KON POV

Elizabeth’s father took an upright posture with both fists out and settled them into a guard position. He has a high level of composure, but his fiery aura tells a different story. I should just keep quiet and see how it goes since his intent is not directed at me.

Seems like the cookies worked, somewhat.

“You devilish duo has had your name spread far and wide, and now you are here for my daughter. I may have retired from the frontier, but do not underestimate me. I can still snap a few young twigs or two!”

“Errr, I think this is a misunderstanding, Oi Zack say something.”

“Muahahaha! Venti, let’s show this old man the power of the devilish marauder duo. If it’s a fist fight we won’t lose, old man!”

“Hrmph! Such audacity, but enough talk! HAVE AT YOU!”

THWANG!

Nobody has made a move and yet the sound of impact reverberated around the hall. For a moment, no sounds were made, before Elizabeth’s father tilted forward and fell with eyes rolled back to his skull.

Behind him stood the mother with a frying pan in hand.

So fast, I didn’t even see her coming.

“Ara, dear is it time for an afternoon nap already? Servants, pick him up and tuck him into his bed.”

With a clap, the servants moved and picked him up. They didn’t even bat an eyelid as they carried him to the upper floor. This must be a common occurrence in the household.

More importantly, what’s with her movements? She teleported from the stair landing to his back and instantly delivered a strike to the head with a frying pan.

I couldn’t trace her intent at all. She unsheathed her weapon and let loose a strike from the state of nothingness like an IAI practitioner.

I am breaking into a cold sweat. Imagining myself in that scenario, I couldn’t have dodged it at all even if I was somehow able to read her intent from miles away.

“Elizabeth, be a dear and help Uncle Maven prepare the tea would you?”

“O-ok, Mom.”

“Now, as for you three, come. It might be a bit late, but an afternoon tea is in order. Make yourself at home.”

“Oh, thanks, lady. It’s gotten dangerous there for a moment.” Venti joked.

“Yep, not sure if we would have been able to beat him, even with Kon joining us.”

“Please don’t drag me into this, Zack.”

She stifled a giggle before leading us into a second-floor terrace with views overlooking the gardens. It’s vast and the breeze smells nice with a field of flowers nearby.

We sat down at a table for four before the servants came and brought us a bunch of refreshments and cupcake stands filled with assortments of cakes. I blushed a bit when the Cookies that I bought for gifts were served on a plate with emphasis as a main dish.

Oh no. Is my main weapon going to be lined up with all these restaurant-quality sweets? Ugh, please spare me from the 7-star restaurant owner’s tongue.

“Oh, where are my manners? My name is Katherina Eve Thornfield, you can refer to me as Mrs. Kathy or however, you like.”

“Nice to meet you, Mrs. Kathy, My name is Kon Caspier, you can call me Kon. I’m a friend of these two.”

“Hmm yes, this is not the first time we met, wasn’t it? Zack Nell and Venti Lionn.”

“Just Zack is fine Ma’am, and yep, we were there at your restaurant before we got kicked out. Ahahah~!”

“Yeah, your husband doesn’t seem to have a very good impression of us. Given our backgrounds and all. Heheh.”

“Oh, don’t worry about him, he is just being rigid as usual. Nothing to be excited about. Anyway.”

I can see her attention directed back at me again. I gulped and resisted putting on a mask to prevent her from reading me completely. For all I know, it might be useless to even try. Those emerald eyes of hers are equal part beautiful and terrifying.

“Are these cookies handmade?”

“Y-yes, ma’am.”

“Let’s see….”

She picked up the cookie and took a small bite out of it. Oh god, she is eating it. She chewed it slowly while looking at me with a hint of humor in her eyes. If she is going to judge my handmade cookies, I have a feeling she is prolonging the verdict just to tease me.

“Marvelous, you used dark chocolate and balanced it with creamy milk to create a wonderful aroma. The chestnuts and sunflower seeds were roasted properly and to counter the richness you used wine-cooked raisins yes?”

