The Kitchen of Tempest was ginormous.
If he had to make a comparison, it was as big as the communal kitchen he often used back in his Demon King Slaying days. The atmosphere was not so different either. People ran around, ingredients and cooking utensils in hand. Chores were divided, some peeling fruits—or what looked like fruits—while some cut it into bite chunks while others tended the wok and the fire to turn the ingredients into food.
But what piqued Ludwig's attention the most was the smell bouncing around the kitchen. Warm and spiced air washed over him at once. Thick with cumin, turmeric, and something faintly sweet riding under the savoury heat.
His shoulders relaxed without permission. The sharp notes of ginger and garlic pricked at his nose, followed by the mellow, comforting scent of stewed vegetables and slow-cooked meat.
When he followed the smell into the source, he found a pot bubbled, the soft blorp-blorp of thick sauce breaking the quiet between clattering utensils deeper inside the kitchen.
What's inside was no surprise. A big pot of curry with meat and vegetables. A food that only his restaurant should have in the whole Tempest was not slowly shimmering in the kitchen reserved for the City's official.
"We have finished creating the Curry Block." Shuna's proud voice slithered through the noise of the kitchen. "Soy Sauce, Paprika Powder, Chili Powder, and most of the seasonings you gave us had also finished. But just like I said earlier, mass producing it is still a problem."
Ludwig couldn't hear the later part of Shuna's explanation. Or maybe, he just didn't want to hear it. The first part was all he cared about. The instant seasoning so to speak was ready. Now, he could finally say goodbye to 1 gold per small packet of them.
"Good, good." Ludwig nodded his head. "Say, Shuna. Do you know anyone who can butcher the hog we just killed?"
Shuna tilted her head slightly to the side before answering. "Tempest has a butcher, Ludwig-sama. Of course I know someone. Do you want me to call him here?"
Ludwig lifted her eyebrows up and looked at Shuna, the layout of the Kitchen entered his head. "You don't have a place big enough to butcher a hog that big. What about the butcher's place? Is it big enough?"
Shuna crossed her arms in front of her, the hem of his clothes folding. "Indeed, this place is too small. Yes, the butcher should have enough space. Do you want to go there now?"
"Let's go." Ludwig nodded and waved his hand, telling Shuna to lead the way.
With that, both of them leave the Kitchen. In the dining hall, Kushina joined them, falling a step behind Shuna. With that, the three of them walked through Tempest street once again.
But, just a few minutes after they left the kitchen, Shuna stopped. In front of them was now a building that was reeking the smell of blood.
"Here we are, Ludwig-sama." Shuna announced.
With a nod, they walked into the building. The inside was packed, denizens of Tempest were lining up to the opened counter that was manned by an Orc. All kinds of meat could be seen through the glass display, from what Ludwig was sure as poultry to what he was not really sure about.
Shuna stepped into the counter. After exchanging some words with the tender of the counter, they were waved into the room behind the main room. As they stepped through the door, a scene he was familiar with appeared in front of him.
The cold hit him first, then the smell.
The butchering room was several degrees cooler than the shop outside, a sharp bite of artificial chill that slid under his clothes and settled on his skin. Stainless steel tables lined the walls in neat rows, their surfaces slick with a thin sheen of water and faint smears of red the workers hadn't gotten to yet. Hooks hung from overhead rails, some empty, some bearing halves and quarters of carcasses that swayed slightly whenever someone brushed past.
The air was thick with the scent of fresh blood: metallic, humid, and heavy. Not rotten, not foul, just… raw.
The kind of smell that crawled up into his nose and sat there, refusing to leave. Beneath it lingered the weaker notes of soap, fighting a losing battle to carve out their own space in the room. Somewhere, a drain gurgled softly as pink-tinged water ran down into the floor.
Ludwig's eyes moved without thinking, tracing tools and exits, measuring space. Butcher knives of varying sizes rested in a rack along the wall, each blade honed to a mirror finish. A bone saw sat on its own stand, its teeth still clean for now. Wooden cutting boards were laid out on the central tables, some already marked with shallow grooves from long use. It was efficient, practical, and ordered in a way he could respect.
And yet, the moment he really took it in, his chest tightened.
The scene overlapped with another in his mind, one far less clean. For a heartbeat, the stainless steel blurred into rough tables made of hastily nailed planks, set up in muddy camps behind a battlefield. The smell here was chilled and contained; back then it had been hot and suffocating, thick with steam rising from monster corpses still radiating leftover heat.
He remembered standing shirt-sleeved in that damp warmth, knife in hand, carving through hide that barely deserved to be called skin. The flesh of some creatures had been rubbery and stubborn, others too soft, almost jelly-like, clinging to his blade. Viscous, dark blood had soaked his gloves and forearms, sticking as it dried. He and his comrades worked in a rush, not to make neat cuts for sale, but to strip usable materials before decay and other monsters claimed them.
A shout in Tempest's butcher room snapped him back.
An Orc worker hefted a large side of meat onto one of the tables with a dull, meaty thud, then began to break it down with practiced motions. Bones cracked with clean, decisive sounds. The knife moved with a rhythm that was almost soothing. Slice, separate, stack.
It was butchery as a craft, not desperate salvage in the shadow of war.
"Ugh… I never thought butchery was like this." Kushina's muffled voice entered his ears at that moment.
Ludwig turned his neck towards the Readhead, the shadow hanging on his face gone. "And what did you think butchery is? Do you think wild game just turned into meat without this raw process?"
