Chapter 1 - Setting Up shop

  ”For the first time in what felt like an eternity, I decided to take a break.” ~Shallies Mythernal

  Shallies perched her head on one hand, leaning on the open window of a rge, mana-engine vehicle. A cool breeze fluttered pyfully through the white of her hair, causing her pink and blue highlights to show from underneath. She turned to the glittering view of the afternoon reflected on the growing pnts of farms near the main road.

  “I appreciate the lift, Mayor,” Shallies said, as soon as the view was covered by snow-capped trees once again.

  “Don’t mention it, ss.”

  The orcish Mayor Schooner, sitting on the other side of the vehicle, maintained one ashen-green hand on the drive stick and the other on the accelerator. The gray of his hair were tied in braids, and only a single fang emerged from the right of his lips.

  He took a right turn towards a small path that led to a nearby hill, surrounded by a humble fence and some overgrown vines. On top was a two-story building facing north. He stopped right by it.

  “Here we are,” he said, turning the engine off. “If you head further east down this road, you’ll reach the town.”

  “Is this the path the previous owner made?” Shallies asked, surprised that it was a full functioning, two-way road.

  “Oh, no, that path is further back in the forest behind your house. It’s exclusive for you to use if you have your own vehicle or something along those lines.”

  “Oh.”

  Schooner went out first while Shallies lightly tapped on the breast pocket of her furred winter cloak.

  From within, a small creature emerged. Ginger hair covered her sleepy face while she yawned carelessly awake. She wore a flower dress, not some fancy cloth with floral prints on it, but a genuine outfit made out of leaves and flowers. They bloomed as she stirred, as if to react to her awakening consciousness. Butterfly wings emerged behind her back before taking to the air.

  “We’re here, Apple,” Shallies said as Schooner opened the door for them.

  Apple’s continued yawning echoed like a bell. She lethargically perched on Shallies’ shoulder while rubbing the blur out of her crystalline blue eyes. A cool breeze passed through, causing her to shiver. The fairy scooched closer to her master’s neck.

  “It’s warmer inside,” Schooner said, reaching into his sling bag. He pulled out a keyring with three keys in it and presented it to Shallies. “You might want to do the honors.”

  “Thank you.”

  First was the gate. The ice-touched iron bars were quite tall, at least a head higher than the Mayor, and he was quite the rge orc. In terms of height, Shallies reached just about below his chest. She was used to being small. Conveniently enough, the lock wasn’t that high. She could clean up the vines ter, the priority now was to get warmth.

  The cobblestone path winded up to fttened ground, allowing for the house to settle properly into pce with a porch and a small courtyard, albeit cking in maintenance. Shallies ignored all of them for now and went inside.

  “Much better,” Schooner said, heading straight for the firepce to get it started. He ran his mana through his fingers to ignite a spark, and quickly enough, warmth cozied up the pce.

  In the meantime, Shallies looked around the house for mana-mps and other light sources to bring to life. There was only one mp for the stairs, and one for the living room. The rest she had to make do with a candle or conjure one with her own mana. She used the opportunity to evaluate the condition of her new home.

  It was exactly how she remembered it. Except, of course, it was much older now. And the years of neglect were apparent, despite the Mayor’s supposed maintenance. Shallies, however, chose not to point that out to Schooner. Keeping this entire structure intact after all this time was, in itself, already good enough.

  As expected, there were a lot of improvements to be done, but overall, it would do for now. She stopped herself before she started pnning a trip back to the heart of the kingdom to procure the things she needed—wanted. There were more areas to check, other than the house, and a thorough inspection was in order.

  For now, she decided to turn her attention to things with immediate results.

  “Not the worst thing in the world, I hope?” Schooner asked as Shallies returned to the living room. He was smoking a pipe near a slightly opened window.

  “It’s a good start,” she said truthfully while masking her thoughts of familiarity with the pce. Observing the smoke, she noted the need for better ventition as well, just in case more people ended up smoking inside. For now, she stayed behind the prep counter adjacent to the living room to avoid the suffocating smell. It didn’t help much. “At the very least, I don’t see any leaks or broken windows.”

  She held out a finger and tapped the air, manifesting a floating screen interface. Her System Console.

  “How much do I owe in total?”

  Schooner did the same, but he had an extra panel to read from.

  “Including the expedited paperwork for your business license, your grand total is 243,100 bits. That also includes four acres of nd that the previous owner had.”

  Shallies frowned. “That’s awfully cheap.”

