OVERLORD- CH-76. Advice and Guidance

Aya and Operan sat on either side of the square table. The waiters kept serving dishes, gradually filling up the entire table.

Generally, when dining at a restaurant, customers eat while the kitchen cooks and serves the food slowly. This is the usual process. However, considering that customers may have private conversations and prefer not to be disturbed, Long Yue Lan Restaurant provides an alternative service.

They determine the menu in advance through an appointment, prepare everything before the guests sit down, and then use [Preservation] magic to ensure the temperature and freshness of the dishes.

When the guests arrive, all the dishes are served as quickly as possible, leaving the guests to enjoy private time until they finish their conversation. Finally, the dessert is served.

Due to the length of the meal, many hot dishes need to be kept warm using warm stones, along with the [Preservation] magic. This adds significant costs, making it a luxurious dining method reserved for distinguished guests.

"If you need anything, please ring the bell, and we will be here immediately," the waiter said after presenting all the dishes. The deeper meaning of this sentence was that if there was no response from the bell, the staff would not disturb the guests again.

With that, all the waiters left the room one after another.

"It's so sumptuous." Looking at the food in front of her, Aya praised sincerely.

There were only two people dining, but a lavish spread had been prepared. The heaviest main course was a large piece of slightly roasted red meat, still dripping with gravy and decorated with small flowers carved from radishes.

Next came the fish dish. The whole fish was grilled, cut in half, with all the small bones removed and topped with a special sauce, emitting an enticing aroma.

There was also a dish made from a whole rabbit, which seemed to be the restaurant's specialty. Few farmers raised rabbits in the world, so wild rabbit meat was used, making it a delicacy.

The only regret was that this world seemed to lack the skills to cook vegetables. They could only turn root vegetables into a puree or cover them with honey, or prepare simple vegetable salads.

Moreover, a large portion of the meat was roasted. While it wasn't bad, one could grow tired of it if eaten too often.

Steaming, boiling, frying, and stewing—these excellent cooking techniques seemed unknown to people from other worlds. Perhaps Aya would have a chance to introduce them in the future.

"As long as you're satisfied," Operan said, and Aya responded with a smile.

"I'm very satisfied, thank you very much."

In terms of luxury, Aya had seen banquets a hundred times more extravagant than this in her previous life. As for deliciousness, the meals cooked by Lilith, the "God of Cooking," were far superior to this.

However, Aya was still quite satisfied with the meal, mainly because of the thoughtfulness. Regardless of the objective quality, all the dishes were very delicately prepared, and she appreciated the care that Operan and Long Yue Lan had invested in the meal.

The second reason for her satisfaction was the flavor. After all, it was a different world, with unique dishes she had never encountered before, such as the roasted giant bullfrog. It was her first time seeing bullfrog legs thicker than chicken legs.

There were also drinks from another world. Whether they tasted good or not was another matter, but she was eager to try them.

In moments like this, she felt lucky that her body was a living organism capable of tasting food. Even if the food didn't taste great, it was still satisfying to try it and satisfy her curiosity.

If she had been an angel, elemental, or undead, she would probably miss out on the enjoyment of food.

"Operan, I brought some wine. If you don't mind, let's drink it." Aya said, placing a bottle of red wine on the table.

She simply couldn't bring herself to drink the wine from this world. She had tried it before out of curiosity, but it tasted so bad that she questioned the brewing methods here.

The wine was placed on the table, and the conversation began while the meal continued.

They were here today to discuss important matters.

"Xiao Ling, I sent the magic equipment to the Moon Shadow team, as you asked," Operan said.

"Including the one I gave you?"

"Hmm... Isn't that a bit too expensive?"

"There aren't many opportunities to make someone owe you a favor," Aya smiled. "When there is, you should make sure they owe you a favor that they can never repay."

She had crafted a simple walking stick by breaking off a branch from the Emerald Tree, inlaid an emerald, and added enchantments, making it a "gift" for Jasmine.

According to Operan, this simple item was considered magical equipment of great value in this world.

