Grand Priestess Dionyss returns to the garden and her attention is grabbed by the steaming giant pizza laid on the table. I answer her curiosity, claiming the pizza to be a mix of bread dough, cheese, meats and tomato sauce.

I slice up the pizza and serve her a slice. She gobbles up the pizza in rapt pleasure. I give a not so subtle hint that alcohol would help complement the greasy pizza.

In no time Dionyss has fallen in love with the pizza and a side of ale. I also bring out a platter of fried chicken wings with some dipping sauce. These were all part of my private snack collection that I was hiding from the girls.

Looking at the Priestess tearing into the buffalo wings and staining her white garb, it feels like I’m corrupting a pure maiden. Then I hear her belch and I discard that thought immediately.

She seems satisfied and calls over the castle’s head cook, ordering the kitchen to learn and serve pizza and wings for the next weekend banquet for the royal family.

The head cook seems horrified initially but gains interest in the novel comfort food that he’s unfamiliar with. He takes a few bites back to study it with the other cooks. If he succeeds, the royal Yorliss family will eat pizza and wings soon.

I feel the gnawing guilt of corrupting the taste buds of the royal family, but it’s too late to stop it. I bid farewell and warp back to the Keepers Guild headquarters, back to the guildmaster’s room.

Only a few minutes have passed but it seems that Ubren the guildmaster is covered in cold sweat. One of the girls must have explained where I was headed to.

Ubren 「 Ms. Thorn! You’re back. Where did you go? How did you disappear? Did you really meet with the Grand High Priestess? 」

A barrage of questions is spit at my face so I calmly reply to each.

Becca 「 Yes, I went to meet with the Priestess, using a...unique spacial movement skill. This skill is extremely heavy in mana usage, so I can’t use it too much every day, in case you were wondering. 」

The mana cost of the warp is quite high for normal people but I hardly feel anything as my body is passively absorbing more mana. I tell a white lie to make it seem like my teleporting is not so convenient and easy to use.

It never hurts to downplay your abilities and, frankly, bragging is not in my habits. Plus it would definitely alarm normal people to know how unrestricted my teleportation can be.

Alice looks like she is confused by my lie but her sister Cheshyr distracts her and she forgets it. But it looks like Brigid has also failed to catch onto my intentions. Before she can voice her questions I shoot her a telepathic message to keep her mouth shut.

Ubren is amazed by the simple fact that I can meet the Grand High Priestess whenever I please, and he is likely pondering what my relationship to her is. I produce the letter from Dionyss that I grabbed before returning.

The letter is decked out in decorations and embellishments, but the message is needlessly simple and straightforward.

All it says is that “I, Dionyss, vouch for young Becca’s abilities.” She’s not calling me little Becks, so she has to keep up pretenses even through letters? I would be exhausted if I had to act so polite and prim all day long.

Maybe I’ll visit her again and give her a chance to unwind. I’ll bring her sworn sister Granny Abaleyn along, and we’ll have a round of drinks with a platter of assorted cheeses.

Did I pass the legal age to drink with them yet? I don’t remember but in some countries I should be eligible. Then again, with Abnormal State Negation, I can’t get drunk and the alcohol can’t hurt me, a person boasting Vitality over 300.

Ubren sports an incredulous look at the priestess’ letter in his trembling hands. But soon enough he recomposes himself with a slight glimmer in his eyes.

Ubren 「 If the Grand High Priestess says so, I have no excuse to deter you. I’m sure none of the high rank Keepers will complain either. Very well, follow me to the examination grounds. 」

Ubren stands up and walks to the door, showing the serious demeanor of a guildmaster. The only detail marring it is the fact that the office door is too short for him. The big guy has to pause and lower his head as he passes through the door.

We walk down to the first floor of the Keeper’s Guild, where Brigid’s brothers Jyorven and Greyorg are locked in arm wrestling on a wooden barrel. Other Keepers are crowded around them cheering them on.

One of the staff wearing uniforms has left his post behind the counters to join the crowd. He is the first to notice Ubren and breaks out in sweat, beating a quick retreat to his counter and alerting the rest of the staff.

All the Keeper’s Guild staff salute their guildmaster who affirms their action with a gentle smile and gestures them to sit back and be at ease.

He brings us around the counters and tells the staff to prepare the examination grounds for a reevaluation. The staff asks in a respectful tone who will be in charge of it. To her surprise Ubren appoints himself to personally carry it out.

The staff nearby freeze and stare with wide eyes. This action shows how much importance the guildmaster is placing on this. I’m sure the priestess’ letter is a large factor for this.

Underground, in a spacious room fortified with solid walls engraved with enchantments and layers of monster materials, sits the examination grounds.

This place is much better than the testing facility in Realight City, where I undertook my evaluation. At my current strength, that small testing site would be ripped apart. This place under the guild headquarters gives me hope that it won’t crumble so easily.

Ubren and I stand at opposite ends of the arena in silence as the testing finally begins.