As I entered the kitchen set up in one corner of the guild house, I rolled up my sleeves with a determined expression.
If it were just for me, I could have whipped something up quickly and carelessly.
But this was food meant for the heroes themselves.
I had to put my heart into it and create the best possible result.
The reason?
[Cooking begins.]
[The quality of the dish is determined by your skill level and the quality of the ingredients.]
The game system kept popping up in the most peculiar places.
In the original game, it was just a rhythm game where you pressed buttons in time, and that was it.
But here, absurdly, I had to cook everything myself.
And not just casually—I had to give it my all.
If I failed to season it properly or burned the meat?
[Disappointing Wild Boar Skewers (★)]
[Wild boar skewers that are charred on the outside and dry on the inside, making one doubt the cook’s skills. It would be an understatement to say that only a saint could keep a smile while eating this.]
[Restores 5% HP. Increases attack power by 3% for 24 hours.]
The scathing remarks in the form of status updates stabbed like knives.
The price for not cooking the meat evenly was this harsh.
On the other hand…
[Exceptionally Excellent Wild Boar Skewers (★★★)]
[A masterpiece among skewers, showcasing the perfect balance of a crispy exterior and juicy interior. The skillful use of spices not only eliminates any gaminess but also enhances the unique flavor.]
[Restores 20% HP. Increases attack power by 10% for 24 hours.]
“Hehe.”
I’m also scared of my own talent.
Maybe I’m the god of cooking?
Anyway, cooking here isn’t just about filling your stomach.
Depending on how you prepare it, you can gain all sorts of buffs.
“Aorfff! Smells good, aorfff!”
“Rumi, wait.”
I shooed Rumi away as she poked her head into the kitchen, unable to resist the smell, her ears perked and nose twitching.
You’ll get fur everywhere.
We can’t have fur in the food.
After a fierce struggle in front of the hearth, I finally completed the skewers—delicious and beautifully cooked!
“Food’s ready~”
“Woof!”
“Wow! Ark, you’re good at cooking too?”
“Thanks for your hard work, Ark.”
I served the heroes who had worked hard today and would work hard again tomorrow.
Rumi took a hearty bite and, “Woof woof! Woof! Woof woof woof!” forgot how to speak human language, her eyes sparkling and tail wagging furiously.
“Ugh… I really want beer now…”
Ari showed the classic signs of an alcoholic, while the Saintess prayed at the table,
“Thank you for today’s daily bread…”
Even though I was the one who provided the food.
Why are you praying to God?
Huh?
“Eat up before it gets cold.”
I shoved a skewer into the Saintess’s mouth.
It’s more fun to eat together when everyone’s eating.
***
After making sure they were well-fed, it was time to get to work.
“Beeer…”
“Just finish this first. It’ll be quick.”
Last night, I stayed up late and confirmed that the shop’s daily purchase limit resets at 5 a.m.
Since there’s also a limit to how many times you can enter daily dungeons, I had to clear today’s dungeons before the reset to avoid any losses.
What’s worse, you can only choose to participate in either the EXP dungeon or the gold dungeon once a day—a merciless system.
No time to hesitate!
Late at night, I arrived near the Tower of Wishes again, but contrary to my expectation that no one would be around, a familiar face stood by the crack that served as the entrance to the daily dungeon.
“Stop. This area is experiencing anomalous phenomena. It could be dangerous.”
Saha, the undisputed top-tier tank of the fire deck, the core key card of my original account, and the inspiration behind my username “FlameJoaSahaJoa,” stood there with her red eyes gleaming.
She was wearing full plate armor.
So cool…
By the way, Saha had a setting where she led her own knight order, acting as a self-defense force.
With the heart of a young boy meeting his favorite celebrity, I took off my hood and stepped forward to greet her, but…
“…Johanna?”
“Let me explain.”
Johanna effectively stopped me by grabbing my sleeve and tossing me toward Rumi before approaching Saha.
Whisper whisper.
Mumble mumble.
Murmur murmur.
“Hmm. I see. If the Saintess says so, I’ll believe it. But be careful.”
“Thank you for your concern, Saha.”
The two of them chatted and quickly reached a conclusion.
“What did you talk about?”
I asked as we passed Saha and stepped into the crack.
“I told her we received a divine revelation. It was faster than having Ark explain everything.”
Hmm.
Does the Saintess usually lie?
Well, if we got through without trouble, that’s fine, but it’s a bit disappointing not being the protagonist.
If I were the original protagonist, Saha would probably kneel and say, “It’s an honor to meet you, Your Eminence!”
Something like that could’ve happened, right?
Sigh.
“Then, Let’s go.”
Someday, when all the debugging is done, that day might come.
***
Rewind time a bit…
Right after the wild boar skewer party, while the shop owner was clattering away doing the dishes, the three heroes, full and sprawled out, were enjoying their peace.
Johanna was the first to break the silence.
“Ari? I wanted to ask you something.”
“Huh? What is it?”
“Did you do something with Ark last night?”
Unable to contain her curiosity, Johanna asked, and in doing so, she triggered Ari’s trauma.
“Last night…? Oh, that… I was half-forced into it again…”
Most of the time spent with Ark was a series of enjoyable moments, but occasionally, Ari found herself in what felt like a living hell.
Potion torture.
At first, drinking the potions made her feel stronger and healthier, and she thought the name “Elixir of Growth” was fitting.
But even something good for you and tasty gets old if you have to keep drinking it.
