"Hmm, I don't like it when the streets are so crowded..." - a shadow glided between the stalls, unnoticed by passersby. "Well, soon this euphoria after the tournament will fade, people will disperse, and then I can finally breathe calmly."
The tournament had ended, and Krito became the champion, though he hadn't been seen in public since then. The important officials had departed, but the more humble nobles and common folk who came to watch the spectacle remained for three more days, which the local traders intended to exploit to the maximum. Various souvenirs with Academy symbols, exotic treats, and goods brought by merchants from other countries, things that simple peasants who rarely ventured beyond the nearest city's borders could only purchase here. And, of course, one cunning merchant couldn't miss such an opportunity.
"So! It's time to earn a little extra!! Hehe," Vina rubbed her hands together, summoning her "servants" into the room. "It's a pity Krito doesn't leave his room, but you can still be of great help."
"Hmph, to be your substitute champion, I think I'll pass," Leira stood up from the couch and dragged Algo along with her.
"Whoa, don't you even want to hear about a small reward?" The merchant beamed with satisfaction. Leira's proud noble ear twitched, and with a snort, she plopped back down.
"Well, I guess I can listen," the swordsman sighed and followed his hostess. "Tsk, he's her husband; he could show just once that he doesn't wear those pants for nothing and why such guys, if slightly attractive, who are ready to shield their beloved from danger with their chests, become popular with girls. Grain and his shy, apprentice-like attitude towards Levris is better, although it's obvious to everyone else that they should move forward somehow. STOP! What am I doing here myself... Damn, I'm getting involved in something incomprehensible again... Well, okay, I'll earn some money, send it to my father; they were just planning to build a new school, mmm."
Wrapping herself in a cloak, showing only part of her face, the necromancer grumbled discontentedly while standing in a dark corner of the room.
"So, souvenirs are selling like hotcakes, but you can still get even MORE benefit from any situation!" Vina finally got down to business. "What do you think sells the best at the fair!?"
Her devoted listeners unintentionally yawned, giving the merchant time to relish her grandeur.
"Of course, all kinds of trinkets, jewelry, and goods sell well, BUT all visitors always buy food! And here is where I want to occupy my niche."
"You've already occupied quite a bit," Katrina glanced out of the window, where Vina's fellow performers were selling 'our' souvenirs to quite a large crowd of fans. "Setting up a snack stand there would be too much. Or do you want to shift everything onto Asura again?"
Sometimes, she could act like a guild master... It's a pity it didn't happen more often.
"Well, that's unlikely. We rented the space for the café only until the end of the tournament, and why would they even invite us?" Asura crossed her arms on her chest discontentedly. "We still have tables to clear up."
She seemed more like a leader, but I think she would be better suited for leading a squad in battle rather than managing a guild. If it weren't for Miriam, their little enterprise would hardly have lasted this long.
"Everything is thought out! Close the café, but move a couple of tables with chairs to my tent. I'm planning to offer a limited edition of rare sweets in the final days! People will flock to it, and we'll share the profits."
"Hoho," the archer sitting next to the master rubbed her chin, "then you'll have to pay for renting the tables."
"Tch, fine, I'll cover the table rental."
"Heh, I hope you prepared something special for this," a sly grin flashed across the merchant's face.
"That's why I called you all here," the girl handed everyone a small purse with coins, "there are fifty gold pieces for each of you. I want you to come up with some suitable recipe, preferably a dessert. You'll have more than enough money for it."
"Eh?" Are you trying to pass all the work onto us?" Ragni shook the purse, "I'm not particularly skilled in cooking."
Indeed, when it came to matters of food, the dragoness was always on the other side of the barricades.
"That's not a problem. If you don't want to participate, consider it my gift, but those whose recipe turns out to be the best will receive a nice reward from me."
"Haha," Leira's eyes sparkled, "I will definitely win! Hehehehe."
"Liri, maybe it's better not to?" You don't always succeed...
A malicious gaze stopped the young swordsman in mid-sentence.
"Oh, of course, we'll win. I never doubted you!" Weakly cheering up her companion, the young lad followed her out of the building.
"Let's start early and achieve victory faster!! MUHAHAHA!!" Leira dashed out of the building and headed for the market.
"Hmm, maybe I should have told them that I'll only check their progress tomorrow..." Vina shrugged and returned to the remaining group. "Well, never mind. You have the money; your goal is to create an original and tasty dessert! Get to work."
