Chapter 7

It's been a while! I've finally finished the third side story, so I've posted it.

I hope you enjoy it.

"Kyaahhh! Jyuna-kun!!!"

Pafemia, who thought it was a scream for a moment, braced herself.

The location was the comprehensive park in Noiville.

There was a lawn where you could spread out a picnic and a few playground equipment.

In the pond, couples were floating small boats and whispering sweet nothings to each other.

The voice came from near the stage set up in the comprehensive park.

Occasionally, circuses or singing performances would take place, and at the moment, five handsome men were singing and dancing on the stage.

Surrounding the stage were women who seemed to be fans, and the voice Pafemia heard earlier was not a scream but an enthusiastic cheer.

"Wow. It's really lively, isn't it?"

Pafemia, who grew up in the mountains, was taken aback.

Beside her was Sharon, the 'Holy Maiden of Prophecy,' who was carrying large basket-shaped lunch boxes in both hands.

On top of them, two large fruits were placed.

At this time, they would usually be on a quest, but today was a day off.

They had just returned from spending the day in the park, eating lunch together.

"Those are idols, aren't they?"

"Idols?"

Pafemia, who grew up in the mountains, blinked in confusion.

"Yes. They basically sing and dance, but they also challenge various arts such as stage acting and acrobatics as their profession."

"Wow. You know a lot, Sharon. Do you like those idols?"

"N-no, that's not it. I've just seen them several times at the palace."

"Did they sing and dance then too?"

"Yes, and one of them even acted as the king for a day."

"King for a day!? You can be the king? That's amazing, idols."

Pafemia's eyes sparkled.

"But, singing and dancing at the same time must be quite challenging. They must be incredibly well-trained. I have to work hard too!!"

Pafemia started shadow boxing on the spot.

Sharon smiled as she watched her sharp fists.

"That's the spirit, Lady Pafemia. But today is a day off, so please take it easy and rest your body."

"Right!"

The two left the scene and headed towards the cheap inn where they were staying.

"I wonder how Shisho is doing..."

Pafemia looked up at the sky.

Sharon smiled as she watched her.

"It must be disappointing that you couldn't go with them."

"Umm, well, it can't be helped."

Currently, Caphodia is on her way to the capital of the Kingdom of Cantabria.

To be more precise, she was sent flying there.

The purpose is to receive the reward for solving the Mariagera kidnapping case.

According to Elite, she will definitely be granted a noble title.

However, the fact that she added, "It's more interesting this way," was quite mysterious...

"Shisho is amazing! She's becoming more and more important."

"Considering Lady Caphodia's power, it's not surprising."

"I have to be like Shisho and become someone people can rely on."

"Yes, if you do, someone might even call you 'Master' one day."

"Me, a master... I can't even imagine it."

"Haa..."

Suddenly, a sigh was heard, and the two turned around.

It was a side street off the main road of Noiville.

It was the path they usually took to the inn, and there was a bakery.

The sign read 'Men's Bakery,' with a rugged name and font that made you think they might serve oversized bread.

There, sighing, was Verdana.

She leaned against a small counter, looking troubled.

"Ms. Verdana, what's wrong?"

Pafemia and Sharon approached the store and asked.

"Hey... Pafemia and Lady Sharon. There's nothing I can do. Look at this mess..."

She spread her hands.

As soon as they saw it, they knew 'Men's Bakery' had no customers at all.

It was completely deserted.

"Huh? But, I thought it was really popular when it first opened."

When it first opened, it was incredibly popular.

The bread was baked and sold by a silver-ranked adventurer.

Its novelty spread beyond Noiville to other towns.

Customers flocked daily, and Verdana couldn't keep up with the demand.

Mysteltainn, who handled customer service, was especially popular.

Despite not even cracking a smile, his cold attitude only fueled the ladies' interest.

Some women even bought bread in bulk just to get a smile from Mysteltainn.

"But why?"

"Like bread, handsome faces have an expiration date. Now, there are idols at the park."

"Oh, I saw them earlier."

"All our customers have been taken by them. They're all obsessed with those idols now."

"That's a problem."

Sharon narrowed her eyes in sympathy.

"By the way, where is Mr. Mysteltainn?"

"He's hiding in the back, reading a difficult book."

