Chapter 33

Chapter 33

◈ Everyone Else is a Regressor (33)

As the pressure cooker on the campfire, fueled by Ur's intense firepower, whistled, releasing steam, the delicious aroma of curry filled the air. The fairy, smelling it, was incredulous.

"Did you really make this just with what you gathered from the forest today?"

"Yeah. Compared to the tutorial channel, this forest is really diverse with fruits and herbs, so it was quick to make."

"Even with abundant ingredients, gathering, sorting, and turning them into something resembling curry in just one day... Ah, and you also cleared the dungeon today. That’s even more impressive."

The fairy knew well enough from KiJun's new contract with the Flame Spirit that this dungeon was no small feat. Clearing such a dungeon in mere hours and then casually cooking curry, and it even looked delicious!

As KiJun cautiously opened the lid of the pressure cooker to check the seasoning of the well-blended curry, the fairy, glancing at him, thought, 'My sister told me about him, but I couldn’t believe it until I saw him. If he doesn't meet an untimely death, he's destined to become a hero.'

Sometimes, in Reta, heroes appear who defy understanding.

KiJun's achievements today were undoubtedly impressive, but looking at the broader context of Reta, it wasn’t unheard of. Most of those who performed such feats became heroes representing their entire civilization or race.

What truly amazed her was that KiJun, a 'human,' achieved such feats. The fact that a human, a race known for its inferiority, produced a Spirit Master, a title supposedly bestowed only to those blessed by the heavens, was unbelievable. And not just that, but he already contracted with two impressive Spirits?

'Heroes of the human race, quite intriguing. I wonder how far he can go...'

Very few in Reta fully grasped his potential.

So, why not place a bet on him?

The fairy cleared her throat and asked, "Do you like black sugar?"

—I love it!

Lucy exclaimed, with her eyes sparkling.

The fairy, smiling triumphantly, pulled out a bag full of unrefined black sugar lumps, a bribe she had prepared knowing Lucy's taste for it. Seeing Lucy's eyes gleam, she knew it was a huge success.

—Amazing, KiJun... a real genius!

"Eh?"

The fairy, confused about why she was praising KiJun for black sugar, watched him swiftly take the bag and hand a lump to Lucy, then turned to her.

"Thanks, we'll enjoy it. Can I ask for this regularly? Of course, I'll pay."

"Does that mean you're interested in an exclusive contract? I'd like to discuss that in more detail..."

She deftly steered the conversation to her advantage, her eyes gleaming golden.

But feeling she might get carried away, she exclaimed, "Ah," remembering to add black sugar to the curry. "Black sugar adds a unique accent to the rich and spicy curry. It'd taste great even with bread. Let’s eat and talk. I want to hear how 'that matter' went."

"Right... I see."

The fairy, trying to hide her eagerness for a contract, nodded somberly.

KiJun and Earth's civilization were victims of the fairy's unforgivable misconduct. Reflecting on her previous thoughts of manipulating KiJun for a favorable contract, she felt ashamed.

Then, watching KiJun humming while stirring black sugar into the curry, she dismissed any notion of him being cunning. He seemed too genuine for such tactics.

"The curry seems ready. Pity we don't have rice, but I put plenty of potatoes."

—Curry with lots of meat and potatoes...!

"Kiiit!"

Both Lucy and Ur, already addicted to KiJun's cooking, cheered loudly. Though Ur, being a cat-shaped Flame Spirit, might need to cool the curry, it was adept at handling fire, relishing the steaming dish without issue.

"Kii, kiiii!"

"Ur, you like it? Good. Eat as much as you want."

—Me too, KiJun! Refill!

"Sure thing."

Lucy, adhering to her rule of transforming into a human form to eat heartily, received a surprised glance from the fairy. The fairy then took a small bowl of curry, spooning a taste.

The aroma alone promised a delicious curry...

Despite no meat, the potato-rich curry, cooked like a stew in the pressure cooker, was surprisingly similar to regular curry. Tasting a spoonful, the fairy's mind lit up.

Before she knew it, the bowl was empty.

"This... This is..."

"Good? Want more?"

"Yes, please... Wait."

The fairy almost immediately asked for a refill but then paused, asking KiJun, "Your cooking skill... its grade?"

"Unique."

The fairy, accepting another bowl, thought deeply.

With cooking like this, could he conquer the universe?

"Yep, it's good. The unique sweetness of black sugar blends perfectly with the rich, spicy broth. The meat is incredibly tender, too. A bit more salt, and it'd be perfect with bread."

"Bread, you say... I’ll report that right away!"

Quickly finishing two bowls of curry, the fairy raised her voice to change the topic.

