HC: Pacifist | Ch. 297 - The Verdict

Before the attentive eyes of the eager chefs and his smiling friends, Roth offered his hand to Mel, and she took it. Roth cleared his throat and began the announcement.

"First, thank you all, my friends-” Roth felt Mel’s elbow on his rib. “Excuse me, our friends,  for giving us this incredible evening. Mel and I were talking and agreed that this was the best meal we've ever had."

There was a round of clapping from the 14th and the chefs. 

Roth raised his hand, gesturing that he would continue speaking. "Every single meal was delicious. These chefs put their heart and soul into their food, and all deserve applause. Thank you, chefs."

The 14th clapped again, cheering and roaring, while the chefs took polite bows.

“Now, what did we think of the food? Do you want to help me here, Mel?”

Mel nodded and reviewed each dish. "Chef Gustav, your soup was unforgettable. Its consistency, saltiness, and the balance between strong and mild flavors blew us away. You managed to cram the whole ocean into one single bowl.”

The tall chef accepted the compliment with a curt bow while Roth looked impressed at his girlfriend! How did she sound so much like the judge of a cooking show?! Had she ever done this before?

“Chef Silvia, the Sunrise Pasta was silky smooth, and you managed to create so much depth of flavor using only vegetables. It was amazing.”

Chef Silvia, who was similar in age to Mel, smiled and mouthed a silent thank you. 

Mel continued. “Chef Roxane, your soy steak was incredible. I don't know how you did it, but you made the steak tender. It was perfectly grilled, the rice was delicious, and the accompanying salad was crunchy and fresh.”

Chef Roxane was the oldest of the bunch. Her gray hair and simple clothes made her look like a sweet grandmother who enjoyed cooking, but the sparks in her eyes showed fiery competitiveness. She acknowledged the compliment with a tiny smile but seemed eager for Mel to end the suspense and announce her victory already.

“Finally, Chef Zulmir, your parfait was refreshing and sweet. The pineapple's acidity and the mango's sweetness brought the whole thing together. It was the perfect finale to this delicious meal.”

The last chef, a young, short man, scratched his head, embarrassed. Roth picked up on Mel's sign that she was done and continued. “While every dish was remarkable, two stood out: the soy steak and the soup.”

Chef Zulmir and Chef Silvia looked down, defeated, while the fire in Chef Gustav and Chef Roxane's eyes was ignited. 

"However, out of the two, one dish left such a strong impression that we still remember its taste perfectly. Chef Gustav, congratulations. Both Mel and I agreed that your dish deserves the reward.”

With the new batch of stats he's received from this meal, he had enough stats to accommodate one new VIP member in the union. He operated the menu, added the chef’s name, and concluded the announcement. “Welcome to the VIP roster of the union, Chef Gustav."

Chef Gustav took a bow, and Silvia and Zulmir gracefully applauded. Chef Roxane bit her lip to maintain a courteous smile, but she seemed to be dying inside. With the final verdict announced, the dinner was over, and the 14th mingled with the chefs. Roth and Mel also went to thank all of them.

Roth chatted with Zulmir, a lovely and unpretentious young man, while Mel talked to Roxane. 

"Don’t be like that, Aunty. It was such a very close difference between your dishes. You’ve made our night so special. I’ll never forget that meal." Mel assured her.

“Argh… Thank you, child. I appreciate that. It’s hard when you give your best, and it’s still not enough.”

“It was for us, Aunty.”

Overhearing Mel comforting the older chef, Roth couldn’t help but like Mel a little more. He focused back on the conversation with the young chef. "All the best to you, Zulmir.”

"I'll make sure I come back for that VIP seat."

"I'm sure there will be other opportunities. And again, it was an incredible dessert."

After saying hello to every chef and their friends, Roth offered his hand to Mel. "Shall we go for a walk?"

She looked at the clock. "I still have 30 minutes before I have to go. That sounds lovely."

