Delivering Lunch to the President Personally

He was covered in bruises, looking absolutely pitiful.

Grace checked his pulse. Fortunately, it was all surface wounds—nothing internal.

She gave him medicine to take and applied ointment to his injuries, and he finally started to feel a little better.

"Bobby, what happened?" Grace asked.

"The food you've been getting lately is just awful, and today was even worse. I went to get our meal and they handed me two plates of yesterday's leftovers—didn't even bother to heat them up! I said something to the kitchen supervisor, Henry Chen, and he..."

"What did he do?" Grace asked.

"He said you'd be out of here soon, so who are you to complain? We should be grateful for any food at all! I argued with him, and then he ordered the other kitchen staff to beat me..."

"Henry Chen used to be so polite to us, and now look at him! What a shameless bootlicker!" Rina Chu shot to her feet. "I'm going to beat him up! Let's see who dares mess with us again!"

"Wait." Grace called out.

"What is it?"

"I've still got a sword hanging over my head!" Grace said. "Winston Wood is just waiting for someone to help him drop it. If you really beat him up, they'll kick me out of the Spirit Alliance for sure."

Rina Chu froze, but her anger didn't subside. "So what do we do? Just let that old bastard Winston Wood keep bullying us? Even the kitchen staff dare to walk all over us now!"

Grace said, "Let's just bear it for now! Things will get better by the end of the year."

"But if you don't get your title back by then, you won't be able to go to the Eastern Alliance!" Bobby frowned.

"I'll get it back," Grace said coolly.

Bobby and Rina Chu exchanged a glance. "So how are we supposed to eat lunch now? The Spirit Alliance food is just inedible!"

Grace thought for a moment. "Let me come up with something."

"Like what? Bring food from the Marquis Manor in the morning?" Bobby frowned. "I mean, we could, but it's a matter of pride! You're the Spirit Alliance Leader, and you can't even get a decent meal here? Having to bring your own food—it's just..."

"Why don't we cook for ourselves? There's a stove in the Alchemy Room, isn't there?" Rina Chu suggested.

"But that's the Alchemy Room—if it starts smelling like fried food, won't that be a problem?" Bobby asked.

Rina Chu scratched her head. "Yeah, that's true..."

Grace said, "Stop worrying. Tomorrow, I promise you'll have a proper meal—and we'll get our dignity back too!"

The next day at noon, in the Spirit Alliance kitchen.

Henry Chen was the head chef of the Spirit Alliance kitchen.

He was also the supervisor in charge of the entire kitchen.

Everyone had to listen to him.

But lately, even the other cooks couldn't stand the way he'd been acting.

"Supervisor Chen, let's just heat up these leftovers and eat them ourselves!" one cook said. "No matter what, she's still the Alliance Leader! Giving her cold food is just too much..."

"Alliance Leader?" Henry Chen sneered. "Who listens to her now? She's not even worth as much as me!"

"Even we wouldn't eat cold leftovers!" the cook said. "She might be down on her luck, but she's still an alchemist, right?"

"Shut up!" Henry Chen snapped. "No one asked for your opinion! You—grab those dishes and come with me! Rina Chu slapped me silly yesterday, so today, I'm going to personally deliver lunch to the 'Alliance Leader!'"