My Food Stall Sells SSS-Grade Delicacies!

"I...well, you can't review something I haven't made yet, right?" Marron asked as a nervous laugh escaped her lips. "What would you like to eat today?"

The Culinary Evaluation monster looked up at the creamsicle sky for a long, contemplative moment, the shadows beneath her hat deepening as the sun shone overhead.

"I saw you made a meal using Duskmeat from the fellow before me. Admirable risk-taking. But I prefer meals more... suitable for mornings."

Breakfast.

Marron's shoulders eased slightly.

I can do breakfast.

Her lips curled into a small smile. "All right. Do you like sweet or salty dishes in the morning?"

Her voice was sticky-slow, like maple syrup covering butter. "Sweet, please."

Sweet. She could do that.

Her mind raced as she put the leftover Duskmeat away in the coldbox.

Something comforting but sparkling. Food that makes people feel warm and gasp in joy.

Her eyes fell on the Dreambutter, and her thoughts drifted toward pancakes. "And some syrup infused with flowers...maybe...I know what to do!"

Marron reached into the pantry and grabbed a bag labeled "Fresh Moonflour." She poured it in a copper bowl and added salt. Then she created a small well in the middle for the eggs.

Keep your wet and dry ingredients separated. That's what I learned in culinary school.

Mokko said goosefolk provided the eggs, or they were bought from the market. Whatever the goosefolk ate made their eggs spectacular. The yolks were golden and just slightly warm.

Marron added a spoonful of dreambutter and gently whisked the wet and dry ingredients together.

The batter was a golden stream with pale blue butter streaks. When she was done, there were no lumps. It reminded her of whipped cream with visible pale blue shadows.

Mokko peered over her shoulder. "Thick or thin pancakes?"

"Thick and comforting's the way to go. If she wants morning sweetness, I'll give her the best brunch she's ever had."

Marron heated the griddle. When the batter hit its surface, there was a satisfying sizzle before the pancakes fluffed up, high and golden.

A rich and dreamy smell filled the kitchen. If Marron were asked to describe it, she smelled fresh toast, honey, and lavender blowing through the spring wind.

With a sharp knife, she sliced some starlight fruit. It looked like strawberries, but gleamed like sugar-frosted glass. She tasted one and it was tangy. "This will do nicely," she murmured.

She grabbed a copper pan and tossed the starlight fruit chunks into them with lavender nectar. Then she let the mixture thicken into a ruby red compote.

"Now it's time to plate!"

Marron grabbed a square plate and tossed three golden pancakes onto it. Working quickly, she made the starlight fruit drip down the sides. Finally, she placed a quenelle of dreambutter on top, letting it seep into every crevice.

As a final touch, she sprinkled a hint of spice sugar that looked like edible stardust.

Marron turned, and placed the plate on the table.

"Here you go. Dreambutter Pancakes with Starlight Compote. Enjoy!"

The Culinary Evaluation monster looked at the plate and didn't say a word. She adjusted her dress and daintily held her fork in a clawed hand. Marron watched as the monster sliced into the stack with surgical precision.

She took a bite and froze. Her hat almost slipped off and she used her other hand to hold it in place. For a moment, the scenery itself seemed frozen. The wind died, and the clouds stopped drifting.

One heartbeat passed, and then two.

"..."

She dipped her fork in the stack again, and took a second bite.

A third and fourth followed.

When she fully finished the stack of pancakes, the Culinary Monster set the fork down with reverence, like it had been a rare magical item.

"Mmm. This meal," she said at last, voice soft and sweet, "tastes like a childhood memory. Warm and matches the syrup. The butter added a light salty kick, and the compote...genius."

She looked at Marron with eyes like crackling stars.

"There's a gentle joy in this dish. But restrained. And it didn't try to impress me. It's just a very good stack of pancakes, syrup, butter, and a compote. You've passed my food review."

The air trembled.

[Culinary Review Complete!

Score: S+

Bonus Rank: Morning Menu Slot Unlocked

New Reputation Earned: [Reviewed by a B-Class Food Critic]

She rose, her form almost completely human, save for the eyes. Marron thought the Critic looked like an angel with slitted pupils. "Thank you. You're unknown, but if you keep this up, you will be. And when the Gourmand Courts begin their search, they will remember this."

With that, she bowed and removed her hat. For the briefest moment, Marron saw horns on her head.