"This is how I got myself into this... I can't cook anyway. Maybe it's better to spend the money on something useful... And Katrina even broke her brooch; I have to hold the cloak in place like a shadow. But I can't move gracefully like this."
Unlike the stalls around the coliseum, in Rimmia, you could buy raw ingredients for cooking. However, the market was very crowded at this time. Even for a necromancer blending into the shadows, it was challenging to move in such a crowd.
"But as soon as I drop my disguise, those crazy fans will probably rush over. They've switched from the society of 'unmask Rizel at any cost' to 'worship Rizel at the first opportunity.' And I'll have to start attending classes soon. Thank God none of them are in my class, but they'll surely be waiting outside the door... Maybe I should use the old princess trick. Yes, that will be the best way out."
Grrr.
"Oh, I've gotten so used to not feeling hunger in this body that I sometimes forget to eat. I could really go for something juicy right now. Mmmm."
Regardless of the hostess, the shadow reached for the nearest stall and snatched a ripe red apple from it. The merchant didn't even notice what happened, and the apple was already in Rizel's hand.
"Oh! Just what I need," the careless criminal looked around, convinced of his impunity, "Let's start eating!"
Just as the criminal approached his victim, a light cough was heard from behind.
"Cough-cough!"
"For some reason, I felt like it was aimed at me. Although, they shouldn't see me now," I thought as the predator's fangs hovered over the stolen fruit.
"Rizel! Pay first!" And now, there was no doubt. Behind me stood the familiar girl with chestnut hair in the blue Academy uniform.
"Oh, Kurone... Right, you can see me no matter what!" I twirled the apple in my hand, observing the most peculiar of my comrades. There was something about her, something mysterious, yet so familiar. Although some didn't like her presence in their minds, for me, it evoked a sense of tranquility and closeness.
"Hey!! Rizel, don't retreat so deeply within yourself; you won't find your way back! What did you take from the stall?" Even though sometimes she acted like our mother, even though she was not older than the rest, she was much younger than me.
"Oh, this?" I looked at the apple. The rumbling in my stomach was still noticeable. "I just wanted a snack... But it's not me; it's all of them!"
As soon as I mentioned them, the shadows quickly retreated under my cloak, leaving me without camouflage.
"Haha, now everyone sees me," I never liked being stared at. Before, it was out of fear, but now it was more due to respect and awe of my power. I don't like such attention.
"Come on, everyone knows what a beauty you are now. So why not stop hiding under the cloak?" Her cheerfulness was hard to compete with. Given her weak magical achievements that people laughed at in the beginning of the year, she became much more cheerful after joining the guild. Maybe I just envy her.
"I still don't like so much attention," I adjusted the cloak to cover almost my entire face and tried to turn away.
"Hey-hey! Still, pay for it!" But she wasn't going to let me go.
"But I...," I still had that ripe apple in my hand, "It's not like I specifically wanted it. I hardly feel the taste, so bread and meat are the same to me."
I peacefully placed the apple back on the stall.
"But then why did you want to take that particular apple?" She was persistent. Why can't I get away from her?
"Just...," it was difficult to express it in words.
"Just what?" The telepath was getting closer to my zone of alienation, making me step back.
"Well, if I hardly taste things, I can still feel the smell or juiciness of the products. So fresh fruits are a little more preferable to me."
"Mmm, then how are you going to cook a dessert for the contest?"
"It doesn't matter; I probably won't do it. I'll probably be like her," I pointed in the direction of the meat stall.
The girl with black hair swiftly devoured copious amounts of smoked and fried goods that were brought to her. Ragni naturally had no intention of spending her money to feed anyone else.
"Oh, Ragni," Kurone looked worriedly at her friend, "will she have enough money?"
"I think Vina paid her for the fights, so it should be enough. Although I'd rather not be like HER. I'd rather be like Katrina," I noticed the golden-haired girl inspecting trinkets in a store, "seems like she doesn't intend to follow Vina blindly."
"Hmm, maybe she decided to take Selie's advice and buy something feminine?" Kurone shrugged, "Well, she's hardly going to be our competitor."
"That's true..." I noticed something strange, "Hey! Since when did WE become a team?!"
"Ho-ho," Kurone calmly picked out red apples from the stall, the same ones I had wanted to taste a moment ago, "since you reminded me about the suitable recipe. Besides, I might not have enough money, and I'll need one expensive ingredient."
