Yuzu paused for a moment, letting out a sigh. "But sis, I still want to do something. At the very least… I don't want to just let things continue like this."
Hina gently set her wooden ladle down on the table, the oil lamp's light reflecting against her tired eyes. "It's too dangerous, you know that, right? And besides… there aren't many players who are interested in helping us.
The strong ones are all at the front lines. And we…" she trailed off, her voice slowly losing its strength, "sold almost all our gear just to afford renting this tiny restaurant… We don't have enough money to hire anyone."
The air grew heavy. Only the faint whistle of the wind outside the window and the lingering aroma of broth remained at the table.
"Aren't I still here?" Rowa spoke up, his voice deep and strangely calm. "I think I'm still strong enough to handle monsters on the second floor. And anyway, fighting here won't raise my level anymore."
"It's still dangerous…" Hina countered, but her tone lacked the sharpness from earlier, replaced by worry mixed with helplessness.
"If we had a few more players, I think it might work," Rowa continued, as calm as if he had already calculated the risks.
Meiri tightened her grip on her apron, her gaze shifting between her friends. She murmured softly, her voice nearly dissolving into the lamp's thin smoke, "I don't want anyone to get hurt… but if we don't try, this shop… probably won't last much longer."
Hina lifted her eyes, a faint glimmer of conflict flashing through them. Outside, night fog was beginning to blur the glass windows.
No one added another word. The silence felt heavy, yet carried something deeply human, a fragile thread of hope in a world built on the thin line between surviving and living.
"Umm… did everyone forget about someone?"
The sudden voice made the whole group freeze.
Ren, who had just finished the last bite of his dessert, slowly raised his head.
Four pairs of eyes turned to him at once.
The black-haired boy, pale skin and a face almost too gentle to imagine him as a swordsman.
In the wavering oil lamp light, Ren's sapphire eyes glimmered, half-shy, half-resolute.
"U-um… sorry," he said with an awkward smile, scratching the back of his neck. "I wasn't trying to eavesdrop. It's just… this place is so small, even if I tried not to, I'd still hear everything."
The room filled with a touch of awkwardness. Hina stared at him without speaking, Yuzu tilted his head curiously, while Meiri seemed to be suppressing a smile.
Ren exhaled, then stood up. "It's a bit late, but allow me to introduce myself properly. I'm Ren."
His voice was still soft, yet more determined than before. "I have some experience fighting monsters on the upper floors. If possible, I think I can lend a hand."
After saying it, even he wasn't sure why those words had left his mouth.
Maybe it was the light from that lamp, or the lingering smell of soup evoking something deeply human and warm.
Maybe because when he heard they had sold all their equipment just to keep this place alive… his heart tightened a little.
Ren had met many players who refused to pick up weapons. Some ran away, some were swallowed by despair, but these people… they were different.
They still chose to live, still chose to create something in a world where death lurked every second.
Perhaps that was a kind of courage he had yet to fully understand.
The small room fell silent again.
Only the soft crackle of the kitchen fire and the bubbling broth continued in the background.
The flickering lamp reflected across each face, a fragile moment where every sound seemed to step back, making space for something deeper.
"Are you… serious?" Yuzu was the first to break the silence. His eyes lit up like a tiny spark fired to life in the cold night.
Ren gave a slight nod. "As long as you don't mind."
His voice was calm and steady, but within it was a strange certainty, the kind that made people trust that he had thought it through.
Yuzu opened his mouth to speak, but Hina stopped him with a look. The red-haired girl set the ladle aside, wiped her hands on the cloth of her apron, then turned fully to Ren.
"In this world," she spoke slowly, "trusting a stranger… is more of a luxury than enjoying a good meal."
Ren bowed his head slightly. "I understand."
He offered no explanations, no persuasion. Yet his quiet, unwavering gaze pulled the room into another calm pause.
Rowa crossed his arms, his voice low, rough, tinged with experience. "I want to know the real reason. You don't owe us anything. So why help?"
Ren lifted his head, the oil lamp light shimmering in his sapphire eyes like an autumn lake.
"If I said I'm doing this to repay the dinner just now, you probably wouldn't believe me." Ren smiled gently. "But I think… you're doing the right thing."
"Right thing?" Hina furrowed her brows slightly, her voice dropping with a hint of doubt.
