Gourmet: Cooking for the Multiverse — Chapter 545

Chapter 545: Time Synchronization and a Pitiful Demon Queen

Ren and Lucifer shared one distinct trait: an obscene amount of wealth. Lucifer, however, took it to an entirely different extreme. As the Demon Queen had once casually mentioned, she possessed enough gold coins to literally bury a person alive. At their level of existence, money had long ceased to hold meaning; it was merely a string of numbers.

Resting her chin in her hand, Lucifer stared at the empty wine bottle on the counter and let out a soft sigh. “Next time Yuko comes back, I genuinely think we’d be better off hauling out two entire barrels of wine.”

“You’re throwing the word barrel around very loosely,” Ren noted, wiping down a glass.

“Yuko can hold her liquor, sure, but she still can’t outdrink me. I’m the undisputed heavyweight champion of our household!”

Ren paused, casting a dry glance her way. “Are you factoring Justice and myself into that equation?”

Lucifer’s eye twitched. “Justice is one thing, but you… do you actually want to test that theory? I am dying to see what you look like when you’re completely wasted.”

“Wait here a moment.”

Ren disappeared into the kitchen, returning seconds later with a heavy, pitch-black bottle. Lucifer eyed the dark ceramic with a mix of curiosity and skepticism. “What kind of vintage is that?”

“If we’re going to compare drinking capacities, let’s use this.”

Lucifer scoffed, tossing her silver hair back with a proud smirk. “Any liquor is fine by me! Today is the day you learn to fear the majesty of the Queen of Hell. Pour it!”

A faint smile touched Ren’s lips. He shook his head slowly and poured a single glass of the crystal-clear liquid, sliding it across the polished wood. “Give it a try.”

Staring at the pristine surface of the alcohol, Lucifer’s smirk widened. “Let’s set the stakes first. The loser takes a punishment!”

“What kind of punishment?”

Lucifer tapped her chin, her crimson eyes gleaming with mischief. She leaned over the counter, closing the distance between them, and whispered a few hushed words directly into his ear.

Ren did not flinch. He merely raised a single brow. “Are you entirely sure that qualifies as a punishment and not a reward?”

A furious blush exploded across Lucifer’s cheeks. She pulled back, flustered. “Hmph! If I say it’s a punishment, it’s a punishment! Don’t worry! For your sake, as my man, I’ll generously let you experience the Queen’s dominance!”

Ren leaned casually against the counter. “And what if you lose?”

“If I lose… wait, what else could possibly happen?” Lucifer blinked, the realization dawning on her. “I’m already yours! I have absolutely nothing left to give… Suddenly, I feel incredibly pitiful. What is this dynamic…”

Chuckling, Ren leaned forward and murmured his own condition against her ear.

Lucifer’s face burned even hotter. She let out a haughty huff to mask her embarrassment. “Fine! No problem! Not that it matters, because I won’t lose!”

Brimming with false confidence, Lucifer snatched up the glass and threw it back in one gulp.

The reaction was instantaneous. Her face flushed a violent shade of red. She slapped a hand over her throat, coughing as tears pricked the corners of her eyes. “So… so spicy! What the hell is this?!”

“It’s medicinal wine,” Ren said, thoroughly amused. “Still want to keep going?”

Gritting her teeth, Lucifer glared at him through watery eyes. “Ren! You’re bullying me! How is anyone supposed to drink liquid fire?!”

Ren exhaled a soft sigh. “This is how you drink it.”

Under her wide, disbelieving gaze, he picked up the heavy black flask, tilted his head back, and downed the entire contents in one smooth, uninterrupted motion. He set the empty bottle down with a soft clink.

Lucifer’s jaw dropped. Her shoulders slumped in total defeat, her fists clenching on the countertop. “I… I lost… My dignity as the Queen of Hell is completely ruined…”

Ren could not help but sigh again. This little queen’s pride operated on a very strange wavelength. Smiling, he reached over and gently ruffled her silver hair. “Aren’t you just a little queen now anyway?”

Lucifer swatted his hand away, pouting. “That’s overkill! One sip would have proven your point, but you downed the whole thing! You just wanted to crush my spirit!”

“And what benefit would I get from crushing your spirit?”

