Read Novel Full Chapter 104, Sweet Tooth
Chapter 104, Sweet Tooth
Translator: Barnnn
After thoroughly teasing Fieda — and receiving solid karate chops to the top of their skulls in retaliation — Ize and Hal settled down, and the conversation turned serious again.
“Can we ask to delay the promotion to C-rank for now?” Hal asked.
“You mean as a personal request?” Fieda raised an eyebrow. “Not very common, but I’ve heard of a few people doing it.”
“What kind of reasons would they have?”
“Once you reach A-rank, there are obligations that come with it — like participating in that Rank 2 Dungeon campaign we’re about to join, for example. Some people want to avoid being singled out for noble commissions, or just don’t want their name becoming too well known.”
“I imagine delaying a C-rank promotion is even rarer, though.”
“True… but…”
Fieda trailed off, glancing sideways at Ize.
Ize’s brow twitched, catching the look, while Hal grinned, the corners of his mouth curling upward.
“I see. I get what you’re thinking,” Hal said.
“Well, I absolutely do NOT get what he’s thinking,” Ize replied flatly. “And I have a bad feeling I’m better off not knowing.”
“Yeah, probably for the best,” Hal agreed with a solemn nod. “Still, I’m sure the Guild will understand if we explain.”
“Oh, definitely! I’m sure they’ll understand immediately!” Ize said with exaggerated cheer.
“Buhyahyahya!”
“Hal, shut it!”
“Buph!”
Ize jabbed her fingers deep into Hal’s side, silencing his laughter with a wheeze.
Just then, an inn staff member popped their head in to let them know that dinner was ready in the next room.
◆
One might have thought the prospect of the Fire Dragon quest would’ve dulled their appetites, but nothing of the sort happened.
“Wow, mushrooms everywhere,” Hal remarked as the first dishes arrived.
“Ah, right. There’s a Rank 5 Dungeon nearby known as the Mushroom Dungeon…” Fieda said, lifting a bowl of mushroom soup.
“And that’s where all these mushrooms come from?”
“Yeah, apparently all of its loot is mushrooms. It’s actually a pretty popular Dungeon for its rank, and the town’s a decent size.”
“Then that’s our next stop — mushroom hunting!” Hal declared.
They feasted on mushroom tempura, mushroom soup, mushroom simmered dishes, and even mushroom skewers. Though reminiscent of Japanese cuisine, the seasoning and combinations gave everything a curious twist that made it distinctly unfamiliar.
When the final dish arrived — a dessert — Ize and Hal’s eyes sparkled with anticipation.
“Is this… milk pudding?” Ize asked.
“Yes,” the server replied with a smile. “It’s steamed using the natural heat from the hot springs. The sauce on top is made from sweetened Kudyu fruit. Please enjoy.”
They only half-listened, but the final sentence caught them both.
“Kudyu fruit!?”
“It’s like white bean paste!”
“Bean paste on pudding!? That should be illegal!”
“A white jelly with white sauce! Perfection!”
“Enough talk — let’s eat,” Fieda grumbled.
Just like the steamed bread earlier that day, the Kudyu fruit sauce had a creamy consistency, looser than bean paste. It draped smoothly over the trembling pudding like a silky glaze.
Each of them scooped a quivering spoonful and brought it carefully to their mouths.
“Mmm — so good!” Hal moaned.
“Hwaaahhh,” Ize sighed, eyes closing in bliss.
“Hmm…” Fieda gave a satisfied nod. “I see. This is excellent. Light, but with enough body from the steaming to give it some chew. The Kudyu sauce likely has milk added to it too. For a dessert after dinner, it’s just the right weight.”
“Fieda’s gourmet report returns!” Hal announced with exaggerated horror.
“The dessert treasure chest is under threat!” Ize added, mimicking a trembling narrator’s voice.
As Fieda serenely dissected his pudding into tiny pieces — reminiscent of how he handled the mizumanju — Hal and Ize shuddered, clutching their pudding dishes, overwhelmed by his commentary.
Fieda, of course, paid them no mind, savoring each bite slowly, gently, with the care of a connoisseur.
◆
The next morning, after a hearty breakfast of mushroom omelets and hot spring egg salad, the three made their way to the Adventurers’ Guild.
They needed to confirm their acceptance of the quest, and if possible, learn which A-rank adventurer would be joining them.
“Right now, the only A-rank we know is Wardon,” Hal remarked as they walked.
“The guy who’ll be with us circles through the capital and nearby towns regularly,” Fieda explained. “Apparently, whenever a Fire Dragon visit comes around, he checks in with Fuyuya to confirm if a new party is handling it. The Guild trusts him a great deal.”
“Wow, sounds like a really conscientious guy,” Ize said. “Let’s call him Mister Earnest!”
