Knights of The Round Dining Table

"One full roast of the cockatrice, please! And also two large glasses of cold beer please!"

Though drinking at noon is not advised, Exmoor persisted in having a cold glass of beer to accompany this chicken-like dish. Is not like they need to do anything that requires them to be sober. They're jobless anyway, he thought.

"Might as well try to best enjoy every second of what we have right now eh? Rather than being a grim jobless middle-aged man," Exmoor added.

Shetland nodded in agreement.

They have ordered one whole cockatrice to be served on the table. This bizarre creature has become very popular among the local citizens after a famous newspaper wrote a piece about it. Though, saying that a cockatrice is chicken-like might be an understatement. The cockatrice here is very different from the cockatrice from any other region. It is

a four-legged creature with the body and legs of a chicken, a crocodile tail, three heads that looks more like the head of a snake. The whole creature is draped in nothing but fur with no scales like some reptilians do. Although sizes might vary, ranging from a grown-up fist to the size of a horse, the most common are those that are in similar size as a plump adult chicken.

"Ok! Coming right up!" Said the waitress cheerfully. While haven't taken many steps from the table, she leaned her body towards these jobless gentlemen, "Oh! My name is Mia by the way! If you need any help you can call my name, Okay!" She winked with a smile on her face. She continued to walk into the kitchen to inform the chef.

While waiting for the food to arrive, a sip of the glass of beer was then followed by what seemed to be a group of four mid-ranking adventurers quarrelling at nearby seats. They wore somewhat nice equipment with a couple of scratches indicating that it has been used for quite some time. It seems that they were arguing on their failed quest. One member blamed another member, while another member blame the lack of quality on the equipment that they used. It was very rowdy. A lot of customers would sometimes shift their gaze towards this group just to see what was going on.

After a few minutes of waiting accompanied by the loudness of the adventurers' group and a cold glass of beer, their orders have arrived. A plate of a cockatrice with a size similar to a fully grown chicken is served on top of the table. Brown and crispy skin is glistening and reflecting the light of the restaurant due to the oil and juicy fat. On the side, there are some roasted potatoes, carrots, and broccoli that are beautifully charred. The meat is so tender that cutting it with a knife is unnecessary. Juices of fat were oozing every time they try to press on the meat with a fork. Without waiting any longer, the two feasted on such a simple but fulfiling dish.

While chowing down on the beautiful juicy meats, they started the discussion about their next career path.

"I need your honest opinion friend. Do you think that we can become a good adventurer?" Exmoor asked curiously.

"No. Thinking back about it, we're too weak. We're not going to do good with adventuring jobs," Shetland replied quickly.

"Well, what should we do then?" asked Exmoor after he chugged his beer.

"Why not just go back home and become a farmer like how we used to?"

"Eh." Exmoor paused. "Shetland. Are you not aware that our hometown was already destroyed by the Demon Lord's army during the war? The news spread as fast as a horse on steroids," he continued.

"Ah!" Shetland regained a portion of his forgotten memory. His face looked like a scholar with a massive brain cell who just received a revelation.

"So..."

A loud bang interrupted Exmoor's dialogue. Exmoor and Shetland stop their conversation. They directed their gaze towards the source of the sound. It came from the loud group of adventurers. They saw the scenery of what probably is the leader of the group towering over Mia.

He was an elephant demi-human wearing a thick iron armour without any fancy embroidery protecting his chest and both of his shoulders. His face was that of an elephant with tusks and a long nose, and his body was that of a human bearing a large and wide physique with the hand so thick and big, it can easily crush the skull of a human.

"I'm telling you that your group is causing a ruckus that annoys other customers," Mia said.

"Hah!!!" The big guy was very annoyed. "We are talking about our livelihood here! Do you even know how dangerous our works are!? Are you underestimating what it takes to be a good adventurer!?" he added to the conversation with a glare of killing intent.

Mia took a step back out of instinct. Her pupils widened and her small and slender body is prepared for a flight or fight response.

The man grabbed his giant axe that was rested on the side of the bench that he sat upon. It knocked the half-eaten foods that were prepared for his party, creating a sight akin to abstract painting that was abruptly installed on the floor.

"Hey, Exmoor. do you think we can help?" Shetland whispered.

"What!? are you insane!? You don't even think that we're capable to be a good adventurer, let alone trying to fight that massive dude!" Exmoor whispered back quickly.

"Yeah, I know. But I think I know how to handle this one," Shetland said calmly.

"How?" Exmoor replied curiously.

Shetland leaned towards Exmoor's head and whispered his plan.

The temperamental elephant-folk directed his axe towards Mia's neck.

"Listen here missy," he said while his veins were about to burst.

Mia never felt this immediate sensation of fear before, and thus, the daughter of the owner of this infamous restaurant suddenly froze in fear.

Immediately after that, the axe that was embroiled with gold trimming suddenly disappeared. The people who saw what just happened were all confused.

Asinus, the elephant-folk who has been the leader of the Sun Crown Party was enraged.

"WHO! DARE!! TO STEAL MY PRECIOUS WEAPON!!!!" his voices echoed throughout the facility.

Out of rage, he grabbed Mia's collar and pulled her closer to his face which is now decorated by veins that are not distinguishable from the root of a tree. His face was reddened like the colour of a maiden's strawberries panties.

"YOU...."

Before he managed to finish his sentence, he felt a gust of wind sweeping through the gap in between his armour.

"Kya~"

The leader that can be described as the embodiment of machismo suddenly let out a voice that is comparable to a wife who is being pleasured by her husband. The weak wind tickled him.

Elephant-folks are famous for having tough and thick skin. That's why a lot of elephant-folks are famous for taking the tank role in the adventurer guild. Their skin can easily handle a powerful hit. But, they are also famous for having skin that is sensitive to gentle touch.

After witnessing such an earth-shattering expectation level of occurrence, some people were left speechless, while others tried their best to hold their laughter.

Asinus removed his grip and out of embarrassment, he forced his party member to leave the restaurant.

"We're leaving this place! And! We will never come back to this preposterous restaurant ever again!" He yelled while walking to the exit door. He slammed the door and exit the facility.

And of course, all of that bizarre occurrence can happen due to the two jobless buffoons' ability. Shetland was able to take his weapon using dimensional storage magic. This ability allowed him to take any objects into storage in another dimension. As long as the object is not bigger than him, he can store any objects that are not alive. While Exmoor directed his wind magic towards the gap between his armour. Though Exmoor's wind magic is as powerful as a hand fan, it is enough to bring down the giant elephant.

"You know what?" Shetland asked his comrade in arms.

"What?" Exmoor looked towards Shetland.

"The world is full of surprises isn't it?" replied the skinny man.

"So..., you've also decided to become an adventurer?" asked the short man.

"Yeah. I think we'll be okay as long as we stayed as a low ranking adventurer."

"Okay then. Let's find an inn and tomorrow we'll head to the adventurers' guild!" replied Exmoor with optimism.