Sovereign: Hello everyone! I am very excited to write this story mainly because one, I'm a huge fan of Sword Art Online, and two, this is the newest multi-chapter story I'm publishing in more than two years. I hope you all enjoy reading this.
Disclaimer: I don't own Sword Art Online, Reki Kawahara does.
Also, very special thanks to Beatrice of So Beat! for drawing the wonderful cover artwork for my story! Check out her Tumblr at beatradical dot tumblr dot com, her Deviantart at deviantart dot com/fuyukichi, and her Instagram at instagram dot com/fuyu_tjondro/
Let's Bake!
The American Dream, Part 1
Somewhere in a mythical world located far, far away from the one we are currently living in, lies the town of Zaphias. During a war that officially ended twenty-seven months ago, the town was captured by an enemy organization and had its town hall used as their main headquarters. But eventually, a clan known as the Mizuhans, and the knights and mages of this world formed an alliance together to invade the town and abolish this enemy organization once and for all on the final day of the three-month long war. The invasion was a success, but much of the town had been critically damaged, especially the center of it where the former town hall once stood became nothing but a large and deep pit.
Thankfully, life is slowly coming back to Zaphias. Since the official end of the war, the Mizuhans and mages from all over the country have been volunteering in the relief and rebuilding efforts in every town that was invaded and captured by the enemy, including Zaphias. The town's park and many of its buildings that were damaged during the battle have since been repaired and restored to their former glory, and the giant pit has also been filled up thanks to all the sand and soil that were generously donated by multiple guilds. With the land at the center of town being capable for development again, the mages and Zaphias's citizens proceed with the reconstruction of the town hall. While its construction continues to this day, the third and highest floor of the building is nearly complete, and they would probably start working on its clock tower by next month.
As the construction workers began to feel hungry after working tirelessly for the last five hours, a few senior workers ring their bells to signal the beginning of their lunch break.
"Time to eat, ladies and gentlemen!" One of them yelled to everyone in the construction site. The workers sigh and murmur in relief as they make their way out and head over to a makeshift canteen located about a hundred meters away from the left side of the unfinished building.
The canteen is operated by several Mizuhans who are volunteering in the reconstruction efforts of Zaphias. When the construction workers arrive and came into their sights, a short girl with long black hair, black eyes and wears a plain one-piece white dress with a ribbon tied around her waist calls out to them as she and her fellow Mizuhans stand behind the food counter, "Step right up, everyone!"
"Come and eat what we have to offer today!" A man with slightly long but neat black hair and black eyes added as he stood behind the girl. He is dressed in a black shirt, a long black trench coat with silver lining that goes down to his ankles, a silver plate on his left sleeve, black fingerless gloves, black boots with silver plating and two black scabbards on his back with a strap that went over his right shoulder and under it to wrap around his left side.
The construction workers grab their trays and queue up in an orderly manner as they slowly walk up to the counter where the Mizuhans serve them their food. The counter is filled with several types of food and drinks including cartons of milk, bottles of orange juice, rice, fried albatrosses, lizard meat, scavenge toad legs, mabo curry buns and egg omelets.
The black-haired man and his fellow Mizuhans use their tongs to place the rice and side dishes onto the plates before putting them onto the workers' trays while the short girl passes them their preferred drinks. They all bow their heads and wish them to enjoy their meals as the workers walk past them and make their way to their seats and tables. When all the workers have taken their food and sit down at the tables in front of them, the Mizuhans smile as they watch them happily eat the food they have cooked up while conversing with each other.
"It's always good to see them enjoying our local Mizuhan cuisine." The short girl said to her foster father.
"It sure is, Yui." The black-haired man said as he gently places his hand on her left shoulder. They both turn their heads to each other and smile.
"Excuse me sir." A female senior worker said to the black-haired man as she and two other co-workers walk up to him and Yui at the left side of the food counter while carrying their empty trays. They and the other Mizuhans turn to them. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but you're Captain Kazuto Kirigaya of the Mizuho Defence Army, aren't you?"
"Yup, that's me." The man flashes a smile at the senior worker. "But you can drop the formalities and refer me as 'Kirito' instead, especially since I'm no longer the captain anymore."
