"Hunting monsters is not as simple as you think. Although our Leo family has lost its fiefdom, we are still nobles. It is not good to tell others that the earls and nobles of the Dawn Empire have joined the mercenary group to hunt monsters."

"Of course, our reputation is one thing. We are willing to do it for you, but we not only represent the Leo family, but also the face of the Dawn Empire. If the nobles of the empire become mercenaries? If this matter gets out, how will other countries view the Dawn Empire?"

"What will the royal family of the Dawn Empire think of us?"

Leo Pate rubbed Merlin's head and said, "Even this tavern cannot be managed by your mother and me. We need to rely on the butler. Even if we run it ourselves, this tavern can only be a commercial property of our Leo family."

Merlin suddenly realized that he had a clearer understanding of this world.

The dwarf who was lying on the table and listening to the conversation interrupted and said, "Pate, running a tavern is not that easy. There are more than a dozen taverns of different types on this street. If you want to get a piece of the pie here, you must come up with your own characteristics."

Pate then remembered the dwarf and quickly pulled Merlin over and said, "Merlin, this is your Uncle Otto, my best friend. Otto helped look after this tavern before."

Merlin looked at the bearded dwarf in front of him and said, "Hello, Uncle Otto."

"Stoneheart Otto, it's not in vain that you call me uncle. This thing is a meeting gift for you." Otto took a dagger from his waist and handed it to Merlin.

Merlin accepted the gift without hesitation and pulled the dagger out of the cowhide bag. The dagger had a deadly beauty. Its blade was slender and sharp, like a ray of cold light in the night.

The blade is forged from the highest quality steel, and the surface is finely polished, reflecting a cold light, and every ray of light reveals its sharpness and lethality.

The handle of the dagger is also exquisitely designed. It is usually made of hardwood or metal, with exquisite patterns carved on the surface, which not only increases the friction when holding, but also adds a sense of art. A crystal core of a wind-type monster is embedded in the tail of the handle, making the dagger, which has been tempered thousands of times, lighter.

Merlin fell in love with the dagger as soon as he got it, but Pate looked at his old friend with some surprise.

"You actually gave this dagger to my son? I asked for it for a long time but you didn't give it to me."

Pate looked at Merlin and said, "You must take good care of this dagger. This is Otto's famous work. It is so sharp that it can easily tear through the protective scales of a fifth-level monster."

So powerful? Merlin was startled, then solemnly hung the dagger on his waist and said, "Thank you, Uncle Otto."

"Kid, if you want to thank me, just give me some good wine." Otto waved his rough hand nonchalantly.

"must!"

At this time, Kanna looked at the bag that Merlin brought over. "Merlin, what's in your bag?"

Merlin opened the bag to reveal a large bag of spices inside.

Pate and Kanna are no strangers to spices. After all, the bankruptcy of the Leo family is related to spices.

"Spices. So many? Merlin, where did you get these?"

Pate asked in astonishment, this bag of spices must be worth thousands of gold coins, why does his own son seem to be richer than them?

"I earned it from making perfumes at the academy. It was an alchemy reward given to me by an old gentleman." What Merlin said was not wrong. Making beggar's chicken in lotus leaves is also making perfumes. There is nothing wrong with Harrington's certification.

Kanna clapped her hands happily when she heard Merlin say that. "I never thought my son would be able to make money from alchemy after studying at the Arcane Academy for such a short time. He is so outstanding!"

"It's just right for us to sell these spices in exchange for some start-up capital," Pete said happily.

Merlin shook his head. "Father, these spices are only worth a few thousand gold coins when sold, but I have a way to make more money from them."

Pate was a little surprised when he heard Merlin's words. "You mean alchemy? Are you planning to make perfume and sell it?"

"Perfumery? It's something like this. Father, don't you want to know how I make so many spices by making perfume?" Merlin said as he rolled up his sleeves and walked towards the kitchen.

"Uncle Otto, didn't you say that the tavern must have its own characteristics in order to compete on this street? Now I will show you the special food that our tavern is going to introduce!"

Special food? Otto became interested after hearing Merlin's words. He wanted to know what kind of surprise this little guy Merlin could bring him.

gourmet food? When will my son learn to cook delicious food? How come they don’t know?

Pate and Kanna looked at each other and suddenly felt that they couldn't understand their son.

After a while, a strong aroma of meat suddenly emanated from the dilapidated tavern. The aroma gradually spread throughout the entire street, making people coming and going stop and look for the source of the aroma.

Sizzle

In the shabby tavern, charcoal fire was burning in the stove. Amid the smoke, Merlin was busy preparing skewers of marinated meat.

There are rows of skewers of meat on the charcoal fire. The meat is from farmed hedgehogs, a kind of wild beast that has degenerated from a magical beast, similar to the wild boar meat of Blue Star. The taste is actually not as good as that of farmed domestic pigs, and it has a meaty smell of its own.

As the flames licked them, the skewers began to slowly change color, from fresh meat color to an attractive golden yellow, and even slightly charred in some places.

The fat drips onto the charcoal fire, making a sizzling sound. The fat on the skewers melts under the high temperature, forming a layer of luster, making the skewers look more tempting.

Then, Merlin took out the prepared mixed spices and sprinkled them on the skewers. The flavors of chili powder, cumin, sesame and other spices were gradually released, rich and deep.

Cumin, chili, pepper, etc. mixed together to form a unique aroma that stimulates the nasal cavity, making Conte, Kanna and Otto unable to help but take a deep breath to capture this aroma.

This taste...! ! !

Even before they put the meat in their mouths, the aroma of the barbecue had already begun to seduce the three people present. It was the first time for Pete, Kanna and Otto to smell such a wonderful taste. They looked at the skewers of meat in Merlin's hand and they were very excited.

Sprinkling a handful of chopped green onions, Merlin placed the grilled skewers on a plate and handed them to the three people, saying, "Flavorful grilled skewers, please enjoy!"

hiss--

Otto couldn't wait to stretch out his hand, grabbed a handful of skewers and stuffed them into the innermost part. Even Pete and Kanna, who had aristocratic manners, didn't care about table manners at this moment and grabbed the skewers and started eating.