In The Witch's Bakery (also written The Witchs Bakery), Kei is a former Michelin-starred chef whose storyline forms the emotional center of Chapter 4. Lunne encounters him as her Parisian bakery grows in fame, but their initial interaction is tense when Kei dismisses her baking as merely average. Beneath his blunt exterior lies deep emotional turmoil tied to unresolved trauma and guilt, making his storyline one of the most poignant character arcs in the game.
Who Is Kei?
Kei is a 57-year-old French-Japanese master chef who previously attained Michelin-star recognition across France before suddenly losing his desire to cook. Developer Sunny Lab designed him as a tall, imposing figure with the presence of a mountain—someone who appears closed off and worn out from decades behind commercial stoves, but possesses genuine warmth underneath his hardened exterior.
His visual design reflects his chapter's core theme of anger, mixing dark, simmering tones and deep reds and blues alongside practical kitchen wear like suspenders and rolled-up sleeves.
| Kei Profile Detail | In-Game Fact |
|---|---|
| Age | 57 |
| Profession | Former Michelin-starred chef |
| Introduction | Chapter 4 |
| Core Emotion | Anger (Red) |
| Regret Animal Motif | Pufferfish |
| Torment Form | Giant Golem |
| Relationship Levels | Level 1 (Mending Ties), Level 2 (Years Of Guilt) |
Chapter 4: Kei's Heart Palace and Puzzles
When Lunne performs a Heart Dive into Kei to address his hidden emotional distress, she enters a Heart Palace structured around the red emotion of Anger.
Unlike Estelle's underwater caverns or Mawuli's moving subway train, Kei’s Heart Palace takes the form of a broken bridge positioned in the center of an ancient giants' battlefield. Within this realm, the physical personification of Kei's emotion is a giant labeled Anger, locked in an endless brawl with his Torment.
Kei's Torment manifests as a massive golem. This entity embodies his suffocating guilt surrounding a past car crash that took the lives of his family, as well as the agonizing internal pressure telling him he should simply move on and forget them. Meanwhile, his manifested Regret carries the animal motif of a red pufferfish.
Gameplay in Kei’s Heart Palace shifts away from stealth or rail navigation toward environmental puzzles:
- Traverse the fractured segments of the stone bridge across the battlefield.
- Solve puzzles to help Anger prevail in the fight.
- Help Anger overpower the golem Torment so Lunne can reach the emotional core.
- Secure the key recipe ingredient required to bake the healing bread that restores Kei's spirit.
Completing this chapter unlocks the story achievement The Sculpture In The Furnace.
Building a Relationship with Kei
Once Kei's Heart Palace is resolved, he becomes a regular contact and mentor in Paris. Players can develop Lunne's bond with him through deliberate social interactions in the city.
Friendship Levels and Achievements
Kei's bond consists of two primary milestone levels, each tied to a specific achievement:
- Level 1: Mending Ties — Unlocked by checking in on Kei, presenting him with preferred gifts, and spending time training with him at his restaurant.
- Level 2: Years Of Guilt — Achieved by giving him gifts, checking in on him, and training with him at his restaurant.
Culinary Training and Recipe Mastery
Spending time with Kei at his restaurant is crucial for completionist baking achievements. While Lunne can practice recipes in her own Atelier during the evening phase, training directly alongside Kei serves two key functions:
- Unlocking Exclusive Recipes: Certain formula entries required for the Gastronomicon achievement cannot be bought in shops; they are only acquired by cooking alongside specific mentors, including Kei, Estelle, and Best.
- Mastering Dishes to Level 3: For the Meilleure Ouvriere De France achievement, which requires reaching the maximum level (Level 3) on every recipe in the game, cooking sessions at Kei's restaurant provide valid leveling credit alongside Atelier night baking.
Training with Kei not only assists with bakery revenue and menu completion, but also confirms his return to the culinary craft he once abandoned.
