Chapter 3: The God of Food, or the God of the Kitchen
Yumesaki saw Erica's expression, which showed she completely couldn't comprehend the situation, and he had zero intention of offering her an explanation. With quick and concise movements, he walked right past Erica, heading down the street toward where the pizzeria was located. He still wanted to taste the pizza here.
Once Erica realized what was happening, she immediately followed close behind. She didn't care whether the name Yumesaki was real or fake; an existence suspected of being a God could absolutely not be left unwatched. Even if she couldn't defeat a God, at the very least, during a critical moment, she could say a few nice words to appease them.
And more importantly, she could see that Yumesaki didn't seem like the type of God who was completely unreasonable. When speaking with her, even though his tone wasn't particularly warm, he hadn't gotten angry either. Because of that, she found the courage to chase after him.
"Lord Yumesaki, where are you heading now?"
"To eat pizza."
Yumesaki said, "I asked someone just now, and they told me there's a great pizzeria nearby that has been operating for decades, capable of making incredibly authentic Italian pizza. I plan to go give it a try."
Ah, well...
Erica showed a thoroughly baffled expression, completely failing to guess that Yumesaki's descent into the mortal world was actually for the sake of trying pizza. This was truly a remarkably down-to-earth God.
Could it be that Yumesaki was actually a God of Food from the East, which was why he loved delicious food so much? But thinking back, what was the name of the Eastern God of Food?
Erica racked her brain, desperately recalling the Eastern Mythology she had read.
Eastern Mythology could be considered the largest and most terrifyingly complex mythological system she had ever encountered. Persian Mythology, Greek Mythology, Roman Mythology, Norse Mythology, and other systems were absolutely nothing compared to Eastern Mythology. Without mentioning anything else, the sheer number of Gods in Taoism and Buddhism alone was overwhelming.
In a single Underworld, there was King Yanluo and also the Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha. Furthermore, there was the Emperor of Beiyin, who in Taoism was the supreme God of the Netherworld Underworld, referred to as the "Ancestor of Ghosts and Gods in the World."
Yet that wasn't even the whole story. Because an Emperor of Dongyue could also govern life and death. This particular God was even more incredible; belief in him had even spread all the way to Japan. Not only was he regarded by the locals as the Protector God of the Tiantai Sect, but he was also viewed as an incarnation of Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha in Japan. Onmyodo had also integrated him into their pantheon, viewing him as the Sacred Deity who subdued demons and monsters. One could say he possessed countless incarnations.
Fortunately, the God of Food didn't seem to have a mythology quite that chaotic.
In Eastern folklore and mythology, there were a few Gods of Food.
For instance, Peng Zu—legend says he cooked wild pheasant soup during the reign of Emperor Yao, earning him reverence as the ancestor of culinary arts. Due to his long life and the wisdom of his dietary therapy, he was dubbed the God of Food.
Yi Yin, the Prime Minister at the start of the Shang Dynasty, originated from the culinary ranks. He proposed the theory of the "Harmony of the Five Flavors" and the "Theory of Fire Regulation," using the metaphor of balancing flavors to govern a state, which led to him being revered by certain industries as the God of Food.
Finally, there was Yi Ya, a chef from the State of Qi during the Spring and Autumn Period, who famously "steamed his own son to present as a soup." Although his culinary skills were unmatched, his morality was deeply flawed, so he was occasionally revered as a God of the Industry with a more cautionary meaning attached.
However, all three of these figures had their own distinct names, and none of them were Yumesaki. A god shouldn't lie about a detail like this.
In that case, Yumesaki actually wasn't the God of Food?
If he wasn't the God of Food, yet was so utterly obsessed with delicious food, could he perhaps be the God of the Kitchen?
But regarding the identity of the Kitchen God, that area was even more of a mess. In Eastern Mythology, opinions always differed wildly on who exactly the Kitchen God was, and the historical records were highly inconsistent. Even whether the Kitchen God was male or female, old or young, was a subject of ongoing debate.
In the early days, some opinions stated that the Kitchen God was Emperor Yan or Zhurong, while others claimed the Kitchen God was an elderly mother. Or it was said to be Sui Ren, who rubbed wood to create fire, or the Fire Official of Shennong, or Su Jili, who built the kitchen for the Yellow Emperor. There were even people who said the Kitchen God was surnamed Zhang, named Dan, with the courtesy name Ziguo. The theories were endless.
Could it be that Yumesaki was actually one of the Kitchen Gods? Because the origin of the Kitchen God had so many conflicting records, it had given birth to multiple Kitchen Gods, and Yumesaki was simply one of them.
However, in mythological legends, there was never any mention of a Kitchen God surnamed Kazuma. (Please turn off your brain here)
For a moment, Erica's head began to throb, and she couldn't find a single clear lead.
Right at that moment, they finally arrived at the pizzeria.
Yumesaki pushed the door open with a smile and walked inside, with Erica following closely behind his heels.
A wild boar had been rampaging through the nearby streets just moments ago, but fortunately, Yumesaki had acted just in time. Before the beast could cause massive devastation, he had already booted it into outer space. Therefore, it hadn't impacted this pizzeria at all.
Additionally, at this point in time, short videos hadn't taken over the world yet, so the people inside the establishment didn't even know what had occurred outside, continuing to operate normally as always.
Yumesaki ordered an authentic Italian pizza, picked a spot close to the window, and waited quietly while enjoying the view outside.
Erica sat directly across from him, staring at Yumesaki with an expression full of suspicion. To be completely honest, her brain was on the verge of melting down, yet she still couldn't guess the identity of the God sitting right before her.
It was better to stop guessing and just ask directly.
"Lord Yumesaki, may I ask what kind of God you actually are?"
