As the blazing star of morning and dawn rose yet again, rays of bright, gleaming, warm yellow-white reflected off the towering stone and steel-gray structures laced with dimming seven-color lights.
Log Date: Three – Twenty-eight – Twenty-two-Twenty-three. Entry Number Eight. At last, we now see all the spectacles of Petesyen, Nusanta of Polynesial, which is an Eastern-influenced state. To say that we are amazed is understatement as I myself cannot even properly describe my overwhelming sense of awe, excitement, relief, and joy. Even the Grand General, who had traveled all over Jeho many times on Royal Legion military business, had a look of astonishment in his eyes. The architecture and establishments of Petesyen were indeed something that anyone could be in reverence of, though I will admit that I do not know a lot about them in terms of history or style. Aside from the sights and wonders of the city, we were all ecstatic that we had finally arrived in Petesyen. We all have high hopes that this journey was well worth it and that nothing major goes awry or amiss. ... For some reason, I feel like I just jinxed everything. Instincts are such a strange feeling, but they cannot be trusted all the time. ... Can they? Meh. Best not be too hung up on such negative feelings, especially during times as pressing as this. We have gotten this far and cannot give up now. I must go, Arijun is calling me. End log entry.
"Fidel? Fidel. Fidel! Fidel, are you okay?"
Recollecting himself, Fidelio replied, "Huh? Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine Arijun."
"Never seen anything like this before, Fidelio?" Brion asked with a chuckle and a smile as he beheld the sight of Petesyen.
"No Grand General. None of us here, save you and Skar, have ever stepped foot outside of Mitozal before, save for going to Usamera I suppose."
"Ya've ne'er seen a place like this nard?! Hoo depressin'."
"You've never seen a place like this either Skar," Brion responded as she looked at the architecture and smiled in awe. Skar stared at Brion from behind as he rolled his eyes and dropped the subject. "Okay everyone, we need to find the baroness of this city and explain to his or her about our pressing business. Though we got in thanks to the Grand General handling the situation, no one knows the real reason why we're here. If you find her office, contact everyone else. It's best if we show up as a group, especially with me and Brion around. We should all split up to cover more ground. Any questions, concerns, or objections?" Fidelio commanded.
Arijun shakes her head, "Nope! None from me."
"I'm with Jun," Marwan replied, "I have nothing negative to say."
"Wha'ever. ... Nae a bad plan," Skar mumbled under his breath as he rolled his eyes.
"We'll follow your lead Fidelio," Brion responded. Therefore, the Sacrian Knights spilt up to find the baron's headquarters while at the same time familiarizing themselves with the capital city of Petesyen as they knew they were going to be spending some time in the city. Eventually, after wandering and beholding the sights, Skar accidently stumbled upon the baroness' headquarters while being lost, almost passing it in the process until he realized what he found. It was three-story building that was made of mostly marble and that acted as both the home and workspace of the mayor. The Sacrian Knights walked through the main entrance, which was lavished with crystal chandlers of all colors, Corinthian columns made of Pentelic marble, art of diamonds-worth, and a large, decorated rug of sunset-red. "What bring you fellows here?" the secretary, who was a cheetah-like Washaxian dressed in a pressed white shirt and black skirt, asked.
"Salam Cik (Greetings Miss). We would like to request an audience with the Baroness of Petesyen please," Fidelio answered.
"And who are all of you? Surely you must be important since a crossbreed dares make such a request, but even so, I cannot let just anyone see the Baroness of Petesyen especially on such short notice." the secretary questioned as she seemed looked down at everyone though her eyes moved up from her desk. Everyone stepped back as Grand General Brion walked in front of everyone in what seemed and felt like loud, thundering steps. He answered, "Please tell my cousin that Brion and his company need to speak to her immediately. It's a rather urgent emergency." After she saw Brion and felt his large, towering, respect-demanding presence, the Washaxian dashed toward the baron's office on the top floor. "So the Baroness of Petesyen is your prima (cousin). I knew that the Baroness of Petesyen knew you and you the baroness, but I did not know that the baron was your prima. I guess the world isn't that big after all."
"Yeah," Brion responded, "I apologize for not mentioning it sooner, but more on that later perhaps. Right now, however, we have more important things to focus on."
