Orb?

(Alert! Information Dump.)

The recipe was simple.

It began by adding some oil to the pot and then releasing the leaves of the small bell herb into it to release the substance that gives the dish a menthol flavor.

Exactly one minute later, the herbs are removed, the meat is cut into three pieces of similar size like sandwich bread, and it's briefly heated in the center.

After thirty seconds on each side, incisions are made in a chessboard pattern on the meat and it's returned to the pot for another half a minute. Potatoes are placed on one side to absorb the juice with the meat fat, and each side of the square-shaped meat is marked.

Finally, everything is removed after three minutes on high heat with the cheese on top of the meat. It's all taken out of the pot and the bell herb's head is placed in all the remaining juice, causing all the juice inside the plant to concentrate at the tip of the head and the blue color of the herb to turn into a whitish one.

When plating, the leaves are placed underneath and a tower is constructed in the order of meat, cheese, and potatoes with the head of the herb at the top.

"And there you have it. I think pepper can be added on top to enhance the flavor of the herb, but I still need to do some testing. Here, take a bite."

Sara grabbed the sandwich in front of her and, drawn in by the aroma, took a big bite, not caring about the people around her who also seemed drawn to the smell.

"Mmm?!!! Oh thwis is gwood, Mawrk!"

"Swallow if you're going to talk. So, do I get the job?"

Sara lowered her head in embarrassment for a moment but quickly set the plate aside as she wiped her lips and jumped up, grabbing Mark's hands.

"Citizens of Mondstadt, I present to you the new chef of Good Hunter, M- Do you have a middle name or a last name?"

"No."

"MARK!"

The audience snapped out of their trance caused by the smell and began to applaud in response to Mark's high-profile introduction and the renown he had recently gained.

"As a celebration of his new position, our chef Mark will cook any orders you make for the next hour, effective immediately."

"Hey-"

"I'll give you a bonus."

"At your service, boss."

For the next half hour, Mark cooked several house specialties under Sara's guidance, learning various new dishes, and the following half hour was about handling each order without needing any assistance.

"It seems we're the last customers, what a surprise."

Blanche and Wagner watched a bit distanced and incredulous Marjorie's poor performance and how she seemed intentionally to get closer to Mark, who was cleaning the table from the remnants of the ingredients.

"Oh, Marjorie! Welcome to the Good Hunter, it's a pleasure to have you here."

"Hey, Sara, I'd like to order something to go from your new chef."

"Sure."

Marjorie took a moment to order and gestured to Wagner and Blanche to order their part while she approached 'discreetly' toward Mark.

"Hey, guy."

"Mmm, hello, miss."

"Um, do you remember me?"

Mark briefly looked away from the kitchen to look at Marjorie's face and nodded, returning his attention to the utensils he was cleaning.

"You're the woman I startled earlier, I apologize..."

"It's not necessa-"

"And also the same woman who's been staring at me for a whole hour."

Mark put down the tools and furrowed his brow slightly as he crossed his arms.

"Do you need something from me?"

Marjorie froze for a moment with a flushed face but quickly looked down and let out a sigh, turning her nervousness into a playful smile.

"I was wondering... Do you have anything to do later?"

Mark raised an eyebrow at how close her face was to his and stepped back a few paces, averting his gaze to the kitchen, somewhat embarrassed.

"I'm not looking for a relationship right now."

"...Nobody said anything like that."

"Your intentions were clear."

Marjorie blushed again and coughed a few times, stepping back calmly.

"Can I ask why?"

Mark's hands trembled momentarily at the question, and he turned his head slightly to the side, his ears reddening with embarrassment.

"...I think to be with someone, I first need to be someone worthwhile."

Marjorie's breath caught, incredulously staring at the scene before her.

'I thought he was handsome because he looked imposing, but... What's with this sudden innocence?!?!?!'

Taking a couple of breaths to compose herself, Marjorie approached Mark slightly and smiled seeing how he avoided showing his face.

"But I think you're already someone worthwhile... Don't you want to spend some time with this sister-"

"I'll be the one to decide if I consider myself it or not. But thank you for your interest in me, it makes me happy... Hope you have a good day."

Marjorie turned instantly and walked with her head down to her friends and Sara, who were looking at her with narrowed eyes from the counter.

"Robber."

Marjorie's face turned bright red, but she didn't lift her head.

"SHUT UP! I'm not going out with him."

"And why's that?"

"...He's too pure."

Blanche exchanged a confused look with Wagner and pointed at Mark with her finger.

"The same one who just threatened the Cavalry Captain with death? If you say so..."

Sara watched with amusement at the whole situation and shook her head, passing the order to Mark as she turned to Marjorie.

"It seems you're not the last order."

