"Before I was a food critic, I was the daughter of a self-made noble family in Ziven, a kingdom to the North. My mother and father were co-owners of a famous mining company that worked its way up from nothing, selling valuable raw materials collected from the mines. Life was good, as one could expect from a noble family. Three meals of exquisite food served a day, plenty of money to go around, and elegant dances while wearing an expensive dress were just some of the finer points of my life. All was fine until the Humanity War broke out," said Kairi. She then took a sip of her water, then continued, saying, "The Humanity War made the mining business boom, which was fine at first. We were able to supply the human side with much-needed materials in order to fight in the war in exchange for countless amounts of gold coins. However, since it was a war, the humans knew that supplies were bound to get cut off at some point by the enemy if they're smart. So, the day that my parents took me to tour the mines to see what it was like, the demi-humans launched a surprise attack in an attempt to capture the mine for themselves." Kairi took a moment to gather herself, as if trying to get over a bad memory, then said, "Even when the humans had predicted the mines would be attacked at some point, they didn't expect it to be as early as they did. There weren't enough guards to fight against all of the demi-humans, as the reinforcement guards sent by the human army didn't make it to the mines in time." Kairi, hands shaking, took a sip of water, then continued her tragic story. "The fight eventually reached the inside of the mines themselves, and the guards there were getting slaughtered one by one. My family and I tried to run to safety, as we weren't fit to fight the demi-humans. However, a single demi-human caught up to us, and my father was forced to fight it off. He told me and my mother to keep running as he fought with the demi-human, and we did, without looking back. Then, there was an explosion inside of the mine, and my mother and I were separated by the falling debris inside the mine," said Kairi, who looked close to crying at this point, but she took a deep breath, then continued. "I desperately tried to clear the debris blocking the path between me and my mother, but she pleaded with me to leave the mine and get to safety. That's when a guard found me, and on the orders of my mother, the guard dragged me out of the mines and carried me to safety, and all the while I was screaming and crying, hoping that my mother and father were alright," said Kairi. She was silent for a brief moment, then continued, saying, "After that, I was put in a war orphanage, surrounded by kids who had also lost their parents during the war. Although the entire time I was there, I was convinced that my parents weren't dead, and ultimately ran away from the orphanage in order to look for them. By this time, the Humanity War had finally come to a conclusion, and I learned that the humans won the war." Kairi then said, "Looking back, it was quite stupid for me to run away from there, as I was only a spoiled little girl who knew nothing of the outside world at the time, much less know how to survive on my own. I was just lucky enough that a family of demi-humans took me in by the time I was starving and couldn't bear to be by myself anymore." Kairi smiled, remembering the hospitality they had shown her, saying, "I remember that I resented demi-humans for some time due to what had happened at the mines, but I began to realize that, like humans, not all demi-humans are the same. That family of demi-humans showed me that. They were kind, always providing me with warm and delicious meals that I had never had before, giving me a place to sleep and feel safe, and the mother demi-human even taught me a fair amount of magic." Kairi then shook herself out of her dream-like trance, then said, "While I lived there, I was looking for leads on my parents, as I had believed that they were still alive. A rumor in a human town close to where the demi-human family lived went around, saying that my mother and father had closed down the mine that was attacked and moved to another mine elsewhere. I asked many people in desperation, but no one could tell me where exactly they had gone." Kairi then looked a bit more serious, saying, "As I had found my first lead in years, I decided to go searching for them. I wandered through many towns, desperately searching for them, but I didn't have that kind of luck. The demi-humans sparked a love for food in me, and I learned a lot about different kinds of foods from them, so I would usually critique foods at the places I traveled to for money. It was a way to keep money coming in while I was searching for my parents." Ezekiel was actually quite surprised to hear that. Ezekiel then asked, "So, food critiquing was only a side job at first? How the hell did you get to be so popular with it, then?" Kairi smiled, then said, "Because, although I was harsh with my criticisms, I spoke the truth and told people how to make their food better. Due to that, many people had a lot more success with their food businesses. I was, as to how they described me, a 'magical traveling food connoisseur,' so the nickname sort of stuck. That leads us to the present day, where I stumbled upon a new food I had never tried, while still looking for my family."