“I don’t need a nickname, thanks,” A calm voice floated over from the side as the group walked and talked. “Call me Volhelm.”
“”…Huh?””
The three turned toward the sound.
A café terrace opened onto the street, and there, seated at a table with a towering stack of empty plates in front of him, a man sipped a cup of coffee with an elegant aura.
“Volhelm,” he repeated. “A-rank adventurer. You three must be the party taking on the Fire Dragon quest?”
“Yeah,” Fieda replied. “We’re on our way to the Guild now to register our acceptance.”
“I see. You’re the B-rank, then? And these two are… your kids?”
“Close enough. Let’s just say I’m their guardian.”
“Got it! I’ll be heading to the Guild shortly too. See you there.”
With that, Volhelm poured a generous amount of Kudyu sauce over a stack of triple-layered pancakes and took a joyful bite. Clearly, this A-rank adventurer had a serious sweet tooth.
◆
Still reeling slightly from the sight they’d just witnessed, the three arrived at the Adventurers’ Guild. Before they could reach the counter, the same receptionist from the previous day stepped out to meet them.
“Good morning, Fieda,” she greeted politely. “Are these the party members you mentioned yesterday?”
“That’s right. Hal, Ize — show her your Adventurer Cards.”
“”Here,”” they said in unison, handing them over.
The receptionist glanced over their information, then returned the cards with a nod.
“Thank you. Yesterday you said you’d decide together whether or not to accept the request. Have you reached a decision?”
“We’d like to accept it,” Fieda said. “But there are some matters I’d like to discuss in private, if possible.”
“Of course. Since an A-rank adventurer will be joining you, we already have a room prepared for the meeting.”
“Ah. If it’s Volhelm, we ran into him earlier.”
“You were already acquainted?”
“No, not really. He just greeted us at a café on the way here.”
“Oh, the Yu-no-Yunonon Café, I imagine. He’s there nearly every day — he loves their Kudyu sauce.”
“I see…”
So even the Guild staff knew of Volhelm’s sweet tooth.
◆
Once they were seated in the reserved meeting room, they used the time before Volhelm’s arrival to go over key details.
“As you can see, I’m B-rank,” Fieda began. “But the other two are still quite young and lacking in experience. However, due to a request from Wardon, an A-rank adventurer we met in Jasted, we’re expected to join this year’s Rank 2 Dungeon campaign. We’re hoping to gain more field experience before that. Is it possible to delay their promotion to C-rank for now?”
“Understood,” the receptionist replied with a polite nod. “I’ll report your request to the Guild’s upper management. There shouldn’t be a problem.”
At her response, Hal and Ize let out audible sighs of relief.
That should be enough to avoid getting labeled as some kind of meteoric prodigy shooting up the ranks.
“Excuse me,” Hal said politely. “I’m Hal — and I have a question about the details of the quest.”
“Of course, Hal,” the receptionist replied with a professional smile.
“Is there any obligation to report what we tell the Fire Dragon?”
“There isn’t,” she answered. “Although, if the geyser marks it, the neighborhood committee might come by to ask more about it.”
“Geyser?”
The unfamiliar word made everyone tilt their heads in confusion, wondering what a geyser could have to do with anything.
“Ah — my apologies,” the woman said quickly, bowing her head. “I forget that term doesn’t translate well outside of Fuyuya. You see, the geyser is–”
“An indicator of how much the Fire Dragon enjoyed your story!” came a loud, cheerful voice.
Volhelm strode into the room without a shred of hesitation. His voice was smooth and upbeat, but his entrance was anything but polite.
“Enjoyed?” Hal parroted, uncertain.
“When the Fire Dragon’s in a good mood,” Volhelm continued, “a geyser erupts in the pond at the center of town. Boom! Straight up! The whole town watches from the observation deck and measures it against the height of the far-off mountain range.”
He raised a hand to his brow like a visor and mimed squinting into the distance.
The exaggerated, cartoonish gesture reminded Ize of a wind-up toy. She couldn’t help but laugh.
“The taller the geyser, the more the Fire Dragon liked your story,” Volhelm went on proudly. “The townspeople adore the Fire Dragon, so if your story makes a splash, they’ll absolutely come asking for the details.”
“I’m afraid that’s just how it is,” the receptionist added, sounding apologetic. “You won’t be able to avoid them. But for the record, no one’s managed to trigger a full-height geyser in years. So you can relax.”
“Although,” Volhelm chimed in with a wry smile, “getting too relaxed can be dangerous. Three years ago, the pond didn’t even ripple. That was… well, tense.”
“Three days of nightmares,” the receptionist muttered, eyes hollow with the memory.
The two of them stood there looking like their souls had been sucked out — wax dolls left out in the sun.
Hal suddenly felt the weight of just how serious this quest really was. The Fire Dragon’s reaction would be announced across the entire town in real-time. This was not the kind of mission one could take lightly.