"Oh, here we go again, getting me involved in something," I involuntarily followed the persistent telepath. Running away from her was futile.
"Well, what can you do? For a good recipe, it's better to have partners. Besides, we're not the only ones," Kurone motioned for me to hide as she slipped around the corner.
The group of twins with their guild master were searching for suitable ingredients. Werner and Miriam were clearly leading the group, but Vivienne persistently tried to offer them something else.
"We'll need to take more ingredients. The recipe is simple, but we'll perfect it!" Miriam enthusiastically scribbled in her notebook.
"Maybe we should come up with something else?" Werner looked uncertainly at the list.
"Hmm, I thought the same at first, but nothing comes to mind. For now, it's the best option. It's good that Lady Asura tried all their varieties, so we can make different versions."
"But I doubt they'll be anything special."
"It's okay, then we'll add them to the menu."
Vivienne returned to her comrades, carrying a huge salmon in her hands.
"We don't need that! Put it back," but her sister quickly scolded the spearwoman.
"Ou," the girl turned away and grumbled under her breath, "always like this, and then we'll have to taste all their failed attempts all evening."
"Do you have a problem with that?"
"No-no," but Vivienne clearly had different tastes from her sister. Even though they were twins, their behavior was quite different. I wonder if I had a sister, she would also be significantly different from me.
"Lady Asura, any other ingredients?" Miriam turned to the guild master, but she paid them no attention, "Asura?"
The swordswoman with a gleam in her eyes examined knives and sharpened her blade on the neighboring counter. Clearly, her interest in cooking was limited to chopping and slicing, nothing more.
"Do you want to buy something?"
"Huh?" Asura quickly stepped away from the counter and coughed, pretending that nothing happened, "No, this is all I need. It's time to start cooking."
She can be quite adorable when she gets absorbed in her peculiar interests.
Ahead, familiar faces could be seen. Algo carried bags with various groceries, while his personal superior walked in front, listing what else she wanted to buy.
"So, we have flour and fruits. And the merchant sold me a couple of rare spices. Hehe."
"Liri, maybe you shouldn't mix those uh... ingredients into the recipe?"
"Silence!! How do you think we'll deal with THEM?" The noblewoman shot a fierce glance at the warriors standing nearby.
"But these are not culinary ingredients; they seem more alchemical," Algo cautiously eyed the suspicious jars in the girl's hands.
"It's nothing, the seller promised they'll enhance the taste but won't harm health. Hehe, with these, I'll surely win," sometimes, a dark side woke up in Liri, and she became frighteningly similar to Vina, "if only you had given me your money, I would have bought dried dragon blood, but I had to settle for these."
"Well, sorry, I already spent it."
"Goodness, what on earth could you have possibly spent it on? It's a nightmare."
The couple passed by, not noticing two spies lurking in the shadow of the building.
"Hmm," having given a light command to the shadows, I decided to check what this unlucky cook had bought.
Soon, the shadows returned with a handful of powders.
"It doesn't look like flour," Kurone attempted to taste the powder, but I stopped her in time.
"Let me," the first pinch caused a slight tingling sensation in my teeth and dizziness, while the second turned out to be a very bitter and burning equivalent of pepper, "ugh, disgusting."
"But you're not supposed to have a good sense of taste?"
"Yes, but I'd notice such a strong one. They clearly fooled her with the second powder; it's ground orc adrenal glands, which pairs well with meat, not to mention it causes a short burst of adrenaline."
"Ugh, why did she buy that?"
"Well, she thought it would enhance the taste, and for that purpose, the second one is perfect."
"Really," Kurone still took a little of the powder and tasted it, "Mmm, it's quite interesting."
"Of course, it's an extract from the tongue of a wood frog," after my words, the girl's face slightly turned green, "and it contains a bit of poison," how amusing, hehe.
Kurone swiftly jumped up and rushed towards the nearest water barrel.
"Don't worry so much; it's not lethal," I couldn't help but wear a mischievous smirk as I soothingly patted my careless companion on the back.
"Why didn't you say it right away?! It's a frog... Ugh, why would she do that?!"
"Why not? The poison of the wood frog will give the dish a unique sweetness and aftertaste like no other."
"But it's...!"
"What if I hadn't told you?"
"Um, then I wouldn't have noticed."
"EXACTLY! Most poisons have a very pleasant taste and aroma, otherwise, it would be challenging to mix them into food. Unlike antidotes, whose taste is comparable, mmm... only to dragon droppings."
