Volume 1 Chapter 29 Invitation II
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
To get straight to the point, the dish that came out was a spicy chicken sandwich, and it was pretty good.
But it had a flavor that was definitely aimed at younger folks, with a strong taste that left a greasy feeling on the tongue.
They probably used thigh meat instead of chicken breast, which is loaded with fat.
The sauce was sweetened with honey or something to match the spiciness.
There was also a generous amount of butter and mustard on the bread.
For Kian, who was almost 30, it was a bit too rich of a menu.
However, Serena didn’t know Kian’s preferences, and growing up in a world without the concept of food education, she wouldn’t think to hold back on the salt or cut down on the fat.
She was just trying to recreate the flavors from her own upbringing.
”Doesn’t suit your taste?”
(No, I actually think it’s pretty good. It’s just that my taste buds are a bit weird.)
If they combined Aliona and Serena’s cooking, it would probably be just right.
”Is it good?”
As Kian silently stuffed his face with the chicken sandwich, Serena, sitting across the table with a blank expression, asked that.
Kian nodded with a smile.
”Yeah, it’s really good. Thanks.”
”……. It seems it didn’t match your taste.”
Serena said that flatly.
It seemed she had seen through his lie again.
Despite her indifferent expression, her dog ears drooped sadly.
She looked like she was in shock.
”No, it’s really tasty. Like, in a tavern, they usually make the flavors strong to get repeat customers, right? ‘The Boar’s Trot Inn’ had a similar flavor, and I think this level of seasoning is standard.”
”I’m from a family of 20, and there were only 5 women: me, my mom, and my 3 stepmoms… Everyone loved meat and strong flavors.”
”Twenty!? And 3 stepmoms…?”
”That’s normal in my tribe.”
”Oh, I see.”
The family situation of the Wolfmen was becoming clearer.
It seemed that having a harem was common in their tribe.
Still, 4 wives…
How did they manage their nighttime activities? It would take 4 days to rotate through them one by one.
”Or was it normal for them to play in pairs? No way, 4 people at once──? Nah, there wouldn’t be enough hands and feet to handle that.
…Anyway, Serena’s dad must’ve been something else.
Kian gulped down some water.
”A family of 20, huh? If ten families got together, it’d be like a proper army.”
”They were doing that. We grow our mercenary group by having kids. We only bring in outside blood every now and then…”
”A mercenary group? You mean the Wolfmen’s mercenary group, right?”
”‘Storm Herd.’ You’ve at least heard the name, right?”
”H-Hold on, isn’t that the strongest mercenary group in the West?!”
He couldn’t help but raise his voice.
Luckily, there was no one else in the hall besides Kian and Serena, so he didn’t have to worry about being overheard.
But feeling a bit embarrassed, Kian sat back down.
In contrast, Serena remained calm.
She crossed her legs and reached for a bowl of nuts.
”Even if I told people, no one would believe me, but you do. I used to be part of ‘Storm Herd.’.”
”Now that you mention it… why are you acting solo if you were in a mercenary group? And if there are 15 guys in a family of 20, why are you a vanguard swordsman?”
”Are you saying women shouldn’t swing swords?”
”I just thought it was rare. I mean, right? Even among adventurers, there are hardly any women who are swordsmen. If you went out on the street and grabbed a hundred people, most women would be magicians or clerics.”
With modern medical technology, simple wounds can be healed with healing magic, but serious injuries or amputations can only be treated by high-level healers.
Even if you find a high-level healer, they usually demand a hefty fee in return.
So most people just deal with it.
Men might be okay with it, but women often choose rear guard roles to avoid ugly scars on their faces and bodies.
”There are also unusual beastfolk like me. …That’s enough about my backstory. I’m not trying to be friends or anything. More importantly, I want to know something about the ‘Azrael’s Death Sword’ user.”
”Uh… well…”
Information about Azrael’s warrior monks is kept secret by rule.”.
Kian was about to reveal his thoughts about the ‘Death Sword User’ when he suddenly closed his mouth.
Should he just spill the beans here?.
If he talks, he’ll be free from Serena, but the only benefit he’ll get is a chicken sandwich.
The other Kian, the one who’s more cunning, would probably negotiate for better terms, like money or borrowing her extra weapon.
Kian thought for a moment and then made an offer.
”How about a deal before I talk?”
”A deal?”
”Yeah, you’re in the ‘Falcon Brigade,’ right?”
”No, I’m not.”
Serena shook her head, her silver tail swaying behind the chair.
”I got fired, so I’m not in it anymore.”
”Then let’s cut to the chase. How about we team up?”
”Huh?”
Kian, feeling nervous, continued despite her surprised expression.
”I understand if you don’t wanna team up with a weakling like me. I’d be a burden in a tough fight, and if I die, you’d have to pay the guild’s death penalty and the lord’s death tax. But you don’t have to babysit me. In fact, we can even act separately.”
”You mean you’ll do the quests alone? Oh, I see, the Party Special Points.”
Serena nodded in understanding.
Party Special Points were extra points added to the guild points earned upon completing a quest when in a party.
Basically, being in a party meant earning more guild points and climbing up the ranks faster than soloing.
These points were pretty significant.
From Rank 6 onwards in the intermediate levels, it could take 5 to ten years to level up without party points.
The points were available for 2-person parties and maxed out for groups of 4 or more.
When there are more than ten people, you can earn a special point called ‘Clan Point’ (which is way more than party points, but the quests you can apply for become limited to big ones, like taking down dragons or powerful vampires, those large-scale requests) ── but that’s a good story.
”While you’re out looking for the ‘Death Sword User,’ the guild points will just keep piling up. But if you don’t join my quest, I’m taking all the reward money.”
”Sounds like a good deal.”
Serena’s blue eyes were glued to Kian with a sticky gaze.
It looked like she wanted to duel and clash blades more than just team up.
”I’ve been wanting to see your sword up close.”
”So, you’re saying you’ll join my quest?”
”Yeah. I need the money too, so let’s split it. We’ll also share the materials from the enemies we take down. …By the way, did all the griffin materials get collected by the guild yesterday?”
”Yeah. Neither Mr. Robert nor I were in a state to break down the griffin and take the materials home.”
”What a waste… If they were in good condition, they could’ve been worth a gold coin from the Franz Kingdom, even after giving some to the guild.”
Serena muttered that, frowning.
She looked down, biting her lip as if regretting something.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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