---Konan---
"This should be the place," Mina stated as they stopped at the gate of a small mansion. It was a place situated in a wealthier residential area, not too far from the commercial district. Chef Lao Ban's family seemed to be well off. As one would expect, running the most well-known restaurant in the city.
It also explained how he didn't have to worry about not cooking anymore, or even closing down shop. They had changed their plans for the evening and had asked around for the chef's address, skipping for street food and a visit to the bazaar.
In addition to the address, they had heard a lot of rumors. People gossiped that Chef Lao Ban actually intended to sell The Five-Savoring Flavors now that the book of all Flavors was lost. Despite being just rumors, Fin became especially concerned about missing out on this place.
There were also the wildest speculations about the thief. From remnants of the Shadow Ghost Cult, over thugs from famous street gangs, to rivaling restaurants, a noble family that couldn't live without his cooking, and even the Divine Thief God, they heard all of it at least once.
Whatever it was, they were going to bring the book back, no matter what.
"Well, there goes nothing," Seth mumbled and slammed his fist against the wooden gate. He had put some oomph behind it,l since the door seemed thick and there was no doorknocker; however, the resulting noise wasn't just loud, but echoed through the whole street.
Seth jumped at the unexpectedly loud impact, looking around a little embarrassed to make sure nobody was actively watching. Looking at the gate, it actually suffered a dent where his knuckles hit it, but it, luckily, wasn't too obvious. His wives rolled their eyes at him for going overboard.
"W-Who is there?" a hesitant voice came from inside, clearly intimidated.
"Ah, we are travelers from the Northern Min As Clan. We wanted to eat at The Five-Savoring Flavors and heard about Chef Lao Ban's dilemma. We came to offer our help with the retrieval of his recipe book," Mina gave a quick summary.
"Oh, oh... I thought someone came to rob us," the voice came from inside. Shortly after the door opened, a naive-looking servant stuck his face out, smiling at them with relief.
"I mean, we could just claim to help and still rob you..." Seth added for consideration, earning another look from his wives.
"Oh, that would be quite nasty of you," the servant said with a hearty laugh, taking his words as a joke. He invited them inside. Beyond the gate was a small yard that separated the outer wall from the actual mansion and living quarters.
"There have been quite a few people who have come with good and bad intentions in the past, the good ones usually take care of the bad ones," the servant explained happily as he guided them to a room inside the mansion.
"Please wait here. I will inform the master," he said with a bow and left them alone in the room. Again, Seth thought they were kind of naive to simply invite people in and leave them unsupervised...
They were still looking around the room when the door opened again. A man in a surprisingly modern clothing style entered. Unlike the long flowing robes they saw everywhere, or the baggy rags of beggars, his attire was tailored to his body.
He wore a shirt with tight, long sleeves, wide, baggy trousers, and a leather apron with intricate embroidery. Compared to the relatively sparse facial hair common in the XiGuang province, he had an overwhelmingly bushy mustache that fell in two long, braided strings on the left and right of his mouth.
"Greetings, I'm Lao Ban, Chef and owner of The Five-Savoring Flavors," he greeted them with a bow. They reciprocated the bow, and all of them sat down. They stayed silent as the chef poured a cup for all of them. They stayed silent, watching the master pour tea.
" So, Little Plump told you that customers were wishing to help?" he asked, once everyone was supplied with a cup of piping hot tea. The trio had learned basic customs from Master Mountain. Since the host began, they were also allowed to speak.
Mina explained that they were here because they were visiting the city on their honeymoon journey across the province, and they had been looking forward to eating at the Five-Savoring Flavors, only to find it closed upon arrival.
"This is why we wish to try and help you," Mina finished the explanation. When Chef Lao Ban had entered the room, he had seemed resigned, even looking at them somewhat coldly. Maybe too many people had come offering "help" without meaning it.
However, hearing Mina's explanation, the chef seemed to have warmed up to them. He had even congratulated them on their marriage and complimented them, saying that they made for a nice family. He stayed silent for a moment longer before he finally nodded.
"Very well, I will believe you. What do you want for your help?" he asked. At that moment, something unexpected occurred. The married people of Minas Mar synchronously heard a notification.
"Your food, once we got the book back, didn't you listen?" Fin asked, confused, before the system notification was done talking. It was time for the chef to look confused. Did he think they wanted something from him for their help? Seth was also a little befuddled about how he got that idea.
"Haha, I'm sorry. So far, no matter how well-meaning the guests offering their help were, they always asked for something, whether it was staying at my mansion, or money for operations... Nobody had come to offer genuine help," he said, somewhat depressed.
Seth felt a little awkward, considering they had just given a quest to do it. Although they came with the intention to allow the restaurant to be reopened, the system simply decided to give additional rewards. On the other hand, he wasn't going to say no to free stuff.
The blacksmith quickly checked the quest.
Quest Difficulty: Rare
You have offered to hold the Chef of The Five-Savoring Flavors, Lao Ban, to retrieve the Book of all Flavors of his Family that was stolen by unknown perpetrators.
Completion Condition: 1)Return the Book to Lao Ban
Rewards:
1)Full course at The Five-Savoring Flavors,
2)System Copy of "Lao Ban's Book of all Flavors" >
"Don't worry about it. This will barely be work for us. You reopening the restaurant in time for us to visit will be enough," Seth finally joined the conversation confidently. "All you have to do is show me the place where you hid the book in the first place," the blacksmith added.
"The original hiding spot...?" Lao Ban asked, surprised. "How will that help you find the culprit?" the chef asked, curious.
"You will see once you show it to us. I got a special...technique that will allow us to identify the culprit," the bard guaranteed, not revealing any details. It was finally time to use one of the many skills that usually slumbered in the back of his mind. because there were not many chances to use it effectively.
The chef ultimately nodded and agreed to show them the place. He guided the trio to his private chamber. Activating a couple of mechanisms revealed a secret vault where the book was originally kept on an orderly desk together with other texts and manuscripts.
"This is it. It was usually placed on this desk. I would write down notes, new dishes, or changes to recipes once in a while," Lao Ban explained to them, pointing at the empty desk. The girls looked at Seth in anticipation. His time had come.
"The Land Remembers." Seth cast a skill.