Chapter 134: The Great Liar

Oh, right, there was also a little girl named Buguo. She didn’t order any grilled meat—just a cup of berry juice. Then she hugged her bundle and sat quietly in the corner of the tavern, sipping her drink in tiny mouthfuls. She looked so calm and composed that she hardly seemed like a child at all.

Meanwhile, Meike and Traveler A were getting along better and better as they talked. If Laike didn’t know this was their first meeting, he would have thought they were long-lost brothers or something… How had their conversation gotten so friendly that they were now slinging their arms around each other’s shoulders?!

Weren’t mages supposed to be proud, arrogant, and aloof?

Laike tugged at the corner of his mouth, then turned his attention to the other two travelers and the wanderer.

These three all seemed like the quiet type, or at least not the kind to chat with strangers. So no matter how lively Meike and Traveler A’s conversation got, they barely reacted, just focusing on eating—until…

“What’s that…?!”

“Fire magic?! The tavern owner is actually a fire mage?”

“Am I seeing things? That really looks like magic!”

Laike himself had just taken out the food he’d bought earlier and was about to take a bite of grilled meat when he heard a series of exclamations erupt around him.

And the content of those exclamations gave him a strange suspicion.

He looked up, and sure enough, Meike—who had been chatting just a moment ago—was now back at the stove. One hand conjured flames out of thin air, which he used to roast a huge chunk of beast meat.

As the fire wrapped around the meat, the grill sizzled, and golden drops of hot oil slid down the marbled surface, finally dripping into the pan and pooling into a little golden puddle.

It wasn’t just a visual spectacle—the unique aroma of roasting meat filled everyone’s noses.

Even though the meat in their hands and the meat Meike was cooking were made from the same ingredients and prepared in the same way, somehow the piece in Meike’s hands just seemed more delicious.

Watching Meike use his mage abilities to show off his cooking skills, Laike was at first stunned. But after the shock wore off, the lofty, mysterious image he’d always had of mages came crashing down. All he saw now was a middle-aged man using fire magic just to grill meat—so down-to-earth it was almost comical.

And it wasn’t just Laike. The other three, who had barely spoken or moved, all stared with their mouths agape when they saw Meike using fire magic to show off his cooking.

What Meike didn’t know was that, thanks to his impressive culinary skills, he’d successfully led these newcomers into a major misconception: that all fire mages are naturally gifted cooks—and exceptionally good ones at that!

“Boss… you—you’re a mage?!” Traveler A stammered, feeling so dizzy he nearly fainted.

Especially when Meike nodded in confirmation, Traveler A’s eyes rolled back—he didn’t actually faint, but it was a close call.

Mages held a special status in this world. After all, less than one percent of the continent’s population had any magical talent at all… and talent alone wasn’t enough to become a mage.

Of those with talent, only half ever succeeded in becoming mages, making them even rarer and more prestigious.

At that thought, Traveler A suddenly realized something—damn, he was amazing!

He’d actually been slinging his arm around a mage!

He could brag about this for the rest of his life!

…Of course, Traveler A didn’t know that Meike was actually a high-level mage. Although he was currently only at the beginner level, as soon as he left (or withdrew from) the territory and was no longer restricted by the territory’s level cap, he would be a high-level mage.

If just meeting a mage was this exciting, imagine how Traveler A would react if he knew he’d just been buddy-buddy with a high-level mage—he’d probably faint from excitement.

But before they learned Meike’s true identity, they first met the lord of the territory.

“Greetings, my lord…” Including the wanderer, all three travelers asked if they could stay here for a few days. They weren’t sure exactly how long, but they were definitely interested in a territory where a fire mage worked as a chef.

Since Inn 1 was occupied by Yunli’s merchant caravan, and Inn 2 had been built instantly using a construction card (so it was ready immediately), the newcomers could move straight into Inn 2.

“This will be your accommodation, arranged by the lord,” Laike said, leading the four, now full, guests into the empty Inn 2 and giving them a brief introduction.

The prices were set the same as Yunli’s.

A single room cost fifteen copper coins, while a double room was ten copper coins per person.

The double rooms were furnished for two, so they were a bit smaller overall. If you wanted more comfort, a single room was the way to go.

Traveler A: “I’ll take a single room.”

Traveler C, hearing this, made the same request.

After a brief discussion, Traveler B and the wanderer decided to share a double room.

Laike collected their payment and led them upstairs…

…

…

While Laike was settling the four guests, Su You made her way to the little corner of the tavern and sat down across from Buguo.

“You were right,” Buguo said, sensing someone approach. She looked up and saw it was Su You, then muttered this out-of-nowhere remark in a gloomy tone.

Su You didn’t know exactly what Buguo had gone through after leaving yesterday, but she could guess that Buguo was referring to her earlier words: “That priest is a liar.”

Buguo took a big gulp of berry juice, so fast she almost choked.

…Honestly, if Buguo weren’t just a child, and if Su You didn’t know she was only drinking juice, her whole demeanor in this setting would have made her look like a jaded adult drowning her sorrows.

“He’s a liar—a big, fat liar!” Buguo slammed her wooden cup down on the table, the loud thud drawing Meike’s attention.

Meike glanced at Su You, then at Buguo… If he were a normal person, he might have been interested in the gossip, but clearly, Meike was not normal. He just curled his lip, shifted his posture, and went back to grilling meat.

To him, even magic wasn’t as interesting as cooking—let alone gossip.

(End of chapter)"