Yeonhwa, the Cooking King

The sky of the Phara Kingdom was still bright and sunny today.

Under the sun-lit sky, the market streets of the Phara Kingdom were bustling with merchants and people, and the lively wide streets full of vitality showed how vibrant the Phara Kingdom was.

The atmosphere of the street was such that just hearing the conversation sounds would make one burst into laughter.

And walking on such a street, a woman with long white hair, Morgan, sighed deeply in the lively atmosphere.

“Haah… I’m tired.”

On the way back from completing the order Aria had given. To be more precise, it was on the way back from giving the princes’ sword training lesson that Aria had requested once a week.

Dealing with two princes at the same time when even one was annoying enough to die from was a real pain.

That’s why Morgan was exhaling her unresolved fatigue with a sigh even after leaving such a lively street.

However, after relieving her fatigue for a moment, Morgan looked up at the bright sky and muttered softly.

“It’s already been three months…”

It had already been three months since Aria returned from administering the princes’ entrance exam and entrusted Morgan with the role of instructor.

At that time, Morgan had tried to refuse Aria’s order to teach the princes with extreme disgust, but before she knew it, she had taken on the role and been doing it, and suddenly three months had passed.

The summer season had now changed to cool autumn, and as if to prove it, the surrounding trees were turning red and yellow with autumn leaves.

The sky was also proving that autumn had come, with not a single cloud around the bright sun, so Morgan realized that three months had really passed and then glanced between the street buildings.

“Those have been appearing a lot lately too.”

As time passed, the seasons changed and the street scenery changed, but if asked what changed the most, it would probably be those sacred banners filling the spaces between the buildings.

White banners with gold embroidery that were being distributed for free by the temple.

And the reason those banners were hanging like that was none other than to commemorate the Day of Divine Manifestation that would be in two days.

“This god and I don’t match at all.”

Right now, Morgan was also going around sticking sacred banners here and there at the temple, but it was ridiculous for her, a demon, to be commemorating the manifestation day of a god of another race.

Therefore, Morgan let out a hollow laugh while looking at the banners adorning the spaces between buildings, but while she was in a daze, she came to her senses seeing the banners that were still increasing in real-time.

“I should hurry back to the temple.”

For now, since she was Aria’s subordinate, she had to commemorate the Day of Divine Manifestation, and the tired Morgan herself wanted to return to the temple as soon as possible to finish her remaining work and then rest.

So she walked quickly towards the temple, even while dragging her tired body.

Behind Morgan, the sacred banners hanging abundantly between the buildings fluttered in the wind.

It didn’t take much time to walk from the bustling market street to the quiet temple street.

Morgan, who was such a fast walker, arrived at the temple in just 3 minutes.

But although it might be a bit quieter compared to the market street, the sacred banners hanging were easily three times as many as in the market street, so Morgan let out another small sigh upon arriving at the street.

“Ugh… haah…”

Just looking at it made her feel like she was being purified. Of course, the problem was that this purification wasn’t in a good sense, but in a bad sense.

Thinking that she, as a demon, really didn’t match with this environment, Morgan trudged along with heavy steps.

“Come to think of it, Isolde has been lethargic lately too.”

Thinking about it, Morgan recalled that Isolde, who was also a demon like herself, seemed to have been quite lethargic since four days ago when they started preparing for the Day of Divine Manifestation.

Isolde, who originally looked sickly, had been half-dead since sacred banners started hanging all around, and recently she had melted down to the point where she could be called a liquid, holed up in her room.

The fact that she still didn’t stop reading even in that state showed her personality, but unlike Morgan who just felt uneasy, looking at the lethargic Isolde would show how serious her condition was.

“Well, honestly, if it goes that far, it’s obviously an exaggeration, but…”

Morgan recalled the lethargic Isolde and then snorted with a “pfft”.

In fact, if we were to be precise, even if it was full of divine power, not direct godly power, it wouldn’t reduce the physical abilities of demons like themselves.

It just made them a bit more lethargic than usual, nothing more.

Probably if forcibly dragged out, Isolde wouldn’t like it, but she would become normal again.

“Alright, alright. I should hurry inside and rest too…”

The idle thoughts had gone on too long.

Morgan cut off her thoughts that were about to continue longer and started moving her feet that had stopped momentarily towards the inside of the temple.

Murmur murmur───

The sound of conversations coming from around as she entered the temple.

As expected of devout priests, they looked even busier than usual and were going around the temple like busy ants.

Morgan wanted to go straight to her room if she could, but as she had recalled earlier, there was still one thing left to do.

“I have to deliver this… She’s probably in her room?”

With a rustle, she took out a single letter from her bosom.

It was a letter she had received from a deputy while going to act as an instructor for Tin and Pelian today.

The recipient of the letter was Yeonhwa.

