Overgeared

A new gourmet experience—it was Raiders’ only joy and purpose in his life. Some of his own kind laughed at him, but it didn’t matter. Wasn’t he better than them, who were simply surviving?

This was Raiders’ pride. He resembled Braham.

‘It worked out rather well.’

Raiders thought as he looked at the remains of the food.

Fire Dragon Trauka—he had been aiming for Raiders since the beginning of chaos. The naturally aggressive bastard spread the misguided physiology of eating their kin among the dragon species.

‘If the body part of that loathsome bastard was able to satisfy my tongue… it would’ve been unpleasant as well.’

Surprisingly, the thing that Raiders hated the most in the world wasn’t tasteless food. The thing he hated the most was Trauka, with the second most hated thing being bad chefs, and the third most hated thing being tasteless food.

Idan was incredibly lucky.

What did Trauka’s arm taste like...?

Thanks to Raiders’ subconscious desire for it to not taste good, Idan was able to avoid becoming an object of hatred. In the first place, Raiders had a rational mindset that was rare among dragons. He knew it wouldn’t be possible for a human chef to cook the body of an Old Dragon as he wished. This was why he helped with the preparations itself.

Of course, it didn’t pay off. Raiders saw it clearly. It was the sight of the salt and pepper that the chef sprinkled on Trauka’s flesh disappearing without properly permeating it. The boiling oil couldn’t fry Trauka’s scales and only coated the outside.

“That… should I appease your spoiled appetite? Do you want me to guide you to a restaurant I know well?” Grid said cautiously.

It was very fortunate that only a bit of Trauka’s arm was lost, but he ended up feeding Raiders a meal that wasn’t delicious. He had to be prepared to deal with Raiders’ anger.

‘He is being surprisingly decent, but I won’t be fooled.’

Grid clearly remembered it. It was the image of Raiders struggling because the food he had enjoyed for hundreds of years had become boring. He looked very calm even when he was thinking about destroying a family of chefs who had passed on the taste for a long time just for him.

‘There is no need to worry about the deal falling through. If a dragon doesn’t keep their promise, then their Dragon Words will weaken.’

This was unless Raiders intended to be like Bunhelier. Grid would just have to endure a brief storm...

Grid was making a good expression as he thought this. Then Raiders retorted, “There is the best chef of the time here. Is there any need to move?”

Raiders failed to properly assess Idan. First of all, a trustworthy figure called Grid introduced him as the best chef of this time. Additionally, there were no flaws in Idan’s recipe that he actually saw. The reason why the dishes were tasteless was purely due to the ingredients. For Raiders, it was hard to doubt Idan’s skills.

“...I don’t think Sir Idan is in a position to cook again.”

The startled Grid was relieved when he saw Idan’s appearance.

It was a frustrated appearance. The image of him sitting down on the white sand in a dazed state resembled a person who lost his homeland. His empty eyes and the tear tracks represented his shock and sadness.

‘It is unfortunate, but it worked out in many ways.’

Idan fully repaid Grid’s trust. He preserved Trauka’s arm for Grid by making bad dishes, and he showed a distraught appearance after being shocked by Raiders’ honest evaluation. He played an active role without leaving any room for regrets.

‘Even Raiders wouldn’t trust a chef in this state.’

He would take back the attention he placed on Idan. The case would end without Raiders noticing that Idan ‘really can’t cook.’

‘Let’s treat Idan better from now on.’

A faint smile spread on Grid’s face as he made a promise.

‘Is it a side effect of becoming a god?’

The Great Robber of the Red Night murmured to himself. He hid in the shadows and observed the situation. In fact, he had heard all of Grid’s plans beforehand. This meant it was possible to infer how much the cook named Idan must’ve been hurt. Grid smiled even though he knew that and it worried the Great Robber.

‘He has always sacrificed himself because he loved and trusted the people.’