The three turned to look in the direction Sara was pointing, seeing a group of two people and a floating fairy approaching.

"Doesn't seem like it, we'll take a seat while the order is prepared."

"All yours."

Sara smiled as the trio sat somewhat apart and turned her attention to the group coming, specifically to the flying fairy.

'She's adorable.'

"Welcome to the Good Hunter! Amber, I see you've brought new customers hehe."

Amber grinned upon hearing Sara and hugged the person next to her.

"Yes! I've been showing them all around Mondstadt, and we're famished. Oh! Right, this is Lumine, and the little one flying around is Paimon."

"Paimon is starving!"

Sara smiled and grabbed a small notepad and a pencil, ready to take the order.

"Do you know what you want, or would you like a house recommendation for the new faces? We have a new chef."

"New chef?"

Amber tilted her head in confusion and saw Sara pointing with a smile to the right.

"AH! IT'S-"

"THE RUDE GUY."

Responding to Paimon's shout, Mark stopped sharpening the knives and placed them on the table, turning his head slightly toward the group.

"Oh, crap."

His previous embarrassment vanished instantly, and he turned his head in an attempt to avoid them, but this only made Paimon fly over and approach him.

"Rude guy, are you a cook? If you cook something delicious, the magnificent Paimon will forgive all your insults."

"...I couldn't care less, smurf."

Sara slightly furrowed her brow upon hearing him, but her polite smile didn't leave her face as she turned, looking at him steadily.

"Mark~."

"Tch... I apologize if we've had our differences in the past, dear customer. I assure you'll enjoy a meal that will leave you pleasantly satisfied."

Every word from Mark sounded as if being said by a robot, and even his face adopted a flat expression devoid of any emotion.

"That's it, Mark, keep it up like that, and you'll be the employee of the month."

"...You say it as if there were more employe-HEY, DON'T THROW THINGS AT ME."

"THEN STOP SAYING NONSENSE... Tch. I apologize, Amber, the new chef is still getting used to the kitchen."

Amber looked at Sara and waved her hands while shaking her head, indicating that there was no problem, while Paimon kept flying around Mark annoying him, and Lumine glanced at a certain spot from the corner of her eye.

"Don't worry, Sara, we'll take a house recommendation."

"Great, you'll be the first to try the new combination of dishes created by Mark."

Amber saw Sara move away, placing the note near the kitchen, and alternated her gaze between Mark and Lumine.

Her first opinion about both was like night and day, although Amber questioned Lumine a lot when they first met, she showed no signs of being angry and responded calmly... But Mark was totally different, not only did he insult them, but he also insulted the order she belonged to, and although after seeing him tied up and Kaeya confirming that it was his mistake in the first place, she couldn't help but feel conflicted towards him.

Mark, on the other hand, felt a gaze on him and ignored it, finishing cooking the dishes for Marjorie, Wagner, and Blanche.

'Meeting them now... What shitty luck.'

Finishing plating the dishes, he gestured to Sara to collect them and began preparing his daily menu while glancing at the three of them taking their seats.

'...She's the protagonist of the world so I have nothing to worry about. Since protagonists always win, well, except in Akame ga Kill... and Death Note... Tch.'

Shaking his head, he started preparing the menu he designed for a balanced and satisfying meal.

'After finishing this, I'll go train or something, maybe sneak into Favonius' training grounds or buy some weights... I also need to reserve a place to stay for the night.'

Alternating his attention between pots and plates, he finally managed to finish after about twelve minutes of preparation. Balancing all the dishes in his arms, he demonstrated his skill by carrying them to the table.

"...As the creator, I have an obligation to tell you about the menu: Crispy Potato Shrimp Platter as an appetizer to whet your appetite without starting with a heavy meal. For the main course, we have Cream Stew, which has both meat and vegetables to make you feel full. Finally, for dessert, Mint Jelly, specifically made to give you energy for the rest of the day. But judging by the drool of the shorty-customer, you can start however you like, I don't mind."

Just as he was about to turn around, Mark felt a tug on his sleeve, so he looked down to see Amber staring directly at him with a conflicted expression.

"T-Tha-"

"If you're going to thank, do it without hesitation, idi-dear customer."

"O-Oh... Uh, THANK YOU!"

The shout was so loud that people in the square looked towards Amber, causing her to lower her head in embarrassment.

Mark didn't respond and silently nodded with a smile, noticing out of the corner of his eye that Lumine was also looking at him with a smile.

'?'

Ignoring her, he turned to Sara, who once again had a vein bulging on her forehead, so he decided to avoid her and go clean the utensils he had just used, but once again, a tug on his sleeve prevented him from moving.

"Do you think I didn't notice that you intentionally insulted them and then rectified yourself?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, pay me."

