Chapter 90: A new world

Chapter 90: Chapter 90: A new world

For a young cultivator raised on simple farm staples and rigid academy rations, the meal was a transcendent awakening. It was as if an entire universe of high gastronomy had exploded right before him, bridging centuries of culinary tradition with pure mana-infused art.

One by one, world-renowned executive chefs stepped into the dining room to personally introduce their creations:

Chinese Course: The Grand Chef of the Eastern Reaches presented delicate, hand-folded spirit-prawn dumplings floating in a rich, eighty-hour imperial bone broth, infused with rare mountain ginseng that warmed the body’s internal meridians.

Japanese Course: A master from the eastern archipelago introduced paper-thin slices of seared A5 Miyazaki Wagyu wrapped around fresh sea urchin, seasoned with micro-herbs and a brush of aged spirit-soy.

Thai Course: A master of tropical aromatics presented a vibrant Tom Yum consommé—an incredible balance of sweet, sour, and fiery chili that cleared Rowan’s mana channels with a single fragrant sip.

French Course: A classic Parisian artisan bowed as he served a pan-seared duck breast drizzled with a velvety black truffle and berry reduction, melting on the palate with rich, complex depth.

Italian Course: An artisan from the southern coast brought out handmade tagliatelle tossed in golden spirit-butter and aged parmigiano, coating the pasta in a luscious, savory glaze.

With each course, Rowan tasted flavors he hadn’t known existed, his senses heightened by the pure vitality locked within every ingredient.

Finally, the Executive Grand Chef of the Royal Estate stepped forward himself, holding a crystalline bowl beneath a silver dome.

"For our grand finale," the Grand Chef announced with a proud, respectful bow toward Rowan, "His Imperial Majesty requested a creation worthy of today’s history. Using the very ancestral peaches Cadet Rowan Vance cultivated on Plot 07 yesterday, we have crafted a Primordial Peach Sherbet."

The chef lifted the dome, revealing a vibrant, pale-pink sorbet that released a delicate, floral aroma across the entire table.

Rowan lifted his spoon and took a bite. The moment the frozen sherbet touched his tongue, an astonishing burst of clean, uninhibited sweetness enveloped his senses. It wasn’t merely dessert—it was a rush of pure, primordial vitality that chilled his throat before blossoming into a warm, soothing wave through his chest.

"It tastes like liquid sunshine!" Princess Lyra exclaimed, her eyes widening in delight as she savored her own portion.

"An incredible finish," Crown Prince Julian agreed, nodding in genuine admiration toward Rowan.

Emperor Aurelius smiled warmly across the table, watching the young champion set down his spoon. "You didn’t just win your division yesterday, Rowan. You brought a piece of lost history back to the empire’s table."

Around the gilded table, the four other champions exchanged subtle, appreciative nods. They were the finest martial and alchemical talents of their generation, yet watching Rowan transform a dead stone husk into a legendary delicacy had completely reshaped their perspective on true power.

Setting his silver spoon down, Rowan turned toward the Executive Grand Chef and Emperor Aurelius with a thoughtful, composed expression.

"Your Imperial Majesty, Chef," Rowan began smoothly, "if any of the pit cores from yesterday’s ancestral peach harvest remain, I would like to request one."

Princess Lyra blinked in curiosity, while Crown Prince Julian let out a quiet, amused chuckle. Emperor Aurelius raised an eyebrow, swirling his glass of spirit wine. "A peach core? Out of all the rewards this empire could grant, you ask for a seed pit, Rowan?"

"The fruit was extraordinary, but the pit holds the future," Rowan replied with a confident, calm smile. "My family’s enterprise, Eden International, specializes in distributing pure, high-grade soil-cultivated resources. A single primordial peach tree, nurtured under proper conditions, would yield an impossibly scarce, high-tier resource that no other syndicate or noble house on the continent could replicate."

The Executive Grand Chef immediately bowed, stepping forward with a small, velvet-lined mahogany box containing three pristine, unblemished pits saved from the kitchen’s prep counter. "It would be an honor, Master Cultivator. To see such a lost species propagated further is a chef’s greatest dream."

Emperor Aurelius nodded in hearty approval. "Granted. A true master never enjoys a harvest without thinking of the next planting season. Take them, Rowan."

Rowan accepted the velvet box, feeling the faint, dormant thrum of ancient vitality radiating through the wood. With his [Breath of Eden - Lv. 2] skill and the primordial soil resting in his domain, he knew he could nurture these seeds into full, thriving ancestral trees. In a mana-dense world starving for uncorrupted elemental ingredients, Eden International was about to hold a complete monopoly over the most lucrative agricultural commodity in the realm.

Tucking the box securely into his uniform coat right beside his gleaming Golden-Red Imperial Dragon Badge, Rowan stood up as Emperor Aurelius rose from the head of the table.

"Now that our bellies are full and your future harvest is secured," the Emperor announced, his deep voice carrying through the chamber, "it is time to see what our ancestors left behind. Follow me to the Imperial Treasury."

***

Emperor Aurelius pressed a concealed runic tile near the mahogany wall paneling, causing a heavy stone door behind the silk tapestry to slide open with a quiet, subterranean hiss.

"Every major hall and chamber in the Royal Estate is constructed with hidden mechanisms that connect to deep underground sanctuaries," the Emperor explained, leading the five champions down a spiraling staircase carved from raw obsidian. "In the event of a high-tier siege, spatial tear, or emergency evacuation, the estate’s foundations double as a subterranean fortress."

They walked for five minutes through cool, quiet passages where ancient leylines pulsed through the stone walls in faint, rhythmic ripples of blue light. The ambient mana density grew thicker with every step until they arrived at a dead end dominated by a monumental vault door forged from platinum-infused titan-steel, covered in glowing bloodline seals.

Emperor Aurelius stepped forward, placing his palm flat against the central dragon emblem. Golden bloodline mana flared brightly, causing thousands of intricate internal gears to shift, unlock, and disengage with a heavy, reverberating thud.