"So, our eyes are not mistaken! You really are one of the legendary heroes who saved all of Earth Land from the Abbey!" The female senior worker said as she and her co-workers widen their eyes and smile at Kirito.
"Thank you so much for what you have done for our country." One of her co-workers said as the three senior workers bow down to Kirito with gratitude.
"And thank you to your fellow Mizuhans as well for not only helping in the reconstruction of our town, but also serving up all this delicious food for us." The third and last member of the small group of senior workers added.
"Don't just thank us." One of the Mizuhans said to the senior workers with a wide smile. "Thank Kirigaya and his daughter Yui too, for they are the ones who supervised us in cooking the food."
"Oh, so the legendary hero Kazuto Kirigaya is a master of cooking too?" The female senior worker asked with intrigue.
"Yup. He and his daughter used to cook for the emperor." Another Mizuhan replied to her while Kirito and Yui rub the back of their heads and laugh sheepishly.
"Interesting." One of the senior workers chuckled. "Keep up the good work, all of you."
"Arigatou!" Kirito, Yui and the other Mizuhans responded in unison as they all bow to the senior workers. The senior workers bow back to them before the Mizuhans serve them their food and drinks.
Everyone in the canteen continue eating and chatting for another thirty minutes until the senior workers rang their bells to signal the end of their break. The workers place their now empty plates and trays back onto the food counter before they all head back to the construction site and continue working. When they are gone, Kirito, Yui and the Mizuhans grab the leftovers from the food counter and head over to one of the tables to have their meal. They all close their eyes and place their hands together to make a silent prayer. When they are done, they pick up their cutlery and begin eating their food.
"Ah, that sure hit the spot." One of the Mizuhans said, rubbing his stomach blissfully after they all finish eating their food a few minutes later.
"You said it, Kaichi." Another Mizuhan said to him before turning to Kirito and Yui, who both sit together at the other side of the table. "Thank you for this food again, Kirigaya-san, Yui-san."
"You're welcome." Kirito said as he and Yui bow their heads to him.
"Kirigaya-san, are you sure you don't regret your decision to resign from your position as the captain of the Mizuho Defence Army?" A female Mizuhan asked Kirito as she sits beside him.
"Thank you for your concern, Ayame. But I stand by my decision." Kirito replied to her with a warm smile. "It's something that I've been wanting to do even before we join the war."
"Let's just say that after many years of service for the emperor and our hometown, my papa believes it is time for him to move on to new endeavours." Yui explained to everyone present at the table. The other Mizuhans lower their heads and stay silent for a few moments before looking back at their former captain.
"Whatever your reasons are in your resignation, we understand. But no matter where you go and what you do next, you will always have our utmost respect, Kirigaya-san." Kaichi said before they all solemnly bow their heads to Kirito and Yui.
"Thank you, all of you." Kirito replied as he and his foster daughter bow back to them.
Later at about 7 o'clock at night, the senior workers ring their bells one last time to signal the end of another workday. The workers make their departure from the construction site while Kirito, Yui and the other Mizuhans are cleaning up the makeshift canteen. Kirito and Yui are washing the empty metal trays inside the food counter as they stand behind it. Ayame and the other Mizuhans are going around the dining area to clean up the tables and chairs with their wet cloths. Kaichi on the other hand sat at one of the tables as he holds up a remote and switch the channels on a television that is hung up and beneath the metal ceiling of the canteen.
"Kaichi, get your butt back to work! We still have four more tables and the floor to clean up!" Ayame chided him right after she finished cleaning another chair. Kaichi places the remote down on the table and gets up from his seat.
"Sorry guys. It's just that the next episode of 'Living with Ren' is coming up soon on channel 5." Kaichi replied as he picks up his cloth from the table. As he walks away to join his fellow Mizuhans, a commercial begins to play on the television and everyone in the canteen hear a familiar voice.
"Hello everybody!"
As they all stop what they are currently doing, Kirito, Yui and the other Mizuhans turn to the television to see a pink-haired boy and a blonde-haired girl standing side by side on screen.