Ezekiel took a moment to process all the information he had been told. He couldn't believe that she hadn't found her family after all this time and felt the compelling need to help her. Kairi sighed, then said, "After searching for all these years with nothing to show for it, maybe rumors were just rumors, after all. I don't want to think that they're dead, but..." Her voice trailed off, as she decided to not say anything. Ezekiel, seeing she was close to giving up, pulled out his Book of Knowledge, opened it, then asked, "What are the names of your parents?" Kairi looked at Ezekiel with confusion, then said, "My father is Hagrel Zessid, and my mother is Kete Zessid." Ezekiel then began furiously flipping through the pages, looking for those names. His eyes skimmed every page of the book very quickly. If they're well-known, they most certainly have to be in here, thought Ezekiel. He almost gave up, until he finally found the names of Kairi's family located towards the back of the book. Alongside their names, there was a sketch of each of them. Ezekiel quickly read the page that had all the information Ezekiel would need. However, just to make sure this was, in fact, Kairi's parents, Ezekiel showed the book to Kairi and asked, "These are your parents, right?" Kairi took a long, hard look at the pictures of both of her parents. Her eyes began to tear up, saying, "Y-Yes. I would never forget their faces." Ezekiel grinned happily, then said, "They're both alive, and I know where to find them." Kairi looked in surprise at Ezekiel, then immediately asked, "How do you know?" Ezekiel simply said, "Let's just say that this book here is my special magic item. Also, their dates of death haven't been filled in yet, and their new company location is right here," pointing to the words, "Borene Kingdom." Kairi looked at those words long and hard, then asked, "Do you have a map?" Ezekiel flipped the book to a section where it had maps and showed it to Kairi, who said, "Borene Kingdom is to the East, right here." She pointed to a rather large kingdom labeled, "Borene Kingdom." Kairi scanned the map and said, "This is the town of Wolfwater, which means we're in this area here," pointing to a general location near a larger kingdom in the West. Kairi thought for a moment, then said, "From Wolfwater to Borene, that's about 40 miles, give or take. If I take a horse-drawn carriage, I could probably get there in two or three days." Ezekiel had to take her word for it since he didn't see any kind of key on the map displaying mileage.
Ezekiel then noticed her choice of words, saying, "'I?' You mean 'we.' I'll be more than glad to help you find your family." Kairi considered this, but then said, "This is something that I've been doing all alone, and I intend to finish it alone." Ezekiel then asked, "What's the harm of having a little company?" Bear, who came back to The Crimson Tankard Inn when the food challenge was given to Ezekiel, came up to the table and said, "My little bro is right, Miss 'Magical Travelling Food Connoisseur.' Plus, if you don't mind, you got room for one axe-wielding demi-human?" Aqua approached the table in a shy manner as well, saying, "I-I-If it's no trouble to any of y-you, I-I could provide h-healing to anyone who needed it on this t-trip." Suko, conscious again, also took the chance to get rather close to both Aqua and Kairi, saying, "What kind of man would I be if I turned down the chance to travel with two hot babes?" Bear and Ezekiel looked over at Zoey, who was also nearby, but Zoey said with a sad smile, "I'd like to go as well, but I'm not cut out for that kind of thing. Plus, I think my services are needed here!" Zoey then looked at Kairi and said, "You'll be in good hands when traveling with them!" Kairi looked around in surprise at the number of people willing to join her on her journey of finding her family. Kairi realized they wouldn't take no for an answer, and was rather happy that she wouldn't be alone anymore on her solemn quest. With a smile, she said, "Well, if you're all that desperate to help, I guess I can't say no." Ezekiel and Bear cracked a small grin, Aqua and Zoey smiled in delight, and Suko got a bloody nose. Ezekiel then remembered the former slaves that he hired and asked, "I've actually got some things to do before we leave, so could we maybe take a couple days to prepare?" Kairi replied, "That's fine. I do need to gather some more supplies before we take off. How does two days of preparation sound?" Everyone nodded in agreement, then Ezekiel, deciding to do this on the spot, asked, "Well, everyone, we're a party now, so what should we call ourselves?" Everyone thought