Side Story - Pickiness
This chapter is told from the green haired boy, Radiasta's perspective.
...I'm hungry.
It's only been a few days since we parted ways but I'm already craving for Kajikawa-san's home cooking, I'm so pathetic.
His food was all foreign to me yet every single one was weirdly calming to the mind. Wonder if that's what they call mother's cooking... His is definitely nothing like my mom's though.
『Gogeeeee!!』
"Shuddup! I just wanna go home and eat, get off my back dammit!"
I drove off an attacking chicken beast as I ran for the town, but my body feels heavy from hunger.
Weird. It was surging with power even with a bit of Kajikawa-san's food.
...Might be cause I've been grabbing random food lately. Probably lacking nutrition.
I finally reached Lv19 during today's hunting. Finally, after taking on so many magic beasts around my level or over for several days.
My level shot up from 15 to 18 after beating that frog magic beast at the swamp during the orphanage incident, but there's no way I can do that regularly, gotta knock on it little by little.
Then, eventually, I'll...
It's not like I never considered joining Kajikawa-san's party.
But I'm sure they wouldn't want to let someone who had a selfish goal join them, and I didn't want to trouble them so I decided to leave and resumed my solo run.
...No, that's not it. I just knew staying there would make it feel too comfortable to leave.
Kajikawa-san's cooking, Alma-neechan's kindness and reliability, and the fun I have with Reina is just too comforting.
I must never forget, my adventuring day is a means to an end, I must not be content with it.
...No matter how fun, I have a goal I need to accomplish. Don't get swayed, me.
Haa, what should I have for dinner today... Kajikawa-san mentioned something about nutritional balance, ya mean I can't just gorge myself on vegetables, meat and bread?
He specifically told me to eat tomatoes every day but I don't like tomatoes...
Gotta save for my equipment and consumables, guess I'll just grab stuff at random and cook something myself again today.
Kajikawa-san's group left me with several recipes but I couldn't even make half of those. Ain't nobody can make food without Skills though, this is normal.
Heck, I think I did great for being able to make half. Simple stuff like sprinkling cut leeks, sesame oil and sauce on top of a bowl of arorice.
...It's weird how tasty that is despite barely passing as cooking. That man's incredible.
The recipe says putting butter instead of leeks is good too, but I can't imagine something that oily be tasty.
No, gotta take the plunge. None of the recipes he left me tasted bad, so this one should do okay too.
Okay yeah, today I'm going with butter, sauced aro rice with sliced raw veggie and grilled salted meat--
Grab, I could feel my hand grabbing someone else's hand as I reached for the butter.
Oh crap, got lost in thought, didn't pay attention.
"Ah, sorry. I was spacing out and..."
"...You, I recall you're Radiasta, the top ranker of Pea Green area. A combatant buying butter for cooking huh, very versatile of you."
....
I looked at the owner of the hand I grabbed, red hair of a fierce god, I mean no, a beauty with a stupidly scary gaze.
Wait ain't she guildmaster!?
"Uouoa!?"
"Why did you scream the moment you saw my face. Is there something stuck on it?"
"G-g-guildmast! S-sorry, I'm sorry! That wasn't on purpose!"
"I'm not mad or anything though..."
That was a shock! I thought my heart would burst open! Like boom! Coulda sworn I heard that from my heart!
Who coulda thought the hand going for butter was guildmaster's... Does she cook for herself usually?
"...So, you cook. To be honest, that's surprising."
"I usually order deliveries. This is a ration for a long excursion. It should last in a preservation magic bag after all, I'm here to purchase nourishing food."
"Long excursion, to where?"
"The next continent over, for a little bit of dragon slaying."
"...Say what?"
"I'm joking. I'm just filing a complaint, don't worry about it."
I dunno what you talking about though. What is this person going on about?
"...Mwu? You've leveled up a bunch I see, it hasn't even been half a month since the fest. Remarkable growth."
"...Appraisal Skill?"
"No, I can tell from your face, air around you and also by observing the way you carry yourself and breathing."
"No way!? Ain't no way you can see any differences from that stuff!"
"Not quite. Once you've watched great many adventurers over many years, you get to notice the slightest bit of changes."
<TLN: Catch the latest updates and edits at Sousetsuka .com >
So she's like a pro of human observation? ...that sounds kinda wrong.
Uh, hey you're close, your face's too close! What!? What did I do!?
"Your leveling is going well yet you have this lonesome look on your face. I understand you've been running solo thus far, is it getting too tough?"
"That's not, true."
"It's safer and easier when you're in a party. Haven't you applied for one? I believe you can quickly find a party with your current level."
"I like being alone for the freedom it brings. Having to constantly fret over relationship between people feels choking to me."
It's a lie.
I'm lonely. How could I not.
I have been running by myself without joining a party once ever since I left my home.
When I first tried to cull magic beasts and stepped inside a magic beast territory, I unluckily found myself surrounded by a herd of goblins I thought I was gonna die.
Just when I got used to hunting magic beasts a bit, I participated in a Stampede defense and a Werewolf made me into a human shield, I got even more traumatized of magic beasts.
The wound on my mind was more severe than on my body and just when I finally pulled myself together and resumed culling magic beasts in the Monster Prairie, I noticed most adventurers were in parties.
I can't say I'm not envious of them.
It's far more fun when you're with companions, and safer too.
But I plan to quit being an adventurer one day. Otherwise, I can't accomplish my goal.
I don't want to abandon a party I joined for my own selfish desire.
I'm not like that guy.
"...I won't force you if that's what you want, just don't overdo it."
"Yes."
"Also, don't be picky. Put more vegetables in your basket. Like tomatoes and the likes."
"Y-yes..."
I'm tellin' ya, I don't like tomatoes.
What, are both Kajikawa-san and guildmast tomato lovers? Can't believe anyone likes those sour soft oozing stuff...
But that dish that uses a lot of tomato, omurice or something? I don't know if I was just imagining it but my body felt really good the day after I had that.
It got heavier again since I started cooking for myself again. Maybe I'm really lacking nutrition.
...I should trick myself into thinking it's good and give it a try.
They say tomatoes go well with cheese... Really.
Ah, didn't realize guildmaster'd gone off somewhere.
She mentioned something about going to another continent to file a complaint, wonder where?
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