The Greece Antagonist

The next day, early morning.

The master and disciple both came downstairs with a pair of dark circles under their eyes, sitting at the dining table in a daze, staring at each other.

They both had insomnia.

One closed their eyes, and all they saw was the horrifying image of Zeus tearing off a toga and charging at them as Ghost Father;

The other closed their eyes, and their mind was filled with endless R-rated scenes, being tormented from morning till night...

— Beast!

Vivian muttered a curse, planning to heal her wounded body and mind with a hearty breakfast:

"Boss, a pot of hot honey wine, a plate of pickled meat, and some random desserts."

From the fluent ordering, it seemed this Lake Fairy often wandered around human towns.

However, the dark-skinned cook and proprietress behind the counter shook her head expressionlessly:

"No."

"Then something simple, a plate of bread, some blood pudding, and a stew." Vivian relented unwillingly.

"Also no."

"This is unavailable, that is unavailable, how do you even run a shop?"

"Head twenty kilometers east into town, order whatever you want, but pay for your accommodations before leaving."

The proprietress replied unpleasantly, looking as if she couldn't care less, clearly unwilling to entertain this picky guest.

Vivian, who rarely tolerated such treatment, was about to explode, but was stopped by Luo En's raised hand:

"We're away from home, let's just make do."

This place was called an inn, but it was merely a larger house with a few empty rooms, not to be compared with a proper human city or an elf settlement.

Plus, the small fishing village barely saw any guests throughout the year, and even the proprietress's husband had to occasionally go out to sea fishing to sustain their livelihood.

Having something to eat in such a place was good enough, unlike Vivian who could afford to be choosy.

Luo En turned to the proprietress with a gentle smile, asking:

"Madam, what ingredients do you have here?"

"Some coarse flour, and some sea fish freshly caught yesterday."

"Then please use these available ingredients to prepare a meal for us."

Seeing Luo En being so easygoing, the proprietress nodded gladly and returned to the kitchen to prepare the meal.

During the wait, Luo En instinctively cocked an ear, listening to the few guests' conversations to deepen his understanding of the local area.

This was a small fishing village called "Mausel," which literally translates to "Mouse Hole." It got its name from the small harbor that serves as a shelter; its narrow entrance between massive breakwaters resembles a "mouse hole." When winter storms rage, this is where fishing boats hide.

It was administered by the county of Cornwall,

a name Luo En was more familiar with in Britain.

Stories of Merlin, the Sword in the Stone, and King Arthur took place on this land.

According to guests' chatter, before the first Great Invasion, a group of warlike Celtic people came here, bringing knowledge of forging iron into weapons.

These Celts not only brought some culture and technology but also the faith of the Danu Divine Race, growing stronger with each Divine War tournament, eventually becoming the region's dominant ethnic group, shaping Cornwall into what it is today.

With a certain cultural foundation and a relatively long history, the cuisine should be decent, right?

I wonder how the proprietress's cooking skills are...

Just as Luo En was starting to feel a bit of anticipation, a heavy earthenware pot was slammed onto the dining table, almost denting it:

"Your meal is ready!"

With just a glance, the eagerness on Luo En's face froze.

A charred pie stuffed with a mix of deep-sea fish such as sardines, tunas, scadfish, herrings, dogfish, and cod appeared. The heads of the dead fish poked out, eyes staring skyward, putting on a shocking appearance.

The strange mix of sweet and salty smells tickled Luo En's nose, making him want to sneeze.

With a "pfft," the proprietress ripped open the pie crust, revealing the roasted sea fish inside, some with sharp teeth showing signs of demonization; others, charred and bulging like pitted alligator skin; some, half-cooked, bearing a red and white appearance...

In short, the appearance of the ingredients signaled their inedibility as much as possible.

"This is..." Luo En's voice was dry.

"As you requested, mixing flour and fish to make a meal, it looks pretty good."

The proprietress replied with a smile, obviously satisfied with her culinary skills and creation.

Even if making pies, shouldn't the fish be minced into meat fillings?

Who sticks whole fish into pies, not even de-scaled?

As a successor of the God of Stove, who always had better culinary and aesthetic sense, Luo En mentally complained incessantly.

"Eat it up, won't you eat? This dish must be eaten hot!"

Seeing the guests slow to start, the proprietress enthusiastically urged them.

Swallowing, Luo En stiffly smiled as he pushed the platter to Vivian:

"I'm not hungry, you eat more."

Vivian broke off a portion of the pie to taste, chewing while commenting:

"Hmm, salty, fragrant, not bad at all."

"Really? Let me try it too."

Surprised by the evaluation, Luo En suspected the dish only looked bad but tasted great, so he took a piece and tasted it.