When The Cute Godkiller Opens A Tavern [OP Mentor, SoL, LitRPG]

"It's a tavern. It's supposed to be crowded. At some point, this place should be filled completely with guests." ~Shallies Mythernal

Without much choice, Shallies slipped out of her bedroom and spent more time in the kitchen. Before, she would've spent her sleepless nights keeping watch, making sure her party members were safe in the darkness. Or sometimes, she would've spent those nights continuously training, even if her Skill Proficiencies had already been capped or at maximum. There were simply some things one could learn from regular practice that the System wouldn't, or couldn't, teach outright.

Now, however, she could utilize all that free time to improve her recipes.

Free time… sure.

[I guess it's not a habit you can just get rid off overnight,] Stachie commented.

"Yeah…" Shallies said, not entirely paying attention. She was trying to figure out how to make bread from memory. A moment later, she realized that her System Assistant had just spoken to her.

"That reminds me," she began, acting as if she wasn't lost in her own thoughts a few seconds ago. "Can you send out quests to the Adventurer's Guild surrounding the Bluepearl Sea?"

[About Fello'resh, right?]

"Yeah, but don't mention any divine stuff. Just ask for areas of concentrated storms full of mana. Have them return proof."

[Using our usual proxies, right? Should take about a few days up to a week.]

"Appreciate it."

After spending about two hours in the kitchen, Shallies was just about done baking. The oven greeted her with a fragrant smell. A good start. With a pair of gloves, she took the tray out and was glad to know that the bread held its shape. Before she inspected it, her mind lingered a little on her gloves as she pulled them off.

She didn't really need them, but it was such a joy to play the part. Spending time in the kitchen before dawn, preparing food for the day. That was something she could never do before.

After that short appreciation, it was time to inspect the bread.

To be completely fair, it wasn't Shallies' specialty. The crust was there, but she had seen crispier. The internal softness was also present, but it felt way too compact, not so much of an open crumb like she wanted. The smell was great. As long as the ingredients were good, the smell would always turn out fragrant.

The taste was okay.

"Probably a little dry," she mumbled as she popped a small portion into her mouth. "The ingredients are all simple. Flour, yeast, water. Yeah, I probably did something wrong in the process."

[Got the heat wrong probably?] Stachie guessed.

"Probably." Shallies took a second sample. It didn't improve, but at least she could conclude that it was edible. "Could be a lot of things. Could be the tray, proofing time, heat like you said, or we might be missing something. Either way, this needs a bit more research."

With that, the experimentation concluded.

Shallies went on to make a bunch of her staple meals. She had two options for breakfast. Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese, or Bacon with Egg Fried Rice. She made a large pot of the Tomato Soup and another of the rice, but she would complete each dish upon each order. Even with her Cooking Mastery, practicing these partial preparations would be perfect for when she started getting customers.

[How do we actually get customers?] Stachie asked.

"Pretty much it's just word of mouth for now," she replied. "I suppose we should put a sign on the main road. We just need to make sure Mayor Schooner would allow it."

[Speaking of, he just entered your land.]

"Yeah, he's alone and not rushing."

[A mayor all alone in the darkness, going out of his town… Isn't that a little suspicious?]

"Don't make drama where there isn't any, Stachie. He's heading straight for us. Unless he takes a sudden detour, we can assume that he's just here for a visit. I bet he just wants to know how Grace is doing."

[I'll bet it's something else.]

"Like what?"

[Dunno…]

"Well, whatever it is, I have to act like I didn't know he was coming."

Sure enough, as Schooner's presence got closer to her abode, he stopped by the gates. It was obviously closed, so he had no way of getting in normally without making any noise.

Shallies kept the light in her kitchen and the dining area opened, to let the Mayor know she was working. He kept pacing back and forth, unintentionally making his objective obvious. Still, she couldn't just go out and let him in.

In the end, Schooner gathered his courage and knocked on the gate. This one, though it wasn't exactly loud enough, would be enough of an excuse for Shallies to open the door.

She did exactly that, much to the Mayor's surprise.

"So early, Mayor?" she began, acting normally. "Anything I can help you with?"

Shallies led the pace of the situation, ushering the Mayor into the warmth of the tavern and offering him coffee. Schooner kept silent the entire time until he finally settled down. He took a sip then a deep breath.

"I heard you're keeping a seraph in your tavern," he started. "I overheard Grace yesterday when she was talking to Ren. And Ben mentioned it."

"Oh…" Shallies said, both vocally and mentally.

[I honestly didn't think I'd win…] Stachie's voice was in between happy and surprised. [What now?]