"Agreed Grand General Brion." After a brief moment, she came back and nodded as she held the elevator open and was almost out of breath. Everyone got into the elevator and as it started going up, Fidelio began to sweat and shake a bit, the pressure of more publicly acting like a leader getting to him. Brion noticed and gently placed his right claw on Fidelio's left shoulder as reassurance to which Fidelio sighed in response. Arijun tapped Fidelio's right shoulder and when Fidelio turned to look at her, she smiled causing Fidelio to slightly smile and improve his mood. With the secretary guiding them, the Sacrian Knights arrived at the fifth floor, walked down the hall, entered the hall-like office after the swipe of a card, and then sat in brown-red, leather chairs around a redwood table looking at a Tuscan-brown chair swivel back to face them. "Selamat tengah hari! (Good morning!) Selamat datang semua (Welcome everyone)! Brion! Gembira dapat jumpa awak lagi (Good to see you again)! It has been a long while has it not? I have not seen you since the last Royal Banquet." a chartreuse-green lizard-like Washaxian greeted.
"Heh heh heh. It has indeed been a while, huh cuz? Glad to see that you're still doing well, Mahsuri." Brion responded with a smile.
"Begitu juga (Likewise). Now, to what do I owe the pleasure? Are you here with your company to behold the sights of my wonderful city? We have had a recent, great technological and economic boom thanks to Polynesial's new trade partnership with Nihonel if you did not know."
"I'm afraid not Mahsuri, the young ones that you see in front of you and around me have something important and urgent to tell you."
Fidelio arose from his seat, bowed, and said in a respectful, business-like tone, "Salam, Baroness Mahsuri. It's a pleasure and an honor to be in your presence, Baroness of Petesyen. My name is Fidelio, the leader of The Sacrian Knights. With me you see, Arijun, my childhood friend; Marwan, my best friend; and Skar, a pupil and brother-in-arms of the Grand General."
"A pleasure to meet you all as well, Science Prodigy of Mitozal." she said as she bowed back. "You and your team are welcomed here, especially if Brion has taken such a liking to all of you." She then gave a brief look of curiosity at Skar before she turned back and looked at Fidelio. "So what matter of business do you need to tell me so urgently?"
"Ahem. Baroness Mahsuri, I assume that you are well aware of the plague and tragedy that is sweeping through our home planet, Jeho."
"Yes, I am well aware of the Hecharums and the possible threat that they pose, Fidelio, but what does that have to do with anything?"
'Straight to the point huh? Well, it's better that way. We've got no time to waste anyway.' "We believe that we have the solution to this major dilemma, an antidote to Jeho's epidemic if you will. We call it Auratite." Fidelio announced with a slight smile as he slid a sample towards Mahsuri.
"Auratite?" Mahsuri asked as she raised an eyebrow and carefully examined the metal in her hand out of curiosity.
"Yes, Baroness Mahsuri. It's a special, transparent metal that can amplify the power of our Auras and allows its wearers to summon weapons specific to them. We call those special weapons Auratals, and with these Auratals, we can defeat the Hecharums and end their reign and terror."
"Is this true?!" Mahsuri asked as she practically jumped out of her chair with eyes filled with hope and joy, her tail slightly wagging.
"It's true Mahsuri. That's why I am with them, to help them spread this small piece of hope. Hope that might help us end this plague and trauma once and for all." Brion reassured Mahsuri as he slightly smiled.
"Yes, that is our hope, Baroness Mahsuri. We've come to Petesyen to seek help from your citizens to aid us in search of a way to make it easier to industrialize Auratite so that others can take up arms and fight. After all, this city houses some of the best intellects of the West." Fidelio explained with a smile of pride.
Mahsuri thought deeply to herself, 'This might be the chance to take the fight to them and for this opportunity to happen in my city of all places. There is no way I would not help them.' "Very well then, I shall send you to my Head-Scientist. He tends to be dramatic at times, but he is good at what he does and has a brilliant mind."
"T-terima kasih (Thank you). Gracias (Thanks). Thank you very much, Baroness Mahsuri."
"Just Mahsuri is fine. My secretary Amahl will take you down to the ground floor where the laboratory is."
"There's a lab on the ground floor Mahsuri? How come I never knew 'bout it 'til now?" Brion asked with a smirk.
"Well, there was never the need for you to know until now," Mahsuri replied as she smirked back.
Brion shrugged as he smiled, "Heh. That's true I suppose."
"Amahl?" Mahsuri called.
"Ya puan (Yes ma'am)?"
