Fiona and I settled down at a wooden table off to the side of the market.  Dozens of other tables filled the courtyard with people eating, cleaning their weapons, or just chatting.  If we wanted to entice adventurers, this seemed like a good place to get their attention.


    "It''ll be okay," Fiona said.  "Just lay everything you made out on the table and see who stops by.  You could also cook something fresh if you wanted to draw people in with the aroma."


    "Good idea."


    I looked through my item box for something to make, but I''d used up a lot of my ingredients over the past few days between leveling up and making things to sell. I was even down to my last block of cheese, so grilled cheese was definitely out. I had a few cookie ingredients left though since Fiona had gotten a bit addicted to them and kept shoving more ingredients at me.


    Adventurers immediately started giving me strange looks as I took butter, flour, sugar, eggs, salt, and vanilla out of my item box.  I still didn''t have a proper mixing bowl, so I added everything to a pot for now while I got ready to use my big flashy skill.


    "Ingredient Efficiency," I called out in as magical of a tone as I could, "use baking soda."


    What looked like glowing white snow fell onto the other ingredients.  I slowly mixed everything together until it formed a solid dough, but I''d forgotten about something pretty important: the chocolate chips.  I didn''t have any!  I glanced at my mana bar, which was half depleted already, hoping it would be enough for chocolate chips.


    "Ingredient Efficiency," I called out again, "use chocolate chips."


    As chocolate chips rained onto my cookie dough, the crowd grew silent as everyone watched us.  We had their rapt attention, exactly like I''d hoped, but I was feeling a bit lightheaded as my mana bar hovered at almost empty.


    "You okay?" Fiona whispered.  "You''re looking a little pale."


    "I''m fine."  I took a few deep breaths, letting the scent of the cookie dough wash over me as I shaped it into balls.  "Just fine."


    Fiona frowned, but seemed to take my word for it.  She turned to the people watching us and shouted out.  "Come on over for your slime sweets and dungeon treats!"


    "Did she say slime sweets?" a woman whispered as another adventurer shook his head and walked off.


    I ignored them, adding cookies to the pan so they could start baking and filling the area with their delicious buttery smell.  The man turned back, sniffing the air.


    "Food doesn''t usually smell that good," he said.  "What''s going on?"


    "My friend here''s a culinary mage."  Fiona beamed with pride, like my class was somehow her doing.  "And believe me, you''ll never want to eat anywhere else except her cafe after you try her food."


    Murmurs rose up as a few people wandered over.  One anxious looking guy moved from table to table, as if wanting to talk to us, but he apparently couldn''t bring himself to do it.  Eventually, the woman who''d first spoken up joined our table.


    "What the hell''s a culinary mage?" she asked, eying the cookies with a hungry look, "and how do these smell so damn good?"


    Fiona grinned.  "So basically, when this goofball was supposed to pick a weapon in the tutorial zone, she chose a grilled cheese instead.  Now she''s a culinary mage and any food she makes tastes amazing."


    The woman''s eyes widened.  "That sounds ridiculous, but, um, can I try one?"


    And now it was time to reel her in.


    "Sure, the first sample''s free," I said as I slid the cookies her way.  "I hope you enjoy."


    The woman bit into the cookie cautiously, but then almost dropped it in shock.  "It tastes...like chocolate.  Actual chocolate."  She proceeded to devour the rest of the cookie, a soft moan escaping her lips.  "Are you selling these?  Your friend mentioned something about a cafe, right?  Where is it?"


    "On floor 6," I said, pulling more cookies out of my item box.  "I''m actually here trying to get enough money for furnishings, then I''ll be open soon."


    "Let me try one!" a man''s voice shouted, followed by another further away.  "Me too!"


    "I''ve got enough for everyone," I said, pulling all the cookies and fresh loaves of bread I''d made earlier out of my inventory.  "One coin for three cookies and three coins for a loaf of bread with jam."


    "Did she just say bread?" somebody asked.  "I haven''t tasted bread or jam in years."


    That''s when things really started picking up.  Fiona and I had our hands full passing out samples along with selling basically everything in my item box.  I held back anything with a buff though since Fiona had told me how useful my food was in combat.  I just didn''t feel right handing that power boost out to strangers yet, not when it might get used against something kind-hearted like my slimes.


    Once the frenzy settled down and we''d gathered up all the coins, the woman who''d first joined us got up to leave.


    "My name''s Astrid," she said, holding her hand out to shake.  "This was an unexpected pleasure.  I''ll make sure to stop by your cafe.  Where did you say it was again?  On a dungeon floor?"


    I nodded.  "Floor 6, yeah."


    Astrid tilted her head.  "Why not have it here?  I''m sure Dave would rent you a space."


    "Ohhh, I really doubt he''d go for that." I chuckled, picturing his head exploding at the idea.  "He''s the one who kicked me out of the safe zone in the first place.  No slimes allowed, he said."


