Chapter 17: Butter temperature affects texture.
A long queue of aspirants stretched outside The Scale, ranging from fresh-faced, no-rank adventurers who had just met the minimum age requirement to seasoned veterans seeking a change of pace.
Inside, Elric, Sander, Veldar, Mira, and a handful of steel-ranked adventurers found themselves abandoned, left to weather the incoming avalanche of hopeful recruits on their own.
"Where is everyone?! And by 'everyone,' I mean the upper ranks?!" Mira groaned; her frustration palpable.
"Oh, come on. Compared to what they're dealing with, this is a walk in the park," Sander said with a lazy shrug.
"Exactly. I'd rather be here—sipping my coffee, getting free food from the kitchen, keeping the young ones in line, toying with our Steels, and jotting down names on the guild roll," Elric added, taking a leisurely sip from his mug.
Mira bit her lip, resisting the urge to tempt fate.
"You're probably right. We never really know what Serys is thinking," she admitted.
"Why bother trying? No one knows what the Madame is thinking anyway," Elric chuckled, ruffling the hair of a young axe-wielder who had just signed onto the guild roll.
"And yet, we all swore to follow that woman to the grave," Veldar added. His words made a nearby spear-wielding recruit stiffen, eyes wide with alarm.
By the third day of the festival, merchants were beginning to pack up their remaining wares—but for Serys, this was the moment to shine. And she wasn't handling the bakery alone.
Iona and Rieze manned the counter, taking orders and handling payments with practiced ease. Ronan and Khai managed drinks. Tama, Gress, and Arden bustled between tables, while Li Wei and Verscha worked the front to draw in customers. Trej and Lex provided entertainment. In the kitchen, Serys and Gaius moved in sync, preparing food and baking bread.
"This is stressful," Gaius muttered, lining up plates of freshly prepared meals.
"Don't overthink it! Treat it like that dungeon run we did a few years back—where we had to take down monsters in a specific order. Only this time, you won't die. You'll just get a lot of angry customers," Serys quipped.
Gaius barked a laugh, recalling their harrowing quest in the Dungeon of the Horned Sphinx.
"Oh, definitely. This is way more fun. I see the boss has things under control," he said, nodding toward the front.
"Of course. He worked here with Gress for days until I could hire proper help," Serys replied, rolling up her sleeves as the next batch of bread finished baking.
"Oh, did he now?" Gaius raised an eyebrow, clearly amused.
"Hey!" Serys exclaimed, glancing over at him.
"Madame, at some point, you'll need to address Rieze's feelings toward you," Gaius said, plating meals to be served. "Orders up!" he added.
Serys exhaled loudly. "Come on now, Gaius. I can't address something that's never been spoken aloud. Besides, we're still young. Even Gress, at 159 years old, is still considered young. And you, despite your brute physique, are two years younger than me," she pointed out. "Orders up!" she called again.
"Oi! What do you mean by that?!" Gaius protested.
"It means we're in our prime. We take on quests, go on adventures, mentor the young, and chase our dreams. There's so much we can do! And if—IF!—Rieze and I ever get to that point, who knows what we'll decide?" Serys reasoned.
Gaius shrugged. "I'm just saying, Madame Serys. No one knows when they're going to die, just like no one knows when they'll fall in love."
"Since when did you get so sappy? I didn't expect you to be so in touch with your feelings!" Serys teased, and they both laughed.
"Facing death multiple times makes you think, I guess," Gaius admitted.
Just as they were about to continue their conversation, four familiar faces appeared at the service window.
"Serys, dear, do you need a hand?" her father asked. Beside him stood Rieze's mother and her younger brother.
From her vantage point, Serys saw Rieze's father assisting Iona at the counter, while Rieze busied himself behind the bar.
"That's really nice of you, Dad! Maybe you can help unload the bread and pastries onto the cooling rack, then put another batch of dough in the oven? The recipes are just like the ones we use at home," Serys said. "Where's Mum?" she asked.
"She's entertaining Queen Danara. Gress was making a mess of things, so Mum stepped in to help him out," Keyn, her brother, answered.
