Watching Exusiai's blissful expression, Ransei felt a surge of pride, but he didn't forget to give her a tip.
"Try it with this honey. It'll give you a completely different experience."
Exusiai, who was currently burying her face in the pie, paused. She looked at Ransei with a puzzled gaze. In her mind, honey was meant to adjust the sweetness of a pie to the diner's preference, and since this pie was already perfect, she had ignored it. However, after a moment of hesitation, she decided to trust the chef.
She lifted the small jar and drizzled a bit of honey over a sliced section of the pie. The honey shimmered under the sunlight, coating the golden crust and making it look even more appetizing.
Without a word, she forked a piece and popped it into her mouth. Her slightly boisterous eating style allowed her to clearly feel the change. First, the crust tasted even sweeter, and then the tangy-sweet apple filling was completely transformed. The original acidity of the apples, which had been balanced by the rum, was now entirely enveloped by the honey.
It was a bit overwhelming—the honey almost stole the spotlight—but it was indeed the "different feeling" he had promised.
A plate of apple pie large enough to fill a grown man was demolished by Exusiai in less than ten minutes. A look of total satisfaction washed over her face.
"Boss~ how did you make this pie? It's different from any I've had before."
Ransei's apple pie was undoubtedly "qualified," but what intrigued Exusiai most was the unique texture. After she finished, she asked her question directly, though she quickly realized she might be overstepping. She scratched her short hair awkwardly. "Um, if it's a trade secret, forget it. I was just asking out of curiosity."
A trade secret? It was just a spur-of-the-moment improvisation, and the dish's completion rate wasn't even 100%. Besides, if it weren't for her, he wouldn't have thought of this method anyway. He had no intention of hiding it. More importantly, Ransei was purely focused on the craft; he hadn't yet learned to think like a calculating businessman.
"It's simple. This apple pie wasn't baked in an oven. It was 'fried'."
"Fried?" Exusiai blinked. Because of her job, she often ate fried food. She didn't particularly love or hate fast food, but this didn't feel like the usual greasy fare.
"Generally, most apple pies are made with pre-made jam. Baking cooks the crust and heats the jam simultaneously—killing two birds with one stone. But since I didn't have apple jam ready and the kitchen lacks an oven, I had to change my approach."
Ransei sighed internally. He was confident that if he had an oven, the completion rate would have been higher. He didn't notice that Exusiai's face flushed slightly with embarrassment; she hadn't realized his shop was so ill-equipped. Ransei, focused on his explanation, continued:
"The filling was made fresh, so it didn't need further heating. The crust only needs to be cooked through to be edible. Frying doesn't take long—just enough for the filling's flavor to seep into the crust. Plus, I used butter for the oil, which is why it tastes different from standard fried food."
It sounded complicated, but Ransei's inspiration actually came from a rare "luxury" he treated himself to back when the Golden Arches (McDonald's) first released their "pies." For a guy living alone on a budget, buying a pie was a luxury; he usually spent his money on burgers to stay full.
Exusiai looked enlightened. She had eaten similar things before, but never anything this good, so she hadn't made the connection.
"Thanks, Boss! Not only did I get to eat an amazing pie, but I learned a lot. I'll try it myself when I get 'home'~ I'll make Texas and the others taste my cooking!"
Looking at her excited face, Ransei felt a bit strange; it was the first time he'd seen her show such a feminine, expressive side. Perhaps his gaze was too obvious, because Exusiai stood up, looking a bit shy.
"Boss, I've gotta run. I still have cargo to deliver."
"Come back soon~"
Watching her hurry out with a red face, Ransei couldn't help but chuckle. But as he began to clear the plates, a new prompt jumped out.
[Side Quest: Unexpected Guest — Completed]
[Guest Satisfaction: 88]
[Rewards:]
Points x 10
Special Ingredient: Happiness x2
Ransei was momentarily stunned. He understood the points, but what on earth was "Special Ingredient: Happiness x2"? Could you cook with happiness?
Holding the plates, Ransei stood there dazed until a thought hit him.
"Wait... I forgot something... I didn't ask her name? No, I wasn't trying to pick her up. What was it? Right! The bill! I forgot to collect the money!!"
A scream of agony echoed through the small restaurant.
