The Possession-Spoon Chef Feeds the Empire - Chapter 89

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Episode 89
“Bring in the ingredients.”
At the Emperor’s command, six attendants carried something massive on a stretcher and set it down on the table in front of the cooking station.
Thud.
Dozens of heavy chunks of meat shook the table, and everyone present widened their eyes.
Black hide not entirely removed, something that gleamed like steel plating above it, and meat that looked unmistakably hard and tough.
“Don’t tell me…….”
“That hide color…… good heavens.”
Murmurs rippled through the nobles.
“Kragon Meat—a Magical Beast brought from the Northern Region.”
When the Emperor made his pronouncement, the murmurs grew louder.
“Kra, Kragon…….”
“I never imagined such a thing would appear.”
The chefs’ eyes widened as well.
Some swallowed dryly, their throats tight with tension; others went pale.
The meat of a colossal Magical Beast—a Kragon.
It was an ingredient difficult to find anywhere in the Empire, let alone in the Imperial City.
“Those without confidence may withdraw.”
The Emperor spoke.
“I have accepted the Crown Prince’s suggestion that we cannot present ordinary fare at a celebration marking the end of this long and bitter war. Therefore, I command you chefs to prepare a Kragon dish.”
So that was how it had happened.
Luciel smiled ruefully.
Serion’s twisted nature never ceased to amaze her.
The meat of a colossal Magical Beast—something most would never see in a lifetime.
It was obvious there would be toxins scattered throughout, and no one even knew how to butcher it properly.
Kragon meat couldn’t be found even in the black market.
And yet here were the chefs, groaning before such a task.
Though Serion had wrapped it in pleasant words to persuade the Emperor, his true intent was to relish their suffering.
“May fortune favor you all. Now, begin.”
The ingredients had already been distributed, and the Emperor announced the start of the competition.
Shk—
The sound of knives being drawn.
Thump.
The sound of a cleaver being set down for butchering.
All manner of frantic activity filled Luciel’s ears, yet she stood motionless for a long while.
She simply stood and observed the meat before her.
A large Magical Beast from the Northern Region, impossible to hunt or preserve—something the Imperial City could never obtain.
‘……This is a jackpot.’
A smile spread across her face.
This was an ingredient she had dreamed of working with.
Standing before a new ingredient barely known to the world, Luciel felt her blood begin to boil.
She took a deep breath, slowly picked up her knife, and simultaneously began observing the Kragon meat before her.
The primal scent of Magical Power seeping through the steely hide on the surface.
Muscle fibers so dense that an ordinary blade couldn’t even scratch them were woven tightly throughout.
‘Status Window.’
A massive crimson Status Window materialized before her eyes.
Not the mini-window from five years ago, but the oversized Status Window born from years of bloodsweat Magical Power training.
‘Analyze it in as much detail as possible.’
[Status Analysis: Kragon (Northern Region Large Magical Beast) – Detailed Data]
Cookable sections: Top loin fascia.
Meat characteristics: Steel-fiber structure. Composed of “steel fibers” bonded with metallic minerals to withstand the Northern Region’s bitter cold.
Toxin distribution in detail: Concentrated in the blue capillaries running between the fascial layers.
*If not removed and subjected to heat, the entire dish will become deadly poison.
‘It’s a minefield.’
Luciel shook her head in dismay.
One slip of the blade and she’d be committing regicide without question.
Crack.
“What? My knife broke?”
Smack.
“Agh, my hand……!”
When she looked up, she saw panic-stricken faces all around.
Someone who had recklessly begun and was now snapping their third kitchen knife; someone whose hand had swelled from touching the toxic parts; someone else who simply stood in a daze, staring into empty space.
All of them wore expressions of anxiety that a blemish might tarnish their perfect careers.
Only one person had succeeded in the butchering—a middle-aged chef with a black beard, “Golden Blade” Melick.
His hands moved in a flash, stripping away steel and hide, his eyes gleaming with intensity.
‘……Has he worked with this before?’
Not a trace of panic in his movements—he threw himself into the work as if he’d planned every step in advance.
But that was not Luciel’s concern.
For now, trimming the meat before her was all that mattered.
Luciel drew a sharp breath. A faint wave of energy rippled from the fingertips holding her knife.
[Activating special ability ‘Precision Illustration’.]
Perfectly understanding the muscle fiber structure and Magical Power meridians of the ingredient, performing ultra-precise disassembly. ※
Duration: Unlimited.
Gazing with satisfaction at this newly mastered ability gained through recent training, Luciel raised her knife high.
Tap-tap-tap-tap-tap—!
A crisp rhythm filled the hall.
Dancing as she moved, Luciel began to disassemble the meat, her knife stripping away the steel-like muscle fibers and fascia at an unbelievable speed, thin as paper.
Swish-swish-swish-swish!
Each time she found a blue vein hidden between the red flesh, she nimbly thrust the blade tip in and, in an instant, flicked it free.
“……Is that even human handiwork?”
The chefs working nearby stared at her in amazement.
Some gave up, their faces showing defeat, while others gritted their teeth and struggled to follow her lead.
With the butchering complete in what felt like moments, Luciel searched for a pan and activated the Flame Mana Stone.
Hum—
The sound of the pan heating filled the cooking station.
Luciel paused, studying the trimmed meat before her in thought.
Even after butchering, the Kragon’s muscle fibers remained tightly woven like steel.
Cook it over high heat like an ordinary steak and the surface would char instantly while the interior remained raw—a stone.
‘If I rush, it’s ruined.’
She boldly reduced the pan’s heat to the absolute minimum.
The steel fibers bonded with metallic minerals would only relinquish their nature and release their juices at a low temperature.
While the pan sought its optimal temperature, she prepared the other elements.
‘Status Window, prepare to identify ingredients.’
With a soft pop, the crimson light appeared again.
[Special Eye Function: ‘Gourmet’s Compass – Expanded Edition’ activated.]
Analyzing the grade, optimal utilization, and ideal pairings of all ingredients in the kitchen.
※
Duration: Unlimited
Luciel rushed to the pantry.
Dozens, hundreds of ingredients came into view, each one shimmering with faint light.
[Finest-grade Northern Butter detected]
-Reacting with Kragon’s metallic components to maximize umami.
[Premium Black Truffle detected]
Highest-tier aroma concentration. Perfect pairing to capture the primal Magical Power scent of Kragon.
[Rare Northern Sea Salt detected]
Origin: Northern coast. Reacting with Kragon’s metallic minerals to eliminate bitterness and amplify umami. Minimal usage recommended.
[Premium Red Wine detected]
[Premium Northern Root Vegetables detected]
…….
Luciel’s eyes blazed with light.
She swept across the ingredient station, quickly gathering what she needed.
Swish—
Passing like a shadow among the other chefs, her hands held all the ingredients for a perfect meal.
‘Ingredients are ready.’
Back at her cooking station, Luciel set the pan’s temperature far lower than for an ordinary steak.
Sizzle—
As the meat met the pan, a low, heavy sound arose, and heat began to seep gradually into the meat’s surface.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————