The dragon's harem

Back in the Storm Titan kingdom, Arad finally reached the fancy restaurant that Gale had sent them to have lunch at. The whole place was reserved for them, and Arad sat with Alice, Tyal, and Claug. There were no other guests or staff crowding the place.

Only five chefs and four servants, each one tasked with bringing food to a single person.

The master chef was a middle-aged titan with crow-black, silky hair, two sharp golden eyes, and a thin beard that looked like something a devil would have. And surprisingly, he was well built for a mere cook.

It didn’t take Arad a second to guess and ask. “You hunt the meat on your own.”

A large grin appeared on the master chef’s eyes. “Of course I do. Those stupid hunters always damage the best part of the meat. I can’t trust them with my meat.”

“You’re Emperor Arad Orion, right? The king’s esteemed guest and the dear husband of Princess Tyal.” He looked at them and then threw a glance at Tyal, “Then I can’t hold back today. I expected a bean sprout snob, but look at you having quite the sharp eyes.”

“Call me Chef Joey. I’ll cook you a meal that’ll make the castle food look like raw meat.” He walked behind the counter after giving Arad a smile.

“What’s wrong with raw meat? I like it that way most of the time.” Arad looked at the table, the fancy, empty plates, and the silver utensils. That spoon weighed several tons of pure silver.

Joey stood behind the counter as the other four chefs started running around, bringing all of the ingredients to the counter and preparing them for him to use.

“You like your meat raw, Lord Arad. May I ask why?” He looked at one of his large black pans, “Cooking is how we give food its shape, its taste, and flavor. Just like how you can’t rely on just raw strength and speed in a fight, you also need to use some spices in your food.”

“We’ll, I’m a dragon after all. I don’t taste food the same way humans or Titans do.” Arad looked at Claug, and she nodded. “What I consider the best food ever might kill anyone else. It’s meat pickled in nightshade oil.”

Joey laughed, “Nightshade? Hell, one drop can kill a grown titan. You’re a green dragon, right?”

“Indeed.” Claug looked at the ingredients on the counter, “You don’t have many poisonous things that I might like.”

Joey reached forward and picked up some bottles of spices. “Those? They are for people the king wants dead in a week or two. I can’t really say no.” He shrugged and put the spices back where they belonged.

Tyal held her head in her hands. “Joey, that isn’t something you can tell anyone about.”

“My Princess Tyal, do you think we can trick the nose of a green dragon when it comes to poisons? That’s just impossible.” He looked at Claug with a grin, “But I’ll give her a large dose. She might like it, the same way humans enjoy spices.”

“And what about you? Lord Arad. What would you like to eat, besides raw meat?”

Arad thought about it for a few moments, “Anything would do, just make something you’re proud of. I did want to try different types of food sooner or later.”

With that, Chef Joey started cooking. He threw a large piece of fatty meat on the grill, injected it with tons of liquid oil mixed with spices. Threw a whole pan of vegetables on the fire and started frying them using the meat’s fat and a lot of spices.

One of his chefs went aside to bake some fresh bread, and another started frying some large onions. Each one was like five meters wide. Arad made a note to find out how to cultivate such massive vegetables before leaving the Strom Titan kingdom.

Chef Joey then pulled one massive shark out of a large ice room. It only took him five minutes to butcher it. Soon he had several slices of fish ready at the table.

One of the chefs prepared a thick batter, dredged the fish in it, and then started frying it in a massive pan full of chilly oil.

As the meat on the grill was almost done, Chef Joey grabbed his knife and masterfully sliced several pieces from it, along with a bone that he had left in before.

He then took that meat and bone, threw them into a pot with several more vegetables, and started turning them into a soup.

In less than an hour, Arad found a full table of food in front of him.

Tyal looked at the meals and then at Chef Joey. “Nothing fancy today?”

“I would’ve made something fancy if he were a bean sprout. Do you think he’ll be satisfied with a small bite that won’t fill a bird’s stomach?”

Each of them seemed to have received a different serving. Claug got a pot of soup and a large piece of grilled meat, all perfectly seasoned with the best poisons Joey had on hand and some fried fish.

Tyal got her favorite fried fish liver with some fried onions and a large serving of salad. Alice got the same thing, while Arad got a bit of everything.

But Arad’s serving was special in many ways. First, his share of meat was split in two. An almost rare piece of meat that looked like a stake with some spices and fried onion. Then a large sandwich filled with shredded meat, sauces, onion, cheese, and vegetables. He also got a pot full of spicy meat stew, fried fish with that crispy batter on the outside, and a fresh bowl of greens for a salad.

The food wasn’t that fancy, but Arad and his wives liked it a lot. Simple, warm, and filling. Chef Joey seemed to understand that what matters isn’t the food itself, but what matters is making the person eat it to their satisfaction.

After the meal, Chef Joey looked at Arad and asked with a smile. “What do you think? Lord Arad, did you like it?”

“I liked it a lot, Tyal said that it wasn’t anything fancy, but as far as I know, this was fancy enough. I’m not a cook myself.” He looked at Joey, “Thanks for the meal.”

“You’re not a cook? But that doesn’t mean you can’t try. How about you cook us something, Lord Arad? Won’t that be a bit of fun for us all?” He walked aside. “You can use my kitchen, as long as you don’t burn it down.”

After thinking about it for a second, Arad stood. “Why not? I’ll cook you something.”