Their pockets filled with ingredients the siblings returo the novice vilge. Serena wore a bright smile, obviously happy to spend time with her brother.

  Just looking at her right now would brighten anyone’s mood.

  Apparently, the female NPC Ebonora thought simirly, showing a warm smile as the siblings approached her.

  “Aunty! I gathered soo many fruits! I use your kit?”

  “Of course, go ahead.”

  In Fate of aboul most profession he suitable workstations. Bigger cities usually offered some for rent. But in the novice vilge one could only build a good retionship with NPCs like chefs or bcksmiths and ask to use their tools.

  Fortunately, Ebonora was fond of Serena, generously letting her use her kit.

  Uhe elegant elf’s lead Liam and Sereered a wooden house to the side, finding a spacious kit which was obviously built to serve a rge number of people.

  A young male elf was busy with ing pots as the trio entered.

  “That’s Rehan. He helps me out sometimes.”

  “Friends of Ebonora? Wele.”

  Afterwards the elves went to the side, doing their own thing.

  Serena looked around at the two firepces enclosed in bricks and the many pots and knifes, appearing somewhat lost.

  “What do we do now?”

  “Since you have a recipe, let’s try and follow it.”

  Serena aking out the recipe for baked Behr Fruit.

  “First we o cut the herbs into pieces.”

  Leaning the recipe against the wall, Serena took out a stalk of the gathered herbs, pg it on ay spot on the w area made of stone.

  Liam felt somewhat hesitant as he watched Serena take a rge knife and begin slowly cutting the herb. Even if it was only a game, he didn’t want to see his sister cut herself.

  But after a few seds he was surprised. Serena worked carefully and precisely. She took off the herb’s leaves, leaving only a few torn pieces oem.

  , she pared her work to the recipe before cutting the leaves into tiny bits with deliberate strokes.

  “You’re doing great Serena!”

  Hearing her brother’s praise the young girl beamed immediately:

  “I knht? It’s because I cooked together with Merida!”

  “That’s why the food was so delicious the st few days!”

  “Hehe. But, Liam…”

  “What?”

  “Why are you only watg? We have so much work to do!”

  Liam opened his mouth, not knowing how to retort. Chug he took out a few stalks of herbs and began to help his sister.

  But a few seds ter…

  “Ouh!”

  “Ah! You’re bleeding.”

  Serena abruptly put her knife aside looking worriedly at Liam’s bleeding index finger.

  The perpetrator however was rather perplexed than worried.

  How did I mao cut myself with my agility?

  Luckily Liam’s fans of his past life weren’t able to see the se, or they would be going crazy. How could Mr. Perfect be clumsy?

  Liam’s HP ticked down one by oopping after he lost five points. His wound quickly disappeared in a few seds.

  “Good, you’re fine…”

  “Of course. Don’t worry.”

  Liam let out a light ugh to hide his embarrassment before tinuing, avoiding looking into Serena’s eyes.

  The tter felt reassured and teo her own herbs. The siblings worked swiftly, preparing a full ten stalks. Liam g Serena from time to time, notig that although she moved slower, the result looked better than his own.

  Fortunately, Serena didn’t ent as she put away her knife ahe recipe.

  “, we need a pot of water. 200ml per stalk of herb. We have ten herbs, so it makes… 2000ml?”

  Liam felt a stab in his heart as he noticed the hesitation in Serena’s voice. The pirl hadn’t been to school in years, gging behind her peers in some subjects, especially math.

  Liam gritted his teeth. He knew his sister was an intelligent child, suffering unfairly from a harsh life. Now that he was earning mo would be time tanize a school for Serena or even a private teacher.

  Although the United Human Federation prided itself in taking care of all humans, the jurisdi ultimately id with the p’s Governor. And Owen Colville was not known for providing help for the poor.

  Liam cursed the Colville family in his heart, subtly excluding Silva’s branch, while he helped his sister preparing a pot of water.

  “Nono, too much.”, pihe young girl as she watched Liam fill the pot nontly.

  “Don’t worry a few milliliters won’t make a difference.”

