Simon and Meirin strolled side by side along the beachfront.
Today, Meirin was the undisputed queen of the beach. With a sheer cover-up draped loosely over her shoulders, she drew every eye as she walked, casually brushing back her long, sky-blue hair.
Walking right beside her, Simon couldn’t help but feel hyper-aware of the attention.
“Is that really okay?” Meirin asked suddenly, a teasing glint in her eye.
Simon flinched, his gaze darting forward. “W-What is?”
“The Kizen student council president threatening a civilian.”
“N-No. It was more of a warning than a threat...”
“I’m joking!” Meirin covered her mouth, giggling. “You looked so stiff.”
Simon let out an awkward chuckle in response.
“Anyway, thanks for the help! Though, obviously, I could’ve taken out idiots like that in one hit all by myself.”
“Of course you could,” he murmured.
As she chattered away, her eyes suddenly widened, and she stopped dead in her tracks. “Wait, what? Hey, stop for a second!”
Simon halted, looking at her in confusion.
Seeing him stop, she stepped right up into his personal space. They were close enough to touch if she just leaned in, sending the blood rushing straight to Simon’s face.
“Hmm?” Oblivious to his flustered state, Meirin pressed a hand flat against her forehead, then measured it against Simon’s. Looking entirely dissatisfied, she touched her forehead again and raised her hand back to his level.
“Ugh, what the heck!” she groaned. “Did you grow again over vacation? We were exactly the same height back in our first year!”
Suddenly resentful, she stomped her slipper against the pavement.
“Maybe it just feels that way because we haven’t seen each other in a while?” Simon offered.
“No, you idiot! You definitely grew. The angle is completely different! Now I have to look all the way up...”
Her words trailed off as their eyes met. For a fleeting second, their breaths mingled. Both of their faces flushed crimson, and they stepped back almost simultaneously.
“S-Should we get going?” Simon stammered.
“Y-Yeah,” she squeaked.
They resumed walking, both keeping their eyes glued straight ahead.
Simon honestly had no idea where to look when a girl was wearing a swimsuit. Desperate, he changed the subject.
“More importantly, we need to meet up with the others. Have you seen Dick or Kami?”
A sudden shadow fell over Meirin’s bright expression. She pressed a hand to her forehead and let out a heavy sigh.
“I saw that idiot commoner.”
“You did? Why didn’t you join up with him?”
“Ah, just...” Meirin crossed her arms, her tone souring. “He looked busy. And I really didn’t want to pretend to know him.”
Simon blinked, thoroughly confused.
“Ugh, you’ll see when we get there!” Meirin huffed, striding ahead as her sky-blue hair fluttered in the ocean breeze.
Soon, the pair left the wealthy, aristocratic beachfront behind and crossed over to the bustling public beach.
Following Meirin’s pointed finger, Simon had no trouble spotting Dick.
“Try our grilled fish!” Dick bellowed. “Grilled fish topped with cheese and salsa!”
Surprisingly, he was running a food stall.
He had casually thrown on a loud Hawaiian-style shirt over a pair of swim trunks. A breezy summer straw hat sat on his head, with a pair of sunglasses resting crookedly on the brim.
He was operating a wheeled food cart. It looked a bit worn down, but a fresh coat of paint gave it a colorful, charmingly rustic vibe.
Three pans rested on a hot grill, sizzling as he cooked multiple fish simultaneously. A handwritten menu board hung below the counter.
‘Special Grilled Fish – 40 Silver’
‘Two for 70 Silver’
‘Extra Sauce – 5 Silver’
‘Grilled to a crisp! Fish types are random!’
Right down to the comical smiley face drawn at the bottom, it was unmistakably Dick’s handiwork.
“I’m so embarrassed by him,” Meirin muttered, burying her face in her hands. “A Kizen student is obligated to maintain their dignity, so what is he doing all the way out here?! And the smell of that grilling fish is a total nuisance!”
“He’s a decent distance away from the parasols where people are resting, so I think it’s fine,” Simon reasoned.
Business seemed to be booming. Just then, a customer approached the cart and ordered a serving.