"Papa, look! It's our friends, Natsu Dragneel and Lucy Heartfilia!" Yui cried happily to her foster father as they continue staring at the television.
"What do you know?" Kirito chuckled.
"Ever thought of taking a break from your stressful life?" Lucy said, clasping her hands together.
"Or want to start a new life elsewhere?" Natsu added with his fists placed at both sides of his hip.
"Well, do we have a suggestion for you!" Lucy said cheerfully before she and Natsu move away to the side and gesture to the pair of large wooden doors behind them. The doors open and everything went white for a moment. The television soon shows an aerial view of the city of Singapore.
"Come to planet Earth." Natsu's voice narrated.
Kirito, Yui and the other Mizuhans gape their mouths open in awe as their eyes stay glued to the television. The screen began showing pictures of other cities located on Earth including Los Angeles, Tokyo, and Athens. "A whole new world filled with many wonders and possibilities for us to explore."
"Learn and experience fascinating new cultures and histories that we have never discover before." Lucy added as the commercial now shows pictures of Maori people performing the haka, and Chinese performers doing the lion dance.
"Simply have fun to clear your mind from stress and reality…" Natsu said as a picture of a couple sitting together on a canoe and kayaking through a river in the Amazon rainforest.
"Or even find love and happiness…" Lucy said, and the final picture shows another couple hugging and smiling warmly at each other with a full view of the Eiffel Tower in the background. The commercial soon cuts back to Natsu and Lucy.
"So, if you ever feel adventurous and want to visit a whole new exciting world, come on down to…" Natsu paused as he and Lucy suddenly spread their arms out. The camera swiftly zooms out to reveal they are standing in the middle of the lobby of a transport hub. The floor is made of bright yellow and bright pink tiles, and the lobby is filled with many horizontal rows of empty seats. At the right side of the large room is a long row of counters, with people dressed in white long-sleeved shirts, dark red sleeveless suits, and dark red pants or skirts standing behind them.
"The Earth Land Interworld Transport Hub!" Natsu and Lucy both announced before the screen cuts to the people standing behind the counters. They smile and wave their hands cordially to the camera as it slowly pans left to right at them. "Where we will help take you to your desired place on Earth!"
The commercial cuts to one final shot of Natsu and Lucy standing beside each other in the hub's lobby, and this time, with all its employees huddled behind them.
"We'll begin operations next month on March 29th." Natsu said.
"So, start planning your vacation." Lucy said.
"And we hope to see you soon!" Everyone present in the lobby shouted and gave a thumbs-up to the camera as the commercial fades to black. A second later, a short animation of a ship flying above the letters 'E.L.I.T.H.' appears on the screen, and the full official name of the transport hub shows up below them.
"Earth Land Interworld Transport Hub." A voice narrates the closing line of the commercial. "Making your dreams a reality…today."
As everyone in the makeshift canteen continue gazing at the television, trying to comprehend what they have just saw, a huge smile slowly takes form on Kirito's face. As he finally found the perfect place where he and Yui can start a new life after his resignation, Kirito proclaimed with overwhelming joy,
"FANTASTIC!"
1 Month Later…
Chicago, Illinois, United States
BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP
A woman moans in annoyance as she slowly extends out her right arm and manages to put an end to the insufferable ringing by placing her hand on top of the alarm clock. After turning herself around on her bed, the woman rose from underneath her blanket to let her long and currently messy orange-brown chestnut hair down to the back of her waist. She gave a heavy groan as she takes a moment to stretch out her arms. She turns to her right, gets off her bed and walks over to the windows to push away the curtains and let the bright rays of sunlight shine into her small bedroom. She squints her eyes for a moment before she looks down and sees the streets of her beautiful neighbourhood already filled with several people walking down the sidewalks or driving their vehicles on the road as they make their way to work. Her lips curve up into a warm smile and she said cheerfully as she looks up and admires the beautiful view of the city skyline,
"Good morning, Chicago."