Today, Rumi took on that suffering, but chugging over 20 bottles in one go was pure torture.
“Ugh, suddenly my stomach…”
Just the thought of it made her stomach churn,
and she felt like she was going to throw up.
The sensation of the deliciously eaten wild boar roast churning in my stomach.
“Looks like we’ll be doing this again tomorrow, but let’s stop talking about this now……………?”
Ari, who had tried to change the subject,
Johanna wore a serious expression.
Half forced to accept….?
Stomach ache……?
Even nausea….?
Could it be….?
Of course, it wasn’t truly forced.
Given the overwhelming appearance hidden under that hood, it might be a bit coercive, but it’s also captivating.
“Ari, and Rumi. We need to talk.”
A plan was necessary.
Even if Ark is only a fraction, say about 3%, of his full power, it’s true that he can wield the power of the Revelator.
However, if Ark’s promiscuous lifestyle becomes known, problems could arise.
Heroes with loose morals might approach Ark for his body, and Ark might target mentally immature children.
“As you all know, Ark’s appearance is fatal.”
“That’s true..?”
“Right, woof! Mr. Jooin is handsome, woof!”
Johanna looked into Ari’s and Rumi’s eyes.
“As you know, the hero party can have up to five members. Too much contact with other heroes could cause problems.”
“…I’m a 3-star, so………….”
“Woof?”
“So, please make sure Ark never takes off his hood outside. To avoid unnecessary attention.”
“That’s a good idea……………!”
“Woof!”
A plot was hatched.
The daily experience dungeon had a very simple structure.
In fact, it didn’t even have much of a structure.
Just a square room with a slightly oversized scarecrow.
[Dimensional Rift: Elixir of Growth (Stage 1)]
[★☆☆ Hold out until the time limit expires.]
[★★☆ Reduce the Rift Scarecrow’s health to 30% or below.]
[★★★ Defeat it within the time limit.]
Actually, it’s not even ‘hold out.’
The scarecrow doesn’t do anything but stand there, so it’s more like “just hit it and get experience points.”
Of course, the three heroes on their first run were a bit confused.
“Alright, let’s do our best to hit that scarecrow. Something good will happen.”
Kindly providing the strategy,
“Woof!”
The loyal dog Rumi immediately ran over and started punching the scarecrow with a flurry of doggy punches,
“Yah!”
Ari quickly knocked an arrow and started shooting, twang, twang.
And then.
“Johanna, why don’t you go hit it with your book? It’ll be good for stress relief.”
Don’t just buff and freeload.
Saintess, it’s time to get physical.
Reluctantly, Johanna ran over and started hitting the scarecrow with her book, shaking her holy power pouch.
Her ample chest is quite nice.
Though it’s a bit overshadowed by the oversized dog next to her.
In any case, it was a rare sight.
Enough to give the possession manager a five-star rating.
After enjoying the visual feast,
“Whoa!”
The scarecrow finally exploded with a bang, and a treasure chest appeared with a flourish.
It’s stage 1, so it’s quick to defeat.
“Ark! Open this!”
Ari, entranced by the treasure chest, tried to open it, but the heroes’ hands weren’t allowed, so it remained firmly shut.
Ari called for me.
“Coming.”
Usually, treasure chests like this are opened by touch.
Like tapping a transit card, I held my smartphone to the treasure chest.
Beep, thank you~
… Of course, no such sound was heard.
Just a creak, thud!
The treasure chest opened.
“Kyaaaaaa!!!!”
Ari, upon seeing the contents, had a fit and fell backward.
What a fuss.
“Woof…….”
Rumi also let out a disappointed bark and stepped back.
Were they expecting a bone or something?
Johanna also shook her head after checking the contents.
What’s with them?
It’s not like they can’t have it.
I smiled brightly and stuffed the potion into my inventory.
Even a low-grade Elixir of Growth!
Does it taste different?
I’ll have to get Ari’s tasting review later.
After clearing the dungeon, we were automatically ejected after some time,
“Oh, you’re back.”
Saha greeted us with a calm expression.
You’ve had a long day.
A noble knight deserves a reward.
And to fill the unmet fan affection.
I rummaged through my inventory.
There are various types of favorite items.
Items that everyone likes, and items that specific characters absolutely adore.
Fortunately, among today’s daily sale items, there was one that Saha officially loves the most.
“You’ve worked hard. Take this.”
I placed a ‘Phoenix Tail Feather’ on Saha’s glove.
And as a bonus, a bottle of experience potion.
“Th-this is……?”
A flustered voice.
Ah.
You can’t hear this in-game.
It’s a delicacy.
“It’s a gift. See you next time.”
Without being clingy, coolly.
The farewell was perfect.
Building connections like this early on, later when receiving revelations, huh?
It feels like the probability increases.
There’s a gacha superstition like that.
Drawing fan art of the character you want to pull increases the chances.
……Though my drawing skills are disastrous, earning me critiques symbolizing avant-garde destruction.
Anyway.
Let’s really meet again next time.
***
The man who suddenly returned to the city with three women, Ark’s back.
Saha started blankly.
Saha’s hometown.
One for joy.
Two for happiness.
Three for emotion.
And eventually giving seven means eternal love.
You give your life to me.
Then I will become your world.
It’s an ancient legend passed down through generations, and Saha loved that romantic story very much.
“Sigh.”
Having lived a life without any romantic connections with men.
But today, for the first time, Saha felt the emotion of ‘heart palpitations.’