Disregard not this platter of lettuce salad, for it hath not only aided Ina in the fulfillment of her novice quest but also unlocked the chef sub profession and the fabled Slime Recycling House.
Ina perused her character attribute panel:
Player Name: Ina
Occupation: Mage (Legendary Mage)
Sub-occupations: Alchemist lv7, Florist lv3, Chef lv1
Race: Dragonkin (Black Dragon)
Level: lv100
Attributes: Attack 233333, Defense 99999, Spiritual Power 99999, Health 999999, Charisma ???, Luck ???
Equipped gear: Ode to Wintry Nights (Legendary Robe), Poem of the Dangling Stars (Legendary Staff)...
Current Appearance: None
In the game, players may choose two sub-occupations, one for battle support, such as Scroll Maker, Potion Brewer, or Ina's Alchemist, capable of crafting magical scrolls, potions, and peculiar trinkets, which not only enhance abilities but also serve as a primary source of income for ordinary players.
As for the other life-supporting occupations, choices lie between Florist, Farmer, Chef, and Fisherman, likely aimed at enhancing one's leisure pursuits. Ina had selected one on a whim and now she feels a bit regretful. Among all life-supporting occupations, it seemed only the Florist and running a restaurant did not correlate; what are the chances that a garden brimming with vibrant flowers would attract patrons to dine?
However, since she had unlocked the Chef sub-occupation, starting anew seemed of no consequence. Ina gazed at the 3D character model floating in her panel, wondering which was more ludicrous – a black dragon wielding a staff, or a mage garbed in chef's attire?
With this in mind, she opened the appearance interface and chose the most fitting attire from the myriad she had once purchased.
[Pink Sweetheart: Gradient pink wavy curls, transitioning from sweet lilac to rose pink, eventually fading to a smoky blush hue. Affinity +5]
[Bottled Sugar Paper: A snow-white petticoat, sheer satin cover falling cherry blossoms, the skirt's swirling edges revealing mysterious patterns. Affinity +10]
Having changed her appearance, the system's voice chimed in once more. "Congratulations on completing all novice tutorial tasks. Would you like to claim your Novice Gift Pack?"
Ina eagerly opened the gift pack. "You have received: [Restaurant sign 1], [20 silver coins], [Small Blackboard 1], and [Restaurant decoration: Small Town Ambiance] ."
A mere 20 silver coins! Ina was somewhat disappointed by the game's stinginess. At her level, embedding and enchanting equipment could cost tens of thousands of gold coins; she rarely encountered silver coins.
She forced herself to perk up – Her past glories could dissipate into the wind along with her gold coin balance.
Upon receiving the Restaurant sign, the system prompted Ina to name her restaurant. She thought "Dragonflame Restaurant" sounded decent. Although the restaurant had no dishes yet, it have a genuine black dragon, so she didn't bother thinking of a new name, and simply replaced the old, rickety sign hanging outside the entrance.
At last, she could see the restaurant's panel.
Dragonflame Restaurant
Branches: None
Enterprises: Farm (Bathtub Farm), Ranch (None), Forest (None), Fishpond (None)
Level: 1
Experience Points (affected by revenue and number of customers): 0/1000
Achievement Points: 0
Reputation: 0
Current Funds: 20 Silver Coins
Decoration: Small Town Ambiance
Besides the main restaurant page, there were various shops to explore: Seed Shop, Decoration Shop, Tableware Shop, and more. However, only the lettuce seeds in the Seed Shop were illuminated, priced at 3 copper coins each.
The Seed Shop had unique rules – Ina had to obtain new seeds from the system and illuminate the illustration to unlock the corresponding seeds for purchase. Thus, she could only buy lettuce seeds for now.
Though she had completed the novice tutorial, Ina remained clueless about running the restaurant. Where would she get the ingredients? Surely, she couldn't expect her patrons to gnaw on raw lettuce? Who would be her clientele? The town was small – would the residents visit her restaurant for a meal?
Just then, the system's main quest finally arrived: "Main Quest 1: The residents of the town need you. Please open for business as soon as possible. Opening requirements: Repair the worn wooden door (0/1), hire a waiter (0/1)."
Opening? Ina hesitated by the door, attempting to reattach the wooden door she had violently dismantled. She couldn't restore the door hinge, as some parts seemed to be missing. Running out of patience, Ina summoned the system.
"Can you fix the door?"
"Would you like to repair the door? Cost: 5 gold coins."
Ina rubbed her eyes, making sure she saw gold coins instead of copper coins. She was determined to resist such profit from other people's misfortunes. Ina decisively rejected the system's help and took out the small blackboard from the novice gift pack, trying to complete the other half of the opening requirements.
"[Seeking a restaurant waiter. Room and board included. Salary…]" Ina's hand paused. She was unsure of the local cost of living and did not know what would be an appropriate salary for her staff. She hung the unfinished recruitment notice on the outer wall, planning to complete it after visiting the town and getting a sense of the market.
The restaurant door was broken and couldn't be closed, but the owner was about to leave. Ina pondered for a moment, finally digging out a pair of long daggers from her backpack and forcibly nailing the wooden door to the doorframe.
