Chapter 3 - Congratutory Gifts

  ”Gifts are voluntarily given, and are best given forward.” ~Shallies Mythernal

  [Tomato Soup Recipe - Budget Version - Good for 10]

  20 Large tomatoes, peeled2 Large onions, sliced2-3 Tablespoons of butter, add more as neededSalt, to tasteGround bck pepper (optional)

  This recipe could be improved, especially since Shallies didn’t have cream in stock, but that was the best thing about soups. They could be adjusted depending on prep time and avaible ingredients.

  She started by boiling water in the rgest pot she could find. She and Apple really needed to visit the nearby town soon and get their equipment fixed up while they were trying to find someone who could help renovate the kitchen.

  Even scoring the bottom of the tomatoes proved to be a challenge with her dulled knives. She couldn’t use the same force as she had with the jerky, or else she would smash them. Instead, she brought out a dagger from her Css Inventory, cleaned it, and used it to create X-marks on the bottom of the vegetables—or fruits, depending on whatever people cimed. Shallies considered the tomato both.

  Next, she submerged them in the boiling water for about fifteen to twenty seconds. Then she immersed them in cold water, courtesy of Apple’s Water Control, to prevent them from cooking too much. This allowed her to peel the skin off the tomatoes perfectly without harming the contents inside.

  If we’re using Skills anyway, why not cook everything using them?

  Shallies had contempted this question for a long time, even before she had chosen to become a Chef. And while it was a practice most adventurers did during quests, there was still something significant about an actual home-cooked meal, using equipment and processes made for the sole purpose of cooking.

  For now, however, they worked with what they had.

  After removing all the water from the pot, she melted some butter and added the onions with a light pinch of salt to help them sweat and cook faster. Butter was one of the things she acquired before leaving El’doron Kingdom’s capital city, which made her wonder about the avaibility of it here in the countryside.

  “We have butter here,” Grace said, who was watching her intently. For some reason, she had just ended up inside the kitchen. It didn’t bother Shallies right now, given that they were the only customers. In fact, the half-orc’s enthusiastic interest made cooking a bit more fun.

  “Oh, that’s good,” Shallies said. “I thought I’d eventually make my own butter.”

  “So, what are you cooking?”

  “Well, since your father only wanted something light, I thought I’d make some soup. Warm and filling. Perfect for the end of winter.” That reminded Shallies of something. She popped her head out of the kitchen for a bit. “Are you sure you don’t want any meat? I still have some jerky, if you’re interested.”

  Orcs were notoriously known for their love of protein. It didn’t matter which time they ate, it always involved a piece of meat, one way or another. Schooner, however, seemed to have tamed that beast within him. Whether it was because he was getting old, or because he was catering for his wife, Shallies didn’t bother to know.

  “Just the soup for now, thanks,” Schooner said.

  With that, Shallies continued cooking. With the onion soft, it was time to add the peeled tomatoes. She crushed them by hand as she put them in. The thought of making tomato sauce came to mind. She set it aside for now, concentrating on the task at hand.

  Shallies added a cup of water, just to help the fvors mix together and allow for the soup to boil.

  “Should take about ten to fifteen minutes,” she said.

  Even taking into account the cooking speed from her Cooking Mastery, a 5% cooking time reduction didn’t really count for much with this meal. Coincidentally, the adjustment in time was an innate understanding she had acquired as she gained the Perk. Meaning, the change in required cooking time wouldn’t catch her off-guard and make her burn the dish, regardless of whether the time saved sliced off an hour or a minute of cooking.

  Of course, she could still potentially burn the food, be it through distraction or neglect. In that case, however, it wouldn’t be the Perk’s fault.

  “So, are you going on an adventure soon, Grace?” Shallies asked while she cleaned up the cooking counter. The frustrating low water pressure wasn’t helping at all, so Apple sat atop the water tap and conjured more. The new chef also remembered to ask Schooner about disposal procedures, but she kept it at the back of her mind for now.

  “Tomorrow!” replied the young half-orc. She presented her neckce. “I’m turning eighteen this year. The guild gave me my Badge, so I can take on quests a little early.”

  “Oh, you took advanced lessons?”

  “Yep. Got good grades and all.”

  “Where are you going, then?”

  “We’ll be exploring a nearby dungeon, just outside the border. It showed up two days ago. Spotted by our patrols when the portal spawned in. We’re going in for a scouting mission and map out as much as we can.”

  Shallies frowned at that. “You’re not looking for quests inside the Kingdom? That’s usually where you start after you graduate.”

  While it was true that monsters didn’t spawn within the kingdom, dungeon and tower spawns weren’t completely nullified by the Heavenly Protection. The entrances and first floors there were usually perfect for beginners, while the deep delves and top floors were for the more experienced. It was a great way to earn levels and upgrade an adventurer’s armory before taking the more dangerous, uncontrolled wilds outside the territory.

