Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Subaru didn’t expect himself to be transported to another world. To add to the contrary, he didn’t expect to be chosen at all.

He was but your simple hikikomori who abandoned all hope of ever reassimilating into society.

Although, he wasn’t always like this. After all, he had only locked himself in his room for a total of three months.

His first day at highschool had gone poorly, and due to his idiocy, he had managed to ruin his reputation amongst everyone in the school.
To stop a repeated mistake, Subaru realized he was definitely not up to standard as he thought originally, and took proper measures shortly after.

Either way, this might not have been true, but Subaru’s decisions up to this moment definitely checked off all the boxes for a protagonist in a “Isekai Adventure.”

“A place where Demi-humans are commonplace, and there’s always something interesting going on at every corner.”

Reflected off of Natsuki Subaru’s eyes was your stock fantasy city you’d find in your average fantasy game or storybook.

Humans and Demi-humans conversed and walked in chaotic harmony, and carriages were pulled by reptile-like creatures.

It was a bit weird, but given Subaru’s knowledge on light novels, he was able to accustom himself quickly.

Moving on, Subaru had just been transported to another world—no—summoned. At least he thought.

“Everything looks just like I expected it to. Someone more picky would be disappointed. Perhaps the generic-look of everything was a boon on my side.”

“But even then… who was the cute girl who summoned me? Don’t tell me I was left on the side of the road— or… oh no, I accidentally wandered off!?”

At the mere thought of having something gone wrong, Subaru steadied his heartbeat, which was already beating fast enough ever since he got here.
He needed to be rational. Isekai Fantasy or not, it wouldn’t do good for someone like him to panic.

“That’d be bad. I’ll go somewhere stationary and think things off. Maybe wander around a bit as well.”

Alas, he had done as he said. He visited an Apple Vendor, who made him realize the fact that he hadn’t known this world’s written language.

He had also visited some bars and other places of interest, but his ignorance made things clear.
Subaru was still too weak.

Now, he was met with a thorough rejection from this society, which brought him to a seedy dark alleyway separated from the city’s hustle and bustle.

“I’m starting to think I was abandoned. Damn it, where’s my protagonist's power when I need it?”
Protagonist had a power deserving of a Hero, right?

—The monkey’s paw curled… slightly.

As if a bucket of water had been poured atop his face, Subaru justled as his eyes widened.

Before his eyes was a floating screen—or what appeared to be an orange and black hologram. It was esoteric, almost alien in design, yet Subaru understood quite clearly.

“W-what the hell? Don’t tell me…”

Subaru held out his hand and watched as it phased through the screen. He tried shaking his head, but the screen always stayed within his field of vision.
This had only meant one thing: Subaru had been granted a power, but not one he expected.

Yes, it was accurate to say that the monkey’s paw had curled, but its result’s weren’t nearly as catastrophic.

“Don’t tell me this is my ability? But what the hell is the “God of Cookery” System?”

“Wait, wait, wait. My ability has to do with cooking? Isn’t that a bit too off the mark? I’m starting to think I rolled the wrong item on a gacha.”

“Yeah, that smarts. So I’m stuck with this power. I’m going to stay open-minded, but I can’t help but be a little disappointed.”

Subaru had finally gotten a power, but it wasn’t one a protagonist was meant to have.

He didn’t receive a shiny Excalibur, neither did he get access to a sacred grimoire, or a boost to his stats.

Natsuki Subaru had been chosen as a candidate for something as random as Cooking.

Either way, the next questions on his mind surrounded the “God” part, and what he was supposed to do next.

Subaru was left mystified by what exactly was happening to him at this very moment. He took a breather before doing as the system asked.

Like that of a game, Subaru could access many things related to his character.

Inventory acted as a pocket dimension to store items in. It only has 10 slots currently.

Recipes was a bottomless reservoir for cooking recipes Subaru could make. Currently, it remains relatively empty.

Quests was the most confusing, as it acted as a “to-do-list”. What he was going to do was left unsaid.

