For meat lovers, an all-vegetable dish might seem bland or lacking richness. But to vegetarians, this French-style layered creation—delicate, colorful, and full of texture—is a delightful experience.
Megumi Tadokoro, a self-proclaimed "vegetable worm," can't go a day without vegetables. She adores seasonal produce, something clearly reflected in her specialty for rustic dishes and the flourishing garden she tends behind the Totsuki dormitory. Back during the grueling residential training, she even earned the nickname:
The Zashiki-warashi of Legumes!
"Mmm~"
Cutting a piece of chilled vegetable terrine, she places it gently into her mouth. The sweet and slightly tangy flavors bloom across her palate. The texture is smooth and springy, with a freshness that hasn't been lost despite the marination. A cool, clean taste spreads through her mouth, down to her belly, bringing a strange, comforting warmth.
Megumi lets out a soft sigh of bliss.
Her body tenses, trying to hold back the surge of pleasure from the dish. But in the end, she gives in, quickly polishing off the entire plate of rainbow vegetable terrine. A peaceful warmth settles over her.
Then, her surroundings begin to shift.
The cozy tavern fades away, replaced by a lush, misty forest. Birds chirp. The scent of earth fills the air. Before her stretches a field of vibrant vegetables, planted in neat rows—lettuce, tomatoes, carrots—all basking in the sunlight. A rainbow of color and life.
She can almost smell the sweetness of each vegetable carried on the wind. And just as quickly, the vision vanishes. She returns to the tavern, a look of dazed joy on her face.
"Amazing. This cold vegetable dish is so simple, yet it warms you up like a mother's embrace," she exclaims, cheeks flushed with wonder. Something deeper had touched her heart.
Megumi knows how difficult it is to make the perfect rainbow vegetable terrine. Maintaining the distinct flavors of each vegetable while creating harmony between them is a tall order. Most people are more attuned to the rich umami of meat—vegetables require finesse. Balancing textures and tastes like this demands precise heat control and deep culinary skill.
Clearly, Zane possesses both.
More than that, his cooking exudes warmth and care—something Megumi can feel with every bite.
"Um… was that allspice I tasted?" she asks, a little unsure.
Zane nods. "That's right. When making terrine—whether vegetable or fish—the broth is key. A flavorful broth makes the terrine bouncy and delicious. I added allspice to enrich the flavor and remove any unpleasant notes."
Allspice, despite its name, isn't a blend—it's a single spice with flavors resembling clove, cinnamon, pepper, nutmeg, and even juniper. Megumi, more familiar with simple country cooking, finds her eyes lighting up with curiosity.
Zane then asks, "Megumi, what would you do if you only had wilted vegetables but still wanted to make a good terrine?"
"Eh? I… I don't know!" she stammers, caught off guard.
"There's a trick. Mix salt and vinegar in water and soak the vegetables for twenty minutes. They'll perk right up."
"Oh, it's that simple?"
She looks amazed.
Zane offers a gentle smile, his thoughts briefly drifting to the original timeline—hoping this version of Megumi can avoid the tragic encounter with Shinomiya Kojirō during the upcoming training.
"In any case, don't stress too much. Whatever challenges come your way, just keep showing everyone the gentle side of cooking. That's your strength."
Megumi nods, visibly comforted. "You're right, Chef. Whenever I talk to you, it feels like I'm on the right path."
Zane, to her, has become a pillar—someone she can confide in and trust, much like Mana and Erina have been drawn to his cooking. As their conversation winds down, Megumi knows it's time to leave—the tavern is already closed for the night.
After she's gone, a familiar chime sounds in Zane's ears.
[Ding-dong! Congratulations, host, for successfully signing in once.]
[Ding-dong! Reward received: Special Recipes – Real Bream Map and Magical Mapo Tofu. Ingredients: 20 real bream fish. Utensil: Sparrow Melody Spatula.]
"What? Two recipes at once?"
Zane is stunned. The Real Bream Map was once created by Liu Maoxing in a knife-skills competition against Ren. While Ren demonstrated dazzling speed and technique, slicing ultra-thin sashimi, Liu calmly presented a masterpiece: a dish shaped like a map of China, highlighting the four major regional cuisines.
North – Beijing cuisine
East – Shanghai cuisine
West – Sichuan cuisine
South – Cantonese cuisine
Each region was represented with its own flavors and ingredients. The brilliance of the Real Bream Map lies in how it unifies China's culinary essence onto a single plate.
And then there's the Magical Mapo Tofu, a twist on the Sichuan classic. While traditional Mapo Tofu is known for five core traits—spicy, fragrant, hot, colorful, and numbing—this version adds one more: crispiness, thanks to fried soy meat. This was a creation of Chef Abe, Liu Maoxing's mother.
Despite Japan's mild palate, Mapo Tofu has long been beloved there—especially when paired with rice. Over 60,000 Chinese restaurants across Japan feature the dish. Even Totsuki's own Kuga Terunori, Eighth Seat of the Elite Ten, specializes in spicy Chinese cuisine.
To Zane, the Mapo Tofu will draw diners in, but the Real Bream Map… that's the true showstopper.
"Perfect. Now the tavern menu can truly evolve."
As if on cue, another message arrives.
[Ding-dong! New Task: Due to tavern expansion and popularity, increase customer flow to 500 patrons within 48 hours.]
"Five hundred in two days? That's 250 a day… If I open for five hours, that's 50 customers per hour…"
Zane rubs his temples.
"No time to rest, huh?"
With a weary smile, he stretches and prepares for a bath. The moon glows softly in the night sky, casting silver light over the world.
Later, Zane sits alone on the second-floor balcony, sipping floral tea. Two months have passed since he was pulled into this world. It hasn't felt long—but running the tavern, cooking for others, and meeting people like Erina, Mana, Rindō, Megumi, Alice, Sonoka, and Momo has filled his time with warmth.
Suddenly—
Gurgle! Gurgle!
The sound of loud drinking pulls him from his thoughts.
Across the way, on the balcony of Shunkatei, Sonoka is drinking alone. She notices him and raises her bottle.
"Hey, Boss Zane! Care for a drink? It's not as good as your stuff, but it'll do."
Zane chuckles. "What's got you drinking tonight?"
Sonoka takes a swig and groans. "Ugh, don't ask! It's just so damn frustrating!"
Running a restaurant alone isn't as easy as people think. Before she opened Shunkatei, she spent months prepping—securing funds, scouting locations, designing the space, sourcing ingredients. Then came daily market trips, cooking, and keeping up with the pressure of maintaining her star.
After a year, she earned her first Michelin-equivalent star from the WGO. It felt like a fresh start. But soon after, she was warned: fail to improve, and the star would be revoked within the year.
Zane leans back in his chair, listening quietly.
He knows the pressure all too well.
In this world of gourmet giants and culinary legends, there's always another challenge, another dish to perfect, another bar to raise.
But even so—there's comfort in knowing you're not alone on the journey.