Chapter 14

In preparation for any emergencies (mainly if I get kidnapped or deceived), I decided to make ear cuffs for everyone. After all, communication is important. The convenient messenger magic can't be sent without paper and pen, and there are magic tools that can seal magic itself, which seasoned criminals apparently all have.

"I won't wear such flashy things."

To my surprise, Grandpa was reluctant. He usually has a smile on his face, but now he looked a bit stubborn.

When I asked him why, it turned out that the Zain Guild was built up by Grandpa alone to its current size. In his younger days, he was treated as a nouveau riche by his peers, which made him uncomfortable. Since then, he has avoided wearing unnecessary accessories, so he was resistant to wearing an ear cuff, even if it was for communication. Hmm, that's deep.

Well, if it's not flashy, then it's fine, right? I looked for a design that Grandpa might accept, and what caught my eye was the stylish emblem of the Zain Guild. It was designed by Grandpa's late wife to represent honesty, and it was a beautiful depiction of the Iott flower. It reminds me of violets from my previous life.

I added the guild emblem to the ear cuff design, making it simple and a bit thicker for men. I matched the color of the magic stone to make it calm and elegant. I went for a mature, adult look that a cool old man would like.

I was quite satisfied with the result, but I wondered if Grandpa would like it. To my surprise, he was overjoyed, even tearing up. He really liked the guild emblem, saying it felt like his wife was by his side. And when he heard a voice in his ear, he was surprised. So, it's a stylish communication device!

I made Jin's design more elaborate. The emblem of the Marita Kingdom is a lion. Pfft, a muscular lion. It's perfect.

I engraved the lion design and used a blue magic stone that matched Jin's eye color. The color of a clear summer sky. It suits Jin very well. I arranged the magic stone on a thin layer of mithril. It was a bit tiring, but I worked hard for Jin, and I think I did a great job.

Jin was also very happy. He asked if this design could be exclusive to him, and I said it was fine, so he hugged me tightly. It was a bit uncomfortable. What's going on?

Bari wanted a matching design with Kiri, but Kiri gently yet firmly refused. I also refused because Kiri's ear cuff matches mine. I firmly rejected it. In the end, I made Bari's ear cuff with his family emblem, which is a design of two swords, and embedded a magic stone. It turned out to be a punk-like design, but it suited Bari's flashy personality. He was a bit disappointed, though.

The three of them were giggling as they tried out the ear cuffs. Three adults playing with communication devices. When Kiri and I first tried them, we were like this too, so we watched them with gentle eyes. Yeah, it's fun, isn't it?

But I was taken aback by Jin's comment, "I can hear Shina's voice right next to my ear. It's wonderful." Isn't he gradually becoming strange?

◇◇◇

Despite the delays, we moved to the inn's dining room for dinner. It was a bit late, so there were few people in the dining room. The innkeeper quickly served us the evening meal. Yay, I'm hungry. Where did the food I ate while walking go?

Today's menu is bread and vegetable soup, an egg dish, and the main dish is a steak made from the meat of a raggy, a weak monster that looks like a goat. It's a popular meat for low-rank adventurers because it's easy to hunt and is nutritious, making it a staple for commoners.

However, raggy meat has a unique odor. It's the No. 1 disliked ingredient by children, like liver in my previous life, but even more pungent. I'm a bit picky about it too. It's not because I'm a child; many adults dislike it too!

I tasted a bit of the raggy meat. It was simply seasoned with salt. Yeah, it smells.

I sprinkled a mix of dried herbs that I had stored with storage magic on the raggy meat. The appraisal magic said this combination was perfect for the meat, and I dried it with fire magic. Adding salt to this mix makes it easy to season the meat when frying.

"Miss, what did you just sprinkle on the raggy?"

I was caught by the innkeeper while enjoying my steak with a smile. Oh no.

It was rude to change the taste of the food someone else prepared. I'm sorry.

"Oh, no, it's fine. It's not a big deal. I was just surprised to see a little girl eating raggy meat with a smile. I thought I might have to make something else if you couldn't eat it. But you seem to be doing fine, which is surprising."

The innkeeper was kind. The word "little girl" stung a bit. I handed the container of herb mix to the innkeeper and explained.

"This is a mix of several dried herbs. It helps to eliminate the odor of the meat."

"Really? Can I try it?"

I nodded, and the innkeeper took the herb mix and returned to the kitchen.

"Shina, what's that?"

Bari's friendly smile. Yeah, it's intimidating. What's he angry about?

"I've been using it during the journey! Here, take a look."

I handed Bari another container. He was eating it, munching away.

"Delicious. The raggy doesn't smell. The meat has more depth. Delicious."

Jin, Kiri, and Grandpa were all vying to sprinkle the herb mix on their meat.

Kiri was holding his cheeks in delight. Yeah, Kiri is cute. Bari was grinning at Kiri. He's a criminal.

Jin said, "Shina's cooking is always delicious," and was in a good mood. The innkeeper made the meal, though.

The innkeeper came back with heavy footsteps.

"Miss! This is the herb mix, right? Amazing! The raggy meat tastes like high-quality meat! Even children would eat it! Where can I get this?"

"That—"

"Through the Adventurer's Guild, it will be available soon. Look forward to it."

Bari interrupted me and smiled at the innkeeper. The innkeeper was delighted, "Oh, that's great news!" She returned the herb mix to me and went back to the kitchen in a good mood.

"Bari?"

When I asked him curiously, he had that smile. It's scary.

"Don't undervalue your knowledge. You have to make money when you can! Right, Zain?"

"Okay, okay. I'll work hard, I guess. I don't have time to retire."

Bari's friendly smile and Grandpa's sigh. Hmm, could this sell too?

"Shina, you're really amazing."

Jin remained as laid-back as ever. Don't touch my head.

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