"But, in this case..." Operan seemed uneasy. She had paid very little for it, and this equipment had been entirely gifted by Aya, leaving her with a favor to repay.

"Don't worry. Actually, that item isn't really that valuable," Aya said, feeling slightly uneasy. The materials for it had been gathered by herself, and the emerald was bought with a gold coin from a jewel shop. She didn't even pay for the enchantments. As a result, Operan insisted on giving her 100 gold coins as a thank you.

"Anyway, the Moon Shadow Squad is a very upright group. With this connection, they shouldn't be able to refuse any requests from you in the future."

"Honestly, if I were given something so valuable, I'd be overwhelmed by the other party's sincerity," Operan said with a wry smile.

"Isn't that good?" Aya said calmly.

Operan was a very good ruler but not a top power holder. Sometimes, her methods were a bit timid.

For example, in this case, Operan had hoped that Aya would bring the Moon Shadow Squad to the Duke's Mansion, but she wanted to build a friendly relationship with them more subtly. However, Aya had suggested giving gifts first and reporting later, a more direct approach.

"Thank you so much. Oh, by the way, Xiao Ling, that matter has been handled," Operan said. "The burned hotel is now worth less than a third of its original price. The owner's family doesn't have the resources to rebuild, so they've decided to sell it."

"Really? Thank you so much." Aya was a little surprised. The efficiency was much faster than she had expected.

"The hotel is now under an agent. If you want it, it can be transferred to you now," Operan said, cutting her steak with a knife and fork. "Xiao Ling, are you interested in opening a hotel?"

"A little. I'm pretty good at management and development, but I'll probably let someone else handle it. After all, I still have adventurer missions to complete." Aya thought for a moment. "Can you tell me the price of that inn?"

Thanks to the high bounty she had received from Operan, plus the disparity between the two Orichalcum-level wanted criminals, Aya was now fairly wealthy, so buying the inn at a 70% discount wouldn't be too difficult.

The game currency seemed usable in this world too, as it was gold. However, Aya didn't want to reveal her knowledge of the game, and also because recruitment activities required game coins, she didn't want to waste them.

"I'll cover the small amount," Operan said as Aya was still calculating whether her funds were enough.

"Xiao Ling, you've really helped me so much, so please give me a chance to repay you." Despite Aya's attempts to refuse, Operan insisted, and Aya had no choice but to accept.

With a satisfied smile, Operan opened the red wine that Aya had brought.

Chapter 72: Women and Wine

"Let me pour you a glass of wine," Aya said, taking the bottle from Operan. She gently shook it and then poured the deep red wine into their goblets.

High-end red wine usually requires a decanting process. This means that after opening the bottle, the wine is poured into a decanter to promote oxidation, soften the tannins, and allow the wine to "wake up" from its dormancy, releasing its aroma and beauty.

Additionally, this process helps remove sediment in wines that have aged for years, ensuring that the red wine is pure.

However, Aya didn't take this step, nor did she prepare a decanter. She simply poured the wine directly into their glasses.

Though it hadn't been decanted, the deep red wine was as crystal clear as amber, with no trace of impurities.

The soft light reflected off the glass, and the rich red flowers bloomed in the transparent crystal goblet. The wine slowly cascaded down the sides of the glass, revealing a smoothness that was almost like solidified fat.

"What a wonderful smell," Operan exclaimed as she inhaled the rich aroma now filling the room. "I've never seen such beautiful red wine."

There was no need for decanting because the magic attached to the bottle preserved the wine in the perfect state for drinking, ensuring it had no sediment or impurities.

Aya held the body of the goblet and shook the wine. Though this was an incorrect way to handle it, as red wine has strict temperature requirements, the purpose of the goblet is to prevent the taster's hand temperature from affecting the wine's quality.

"This cup feels cool to the touch."

"It has a magic that keeps the temperature constant, so you don't need to worry about your hand affecting the wine," Aya explained.

Operan was left speechless for a moment.

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Thank you all for supporting me.