“Uh… because you’re a sadistic schemer!”

Ren fell uncharacteristically silent, simply looking at her. Seeing him momentarily speechless, Lucifer burst into a bright laugh. “Alright, seeing you out of words is worth it. I admit defeat! But as for that punishment… how about we save it for our next date?”

“I was just teasing you.”

Lucifer froze, then playfully smacked his arm. “I knew you were bullying me! But I’m not one to go back on my word. Demons value their promises above all else, so I’ll do exactly what I said!”

“You really are exceptionally serious when it counts.”

The two of them had completely ignored their surroundings, lost in their own intimate bubble. The rest of the restaurant, however, had not.

Boa Hancock was glaring daggers at the counter, biting down on her chopsticks so hard the wood groaned under the pressure. The sheer envy radiating from the Pirate Empress was suffocating. Beside her, Yakumo Yukari masked her annoyance behind her fan, though her eyes narrowed sharply. She had finally worked up the nerve to initiate a date, only for it to end without any real follow-up. First Hancock, now Lucifer parading her affection—did the demon queen have no shame?

Across the room, Zoro, Hawk-Eye, and Perona were wrapping up their meal. Despite her love for the food, Perona’s stomach had its limits. The pink-haired girl had finished first and was now slumped in her chair, lazily snacking on iced bayberries and sipping a sweet beverage.

Compared to the lively warmth of this tavern, her time trapped in Hawk-Eye’s gloomy castle felt like a literal prison sentence. Yet, she still needed to find Moria, meaning she would eventually have to return to that dreary place.

Noticing her idle state, Ren walked over. “Do you need anything else to eat?”

Because Ren was the only man Perona had ever met who was actually pleasing to the eye—and because she viewed Moria as a father figure—she was unusually polite to the shopkeeper. She shook her head quickly. “No, no, no, I’m completely stuffed.”

“Hmm. I was going to ask if you wanted some tomato egg soup made from the leftover hotpot base. It looked like you really enjoyed that flavor.”

Perona hesitated, her eyes darting to the rich red broth still bubbling in the pot. “Is it… is it really delicious, Shopkeeper Ren?”

“If you still have room, you can try a small bowl.”

“Okay!”

Zoro and Hawk-Eye exchanged curious glances, equally interested in how this would taste. Ren stepped up to the table, casually cracking fresh eggs into the boiling broth with a single hand—a fluid motion that left Perona staring in awe. Within moments, golden egg blossoms floated beautifully across the surface of the rich, red tomato base.

He ladled out three bowls, garnishing them with tender bits of beef and freshly chopped cilantro. Because the soup was built on a deeply concentrated tomato base, the aroma alone was mouthwatering.

Perona took one sip and instantly fell in love. Hawk-Eye’s sharp eyes widened slightly; repurposing the hotpot base into a finishing soup was an incredibly elegant way to end the meal.

Despite claiming she was full, Perona devoured her first bowl, aggressively demanded a second, and only stopped after polishing off a third. She let out a thoroughly unladylike burp and slumped back into her chair, utterly immobilized.

Zoro and Hawk-Eye, possessing far larger appetites, easily finished off the rest of the pot. Sated, the three of them cleansed their palates with the icy bayberries and a final sip of mellow, fragrant wine.

Hawk-Eye let out a long, quiet breath, savoring the deep, comforting warmth spreading through his chest. Zoro patted his taut stomach and grinned. “As expected of Shopkeeper Ren. That was an incredible meal.”

Perona weakly raised a hand from her chair. “The monkey finally said something human!”

“It seems the three of you are quite satisfied,” Ren noted.

“We are extremely satisfied!” Perona cheered.

Ren did a quick mental tally. “Counting Perona… that makes twelve customers. I can synchronize the time now.”

The casual statement instantly killed the background noise. The jealous women forgot their envy. The men nursing their liquor-burned throats forgot to drink. Every eye in the tavern locked onto Ren, who simply turned his gaze toward the front door.

A glowing, dial-like insignia materialized on the wooden surface of the door.

Click. Click.

Two heavy, mechanical ticks echoed through the quiet room, and then the mark vanished without a trace.

Lucifer blinked, staring at the perfectly normal door. “That’s it?”

“That’s it,” Ren replied.