An Archer's Promise

Chapter 8: Maia is here

Beta read by n1ch, Shigiya, Solitary heart and 8kagi

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-Grünes Bergdorf-

Today was his last day in the village.

No matter how Archer looked at his situation, he had wasted enough time in this town. He had initially planned to spend a day or two here, not nearly 2 weeks! Granted, if he had left early then the Dark Queen's forces would have destroyed this place, along with ravaging the entire female population into breeding stocks. And another good thing, he got to meet some of the Kuroinu mercenaries early on.

But right now, the biggest hurdle that stood in his way was the presence of the Princess Knight, Maia. She could be a boon in his quest or a cumbersome thorn to his side.

"She won't just stand aside and watch as I kill her own men like that. I'm still not familiar with this world's magic, so I can't exactly measure the strength of a Princess Knight. Just from the vast quantity available, she could be a Heroic Spirit level threat for all I know." He just couldn't take the risk, there were too many unknown factors. Not to mention, he didn't want to be hunted down by the entirety of Eostia so soon, seeing he was now mortal. It would make his task of killing Vault that much more arduous. "Patience is key, I need to take a much more subtle approach."

He killed the Orc army, so, in the eyes of the Kingdom, he shouldn't be classified as an ally to Olga. Which would help with communication and going under the radar. Though with his display of Caladbolg, something told Archer that it wouldn't be so easy to avoid attention.

"Order number 52, Venison meat pie with a side of roasted potatoes and almond milk rice for dessert. Think you can handle it?" He asked his unofficial sou-chef/boss. "And for the love of everything that is sacred, please don't confuse salt with sugar. And why did you add so much chilly inside the curry? Are you trying to feed a fake priest!?"

"Eh? Fake priest?"

"Nevermind," He didn't want Alice to become a cook like Rin. He may have forgotten much of the past but his stomach still remembered the trauma. "Just add the spices in moderation and don't overdo it."

"Yes, Archer-san!" Alice had gotten better at cooking. She was leagues above her previous self when he first arrived here. The first milestone in his opinion was when she learned to crack an egg properly and not have the egg shells fall into the dish. 

They had just opened the Emerald Inn not even two hours ago and they already received half a hundred orders. At this rate, their food stock won't even last till noon. 

At least Alice was more lively. She moved around the kitchen with confidence and poise, as some of her moves mimicked his perfectly. Around her waist, she still carried the dagger he gave her, even made a small leather strap for it. He didn't dismiss the blade, Archer didn't really have a reason to do it. He just let her keep it, seeing that it made her feel more confident.

"It's quite packed today, Archer-san," Alice said, cutting some potatoes for the dish.

"Hn? Yes, it is, though it is becoming a pain to manage all of this by ourselves. If more keep coming, we won't be able to keep up. You should think of hiring someone, you can train them in handling the counter while you cook the food with someone else helping you around here." Like a training period of sorts. "I don't see any problems with these plans, many would jump at the chance to work as a cook here, you just need to give them the initiative with a decent wage and plenty of food… the latter alone can work." 

'Especially in this world…' He thought to himself, not voicing out that particular opinion out loud.

"I don't need to. After all, Archer-san is here to help me. And I don't need anyone else." She pointed out, oblivious to his intentions.