The Angel sat at a table, chatting idly with her teammates through her comms while keeping one eye on the kitchen door.
At first, she'd only been a little hungry. Now that she knew food was coming, her stomach refused to stay quiet.... growling audibly a few minutes ago. She glanced around, cheeks reddening despite the empty room.
For a moment, she considered grabbing a snack from her cart, but decided against it. She was really looking forward to that apple pie or "Apuru Pai," as she'd called it.
After a long mission, to eat a warm apple pie... Ah, bliss on earth!
Despite her work clothes being utterly utilitarian, she still had her little feminine joys.
Just then, the kitchen door swung open, and rich fragrance flooded the room. Angel's eyes widened as hunger flared anew.
Meanwhile, Lance couldn't help smiling. He had just witnessed something fascinating.
"Apple Pie (Custom Recipe) – Complete."
"Difficulty: F."
"Completion: 71%."
"Suggestions: Dough-handling technique needs refinement; fruit should be stirred more evenly; frying temperature slightly high, crust overfirm."
"Evaluation: A novice chef unbound by normal recipes. Creativity commendable. Technique needs improvement."
The floating prompt had startled him so badly that he nearly dropped the frying pan. But once his heart slowed, curiosity took over.
Apparently, his Personal System had subcategories — attributes, skills, and recipes.
"User: Lance"
"Age: 22"
"Culinary Level: F"
"Combat Ability: F"
"Natural Talents:"
① Focus – Concentration increases steadily while working (Rarity D)
② Fire Control – High sensitivity to temperature changes (Rarity D)
③ Appraisal – View any object's properties via system; detail level based on user (Rarity S)
"Skills Learned:"
① Knife Skills Lv.1 (5%)
② Fire Control Lv.1 (62%)
③ Smithing Lv.1 (14%)
"Recipe List:"
① Hunter's Buffet (E)
② Apple Pie (F)"
He frowned slightly. The system didn't give clear numeric stats but rather qualitative grades. Still analysis could wait. He had something more important to do first.
And that was to serve his very first customer.
"The customer's still waiting," Lance murmured.
He untied his apron, set it aside, and picked up the plate.
As he carried it out, his heart thumped faster — not from excitement, but from nerves.
That was right. He was nervous.
No matter who you are, the first time doing something is always nerve-racking, and Lance was no exception.
"Homemade apple pie," he said, taking a deep breath and announcing the dish as calmly as possible, just like his teacher had taught him.
Unfortunately, all his inner tension went completely unnoticed. Angel, sitting at the table, was already transfixed, not by him but by the pie before her.
When the smell had reached her earlier, her mouth had already started watering. But now that it was right in front of her, steaming, golden, and aromatic, her self-control almost evaporated.
It didn't even look like the apple pies she knew. Instead of the usual light brown crust, it gleamed with a rich golden hue, and while it smelled heartwarmingly of grain and butter, the familiar apple aroma was strangely faint.
Weird... she thought.
But questions were no match for hunger. Almost in a trance, she picked up the knife and fork.
Crunch!
The sound was crisp — not the soft tearing she was used to but a clean, musical bite of crust breaking perfectly.
As the slice came away, a wave of sweet fragrance flooded the air.
That was it ...her restraint snapped. She cut a bite, stabbed it with the fork, and popped it straight into her mouth.
The first sensation was the syrup - warm, thick, sweet beyond expectation. Then came the crust, crisp but buttery.
Crunch. Crunch.
The sound of chewing echoed softly in the quiet room.
Delicious. Ridiculously so. Maybe not technically perfect, but easily as good as the one a professional chef had made when Penguin Logistics welcomed Exusiai to the team or maybe even better.
The texture, though, was unlike any apple pie she'd ever tasted.
Angel wasn't a picky eater. A courier's life didn't allow much luxury, but for apple pie. That was her one indulgence. And this one… this was something else entirely.
Her hands moved automatically , left fork, right knife, cutting another perfect piece, ignoring even the little pot of honey next to her plate. Ordinarily, she always drizzled honey on top. But this pie's sweetness was already perfect.