His first "service" was a failure. The customer left happy, but the owner forgot to get paid.
Meanwhile, back in the driver's seat of her truck, Exusiai gradually calmed down and realized she had "dined and dashed." When she tried to turn back, she found she couldn't remember the way to the shop. She felt helpless—if word got out that the ace courier of Penguin Logistics had eaten a meal without paying, her friends would tease her for years.
However, her comms were buzzing with her teammates yelling for her to return. She could only put the matter aside for now.
'Maybe I'll ask the Boss at home to help me pay the bill later?'
Forgetting the money was frustrating, but remembering her blushing face as she ran off made Ransei turn a little red himself. She didn't look like a "dine-and-dasher"; she probably just forgot.
"She looks as cool as a boy, but she has that side to her, too."
Shaking his head with a smile, he began to check his "harvest."
The 'Ingredient Store' was under the 'Restaurant System.' It contained a massive array of common ingredients—anything he could think of was there. Prices varied by rarity. The flour, apples, butter, and rum he had used were all for sale. The cheapest flour was 1 point per unit, while the rum was 3 points.
A "unit" didn't always mean the same amount. For liquor, it was a bottle; for apples, a box of 12; for flour, a bag.
To test it, he ordered a bag of flour. An arrow appeared on the floor, leading him to the refrigerator. He opened it, and there was the flour. He was slightly disappointed—he had half-expected the courier girl to pop out again.
After putting the new flour away, Ransei explored the rest of the shop. He had lived here for a few months during his training, but this was his new permanent home.
The Quest System was currently empty. The Personal System showed no changes. The Equipment System showed the 'Newbie Gift Pack' as opened. The Restaurant System offered interior decorations and high-tech kitchenware with magical effects, but he was far too poor to afford them.
The last one, the 'Blacksmith System', was the one he was most interested in, but it was incredibly bare-bones.
[Forge LV: 1]
[Blueprints: 0]
[Materials: 0]
He couldn't even practice without materials. "Fine, I'll head to the supermarket and hardware store. I need to restock real ingredients and forging materials."
He pushed the door to leave, but—
Thud!
His forehead slammed into an invisible barrier. A menu appeared:
[Select Destination:]
Normal Exit
??? (Recharge Time: 99H: 04M: 32S)
His head throbbed, but he was more curious about the "???". He chose 'Normal Exit' while rubbing his forehead.
Ransei left empty-handed but returned carrying massive bags of groceries. He was amazed; in the past, carrying two bottles of cooking oil would have wiped him out. Now, he carried a mountain of fruit and vegetables with ease.
But his amazement wasn't just about his strength—it was about the 'Identification' skill. It was completely broken (OP). He had intended to shop at the supermarket, but the moment he turned on Identification, he saw that almost nothing in the store even reached 'F-grade.' Most were labeled "Unqualified," and the system didn't even bother describing them. The F-grade ones were criticized for poor harvesting, sitting on shelves too long, or bruising.
He ended up at a wet market. It was messy, but there were more F-grade ingredients, and even a few E-grades. He picked the best of the worst to practice his skills.
Sitting in his room on the second floor, looking at the empty space, things felt surreal. He planned to cancel his old apartment rental tomorrow. He realized he had almost no ties to the "outside" world.
He had been a loner, focusing entirely on his studies to forge a path for himself. As the system noted, his "Concentration" was too high. He studied so hard he never made friends. As for his college classmates...
He looked at his phone and gave a bitter smile. He had been gone for months. After a few initial "where are you?" messages, they had stopped asking. Even the boss of the shop where he worked part-time had checked on him more than his classmates had. If he never came back, would anyone even notice?
"Forget it. It's dark. I'll make dinner and go to bed. The iron ingots I ordered won't arrive until tomorrow."
He stood up. Perhaps because he was used to surviving in harsh environments, he had adapted quickly to the "Other World" and now to being a "Restaurant Boss." He found that he didn't actually hate being a chef—especially after seeing Exusiai's happy face.
"What's for dinner? Teig taught me mostly Western food, but I know some Chinese dishes. I'll just make some fried rice."
Warm sunlight streamed through the window. Ransei rolled over in bed like a "salted fish" trying to dry its other side.
Suddenly, he snapped his eyes open and grabbed his phone. But as he sat up halfway, he froze.