Mayor Schooner, a few weeks ago, had chased away Arun'dul from Cinterbrim Town. He didn't know, but he had inadvertently caused the situation that led Grace to face a cursed dragon. To be fair, without that event, the half-orc wouldn't have discovered Shallies' true identity and asked for mentorship.

Still, the concern was that the seraph was an unauthorized nomad. The Mayor held the duty of sending him home. Not exactly a fragile situation, as long as Shallies played her cards right.

Like always, honesty surrounding a white lie was her most effective weapon.

"That's correct," Shallies began. "I do have three seraphim sleeping on the second floor right now."

The Mayor's face paled at the amount she revealed. It took his all to keep his voice as a hiss. "Three?! Do you know how dangerous that is? And my daughter is sleeping in the same house as them?"

"I assure you, Mayor Schooner, they're not dangerous if you don't treat them like they're dangerous. Two of them are authorized nomads. They have all the papers, you can check them later as soon as they wake up. I called them to track the seraph that ran away from Cinterbrim Town. They retrieved him, so now I'm letting them rest."

"Contacted them?" Mayor Schooner was in disbelief.

"I thought Danilo or Yor'ylin, or even Ben and Marisa, would've told you by now." To help calm the pureblooded orc, Shallies brought out some of her actually good bread. She decided to finish the experimental one on her own. "I was going to let you know, but I just couldn't get the chance. They were people I befriended during my raids."

The last one was another of her white lies. It was true that she had teamed up with Valor'el and Phey'lan on raids and almost everything else, but they were way before the presumed last two years that she was supposed to be active. The prestige of raiding alone, however, carried this with enough integrity.

Shallies spent some time explaining Valor'el and Phey'lan's purpose to the Mayor, and how they had found Arun'dul. She made sure to point out that it was after Ben and Marisa had visited last time, despite it being another white lie.

Schooner calmed down after that. "I see. I will still check their papers. Your house might not be within the town proper, but the entire Cinterbrim Province is still within my jurisdiction. That means I need to make sure nothing sketchy is going on. Not that I don't trust you."

"Yes. It's only fair. You're free to wait here until they wake up. Shouldn't be long now. They wanted to visit the town, anyway."

With that, Shallies went behind the bar to brew her own coffee, as well as starting tea for Apple.

"Sorry?" Schooner asked, pausing mid motion to take another sip.

"Come now, Mayor. It's not a big deal, right? They're authorized nomads. And some people already recognize one of them."

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"I… I suppose. Maybe I should escort them, just to make sure none of the guards get nervous."

Shallies raised her eyebrow at that. "What's wrong? Rare species like the seraphim don't visit from time to time?"

"We have people coming from rare origins and species, yes, but this would be a first for us to be graced by the seraphim."

"Is that going to be a problem?" Shallies didn't bother mentioning that both Valor'el and Phey'lan had visited Catelyn numerous times before. She assumed they were visiting under a disguise of some sort.

"Oh, no. No, I don't think so. I'm just sure, knowing my people, that they'll get pulled in all directions."

Shallies stifled a laugh. She was so sure the Mayor was going to say something bad, that the curveball took her by surprise. A giggle slipped, and she ended up breaking down into a full laughter.

"Sorry, sorry," she said after taking some time to recover. "I was so sure they were going to toss them out."

"Oh, no! Gods, no!" The orc vigorously shook his head in denial. "Our people are well educated. They know what the seraphim have been through, but that is exactly why we need to honor our duties as Godkiller Bernadette mandated."

"Did I make it that harsh?"

[You give them a choice to either die or go back home, remember?]

"Wait… Were you chasing out the seraph before, or not?"

"According to my guards, the seraph didn't have proper credentials. Our protocol is to deport him back to Berevrynn Kingdom via Stoneglow City. That should help him get back home, but he ran away instead."

"I see, then the one who misunderstood was the seraph."

"You said he's here, right?" Schooner left his table and sat at the bar, bringing his coffee with him. "I would very much like to clarify things with him."

"I think he'd like that."

The conversation then delved into more lighthearted topics. Shallies even gave Schooner a tour of the new kitchen. She also explained her intentions on mentoring Grace while hiding the additional conditions brought upon by her Godkiller title. There would be a time to show her true identity to him and his wife, but there was no need for it now.

"I didn't think this place would regain its life, if I'm being honest with you, Shallies," said the orc, his eyes looking around the house interior. "It's different from what I remember, sure, but I think Catelyn would appreciate what you're doing."

"I'm glad to know that," Shallies replied with a smile.

Another hour went on before Valor'el and Phey'lan appeared from the stairs. They weren't caught by surprise, already sensing the orc's presence as soon as they woke up. Shallies spent a good few minutes introducing both parties and making sure they were on the same page. The two seraphim already knew the drill.

