Eulanda secured the limbs of the mechanical wolf and activated the magic crystal, the core of its power.
Silently, she prayed in her heart, "This trial run has to be successful. Pressing this button costs a gold coin." Magic crystals were so expensive that even a person from a wealthy merchant family like her felt the pinch when using them.
The mechanical wolf rushes off instantly.
Lusen knocked on the door, "Eulanda, I brought the mixed fine gold you requested."
Eulanda was a sixth-year student in the Department of Magical Mechanics at the Star Academy. The academy only had five years, but students like Eulanda with excellent grades and the potential to become teachers in the future were referred to as "sixth-year students."
Although Eulanda's current level was not sufficient to qualify as a teacher, she had a small laboratory, and some of her research projects could receive the academy's support. She was just one step away from becoming a full-fledged teacher.
Eulanda opened the door and took the mixed fine gold from Lusen's hand.
Knowing that she was about to test the results of her experiment, Lusen took the initiative to ask, "I heard you're researching an attack-type Wind Wolf magical device. Is it going well?"
Eulanda nodded, "It's going quite smoothly, it's already moving, you see..." She pointed to the side.
It was indeed moving but in an unexpectedly peculiar way.
The Wind Wolf was running around the lab on its head and tail, its legs pointing skyward. The grey-green eyes on the upside-down wolf head were lifeless, lending an absurd yet eerie quality to the scene.
Lusen looked at Eulanda's face. She didn't seem defeated, but she wasn't exactly happy either. She watched her prized Wind Wolf with a conflicted expression, "Its speed is 70% slower than the design, but at least it can move smoothly. It's a success in a way. The head, which was originally designed to launch attacks, has almost lost its combat power. However, it surprisingly has the effect of mental pollution, so it can't be considered a failure."
Lusen nodded on the side. Although this mechanical Wind Wolf had basically lost its combat power, he could guarantee that anyone with even a slight bit of cowardice would also lose their combat power upon seeing it—it was simply too horrifying.
"So should I scrap it and start over?" Eulanda couldn't decide. "My mentor once told me, if you clearly messed up something, but the magical device can still operate, we definitely shouldn't touch it."
Lusen suggested, "How about we first try to control it?" The mechanical Wind Wolf had already knocked down two cabinets and was attempting to escape through the window.
So the question of whether to modify the internal structure was set aside for the moment as the two ran after the mechanical Wind Wolf. Eulanda was already panting heavily after only a few steps, looking extremely weak.
Lusen grabbed the hind leg of the Wind Wolf, making it easier for Eulanda to press the control button. Looking at Eulanda's frail body, which was as thin as a sheet of paper, he couldn't help but say, "You need to take care of your health. Eating only one meal a day isn't good."
Eulanda seemed unconcerned, "I don't want to be like this, but once I get into my research, I always miss the canteen's opening hours."
Seeing Lusen about to speak, she added, "Some people suggested that I buy some food and keep it in the lab. But my stomach isn't good, I can't eat cold and hard food. If only there were a crucible in the lab like in the Potion Department."
Lusen thought to himself: Have you ever considered that the reason you can't eat cold food is due to long-term hunger, which has caused stomach problems? And you absolutely can't use a potion crucible to heat food!
However, he might have a solution to her missing the canteen problem.
Soon, Eulanda received a gift from her newly hired assistant, Lusen. It was a new item from a restaurant where he worked part-time, designed specifically for people like her who didn't have time to go to the canteen.
She happened to forget to eat lunch today. Or rather, she forgets seven or eight times out of ten, as the mornings just seemed too short, and before she knew it, it was already afternoon. If the lab wasn't closed at night, forcing her to pack up and leave, Eulanda would even miss dinner.
What Lusen sent was a paper box. Eulanda guessed that it contained food, and eating cold food indeed gave her stomach pain. But this was a kind gesture from her assistant, and Eulanda was indeed hungry. She tore open the packaging box and caught a hint of magical fluctuations in the air. The fire element was noticeably active for a moment.
The plain paper box in her hand turned out to be a disposable magic tool. Eulanda was intrigued. She quickly removed the packaging and took out the food inside.
Two cupcake-sized pastries, honey-colored, were baked to a fluffy dome, the tops slightly cracked with embedded cranberries. Eulanda broke off a piece and put it in her mouth. The soft and fluffy texture finally soothed her hungry stomach.
As Eulanda ate the cupcake, she opened the other boxes: salt and pepper taro slices, carrot meat patties, taro and sweet potato balls, and a sealed paper cup with a straw beside it, unsure of what liquid it contained.
