Marco watches as the group of four elves approaches the Sunlit Pillar, heads down and bodies trembling slightly, one by one they top the nine-pointed star adorning the top of the pillar.


    The elves gasp and collapse to the ground, sobs coming from a few of them. “What was that?” Marco thinks, “I guess I expected to be able to see a notification or something.”


    *Ping* You Worked to Right the Wrong


    You and your team worked to right the wrong that these elves committed, as such you may see their punishment if you wish.


    Marco mentally agrees and more System information pops up.


    *Ping* Affinity Locked to 10%


    You have been EXPELLED from the Adventurer’s Guild


    Parole Available in Ten Years, after good behavior


    The notification blinks away and Violet steps forward toward the crying elves on the ground. “Stand, you are members of House Ivory and still under my jurisdiction.”


    The elves stand on shaky legs, the remnants of magical effects dissolving around them, pieces of armor returning to Mana and a small [Light] glow winking out.


    “Yes Matriarch.” They all say between sobs and sniffles.


    “As members of The House of Ivory, you are supposed to reaching for the pinnacle of kindness, not backstabbing people for petty reasons in the middle of Horde attack.” Violet says, a slight green glow emanating from her skin as her tone becomes more and more clipped. “By the power vested in me by the Sunlight System and the Kingdom of Eldermyst. I banish you from House Ivory and our lands.”


    Her proclamation is met with renewed sobs and cries for leniency, all of which are ignored by the House Ivory Matriarch.


    “You have the day to collect your things and report to Gatekeeper Jeremy for escort back to Woodholme.” Oren says, “Use this decade to grow and learn. Come back after a decade a better person than you are now.”


    The melancholy elves trudge away, down the stairs to their barracks room. Violet swirls away in a cascade of leaves, hard look vanishing into sadness now that the elves have left.


    “Marco, do you have a moment?” Oren asks.


    Marco walks over to where Oren is standing, once again staring into the distance at the city filled with undead and prisoners.


    “I hope we are able to rescue all of those captives.” Marco thinks.


    “What did you think of the System meting out Judgement?” Oren asks, gazing to the distance.


    “I think combined with the banishment from House Ivory, it is fair and will hopefully let them change and grow.” Marco says, “It would be a different story if those other Adventurer’s weren’t saved.”


    “Excellent, I am glad you don’t feel like we were too harsh.” Oren says.


    “With elven lifespans, a decade of good behavior is lenient and back home they would throw you into prison and throw away the key.” Marco comments.


    Oren nods, a little surprised at Marco’s comment about prison but he waves goodbye to the party and steps into his shadow.


    Marco and team head back to their barracks, quickly striping their armor off and trying to make it into the bathroom first.


    Shen wins this time, the dark-skinned elf laughing as he slams the door in their faces.


    Marco waits his turn and after showering, exits the bathroom in a wave of steam and heat. “I’m headed to the kitchens! I have an idea that I want everyone to try.” Marco says, pulling on a set of baggy black pants and then a dark green shirt.


    “Have fun! Try not to drive Chef Lucas to madness again!” Ben calls, entering the bathroom.


    Marco makes his way toward the kitchens, passing battle weary in the hallway and thinks over his own feelings about the fight.


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    “It was fun; exhilarating and dangerous but I don’t feel tired from it. Not like working a day back home, I am excited by what we accomplished today and look forward to the rescue.” He thinks, “It is different, the high of battle is more satisfying than cooking for sixteen hours and having a paycheck to show for it.”


    Marco finally enters the kitchen, the welcoming heat greeting him as always.


    “Hello Marco! Come to make something for dinner?” Lucas greets with a large smile.


    “Yup! Something from Earth, it was popularized by something called a movie!” Marco says, “The story is about a rat who wants to cook and ends up controlling a horrible cook by pulling on his hair and making him good at cooking.”


    “You have strange stories on your world Marco.” Lucas says, shaking his head and moving back to his station.


    Marco chuckles to himself, thinking about the dish he intends to make. Confit byaldi or layered ratatouille. He grabs a cutting board and pulls his knife from his [Inventory], making sure to clean it well before using it.


    He grabs a small bucket, filling it with zucchini, summer squash, tomatoes, and eggplants, along with garlic and herbs to season the dish.


    Marco cuts the summer squash and zucchini into thin rounds and places them off to the side. He grabs an eggplant, slicing them into similarly sized rounds before salting them heavily and setting them off to the side.