“Hmm, so I’m starting to get it now. The formatting is relatively simple, yet easy to master.”
He put his corn potage chips in one of the slots, and watched as it appeared as a small icon within his inventory.

It was a relatively simple gimmick, yet it went a long way in usefulness.

“To make things better, time is stopped within the inventory, so I won’t have to worry about things spoiling.”

“Can it fit a person… or anything? Actually, that’s not something a regular human should be saying.”

“I need to calm down. Let’s see what the system has to say next.”

To stop the endless amount of questions bubbling within his head, he focused his thoughts back on the system.

After all, it was his only guiding light within this new world.

Subaru had gazed at his Quest tab to find that it had an exclamation mark atop it. He opened the quest, to find that it had a more detailed description.

“Oh wow, what a way to start my life in another world; a death threat.”

Death and pain was a powerful motivator after all. Like any other human and living thing, Subaru had a strong aversion to death.

To make matters worse, there was no set time limit, but he knew that it wouldn’t take long for the system to cut ways with him and take his life should he not do as it says.

Either way, Subaru had no reason to deny, both due to the fact that there wasn’t anything else he could do, and also because he didn’t want his life cut short.

His objective was marked on a map and it led him 0.2km deeper within the city. As far as he knew, he was located in the city’s marketing district, as stalls lined every building.

“A quick jog should do. It makes for good exercise, and it keeps my blood pumping.”

With deeper thought, Subaru found himself oddly satisfied. Sure, he didn’t get an ability one could call overpowered, but it was an ability nonetheless.
Slowly but surely, the small wound in his heart had closed.

—Subaru jogged through the city with due haste.

“This is definitely unexpected… yet perfectly on brand.”

Subaru had only known the system for ten minutes, yet he felt he could already shape out its behavior, especially its absurdities.

It was like a force of nature that had latched onto him and wouldn’t let go.

For a reason he felt he would never understand, his destiny was to become a God of Cookery, yet he didn’t know exactly what it would mean to become a god.

“This building is an odd-one-out compared to the others, yet people are walking by…”

Standing before Subaru was his destination.
Coated with a modern, yet traditional Japanese feel was a small shop wedged between two medieval-style buildings.

Apart from a few stares of curiosity, no one gave much of a care of the building which had appeared out of thin air.

This was another question Subaru had for the system, yet he refrained.

Subaru was excited for what had come next, so he walked up to the double door and entered.
The interior consisted of a traditional Japanese restaurant with a rich, exotic flair. Subaru had never dined anywhere expensive, but this place reeked of that high-class spirit.

There were only eight tables and a small bar at the front. Alongside the walls were numerous other decorations, including glowing plants of ominous origin.

Subaru let his feet sink into the black marble floor before taking a deep breath.

Subaru widened his eyes as he gazed at his inventory. Within it were his rewards, so he was quick to see what each of them were.

The Chef Outfit consisted of a Black and Orange attire with a golden flame design. Subaru was frankly impressed that it fit his taste.

The Basic Chef Cooking Set consisted of a wide array of cooking tools and utensils, although he had no idea how to use any of them.

—The rest had utterly confused him.

“Eh, it’s a recipe, yet there’s no paper telling me anything…?”

“Yeah, a little help would be great here!”

After Subaru said those words, two of the items he confirmed disappeared, and following that, he felt a dull pain in his head.

It was like something foreign had entered and rewired his brain completely.

Information he didn’t know before this moment flooded his mind, and Subaru felt himself gaining sharp intuition for things he definitely shouldn’t be able to do.

Indeed, Subaru had been gifted the expertise of an above-average chef, as well as perfect mastery over the dish: Egg-Fried Rice.

It could not have been that simple, right?
To gain years worth of knowledge in seconds. It was utterly impossible, yet Subaru had achieved this.

“This is just too good to be true…”

Subaru pinched himself, yet he didn’t wake up.
It was real. All of it was.

Realizing that none of this could be a dream, a wry smile painted his face, and he gripped his fist.

