Another World Gacha

The weekend finally came by, and their first week as an awakener was coming to an end. With the effort of Nicholas, Maria, and Clarice diligently going through tiring training in the morning and going to the dungeon to gain experience points by afternoon.

They successfully leveled up to 3. It was an achievement for them, and it excites them to push through more in the future, but for now it was time for rest and recovery. With their weary bodies decided to just rest and recover for their first day, they had plans set for the weekend since Nicholas promised to take them out, but they also had some planning to do since they would be going to different dungeons now that they had achieved level 3.

The time is currently at noon.

They agreed to meet in one of Curtana's mansion-free office rooms in the afternoon to discuss the tactics and information about the permanent dungeon they will explore next week.

Currently, Maria and Nicholas are in these rooms preparing the documents and information necessary for the upcoming dungeon exploration. They know their current strength is probably greater than that of their current adversary, but they must maintain proper scouting, information gathering, and tactics to familiarize themselves with this matter.

Nicholas: "Curtana really has really documented the permanent dungeon in its territory. Impressive."

He said as he skimmed through the details of the dungeons nearby.

Maria: "How about we narrow down the option while waiting for Clarice? There are a variety of low-level dungeons around Curtana."

Nicholas: "Sure. How about this?"

He chose three separate dungeons he liked from the dozens of options. Most of what he chose was a straight-forward dungeon, killing enemies and bosses to complete the dungeon quest.

Maria also chose 3 separate dungeons, but more on exploration, even a labyrinth type of dungeon where you needed to reach the end of the maze to complete the dungeon quest.

Maria: "Young master, how about this type of dungeon?"

Nicholas: "Hmmm."

Both of them had a discourse about what dungeon types they should be going for. Nicholas presented arguments that they should focus on the basics of dungeon diving first before going through more complicated stuff. Maria disagreed with that, saying that it was fine to do it now while the enemies are still weak and they can focus on navigation rather than fighting.

Both presented valid arguments, so they backed down and decided to let Clarice decide. They waited until Clarice arrived and made her choose.

When she arrived, they dragged her into their conversation.

Nicholas: "This type of dungeon is better for us now, right?"

Maria: "No, young master, we need to gain as much knowledge as possible through dungeon exploration. While we can still easily overpower the enemies, we won't have much chance of doing this in the future."

Clarice: "..."

Clarice was caught in the crossfire between Nicholas and Maria; she didn't speak but thought through really well what her answer would be. And after a few minutes,.

Clarice: "I think we should explore every low-level dungeon in Curtana."

She began to explain her opinion: since they needed experience, why not explore every dungeon available for them? It would help them learn more about exploring dungeons. Not choosing what they only like, since each dungeon will give them avenues for improving themselves, it was not definitely because she liked exploring dungeon.

After talking for some time, she managed to persuade the two, so they sat down and discussed the low-level dungeon in Curtana. Obviously, they cannot explore all the dungeons in a single week.

So, they decided to pick the first three dungeons. They should be close to each other and should be appropriate for their levels. They would focus on clearing these three dungeons for a week, then changing them to a different set per week until they had completely gone through all the dungeons in Curtana.

Nicholas gave Maria the documents of the dungeon they chose so she could read about the information written on the paper. She read it clearly and with impeccable intonation. After she finished reading the three dungeons, they began planning.

---

On the second day of the weekend.

Maria, Clarice, and Nicholas, who finished their discussion yesterday evening, decided to relish their free time the next day by wandering around the city center to enjoy their youth.

They met in the morning near the city center, with Maria wearing a cute baby blue casual dress rather than her usual maid or adventuring attire. She came with Nicholas since they were both living inside the mansion.

While walking, the two were having a casual conversation about recent events and new things in Curtana. Arriving at their agreed-upon meeting place near the city center of Curtana, they saw a red-haired girl, different from her usual tomboyish looks, wearing a cute blouse and short pants. Looking at Clarice's unconventional attire from her usual outfit, he complemented her by saying

Nicholas: "Good morning, Clarice! You look really beautiful today. Your outfit is far from your normal clothing, but it accentuates different parts of her personality."

Hearing Nicholas's compliment, Clarice looked down, having a slight blush figure, while Maria pouted since she didn't receive a compliment from him. Decided on having revenge, she bit Nicholas's arm.

Nicholas: "OWwowow.."

Nicholas: "Maria, you look really great too, you know."

Suddenly being bitten, he realized that she also wanted a compliment about her outfit. Nicholas then patted her head, saying:

Nicholas: "Your outfit really matches your beautiful eyes and cute hairstyle."

Maria, feeling satisfied, relented on the bite on Nicholas's arm while having a satisfied smile while twirling one of her pigtails while saying so.

Maria: "Well, you look wonderful in your casual attire, too, young master."

A few moments later, after meeting, they decided to walk and explore the city. They have explored the city before, but this month is different. There was a recent bazaar being set up by the side of the outer part of the city because of a nearing festival to celebrate the founding anniversary of Curtana. People celebrate it yearly, celebrating the history and change of Curtana over time, from its humble beginnings to its current prosperous conditions. 

While walking, Clarice and Maria were arm-in-arm having a casual conversation while Nicholas checked up on new things about the city, following beside them. The girls, seeing Nicholas not paying attention to them, grabbed his arm, including him in their conversations.