for a moment, and Ezekiel threw out a party name to start things off, saying, "I think it would be pretty sick to call ourselves the Jedi Republic or Task Force 141." Bear asked, "First off, what are 'Jedis?' I've never heard that term. Second, Task Force 141? Sounds like a military thing, and we're just common citizens. I don't know about those, but the Bear Federation sounds pretty good to me." Ezekiel stared at him, asking, "The Bear Federation? Really? I know you can do better than that." Bear chuckled and continued to think, and Ezekiel suggested another name, saying, "How about the Akatsuki? We could whip up some sick ass headbands and wear them like ninjas." Suko stood up and immediately said, "That's actually really stupid, but I got one: The Boobie Alliance." Ezekiel, Bear, Aqua, and Kairi immediately said, "Nope." Suko sat down in disappointment, saying, "Damn, I really thought that would be considered at a possible name." Dude, there's no way in hell that's ever going to be considered as a party name, thought Ezekiel. Kairi then spoke up, saying, "Do we really have to have a name right now? I think we could decide on it later down the road." Ezekiel said, "Yeah, that's fair. We can decide on it at a later time." With that, Suko and Aqua left The Crimson Tankard Inn, and Ezekiel was about to leave when Kairi suddenly asked Ezekiel, "I just got in town today and I haven't really looked around all that much. I don't really know where any good shops are for what I need. Do you think you can show me around?" Ezekiel looked at Bear, who simply shrugged. Ezekiel said, "Yeah, that's fine. I wanted to try to get some things from the shops tomorrow actually, so that works out." Kairi softly smiled at Ezekiel in response. With that, Ezekiel and Bear then left The Crimson Tankard Inn.
Once outside, Ezekiel and Bear began walking. Ezekiel asked Bear, "How are the freed slaves doing?" Bear replied, "They're doing fine. Once I gave them the steaks you cooked, I could feel their vitality coming back." Ezekiel chuckled, happy that they enjoyed his steaks. Ezekiel then asked, "How much longer do we need to wait until the slaves can move around freely?" Bear said, "In all honesty, I think they should be fine by now. Seems like no one has really been looking that hard for them, so I think you could probably take Luna and Layla with you if you wanted to." Ezekiel thought about that, to which he replied, "I might do that. I do need to teach them how to make soap so we can get some money rolling in. I did promise some people that I'd have some soap ready soon." A moment of silence passed between the two. Bear, breaking the silence with a question that was on his mind for a while, asked, "Hey, little bro. Why did you decide to help me break the slaves out anyways? You knew the consequences if we got caught, so why'd you stick your neck out for me like that?" Ezekiel answered, "Well, I personally believe slavery just isn't right. It's honestly pretty stupid. You might not believe me, but I come from a completely different world than this one, and in my world, we've had our fair share of slavery. Ultimately, slavery became illegal where I live, and the kids there such as myself were just taught that slavery is a bad thing." Ezekiel stopped in his tracks, and Bear stopped as well a few paces in front of Ezekiel. "Oh, I'm not saying that I was brainwashed or anything to think slavery is bad, and there's plenty of people from my world that try to justify slavery as a good thing that occurred in our nation's history. Personally, though, I just don't see the point of enslaving someone when you could just as easily work together to do something, like how you and I work together. Hell, not enslaving others might even foster a friendly relationship like we have, and some people are just too stubborn about being 'the top race' to see that." Bear stared at Ezekiel with a strange feeling of admiration, as he had never heard a human outright say that the way Ezekiel had done just now. Bear then smiled and said, "Well, all I can really say is thank you, Ezekiel. To others, we might be a strange pair, but I'm glad that you're my little bro, even if we aren't bonded by blood." Ezekiel smiled at that comment, saying, "I couldn't ask for a better big brother, Bear." Bear then said, "To be quite honest, I could believe it if you said you were from a different world, considering your knowledge of things. I'd need more proof, though, just in case you're pulling shit out of your ass." Ezekiel chuckled, then said, "One day, you'll have all the proof you need. As I said, I'm gonna show you the wonders of science if you stick with me."
