Taste of Magic: Ambassador's Voice

Adrien's father was initially completely against the idea of Adrien going anywhere, be it the Church or Sunglow. But Melina and Alistair both explained about life in Sunglow—how everyone there couldn't stand the Church, how elves lived there.

Melina explained a bit more about herself—how she was a baker currently searching for hired help. She didn't shy away from the fact that she would use magic in her pastries or that they would possess unique properties. Adrien's father was both intrigued and terrified.

Adrien, on the other hand, only cared for one thing—monsters. He wanted to study Sienna extensively, along with any other monster near Sunglow. The boy was fascinated by seemingly everything they did and asked what kinds of monsters could be encountered in Sunglow. Melina had half a mind not to mention the passageway to the Monster Realm. He'd undoubtedly like to visit the place filled with new monsters.

"Are you sure you'll be able to protect my son from the Church?" Jonathan asked for like the hundredth time.

"It won't be just me, it'll be the whole of Sunglow. We, Sunglowers, don't appreciate interference from the Church. If somebody tries to take your son, you can be assured that the whole town will be fighting for him tooth and nail," Melina said. "And I'll make sure that his powers remain firmly controlled and don't hurt anyone."

"Stuck between a rock and a hard place," the father muttered, running his hand through his thinning hair. "I guess if I have to chose, then I'd rather my son be somewhere nearby. Not swept away to the monastery on the other side of the kingdom. But it's not like he can just stay there for free."

"I'm going to employ him in my bakery," Melina said.

"But he knows nothing about baking," the father objected.

"There is plenty of other work to be done—cleaning, serving customers, making deliveries," she explained, although she was already imagining Gilbert being angry that she brought back an apprentice who can't even cook.

"I'm confident in serving customers," Adrien nodded resolutely. "I'll do whatever you want if you let me study the creatures."

"Pay attention, boy. You'll be learning to control your powers," the father chastised.

After some discussion, the father, Jonathan, decided that sending Adrien to Sunglow under Melina's watchful eye would be better than sending him to the Church. Alistair did have to pull out his father's name and use his noble status to seal the deal.

Melina, in turn, promised to pay him a fair wage and teach him to control his magic. She would expand the magic study class with Leon to include Adrien as well. They worked out a contract and signed it, after which Melina and Alistair left the tailor shop, promising to return the next day to retrieve Adrien.

The night had already descended by the time they were done, so after a quick dinner, Melina and Alistair rented a room in the inn and went straight to sleep—too tired to do much else.

Come morning, they were up early and heading to the Bakers Guild. She still needed actual help around the kitchen. Although Adrien dealing with the customers meant that Melina could spend more time cooking in the morning, she still required someone else to cook with her if she wanted to produce a reasonable amount of pastries.

Ideally, her helper could deal with simpler, non-magical pastries while Melina concentrated on the magical ones.

The Bakers Guild, as expected, was busy first thing in the morning. The smell of bread could be felt all the way down the street, and made Melina feel nostalgic. It's been far too long since she smelled it in her home.

After taking a deep breath, savoring the smell of bread, Melina opened the door and stepped inside, Alistair following closely behind her.

"Good morning," she greeted.

The cooks in the background didn't pay her any mind, except for the Guildmaster, who turned to see her. His face twisted in a smile, and he wiped his flour-covered hands on his apron.

"Miss Melina. To what do I owe the pleasure of your visiting the Guild?" He said his attitude was surprisingly pleasurable. It was like he had completely forgotten what he had previously said about Melina.

She wasn't going to hold it against him either. In fact, she was eager to let bygones be bygones.

"Well, I've found myself in a rather unique situation and I was hoping that you would be able to help me out," she said.

"What's this unusual situation?" Guildmaster Beck arched his eyebrow.

"My grandfather's health has taken a toll lately, so he's decided to fully retire and leave the bakery up to me," she began slowly.

"Wait, wait… Grandfather?" He blinked in confusion, scratching his ginger hair.

"Yeah. Master Gilbert is my grandfather," she nodded.

"I thought you were an orphan."

"So I was until recently. But he revealed that he always knew that I was his granddaughter."

Guildmaster Beck blinked at her for a moment, then roared into laughter. His employees paused for a moment to glance at him, but only for a brief moment. Once he calmed down, he looked at Melina with a victorious smile on his face. "Well, no wonder he chose you over Roxie. Can't blame a man for letting his own kin take over the business."

It appeared that this knowledge had given him great relief, just as Melina predicted. With Guildmaster pleased, she decided to push for what she wanted from him.

"Indeed. But it is all very sudden for me, and I don't think I can manage a whole bakery all on my own. I was hoping to hire some help, but I need someone who is ready to jump into work straight away since we don't really have time to train a new baker," Melina explained.

