Chapter 16
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 16
Chapter Title: What Repayment Would He Like?
"Wow, you're really something."
On the carriage back to the village.
Dillon, who had been chuckling nonstop, clicked his tongue in admiration as he spoke.
After all, a girl ten years younger than him had suddenly gone to a noble and asked her to become her guardian—that was mad enough on its own. But the fact that her target was the infamous Black Widow?
'Does this kid have no fear at all?'
And somehow, she had even secured a firm promise that she would actually do it.
'Is this the same tomboy I knew?'
Suddenly, the girl before his eyes began to look like the daughter of some witch.
Her parents, Colton and Joanna, were clearly ordinary people...
"So, what exactly did you do?"
"Just, well... put on a little show."
The way she had proven her worth was far from something to dismiss as mere "showing off."
It was a heaven-given talent.
But that didn't mean she was being modest, either.
What had truly captured Rosalind's interest was the dish made from Damon's recipe.
Without that, she wouldn't have even gotten the chance to display her talent.
And that was hardly the end of it.
Ailin rubbed her fingers together.
The sensations from grilling the meat, slicing the ingredients, stir-frying the prepped vegetables... every single moment lingered vividly in her fingertips.
On top of that, the stunned expressions on the faces of everyone who tasted her cooking had stirred a peculiar sense of accomplishment.
'I should thank him first thing when I get back.'
Damon wouldn't have a clue why, but somehow, that thought amused her.
And then.
'I need to ask him to teach me how to cook.'
Ailin was utterly captivated by cooking right now.
Having such an excellent role model right by her side was nothing short of a stroke of luck.
"So? What did Rosalind Vandimion say?"
"She said she'll send someone to fetch me once I come of age."
"There's still almost a year left, you know? She'll forget all about it by then."
To enroll in the training academy, one had to be of age.
Rosalind had also proposed that Ailin live as a household servant in her estate until then, but Ailin had politely declined.
Of course, she could learn plenty there in the meantime.
But Ailin had a feeling she could learn even more from Damon.
His cooking was something you couldn't taste anywhere else, after all.
Which meant she had to absorb as much as possible while she still could.
"We're here."
"Thanks, Dillon. I'll repay you with something delicious next time."
"...Huh?"
Dillon scowled deeply.
"What? Got a problem with that?"
"No, I'd prefer Damon's cooking over something like that..."
"Bye."
For some reason feeling miffed, Ailin whipped around.
She headed straight for the Wild Rose Inn. It was already evening by then.
"Where have you been?"
Ailin peeked into the kitchen as she answered Colton's question.
"Greenveil. Just went to look around."
"With who? Dillon?"
"Yeah."
Greenveil wasn't far from the village.
The prestigious Bellaardi family also managed the territory diligently, so security was quite good.
Even so, a father couldn't help but worry.
"Come back early next time."
"Sure~ By the way, where's Damon?"
Ailin asked, since she couldn't spot Damon anywhere in the inn.
Wasn't he supposed to start working here today?
"Who knows. Maybe he failed to convince Hans."
Ah.
Ailin scratched her head, looking troubled. That wouldn't do at all.
'Well, if I just wait, he'll show up.'
In the meantime, she could review what she'd learned so far and work on her weak points.
"Mom! Let me make the stew tonight!"
"...What nonsense is that? You trying to bankrupt us?"
But even as night deepened, Damon never showed his face.
And the next day.
Waiting around idly wasn't her style, so the moment dawn broke, Ailin headed straight for the cabin where Damon's family lived.
'They're up and at it early.'
But something felt off.
Hans and Damon were about the same build, yet today one of them looked unusually scrawny.
"Excuse me...?"
"Hm. Ailin, is it? What brings you all the way here?"
"Oh, hello..."
Sure enough.
The man standing next to Hans, looking somewhat deflated, was not Damon.
'Why is that guy here?'
With no way of knowing, Ailin could only tilt her head in confusion.
The pie's effects were tremendous.
"Ooh!"
The elves' eyes nearly bulged out as they tasted proper food for the first time in their lives.
"Delicious, right?"
"Delicious...? Ah, yes! It's delicious...! This is really delicious!"
It was probably the first time they'd ever uttered those words.
