Chapter 10
“Ah…”
Felix’s eyes widened, and he took a step back.
Celine tilted her head.
Why are his ears turning red?
He had been full of energy just moments ago, rolling up his sleeves to cook, but now he was frozen like a statue.
Several seconds passed.
Confused, Celine asked,
“Aren’t you going to cook?”
Felix suddenly came back to his senses as if a spell had been broken. He quickly looked down at the cutting board.
“Ahem. I-I’ll cut the apples!”
He peeled the apples and onions, then began slicing them into impossibly thin strips at an incredible speed.
Tap. Tap-tap.
His knife skills were as bold, fast, and precise as those of any Black Agent.
Tap-tap-tap. Tap-tap-tap-tap.
In the quiet dawn, the rhythmic sound of the knife echoed peacefully through the mountain village.
Has the sound of a knife always been this peaceful?
Without realizing it, Celine leaned against the counter and folded her arms.
The sound of metal she knew had always been accompanied by flesh being torn apart.
But here…
Everything sounded different.
Right then, the sauce pot on the rectangular stove began to bubble in rhythm.
Bubble. Bubble.
Felix dropped tomatoes into the pot, cracked three eggs into a bowl, poured in milk, and whisked everything together.
Then he poured the mixture into a buttered frying pan that had been heating over the stove.
Sizzle—
“Ah…”
Celine quietly watched.
The rich aroma of melting butter drifted through the air and reached her nose.
This isn’t good…
The tension that had always kept her body stiff slowly melted away.
If cooking could look this peaceful…
She wanted to keep watching forever.
“Teacher Ravens, breakfast is served.”
A little later, when the kitchen was filled with warm, delicious smells, Felix walked over carrying a white plate.
Celine sat back down at the table and looked at the meal in front of her.
A perfectly round golden omelet steamed gently.
Bright red tomato sauce had been poured across the top.
Her expression became strange.
…Is that a dog?
The tomato sauce had been arranged into the face of a happy dog with its tongue sticking out.
It kind of looks like that calf-sized dog in the backyard.
“Oh. That’s my dog, Mimi. She’s a very good girl.”
“Ah… I see.”
“Cute, isn’t she?”
Celine couldn’t answer.
Not because she disliked dogs—
But because her mouth had already filled with saliva.
…It smells too good.
She wasn’t afraid of torture.
But this…
This felt like a completely new form of torture.
Not wanting to be noticed, she quickly swallowed.
Gulp.
“It’s one of my specialties. Even Rosie admits defeat when it comes to my organic omelets. Ah, did I mention that Rosie bakes bread?”
“No. This is my first time hearing about her.”
“Rosie runs the mill on the hill outside the village. Her bread is amazing. This whole-grain bread is hers.”
He placed a basket of bread on the table.
The crust looked wonderfully crisp, while the inside appeared soft and chewy.
Whole grains and chopped nuts were scattered throughout every slice.
Gulp.
Beside the plate, Felix carefully placed a spoon and fork polished so brightly that Celine could see her reflection in them.
“…Then, thank you for the meal.”
Just one bite.
Slowly, Celine picked up her spoon and scooped up a piece of the soft golden omelet.
Its inside flowed gently like pudding.
She put it into her mouth.
“Mmm.”
It was so soft.
A rich, savory flavor spread throughout her mouth.
“How is it?”
“…It’s… delicious.”
“And this omelet is a gift from our Oscar and the rest of the family, so don’t hate him too much.”
Celine nodded and quietly continued eating.
It tasted like the warm morning sunlight that chased away the cold mountain dawn.
By the time she finished,
the plate was completely clean.
* * *
“Please think of this as employee welfare from your employer.”
Whenever Celine tried to wash the dishes because she hated owing people favors, Felix would immediately take them away from her.
If he insisted that much, there wasn’t much she could do.
After locking both the front door of the annex and the upstairs room, she called toward the main house,
“I’ll be going now.”
Her official first day of work was tomorrow.
I’ll use today to explore the village.
For the mission, learning the village’s layout was her top priority.
A voice came from the kitchen.
“Teacher, shall we go together?”
While putting on her flat shoes, Celine answered,
“I’m not going anywhere in particular. Just taking a short walk. I’ll be back.”