"Hmm… Yes, I understand. It is quite a predicament. But as you see here, my bakers are already busy from early morning. I don't really have anyone to spare, not to mention that I doubt anyone would be willing to leave their homes on such short notice," the man said.

Melina sighed. She had expected this answer, but it was still disappointing to hear it. She was wondering what exactly she could do. Maybe she should try to train Adrien to bake pastries after all. Or at least assist her in the easiest task.

"Is there really nobody? A gifted apprentice?" Alistair asked, seeing Melina's desperation.

"A gifted apprentice?" Guildmaster Beck drawled out. "We do have someone, if you're willing to take a chance."

"Who?" Melina's eyes lit up, and she leaned over the counter.

"Roxie! Come here!" He called.

The ginger-haired girl peeked nervously from the adjacent room. "W-What is it?"

Her eyes went wide when she noticed Melina. Melina waved at her, hoping to appear friendly. Roxie managed to return a shy smile of her own.

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"Do you remember Miss Melina?" The Guildmaster asked his daughter.

"Of course. How could I forget? That Sparkle Pie was amazing! I wish I could have had a taste," the girl said dreamingly.

"You just might get the chance. Miss Melina is looking for a new hire," he said.

"What? Really?" She asked excitedly, but her eyes met with Melina's, and she flinched nervously back. "I-I'm sure you'll find someone worthy of the position soon…"

"Roxie, how about you? Didn't you previously want to become Master Gilbert's apprentice? This isn't the same thing, but I've learned all my recipes from him," Melina said encouragingly.

"I-I'd love to… Really, but—"

"Roxie knows what she needs to do, but her hands don't obey her will. Poor girl is her own worst enemy," the Guildmaster said. "If only you could muster a bit more confidence in yourself, you'd do just fine."

"I don't mind a few broken bowls. They're easy enough to fix with magic," Melina shrugged nonchalantly.

"So you really can use magic!" Roxie's excitement re-sparked again. "The way dad was describing the Sparkle Pie, I knew it must have been magic."

"So that's your secret? You're a woman of many talents, it seems," Guildmaster Beck said. "If the bakery proves too much, you're always welcome to work here. I certainly wouldn't be against selling some magical pastries."

"I'll pray that such a day doesn't come. But what about you, Roxie? I'm ready to hire you and pay you a proper wage if you work in my bakery. You'd be responsible for making the non-magical pastries."

"Wait… I'd be making whole batches of pastries? On my own? I-I couldn't possibly manage that…" She squeaked out meekly.

Guildmaster scratched his head awkwardly, then crouched down before his daughter. "I know this is scary for you, little lass, but this is a big opportunity. The pastries Miss Melina makes will soon attract the attention of the whole country. If you work for her, then it will be a stronger head start in your career than anywhere else. Don't let this chance slip by! Grab it and hold it tight, no matter what. It's through hardship that we grow better."

The girl listened intently to her father, then nodded. "I'll give it a try."

"Wonderful!" Melina cheered. She had already witnessed that Roxie knew how to cook, and having spent her childhood in the Bakers Guild, she might have more insight into the industry itself than Melina. All she needed was a little confidence boost.

"Good! Good!" Guildmaster Beck laughed. "It's the best outcome for everyone. I'll be able to visit you over the weekends if I want to."

"Were you just trying to keep your daughter close?" Alistair asked.

"Guilty as charged. Sunglow is just next door. Not sure what I would do if I had to send my little girl away to Tuvia or some equally faraway place," he breathed a sigh of relief.

"We are heading back to Sunglow this evening. Will you be ready by then?" Melina asked and wondered how quickly she could move her things out of her room and into Alistair's home. Maybe she could ask somebody from the Adventurers Guild for help.

"That's quite soon. Are you opening tomorrow?" The baker asked thoughtfully.

"No, on Tuesday."

"Ah! Perfect. I'll bring Roxie to Sunglow myself on Monday. You can head back without her."

Melina nodded, and they proceeded to discuss the contract of Roxie's employment. Guildmaster Beck was a tough man, demanding a rather high wage for her daughter. It was tough to talk him into a lower price, but in the end, her wage would be higher than Adrien's.

It was fair since she'd be doing the most important part, but it did make Melina nervous about whether she'd be able to pay it. With all the renovations, there weren't many savings left, so if things didn't go according to plan, then the bakery would go bankrupt very quickly.

With everything settled, Melina and Alistair headed to the market to find some useful ingredients that she could use for cooking. Mostly, she looked for spices that would be easy to transport back, since they didn't have a cart. Her eyes fell on the bright red saffron, wondering how it would taste in her pastries.