Despite being a small paper box, the variety of food inside was surprising. Importantly, all were just the right temperature to eat. The cupcakes, still wafting a honey scent, seemed freshly baked. The carrot meat patties had not turned soggy from being reheated, and the salt and pepper taro slices were crispy and delicious. Unconsciously, Eulanda ate all the food, and although she was full, she still wanted more.
Since there were many types of food, the quantities weren't large. Eulanda, not quite satisfied, reached into the now empty box, leaving her with no choice but to move on to the next. Now only the liquid in the unknown cup remained. Following the instructions on the paper cup, Eulanda poked a hole in the top with the straw and took a cautious sip.
She tasted a silky, sweet drink that she had never had before! Eulanda closed her eyes, trying to identify the flavors. First, she tasted the rich aroma of milk, the source of the drink's smooth texture. Then, a faint taste of tea... tea? Wasn't tea usually expensive? However, Eulanda thought that since even the packaging box was a disposable magic tool, it was not surprising to find tea in the drink. She continued to taste it, and her tongue seemed to catch pieces of caramel pudding - tender and smooth, adding a hint of bitter-sweet flavor to the drink.
While indulging in the texture of the drink, Eulanda suddenly opened her eyes. The cup was empty? How was there so little?
She held the cup in her hand, turned it around, and found the name of the drink written in fancy letters on the side: Caramel Pudding Milk Tea.
As she guessed, the ingredients were caramel pudding, milk, and tea. But the cup was empty just as she was starting to appreciate the flavors, making her itch for more.
She desperately wanted to find Lusen, who had given her the box of food, but she knew he was busy with his other part-time job at this time. So she could only pace anxiously in the lab, barely suppressing her desire to drink more of the caramel pudding milk tea.
When she meets Lusen tomorrow, she must ask him where this box of food came from, especially the milk tea!
----------
Several more customers had arrived at the restaurant, all appearing to be quite familiar with Lusen.
Ina peeked at Lusen and asked, "Are these customers you brought in?" Lusen's attraction to customers to the restaurant was commendable, but these customers... seemed a little strange?
At the table to the left, a teacher was with several students who ordered quite a bit of food. Even with the mechanical bees that could carry two trays at a time, they only managed to serve a third of the order. The students were all watching the mechanical bees intently, exclaiming, "It flies so well! Oh! Smooth turns, steady progress!"
A mechanical bee hovered over the table, ready to put down its tray. One of the people quickly dived onto the table, causing a flash in the bee's compound eyes. Detecting an obstacle on the table, it moved a bit to the unobstructed side and once again lowered the tray.
"Automatic obstacle recognition function!" they exclaimed, their eyes full of satisfaction and excitement as they looked at each other.
The bee that had placed the dishes quickly departed. The peculiar man, who looked like a teacher, made a request to Ina, "Could you please have it serve one plate at a time? We want to observe it more, please!"
His request was quite baffling, but he was sincerely earnest. Ina had no choice but to reluctantly agree, "Alright."
These people watched the operating mechanical bees over and over again, their behavior almost maniacal. They even suddenly sat at other tables, trying to see where the mechanical bees would place the dishes.
When they saw that the bees still put the food at the original table, they commented, "So it's locating the place, not the specific person."
Ina wouldn't have indulged them in such antics if there were other customers in the restaurant.
Not until their ordered food nearly filled the table did Ina tap on the table to warn them, "Wasting food is forbidden here."
Only then did the person sit down to enjoy the food? While eating, they kept discussing, and Ina heard terms like "instruction receipt", "obstacle scanning", and "judgment".
Clearly, they were students and faculty from the magitech mechanical of the Star Academy. To be honest, the capabilities of the mechanical bees were indeed intriguing. Ina herself had disassembled one for research but ended up - completely clueless. Having never been educated on magitech mechanical systems, she could only sense the direction of magical power in the internal structure by instinct, and nothing else.
If these people could really show Ina their love for magitech machinery, she wouldn't mind giving them the disassembled mechanical bee for study when appropriate.
In fact, there was another customer outside, who was almost overlooked due to his quietness. The commotion of the other group seemed to have nothing to do with him. He ordered a serving of boiled fish and then pulled out a thick notebook.
So far, so good. Ina just thought he was a scholar obsessed with learning until he brought out a small scale from somewhere and started weighing his boiled fish.
Ina asked Lusen in a low voice, "Are all people from the Star Academy like this?" From this perspective, Professor Derick, who rode a skeletal horse with uneven legs, didn't seem that odd. He even seemed a bit too normal, making Ina worry that he would be ostracized in the academy for not being able to fit in with the others.