  “They do! We must adhere to the recipe!”

  Liam wao refute but quickly shut up. While he was absentminded, he almost fot that he was still in the game. Here, the produced food’s quality would be evaluated at the end. Based on the rank its effect would be somewhat stronger.

  But to achieve a better rank it was important to follow the recipe strictly.

  Thus, Liam apologized to his sister, carefully p out the excess water.

  “Mhm, that’s more like it.”

  Serena put her hands on her waist, nodding her head. She only needed a tall white cap to look like a head chef.

  Liam smiled seeing her like this before throwing the herbs into the water.

  “Now we o wait… 20 seds? How does that make sense?”

  “The processes in the game are vastly simplified. The water should boil after around ten seds.”

  “Oh.”

  Serena accepted the expnation, staring carefully at the pot and ting down in her mind.

  For professions like cooking, bcksmith, alchemist, etc, the game’s assistance was kept to a minimum.

  The shortest way to advane’s profession was by produg high-quality products, which required talent and dedication.

  Thus, pyers fog solely on their professions were often paratively low levels. But their importan a party uild could be higher than most fighters, especially when it came to making money.

  But Liam didn’t think about how much help Serena could be for him. He only wanted his siter to be happy. If she decided tomorrow not to follow the path of a chef, Liam wouldn’t dissuade her.

  Serena thought even less about the future. She was gd to spend time with her brother without having to worry about the food for the day.

  Even something simple like watg the water suddenly became enjoyable.

  “Now!”

  Serena excimed loudly, shooting a g Liam, who had two cloths in his hands. With those he quickly grabbed the hot pot and took it off the fire.

  “It smells good. So sweet and… like herbs.”, said Serena.

  “Well, it would be straherwise.”

  Serena rolled her eyes at Liam as she took out five Behr Fruits from her iory. She poked small holes in their plump red peels before throwing them into the pot.

  “1, 2, 3, 4, 5!”

  Liam waited for his sister to t the seds. After the fifth he grabbed a dle and hastily took out the fruits.

  “Nonono, you got the order wrong!”

  Liam looked at his sister in fusion.

  “I put that fruit in first, but you took it out st! Now it had ara sed ier!”

  “… I’m sorry, chef!”

  “You should be!”

  The sibling looked at each other. Liam couldn’t hold back a chuckle be he quickly noticed from Serena’s rea that she was serious.

  With that attitude she might really do well as a chef in the game…

  Pressing his lips tightly together Liam took the first fruit, keeping it on the dle as he held it above the fire.

  It’s skin visibly turned a deeper shade of red.

  Serena watched sternly, suddenly giving a signal for Liam to take out the fruit.

  A soft steam rose, spreading a sweet smell with a hint of sour, indig that their first Baked Behr Fruit was ready for ption.

  A notification popped up before Liam and Serena.

  [Produced: Baked Behr Fruit

  Quality: 3,5 Stars

  Effect: Recover 0,3% HP per sed over 35 seds.

  Reward: 7,5 EXP; 7,5 EXP for profession chef]

  “We did it!”

  Serena excimed happily. She ighe other fruits, taking the finished one from Liam. The peel came of easily, revealing a red flesh which had softehrough the process of cooking.

  Taking a big bite, Serena showed a blissful expression. The fruit tasted unbelievably delicious simply because it was made by her and her brother.

  “Here, you dake a bide doo!”

  Serena spoke with a full mouth, dangling the fruit before Liam’s eyes.

  The young man smiled brightly as he stuffed a big pieto his mouth, sav the moment.

  “Thank you, Liam.”

  Liam was surprised as Serena suddenly spoke in a quiet voice, yet still reag Liam’s ears.

  “For what?”

  “For always giving your best.”

  Liam felt a throb in his heart. Old memories and new memories swirled chaotically. He gazed at the young girl o him, feeling unexpinable emotions.

  Liam patted Serena’s head, a gratified smile f on his mouth.

  A warm atmosphere engulfed the kit as the siblings eheir fruits.

  For the rest of the day they tinued cooking, baking more fruits and even ing up with their owions.