Grid always fought for humanity. Such a person was smiling at the pain of others? Of course, the current Grid wasn’t smiling at Idan. He was smiling because he was satisfied with the situation. Even taking that into consideration, it was hard to get rid of the impression that he had lost some of his humanity.

‘Is he going to become like the other gods after all... no, wait?’

The expression of the deeply worried Great Robber suddenly brightened. It was because he was reminded of Grid’s origin. Why did Grid confidently attempt to smelt the freshly removed Old Dragon’s arm?

It was because his origin was a blacksmith. He wasn’t the ultimate blacksmith. He started as a blacksmith. Thus, he tried to smelt Trauka’s arm in the middle of the city like he was the blacksmithing god.

The Great Robber’s thoughts reached this point and he could think of a figure.

‘Pagma.’

Yes, Grid was none other than Pagma's Successor. A person who fought for humanity while sacrificing countless lives.

‘Pagma might deserve criticism, but he truly loved humans.’

Thus, he made a pact with Baal even though he was fully aware of what he would suffer when he died. He sacrificed a lot of people for the sake of his cause, but there was no malice in it.

‘Grid must resemble him.’

He wasn’t losing his humanity as a side effect of becoming a god. By nature, it was originally easy for him to sacrifice people... it was quite double-sided and was almost like a scoundrel.

‘Usually, disciples resemble their teachers.’

The more he learned about Pagma’s life, the more assimilated he became. Then a voice permeated the ears of the Great Robber, who was nodding in conviction, and Grid, who was swearing for some reason.

“He is the best in his field. I’m sure he is shocked by the unbelievable reality that he made a dish that isn’t delicious, but... I believe he will recover quickly with his solid mentality.”

“F... Huh?”

Was someone cursing him from somewhere? Why did a chill suddenly run down his spine? Grid was about to reflexively spit out a curse, only to become speechless.

Raiders’ eyes as he looked at Idan was full of respect and understanding. It wasn’t like an Old Dragon at all.

‘This can’t be happening? Don’t tell me?’

Grid looked dumbfounded and dazed. Then his face soon turned white.

‘Did he notice my plan?’

In retrospect, it was natural. Raiders was the Gourmet Dragon. He had an eye for cooking itself. In fact, the skill he used to prepare the ingredients a while ago wasn’t normal. So there was no way he couldn’t know the fact that Idan’s cooking skills were actually lousy.

‘He must’ve noticed that I brought in a chef who couldn’t cook on purpose.’

It was obvious what would happen next. Raiders would order food from Idan that used ‘normal ingredients.’ After confirming that even these dishes were terrible and tasteless, he would hold Grid accountable.

‘It is ruined.’

Somehow, he thought that things had worked out too easily.

‘Should I break his wrist? Sehee can treat him later anyway. But I must have a justification to convince Raiders afterward...’

Should Grid accuse him of being a thief? Grid was overcome with nervousness as he looked at Idan’s hands and pondered on it. This belongs © NôvelDra/ma.Org.

“I greet Raiders, the great Old Dragon who reigns over all things, the brilliant Gold Dragon who shines before the sun.”

Just then, the Great Robber of the Red Night came out. He also came to the same conclusion as Grid. Thus, he felt the need to turn things around.

Raiders’ eyes sank coldly.

“That is an old greeting.”

Raiders was surprised by two things.

First of all, he couldn’t read the presence of a human being. Secondly, he heard a greeting that he never thought he would hear in the current world.

“...How many destructions have you experienced, you ghost?”

The repetition of creation and the end—the cycles done by Rebecca and Yatan were fatally flawed. The point was that beings whose ‘power’ was above a certain level weren’t affected by the destruction. The representative examples were dragons who lived intact even after experiencing countless apocalypses, and Zik, the apostle of the Overgeared God.

They existed every time.

They were ghosts.

“As you know, humans are different from you great existences. We are pitiful beings who can’t live unless we forget. When I was born and how many apocalypses I went through. I’ve long forgotten.”