"You brat..."

"You're totally avoiding the issue, pay me."

Sara stared at Mark for a few seconds, but seeing his lack of interest in her anger, she simply sighed and bent down to pick up one of the two bags she had on a shelf at knee height.

"Although you're foul-mouthed, I can't deny that thanks to you, we've received a lot more customers today than other days. Here, you've earned it."

"...Thanks. Can I come back tomorrow?"

"Damn right! But tomorrow will be more time on the clock, as today was just a test to see how you handle real practice."

Mark looked at his trembling hands and sighed, feeling tired both physically and mentally, so not having any idea where to stay, he decided to ask Sara.

"Do you know of any inns I could stay at?"

"Mmm, well, there are two in Mondstadt, one is the Goth Gran Hotel, but it's reserved by an organization called the Fatui, so only Adventurer's Breeze is left, although I'm not sure if there are any rooms available since Stormterror's attacks have caused the owners of destroyed houses to have to stay at that inn."

Mark rubbed his chin, considering the possibility of having to sleep on the streets for tonight, and decided to ask for the address anyway.

"I'll draw it for you now."

Sara turned to search for a paper to write down directions, so Mark turned his gaze towards the sky and leaned his body on the counter, using his backpack as a makeshift pillow.

'I could shower again in the pond and maybe catch some fish. I'll go ask at the headquarters, just hope I don't run into Lisa...'

A disconcerting shiver made him tremble at the thought, and his planning stopped when he heard footsteps coming from his right.

Lumine approached with a plate of Mint Jelly in her hands, standing there staring at Mark.

"Adventurer's Breeze doesn't have any rooms available since I reserved the last one a few minutes ago."

"Oh, well... thanks for letting me know."

Mark nodded to her and seemed to wait for her to leave, but his gaze was captivated by the sight of Lumine eating the jelly in her hand with adorable little bites.

"You can stay in my room, it has two beds, and Paimon sleeps with me."

His expression changed from normal to embarrassed in less than a second, but quickly his blush disappeared, adopting a momentary furrowed brow that he soon rectified into an expression that didn't seem to have changed at all from a moment ago.

"I appreciate it, dear customer, but I'd prefer to sleep on the street."

Lumine's eyes widened in surprise for a moment, but she quickly returned to her usual calm expression and shrugged.

Sara turned with a mischievous smile, looking between them, which caused a vein to bulge on Mark's forehead as he left the store.

"Aren't you going to even say goodbye to your girlfriend and boss? That's not very nice of you, Mark~."

Mark didn't turn around and simply raised his middle finger as he walked away down the stairs.

"Haaa, that boy is a lost cause... Take care of him, Miss Girlfriend."

Sara directed her gaze towards Lumine and realized she had a small smile as she watched Mark walk away, but this expression quickly changed, and she turned expressionlessly towards Sara.

"I'm not his girlfriend."

Lumine turned and returned to the table with a smile, leaving behind a annoyed Sara who hoped to get some amusing reaction.

"Lumine, this food is delicious! Paimon considers Mark the best chef in all of Mondstadt!"

Lumine's hand extended unconsciously and stroked the little fairy upon seeing her entire face covered in food scraps, and upon hearing her, she nodded while taking a bite of the jelly.

"Yes, it's delicious."

⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯

After descending the stairs, Mark lowered his hand and observed as dusk began to make its presence known, prompting him to hurry to bathe when a particular building caught his attention.

'The Adventurers' Guild.'

Mark's gaze focused on the receptionist who, although wore a smile and had her eyes closed, seemed to have her attention fixed on Mark, prompting him to approach her without hesitation.

"Ad astra abyssosque! Welcome to the Adventurers' Guild."

Katheryne's eyes suddenly opened, causing Mark to startle a bit, but he remained calm and decided to play dumb.

"Hello? Who are you?"

"I'm Katheryne, the receptionist of the Adventurers' Guild. Is there anything I can help you with?"

Mark nodded as he glanced at a strange orb he didn't remember seeing in the game.

"I was thinking of venturing into the future and wanted to know if it would be beneficial for me to do so as part of the guild."

Katheryne's eyes seemed to widen for a moment, but she quickly regained her composure, and to Mark's confusion, she began placing papers on the reception desk.

"Depending on your specialties, you could receive additional rewards for venturing out. If you specialize in cooking as rumored, you could temporarily deviate from your future destinations to fulfill requests related to food orders or something similar."

"How-?"

"The few rumors around here spread like wildfire, Mr. Violet Blur, sorry, Mr. Mark. If we consider that you're a Vision user and your speed shown in rescuing citizens, you could act as an explorer, cartographer, or material collector. However, if we consider your fighting skills displayed in battling the Knights of Favonius, you could be assigned missions related to monster hunting, collecting monster materials, or exploring uncharted domains and caves."

