Kenji’s stomach growled as he made his way through the small farming village, looking for the inn the townspeople had told him about. He was a young man, just old enough to be called such, with a well-built figure and a determined look on his face. His clothes were torn and dirty from traveling all day in the rain, and his boots squished with every step he took. Kenji shivered against the chill wind that blew through the empty streets; it was late and there was no one around to ask for directions. He could only hope the inn was close by...

Kenji knew he should probably just camp out under the stars tonight and get dry instead of wasting his money on an inn, but the thought of sleeping in his wet clothes wasn’t very appealing.

Kenji looked at the carrots hanging from his belt and sighed. They were the only ones he had left, and he wasn’t sure if he should eat them yet. He grabbed a carrot and started nibbling on it as he walked along, making sure not to bite off too much. The carrots were a deep shade of orange, and they tasted slightly sweet.

As Kenji continued walking, his vision changed. He could see the houses on either side of him more clearly, and he even noticed a cat that was sitting on the windowsill of one house. It meowed as he passed by, and he couldn’t help but smile.

His eyes glowed a bright orange in the darkness, and his night vision kicked in. He could see the path ahead of him clearly, and even the trees in the distance looked like they were lit up by a full moon.

The young man finished up the carrot quickly before stopping at a corner. To his relief, he saw the inn sign across the street. It looked like it might not have been painted in years, but he didn’t care; anything was better than standing here in the pouring rain! He hurried toward the building and pushed open the heavy wooden door.

Inside was warm and cozy compared to outside. Kenji shut the door behind him before going to the desk near the entrance.

There stood a small boy, only eight years old, who seemed surprised to see Kenji enter. He had red hair, green eyes, and wore clothes that were too big for him. Kenji smiled at him.

“Hi there,” he whispered. “I’d like to rent a room for the night.”

The boy stared at him in silence.

Kenji waited patiently while the boy went around the desk and climbed onto a chair behind it. The chair was much too tall for him, and he had to stand on his tiptoes to reach the register on top of it. Kenji tried not to laugh as the boy struggled to open the book, eventually resorting to using both hands.

“Sir,” Kenji said with amusement in his voice, “are your parents around?”

“My mom’s in the kitchen,” answered the boy after finally getting the book open. “She’s cooking right now, so don’t bother her.”

“What about your dad?” Kenji asked curiously.

The boy shrugged. “Never met him. You might be my father.”

Kenji chuckled softly. “Well, I doubt that very much! How much for a room?”

The boy glanced down at the book in front of him, then back up at Kenji. “One-hundred gold coins.”

Kenji nearly choked on his own spit. He hadn’t expected it to cost so much!

The door behind the child shot open and a girl, bigger but only thirteen at most, walked in. Her long, red hair was tied back in a ponytail and she wore an apron over a white blouse. She had bright green eyes, freckles covering her cheeks and nose, and wore an expression of annoyance.

“Didn’t I tell you to not bother guests?” she asked the boy. “You know Mom doesn’t like it.”

The boy rolled his eyes. “Whatever,” he grumbled. “He’s my customer.”

“An unhappy customer,” Kenji interested. “If I may say.”

“See? You’re making us lose money!”

“I’m just trying to help! You‘re supposed to be the older one here...”

While the siblings argued, Kenji glanced around the inn. There were only three other people inside — two men sitting at a table playing cards, and an old woman knitting in the corner. He wondered where everyone else was; surely they couldn’t all be asleep already?

“Um,” he interrupted the siblings’ quarrel. “How much for a meal?”

The girl looked relieved to answer Kenji’s question. “Fifty gold coins.”

Kenji almost gagged on his saliva again. How could this place charge so much?! “Could I get a discount for being your father?” he joked.

The girl stared at him blankly.

Kenji laughed awkwardly. “It was a joke...”

She shook her head and turned to leave, but stopped when she heard someone walk up to the door.

The girl turned around and chuckled nervously. “I was just kidding,” she said. “Of course, a meal is just two copper coins.”

“I only have a silver coin,” Kenji said.

“Give me that and you will get our best room, too,” she said with enormous eyes. “And a breakfast is worth a king!”

Kenji sighed but gave her the coin.

She grinned happily and handed him a key. “Enjoy your stay!” she exclaimed. “Please excuse my brother. He’s a bit... special.”