After spending ten minutes to take a shower, brush her teeth, comb her hair, and change into a nice set of clothes which consists of a long-sleeved white jacket with a dark blue blouse underneath it, a black pantyhose, and a long orange-red skirt that goes down to her thighs, the woman steps out of the bathroom and walks over to the lower right side of her apartment where the living area is. She picks up the remote and turns on the TV to let it play the morning news while she heads to the kitchen to make her breakfast.
As she could hear the reporter announcing another bright and sunny day in the Windy City, the woman pours a bowl of rice into a cooker and closes its lid. After pressing the right amount of time on her cooker, the woman turns to her left where the stove and coffee maker are. She breaks two eggs in half and carefully pour its contents onto the hot pan to make an omelette. After flipping over her omelette with a spatula, she places an empty cup underneath the coffee maker to make a warm cup of espresso for herself. As she waits, the woman looks up to see a picture frame hung on the kitchen wall. Inside the frame is a photo of herself dressed in black graduation robes and holding a degree in her hand. There is another woman standing beside her and placing her hand on her right shoulder. She is slightly taller than her and has chin-length dark brown hair. Although both women in the picture are smiling for the camera, the shorter one was brighter and happier while the other gave a wan smile.
The woman sighs inwardly and bows her head to the photo. "Good morning, mother."
After hearing the timer rang, the woman turns off the stove and goes over to her rice cooker. She opens its lid to let out the steam while she grabs an empty plate and a plastic spoon. She carefully scoops the rice out of the cooker and places it onto the plate. She walks back to the stove and uses the spatula to place the omelette over her rice. She grabs a bottle of ketchup from the cabinet above her and applies it on top of the omelette. After putting the bottle aside and grabbing her cutlery and cup of coffee, she walks over to the dining table between the kitchen and living area to have her breakfast. She takes her seat, closes her eyes, and places her hands together.
"Itadakimasu!" The woman cheered as she bows her head.
After eating her food and drinking her coffee, she cleans the plate, cup and cutlery at the kitchen sink and turns off the television. After grabbing her handbag and putting on her brown leather shoes, the woman turns to her left and tears off a piece of paper from a calendar on the wall to reveal the date today is March 31st. She makes a right turn to face the main door to her apartment, and she nods her head as her lips form into a wide smile.
"Yosh! Asuna Yuuki, ready to work!"
After stepping out of the apartment building, Asuna turns to her left and walks down the sidewalk. She sighs blissfully as she could hear the birds chirping and flapping their wings in the air. The beautiful red and green leaves that just blossomed on the trees planted at the sidewalks also help brighten her day and bring life and colour to her neighbourhood. Her thoughts were briefly interrupted when she could hear someone ringing the bell of his bicycle in front of her.
"Good morning, Asuna!" A man greeted as he waves his hand at her.
"Good morning, Greg!" Asuna replied and waves back at him as he cycles past her.
When she looks back to her front, she sees a woman and her dog walking over to her. "Good morning, Asuna." The woman greeted her.
"Good morning, Dorothy." Asuna said to her before Dorothy's dog barked cheerfully at her. She kneels to the dog's level and pats its head. "Good morning, Monroe."
Dorothy chuckled and said, "Have a good day today."
"You too, Dorothy." Asuna replied as she stands back up and watches her friend and her dog walk away. She continues walking down the sidewalk until she arrives at a pedestrian crossing. She patiently waits for the cars to stop and the traffic light at the other side of the crossing to turn green.
After crossing the road, Asuna arrives at a street filled with small stores and cafes built along the sidewalk. She walks towards a grocery store and sees an old couple putting several types of fruits and vegetables into the stalls that are placed outside.
"Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Moretti!" Asuna greeted them.
"Good morning, Miss Yuuki!" The couple responded to her.
"I hope you both have another great day of work ahead of you." Asuna said as she continues walking past them.
"We hope you do too, Miss Yuuki." Mrs. Moretti chuckled as she and her husband watch her leave.
"Hey! This one's on the house!" Mr. Moretti said as he quickly grabs a fresh pear from a stall beside him and tosses it to Asuna, who whirls about and catches it with her right hand.
"Grazie!" Asuna waves goodbye to them before she turns around and takes a bite of her pear.