  Regardless, she transferred 260,000 bits to Schooner’s municipal account. Someone else, most likely the Mayor’s assistant or treasurer, confirmed receipt of payment with a note that a System-based document would be sent to her tomorrow. At the same time, his System Console notified him with a ding. He nodded, promptly smiling slightly at the extra his office had been given.

  “For better or for worse, the countryside’s cheap,” he expined. “And you’re standing on underdeveloped nd. If you wanted one of the established farms, you’ll be paying five times for the same amount of nd. All that said, you sure you’re giving away this much extra?”

  “A gesture of good faith. The more I appeal to the w’s good side, the better it is for business.”

  “That’s bribery.” Schooner telegraphed his joke with a smile.

  “I’m not asking you to do anything.” Shallies received it by squinting. She sighed and checked the kitchen room in earnest.

  Schooner had done a good job keeping everything clean. There was a simple stove with a small oven, some small pans and pots, and a few ptes, bowls, cups, and pieces of cutlery. Of course, it was cking in ingredients, but that was to be expected, given that the previous owner had long since passed.

  “Since you’re here, Mayor, how about a meal?” she offered while sending a whispered instruction to Apple. The teacup fairy nodded and went outside after magically doubling the number of leaves and flowers of her dress.

  “Oh, I don’t want to impose,” said Schooner.

  “I don’t want to insist, but if I can serve you a meal that you like, I can activate my Chef Css easier.” Shallies set aside her winter cloak over the prep counter and began washing the tools she would need to cook.

  “Oh, that’s a requirement?”

  “Technically. I’ve done most of the preparations and met most of the experience requirements already, so I just need to complete a recipe to enable the Css. But from what I’ve heard, if I can get someone to finish the first dish for me, I can immediately gain a level as well.”

  “Apple can’t do it?”

  Shallies shook her head. “She doesn’t actually eat like we normally do.”

  “Oh… really?”

  “Yeah. Her choice of nutrition is a little different.”

  “But are you sure you want to spend your second Css on this, though?” Schooner continued. “Sorry, I just assumed you already had one, given the amount of bits you were willing to part with.”

  “I think I’m done adventuring for a while,” she admitted. Quite a long while, hopefully.

  “But you’re still young. You’re almost the same age as my boy. Nineteen? Twenty? You can’t be twenty-one.”

  “People think I’m younger than that.”

  “Adventurers start at eighteen after they graduate. And adventures that net you this many bits usually take a year or two.”

  Smart. Well, that’s experience for you.

  “Twenty,” Shallies easily confirmed with a lie. She was technically twenty, if she removed a lot of zeroes from her twenty millennia she had been living. No way the orc would believe that, though.

  Nor the fact that I already have more than just two Csses.

  “I got a little lucky, but I don’t think I’m cut out for it.” She continued her fabricated story. The one she and Apple had agreed on after leaving their previous life behind. “So, I figured I’d just open a tavern and live in peace. If low-level monsters spawn around here, I can take care of them easily. I can even help you out with the town if you need me there.”

  Besides, I’ve been fighting nonstop. I think I’ve earned a break.

  Schooner raised his inquisitive eyebrows. “If you don’t mind a follow up, why retire so far away from the main city? It’s much safer there. More business, too.”

  Shallies wiped the pans, knives, and other cooking utensils. She took a moment to reply, gathering her thoughts.

  “Too noisy,” she said, finally. “I’m small and cute, and a lot of people might recognize me. I can make do without the extra attention.”

  The Mayor shrugged, nodding slightly as well. “You certainly are self-aware, I’ll give you that. And while you do have the looks, you can’t compare to my wife.”

  “I’d love to meet her,” Shallies said with a smile. “But in all seriousness, what I want is pretty simple. A pce outside the stressful city, to offer food to people, hopefully earn from it, and generally have a peaceful life away from the grand allure of the adventure. If I have to go get my hands dirty once in a while, I don’t mind.”

  Shallies understood that mixing some actual sincerity with white lies made for a compelling truth. She did not mean to truly create a fake story, but the millenniums had told her that the grandeur of her previous life either made people not believe her, or brought trouble to her.

  Posing as a former adventurer, who had gotten lucky and wanted to quit, made for a more believable story.

  “Well, if you put it that way, I understand.” Schooner extinguished his pipe, dismissed the ashes outside the window and began to make his way towards the front door. “I should at least help you get your things inside while you cook.”