  Which was the current worry.

  “No one in the academy wanted me in their party.” For how bubbly and enthusiastic Grace was, this truth defted all of her joy.

  “Why, though? I thought you had good grades?” With the cleaning done, and only waiting for the soup to boil, Shallies led the new adventurer back into the front counter.

  “You’re not gonna cover it?”

  “No need,” she replied while beckoning Apple over. “Can you monitor the fire, please? Not too strong, just enough to simmer.”

  The teacup fairy nodded, giving Grace a funny face as she sat on the window near the pot.

  “I hope Grace wasn’t much of a bother?” Elesia asked, sipping coffee from her cup. “This coffee’s wonderful.”

  “Thank you. Yes, Grace behaved well,” Shallies replied, leading the half-orc to take her seat. “But I’m just curious why no one wanted to team up with her in the academy?”

  Schooner grunted sarcastically. “Capital city fools don’t want anything to do with a country bumpkin. She’s the only one from this years’ batch of graduates who came from Cinterbrim Town. The rest were either from the capital or the nearby inner cities.”

  Shallies quickly moved on. It seemed like a sore spot. And while she didn’t particurly care about the discrimination going on between nobles and peasants, it was still better for everyone—especially for Grace—to maintain good morale.

  “So, who’re you teaming with for the quest?” she asked.

  “Ben and Marisa,” Grace replied.

  “They’re veterans in town, I assume?” Shallies asked.

  “Retired and married,” Elesia said. “They have a family farm further up north, at the edge of the border.”

  “Wouldn’t it be dangerous for them to leave the farm unattended?”

  “Yes,” Schooner replied. “But they accepted our request to help Grace with her first quest so she can gain experience both for her Css and herself. In the meantime, I’m sending some guards to help protect their farm.”

  Then the dungeon appeared, which was the perfect opportunity for them. Shallies found the entire setup quite fortunate. Since Grace would be accompanied by two veterans who were undoubtedly familiar with each other, a scouting quest shouldn’t be a problem for them.

  The only issue was that the half-orc didn’t look too happy about it.

  “What’s wrong?” Shallies asked.

  “People will probably think I’m just leeching levels when they find out about this.”

  “Oh…”

  The room fell silent at the topic. Schooner visibly boiled in silence while his wife’s troubled expression made it clear to Shallies that this had been a hot topic in the family for a while now.

  Leeching off levels from high-leveled adventurers wasn’t technically wrong, or illegal. The problem was that most people who purchased their levels were seen as arrogant, haughty rich kids. They also usually instantly died and caused trouble for everyone else because they didn’t have any actual combat experience when it was time to actually fight monsters.

  “We told them specifically to guide you, dear,” Elesia said, assuring her daughter. “That’s why you’re doing a scout quest, rather than an extermination or a monster hunt quest. We asked them to show you how it actually feels on the field instead of letting you leech off them.”

  “The records won’t show that, though,” said the half-orc dejectedly. “All they’ll see is that I’m with Advanced Css Adventurers. People are going to think I took advantage of being the mayor’s daughter.”

  And they’re going to assume you leeched… It’s quite the problem.

  Grace was young and wanted to prove herself, especially since no one back in the city wanted to be in her party. Shallies hid her smile and returned to the kitchen, amused by the problems of the young adventurer. Naivety or not, every upstart wanted to prove themselves as the best, and the situation wasn’t exactly the perfect start for the half-orc.

  Shallies and Apple took to the task of blending the ingredients together in order to remove any chunks and create a smooth, tarty soup. She could still hear them arguing, however.

  “Bah! Why do you care what those city kids think?” Schooner said. He sent some of his frustrations into the table, but fortunately, it was made of tough materials. “They chose to leave a talented person like you behind. They don’t get the right to mock you. You were left with no other choice. And besides, what matters is that you know you’re not leeching.”

  Shallies filled three bowls of Tomato Soup. Rather than cream, since she didn’t have any, she garnished it with melted butter and some chopped up parsley.

  “You’re father’s right, Grace,” she said while delivering the food on a tray. “All you need to do is concentrate on everything that you can learn from this quest, rather than mull on what other people might think. Lessons from the academy will help, but practical exams and real life situations don’t always mix together. Coming back alive from this quest is your one and only priority, and I’m sure Ben and Marisa know this well.”

  Words of encouragement from someone else other than her parents hit Grace as if someone just lifted a curse from her. Her radiant smile returned as soon as the fragrance of the Tomato Soup whetted her appetite.

  “Thank you, Shallies!” she said before taking a spoonful. She quickly realized how hot it was.

  Both Elesia and Schooner silently passed along their gestures of gratitude while they received their bowls, making sure their daughter didn’t notice them.

