WebNovels

Chapter 10 - The Big Idea

Some time after the mysterious person sped past Kairus like a missile, he finished his last few purchases and walked toward Jake, dragging a sack of flour across the floor of the shopping mall.

—Heeey Jaaake! Did you get everything we need? —asked Kairus, waving his arm energetically.

Jake, who had just picked up a dozen eggs with extreme care, turned around at the sound of the commotion.

—Yeah, I just got the eggs, which were the last thing on the lis... Wait! What the hell are you doing dragging that?! —shouted Jake, staring in disbelief as Kairus swept the floor with the sack of flour— Are you trying to clean the floor or something?!

Kairus stopped abruptly, put one hand on his head, and began scratching it innocently.

—Where else am I supposed to put it?

A vein popped on Jake's forehead as he pointed toward the shopping cart right beside them.

—Here! In the shopping cart!

—Oh, I see! The shopping cart... How could I be so dumb! —said the knight, hitting his own head. He looked like someone who had just learned the secrets of the universe— What is it, and what's it for?

The dark mage went pale at that statement. He understood that, as outsiders, they didn't yet grasp everything about this world, but still...

—Literally everyone here is using one!

—I thought it was some kind of fashion item, you know, like the finger guillotine —said the knight, raising an index finger as he recalled the "toys" that were trendy in his own world.

—Right! I always wanted one of those as a kid! They were the best.

Kairus nodded firmly with his arms crossed, his childhood memories flooding back. After a few seconds, he lifted the sack of flour and placed it inside the empty cart beside him. Jake had grabbed one just in case, but it turned out unnecessary.

—Perfect, that's everything on the list.

—Same here. Now we just have to figure out how to bring people to the bakery, and we're done.

—About that, I have an idea, hehe —said the knight, smiling like a merchant claiming to have found the cure for the Black Plague.

—What a coincidence, so do I! —replied Jake.

After that statement, Kairus tensed for a moment, carefully stepped back, and used the cart as a shield.

—Y-You? With an idea? This can't end well.

—Come on! You haven't even heard it yet.

—As long as it doesn't involve blowing things up or making a huge scene... —said the knight, scanning the area up and down, all danger sensors on high alert.

The dark mage turned quickly.

—Tch. Just when I figured out what Napalm was for...

—I knew it! —shouted Kairus, burying his face in his hands— I don't even know what Napalm is, but that face tells me it explodes!

—Haha, it doesn't just explode, my friend... —whispered the mage, turning toward Kairus with a sinister aura.

—What were you planning, you maniac?! Blow up all the houses so only the bakery remains?!

The mage turned again...

—Tch. I'll abort the plan... I almost had the naphthenic acid ready.

—That doesn't sound legal in this world, Joaquín!

—Hehehe, relax, buddy —said Jake with a demonic laugh— It's not.

—That idea is an absolute no!

—Well... at least I tried —Jake shrugged.

—Whatever...

After the argument, Kairus turned toward the long supermarket aisles, staring at them for a few seconds, reminiscing about his journey from Nocturne to this world.

—I still think all this is incredible... —said the knight with a melancholic tone.

—Yeah, these eggs look pretty tasty indeed.

—I'm not talking about the eggs! And cook them first, you creep... I mean the peace and convenience that surrounds the people here, it's just fascinating.

Jake frowned at Kairus.

—You're not thinking of staying, are you? Just so you know, I haven't ditched you yet because I need your brute strength and people skills for the tough jobs until I figure out how to get out of here.

—Relax, I'm not staying —said Kairus with a small sigh—. Besides, admit it: you'd feel lonely without an enemy to fight.

—I've changed my mind; I think it's best if you stay here selling pastries.

—And leave Nocturne's fate in your hands?! Over my dead body!

The knight glanced at the nearby shelves, grabbed a pack of chocolate cookies, stared at them, and said worriedly:

—Will she be okay?...

—You mean Hikari? —asked Jake.

—Yeah, I'm worried about her and the bakery's future once we manage to return.

—Well, it's not like I really care what happens to them... But since you refuse to cooperate until we finish here, we might as well give her the push she needs. Everything else is up to her —the dark mage paused and took a breath—. Besides, she'll be fine.

—Wow, didn't expect that from you. How can you be so sure?

—Because...

°°°

After the conversation, both were heading toward the checkout when Jake suddenly stopped with the cart and stepped back.

—By the way... I didn't tell you all the cart's functions before.

—It has more functions?! —asked Kairus, amazed by the usefulness of that thing called "cart."

Jake stood at the entrance of the last aisle before the counter. Then he took a running start, jumped, and climbed onto the cart.

—Mwahaha! Behold the supremacy of shopping carts! —yelled Jake as he shot forward at incredible speed, weaving through people like a shadow.

Suddenly, an old lady stepped into his path. At Jake's speed, dodging her was nearly impossible.

—My grandson loves these cookies; I should buy him some for being such a good boy —murmured the lady, placing cookies in her cart.

—Look out, you maniac! —shouted Kairus in alarm.