"Okay. Then can you help Gaius while I check on the front?" Serys asked, and her brother nodded.
She quickly washed her hands, dried them on her apron, and glanced at the clock on the kitchen wall. They had exactly six hours before closing and heading to the town center for the bonfire. Before stepping into the dining area, she grabbed a handful of flyers advertising her bakery and began making rounds, greeting customers and handing out the flyers.
"Welcome to Enchanted Hearth! How do you find our food?" she asked warmly.
"It's wonderful! Reminds me of home!" one customer replied.
"I can't believe this is possible! I felt a boost in strength after trying this pastry!" another exclaimed.
The customers were a mix of visiting adventurers and familiar faces, but they all shared the same sentiment—the food was delicious, the drinks were fantastic, and the attribute boosts were an unexpected delight.
"I wouldn't be surprised if your patronage doubles after today," Rieze remarked as he poured coffee into cups.
"I know! It's a little terrifying," Serys admitted, trying to decipher whether she felt more excitement or nervousness.
"Although, if there's one highlight of my day, it would be Gress's impeccable behavior," Rieze noted, nodding toward the elven prince.
Serys, along with Iona and Rieze's father, turned to observe Gress. True to Rieze's words, Gress was behaving unusually well—respectful to customers and avoiding his usual borderline-insulting remarks, as if feeling the gaze of his mother while she chatted with Serys's mother.
Their attention shifted as Kael approached the bar.
"Hey, Kael. Need another?" Serys asked.
"Yeah. This is my fourth, but I don't seem to be getting drunk!" Kael said, puzzled as he eyed the dark, fizzy drink he had just finished.
"That's because it's just root beer, my friend, not mead or ale," Rieze explained, smirking.
"It's not meant to be alcoholic, Kael. I soaked some Silam roots with a bunch of other ingredients—boring details, but in short, it won't make you drunk," Serys clarified.
"Where's Heena?" Iona asked.
"She and some of her ladies should be here any moment. They're bringing in new members. I think she told Gress to hold a few tables for her." Kael answered, distracted with his fifth root beer.
There was never a quiet moment at the bakery—customers lined up outside, their queue stretching nearly to the town center, eager to try the 'enchanted' bread and pastries at Enchanted Hearth. Since offering their help, Serys's father and brother hadn't had a chance to return to their tables until an hour before closing.
Serys replaced Gaius as he took a break to mingle with their friends and guild members. Li Wei and Verscha arrived, leading Heena's new recruits. Trej and Lex stepped aside, letting customers take the stage to sing or perform music. Gress soon followed, hosting a round of games among the patrons, rewarding winners with free drinks from the bar.
As the flow of customers dwindled, the crew seized the chance to clean up, preparing to close for the day. The only ones left were the guild leaders Heena and Kael, members of Exousia, the trio's family members.
"What are you offering?" Heena asked, breaking the lull.
"I have a unicorn horn from one that recently shed. The quality is superb—I think Solnne will love this," Kael replied.
"We have an enchanted cloak woven from golden silk that Gress crafted, a rare silver diadem from a high-level dungeon in Waldreich that I acquired—"
"Woah!" One of Heena's members gasped, cutting off Rieze mid-sentence. "S-sorry! Please continue," she added sheepishly.
"No problem," Rieze said with a chuckle. "And a distilled Koka essence that Serys made."
"I'm adding a plate of quiche that enhances beauty and brightens the skin—my bakery's offering," Serys chimed in.
"I would love that!" Queen Danara said, smiling warmly at Serys, who winked in response.
"We will offer the finest midnight roses of Waldreich and lace made from the silk of Nagi worms," Heena declared, sealing the discussion.
As the town center gathered for the bonfire, Samsan gave a speech thanking travelers, merchants, performers, adventurers, and locals for another successful festival. The priestess performed a ritual dance before lighting the stack of firewood with the eternal flame, assisted by Prince Sylvas. One by one, people tossed their item offerings into the fire in tribute to Solnne, while food offerings were given to the priestess.
As the night sky filled with fireworks, they all sat together, sharing a final meal and marking the end of the festival—and the beginning of summer.