"Ahem. First, about the punishment for those fairies who acted wrongly. The two fairies who appeared where Earth's civilization was summoned have been dealt with by the summoners, and the NPC who indirectly provided them with critical information has also paid with her life."This chapter was first shared on the Ñøv€lß1n platform.

"I see."

A bitter taste replaced the sweet happiness in KiJun's mouth. Setting his bowl aside, the fairy continued.

"It is. You might not know, but the taxes we fairies pay are quite substantial."

Unknown to Viv, there are three representatives from Earth, and KiJun is one of them. However, the compensation would be divided by adding 1 to 3, making four shares, with KiJun receiving half of the total as both a representative and a whistleblower.

She probably already knew, judging by the pleased look in Viv's eyes as she gazed at KiJun.

After all, the more points KiJun earned, the more he would spend, benefiting her as his partner.

KiJun felt a pang of conscience.

He already had plans for those points.

"Um, sorry, Viv."

"You don't need to apologize for receiving the compensation from the fairies' taxes. As I said earlier, it's a justified consequence, and you receiving those points is also rightful."

"What I want to say isn't that."

KiJun believed that money not earned through effort can lead to careless spending.

Once you start spending big, it's hard to go back to being frugal.

The worst part of overspending is the delusion that it's your own earning capacity.

Suddenly getting a fortune can make you lose your senses, and when the bottom falls out, you realize your mistake.

But it's not easy to change spending habits then― eventually, you might ruin yourself, unable to cope with the wastefulness.

"So, I plan to send all those points to Bice."

"Bice, oh, the Demon Lord. The one who taught you for 10 years in the tutorial channel."

Though it wouldn't fully repay her kindness, KiJun wanted to express his gratitude in that way.

He also believed that one who forgets kindness cannot succeed.

He somewhat guessed that Bice needed many points and couldn't ignore her generosity toward him.

"Why would someone be so..."

She couldn't say he was too righteous.

It felt like overvaluing her own actions.

Viv, lost for words and gaping, was gently reassured by KiJun.

"Don't be too disappointed. Even without that, I'll earn plenty of points."

"I trust that, but still... No, don't misunderstand. I'm not disappointed. It's just..."

Viv sighed after a moment of thought.

"I just thought I made a really good exclusive contract. We seem to match well. That's all."

"Good, I'm glad you see it that way. Thanks."

KiJun grinned.

Viv ended up laughing too.

By the way, she couldn't return the RetaPhone he took earlier but offered a voucher for a free latest model whenever he needed.

As their conversation seemed to wrap up, Lucy popped her head out.

"Contractor, I want to try the curry with bread!"

"...Lucy, are you planning to finish everything in that pot today?"

—I have premium bread. Let's eat together.

"Kiii!"

Ur cheered at the mention of bread.

KiJun managed to save some of the remaining curry for breakfast the next day, warding off his eager companions.

* * *

[Bice♥(Dimensional Waiting Room): Phew, it's over. What now, feeling shy? What's there to miss? Talk about lack of persistence. It hasn't been that long since we parted.]

[Bice♥(Dimensional Waiting Room): Me too, a bit? This 'bit' means I miss your cooking. You didn't misunderstand, right?]

[Bice♥(Dimensional Waiting Room): I miss it. Your cooking.]

[Bice♥(Dimensional Waiting Room): Why so shy all of a sudden? What happened? Hiding something from me? Better tell the truth before you get caught and scolded.]

[Bice♥(Dimensional Waiting Room): Already cleared a ruin?! The title effect is really overpowered... But I feel like there's more than that.]

[Bice♥(Dimensional Waiting Room): The rest is a secret? You're funny. Thinking you can forget my scariness when I'm not around?]

[Bice♥(Dimensional Waiting Room): Aaaaah! Don't say such embarrassing things in a message! Do you know how cringey it is for me to read, huh?!]

[Bice♥(Dimensional Waiting Room): It's not that I hate it! Sometimes, it's okay to express your reverence and longing for me frankly. Got it? I don't hate it. Sometimes, it's okay to do it, sometimes.]

[Bice♥(Dimensional Waiting Room): Be careful in Reta, okay? Well, apart from the obvious, maybe Overflow? No lies, about 30% of Reta's continent quests are handled by him. But annoyingly, there are no precursors.]

[Bice♥(Dimensional Waiting Room): What's Overflow? Hmm...]

[Bice♥(Dimensional Rift): Ah, another call. Well, I'm off. And about Overflow, right.]

[Bice♥(Dimensional Rift): If you feel a magical earthquake, find a place where you won't be surrounded! And survive!]

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