“No problem,” Kenji replied. “I have a sister too. She’s always trouble.”

The girl shook her head. “Women are not trouble.”

Kenji stopped himself before saying something stupid. “What’s your name?”

“Alia,” she replied.

“Thank you, Alia,” Kenji smiled. “My name is Kenji.”

“Nice to meet you, sir,” Alia said politely. “Your room is upstairs, the first door on the left.”

“I will wait for—”

“My name is Alf,” the boy said proudly. “I’m nine years old and I can read books! My favorite food is meat, my favorite color is blue, and my favorite animal is the dragon!”

Kenji blinked twice. “Dragons are monsters, not animals.”

“Yeah, but they’re cool.” Alf said.

Kenji couldn’t argue with that. Dragons were indeed very cool.

Alf grinned widely. “Do you like dragons too?” he asked excitedly.

“I heard they taste pretty rough,” Kenji said before sticking his tongue out.

“Meat tastes good no matter how it looks!” Alf protested. “Or how it sounds...”

Kenji laughed heartily. “Well, I guess that’s true.”

Alf beamed happily as Kenji walked over to the tables where the two men were sitting. He sat down across from them and watched as they played their card game.

“Are you travelers?” asked one of them after a few moments.

Kenji nodded. “That’s one thing I am.”

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

The man raised an eyebrow. “Oh? What else are you?”

“A monster hunter,” Kenji answered simply. “And a cook.”

“A cook?!” Alf exclaimed from the counter. “No way! My mom is a cook, too!“

“It’s true,” Kenji smiled.

The men laughed. “Oh, yeah?” one of them asked. “Where’s your gear?”

Kenji patted the bag hanging from his waist. “Right here,” he answered. “I carry everything I need inside this bag.”

Alf looked at him in awe. “Really?” he asked curiously.

“You want to see?” Kenji offered.

Alf nodded eagerly.

Kenji took out a knife from his bag. It was a simple cooking knife with an unusually long blade. It looked more like a short sword than a kitchen knife. “This is my weapon.”

Alf reached out and touched the blade, giggling when it cut his finger. “Ouch,” he complained.

Kenji’s eyes grew large. “I’m sorry!” he apologized quickly. “I should’ve warned you it was sharp!”

“It’s okay,” Alf assured him. “I’m fine.”

Kenji breathed a sigh of relief. “Good,” he said.

“But you have to pay for the doctor,” Alia said from the counter.

Kenji looked up at her. “Sure,” he agreed. “How much?”

Alia grinned mischievously. “Five gold coins.”

Kenji snorted. “For a paper cut? That’s ridiculous!”

Alf giggled again. “It’s fine,” he assured Kenji. “I don’t care.”

A tall woman with crimson red hair appeared in the doorway behind Alia. She wore a white apron over a simple green dress and had freckles covering her cheeks and nose. Her emerald green eyes sparkled as she smiled warmly at Kenji.

She grabbed Alia’s ear and pulled her back into the kitchen. “Be nice to our guests!” she scolded. “And don’t steal from them! I raised you better than that!”

Alia grimaced and rubbed her ear once the woman let go of her.

“I’m sorry about my daughter,” the woman said to Kenji. “She can be a bit... difficult.”

“She’s a thief!” Alf exclaimed happily. “That’s so cool!”

The woman chuckled softly. “I would love to disagree with you, my wild potato.”

Kenji raised an eyebrow. “Wild potato?”

Alf nodded. “That’s what she calls me,” he explained proudly. “I like it.”

Kenji smiled at him before turning back to the woman. “I‘m Kenji,” he introduced himself. “I just arrived here a few minutes ago.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Kenji,” the woman greeted him warmly. “My name is Mirielle.“

“Pleasure to meet you, too.”

Alf jumped down from his stool and ran over to Kenji, grabbing his leg and hugging it tightly. “I like you!” he declared happily. “But your carrots are weird.”

Kenji laughed. “Thank you,” he said. “I think I like you too.”

“Why are they looking like this?” The boy pointed at Kenji’s carrots, which looked like two carrots sticking together with their stems attached.

“Oh, these aren’t normal carrots,” Kenji explained. “They’re a special breed from my clan.”

“Special?” Alf asked curiously.