—I got this! Everything is perfectly calculated —said Jake as he jumped off the cart midair and kicked it, making it skid behind the lady. Then, as if in slow motion, Jake spun through the air, catching the flying groceries, and landed back in the cart with elegance and flair.

Kairus stood there, mouth wide open, pure excitement painted on his face.

—I-I... I want to try that!

A few minutes later, at the checkout at the end of the aisle, the dark mage had finished paying and was heading for the exit.

Huh... wasn't that the friend of the guy with the note on his back? Are they leaving already? ] —thought the cashier girl.

\[ They were pretty weird... but I kinda wish I'd at least talked to the blond one–... ]

Her thoughts were cut off when Kairus suddenly appeared before her in a cloud of smoke, like a magical summoning. In reality, he'd been riding the cart so fast he was practically invisible to the human eye—almost at the speed of light.

—Hi again! —greeted Kairus cheerfully.

—Kyaaa! —screamed the cashier, stunned by the surreal sight.

—Every time we meet, it's the same... Are you really okay? Does your stomach hurt or something? —asked Kairus, completely confused.

—N-no, I'm... I'm fine —said the girl, clutching her chest to steady her breathing after witnessing something physically impossible.

After bagging the groceries, Kairus walked to the door, but before he could step out, a small voice stopped him.

—Uh... P-Please come again —said the girl shakily.

The knight turned around and looked at the cashier, who stood sweating and trembling, head down.

—Of course! —said Kairus, flashing a radiant smile and giving a thumbs up.

\[ Ah... in the end, I couldn't even ask him if he really liked... that! ] —thought the girl, clenching her fists in frustration, holding back her curiosity about whether the blond guy was some kind of masochist.

—By the way, what's your name? —asked Kairus once outside.

—Y-Yuri.

—Well then, Yuri —replied Kairus, waving as he kept walking— come visit us someday at *Strawberry Dream*! We'd be happy to serve you.

The girl stayed silent for a moment, then replied joyfully, in a gentle tone:

—Yes! I'd love to!

A few minutes after Kairus left, the store seemed peaceful again—until a small tremor shook the place.

—Huh? What's going on? An earthquake? —muttered the cashier nervously as sweat dripped down her face.

In the distance, items began falling off the shelves like in a horror movie, and a rumbling sound grew louder, racing toward the door at incredible speed. In just seconds, the shockwave blew through, leaving the girl's hair disheveled and her clothes torn.

She froze for a moment, then slowly turned to face the store.

—W-What the hell happened here?! —she shouted upon seeing the mess and her own state.

What had hit the store was none other than the shockwave caused by the knight when he jumped onto the cart—he had been going so fast that the sound took minutes to catch up.

°°°

On the way back to the bakery, Kairus met Jake, who was carrying two bags full of ingredients. He stopped him with a shout, and they began walking side by side.

—Oh right! I forgot to tell you my idea —said the knight, holding a large bag with the sack of flour inside.

—Let's hear it... —replied Jake with a disheartened tone, still believing his idea was a misunderstood masterpiece.

—Well, do you remember the pumpkin tasting events we used to have in Nocturne?

The dark lord quickened his pace, recalling the rumors he'd once heard about that famous festival.

—If I remember correctly, it was an event where every villager brought their own pumpkin-based recipes, and the one with the best texture, aroma, and flavor received a blessing from the church.

—Exactly! We could do the same thing, but with cakes —said Kairus, his face glowing with enthusiasm.

—Hmm... not a bad idea. It might actually work. We should tell Hikari and see what she thinks.

—If everything goes well and we get loyal customers, we can finally focus on finding a way back to Nocturne.

—Yeah... that was my plan all along.

After a short walk, they reached the bakery and found Hikari reading some new recipes to add to the menu—that was why they'd gone shopping in the first place. After greeting her, they explained Kairus's plan to host a baking contest where the winner would receive a prize.

—That sounds fantastic! Why didn't I think of it before? Thank you so much, guys —said Hikari with a huge smile, thrilled to have finally found a possible solution to her problem—. Actually, I just thought of adding the winning recipe to the main menu too!

—Then... shall we get to work? —asked Kairus, extending his hand to Hikari eagerly.

—Let's get to work! —she replied, shaking his hand firmly.

Both felt a spark of excitement and teamwork. It would take effort to carry out the plan, but it was possible.

°°°

A couple of days later, on a street in Yokohama, a young woman with long golden hair and emerald-green eyes, wearing a long white dress adorned with flowers, was walking under a parasol when suddenly a poster caught her attention.

She took the flyer and read it carefully. It said:

"*Strawberry Dream* Baking Contest! Don't miss this chance to have your recipe added to our menu and win a special prize if you place among the top three!"

After reading it, she looked down at the bottom of the poster, where the judges' photos were printed, focusing especially on Jake's picture.

—Oh, but isn't this guy... —she said as a small smile curved her lips.

\[ That's just a sign that something interesting will happen on contest day. ]

--- To be continued in Chapter 9 ---

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