Episode 888: The Kingdom of Misplaced Time (6)

Chapter 3: Car 5: The Bento Alchemist and His Three Braised Eggs The smell from the fifth car made all three of them groan with hunger. It wasn't just any bento smell. It was the scent of pork cutlet, braised eggs, pickled mustard greens, and slightly sweet rice, forming an invisible queue in the air and marching right into your nose. In the center of the car sat an elf. He was very short, wearing a chef's hat folded from newspaper, and his magic wand was a highlighter. In front of him sat a small pot, where three braised eggs were slowly rotating, flashing golden light when a certain side faced up. "Welcome to our train's dining service," the elf said, his voice like a jingle. "Every bento on this train has undergone alchemical treatment." "How much?" Chen Jiande asked. "Free," the elf smiled. "But you need to exchange something you truly cherish." "I have a stamp card, collect eight stamps and you can—" "That doesn't count." The elf tapped the side of the pot with his highlighter. "You don't cherish it. You cherish something else." Chen Jiande thought for a moment. "...Face?" "Correct." The elf nodded. "But this train doesn't accept face. It's too light to fit in the pot." (To be continued)