After Schooner verified their identities and authorization, Phey'lan offered to wake up Arun'dul so that things could be clarified. The orc agreed, and the female seraph returned upstairs.

Shallies appreciated her initiative. Arun'dul had only found out Shallies' identity yesterday, and someone had to clarify to him that it must be kept secret. A few minutes later, the young seraph came down the stairs. He started the conversation with a deep bow.

"I deeply apologize for causing you a lot of trouble, Mayor Schooner. I was lost and confused."

"It's alright, lad," Schooner said, a little caught unawares by the sudden gesture. "Straighten up. You didn't cause me that much trouble to warrant such a bow."

"Thank you, Mayor Schooner."

"Well, in any case, now that there are two authorized seraphim with you, we can leave you with them. As long as you stay with them, you're welcome to visit Cinterbrim Town."

"Lady Shallies is also an authorized guardian," Valor'el said, grabbing the Mayor's attention. "What I mean to say is, if Arun'dul stays with us or with Lady Shallies, he doesn't have to be deported."

In total surprise, Schooner turned to the lady in question. "That's an awfully rare authority to have."

Shallies shrugged and opened her System Console, presenting a high-level authority to serve as custodian to the seraphim. It was something she had Valor'el prepare for her a week ago. The original one she had was dated back to a few centuries ago.

"I didn't want to put it out in the open," she explained. "Not until an actual authorized seraph took care of Arun'dul first. We wanted to gain your full confidence that we're taking it seriously."

"Well, rules are rules," Schooner said with a firm nod. "You really are full of surprises, Lady Shallies."

"Oh, please. You don't have to address me like Valor'el does."

"I'm just expressing how impressed I am." He turned back to Arun'dul and the other seraphim. "That settles it. As long as protocols are followed, you're all welcome to Cinterbrim Town. I'll let my guards know of your identities, so they won't have to stop you from entering, barring verifications of course.

"I should warn you, however, that we are extremely friendly people. The attention you will find in our small, little town will be quite big, I assure you."

The seraphim stood in attention and made a polite bow, not quite so deep as the apologetic one. "We appreciate your hospitality, Mayor Schooner."

With a smile and a nod, the orc stood up. "Well then, I should get going before Grace wakes up."

"You're not going to wait for her?" Shallies asked as she took the seraphim's choices of breakfast.

"Ah, no need. She's at that age where she can't stand the look on my face. I don't want her thinking I'm doing under-the-table-deals with you so you'll accept her as your student."

Shallies had to go through a number of hoops to understand the Mayor's line of thinking. But given that Grace was already really averse to the idea of leeching, it might've stemmed from a previous attempt made by her parents.

"Alright," she said, deciding not to insist on him staying. "Safe travels, Mayor."

Mayor Schooner paid for his breakfast. He insisted. But since Shallies had no idea how to price a single cup of coffee and a slice of bread, he simply left two physical bits on the bar and left.

With the orc on his way home, Shallies prepared the meals for the three seraphim.

"Was he here early?" Phey'lan asked. "Isn't it too early for you to be open?"

"You didn't sleep?" Valor'el followed up.

"Ben told him that I'm keeping a seraph and wanted to confirm," Shallies replied from the kitchen, her voice carrying through with the help of mana-control. "I think he deliberately changed his morning jog route or something to see if he could chance a conversation.

"By the way, thank you for covering for me. Especially you, Arun'dul. Good job on keeping my secret."

"Wouldn't it be more effective if you reveal that you're the Godkiller?" Phey'lan asked. "Just on a marketing stand-point, I mean."

"Sure, but that's for when I can actually offer some Godkiller-worthy meals. Besides, the fact that very few people know where exactly the Godkiller is, helps all of us stay one step ahead. It's pretty advantageous, you know? And it'll be cheating!"

"Yeah, I suppose you're right." Phey'lan mused while she mixed her coffee by running mana-control through her teaspoon. "Now that I think about it, if word spreads out, you might attract some unwanted attention."

"'Might?' That's practically a guarantee," Valor'el said.

"Well, I'll trust you three to keep it hush-hush." Shallies went out with three dishes on her tray. All three of them wanted to try the Bacon with Fried Rice for breakfast. "Thank you for waiting."

While they enjoyed their breakfast, Grace appeared from the top of the stairs. Apple was also with her, sleepily perched on the half-orc's shoulder. With them joining the bar, the group spent time having breakfast. Discussions were light and were mostly focused on what each person intended to do for the day.

Phey'lan and Valor'el left to visit Cinterbrim Town after Shallies prepared some sandwiches for them. Grace helped out with cleaning up while waiting for her party members. And lastly, Apple decided to do chores around the house. That left Arun'dul with nothing to do.

