As it turned out, convincing the rest of our friends to host a cooking competition between Watatsumi and Liyue ended up being far easier than we thought. Since we were both technically allies, Morax believed it to be a good way to build rapport between the two nations and agreed. Guizhong gave a similar reason, though I could tell she was just curious as to how the food here tasted.
Makoto wanted Inazuma to join in as well, but considering the recent events, pretty much everyone ruled out Makoto's idea.
Ei was still allowed to act as another judge in secret however, mostly because we knew that she'd sneak in anyways if we didn't.
Event would last about a week, with the first four days given to the participants to prepare, and the latter three days then spent in a series of cook-offs between a randomized group of chefs, eventually thinning the numbers until two last chefs would face off in the finals.
In other words, we basically borrowed the structure of Liyue's annual Martial Arts festival and just changed it to cooking.
Once everything was finalized, things sped up considerably. Guizhong created another Teapot Gateway in a few hours and placed it in the center of Gourou Village, officially allowing near-immediate travel between Watatsumi and Inazuma. Morax then returned to Liyue Harbor to share the news regarding the upcoming competition, while I informed the rest of Gourou Village.
Excitement poured in from both sides, and before I knew it, the few weeks leading up to the start of the Liyue-Watatsumi Cooking Competition came to an end.
The name was terrible, but that was mostly a placeholder for the time being.
Here's how the event went;
A total of 79 teams signed up, with 60 from Liyue and the other 19 from Watatsumi. Not a surprise, considering Wtatasumi's population was far eclipsed by Liyue. As planned, we announced the themes for each of the three cooking days before the participants were allowed to prepare for four days.
The first day of cooking had the theme of a 'Savory Breakfast'. The second was a 'Meatless Dinner'. And the last was a 'Sweet that paired well with Milk'.
The third one was a little treat for Ei.
Honestly, the first half of the competition was a lot more interesting than it first seemed. At least for me. Having the judges loom over the competitors would surely cause some distress, but since I could morph into a harmless-looking Wind Sprite, I could watch their progress without interrupting them.
And it was then that I saw the ingenuity of the people. Those who came from Liyue had no restraints in ensuring they cooked up the best meals they could, not holding back in the slightest despite the difference in size and history between Liyue and Watatsumi. On the other hand, those from Gourou Village saw this as the perfect chance to promote themselves to the wider world, and they pulled out all their stops—even going so far as to dig up ancient recipes that they managed to carry from Enkanomiya.
Though there were certainly some…interesting groups.
Who immediately thought that using Slime Condensates and Hilichurl Bones would be the perfect ingredients for their Meatless Dinner?
I wasn't judging, just-, curious.
After a fairly frantic four days, the second half of the Cooking Competition began. To say that everyone was nervous would be an understatement—half of the judges were gods, and the other half was Lumine and I. All of us were exalted figures in some way, and so most of them wanted nothing more than to disappoint us.
It was also the first time the people from Liyue and Watatsumi interacted. Those from Watatsumi were surprised and somewhat ashamed when they saw how lavish and beautiful the Liyue competitors were, while those from Liyue marveled at the great beauty the island showed and were awed by the strange ingredients they'd never seen before.
But with everything in place, the Cooking Competition officially began!
The first day demanded the competitors to cook a savory breakfast—something light for an early morning, yet deeply flavorful. Two different styles immediately emerged; Those from Liyue used a variety of vegetables lathered in fermented sauces, while those from Watatsumi relied on the oceans and often used fish as their meals' backbone.
Whenever the groups finished, we had to make a decision on who would advance to the next round. It was never an easy decision; all the food we tasted was wonderful, and no group was immediately better than the other. We'd even occasionally watch as Morax and Lumine—our resident foodies—got into a small argument on their decisions.
Of course, though I was a judge, my small appetite meant I only took small bites here and there. I could never hope to replicate Lumine and Ei who devoured their meals with little hesitation.
Seriously, where did all that mass go…?
As the day went on, all the groups were eventually weeded out, leaving only two groups as the final competitors. Sadly neither of the two came from Watatsumi, but those from Gourou Village had an incredible showing nonetheless, with one group reaching all the way to the quarterfinals.
Then, as day turned to night, the victor of the first day was crowned. A pair of twins from the Mao family in Liyue Harbor. The Mao family was a family of cooks with a distinguished history. Both girls were incredibly talented despite their young age, and they were congratulated by everyone.
Of course, it was best that no one truly knew what went into their food. The meal they served to us was incredibly tasty, but I don't think I can ever look at a Geovishap Hatchling the same ever again.
…yeah, in hindsight, perhaps it was best had I not learnt of this in the first place.
As night fell, a surprising number of people decided to stay in Watatsumi, eager to explore this new region they'd never visited before. Which meant that the new inns of Gourou Village were suddenly packed with hundreds of people, all of them willing to spend thousands of Mora on a whim, and so Mora flowed in like a river. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that Watatsumi now held more Mora than all of Inazuma combined because of that.
Makoto was definitely not jealous in the slightest.