"Please take my cousin, Grand General Brion, and the Sacrian Knights that he's a part of to the underground floor and give them directions to the Head Lab. Here, take this Fidelio." She handed Fidelio a special, gold and silver card and continued, "That card will grant you special access to certain facilities in Petesyen, but please be careful, there are some people that will try anything to get their hands on a card like that." Fidelio nodded in understanding, "Sí señora." He then followed Amahl to the elevator, the other Sacrian Knights following him closely. Amahl swiped a card that looked similar to the one that Mahsuri gave Fidelio on a small panel and the elevator went down three floors. "Go down the hallway until you reach the end. There should be a panel where you can swipe to open the door in front of you."
They bowed at Amahl as a sign of gratitude and walked down a long, undecorated, steel and marble corridor until they reached the end. Fidelio then took a deep breath, swiped the card on the small panel, and the steel door in front of them whooshed open. "Who is entering my lab?! Siapa awak (Who are you)?!" a voice suddenly shouted in a threatened tone.
"Guests of Baroness Mahsuri of Petesyen." Fidelio replied. Then a diamond-shaped face with bone-white skin, one scar on each of his round eyes and s-shaped eyebrows slowly appeared. As he showed himself entirely, the Sacrian Knights could see that he had silver-gray hair and wore a flint-gray lab coat, an ivory shirt, flint-gray pants, brunette shoes, and charcoal-gray gloves. "Permintaan maaf (Apologies). Forgive me for my rudeness. I thought you might be one of those nasty, nosy, annoying reporters that's always interrupting and interfering with my work and wasting my time. Anyhow, what brings you bunch down here to a place like this and to a person like me?"
"Baroness Mahsuri referred you to us. We need your valuable, intellectual assistance to industrialize this, more specifically, integrate this into modern weapons technology." Fidelio answered as he handed the scientist something.
"Apa (What)? I mean, what is this?" the scientist asked as he felt something rough, hard, and solid in his hand, but could barely see it.
"We call it Auratite, Doctor. When this unique metal is worn, it allows anyone fit to fight to summon a weapon specific to them. It's that weapon that allows the user to defeat the Hecharums."
Shocked, the scientist stared at the transparent metal in awe and asked excitedly, "Serius (Seriously)?! Is that true?! Really true?!"
"Yes, I, Grand General of the Royal Legion, Grand General Brion assure you that what Fidelio, leader of The Sacrian Knights, is telling you is the truth!" Brion declared with a smile and look of modesty and pride. The scientist's eyes grew and shined as he basked in the presences of those around him and at the bizarre metal in his hands. 'There was no need for that kind of introduction, Grand General,' Fidelio thought as he laughed nervously and awkwardly.
"How does Auratite construct such fabled weapons if I may ask?" the Head Scientist asked.
"Auratite acts as both an amplifier and catalyst that works on Aura to strengthen it while simultaneously allowing the capable individual to manifest their Aura into certain constructs that depends on the individual and their species." Fidelio answered.
"So the Aura Theory has been proven?! This metal's capabilities alone could potentially open up scientific studies into the spiritual aspects of life!"
Fidelio then coughed to change the tone and atmosphere and asked the scientist, "So can you help us Head Scientist?"
"Sudah tentu (Of course)! I will most certainly, Fidelio. Oh! Where are my manners? My name is Aqil, the Head Scientist of Petesyen. However, while I am willing to assist you, I'm sorry to say that I cannot do so right now. In fact, I cannot aid you at all today since I'm going to be off the rest of today."
"Why is that Head-Scientist?" Fidelio asked, wondering what might be occupying Aqil.
"Why? That's because today is the day of Perayaan Ringan."
"Perayaan Ringan?" Arijun asked.
"Yes! The "Festival of Light" is what the entire city is currently getting ready for it. It's the second biggest celebration in all of Jeho, and the citizens of Petesyen like to go all out for it. Only the city of Rio de Inverno in the territory of Jiquari out does us when it comes to celebrations, especially with one particular celebration called Carnival de Luz."
"Oh! Don't you remember, Lio?! We use to celebrate something similar every year back in Teconotí! With all the fireworks, the dancing, and music." Marwan exclaimed as the old memory resurfaced and filled him with nostalgia.