"Ew, don't even mention that."
"Oh, heaven forbid! I would never stoop so low, but you can tell what they taste like just from their smell."
"Yeah, alchemy is quite complicated."
"Tell me, if someone offered you the most delicious and exotic candy in the world, containing the quintessence of all flavors, BUT warned you that it contains poison from a rare flower that could kill you, what would you do?"
Surprisingly, Kurone seriously pondered my question.
"Hmm, is it really the most delicious?"
"Nothing can be better."
"And how much can I eat?"
"Maximum one bite."
"Mmm, what a difficult choice. And what about the antidote?"
"One of the most repulsive potions in the world, and you have to drink it no later than ten seconds after."
"Hmm, so in ten seconds, I can indulge in the most delicious candies in the world and then wash them down with the most disgusting potion..." Kurone genuinely calculated the situation.
"Hey, hey! I was joking; I wouldn't risk it like that."
"But are you saying it's... well, poisonous?"
"No, it's almost harmless to humans. Well, unless taken in large quantities, it might..." If I don't say anything now, something interesting will happen tomorrow, "never mind, you'll see for yourself."
"Rizel! I hope I won't die in agony because of your secrecy," with a chuckle, Kurone still dragged me along to continue shopping.
We bought almost everything we needed: flour, sugar, apples, and other ingredients that I couldn't be bothered to remember, but it still wasn't enough for her.
"Well, is that all? Seems like some apple pie," that was my best guess at the moment.
"No! It's not everything, and it won't be an ordinary pie! I just need one more little detail," Kurone continued to browse the stalls, but now, for some reason, she stopped at the flower stands.
As for me, I played the role of a carrier, balancing the shopping bags on top of my braided hair, peacefully following the "commander." Not so long ago, we saw Hilda carrying shopping bags for Vina in exchange for a reward, so there was nothing special about it.
"Just make sure you don't lose what we've already bought! Can your blade cut the bags?"
"Pff, it's a spirit blade; I can materialize it and make it disappear at will, even partially."
Guided by her intuition, Kurone moved away from the main market rows and led me into the alleys of the city.
"Hmm, quite convenient. Did your mother pass it on to you too?" The sorceress patted the silver base and, feeling a slight shiver, withdrew her hand.
"Yes, even though I only saw her once when she died, she passed on all her skills and abilities to me."
"And your attire?" Was she teasing me in retaliation for the frog's tongue?
"Yes, it's more of a gift from the Rector," the old man praised this outfit, claiming that it was designed by my mother, but it was evident that he was more interested in not preserving traditions.
"So, do you always wear THIS form? Even hiding all the most attractive parts under the mantle?" She was clearly teasing me; what a mischievous one.
"Yes, that's why I wear the mantle; I don't like drawing attention."
"So, change your clothes, or is the memory of your mother more important?"
"It's not about that," I released the shadows, unfastening the weak clip, and dropped the mantle, presenting myself to Kurone in my school "uniform."
"No matter how I look at you, I think the outfit is rather provocative," the sorceress's gaze slid over the black velvet, "your thighs are almost completely exposed, and the waist and chest fit so tightly; you have nothing underneath, right?"
Perhaps I blushed slightly at that moment, but I quickly tried to hide my embarrassment.
"Well, no, and so what? It was custom-made to fit me."
"And this shadow skirt, can't you wear a regular one?"
"Stop! I'm just getting to that!" I hoped that showing her a couple of tricks would make her understand, "I was also wondering why my mother made it so revealing, but I only realized it after my first serious battle."
I thrust my staff into the cobblestone with force and looked around again. No one saw us, and I didn't have to hold back.
"The purpose of this attire is maximum mobility."
I leaned my right hand on the staff and slowly lifted my leg until I performed a perfect vertical split.
"With the contract with Thanatos, I inherited not only her strength and magic but also my mother's agility and skills."
Seizing my hand and grasping the staff's tip, I lifted my second leg off the ground and, leaning on my hand, executed a perfect candlestick, extending myself along the staff.
"Her fighting style specialized in precisely such acrobatic moves. The snug, flexible, and stretchy fabric doesn't hinder movements, and the free areas on the shoulders and thighs free up the most flexible joints."
And finally, leaning on the staff with one hand, I performed a straight split and, propelling myself, executed a somersault, landing perfectly on my tiptoes.
"Wow," Kurone even applauded, "that was fantastic."