Enjoying their time observing the scenery and traversing through the lively streets, people setting up stands, some entertainers and bards singing on the streets, and a lot of kids playing on the side.

After some time, they finally arrived at the bazaar. It was packed with people and merchants, people yelling different things, from endorsing their shops to people bargaining with each other. The girls weren't daunted by these, so they immediately joined the feast, checking each shop and stall to see if that shop had something they wanted.

Time passed quickly, and the girls enjoyed their time with Nicholas following them, buying trinkets and dresses that caught their attention. As they were shopping, Nicholas bought useful items they passed along in the bazaar using his scanning skill, while the girls tried accessories and outfits. They bought things Nicholas approved of, and Nicholas treated them to some of the items.

Clarice: "Young master, check this dress out. Does it look good on me?"

Maria: "Master, treat me to this dyed balm, please."

Clarice: "Maria, check this outfit out; I think it will look good on you."

Maria: "Sure, sure, let me try them."

As time passed, they went hungry. They went to a nearby stall that sells drinks and snacks to quench their thirst and alleviate their hunger. After eating, they went to continue their exploration, side by side, having the time of their lives.

They ended their exploration in the bazaar late in the afternoon; yes, it was quite early for them to finish their visits to the shop since they hadn't yet seen it all. However, Nicholas made a reservation at the restaurant because Maria and Clarice were pestering him this week.

They all went home to change their attire to something fancier. Nicholas is wearing a formal 3-piece suite prepared by the maids, while Maria and Clarice are wearing gray and red dresses, respectively. They both look elegant, despite their growing ages. They all rode a carriage waiting for them at the Curtana mansion to the restaurant. When the carriage arrived at the entrance of the establishment, Nicholas got out of the carriage first, then offered his hands to the girls sitting inside.

Their current location is The Frãgrace, the establishment Nicholas promised them to eat at for four days. The chef is infamous for his great delicacy originating from the Stalwart empire. And since he was the son of the ruling noble here in Curtana, the head chef personally greeted them as they arrived inside the establishment.

Head Chef: "Welcome to the Frãgrace, young master."

Servers: "Welcome to the Frãgrace, young master!"

The servers bowed in unison while the head chef guided them to their seats. Their seats were located on the terrace on the second floor. The outside was dim, and the surrounding area was lit up by several mana-powered lamps emanating a light blue hue. The ambience it was giving off was truly captivating.

Head chef: "Welcome again to our establishment, young master."

Head chef: "This humble one's name is Sean, and tonight I will personally be in charge of your and your friends meals. I have prepared..."

He introduced himself as the head chef began to explain the course of the meal to Nicholas and her friends.

Clarice: "Woow, this place really lives up to its expectations."

She can't help but comment on the appearance and atmosphere of the place. 

Maria: "Umu, people said this place specializes in the fragrance of the food while being served in a graceful environment, hence the name Frãgrace."

Maria couldn't help but comment.

Nicholas: "Well, head chef, thank you for the breakdown of the course. I will be looking forward to that."

Then he followed up.

Nicholas: "Another thing, we are still adolescents, so we will be abstaining from alcoholic drinks tonight."

Head chef: "Yes, of course, young master; I have already taken it into consideration."

The night progressed nicely with a really serene atmosphere, with Nicholas, Maria, and Clarice enjoying the appetizers provided by the establishment and the ambience on the terrace. They were dining under the stars, outside the terrace on the second floor of the establishment.

After a while, the chef came back with the meals being handled by the servers. The food was getting more fragrant as it arrived; their olfactory nerves were working at full throttle.

The courses prepared by the chef were palatable to their taste, and the dishes that were served to them were novel things that didn't exist in the Daedric Empire since the ingredients used in the food are not commonly seen in Daedric. And most of all, the fragrance that accompanied the dishes really complimented the taste, rather than overwhelming it.

Nicholas: "This establishment really lives up to its name."

Maria: "This was the first course; it was amazing. I will be expecting the following ones."

Clarice: "Wooow, it's like I'm tasting the food without eating it."

Maria, Clarice, and Nicholas are enjoying this night. Sharing their experience and thoughts about the meal and the establishment itself.

Following that, each course was served, and each one of them surprised Nicholas to say the least. The quality is better than he expected, and the taste, appearance, and preparation of the food were similar to Mediterranean cuisine. The smell, however, was the star of the show; rather than being pungent, the smell felt more like an enhancer that elevated the flavor of the dish. It might be an effect of magic, spell, or skill, who knows? What he knows is that the dish really felt magical.

As their dinner experience continued and finally finished, the night deepened.

They paid the bill, thanked and complimented Sean, the head chef, and Nicholas and his dates went back to the carriage that would take them home.

Clarice: "That was amazing; I never had food created that way."

Nicholas: "You're right; it really shows that the world we are living in is a large and mysterious place waiting to be explored."

While they were chatting, they came to a stop, indicating they had arrived at their destination. Before Clarice went out of the carriage, she expressed herself by hugging Nicholas and thanking him for a wonderful day today.

Clarice: "Uhmm. Thanks for today, young master."

Nicholas: "No worries, it was my intention for you guys to enjoy this day since you guys are working very hard."

The carriage dropped off Clarice at his home first before returning to the Curtana Estate. That night, they slept with a smile on their faces due to the fun they experienced today.