The only reason Bastion was so willing to hand over Kit's contract, despite the financial loss, was because of fate. He could almost taste it pulling Kit and Princess Aria toward one another, insisting that they become intertwined. Perhaps that was why they had crossed paths in the Jungle's Claws in the first place. Even if Bastion refused the deal today, he had little doubt that fate would eventually bring the princess back with greater insistence.
Rather than struggle against fate over uncertain, long-term gains, it was better to guide Kit toward the path already laid out for him. By becoming the one who facilitated that destiny, Bastion could absorb some of the residual fortune generated by its fulfillment, slightly strengthening his own Fortune stat.
Viewed purely as a business transaction, the arrangement should have been unfavorable. Kit's contract, together with the three cooks, would have easily earned Bastion at least three thousand magic crystals over the course of a millennium.
Fortunately, that was only true on the surface. He had deliberately inflated the quantity of materials required to produce the firearms and ammunition, allowing him to recoup the value of the contract through the sale instead. In reality, he stood to earn far more than the extra thousand magic crystals he had requested by increasing the price.
After all, where else could he find a buyer willing to purchase Seraphina's library of expensive skill books and his arsenal in bulk, pay with an abundance of inflated valuable materials, and do so through a legitimate arrangement that carried virtually no risk of retaliation?
By simply yielding Kit to fate, Bastion had secured a premium on his goods while ensuring he received the same quantity of free ammunition as the princess. Unfortunately, he still had one hurdle to overcome before the deal could be finalized.
"Are you saying this Kit is a hero?" Aria asked, her voice turning cold.
"Correct."
"Then I should execute you where you stand," Aria said, her tone sharpening as a wind blade formed above her palm through free-cast magic. "It is every noble's duty to ensure a hero is free to carry out the Goddess's will, yet you dare enslave him for a thousand years."
"You may blindly do so at your own risk," Bastion replied, utterly unperturbed as he tilted his head back and exposed his neck to her.
"Explain yourself before I truly cut your head off."
"Do you even know what his mission is?" Bastion asked calmly. "Do you know the will of the Goddess of Paws? Or the reason a hero is necessary when she could simply commune with her priests or the kingdom's current ruler?"
Receiving only silence, Bastion's gaze sharpened as he continued.
"His mission is to create a food culture in this kingdom."
"A... food culture?" Aria asked skeptically.
"In essence, the Goddess wants this kingdom to diversify its culinary capability. Apparently, the last time she tried communicating this through the priesthood, they interpreted her wishes by deforesting nearly half the kingdom to expand cattle farming, most likely for selfish reasons of their own. After that, she evidently decided it was necessary to send a hero to carry out her will instead."
Aria stared at Bastion in utter disbelief, her mouth hanging open as though she'd just heard the single most ridiculous explanation imaginable.
"Therefore, Kit chose to sell himself into slavery to obtain the starting capital needed to open a restaurant of his own and gradually build a food culture within the kingdom. He also intended to avoid both the royal family and the priesthood, fearing they would once again twist the Goddess's will to serve their own interests."
"Once I understood his objective, I gave him a restaurant, helped him reach Rank 1, began improving the quality of his dishes, and established trade routes with neighboring kingdoms so he could obtain better ingredients. Everything I did was to help him fulfill his mission. In return, I only asked for a share of the profits as the one funding his endeavour."
"If you wish to take that opportunity from me, you are free to do so for a fair price. But don't insult me by invoking a noble's duty and expecting me to do all of this for free. Unless you intend to fund his restaurant yourself, this contract, generous as it already is, remains the best way to balance both his mission and my investment."
"That's absurd, and it doesn't make any sense!" Aria exclaimed, clearly insulted as her image of what a hero should be was shattered.
"And yet, that is the situation we currently find ourselves in," Bastion replied with a shrug. "Do not mistake this mission for something simple. Do you have any idea how difficult it was to establish supply routes to neighboring kingdoms, let alone identify which ingredients could actually raise the rank of his dishes? I had to procure countless ingredients through trial and error, compare and refine recipes, and invest heavily before creating the menu you yourself praised."