    He cores some of the tomatoes, chopping them and adding them to a pan with some chopped onions, garlic, and basil. Marco grabs some sweet peppers, removing the stem and seeds before giving them a rough chop and adding them to the pot.


    He leaves his tomato sauce to simmer and reduce and rinses his eggplant rounds to remove some of the saltiness.


    Marco finishes prepping his vegetables by the time that the tomato sauce is ready, he tastes it and adjusts the seasoning with a little bit of sugar and a sprinkle of dried thyme, before blending it with a high-speed application of [Salt] blades. Marco covers the bottom of the baking dish with a good layer of tomato sauce, and then begins layering vegetables, keeping the pattern of eggplant, zucchini, summer squash, and tomato. He occasionally breaks the pattern with a leaf of basil before continue, finishing the dish off with a thin layer of sauce and then placing it into a medium heat oven for about forty minutes.


    Marco cleans up, washing his knife and placing it back into his [Inventory], scrubbing his cutting board and returning it to its proper shelf. “Hopefully this is a hit with everyone tonight!” He thinks, turning and jumping slightly to see Lucas standing close to him.


    “That dish smells wonderful! The visual aspect is incredible as well, the colors are very interesting!” Lucas says, “I wanted to thank you again. I was burnt out and had lost my passion for not only cooking but leadership.”


    “It is no problem, I was in a similar place before getting taken to Omnia,” Marco says. “I worked in fine-dining which means long days and complex food for little money and it is difficult in the best of times.”


    “Tell me about Earth, the place without the Sunlight System, if you don’t mind.” Lucas requests.


    So, Marco does, telling him of the complex foods of French fine-dining and multi-course tasting menus, the concept of a Chef’s Table, and all of the interesting equipment he had used in his career. They talk and exchange stories as the smell of confit byaldi grows and wafts through the kitchen, attracting a small crowd as Marco moves to remove the dish from the oven.


    Marco focuses internally for a moment, [Salt Skin] gloves appearing on his skin, allowing him to pull the baking dish from the oven. Toasted edges of vegetables are draped in beautiful red sauce, a little bit of separated oil bubbling in puddles around the edge of the pan. The gorgeous layered vegetables are visually beautiful and the smell is lovely, people approach Marco, asking more about the dish and complimenting his work.


    “It’s perfect! The elves are going to love this, I guess I should have made a meat version too.” Marco thinks. “Eh, the kitchen team is making delicious food with meat in it, everyone can stand to eat more veggies.”


    Marco washes up after placing his dish on the warming Inscription and walks into the dining area, waving goodbye to Ethil, Doris, and Lucas. He finds his team in line and joins them, to muted grumbles of the people behind them.


    “What did you end up making?” Shen asks as he approaches. “It smells great in here but a little bit meaty for my tastes.”


    “I made a dish called confit byaldi or layered ratatouille. It is a dish popularized from one of those movies I told you guys about a few days ago.” Marco says, inching forward in line until they are at the front and receiving their food, including a small amount of ratatouille.


    The party finds a table with free seats and new people to meet and sit down to chat and eat.


    “Hello! I’m Marco and this is Ben, Lucia, and Shen.” Marco introduces, pointing to each member of his party in turn.


    “Welcome to our table!” A dwarf with a loud voice and a slight Slavic accent greets them in return. “I am Sven and this is Jessica, Harold, and Isabella.” The dwarf with ice blue hair and a matching beard says, pointing first to a young human woman with plain features and brown hair and eyes. Harold is a tall man with bright red hair reminiscent of a dying fire and eyes that look like coal, and the last member of the party is a petite girl with dark blue that wave around almost like she is underwater and clear blue eyes.


    “Nice to meet you all. How do you all fare in the Horde?” Ben says, eating his first bite of confit byaldi and gasping in delight. “Marco, this is delicious!”


    “Thank you!” Marco says, receiving praise from Lucia and Shen as well.


    “Oh! You’re the guy who beat Lucas in the cook-off!” Harold says with a surprisingly quiet voice, “That dish you made looked delicious!”


    “Thank you!” Marco says, “It was fun to stretch those cooking muscles once again.”


    Marco and his party chat and enjoy the food, bidding farewell to new friends, before returning to their barracks room, excited and nervous for journey to Hopesfall and the people they hope to rescue.