Ah. A succubus. Makes sense now.

"Thank you, love. I haven't enjoyed a plate like that in a long time. And since you've pleased me..." she reached into her dress pocket and slid a gold-embossed card toward Marron.

It glowed faintly, with the words "Tiny Cup Invite" in looping script. "This is a well-known competition. Present three dishes to three judges. If you do well, you could upgrade your entire cart and leave this city. Or you could fail, and the cart stays here...with a stain on your reputation."

Mokko adjusted his glasses and nodded. "The trials are bite-sized, but savage. Last year a contestant had to negotiate with an animal for ingredients."

Marron accepted the card and put it in her apron. "Thanks. But...why are you helping me?"

The Culinary Monster smiled. "I'm a critic. I want to know whether you're a fluke, or the real deal. And I won't be the only one watching. Good luck, love."

She turned and vanished in a puff of hot pink smoke.

Marron blinked, still holding the now-empty plate. "...I didn't even get a tip."

Mokko grunted. "She left a signature in the Culinary Net. That's worth more than a gold brick. Or three working wheels."

Ding!

Cart Upgrade Progress:

2/5 Next Reward: Storage Expansion (Refrigerated Shelf)

Marron smiled faintly and looked down at her griddle.

"I'll think about joining the Tiny Cup."

Later that night, Mokko had gone to sleep in a nearby bale of hay. Left alone with the cart, Marron ran her fingers along the broken wheel. It squeaked.

"I failed once. I opened a restaurant and it...collapsed. Completely burnt through my savings, my name, and my soul."

The fryer flickered and her hands twitched. She remembered the adventurer, sobbing into his fries. The way her food made the critic smile.

And the mysterious way the meals she made sparkled.

"But they liked it. And I liked making it."

She accepted the challenge.

System Notification:

Challenge Accepted: The Tiny Cup

Countdown: 3 Days

Reward (Tier I): Wheel Upgrade – "Dreambound Mobility" Unlocked

The next morning, Marron pulled the flap open on the cart and peered out into the meadow. The sky was clear, and the breeze smelled faintly of toast and citrus.

Mokko stood nearby, chewing on a biscuit. "We're close to Whetvale's entrance. That critic review you got will spread fast. Be ready for more foot traffic."

Marron adjusted the chalkboard menu and added one more item: Dreambutter Pancakes with Starlight Compote – 60 coins.

"Mokko," she called, "do we have any more dreambutter?"

He snorted. "Used the last of it yesterday. A brick costs about 100 gold for a small batch."

"WHAT?!"

"Good chefs are rare these days. Ingredients follow the talent. You're SSS-grade. The market adjusts."

Marron groaned. "I just want to afford the good butter, not take out a loan."

He chuckled. "Then start cooking. Today's daily goal: earn 100 coins."

She narrowed her eyes. "Fine."

+

That afternoon, between prepping her spice mixes and restocking the coldbox, Marron sat on a crate and looked at the dusty wood beneath her feet.

"Hey, Mokko. Why is the stall called Comfort & Crunch?"

The bear looked over his shoulder. "Because that's what food should be. Something that hugs you and something that bites back."

"Did the last chef name it that?"

He nodded slowly. "She challenged the Gourmet King."

Marron blinked. "What? Why?!"

"He promised his court would reward any chef who could recreate a lost divine dish. Something so perfect, it once ended a war."

"And she failed?"

"They all did. He erased every one of them. That's why there are so few top chefs left in Savoria, Marron. They vanished trying to impress the King."

Marron stared down at her hands. "How do I survive here, Mokko? On Earth, I just needed to save my mom's diner. I couldn't even do that."

The bear sat beside her. "Through your cooking. When we make more money, we can hire an adventurer. The last chef had three: a knight, a mage, and an archer."

She scoffed. "I'm just hoping to buy dreambutter."

"One coin at a time, little chef."

+

That evening, as the sun dipped low, Mokko pulled out a weathered parchment.

"After we walk through Whetvale, you'll need to register as a Special Merchant: Food Cart. That'll keep thieves from thinking we're hauling artifacts in here."

Marron looked around at the stall, still creaky and patched with canvas. "I don't think we'll be getting robbed anytime soon."

Mokko grunted. "Don't tempt fate."

She grinned and picked up her spatula.

"Let's get to work."