"Phew… today was packed."
I stretched my back and looked up at the sky.
Lunchtime. In this place, it was a literal war zone. No matter how much I moved, the crowd never seemed to thin. Every time I saw the line forming outside the door, I felt like my soul was leaving my body.
I collapsed onto the grass in Wright's backyard, sprawling out like a starfish.
Wright took a long drink directly from the outdoor tap before speaking.
"Lunch is the peak of the day. Honestly, having you here is a lifesaver. We can't really afford to hire extra help right now."
"Well, you're welcome… but seriously, with that many customers, you have to be making a killing. Surely you can afford one employee."
I thought I was making a fair point. If the place was that popular, it was weird they couldn't afford staff. Please, for the love of god, hire someone. I was going to collapse at this rate.
Wright wagged a finger at me. "Tsk, tsk. You're naive, Issei. If we have money for staff, it's ten thousand times better to spend that money on higher-quality ingredients. Making delicious food—that's our job. It's our reason for living!"
This damn Cooking Hero. His passion for food was bordering on a sickness.
It was strange… He was a handsome guy, a powerful warrior, and a great cook. On paper, he was the perfect man. But…
"Hey, Issei! I've got an idea for a new dish! You've gotta taste it later! Come on! Please? Please?!"
"Alright, I get it! Get your face out of mine! You're too close!"
…He was a "Waste of an Ikemen." Did he have anything in his head besides recipes?
"Don't you have any interest in girls? Your mom was worried about you, you know."
"Not really. If I'm going to spend time researching something, I'd rather find out which market carries the legendary Phantom Fish."
Ms. Elnida… I think your son is a lost cause. You might want to give up on the idea of a daughter-in-law.
"You know, Wright… you'd probably be a lot happier if you just stayed here and focused on your cooking instead of being a 'Hero.'"
The words just slipped out.
He looked so happy when he was in the kitchen. I couldn't help but think it would be better for him to stay here with his mom, making food and joking around with the regulars, instead of doing all that bloody business on the battlefield.
I'd only been here a short time, but I already felt that way. I was sure everyone else felt the same.
Wright gave a small, quiet laugh.
"Hey, Issei."
"Hm?"
"Come with me for a bit. There's something I want to show you."
He reached out and grabbed my hand.
"Hey… are we there yet…?"
"Just a little further. Man, you look like you're about to die."
I looked like I was about to die? Of course I did!
We'd been trekking through the mountains for three hours since leaving his house! There wasn't even a trail! This was a straight-up beast path! We were hacking through brush just to move forward!
And there was another reason I was exhausted and desperate to go home.
I pointed a trembling finger at the massive black shape lying on the ground behind us.
"How can you be so upbeat about a 'hike' in a place where bears like that show up?!"
Behind us lay a bear—a monster, really—that was easily over five meters tall. If Wright hadn't been here, I would have been killed in seconds.
Wright rubbed his chin and nodded.
"That's a Giant Coumar. Its meat is top-tier. Quite a catch."
"What the hell is a 'Coumar'?! It's a bear! And you're gonna eat it?!"
"No, it's a Coumar. There are even bigger ones, like the God Coumar, but… man, what a shame."
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