episode_0028

Time swiftly passed, and the weekend arrived.

Luna, that elusive fellow, is quite hard to catch a glimpse of.

Well, he’s always punctual and stiff when it comes to school, so there’s no helping it.

He’s like a transparent figure, so it’s natural not to find him.

Lost in my thoughts, a loud voice echoed from the kitchen.

“Bern! Stop daydreaming and take these dishes out!”

“Got it.”

Thanks to the runaway former part-timer, there was finally space for me to work, and now I was serving customers.

Since there was someone else handling the dishwashing, I focused on serving.

The boss, or rather the old man, was wearing his apron and hat, carrying dishes around.

Perhaps due to the mask, not many recognized me.

By the way, I think I know why the previous part-timer ran away.

Although it was a small restaurant, it was always bustling with people.

Located on a remote island far from the mainland, the academy faced challenges in sourcing ingredients.

Bringing in supplies could empty our pockets, and various issues made bulk purchases necessary.

Consequently, ingredient prices soared.

Academy food seemed about twice as expensive as mainland fare.

Despite that, the weather has been good lately, leading to frequent deliveries of quality ingredients.

But once the prices went up, they never seemed to come down; they only rose higher.

Nevertheless, with the old man creating delicious meals from affordable ingredients, customers kept coming.

Students even skipped school meals to eat here.

The food was tasty, portions were generous, and prices were fair.

The cozy atmosphere inside made it feel like my own favorite spot, attracting more customers.

Even teachers frequented the place.

The rice soup here is delicious.

I didn’t even know rice soup existed in this world.

It was shocking the first time I tried it.

The rice soup was so delicious after a long time that tears almost welled up.

The portion was generous, and the broth was flavorful.

The only downside was the lack of kimchi.

Pouring kimchi juice into the soup makes it really tasty.

Anyway, I worked full-time from morning till night.

It was seriously exhausting.

Running around while occasionally using magic, my arms felt like they would fall off.

Besides serving, I did various tasks, straining my back and arms.

It takes a while to readjust after a long break.

Maybe Bern’s poor stamina also plays a role.

Shall I check my stats after a long time?

————

Name: Bern Flame

Age: 18

Occupation: Student (Sophomore)

Title: None

Race: Human

Traits:

≪Magic Amplification≫: Amplifies magic.

≪Azure Flames≫: Transforms all fire-based skills into azure flames, enhancing their power.

Health: 7(+1)

Strength: 4

Skill: 7

Agility: 4

Magic: 10(+2)

Skills:

≪Endurance≫: Once a day, restores all health and magic.

Remaining Stats: 5

Equipped Accessory: ≪Grace of Nature≫ (Epic)

————

Oh, I’ve gained 5 remaining stats.

I should invest in health and agility this time.

With health around 10, my poor stamina might improve a bit.

And I realized during the last practice that agility is crucial.

Dodging attacks becomes impossible with just a slight difference.

So, this time, I’ll focus on health and agility.

Magic and skill can wait for next time.

————

Health: 7(+1) → 10(+2)

Agility: 4 → 6

————

Not bad. I’m steadily growing.

Well, not too shabby.

“Well then, I’ll head back first.”

“Regarding your attitude… Bern, you haven’t eaten yet. I’ll treat you, so eat quickly and go.”

“Deducting from my salary?”

“What do you think of me, you rascal? Then wait a moment.”

Hmm, a wicked boss?

Just kidding. He might talk like that, but he’s a good person.

I heard he settled here about 15 years ago.

After retiring following a major war on the mainland, Grandpa Joseph wanted to open a restaurant, so he started this place.

Grandpa’s name is Joseph.

Grandpa Joseph was originally a wandering inspector who caught someone’s eye and ended up spending quite a long time together, even joining the war alongside that person.

And after the war ended, he came here—so they say.

I don’t know more than that.

This is all just hearsay.

I’ve never seen a place like this in the games I played.

About 10 minutes passed like that?

Grandpa brings a steaming hot bowl of rice soup in a pot.

The sight of the steam rising looks delicious.

The sausage is large and thick with filling, making my mouth water.