"You see, the skirt would only restrict the freedom of movement that I've achieved with such difficulty. This way, I can fight even without using magic."
"Alright, you convinced me," suddenly Kurone turned and listened, "I think I felt someone's presence there."
No, no, I don't want to be seen in this form!!
I quickly slipped around the corner and saw three individuals, already familiar to me, from the group of the necromancer's fans.
"That was amazing, Lady Rizel!" their leader enthusiastically wiped the blood from his nose, not hiding the lustful gleam in his eyes.
"You again," I held the scythe in my hands and clasped them in prayer, "Lady Thanatos, please help me erase the memories of these three losers."
"Huh? Is this some kind of spell?"
"Well, almost," with a satisfied smile, I lifted the back of the staff above my head, "good night!"
Thunk-thunk-thunk.
Wiping the staff, I returned to Kurone and picked up the mantle and bags.
"Is everything okay?"
"Yes, nothing special."
"I heard some noise."
"Yeah, just a couple of rats, nothing more," I led my companion away from the corner where three idiots with huge dents on their foreheads lay blissfully unconscious.
"So, lady cook, what are we looking for?" I was getting more and more confused about the path the sorceress was leading me, farther away from the market rows.
"Roses!" Kurone continued to calmly pave the way through the darkest corners of the city.
"Huh? For the cake? Roses? Are you sure you're not confusing something?"
"No, I'm not. I remember that once in our city, traders came, and among other things, they were selling a very beautiful cake covered with caramelized pink petals."
"But they would taste bitter."
"That's what bothered me too. So I spent a long time asking the cook how he did it. Unfortunately, I didn't have enough money to buy even a piece, so I tried to recreate it at home. Alas, the pink petals turned out to be as bitter as wild grass," Kurone shrugged sadly, "but the cook took pity on me and said that it required only specific, very rare and expensive flowers, which made the cake so costly."
"And? Do you plan to find them here? Wouldn't it be easier to look in the flower market?"
"No, I've already checked there. It must be a very rare variety with thin blue petals, as thin as a sheet of paper. They have a very pleasant aroma, but unfortunately, they wither in less than a day after picking. But I distinctly remember seeing a similar bush somewhere nearby."
"Hmm, not very profitable to grow such flowers."
"Yes, you can't sell a bouquet made of them, but skilled cooks found a use for them. If you coat them with caramel, they retain their aroma, and the delicate petals don't carry any bitterness, instead, they absorb the juice of ripe apples. That's how my perfect pie will turn out! Ho-ho," Kurone, satisfied with her own ingenuity, put her hands on her hips.
"And how are we going to find them?"
"Well, they have such a delicate scent, like a mixture of vanilla and sweets. I think I could sense it. After all, my sense of smell works better."
"Really? Then it's great; let's pick up the trail!"
I gave my partner a displeased look.
"Sorry, I'm following you," she said.
I already sensed a similar pleasant aroma nearby; if it was coming from here, we should soon be near the beautiful rose garden.
...
However, the place my nose led me to was slightly different from the typical idea of a flower shop. It was more like a simple house, with a small piece of land behind a tall fence. But judging by the crooked boards, the owner couldn't afford to grow so many expensive flowers.
"Are you sure this is the place?" Kurone also didn't trust the old house.
"Yes, the scent definitely comes from here... But maybe we should look inside?" I approached the slanted door hesitantly. We knocked, but there was no answer for a long time. "Maybe nobody lives here anymore?"
"No, I sense people in the house," Kurone wanted to knock again, but the door opened slightly, and the hostess appeared in the doorway.
She was a middle-aged woman in a worn-out dress, with bruises under her eyes and a tired expression. It was evident that she hadn't taken care of herself for a long time, and it seemed unlikely she had time to tend to a garden.
"Do you want something?" the woman's voice was barely audible, as if she intentionally whispered.
"Yes, we would like to buy roses," Kurone didn't finish her sentence when the woman interrupted her.
"You're mistaken; I don't sell anything," the door in front of us closed inconspicuously.
For a while, we stood contemplating what to do next.
"Rizel, this doesn't look much like a greenhouse."
"Yes, but the scent is definitely coming from here, and I also sensed it faintly from the woman."
"Somehow, I don't feel anything. It's unlikely the scent of a rose garden can be easily hidden," the sorceress fell silent for a moment, "I was more disturbed by the thoughts in the woman's head."
"Did you manage to read them?"
