I Can Give Talent
Chapter 298 – Spirit Gourmet Maestro

"Yaa, yaa… Everybody calm down. It was just a big misunderstanding. In the end, nobody was hurt. Shall we reconcile?" Ayaya tried to mediate. Her hands waved gently, a peacemaker's gesture cutting through the rising heat.

"What do you mean nobody was hurt? Ziana was cleaved to death! I knew that clump of metal was useless the first time I saw it," Lumine replied.

"Excuse me. I'm here. I'm not injured," a monotone voice said. Ziana appeared behind Lumine, not a single scratch on the armored suit even after losing the exchange so badly. No wonder she was fearless facing the charging Valenia. She stood there, a silent tower of steel, her presence cool and unshaken.

Seeing her lies exposed like that, Lumine's face turned red from embarrassment. Her cheeks burned, a flush spreading fast as she avoided everyone's gaze.

"Sigh… this is the reality… women would lie about anything to have their way. At least I never lie to my spirit beasts," Megumin said. Her voice dipped into that familiar dramatic lilt, a hand resting on her hip as she sighed.

"Shut up, Megumin!" Lumine shouted in more embarrassment. Her shout cracked through the air, sharp and flustered, as she shot a glare at her dramatic companion.

"Hmph, if it's really a misunderstanding, then give me compensation for Slashy's trauma!" Valenia demanded. Her voice rang out firm and bold, her stance unwavering as she stared them down.

"Mistress, I'm not traumatized though," Slashy informed mentally. He was an honest mantis. 

"I know you're fine, but we need to get something from them. How can they get away easily after bullying you? I'll make sure to uphold justice for you! If they don't compensate, after we reunite with Madam, we'll make sure they pay with bigger compensation," Valenia said.

If the misunderstanding had happened to her, she would've just walked away because it didn't feel worth escalating the situation further, but since it involved Slashy, she became like a mother wanting justice for her son. They had to compensate Slashy no matter what! Her chest puffed out, a protective fire blazing in her eyes.

The five ladies were speechless. They heard what Valenia said loud and clear.

"Hehehe… Miss Redhead, I think you're supposed to have that conversation secretly," Megumin said. A teasing giggle slipped out, her eyes twinkling with mischief as she watched Valenia.

Valenia blinked. Oh right. I forgot. So embarrassing! But she kept her poker face. Her cheeks warmed slightly, but she forced her expression to stay steady, refusing to let them see her falter.

"Ahem… It doesn't matter. The situation does not change. Pay compensation!" Valenia demanded.

"Hmph! Why should we? That mantis wasn't even injured. You think we're pushovers, redhead?" Lumine countered. She had gotten over her shame and came back to argue. Her arms crossed, a defiant tilt to her chin as she glared back.

"You made a big mistake; of course you have to take responsibility. Are you paying or not? Last chance!" Valenia demanded for the last time. Her hand tightened on her broadsword's hilt, a silent warning humming in the air.

"In your dreams! You won't get anything from us! Like Megumin said, it's your fault for not making it obvious that the mantis is your spirit beast! Give it knitted clothes or socks or something!" Lumine's voice rose, sharp and stubborn, her words dripping with sarcasm.

"Lumine, you pay for the compensation! You were the one who insisted on taming the mantis in the first place," Saloma urged. Her tone was sharp, a scowl tugging at her lips as she rubbed her temple.

She was quite irritated with Lumine, who was the cause to begin with. Although she was a Spiritual Cultivator, she hated consuming too much of her mental energy because it gave her an uncomfortable headache. She felt quite moody now as she could feel small pulses of a pre-headache forming.

"What? It's my fault now? You guys think I should pay too?" Lumine looked at the others. 

They all nodded, supporting the decision.

"You guys! Fine! I'll remember this betrayal!" Lumine stomped her foot. The ground thudded under her heel, her frustration boiling over.

"Yaa… what do you mean betrayal? We're only strangers working together. Didn't we already agree to solve any issues by vote?" Ayaya reminded her. 

"I know, so shut up! Redhead, what do you want as compensation?" Lumine turned her head and asked.

"Give me all the broadsword weapons you have in your possession," Valenia said, her hand extended. 

The ladies were speechless. That's it? Don't people usually ask for money for compensation?

"Are you crazy? Why would I have a broadsword with me? I don't even have a sword. Why don't I give you a knife instead? I have plenty of them," Lumine said.