I stared wide-eyed at her. As expected of a 7-star restaurant owner, one bite was all it took for her to account for all of the ingredients that I used in the cooking. I could only nod as she lists out the order in which I mix the ingredients.

“I applaud your effort in reducing the wine for the raisins properly, However, the sunflower seeds do not compliment well with the earthiness of the chestnuts, moreover….”

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

Then she proceeded to dress down dozens of mistakes that I made for the cookies. For the first time, it felt like I was standing at attention in front of a seasoned veteran head chef. Both her gentleness and sternness were shown in full display as she narrated the various things I could have done better with my cooking.

I find myself listening to her with rapt attention while recalling Elizabeth’s admiration for her mother at work. I feel like I understand her better now. The balancing act and the care needed to manage the people working under her. It’s not easy.

She is a master of her craft.

While she was talking, the tea sets were served silently and Elizabeth just sat beside me while listening to her mother. There it is again, the shine in her eyes whenever she talks about her mother.

At the end of her talk, she took a sip of her tea and looked back at me again.

“Fufu, my apologies Kon, your cookies are truly wonderful, but I just had to dress you down like that. I mean no offense, do excuse me.”

“Don’t worry Mrs. Kathy, you genuinely wanted me to improve and further my skill. I thank you for your teaching.”

“Oh my….. You are such a good kit aren’t you?”

She reached out and rubbed my head while pinching my cheek. At this point, I’m already used to it, but please don’t stretch my cheek too far, it’s starting to sting now. Also, did I hear her wrong? She did say kid, right?

“Anyway, this is your first visit to our home, isn’t it? Elizabeth, please show Kon here around while I talk with these two young gentlemen.”

“B-but Mom, I just finished helping Maven desuno.”

“Don’t worry dear, we can talk more later during dinner, now off you go.”

Mrs. Kathy shooed us away from the duo, but not before secretly giving me a wink while briefly glancing at Elizabeth. I’m guessing the mom will be confronting Zack and Venti about the idea of having Elizabeth on the team. So I should accompany Elizabeth in the meantime?

What does that wink even mean?

I just hope the conversation is not going to end on a sour note.

---

ZACK POV

“Zack Nell, the teenager with the heart of a daredevil. Some will say that you are a rebel and a rule breaker given your track record of climbing the Inner Sanctum tower. You trespassed a prohibited area just to view the scenery from up there, was it? Other says that you simply seek thrills in the face of danger and desire to make it big on the tower to the south. Fufu, I wonder which one is the real you, dear Zack.”

Oho, the lady is certainly sharp. Don’t need Kon to tell me that, judging by how silent he has been, ever since the mom was introduced. Yep, I bet she is all-knowing too if you can listen to the teasing tone in her questions. She is not interested in my answer, only in how I respond to it.

So, I do what I always do best. Relax and fold everything back into my pace.

“All of them. Climbing to a higher height is a romance in itself, wouldn’t you agree, Mrs. Kathy? No doubt you will be aiming for that 8th star soon aren’t you?”

“Oh my, I certainly have much more to learn before I can even hope to achieve such a prestige.”

“Hehe, with such a regal countenance you presented while teaching Kon, you could already stand above them and be the best among the best.”

“Ohoho, you flatter this old lady too much.”

With us speaking back and forth, I could see Venti’s face cringing harder as if he bit into a sour lemon.

Haha, I suppose the preface of the next talk can be quite unbearable for some people who prefer a straightforward approach. Don’t worry though, I will bite since I am here as the challenger after all, so it’s only gentlemanly for me to take that first step.

“But I’m telling the truth, you shone ever so brilliantly when you took charge of that Hell’s Kitchen. I do not doubt that your daughter’s golden age will not lose its luster in comparison.”

“Ara ara, Golden age you say?”

“Yes, when I first saw her stand up to her beliefs, I thought she has what it takes to reach the apex and surpass it further beyond.”

“Oi Zack, flowery words are fine and all, but wasn’t she just tired of two noisy thugs rambling on about selling hitman services in class?”

