Simon watched his companions bustling in the kitchen, having no expectations for the upcoming dinner.
They rented a room in a resident's house in the small town, where food wasn't provided, but they could use the kitchen. Just thinking about the upcoming salted meat soup and dry bread made Simon feel gloomy, and even his hungry stomach stopped growling.
He remembered the aroma he had smelled before and took the initiative to say, "I heard that the Dragon Flame Restaurant seems to have reopened."
Everyone around looked at Simon with a ghostly expressions. Old John raised his eyebrows, "Are you serious? I hope you don't mean what I think you mean."
Angus spoke in his unique, drawn-out, lamenting tone, "Whether it's black bread mixed with sawdust or grilled lamb chops on a silver platter, they all have the same destination."
Angus's nickname was "The Melancholy One." He came from a minor noble family and somehow became a mercenary. He often muttered strange words that others couldn't understand, with dull eyes, as if he was about to jump into a river and commit suicide, but he was still alive and well today.
Even Sage, who was cooking, poked his head out, "I think the owner of the Dragon Flame Restaurant has the same skill level as me. Fortunately, I don't make a living from my cooking."
The others burst out laughing. Simon felt mocked, and he suddenly stood up and walked outside, not forgetting to take his money pouch. He had to have a meal at the Dragon Flame Restaurant today, no matter what the taste. When he returned, Simon would describe it as an incomparable delicacy, tricking the rest of his team into becoming fools.
At the tavern, Lusen ate with sweat on the tip of his nose, not even lifting his head. The fish meat of the cold thorn fish had no fishy smell, smooth and tender, with the rich spiciness and fish combining seamlessly, penetrating every texture of the fish fillets.
The boiled fish add only lettuce and newly harvested enoki mushrooms from the mushroom cultivation room. The high-quality fish made up for the lack of side dishes, allowing Ina to create an exceptionally delicious dish.
[Boiled Fish★★★: Rich but not greasy, spicy but not dry, fresh, fragrant, and tender. Eating it may have unexpected effects.]
Immediately after, a notification made Ina jump up.
[Main Mission 2: Serve your first guest! Mission Requirements: Achieve a guest satisfaction rating of 70 or above.]
Finally, there were going to be customers in the restaurant! Ina paced expectantly at the door, suddenly realizing something and quickly removing the restaurant's door panel. Having the door panel hit the guests as they knocked was not a pleasant experience.
Simon stared in astonishment at Ina, the girl he had seen near the Midnight Swamp that day, who turned out to be the new owner of the Dragon Flame Restaurant.
He secretly agreed with Sage's opinion that the new owner didn't look like a reliable chef.
Ina was introducing today's menu to him: "Seaweed, ham, and egg drop soup, lettuce salad, tomatoes with white sugar..."
When she realized that there wasn't a single formal main course in it, Ina gave Lusen a look and asked quietly, "What can you cook?"
Lusen glanced at the ingredients, feeling guilty, and continued, "Onion rings, pan-fried mushrooms..."
Simon sniffed sharply. What he had smelled an hour ago outside was this scent! It obviously didn't come from any of the mentioned foods, so he asked proactively, "What is the smell of this food?"
Ina hesitated, not because she didn't want to add the boiled fish to the menu, but because considering Lusen's previous reaction, it seemed that people here couldn't handle overly spicy food.
So she explained, "It's boiled fish, a new dish introduced by the tavern. If you're sure you won't seek compensation from us after eating it, we can sell it to you."
This didn't sound promising, but Simon hadn't held much hope for this meal anyway, and he didn't think any food could harm a robust man like him, so he decided to take the plunge: "I'll have the boiled fish and a lettuce salad."
[You've received an order: Boiled Fish (suggested retail price: 3 silver coins), Lettuce Salad (suggested retail price: 70 copper coins). Please complete the order as soon as possible!]
Ina smiled at Simon, "5 silver coins." She was a shrewd merchant and didn't accept the suggested retail price.
Mercenaries generally spent money like water, as the shadow of death loomed over them year-round. After making a fortune, they would stay in upscale hotels for a night, and when in a tight spot, they often gnawed on the cheapest black bread.
Now was precisely the time when Simon had some money to spare. He counted out the 5 silver coins, already thinking about how to deceive his companions. He planned to exaggerate the quality of the food in the restaurant, and when his companions came to dine, he would have a good laugh at their expense. With this thought, Simon couldn't help but feel a little regretful – if only he had gone to a more upscale restaurant, his lies would certainly have made his companions drool all over their shirts.
Ina poured a spoonful of boiling chili oil over the cooked fish slices, and a rich spicy aroma burst forth. Lusen had already prepared the vegetable salad and took the boiled fish from Ina to serve it.
Simon was indeed starving, and the bright red color and unique aroma of the food in front of him greatly stimulated his appetite. He looked around for a fork and knife, but Ina handed him two slender wooden sticks instead.
"Use these to eat food," she demonstrated.
Out of respect for her position as the owner, Simon reluctantly accepted the wooden sticks. He held one stick in each hand, poking at a slice of fish. The fish slices were very thin and had cooked quickly in the water. They trembled on Simon's chopsticks and he put them into his mouth.
First came the smoothness and tenderness of the fish, then the spicy flavor exploding on the tip of his tongue. Simon wanted to pause and say something, but the tingling spiciness quickly spread in his mouth, making his eyes water. He hurriedly put another piece of fish in his mouth, trying to cover the taste.
Ina and Lusen exchanged glances, as their guest was tearing up and had a runny nose, but his movements of putting food in his mouth were getting faster and faster. They couldn't tell whether he was satisfied or not.
In case he didn't like it, Ina's task would be impossible to complete. She thoughtfully poured a glass of hot water, and after placing her hand over the glass for just a second, a thin layer of ice formed on the surface.
Simon stirred the bowl with his chopsticks and found that he had eaten all the fish slices. Just as he was getting anxious, someone timely offered him a glass of ice water. He hurriedly took a big sip, and the fire on his tongue was extinguished. Simon leaned back in his chair, taking a deep breath.
The guest didn't comment, leaving Ina uncertain about his thoughts. But he was already getting up and walking out.
[Guest Satisfaction: 60]
Satisfaction did not meet the standard, but there was no prompt for task failure. Just as Ina was thinking about making a last-ditch effort, she noticed Simon was about to help close the restaurant door.
She rushed over, snatched the wooden door from a stunned Simon, and decisively nailed it shut with a dagger, smiling sweetly, "I've got it."
Simon's gaze lingered on the dagger embedded deep in the stone wall. If he wasn't seeing things, the seemingly delicate girl in front of him had just stabbed a dagger into the stone as easily as a red-hot iron falling into butter.
He swallowed hard, managing to squeeze out a sentence from his numb tongue, "Thank you for your hospitality."
[Guest Satisfaction: 80 Congratulations on completing Main Task 2, reward achievement points 500.]
[You have completed this order and gained: 5 silver coins, 50 Tavern Experience Points, and 7 Achievement Points!]
Ina's smile widened, pleased with the outcome. With the additional 500 achievement points she received for completing the side quest of planting vegetables, she could now draw another card. She pondered why the guest had suddenly changed his mind, but couldn't come up with an explanation. Ina could only attribute it to her new appearance.
Indeed, a friendly, approachable, and kind look did have its benefits!