"Yuzu! Help me pack the orders and bring them out to the customers!"
Hina's strong voice rang out from the cramped kitchen of the Homebound Inn, drowning out the clatter of knives, the hiss of sizzling oil, and the hurried footsteps from beyond the counter.
The firelight from the stove cast a warm orange glow across her bright red hair, flickering like it had been brushed by embers.
Through the thin veil of smoke, Yuzu, a young kitchen assistant in a brown short-sleeved shirt and a white apron rushed out from behind the counter, carrying a neatly packed meal in both hands.
"Thank you very much!" he said brightly, smiling at a group of players as they left the inn.
He barely had time to wipe the sweat from his forehead before spinning back into the kitchen, taking new orders, plating dishes, and shouting confirmations over the noise.
The Homebound Inn had never known peace.
The air was filled with laughter, the clinking of dishes, and the rich, smoky scent of grilled meat drifting through the small, bustling space.
While chopping vegetables, Yuzu's eyes flicked toward the counter.
There, Ren dressed neatly in a server's uniform, moved swiftly among the old wooden tables.
His figure was slender, precise, almost too graceful, like a porcelain doll moving within the chaos of a crowded eatery, distant enough that no one dared to touch, yet captivating enough that no one could look away.
It had been several days since the Wild Tuskar Hunt.
Ever since Rowa's improvised roast dish that day, word about the inn had spread like wildfire among the player community.
Now, the once-quiet Homebound Inn had become one of the busiest spots on the first floor.
The sharp knife in Yuzu's hand moved in steady rhythm, every slice clean and sure.
He chuckled softly to himself, as though some amusing thought had crossed his mind...but before the laugh could fade, a metal ladle came flying at his head.
Yuzu yelped, stumbling back on reflex, his back crashing against the spice rack.
The impact echoed through the kitchen. He groaned, clutching his head.
"What were you daydreaming about, huh?" Hina's stern voice cut through the noise, the ladle in her hand still trembling slightly.
"Wha...Why'd you hit me!?" Yuzu protested, his wide eyes full of wounded disbelief, like he'd just been betrayed in his own kitchen.
"I should be the one asking that question." Hina's brows furrowed, her tone heavy, overpowering even the sound of oil sizzling in the pan.
"Don't zone out while holding a knife. That's dangerous."
Yuzu pouted, muttering under his breath, "We can just heal instantly anyway…"
Before he could even finish the sentence, he felt a cold shiver run down his spine.
Hina turned sharply, ladle in hand like she was ready to hurl it again. "What was that?"
"No...nothing! I get it, ma'am!" Yuzu raised both hands in surrender, forcing a nervous grin.
The kitchen settled again into its usual rhythm, the chopping of vegetables, the smell of onions frying, grilled meat, and seasonings blending into something both cozy and suffocating.
After a while, Yuzu spoke again, his voice low but still loud enough for her to hear.
"I was just thinking… is our place famous because of the food… or because of him?"
He glanced toward the counter, where Ren was quietly cleaning up.
The neatly fitted uniform made him look like a completely different person, his long hair tied back, undoubtedly the handiwork of Meiri and Rowa, who had spent quite some time fussing over him that morning.
Several female players often paused just to look, and sometimes, they even ordered extra dishes just for the excuse of having Ren bring them out.
Hina stopped what she was doing, following her brother's gaze. A brief silence settled between them beneath the sound of sizzling pans.
"True…" she murmured. "Ever since Ren showed up, everything's been… unusually smooth."
Her eyes lingered on that figure longer than they needed to, before she looked away with a small huff.
"If only my little brother were half as capable…"
Yuzu grimaced. "You're starting again…"
"Starting what?" Hina narrowed her eyes, her tone dropping into that dangerous calm.
"Nothing, ma'am!" he said quickly, ducking his head and pretending to focus on chopping again.
A bead of sweat slid down his neck. Outside, a customer's voice called for another order.
Ren replied in a calm, slightly husky voice, the kind of tone worn down by hours of speaking, and somehow, even the clamor in the kitchen seemed to soften with each of his steps.
Yuzu sneaked another glance out the door, then sighed quietly.
"He's the kind of guy you can't decide whether to hate or admire…" he muttered under his breath.
"What was that?" Hina's voice carried a teasing, threatening lilt.
"Nothing! Just saying, the meat's done!"
By the time the lunch rush ended, the last customers had finally left, and so had their entire stock of ingredients.
The small dining hall still carried the faint warmth and smoky scent of freshly grilled dishes.
Hina was cleaning up the kitchen, while Yuzu slumped into a chair, elbows on his knees, exhaling like a survivor after a long battle.
It wasn't surprising. these days, the crowds were overwhelming.
After all, who wouldn't want a taste of something that reminded them of the world they'd lost… even if the flavor still wasn't quite perfect?