  “Oh, don’t worry about it,” Shallies said, as she set a kettle to boil. The stove wasn’t even mana-crafted. She had to resort to burning wood. Another thing for her to upgrade. “Apple’s taking care of it.”

  “Your fairy companion?” Schooner asked, but he still opened the door. He was instantly met by a bizarre sight.

  Apple commanded an armada of bags of different sizes and makes, and a variety of furniture parts, making them float with masterful use of her mana. One by one, she chose which to pce inside the house first. She sent a set of bags over to Shallies before getting to work.

  “Oh…” Schooner, stunned by the fairy’s amazing mana-control, was left speechless.

  “Let Apple take care of them, Mayor,” Shallies called. “Come, have some coffee.”

  Just like that, the fairy assembled a stool and pced it by the counter for the orc to sit on and wait. She sent him a nod and a satisfied smile as soon as he settled on it, zipping back to the slew of things she needed to sort out.

  “She’s amazing,” Schooner commented as he observed the fairy look around the living room and rearrange the existing furniture, creating more space.

  “She is,” Shallies happily confirmed, rummaging through packs for ground coffee beans and some tea leaves. She found them just as the water started to boil.

  Fortunately enough, the kitchen had a coffee brewing set. Again, not a mana-crafted machine, but it would do for now. Shallies prepared tea in Apple’s favorite pot with her favorite herbs, while slowly pouring hot water on the coffee drip brewer. Soon enough, she had three cups prepared. One with tea, and a pair with coffee. She pced it over a tray and served it on the counter.

  “Apple, take a break.” Shallies pced the teacup beside her, and the fairy examined it.

  With a snap, Apple reguted its temperature before taking a soak. She fit snugly right in. Her dress absorbed the tea, preventing it from spilling while nurturing the flowers’ colors.

  “That’s an interesting fairy you have there,” Schooner said as he observed Apple metaphorically melt into the tea. “Never heard of a fairy taking a tea bath.”

  “That’s how she takes nourishment,” Shallies expined, finding a jar of sugar. She presented it to the orc, but he declined. She took two teaspoons for herself. They had no milk, however. “Teacup fairies only need to drink tea using their ‘clothes’. The rest they take from mana, or some berries if they’re feeling fancy.”

  “Oh, so that’s why you can’t have her eat the meal for you. That’s fascinating.”

  “I can tell you more about it ter, but for now, what would you have for dinner? I can make you a sad, or tomato and egg soup. I brought a bunch of potatoes as well; I can do a scramble with those.”

  “Any meat?”

  “I have some jerky. Didn’t want to bring meat this early without knowing my storing options, which is apparently pretty nonexistent right now.”

  Schooner hummed inquisitively as he took a sip of his coffee. “We have an Enchanter and Tinker in town. Should be worth a look for you, if you’re feeling fancy.”

  “That’s good to know. I’ll see if I can do it tomorrow or the day after.”

  “For now, I’ll have that potato scramble and a few pieces of jerky, please.”

  “Coming right up.” Shallies levitated her coffee cup with mana-control and returned to the kitchen to prepare her ingredients.

  [Potato Scramble - Budget Version - Good for 2]

  4 medium potatoes, cubed1 rge onion, diced or sliced6 rge eggs, beaten well1 small bowl of cheese, gratedCooking oilSalt and pepperGround chili, spice, and herbs (optional)

  After heating the pan, Shallies added a few dabs of oil. She would’ve preferred some olive oil, but she settled for what she had right now. Corn oil, to be specific. Ideally, she needed a supply of each kind. Another thing for the future, but thankfully, the solution was the same: search for them in the nearby town first or the main city whenever she got the chance.

  She forgot to pat down the cubed potatoes, making the oil react with the moisture. Though it was a shock, it wasn’t actually that much of a problem. She bmed the current ck of organization. There had to be some paper towels somewhere in those bags. In any case, a quick toss made the process quicker.

  “Do you want me to add the jerky in?” Shallies asked as she sautéed the onion.

  “Yes, please.”

  With that, she quickly chopped down the jerky and added it. The knives were noticeably dull, but she made do. It would’ve been better if she had asked first, so she could reduce the initial oil she’d used. She smiled as she took a mental note. Already, she could see how she could improve her processes and couldn’t wait to apply them.

  “Up for some spice?”

  “Just a little.”

  Shallies settled for half a teaspoon, not much of a kick, but just enough heat. While the ingredients cooked over low fire, Shallies prepared the eggs. Six was a lot, but she was making two portions anyway. She beat them with a fork and slowly poured them over the pan. Then she closed the lid for a few minutes to allow for the eggs to cook.