“I guess this really is the start of Chef Natsuki. A new legend will be born!”

Pumping his fist, Subaru was gladdened, as not only did he have some level of support in this world, he had also been provided shelter.

The shop consisted of two floors. The bottom was where the kitchen and dining area was located, while the top consisted of a bathroom and living area.

The shop had plumbing and there was consistent electrical support. Subaru had asked how all of this came to be, and the system had informed him it was due to its very nature.

Finally, Subaru had entered the kitchen.
To his surprise, it was quite small.

“You’d think the kitchen would be the second largest next to the dining area…”

It was relatively small, to the point where only five people could fit in at once, and even then, they’d run the risk of squeezing next to one another.

There were several cupboards and other nailed-to-the-ground appliances, such as the stove and freezer.

Subaru was quick to use his new-gained knowledge to sort his cooking tools in their respective places.

“Now… as for the Egg-Fried Rice. I guess trying it now wouldn’t be bad… especially when I’m a bit hungry.”

But this had come with a problem… Subaru didn’t have the necessary ingredients to go along with the recipe.

Subaru was quick to check the system for further information.

Subaru had gazed at the message before shaking his head from side-to-side.

There was another quest, and it had asked him to do another weird thing. Subaru thought he could applaud himself for grasping the system’s absurdities so quickly.

“Don’t tell me I’m going to another world again? Are you seriously saying I can’t find those ingredients here?”

“And the master thing is becoming quite weird too. Just call me Subaru, would ya?”

“Yup, exactly what I expected. There’s no point arguing, so moving on.”

After assessing the system’s blatant loyalty towards him, he searched through his inventory, before bringing out the Celestial Key.

It had a fairly simple design, and staring into it would be like staring into the cosmos itself.
It rippled with unknown power—power not even found in this world.

To add, a small ripple in space opened before him. He pieced two-and-two together before wedging the key between the distorted reality and turning.
The crack grew in size, before it resembled that of a small gateway between worlds.

Beyond was a sight that left him captivated.
If this world was that of a fantasy, the next was like that of a dream.

Large meadows and trees of various colors stretched beyond the horizon, and large valleys and islands with no regard for physics loomed within the sky.

“—“

Subaru had taken a small, uneasy step inside, and took a deep breath.

The air consisted of your typical wilderness odor, yet despite this, he could tell that there was something magical about the environment.
He found himself in a small forest. There were numerous lakes and cliffs in view.

“So this is the Green Scale Realm. I’ve got to say, it’s a sight for sore eyes…”

In the distance, he could hear and spot the site of chickens… except that they didn’t look like your ordinary chickens.

They were a bright red and doused in fire.
“So they’re name was literal. I’m tired of being surprised.”

Subaru had once again realized that he had come unequipped, so he went back into the kitchen before taking out a large kitchen knife.
It wasn’t suited for hunting, but it would get the job done.

Alas, Subaru’s hunting began.

It had currently been two hours since Subaru had entered the Green Scale Realm, and he was already extremely fatigued.

The White Flame Chickens had been an obstacle, as they were a ferocious bunch that used their hot bodies to defend themselves.

His tracksuit was currently marked with holes and dark spots from the fire. Luckily, he remained relatively unharmed during the process of hunting them.

He had collected 10 White Flame Chickens and the eggs that came with them, which were currently stored in his inventory.

—It was an egregious task, even for him.

“I’ve never worked this hard before. Although, I can’t feel that accomplished when I’ve only collected one ingredient.”

Subaru wiped off his blooded knife as he started at the sky above. To his surprise, the sun didn’t seem to move from its original spot.

He guessed it was because time worked differently. Nonetheless,

“Well, it’s time to get a move on. It’d be best if I head back and change into my chef attire. I don’t want to mess up this tracksuit any further.”

Subaru was saddened by the state of his tracksuit, but he knew he could easily fix it in the future, so he set it aside for now.

He adorned his body with the black and orange chef’s outfit, to which he was surprised by the system notice.

