Chapter 112: Downtown Area (3)
Everywhere was enveloped in a white cloud so thick that nothing could be seen.
From within the cloud, I caught a glimpse of Seo Ye-ins hand slowly groping through the air.
Seeing her act like that, I instinctively reached out my arm.
Here, my arm.
Her fumbling hand then gently grasped my arm.
I continued speaking in that position.
Its just the random box effect. Just stay still for now. Dont move around and accidentally bump into something.
Usually, the color and intensity of the light from a random box can indicate the quality of the item appearing.
However, sometimes, the effects change depending on the item that appears.
And the clouds are a precursor to a very special item.
Especially if they burst forth enough to cover everything around.
It was certainly worth getting excited about.
As time passed, the clouds gradually began to thin.
As more time passed, the cloud completely dispersed which allowed us to see each other again.
Curious about what item had appeared, I checked the jewel box and found a pair of bracelets inside.
One was white, the other was black.
Looking at the white bracelet first,
It seemed as if several clouds, each the size of a fingernail, had been plucked out and connected with a very thin thread of gold.
When I touched it, it felt soft and thin like clouds and almost ethereal.
[Fluffy Cloud Bracelet (A)]
Summons fluffy clouds.
Protects the wearer from magical damage.
The other bracelet looked similar but had the dark brooding color of storm clouds.
And its name reflected that perfectly.
[Storm Cloud Bracelet (A)]
Summons storm clouds.
Protects the wearer from physical damage.
Two A-rank accessories.
They were the highest level of reward that could emerge from the Fairy Queens Jewel Box.
In fact, the odds were quite high that not only could a dud have appeared, but even just one item might have surfaced.
If that had been the case, I would have accepted it as my luck and perhaps handed it over to Seo Ye-in but fate had granted us the highest reward.
Youve done it again, lucky charm.
Is it helpful?
Seo Ye-in asked.
It had been the same when she opened the Leaders Black Chest; it seemed more important to her whether the item dropped was useful to me than the item itself.
I nodded my head and asked back,
Of course. Which do you prefer?
Since we had used two coupons to obtain these results, it made sense for us to each take one.
And since Seo Ye-in had played a major part in obtaining the highest reward, I gave her the first choice,
A long time passed without an answer.
Looking at Seo Ye-ins face, she was seriously lost in thought.
She alternated between looking at the two bracelets before thinking a bit, then looking again and thinking a bit more.
After repeating this several times, she finally slowly raised her hand and pointed,
This one.
She pointed toward the Fluffy Cloud Bracelet.
Good choice.
In terms of performance, the Fluffy Cloud Bracelet was slightly more useful to Seo Ye-in.
This was due to the fact that long-range classes, such as gunslingers, were more likely to get into fights with other long-range classes rather than being caught by close-range classes.
And a significant portion of those other long-range classes consisted of mages.
Moreover, her weak defense had been continually pointed out so this bracelet would likely compensate for that significantly.
Let me see your hand.
Following my request, Seo Ye-in extended the hand that had just pointed to the bracelet.
I slightly rolled up her sleeves to reveal her wrist and fitted it with the Fluffy Cloud Bracelet.
Seo Ye-in brought her bracelet-clad hand closer and quietly observed it.
She inspected it thoroughly and playfully touched the cloud designs as if they fascinated her.
It seemed she liked it.
***
Do you like it that much?
When I asked that, Seo Ye-in nodded her head with her eyes still fixed on her fluffy cloud bracelet.
It appeared to please her more than expected.
Even as we walked through the downtown area, her attention was entirely on the bracelet. To the point that she seemed oblivious to street performances and other distractions.
As lunchtime was drawing near and we were getting somewhat hungry, I decided to steer us towards a bakery.
The bakery in the downtown area was like a high-end restaurant with a waiter stationed at the entrance.
When we got close enough, he asked us,
Have you made a reservation?
It was so popular that they wouldnt let you inside without a reservation.
Reservations could take weeks or even months.
But we were an exception.
We have a coupon.
I handed over the coupon we had received from Ahn Jeong-mi and the waiter scanned it on his device.
He then bowed politely and asked,
Just the two of you?
This was the powerful effect of the coupon.
Not only will you be let in without a reservation, but a hearty meal will also be provided.
Think of it as a bakery version of the [Crafting VIP Coupon].
The value of such a coupon with its tremendous benefits was indeed significant.
If put up for sale, it could be traded for a useful item.
The process of obtaining it must not have been easy yet Ahn Jeong-mi had sacrificed it for mine and Seo Ye-ins downtown area adventure.
I will make sure that Kim Ho-nims time is not wasted.
Remembering what Ahn Jeong-mi had said, I silently expressed my gratitude in my heart.
Indeed, not just anyone can be a butler.
As we entered the store, a fragrant and sweet aroma wafted through the air.
And on the display, there were bread, cookies, cakes
Artworks made of flour were there.