On the lower floors of Aincrad, ingredients that gave buff effects were rare. And if you did find them, their prices were so absurd that most players could only stare, and walk away empty-handed.
However, at Homebound Inn, things were different.
Players could buy a few dishes that provided temporary buffs, meals they could pre-order, store in their inventory, and bring along while hunting monsters or completing quests.
A simple meal could now make their adventures a little safer, and… more importantly, it made them feel like they were home, even if just for a moment.
"We're back!"
A lively voice rang out from the front door, carrying a rush of fresh air with it.
Rowa and Meiri stepped in, heavy ingredient bags slung over their shoulders, a few streaks of mud still clinging to their boots.
"You wouldn't believe it, Hina," Rowa laughed heartily, dropping the bag onto the wooden floor with a thud. "We had to wade halfway across a stream just to find these!"
Meiri, walking beside him, gave a tired smile, brushing a few strands of sweat-damp hair from her face.
"And then he almost slipped and fell because he tried to grab one more mushroom."
"For the sake of cuisine!" Rowa retorted instantly, still full of pride.
Hina only sighed, crossing her arms as she looked at the two.
"At least try not to bring the mud inside."
Rowa scratched the back of his head with an awkward laugh.
Yuzu chuckled under his breath, while Ren, who was wiping down the last table, merely smiled softly, saying nothing.
Earlier at noon, a few groups of players had come by, saying they wanted to sell ingredients to the inn, high-quality meat drops from mini-bosses or elite monsters.
Rowa handled his own lunch simply: a bit of bread and a bowl of hot soup, the kind of meal he only ate to get through the day.
He leaned back against the old wooden chair, sunlight from the window falling across half his face, casting a contemplative shadow over his eyes.
He had been quieter than usual since morning. Ren noticed, even amid the bustle.
After a long while, Rowa set down his spoon, exhaled lightly, and spoke in a tone that sounded as if he'd finally made up his mind.
"I think… we'll need to find a new supplier."
The simple statement made both Hina and Yuzu look up.
"Supplier? You mean the merchants at the market?" Yuzu asked, still wiping the table.
"Yes." Rowa nodded, his fingers tapping lightly on the wooden surface. "I went to the southern market this morning, same as always, to get vegetables, meat, and a few spices. But something strange happened."
He paused, eyes narrowing slightly as if piecing the memory together.
"The three stalls I usually buy from every week, all closed. Players there said they hadn't seen those merchants since last night.
I know they're NPCs, and their behavior mimics real people, but… it's like they vanished. Or were deleted from the system."
The air in the small kitchen suddenly felt heavier.
The crackling sound of the fire beneath the soup pot grew sharper, louder.
"Maybe… they just changed locations?" Hina suggested, though her voice didn't sound convinced.
"No." Rowa shook his head. "I asked a fisherman nearby. He said that last night, while packing up late, he heard shouting from behind the old warehouse, near the southwest wall.
And there were sounds of a fight."
Ren, who was washing dishes at the sink, stopped.
He looked up, his voice calm but firm.
"That old warehouse… it's been sealed off for a long time. I remember seeing a warning sign at the entrance."
Rowa nodded slowly.
"Yeah. But that sign's just a technical warning. The place is still accessible… if you know how."
A brief silence fell.
Each person in the inn seemed lost in their own thoughts.
Outside, the sunlight had dimmed; the late afternoon light slipped through the window, bringing with it a breeze that carried the scent of dust and burnt wood.
"If it's just NPCs disappearing…" Yuzu spoke up last, "then it might just be a system bug, right?"
Ren said nothing. He dried his hands, sat down beside the table.
"It's not just NPCs. I heard from some players at the plaza, a few kids, level 5 or 6, have gone missing for days now. They were just starting delivery quests for those same merchants."
The motion of the dishwater slowed to a stop.
"Kids?" Hina frowned. "You mean… young players?"
"Yeah. Low-level ones. They usually hang around the markets. Maybe… they saw something they shouldn't have."
A thick silence settled over the room. Even the wind outside seemed to still for a moment.
Rowa rested his elbow on the table, murmuring as if to himself, "So it's not just me who thought it was strange."
He lifted his gaze, looking between Ren and Yuzu, a flicker of the old soldier's seriousness in his eyes.
"If something is happening around the market… would you two like to check it out? Of course, I won't force you."
Ren didn't answer. He simply placed the clean plate onto the rack, water still dripping slowly onto the wooden counter.
Then, without a word, he untied his apron, hung it back neatly on the hook, and walked toward the door.
Light from outside spilled in, stretching his shadow long across the worn floorboards.
The door creaked softly as it closed behind him, creak, leaving behind a silence that felt almost too heavy.
Rowa blinked, still not reacting. Yuzu turned to his sister, as if to confirm whether what just happened had truly happened at all.