The main dish of an average Greek was made by cooking ingredients such as vegetables or beans in water, then topped with a few herbs and paired with bread made from oats. Most Greeks had eaten this basic soup since they were young.
The vegetable soup sitting on the table, prepared by the talented Maester, was far better than what most Greeks ever ate. Yet even though the five assistants were incredibly hungry, the soup on the table didn't look nearly as appetizing as it once would have.
Kaerton let out a long sigh. "Now that we have salad, I don't think anyone will be interested in drinking a vegetable soup like that."
"That's why Su Ye is the Prometheus of the culinary world." Maester gave him a joyful smile.
Maester looked at Su Ye, overcome with emotion. "I am a lead chef, but I have little interest in offerings and butchering. I only care about making delicious food and seeing the satisfaction on the faces of my customers after they eat the delicacies I have prepared. I joined the Dolphin River because Kaerton gave me free rein in the kitchen. My greatest dream is to create a delicacy that is famed throughout the world. As I've gotten older, my dream has gotten farther and farther away from me. However, you have helped me accomplish half of my dreams today! Thank you, Su Ye. Your generosity has won my eternal friendship."
"You're too kind." Su Ye lowered his head slightly. The gesture was extremely polite, without any shred of arrogance.
Kaerton gave a soft grunt. Su Ye had never shown him that level of respect.
Su Ye turned his head and looked at Kaerton. He had a challenging look in his eyes, "Is it satisfactory?"
Kaerton glanced at the Four God Contract on the table, then looked at the two empty bowls.
"It's very satisfactory," he answered truthfully.
Su Ye extended his arm and said, "A thousand Golden Eagles."
"What kind of tone was that!" Kaerton thought indignantly.
Kaerton glanced reluctantly at Su Ye and said, "I will give you a fair price, but according to my estimation, your baseline should be around a hundred Golden Eagles. That is enough for you to repay your debt. Furthermore, out of all the people you know, only I would be willing to pay you that many Golden Eagles."
"That's right; my baseline is indeed a hundred Golden Eagles," Su Ye said.
Kaerton nodded slightly. The recipe for the salad dressing was valuable indeed, but something like that couldn't be kept a secret forever. Others would begin researching the recipe. Because of this, the recipe would only have maximum sales potential for a short time. However, Su Ye wasn't done yet.
"Then what about Lawrence?" Su Ye asked. Then he picked up a piece of dried fig, popped it into his mouth, and chewed slowly.
Kaerton stared at Su Ye for a long while.
"Even I hadn't considered that." Maester praised him from the bottom of his heart.
"Not bad, I underestimated you," Kaerton said in frustration. "I didn't think that you would come up with that point. Two hundred Golden Eagles, I can't go any higher."
"Three hundred. I need living expenses," Su Ye said.
"You're asking for thirty years worth of living expenses from one bargain?" Kaerton had never seen such a greedy child.
"The expenses of a mage are high," Su Ye said.
"But mages also make a lot of money." There was something in Kaerton's tone that caught Su Ye's ear.
"I sense a tinge of regret in your voice, Mr. Kaerton. Now is the time to fill that regret," Su Ye said.
"You are craftier than a rat trying to steal oil. Indeed, I would still choose to be a warrior if I could advance to the level of Sage. But under the level of Sage, a mage earns more money. However, the price of three hundred Golden Eagles is just too much. Two hundred is enough to buy your house." Kaerton hadn't expected Su Ye to detect the regret in his voice.
"But it's not enough to buy the friendship of a mage," Su Ye said.
"If you decide to open a restaurant and lack the money, you have to choose me as your primary partner," Kaerton said.
"That's your true motive, isn't it? I agree."
Kaerton stood up and held out his right hand. "Two hundred Golden Zeuses as payment for the recipe, a hundred Golden Zeuses as a loan. A ten year, no-interest loan."
Su Ye stood up and shook Kaerton's hand.