The second day came, and the competition began anew. The theme this time was a meatless dinner, which soon turned into a showing of the different produce the two nations had. There were some similarities—some of the plants in Watatsumi were one I took from Liyue after all—but there were just as many new and exotic ones Liyue had never seen before.
Guizhong shined on this occasion, being a goddess of harvest herself. We were all more than happy to let her take the reins, though Lumine and Morax still had clashing views from time to time.
At the end of the second day, the winner turned out to be Ms. Inoue, the local farmer that Hanami and I conversed with fairly often. It was quite surprising at first, but considering she used to cook for her husband, perhaps it wasn't too shocking that much of that skill remained.
Similarly to the previous night, many decided to stay in Watatsumi. Most decided to explore Gourou Village and spend their Mora on Watatsumi's exotic products, and in doing so they ensured Watatsumi wouldn't become financially bankrupt for the next several months.
Makoto was practically seething when we told her about it, and Guizhong freely giggled as she dragged the girl away like a feral cat.
The third day came, and it was definitely the most difficult for everyone, us included. The theme of a sweet that paired well with milk was incredibly specific, and unfortunately for both Liyue and Watatsumi, milk wasn't really a big thing. In fact, it wasn't really a big thing anywhere, since cows were expensive to purchase and maintain.
But the theme's difficulty seemed fitting, and since I'd heard that Ei had been missing her favorite drink, I decided to take two birds with one stone.
As expected, many competitors couldn't keep up. I wasn't saying their sweets were bad by any means, but their quality was far lower compared to the high standards set up by the previous two days. And as such, many of them folded and decided to forfeit willingly, knowing that they couldn't create a satisfying snack.
There was one standout however.
The pair of twins from the Mao Family returned like the clap of thunder and showcased a sweet unlike anything Teyvat had ever seen before. A sweet that didn't pair with milk per se, but a sweet that was made from milk. Churned and flavored, before being frozen to keep somewhat solid.
It was nothing like anything we'd ever seen before, but when Lumine saw it, she practically lost her mind.
"They made ice cream." Lumine said, grinning widely as she spun her spoon. "Bloody hell. I guess some things are just universal, huh?" And saying that, she took a spoonful of ice cream, and hummed happily as she tasted the familiar taste. "Yep, that's ice cream all right." She brought up a wooden board with a large '10' drawn on it. "10 out'a 10. Easy win."
Hearing her words, the rest of us took a bite as well, and we were all blown away by it. The taste and texture paired incredibly well, and it was incredible to think that this began as a bottle of milk. Ei was perhaps the happiest, and I could tell she'd found her newest fixation.
And so, the Liyue-Watatsumi Cooking Competition came to an end.
But! Before everyone could go their separate ways, Lumine and I had a surprise for everyone.
That very night, to celebrate the competition's end, we invited everyone to stay and enjoy our cooking this time. Naturally, everyone was more than happy to stay, though their reasons differed quite greatly.
Those from Watatsumi saw us as their saviors, though Lumine's status remained in flux. Meanwhile, though I was dressed differently, it wasn't hard for those from Liyue to realize that I was Venti, their God of Winds and Freedom. And it would be their greatest honor to enjoy something made by their god.
And seeing everyone's enthusiasm, I decided to go all out. The best ingredients in my Inventory, tools bought from the [Shop], and even using my [Hand of Creation] to ensure that whatever I cooked would at least be 4★ in quality.
Seeing my determination, Lumine didn't fall behind either. "I'm no Gourmet Hunter, but I've helped Toriko before." She grinned as she flexed her prosthetic arm. "Let's make this a night worth remembering, yeah?"
With neither of us holding back our prowess, perhaps it wasn't a surprise then that the dish we created practically became a consumable artifact.
[Grand Feast of the Soul 5★
An incredible palate of foods and desserts, created by the hands of a Starlit Traveler and an Eternal Storyteller. Though these Tranquil Days were but a fleeting moment in the grand tale of the universe, the prosperity that follows shall soar to even the stars.
When consumed, grants the consumer -Prosperity- Buff. This Buff will last forever and will be passed on to the consumer's progeny, granting them promised wealth and luck]
When I first saw the description, it took me all I had not to stare like an idiot. But I managed to keep myself from staring too hard, and soon enough, we began sharing our feast with everyone else.
And to everyone present, it was without a doubt the best thing they'd ever eaten. It was hard to decide which food of the feast was the best, but that didn't matter. Because their tongues had a taste of the divine for the first time, and it was something many would never forget in their lives.
Later on, some people even jokingly said that our cooking had ruined them, and that they would never be able to enjoy food the same way ever again.
The competitors who'd competed in the tournament also found a renewed sense of enthusiasm after tasting our cooking. Because they now saw just how far they still needed to go before they reached our level. That night would mark the start of a new food renaissance for both Liyue and Watatsumi.
Of course, drawn in by the festivities, I pretty much forgot about the whole -Prosperity- thing. After all, it wasn't anything immediately tangible.
Haha. If only I knew that this moment would be the first moment Teyvat would truly begin their ascension past the False Sky.
But that was a story for a later date.