Bear and Ezekiel continued walking together, and they both eventually arrived at the place where the freed slaves were being kept. Bear then said, "I'll go grab the two girls. Just stay out here," and proceeded to enter the hut. Ezekiel nodded, then took a seat somewhere close by. He started daydreaming about how crazy things have been ever since he arrived in this strange new world, and he had a feeling that it would only get crazier from this point on. Bear then came out with Luna and Layla. Ezekiel smiled at them and realized they looked a lot healthier than the last time he saw them both. Luna and Layla smiled back, and Luna pulled out the piece of paper Ezekiel had given to her last time. Luna asked, "I read this piece of paper you gave me, but I don't know what I'm supposed to do. I know you gave us this job and all, but how in the hell are we supposed to do this?" Ezekiel thought for a moment, then asked, "Do you both have time to learn how to make soap today?" Luna and Layla looked at each other, then laughed. Ezekiel was sort of confused, then Luna spoke up, saying, "Of course we have time, master!" Ezekiel took a step back, surprised at hearing them call him master and said, "P-Please don't call me that! You're literally free people now! Just call me Ezekiel." Luna and Layla both nodded, then said, "Okay, Ezekiel!" Ezekiel then cleared his throat and said, "So, if you don't know how to make soap, then I'll show you both how to make soap." With that, the day proceeded with Ezekiel taking Luna and Layla to the shops to gather the ingredients, then the rest of the day was dedicated to mass-producing soap by going over to the blacksmith's forge and working there.
Ezekiel, Luna, and Layla, after putting all the soap batter to dry in pans inside of Ezekiel's room, Ezekiel realized that they all were getting rather hungry. But before that, Ezekiel asked a rather simple question, asking, "Do you girls want your own separate rooms or do you want to share a room here? I can pay for either." To his surprise, Luna asked, "Well, why can't we stay here with you?" Layla nodded in agreement with her big sister. Ezekiel turned a bright red, saying, "W-Well, I figured that it might be a good change of pace to finally have your own space!" Luna stared at him, saying, "We always shared a room with our previous masters, so it doesn't bother us. Plus, it's cheaper for you, so don't worry about it." Ezekiel, stuttering even harder now, asked, "W-W-Well, where are you both, uh, g-going to sleep?" Layla excitedly jumped on the bed, saying, "With you in the bed, of course!" Ezekiel.EXE had stopped working by this point, as he imagined how hard it would be to sleep with two rather cute girls next to him in bed. Or rather, WHAT would be hard if he tried to sleep like that. Wait, why are you thinking those kinds of thoughts?! ERASE, ERASE, ERASE, thought Ezekiel, attempting to compose himself. Luna saw how embarrassed he was, then suggested, "If you want the bed to yourself, we could always sleep on the floor." Layla responded to that suggestion, saying, "Boo! That's no fun!" Ezekiel could see many bad things coming from them staying in his room, so he immediately said, "Nope! You both are gonna get your own room, and I'm gonna go pay for it right now!" With that, Ezekiel darted out of the room before Luna and Layla could say a word.
