Culinary Chronicles of Another World

"Right, so, being reincarnated as a penniless Earl in a world where magic is as common as bad plumbing wasn't exactly on my bucket list." Alan Claire, former sous chef extraordinaire and current owner of precisely zero Michelin stars, surveyed his crumbling inheritance with a sigh that could wilt a sunflower. "Seriously, is this castle made of stale gingerbread?" he muttered, poking a suspiciously soft-looking wall. His stomach growled, a rumbling protest against the meager bowl of gruel that constituted his first meal in this bizarre new reality. "Forget Michelin stars," he declared, clenching a fist. "My new goal is to not starve to death. And maybe introduce these people to the concept of seasoning."