If you would have told him that he would be peeling potatoes in a fictional world made real at any point in his life, he would think that you are a mental patient to say the least.
Alas, for the past month, he had been doing practically nothing but cooking and getting into the rhythm of the new life.
Not to say that the Guuji made him overwork, he clocked in and clocked out just like any other cook in the Grand Narukami Shrine, the pay was good and he even had a separate room given to him. Meals were free and he had enough free time not to burn out.
What was the problem then, you ask?
Well obviously, the problem is the fact that he is a cook in a world of fantasy and adventure.
Alexander wiped away the tears rolling down from his eyes.
'I hate cutting onions.'
He thought, swiping the contents on the cutting board into a huge bowl.
Although what he did find annoying about his new work was Saiguu's demands on dishes.
He swore that he would feed her nothing but plain rice soon, it was so cumbersome to think of five different dishes each day, not to mention the fact that she still asked him to cook for her on the weekends.
Now that he thought about it, isn't that the definition of overwork? Where is his overtime pay?
Slam
The window shutters slammed against the wall as an all too familiar white haired kitsune made her entrance in the kitchen.
A pink fluffy furball in her hands.
"Alexander, I need you to make some more dishes-"
Most hadn't even processed what had happened, yet Alexander was already playing dead.
Saiguu walked up to the corpse and squatted down, pulling out her pipe - she started poking his cheek.
Poke
Poke
Poke
"Alright, alright, but you better give me a paid leave after this."
"What's a paid leave?"
"Exactly what it sounds like, don't play the fool with me."
"So young, so much insight."
"Keep talking and I'll start to believe you have fallen for me."
"Maybe in your dreams."
"More like a nightmare."
Smack, smack
A double hit, looks like the young man was starting to get the hang of getting on her nerves.
"As I was saying before you so rudely tried to avoid responsibility, you need to cook up some special dishes, as some important guests are coming."
"And what will they be?"
Even if Alexander himself wasn't able to die, his voice sure did.
"Tee~hee~ I forgor"
The stupid kitsune made a dumb and very hittable face.
"Get out."
Alexander's dead gaze pierced through her soul.
"Hahaha, sorry, sorry."
The kitsune decided not to push his buttons anymore and listed the guests' preferences.
"Udon, ramen and dango? And the guests are going to be here any time now?"
Saiguu nodded.
But now it was Alexander's time to spring up from the floor, grab her shoulders and start heavily shaking.
"You dumb woman! Only ramen takes ages for the broth!!! How do you expect me to make it in time for the guest?!"
Hearing the comment and knowing that she had a week to warn him, she just decided to take the beating, her eyes rolling up as if she had lost consciousness.
The fluffy furball in her hands, however, was truly feeling the pain, frothing at the mouth as her paw reached out toward the culprit as if begging for the shaking to stop.
"Chef, chef!"
A young woman ran up to him, interrupting the death of the Guuji.
"What is it, Kiyoko?"
Contrary to the current scene, Alexander's expression towards the woman was nothing but pleasant and warm.
"We wanted to eat ramen for lunch today, so we made the broth yesterday evening, you could use it."
She spoke calmly with a slight bow, Saiguu believed it was directed at her so she waved the courtesy away, but Alexander begged to differ.
"Thank you everyone, I'll cook you something nice for lunch, for the trouble."
Kiyoko showed a charming and content smile, then turned around and her face changed expression to mirror that of the other women in the kitchen. A huge smug smile with shining eyes and rubbing palms in wait for something good.
"I forgot to mention, one of the special guests is Raiden Shogun, you know? Don't fumble with the food unless you want to be executed, ramen is her favourite."
As Saiguu said her piece, she glanced at the other cooks, who were excited about eating some good food, they were obviously aware that the Shogun would be visiting, she does it at the same day and time every three months after all.
'Heh'
She smirked in amusement, while caressing the cute pink kitsune in her arms, whose head was spinning.
'Geh'
But the smirk quickly turned into a pout of pain as the towering young man clasped his hand over her unruly head and squeezed.
"Hags who don't act their age are truly annoying."
He said, pulling the pink fox from her arms, spinning 360 degrees and throwing the white menace out of the window she came in.
Setting down the fluff on the table, he looked straight into her eyes, obviously recognising who she was.
The surviving kitsune however was meeting him for the first time in her life and the way he handled the hag truly made her sweat buckets.
Taking a heated and oiled pan, Alexander quickly made some fried tofu and put the plate in front of the fox. She tilted her head in question.
"Eat, you will like it, don't cause mischief either, or I'll throw you out like the dumb woman."
The fox nodded her head repeatedly and bit into the fried tofu.
It was pretty good and the warmth comforted her.
But she didn't like tofu.
Crying inside, she finished the plate and promptly escaped through the same window Saiguu had been thrown out of.
Seeing the fox run, Alexander chuckled, thinking how much Yae loved the tofu she was probably going to write about at this very moment.
'What a scary human child.'
Yae however felt nothing but trepidation in front of him.
.
.
.
The sun was setting, two figures could be seen bullying a bake-danuki at the foot of Mt. Yougou, the very same mountain that housed the Grand Narukami Shrine atop.