I haven’t eaten anything since lunch. I was so busy that I didn’t even have time to drink water.

He adds unknown vegetables and shrimp paste to the clear broth for seasoning.

Then sprinkles sesame powder to add richness to the broth.

Finally, he scoops rice into the soup.

Mixing the rice well into the reddish broth.

And when you top it with meat and sausage and eat it together with the rice…

Ah, this is heaven.

Eating rice soup after work is truly… a taste that cannot be expressed in words.

The sausage is thick, savory, and has a great texture when chewed.

The properly sliced meat goes down smoothly without any unpleasant smell.

And when you take a sip of the broth, it’s truly amazing.

Slightly salty, savory, and refreshing, each swallow warms your stomach.

I devoured the rice soup in a frenzy.

“It’s a shame there’s no kimchi…”

Having rice soup without kimchi is really disappointing.

Feeling that way, after finishing the last drop of soup, I satisfactorily put down the bowl.

“That was delicious.”

“Oh yeah. You ate well. Watching you eat like you’ve been starving all day reminds me of my childhood.”

“Is that so. Anyway, thank you, Joseph. Much appreciated.”

“If there’s anything left, should I pack that too?”

“I’d appreciate that.”

To have the piping hot rice soup packed for free.

It’s a great thing for someone like me who needs to cut down on food expenses.

Now that I’ve received free food and was about to leave the restaurant, Grandpa called out to me.

“Bern.”

“What’s up?”

“Lately, there’s been a crazy person appearing at night, so be careful. If you get hurt and have to quit your job, I’ll really be in trouble.”

“Then pay me more.”

“You’re talking like a real brat. Just go back to the dorm quickly.”

“Alright. You take care too, Grandpa.”

A crazy person roaming around at night, looks like the end of Act 1 is near.

No one dies because of the boss of Act 1.

So it’s none of my concern.

Let’s leave this matter to the protagonist.

By now, they must have asked around and are investigating the boss of Act 1 who appears at night.

The boss of Act 1 roams the alleys at night, attacking students to steal their shadows.

Students whose shadows are stolen temporarily lose the ability to use magic, and Shady, the boss of Act 1, steals their abilities.

Although it seems like a very deceptive ability, there is a limit to the number of shadows that can be stolen.

Therefore, once the possessed shadows exceed a certain amount, they return to their original owners.

However, Shady’s unique skill ‘Shadow Theft’ can not only steal abilities but also magic, making him quite a formidable opponent.

Of course, due to being very vulnerable to light and dark magic, even beginners can easily overcome it with the right strategy.

The protagonist grows stronger as they overcome crises.

Ian could possibly teach the strategy, but doesn’t feel the necessity to do so.

Ian is the protagonist of this world.

The protagonist needs to become stronger by defeating the enemies known as evil.

So, figure it out on your own. Ian.

‘Fighting!’

I silently cheered in my mind. There was a time when I thought that way too.

“It wasn’t the back alley after all.”

It was a shortcut I took to quickly return to the dormitory.

However, I witnessed a scene that I couldn’t just pass by.

Two women with thick black hair like shadows.

In this game, black hair is a color that only a few possess.

It’s a rare color, yet it seems too common.

Anyway, what’s important here is that those two women over there are the bosses of this game!

Why, why are you coming out here? Why on earth!

I was planning to go back to the dormitory to finish my rice soup.

“Your shadow is now mine! Hand over your shadow obediently! Then I might spare your life!”

“What…?”

Luna…! This kid, couldn’t find her anywhere.

And why is Shady, of all people, with her?

Spouting lines like a third-rate villain in a game, nothing seems to be going right.

If those two clash now, things will get messy.

I’ve decided not to follow the script.

But if Shady dies here, or if Luna goes berserk, it’s a problem.

I hope Luna doesn’t die.

Even if the plot twists, I hope she survives.

But if Shady touches Luna here, she’ll go berserk and self-destruct.

Shady now won’t make rational decisions for meaningless revenge, and Luna, in a fragile state of mind, is highly likely to go berserk.

If Shady and Luna collide as they are now, I can’t stop them with my powerlessness.

If I get between them, I might just get torn apart.

What should I do about this?