  She added a pinch of salt, a pinch of pepper, some grated cheese on top, until it melted, and stly, pted and garnished with some parsley. Just like that, the dish was ready.

  “Order up,” Shallies announced as she brought out two ptes of Spicy Potato-Egg Scramble with Jerky. She pced one on the counter, near a mesmerized Schooner. His eyes were focused on the new living room, now transformed into a full dining area with a firepce.

  Apple dusted off her hands, even though she hadn’t touched anything, content with her work. She had eventually returned to work and managed to arrange four rge tables with four chairs each, five medium ones with a pair of chairs, and three small, solo setups by the windows. There were also additional stools surrounding Schooner, five in total, around the counter. Two cozy sofas—which had been included in the house initially—were stationed by the firepce with a new, small coffee table in the middle.

  She had added carpets, curtains, some empty, hanging shelves, and a single bookshelf she had been able to makeshift with the leftover wood. The living room was gone; it was now a small tavern. Or at least, the makings of one.

  There was also a small counter by the main door that she was currently testing her teacup on. Satisfied, she refilled it with tea and took another soak for a well deserved rest.

  “I can’t believe it…” Schooner said, returning to Shallies. “You’re practically ready to open up shop.”

  By the main city standards, not exactly, but the orcish mayor had a point. Why bother to wait?

  “Well, then, Mr. Schooner, you’ll be our first customer. Spicy Potato-Egg Scramble with Jerky. I have some tea for you this time. And to celebrate our opening, everything’s on the house tonight.”

  Shallies delivered her line with a smile and passed some newly polished cutlery.

  “This looks quite appetizing,” Schooner said, taking a gulp. “I like how the egg creates a half-circle.”

  “It would be a full circle if I had had serving it to customers in mind initially. For next time, I suppose.”

  The Mayor nodded while taking the time to slice off a nice portion of the scramble. He blew some air to cool it down a little, before taking it in in one bite. The shock caused the old orc to scream in surprise.

  “What in the world is this!?” he yelled as he took another bite. Apple, who was preparing an offensive Magic Skill, abandoned her attack, before dipping back into her teacup with a sigh. It was a good thing the Mayor had his back facing towards her.

  Shallies breathed out in relief. “I thought something went wrong.”

  “It’s amazing! The potatoes melt in my mouth! They’re not dry at all! The fluffy egg and potato add much needed softness to the chewy jerky. It’s a tad salty with the salt and cheese, but the spice bances it out. I seriously thought everything would be just a mashed up combination when you said scramble, but I can taste each ingredient distinctly, and they combine in such a harmonious way!”

  Within seconds, the orc wolfed down his meal. Shallies couldn’t help but smile and offered hers as well. Schooner eyed it with intensity, gulping with such hunger.

  “Are you sure?”

  “Nothing makes me happier than a satisfied customer.”

  The orc simply nodded while taking huge bites out of his second scramble. He washed it down with tea. And just like that, he was satisfied.

  “Amazing. Simply delicious.” Schooner stood up. “I think this town is up for some wonderful developments, Shallies. I shall take my leave for now. And tomorrow, I shall return with my family to introduce them to your fine establishment.”

  “I’ll be open an hour after sunrise,” Shallies said as she cleaned up. “Safe travels, Mayor Schooner.”

  As soon as the Mayor left, a ding chimed inside Shallies’ head.

  [Congratutions, Shallies. You’ve unlocked the Chef Css and have obtained a level. Would you like to see your perks?]

  She postponed the option for the meantime and allowed for the anticipation to fill her as she rushed cleaning the counter. Apple had finished her tea and was now strolling near the sink, waiting for her master to finish washing the dishes.

  Shallies smiled towards her bored teacup fairy. “Not bad, huh?”

  Apple pondered for a moment before smiling back, wider and more satisfied.

  “Well, not exactly…” Shallies said.

  Much to the fairy’s silent surprise, the new Chef turned back to the kitchen and saw the mess. Apart from the wares she had used to make the scramble, there was practically none. Which was the current problem.

  “I don’t think we’re equipped to actually open the tavern yet,” she mused, smiling. Simply imagining the amount the tables filled up, not even counting the potential tables they could set up outside, Shallies was already sure they couldn’t serve all of them with their current kitchen setup. She might be jumping out of order, but at least she had obtained her Css now.

  “We’ll think about it tomorrow,” she told the fairy. “For now, let’s get some sleep.”