Just seeing that the recipient was Yeonhwa and the kingdom streets were in a party mood preparing for the Day of Divine Manifestation, one could roughly predict the contents of the letter.

Therefore, Morgan smiled at the obvious letter but headed towards her room where Aria would probably be.

“I’ll just pass through.”

“Ah, yes. May the blessing of Goddess Iriel be with you.”

“Good work, Ms. Morgan.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

Has she gotten used to it now? Unlike when she first came to the temple, the priests treated her warmly as she pushed past them and entered the third corridor of the temple, where dozens of room doors unfolded.

Rooms each with separate purposes.

Aria’s room was mixed in among those doors, so it might be difficult for a first-time visitor to find, but for Morgan who had been to her room countless times, finding it was easier than eating cold rice porridge.

-……

-……, ……

-…. ……

Listening before opening the door, she heard the sound of conversation from inside.

And after hearing the conversation sounds whose owners she could guess, Morgan opened the door without knocking and entered.

“So Mother also at that time… Ah, Morgan’s here?”

“It’s Ms. Morgan. Welcome back.”

“You’re back, Morgan.”

Myu, who was speaking happily in Meiyel’s form, turned to look at her.

Followed by Libby politely greeting her, and Aria sitting modestly at the desk between the two.

Originally, Isolde would have been included here, chatting away, but seeing that she wasn’t here today either, it seemed Isolde was still holed up in her room.

However, the fact that Isolde wasn’t here couldn’t stop Morgan’s current task, so Morgan paid no particular attention and walked straight to Aria, showing her the letter envelope she was holding.

“I finished today’s lesson with those princes and received this letter during the lesson. It’s addressed to you, or more precisely, to you as a cook.”

“Me as a cook? Ah, you mean it came for Yeonhwa. Then is it a letter asking to prepare for a party?”

When Morgan handed over the letter with a brief explanation, Aria seemed to have instantly guessed the contents of the letter she hadn’t seen yet and spoke thus.

It seemed it was an obvious guess for Aria as well.

“What are the contents, Mother?”

“If it’s alright, may I see it too?”

And as Aria took out a paper knife to open the letter envelope, Myu and Libby approached her.

Aria seemed to give silent permission to Myu and Libby’s questions, calmly opening the letter envelope with the paper knife even as they approached, and when she unfolded the letter paper taken from the envelope, the two read its contents intently.

But of course, the one who finished reading the contents first was Aria, who had unfolded the letter first.

Aria put down the letter paper she had finished reading on the desk and opened her mouth.

“As expected, it’s asking to prepare for the palace party to be held on the Day of Divine Manifestation. It seems my cooking skills have spread by rumor even to the palace.”

“As expected. But if it’s a palace party anyway, don’t we not need to go far? I know the palace party is held at the temple too.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Aria nodded at Morgan’s words.

The palace party that asked Aria, that is, Yeonhwa, in the letter was indeed held at the temple, as it was the Day of Divine Manifestation.

To be more precise, in front of the statue erected in the center of the temple street.

As it’s the Day of Divine Manifestation when Goddess Iriel herself descends once a year, all the major figures of the kingdom gather at the temple.

And in front of the statue, the palace party is held, and on both sides, ordinary citizens come and open their own party venues.

On this day alone, there is no difference in status at the party venue despite it not being the academy, due to the solemnity and holiness of Iriel coming directly.

It’s truly a day of partying where everyone comes together as one to enjoy.

Of course, that doesn’t mean you won’t be quietly killed the next day by a nobleman if you get drunk and make a fuss at them on this day.

Anyway, as it’s such an important party, it seems the palace has requested help from Yeonhwa, whose reputation has spread widely, to prepare for the party.

Therefore, Aria, who had fallen into silence and contemplation for a moment after reading the letter, slowly opened her eyes and exclaimed.

“Alright, then since the palace says they’ll provide the funds and ingredients, I should finish in advance the things that need time to mature and the preparations that can be done beforehand. Morgan, call Isolde. Myu should go along and bring back the ingredients.”

“…Just how much are you planning to bring back that you need two magicians?”

An ominous premonition arising at Aria’s boisterous exclamation.

Just how many ingredients is she planning to bring back that she needs two magicians?

Morgan immediately voiced the question that naturally arose, and sure enough, to Morgan’s question, Aria exclaimed once again with a confident voice.

“I hear there’s a problem of excess inventory in the Phara Kingdom’s food warehouses these days, so it wouldn’t be bad to use a lot for this party. So bring back half of all the ingredients piled up in the warehouses!”

“…Mother?”

Myu’s face froze like a stone as soon as Aria shouted.

But Aria didn’t seem to notice it and burst into giggles, and Morgan, who was the only one to see Myu’s face from behind, prayed for Isolde’s soul who wasn’t present here right now.

May they just bring it back alive.