Now merrily humming to a little tune, Asuna continues walking down the sidewalk in an easy and carefree manner as she makes her way to work. This is exactly how she wants her day to start. A nice and delicious breakfast. The melodious chirping of the birds. The rustle of the leaves in the light breeze. And the warm greetings from her friends and neighbours.
It seems like nothing would ever ruin this beautiful moment for her.
"ASUNA YUUKI!"
Asuna yelped as her boss suddenly bellowed her name while she was in the middle of stirring a pot of hot soup placed on top of the stove in front of her.
"WHERE IS THE MUSHROOM SOUP?!"
"It's nearly done, Addie." Asuna replied flatly as she scoops up a tiny bit of soup with her ladle and takes a sip of it. After making sure it tastes good, Asuna puts the ladle aside and carries the pot up with her gloved hands.
"Don't 'nearly done' me! We got thousands of hungry customers out there!" Addie shouted at her as she extends her left arm through the kitchen window and points her finger at the dining area where only one table is being occupied by two customers. "Good Lord, do you know how much time has passed between you starting the soup and bringing it here?"
"25 minutes?" Asuna said as she walks over to her and places the pot of soup on the table in front of Addie.
"Exactly! Sheesh!" Addie yelled in frustration as she picks up another ladle and pours the soup into two bowls.
"Even though we just opened the restaurant 30 minutes ago." Asuna muttered as she turns her head away. Suddenly, Addie throws a cloth onto the left side of her head.
"No talking! Clean your station! Do you want my restaurant to go bust because of you?!" Addie shouted.
"No." Asuna replied as she grabs the cloth and looks back at her boss.
"Damn straight!" Addie placed her hand on her chest and looked skyward. "Because it is God who blessed me with this place, and I was delivered by him to serve good food." She jabs her finger at Asuna and yells at her face. "And no loafing slacker is going to bring me down! Got it?!"
"Yes ma'am." Asuna said as she kept her composure. Addie finished with a huff before she places the bowls of mushroom soup onto a tray. She grabs two fresh loafs of bread from a nearby basket, places them next to the bowls, picks up the tray and walks over to the door. She kicks it open and makes her way to the dining area. After the door closes behind her boss, Asuna lets out a heavy sigh and rubs her temples.
"Delivered by God to serve good food, huh? Yeah, and I'm sure God also created you to be a pompous ass." Asuna muttered.
The kitchen backdoor soon opened. Asuna turns around and sees an exhausted young man with slightly long blonde hair and baby blue eyes standing at the doorway.
"Teddie, I'm done with the cleaning." The man said wearily.
"He's busy inside the office. But what were you cleaning? I didn't see you at the dining area." Asuna said with an arched eyebrow.
"Oh no, I haven't started cleaning the floor yet. I was cleaning Teddie's car." The man replied as he steps inside the kitchen and closes the door behind him. Asuna groans and droops her shoulders as the man now walks over to the left side of the kitchen where the storeroom is. He enters the room and comes out of it a minute later while dragging the mop and wheeled bucket with him.
"Seriously? Teddie made you clean his car for free during work hours? You don't deserve this, Eugeo." Asuna said to her co-worker.
"Another long day ahead of us, huh?" Eugeo said to her as he stood there. "Although I did notice you looking spry earlier today when you were putting your things in the locker. Something good happen to you?"
"Not yet." Asuna chuckled. "It's just that I'm expecting to receive a letter from Lennon & Shannon Incorporated today. So, I gotta stay happy and positive if I want to receive the response that I want from them. I seriously hope they accept my job application."
Eugeo sighed. "You and me both. Anywhere is better than working here."
Before Asuna could nod her head to him, a door at the right side of the kitchen open to reveal a middle-aged man with swept back white hair stepping out of the office and eliciting a loud yawn as he stretches out his arms.
As he scratches his hair and his vision slowly becomes clearer, the man widens his eyes and sees Asuna and Eugeo standing in front of him looking dumbfounded.
"DON'T JUST STAND THERE! GET BACK TO WORK, YOU BUMS!" The man bellowed at them.
"Yes Teddie!" Asuna and Eugeo both replied in unison. The blonde-haired young man quickly drags the mop and bucket along with him as he rushes out of the kitchen and into the dining area.
