Onward to Flavor Diplomacy

Chapter 9 - Onward to Flavor Diplomacy

Twenty-six days remained until the Continental Food and Culture Exchange.

Shiro, now officially the head of Tempest's Food and Culinary Research Division, had been entrusted with leading Team Tempest into this prestigious international event. The appointment had been announced days earlier during a city hall assembly filled with familiar faces: Rimuru at the head, flanked by Benimaru, Shuna, Rigurd—and Shion, who had very vocally objected to the decision.

"Wait, hold on! Why is he the head cook? I make Rimuru-sama's lunch every day!"

Rimuru had barely flinched, replying with the blank stare of someone who had endured one too many 'surprise curry bombs.'

"Exactly."

Since then, Shion had been drawing increasingly violent doodles of slime-shaped food on every surface of her notebook.

Meanwhile, Shiro had work to do.

In the heart of Tempest's culinary wing, he hovered midair, his apron-shaped mana-shield shimmering softly, surrounded by glowing runes and floating utensils. The air buzzed with magic and the mouthwatering aroma of sizzling roots and fragrant spice oils.

"This is it," he muttered to himself. "The preliminary test phase for Operation: Flavor Diplomacy."

Three major objectives were on his checklist: finalize the menu, test the magical kitchenware, and prepare the team for coordinated service under pressure.

Step one? Menu design.

"Dish One: Healing Udon with Slime Broth Base. Comfort food with a restorative twist."

"Dish Two: Ember-Spiced Razorhog Dumplings. For warmth and stamina—perfect winter market fare."

"Dish Three: Honeyglazed Glowleaf Tart. Eye-catching, sweet, slightly regenerative. Dessert with flair."

Kaijin strode in from the forge district, soot-streaked and smiling. "Those pans you ordered? Done. Mana-insulated, flamecore reactive. Just—don't use 'em as projectiles."

Shiro jiggled with approval. "Amazing. You're getting a custom snack drawer in return."

Nearby, Garm was busy calibrating a set of heat-insulated gloves designed to resist open flame. On another counter, Yuki's taste-testing booth had transformed into something of a recovery station—he was currently collapsed under a blanket after testing chili-infused batwings labeled 'unstable.'

"I told him not to eat the unstable ones," Shiro sighed.

At the far end, Myrna stirred spice infusions through a rotating enchantment matrix, creating literal aroma spirals in the air. Gobchi, meanwhile, had somehow activated a levitation trap while flambéing soup with unstable pepper oil.

[Notice: Fire Detected. Threat Level: Minor. Initiating localized venting.]

A rush of hissing steam spiraled upward as enchanted vents cleared the air.

"False alarm!" Gobchi shouted from midair. "Controlled combustion!"

It was not.

But progress often looked like chaos, and Shiro had learned to embrace it. He turned back to his logbook and activated [Gastronomic Archive]. Ingredient harmonics, mana infusion ratios, and projected audience appeal charts lined his vision in clean overlays.

Then came a magical missive from Rigurd.

[System Notification: Festival Budget Protocol Activated — Resource Allocation Optimized.]

The budget had been approved—and it was generous. Enough to order rare goods from Dwargon's underground markets and Eurazania's tropical orchards.

"Time to go shopping," Shiro muttered, practically vibrating.

That evening, the team gathered in the community kitchen for stew made from their first round of trial ingredients. It was simple, warm, and hearty. But what made it special was the energy in the room—laughter, teamwork, sparks of magic and flavor flying in harmony.

This wasn't just a festival.

This was Tempest's debut on the international stage.

And Shiro would make sure their presence lingered like the scent of roasted herbs in the memory of every dignitary and guest.

[Milestone Achieved: Taste Before Triumph — Field Development Phase Complete]

Tomorrow, testing would begin. And Team Tempest would be ready—spatulas, mana circuits, and all.