NOVEL NEXT Chapter 7: Progressing Main Quest
The Adventurer's yard was noisier than usual this night.
After Ainen got the permission to cook and distribute food for free from the Adventurer's Guild, which owned this yard, he began cooking.
Out of the five wolves he had, Ainen had already half finished the leader wolf at the riverbank.
So on top of that half, he still had four complete wolves' meat.
After Ainen cooked the first batch of meat, a total of ten wolf steak dishes, he gave them to the folks that Ron and Syl brought from the town.
"Oh my, this smells so good."
"Ain, since when did you start to cook such delicious-smelling food?"
"Ron and Syl were praising it so much, haha. I guess they weren't wrong."
These old and middle-aged people were the ones who had helped Ainen, Ron, and Syl many times.
Their small house was also built by the collective effort of these kind people.
So Syl and Ron wanted to give them food before anyone else.
"Hehe, eat this. You will feel a bit hot inside, but you will also feel stronger and more energetic!"
"Yes, it's magical food!"
Ron and Syl were hurrying the folks to eat.
As the folks began eating and took the first bite, their eyes couldn't help but widen in shock.
"T-This…."
"What in the god's name is this heavenly food?!"
"So delicious!"
"The meat just melts in the mouth, and the taste overflows. Ahh~ this is pure bliss."
"My brain and belly are jumping in joy at each bite, hahahaha."
"Is it really that delicious?"
"Fool, do you think we are all acting?!"
Ainen chuckled. "The second batch will be done soon, please wait a bit."
There were six folks left since Ron and Syl brought over sixteen people, but Ainen had only cooked ten dishes.
As the second batch was close to finishing, he put the steaks on leaf plates and skillfully sprayed seasoning.
The other adventurers and people who were training or coming and going in the Adventurer's Yard soon smelled the increasingly wafting fragrance of the food after the second batch and couldn't help but look over.
Ainen had already placed a board he borrowed from the Adventurer's Guild.
[Free Food. One plate per person.]
"Free food, huh?"
"It smells so good, though."
"Let's try it."
Ainen saw people coming over and couldn't help but grin.
'I won't be able to feed a hundred people with the meat I have, but I'll end up getting close to finishing the quest. Well, tomorrow, it shall be done.'
[Main Quest: Starting the Career]
Objective:
—> Feed 100 people with your cooked food. [19/100]
Reward:
—> 10,000 Cook Points.
—> Awakening: Mystic Chef.
—> Interdimensional Restaurant.
'Interdimensional Restaurant…I wonder what kind of restaurant it is.'
Ainen looked forward to it, as well as the awakening of Mystic Chef.
"W-What the hell?! Eating this increased my Strength!"
"What?"
"Yeah! Look at your status!"
"I did feel a minor boost, but to think my Strength, Stamina, and Vitality increased by one…"
"That guy…does he have some kind of innate talent that makes mystic food?"
"I heard only those strong families of the kingdom and the Royal family have chefs who can make mystic food like that."
"If we invite him to our party…"
People were talking among themselves.
As time passed, Ainen fed a total of 81 people.
"Everyone! The food is finished. However, I am planning to cook again tomorrow. Naturally, it will not be free anymore." Ainen smiled. "If you liked the food, you can come again tomorrow and buy it. There will be more variety."
"Leave the trash and the fireplace here. We'll clean it up."
"That's right. You cooked such delicious food. This is the least we can do."
"Exactly."
"Then I'll take up on your offer." Ainen smiled and waved his hand. "Good night, everyone."
And so, Ainen left with Ron and Syl, heading to their small and shabby, but warm house.
There were no beds, except for some large leaves of some trees acting as bedsheets.
Ron and Syl were tired, and they swiftly fell asleep after lying down.
Ainen also didn't stay for long. He wanted to shower, but there wasn't any place here for that.
'I suppose we'll be going to the river first thing tomorrow after waking up.'
…
After waking up, Ainen, Ron, and Syl left the town and headed towards the river.
"You two stay outside. I'll make a bathtub for you."
"Bathtub?"
Ron and Syl simultaneously tilted their heads, confused.
How was he going to make a bathtub here?
But they soon found out.
Great Fireball!
Boom!
A small crater the size of 2 meters radius formed, and it was roughly half a meter deep. Just enough for the kids.
To prevent it from getting muddy, Ainen used his flame to superheat the crater floor and walls, which dried out all the moisture, killed bacteria and organisms, and eventually turned the soil into a hardened, almost ceramic surface.
Now, the water won't seep away or get muddy.
As for filling the crater, it was easy.
Ainen stored water from the river into his Inventory and dumped it into the crater.
"Whoa, you also captured some small fish."
"Haha, they are so funny."
Ron and Syl laughed and jumped into the bathtub, playing together with the fish.
Meanwhile, Ainen dived into the river to take a bath.
They had fully appeared. It was seven in the morning when the trio finished bathing.
'Now, I need to level up and hunt monsters for food.'
"Alright, I am going to drop you back to the town, and then I'll go into the forest."
Ron and Syl blinked.
"Brother Ain, are you going to hunt monsters?"
"Be careful, please."
Ainen warmly smiled and ruffled their heads. "Don't worry. Nothing will happen to me. Come on, hold me tight, we are going to fly back to the town."
"Yey!"