I watched contentedly as people on the brink of death regained color and vitality in their faces, as if they'd been healed by magic.
"The effects are kicking in faster than expected."
"Yeah. I've never seen the villagers look so lively."
Elfriede, her eyes now glistening with tears, replied in a trembling voice.
She really was a tearful woman. It must mean she'd endured a lot of hardship.
"...Thank you. Really, thank you, Damon!"
The silver-haired elf kept voicing her gratitude. Without a hint of embarrassment, she clutched my hand tightly.
"But this isn't enough yet. Right now, it's just sating their hunger—for the long term, they need to consume meat to sustain their strength. And get plenty of sunlight too."
"Yes, yes. We'll make sure of it."
Elfriede, who had always maintained a healthy lifestyle herself, would handle that just fine.
"You're Damon...?"
Elfriede's mother spoke up. Her cheeks now had a healthy glow, making her look like an entirely different person. Aila, was it?
Aila had only just realized I was human, but she didn't dwell on it.
Perhaps because she knew Elfriede regularly interacted with humans?
Besides, this was the first time a human had visited the Spirit Realm, yet they showed no hostility toward me. The other elves were the same.
If anything, they welcomed me with gratitude, fully aware that I was their lifesaver.
"Thank you, Damon."
"We're truly grateful."
"You saved us."
Aila and the other elves joined in expressing their thanks.
I scratched my head awkwardly and asked,
"How was the pie?"
"What's there to say? It was absolutely delicious."
"Exactly, exactly."
"What on earth did you make it with?"
Hmm...
Lying wouldn't do.
Besides, for the sake of their future diet, it was better to be upfront.
"I stir-fried nuts and mushrooms, then topped it with mashed potatoes mixed with egg, and baked it."
The process wasn't short, but I explained it as simply and accessibly as possible.
All the while, I gauged their reactions—just in case anyone felt repulsed.
"Ooh, I see."
"Elfriede gave us boiled potatoes once and made us try them, but they didn't taste anything like this?"
"Really?"
The elves buzzed with excitement all at once.
So they had tried things other than grass before.
My head turned sideways on instinct. Suddenly, Elfriede flushed beet red and looked away.
"Ah, nooo... I said I like eating, not that I'm good at cooking."
Oh boy.
Were all the beauties in this world hopeless at cooking by some cliché setting?
'Nah, no way. Probably not.'
As I shook my head,
"I don't know how to repay such kindness."
Aila said, smiling tenderly.
Her beauty had truly blossomed. Now she really looked like Elfriede's mother.
'People really do need to eat delicious food.'
That aside.
"No need. I've already received repayment from Elfriede."
"Eh? Huh?"
The silver-haired elf blinked in evident surprise.
"About the herbs, remember?"
"Ah..."
For some reason.
Elfriede wore a pensive expression.
Why was that?
"No, that's nowhere near enough! That was just payment for feeding me delicious food... and you've already served the most delicious meal in the world."
'The most delicious in the world,' huh...
Her overly generous praise lifted my shoulders involuntarily.
I'm not that great.
Or... am I?
But I couldn't very well demand money from elves.
They probably didn't have any to begin with...
That was when.
"Then... how about..."
Elfriede, who had been pondering just as seriously beside me, spoke up cautiously.
Elfriede sank into deep thought.
What kind of repayment would this gracious human like?
'What does Damon need?'
Before long, one memory surfaced.
-Can humans handle spirits too?
The expression on Damon's face when he'd asked that was impossible to forget.
You could tell he desperately wanted it.
Yet no matter how high a human's spirit affinity, handling spirits was innately impossible for them.
That said, it wasn't entirely out of the question.
It was possible with a 'medium.' A sort of loophole.
'All right.'
Having finally resolved herself, Elfriede spoke.
"...How about a spirit?"
She glanced at the other elves as she said it.
Unexpectedly, not a single one objected.
Far from objecting, they smiled warmly, as if respecting her decision.
Only then was Elfriede able to calm her racing heart. Truth be told, she'd been terribly worried.
'Phew.'
She let out a small sigh of relief and looked at Damon's face—
'!'
The boy stood frozen in place, mouth hanging wide open.
"Da, Damon...? You're all right, aren't you?"