  “Wow!” Grace excimed. “Is this really just tomato? It’s sweet and sour and a bit salty. And the texture’s so smooth! How is this just tomatoes and butter?”

  Shallies smiled as she returned to the counter. Preferably, she would serve the soup with a matching bread. Croutons or a Grilled Cheese Sandwich, but she didn’t have either of those right now. She stole some gnces while making coffee for herself, watching the family enjoy their meal.

  She felt joy in that. Simple, yet powerful. The gratification that her work was appreciated with clear evidence in front of her. Something genuine that only food could help show.

  “Another bowl!” Schooner excimed.

  “Me too!” Grace followed.

  Elesia, however, was silent. She turned to Shallies with a determined look before standing up, bowl in her hands.

  “Please, Shallies. Please teach me this recipe.”

  Shallies had a dumb smile on her face. She was taken off-guard by how straightforward Elesia, a woman of stunning beauty, approached her. Sharing recipes wasn’t exactly harmful for her business, but if this was a precedent of something more, it might become a problem… or an opportunity.

  “Umm…” she said, scratching her chin. “Only if you teach me some local recipes in exchange?”

  Elesia suddenly frowned, worried. “I’m not sure I have anything that can match this. We’re just used to grilling, smoking, drying, or just boiling everything in a stew.”

  A brilliant idea formed in Shallies’ mind. “Oh, if that’s the case, I still want to learn it and see if I can improve it somehow. If I can serve meals familiar to you but with my own twist, I’m sure it’ll be a hit.”

  “And then, you can teach me those, too?”

  “Of course!”

  “Ma, stop distracting Shallies. I want my soup!” Grace called out.

  Apple came to the rescue by appearing out of the kitchen with three more bowls floating just behind her. The fragrant smell made Elesia return to her seat.

  The family engaged in more table talk. For some reason, they asked Shallies to join them, so she took the st seat while Apple submerged herself in a teacup beside her master. Grace’s expression expanded with glee while she observed the fairy rex in her tea bath. The new Chef, on the other hand, busied herself with expining the situation.

  She observed the half-orc, who was enjoying her third bowl of soup. She somehow sneaked in another order to Apple while they were chatting, who happily obliged without even leaving her tea. Perfect mana-control. It amazed the new adventurer even more.

  “What’s your Css, Grace?” Shallies asked while returning to the table from getting everyone more coffee. The half-orc had asked for water instead. “If you don’t mind me asking, that is.”

  “I’m a Spell Sword,” she procimed proudly. “Graduated at Level 11!”

  “That’s a level higher than usual,” Shallies commented, impressed. Graduating at a higher level was an obvious sign of hard work. “Do you already have a weapon?”

  “Yes! Dad gifted me with a Mana-Edge +3 as my graduation gift.” Despite how excited Grace sounded, she had enough restraint not to manifest her sword. The soup was helping her contain the excitement.

  Shallies quickly looked into her Css Inventory, knowing exactly what she wanted to get. Before any of the parents could stop her, she already manifested an armguard. She presented it to the family.

  “Where I come from, not just families but also friends give gifts to the new adventurer. I know Spell Sword don’t use shields, but an armguard should help increase your defenses.”

  Grace reached out but hesitated. She looked to her parents. At first, they were hesitant as well, but they both understood that more equipment meant higher chances of survival. Whether there was pride involved or not, the life of their daughter mattered more.

  “You shouldn’t deny gifts,” Elesia said with a smile before turning towards Shallies. “Although, we would want to return the favor any way we can.”

  “It’s intended to be a gift, but if you insist.” Shallies lifted a finger and returned the smile. “However, if Grace accepts this, then she owes me a favor, not her parents.”

  Said parents were quick to understand. Adventurers had to rely on themselves first and foremost. This deal would make Grace strive to return the favor, making her work hard on her quest, which would alleviate the doubt she once had regarding leeching experience.

  They gestured for the half-orc to make her decision on her own.

  Grace stood and accepted the armguard, Swift Blocking Armguard of Mana Stability +3. When she studied the enchantments of the armor, she realized how in tune with her combat style it was.

  “Thank you!” she excimed. “I’ll make sure to repay you once the quest is over, Shallies.”

  Before she could turn back to her parents, however, Shallies used a Guiding Star Skill.

  “Star Shine.”

  A small speck of a star popped into existence beside Grace, who flinched away instinctively before realizing that it was harmless.

  “You’re a Guiding Star!” Schooner excimed, standing with such genuine surprise that it was almost comical. “It’s no wonder you’re so successful!”

  Not exactly… Shallies scratched her head. She understood that Combat Csses focusing on support were notoriously difficult to find. People wanted to be at the forefront of the battlefield and get all the glory. But enablers like the Guiding Star were mandatory in making those happen, especially in adventuring parties or raid groups.