They both left the building, waving goodbye. The stars were shining brightly tonight, but Roth could only think about how soft Mel’s hand was. Roth felt as if his whole hand was on fire. How could something so simple be so pleasant?

This was the perfect evening—not just because of the eternal spring weather in Green Country. He had a wonderful time with his friends and a beautiful meal with his girlfriend, and she was as happy as he'd ever seen her.

"I won't forget tonight," she said, breaking the silence.

"It was a lot of fun. Thank you for accepting my invitation for this date."

"Are you kidding me? ColdHand will go nuts when I tell him how many stats I won from going on a date with you."

Roth looked down, and some of his joy dissipated. Mel caught Roth’s shift and stopped. "Hey, don’t look like that. The reason why I loved the evening wasn’t the stats. I loved it because we had a nice time together." She looked left and right as if about to share a big secret. "I have to say, this was my best date ever."

Roth's downcast frown turned into a beaming smile. "Really?"

"Yeah. I loved how you got your friends involved, and the conversations we had during the evening were so nice. I had a great time," Mel said.

"That's great. Me too.”

They resumed their walk under the moon and stars. “So, what's next for you?" Mel asked.

"Drake has something he wants to discuss with me. He has yet to tell me what it is, but I'm supposed to return to the building after sending you off. Then I’ll meet Galatheel and Godsfried. What about you? What are you up to?"

"I'm off to grind the Core Tower again. Only one boss left to go, and we'll finally see what the Core is like."

"Do you know anything about it yet?"

“Only that it's deep down in the center of the earth. It's supposed to have unique items, fauna, and flora. The Dragons spend most of their days there, and the Phoenixes have recently begun hunting there too. Their progress has skyrocketed ever since."

Having talked plenty about the game and not wanting this evening to end, Roth tried to think of something else to ask. "You haven't told me how you got into gaming. What did you do before being a full-time gamer?"

"I worked at the gym," she said.

"As a teacher or...?"

"Yeah, I used to do spinning classes."

"Is that the thing with the bikes and the music? Sounds like fun.”

“It is! What about you? Have you ever done any sports?"

"Well, when I was a kid, I fought a lot. I guess that counts as exercise," Roth joked. "In prison, I started playing basketball. Turns out that being tall helps a lot."

She giggled. "Were you any good?"

"I wasn't good at shooting hoops, but I was quite good at blocking others trying to score. Drake is much better than me, though."

“But doesn’t he only have…” Mel reddened.

“One arm. Yes. But don’t be fooled by that. He’s a machine! He’s twice my age and still always left me in the dust. He’s unstoppable.”

"Well, since I'm so short. I guess I wouldn't do well playing against you," she teased.

"That's okay. I'm sure we can find something we'll enjoy doing together once I'm out of here."

“Yes! Of course.”

They had reached the central square where their evening had begun. "Well, I guess I have to go now. But this was nice."

For a moment, they just stared at each other. Mel's eyes seemed to gain a glimmer, a glow softer than the moon’s. Roth felt like he was floating in space again, and gravity was gone. His heart raced, his palms became sweaty, and his chest burned. He feared she would reject him, but he still leaned in. Mel didn't draw back and leaned in as well. They kissed for the first time.

Roth felt like he was floating. Seeing Mel smiling, his joy redoubled. She had also enjoyed kissing him. "Call you later?" Roth asked.

"Definitely," Mel agreed. "See you later, Roth Taylor."

"Bye, Mel."

"Come on, Goldie."

Goldie, who had been walking next to Lin, flew over. 

“Get back here, Goldie! They did kiss tonight! I won the bet! Pay up!”

Goldie looked beggingly at Mel! “Quick! Gigantify! Gigantify! Let’s leave! This cat is going to bankrupt me! I’ve already had to sell feathers to pay him my other debt. I’ll be a featherless chicken if we don't leave soon.”

Roth understood everything, but to Mel, it was just a bunch of meows and caws. “Isn’t it nice how well our pets get along?” she asked.

