Sixteen candidates stood in a row, the platform was spacious, but the environment was rough, facing the "palace" of the third prince not far away.
Slime pulled Xiaoxiao to hide below the stone steps.
It scanned from left to right, occasionally nodding and looking thoughtful, as if it had seen through everything.
Xiaoxiao sat on the stone steps, and while some soldiers noticed her, they did not say anything because of Slime.
Everyone knew that there was only one servant by Lord Prince Lod's side.
So the girl with it should be the new chef Miss.
Roco, standing in front of the stone gate, said, "Let's start with a simple introduction of yourself. Starting with you."
The one pointed out was a middle-aged man in a green dress.
He took off his white hat, put his hand on his chest, and bowed, saying, "Your Highness Lod, I have come from a distant Decker. I hope to offer you all my wisdom in this lifetime."
Decker is very far from the capital.
It is located at the southernmost border of the empire, with boundless grasslands.
Slime shook its head, thinking that this old fox in his forties was not suitable to be a steward in the dungeon.
The middle-aged man stood straight with his upper body. If he knew Slime called him an "old fox," who knows what expression he would make.
"Decker is a place where people eat and don't spit out bones."
Slime explained with a voice that only two people could hear, "Those who can stand firm there are all shrewd. He has been in power for so long but came to the capital at the most critical moment. Hmph, I don't believe it's without purpose – he has been eliminated!"
The little green creature made a mark on the steps with a stone, pretending to erase his name from the candidate list.
They each introduced themselves, some vividly describing their experiences over the years, and Roco always had a faint smile on his face.
Even when his apprentice spoke, his expression did not change.
Slime made a mark with a stone, saying, "Although I respect Lord Roco, his little apprentice is completely unsuitable for this job."
“Why?” Xiaoxiao asked curiously.
"Too young, and he's a man," Slime's eyes rolled, and it whispered, "I hope for a beautiful female steward!"
"But she's very beautiful," Xiaoxiao sighed.
Among the sixteen candidates, there was a young and beautiful woman. Her skin was like top-quality mutton jade, wearing a light yellow dress with a cinched waist, she stood out in the crowd, shining brightly.
Slime stared at her for a long time.
Its face blushed slightly, and after a while, it muttered, "No, no."
"Duchess Eilan's daughter is too noble for this position. You may not believe it, but the workload in the dungeon is huge, and this delicate lady is more suited to be a princess."
After a pause, it shook its head, "But the master definitely won't like her."
"You know, the master hates light. She's too white, too bright, not good."
Xiaoxiao "……"
None of the candidates, regardless of where they came from, their status, or their experiences, could gain Slime's approval.
Inside the stone gate, neither the king nor the third prince spoke.
It wasn't until the last person finished introducing themselves, that the field fell into an eerie silence.
Xiaoxiao secretly looked at the middle-aged man standing in front of the stone gate, the one who recruited her.
The man was in a black uniform, radiant, giving a very friendly feeling, especially with the smile on his face, it was amiable and welcoming.
"Your Majesties, Your Highness," Roco said, "Do you need to have a detailed discussion?"
Recruiting for such a position was exhausting, but due to the importance of the position, there would generally be layers of screening and ultimately an interview by the lord.
"Nothing?" A hoarse voice slowly came from inside the stone gate, devoid of any emotion.
But those were three words that made everyone feel that he was not satisfied with these candidates.
Roco was not surprised by this result.
Because in the previous recruitment, no one passed the third prince.
At this moment, Slime quickly jumped up, shouting, "There, there, there! There is still one more!"
It pulled Xiaoxiao up.
The crowd turned around and saw a young girl standing at the steps.
Yu Xiaoxiao was shocked. She never expected that the slime would push her into the public eye.
"Who is this..."
"Is she from Lord Grace's people?"
"No, look at her skin, it's very soft in color. She should be an alien."
"Can aliens compete for the position of steward officer?"
The girl was wearing a double-layered floral plaid skirt, with a simple off-white inner lining and a dark pink plaid long skirt, complementing her complexion perfectly.
Her fair face, unlike the humans of the Kalia Empire, had gentle features and was non-threatening.
Her lively eyes were somewhat anxious, like a young animal, gazing around.
The skin tones on the planet Kalia varied greatly, including snow white, dark red, deep green, yellow-brown, and so on. Skin as warm and pale as the girl's was quite rare.
With such simple clothes on her, no one would doubt her qualifications -
Seemingly simple craftsmanship, but every inch of embroidery on the skirt was fine customized handwork. Especially the pink and white checkered belt around her waist, which bore the personal logo of a famous designer.
