Everyone is Young Except for Me

“I have a request for you.”

“A request? Don’t tell me it is to eat your food again? Keke.”

Zalmergus’ lips curved at the silly joke. “No, I don’t want anything. Rather, I want to give something to you.”

“Um?”

I cocked my head when he said he wanted to give me something. What the hell was he going to give me? Zalmergus got up with much difficulty, pulled down a plaque hanging in the room, and started talking. “My family has been a family of chefs for generations.”

There was a secret vault that appeared when he pushed the bricks slightly to the side. Zalmergus continued the story while manipulating the buttons to open the safe. “If I look at my ancestors, the person at the top is Alexus.”

Alexus? I had heard it before. Where did I hear it?

“There are many words used for him. Big chef, genius chef, eccentric chef, etc. However, he is mainly referred to by the last of his achievements.”

The door of the steel vault opened and he pulled out an old book.

I asked him, “What is it?”

“The king of cooking.”

“...”

“It was in the old days. There was a divine message from God Gaia.”

Gaia?

“‘Give benefits to humanity. Person who benefits humanity. You will get everything.’ Many heroes did good deeds at these words. However, it didn’t last long. They started to argue over who did more good and eventually their forces divided.”

“...”

“It soon led to war. Many people were said to have died and starved. The one who showed up at that time was Alexus, the owner of this diary.”

He handed me a book. I read the outside of the old diary in my hand.

[Chef Alexus’ First Diary]

He sat next to me again and started talking calmly. “Alexus felt sorry for the people who suffered during the war. He touched the hearts of the starving people with his cooking.”

“He was a great man.”

“Haha, that’s right. Later, the people made Alexus the new king.”

It was an amazing story. The owner of this diary was such a person. I couldn’t hide my surprise.

[The apostle ‘Fire Thief Looking Ahead’ is smiling as he recalls the memories.]

“Masis and I are his descendants.”

...It was a declining royal family. 

“My father said it was a very peaceful empire. The empire he ruled was a peaceful one.”

He smiled, proud of being the descendant of such a man. It was the same for me.

“Unfortunately, his empire was destroyed due to the great flood 500 years ago.”

[The apostle ‘Fire Thief Looking Ahead’ is frowning.]

“At the same time, his secret cooking techniques were also scattered. His descendants considered collecting his secret techniques as a lifelong goal but they couldn’t accomplish it. Do you know why?”

“Let’s see... I don’t know.”

“It is because we weren’t qualified.”

“...?” I was puzzled by the unexpected words.

“Originally, the spirit of the sun didn’t require the life of the summoner as collateral. It originally belonged to the owner.”

...Belonged? Who did it belong to?

“We didn’t know the method and were forced to use our life force to pass on the secret technique.”

I seemed to be immersed in a labyrinth of increasingly unknown stories. “What are you saying...

“I saw it just before I collapsed.”

"What do you mean?”

“The spirit of the sun is imprinted in your hand.”

“What...?”

I reflexively raised my hand. There was... something. My fourth finger had a tattoo of the sun without my knowledge.

“Solar has found its real master.” Zalmergus suddenly started to kneel in front of me. “I, Zalmergus, the 13th descendant of Cooking King Alexus, have defended the secret technique for over 500 years and I greet the true successor.”

“...!”

* * *

After a while, I climbed to the roof. I wanted to feel the cool breeze. I stood in the sunlight with a happy face, feeling the sun-drenched spring breeze. I closed my eyes and could hear the chirping of birds as well as the energetic voices of people. Then I started to think about my conversation with Zalmergus.

‘You want to call me a king but I’m not a king.’ 

‘It is decided by the people. I’m one of those people.’

‘However, you are Alexus’ descendant, not me. Shouldn’t you be the king?’

‘I’ve already burned a lot of my flames of life. The time for me to cling to the position of Cooking King has passed. I am satisfied as long as my grandson no longer has to burn the flames of life. My son in Heaven is smiling. Keke.’

I woke up from the memory and looked at the old diary in my hand. The brilliant Big Dipper stars were drawn on the cover. I looked at it with a complicated expression.

‘The first secret technique of Weather Cooking?’

‘That’s right. There isn’t just one secret technique in Weather Cooking. There are many techniques. I hope that you will be able to gather all of them together and I get to see that vast, peaceful empire that Alexus once created. At the very least, before I die.’

I returned from my recollections and thought again. I wondered if I could be a king. 

Reigning over someone. It wasn’t as easy as it sounded. In the past, when I was in my 20s, I reigned briefly on top of many people. However, I soon felt regret and realized it was difficult because of the death of a friend. Outside of this dark back alley world, I settled down with my wife and lived happily ever after.

Then someone asked me to become a king again. How could I accept this?

“Sigh...”

[The apostle ‘Fire Thief Looking Ahead’ says you deserve it.]

...Jerk. Thank you. It felt like someone was by my side, even if I didn’t know what this guy was.

I looked up at the sky. Today, the clouds were exceptionally clear. Maybe Gaia wanted this from me. I had such a thought.

“Yes, it is fate.”

It couldn’t be avoided. However, would I get a class if I read this? I didn’t know. If the system still stopped me then there would be no way. Maybe I could no longer enjoy Arkstar.