"I'm watching you!" Teddie yelled, pointing his finger accusingly at Asuna who walks over to her workstation.
But as soon as she places her cloth on the counter beside the stove, Addie bursts into the kitchen and shouted at her while pointing her finger at the trash compactor, "Asuna! Clear the garbage!"
"But I haven't-"
"NO BUTS!" Addie snapped and stomped her foot, causing a few strands of hair to dangle in front of her wide and trembling silver eyes. "DO IIIITTTT!"
After stepping out of the kitchen and to the back of the restaurant and strip mall while carrying a large bag of trash, Asuna turns to her left and walks over to the blue dumpster placed against the white wall. She opens the lid and tosses the whole bag inside. She closes the dumpster and gets ready to go back inside to wash her hands until she heard a man's voice.
"Excuse me, ma'am?"
Asuna's stomach did a twist, and she sees Kirito and Yui walking towards her. Kirito is dressed in a black long-sleeved jacket with a dark grey shirt underneath it, black pants, and black shoes, while Yui is holding a newspaper in her hands and wears a plain sleeveless light pink dress.
"Yes, can I help you?" Asuna asked, making a full turnaround to face the two people.
"Is this place Addie's Baking Company?" Kirito inquired.
"Why yes, it is." Asuna replied. "If you two are looking to have a meal here, the entrance is actually at the other side."
"Oh no, we're not here for a meal." Kirito chuckled while Yui turns the newspaper around and shows her the restaurant's job vacancy ad.
"We're here for a job!" Yui added cheerfully.
After Asuna explained to Addie and Teddie that Kirito and Yui are here to have a job in their restaurant, the two owners warmly welcome the both of them into the dining area. Asuna suppressed the urge to recoil in disgust, knowing their smiles are nothing but a façade. Of course, wanting to hide her usual explosive behaviour from their newest visitors, Addie calmly tells Eugeo to stop his cleaning and go back inside the kitchen while she and her husband have a civilized conversation with Kirito and Yui. After returning inside the kitchen, Eugeo puts the mop and bucket aside and joins Asuna, and they both stand right behind the window and idly watch the conversation.
"So, these two are here looking for a job?" Eugeo asked. Asuna nods her head with her arms folded. "God, I feel sorry for them. They have no idea what's going to be in store for them."
"Hai." Asuna replied softly. "They should have brought a sword to defend themselves from the demon hiding inside her."
Meanwhile, as they sit together at one of the tables placed at the centre of the dining area, Addie and Teddie smile at Kirito and Yui as they shake hands with them.
"Thank you so much for choosing us over every other restaurant in the downtown Chicago area." Addie said to them cordially.
"Y-You're welcome, m-ma'am." Yui replied, unable to stop focusing on how much eyeshadow Addie had applied around her eyelids.
"Let us introduce ourselves." Addie places her hand on her chest. "My name is Addie Brassington, and this lovely man sitting next to me is my husband, Teddie Brassington."
"Hello." Teddie nods his head to Kirito and Yui while lying back on his chair with his arms folded.
"I am the owner and head chef of this restaurant, but it is my husband who helped invest a million dollars to open up this place for me. Without him, I never would have become what I am today." Addie smiled.
"I'm her real-life superhero." Teddie chuckled. Addie laughed as she plants a quick kiss on his left cheek.
"That's very sweet." Kirito said.
"Thank you. So, what are your names, ya?" Teddie asked.
"I'm Kazuto Kirigaya." Kirito replied, bowing his head solemnly to the restaurant owners. "But you can simply refer me as 'Kirito' if you want."
"Oooh, a nickname. How cute." Addie squealed.
"And my name is Yui." Yui said, bowing her head to Addie and Teddie as well.
"You look very young. How old are you?" Addie asked.
"Well…" Yui nervously shrugs and shifts her eyes to the side, but Kirito places his hand on her right shoulder and smile at Addie.
"Let's just say she is a short, but very strong-willed woman." Kirito said.
"Fair enough." Addie said. "I like people like her."
"Why is that?" Kirito asked as he removes his hand from his foster daughter's shoulder.