Mark listened in silence, wondering to what extent the android in front of him knew about him, and Katheryne ignored his gaze, directing her attention to the papers she pointed to.

"Well, now I'll talk to you about the benefits. Being part of the Adventurers' Guild allows you to access various information from all regions, whether it's recipes, knowledge about the location of various monsters that contribute to your growth, or the location of complementary materials. On the other hand, possible rewards will be given when completing assignments, such as Mora, Talent Level-Up Materials, Primogems, and rank advancement in the guild."

So much information had caused Mark to stop acting and lean slightly on the reception desk to listen more closely.

"What are Primogems, and what are they used for?"

"Primogems are a crystallized concentration of information in the ley lines used to instantly level up a skill by offering it to the skill orb."

'What the hell.'

Lowering his gaze slightly to the orb pointed out by Katheryne, he began to scrutinize it but could see nothing but the white color.

"It seems you're not familiar with the orb. Ley lines are intangible branches that extend throughout the regions, carrying within them information about the world's history. This orb is a device created by the Sumeru Academy that is placed on a specific point of the ley lines to know the latent abilities of each individual, and it can only be used by Vision bearers. Defeating monsters, collecting materials, opening chests, etc., interacting with the world causes pieces of information to meld with one's being, and that information can be used to enhance one's own abilities. We call it Adventurer's Experience."

Mark looked at the orb again and furrowed his brow, sure that there was no such function in the game.

'This... is quite different from the game.'

"Thank you for the explanation, Katheryne."

"At your service."

As he shifted his gaze slightly, he began to weigh the decision of whether to join the guild or not.

'These are great benefits, but nothing is free... In exchange for providing these services, they have established information networks throughout the regions and have earned a reputation as a guild that cares for the citizens by accepting their requests while reaffirming the position of their own, the adventurers.'

Leaving his backpack on the floor, he leaned over to grab the papers and read them more closely.

"Adventurer rank and material usage... What does that mean, Katheryne?"

"The Adventurer's Experience accumulates until it reaches a cap where your limits expand, granting you what we call 'skill points' that you can use to level up to the cap of 60. Each Vision user is blessed with 5 skill points, and a skill branch related to your element grows in the latent potential shown in the orb, totaling 65 points overall. And no one but oneself is able to see the skill branches in the orb."

After a brief pause, Katheryne saw Mark nodding, indicating that he had understood her explanation, and resumed.

"The use of materials is the term given to the use of monster materials of the same element to power the Vision and enhance its characteristics. The rarity of the material, its quality, and condition determine whether, as the Vision is enhanced over time, it may awaken a variation."

"A variation?"

"Yes, for example: a Pyro user hunts the Cryo Regivisne and obtains its core, the Jade Shivada material, and due to his magnificent performance, he manages to obtain it without damaging it in the slightest. Its selling price will be very high, and the Cryo user who uses it in his Vision can make his ice turn into sub-zero ice, steel ice, or ice with various properties."

Mark pondered deeply on what he had just heard, and a change showed on his face as he opened his eyes slightly.

"You mean—"

"Yes, you have to strategically kill the monster if you want to obtain a high-quality material. Although if this isn't your specialty, you can simply undertake various monster hunting missions and use the moras from the rewards to exchange them for a good quality material. But I must warn you that while a mutation is quite probable, its price and scarce supply make it really difficult to acquire a good quality one, and the elemental variation may not awaken on the first try."

Shrugging, Mark nodded and stared intently at Katheryne, adopting an extremely serious expression that prompted Katheryne's demeanor to shift in response.

"It all depends on luck. Thanks for the explanation. More importantly... Do you have rooms or something if I sign up?"

"Huh?"

Katheryne's expression changed to one of confusion, but seeing Mark's seriousness, she simply shook her head, watching as Mark lowered his head.

"Well, then, I'll sleep on the streets... Ahem, I'd like to join. Do I need to take a test?"

"...Given the Stormterror attacks, we are short on adventurers taking tests, so we are accepting anyone who can complete four comissions within a three-day period. You'll be compensated, of course."

'I'll do the four today, and that way, I'll also get some exercise and money.'

"Give me the comissions, please."

A smile spread across Katheryne's face as she pulled out four purple papers, one on top of the other, and offered them to Mark.

"I believe you'll be able to do it, and by the way, if you don't have a place to sleep, you can try asking for a room at the Favonius Cathedral. They are currently providing shelter for the attack victims, and being who you are, they might give you a space."

Mark showed a surprised expression for a moment and grabbed the assignments with a smile, nodding as he did so.

"Thanks again, Katheryne."

"The pleasure is mine, Mark."