Satisfied, she left, but before she had gone far, she encountered a dashing woman in hunting gear. She appeared to be in her early thirties, tall and walked towards Ina with an air of excitement in her eyes.
"Are you the new owner of Dragonflame Restaurant? We've been waiting for you for a long time." Ina was taken aback. Was there a hidden secret to this restaurant? Otherwise, why would a restaurant owner be met with such high expectations? Fortunately, the woman was talkative and noticed Ina's surprise. She introduced herself with a hearty laugh, "I am Rosa, the mayor of Misty Town. I heard that the next restaurant owner would be taking over soon. Seeing the lights on in the restaurant today, I came to see if I could help with anything. In any case, welcome to our town."
"Hello, I'm Ina." Rosa's gaze swept over Ina's delicate curls, intricate embroidery on her clothing, and fair hands. Instead of asking her any questions, Rosa warmly invited her to tour the town.
The restaurant was on the edge of town beside a cobblestone path included on Misty Town's map. The area was damp and foggy, and the air felt cool and moist on Ina's skin. Ina followed Rosa, accidentally making eye contact with a lamb in the sheep pen. The lamb bleated and buried its head into its mother's belly.
Rosa stopped outside the sheep pen: "Kira is not only an excellent hunter but also a successful rancher. If you need it, you can buy smoked meat and cheese here." Ina silently took note.
As they walked through the streets of the town, Ina felt as if everything before her eyes looked like a faded oil painting, perhaps due to the lack of sunlight. There were no flowers or grass, and under the hazy fog, there were few bright colors.
So many empty spaces, don't they grow vegetables? Ina looked at the gaps between the houses, estimating how much arable land could be reclaimed. Although she only had a small restaurant now, the panel prominently displayed the "Industry" tag, with four branches: farm, ranch, forest, and fish pond. It was clearly encouraging her to expand her industrial chain, covering everything from ingredients to finished products.
Seeing Ina staring at the dead grass on the empty land, Rosa sighed, "The footsteps of the harvest god are blocked by the towering As Mountains, preventing this fertile land from bearing the fruit of a bountiful harvest." She smiled at Ina, "Fortunately, we still have Dragonflame Restaurant."
Wait, Ina was confused. According to Rosa, the land here was not barren but not suitable for growing crops. What did this have to do with her restaurant?
Just as she was about to ask for clarification, Rosa pushed open the door of a shop facing the street.
"I think you'll definitely want to know about this place, Miss Ina." "Grains, be it rye, oats, or beans, they have it all," she joked to the man in the shop, "Hanna's grain store has a grip on our fate."
"Allow me to correct you, Mayor, Hanna's General Store. Not only grains but anything you need can also be found here." Baker, with a small mustache, brushed tung oil on a wooden box as he spoke, "Of course, except for fresh vegetables. The cost of bringing them in is as expensive as gold."
"Transported in?" Ina caught the key point, "These flours are also transported in?" Rosa had revealed that Misty Town was not suitable for growing crops, so the grains in front of her might not be locally produced. The food cost included transportation expenses, which was not good news for her.
"Yes, they are transported from Bante City outside. They have to pass through the cliffs where the giant crows hover and the lakes filled with rotting thorns..." Baker said, "It's the same road you took to get here. It's the only road connecting us to the outside world."
Ina's expression remained unchanged. She had been air-dropped in and, of course, hadn't taken any roads. However, the difficult journey must be the reason for the high price of food.
She looked at the prices: rye flour 3 silver coins/bag, wheat flour 5 silver coins/bag, beans 1 silver coin/bag...
Ina weighed it in her hand; a bag of flour might not even weigh five pounds. With her entire fortune, she could only buy about 20 pounds of flour. She hesitated for a moment and paid for a bag of flour. The store was not far from her restaurant, so she could come back and buy more flour next time if needed.
Baker was puzzled by her purchase of flour, "Miss, the Midnight Swamp is not a good place for cooking. If you want to fill your stomach, you might as well try Hanna's white bread."
Rosa explained, "Miss Ina is the new owner of the Dragonflame Restaurant, not a mage apprentice exploring the Midnight Swamp."
Baker's expression visibly brightened, "When will the restaurant open?" Ina thought about the lettuce salad she fed to the slime and smiled without changing her expression, "Soon."
The town was small, and as they left "Hanna's General Store," Rosa and Ina saw several townspeople putting up temporary signs on their doors. From the slightly darkened signs, Ina recognized words like "Equipment Repair" and "hotel."
What day was it? Was everyone opening their businesses all at once? If not for the townspeople's familiar greetings with Rosa, Ina might have thought they were all unfortunate souls who had entered the game.
As Rosa nodded in response, she explained, "The Fog Month will soon be over. Before the Clear Month arrives, the townspeople will clean up the vacant guest rooms in their homes and rent them to the large number of mercenaries who will soon arrive. This is our main source of income for the year." She glanced at Ina as if to remind her, "It's also the best time for the restaurant business."