“O ye of little faith, my eyes see it all! Her determination, her martial prowess, her potential!”

“*Giggle*, you boys sure know how to give compliments.”

“Why thank you.”

“But I have to ask. When you say ‘potential,’ whose potential do you mean?”

Did I not say it right? Of course, I was talking about….

……

I stopped myself.

She just stared at me with a hint of amusement on her lips, as if she already knew what I was about to say. I can see her eagerly waiting for the next line that comes out of my mouth as I reflect deeply on her question. With it, my memories came bubbling up.

Hey Zack, we finally made it, how is it? How’s the view from up here? I can’t see……. Tell me.

Ahaha…. *Cough Cough*.

So, it’s like that after all.

If it’s you. You can still go higher, right?

For me…….. For them…..

The faces of my past comrades and friends began to resurface once again.

She knows it. The memories of my biggest regret, and yet not even once had I dared to think about forgetting them. It’s the burden I have to carry for the rest of my life. The burden of knowingly putting my friends in danger, all for the sake of my own goal.

Even after all that. At the end of that tunnel, what was shown beyond that glimpse of light was not even what I had expected.

Just more of the same, but higher and further. A bigger mountain behind the mountain so to speak.

Back then, as I held Gin’s bleeding cold body, I couldn’t lie. Not to Gin, not to my friends. So I forced the truth out of my throat as I gazed at the view atop that inner ring tower. How we achieved next to nothing after all the sacrifices that we had made.

Despite all that Gin in his last moments never once condemned me.

My Pathfinder believed in me until the end. His only regret was that he could not accompany me to the finish line and see what we had achieved no matter how small it was. All he asked, was for me to go even higher while carrying his wishes.

Now, here I am, taking it all back in. The regret, the sadness, the partings, and the eventual outlook for the future. My resolve is tested once again, and yet the idea of lying to her for the sake of easing the pain never crossed my mind.

If I were that kind of person, I would have locked myself in a padded room and wither away in tears that day.

I am here because I want to carry their wishes and see the continuation of what’s behind that bigger mountain. Probably another bigger one if I’m being honest, but this time they will stand beside me as we looked up together, and throw curses at each other.

So, I took a deep breath and steeled myself as I stared her right in the eyes.

“When I said potential, I was referring to Elizabeth’s. I want her to see what my friends couldn’t. She has that right.”

Many people had called me a dumbass, a hardhead, a weirdo, and a daredevil. Despite all that, they never once called me a liar. It’s because the strong heart has never needed to.

Zack Nell has never lied, and he never will.

“Ufufu, such a splendid response. Regardless, you shouldn’t have taken this old lady seriously, you know. I have long since known that sooner or later, Elizabeth will outgrow her admiration of me and spread her wings far and wide. It will be a bit lonely, but what can you do?”

“Is that why you sent Kon and Elizabeth away? Elizabeth I can understand, but why Kon?”

“Ara, did you not know?”

I quirked my eyebrows at that. Is there something else that I am missing? I know Kon might be related to some nobility, and he might also be a foxkin, but I don’t see them as a reason to exclude him from this talk though.

“He is a natural empath.”

“H-he is?”

“Yes, that, and among other things.”

So, she sent him away because she doesn’t want my past to be shown to him this way? Granted if I was to reveal it to him like this, it may seem like I was backed into the corner and had no other choice.

“Sigh, you are an amazing lady.”

“Fufu, again with the flattery.”

“And you said ‘among other things’?”

“Ara, did I?”

I slumped back into my chair, truly defeated. Yes, yes I get it. How could I hope to ask Kon for his secrets if I don’t even dare to confide in him with the burden of my own?

“Please, enjoy the tea before it gets cold. It is, after all, a celebration for you boys.”

Yea, a celebration indeed…..

First, it’s Ms. Emma and now it’s Elizabeth’s mom.

I wonder if Kon has some kind of scary lady magnet strapped behind his back or something.