Chapter 10 - The Threatening saleslady.
"Alright, sir, here are your clothes," the minotaur sales lady said as she walked in with a bag filled with garments.
"Thank you," Kenji replied, standing up and taking the bag from her. He would have stored it in his spatial ring immediately if not for the advice the old carriage driver had given him—and the fact that he didn't want to attract unnecessary attention.
"So, how much do all of these cost?" Kenji asked, eager to leave and find out where Master Fubara was.
The lady smiled at him—a predatory grin. "Well, you see, sir, the service I just provided is a VIP service. And since I personally handpicked these clothes for you, that comes at an additional cost. So, the total, including the cost of the clothes, is three hundred silver coins," she said, her smile almost devilish.
Realizing the situation he was in, Kenji began to fume. "But I never asked for VIP treatment! And I thought helping customers pick clothes was part of your job! It did seem a bit sketchy at first, but I assumed it was normal store policy!"
"Oh my gosh! Sir, are you accusing me of trying to rip you off?" she gasped dramatically, her mouth wide enough to fit an orange.
"Don't act innocent! You know exactly what you were doing! You were even joking with me earlier!" Kenji exclaimed, baffled by the absurdity of the situation. How dare she try to scam him? He had dealt with plenty of con artists in his original world—and he had even scammed a few himself. There was no way he would let anyone trick him, especially not in this new world.
"Sir, regardless of what you think, you have to pay for the service whether you like it or not," she said. Her eyes glowed a strange red for a moment before returning to normal, making it clear that she was willing to use force if necessary.
Kenji didn't understand much about this world yet, but one thing was certain—if he dragged this out any longer, things would get painful. Based on what the Holy Servant and the king had told him about his rank and strength, he knew he wouldn't stand a chance against this lady.
Sighing in frustration, he pulled out the coin pouch the old man had given him and retrieved a gold coin. "Here. Gold is more valuable than silver, so this should be more than enough. I assume I'll get some change back," he said, handing her the coin.
But she didn't seem to hear a word he said. Her greedy gaze fixated on the coin, and she fiddled with it before turning to Kenji with a bright smile. "Thank you for the tip, sir! I really appreciate it!"
Kenji felt his anger spike. "Tip?! I didn't give you a—"
Before he could finish, the death stare she shot at him sent chills down his spine. His words died in his throat, and he had no choice but to swallow his frustration.
Gritting his teeth, he turned and stormed out of the store. "I'll be back. You'll regret this," he muttered under his breath.
But the sales lady didn't seem to care. She just stared at the coin in her hands with childlike glee, waving him off cheerfully like an innocent shopkeeper.
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After walking for a while, Kenji overheard a group of people discussing the same topic the adventurers had mentioned. Unlike before, however, these individuals were actually heading there.
Silently, he followed them.
After about three miles, one of them turned around and frowned. "Hey, kid. Are you following us?" the man asked, irritation flickering in his eyes.
"Ah! I'm so sorry, big brothers! I overheard that you were going to Master Fubara's restaurant, and that's where I'm headed too. But since I don't know the way, I thought I could tag along," Kenji explained, his face flushing slightly.
The man suddenly burst into laughter. "Hahaha! No need to be so flustered, little brother. Don't worry—I get it. You must be new to town. Of course, you can follow us," he said with a friendly smile.
Kenji exhaled in relief. Ever since arriving in this world, he had been met with either fake smiles or threatening glares. Seeing a genuine warm expression for once was refreshing.
As they walked together, small talk naturally started between them.
"Hey, little brother," the man said, glancing at him. "Why do you want to go to Master Fubara's restaurant? Are you here for the disciple trial?"
"Oh, that's not it at all, big brother. I plan on participating in the trial and hope to be chosen by the legendary master," Kenji responded.
"Ah, I see," the man nodded before his expression turned serious. "But little brother, you should know... the condition for winning this trial is to create a dish that Master Fubara has never seen or tasted in his entire life."
"What?!" Kenji's eyes widened in shock.
A dish that Master Fubara had never tasted before? That was insane! How was he supposed to know what kinds of dishes the legendary chef had already tried?
But then, a thought crossed his mind.
"Big brother... have you ever heard of a dish called Rice and Curry?"
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Author's Note
Hey, my dear readers! This is just a stepping stone in Kenji's journey. Don't worry—he's not diving fully into the cooking world! This is just a momentary detour where he gets to experience his dreams. His real adventure will begin after Chapter 12.
Also, I don't recommend skipping these Chapters. There are important details hidden within them!
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Harem or Not? Vote Now!
Alright, guys, I need your input before Chapter 12 is published! Should this story have a harem or not? This is your last chance to decide—after Chapter 12, I won't take any more votes!
This chapter is updat𝓮d by freēwebnovel.com.
And if you complain later about my decision? Well... let's just say I'll be raining down curses on y'all. You had your chance! If you're reading this after Chapter 12, too bad—blame the Webnovel Gods!
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See you guys in the next Chapter! Goodbye!