I felt a bit emotional...

I grabbed the cover and opened the diary, hoping my worst fears wouldn’t happen.

Ttiring~

[Do you want to open Chef Alexus’ First Diary? Y/N]

[If you read all of the diary then you will get a class.]

It truly was fate. The system didn’t deny it. Yes. If this was my fate...

“I’ll open it.”

A white light burst out of the diary. Behind it, huge wings could be seen. The wings of the book started to flutter and it flew to my eye level. Then the first page started to unfold carefully.

-Later generations...!

This book contains the first secret technique of I, Cooking King Alexus.

This book contains the first secret technique of Weather Cooking.

It contains recipes of the sun so pay attention.

You will have to work hard and polish it so that you can use it to benefit humanity.

I don’t have only one secret technique.

There are a total of eight secret techniques: the sun, the moon, the stars, the wind, the rain, the clouds, the snow, and the thunderstorm.

Collect them and cook the sky! Impress the earth!

Find my hidden cooking tools and make the world peaceful!

The beginning of all things is humanity.

Person who benefits humanity.

You will get everything..!

Depart, my later generation! Find it!

Everything is in the world.

The one who connects all of my things.

They will become the king of the people!

-Alexus A.-

“...”

Then were various recipes for using the sun spirit, Solar. This person was really eccentric. His diary documented when he made these sun dishes and he expressed his anguish over the various dishes he tried. Alexus didn’t even wear ordinary cooking attire.

The more I read, the more I felt he wasn’t an ordinary person. The more I progressed through the diary, the more interesting he became. I read the diary from start to finish. Then I reached the last chapter. This...? There was a picture of the iridescent Big Dipper I saw in the tutorial. 

Written below it was:

-Dipper constellation.

The supreme god praised my accomplishments and gave me the name ‘Dipper Constellation.’ I will devote myself and my strength to enrich the lives of the people.

Ttiring~

[You have read all of Chef Alexus’ First Diary.]

[You have succeeded in getting a new class.]

[You have changed to the hidden class Weather Chef.]

[The Workmanship stat has opened.]

[The Sensory stat has opened.]

[The Workmanship and Sensory stats can only be raised through cooking.]

[Workmanship: The chances of getting a great success in cooking will increase.

Sensory: The taste, touch, smell, hearing and vision required for cooking will be developed.]

[World: The true legend hidden in the legend has awakened! His star name is ‘Dipper Star's Beloved’!]

[The star name ‘Dipper Star's Beloved’ has been acquired.]

[Your level has risen!]

[Your level has risen!]

[The recipes of the Sun have been acquired.]

[From now on, you will have a strong resistance to hot fires.]

[A chef is fiery. You can shoot fire from your mouth.]

[From now on, you can get ingredients if you catch monsters.]

[You can cook with the monster ingredients.]

[Skill: Weather Cooking has been acquired.]

[Skill: Dicing has been acquired.]

[Skill: Julienne has been acquired.]

…

…

“Bullshit.”

There were so many things. I roughly checked it and opened the blinking status window.

[Status Window]

[Name: Jackson

Level: 12 [Nameless] Weather Chef

Star Name: Dipper Star's Beloved

Heavenly Star: Monarch of Brilliant Promise

Title: Goblin Slayer, Hero of Mulan

Strength   28 (+20) / Agility   1 (+20) 

Fitness   1 (+20) / Knowledge   1 (+20) 

Workmanship   1 (+0) / Sensory   1 (+0)

* Fire attribute resistance +40%.

Stat Points: 16]

I smiled with satisfaction at finally getting a class. By the way, ‘Star's Beloved.’ There was a connotation to it.

Let’s look at some skills.

[Weather Cooking (Active)]

[Rating: Legend

Current Recipes: The Sun.

Weather Cooking is the secret technique of the legendary Cooking King Alexus.

You can cook with the sun, the moon, the stars, the wind, the rain, the clouds, the snow, and the thunderstorm.]

[Dicing (Active)]

[Rating: Normal

Dice various ingredients.

-The higher your workmanship, the more precise it can be.

-The higher your agility, the faster the cutting speed of your blade.]

[Julienne (Active)]

[Rating: Normal

Slice various ingredients into long slices.

-The higher your workmanship, the more precise it can be.

-The higher your agility, the faster the cutting speed of your blade.

-Can only be used on a cutting board.]

I could cook with the weather. It was a secret method that chefs really coveted. I was retired but I felt like I had to pick up another knife. A new goal and anew dream—it was a dream I got at a fairly late age but it wasn’t shabby. I would be sure to cook with all these secret techniques before I died. I laughed and was about to get up. However...

[The apostle ‘Fire Thief Looking Ahead’ wants to read the hidden page.]

Hidden page? I turned my attention to the last page of the book that I was about to close. Come to think of it... it was thick. It looked like it was folded into layers. It was if it was hiding a hidden secret, saying ‘Please open me.’ I unfolded it straight away. Then it appeared.

...A drawing? I started to look at it quickly. Then I was forced to be shocked.

“T-This...!”

[The apostle ‘Fire Thief Looking Ahead’ is throwing a booger at you.]