“Oh man! I’m so sorry!” Dick checked his remaining ingredients and scratched the back of his neck. “It looks like I’m about to run out of stock. I’ll be right back, so if you wait around here, I’ll throw in something extra... Huh?”
Dick spotted Simon and Meirin right at that moment. He let out a booming laugh and waved his arm vigorously.
“Simon! Meirin! Over here, over here!”
“Ugh,” Meirin groaned, her face scrunching up.
Simon just smiled and waved back. “Hey, Dick! You haven’t changed a bit.”
“Wow, you guys came at the absolute perfect time!” Dick cheered. He quickly jogged over and began shoving them both toward the cart by their backs. “You’re gonna help me, right? Out of loyalty as student council members and Class A classmates!”
“Hey! Stop pushing!” Meirin snapped.
A short while later.
Fish sizzled loudly on the hot iron.
Simon stood in front of the food cart, wearing an apron and wielding a spatula.
‘It’s boiling out here.’
He wiped his brow with the towel Dick had draped around his neck, then lightly flipped a fish in the frying pan with a practiced flick of his wrist.
He grilled the oiled fish until the skin crisped up nicely, using the tip of his chopsticks to check if the meat was tender and fully cooked.
Satisfied, he plated it in a paper tray, squeezed fresh lemon juice over the top, drizzled the signature sauce, and added a sprinkle of garnish. A perfectly presentable serving was complete.
“Enjoy your meal,” Simon said, wiping his forehead again.
Instead of taking the food, the customer just stared blankly at Simon’s face for a moment before snapping back to reality. “Oh! Thank you!”
“Alright, next,” Simon called out.
Just as Simon was getting the hang of the rhythm, Dick came sprinting over from the distance, hauling a heavy bag of fresh ingredients.
“Oh, you’re a natural at this! How many did you sell?”
As soon as he arrived, Dick clattered the ingredient containers onto the counter and seamlessly fell into sync with Simon’s cooking. He flipped the third pan, sliced a fish on the sideboard, and deboned it—all without even looking.
“About six,” Simon replied.
“Nice, nice.”
Swiftly pulling out vegetables, Dick smiled in satisfaction at the long line of hungry beachgoers. “I knew it. Working together is definitely better than doing it alone. Right, Meirin?”
“Drop dead!” Meirin shrieked from the front of the cart. “Get hit by a carriage, fall off a cliff into the ocean, and die as miserably as possible!”
“Look at her, Simon,” Dick tsked. “How can she say such cruel things to a dear friend?”
She had been put in charge of promotion, forced to hold a large wooden sign advertising the food cart.
With a gorgeous girl in a swimsuit holding up a billboard, it was only natural that she drew every eye on the beach.
Her face was so flushed it looked ready to drip crimson ink. She squeezed her legs together and yelled, “Hey! How much longer do I have to hold this?!”
“Until we close up shop?” Dick replied cheerfully, rapidly chopping vegetables.
She shook her head fiercely. “No! I absolutely refuse!”
“Wow. Even our honorable president Simon is working his tail off, and you just want to play? You have zero conscience.”
“Ugh!” Meirin ground her teeth, letting out a feral growl. “How dare a commoner like you use me to make a quick buck?! You’re seriously dead when this is over!”
“Uh, hey, Meirin. Your arms are dropping.”
At those words, Meirin reflexively hoisted the sign back up into the air. Then, realizing what she had just done, she blushed furiously and shouted, “Don’t give me orders!”
“Please hold the sign up high,” Dick amended smoothly. “I’m begging you.”
Of course, the ‘Meirin effect’ certainly played a massive part, but with a line already forming, the cart’s popularity snowballed. People just kept flocking over.
They say humans are adaptable creatures.
After about an hour, whether she had gotten used to the humiliation or simply given up, Meirin actually started initiating conversations with passing customers. Her arms were aching, though, so she switched to hugging the sign tightly against her chest.
Seeing this, Dick suddenly piped up. “Hehehe! If your arms hurt that much, wanna switch jobs? How about a celebratory performance? Just sing one little song...” The heavy wooden corner of Meirin’s sign smacked Dick squarely on the crown of his head. He staggered sideways and collapsed.
“I told you to stop teasing her,” Simon sighed, offering a bitter smile.