"Oh yeah! Ya me recuerdo (Now I remember)! That was so much fun! Ah, los buenos dias con musica de la tierra de los mil ritmos (the good days with music of the land of a thousand rhythms). Aye, y también los balies magníficos, y los fuegos artificiales deslumbrantes (and also the magnificent dancing, and the dazzling fireworks)." Arijun said passionately as she reminisced.
"Perdóname, but I don't remember doing anything that extravagant at all, Arwan y Arijun." Fidelio replied honestly.
'These knights are from Teconotí?! Well, the purple and blue one are fluent in Espantil (Spanish), but how did they survive during and after the Teconotí Tragedy?' Aqil thought, his eyes slightly showing his shock and pity.
"Have you kids not seen Petesyen during Perayaan Ringan?" Mahsuri asked, scaring the living daylights out of Skar as she appeared out thin air right behind him.
"N-no, we've ... haven't exactly celebrated anything since ... the first tragedy of Jeho." Fidelio responded nervously and awkwardly.
"Belum pernah (Never)?!" Mahsuri asked with a face of shock and horror.
"The yellow, blue, and purple ones are the only survivors of The Teconotí Tragedy," Aqil immediately whispered to Mahsuri after tapping her shoulder. Mahsuri eyes widened as she began to feel immense sympathy towards the trio. "How about all of you enjoy the city and the festival then? You can all have a break after journeying for so long. I'm sure that all of you deserve it for your hard work."
"That's very generous of you Baroness Mahsuri, but-"
"We'd love to!" Arijun and Marwan shouted interruptedly with faces and smiles of joy and excitement.
"I guess we could use a break," Brion commented as Skar simply shrugged and smiled at the look of Fidelio's concerned face.
"E-even if we could, what would we do at Perayaan Ringan?" Fidelio asked, trying to get back to the main task at hand.
"You could watch the plays, visit our art museums, go shopping, eat at our restaurants, and watch the Perayaan Ringan's music concert," Mahsuri suggested, all options solidifying Arijun's and Marwan's eagerness.
"G-gracias, but we don't have any money of any sort to enjoy any of those luxuries," Fidelio admitted while still trying to get back to the main task at the same time.
"Tak apa (Don't worry), all of it is on me. The food, the clothes, the events, I will pay for all of it. After all, I'm sure you Sacrian Knights are tired and haven't had a chance to have a day of fun."
"But-"
"Come on Fidel! We deserve to have some fun after all of our years of work." Arijun insisted with a smile.
"She's right," Marwan agreed, "You of all people deserve to relax and enjoy yourself. Why wait for it when a chance to unwind finally presents itself. Be satisfied with our current progress, take a break, and throw away your shot for once, mister non-stop."
'Wait. ... Was that ... some sort of use of musical wordplay? ... Wait. ... What was I just thinking right now? Oh yeah, I'm clearly outnumbered.' Fidelio sighed in defeat as he ruffled his hair, "Very well then, I suppose it be rude to turn down such a generous offer from the Baroness of Petesyen herself. Additionally, I suppose it would be a beneficial opportunity to familiarize ourselves with the city and its inhabitants since we'll most likely be here for a while."
'Thinking objectively as always.' Arijun and Marwan thought as they both sighed in disappointment.
"Indah (Wonderful)! Then it has all been settled!" Mahsuri exclaimed as she pointed at a location on a holo-map. "Please meet me at this restaurant. I will be there shortly after helping Aqil set up the Science Section of Perayaan Ringan."
After receiving a message on his arstadex, Fidelio sighed and nodded, "Very well, I hope things good well for you Head Scientist."
Aqil chuckled as waved farewell, "Terima kasih! I appreciate it. I hope that things go well for you too." The Sacrian Knights then left and started walking to what seemed to be an expensive restaurant, making Fidelio sweat a bit as he felt intimidated. Not only did the interior and decoration appear expensive, but the employees dressed in attire that no ordinary restaurant would require their employees to wear. The restaurant was a unique one as it stared dishes of Gallial, Latanial, and Nihonel. The interior of the restaurant had vibrant, dark shades of red, purple, and blue rugs and carpet decorate its floors. Stunning, lively paintings of mountain, plain, and forest landscapes covered the walls, framed in real gold and silver. Diamond-crystals hanged and lightly jingled from overhead gold chandeliers as the slight draft from outside tickled them. Furniture such as chairs, coffee tables, and couches of blue, purple, and red gave the restaurant's waiting area a welcoming, home-like feel.
