So, the winner of this year's cooking contest battle is.

'Wait!　I don't agree!

The blonde hottie starts to make a scene... hey, that's not a good look.

'I couldn't possibly lose to this guy!　You guys gave him the recipe and you gave him the rating on purpose!

Uh-oh. I'm a total kramer, but this statement is out. All the judges turn their eyes in anger.

''You think that we, who hold the title of five-star chef, have cheated with our food?

Uh... yeah!　Because my food is just too good.

That's enough. Don't say another word.

One of the judges is silenced for arguing too much. Then Chef Glass opens his mouth.

'If you're not convinced, let me explain. First of all, what do you think we appreciated about you, Tact?

It's a dish.

No, sir.

Yes, it's all too easy.

'By the looks of it, you don't even realize that we've basically only taken one bite of your food.

Yeah...

Yep. They've basically only taken one bite from their first salad. My dice steak is one bite of whatever I want, and two bites of sushi, regular and seared, with the only exception being dessert.

'We're the judges. We are the judges, and we have to evaluate all the dishes fairly.

We can't be full for that reason, so we only take one basic bite of every dish except the last.

'Mr. Tact was aware of our circumstances from the beginning and cooked accordingly. I'm sure you're aware of it too, aren't you?　For the small amount of food he served.

What about it?

'We are food lovers too. Leaving food out is an act we don't want to do. We've adjusted the amount of food we serve to accommodate that. Isn't that right?

Yes, sir.

I think it's a natural psychology for a chef to feel sad when he sees the leftover food.

''Oh, no...''

We, as chefs, must not forget. "We, as chefs, must remember to be grateful to the people who produce the ingredients for our food. Gratitude for all the ingredients, for all the customers who eat our food.

Then, following up on Chef Glass, Grandpa, who was keeping an eye on the fish dish, said

'Your loss is that you forgot to be grateful and to be attentive to the customers who eat your food.

I don't...

You're young. Admit your mistakes and start over. The next time I see you cooking, I expect you to be more attentive.

...Yes?

That's what a five-star chef does. Words carry a different weight. Then Chef Glass declares, "I see that you are convinced.

''Since you seem to be convinced, this cooking contest battle is once again. The winner is Summoner Tact.''

Since Mr. Tact has earned a total of 1,000 points, we all approve and present Mr. Tact with the title of 'Three-Star Chef'.

"I have been awarded the title of 'Three-Star Chef'

Huh?　A title!　And a three-star chef!　I'll check it out.

The title "Three Star Chef
Benefit: Increases the effectiveness of a cooking buff.
A title earned by those recognized by a five-star chef.

What the hell?　What's so funny?

The current buff is small. I don't know how much it's going to go up, but if it's going to be a big one, how much is it going to go up?

The chefs on the panel of judges leave the table as I check my three-star chef title.

"Well, we'll be going now.

Oh, excuse me. Could you wait a minute?

"? Yes, I don't mind.

I go back to the kitchen and put the stew in the pot into a container. I present it to the judging chefs.

'Here you go. Please take it home. Just reheat it and you'll enjoy the flavor.

It's...this...is a pleasure. Thank you very much. I'll enjoy it.

All the judges who get my stew thank me and they leave. Then Lily and the others come in.

""I want to eat my food!"

That's the first voice? Well, I was just watching. But the food and ingredients that me and the hot blonde guy made are disappearing.

''Ah!''

Three sad voices echoed through the hall. Well, this is what happens, isn't it? And then, inexorably, the infos flowed.

"You have completed the special quest 'Cooking Contest Battle'.
You have won the special quest 'Cooking Contest Battle' and will receive a skill bonus of 10 pts. You will receive a 10-point skill bonus.

Huh?　Isn't that a lot?　My remaining skill points are now 21 points.

And of course my cooking skills went up, but it went up 6 points at once. My skill level has gone up by a whopping 6 points. Basically, it's like I've gone up one or two levels for every dish I make. I think the most experience is probably meat and fish. I used a good amount of ingredients. The desserts are also rich, but the ingredients I used are subtle.

Whatever the case, I'm glad we won the event.

But on the way home, Lily asked me a question.

'Why is Tact a three star chef?'

'Yes. It could have been a maximum rating, couldn't it?

I would have been fine with a five-star chef, too, judging from the way the judges were acting.

That's what it looked like to the three of you.

'I think it's reasonable, and I have an idea why you're stopping at a three-star chef.

In fact, I'd rather be a three-star chef than a three-star chef, which is too high a rating. The reason why I am not a five-star chef is because I learned all my cooking from various people in the real world.

In other words, I think that the 5-star chefs knew that I didn't make the food myself. If you want to call yourself the best chef, you need to be able to make at least 100 of your own original dishes.

Well, I'm sure there will be a chance to challenge myself someday.

As I said that, I fired up my fighting spirit for the day that would come one day.

Name: Takuto, Summoner, Lv 15.

Life Force 24
Magical power 54
Strength 17
Defensive Strength 10
Agility 15
Dexterity value 32

skill

Bare-handed Lv 5, kicking Lv 6, staff Lv 6, summoning magic Lv 11, alchemy Lv 6, mining Lv 6, dismantling Lv 7, appraisal Lv 7.　
Discrimination Lv 4 Wind Magic Lv 5 Fire Magic Lv 6 Earth Magic Lv 5 Water Magic Lv 5 Dark Magic Lv 5 Light Magic Lv 5 Lightning Magic Lv 3　
Explosive magic Lv 2 Wood magic Lv 2 Ice magic Lv 2 Space-time magic Lv 3 Reading Lv 4 Cooking Lv 9 -> Lv 15 Feeding Lv 3 Fishing Lv 5