"Because this is a very cruel, cold-hearted world we all live in. It's filled with ugly trolls and poisonous vipers ready to attack you just because they like it." Addie said, causing Kirito and Yui to gasp.
"This world has vicious monsters too?! That's horrible!" Yui cried.
"I know." Teddie nods his head.
"How do these monsters look like? Are they huge?" Kirito asked with his eyes narrowed.
"What?" Addie said as she and her husband look back at him in confusion.
"Huh?" Asuna said as she and Eugeo look equally puzzled at Kirito.
"Where do they live? Is there a forest or a dungeon outside this city? What kind of weapons do the trolls use? Spears? Swords? Bows and arrows?" Kirito asked firmly. Addie, Teddie, Asuna and Eugeo are completely dumbfounded by the words coming out from his mouth. "And how do the vipers attack? Do they shoot venom out from their fangs?"
"No!" Addie replied. "We're not talking about that kind of trolls and vipers! We mean the ones that attack people with words! Horrible, god-awful words that they type to us on social media every day." She explained with her voice trembling as if she is on the verge of crying. Teddie sympathetically places his hand on her shoulder to comfort her.
"Social…media?" Kirito said in confusion as he and Yui arch their eyebrows at the couple.
"You're kidding me." Asuna uttered in shock.
"Do these people live in the Middle Ages?" Eugeo asked.
"Seriously? You don't know what social media is?" Addie asked with her eyes wide. Kirito and Yui shake their heads in response.
"What is social media, ma'am?" Kirito asked.
"Well…" Addie momentarily rolls her eyes before looking back at him and Yui. "We'll be here all day if we explain to you what it is, but we should just back to what we were discussing. Basically, there are a lot of nasty people and haters out there ready to attack you with awful words at any moment." She wraps her arm around Teddie, who smiles as his wife pulls him closer to her. "That's why my husband and I stand strong together to show the whole world that nobody will pin our faces down on the floor…" Addie's eyes suddenly grew wide as she raises her voice to the extreme. "BECAUSE GOD ALMIGHTY IS ON OUR SIDE!"
There was a moment of awkward silence as Kirito and Yui are shocked by her sudden outburst. After removing her arm around her husband's shoulders, Addie clears her throat, strokes her blonde wavy hair and smiles at them again.
"That's why I like it when you say your…" Addie trails off as she and Teddie still have no idea what Yui's relationship with Kirito is.
Kirito and Yui stare nervously at each other for a moment. Knowing that the people of Earth will find their actual relationship awkward given their age difference, Kirito gave Addie the only appropriate answer he could think of, "Sister?"
"Sister here is a very strong-willed woman like I am." Addie continued.
"So, just two more questions. Which one of you can use a cash register?" Teddie asked.
"Me." Yui replied.
"Good. You're hired." Teddie said to her before turning to Kirito. "What about you? Can you make sauce like what our job vacancy ad described?"
"Yes, I can." Kirito nods his head.
"We shall see. But okay, you're hired too." Teddie said.
"Great!" Addie claps her hands and gestures Kirito and Yui to the kitchen. "Can we take you both to the kitchen and meet my other employees?"
"Sure!" Kirito and Yui responded.
"Let's go." Addie said as the four of them get up from their seats.
"Come on, let's get to our stations." Asuna said to Eugeo before the two turn around and walk away from the window.
"I must say, this place looks absolutely beautiful." Kirito said, briefly looking around to see how neat the black tables and chairs are arranged, and how shiny the red and white marble floor tiles are.
"Why thank you so much." Addie quickly responded with a smile as she gestures Kirito and Yui to follow her and her husband. The four of them walk past the front counter which consists of a wide counter on the left where the coffeemakers and cash register are, while the cake chiller makes up the entire right side. As they walk alongside the counter, Kirito and Yui take a quick look at the beautiful and creamy cakes displayed inside the chiller.
"The cakes look gorgeous and appetizing too." Yui commented.
"Thank you. I'm glad you speak the truth." Teddie replied as they now walk through the small doorway beside the front counter on the left.