    The happy chatter of the group quieted down as the anxious man who''d finally managed to buy a cookie from us flinched.  "Slimes??"


    "Yeah, my cafe''s called Slime Serenitea," I said confidently as Fiona tensed up.  "The slimes are my friends and they help out at the cafe.  See?"  I held up my wrist to show off the blue slime bracelet that Boss had given me.  "We''re bonded."


    "Bonded?  With a slime?" The anxious man shuddered.


    "Is something wrong?"  I frowned.  "I thought you liked the food, so what do the slimes have to do with it?"


    Astrid patted the man on the shoulder.  "Marvin''s just a bit traumatized after a slime, well, ate him.  Twice."


    "Oh," I said, trying not to picture him as a baby chicken being gobbled up by Jellybean.  "That would never happen at the cafe, I promise.  I feed the slimes every day."  The man flinched, scooting further away on the bench.  I held up my hand.  "I meant with actual food, not people!  I feed them baked goods, like a civilized cafe."


    Fiona was obviously trying not to laugh, but lost the battle entirely as her shoulders started shaking with mirth.  "Sorry, I''ve just seen that happen before and it''s always so strange.  But the slimes at the cafe really aren''t like that, plus, it''s a safe zone.  They couldn''t eat you if they tried."


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    Was that true?  We''d tested combat, sure, but we hadn''t tested if the slimes could eat anyone on the cafe grounds or not.  Well, not that it mattered anyway, since they''d never do such a thing.  The image of the chicken came to mind again.  Okay, they probably wouldn''t do such a thing.


    Astrid shook her head.  "These cookies are great, but no offense, I''ll pass on the whole slime thing.  I''m friends with people, not monsters."


    The other adventurers nodded, even though a few of them hung back like they were hoping for more food. I guess I should have expected that reaction, but I just didn''t get it.  The slimes were so kind and caring.  I could never see them the same way these adventurers did.


    "Wait," Fiona called out, "it really is a great place.  Being on the dungeon floor is a bonus so you don''t have to stop adventuring to come all the way back here for good food.  Just give it a try."


    Astrid paused.  "That''s true, but I don''t know.  We farm slimes for XP, so getting cozy with them just doesn''t seem right."


    "Yeah, they''re monsters for a reason," another adventurer said.  "They''ll kill you in your sleep if you don''t keep your guard up. You should kill them before they kill you."


    Fiona was about to say something, but I shook my head.  "Don''t bother.  If they''re not even willing to give the slimes a chance, then they don''t deserve my cooking.  They''re just slime killers."


    "Hey," Astrid said, but I cut her off.


    "People who farm slimes for XP make me sick," I said.  "They''re the weakest monsters in the dungeon and people like you take advantage of that.  My food is only for adventurers who fight fair, sticking to opponents who are at their level and actually fight back.  If any of you want to see another side of this dungeon and its monsters, while enjoying delicious food, you know where to find me.  Otherwise, you can leave."


    The mood shifted as most people finally did walk away, leaving the tables around us empty.  The only one left was the frightened little man named Marvin.


    "I''m guessing you hate slimes too, huh Marvin?" I waited for a moment, but he just stared at the ground, so I started packing my things away, only stopping when Fiona put her hand on my arm.  Her expression told me everything I needed to know.  "Sorry, I think I messed that all up."


    She shook her head.  "It''s fine.  We''ll find better adventurers and at least we made some money."


    "True, we can furnish the cafe now," I said with a weak smile.  "But I''m not sure about the better adventurers part.  I mean, I knew people didn''t like slimes, but to dislike them so much that they won''t even consider them as anything other than monsters?  That''s just narrow-minded."


    "They''d think differently if they saw them," Fiona said.  "If they saw how they are with you, I mean.  You have to realize that this is a dungeon, so fighting monsters is ingrained in our way of life.  The system literally gives us quests to do it, encouraging us to slay as many monsters as we can for great rewards.  I''ve never heard of somebody befriending monsters before.  Not until you at least.  Give them some time to come around, to see the slimes like you see them."


    I clenched my apron.  She was right.  I couldn''t expect everyone to just change their ways overnight.  This was a dungeon and they all got XP from defeating monsters.  I''d lucked out and gotten a different kind of class, but could I really tell them to stop fighting when it meant they''d stop getting XP too?  When it meant they''d never be able to get out of here?


    Fiona had been fighting monsters and I''d even let her test my food out for it too, but somehow that felt different.  Maybe it was because I knew her and wanted her to stay safe?  Or maybe it was because I didn''t know her opponents?  I wasn''t sure.


    I worried my lip.  Was there really no good answer to this?  Either they fought and hurt creatures that might be innocent or they didn''t fight and were doomed to be stuck here forever.  Neither of those was a good option.


    "Um, miss?" Marvis stammered out.  "Sorry to interrupt, but could you, maybe, tell me more about the slimes you mentioned?  The nice ones, I mean."