They all sat in a berry-blue, leather, round booth and were bewitched by the descriptions and images of various dishes found in the menu. The scents of warm, juicy meats; rich, steamy vegetables; creamy, flavorful sauces; soft, smooth portions of pasta; and sweet, tangy pastries danced in the atmosphere and made the knights' mouths water. However, before they could order, three chefs came from the kitchen and glared at Fidelio while smiling at the others. "Buon pomeriggio (Good afternoon)! Scuse signori e signora (Apologies sirs and lady), but is he with you?" the first chef, a cat-like Washaxian, asked.
Fidelio silently covered his face with the menu, 'Just great!' he thought. 'Por supuesto they would try to respectfully kick me out since Baroness Mahsuri isn't here to force them to accept me. Arwan and Ari will most likely get defensive, but before they do, Grand General Brion will probably stop them and might put his rank card on the table. Though, thinking in a more concise sense based on personality, the Grand General will probably come up with some sort of remark and then will elaborate on the three of us being the former Prodigy Trio of Mitozal. From there, who knows how this will go? Certainly not me. One thing is for sure though, Skar will stay just as silent and unresponsive as me. Considering the accent and words of the first chef, I would say that he's definitely from the state of Itatria.'
Just as Fidelio predicted, Marwan and Arijun opened their mouths but could not say anything as Brion replied with a polite smile and tone, "Yes, yes he is gentlemen. Is there a problem with having the Science Prodigy of Mitozal here with us?"
"Science Prodigy of Mitozal? Qui est-ce (Who is that)?" the second chef, a rooster-like Washaxian, asked, while the other two chefs shrugged in confusion.
'Not surprising,' Fidelio thought. 'These chefs must be immigrants, the second chef definitely being one from Francia. Even if they're technically citizens of Polynesial, they share the East's outlook of disgust towards crossbreeds. Because of that, these chefs know nothing about me. No. Correction. They do know about me; they just simply don't care about me. Polynesial, although geographically part of the West, is heavily influenced by the East, economically, politically, socially, and culturally. Hananomal is too, but unlike Polynesial, Hananomal stays silent about the East's cultural opinions, while the other two provinces embrace the East's opinions even if that embrace is slow. Crossbreeding has been a thing for quite some time now, but it's still not that widely accepted. Only Mitozal, and the state of Usamera embrace the mixing of diversity, but otherwise, I'm an amalgamation to just about everyone else. My guess is that the next cards that the Grand General will play are Ari's and Arwan's cards.'
"Come now gentlemen, no need for such meaningless words. He is the childhood friend of the Art Prodigy of Mitozal and the Warrior Prodigy of Mitozal. Surely you've heard of them since the Prodigy Trio have potential to change Jeho together." Brion explained.
"Ah yes! We've heard of the two of you! Hajimemashite! (Nice to meet you!). I'm Chef Haruryori of Nihonel. My partners are Chef Fausto of Enlatial and Chef Florent of Gallial. If you don't mind, we'll take your orders right now." a lizard-like Washaxian declared, clearly trying to win favor.
'Once again, the expected reaction,' Fidelio thought. 'Ari and Arwan were place on higher pedestals than me simply because they are prodigies that aren't crossbreeds. The cards were placed strategically, but this is where chips become involved and mind games begin to reign.'
"We won't accept your hospitality if you don't serve Fidel as well." Arijun sternly replied, Marwan nodding in agreement. The chefs and the eavesdropping customers all looked at Arijun and the other Sacrian Knights in surprise. 'Boom. Ari placed her chips in first and Arwan will soon follow. The Grand General and Skar will do nothing as Skar doesn't care about what's going on while the Grand General will consider his involvement in this situation as unnecessary. Typical, but I can't help but feel guilty for some reason. ... Am I wrong to think that fighting for me like this is unnecessary?'
"I share the same opinion as my childhood friend. If you don't serve my best friend as well, we'll simply walk out." Marwan added with a glare.
"B-b-b-but Madame (Miss) Arijun and Monsieur (Mister) Marwan, w-w-we don't serve crossbreeds and others together." Florent replied nervously.
"Oh? Por qué (Why)? What has Fidel done to you to deserve such disrespecting treatment that is disgraceful to Mitozal's Prodigy Trio?" Arijun responded while refusing to look at the chefs.
