After successfully "cleaning up" Atlantis and saving Seraphina's brother, we returned to the surface. But instead of applause, we were greeted by a squad of knights in golden armor, led by a man with a slick mustache and a face that looked like he'd just smelled garbage.
"By order of Emperor Odelia VI, we are here to escort Hero Elena and her party," the man declared arrogantly. "Including… that feral chef carrying suspicious kitchen equipment."
I glanced at my Black Pan. It seemed offended too—it let out a small puff of hot steam toward the man's boots.
"Hey, my name's Rian," I said. "And this isn't suspicious equipment. This is a divine-tier sous-chef."
"Whatever," the man waved dismissively. "You are to head to the Imperial Capital of Lumina immediately. The Hero's Coronation Ceremony will be held, and His Majesty wishes to personally meet the 'Vessel' who gathered all the Seal Keys."
Elena gripped the hilt of her sword, eyes sharp. "Rian, I don't like this. The capital is a nest of silk-wrapped snakes."
"Same, ma'am. But we need supplies—and maybe some free gacha from the imperial treasury," I whispered, imagining mountains of golden gacha tickets.
The journey to the capital took three days in an extremely luxurious—and extremely boring—royal carriage. Inside, Seraphina, now fully back in "Noble Princess Mode," forced me to learn aristocratic etiquette.
"Rian, don't eat roasted turkey with your hands," Seraphina scolded, smacking my hand with a folding fan.
"But using hands is mechanically more efficient, Princess!" I protested.
"Use this silver fork. And when speaking to the emperor, do not call him 'Uncle' or 'Boss.' Address him as 'His Most Exalted Majesty.'"
Lila laughed as she watched me suffer. "Big Bro Rian looks like a monkey in a tuxedo!"
"Shut it, you walking explosive!"
Elena sat quietly in the corner of the carriage, staring out the window. Since the incident at the ocean floor—when I almost turned into Astaroth—she had grown noticeably more silent. I knew what she was counting in her heart.
The day she might have to draw her sword against the man who cooked her breakfast every morning.
We arrived in Lumina, the City of Light—so dazzling it physically hurt my eyes. White marble everywhere, golden fountains, and people dressed as if every day was a carnival.
That very night, we were summoned to a private imperial dinner.
I was forced into a black suit that was painfully tight around the armpits. As for my Black Pan? The guards tried to confiscate it at the hall entrance—but it released a dark aura that sent them fleeing in terror. In the end, I was allowed to bring it in on the condition that it be "wrapped in velvet cloth" so it wouldn't ruin the room's aesthetics.
"Welcome, Hero Elena," a deep voice echoed from the throne.
Emperor Odelia VI was an elderly man with piercing eyes. He didn't look at Elena—instead, his gaze locked onto me. More precisely, onto the Ice and Fire Marks on the back of my hand.
"And you… Rian. The Vessel who holds the world's keys," the emperor smiled, though the smile never reached his eyes. "I hear you are quite talented at cooking. Why don't you prove it tonight? My palace chef is ill, and I wish to taste the cuisine that tamed two Seal Queens."
This was a trap. I could feel it.
If my cooking was mediocre, he'd have reason to humiliate me.
If it was too good, he'd suspect dark power behind it.
"With pleasure, Your Majesty Un— I mean, Your Most Exalted Majesty," I replied, bowing stiffly.
I walked to the open kitchen beside the hall. All the nobles watched closely. I removed the velvet cloth from my pan.
"Alright, Pan. This is our stage. Don't get shy."
[System: Initializing Menu "Ruined Noble Etiquette."]
[Limited Ingredient Gacha: Used.]
[Congratulations! You obtained "Garlic of Heaven" and "Crystal Salt of a God's Tears."]
I began cooking.
My movements were lightning-fast, almost like afterimages. The Black Pan spun through the air, releasing an aroma so divine that several nobles began drooling onto their expensive outfits.
But midway through cooking, my Corruption Meter pulsed again.
[Corruption Meter: 2.55%]
A thin trace of purple energy seeped into the soup. I tried to suppress it—but it was as if that power wanted to "taste" the dish too.
"Serve it," the Emperor commanded.
I placed a bowl of Clear Broth of Tranquility before him. It looked simple—almost transparent.
The Emperor took a spoonful.
Silence.
The entire hall held its breath.
Suddenly, the Emperor dropped his silver spoon. His eyes widened. His rigid expression slowly softened. Then, to everyone's shock, he began to sob openly.
"This… this tastes like my childhood…" he cried.
"The taste from before I became a power-hungry ruler… the taste of the seaweed soup my mother made in a shabby hut…"
The nobles were dumbfounded. Elena and Seraphina exchanged glances.
"Rian! What did you put in that soup?!" Elena whispered in panic.
"Just garlic… and a bit of emotion," I answered honestly—though that emotion came from fragments of Astaroth's memories, who apparently also knew what homesickness felt like.
The Emperor stood, wiping his tears. "Magnificent! Rian, you are not merely a Vessel—you are an artist! From this day forth, you are appointed Grand Imperial Chef!"
But as the emotional atmosphere peaked, a suspicious-looking advisor leaned close to the Emperor and whispered something into his ear.
The Emperor's face hardened instantly.
"However… I am reminded of a prophecy," he said coldly.
"A Vessel with such talent is humanity's greatest threat. Elena!"
Elena stiffened. "Yes, Your Majesty?"
"After tomorrow's coronation, you are ordered to escort Rian to the White Prison Tower. He will be 'protected' there indefinitely—so the Demon King can never awaken."
My blood boiled.
Protected? That was a polite word for imprisonment and experimentation.
Elena clenched her fists. "Your Majesty, Rian helped save the world! Without him, the seals would have shattered!"
"Precisely why he is dangerous, Hero! He holds all the keys!"
The hall grew suffocatingly tense. Beside me, the Black Pan began emitting a low growl—metal scraping against metal.
"System," I whispered. "Looks like it's escape-plan time again."
[System: Recommended. White Prison Tower has a 1-star rating on TripAdvisor. Food is bland.]
"Rian," Elena looked at me, her eyes full of conflict. The Emperor's command was absolute law to a Holy Knight. "Don't do anything foolish."
I smiled faintly, gripping the handle of my pan as it grew warm in my hand.
"Ma'am… since when have I ever not done something foolish?"