Chapter 12 - Three Hundredth (1)

James's previous words undoubtedly gave Lucy hope. If he had similar recipes and was a brawler, what he said might indeed be possible. But it also confused her. James's motives for doing this were incomprehensible. Why would he do this? He had nothing to gain. If he was a good brawler, he could get somewhere good. She found it quite illogical.

But sometimes one just had to trust. And that's what Lucy, who was very close to zero, chose to do. Even if she questioned it now, it wouldn't make any sense.

James and Lucy, meanwhile, had finally finished their meal. Lucy just stood there thinking while James washed the plates.

James mumbled as he washed the plates.

"Miss Lucy seems more or less convinced. I think we can move on to the next stage, right?"

[Yes, but do you think you can multitask?]

James paused before answering.

"It's going to be hard. Very hard. I can handle it, though. But I won't always work here, so I might need someone to fill in."

James finished washing the dishes as he sorted his thoughts.

"So Fox... do you have any idea how many days are left?"

[I don't know, but I'm sure it's not far, you'll have to hurry.]

"Tch. Tell me something I don't know."

With that he sighed. After washing the plates, he went to Lucy. He found Lucy with her hand on her chin, looking out the window.

James spoke after a slight cough:

"Boss."

Absentmindedly, Lucy blinked as James called out.

"Boss?"

James nodded.

"I think it's more appropriate to call you boss during business hours. Anyway, I need to ask you something."

Lucy raised one eyebrow.

"What is it?"

"Well, as much as I can handle everything on my own, I might not be around for a while. I'm a Bakugan battler, as you know. What should we do?"

Lucy was briefly stunned before she answered. It still wasn't acceptable. It sounded too extreme.

"Y-yes. Well..."

She stammered a little and then started to think. James held the key to their popularity. But they also needed someone who could lead without him.

'Ah, just like old times…'

Lucy sighed as she remembered the past.

"I can manage for a while. You go and win your matches."

James was delighted to get the answer he had been waiting for.

"Great! I'll get the food ready then, everything's already cleaned up. I've updated the menus in front of the tables and all you have to do is change the sign from closed to open. After that, leave the rest to me. Customers will come in droves."

As James made bold claims, he hurried back to the kitchen and got to work. He prepared dishes from the book and his own specialties. He had never heard of most of them. Still, it was fun to do.

Lucy couldn't understand his effort, but it gave her a sense of satisfaction to be able to build up her father's legacy again.

In a short time James had most of the food ready quickly. With a lot of help from Fox, he was able to do it quickly. Immediately afterward he went to Lucy.

"Everything's ready, boss."

Lucy was surprised.

"Are you sure? That was a bit too fast."

James replied confidently.

"Why don't you come into the kitchen and see for yourself?"

His confident demeanor continued to amaze her. When she entered the kitchen in disbelief, she was stunned.

The pots were on low heat. The food was bubbling and bubbling and the smell was wafting out. The stuffing was laid out and various other dishes were ready.

"What do you think?"

Lucy was at a loss for words. Realizing her surprise, he laughed.

"I told you."

Obviously it was challenging for him. Too much of a challenge. It was exhausting to prepare all this in three hours. But it was worth it.

He took a deep breath and inhaled the smell of the food.

"Excuse me, I'm leaving. I have a match to arrange. "

Lucy could only nod her head in agreement. With a chuckle, James left the kitchen and then the restaurant. He left behind a bewildered boss.

…

"Hello, welcome!"

"i'm glad to be here."

James felt relief as he saw the new man. If the previous man had been in front of him, things would not have been pleasant. He looked around a bit and was surprised to realize that it was emptier than when he first arrived.

"This place seems emptier than usual."

Guy replied with a smile.

"We're having security problems at the moment so we've closed the intake. But you can still challenge someone."

James nodded in understanding. This reminded him once again how limited his time was. He coughed slightly and then spoke:

"Anyway, I came here today to challenge someone."

Guy asked with a professional smile:

"Sure. May I have your first and last name?"

James sighed.

"My name is James."

After saying his name, the man entered quickly and asked for confirmation:

"I'll be right in. Yes, yes. You are the four hundred and eighty-eighth. Am I correct?"

James nodded:

"Yes."

Immediately afterward, the man asked:

"So who do you want to challenge?"

He didn't even hesitate before answering.

"I want to challenge number three hundred."

The man looked up and looked at James in surprise.

"Sir, are you sure? A jump that fast might not be good."

James agreed with what the man said, but his time was limited.

"I know, but I'm sure. I need to do it. Please start the process."

After James' decisive answer, the man could say nothing more.

"I'll put it on hold then, hmhm, yes. A match can be arranged for this afternoon. What do you say? Is that okay with you?"

James nodded.

"Of course it is. Please do what you need to do."

Guy quickly pulled out a telephone..

"Hello! Yes, yes. You have a request for a match at five in the afternoon. Do you accept? Okay. Good day, ma'am."

He switched off the intercom.

"Okay, your match is booked. Please don't forget to show up. Otherwise you will be forfeited."

"Understood. Have a good day."

James left without saying anything else and started walking towards the restaurant. Meanwhile, he opened the system window.

<Quest: Restaurant Chef>

<Description: Restore the restaurant owned by Lucy Sweetapple to its former popularity. Fill all tables.>

<Reward: 1,500 SP, 1 Level Up, Bronze Tier Module>

<Penalty: N/A>

This quest was the reason why he and Fox were so excited about it. A grin appeared on his face as he looked at the task again. Quest was hard, but the reward was more than worth it.

He continued to walk step by step, his attention focused on the window. In the meantime, he murmured:

"Fox, do you know how to fix robots by the way?"

[I don't know, but I'll look into it.]

"That would be great."

Just then, he heard running sounds from his right and he quickly retreated a few steps. This quick reaction saved him from running into someone.

It was a girl rushing past. She had black hair and matching colored clothes. For a brief moment James wondered why she was in such a hurry, but then he shook his head.

"Oh, what the hell."

With that he continued walking towards the restaurant. He still had a lot of work to do and he still had hours until evening.

…

Time passed quickly. During this time, James took care of the cook robots with Fox's guidance.

There were five robots. But only two of them were fully operational. The other three were so rusty and neglected that if someone inspected them, they would be fined. And one of them wasn't even working properly.

The one that wasn't working properly would be dealt with after Fox did her research.

Apart from all this, one or two people came. He chatted with them while serving them. That's how he was able to learn some information about number three hundred.

He was a ventus player. He had a personality that didn't refuse challenges and his losses were very small.

Of course, James thought this was exaggerated, but he wasn't going to comment on it. He was sure of one thing: he had to be careful in every way. Even though it was his second challenge, he was eyeing a bigger bite than he should have.

Time was ticking away and it was about to be time for a quick challenge. He left the restaurant and waited in the waiting room of the arena. There was the usual excitement and apprehension.

He sat quietly in a corner, looking at the three bakugans in his hands.

"I have a feeling this is going to be a tough battle, what do you think?"

Of course, as expected, he didn't get a proper response. James wasn't sure if it was because they were scared or for some other reason. Either way, he was sure it was the dimension controller.

A tool that had caused so much evil was of vital importance to him.

'How ironic.'

He sighed.

[Don't worry. It's going to be a bit of a challenge, but I've got your back. You can do it.]

Fox spoke in a soothing voice, but it didn't help James. He smiled anyway.

"Frustrating, but... good."

Just then he heard a voice.

"Dear challenger number four hundred and eighty-eight, please step into the arena."

James stood up. This was his number. Slowly he made his way to the arena. He was nervous, but his eyes burned with the desire to win.

He was going to win this too. He had to win.