"What would you like to eat today?"
Yuto stood before Gilgamesh with a smile.
The King of Heroes crossed his arms and lowered his eyelids slightly.
A trace of exhaustion showed on his face, but his usual arrogance remained untouched.
No matter how tired he became, his pride never seemed to weaken.
"Prepare a meat dish. However, it must be worthy of this king. Do not insult me with something carelessly made, Kamisaka."
Gilgamesh's request contradicted itself.
He told Yuto to choose whatever he wanted, then immediately demanded that the meal be exceptional.
It was completely unreasonable, but also exactly the sort of order Gilgamesh would give.
Yuto smiled helplessly and nodded.
By now, he had grown used to the king's peculiar way of ordering food. Gilgamesh somehow managed to make choosing a meal far more complicated than it needed to be.
Yuto then looked toward Enkidu.
Enkidu offered him a faintly apologetic smile, clearly embarrassed by his friend's behavior.
Compared with the proud and temperamental king beside him, Enkidu was far more considerate.
"I'll have the same as Gil," he said gently.
"All right. It'll take a little while to prepare."
Gilgamesh waved carelessly and rested his head against his hand. An interested smile appeared on his lips as he watched Yuto.
"A true delicacy naturally requires time. I look forward to seeing what you prepare, Kamisaka. Do not disappoint me."
"Don't worry. I'm confident you'll enjoy it."
Yuto's calm answer earned a satisfied smile from Gilgamesh.
He turned and entered the kitchen, already knowing what he wanted to make.
Among all the famous meat dishes found across asia, few were as widely loved as red-braised pork belly.
Professional chefs knew it, ordinary families cooked it, and countless regional versions had appeared over the years, each with its own strengths.
It was rich, comforting, and impressive enough to serve as the centerpiece of a meal.
A properly cooked piece of pork belly, glossy with a deep red-brown sauce and perfectly balanced between fat and lean meat, was almost impossible to resist.
When prepared well, it became so tender that it nearly melted the moment it touched the tongue.
Yuto had already blanched the pork.
He picked up his knife and began cutting it into thick cubes.
The pieces could not be too small.
Red-braised pork belly needed a satisfying weight and fullness, with each cube at least the width of a finger.
After cutting the meat, he briefly passed it through hot water before immediately cooling it in cold water.
The sudden temperature change helped tighten its texture.
Yuto lit the stove and poured oil into the wok.
He added a piece of cinnamon bark, several bay leaves, and a few star anise pods. One smooth turn of the spatula released their warm fragrance.
Then he added the pork.
The pale cubes slowly changed in the heat, their surfaces taking on a faint golden color. Fat began rendering from the richer layers while the lean meat grew firmer.
The gentle crackling inside the wok became livelier, and a deeper, richer aroma soon spread through the kitchen.
For someone who was hungry, the smell alone would have been unbearable.
Even a person who had already eaten might suddenly begin wondering whether they had room for another meal.
Yet the dish was still nowhere near finished.
This was only the beginning.
Yuto picked up a bottle of dark soy sauce and flicked the cap open with his thumb.
As he poured it over the pork, the golden surfaces immediately deepened into a rich reddish brown.
The soy sauce struck the hot wok with a fierce hiss.
Then came the clear clatter of rock sugar scattering across the metal.
Some pieces struck the sides of the wok while others bounced against one another. The sound quickly disappeared as the crystals began to melt against the hot pork.
The sugar turned clear, then golden, and finally deepened into a warm caramel color.
Yuto continued stir-frying over high heat.
The glaze thickened and clung to every piece, gradually soaking beyond the surface and into the meat itself.
The pork had taken on a rich, glossy color that made it look almost impossible to resist.
But it still was not ready.
Not yet.
Yuto poured water into the wok.
This was the most important stage of the entire process. If he made a mistake now, everything he had done earlier would be wasted.
The amount of water had to be precise.
Too little, and the sauce would reduce before the pork became tender, leaving the meat burned or dry.
Too much, and the pork would overcook before the liquid thickened properly.
Finding the perfect balance required experience.
Yuto remained completely calm.
His movements were steady and exact, as though he were measuring everything with a machine rather than his own hands.
For him, judging the correct amount of water was no longer difficult.
Finally, he added several thick slices of ginger and a few red dates. As the dish simmered, their flavors would gradually blend into the sauce and soak into the pork.
After a moment of thought, he added one dried red chili.
It was only a single chili, but that small touch of heat might be what brought the whole dish together.
With everything in place, all he needed to do now was wait.
Time would handle the rest.
Yuto wiped his hands and left the kitchen.
