"Take-out???"
It was at this point that Chef Gustaeu noticed the weird, paper-like plate that they were using to eat from. It was very unusual.
"Yeah, we don't have time to eat in the restaurant, so we just took it out and ate it here," the Yellow HobMankey answered.
"Where is this restaurant that you spoke of? McTony's right?"
The construction workers gave directions to the chefs on where to find McTony's.
"Wait, are you going to use your carriages to get there? It's too slow."
The chefs almost felt offended by the demi-human words. After all, their mount was considered one of the fastest monsters available in the market!
"What do you suggest?" Gustaeu asked.
"Just use a Reborn Taxi. it's much faster," the Yellow HobMankey suggested.
Chef Gustaeu was feeling impatient to see this McTony's restaurant, so he accepted their suggestion and sought out the yellow and black automobiles riding around the roads.
With some help from the construction workers, the chefs found a taxi that would take them to the Truck Stop at the fastest time possible.
As the door to the automobile opened and they saw the interior, they were quite disappointed to see that it was quite cramped for them.
"Chef Gusteau, are we sure that this is okay? Isn't it better to just use our carriage?"
The dark-skinned man didn't answer and just entered the front seat of the car. Seeing their leader enter, the other chefs eventually followed suit and three of them sat perfectly on the backseat.
"To McTony's is that correct?" the human driver asked.
Chef Gustaeu nodded and paid the fee.
"Alright, just sit tight and make yourselves comfortable."
The driver personally adjusted Chef Gustaeu and the other passengers' seats to decline into an almost laid down position.
And with just one push of a button, the chefs felt a cool air rush over towards their face, battling the intense heat of the sun around them.
"Woah!"
"This is very comfortable…"
"How is it so cold here?"
It only took a few seconds before the chefs took back their words and fully appreciated the beauty of an automobile.
"Hmmm…I could get used to this."
"I wish we had this back in our carriage."
"Is the animal inside this metal from the Arctic or does it have an affinity to Ice magic?"
The driver chuckled. "There's no monster inside this automobile," he explained. "It's all just thanks to the engine that transforms…"
He went on to explain the basic physics on how an engine worked. As a Rebornian Driver, he was bestowed a passable amount of knowledge about engines when he awakened his talent so that he would be able to make repairs if the car broke down.
The chefs, of course, couldn't understand a word out of his mouth. So, they were still skeptical to believe that this vehicle ran on only a liquid called fuel.
"Sit back tight, I'll get you there as fast as possible," the driver said as he stepped on the gas pedal.
And immediately, the car accelerated off the gates and out into the Golden Road.
The chefs held onto each other from fright! They never knew automobiles could run this fast!
The only one who seemed to enjoy this new experience was Chef Gustaeu, who put his hand out of the windows and felt the gush of wind brush past his palms.
And so, the taxi set off onto the Golden Road, riding on the fast lane. The chefs cautiously peeked out the window and saw how they zoomed past a traditional horse-drawn carriage who rode on the right side of the highway.
"Holy smokes!" one of the chefs uttered out.
The carriage was getting left behind in the dust! Even the elite mounts in the Queens region wouldn't stand a chance against these automobiles.
It was only now that they truly understood the power of automobiles. With this car, they could shorten days of travel into just a few candlesticks of time!
…
…
…
After some time, they finally arrived at their destination.
In the distance, Chef Gustaeu saw a moon-like radiance glowing among the starry skies of the dark night.
Upon closer inspection, he realized that it was not a moon, but a glowing symbol of a smoking chicken instead! Above it was the name: McTony's.
The symbol was hoisted up by a pillar, letting everyone see the symbol even from far away.
"So that's McTony's…" Gusteau uttered in complete amazement. Even the other chefs were stunned into silence.
Eventually, the car slowed down as they veered off the road and entered the Truck Stop.
The scent of the chicken wafted through the air, tempting Gustaeu to come closer.
"You guys can go out now. It'll take some time to find a parking spot. It's very crowded this time of the night," the driver said.
They all got out of the taxi and just like he said, the restaurant was filled to the brim with customers inside.
Entering the doors, they were met with a large line of people waiting in line by the counter.
"It's so crowded in here," said one of the chefs.
"How are we going to find our seats?"
However, just when they were discussing amongst themselves, someone called out to them.
"Umm…excuse me," a woman behind them said. "Please move. There's a lot of people behind you."
They looked forward and saw the large line had already dwindled down! They were caught unaware that the line had already moved!
It only took a little more time before it was finally their turn to order a chicken.
"Hello, may I take your order?" the perky Lamia cashier greeted.
"Four chickens…please," Gustaeu muttered out as he pushed a pile of coins towards her.
The cashier accepted his order and before she even finished counting the coins, another attendant behind her took out four boxes from the back and delivered it to her.
"Here's your order and your change. Thank you, please come again!"
Gustaeu and the other chefs had their jaws on the floor.
That fast? Their order was here just like that?
Even the best chefs or the best restaurants in the world couldn't give out orders at that speed.
"Umm… excuse me, we ordered a chicken. And there's only a box here. Where's the plate?" one of the chefs asked.
"This is the plate," the Lamia answered with a smile. "Just open this box, and you can eat the chicken anywhere you like!"
She opened one of the boxes and showed them a pristine-looking juicy chicken that was still steaming hot right out of the kitchen.
The chefs were completely bewildered as they looked at their chicken take-out boxes.
They looked at the cashier and she was already tending to the next customer.
This was perhaps the fastest service they had ever experienced.
"This…this…." Chef Gustaue muttered under his breath.
"What is it?" they asked him.
"This is it! This is what I've been looking for this entire time!"
The other chefs were a little bit surprised. Although the chicken was good, it wasn't life-changing or anything like that. There were other cuisines much more delicious than this.
"You really like the chicken that much, Chef Gustaeu?"
The dark-skinned chef shook his head. "No. I'm talking about this take-out order!"