NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 15 - Episode 015: Headhunter, Family gathering
Episode 015: Headhunter, Family gathering
The next day, Ack was thinking about the menu to be offered at the Fluffy Cafe since morning.
Through market research, he already knew the ingredients sold in this town and the dishes sold in restaurants and cafes.
In the cafe, freshly squeezed juices, iced coffee, and iced tea were popular, as expected.
Due to the mild climate around here, various vegetables and fruits are cultivated, so freshly squeezed juices are particularly popular.
As for meals, sandwiches were popular, mainly those with lettuce, tomato, and bacon, those with breaded and fried pork and chopped cabbage, and those with ham and cucumber.
And for dessert, pancakes were mainstream.
Also, information on what kind of monsters inhabit the nearby forests and mountains and what kind of ingredients can be obtained was obtained at the adventurers’ guild.
Based on that information, he experimented while thinking about what kind of dishes he could offer.
Basically, while offering what is preferred in this town, he decided to try offering dishes eaten in other countries and regions, using his experience of traveling around the world to gauge the reaction.
Vegetables can be purchased at the market, meat can be hunted by himself, and eggs and milk can be offered a bit cheaper by raising monsters.
Come to think of it, there aren’t any colorful cold and sweet things that were very popular in another country around here.
Since he had the tools, he decided to make them.
“I’m home.”
“Kyu”
“Kuku”
“Welcome back.”
While doing various things in the kitchen, Tina and the others who had been playing outside came back.
“Wow, so many dishes.”
“I might have made too much.”
Tina was surprised to see the various dishes lined up on the table.
While reflecting on getting a little too absorbed, he came up with a good idea.
“Let’s go out for a bit.”
“Where are we going?”
“Just nearby.”
Ack put the dishes in containers and put them in the magic bag, then took Tina and Snow outside.
The weather is nice today, just right.
Ack and the others arrived at a small hill with large trees a few minutes’ walk from home.
They laid out a mat in the shade, lined up the experimental dishes, took off their shoes, and sat down.
Although the distance they walked was short, what Ack thought of was a picnic.
During their travels, they often ate while taking breaks or camping in open places, but somehow, eating dishes while feeling the natural scenery seemed to taste better than eating at home.
Since the weather was nice and he had made a lot of dishes, he felt like eating outside after a long time.
He put sandwiches he made for Snow and the others on plates and handed them out, then took one himself with one hand.
“Delicious.”
“Kyu!!”
“Kuuu”
As they put the food in their mouths, everyone showed a smile.
Seeing someone smile because of the dishes he made made Ack happy. It seemed right to run a cafe where he could see customers’ smiles up close.
“This is ice cream, a cold and sweet treat.”
And for dessert after the meal, there was ice cream.
He had put it in the magical freezer to harden and chill. After some time, it had softened just right and was melting.
Yes, this was the thing he hadn’t seen in this country. It was very popular in other countries, and he thought it might sell well in this warm region.
“More.”
“Kyuiii”
“Kuuuu”
At least Tina and the others loved it.
Although they begged for more, he limited it to two per person as they might upset their stomachs.
“This is a toy called a Frisbee, made in a distant country. When you throw it like this, it flies far away. In that country, there was a game trend of throwing Frisbees and having animals fetch them.”
After finishing their meal and relaxing for a while, Ack and the others decided to move around and play a bit to digest.
He took out the disc-shaped toy and explained it to everyone.
“First, I’ll show you how it’s done. You guys catch it and bring it back to me. The first one to catch it and bring it back to me will get a reward. However, interfering with or attacking others is prohibited.”
“Kyu!!”
“Kuuu”
Upon hearing Ack’s words, Snow and Chiffon sparked between their gazes.
Generally, Snow was superior, but in competitions, the hierarchy seemed to be ineffective.
“Alright, let’s do this.”
With a signal from Ack, he lightly threw the Frisbee.
However, the strength of the strongest mercenary was no joke, and the Frisbee flew with tremendous force.
“…”
Almost everyone was stunned by its incredible speed.
However, there was someone who remained completely unfazed.
“Kyu!!”
Catching up to that speed, a white figure jumped high and caught the Frisbee.
It was Snow.
Snow returned with the Frisbee in his mouth, proudly puffing out his chest in front of Chiffon and the others.
“This is your reward.”
“Kyu!!”
Taking the Frisbee, Ack took out biscuits from the magic bag, patted Snow’s head, and held out the biscuit in front of his face.
With a happy expression, Snow closed his eyes and chewed on the biscuit.
Chiffon and the others’ expressions changed.
From there, the fierce battle of the familiars began.
However, if Snow were to seriously compete, he would win. To let Chiffon and the others enjoy it, Snow was holding back and allowing them to catch the Frisbee.
Just like a big brother.
“Wanna give it a try?”
“Yeah.”
Handing the Frisbee to the eager Tina, she threw it with all her might.
Unlike Ack, the Frisbee flew with uncertain movements.
Snow and the others slowly chased after it and caught it, returning it to Tina in addition to Ack.
“Good job.”
Tina, who received biscuits from Ack, gave one to the returning Soufflé and patted him.
“Kun.”
Soufflé leaned against Tina, purring contentedly.
“I’m tired.”
Tina threw the Frisbee until she was satisfied.
“Let’s head back soon.”
Having enjoyed the picnic, Ack and the others set off for home.