“”Eh, so it’s like a stat boost in a video game? If only I'd known earlier!”

Subaru clenched his fist. He didn’t necessarily feel any stronger than before, but maybe this was because it was but a simple chef’s outfit, and not anything special.

Subaru welcomed it nonetheless, and it restored his energy somewhat.

He had no expectation of gathering all the ingredients today, but one could strive for perfection nonetheless.

—His journey towards the God of Cookery resumed.

The journey consisted of winding meadows and deep trenches.

When it came to collecting the Hopping Carrots, which were rabbit-shaped, he had to quickly grab them out of the ground midair.

When it came to collecting the Pearlescent Pea, he had to avoid the vines that threatened to strangle him to death.

After was the Blazing Onion, which were onions that shot gouts of fire. Luckily, he had a run in with fire before, so he came out with relatively few scratches.

Then came the White-Marbled Rice, which was the surprisingly easy part. It was extremely tedious to collect each grain of rice by hand, though.

The collection of these ingredients had chipped 5 hours of his time, yet, the sun still hadn’t moved from its original position.

Now, Subaru had recently found himself walking along a small path.

“Now, I’ve got those, but I can’t seem to figure out how I’ll acquire the rest.”

The rest consisted of man-made ingredients, so Subaru didn’t think he’d find them sticking out the ground or rummaging in a forest.

“Ah? Perhaps I can find it in a store? Bah! There’s no civilization for what appears to be for several miles!”

The scenery was extremely pleasing for the eyes, yet it was deathly quiet.

“Oh… perhaps I can check my Quest Map. It’ll give a general idea of where I’m at.”

He opened the system and checked on Quest.
It was far, but the Map showed a general area where he could find the rest of the ingredients. He’d have to trek past a mountain range to find it, though.

“—well, I guess asking the system for a taxi wouldn’t be outside its ability, yes?”

“Aw come on!”

A fume of smoke left his nostrils, and his brows furrowed, forming wrinkles on his face.

His muscular hands clenched, sending veins protruding across his body.

What was a masculine, yet calm man, was now nowhere to be seen.

His flowery green robes did not suit him now—it did not suit the face of a man bubbling with anger.

“—Disgusting! Unoriginal! Uninspired! Terrible!”

His hand, which clasped a bowl, for which its contents were barely emptied, was thrown across the room, hitting an ornately decorated wall.

“S-Sire, can you please calm down!? I-I’ll notify the chef of your discontent right away!”

To the young man’s side was a haggardly-faced old man, who appeared to be the advisor.

Unlike the other maids and servants in the room, he was the only one who wasn’t shaking like a leaf under his master’s anger.

“A simple change wouldn’t do, not at all! I’m tired of eating bland food. Do you know who I am, Daisuke?”

“Y-your Emperor Tenji of the Green Scale Realm… sire.”

“Yes, and what delicacies does an emperor of my name get to eat?”

“Fare of the highest order...”

“Right? So why have I been filling my jaws with garbage for the past several weeks? My patience is completely shattered—shattered which will soon be your bones.”

Emperor Tenji bared his fangs, which were alien compared to a human’s. For a brief second, scales formed on his arms, before quickly fading away.

“I’m tired of your insubordination. For my trusted advisor, you know very little of what I like to eat.”

Emperor Tenji was the successor under his father, who used to rule the Green Scale Realm for centuries.

In his absence, Tenji had taken proper rulership of his father’s domain.

The domain consisted of a fairly small kingdom, but compared to other small kingdoms, it was flourishing into something much greater.

Given enough time, Emperor Tenji would ascend to a much higher realm.

“S-should I replace your personal Chef?”

“No, enough of that. It’s time I pick my own.”

Tenji licked his lips as he gazed out the window and down at the bustling kingdom below.

“Hold a kingdom-wide Culinary Competition. Whoever satisfies my belly becomes my new cook!”

“Right away sir!”

Daisuke hurriedly exited the room, and Tenji was left with a satisfied expression—Green flame pouring from his lips.