At 4:04 p.m., I arrived at the hot spring inn to the north. After stepping into the kitchen, I started practicing how to make pearl milk tea.
After a long stretch of trial and error, I realized it actually wasn't that difficult—just repetitive and a bit boring.
When it was time for dinner, I took two meal sets from the inn, along with drinks, a set of bedding, and a bottle filled with water, then went to find Grace.
When I reached Level 100, I saw Grace diligently swinging her sword while the Sword God instructed her. Neither of them seemed to notice my arrival—they were completely focused.
Not wanting to interrupt, I quietly set up Grace's bedding first, then placed two small tables side by side with our meals and drinks. Curious how long it would take for them to notice me, I decided not to call out and started eating on my own.
Halfway through my meal, Grace suddenly lifted her nose, as if catching a scent, and began looking around.
"That smells so good… I'm starving… Huh? Mr. Karen, when did you get here?!"
So it was the smell of the food that gave me away. Luckily, she was hungry. As for how long I'd been there, I hadn't really kept track—probably a few minutes.
"Hmm… maybe a few minutes."
"What's wrong with you, Brave? Can't you make a sound or something?"
Couldn't this Sword God say something a little nicer for once? Always so aggressive.
"I just didn't want to disturb you. But… Grace, are you hot?"
She had been facing sideways earlier, but the moment she turned toward me, I froze in confusion. What happened to her? Where did her noble sense of modesty go?
Several buttons of her shirt were undone, exposing her chest—her bra was even visible. If she was hot, this place wasn't exactly warm, and it didn't seem like she'd exerted herself enough to justify this either.
I couldn't help but sigh and shake my head. At this rate, I really was going to get blamed for corrupting her. What a headache.
"Huh? …Ah! No, no! That's not it! I'm not some exhibitionist! This is…"
Grace let out a confused sound, then finally realized what I meant. She glanced down, panicked, and hurriedly denied it while frantically buttoning her shirt back up.
She trailed off, clearly unsure whether to explain, so I cut straight to the point.
"Is what?"
"It's…"
She hesitated, clearly struggling to say it. That only made it more suspicious—I wasn't about to let it slide.
"Girl, don't say it!" the Sword God cut in urgently.
That reaction alone told me everything—it involved him. But Grace ignored the warning and chose to speak.
"It was… the Sword God… he told me to…"
"That's enough. I get it."
I'd already heard enough from that "told me to." It was definitely his doing. What a creep.
My temper flared instantly. He must've used his authority as a god—and his swordsmanship—to pressure her into this.
And Grace, idiot that she was, just went along with it. Your body isn't something you casually show to others!
The more I thought about it, the angrier I got. Forget whether he would continue teaching her—I snapped at him without hesitation.
"Hey, are you a god of the sword, or just a filthy pervert? Did you get thrown in here for peeping on goddesses changing clothes?!"
"You dare call me filthy, you human?! Want to die?!"
His pride as a supposedly superior being was clearly wounded, and he lashed out in anger.
"Then why did you make Grace expose herself?! That was your goal from the start, wasn't it?!"
"Th-that's necessary! She have to do that to learn!"
"Who are you kidding?! What kind of twisted swordsmanship is that?! Do you have to fight like that too?! You'd better come clean!"
He had clearly panicked earlier—his pitch even rose. Total nonsense. Training swordsmanship by exposing your chest? What, to build lung capacity?!
"Dammit…! Fine, fine! I like big breasts, okay?! I love watching them bounce! I got thrown in here for peeping on a Beautiful Goddess bathing!"
He gave up struggling and blurted everything out in one go. Grace, the victim, immediately clutched her chest in shock.
I didn't bother hiding my disgust.
"That's disgusting. I despise you."
A god who had lived who knew how long, yet still acted like a hormone-driven teenager—it was revolting. No wonder he was being punished. Honestly, a hundred years felt too lenient. A thousand would've been more fitting.
The Sword God, now both embarrassed and furious, shouted irritably.
"Fine! I'm done teaching! I'm going to reincarnate!"
Good riddance. Who would want to learn under a perverted old man like that?
But just then, Grace—who had been silent for a while—suddenly shouted:
"Wait! I still want to learn!"
"Huh?!"
Both of us blurted out in unison, stunned.
Grace quickly explained herself.