"Why do you have many knives?" Valenia asked. Her head tilted slightly, curiosity sparking as she eyed Lumine.

"Hmph, I am the future greatest Spirit Gourmet Maestro; of course I have many knives!" Lumine said with pride. Her chest puffed out, a spark of passion lighting up her face.

"Spirit Gourmet Maestro? What is that?" Valenia was confused.

"Spirit Gourmet Maestros are elite cultivators who walk the path of flavor and taste. They seek out rare ingredients from demonic beasts to exotic herbs, spiritual fruits, elemental anomalies, and probably anything! Not for alchemy or medicine, but to create dishes that elevate taste to the level of enlightenment. Our aim is to reach the Dao through taste!" Lumine explained passionately. 

"Ah… so you're a chef," Valenia's eyes brightened. She suddenly changed her decision. She now wanted this Lumine girl to satisfy her delicious food cravings! Say no more to plain roasted meat! Valenia was sure Slashy would want delicious food too. It'd been many months after all. Her mouth watered at the thought, a hungry grin spreading across her face.

"Tch, what chef? That's a lame title for the unskilled, like comparing an Array Master with a Formation Master. Although the basics are the same, the expertise chasm between the two is humongous. Don't tell me you're from the Cloud Continent as well? Only that backward continent doesn't know what a Spirit Gourmet Maestro is," Lumine glanced at Valenia again and said in disdain. 

"Oh my heart… I am hurt by those words… women nowadays are so discriminatory… what's wrong with being a person from the Cloud Continent? It doesn't make me less than you. Sigh… only my spirit beasts won't discriminate against me…" Megumin shook her head. Her hands clutched her chest, her voice dipping into that familiar, dramatic mourn.

"Megumin is right, yaa… In the end, you guys from the Protogaea Continent still had to cooperate with us to survive in this situation. So there's no point acting superior. And we have one more lady from Cloud Continent now. Yaa, so our numbers are even now," Ayaya chimed in to support Megumin. 

Valenia was dumbfounded. Why are you including me? I have no intention of joining your group, especially after what happened last time. Furthermore, none of you looks trustworthy. 

"Ahem… if that's the case, you can compensate me by making delicious food out of these demonic beasts," Valenia said to Lumine. With a wave of her hand, the carcasses of ten different high-level demonic beasts piled high upon one another behind her, casting a shade. 

"What? You want me to cook all of these? Did you kill them by yourself?" Lumine looked up at the huge pile. Her eyes widened, a flicker of disbelief crossing her face as she took in the sheer scale.

"Yes, I killed them. Cook all of them deliciously, okay? You can, right?" 

The ladies looked at the fatal wounds the dead demonic beasts sustained. They immediately realized that Valenia was hiding her true strength. If she had used a similar method to slay these demonic beasts as she did against the armored Ziana just now, things might have turned out very differently. A quiet unease rippled through them, their gazes darting between the carcasses and her.

Sure enough, they couldn't underestimate anyone who entered the Mystic Realm.

"Oi, redhead, this is too many. I'll cook a quarter of these for your compensation. That should be enough, okay?" Lumine bargained. Her voice softened slightly, a grudging attempt to negotiate.

"You can't cook all of these? Is Spirit Gourmet Maestro a fake profession or something?" Valenia taunted, her expression showing doubt. She had watched her madam do this many times, so a simple taunt like this wasn't that hard to imitate. 

"What did you say? Take it back! I won't allow you to insult the honor of Spirit Gourmet Maestro! I challenge you to a food war!" Lumine snapped. The taunt was way too effective. Her face flushed red, her hands balling into fists as her pride flared.

Valenia was dumbfounded. Food war? What the heck is that? Throwing food at each other? Competing to see who can eat the most? Her mind spun, picturing a ridiculous scene of flying meat and stuffing contests.

"I didn't insult you at all. You said you can't cook all of them. That's why I doubt you. My household's young lady is just a normal chef in the Foundation Building Realm, but she could easily cook all of these as quickly as possible, like a day or two, and still have heavenly taste and flavor. Even our maids who learned cooking from her could do so as well. That's why I have huge doubts. Right, Slashy?" Valenia explained. Her tone was matter-of-fact, a casual confidence lacing her words as she glanced at her mantis.

Slashy nodded while making some clicking sounds. It didn't know how to lie, but what her mistress said was completely true, so he didn't have any problem going along this time. 

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