"Not very well, but it seemed to me that she lied to us. And something is troubling her, but she doesn't want to share her secrets with anyone."
"But, of course, nothing can be hidden from you."
"Well, sorry, it's just how my ability works," Kurone sadly lowered her gaze, though I didn't mean to offend her.
"I didn't like her either. I sense the smell of death from her," I felt something familiar about this woman.
"Do you think she's dying?" Kurone looked concerned.
"No, rather, it's not her, but someone she interacts with a lot. If the owner herself were dying, I would have sensed it immediately. There are traces of an illness left by someone else on her."
"And can you cure them?"
"Heh... perhaps, it depends on how far the illness has progressed."
"Then let's try again!" Kurone bravely knocked on the door with renewed hope.
The same woman slowly opened the door.
"I already said I don't sell anything," she attempted to close the door, but I stopped it with my foot to give my partner some time.
"It's okay, this time we offer help. My friend here is a skilled healer; maybe you'd be interested in her services."
The woman's face flinched but immediately sank into despair.
"Why have you come here? I have nothing to pay you with, and I've seen enough charlatans; leave!" The woman tried to forcefully close the door, but I stopped her again and pushed her back unceremoniously.
"I don't need anything from you. I'll try to help you, and you can decide for yourself whether to repay us or not," I boldly entered the room, nudging the owner aside.
"What are you doing?! Get out of my house! Why do you all try to profit from my misery!?" she shouted, rushing forward and blocking the way.
"Mm, Kurone, can you do something about her?" I asked.
"Alright, but if you fail, we'll have problems later," she warned.
The sorceress placed her hand on the hostess's shoulder and began speaking in a calm, measured voice.
"Please, calm down. We won't harm you; just give us a couple of minutes." I could feel the concentrated magic emanating from her as she intruded into the woman's mind, trying to persuade her of our good intentions.
"Fine," the woman's eyes dimmed as if her consciousness momentarily left her.
"She must be in the basement," Kurone said; it seemed she had managed to extract the source's location from the hostess's memory.
In the depths of the house, there was a door with a staircase leading deep underground. We descended at least ten meters before reaching the basement. A strong floral scent emanated from behind the door, but it was impossible for a garden to be arranged in such a dark place.
"If these roses are growing anywhere, it's only here," I said cautiously, grabbing the handle.
"I think I'm starting to remember where I saw the roses!" Kurone exclaimed.
"Really?"
"Yeah, when we traveled as wanderers on New Year's, I found a door leading to a room with a beautiful garden hidden deep underground, without a single ray of light. There was no one here then, and I went upstairs to look around. I didn't know what the house looked like from the outside, but the landscape outside the window was familiar. That's how I found this place."
"Unusual plants always grew well here, plants not typical for our lands," the woman was still speaking while in a light trance, "even without light, they thrived here, nourished by the light of simple lamps."
"Heh, obviously, the magic of the Wanderer's Path nourishes the local plants. The Wanderer's Path is indeed one of the most massive spells in the world."
We opened the door and saw a beautiful garden. All the walls were covered with bushes of blue roses, and in the center of the room stood a small bed. A girl lay on the bed, and her pale face indicated the source of the illness.
"Rimi always loved these flowers," even in a trance, a faint smile crossed the mother's face as she mentioned her daughter. "The doctor diagnosed her illness over a year ago, and since then, her condition has only worsened. I sold everything I had, but I still couldn't find medicine for her. What could save her life was too expensive for me. But I decided that at least I could make her last days less sad. She always loved these flowers, so I removed everything from here except for them. The doctor insisted that her condition would only worsen, but I couldn't let her die in agony in her dark room."
"Did you do all this for her?" I asked.
"Yes, she doesn't have much time left, maybe a couple of months. I can't live without her," for some reason, her last words were difficult to disbelieve. "In her final days, she wakes up less and less."
"Rizel?"
"Yes, I'm fine. Tuberculosis is dangerous, but if I take the disease away from her, there will still be a chance of recovery. Maybe this room really helped her keep her organs relatively intact. At the terminal stages, this disease would usually have destroyed her lungs, but the fact that she sleeps most of the time managed to slow down the illness."
"So, you can help her?" hope flickered in Kurone's voice.
"Of course! Who do you think I am?" I flashed my best smile. "The Mistress of Death isn't ready to take this soul yet."
I plunged my staff into the ground at the head of the bed, and the eyes on the skull lit up with a dim green light.