Kushina gave him a side glance and laughed dryly. "Well to be honest… I never thought about it."
The three fell into silence, eyes roaming around the room. Then, a big orc shuffled across the room and stopped in front of them.
"Apolozgize to keep you waiting, Shuna-sama. What can I do for you today?" The orc's deep voice rumbled, beating into his chest even when it had no hostility at all.
Shuna looked at the big orc like he was a child, then she pointed towards Ludwig. "This gentleman right here wants to use your service, Jeff. I'm just here to accompany him."
The big eyes of the orc landed on him. Then, a trace of familiarity glinted on his eyes. "If I'm not wrong, you are the famed chef of the restaurant between worlds. It's a pleasure to have you in my humble butcher house."
Ludwig's eyes widened just a little. "Restaurant between worlds? That's what you called my restaurant?"
The orc nodded. "Indeed. Every dwarf living in Tempest long enough sang about your alcohol. Goblins praised your meat, and orcs chattered about your hospitality. It's the dream of many of us to dine there."
Ludwig was taken aback by the orc's explanation. Dream of many? Wasn't that a bit of a stretch?
"Why has it become the dream of many? I don't think my menu is expensive enough."
The Orc chuckled, his laugh echoed, turning a few heads around the room. "No, no. Not too expensive. But it's always packed isn't it? Imagine a few orcs like me coming in when your restaurant is packed. It will surely bother your customer."
Ludwig laughed wryly at his reasoning. When he asked Greito to build his restaurant, he already included a high ceiling and spacious room for creatures bigger than humans to walk in.
It worked well, at least for the first few months. But ever since crowds from Tempest started to walk into the restaurant freely, the dining hall seemed to become smaller and smaller with every passing day. With how some mercenary from Shadow Hand started to walk into the restaurant as well, his restaurant would run out of space sooner than later.
It seemed like he had to expand the space inside the restaurant more. Should I include a VIP room too, I wonder?
"Seems like I will have to expand my restaurant soon." Ludwig chuckled.
The orc chuckled as well. "If you can do that, you can expect more business from Tempest. But enough of that. What did you require me to do?"
With the pleasantry set aside, Ludwig waved his hand. Right after, a carcass of the hog he just killed a few hours ago appeared in front of them. "I need you to butcher this thing."
Jeff's brows climbed as the hog's carcass dropped into existence with a dull, wet thud that made a few nearby workers flinch and stare.
"Monster from the deepest part of Jura Forest." He rumbled at last. His gaze traced the massive frame, the faint orange sheen still clinging to the bristles, and the rocky plates fused with its hide. "Earth-type, isn't it?"
"Used to be." Ludwig replied. "Now it's dinner."
A couple of younger Orcs nearby snorted in amusement before hastily returning to their work under Jeff's brief, warning glance. He then let out a low, appreciative whistle as he walked around the carcass, studying it from hoof to jowl. His heavy steps made the planks beneath him creak faintly.
Up close, Ludwig could see Shuna watching him too, her expression a mix of curiosity and quiet satisfaction.
"This is good meat." Jeff finally declared. "Dense, plenty of fat in the right places. Bones are going to be a bit of a problem, though… they look harder than usual."
"They are." Ludwig confirmed. "It used to throw boulders around with its tusks. You might want a sturdier saw."
Jeff's smile widened, showing thick, blunt teeth. "Challenges are welcome here."
He turned toward Shuna and inclined his head. "With your permission, Shuna-sama, I'll prepare a station for this one."
"Please do, Jeff." Shuna replied. "Ludwig-sama needs the meat for his cooking."
At that, a faint murmur rippled through the nearby workers—quiet, but unmistakable. The name had spread further than Ludwig thought. A few Orcs and Goblins dared quick glances his way, eyes shining with a mixture of curiosity and a sort of reverent hunger.
So the 'restaurant between worlds' reputation was really that bad, huh.
Kushina leaned closer and muttered, just loud enough for him to hear, "You're popular."
"Something I don't want." Ludwig chuckled.
Jeff clapped his hands once, a solid, echoing sound that snapped the room's attention back to him. "Oi! Clear the back left table. We'll need space. And bring the reinforced hooks."
The workers moved quickly, almost eagerly. One of them wiped down an empty station with brisk, practiced strokes, then set out a row of heavier knives and a thicker cutting board. Another brought over a larger saw with a reinforced spine, laying it down with a certain pride—as if finally it had found a worthy opponent.
Ludwig watched the preparations, and the memory of muddy, makeshift field tables surfaced again. But it soon faded against the clean lines and organized motion of Tempest's butchery. Same work. Different world.
Jeff returned to them, wiping his hands on his apron. "I'll start by breaking it into manageable sections. Once that's done, you can point out which cuts you want prioritized, Chef."
Ludwig nodded. "Good. I'll give instructions once it's opened up. I need a few specific parts for curry and some for roasting. The other parts beside the meat can go to Tempest's stock if you want."
Jeff's eyes gleamed. "A fair trade."
Kushina raised her hand hesitantly. "Um… can I watch? From a distance?"
"You can stand with Shuna-sama." Jeff said, remarkably gentle for someone his size. "But do not get in the way. Once we begin, the blades will not stop for anything, understood?"
Kushina straightened, face paling slightly but determined. "Got it."
Just like that, the hog was turned from a carcass of a powerful monster into bits and chunks ready to be seasoned and cooked.
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