“But hey, we’re actually pretty hopeful this time around. That’s what everyone in town’s been saying,” Volhelm said, perking up. He looked at Ize’s group with sparkling eyes, his fingers fluttering in the air like leaves on a breeze. “The pond’s been stirring since yesterday. That usually only happens when someone really interesting arrives in town.”
“Well, I didn’t know that,” Ize said. “Guess we’ll have to stop by and check it out on the way back.”
“Exactly!” he laughed. “The whole town’s buzzing. Everyone’s got high hopes for you lot.”
Ize, Hal, and Fieda exchanged glances, their faces sinking into expressions reminiscent of fish floating belly-up.
So this was what it felt like to be a hotly anticipated comedy act before the grand prize showdown…
“Anyway,” Volhelm said, suddenly turning serious, “we’ll be working together for the next three days — well, including travel, three and a half. Let me introduce myself properly. I’m Volhelm, an A-rank adventurer. I specialize in archery and wind magic. I’ve been doing this quest for over ten years now — supervising adventurers from other towns. I’m happy to answer any questions you have.”
Hal perked up slightly. It was his first time meeting another wind magic user. He rarely displayed anything besides water magic or Appraisal skills, but just observing Volhelm’s techniques would no doubt be instructive.
“Thank you. I’m Fieda, a B-rank adventurer. I was a horsebus guard for twenty-five years before I signed up, and my promotion’s quite recent, so I’m still getting my bearings. It’s an honor to be working alongside an A-rank. I wield a sword. Pleased to meet you.”
“I’m Hal, D-rank. I became an adventurer after turning fifteen last year. I mainly use water magic. Looking forward to working with you.”
“I’m Ize, also D-rank and fifteen. I can use light magic. Glad to be here.”
They each gave a polite bow after their introductions, sharing just enough information about their skills to set expectations for the mission.
“All right,” Volhelm said, nodding. “Have you heard about the Rank 2 Dungeon yet?”
“Volhelm,” the receptionist interjected before they could answer, “Fieda’s group was already invited by Wardon. They’ve accepted.”
“What!? Man, he works fast!” Volhelm laughed, nodding in admiration.
Watching the man beam with approval, Hal decided to ask the obvious.
“You know Wardon personally?”
“Of course I do,” Volhelm said with a grin. “There aren’t that many A-rank adventurers in the kingdom. We all cross paths eventually.”
That made sense. With such a small pool of top-rank adventurers, they were bound to run into each other during major Dungeon raids.
“Well, well,” Volhelm went on, “I heard his party’s back in action too. This operation might go better than expected.”
“Are you heading to Sooryab as well?” Fieda asked.
“Not right away,” he replied. “Maybe once progress is about halfway through. Starting from the beginning would burn me out, and A-ranks are usually saved for when they’re really needed.”
“Got it,” Ize said. “We’ll do our best to clear the path quickly.”
“Don’t overdo it,” Volhelm cautioned. “This one’s going to be a marathon, not a sprint.”
He gave them an easy smile — relaxed, confident, and weathered by experience. This was someone who’d seen his share of raids and Dormancy operations. His advice carried the weight of someone who knew how to pace a long campaign.
“Have you already been briefed on what comes next?” he asked.
“No, not yet,” Hal answered.
“Then allow me to explain,” the receptionist said, laying out several papers on the desk. She began to summarize the essentials without missing a beat. “Tomorrow morning, provisions will be delivered to the Guild. Although you have a water magic user, we’ve included a variety of drinks just in case.”
“Any sweets for me?” Volhelm asked hopefully.
“The townsfolk have been bringing in so many over the past few days that it’s become overwhelming,” she replied dryly. “Please pick them up today, if possible.”
“Excellent! As everyone’s bound to know by now, sugar is my fuel!”
Claiming sweets as fuel — Ize shuddered to think how deep that sweet tooth ran. Spending the next few days with this man was starting to feel a little intimidating.
“You’ll receive your payment and reward tokens after the quest is complete,” the receptionist continued. “Those tokens can cover your lodging costs while staying in town. Just tell us which inn you’re using, and we’ll handle the process.”
“Does it have to be the same inn for the whole week?” Fieda asked.
“Not at all. Some people even change inns every night. Feel free to stay wherever you like.”
Fieda nodded, and Hal and Ize bumped fists under the table.
“One last thing,” the receptionist added. “In the unlikely event that a fight breaks out with the Fire Dragon, the Guild cannot cover any injuries or equipment losses. Please be aware.”
“Well,” Volhelm said with a dry laugh, “if it comes to that, your gear won’t be your biggest problem.”
In other words — if they were to fight the Fire Dragon, they were more likely to lose their lives than their armor.
Ize, Hal, and Fieda all forced stiff, nervous smiles.
This was going to be one hell of a mission.