“Ah, I gotta meet my quota for all the teasing I missed out on during vacation,” Dick wheezed. He expertly flipped a fish, completely ignoring the trickle of blood running down his forehead.
Around sunset, business finally concluded.
[Sold Out]
Hanging the wooden sign proudly on the front of the cart, Dick stretched lazily, a deeply satisfied expression on his face. Admiring the vibrant sunset, he shouted, “Ahhhh! So rewarding!”
Simon and Meirin, his impromptu employees, were sprawled out on the sandy beach like corpses. Simon had his face covered with a damp towel, while Meirin furiously massaged her numb, aching arms.
“Seriously, thank you guys so much!” Dick beamed. “I’ll treat you both to a massive dinner.”
“You think you can just buy me dinner to make up for working me like a dog?” Fired up, Meirin jumped to her feet and marched over.
Dick raised both arms in surrender, as if to say, ‘Alright, do your worst.’ But surprisingly, Meirin didn’t swing at him. Instead, she thrust out an open palm.
“Hand over my wages!”
“Huh?”
“I need to at least get paid for my hard labor!”
Dick raised an eyebrow. “Hmm, couldn’t we just say the wages are covered by the priceless bonds of our friendship and move on?”
Meirin’s eyebrows shot up into her hairline.
The surrounding mana began to crackle and pop in response to her rising temper. She took a deep breath and roared, “You absolute trash! You money-grubbing miser!”
“I’m so sorry I’m late!”
Meirin stopped mid-tirade and whipped her head around. A frail old man was jogging toward them, panting and sweating profusely.
Dick smiled warmly. “Welcome back, Boss.”
‘Boss?’
Simon and Meirin glanced back and forth between the two in confusion.
“I’m so sorry,” the old man wheezed. “My wife suddenly spiked a fever again. I hope I didn’t ask too much of my young friend...”
“Hey, it’s nothing,” Dick reassured him. “I’m a merchant myself, after all.”
The old man lowered his gaze, a gloomy shadow crossing his wrinkled face. “Haha, business wasn’t very good, was it? Even yesterday, I only managed to sell two...”
“Not very good, you say?” Dick stepped aside with a theatrical flourish, pointing at the front of the food cart.
[Sold Out]
The wooden sign hung proudly on display.
The old man’s jaw dropped. “H-How did this happen...!”
“I just made a few simple modifications to the cart and changed up the recipe!” Dick gently patted the old man’s back, guiding him closer. “Just grilling and selling plain fish won’t cut it! You have to make it presentable, even if it means raising the price a bit.”
“These sauces are the key, and I’ve written down all the recipes for you right here. They’re all made with cheap ingredients bought right here at the local market—you just pour everything in and stir. Oh, and these vegetables...”
He explained not only the new recipes but also how to source the freshest ingredients. He even broke down clever ways to cut overhead costs.
On top of that, he had Renovated the cart and replaced the deflated tires. He had also updated the menu board to give it a punchy, more youthful vibe.
And above all else.
“If you use lignite coal for the fire, it’ll go out every time the ocean breeze blows, and the heat won’t distribute evenly across the pans. So, I changed the heating method a bit. This fire runs on magic stone residue.”
Seeing the steady, roaring flames under the grill, the old man was completely at a loss for words.
Dick grinned. “You know the general store next door, right? I arranged a deal for them to sell you magic stone residue for fifty silver, three times a month.”
The old man was too stunned to speak.
“And this is today’s earnings.”
Dick lifted the metal coin tin, which was filled to the absolute brim with the day’s profits, and set it gently in the old man’s hands. “Use this money to buy some proper medicine for your wife.”
The old man’s eyes grew red, brimming with unshed tears. “Why would you go this far for a complete stranger?”
“Haha! A stranger? Building a bond with a complete stranger in a short amount of time and selling them goods is exactly what a merchant does!” Dick laughed, taking a few large strides backward. “Of course, no merchant works for free.”
“The truth is, I’m planning to start a magic stone residue business in two years. If you’re satisfied with my methods now, who knows? You might end up buying my company’s products later down the line. Think of it as securing a loyal future customer.”
Tears streamed freely down the old man’s weathered face. “Thank you. Truly, thank you...!”