""Hehehe""
Two sets of intertwined voices laughed as they tickled a raccoon.
"Not fair! You were supposed to be alone!"
The tanuki said in between despairing laughter.
"Kitsune Saiguu, for all the years that I've known you, you haven't changed a bit…"
A group of well dressed women made themselves known.
Well, not a group actually, the setting sun shone upon two similar figures with purple long hair and a familiar pink fox laid to rest in the arms of the one speaking.
"Your timing is awful as always Makoto~, hihi Ei!"
Saiguu turned around and greeted the sisters of Inazuma with an exaggerated wave to which Makoto smiled in response, while Ei's focus was on the retreating figure of the bake-tanuki who didn't waste the chance to escape.
"Come say hi to my personal chef!"
She grabbed Alexander's shoulders and pushed him in front for all to see, as if showcasing a new gem.
"Good day, Lady Makoto, Lady Ei, Lady Fox, my name is Alexander, but you can call me Alex for ease of pronunciation."
Alexander did feel quite excited to see the alive and well figures driving Inazuma forward, but his Speech perk allowed him to remain calm and collected outwardly.
"Hello young man, I pity the fact that you caught Saiguu's eye, I believe her mischief has caused you great trouble."
Makoto greeted with a benevolent smile, while Ei nodded in courtesy and stopped paying attention.
"What are you talking about? Didn't you see him bully the tanuki just seconds ago?"
The kitsune shamelessly threw him under the bus.
"I was coerced."
The young man shamelessly pulled her together with him.
Makoto chuckled and motioned for the Guuji to lead them forward, up the stairway to heaven.
Along the way, the group was quite lively, but the conversation was mostly between the Guuji and the Shogun, while the others stayed silent and followed the leading figures.
Feeling really out of place amongst these powerful figures, Alexander lost himself in thought.
Although this 'ancient' Inazuma lacked the quality of modern life, he couldn't say he got to experience the best modernisation brought, except the entertainment. So he was happy with his life.
Each day, besides Saiguu, he cooked for many people, including dignitaries and the priestesses, with whom he conversed during breaks.
Although he wasn't yet adventuring like he wanted, instead raising the funds and securing connections to travel comfortably some time later, these people painted the picture of the world for him.
But most of his attention was grabbed by the stories of the Knights of Favonius in Mondstat, as well as the technological wonders of Khaenri'ah.
Everything seemed stable and no cataclysm in sight yet, so he didn't feel any pressure in getting stronger fast and playing saviour of the many tragic figures.
He took a glance at the laughing Saiguu and the smiling Makoto, besides the places were so far away and he had no idea how he could influence and prevent the future mistreatment of the Dendro Archon for example or even better, letting the current one survive.
So it was best to focus on the here and now and considering that after a month of working, he found his groove and was now ready to start practicing martial arts and magecraft. With the two perk points received from impressing Saiguu remaining, all he had to do was choose the skill he would dedicate a good portion of his life to leveling.
Alexander checked his skill level tracker:
Combat Branches
Light Armour: Level 0
Medium Armour: Level 0
Heavy Armour: Level 0
Sword: Level 0
Mace: Level 0
Axe: Level 0
Hammer: Level 5
Dagger: Level 22
Spear: Level 0
Shield: Level 0
Bow: Level 0
Crossbow: Level 0
Javelin: Level 0
Sneak Combat: Level 7
Mounted Combat: Level 0
His skill with a cooking knife had translated well into the Dagger branch, but that would probably only be true until level 30. After that, it would be all about utilizing the tool in actual combat. Although he could be wrong.
Alexander recalled the benefits of putting effort into this branch: daggers paired well with sneak, but that would make him an assassin build, instead of the knight with a greatsword he always dreamed about.
Besides that it's perks would pair well with other weapons down the line, such as allowing attacks to be fast, precise and fatal and it would bring the knowledge of a body's weak points.
Alas, if let's say Saiguu found out about these abilities, she would no longer have a joking misconception about him being a druggie, but an assassin with no defined origin, ambition and goal. This revelation would equal nurturing a snake in your boot.
Alexander couldn't truly say, but she would probably feel betrayed or even shocked, which would lead to him having to leave at the very least.
Sigh
He put his hands behind the back of his head and his steps unconsciously became heavier. The group instantly caught his soured mood, but made no comments. It was just Saiguu who kept on throwing glances back at him during the rest of the way.
Skill Branches
Cooking: Level 41
Comfort: Level 0
Speech: Level 28
Blacksmith: Level 0
Engineer: Level 0
Scientist: Level 10
Artist: Level 4
Alchemist: Level 3
Businessman: Level 4
Ruler: Level 9
Farmer: Level 0
Peasant: Level 40
Cleric: Level 22
Warrior: Level 2
As Alexander continued to contemplate on where to spend his perk points, Ei who kept to herself until now, finally whispered something to Makoto, who then whispered to Saiguu, with the three of them sneakily taking a look at the young man.
Particularly at his feet, which were making no sound as he moved.
Saiguu shrugged her shoulders and waved the concern away, so Makoto put the topic to rest, although Ei did stay vigilant.