  [Star Shine activated. Duration: 3 days.]

  “Buff Extend,” Shallies added.

  [Star Shine extended. New duration: 7 days.]

  “I think one buff should be enough for my gift. Any more, I think, would be spoiling you.”

  Grace was absorbed with the Star Shine floating in front of her face. While the star was emitting light, it wasn’t exactly blindingly bright.

  “What does it do?” asked the half-orc.

  “The star increases all your Attributes by 10 points while also providing you with light for as long as you let it exist. As long as I keep the buff on you, it’ll st up to 7 days. During that duration, you’re free to hide the star by saying ‘dim’. Use ‘shine’ to reveal it again. If you need to sneak around, make sure you hide it. You usually don’t need those extra 10 points when you need to be in the shadows.”

  “That’s amazing!” Grace excimed, already testing out how to hide the star. Whenever she did, it hid itself inside her Badge.

  “Oh,” Shallies began, “it also helps me track you while you’re on the same pne as I am. Doesn’t work if I’m out here and you’re in a dungeon, but I can at least know when you get there and when you get out. So if you stop moving suspiciously along the way, I’ll know something’s wrong. Then I’ll let your father know when that happens.”

  “What if we’re sleeping, or taking a break?” Grace asked.

  “You’ll still usually sleep at night, I’m guessing, so I’ll put that into consideration. If you’re taking a break during the day, just take a few steps every hour, so I’ll know you’re okay. That’s what my Scout used to do.

  “If somehow, you end up sleeping during the day, I can figure something out. So don’t worry.”

  Grace revealed her star once again and studied the changes in her stats and how it affected her. 10 stats on all of her Attributes was a lot, considering she was only Level 11 with one Css.

  “Now I’m not sure how to thank you, Shallies,” Schooner said, sitting back down. “You’ve given our daughter the best start anyone could ever ask for.”

  “I’m happy to help. And you can thank me by paying for your meal.”

  “How much do we owe?” Elesia asked.

  “That was seven bowls, so a total of 28 bits. Coffee’s on the house since I’m not sure if I can still acquire those beans over here.”

  “Twenty-eight bits…” Schooner gasp. “Are you sure?”

  “Too expensive?”

  “No! It’s too cheap!” Elesia excimed, her beautiful composure was momentarily shattered by shock. “You’re saying each bowl was only four bits?”

  “The tomatoes were about a bit a piece. I made enough for ten servings. Considering the cooking method, I thought that was enough of a fair markup. Of course, when I improve the recipe, I’ll increase the price.”

  “Oh, that’s right. It was all actually just tomatoes.” The married couple touched their foreheads as if they were having a headache.

  There was still the cost of butter, salt, and other ingredients, but Shallies kept it to herself. If this price was low enough to be affordable and desirable for everyone else, it should help business grow a lot faster.

  I need to get the kitchen fixed as soon as possible.

  “Oh, that’s right,” Schooner said while transferring the bits through his System Console. “I’m sending you your business license and the deed for the house and nd as well.”

  Shallies checked her own Console and confirmed.

  “Oh, don’t forget this, hon,” Elesia called out, bringing out a straw bag from her Css Inventory. It was filled with a variety of fruits and vegetables.

  “You shouldn’t have bothered,” Shallies said.

  “We intended to give this earlier, but we didn’t want to interfere with your gifts for Grace,” Elesia said as she pced the bag on the counter. “Congratutions on moving in and opening your tavern, Shallies.”

  It’s barely open…

  Apple zipped through with surprised glee on her face, the flowers on her dress blooming with vibrant life. She danced for joy, chimes echoing all around her. Shallies had no choice but to accept the gift now.

  “Thank you very much,” she said with a slight bow while her teacup fairy sorted each fruit. Apple’s eyes widened, probably because of how high quality each piece was. “Looks like I won’t be having much for myself, though.”

  “We can bring more, if you’d like,” Schooner suggested.

  “Oh, I was just kidding. There’s no need, Mayor.” Shallies pondered for a moment. “By the way, this might be a bit sudden, but have there been any angels in town tely?”

  “No,” Schooner replied. “The st angel who visited town was before I was mayor. Why do you ask?”

  “Just curious,” Shallies said, hiding the fact that she found an angel’s feather this morning. “What about a bank?”

  “That, we do have, yes.”

  “I might open a second account. Actually, are you heading back right now?”

  “Yes. Want a lift?”

  Shallies smiled. “If it’s not too much to ask.”

  [Congratutions, Shallies. You’re now a Level 3 Chef. You have gained a Skill point.]

  While the allure of skimming through avaible Skills tempted her, Shallies decided to set it aside for now. Cinterbrim Town awaited her, and the Skill point wouldn’t be going anywhere anyway.

  Not that the town can leave either…