"What the…?"
Every single one looks between the unfamiliar face and the boss, who's just casually sitting there without a shred of worry in his face, while the other is just busy with the cooking in the kitchen.
"… The newcomer?"
After some moment of absolute silence, Twain slowly speaks up, realizing the full face of the cook, which attracts everyone's attention in surprise.
"You know him?"
Asked the noble girl.
"Yeah, he was the one who beat me up earlier, the new prisoner so to speak…"
Said Twain with a surprised look.
"I see…"
Let out a huff, the girl carefully observes the new one, wondering about his true motive. She did feel at odds with the truth that their prisoner's now cooking for them, but still it's not like she would react hastily at this revelation.
After all, one must be ready for every situation once working with the Guild, and she's also not quite an emotional type. In fact, outside of a certain priest, she never showed her true face with anyone else, not even her boss.
"Well, that's something."
The farmer looking boy expresses his surprise in a rather calming manner, quickly taking the nearest seat looking at the cook.
He's been through many things, even abnormal considering his partner with the long-hair one, the sigh of their prisoner just casual cooking for all of them is never normal in the slightest. Not like he have anything against that though, and in fact he's quiet anticipate on the kid flavor
And even if that isn't the case, as the kid is truly trying to kill them, he could just blame it on Fitzgerald's head, as he has his own method to just purify any poison the kid could possibly bring in.
"Hora Hora, please take the seat."
While everyone still drops their eyes closely on the new kid, he suddenly calls out for them in an exciting voice while carrying a big steamy pot around the kitchen.
"The kid is right, just sit down and enjoy. All on me."
And like to back it up, Fitzgerald assures everyone else with a warm smile which only makes them even more double down on their doubt about the whole thing. In their memory, the very times he smiles, something bad will happen regardless of time and location…
"Well then, don't mind if i do ~"
With an energetic voice, Twain immediately sat down two chairs apart from the farmer-looking guy, looking at the kitchen with a brilliant look..
"… Worrying at this time isn't good for my health."
With a heavy sigh, the old bearded man sat down on the chair opposite of Twain, seemingly losing interest with the young man working in the kitchen.
Meanwhile, a certain young man slowly approaches the newcomer in the kitchen with a hint of intensity yet curious in the eyes.
"Young man…"
"Hm?"
The young religious habit, working as a priest looked down on him with a mixed expression between intimidation and curiosity, asked him with a hint of seriousness deep within as the newcomer just blatantly looked back at him with a rather innocent eye, or it appeared to be so.
"… What are you trying to do?"
"Oh my, that's exactly what you saw, sir Hawthrone."
The newcomer answers the priest's question with an innocent smile, but his guy eyebrow twitching in anger yet confusion with the newcomer's childish answer. Everyone else began to tense his answer, wondering how he could possibly know their companions name.
As part of their contract with Fitzgerald, all of their personal info is kept classified once they join the Guild, and no one beside their relatives and some rare select few got to know their actual name beside a fake one the tycoon provided.
So the fact that nobody such as this kid, who looks just barely below the legal age, just casually speaks up his name is nothing sort of shocking. And with such a single word, he has proven his existence in this room.
"If you have no business with me, sir. Nathaniel Hawthrone, please take a seat and wait for a few more minutes."
With a bright smile on his face, he threw a bomb on everyone and returned back to cooking while also leaving everyone in awe.
"Fu—Hahahaha!!!!!!!"
And the first one to break the silence, is the young sniper laughing like crazy. He's genuinely feeling intrigued yet excited by this progress, so much so that he can't bear to contain his laugh.
"Hahahaha!!! He got you real good, Hawthorne-chan ~ !!!!"
Twain making a joke while still laughing like crazy toward Hawthrone, who now staring back at him with an annoying yet curious expression.. After some consideration, the guy let out a faint sigh and sat down beside the bearded old man.
Following Hawthrone, everyone else started to settle in their seats with varied reactions, except maybe the long-hair guy who looks indifferent the whole time. After that, the newcomer walked up to the table with a tray of dishes.
"Please enjoy the meal ~"
He quickly placed it in front of everyone, as everyone immediately shifted their attention to the dishes.
The dishes… are honestly hard to comprehend, as it looks like red mush with red sauces all over. Even Fitzgerald and the noble girl, who have gone through countless exquisite dishes, couldn't even fathom which is the dish.
"… Ya sure this is edible?"
Asked the farmer-man, looking slightly disturbed.
"Such… creative outlook."
Said the noble girl, who was trying to hide her disgust yet confusion deep in her eyes.
"Hm…"
Grunting by the priest, bearded man and the long-hair, clearly wondering whether this is poisoned or not.
"This is… so lit!!"
Said Twain, as the guy immediately indulged the dish with a rather inappropriate manner and attracted everyone's attention.
"Glad you like it, sir Twain."
"This is so good!! Never been through anything like this before!!"
With a grateful smile, the newcomer peacefully watches Twain cleansing the dish by the table side, with everyone tracking every bit of the duo's action.
Took less than a minute for Twain to finish the dish with an eager look, clearly enjoying the food with every bit of his body. After a few minutes, Twain showed no sign of pain or unease, or anything that could indicate poison in the food.
"…"
With much hesitation, everyone lightly took a look with each other and simultaneously took a bite from the dishes, bracing for whatever else came next…
"Hm?"
"Oh my."
"This is…"
Each of their stressed facts slowly dispentated, as a sense of comfort yet calming feeling slowly warped them from the tongue. The feeling isn't quite what they anticipated… it doesn't taste strong, flavorful or anything quite close to other dishes…
Instead, the dish… reminds them of their home, their belongings, their place… Essentially what they left behind to join the Guild.
They remember back their childhood, back at those happy memorie they ever had when they were still just a child…
All of them subconsciously relieve themself from their own stress, as they slowly enjoy the dishes without any care for the newcomer anymore.
After an hour which feels almost eternity for all of them, each of their dishes are all emptied and everyone starts to fall into silence.
"Well? Any thoughts?"
With a devilish grin, he looks at every single one of the Guild members with anticipated eyes, but none of them can say anything while just looking down at the empty with complicated eyes.
"As expected. Looks like I won the bet, Fitzgerald."
"Fuhahahaha!!!"
Fitzgerald let out a genuine laugh against the newcomer's taunting voice, awakening everyone from deep in their thoughts.
"That's unbelievable, Mr. Tsukami, but you actually did it! That was spectacular!"
"My honor, sir Fitzgerald."
The newcomer bow his head in all honor with Fitzgerald's genuine compliment, one that is even rarer than the chances of a black hole forming from the Sun right now.
"A deal…?"
"You see, Mrs. Mitchell…"
The noble girl expressed her confusion, which was answered by Fitzgerald himself.
"The newcomer here has made a deal with me beforehand. If he fails to make all of you express anything toward both of us after tasting his meal, he'll tell me the location of our objective…"
Everyone was shocked by his revelation and looked back at the newcomer, now making quite an evil yet confident face, in doubts.
"… But if he succeeds, I have to fulfill his demand for him unconditionally. And as you can see, he has spectacularly made it through."
"That's right. And it's time for me to make my demand."
The newcomer then continues his speech, a sly yet devilish smile can be seen from his confident face…