    "You''re sweet, but you don''t need to humor me," I said, "I know they ate you and that''s pretty awful, actually.  Sorry that happened."


    Maybe there were no truly innocent people or creatures in this dungeon.  Everyone was just doing what they had to to survive.  The real question was: why?  Why was the dungeon like this in the first place?


    Fiona nodded.  "Yeah, that sucks.  I can teach you to protect yourself if you want."  She held her hands in the air.  "Without hurting the slimes, of course."


    "Of course."  A real smile stretched across my face.  Fiona was the kind of adventurer I wanted to trust.  The kind who leveled up, but not mindlessly.  Maybe Marvin was the same way.  I turned to him, pulling a pot back out of my item box to boil water.  "Do you like tea?"


    "Very much so," he said, nodding earnestly as he scooted a bit closer again.


    I took a few very special tea leaves out of my item box, ones that had fallen off Matcha''s head like a gift from the adorable little slime.  They glowed softly, shimmering with beautiful green light.


    "This tea is from my slime friend, Matcha," I said, adding it to the pot.  "He was a blue slime when I got here, but he loved tea so much that he evolved into a tea slime."


    Marvin''s eyes widened.  "Slimes can evolve?"


    "Slimes can do all sorts of things," Fiona said, leaning closer.  "There''s even some slimes that grow food.  Honestly, carrots pop right out of their heads and fly through the air!"


    The adventurer rolled his eyes, blushing.  "You don''t need to make up stories.  I want to know what they''re really like."


    "That is what they''re really like." I pulled out a few carrots I hadn''t used for anything yet.  "Mossy, a colossos dirt slime, gave me these.  The dirt slimes live in the garden behind my cafe and they love growing food.  They appreciate freshly tilled soil and a lot of fresh water in return."


    Marvin blinked.  "You''re serious?"


    "Deadly serious," I said, smiling as I remembered the system telling me that one time.  "You can meet them if you want."


    He shook his head, shoving himself away.  "Oh no, I''m much safer here.  I''ll just listen to your stories, that''s all."


    Fiona frowned, glancing at me like I should do something, but what was I supposed to say?  The tea was done steeping though, so I strained it into a mug that Fiona had lent me and passed it to Marvin.


    "I''ll tell you all the stories you want," I said.


    As I told him all about the time Jellybean and I were treed by monster chickens, leaving out the part about how the slime had started the whole thing, Marvin''s shoulders visibly relaxed.  He drank the tea deeply, smiling and even laughing here and there as I told him about the first time I met Mossy in the garden and how much fun all the little dirt slimes had.


    Fiona even added the silly part about how we''d gotten stuck in the cramped shack with Boss filling up the entire room and how I slept curled up with the slimes like a little cat.


    "Seriously?" Marvin laughed.  "You''re braver than I am, that''s for sure."


    "It''s not bravery, it''s just that I trust them."  I refilled his empty cup with a smile.  "The slimes are my friends.  I even have a title for it."


    At that, the words Slime Friend appeared in front of me.


    Marvin shook his head.  "Incredible.  Maybe, if you and Miss Fiona were with me, maybe I''d like to visit that cafe.  I am getting a bit tired of being stuck here and if something doesn''t change, I''ll never leave."  He gulped down the rest of his tea, slamming the cup on the table.  "I want to get over this fear.  Introduce me to the slimes!"


    "Well that was sure a 180," Fiona said with a laugh, "but I''ll make sure you''re safe."


    I nodded.  "Me too.  We''ve got a few errands left to run, but we can go after that if you want."


    "Now?" he asked with a squeak.  "You want to go that soon?"


    "Unless you don''t want to?" I asked as he put literal distance between us again, scooting almost all the way off the bench.  "It''s fine."


    He slumped over on the table, head buried in his arms.  "You think I''m a coward now just like all the rest, don''t you?"


    "Not at all."  I debated patting his shoulder, but wasn''t sure if that would be too personal.  "Why don''t you think on it for a while?  I''ll need to come back for ingredients often, so you''ll have plenty of opportunities to join us."


    "Really?  That sounds great." He lifted his head, taking a deep breath.  "You don''t happen to have any of that tea for sale, do you?  It was so calming, the best I''ve ever had.  Without it, I''d have ended up on the ground quivering."


    He laughed, rubbing the back of his head as his face burned bright red.  I did have a few leaves left, but I''d been hoping to save those for myself.  When I saw him fidgeting with his fingers though, I realized he needed it a lot more than I did.


    "Sure, do you have something to store it in?"


    When he nodded, I passed him the rest of Matcha''s first leaf harvest.  The poor adventurer smiled widely, thanking us over and over as he backed away.


    "That was nice of you," Fiona said.  "I know you were looking forward to sampling that yourself."


    "It''s fine.  There will be plenty more where that came from."


    I was glad we''d run into Marvin.  If somebody who''d been eaten by slimes not once, but twice, was willing to visit my cafe, then maybe these adventurers were better than I thought they were.