"Thanatos, take away the curse, free her soul," I pushed back my hood, removed my glove, and placed my hand on the girl's chest. My eyes glowed with a green light, signifying a complex poison magic spell.
"W-what are you doing?!" It seemed the hostess regained consciousness at the most inconvenient time. "Don't touch my daughter!!"
"Calm down," Kurone grabbed the woman and pulled her aside. "Your daughter hasn't died yet. Rizel will handle it; give her a chance!"
The mother slowly calmed down as a greenish mist filled the room. It was dangerous to interrupt me in the middle of the spell, and thankfully she understood that. From the girl's chest, a greenish smoke rose as I extracted the essence of the disease from her. I am not a white mage, and I can't cure the illness, but at least I can take it away.
I stepped back from the girl and took the staff in my hands. One strike on the ground, and the entire mist was drawn into my body.
"Kha," even if it wasn't deadly for me, I would need some time to overcome the disease. "Now everything will be fine."
"Rizel!!" Kurone released the hostess and caught me as I fell to the ground. Weakness after such a spell was quite natural.
"Why are you shouting like that? I'm just tired, I'll be fine in a couple of days."
"Rimi!" The mother rushed to the bed. "Open your eyes, please."
"Mom," the girl's voice was weak, but there was no sign of hidden pain. "What happened? Did I die? Why don't I feel any pain?"
"Because you are healthy now," I saved this girl after all, perhaps I haven't lived in vain another day. "But to regain your strength, you should spend more time in the fresh air."
"Mm, thank you," the girl smiled. "I saw you calling me in the darkness. Thank you, green-eyed sister."
"Heh," I quickly covered my face with the hood so that no one would notice my embarrassment. "I just wanted to help, that's all."
"By the way, about taking walks in the fresh air," Kurone walked deeper into the garden. "I think it might help."
She opened the familiar wooden door that led to the magical corridor.
"I thought this door was always closed?" The hostess knew about this place, but apparently, she had never used it.
"Hm, yes. It was closed from the other side; I opened it the last time. This is a magical passage through which you can reach the farthest corners of the continent, and your daughter can enjoy nature without even leaving this room," she was skillful with her words.
"Thank you; I don't even know how to repay you," for the first time since our meeting, the woman's face brightened.
"Well, maybe let's go back to the first question!" Kurone playfully raised her finger. "Would you sell us a few roses?"
And so, we helped the woman and obtained the missing ingredients. The next morning came, and it was time for the tasting.
"Hm-hm-hm, Miriam! What is this?!" Vina looked dissatisfied at the three balls on a stick.
"These are sweets according to Lady Asura's recipe," the archer remained unperturbed.
"Pf, they don't quite qualify as sweets; why are there spicy and salty elements? Isn't the selection too rich?"
"Hehe, I was just thinking about the prospects of expanding our business."
"Exactly! And I asked for something special for the end of the tournament!!" Vina didn't like it when someone else tried to show practicality besides her.
"I thought so, but at least we can expand the assortment in our café," Miri rubbed her hands contentedly.
"Ugh... Fine, but still, I won't accept THIS. Next!"
Before trading began, a rather nice-looking pie was placed on the table, brought, unexpectedly, by Grain.
"Hm," Vina carefully examined the pie. It was surprisingly well made. "I never noticed your culinary talent before."
Not only suspicion crept into my head about the trading.
"Um, yeah, I tried it, and it turned out pretty good," the mage awkwardly scratched the back of his head... Clearly, he was lying!
"Levris!" Vina called out to the embarrassed teacher peering from the kitchen. "I wanted the participants of the tournament to prepare the dishes, you're not supposed to take part!!!"
"Aww," with her head down, the teacher obediently took her dish back.
"Alright, who's next?"
With a proud look, Leira presented her creation. A few small cakes with powdered sugar.
"Hm? Did you make them yourself?" The suspicion was quite justified since Leira rarely managed to produce anything edible.
"Humph, of course, I did it myself!!" The noblewoman turned away in offense.
"Well, they look good; let's try them," just as Vina took one of the cakes, I stopped her.
"Can we first look at the test subject, *cough*.. I mean Algo?" Leira tried to hide her gaze from me, but I knew the reason.
"Why?"
"I just want to make sure you didn't overdo the dosage," I noticed the swordsman sitting in the dark corner. He looked rather silly, swaying from side to side, his gaze vacant, and drool hanging from his mouth.
"Hmm, seems like you overdid it after all."