"We're the Prodigy Trio, not the Prodigy Duo. Either you serve all of us or none of us. Surely you three wouldn't want word to go around that the Prodigy Trio walked out of your establishment unsatisfied." Marwan added with a smirk.
'... Ari. Arwan ... Why go so far for me? I have nothing to prove nor do I know how to prove that I am an equal among you.'
"A-Arijun-sama. M-Marwan-sama. C-crossbreeds contribute little to Jeho and are ... an anomaly amongst Jehoans."
"Contribute little huh? He's the Science Prodigy of Mitozal! Fine! How about this then? I cook for you three with Fidel. I'll act as his sous-chef and he will decide on the dish that we make for you three. If you are satisfied with the dish, you'll serve him and any other crossbreed no matter what as well as retract any negative opinions on crossbreeds."
"Y-you'd willingly propose such a challenge with ... someone holding you back, Signora Arijun?"
"Absolutely, but first, Nihonel, Gallial, or Latanial cuisine?" The three chefs looked at each other and nodded as they each pulled a die and rolled it at the same time. Chef Haruryori smiled and laughed as he rolled a five while the others rolled a four and a three. "Nihonel it is then! Come on Fidel!" Before he could say or do anything, Fidelio's wrist was grabbed by Arijun and he was taken to the kitchen where the other Sacrian Knights stood on the sideline while the customers silently watched through the open kitchen doors. "Okay Fidel. What should we do? What should we make?" Arijun asked as she finished changing into a sous-chef's outfit and tying her hair up into a ponytail.
"... Arijun. ... Por qué? ... Why are you going through such lengths for the likes of me? You know how I don't want to be a hindrance and don't care about being lower than the rest of you."
Before Fidelio could continue any further, Arijun suddenly and fiercely slapped Fidelio's hands together and looked at him sternly. "That was for spouting out nonsense. I'm doing this help you babo (dummy). Ever since The Teconotí Tragedy, you haven't quite been yourself. You've been cold, distant, overly-cautious, self-loathing, less confident, and ... not as happy as before. If you don't believe in yourself a bit, you won't ever be fit enough to be the leader of the Jehoan forces that'll join us."
"Th-that may be true, but why am I the leader? Grand General Brion has been an excellent leader for many years and provides exceptional guidance. But me of all people?! ... You know that I'm broken and unstable! I have skills but lack the confidence to properly hone them! I'm young and lack proper experience! I'm different and am shunned by the majority of society as those three chefs have shown! I simply don't have the will or confidence to change it all."
"And that's why I'm giving you a chance to gain some!" Arijun interrupted as she pointed at Fidelio sternly. "You used to be the "leader" of our Prodigy Trio. You were smart, confident, determined, ready to learn, hardworking, integrious, caring, and happy. Now your fear, doubt, and anxiety are clouding your identity and who you used to be. A majority of your true self is shrouded in all of those negative emotions, and for the sake of the stars, don't you remember that it was Grand General Brion that first proposed that you be the leader?! He knows that you're capable of being a better leader than he ever was. I don't know what needs to be done to change your mind about that, but for now, trust me, just like you used to back then." Arijun extends her right hand with a confident smile towards Fidelio, while he looked at it intensely, a flash of an old memory coming into his mind. "It's time to move onward Fidel."
'... She's right, if I don't start getting my act together I'll never be able to lead the Sacrian Knights like I've been doing for the past five orbits, all despite my insecurities. This path is laid out before me. It's ... petrifying, daunting, uncertain, and unpredictable, but I have all of them to supporting me. In order to pay them back for their encouragement, I'll suck it up, and move forward to the best of my ability, one step at a time. Knowing that if I fall, I can get back up, and if I'm struggling to do that, they all will offer me a hand.' Fidelio then immediately took off his glasses and threw them to the other side of the room where Marwan caught them without filching or breaking the glasses. Fidelio then changed into a chef's outfit, put on an apron and headband, and began to whisper to Arijun, who nodded in agreement. The three chefs looked at Fidelio and were surprised to see Fidelio's true eyes, his left eye having no white and his right having blurred white. "H-he's completely blind on his left eye and can barely see with his right?" Haruryori questioned in shock.
"Oh? Is that a tone of worry I hear from you, Chef Haruryori?" Marwan asked with a smile as Fidelio and Arijun got started on cooking, the various smells and heat of their dish filling the entire kitchen. Skar and Brion noticed the tone of Haruryori too, though Brion was confident in Fidelio and Arijun while Skar was observing them and was already craving the dish they were making. "O-o-of course not, Marwan-sama!" Haruryori responded.
