Chapter 59

"Here you go, please wait a moment! Meryl's special steamed honey water wheat!"

Meryl, the signboard girl of 'Rustling Stream Inn' where Aldis often stays, brought the dish to the table where Aldis and the others were seated.

"Kiril, eat up! It's on me today!"

"Ah, thank you."

Kiril thanked her with a slightly strained smile.

Though he didn't say it out loud, he must have been inwardly thinking, "Why did this happen to me..." and hanging his head.

After leaving the sorcerer's shop, Aldis and Kiril decided to enjoy a warm meal they hadn't had in a long time at the dining room on the first floor of 'Rustling Stream Inn.' When they tried to order from Meryl, she became interested in Aldis's group.

"Eh? You're from the City-State Federation? So small, and you came alone?"

When Meryl learned that Kiril had come to the capital alone, she expressed her surprise.

Moreover, perhaps because she felt a maternal instinct towards Kiril's appearance, or because his name sounded similar to hers, she began to treat him more favorably than the other customers. In the end, she even threw away her position as the innkeeper's daughter and started providing free meals.

On the surface, this seemed like a good thing for Kiril, but the problem was that all the dishes served were Meryl's special recipes.

Meryl, the daughter of 'Rustling Stream Inn,' is not only the signboard girl but also known by the dishonorable nicknames 'Challenger of Taste,' 'Enemy of Ingredients,' and 'Direct Line to the Toilet' due to her poor cooking skills.

The saying, "Only those who haven't tasted Meryl's cooking can be happy to eat it," is often heard among the inn's guests, and for good reason. Her dishes outright deny the human sense of taste.

When Kiril took a bite of the first dish served, he almost rolled his eyes at how bad it was. However, considering Meryl's kind gesture in treating them, and seeing Aldis calmly continue eating the same dish, he couldn't say anything.

He ate Meryl's artistic creations in silence, tears welling up in his eyes.

"Um... I've never heard of 'steamed honey water wheat' before. Is there a type of wheat called honey water wheat?"

In response to Kiril's question, Meryl proudly answered.

"No, it's not that. The wheat is just regular wheat, but I tried to innovate a bit in the cooking method to explore new flavors."

"Cooking method?"

"Yes. I roughly mashed the wheat and potatoes, soaked them in water for a while, then added honey and mixed it. After adjusting the flavor, I removed the top layer, and it's done!"

"..."

Kiril was speechless.

"Oh, right. Mr. Aldis, the frontman Jean has been looking for you since yesterday. He said he has a job he wants to offer you."

"Ah, I know. I plan to talk to him tomorrow."

"That's good. Jean seemed really troubled. So, Kiril, if you want seconds, just let me know, okay?"

With that, Meryl left for another table.

Kiril reluctantly picked up his spoon and cautiously scooped up the thick, gooey liquid in the bowl, putting it in his mouth. The slimy texture clung to his teeth and mouth, and despite being a paste, it seemed to absorb all the moisture in his mouth. The sweetness from the honey only intensified the unpleasant sensation.

It was terrible.

Kiril screamed in his heart.

The combination of wheat, potatoes, and honey shouldn't be bad. But either the cooking method was wrong, or the cook's skills were hopelessly poor. The finished product was far from delicious.

Kiril struggled to swallow, trying hard not to vomit, and looked at Aldis, who was sitting across the table, eating calmly.

"Mr. Aldis."

"What is it?"

After a moment of awkward silence, Kiril asked.

"......Is it delicious?"

Aldis, who had been mechanically bringing the spoon to his mouth, stopped.

"......It's edible."

"Right, I see..."

Kiril agreed with Aldis's straightforward answer. After all, it was still food.

Kiril, who grew up in an orphanage, had no preferences when it came to food. This was true for all the children in the orphanage.

In an orphanage where being "full" was a luxury, no child would talk about food preferences. Therefore, Kiril believed that as long as there was enough to eat, he shouldn't complain about the meal. Especially since his companion was eating calmly, he couldn't be the only one to show weakness.

After the brief exchange with Aldis, Kiril, despite the terrible taste, silently finished the dish, tears welling up in his eyes.

"Hey, look. There's someone eating Meryl's cooking."

"Huh? Is it Aldis?"

"No, it's Aldis, but there's another kid eating it too."

"No way... He's eating Meryl's cooking..."

"Seriously? That kid is about the same age as my kid. If my kid ate Meryl's cooking, he'd either cry or throw a tantrum, probably."

"Maybe I should let my kid try it?"

"No, don't. It's too much for a kid to handle. Look, that kid is already teary-eyed."

"Still, for a kid, he's got good spirit. He must be a good companion to Aldis."

"Like attracts like, I guess?"

Voices from various tables commented freely.

However, Kiril, who was busy battling the enemy in front of him, had no time to pay attention to such comments. He just kept moving the spoon, pouring Meryl's well-intentioned but poorly modified creation into his stomach.

2019/07/30 Typo correction: "roughly mashed" → "coarsely mashed"

2019/07/30 Typo correction: "regardless" → "regardless"

*Thank you for reporting the typos.