"Me?"
"Yes."
"You seem exceptionally curious." Yumesaki cast a brief glance at Erica, noting that the other party's gaze carried a hint of stubborn determination.
"Yes, I am incredibly curious," Erica nodded.
Because this dictated exactly what kind of attitude she needed to use when dealing with Yumesaki. Only by clarifying the other party's identity could she provide the appropriate handling suited to the situation.
Yumesaki said, "I suppose I can be considered a God of Death, or a Shinigami."
"Huh?"
At that exact moment, Erica almost suspected that her hearing had failed her. A Shinigami? The other party turned out to be a Shinigami?
This was completely unscientific. How could a Shinigami be so deeply interested in food, to the point of specifically tracking down where to buy authentic Italian pizza? What kind of Shinigami from anywhere was this laid-back?
"Are you certain that you are a Shinigami?"
"What, you don't believe me?" Yumesaki looked at the disbelieving Erica with a small smile.
Erica unconsciously nodded her head. "I... I have never seen a Shinigami quite like you."
Hearing that, Yumesaki couldn't help but burst into a hearty laugh. This left Erica entirely at a loss. She couldn't help but furrow her brows slightly, feeling a bit slighted. But remembering the other party's identity, she didn't dare get angry, not even daring to let it show.
She could only ask Yumesaki in a gentle, tactful manner, "Lord Yumesaki, were the words I just spoke that amusing?"
"You just said that you've never seen a Shinigami like me, right?"
"Yes," Erica nodded.
"Then, exactly how many Gods have you actually met?" Yumesaki asked, cutting straight to the heart of the matter.
Erica instantly froze.
She suddenly realized that throughout her entire time growing up, aside from Yumesaki and the Verethragna who had just departed, she had never seen another God. Yumesaki was the very first God she had ever encountered in person.
No wonder the other party had just laughed so uproariously.
Erica's face flushed bright red, and her toes curled inside her shoes. She desperately wished she could dig a hole in the floor right then and there to hide inside forever. Fortunately, her skin was thick enough that she managed to quickly compose herself.
"Even so, I have also never heard of a Shinigami so utterly obsessed with delicious food." Erica said, "At the very least, within the mythologies of various nations, a Shinigami is nothing like you."
"That is true," Yumesaki nodded. "It is indeed highly unusual for a Shinigami to be like me, enjoying the delicious foods of the mortal world. But it can't be helped; this is my hobby. I like traveling, and I also like good food."
Erica felt a surge of joy in her heart. She could see that Yumesaki wasn't angry about what had just occurred, but had instead grown quite talkative and was willing to chat with her. She could completely unearth the other party's identity, along with even more valuable information.
Erica praised her own cleverness internally while asking, "Lord Yumesaki, as far as I am aware, among the Shinigami in Eastern Mythology, the name Lord Yumesaki does not exist."
"It really doesn't," Yumesaki nodded honestly, then added, "But I don't recall ever saying that I am a God that exists within your mythology, did I?"
Erica: "Huh?"
She was completely thrown off by Yumesaki's sentence. Weren't all Gods part of mythology?
"What is the meaning of this?"
"It's simple. I am not a God from this world, so this world naturally has no mythology regarding me. Therefore, the name Yumesaki is a completely foreign name to you." Yumesaki looked at Erica, whose expression was slowly turning entirely rigid, as he spoke with a smile.
Erica felt like her entire reality was falling apart. What did he mean, not a God from this world? This concept was far more outrageous than a Heretic God or anything of the sort.
"What Lord Yumesaki means is... you are a God from another world..."
"Correct."
Yumesaki nodded. He had swallowed the Shinigami from the Naruto world, so he was recognized as a God of Death by many divine entities. In a sense, he truly was a God from an alternate world.
Erica: "..."
She reached up to massage her own temples, her brow twitching repeatedly. The descent of a Heretic God was already dangerous enough, and now they had structural confirmation of a God arriving from another world. Was there something fundamentally wrong with the fengshui of this Sardinia island?
"Lord Yumesaki, you really aren't joking with me, right?"
To be completely honest, Erica was now desperately hoping Yumesaki would say the words, 'I'm just pulling your leg, you totally fell for it, didn't you?'. That way, she could feel a bit more at peace.
"Why would I lie to you?"
It was a massive shame that this was nothing more than her delusion; Yumesaki's response ruthlessly shattered Erica's wishful thinking.
"I haven't sunk so low as to need to deceive a minor."
Erica: "...I would vastly prefer it if you were deceiving me."
Hearing that, Yumesaki couldn't help but grin with amusement.
Right at that moment, the authentic Italian pizza he had ordered was finally delivered to the table.
"Please enjoy your meal," the waiter left the sentence politely before turning around and leaving.
Yumesaki smiled as he picked up the knife and fork, slicing off a small piece before popping it into his mouth and starting to chew.
"So this is what authentic Italian pizza tastes like." Yumesaki ate while letting out such a commentary.
"Lord Yumesaki has never eaten pizza before?" Erica asked curiously.
"I've eaten it, but I've never actually come to Italy to eat the authentic version. The taste is quite good, nice and chewy, and the flavors are incredibly rich. Especially the beef and black pepper; it really elevates the quality of this pizza. It wasn't a waste of time for me to come here and try it."
Yumesaki noted that this food and the ones back in his own country were truly two entirely different things. Although the appearance was highly similar, the taste was completely different. Delicious.
Erica watched Yumesaki eat with immense gusto, and her head only grew dizzier. After hesitating over and over again, she finally voiced the burning doubt inside her heart.
"Lord Yumesaki, as a God from another world who has come to our world... what exactly is your business here?"
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