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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Vine
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Delicacies from the mountains and the sea. Truffles, foie gras, caviar. Humans were serious about food.
“Wheat dried for 100 days under Apollo’s sun, potatoes grown in fields blessed by Demeter, beef tenderloin delivered from Hermes’s temple, cooked over a flame blessed by Hestia—”
—Beef stew.”
“………”
Don’t play with your food. He was about to take a bite.
“We haven’t finished praying yet.”
“…Ugh…!”
The stew was getting cold! He glared at the waiter, who smiled reassuringly.
“The bowls have a heating function. They were supplied by Hephaestus Guild.”
“…….Ugh!”
Just let me punch him once. ‘How can it take 30 minutes to eat stew?’ He finally had his first bite.
“—Wow.”
It was… hard to describe. It was complex, layered. If he had to summarize it in one word—
“Insane.”
It was worth the 30-minute wait. He quickly took another bite. ‘So good!’ Sweet, savory, and a deep, lingering aftertaste. Stews were usually heavy, but this one wasn’t.
“As expected of Demeter’s followers.”
Minerva seemed used to it. She was enjoying it leisurely. Experience made a difference. As he was about to finish it—
“Sir,”
“Hmm?”
The waiter reappeared.
“Would you like to try it as a cream stew?”
“…Huh?”
What?
“Yes, please.”
Minerva spoke.
“I’ll start with this one, then.”
“…Wait, what…?”
Why? It was perfectly good beef stew! He stared at the waiter, confused.
Whirrrr!
“No… no, wait…”
A blender appeared out of nowhere. The beef stew was blended into a creamy paste.
“Hmm… delicious, as always.”
“You flatter me.”
“………….”
Was he the weird one? Minerva nodded and continued eating. ‘She seems fine…’
The waiter looked at him.
“And you, sir…?”
“Uh… yeah, sure.”
“Very well.”
Please wait a moment.
Five minutes later, his stew had been creamed.
*Slurp*… Hmm…*
It was good. Creamy, with a hint of beef. It was heavier and richer than the original. The wine paired well with it. It was good, but—
“Would you like to try it as a sauce?”
“……..Okay.”
The cream stew was reduced into a thick sauce.
“Hmm…!”
It was rich and flavorful. It was good but it still felt lacking.
“Would you like to try it with bread?”
“……..Yes.”
He spread it on a baguette. Delicious. But still…
“Would you like to try it with beef stew?”
“………….”
The endless cycle of beef stew. He closed his eyes. He knew this feeling, this strangely calming sensation. ‘They should go easy on the collaborations.’
After the meal, he offered Hera the truffles he’d brought from home. He simply held them in his hands and prayed. Maybe it was because he was an apostle, but they disappeared in a flash of light. He didn’t need an altar.
[Goddess Hera: …This is… heartwarming.]
Hera seemed satisfied.
[Goddess Demeter: Would you like to try this truffle cream stew with bread?]
[Goddess Hera: …How did you get here? And I’m on a diet!]
[Goddess Demeter: You have nothing to lose! That’s why your breasts are so small!]
[Goddess Hera: We promised not to talk about that!]
“Ugh…”
Something interesting seemed to be happening. He decided to ignore it.
[Goddess Athena: This stew is delicious.]
[Goddess Hera: Athena, I didn’t invite you!]
[Goddess Demeter: I did. You were drooling, so I couldn’t just leave you there.]
[Goddess Hera: Ugh… aaaaaaaaaah…!!!]
“…Ugh.”
He decided to ignore it.
[God Chronos: …My child?]
“………….”
He decided to ignore it.
“Haa… that was delicious. Too delicious.”
Minerva followed him out. She was rubbing her stomach, a happy look on her face.
“I usually watch what I eat, but I always overeat here. As expected of Demeter’s followers. They are amazing cooks.”
“……Hmm.”
The food was good, but—
“It was a bit scary.”
“Huh? Pfft, I guess it could be! I feel tortured sometimes.”
After escaping the beef stew, bread, and sauce cycle, he was faced with—
Beef, beef, pork, chicken.
Beef, beef, intestines, intestines.
…It was an endless parade of meat dishes. ‘Isn’t there any vegetables…’ He’d asked for a salad, and they’d said that the meat already had vegetables in it. It made no sense, but he somehow understood. They’d brought him a few sauces, but they only made him crave more meat.
“Haaa… it’s been a while since I’ve eaten this much.”
“…Oh, right.”
He turned to Minerva.
“Send me your account details. I’ll transfer you the money.”
“Okay, I’ll send it to you later.”
“Don’t forget.”
“…Wouldn’t it be better for you if I forgot?”
“You’re going to get in trouble if you do that.”
He said to Minerva,
“Small things like these turn into debt and karma. Especially when it comes to money, you should always settle things quickly.”
“Is that so…? I suppose so?”
“Isn’t that normal?”
He suddenly became curious. Why was she implying that it wasn’t normal?
“Well… I’ve never really said this before, but…”
Her steps slowed down. She looked away.
“…I’m the daughter of Athena Guild’s master. So, I rarely… receive money for missions.”
“? What does being the guild master’s daughter have to do with not getting paid?”
“It’s… not that simple.”
She smiled awkwardly.
“…I’m supposed to do it for the guild, that’s what being the guild master’s daughter is about.”
“That makes no sense. Do you get an allowance at least?”
“I always have money, but… my father sees all my transactions.”
“…Isn’t that financial abuse?”
“Huh?”
“Isn’t it?”
“Huh?”
“………”
Her responses were strange. He asked a different question.
“Then, is there any way for you to spend money without him knowing?”
“…I’m busy with my studies… and I get gifts from guild members, so I’ve never really needed to…”
“Is that so?”
He nodded.
‘That’s some serious gaslighting.’
He knew that her family was strict, but this was beyond his expectations.
“Unpaid labor and financial restrictions…”
No wonder she was obsessed with heavy metal. He was walking, when Minerva suddenly stopped.
“Ah…”
“…Aha.”
Across the street, a band was playing.
“………….”
Minerva stared at them, her hands clenched into fists. ‘I remember now…’ She’d gotten into heavy metal because a guild member had lent her a CD. And after that, she became known as a metalhead. He vaguely remembered an electric guitar in her closet.
‘That must mean…’
She must have been really frustrated. Not getting what she deserved despite working hard. Her only comfort and escape must have been heavy metal. Then, a window appeared.
[Emergency Mission]
[Show Me a True Musician]
-An Emergency Mission from Ur.
1. Play good music. (0/1)
Reward: A Blindfold Play Ticket
“…Ugh.”
Ur-noona, seriously. He sat down on a bench.
“Chrono-ssi?”
Minerva was surprised. He took out Agape.
“A goddess I know told me to play some music here.”
You can go ahead if you’re busy. He transformed Agape into a keyboard. Minerva smiled and sat down next to him.
“…What are you waiting for?”
“As your number one fan, I’m obligated to listen to your performance.”
“Fan? Do I have a fan club or something?”
That was reassuring. He chose a song.
“Well… we do, actually.”
“…Seriously?”
He almost missed a key, but it wasn’t a big deal.
Meanwhile,
[To hell with you and your parents! KOROSEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!]
“Kyaaaaaaaa! It’s Hell Kaiser!!!!”
He’d played death metal, too. …The police had even come, but they ended up being part of the audience. It must have been the effect of his Master-level performance.