He met her gaze without flinching.
"All of that required time, money, and risk. Yet you invoke a noble's duty and expect me to shoulder the entire burden for free. If that is truly your answer, then you might as well cut me down now and spare me the trouble."
After a long moment of thought, Aria asked suspiciously, "Is this Kit a cook? Why does it have to be him?"
"He isn't a cook. He simply possesses the ability to produce otherworldly Apprentice Rank food in exchange for money. As for why it has to be him, how else do you expect entirely new dishes to appear out of thin air? Someone has to be the source of those ideas. Those ideas must also align with the Goddess's tastes, and they must then be elevated in rank while preserving their unique flavors."
"At this point, I'm sure you understand why I have complete confidence in the profitability of these contracts. I am asking you to increase the price of your purchase by 30% above the listed price, bringing the total to roughly 2,000 magic crystals after taxes, because you will easily earn it all back and more. Even though it already accounts for Ravok's true value and advances my returns by 1,000 years, I am still accepting a considerable loss."
"Fine," Aria finally conceded, dismissing the wind blade from her palm. "I agree. This deal is satisfactory, but before I sign anything, I want to meet this Kit."
"Ely, would you bring Kit up for me?" Bastion asked, never taking his eyes off the princess.
A minute later, an orange tabby wearing a manager's uniform climbed the spiral staircase.
"Bastion! This better be good because the adventurers are getting rowdy, and I do not want to piss any of them off by delaying their orders," Kit complained before noticing the guest Bastion was entertaining.
She was a beautiful lioness dressed in a maroon gown, carrying herself with an effortless elegance. The faint scent of flowers lingered around her, like a spring breeze drifting across a blooming meadow. He might even have found her attractive enough to rival Daisy, if not for the way she was staring at him with the appraising eyes of a predator.
Kit subconsciously gulped as his tail stiffened behind him.
Without a doubt, she was either royalty, a Rank 3, or both, judging by Bastion's attitude. The fact that he had been summoned into this meeting could only mean he was somehow in trouble.
'Just my luck,' Kit lamented inwardly. 'Ever since I became a slave it's been just one messy complication after another.'
"Kit, allow me to introduce Princess Aria Goldmane," Bastion said. "She is your potential new employer."
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Your Highness," Kit said with a respectful bow. "I am Kit, the manager of the Sweet Paw Pantry."
"My... aren't you charming," Aria remarked with a playful smile, her interest unmistakable. "Tell me, Kit. Is everything Bastion told me about you being the hero true?"
Kit turned to Bastion in shock, only to receive a casual shrug in return. Silently cursing him with his eyes, he looked back at the princess.
"Yes, it is true, Your Highness," Kit replied, placing a hand over his chest. "I am a hero summoned from another world by the Goddess of Paws and tasked with expanding the kingdom's culinary capabilities."
"Prove it."
"Order something small that isn't on either of our menus," Bastion suggested.
Kit held out his hand and pulled out a chocolate wafer bar wrapped in bright red packaging from thin air. Elegant white lettering decorated the wrapper, though the script was unlike anything Aria had ever seen.
"Fascinating," Aria murmured as Kit handed it to her.
She accepted it, carefully peeled off the wrapper, and paused as the rich aroma of chocolate reached her nose, a scent unlike anything she had encountered before. She was, of course, familiar with chocolate, having enjoyed the finest confections since childhood, but this smelled entirely different.
She took a tentative bite. Crisp wafers shattered beneath her teeth before everything melted smoothly across her tongue, creating a delightful contrast of textures. It was delicious, yet limited by its Apprentice Rank. She could only imagine how extraordinary it would become if elevated to Rank 2 or even Rank 3.
"You've convinced me," Aria said, setting the chocolate bar on the table. "Draw up the contract."
"Yes, Your Highness," Bastion replied, a subtle smile of triumph tugging at the corners of his lips.
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