He continued to bow repeatedly to all three of them as they finally took their leave.
A cool evening breeze swept off the ocean.
With the vibrant sunset sky as their backdrop, Simon, Dick, and Meirin strolled along the beachfront.
“You were pretty cool back there, Dick.” Simon smiled playfully, nudging Dick in the ribs before throwing an arm over his shoulders.
Dick let out an embarrassed laugh and waved his hands dismissively. “I’m the one who should be sorry for dragging you guys into hard labor! I was just trying to grab a quick snack, but I ended up hearing about the boss’s situation. I couldn’t just walk away.”
“Thanks to your help, he probably found the strength to keep going,” Simon said softly. “I hope his wife gets better soon, too.”
“You bet!”
A short distance behind the two boys, Meirin was walking hesitantly, dragging her feet.
She caught Simon’s eye, and he subtly gestured toward Dick with his chin, sending her a silent signal.
‘Ugh, fine, I’ll do it!’
Her face flushed bright red, Meirin marched forward briskly and planted herself in front of them, blocking their path.
“Hey! Earlier, um... when I called you a miser.”
“Uh-huh, what about it?” Dick clutched his chest dramatically. “Yeah, hmm... that really hurt. Even as a merchant, I still have my pride, you know! Being called a miser is just—”
“Ah, come on! I’m talking here!” Meirin snapped. “So I’m s-so...!”
“S-so?” Dick leaned in with exaggerated movements, cupping a hand around his ear as if straining to hear her.
‘Even I think he’s being obnoxious,’ Simon thought, hiding a smile.
Eventually, sparks practically flew from Meirin’s eyes.
“Y-You crazy jerk! You didn’t tell me anything, so of course I misunderstood!”
Unable to contain her temper, she delivered a swift kick to Dick’s shin. Dick grabbed his leg and hopped around, yelping in pain.
“Ow! Wait, weren’t you trying to apologize?!”
“You were just trying to make fun of someone who was sincerely trying to apologize!” she fumed. “Anyone would’ve misunderstood considering your usual behavior anyway!”
“What’s wrong with my usual behavior? Isn’t it great?”
“You idiot!”
Simon burst out laughing and stepped smoothly between them. Throwing one arm around Meirin and the other around Dick’s shoulders, he pulled them forward.
“Ah, it feels like we’re already back at school,” Simon chuckled.
Hearing that, Dick and Meirin finally cracked smiles as well.
“Now we just need to find Kami,” Simon noted. “Do you know where she is?”
“Hehe.” Dick stroked his chin thoughtfully. “I have a pretty good idea!”
At the same time.
Verino Commercial District.
A murmuring crowd had gathered around the plaza.
“Excuse us!”
“Coming through!”
Sasha, Arthur, and Molly pushed their way through the throng of onlookers and arrived at the scene. city guards had already cordoned off the area and were conducting an investigation.
“Thank you for your hard work!” Arthur announced cheerfully.
When he abruptly ducked under the police line and stepped onto the scene, the guards frowned in annoyance.
“What’s with these kids?”
“Get out of here.”
“We’re involved in this!” Arthur shouted proudly. “I am the Mercenary King... Aaaagh!”
With a deadpan expression, Sasha kicked the back of his knee, forcing him to buckle. She grabbed him by the ear, yanked him down, and then addressed the guards.
“We’re working under a commission from the owner of this city’s hotel. This idiot is a senior mercenary.”
The moment Sasha dropped their high-profile client’s name, the guards’ attitudes did a complete one-eighty. They apologized profusely for not recognizing them and quickly stepped back to give them space.
As a princess of a sovereign nation, Molly crossed her arms, looking deeply displeased by the display of blatant corruption. “Just how much influence does that person have over this city for even the city guards on official duty to act like that?”
“It makes our job easier, so it’s fine,” Sasha replied coolly.
She turned her attention to the scene, her eyes scanning the damage. Massive, jagged claw marks had been gouged into the stone plaza, accompanied by dark splatters of blood.
She inspected the surroundings meticulously.
“Did you find anything out?” Molly asked.
“Yeah.” Sasha lifted her head, her expression serious. “I don’t think this has anything to do with our target. We need to steer clear.”

Comments

Loading...