THE STORY OF HEROES AND DEMONS
Wagering

Eri and Lify were directed to a different room, they were specially guests to wait in the hall where the party was with the other invitees.

This was where Zen was now, a place filled with flames under the steel cauldron. A kitchen belongs to the residence of the Sanziu bandit family.

There were more than fifty people unceasingly stirring up a cauldron containing meat, vegetables and all sorts of foodstuffs to be made into a dish.

In particular Zen came at the request of old man Xin Sanziu to make one special dish that has an amazingly delicious taste like when the old man tasted Carmalin bird meat soup.

One middle-aged man came over, he had a fat posture, a large height and there was a cross-shaped scar in front of his face.

He stood facing Xin Sanziu and also Zen with a butcher knife in his hand. His eyes were sharp and solemn when he saw Zen who was so leisurely glancing into the kitchen.

Sung Cheng, the chief cook at Xin Sanziu's residence who was in charge of fifty-seven men.

"Mr Xin, who is this man is he a new employee who wants to help in the kitchen." Ask the fat man politely.

"No-no, Sung Cheng, he is the person I told you about yesterday." Xin Sanziu replied.

The more fierce the fat man looked at Zen, the more he looked down on him and considered the compliment to Xin Sanziu about the enjoyment of Carmalin bird soup was just nonsense.

"Hmmm so that's you... So what made mister Xin Sanziu bring this man into the kitchen ?." Sung Cheng's expression was unpleasant for Zen.

"I want him to make a dish." Answer old man Xin Sanziu.

A little surprised and flashed displeasure from Sung Cheng..."Wait mister Xin, I just heard that now."

"Did I?, I seem to have forgotten to tell you." Old man Xin Sanziu's laughter was loud.

Sung Cheng breathed a long breath as if resigned because he knew the age factor of old man Xin Sanziu made him senile and often forgot.

"Then what about my people ?. I've made plenty of food for the guests." Sung Cheng asked confusedly.

"It's okay, you just do it as usual, I'm just asking Zen for help with one special dish." Xin Sanziu's old man didn't bother about it.

"What does it feel like ?." Sung Cheng was curious.

"Dragon Meat."

The more visible Sung Cheng's facial expression was shocked with a hint of angry emotion...."What master, sir is joking ?."

"I don't think I'm joking around here." Reply old man with complicated.

"It's not like that, are you sure you want to hand over the task of cooking dragon meat to this brat. Dragon meat is very valuable, priceless and also very impossible to make by an amateur. I don't agree." The harsh rejection of Sung Cheng.

This time Zen felt that he was being underestimated, it was true that he did not have a certificate as a cook or master chef.

But when compared to the cuisine in the world of Dios, the Zen flavor in making a dish is the best, it also gets direct recognition from old man Xin Sanziu.

That's because Zen has memories of food and recipes from his world... On earth there, there are hundreds of thousands of recipes with diverse flavors, but one thing is certain is that Indonesian cuisine is the best.

"Mr Sung, I'm sorry you don't seem to believe my skills."

"Of course, look at me, I, who is experienced and recognized by the association of cooks of this southern continent, was a little hesitant to use dragon meat, but you snot kid wants to cook, you snot, it'll just fuck it up."

"Alright if you don't believe in my skills, how about we bet."

"Let me do the cooking and if it fails, I will give you a thousand gold coins as compensation and one hand to cut."

Xin Sanziu laughed heartily knowing how determined the young man he knew just yesterday was. But Zen's belief in maintaining one hand further made Xin Sanziu curious, how she was so confident in her culinary skills.

But for Zen, the bet will only lose money, while if the hand must be cut, the regeneration effect will return in one piece.

"You're so brave young man, I accept your bet." Sung Cheng replied firmly and boldly.

"So what if my cooking works, what will you give me ?." Zen asked.

"My office as the cook of the Sanziu residence will I give to you." He said confidently.

"I don't need." Just reject Zen.

As if he didn't believe what he heard...."What are you saying?, No need?, If you become a cook here, you will receive a salary of 700 gold coins every month, that is huge, you know."

The cook did have a great reputation as a high-paying job, it would cover 100 to 500 gold coins a month.

Even for a Chef like Sung Cheng, he certainly had a higher salary because he was experienced and became part of the association of cooks in the southern continent.

"That's tempting, but I don't intend to settle in a dark world, I'm an adventurer and want to venture out into various places." Zen said of his own will.

"Hmm well, I'll replace it with 2 times my monthly salary, do you agree ?." Sung Cheng changed his offer.

"Sure as long as you don't mind." Zen Reply.

"For a cook, taste is self-esteem, if you are able to surpass the taste I have, I must admit it." He smiled proudly.

Zen was a little prejudiced towards Sung Cheng, he underestimated Zen for not wanting the taste in the cuisine of the chaotic party event due to his presence.

As the person in charge of the cuisine, his pride is at stake if the guests are disappointed.

"What do you think old man Xin." Ask Zen.

"Why not, I'm glad to see people betting." Xin Sanziu replied laughing.

"Alright, so what can I use here."

"Everything, you can use materials, tools and everything you want to use." Sung Cheng said.

"That sounds good."

Zen started to wander around, he looked around at every ingredient inside the kitchen. Smelling and feeling it and Zen was a little surprised, there were some ingredients that were considered to be similar to herbs on earth.

Galangal, lemongrass, pepper, cumin, nutmeg, cinnamon, coconut and turmeric. It may be different in shape and size, but the aroma and taste of the ingredients are the same.

Initially Zen only wanted to make dragon meat stews or dragon meat satay as usual, enough that alone had become the most delicious food in the world of Dios.

But when he looked at all the ingredients he found in this kitchen, Zen flashed a special and extraordinary food recipe.

One of the best Nusantara dishes and got the recognition of the earth's population, namely Rendang.