Ezekiel quickly dashed to the front desk of the inn. The usual girl was there at the counter, looking rather angry for some odd reason. It was most likely due to the fact that she realized Ezekiel had brought home two cute girls, but Ezekiel was too dense to figure that out. Ezekiel asked, "Could I rent out another room?" The front desk girl then said, "That's 100 gold coins, mister." Ezekiel, confused, stared blankly at her. Ezekiel then asked, "Come again?" She put on a cute pouty face, saying, "100 gold coins. Take it or leave it." Ezekiel nervously laughed, saying, "Please tell me that's a joke. That's a joke, right? There's no way a room costs that much. Right? Right?!" The front desk girl thought for a minute, then said, "Well, if you give me this 'soap' or whatever it is that you made, I'll consider it the equal value of 100 gold coins and give you the extra room." Ezekiel asked, "How'd you hear about that?" The front desk girl replied, "Whiskey tells me about all of the crazy stuff you do. He also told me about the little cooking contest that you won against that food critic." Ezekiel supposed that made sense, then said, "Done deal. I got half a bar of soap on me right now, actually." Ezekiel gave half a bar of soap to the front desk girl, and the front desk girl knew this was something she would treasure. Ezekiel asked, "Do you at least know how to use it?" The front desk girl nodded and put it away. Now happy, she gave Ezekiel a key to an extra room. Ezekiel then said, "I didn't know that the inn took bribes." The front desk girl then said, "Consider this a one-time offer, okay? Also, if I catch you doing anything suspiciously perverted with those girls, I'm kicking you out." Ezekiel turned beet red, then said, "I'm not a pervert like Suko, alright?! I don't plan on doing a single thing with them." The front desk girl, satisfied with that answer, was smiling bright now. Ezekiel, embarrassed, walked back to his room and gave the room key to Luna and Layla. Then the three of them got some food down on the first floor of The Crimson Tankard Inn.
Once they were all finished eating, Ezekiel got to work on figuring out potential profits for the soap he wanted to sell. So, all the materials we needed were rather cheap, about 20 coppers in total. I was able to sell the bars of soap I had a couple days ago for 3 silver coins, but due to the demand for soap, I think I could drive a hard bargain for 10 silver coins as the new starting price. If it's 20 copper coins per pan of soap batter, we'll make one hell of a profit, thought Ezekiel. Ezekiel did some quick math and came to the conclusion that if each bar of soap sold for 10 silver coins and they had around 60 bars to sell, they'd make an easy 600 silver coins. Of course, he wanted Luna and Layla to take a share in it, as he wasn't a greedy corporate monster after all. Assuming the profit was split 34/33/33 among him, Luna and Layla going forward, that should work out for the most part. He consulted both Luna and Layla about how to split the profits, and they all agreed with how the profit would be shared. Ezekiel, satisfied with how he wanted to do this, told Luna and Layla his plans. "Since I'm leaving town here in a couple of days, I'll take 20 bars of soap with me. If I sell all of them while traveling, that should give me around 200 silver coins to use on the road. While I'm out of town, I want you to try your best to sell all the soap we have. The best place might be in the actual markets or in The Crimson Tankard Inn since people here already know about soap. Keep one or two bars of soap so you can demonstrate what it does, or else people might not believe you," said Ezekiel, rather confident in his plans. Ezekiel, thinking for a moment, then said, "Any money made off of this is yours, meaning that even I can't touch it, so feel free to buy whatever you feel like." Luna and Layla's eyes lit up, as they had never actually owned their own money before. Luna said, "I can't wait to see the new cute dresses that the shops around here have!" Layla began to drool a little bit, saying, "There's got to be plenty of good foods around here that I can buy!" Ezekiel laughed, saying, "Money goes quicker than you think, so just be sure to make wise purchases." Ezekiel then realized they weren't listening to him whatsoever, as they were too caught up daydreaming about what they would buy. Deciding to leave them be for now, he headed back up to his room.
Once alone in his room, he took out his Book of Knowledge and began reading. He didn't really look for anything specific, as he was simply just reading to understand whatever else he could about this world he was in. After reading for what felt like a while, his eyes started closing, then he fell asleep, no longer able to keep himself awake.145Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhmgXQL7G0b
