assistant.
The Celestial Master turned around and looked at Aiden behind him, who was so excited after hearing the news that he was almost out of control.
He had forgotten some of what happened after that, but the only thing he remembered clearly was that, although he was very excited, he... refused the teacher.
Aiden looked up at the Bloodfiend Great Lord, and then repeated what he had said to the Celestial Master years ago.
"Two reasons."
"First, my father is here."
"If possible, you could bring him to the Flame Kingdom, couldn't you?"
Duhkare spoke, then looked at Aiden with a slightly surprised expression.
That's what his teacher told him back then.
In a daze, he seemed to feel the scent of the rice paddies echoing around him once again.
He spoke slowly, then continued with the rest of his answer.
"There's a second reason."
"I am Victoria."
Duhkare paused, watching as Aiden repeated his initial answer.
"This is, after all, my country."
He looked into Aiden's eyes, into what they held, and for a moment, it even reminded him of his younger self...
I remembered that young Bloodfiend doctor who followed my brother.
"Phew, really? But why have you been looking so gloomy since the beginning?"
Duhkare didn't continue on that topic, but instead started a new conversation.
Then he listened as Aiden, who seemed to have not confided in anyone for a long time, first complained about his father kicking him out, and then about the repeated setbacks he had encountered in this small town.
Especially when talking about his experience at the city gate checkpoint, Duhkare could almost clearly sense a sense of confusion emanating from the young man.
"I don't understand, sir. Did I do something wrong? Or am I just out of place with everyone around me? I always feel..."
No, you did nothing wrong.
Duhkare swirled the wine in his glass. Although red wine and fries were an odd combination, considering the former's inherent elegance, Aiden somehow didn't find anything amiss...
See, this is what a person with class looks like; they can swirl a glass of red wine and flaunt their fries without anyone finding it strange.
"Since you've said so much, consider this a token of my gratitude. I'll give you some advice from an elder—"
Although he really wanted to say that Duhkare looked younger than him, Aiden held back his urge to complain, considering the characteristics of the Bloodfiend.
They were giving me advice, after all; it's very impolite to interrupt them.
"You are excellent, young man, very excellent, but there are certainly not many young people as excellent as you in Victoria. If you weren't, it wouldn't have fallen to this state."
The Bloodfiend Great Lord remarked with such emotion.
If all the people in Victoria were like Aiden, then Theresis's plan would probably be completely ruined.
He would then advise Theresis not to try anything with Victoria for the next few decades.
But unfortunately...
That's impossible.
My advice comes from the bottom of my heart.
But... if he listened... then someone as frail as him as Feline would only meet... death.
The Bloodfiend Great Lord knew very well that his words were actually pushing him into the fire.
But—I'm sorry.
You are a Victoria, and I... am Kazdel.
If only he were Sarkaz.
Duhkare began slowly.
"Sometimes, I wish you could look for problems within yourself less. Someone as outstanding as you usually doesn't need to engage in self-reflection."
"I'm not that great... but what do you mean?"
"Don't always think you have a problem, young man. Why don't you look for problems in other people?"
"Of course, the scope of 'others'... is up to you to determine."
That's the truth.
"Come to think of it, I didn't even ask what you did before."
Duhkare stood up; he was preparing to leave.
But before leaving, he turned and asked the other person.
Aiden opened his mouth slightly, intending to mention the two certificates and academic qualifications he possessed... but in that instant, he seemed to recall a question his teacher had once asked him.
The Celestial Master stood in the field, watching the farmers working in the fields, then turned to ask his students a question.
"What do you think is most worthy of praise in this vast rice paddy?"
Some said it was a Daoist priest, others said it was Ms. Shu, but both shook their heads.
The most praiseworthy thing is----
He seemed to remember something, then swallowed back his list of academic credentials, scratched his head, and gave the Bloodfiend Great Lord a nonchalant smile as he answered.
"I'm a farmer."
(Actually, I've always wondered if it's worth spending so much time writing Aiden Wilson, or an NPC, or other original characters.)
(This is ultimately a fanfiction, so most people will try to avoid depicting other characters, and even original characters will only be minor villains, since this way the focus can be on the protagonist.)
And on all the characters that everyone wants to see.
(But... in the end, I still want to write something different. Zuo Jian is a guy who is different from many protagonists, and I also hope that this story will be a different story.)
(After much thought, I decided to bring up Aiden I had originally planned to only briefly mention, and give him a more detailed description, while also placing him within an important plot conflict later on.)
(A story shouldn't just have dazzling flowers; it should also have lush green leaves.)
(Oh, by the way, I just used a 10-pull ticket to get Ms. Shu, just so you know.)
(By the way, the bounty is over. I'll do a tally tomorrow and then get ready to write like crazy (sad). There probably won't be many chapters, since I don't think I'm that popular.)
Chapter 40, The Beginning of Pollution
"Has it multiplied again?"
Zuo Jian frowned, looking at the tall Golden Tree in front of him.
Half of the tree trunk was once again covered in blood and flesh, with bizarre and twisted limbs extending from it.
But this time... he didn't sense anything unusual.
Compared to the intense discomfort experienced the first time it was eroded, this time it seemed remarkably normal.
I don't know if it's because I'm starting to get used to this feeling or because...
Zuo Jian turned around and looked at the dark blue mirror with some cracks placed next to the tree.
Perhaps it's because he's been spending more and more time with Laurentina.
But, no matter what.
He stepped forward, raised his skeletal arm, and began, bit by bit, to peel away the ever-growing flesh.
But... what does this continuous growth of flesh and blood really mean...?
"Hey—is the newspaper that interesting? You've been staring at it the whole time."
Inside the mall, in a reasonably nicely decorated coffee shop, Laurentina sat opposite someone, looking at them with some displeasure.
From the very beginning, when Zuo Jian entered and sat down in front of him, he noticed that there seemed to be free newspapers on the side. He picked one up, opened it, and then placed it directly in front of him.
I watched it from beginning to end anyway.
"Ugh... tsk."