Lusen defended his teachers, "Professor Dunham is passionate about magitech mechanics, but due to energy depletion, magitech mechanics has not progressed for many years. The magical community generally believes that it's time for magitech machinery to exit the stage of history because it is too expensive and doesn't serve much purpose. The cost-effectiveness is too low; anything a magitech machine can do, a regular mage can do."
Ina felt a bit embarrassed hearing this. Talking about low cost-effectiveness, was there anything less than using mechanical bees to serve dishes? A task that two waiters could accomplish was being done by a mechanical bee. how much was worth of mechanical bees, If she were to auction it off, Ina wouldn't sell if it was less than ten thousand gold coins. But she liked using machinery; they were efficient and visually pleasing. Most importantly, Ina didn't want to bother picking trustworthy waitstaff - she was quite busy.
"But mechanical bees are different!" Lusen's tone also contained a bit of excitement, "We've never seen such precise magitech machinery, it's like it has wisdom! This must be the new direction of development for magitech machinery!"
Hmm... to be honest, Ina thought studying the mechanical bee right away was a bit overly ambitious. That was a five-star reward from the system's loot pool! But with such a big lure dangling in front of them, at least everyone was excited. Once they were more familiar with Ina, she planned to ask if they could start by creating a tractor, or even a water pump if that wasn't possible. If the summer house had these, it could relieve some of the Rize tribe's workload and open up more land.
As for the other eccentric person, Lusen explained, "Although Professor Karl is a mentor in potion studies, he believes that magical materials don't necessarily have to be made into potions to function. Of course, this view is criticized by his colleagues. If it's not necessary to make potions, everyone might as well eat grass directly. But doesn't the boiled fish in the restaurant have a similar effect of some warming potions? I mentioned this to Professor Karl, and he immediately came over."
Speaking of food with special effects, Ina had a comprehensive cookbook of special function recipes. However, most of the recipes hadn't been developed yet, and there were only a few scattered ones. Until the Holy Red Wine was brewed, Ina hadn't given much thought to the special functions of food. There was no other reason - most of the buffs were just too insignificant. Even the most popular boiled fish only had a cold resistance effect. If it wasn't for the proximity to the chilly Midnight Swamp, it wouldn't have been welcomed by the mercenaries.
It wasn't until the Holy Red Wine and subsequently, the Holy White Wine, made from a batch of white grapes, were successfully brewed that Ina started paying attention. Their effects were comparable to top-tier potions, which made Ina think that there might be more powerful dishes not yet developed in the cookbook.
Ina took out her cookbook, planning to give Professor Karl some hints. Maybe instead of blindly trying things herself, Professor Karl could provide some inspiration from an academic perspective.
[Boiled Fish: Increases body temperature, resists cold, duration extends with consumption amount, up to 48 hours.
Necessary materials: Cold Thorn Fish★★★+ Chili☆]
[Grilled Polar Fire Snake Segment: Increases stamina slightly, duration lasts up to 24 hours.
Necessary materials: Polar Fire Snake Meat★★]
[Cold Rabbit: Enhances strength, duration extends with consumption amount, up to 24 hours.
Necessary materials: Snow Rabbit Meat★★+ Chili☆]
[Holy White Wine: White wine brewed in an extraordinary container. When the dosage exceeds 50ml, magic power recovers by 50%. This effect cannot stack, and repeat usage within 24 hours is ineffective.
Necessary materials: High-quality white grapes like Riesling, Chardonnay★+ Holy Oak Wine Barrel]
[Holy Red Wine: Red wine brewed in an extraordinary container. When the dosage exceeds 50ml, physical strength recovers by 50%. This effect cannot stack, and repeat usage within 24 hours is ineffective.
Necessary materials: High-quality red grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot★+ Holy Oak Wine Barrel]
...
There are also several foods with special effects. Their common characteristic is that the raw materials are at least one-star, or even two-star, and they are achieved through specific combinations.
However, the recipe does not mention the standard that the chef must reach. Ina boldly guessed that as long as the necessary ingredients in the recipe are prepared, food with special effects can be made. In this way, Professor Karl's idea is not completely unreasonable; it is indeed not only potions that can enhance physical strength and restore magic power.
Seeing that Professor Karl seemed to be testing the effect of boiled fish, Ina suggested directly telling him the bonus effect of the dish, but he politely refused.
It seems that Professor Karl prefers the process of solving the problem rather than knowing the final answer.
In the end, Ina could only shrug helplessly: as long as you're happy, Professor Karl. But looking at Professor Karl's surprised yet troubled expression, he is definitely going to become a regular at the Dragon Flame Restaurant.