Zeo, Arthur's only child, caught him off guard with his proposal. "Why in the world do you want to learn to cook from me, Zeo?" he asked, as his son scratched the back of his head, desperately looking for an excuse to keep his father from knowing about the cooking to pass the man trial.
When Zeo saw his mother's tombstone, memories of her passionate interest in cooking came back to him.
"I'd like to master cooking as an homage to my mother. I'm familiar that it won't be easy to learn from you, but I'd like to give it a try. Could you teach me?" Zeo's words moved Arthur, and he consented.
"We'll start the lessons the following day. I'll take a few years off from work in order to stay here." "Lina!!!"
At that moment, the figure of a black-haired woman wearing the Zennethia army uniform rushed behind Arthur.
"Yes, Lord Arthur, Lina is here," she said.
Arthur informed them he'd be away from the kingdom for a while, as the Emperor had committed to providing him this favour. Not even his family was safe here, so he needed to stay in a place where his family had once been at home.
"Wait, Lord Arthur," said Lina, "if we do that, we will be off-schedule for the next..."
"Be careful what you say, Lina, your opponents' ears are everywhere. Don't mention my son, as the Emperor promised, and get someone here to reconstruct my house," he said.
"Yes, my Lord," she replied before being taken away by the wind.
"Let's stay at the inn for now, son. Tomorrow at sunrise, we shall begin our training. But for now, let's go over everything you know about yourself and your mother tonight."
Zeo recounted his mum's memories to Arthur with great fondness. He talked about how she used to sing while preparing meals and how she was passionate about gardening, always making sure her flower beds were vibrant and full of different hues.
But his voice started quivering when he told his dad about the day Noxus soldiers invaded the village.
He remembered the soldier brandishing his scythe and threatening to kill in front of Commander Fang, then his mum was executed right in front of him. Tears started streaming down his face, and Arthur was boiling with anger but tried to keep it in check to comfort his son.
He hadn't seen Zeo in a while, so he was uncertain how to handle his suffering, but he smiled at him to show his support.
Arthur asked Zeo to tell him more about his mother and Zeo obliged. He portrayed her as being always compassionate and hospitable, always ready to assist those in need. He further stated how she was a great listener, taking out time to hear him out. Finally, Zeo said that he wished to be strong, caring and generous like his mother. Arthur smiled and embraced his child tightly, telling him that he was proud of him for being such a valiant young man. Zeo looked so much like his dearest Rebecca.
The night passed and Zeo eventually drifted off to sleep. Arthur looked at him with admiration and spoke softly.
"You haven't completely left me, my treasured Rebecca; I can see a part of you in our son.
Thank you for taking care of him; now let me take over and watch our son soar high ".
As the morning sun came up, a delicious smell filled Zeo's room. When he opened his eyes, he saw two slices of bread with a golden scrambled egg in the middle. On top of the bread was a slice of meat that was artistically decorated with herbs. There was also orange juice.
Zeo was starving, though he eyed the food with mistrust. Suddenly, his dad came in and started laughing as he watched his son's mouth water.
"I made that breakfast for you, Zeo - it's your first time to try my cooking ".
Zeo heard this and went straight to the food, wolfing it down. He could taste the love and effort his dad put in it just by the first bite. But something about the food seemed special, that he couldn't explain.
The taste of the dish was amazing; not too light or too heavy. Every bite was begging for another.
Zeo was feeling invigorated with every mouthful he ate. He washed it all down with some orange juice and before he knew it, he'd cleaned his plate. His dad saw him and couldn't help but laugh.
"Hahaha Zeo, you won't believe the amount of people who've asked me to cook for them, but I said no. Every bite you took was from a demonic beast – MoonFlower wheat, Three Horned Rabbit meat and Heavenly White Eagle egg! It's usually too tough and tastes pretty bad anything come from demonic beast, but only a few people know how to cook it properly; and I'm one of them."
"Did you notice anything different after eating the dish? Any warrior or mage who eats my food everyday will have a great benefit to their training."
"Once you know the basics of cooking, I'll teach you how to cook demonic beast meat, son. Can you do it?"
Zeo was beginning to appreciate why his mother was so enthusiastic about his dad's cooking.
"Okay, dad," he said.
Arthur rose from his seat and left the room. Before he exited, he said, "Zeo, I've booked the tavern kitchen for our morning practice. I'm gonna educate you on cooking principles later in the day."
Zeo got ready in a flash and ran towards the tavern. When he stepped into the kitchen, he saw his father eagerly waiting for him.
He began by teaching Zeo the basics of cooking, such as chopping, stir-frying, boiling, and baking. He also demonstrated to him how to use the kitchen tools correctly.
After a couple of months, Zeo was able to cook simple dishes like fried rice, scrambled eggs, and even some desserts.
Arthur was delighted with his son's advancement and congratulated him for his hard work. He sent every dish he had cooked to the man.
The man gave a negative sign, implying that Zeo hadn't aced the task yet. This didn't dishearten him at all, rather it increased his determination. Arthur kept teaching Zeo advanced dishes like soups, stews and even baking. He also showed him how to season the food and serve it attractively.
As the two cooked together in the kitchen, Arthur passed on many cooking lessons. Zeo had the chance to learn about cooking from both a practical and sentimental perspective due to these experiences. He learned that cooking is more than just following recipes; it's about uniting people through food.