"How are you feeling?" Shallies asked, noticing the young seraph just awkwardly sitting on the bar, trying to act like he still had some coffee on his cup. She refilled it without him asking.

"Still confused, I think," he replied. "I fell asleep as soon as I finished cleaning yesterday. Wasn't able to gather my thoughts."

"Well, you can probably start with telling me how life in Avel Paradise is, before… you know. Before you got lost."

The young seraph fiddled with his coffee cup, mindlessly turning it around with his fingers. He collected his thoughts and reminisced with his past life before it went into this chaotic divine-interfered mess.

"It was nice," he began. "Didn't have my parents growing up, but everyone took care of me. I was raised to be a warrior, or a defender, more like. Training kept my mind from wandering too much or causing trouble. After a while, I was constantly sent out into regular monster exterminations. Then I even became strong enough to assist Lady Phey'lan with her tasks in Berevrynn Kingdom."

"They haven't introduced the Adventurer's Guild yet, huh?" Shallies pondered.

"I've heard of it, but since a lot of us can't get out of Avel Paradise, it wasn't logical to spend resources to build one. We don't need any quest management since we take care of our own problems anyway."

"Good point." Shallies started drying the mugs and dishes that Grace finished cleaning. "Still, if you're going to look for a way to lift your Curse, you might as well register in the Guild. We'll sort out your papers as an authorized nomad, then you should be good to go."

"That's possible?"

Shallies made a sly smile and raised her eyebrows twice to gesture her agreement. "We'll let Valor'el know when they come back. For now…"

Two figures entered the tavern. Ren and Tayin. They had a serious look on their faces.

"We met Valor'el," the Shield Knight started. "He said they can probably heal Gar."

"Phey'lan," Shallies explained. "The woman with Valor'el is an Archdevout."

The two went on their knees.

"Please, Shallies! We want to be your students as well!" Tayin begged, causing Grace to burst out of the kitchen with a wide smile. Apple went down from the second floor, giddy and excited.

"What made you want that?" Shallies asked while she walked towards the pair, pulling them up their feet.

"We want to be strong too," Ren said. "For Gar's sake. Even if he'll be able to eat properly again, he's lost all motivation to return to adventuring. He has other plans now."

"We want to be strong so he doesn't get worried anymore," Tayin said. "He keeps nagging us to ascend or get a second class. He doesn't admit it, but we know he doesn't want to do quests anymore."

"Alright, alright, calm down, you two." Shallies ushered the two to take a seat. Immediately, Grace and Apple worked to get them something to drink. "If you two want to be my students, you have to take the same trial as Grace. You'll be each other's proctors. It'll be an honesty system."

Shallies produced two cradle eggs and passed them to the human and the halfling. They took it from her with care, then proceeded to calm down with the help of their drinks.

"First of all, let me introduce to you, Arun'dul. He's another seraph. He'll be staying here for a good while."

All the parties involved greeted each other, but Ren and Tayin were more interested in their trial. Shallies gave them the rules, the same as they were with Grace.

"You two should have your own ways of protecting the egg at this point," Shallies said. They nodded their agreement, the cogs in their heads were already spinning.

"Do we have to hatch it?" Ren asked.

Shallies smiled at the question. For some reason, people were too focused on the task and forgot that one possibility. The Shield Knight's cautious nature didn't miss it.

"If you hatch it, return to me with the creature alive. You'll still pass if you do so."

Shallies concluded the sudden meeting after a few more verifying questions from both Ren and Tayin. She led them all outside for their training to begin, even inviting Arun'dul to join them.

"You need to train your Skills," she began. "Get used to not using any Hero-level ones, but you're also free to observe our sparring session if you want. The important thing is you get used to your new environment."

The seraph agreed, joining the group to the field near Catelyn Road. He had his own section, overlooking the sparring group.

Shallies retrieved the wooden targets and placed them on the same spots as before: her head, her neck, her chest, her stomach, and her back. They, on the other hand, replaced their cradle eggs with a practice egg each. She stood in the center of the field, allowing the three young potentials to surround her.

"I'll give you the entire rest of the day to destroy two targets," she began. "If you get hungry, you can go back to the tavern and eat something. Apple will be there to cook for you. Then come back. But remember that you can only do this once. Once you get hungry a second time, you're done for the day.

"Again, whether you're successful or not has no bearing as to whether you can continue the quest. This is just training. Give it your best, improve, then move on."

They all gave their affirmations and readied their weapons. Their nervousness was still apparent, but their determination to win this sparring match was evident in their stances. The atmosphere was so intense that even Arun'dul had to stop his meditation and observe them.

Satisfied, Shallies gave a nod.

"Begin."