"Deal."
The two of them smiled. Their disagreements with each other now scattered into the wind.
Maester nodded his head with satisfaction. Su Ye had gotten the better end of the deal.
The five assistants looked at Su Ye with a mixture of envy and jealousy. They wouldn't be able to earn three hundred Golden Eagles over the course of their entire lives. Su Ye had it good. He had earned three hundred Golden Eagles in an afternoon at such a young age.
Kaerton and Su Ye continued to chat, and sometime later, the Bronze Warrior Hark brought in three large bags. He placed them in front of Su Ye.
"Count it," Kaerton said.
"I can trust the owner of the Dolphin River," Su Ye replied.
Kaerton nodded his head, satisfied. He felt that Su Ye's words were becoming more and more pleasing to the ear.
Su Ye didn't look at the three bags of gold coins. He stood up straight and said seriously, "Mr. Kaerton, let us now talk about the matter at hand."
Kaerton looked confused for a moment. Then he said, "Other than Hark, the rest of you can leave."
"I'm looking forward to your next delicacy!" Maester laughed as he left the room.
The five assistants didn't dare to linger. They entered a room nearby.
Su Ye glanced at the expressionless Hark, then looked toward Kaerton and said, "Congratulations, you have gained the right to name the salad dressing today. In a few days, the 'Kaerton Salad' will spread throughout the city of Athens at an uncontrollable rate. When that time comes, not only will your regular noble customers come to sample the dish, even great nobles might be willing to owe you a favor for the recipe of the salad dressing."
"You are far more intelligent than I imagined you to be." The smile on Kaerton's face was faint.
"However, the reputation you earn from this will be almost insignificant compared to what you would gain if you continued to work with me. You would also become a co-owner of the first restaurant in the noble sector and the friend a mage. Greater status and authority would even be within your reach. Wouldn't you say so?"
Kaerton smiled and nodded. "That makes sense."
After the events of the day, he was a very happy man.
"However, there's also a possibility of you suffering a huge loss," Su Ye said.
"What loss?" Kaerton looked at Su Ye cautiously.
"If I die by Lawrence's hand today, you will lose the delicacies and reputation that would come in the future. You will lose the friendship of a mage with a bright future, or even more," Su Ye said.
Kaerton once again slipped into silence.
"Speak. What do you want?" Kaerton said.
Su Ye secretly heaved a sigh of relief. Not many people could disregard such potential losses.
All of his efforts through the evening had built up to this moment.
"Please allow Mr. Hark to accompany me as I repay my debts, then escort me home," Su Ye asked levelly. "You needn't be concerned about anything that happens after that."
"This is what you've truly wanted all along, isn't it?" Kaerton stared deeply at Su Ye.
"Yes." Su Ye picked up a purple-black mulberry and popped it into his mouth.
Hark watched Su Ye closely.
The room was dead silent.
Sometime later, Kaerton spoke, "I can get Hark to take you home, but you have to promise me something."
"What?"
"I will need you to interrupt the advancement of a certain person. Merely interrupting them is all I ask," Kaerton said.
"What level?"
"Maybe Silver, or maybe Gold. If they've reached Sage, then you don't have to bother yourself with it." There was a little fatigue in Kaerton's voice.
"If there's a chance, I will definitely try my best." Su Ye didn't have much of a choice.
There was a gleam in Kaerton's eyes. "Hark, take Su Ye home safely. At this point, his life is more important than mine."
"Yes!" Hark immediately replied, lowering his head.
Su Ye exhaled deeply.
"You are ultimately still young." Kaerton wasn't dissatisfied when he saw Su Ye let his composure slip. Instead, the sight made the man rather happy.
Su Ye didn't have any schemes wrapped up in this last bargain.
Su Ye had known from the start that his chances of escaping death were minuscule. The backup plan he had come up with of escaping the city would never have worked.
He had just been giving himself a shred of hope.