AWB Chapter 99 : Method for Gaining Favorability
Chapter 99 : Method for Gaining Favorability
Method for Gaining FavorabilityCecilia could swear she really just wanted to come in and buy a piece of cake, to verify the possibility of eating under the new holographic virtual immersion technology. She absolutely had no other intentions.
However, after experiencing a tug-of-war with the overly enthusiastic NPC shop girl, Cecilia, who truly didn't know how to refuse such a passionate invitation, was finally pulled into the back room of the Dessert Shop.
Pulling back the door curtain, inside was a small kitchen that looked something like a workshop. Perhaps because this was the shop's opening day, the windows were spotless, and the environment was clean and tidy.
In one corner, there were many sacks of flour, and also a huge oven, entirely forged from refined steel, its surface pitch-black, with a firebox underneath for firewood—somewhat similar to the ever-burning furnace found inside a Forging room.
As soon as she steadied her feet, Cecilia wanted to properly explain to the shop girl that she was only here to buy something. However, just as she was about to open her mouth, suddenly System Miss's voice sounded in her mind.
"System notification: You have activated the secondary class training quest—[Dessert Master]! As a Dessert Master, you can make more exquisite and delicious desserts, and not only enjoy gourmet treats, but also restore a huge amount of HP. When given as a gift, these can greatly increase the favorability of certain female NPCs!"
Another secondary class? Cecilia was shocked.
Although this secondary class didn't seem as useful as the other two secondary classes she had already unlocked, and could even be called dispensable, the final sentence at the end immediately caught her attention.
"When given as a gift, these can greatly increase the favorability of certain female NPCs!"
She didn't know whether Aesther counted as an NPC in this game, but if it could really increase her favorability, even if it was just a little, Cecilia wouldn't mind spending some time to unlock one more secondary class.
She didn't lack for this bit of time anyway—more skills never hurt. Might as well give it a try.
After persuading herself, Cecilia confirmed her acceptance of the quest. The shop girl standing beside her immediately took out a tissue and, with a sweet voice, guided: "Are you ready? If we start from the simplest, let's begin with a caramel fruit pudding. Following the proportions on this recipe, take the flour, eggs, milk, and seasonal fruits..."
The dessert-making process had a lot in common with forging equipment—in fact, it was even much simpler than the latter.
Cecilia already had some cooking experience in real life, and the materials were all right at hand. Just making a simple caramel pudding following the recipe, and then decorating it with some freshly cut fruits, was naturally much easier than crafting equipment from scratch.
Perhaps it was because of her max-level passive skill, [Housekeeping]. Even though she'd never made desserts before, Cecilia encountered no obstacles during the process: her actions were smooth and fluid, her knife work superb, relaxed yet elegant, exuding an extremely pleasing sense of beauty.
Watching from the side, the shop girl's eyes sparkled from beginning to end, and she became even more determined to keep Cecilia in the shop.
Since you had to maintain a tender texture, the pudding didn't need to bake for long in the oven. Within just a few minutes, Cecilia had finished her caramel fruit pudding.
"System notification: Congratulations, you have completed the secondary class training quest [Dessert Master]! This class is now unlocked. You have learned the beginner dessert recipe—[Caramel (Fruit) Pudding]!"
As System Miss's voice sounded in her mind, Cecilia washed her hands in the water basket beside the table and turned to the shop girl: "Is that all?"
"Gulp..."
The NPC shop girl didn't answer Cecilia. Instead, she stared fixedly at the beautifully presented pudding on the table. The sweet scent of milk and caramel drifted around her nose, making her unconsciously swallow her saliva.
"Um, may I... may I designate this caramel pudding as the shop's signature item?"
Several seconds later, she realized her slip, and with difficulty, tore her gaze away from the pudding. In a somewhat pleading tone, she asked Cecilia.
Ki Ling Ba Ou Si Lu Ba (Seven)⑦ "This..."
Cecilia looked at the pudding, her pupils contracting, and used Identify.
[Caramel Fruit Pudding (Master-grade Craftsmanship)]
Type: Consumable
Shelf-life: 2 hours (summer)
Effect: After eating, restores 45% of your max HP over one minute; cannot be used outside of town.
......
For a beginner-level dessert to recover 45% of max HP was already rather frightening. By Cecilia's estimate, about 30% of that was thanks to the "Master-grade Craftsmanship" boost.
However, in the hot summer, a freshly made pudding's shelf-life was just too short—unless it was kept in a special fridge for food storage, it would lose much of its appearance, flavor, and recovery effect within just a few hours.
If kept longer, it might spoil to the point of being inedible.
"What's wrong... is it not possible? I can pay for it..."
Noticing the silver-haired girl's hesitation, the shop girl became even more dejected, placing her hands in front of her apron, wringing her fingers together, lowering her head and pleading.
It's not exactly impossible... just that shelf-life...
While hesitating, Cecilia suddenly recalled Dessert Master's unique feature—giving desserts to female NPCs could greatly increase their favorability.
With that in mind, she decided to give it a try. She picked up the caramel pudding and a small iron spoon, then offered them to the shop girl, curling her lips in a smile as she said:
"It's just a simple dessert—I'm giving it to you. Would you like to try it?"
Cecilia was clearly oblivious to the impact of a beautiful girl's sweet smile and kind gesture. When these two combined, especially accompanied by a complex master-grade dessert, they were as effective as the most romantic candlelight dinner.
The shop girl's face instantly flushed. Staring at the charming, silver-haired girl in front of her, her legs grew weak, and her eyes began to well up with tears.
"C-can I really...?"
She trembled all over, her voice as soft as a mosquito's.
At that moment, system Miss's voice sounded again in Cecilia's mind.
"System notification: 'Dessert Shop Owner' Anne Hilda's favorability toward you +500!"
Is it really that effective? Cecilia was stunned once again.
If giving desserts truly worked, then couldn't she just give Aesther a dessert every night and max out her favorability with time?
"Mhm. Go ahead and eat."
Still distracted by her own thoughts, Cecilia nodded lightly in response.
However, even after being reassured, the shop girl Anne didn't accept the pudding or the little spoon. Instead, she slowly closed her large, lake-blue eyes, a few beads of sweat appearing at the tip of her petite nose, her cheeks flushing as she softly said in a trembling whisper:
"Feed... I want you to feed me..."