All the while the boy was thinking about finally upgrading his cooking branch and noticed nothing outside of his focus. But in the end he decided against it once again, as it was finally time to move into more active roles.
The Peasant branch was useful to him only due to the novice skill, so he probably would never spend another perk point there again.
And the warrior's branch started off weak, but the later stages were absolutely crucial for his future in bringing dream to reality.
Wonder Branches
Protagonist: Level 14
Magecraft - Destruction: Level 0
Magecraft - Conjuration: Level 0
Magecraft - Restoration: Level 0
Magecraft - Alteration: Level 0
Magecraft - Illusion: Level 0
Travel: Level 10
Soul: Level 0
Body: Level 19
Sensory: Level 0
The magecraft branches were truly where his most interest lied at the moment. Picking something that would support close-quarters combat down the line would be great, like illusion and destruction. But the restoration branch would help definitely cultivate the cleric branch as well, so it's like killing two birds with one stone, besides healing was too good to pass up.
Conjuration would make him a one man army, but the later stages of alteration and soul were also too broken to be left alone…
Alexander was starting to get a headache already.
"..-nder, Alexandeeeeeer."
Saiguu waved her hand in front of his face, finally making him return to reality.
"My bad, was lost in thought, I will go finish the dishes so that they can be served warm, have a great evening, esteemed guests."
The young man bowed in courtesy and promptly took his leave. While the white kitsune folded her arms and pouted.
"Young Alex seems to have a lot of troubles on his mind."
Commented the Shogun.
"Baaah, he's just a runaway kid, what troubles could possibly plague his empty mind now that he found a place to sleep and earn money."
The shameless woman once again waved her hand in dismissal, true to her fashion.
She then grabbed the pink fox by the scruff and gently set her down on the ground.
"Go play a bit, Yae, adults need to talk privately."
"Never noticed how you grew up overnight."
Quipped back the pink furball and promptly escaped the crime scene in order not to get hit with an unbreakable pipe.
"Even kids don't take you seriously anymore."
Ei spoke with a signature expressionless face, not to make fun of Kitsune Saiguu, but simply to state a fact.
"Geh"
Lady Guuji, supreme priestess of the Grand Narukami Shrine and the greatest youkai to walk the lands of Inazuma clutched her heart in mock pain.
"How hurtful."
She even wiped away a fake tear.
.
.
.
Knock, knock
"Come in, come in! I am dying of hunger! Why did you take so long?!"
Saiguu fired off question after question, while the cooks brought in the dishes. But the young man adorning a dead fish-eye expression chose to ignore the rowdy woman.
Thankfully, the three most powerful women in Inazuma quickly had their gazes captivated by the warm, radiant food presented to them.
They were the best dishes he had ever managed to cook and the process was very enjoyable as well. Even if Alexander refused to buy the adept level, his dishes were clearly more refined than back when he first cooked for the Guuji and the head cooks. But the progress was only noticed by Saiguu for obvious reasons.
After setting the respective dishes before the respective diners, everybody promptly left the room, including Alexander, he was a simple cook after all.
But it took no time at all for a pleasant system notice to grab the young man's attention.
[The ruling caste of Inazuma has remembered your existence, +2 perk points.]
He has now earned five perk points since the start of actively using the system to grow, all within two months, with a chance to earn even more before the second one ended.
Alexander thought about it and decided that was decent progress, baby steps, safe and comfortable felt like the best and most suitable way for growth at the moment.
Now that his work was over and the sun has set, letting the gorgeous starry night blanket the world, he sought his favourite spot behind the main building, right on the edge of the mountain, where the Grand Sakura Tree would be in 500 years if he could not prevent the Khaenri'ah Cataclysm.
Dangling his bare feet off the edge, Alexander felt free and unburdened, as his upper body basked in the comforting soft grass while lying down.
With four whole perk points he could now take a wide step forward in this new life.
[Are you sure you want to purchase this perk?] x4
And without any more hesitation he finally took that step, the step that would define the rest of his life.
[
Dagger
Novice: Quick Hands (1 Point): You can draw and stow your daggers in the blink of an eye. Your attacks are a flicker of steel—fast, precise, and aimed at vulnerable spots: wrists, thighs, the neck.
]
[
Bow
Novice: Hunter's Stealth (1 Point): You can move silently through any terrain and draw your bow without a sound. The creak of wood and the whisper of the string are silenced, making you a ghost until the moment your arrow flies.
]
[
Magecraft: Destruction
Novice: Apprentice (1 Point) - You can cast basic spells of fire, wind, water, lightning and earth. You are also able to imbue your weapons and armour with these basic spells.
]
[
Magecraft: Restoration
Novice: Acolyte of Life (1 Point) - You can cast a basic healing spell to mend wounds and wards to block hostile spells.
]
With his fist clenched, passion burning and resolve steeled, Alexander's face bloomed into a wide uncontrolled smile and tears of a burden lifted rolled down his cheeks.
Some distance away, a pink fox was looking at the human.
'Crazy guy, Saiguu lost her mind grabbing this specimen off whatever street she found him in.'
Yae couldn't help but think, while smacking a sakura bush to entertain herself while waiting for the meeting to finish.