“I guess we’re meant for each other,” Roth said, laughing.

Gigantify!

Goldie grew in size, and Mel operated her inventory, putting on her crossbow and plate armor. She blew Roth a kiss and took off. Roth just stood there, watching Goldie's large figure disappear into the moon until she was just a point of golden light, another star.

After a few moments of silence, Roth jumped, throwing his fist into the air. "She likes me!" he roared triumphantly. "She kissed me back!" he screamed again, drawing mocking looks from passing players.

"Good for you, dude," one of them said, and Roth ran over to him and hugged him! “OK! OK! Let me go, big guy!”

Roth put him down and headed back to the Union. This had to be one of the best days of his life. She had kissed him back! 

*

The Lord of the Oak followed the battle with interest. The ladybug army tried to break through the lines, hoping to flank the scorpion tanks. However, the shield division was holding its ground. They held up their shields, straining their legs to support the weight of the enemy charge.  Ladybugs were many times bigger than ants, but they could hold them at bay together. 

In the meantime, the scorpion tanks kept methodically whittling the enemy numbers down. The scorpion tanks were the Lord's pride and joy, an amalgamation of his different inherent genetic memories. From his woodworking ancestors, he had drawn inspiration for the tank's frame: four rolling acorns linked by twigs and chitin. 

A line of soldiers from the armored division used the hard chitin shells of armored beetles to fend off the crunching jaws of whatever ladybug managed to approach the vehicle. In contrast, a second line of lancers stood behind them, helping them repel the charge of the desperate polka-dotted hunters.

These were tricky enemies. Their defenses were good enough to deflect the bites of bare mandibles, and they were not as large and sluggish as the other armored beetles the Lord of the Oak was used to hunting. They moved fast, seeking weaknesses in their formation. Moreover, whenever they felt cornered and surrounded, they took flight and let themselves fall toward the treeant ranks as living bombs.

The scorpion tank kept deflecting the ladybugs' strikes. He had to be patient. Finally, one of the ladybugs resorted to its living bomb strategy. It opened its carapace, revealing powerful, transparent wings, and took flight, shaking off the ants swarming her. It hovered a few meters above ground, trying to gain altitude before it dropped on one of the scorpion tanks.

"Wait for it. Wait for it." 

The beetle approached, ever closer, judging the best place of impact, and that's when the Lord sprung his trap.

"Make it rain."

The tank shifted, and ants shuffled in and out of the top, revealing a group of soldiers ready to use artillery. They squirted foul, acidic liquid from their abdomens, targeting the wings of the flying lady beetles. As the acid made contact with the wings, it made a sizzling sound, and the insect's flight faltered. 

"Again." 

Acid and poison require complex proteins and bountiful nutrition. However, despite its glorious strengths, size wasn't one of the virtues of the Leafies. There was only so much acid they could carry. The tank, however, had enough space to fit three squads, meaning he still had one salvo left. However, that proved unnecessary. The acid was enough to bring the lady beetle to the ground in a jumbled mess. While ineffective on the ladybug's shell, it worked fine in its flesh. The ladybug was trying to close its armor, fighting his instinct to let the vapors of the acid out.

The rain of fire had gifted these beasts with an awareness of teamwork and individual intelligence. It was remarkable how the beast could fight the pain, knowing that the soldiers of the lord were waiting for an opportunity. It couldn't completely close, though. The tank rolled over to the struggling beetle and uncovered the scorpion stinger, which had been covered with silk.

The infantry rushed the beetle, which jerked desperately. However, one managed to drive the mandible through the shell's opening and prod it open.

“Now!”

The soldiers pushed the battering sting and drove it through the shells or the ladybug. The bug instantly felt the wound and trashed violently, but it was too late. The acid and venom had made it in. The ladybug dropped, powerless, as the tank shifted toward the next target.

Ch. 296

INDEX

Ch. 298