!
Seo Ye-in who had been distracted by her bracelet for a while began to look around the display with me from that point on.
This looks delicious, doesnt it?
Mhmm.
Picking up a mini hot dog because it looked appetizing,
How about we split this one?
Split it.
Grabbing a chocolate cream bread too,
Stop right there. Thats not it.
?
Dont pick up the spicy bread.
It looked rather ominous, even to me.
It was called Hellfire Pizza Bread and a large tag next to it warned, Caution! Very spicy!
How she always managed to find such things despite not being good with spicy food was a mystery.
And so, we avoided the unfortunate incident of Seo Ye-in burning her tongue on the Hellfire Pizza Bread.
After picking a few more pieces of bread from the display, we settled at a table led by the waiter.
We then ordered a few more items including drinks.
Items like Gooey Cheese Sandwich and Honey-soaked French Toast needed to be eaten fresh before the bread could get soggy, which is why they werent on display.
While sharing what we had picked and waiting,
The cheese sandwich we ordered came and we each grabbed a piece,
Then the toast arrived and we took turns forking it.
Watching Seo Ye-in chew the toast, I thought to myself,
She must find it delicious.
After eating face-to-face every day for about a month and a half, I had reached the point where I could generally tell if the days menu suited her taste just by watching her eat.
Today, her chewing was slightly faster than usual and the bread was almost continuously going in.
Clearly, it was very delicious.
Honestly, it is delicious.
The bakery of the downtown area wasnt considered one of the top three restaurants on Dungeon Island for nothing.
Just the fact that the words deep flavor came to mind from mere toast drizzled with honey syrup said it all.
While Seo Ye-in and I continued to fork our food,
A thought suddenly struck me and I asked her.
By the way, how did changing the cushions shape turn out?
I had given her a cushion and a shapeshifting scroll but I hadnt heard anything about what happened afterward from Ahn Jeong-mi.
To be precise, I hadnt asked yet.
Seo Ye-in replied while chewing on a piece of toast.
I havent done it yet.
Have you decided what to change it into?
Once again, Seo Ye-in shook her head and then asked me in return,
What do you think is good?
The most common and widely used option would be a doll, I suppose.
That was the standard among players, and it was likely similar in this game world.
Who would dislike transforming a cushion or pillow while keeping its effects intact, just changing its exterior to that of a cute doll?
However, Seo Ye-ins response was still lukewarm.
She tilted her head slightly to the side and asked,
A doll?
Whether she liked it or not, it seemed she hadnt even considered a doll to begin with.
I asked back because I picked up on something.
Do you dislike dolls?
Shakes head,
Dont like them either?
Mhmm
Ahn Jeong-mi had mentioned that Seo Ye-in didnt really form attachments to objects.
Her attitude toward dolls must have been similar.
Indifferent whether they were present or not.
I understood, but I couldnt just say, Dont bother changing it if theres nothing you want~ If you dont like dolls, forget it~ after giving her a shapeshifting scroll for the cushion.
Should we go and pick one out? A doll.
Okay.
Seo Ye-in readily accepted my suggestion.
That settled our next destination.
The easiest and simplest way to get a doll was to go to a doll or toy store and buy one,
But the best things arent obtained easily.
The rarer the item, the more complicated it is to acquire.
And if one were to name a prime location to obtain a rare doll in the downtown area,
It would be the game center.
A place filled with all sorts of mini-games where many of the prizes are decorative items like dolls.
It was also a spot known for hiding hidden pieces so even if our conversation hadnt turned to dolls, we were bound to stop by at some point.
Lets get going, then.
After diligently forking through our meal, only crumbs and honey syrup were left on the plate where the French toast once was.
Now that our stomachs were reasonably full, we tidied up the table and stood up.
Just as we were about to exit the bakery,
The waiter handed Seo Ye-in a neatly wrapped box and a paper envelope.
The packaging of the box was transparent, so the inside was clearly visible.
Its cookies.
It made sense why she didnt touch any of the cookies on the display even though there were many of them.
At a glance, the variety of cookie shapes suggested that she had picked one of each type.
You bought a lot. Are you going to eat all these?
For research.
I see, for research.
I immediately understood and nodded my head.
If the research led to an improvement in the quality of the cookies Seo Ye-in baked, there was no reason for me who was the guinea pig number one to object.
It would be even better if it reduced the need for those so difficult shape-matching challenges.
So, I understood the box but what was in the paper envelope?
When I cast a curious glance, Seo Ye-in caught on and slightly opened the envelope.
Instantly, a spicy aroma wafted up.
It was so intense that it made my eyes sting a bit.
Isnt this that spicy bread from earlier?
Wasnt it called Hellfire Pizza Bread?
When did you pick this up? Can you even eat it?
No.
Then what are you going to use it for?
Seo Ye-in replied casually as if it was only natural.
A gift for the butler.
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