Ball of Nothing

Zero didn't know who the cook was but Old Gary certainly was a very proud innkeeper when Zero praised the food served.

"Bet you didn't think a poor and rundown inn with no customers like mine would have top tier food, did you? How is it? Is it better than the pretentious and overpriced restaurants on the eastern side?"

Zero took another sip of the tomato soup and closed his eyes in concentration. Truen laughed inwardly. He didn't have to be so serious about analysing the food. It was a lot easier humouring the old man. While they didn't know who the cook was, it was obvious that the old man was proud of them enough to want to brag.

"I must admit, it tastes good. I haven't eaten food from the eastern district from the city because this is my first time here and I've only arrived earlier today but if I had to compare this with the royal chefs in Magnus Hilda, it is a very close fight. I can't believe they thought about adding pumpkin to make the taste lighter and less sour. It's a genius idea! Tell me, who is this talented cook?"

Old Gary blushed a little and rubbed his nose shyly to cover his embarrassment. His moustache couldn't help but twitch at the smile he tried to hide. Truen heard the light pitter-patter of feet coming before he saw them.

Old Gary was about to brag about the cook when a small light-haired child around eight or nine came jumping over the railing from the stairs and kicking the old general in the head. It didn't seem to be the first time it happened because Old Gary dodged it quickly and caught the twerp by her leg.

The kid had fair skin, freckles on her face, short ash brown hair that looked like it was chopped roughly by a sword and stubborn dark green eyes. She struggled upside down as the innkeeper laughed. The brown beret she wore had fallen onto the dusty floor earlier but the kid refused to give up and tried to kick him. Zero noted how she wore checkered trousers held by suspenders over her crisp white shirt and if he wasn't paying much attention, he would have mistaken her as a boy.

"There you are! I thought I said to take a bath and change into something befitting of a lady before you greeted the guests?"

Zero cringed at the sound of the kick connecting with the old general's jaw. He finally let her go and the kid fell onto the floor but not before doing a somersault to right herself. With a coolness to her, she picked her fallen beret and dusted it before adjusting it on her head, looking like a very quick-witted lad in that getup.

"So you're the guests that grandpa talked about? What are you doing in the western district?" the girl asked and Old Gary fumed.

"Aldina! Your manners!"

Aldina ignored her grandfather and Zero smiled nervously when she leaned in close to him and frowned. Truen's stance changed to one of caution when Aldina went too close to Zero. Then, the girl pulled back and looked at the soup.

"How do the royal chefs of Magnus Hilda make their soup? I'm curious to know."

Zero smiled. "They add a kind of spice that's different from ground peppercorn. Also, they use melon buttersquash instead of jack pumpkins. It makes the sweetness of the tomato flavour pop but doesn't overwhelm it like the peppercorn used in this soup."

Aldina noted that down and told Zero to quickly finish it before she rushed to the back, presumably the kitchen to prepare the next dish. Zero ate happily and Gary nursed his bruise.

"That's the cook. Isn't she adorable?" Gary laughed and Zero agreed. Truen remained silent and continued to drink the soup as if he wasn't there.

"She's a really good fighter," Zero noted and winced at the sight of the purpling spot. "Do you want me to heal that for you? It looks painful and you're bleeding in the mouth."

Gary shook his head. "Don't worry about it. This is proof of her affection for me. Yes, Aldina's a great fighter, takes after my daughter. Her mom's a first-class swordswoman and an adventurer."

"Where is she now?" Zero asked as he finished the soup and set the bowl to one side.

Gary had a faraway look in his eyes. "Perished on a raid quest alongside Aldina's father who was a mage. I lost my daughter and son-in-law that night while Aldina became orphaned. It wasn't easy for either of us but as years passed, I think we've moved on enough to get our lives back on track. A pity this inn is all I have now for Aldina. Too bad she doesn't want to take over even though she helps with the cleaning and cooking for the occasional guests we receive."

Zero nodded. "What kind of raid was it that took Aldina's parents from her?"

"A dungeon raid. I didn't see it myself but they said the raid team was wiped out by a horde of minotaurs. I taught Aldina how to fight to protect herself and I'm thankful that she doesn't want to become an adventurer. Still, why does she have to insist on becoming a journalist? That girl spends half her time running about the city dressed as a boy, selling newspapers that she wrote herself to all sorts of funny people! I don't know where my education has gone wrong."

Zero laughed at that and Gary complained about his granddaughter's tendency to take in stray children who were also orphaned. It was so frequent that Gary no doesn't lock the backdoor so that beggar children can help themselves and stay for the night in the kitchen where Aldina spends most of her time writing new articles.

Zero smiled warmly and listened to the gruff man complain about not having enough to feed the bag of bones that frequent his stables and kitchen but also cussed the merchants who raised the prices of salt. For the doctor, there was no better candidate than the old general and his granddaughter to be left in charge of the Humanitarian Guild that he wanted to create.