"What's wrong? I don't know what happened to him," Leira tried to justify herself, but I knew the reason.
"Ah, Leira, Leira. Don't believe everything traders say. What they sold you has a vivid side effect, causing a short-term paralysis. That's why Algo is acting like a plant."
"Eh? Will he recover?"
"He won't kill a person; it'll all pass by tomorrow, but it might cause stomach problems in large animals."
"Tch," Ragni carefully opened his mouth and gently placed the half-chewed cake back on the plate.
"We don't sell poisonous food!" Vina returned to her place.
"Well, there you go, bad luck again. If Algo gave me his money, I would have bought better ingredients."
"So, he didn't share with you?" I gave the girl a sly look.
"Well... Nevermind, I wasn't planning on fighting seriously anyway," blushing, the girl turned away, but at the same time, she showed off her new earrings before us.
"Well, is there anyone else? Katrina, how are you doing?" Vina turned to the guild master.
"Me? Well, well, I spent the money on something else," Katrina laid a velvet bundle on the table, and something clinked inside. "I've wanted to do something like this for a long time, but Krito pushed me to take this step."
Katrina unfolded the bundle, inside of which there were several golden brooches in the shape of a shield crossed by a lightning bolt. A similar design adorned the princess's belt.
"I want this to be our guild's emblem, so I made one for each of us. And a few spares, in case of new recruits," the princess distributed badges to everyone, not leaving out Levris and Rumy, then she came up to me. "I'm sorry for breaking your brooch back then; I asked the craftsman to make this one as sturdy as possible."
Kat removed the broken clasp from my cloak, which was actually sabotaged by Vina, not Katrina, and replaced it with a new one.
"There you go, now my cold silver image will have little flaws."
"Hehe, but now you won't be able to doubt that you're our friend," the Princess hugged me. Mmm, it's hard to convey that feeling. After my transformation, even my father kept his distance from me, though he tried not to show it.
"Hehe, indeed, golden," Vina had already produced a magnifying glass and was examining the material's quality. "It'll come in handy one day. Did anyone take my task seriously?!"
"Cough-cough! May I come in?" Finally, Kurone appeared, carrying a covered tray from which a delightful aroma emanated.
"Hehe, finally, something worthwhile," Vina prepared a spoon in advance, but the sight on the tray surprised her a bit.
"Voilà! Apple-rose cake," Kurone opened the lid. Inside was a cake covered with a sparkling bluish syrup, with a beautiful rose hidden under caramel in the center.
"Mmm, it looks beautiful... But how do we eat it?" Indeed, the cake looked stunning, but slicing such a rose would be challenging.
"Um, I don't really know... I seem to recall that someone advised to cut it very quickly with a sharp knife because the rose starts crumbling when you cut it."
"Oh, but then we'll lose much of its appeal."
"There's nothing I can do. It's a real rose, and it's very delicate."
"What should we do?"
"Hmm, should I help them?" I thoughtfully shifted the staff from one hand to another. "Well, okay, I guess it's partly my achievement."
The room was illuminated by a silvery flash, and in an instant, the cake divided into eight identical pieces so perfectly that the rose didn't even have time to scatter.
"Wow!" Even Kurone was impressed with such precision. "Perfect! Just that..."
There was one piece missing on the tray.
"Um, where's one piece?" Everyone looked around, but there were no traces of the missing piece anywhere. Only one shadow was quietly moving towards the exit, holding a silvery staff in front of her.
"Rizel, did you notice anything unusual?" Kurone playfully addressed her partner.
"Nuh, nothin' out of the ordinary," the necromancer mumbled and slipped out the door.
Nom, nom
"And quite a delicious little cake," I calmly ate a piece, which I had thoughtfully speared on the tip of my braid. "It's amazing how she managed to combine the taste of juicy apples and the aroma of roses. Mmm, lovely."
With a peaceful stride, I returned to my room.
Of course, Vina chose Kurone's cake and sold it to anyone interested. Since the owner of the pink rose garden sold us flowers cheaper than usual, the cost of treating everyone allowed them to enjoy it. And, of course, I was appointed to be responsible for cutting the cake.
Even three idiots came to watch me deftly wield the silver scythe, hoping to see me without my mantle again after the tournament. Thankfully, they forgot everything.
Kurone even shared with me the monetary reward promised by Vina. I wonder if my father would strongly object if I asked him to name the new building "The Apple-Rose Pie School".