Chapter 15 Rem's best date in the enchanting chamber of- cookiing?

The enchanting chamber was a vast, sterile space, easily the size of a large house. White walls and floors gleamed under the bright, artificial light emanating from unseen sources. Rem and I stood near the entrance, taking in the scene with a mix of awe and apprehension.

Instead of workbenches, sleek, metallic stations lined the walls, each equipped with unfamiliar tools and devices that hummed with a low, consistent thrum. Crystalline displays flickered with complex diagrams and indecipherable symbols. The air was cool and still, devoid of any dust or lingering scents.

Off to the side were four sectioned off rooms. 2 of which were labeled guest bedroom and two of which were named guest bathroom.

"Where should we begin?" Rem asked, her voice echoing softly in the large space.

"Let's explore a bit first," I suggested, my curiosity piqued by the advanced technology surrounding us. We started walking, our footsteps the only sound breaking the silence.

We passed stations with arrays of beakers and flasks, all empty and spotlessly clean. Further on, we found a complex apparatus with robotic arms and precision lasers, its purpose a complete mystery. Another station held rows of empty jars, their transparent surfaces reflecting the artificial light.

"Look," Rem said, pointing towards a device that resembled a futuristic furnace with a smooth control panel featuring touchscreens and holographic projections. A small plaque identified it as the "Material Generator."

We examined the interface, a dizzying array of options and settings for different materials and properties.

"I'm not sure how to even begin with this," I admitted, feeling a bit overwhelmed by the complexity.

Rem nodded in agreement. "Perhaps our instructor can guide us?"

Continuing our exploration, we came across another sleek device labeled "Food Creation Unit." Its smooth, metallic surface offered no clues as to its function besides that it, indeed, created food.

"This place is incredible," Rem murmured, her voice filled with wonder. "It's like something out of a dream."

I smiled, sharing her sense of awe. "It's definitely unlike anything I've ever seen before." Except maybe in a science fiction movie.

Finally, we reached the center of the chamber where a circular platform awaited, etched with intricate glowing runes. From my armor's storage space, I retrieved the Full Enchanting Compendium.

We placed the Compendium on the platform and inserted a platinum coin into a designated slot. The runes pulsed with energy, and a holographic figure materialized before us, shimmering with ethereal light.

"Greetings," the figure spoke, its voice a melodious chime. "I am your instructor in the art of enchantment. We shall begin with the foundation of all magical inscriptions: the Runic alphabet."

—

The thousand hour amulet was ridiculous. Every minute I listened to the holographic instructor talk about the runic alphabet for the waterfall world, it felt as if I had studied the alphabet and even written it down for a full thousand hours. After three minutes I spoke up. "Hey Rem, how are you holding up?"

To which she responded with, "This amulet makes me feel like all the time I tried to improve normally was a waste of time and that if I were wearing it before I would be the world's best in everything." She pouts. "By the time the compendium is finished I feel as if we will be the best enchanters in all of the world by far- Even now I feel as if I am creating new runes with more features than what the instructor has taught us."

I nodded.

A whole two hours later, the instructor stopped. "This concludes the basic instruction on the runic alphabet. Would you like me to start the next lecture or would you like me to pause? You have 46 hours worth of lecture credit or 23 hours worth of demonstration credit. If you would like a moment to decide, please say 'pause.' and to continue functions say 'I'm ready to decide.'"

"Pause." I said.

I turned back to Rem. "Okay, so I got the entire runic alphabet shoved into my brain and seem to have created three unique rune alphabets that seem to be more efficient and better each. I know they're better but I don't know why."

Rem nodded, "Yes, it seems to be the case for me as well."

I nod to myself and then grin "Hey! Do you wanna go figure out that food making thing?"

Rem nods hesitantly, "Alright."

My smile turns into a frown, "What's wrong? You don't look excited about food that-" I pause, realizing something.

"Did you want to cook for me?"

She blushes and then nods. "I mean, we can use the food creation thing if you want but-"

I stalk over to the food distribution thing and then start looking around it for a kitchen option.

I find a dial that is labeled 'automation level' and grin.

I turn the dial all the way down to 'Full kitchen and pantry.'

By the time Rem has caught up with me her eyes have widened comically as every cooking implement ever used in the waterfall world or has been thought of properly even- appears to be used by Rem.

"So, Rem, Have you ever made sushi before?"

"Yes, Lord Roswaal had a Kararagian Emissary over once. I studied for weeks to make sushi for him. He even said it was wonderful and asked if he hired a Kararagian chef. When Roswaal revealed me as the maker of the sushi he told me that he would never consider me a gaijin and invited me to work at his mansion. I refused of course. I never got to ask what a Gaijin was though."

I nodded with a grimace, "It's an insult for 'foreigner'. I will trust the chef then, Omakase as they say in my homeland." I paused. I also want to talk to you about my homeland once you're done cooking.

Rem nodded, and smiled.

