🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter 10
Flash.
Hamilton opened his eyes.
“Where… am I?”
A soft bed came into view. The bedding was so gentle it felt like the hem of an angel’s robe, wrapping around him.
The softness—beyond anything in this world—made him forget his situation for a moment, stripping him of all resistance.
Such… softness.
A layered sensation, as if he were lying on clouds.
As he lay trapped in heavenly bedding, unable to move, someone slowly approached him.
It was a god.
Silver hair, amethyst eyes—an overwhelming radiance poured from the figure before him.
Hamilton had always served the Iris God as if it were as natural as eating when hungry or sleeping when tired. His faith was less devotion and more a learned instinct.
Did gods truly exist? He had never even felt the need to question it. Religion, to him, was little more than a matter of social formality.
But if the impossibly radiant being before him was not a god, then what was?
The god smiled as it slowly approached.
A gentle smile that melted away all worries. Hamilton trembled again.
The god raised a hand.
Something was placed before his defenseless mouth.
Gulp.
The moment it entered his mouth and was swallowed—
“……!”
Hamilton’s sanity shattered.
It was truly divine food.
An unknown realm he had never experienced before.
A golden wave of sweetness crashed violently over him. Followed by aroma, richness, and lingering sweetness sweeping through his entire body.
As Hamilton drowned in ecstasy, the “god” simply watched him silently.
After a brief silence, the god finally spoke.
“How is it? The taste?”
“…Hah!”
At that moment, Hamilton regained his senses.
“Hah… w-what is this…?”
Confused, he turned his head rapidly.
He was standing in the familiar kitchen of the Lockhart Ducal House—and in front of him stood Lady Priscilla.
The heavenly bed, the god—none of it existed.
It was all an illusion.
Impossible…?!
He was stunned by how real it had felt. Without a doubt, he had seen a god just moments ago…
“Have you seen a new horizon?”
“……!”
At her words, Hamilton lifted his head.
She was smiling gently. As if she knew exactly what he had just experienced.
Just like the god from his hallucination.
Ignoring his confusion, she spoke quietly.
“Hamilton. I received a revelation.”
“….”
“It was very different from everything I had known until now.”
A faint smile curved her lips.
What followed was astonishing: a story about a divine mission—to seek better food in accordance with the will of the god who had called her.
Ever since Priscilla received a divine oracle from the heretical god, the mansion had been like a house of mourning. Everyone was in despair.
After all, in high society, any religion other than the Iris Church was treated as illegitimate.
“The Lockhart Ducal House is doomed!”
Whispers about the downfall of the Lockhart family spread rapidly among the social elite. And since the young lady had gone to the imperial palace today to be officially recognized as a saint, the rumors would only grow louder.
“I realized immediately after receiving the revelation. I may no longer be accepted in this world.”
In such a situation, pursuing pleasure through food?
Surely the young lady had been possessed by something—something not divine, but sinister.
“I may bring sorrow to many people around me.”
And yet—
“But I must fulfill the mission granted by God.”
Was that truly a bad thing?
Hamilton could not look away from her calm expression.
Ever since tasting the unknown food she had given him, something inside him had begun to break.
All those contemptuous gazes he had endured as a cook.
He knew them well. How could he not?
The disdain directed at him for being “just a chef.”
“In high society, only the Iris Church dominates. I have no intention of troubling others with my beliefs. However, Hamilton… the reason I shared my food with you is…”
The reason he had continued cooking was not because he lacked talent in magic or swordsmanship. That would have been an excuse.
“It is because you have talent in cooking.”
“…!”
He simply liked cooking.
And that made him constantly conflicted.
Between the desire to improve his cooking—and a religion that regarded unprocessed food as sacred.
God… what should I do?
A question he had repeated endlessly.
“I guarantee you in the name of the god I serve, Hamilton. You have the qualifications to become the greatest chef in the Empire.”
“…Ah…”
The answer he had long sought finally appeared before him.
In the form of a god.
“…Ah!”
It was exactly the god he had seen in his hallucination. A benevolent smile, bestowing heavenly food.
Not an angel. Not a possessed demon.
Lady Priscilla had become a god. At least, to Hamilton—the head chef of the Lockhart Ducal House.
At some point, Hamilton knelt.
“Then, Hamilton. Live your true life. You can become the world’s greatest chef, creating the finest cuisine.”
“Yes, my lady.”
He would certainly carry out the god’s words.
A vow as solemn as an oath of knighthood was being sworn in the kitchen of the Lockhart Ducal House.
This marked the beginning of Hamilton Race’s astonishing journey—later to be revered across generations as the “Chef of Twilight.”
[System: ‘Recruiting Followers I’ quest completed. Follow-up quest ‘Recruiting Followers II’ has been generated.]
— View reward
“….”
The button flickered insistently, urging her to check the reward, but she couldn’t bring herself to press it.
I messed up…
The power of garlic bread after 18 years was beyond imagination.
It made her lose all reason.
She finally understood the meaning of the saying: “So delicious you wouldn’t know if one person died while eating it.”
Except I didn’t kill anyone—I converted them instead.
Yes. It seemed she had caused a serious incident.
Hamilton, the head chef, had sworn to join her in serving the Amuir God.
The moment she heard that, her sanity returned.
“…No, you don’t actually have to go that far…”
“This Hamilton Race will dedicate myself to your teachings, my lady—no, Saint! Please allow this unworthy one to become your follower!”
“….”
Hamilton. This is basically a cult…
At the same time, the quest completion window had already popped up. Unable to continue the conversation, she left the kitchen with only the food.
It was a little pitiful—and a little frightening—that he had half-lost his mind and decided to convert to a religion that didn’t even have a name yet after eating garlic bread.
Which was, admittedly, her fault.
She wondered if it was really okay to change someone’s life so easily.
But… if the head chef becomes a follower and cooks my previous-life dishes… that might not be so bad?
The quest rewards also seemed generous… but still, wasn’t this too easy a conversion? She felt a little guilty.
Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she muttered,
“Alright. Let’s check the reward first… huh?”
[View Reward ]
[A quest is unread. Please check the quest list.]
— Quest
Below the reward prompt, another message appeared, so she clicked it first.
A cascade of system windows appeared.
“Huh? What are all these? They weren’t here before… when did these quests appear?”
[All new quests except the follow-up ‘Recruiting Followers II’ were generated at the time of Saint Awakening.]
“…So I was just blinded by garlic bread and didn’t read them!”
The system message felt like it was mocking her. A system with way too much attitude.
People get hungry, okay!
As she grumbled and prepared to check the quests—
“…My lady! I’ve been looking everywhere for you! Where have you been?!”
“Hmm?”
Chelsea burst into the room.
Right—she had gone to fetch tea earlier because of her.
She had completely forgotten her existence.
“Sorry, Chelsea. I was just—”
“This isn’t the time.”
“The Duke is looking for you!”