Watching her devour the pie so quickly and eagerly, Lance finally exhaled.
The system's evaluation had said "acceptable," but that was from data. Seeing his first customer smile, that was true confirmation.
He realized, watching her eat, that there was a special kind of joy in seeing someone enjoy what you'd made with your own hands , a joy born from effort and recognition.
"Try it with the honey," Lance said gently. "It'll give you a different experience."
Angel blinked mid-bite, surprised. To her, honey was just a way to adjust sweetness and this pie's sweetness was already perfect. But after a moment's hesitation, she trusted the chef.
She picked up the small jar and drizzled a line of honey across the remaining slices.
Golden drops glistened under the sunlight, soaking into the warm crust. The smell alone made her stomach flutter again.
Without a word, she forked up a piece and took another bite.
Her eyes widened.
The flavor deepened, the crust turned silkier and sweeter, the once-tart apple filling now completely mellowed by rich honey. The rum's sugary undertone lingered, transforming the balance entirely.
It was overwhelming in its sweetness, almost audacious, but delightful — exactly what he'd promised: a different kind of sensation.
Within ten minutes, the whole pie , enough to satiate an adult man was gone. Angel leaned back, practically glowing.
"Boss, how did you make this? It's different from any apple pie I've ever had."
Lance blinked, caught off guard.
But before he could reply, Angel's expression changed; she scratched at her short hair, suddenly flustered. "Ah, if it's a trade secret, forget I asked. Just curious, that's all."
"Trade secret?" Lance chuckled softly. "Hardly. It was just… improvisation."
He hadn't even reached full completion on the recipe. Truth be told, if not for her visit, he wouldn't have thought to make it this way at all. He wasn't thinking like a businessman — just a cook who wanted his guest happy.
"Actually, it's simple," he explained. "This pie wasn't baked — it was fried."
"Fried?" Angel echoed blankly.
She'd eaten her fair share of fried food during deliveries — fast food, roadside snacks, you name it. But fried apple pie? That was new.
"Normally, apple pies use pre-made jam," Lance continued. "Baking cooks both the crust and the filling together. But since I didn't have jam or an oven, I had to improvise. I made the filling fresh and just needed the crust cooked — frying was faster."
Her eyes widened slightly, and Lance smiled in modest pride.
"The butter I used in the oil also changed the flavor. It gives a richer aroma, less greasy than normal oil. That's why it probably felt different from any fried food you've had."
Ironically, his inspiration came from his student days — the first time he'd ever "splurged" on a fast-food pie from McDonald's. As a broke student, that had been a luxury.
Angel listened closely, the dots connecting in her mind. She'd had something like that before but never this well-made.
"Thanks, Boss~ Not only was it delicious, but I even learned something new! When I get home, I'll try this myself and let Texas and the others taste it too!"
Lance blinked in slight amusement. For the first time, she looked genuinely happy - a soft, almost girlish smile beneath her boyish exterior.
But perhaps his stare lingered too long, because her cheeks went pink.
"I-I better get going. Still got deliveries to make!" she said quickly, standing up.
"Come back anytime," Lance said with a laugh.
As she hurried out, red-faced, he couldn't help but chuckle. Yet before he could even clear the table, the system's interface glowed again.
"Side Quest: Unexpected Guest"
"Reward: Restaurant Subsystem – Ingredient Shop Unlocked"
"Customer Satisfaction — 88"
"Rewards:"
① Points ×10
② Special Ingredient — Double Happiness"
"Double Happiness… as food?" Lance muttered blankly. "How's that supposed to work?"
He stood there for a second, holding the plate, lost in confusion… until realisation struck.
"I forgot something. Wait — her name. No, not that — the bill!"
A wail rang out through the little dining room. His first customer might've been happy, but he'd just done his first-ever free meal service.
Across town, Angel had the same sudden thought.
"I… forgot to pay."
She turned her head...but the street behind her had already changed. She couldn't even find the way back.
The ace courier of Penguin Logistics, treating dinner like a dine and dash? She sighed, resigned.
"Well… I'll just have the boss handle the tab when I get back…"
(Chapter End)