"If you are wondering who made these cakes, I did because I'm simply the best." Addie added as they push away the black curtains and make a right turn to walk through the small passage between the front counter and the kitchen window. Placed on both sides of the wide window are shelves filled with bottles of wine and liquor. When they reach the kitchen door, Addie opens it, and they all step inside to see Asuna and Eugeo standing between the stoves and the metal tables that are placed at the centre of the room.
"Kirito, Yui, these are the other two people whom you'll be working alongside with in our restaurant." Addie said to them before gesturing to Asuna, who steps forward and gives a weak smile to Kirito and Yui. "This lovely girl right here is my assistant chef, Asuna Yuuki."
"It's a pleasure to meet you two." Asuna said to Kirito and Yui as she extends her hand to them.
"Likewise, Asuna Yuuki. My name is Yui." Yui replied as she shakes Asuna's hand.
"And my name is Kazuto Kirigaya." Kirito said, shaking her hand as well. "But you may refer me as Kirito."
"Very well then…Kirito." Asuna replied. Kirito flashes a quick grin at her.
"And this boy here is our waiter and cleaner, Eugeo Mattson." Addie said to Kirito and Yui, gesturing the two to Eugeo.
"Nice to meet you, Kirito and Yui." Eugeo greeted as he steps forward and extends his hand to them.
"Nice to meet you too, Eugeo." Kirito replied as he takes his hand and shakes it. After Yui shook his hand as well, she could not help but let out a giggle.
"What is it, Yui?" Kirito asked.
"I'm sorry." Yui snickered. "I can't help but notice that Eugeo looks almost exactly like you." Kirito and Eugeo look back at each other and stare for a few seconds before laughing.
"Yeah, I guess minus the colour of our hair and eyes, we could have been identical twins." Eugeo chuckled as he rubs the back of his head.
"What a world we live in, yeah?" Kirito commented with a cheerful smile.
"Okay, if we are done with the pleasantries and introductions, let's get back to work, shall we?" Addie said.
"Yes, let's get started." Kirito said to her.
"Come on Eugeo! Let's get back to the dining area and clean it up!" Teddie ordered.
"Yes sir." Eugeo replied flatly. He drags along the mop and wheeled bucket again as the two men leave the kitchen.
"Asuna, go to the storeroom and give these two their uniforms." Addie said to Asuna with a wide smile.
"Yes ma'am." Asuna said to her.
"Once you've put on your uniforms, you can join Teddie and Eugeo in the dining area, Yui." Addie said to the short girl.
"Hai!" Yui replied with a nod.
"As for you, Kirito, take your time to get familiar with the kitchen. Asuna will be responsible for teaching you how we do things here." Addie explained to Kirito.
"Understood." Kirito said, nodding his head as well.
"Alrighty, let's go!" Addie exclaimed. With that, she whirls about, walks into the office, and closes the door behind her.
"Right this way, guys." Asuna said to Kirito and Yui, and the two of them follow her to the storeroom.
When they step inside, Kirito and Yui look around in awe as there are metal shelves placed on both sides of the storeroom. There are sacks of potatoes and spices, cheese wedges, fresh vegetables, condiments, eggs, and clean boxes of fruits all neatly arranged in them.
"This is amazing." Yui commented.
"Indeed. Despite some strange behaviour, Addie really puts in a lot of passion and dedication to her work." Kirito added as he and his foster daughter come to a halt.
"She does. But unfortunately, a lot of people here aren't fans of her and Teddie." Asuna said as she walks over to the lockers at the other end of the room.
"What? Why is that?" Kirito asked as he and Yui look back at her in confusion. Asuna goes to the rightmost locker and opens it to reveal several folded black uniforms placed inside them.
"What are your sizes?" Asuna inquired without looking back at them.
"Oh, my size is Large." Kirito said.
"And I'm Small." Yui added.
After grabbing two uniforms that are the right sizes for the new workers, Asuna closes the locker and turns around to face them.
"When the diners come in…" Asuna holds out the uniforms to them. "You'll find out why."
Sovereign: I hope you all enjoy the first chapter of the story. Let me know what you think and until next time!
Chapter Updated on 9th December 2021
Chapter Revised on 10th December 2021