She must be the daughter of some estate.
Or perhaps a princess of a small country?
At worst, she must be from one of the prominent families in the capital.
The slime stood tall and pulled Yu Xiaoxiao past the crowd, stopping at the front row.
It spoke, "We are here to compete for the position of steward officer!"
"..."
Yu Xiaoxiao looked down at it, the expression on the slime was very serious.
Sensing that everyone was looking at her, she was about to speak to explain, but Roco spoke first, "In that case, please both of you give a simple self-introduction."
The slime said, "I am Victor, a member of the slime race. I arrived in the underground city five years ago and have been the most loyal servant by the side of the third prince."
After speaking, it tugged at Yu Xiaoxiao's skirt.
She braced herself and said, "My name is Yu Xiaoxiao, and I am the chef here."
The slime immediately added, "All the banquet dishes you had today were made by her!"
The crowd was astonished.
- A chef?
She is the new chef in the underground city?!
No one had expected that she was just a young girl...
She was probably the youngest chef recruited since the arrival of the third prince in the underground city.
Someone thought of the pungent sea cucumber soup and showed a strange expression - Prince Lode's preferences are truly becoming more and more unpredictable.
It's definitely not possible for her to be the steward officer.
Yu Xiaoxiao thought that she was just accompanying the slime for a trip.
Perhaps, the third prince would really make the slime a steward officer, as he was not very satisfied with the other candidates.
Roco looked at Yu Xiaoxiao with a gentle smile in his eyes.
"Pleased to meet you, miss."
"Hello."
Yu Xiaoxiao remembered him, the person who had recruited her, Roco.
"This girl seems quite interesting," in the stone room, the king slowly stroked the thumb ring on his finger, looking at her with great interest.
"And the age is just right..."
On the planet Kalia, eighteen was indeed the right age for marriage.
"And she's good at cooking." The king was quite impressed by today's cuisine; some flavors were a bit unusual at first, but after a few more bites, he became addicted.
In conclusion, he said, "Willing to work in the underground city shows that she is hardworking. If you are satisfied, I will arrange your marriage now."
There were a lot of people outside.
In addition to the candidates, the perimeter was crowded with soldiers.
The surrounding blue lights flickered, and at the forefront stood a young girl. Soft light spilled onto her, highlighting her slightly curled long hair falling on her shoulders. The red headscarf showcased her playful nature. Her petite nose was slightly upturned and her lips slightly parted, giving her an innocent look.
It was a face that easily evoked a sense of closeness.
At least, the soldiers present were on high alert, fearing that an assassin might suddenly appear and harm her.
There were a lot of people.
He could only see her.
Lode's voice was hoarse, like sandpaper, "Yu Xiaoxiao, will you be my steward officer."
As soon as the voice came out, the whole audience was stunned.
The third prince had refused countless candidates over the years, but today—
Even the king, who was closest to him, did not expect that he had actually made up his mind.
Although it was different from what he had in mind.
Among the royal family, it was also important to have heirs, but his two brothers had not yet chosen their spouses, so there was no hurry for this matter.
Upon hearing this, the person in question, Yu Xiaoxiao, was completely stunned.
She was just an intern cook, coming in every day to cook two meals and then going home. This time, she was dragged here by Slime to join in the fun. How could such a big position suddenly fall on her head?
Yu Xiaoxiao had always considered herself an outsider.
But at this moment, there was a voice summoning her in.
Slime quickly said, "She's willing! She's very willing! Thank you, Your Highness, for your kindness!"
The middle-aged man in a green dress showed a displeased expression. Could a cook also be a steward just because the third prince chose her? But because it was the third prince's appointment, even if he was unwilling, he could only hold it in.
At this point, the king spoke.
"Since you are determined, then the position of the Chief Steward is hers. However, she is still young and inexperienced, so it would be better to recruit two more stewards to assist her."
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your consideration."
Although the people couldn't see the third prince, they could all hear his voice.
"In the dungeon, only one steward is needed."
"I just need her."
—I just need her.
Yu Xiaoxiao's breath suddenly stopped.
There was only a small gap in the stone door. Roko, standing at the door, also showed a surprised look, but soon, he looked at Yu Xiaoxiao and smiled.
"Your Highness is wise," he said.
This matter was settled in this way.
Even if others were dissatisfied, they dared not publicly question it.
After all, this was the third prince's territory.
Since even the King agreed, who else could say anything?
Slime was extremely excited. Compared to this group of monsters, Xiaoxiao was its best candidate!