"Yeah! Why would very poor eyesight scare any of us, Signore Marwan?" Fausto asked while trying to hid his nervousness.
"I don't know Chef Fausto, why don't you ask Chef Haruryori? He seems to know really what's up and why Jun wanted to show Lio off as soon as the chance arose." Chef Fausto and Chef Florent looked at Haruryori with raised eyebrows as they waited impatiently for an explanation. "W-w-well," Haruryori began, "if he was born the way he is now, it'll actually be a huge advantage for Arijun-sama."
"Quoi (What)?! Comment (How)?!" Florent asked worryingly while grabbing Haruryori by his collar.
"B-b-because his other senses would be off the charts, and in cooking, taste and smell are ideal senses to improve in order to improve your cooking." Haruryori nervously answered.
Marwan snickered and smirked, "You are almost correct, Chef Haruryori. The problem with your assumption is that his senses are indeed off the charts. Observe my best friend and his actions." The chefs turned back and saw Fidelio picking out the best ingredients available, including the freshest, ripest herbs and vegetables, while Arijun prepared them for Fidelio. "Che cosa (What)?! Come (How)?!" Fausto asked in shock and worry.
"Simple, Chef Fausto. Lio explained it to me once. He said that using smell and touch, you can determine when an ingredient is at its peak in terms of freshness and ripeness. As for the actual cooking process ..." Marwan pointed to Fidelio smelling and tasting different parts of the dish that he and Arijun were working on. "As you know, taste and smell are important in order to be certain that the ingredients are well-balanced and don't ruin each other. Cooking is one of the few things that Lio and Jun can work on in unison and make something that anyone would be impressed by. "An art and a science" is what they'd always say." The tension grew and the heat caused many to sweat in anticipation and stress as Fidelio and Arijun swiftly moved across the kitchen tossing, mixing, chopping, and sizzling their ingredients. Suddenly the tension in the kitchen stopped all at once as the sounds of three plates hitting the table silenced everyone with curiosity, intimidation, and worry.
Fidelio took his glasses back, put them on, and smiled as he saw the final product of their teamwork and handed a bowl to Skar, which he gladly took. "Behold!" Arijun began, "We have for you Prodigy Style: Chicken Fried Rice! Buen provecho y entrarle (Enjoy your meal and dig in)!" They all slowly took a bite after blowing on their spoons when suddenly their eyes opened and their hearts stopped in amazement and shock. "It's ... sugoi (amazing)! Do yatte (How)?!" Haruryori asked as he could barely stop himself from eating it quickly.
"Allow me to clear your confusion on what you're experiencing." Arijun declared. "It was Fidel's idea to substitute a majority of the usual ingredients with ingredients from Mitozal and then to add in more ingredients to make the dish stand out."
"Hm, rice is not only a staple food in the culture of Nihonel, but it is also a staple of the cultures of Hanjoseongul, Zhongguol, Aralarvegil, Indiyal, Alearabal, and Mitozal as well. Not to mention, rice is well known for its natural characteristic of absorbing the moisture around it; in this case, the flavored moisture of the dish. That's why you chose fried rice, right Fidelio-kun?" Haruryori asked after finishing a bite.
"C-correct. Arijun agreed with me on my choice so we made it. You may keep eating as we talk and feel free to make more observations as well."
"La sauce. C'est différent (It's different). What exactly did you do to it?" Florent asked after analyzing a bite.
"We made our own sauces to replace the soy sauce that are usually used in traditional Nihonel fried rice." Arijun began, "Fidel, care to elaborate on how we did it please?"
"P-por supuesto. In place of the usual soy sauce and oyster sauce, we made a sauce with: garlic, balsamic and apple cider vinegar, sea salt, ginger, green onions, blackstrap molasses, vegetable bouillon, dried dihueñe mushrooms, beef broth, and dried white shrimp."
"Adding shrimp and beef broth into the sauce enhances the overall umami of the dish while giving it more flavors. The molasses gives the sauce the sweetness that is expected in soy sauce, while the other ingredients add more depth in terms of bitterness, sweetness, and umami. What's the extra sweetness I taste that is imbedded in the sautéed vegetables?" Chef Fausto asked before taking another bite.