"Even though the Sword God's… preferences are hard to accept, I know his swordsmanship is genuine. If I can master it, then a couple of undone buttons is nothing. I'd even be willing to take off my entire shirt."
"Really?!"
Her outrageous statement instantly lifted his mood—his voice practically jumped in pitch.
But Grace… had she lost her mind? Willing to expose herself just for swordsmanship, enduring that lecherous gaze?
I couldn't help but worry about her sense of danger. At this rate, someone could just wave a sword around and she'd follow them without thinking.
"Grace…"
"Mr. Karen, this is my decision. Please don't stop me."
She even bowed and used formal speech. She was serious.
I knew how much she loved the sword—borderline obsession. Everyone had something they refused to give up. For me, it was Lina and Lani. No matter what danger they faced, I'd protect them without hesitation.
But this… this was different. Exposing her body crossed a line. Everything else, I didn't care—but that? A person's body is their last line of dignity.
Still… this was her choice. Why was I getting so involved? The most I could do was make sure she didn't repeat this mistake in the future.
"...Fine. But don't do something like this again. The person you like might end up hating you for it."
"Yes! …Ah—Mr. Karen, wh-what are you saying?! I—I don't have anyone I like!"
A few seconds later, her face turned bright red as she flailed in denial. That kind of reaction wasn't fooling anyone.
I had no interest in pressing further. I just gestured to the side with my thumb.
"Yeah, yeah. Got it. Now come eat."
"...Yes. But, Mr. Karen..."
"What?"
"Didn't you say you didn't mind?! Then why is my table so far away from yours?!"
Grace pointed agitatedly at the small table placed about two meters away from me, where her dinner and bedding were set. It wasn't that I minded eating with her while she was drenched in sweat—it was just that the smell would drift over, and that definitely wouldn't make the food taste any better.
I continued eating as I answered her.
"If I minded, I wouldn't be eating here. Also, I'm not coming here to eat next time. Make sure you eat properly—don't get so absorbed in training that you forget."
"Why?"
"Do you want me to see you without clothes on?"
"...Ah, I get it! I'll remember to eat!"
It took her a second to realize what I meant. Seriously, where did her noble sense of modesty go?
At that moment, the lecherous old man god spoke up in a mocking tone, as if I were an idiot.
"Are you even a man? You're turning down something this good?"
"Shut up. If I'm going to look, it'll be at my wife."
"How annoying. A Brave who doesn't focus on saving the world and goes chasing romance instead."
"Jealous? Then keep waiting."
"Girl, once you're done eating, get back here and keep learning. You'd better teach this black-haired brat a lesson for lacking a sense of duty."
"Yes!"
The old man god really did have the mindset of some guy who spent all day whining about not having a girlfriend. The moment he heard someone else might have one, he got all worked up.
After I finished eating, I returned to the hot spring inn and continued making bubble tea. Only after brewing it did I realize—I didn't have straws. Without straws, what's even the point of the pearls? The answer: none.
So I took out a pen and paper and sketched out a cup and a straw. The straw was simple, nothing worth mentioning. The important part was the cup—the lid would be connected to the body, so it wouldn't come off when opened.
At the center of the lid, there would be a hole about the size of a pearl, just enough to insert the straw. Simple and practical.
Then it suddenly hit me—I needed to let the three people outside know what was going on. I contacted Jacob, explained the situation, and told him not to get in touch with Grace for the time being.
At 8:16 PM, I arrived at Level 97 at night—the construction materials area. After picking up several pieces of tempered glass, I crafted ten cups and straws on the spot—five for us, and five for the judges.
Since Grace wasn't around, I had no choice but to act as the test subject myself. The result? Pretty good. Good enough to sell, honestly. Heh.
After that, I worked on brewing five servings at once while maintaining consistent flavor. It wasn't until 2:00 AM that I finally perfected a batch of bubble tea I was satisfied with.
During the adjustments, I ended up making eight large pots. Thankfully, I had storage magic, so if anyone wanted some later, there'd be no need to spend time making it again—though the taste of those earlier batches was only so-so.
Once I finished cleaning up, I went to take a shower. I originally wanted to soak in the hot spring, but there wasn't enough time, and I was about to pass out anyway.
As a result of staying up too late, I overslept the next day.