"Then please, watch and learn," Rem said, a confident smile gracing her lips. She moved with the practiced grace of a seasoned chef, her hands already reaching for a large bowl and a bag of short-grain rice from the well-stocked pantry.

"First, we must prepare the rice," she explained, pouring the rice into the bowl. "Rinsing is crucial to remove excess starch." She carried the bowl to the sink and began to gently swirl water through the grains, her fingers sifting through them with a practiced touch. "We rinse until the water runs clear, like so."

The rhythmic sound of water cascading over the rice filled the kitchen, a soothing counterpoint to the excited smile etched upon my face.

Rem returned the bowl to the counter, her movements precise and efficient.

"Now, into the rice cooker it goes," she announced, transferring the rinsed rice into a gleaming silver appliance she retrieved from a cupboard with what seemed like a clock on it and a magic crystal attached to the clock the dial said 'time dilation level'. "While that cooks, we'll prepare the fish."

With a quick step, she moved towards a large, glass-fronted refrigerator that apparently appeared as if she willed it into existance, its interior stocked with an impressive variety of fresh seafood. "This is toro," she said, her voice filled with reverence as she pulled out a tray containing a glistening cut of tuna. "The fattiest and most prized part of the tuna. We must slice it thinly and with great care."

Her knife, a gleaming blade honed to razor sharpness, flashed as she expertly sliced the toro into delicate, even pieces. "Each slice should be just the right thickness to melt in your mouth," she explained, her eyes focused on the task at hand.

Rem moved back and forth between the pantry and the cooler, gathering ingredients with practiced ease. avocados, and a variety of other things to mix together were meticulously prepped and arranged on a platter. She mixed a blend of vinegar, sugar, and salt in a small bowl, her movements precise and measured.

"Now comes the fun part," she announced with a mischievous grin, spreading a thin layer of perfectly cooked rice onto a sheet of seaweed. "The key to a good sushi roll is to use just the right amount of pressure and to keep the ingredients evenly distributed."

Her nimble fingers worked with deftness and artistry, creating a symphony of flavors and textures with each roll.

-An hour of magically accelerated cooking and the creation of a large mass of sushi later-

"And finally," she said, presenting me with a plate of her creations, "the finished product. Enjoy!"

The sight and smell of the sushi were enough to make my mouth water.

I picked up a piece of fatty tuna nigiri, and placed it in my mouth.

The flavors exploded on my tongue, a perfect balance of fresh juicy fatty fish and perfect rice.

"This is incredible, Rem," I said, my voice filled with awe. "You are truly a master chef."

She blushed, a pleased smile spreading across her face. "I'm really not that great."

I grabbed her by her cheeks and told her in no uncertain terms. "Rem, this is the best sushi I have ever had. I am not lying. I swear to you. If chef Morimoto, the most famous Sushi chef in Japan ever tasted this, he would have to bow down in defeat to you."

For a moment Rem looked confused. "Japan?"

I nodded, "Yeah, I was going to tell you about this when we were done eating, but apparently your world has a term for dimension travelers who come to the waterfall world from somewhere else."

"So, I come from a world called Earth Bet. it's was world where superheroes and supervillains fought on the daily, screwing over normal people and-"

Rem looked lost so I nodded, "Okay so I'm gonna explain superheroes" So i explained everything, the crazy kaiju that attacked cities on the regular every 3 months, the sinking of kyushu, me moving to brockton bay and then boston- and the big golden jerkwad who went berserk and blew up my world.

It took up the amount of time a standard web novel would take to read if you are really really determined to read all 500 chapters in a single sitting and lots of coffee and energy drinks.

"So he was just pretending to be the world's greatest superhero?"

"Naw I think someone mastered him. I don't think he would have done that for 30 whole years if he was really an evil ass space jerkwad. I'd guess he was a space-whale who gave everyone powers as an experiment to see who could make the biggest fire first. Oh god I'm catching void cowboy syndrome."

"Void cowboy?" Rem asked.

"Never say that name again, please. This world has enough stupid stuff and I don't need to summon another moron by saying his name."

"So I guess the tereda clan is just a coincidence?" Rem asked.

"Yup." I nodded with a smirk.

"Okay, that's even More amazing! I don't just have a kararagian samurai knight as my Boyfriend I have a Hero as my boyfriend!"

A silence took up the table.

I smiled.

"You're the best. Rem."

"Am I?" She leaned forward.

"Indeed, and I think the best deserves…" I leaned further forward.

Our faces were inches apart. She looked at me in anticipation.

"A reward." Our lips meet.

She wraps her arms around my shoulders.

I put my hands upon her waist as she kisses me and I kiss her back.

It feels as if sparks are going up my back as we deepen the kiss together.

We separated after a few amazing moments.

"You're sweet." Rem says.

"You're beautiful as well as kind and a billion other adjectives."

She smiles and then pulls back. "Alright. That was amazing and the best date I have ever had. I think I'm going to bed." She grins. "And maybe you can join me after a few more of these dates."

My eyes widen and she smirks.

She walks away with confidence and I'm left staring at her walking away.