Raiders didn’t ask anything further, as if that was enough of an answer. He just muttered while staring at his long blond hair that was being dyed by the red sky, “Great Robber of the Red Night.... so...”

“Raiders, may I dare to say something?”

“I respect you as much as an outstanding cook. I give permission.”

“The reason Grid made a deal with you was because of my request.”

Usually, the Great Robber treated Grid as if he was a young man. However, he referred to Grid respectfully when he encountered a high ranking target. It conveyed an unspoken meaning to the target.

The hierarchy of you and Grid is no different. You should also respect Grid.

Raiders looked like he was being noisy, but he agreed.

“Do you mean ascending to heaven?”

“Yes, he came up with this plan purely to help me. So if you must hold someone accountable, please...”

“Accountable?”

Raider was cocking his head in a confused manner when his ears shook slightly. He was responding to the signs of Idan, who stopped crying and was catching his breath.

“Let’s talk after we finish eating.”

Then something amazing happened. Raiders rose up with magic and instantly moved to Idan’s side. Then he reached out to Idan.

“The best cook of this age.”

“......”

“I will give you a chance to serve me the right food.”

It was the aftermath of biased information. Raiders believed in Idan’s history that was submitted by Grid and still thought he was the best cook. From Idan’s perspective, it sounded like mockery.

‘This XX.’

Calling him the best chef of this age after spitting out the food he made because it was terrible? Idan had given up on living from the beginning. Even though he burned his soul to cook, he failed in the end and he couldn’t see anything in his eyes. In a word, he lost his fear.

“Okay. I’ll make it for you.”

There was a very defiant look in his eyes. The chef’s eyes that were confident rather than being afraid after having failed once slightly thrilled Raiders.

‘He is truly the chef I was looking for.’

Show the source of that confidence. Finally, the smiling Raiders used magic and a mysterious scene unfolded. All the cooking utensils and food ingredients that existed in the world, as well as spices that Grid had never seen before filled the center of the coast where there used to be nothing.

“Anything is good. Do what you want.”

“I don’t need all of them.”

“......?!”

Grid, who had been restlessly watching the situation, turned contemplative while Raiders raised his eyes in a scary manner.

The Great Robber of the Red Night murmured, “I’m sure he will be killed...”

It was because he watched as Idan put away the cooking utensils prepared by the Old Dragon, kicking them away with his feet and sweeping them away with his arms.

In the awkward silence, Idan spoke, “I will do it my way. Give me a bit of dragon meat again.”

It was right after an unexpected failure. In his despair, Idan had realized. It was a mistake to abandon the skills he had honed all his life to cook in the same manner as others.

‘What if you deny the path you have been pursuing, Idan? Are you going to leave with last minute regret?’

Cooking that relied on sweeteners and spices was too ordinary. In the first place, it wasn’t pure skill. He cooked with nature.

Idan didn’t hold any kitchen knives or pots in his hands. He made the shape of a pot by digging the pit himself while burning his hands on the white sand of the beach that was heated by the sun.

“......?”

The moment that Raiders sensed something was wrong...

Idan threw the newly acquired Trauka’s meat into the pit and finally held his knife. Was he going to prepare other ingredients now? As everyone paid attention to him, Idan picked up a glass bottle that had washed in by the sea, carefully broke it in half, and placed it on top of the meat. Then the glass became hot in the sun...

“...What is this?” Raiders’ opinion of Idan was downgraded. It was while being bewildered by his series of actions.

Idan didn’t care. Idan cooked the meat in his own way and eventually gave Raiders a piece of meat that was slightly cooked on the outside. It wasn’t even on a plate. It was meat on a stone.

“Are you treating a great dragon like an animal right now?” At some point, Raiders’ voice had become completely cold. He held a knife and fork while glaring at Idan. “If you have deceived me, you will pay a high price.”

Some time later—

Clink!

Raiders dropped his fork and knife once more. It was with a very surprised expression.

“...The taste of meat in my mouth mixed with spices... it has become fragrant?”