Next day.
Yuxiaoxiao went to the underground city at seven in the morning.
Because the slime specifically instructed her that there would be many candidates coming to the underground city today, she needed to prepare a sumptuous lunch.
"Sister, do you need help?" Vivian stood at the table corner, lifting her hands, as if she wanted Yuxiaoxiao to give her tasks.
Yuxiaoxiao thought for a moment and handed her a small basket of mushrooms.
There was a lot of food to prepare today, and she couldn't handle it all by herself.
"Can you help wash these?"
"I can!"
Vivian dragged a bamboo basket to the door.
She filled the wooden bucket with water and rubbed the mushrooms in it.
She was wearing a red dress today, with a bow tied on her back. It seemed she specially changed into a little dress and rushed here from home.
There were a total of seventeen people at the banquet.
Each person had their own seat, and the prepared food needed to be divided into seventeen portions.
The slime did not say who the guests were.
It just handed her the planned menu, and Yuxiaoxiao looked at the recipes, all of which were common dishes.
Mushroom tofu cakes, clear shrimp salad, coral broccoli, spicy pea pods, hot and sour sea cucumber soup, fish roe and cucumber rice.
Four dishes, one soup, and one rice.
Each portion was placed in a prepared tray.
Yuxiaoxiao asked, "Is it too little?"
The slime replied, "It doesn't matter, eating is not important."
After putting the food on the cart, the slime handed a black gift box to Yuxiaoxiao, "This is the clothes left by a former chef. Remember to wear it when you come to the hall later."
Today marked the first visit by guests to the underground city in recent years.
Moreover, the King himself had also come.
The place where the Third Prince lived was very high, with a floating platform in front of the cave entrance, and winding stairs leading up.
Blue fires were lit all around, not as splendid as the palace, but much brighter than usual.
On the high platform, the low tables were neatly arranged.
The King's seat was at the top, with soldiers guarding all around.
After the group sat down, their faces all wore polite smiles. They didn't look around, but politely greeted each other.
His Majesty the king was in the third prince's bedroom, and the father and son were going to dine together.
A slime pushed a dining car out and placed the carefully prepared dishes in front of everyone. They politely said "thank you," lowered their heads, looked at the exquisite food on their plates, and went into a slight daze.
Next to the tableware was a pair of chopsticks, and someone picked one up, not knowing how to use it. After much thought, he held one with one hand and attempted to pick up a piece of shrimp salad using a cucumber slice.
The chopsticks were not meant to be used this way, and as a result, the shrimp rolled onto the floor.
Someone stifled a laugh.
The young man who didn't know how to use chopsticks turned red and sat there, putting the chopsticks aside.
"I'm not feeling hungry today, so I won't eat for now."
He made an excuse for himself, thinking, "What a strange utensil this is."
Next to him was a middle-aged man who skillfully picked up the chopsticks and picked up a mushroom to put in his mouth.
"Mm, not bad, the mushroom tastes great."
Seeing the surprised looks of those around him, he just smiled without saying a word.
Luckily, he had done his homework before coming. He knew that the third prince recently hired a new chef.
It seemed to be a cook from a non-magic planet.
The utensils they used were indeed peculiar. Before coming, he had practiced for a long time.
And the others who didn't know how to use chopsticks and didn't want to embarrass themselves also unconsciously chose to drink the soup.
This couldn't go wrong.
The most popular food at the feast was the hot and sour sea cucumber soup, and the tangy taste made their faces show different expressions.
Except for the third prince.
He drank the soup from his bowl, one spoonful after another.
The king sat next to him, watching him eat with a hint of surprise in his eyes.
It was rare to see him have such a good appetite. But the truth was, he couldn't get used to the food either, let alone the sixteen candidates sitting outside.
The king touched the ring on his thumb. He looked like he was only in his forties, strong and robust. Wearing the attire of a noble, he didn't look like a king - just an ordinary father.
"These people were chosen by me from among thousands of applicants. Each one has rich management experience. You can pick a few that you find appealing and appoint them as stewards by your side."
A territory could have many stewards.
This depended on the allocation of the lord's human resources and the size of the territory. In such a large place as the dungeon, even having over a dozen stewards was normal. Each person was responsible for different areas, which was helpful for development.
Yuxiao Yuxiao was also drawn in by the slime, and the two of them hid behind a rock.
This was the first time the place had been "illuminated."
After the light was turned on, Yuxiao Yuxiao's face turned pale when she saw the steep and unprotected steps. Thinking about her safely making it through three times before, she realized how lucky she was.
"Xiaoxiao, did you see? They are all candidates for the position of steward."
The soft, sticky green creature whispered, "The one sitting on the outside, wearing a green outfit, was once the steward of the Delkrelia territory and has twenty years of experience in handling internal affairs."
"The beautiful lady across from us is the jewel in the palm of the Earl of Eilan."
"The young man who only dares to drink the soup and struggles to swallow it one mouthful at a time is only nineteen years old this year, but he is Lord Loko's apprentice. He has been with Lord Loko since he was young and must know a lot about management."
The slime introduced each of these people, and each one had an impressive background.
Yuxiao Yuxiao sighed, "In the future, the underground city will be taken care of and become better, won't it?"
At least, here in the remote area of the third prince's bedroom, there could be a beacon of light.
However, the slime shook its head and said, "Every one of them is scheming. I don't want to work with them."
It was telling the truth.
Yuxiao Yuxiao might not understand the struggles between the royal family of the empire, but for other forces, the underground city was indeed a coveted territory.
Who wouldn't want to inherit it?
Apart from the princes, the dukes and nobles also had the right to inherit territory. It's just that their territories were nothing compared to the underground city.
"The master has a special quirk, and although everyone knows about it, we still try our best not to give anyone a handle."
"A special quirk?"
"Eating people," the slime blurted out.
"Uh..."
Well, there seems to be some misunderstanding here. At least, the last time, Shana was not "eaten" by the third prince.
The slime continued, "His Majesty the king is also doing it for the good of the master. Otherwise, he wouldn't have come all this way in the midst of his many tasks. You know, a special operations alliance has been formed in the White River region recently, and our Calia planet is a part of it."
"Please everyone come forward, let His Highness Lord see clearly,"
"Come on, come on----" Slime quickly grabbed Yu Xiaoxiao's hem and whispered, "Come closer, we have to keep an eye on the front to prevent them from secretly colluding."
"Do I have to go?" Xiaoxiao felt that she could just watch from a distance, getting closer might attract attention, which wasn't good.
But Slime said, "Xiaoxiao, it's just the two of us around the master now, it's our duty to share the worries for the Lord! Don't forget, you are the only chef in the dungeon!"