Kenji nodded. “Carrots help my eyes, and these double-headed carrots have a stronger and longer lasting effect.”

“So they improve your eyes?”

“Exactly.”

Alf grinned. “That’s awesome!” he exclaimed excitedly. “Can I try one?”

Kenji smiled and took out another double-headed carrot, handing it to Alf. You shouldn’t waste them like that! He thought in his master’s voice. Kenji knew he shouldn’t do that, but the boy seemed so happy and excited, he couldn’t bring himself to refuse.

Alf bit into the carrot and chewed thoughtfully. “It’s good,” he decided after swallowing.

“You should share with your sister and mother,” Kenji said.

“No, thanks!” Alf laughed. “These are mine!”

Alia suddenly came back with a tray of food and placed it in front of Kenji. “Here you go, sir,” she said.

Kenji stared at the food in front of him. There was a plate of steaming fresh meat with vegetables on the side, and a bowl of soup filled with noodles and chunks of chicken.

Kenji’s mouth watered at the sight. “I didn’t expect this kind of food!” he exclaimed.

“Mom’s the best cook around,” Alf boasted proudly.

Kenji dug in eagerly. As soon as he started eating, he realized just how hungry he really was. He ate faster than usual, not stopping until everything was gone.

Kenji sighed contentedly after finishing his meal. “That was delicious,” he said. “Thank you very much.”

Mirielle smiled at him. “I’m glad you enjoyed it,” she replied.

“Kenji is a cook, too!” Alf exclaimed suddenly.

“Is that so?” Mirielle asked. “You must cook us something!”

Kenji’s mouth corners pulled back, and he bit his lower lip. “Well,” he said. “I’m not a good cook.”

“Oh, that’s fair. You’re so young,” Mirielle said with a warm smile. “How old are you?”

“Twenty-one,” Kenji replied.

Mirielle blinked in surprise. “Twenty-one?” she repeated incredulously. “And you’re traveling alone?”

“Yep,” Kenji nodded. “I just finished my training recently.”

“What kind of training?” Alf asked.

“Monster hunter training.”

Alf’s eyes lit up with excitement. “Really?” he asked eagerly. “That’s awesome! Are you going to hunt down monsters and stuff?”

“That’s my duty,” Kenji replied with annoyance in his tone. “But I’m using my free time to become a better cook!”

Mirielle smiled with faint concern. “A monster hunter in these times? Why are you endangering yourself this much? A boy like you, handsome and strong, could be a knight.”

“It’s my destiny.” Kenji sighed.

Alf glanced at his mother and gave her a thumbs up. Mirielle shook her head and sighed. “Well, I wish you luck.”

“Thank you.”

“Would you like to learn my pasty recipe?”

Kenji’s eyes widened. “Yes, please!”

Mirielle chuckled. “Then come with me. It’s very simple. First, you need some flour, salt, and water...”

***

“And that’s it!” Mirielle explained. “Now, let’s try making them ourselves. Alf, can you go grab the ingredients from the kitchen?”

Alf nodded excitedly and ran off.

“You have a wonderful son,” Kenji complimented Mirielle.

She smiled warmly. “Thank you, Kenji. I’m glad you enjoy him.”

“Yeah,” Kenji admitted. “It’s hard not to.”

Alf returned quickly with a bag of flour and a jar of salt. “Here you go, Mom!” he exclaimed cheerfully.

“Thank you, Alf,” Mirielle said gratefully. “Now, let’s get started!”

Kenji watched carefully as Mirielle grabbed a clump of fat from a bowl nearby and softly rubbed it into the flour. “Now, Kenji,” she began. “Add a bit of water.”

“How much?” Kenji asked curiously.

Mirielle shrugged. “As much as it takes to form a dough,” she replied. “When it’s sticky, it’s perfect.”

Kenji nodded and did as he was told. The dough felt smooth as he kneaded it against the wooden tabletop.

Mirielle continued to explain the steps to Kenji. “Then we have to leave it outside for three hours.”

“Not with me here,” Kenji said with a smile. He grabbed the pasty, put it in a bowl, a piece of cloth over it, and put his hands below and above it.

The pasty dough grew cold as Kenji’s hands glowed a frosty white. He watched with fascination as the ice crystals formed on the dough and then shattered into tiny shards when he moved his hand away.

