Shinji Matou at Your Service

"Staple foods usually provide most of the calories humans need. From the simplest pot of rice, a steamed bun, to the ever-changing delicate staples, they are all the result of hardworking labor and accumulated experience. No matter how much food and drink is consumed, the staple food is always the main protagonist on the dining table."

"Crepes, one of the traditional staple foods, is said to have originated in s..."

Accompanied by the magnetic narration, an inconspicuous black round griddle appeared on the screen.

An ordinary T-shaped wooden spatula spreads a dollop of batter quickly on the griddle. In a matter of seconds, translucent crepes took shape. Sprinkling some sauce and seasonings, the filling inside could be freely chosen. In less than two minutes, a fragrant, delicious, and chewy crepes was completed.

As Lorelei was watching this scene, she was having lunch. Due to her busy schedule recently, she hadn't left her office and habitually had a nutritious lunch delivered. Taking advantage of a rare moment of leisure, she turned on the TV, inserted the videotape, and prepared to eat while watching. After just two bites, she found the food in her mouth increasingly hard to swallow.

The so-called nutritious lunch consisted of bread, fruit, vegetables, milk, and meat. It was nutritionally balanced but tasted bland. Compared to the food in the video all steaming hot, her meal seemed increasingly unappetizing.

What's more aggravating was that the video included not only the food-making process but also the sight of a large group of people eating. A rough count revealed more than a dozen people. The final scene was of three men—one old, one young, and one middle-aged—squatting by the roadside, their mouths full of crumbs. The young man was none other than the special envoy she had sent.

"That idiot…"

The young queen of the Clock Tower angrily threw her half-eaten bread onto her plate and cursed at the smiling face on the TV screen.

"I sent you to handle traitors, not to have fun. Even if you have fun, keep it low-key, and don't let me find out. But you—you filmed it and sent it along with precious magecraft materials. It's utterly despicable, yes, despicable!"

Having received a good education since childhood with a limited stock of vulgar words, Lorelei had already forgotten that she had praised her special envoy just the day before for his efficiency. In just ten days, he had executed five traitors, even stripping their magic crests from some of them for special purposes.

After sulking for a while, Lorelei took a sip of coffee and prepared to continue eating. As she lowered her head, she suddenly noticed a note tucked inside the videotape case.

Casually opening it, the first thing she saw was a large smiley face drawn with five arcs and three circles, which immediately seemed punchable.

There was a line of small characters on the back of the note.

"Hey, young lady, long time no see. Have you missed me?"

Who would miss you, hmmph?

"I've missed you a lot. Let me guess, you're angry right now, right? I've told you many times that a queen must have dignity but also needs to temper her temper, or you'll age quickly."

Get lost. Are you here just to annoy me?

Lorelei barely resisted the urge to tear up the note.

I'm not worried about aging; Magus has many ways to stay young.

"I know you're even angrier now, but I didn't mean it. Blame your British food for being so awful. That Stargazy Pie you call a delicacy? Speaking of fish, have you ever seen fish soup served in a basin? Ever heard of a full fish banquet? British food, haha—next time we meet, I'll cook a few dishes for you. I learned them from a top chef, and I guarantee you'll want more after tasting them."

Is my food diet that bad?

Looking at the nutritious lunch in front of her, then at the video on TV, now showing various fried rice dishes...

All kinds of fried rice filled the table, making it a complete fried rice banquet. And it wasn't filmed in a fancy hotel but at a roadside stall that looked far from hygienic.

If the low-end roadside stalls are this good, what about the high-end?

Compared to that, her food... doesn't measure up.

She lost her appetite again.

"Alright, I won't tease you anymore. Let's talk about something happy. By the time you see this video, my task should be halfway done, and I will complete the rest as soon as possible."

"Hmph, that's more like it. At this rate, the execution tasks will be completed in at most another half month. The remaining... discussions, and exchanges of rune techniques won't pose any safety issues and won't take much time either.

"After completing my tasks, I plan to stay in for a while, to walk around and explore this land. You know, I have a Buddhist lineage, and Buddhism flourishes the most here, especially the living Buddhas in Tibet. I hope to gain some insights there. You should work hard too; I'm getting so strong I'm scared of myself. Be careful not to get crushed by me."

Crushed by you? In your dreams. You have no idea how vast and profound the Barthomeloi crest and heritage are. When you return, I'll make sure you get a good taste of my power!

However, walking around and exploring... I recall him mentioning this plan before. Well, most of the Clock Tower's influence is confined to Europe. Asia is our weak point, so this is a good opportunity to understand the situation beneath the surface in the East.

As for safety... I'll find a chance to inform some people. Currently, we are in a honeymoon phase with them, so they shouldn't refuse this small request. The representative accompanied him to film the DV, so they seemed to get along quite well.

"I'll stop here. I should be setting off soon. Lastly, I'm sending you a gift—the recipes of the dishes that appeared in the video. You should be able to find all the ingredients. The seasonings are in the package I sent to Waver; it would affect your image too much for you to carry a bunch of seasonings. I hope these delicacies help relieve your stress and bring you good cheer."

"Your friend, Matou Shinji."

"Miss, Mr. Velvet wants to see you," came the secretary's voice from outside the office.

"Please ask him to wait for five minutes, I'll be right there."

A gentle curve appeared at the corner of the young queen's mouth, but no one was there to appreciate it.

Good cheer? Yes, my mood has indeed improved now.