Chapter 29
‘They’re called Butcher Cooks. How friendly could they really be?’
Cynthia ordered the rats to scatter and look for food, then advanced cautiously, scanning the kitchen. At first glance, it looked ordinary, almost humble for a noble estate’s kitchen.
…Despite the fact that the real owner would immediately dice up any protagonist who entered his domain, the place itself was spotless and tidy, as if to challenge such prejudices. There was even a cute potted plant on a nearby table.
But the pot of bubbling, blood-red foam on the lit stove, the blood-stained dishes, and the two huge butcher knives hanging on the wall were exactly as she remembered from the game.
Doing her best to ignore those things, Cynthia began searching the shelves and cupboards, opening and closing the cold storage for anything edible. Here, you could definitely find proper ingredients. In the game, these items were essentials, used for healing or traded with merchants, so stopping here was basically mandatory.
“…But are you really going to ransack the kitchen in front of the homeowner?”
“If that’s how it looks, then sorry, but you’re right. What, are you really planning to let your fiancée starve? I’ll spread rumors about you.”
“That’s not what I meant… damn it, if we just wait for the cooks to show up, I can tell them to set aside something for you. No need to go around stealing.”
If the cooks showed up, she’d be the meal, so Cynthia ignored him. As the final boss, who didn’t need to eat, Segleninde just grumbled, annoyed to be ignored yet again.
Far more like a plunderer than a noble lady, Cynthia quickly cleared out the bread from the cupboard and the cheese from the shelf, stuffing them into her pocket—though in reality, she stored them all in her inventory.
Skkrrt! Squeak squeak!
Suddenly, sharp squeaks rang out. The Ghost Rats she had ordered to alert her if the Butcher Cooks approached were all raising the alarm.
Cynthia dashed to the nearby table. She lifted the tablecloth and slipped underneath, pulling Segleninde, who had been watching her as if she were putting on a show, along with her to hide.
He let himself be dragged under, eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
“What’s this about?”
“In some cases, you or I could end up as the main course for your ‘friendly fellows’. I’m just looking out for us. Now be quiet.”
She could have just sent Segleninde out to hack up the Butcher Cooks like he did with the Harvesters, but from what he’d said earlier, it seemed like he actually liked the cooks, unlike the Harvesters, so she doubted he’d comply so easily.
Plus, since he remembered details about the Butcher Cooks, what if seeing them made him recall that he was the villain? Best not to risk a confrontation.
Just then, heavy footsteps echoed through the floor—
Thud.
Through the gap at the edge of the tablecloth, Cynthia saw who had entered the kitchen.
Two hulking figures, with a single large hole where their faces should have been, wandered around, wiping their blood-and-pus-soaked hands on bloodied aprons. There were two of them.
They were the true owners of the kitchen. The Butcher Cooks.
Cynthia pressed herself flat against the floor, holding her breath. If you entered the kitchen and failed to finish your search and escape in time, you’d be caught by the Butcher Cooks.
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