The people seated at the counter were discussing El-Melloi II's theory about Illya and the different timelines.
El-Melloi II had never intended to share any of it with Gilgamesh. Although their relationship was no longer openly hostile, a certain distance still remained between them.
Unfortunately, Iskandar had casually revealed everything.
El-Melloi II had been furious, but once the secret was out, there was little point trying to hide it.
As expected, Gilgamesh found the subject fascinating.
When Yuto returned, the king was speaking loudly.
"Interesting! Your theory has genuinely caught this king's attention. For such an ordinary magus to reach a conclusion like that is worthy of praise."
"Although you are not one of my subjects, I shall generously reward you. Come, praise my mercy as much as you wish!"
Gilgamesh laughed and opened his treasury, drawing out a golden apple.
El-Melloi II was immediately irritated by his condescending words.
The moment he saw the apple, however, he froze.
His thoughts instantly went to the legendary Golden Apple.
Gilgamesh quickly ruined that idea.
"Do not overthink it. This is not that Golden Apple, though it still contains magical power."
He casually tossed it toward El-Melloi II without showing the slightest concern for its value.
Even if it were worth a fortune, that meant nothing to Gilgamesh.
He possessed the greatest treasury in existence.
Compared with everything stored inside it, a single golden apple was hardly worth mentioning.
If he felt like giving it away, then he would.
Nothing else mattered to him.
El-Melloi II instinctively caught the apple.
An irritated expression immediately appeared on his face.
"You bastard!"
"What is it? Do you wish to thank this king?" Gilgamesh asked proudly. "There is no need. Since I have chosen to reward you, accept it with gratitude and treasure it properly. Do not refuse, or you will anger me."
When he reached the final sentence, he stared directly at El-Melloi II.
The seriousness in his eyes made it clear that he truly would be offended if the gift were rejected.
"Come on, Waver. Just take it. It's free treasure."
Iskandar laughed and slapped El-Melloi II on the shoulder.
Only then did El-Melloi II slowly calm down.
Gilgamesh, however, looked displeased.
He shot Iskandar a sideways glance.
"Why does everything you say irritate me so much?"
"Ahahaha! What's wrong? Does the King of Heroes have so little patience?"
"Hmph! You are hardly qualified to judge the size of this king's heart!"
Gilgamesh snorted.
Something about Iskandar's words had clearly bothered him.
Calling it "free treasure" made it sound as though Gilgamesh were some careless fool who could be easily taken advantage of.
The moment he noticed Yuto, however, his expression changed, and a smile returned to his face.
A proper king had to be capable of controlling his emotions.
"Kamisaka, I could smell the dish from here. It seems it may actually live up to this king's expectations."
"I believe it will."
Yuto smiled calmly.
"Hmph. Your cooking is at least worthy of anticipation."
Gilgamesh nodded in satisfaction before turning back toward El-Melloi II.
"Waver Velvet, according to your theory, what consequences would arise if two separate timelines collided?"
Although El-Melloi II still disliked Gilgamesh's attitude, he considered the question seriously.
After a moment of silence, he shook his head.
With his current knowledge, he could not give a reliable answer to anything involving the true nature of time.
The subject was simply too complex.
Gilgamesh frowned but did not criticize him. He understood how difficult the question was.
The moment time became involved, the matter went far beyond ordinary magecraft.
Even his Clairvoyance could not see through everything.
He could look into the past and witness his own battle against Waver Velvet, yet he could not clearly observe the future surrounding the Fifth Holy Grail War.
Part of that was because the timelines had already become entangled.
The rest involved a far more complicated problem, one that could not be explained in only a few words.
"What's this? Have you become interested in the Holy Grail War again?"
El-Melloi II asked with faint mockery.
His disrespect did not anger Gilgamesh.
The King of Heroes remained calm, though the corner of his mouth lifted with obvious disdain.
"Do not make me laugh."
"The Holy Grail is nothing more than a cup suitable for holding this king's wine. It is not worthy of my attention. I am merely curious about the collision between timelines. Do not misunderstand."
Gilgamesh spoke with open contempt, but his expression looked almost too forceful, as though he were trying very hard to make everyone believe him.
It looked suspiciously like an excuse.
Enkidu, who had been sitting quietly beside him, covered his mouth and laughed softly.
No one understood Gilgamesh better than Enkidu, and he could tell that the King of Heroes was not being entirely honest.
Just what was Gilgamesh really thinking?
"However, I do have one theory."
El-Melloi II spoke again.
His expression became calm and serious, carrying the careful focus of a scholar rather than someone offering a casual guess.