Mirielle stared at Kenji in awe. “Wow,” she breathed. “I’ve never seen someone use magic like that.”

“You’re a wizard!” Alf exclaimed in surprise.

Kenji chuckled nervously. “Um, well...”

Alf leaned forward and stared at Kenji intently. “Can you show me how to use ice magic too?” he asked.

Kenji patted Alf’s head gently. “Sorry, buddy,” he replied. “I‘m not a teacher.“

Alf pouted. “Aw, man,” he grumbled.

Mirielle grabbed the bowl with the pasty dough and walked over to the counter. “Now, we have to roll it out and cut it into circles,” she explained.

Kenji watched as she placed the bowl on the countertop and rolled out the dough into thin circles. “Then we can fill it with meat, potatoes, and vegetables.”

Kenji’s eyes sparkled with excitement as he watched Mirielle fill the pastry rounds and seal them shut.

“And that’s it!” she exclaimed with pride. “Let’s put them in the oven and bake them!”

“You know,” Kenji said to Alf. “I think cooking is way cooler than magic.”

Alf shook his head vigorously. “No way!” he argued. “Magic is awesome!”

Kenji laughed softly. “Yeah, I guess it is,” he admitted.

***

Kenji opened the door of his room; he walked into it with a plate in his hands. He looked around. The room was clean, with a bed in the middle of the room and a small desk near the window. He placed the plate on the desk before taking off his cloak and laying it across the chair.

His eyes wandered to the bed, and he let out a tired sigh. He sat down and closed his eyes, resting his head against the headboard.

Kenji thought about his day and what had happened to him so far.

Suddenly, Kenji awoke from screams; he jumped out of his bed and raised his hands, which were indulged in white flames. Kenji scanned his surroundings and lowered his hands, extinguishing the flames.

“That must be the siblings fighting again,” Kenji murmured to himself.

He went back to the desk and grabbed the plate, which was filled with pasties. As he bit into one, he heard footsteps approaching his door.

The door swung open, and three small humanoids with green skin, torn and dirty clothes, and sharp teeth appeared in the doorway. They grinned at Kenji before charging at him.

Kenji swallowed his food quickly and grabbed one of the pasties, throwing it at the goblin’s face. Before the goblin could see again, Kenji grabbed his face, and white flames grew from his palm all over the goblin. The goblin screamed as he burned and fell to the ground.

Kenji stomped his boot on the goblin’s head, crushing it. He turned around to face the other two goblins that were now disappearing. But Kenji knew better; he clapped together his palms and quickly pulled them back apart. White flames burst forth between his palms and formed a lance of fire.

The flames caught both goblins, which were invisible, and they screamed in pain and fell to the ground.

Kenji walked over to the bodies and knelt down next to them. He touched them, and ice engulfed their bodies. “I‘m sorry,” he said to himself.

Kenji ran out of the room, yelling, “Mirielle? Alf? Alia?”

“KENJI!” Alf screamed.

“I’m coming!” Kenji shouted back. “Where are you?!”

“Kitchen!”

Kenji ran to the kitchen, but nobody was there. “Alf?”

A cupboard opened, and Alf jumped out. “Kenji! Help us!”

“Where are your mother and sister?”

“I don’t know,” Alf sobbed.

Kenji turned around to see two more goblins with a vicious toad behind them; it was the size of the goblins. He sighed. “I’ll handle it, buddy. You just stay safe.”

Alf nodded and hid himself behind another cupboard.

Kenji drew his knife, hitting clean between a goblin’s eyes, and his fist covered in white flames, punching the vicious toad in the nose. The toad didn’t take it well; it jumped at Kenji, and he dodged, letting the toad crash into the wall.

The toad screamed as it turned around and spit poison at Kenji, who covered his face with his arm. His arm burned and melted away from the skin.

Kenji screamed in agony, but he quickly regained his composure. He grabbed his knife and slashed the toad’s head, causing it to bleed profusely. The toad fell to the ground with a loud thud.

Kenji then grabbed the last goblin before he could run away, with both arms and white ice crystals formed around his body. “You stay here,” Kenji said as a fell on his knees.

Alf jumped out and ran to Kenji. “Are you okay?”

“Not really,” Kenji said. “I can’t move my body.”

“Why?”

“Poison."