Chương 193

The morning sun hit the kitchen window. Bright squares of light stretched across the granite counter. Rudra stood by the stove. He held a small steel pan over the flame. He wasn't rushing. He poured a small spoonful of ghee into the pan. He waited for it to melt. He watched the black mustard seeds hit the hot fat. Pop. Pop. Pop. The quiet sounds echoed in the large kitchen. He added a handful of fresh curry leaves, a few dried red chilies, and some split urad dal. He kept the flame very low.

A few months ago, he wouldn't have been this patient in cooking them slowly on low heat but his Auntie Kavita had humbled him at Shiva's wedding. In a way she had helped as it got his cooking skill to progress and more than that, it helped him unlock the path to the Cooking Saint, a class that has never been achieved, so Rudra guessed he should probably be thankful for her humbling him. He took the pan off the heat. He poured the tempered spices over a large bowl of fresh coconut chutney. It sizzled loudly.

The kitchen instantly filled with a warm, rich, earthy smell. Next to the chutney sat a huge plate of hot, soft idlis. Steam rolled off the white rice cakes.

"That smells amazing," a tired voice said. Rudra looked over his shoulder. Shiva walked into the kitchen. He wore old, baggy sweatpants and a faded college t-shirt. He rubbed his eyes behind his glasses. His hair stuck up in every direction. Priya followed right behind him. She was yawning loudly. She carried two empty coffee mugs.

"Rough night shift?" Rudra asked. He grabbed a kitchen towel and wiped his hands.

"The absolute worst," Priya sighed heavily. She set the empty mugs in the sink. She walked over to the kitchen island and slumped onto a tall wooden stool.

"We had three emergency surgeries back-to-back. The ER was a total mess. I think I actually fell asleep standing up in the staff elevator."

"I definitely saw you snoring with your eyes open," Shiva joked. He bumped his hip against her shoulder. Priya gently shoved him away and laughed.

"I was just resting my eyes." Rudra grabbed a stack of clean plates from the cupboard. He served up the steaming idlis and scooped large portions of the fresh coconut chutney right on top. He slid the plates across the smooth granite island. Then, he grabbed a steel filter. He poured two cups of strong, dark South Indian filter coffee. He pushed the cups toward them.

"Eat," Rudra said, taking a seat across from them.

"It helps." If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Shiva picked up a spoon. He cut a piece of the soft idli, dipped it in the chutney, and took a bite. He blinked. He looked down at his plate in surprise.

"Wow," Shiva said.

"This is really good. Its far better than what you cooked before, not that I am saying what you cooked before was bad."

"Thanks, I guess," Rudra muttered. He scooped up his own food. Meera walked into the kitchen a moment later. She wore simple, comfortable nightwear. She looked incredibly well-rested. Ever since Rudra bought her the new car and set up proper managers for all her restaurants, her life had changed. She finally had time to actually breathe. She didn't have to wake up at four in the morning to balance the ledgers anymore. She sat down on the stool next to Shiva.

"Morning, Mom," Rudra said. He stood up and quickly fixed her a plate. He set it in front of her.

"It smells wonderful in here," Meera smiled. She took a small bite of the breakfast. She nodded slowly in approval.

"You are getting much better at this, Rudra. If you weren't playing that game, I would have suggested you become a cook in our restaurant." They ate in a comfortable, quiet silence for a few minutes. The joint family setup in the new manor was working out great. The house was huge, but it finally felt lived in. It felt warm.

"So," Shiva said. He pointed his spoon at Rudra.

"How is the virtual restaurant business going? Are you still making crazy money selling virtual food?" Rudra paused. He held his coffee cup halfway to his mouth. When he first started making real money in Satisfy, he had to explain it to his family. He told them he was a chef and a traveling merchant of sorts. It was a joke at first. It was a simple cover story. He just didn't want to sit at the dinner table and explain the violent and realistic combat that might have caused him to be banned from playing the game.

Trying to explain that he fought hoards of monsters to save some villages or fighting against a Great Demon sounded exhausting. Telling his mother he was a Duke of a Kingdom that commanded an army of knights, a legendary farmer, a talking half-gold lion, and a genius undead mage would just confuse her. The joke went on for way too long. Now, they completely bought it. They fully believed he just ran a very successful catering business in a virtual town.

At this point, if he told them he was the "Zenith" and one of the top-ranked player on the global server, they would literally laugh in his face and ask him to pass the salt. It was easier to just maintain the peaceful lie.

"Business is booming," Rudra lied smoothly. He took a sip of his coffee and set the cup down.

"I just opened up a new trade route with a city by the ocean. We are moving lots of high-tier seafood. The profit margins are great."

"That's my boy," Meera said proudly. She patted his arm.

"A smart businessman. There is no need to run around fighting monsters and getting stressed out like those other players. You just stick to your ledgers and your recipes."

"Yeah, it's very peaceful," Rudra grinned. Priya reached across the granite counter. She grabbed the TV remote. She aimed it at the large flat-screen television mounted on the living room wall. She turned it on and flipped the channel to the international esports network.

"Did you guys catch the finals yesterday?" Priya asked, taking a sip of her hot coffee.

"The hospital breakroom was completely packed. The nurses wouldn't stop talking about it all night." Rudra shook his head.

"I went to bed early. Who won?" The TV answered the question for him. The screen showed a massive, roaring Olympic Stadium in Seoul, South Korea. Confetti rained down from the sky in bright red and blue colors. The crowd in the stands was going absolutely crazy. People waved flags and held up glowing signs. The target of all this cheering was a young Asian man who stood in the middle of the stadium and basked in the presence of the cheers with an arrogant smile.