"C-corn, Chef Fausto. It's a variant that we grow ourselves that was grown to be sweeter due the larger presence of natural sugars, which we often need to keep our energy up during our everyday battles." Fidelio answered nervously.
"Corn is another staple crop of Mitozal culture that originated from the states of Mexicia and Usamera. Adding in with the caramelized carrots, scallions, spinach, and peas adds a fresh, vegetable bitterness and sweetness that pairs well with the seasoned rice." Arijun added with a smile.
"The natural sweetness of vegetables is a nice change, but what's giving the dish its hint of freshness on the chicken? Herbes (Herbs)?" Chef Florent asked.
"Y-yes, we added: damiana, bay leaves, bricklebush, cilantro, oregano, sage, sapodilla, and mint. Though we did so in precise amounts in order to not overload the chicken with their flavor. It's a unique blend that we just made so I was worried about getting the mixture wrong, but I'm assuming that there's no issues, correct?" Fidelio answered.
The chefs slowly nodded in agreement to Fidelio's statement before Chef Fausto remarked, "Hm, there is indeed a new level of freshness involved in this dish, but there's also a slight fragrance that gives off a harmonizing hint of both sourness and sweetness. Frutta! (Fruit!) More specifically, limone (lemon) ... ananas (pineapple) ... pomme (apple) ... e (and) ... soursop?"
"Fidel, explain again please." Arijun politely commanded with a smile.
"N-not lemon, but lime Chef Fausto, which is part of the citrus family of fruits. Though I suppose in Espantil it's often called limón, which was squeezed on top of the chicken when it was in the pan and again on the rice to add some sourness and acidy to dish. Also yes, we did add pineapple for a distinct purpose as well as apple and soursop, or as it is called in Mitozal, guanabana, a fruit of my paternal grandfather's homeland, Mutanci."
"Pourquoi (Why) guanabana, pomme, et (and) ananas?" Florent asked out of curiosity.
"W-well," Fidelio responded, "piña (pineapple) is also a staple crop of Mitozal culture and it is also a fruit that contains bromelain. Bromelain is an enzyme that breaks down proteins, which is why pineapple, and even its distant relative: the apple, are often used to tenderize meat. In this case, the meat of this dish is the chicken, which was sautéed in apple butter with pineapple on top. As foe guanabana, it's a native fruit of Mutanci and is known for its peculiar taste. I recall an immigrant from Usamera saying that it tasted like strawberries, citrus, and banana. Such a unique taste most likely originates from the natural antioxidants, vitamin C, and natural sugars within guanabana. The reason you don't see unappealing chucks of it is because we used it in the form of milk that we make ourselves, leche de guanabana (guanabana milk). That milk was used to scramble the eggs as a way to mellow the earthiness and spiciness of some of the spices that they were sautéed in."
"Heh. You definitely have the science of cooking down. Guess that's why they called you the Science Prodigy of Mitozal. As you claimed, there's a distinct, complex spiciness to this dish, which is a trait associated with Mitozal culture. What spices did you use?" Chef Haruryori asked.
Arijun looked at Fidelio and he answered, "Paprika, cloves, epazote, achiote, coriander, jalapeños, cumin, allspice, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and sea salt. The bizarre, well-balanced mixture originating from various regions of Mitozal brings spiciness, earthiness, and slight sweetness into the dish. All the spices were chopped, crushed, and sautéed with the herbs in apple butter before the chicken, rice, eggs, vegetables, and sauce were added." The three chefs and Skar finished stuffing their faces, Skar having finished before the chefs, despite having had seconds. The chefs then sighed in satisfaction and defeat before looking at each other, Haruryori speaking first. "Well, looks like we've been defeated and have greatly underestimated the potential of crossbreeds. Fidelio-san. You were basically Arijun-sama's secret weapon huh?"
Fidelio smiled and chuckled nervously, "I guess. Cooking was once an odd hobby of mine that I've long forgotten since The Teconotí Tragedy. It was one of the only times that I would make Arijun jealous while being a lifesaver as my nose and tongue helped her create new dishes that required balance above all else."
"Oh ... we're sorry! Please forgive us of our ignorance!" the chefs shouted in unison as they bowed apologetically.
Fidelio chuckled nervously and awkwardly, "I-if you really do want us to forgive you then serve us the best dishes you can!"
"Hai!"
"Assolutamente!"
"Bien sûr!"