Ren let out a quiet breath, his gaze drifting across the small room, the scratched wooden table, the place where these young people were struggling to hold onto something strangely simple.
"Right. In a world where everyone only thinks about getting stronger, climbing higher, surviving longer… you choose to cook."
He paused, his voice softer but steady. "To create flavor, warmth, the things that remind people they are still human. I think… that deserves to be protected."
No one spoke.
Yuzu's eyes wavered ever so slightly, and Meiri gently set her recipe notebook down, a quiet smile touching her lips.
"Sounds like philosophy, huh." Rowa chuckled, not mockingly, but like someone who had lived enough to recognize something rare. "You talk like you've gone through a lot."
Ren stayed silent, his eyes dimming just a little.
"Maybe."
Hina studied him for a long moment, as if trying to find something hidden in those blue eyes, truth or deceit, the intent of someone who might take advantage, or simply a person trying to do what's right.
Eventually, she sighed, the sternness in her expression softening.
"All right. We'll trust you… at least until the next meal is finished."
Her voice was gentler, but still sharp like a leader's.
"Next… meal?" Ren tilted his head slightly.
Meiri giggled, soft as a breeze. "It's a test. If you survive Hina's new experimental dish, then you're definitely brave enough to go hunting with Rowa."
Yuzu burst into laughter, nearly dropping the tray in his hands. "Meiri! Don't scare the guest!"
The air suddenly felt lighter.
Ren also smiled, a real one, rare and effortless. "Then… I'll try my best to survive."
Rowa raised a brow. "Good. I'll need someone who can handle a sword tomorrow."
Their eyes met, not like strangers, but like people who understood that just sharing a little courage could make this world a bit less cruel.
The oil lamp flickered.
The scent of broth, meat, and leftover pastries lingered in the air, something tender, something real.
On the cold first floor where people were growing harder and more distant, maybe only this small restaurant called Homebound Inn still preserved a little sweetness of life.
…
The next morning, Ren woke early.
The clear morning light filtered through the wooden window, scattering soft patches of brightness on the floor.
He didn't prepare anything special, just washed up, pressed down the stubborn strands of hair sticking up, and quietly left the inn.
He wasn't planning to wear armor today.
He stuck to his dark-brown tunic, the fabric worn at the cuffs, and simple long trousers. At his side hung Windslash, its blade hidden in a leather sheath, only the silver hilt faintly visible.
He didn't want to draw attention. On this floor, a glimpse of a weapon like his was enough to make people curious, or worse, invite him into a party. And he wasn't in the mood for that kind of trouble.
The wind brushed past his clothes, the hem of his tunic fluttering, and Ren couldn't help but smile.The early morning chill wasn't nearly as cold as the night, he didn't see a need for long sleeves.
With real armor and a proper sword, a mini-boss or two nearby wouldn't last more than a few hits.And honestly, that would be boring.
"It's about time, huh?"
Ren tightened the strap holding his sword, then blended into the flow of early risers in the Town of Beginnings.
He arrived at the spot where he and Rowa had agreed to meet, not far from the teleport gate plaza.
Surprisingly, Hina was there too.
She crossed her arms, sounding almost scolding when she caught Ren looking her way.
"Don't look at me like that," she said. "I just don't feel comfortable letting the two of you go alone."
Ren smiled quietly in response.
He noticed both Hina and Rowa wore only the most basic leather gear, likely the cheapest set a beginner could afford.
Their weapons were the same.
Rowa wielded an axe, and Hina a sword, both the free starter weapons given at character creation.
He suspected they had worked hard to scrape together even this much after selling everything they had to keep their restaurant alive.
"You're not wearing armor, Ren?" Hina asked, curiosity and a bit of worry in her voice.
Ren glanced down at his worn tunic, then shook his head.
"No need," he said calmly. "My level is very high."
A brief silence fell. Rowa and Hina exchanged a look, a mix of confusion and skepticism.
"How high is 'very high' supposed to be?" Rowa asked, half joking, half serious.
Ren didn't answer with words, just a small, subtle smile. He wasn't trying to be mysterious. It was just… hard to explain without sounding like he was bragging.
He tugged lightly at the sheath by his side, a faint gleam flashing from the engraved silver hilt.
"Let's just say it's high enough that I don't need armor. Most of my stats are in AGI, so don't worry, the monsters won't be able to touch me.", His tone was soft, steady, the kind that quietly reassured rather than boasted.