Only half of that was true.
Her sharp eyes were already searching for the highest point where she could overlook the entire village.
Felix stepped out onto the front porch of the main house, his wet hands still dripping.
“Teacher Ravens!”
But…
Celine was already gone.
Only dust drifted across the empty road.
“…Was I too late?”
* * *
“The tallest tree…”
Whoosh.
Celine activated her stealth technique and sprinted into the forest behind the village.
In a mountain village without towers or tall buildings, nothing was better for surveying the area than the tallest trees.
No Entry Beyond This Point Except for Elderwick Residents — Herman
Passing the warning sign that had probably been put up by the village elder, she entered a forest filled with enormous trees.
“There are a lot of beech trees here.”
She stopped before a giant gray-barked tree and looked up.
Truffles usually grow around beech trees… especially in forests like this.
The trunk looked several hundred years old.
Even a grown man couldn’t wrap both arms around it.
“Let’s climb it.”
Lightly jumping from branch to branch, Celine rapidly climbed higher.
Tap. Tap-tap. Tap.
“Wow.”
When she reached the top, brilliant sunlight poured over her as the village of Elderwick spread out beneath her like a painting.
Thin smoke rose gently from every chimney as the villagers prepared breakfast.
“This will do.”
She sat comfortably where several thick branches met.
Taking out her mission notebook and fountain pen from the strap on her leg, she began drawing a map.
She carefully marked the houses…
The school in the center…
And even the small forest paths.
Then—
“…Hm?”
She noticed a wagon entering the village.
A merchant? The Director did mention something like that.
She remembered Heinrich saying that only a few selected merchants traded with Elderwick.
Outsiders are variables.
It’s better to learn about them beforehand.
I hate unpleasant surprises.
Her body slowly blended perfectly into the surrounding scenery.
After putting away her notebook and pen, she climbed down the tree in an instant.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Speed was essential when gathering information.
She raced toward the village entrance.
When she reached the edge of the village, she noticed an old shop standing beside a stone tower dedicated to the village guardian spirit.
Elderwick General Store
Celine hid her invisible body inside thick bushes near the shop.
A horse-drawn wagon stood outside.
Written across its cover were the words:
Peddler’s General Goods — From Soap to Gold!
Nearby, a traveling merchant wearing clean boots up to his shins was speaking with an elderly man with white hair leaning on a cane.
“Sir, I’ve brought the paper, quill pens, and crayons you ordered. You also asked for soap, right? Why did you order so much? We’re grateful, of course.”
“Thank you, as always.”
A cane… Could that be Grandpa Herman? The oldest man in the village!
Celine recalled the information in her notes.
The merchant continued,
“Won’t you tell me your name today? We’ve been doing business for months! You keep changing trading partners every time. I’d really like to keep trading with you for a long time.”
“Enough of that. Keep our agreement. That’s the Elderwick way of doing business.”
Grandpa Herman glared at him before going into the shop.
A moment later, he returned carrying a basket.
“Will this be enough?”
Th-That’s…!
Celine’s eyes widened.
Having once managed ingredients for famous restaurants in New Mabel, the kingdom of gourmet cuisine, she recognized them immediately.
Even though she couldn’t cook…
She knew ingredients.
Black truffles!
They weren’t as expensive as white truffles…
But even one of those was worth the price of a sheep.
One… two… three… five!
Each one was as large as an adult’s fist.
Top-grade quality.
Those alone could buy three healthy bulls.
But the traveling merchant, Peddler, frowned.
“Ah… That won’t do. You can’t keep paying me with these every time. Do you know how expensive paper and soap are these days? The olive harvest failed! There aren’t any seeds left!”
“Peddler, surely truffles are worth that much? When I was young, I even bought goats with them. Other merchants paid me more.”
“Which merchant was that? Sounds like a scammer! And how long ago was that? Thirty years? You’re driving me crazy. Truffles are common these days.”
“…Really?”
“Nobles grow them in their backyards now, sir. Young noble masters even kick them around like balls.”
“…Ahem.”
What a shameless liar!
Celine gripped the bush so hard that she nearly tore it out by the roots.