"Difficult book?"

"'If the luggage carrier of the hero's party read Dracky's 'Business Management' ~ Bat Man's Ultimate Strategy'—it has a long title."

"It sounds difficult just to hear it."

Pafemia, whose brain couldn't process it, held her head.

"But, isn't the problem with a bakery the taste?"

"What, Pafemia? Are you criticizing the taste of my bread?"

For once, Verdana raised her voice.

She rolled up her white chef's sleeves and glared at Pafemia.

"Come to think of it, we've never tried the bread here."

"Hey! I'll bring you some bread right now. You decide for yourself if it's good or not. It's on the house."

"Thank you. That's very kind of you."

"Yes, especially since there are so few customers."

"It's fine! It's fine! First, let's start with a classic, a koppa bread!!"

Verdana brought out the koppa bread.

She warmed it in the oven once, so it wasn't as fresh as just baked, but it still smelled good.

"Let's try a bite..."

"Itadakimasu."

The two took a bite of the koppa bread Verdana made.

After chewing a few times, their eyes sparkled.

"Wow, it's delicious!"

"Yes... It's delicious."

"Right? Right?"

Verdana folded her arms, looking satisfied.

She tilted her head back, looking at the ceiling.

"But..."

"Yes... That's right."

"Huh? What's wrong? Did something strange get in it?"

When Verdana asked, Pafemia and Sharon shook their heads.

"No, it's not that, but... how do I put it..."

"Come on! Speak up! I'm curious!"

Verdana finally raised her voice.

After a moment of hesitation, Pafemia and Sharon spoke in unison.

"Shall we say that the bread made by Lady Pafemia is better?"

"Yeah, my bread is better."

They both stated firmly.

"What!?"

Verdana let out a strange sound and froze.

Beside her, Pafemia took another bite of the bread, chewing it thoroughly.

"Hmm, maybe it's a bit under-kneaded. The texture is a bit sticky, and the crumb structure is coarse. Maybe the final proofing time wasn't long enough... Overall, if you took a bit more time, it would be even better."

"Pa, pa, pa, Pafemiaaaaaa!!!"

Verdana screamed.

Veins bulged on her temples, and she pointed at Pafemia.

"If you're going to say that, then your pa—"

Three hours later...

"I give up!!"

Verdana was kneeling on the street in front of Pafemia, holding the koppa bread Pafemia made.

She chewed it again, tears streaming down her face.

"Delicious... What delicious bread! The outside is crispy, but the inside is fluffy. The texture when you bite into it is irresistible. It's sweet and refined, and the taste is great. How can a simple koppa bread be this delicious?"

She was stunned by the difference between her own and Pafemia's koppa bread.

In the distance, the church bells rang.

It was as if they were announcing the winner.

"Pafemia! No, Master!! Teach me the essence of bread-making!"

"Me, a master...??"

"Yes! Please be my master!!"

Master... Master... Master... Master... Master...

The word echoed sweetly in Pafemia's mind.

The red wolf girl, who was initially confused, perked up her tail and ears.

She then smiled down at Verdana.

"Well, Verdana, my training is tough. Can you keep up?"

"Yes! I'll follow you through any tough training, Master."

"Hehe! Being called 'Master' sounds pretty good! I might get addicted."

"Master, did you say something?"

Verdana tilted her head.

Pafemia cleared her throat and regained her composure.

"Alright! Then, Verdana! We'll start special training from tomorrow!"

"Yes! Master!!"

Verdana raised her fist in response to Pafemia's voice.

Sharon, who had been watching from the side, smiled wryly.

"Um... What will happen now?"

It seems the disciple wants to become the master... (to be continued)

This time, Pafemia is going overboard.

I'm posting multiple new stories every day, including "The Court Keymaster, who was hiding the abilities of [Time Stop] and [Molecular Decomposition] and was exiled—The sealed demon king seems to have gone wild, but it's too late as I've decided to aim for dungeon conquest with an S-rank adventurer."

I hope you can read them during the weekend or in between teleworking. Thank you.

Also, the comic version of my work, "Rebellion of Varrow," has been released.

It's a bit challenging due to the pandemic, but I would appreciate it if you could check it out at bookstores.

It's also available as an e-book and on various online platforms. Thank you.