But once she saw the price, she quickly wandered away. Just five grams of it cost five gold coins. She couldn't imagine ever being able to afford something so expensive. Alistair, on the other hand, didn't seem nearly as shocked. In fact, he was more surprised by how cheap everything else was.

"The prices in Sunglow are just as cheap," Melina noted.

"I don't really pay attention to prices," he admitted sheepishly.

"You should. Aren't you living off your Captain's salary?"

"I am."

Melina wanted to protest that it should have taught him to be at least a bit more frugal. But apparently, his salary was enough for him not to worry much about it. Maybe he wasn't really spending all that much money in Sunglow? Besides food and new clothes, she hasn't really seen him spend money on luxuries nobles typically would. His house was already equipped with everything he needed.

Thinking about it, the biggest chunk of his spending would probably be the pastries he was buying from the bakery. He also paid for his food while staying with them. Melina had insisted he didn't have to, but Gilbert had accepted the money—he did eat quite a lot.

In the end, Melina purchases some cashews and dates, ingredients that rarely appeared in Sunglow, and they set out to retrieve Adrien from his home. The way back would probably take them a bit longer, to spare the boy from losing his stomach contents, racing on a monster at full speed. So they decided to leave after having an early lunch.

"Are you sure about this, son?"

"Dad, there are monsters over there! Tame monsters! There is no way I'm missing this chance," Adrien said eagerly, then turned a bit more serious. "I don't want to go to Church. The way they treat anything that comes from the Monster Realm is… abhorrent."

"Y-Yes, you're right. Church is not a place for a kind soul as yourself," Jonathan nodded and pulled his son into a hug. "Send letters often."

"Every week," Jonathan nodded. "And I'll come visit once a month."

"How about I go visit instead? I have business in Sunglow anyway," he said.

"I'll be waiting," Adrien nodded.

They held each other for a moment longer, and then Adrien grabbed his backpack.

"Is that all your stuff?" Alistair asked in surprise.

"It has my notes, my clothes, and a spare pair of shoes. I can't think of anything else I might need," he confirmed.

"Very well. Then let's go," Melina nodded, and waved Jonathan goodbye.

The father and son watched each other for a long time as they waved goodbye. This parting was difficult for them, but if Church had taken Adrien instead, then they would barely see each other. It wasn't often that System users were allowed to visit their families.

"So how are we travelling?" Adrien asked as he brushed tears out of his eyes.

Melina pretended not to notice that. "With Knight and Sienna."

"Wait… really? Not in a cart but on a wyrm's back?" He asked in excitement, looking at Sienna.

"You're getting on Knight along with me," Alistair said firmly, pointing at the nightmare.

Adrien looked disappointed at first, no doubt thinking that Knight was just a regular horse. But as he looked him over, a realization dawned on his face. "Wait… That's a nightmare!"

"Indeed, he is!" Melina confirmed.

"Oh. My. System! This is the happiest day of my life!" He exclaimed, ready to climb on the nightmare's back.

Knight sputtered in disapproval and took a few steps back.

"Wow, slow down. We'll walk to the edge of the city first, then get on their backs. Not to mention that if somebody gets to ride a Knight in the town, it should be Melina as she is a lady," Alistair pointed out.

"Why would being a lady matter?" Adrien asked in confusion.

Alistair was stunned by the question. "Because ladies should always be given the most comfortable available arrangement. A man needs to step back and make sure that his lady is happy."

"Is Miss Melina your lady? No offense, Miss Melina, but you don't strike me as a noblewoman," Adrien said.

"I am not," she confirmed.

"And yet she is still your lady?" The boy turned towards Alistair.

"Yes, she is," he proclaimed proudly.

"Is that even allowed?" Adrien wondered.

"There are no obstacles too great for love to overcome," Alistair said smugly, flashing Melina a charming smile which instantly made her cheeks flush.

"Ooookay…" Adrien drawled, clearly not interested in the topic. "Tell me more about Sunglow."

So they kept chatting, explaining that for the time being, Adrien would stay in the living room while Roxie would be staying in the available room upstairs. The boy wasn't at all peeved by the arrangement, but this did make Melina think. They couldn't have him sleep on the couch all the time.

The best solution would be to remake Gilbert's trophy room into a bedroom. To be honest, having so many valuable magical artifacts stashed in the bakery wasn't very smart—it'd be better to keep them in the Guild's vault. But would Gilbert agree to that? He seemed quite attached to his trophies. Was it even right for Melina to suggest moving them?

But the real problem was obviously the Church. How would they react once they found out that Melina had snatched one of the Archmage candidates, the most talented one at that, from right underneath their noses?