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Book 2: Chapter 7: Using Cooking to Subdue Chaldea
As Chen Heng cooked, the other three, who were exchanging information, occasionally glanced over, as the aroma of his cooking was extremely enticing. Not to mention them, even Chen Heng felt hungry from the smell.
“Mash, Jeanne, may I trouble you with something?” Chen Heng suddenly interjected while cooking as the two Servants exchanged information.
“What’s wrong, Mister Ruler? Do you need help? Just say the word.”
“It’s like this. I’m currently cooking and can’t leave. However, there’re some biological reactions less than one kilometer southeast. Can you go check them out? If they’re hostile, just eliminate them.”
“Does Mister Ruler have some sort of detection skill?”
“This is just a variation of my attraction personal skill. I laid a web of attraction force over the area within one kilometer of us. As long as a living creature steps in, I will immediately receive a reaction.”
“Attraction? Web?” This was Jeanne’s reaction to Chen Heng’s words. Clearly, this village girl saint did not understand modern science.
“It is just a skill. Can I trouble you to check?” Explaining would be problematic, so Chen Heng decided to avoid doing so. He might explain it to Mash while traveling later. Mash was a good student.
“Alright, Mister Ruler.”
Mash and Jeanne headed to the southeast to check while Fujimaru Ritsuka remained.
Fujimaru Ritsuka started to speak, “Ruler—”
Chen Heng interrupted her, “There’s no need to address me as Ruler. Just call me Chen Heng. This is my true name. You can also address me as He Who Knows Fate.”
“Chen Heng…I’d better call you He Who Knows Fate. After all, it is not good to use the true name in front of an enemy.”
“Sure. Whichever you prefer. What did you want to ask earlier?”
“Uh…” Fujimaru Ritsuka did not know how to answer. After all, she could not say she was trying to figure out Chen Heng’s true name. In the end, before she asked, he told her.
“You were trying to figure out my true name, right?” Chen Heng spoke aloud what Fujimaru Ritsuka thought.
“Hey! He Who Knows Fate, how did you know?” When Chen Heng stated Fujimaru Ritsuka’s purpose, she appeared embarrassed at being exposed. She also could not hide her shock.
“I say, do you take the Absolute Precognition in my personal skills as a joke? You told me that in the future. Even if you don’t know what the Absolute Precognition is, Doctor Roman should, right?” Of course, it was not due to the Absolute Precognition. It was purely because Fujimaru Ritsuka was a poor actress. Furthermore, anyone with any brain would figure it out. When running into a Servant of unknown origin, the first thing to do was to figure out the Servant’s true name. This was just common sense. Chen Heng only said that to make Fujimaru Ritsuka remember to take his suggestions seriously.
“Absolute Precognition: a supernatural ability able to truly see the future. However, didn’t the Servant status screen indicate that it is damaged?” Doctor Roman started tutoring the Magecraft novice Fujimaru Ritsuka on Magecraft knowledge.
[TL Note: There’s a difference between Magic and Magecraft in Fate/Grand Order. Magic is the highest class of Mystery that surpasses Magecraft and all current sciences of that age. On the other hand, Magecraft is the artificial reenactment of Mystery, which is ordinarily possible only by inhuman beings. It is the ability to bring about what is possible through science with supernatural means; although the process is considered a miracle, the result is not. You can read more about the two here: /wiki/Magic and /wiki/Magecraft.]
“That is to say, he can see the future? What an incredible ability!” The Magecraft novice Fujimaru Ritsuka felt extremely shocked at this.
“My Absolute Precognition is indeed damaged, but it does not mean it is unusable.”
“Then—”
“If you want to ask about the future, don’t bother. According to the current developments, the results are pretty good. However, if I tell you, the future might change.” Chen Heng immediately cut off Doctor Roman at Doctor Roman’s first word.
“I understand now. Thank you for your explanation, He Who Knows Fate. Now, I understand the origin of your name. Indeed, you are a person who knows fate.”
Mash and Jeanne returned after a while.
“Sempai and Mister Ruler, we have returned. We discovered some Magical Beasts to the southeast. However, we have already dealt with them.”
[TL Note: Magical Beasts are a rank of Phantasmal Species, which is a collective classification for all non-human creatures found in legend and fantasy: /wiki/Phantasmal_Species#Magical_Beasts.] fr eeweb novel
“You can just address me as He Who Knows Fate. Also, wash your hands there. We are about to eat.” Chen Heng pointed to a washbasin beside a tent. He had placed it there earlier.
“We can finally eat. He Who Knows Fate’s cooking is the best I have ever smelled. I just don’t know how it tastes.” When Fujimaru Ritsuka, who had been staring at Chen Heng cooking, heard that the food was ready, she immediately leaped to her feet. She had been waiting for very long already.
Chen Heng took out a large table, a few chairs, and some cutlery from his spatial storage.
“This time, I prepared Chinese food. Chinese food is not portioned individually or served in courses. We will eat from common dishes. Speaking of which, do you know how to use chopsticks?” Aside from Fujimaru Ritsuka and himself, the rest were not Asians, so Chen Heng asked.
“I do. The doctor has taught me.” Although Mash had been living in Chaldea, Doctor Roman had been good to her, teaching her all sorts of strange things, including how to use chopsticks.
“When we get summoned, the Holy Grail will give us such knowledge.” Although Jeanne had been living in France, the Holy Grail would shove some information into her, as she was a Servant; for example, French, English, Japanese, Chinese, and various other languages, and also how to use chopsticks.
“Since that is the case, let’s start eating.” At Chen Heng’s command, 10,000 retired commandoes—Er…When Chen Heng said let’s start eating, the other three orderly extended their chopsticks. Even Fou, who was on the table, started eating. Chen Heng had specially prepared food for it. After all, Fou was an ally.
[TL Note: Fou is a squirrel-like pet that follows Mash. Here is more information on it: /wiki/Fou.]
This time Chen Heng cooked braised ribs, chopped bell pepper fish head, mapo tofu, stir-fried spring onions and mutton, sour and spicy shredded potato, sweet and sour pork cutlets, and chives fried egg. He prepared so many dishes mainly because three out of the four here were Servants. Servants could convert food into mana, so he did not worry about having leftovers.
“The braised ribs are very delicious! Sempai, you should try some,” Mash said.
“Yes, yes! Mash, try the sweet and sour pork cutlets,” Fujimaru Ritsuka said.
“Another bowl!” said Jeanne.
While Mash and Fujimaru Ritsuka picked food out for each other, Jeanne had her head down while shoveling food into her mouth.
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“Seeing that, I suddenly feel that the sesame bun in my hand no longer tastes good.” Doctor Roman, who was sitting in Chaldea, looked at the sesame bun he held before looking back at Fujimaru Ritsuka and the others eating. This comment came from deep within his soul.