The cooking process for oyakodon wasn't complicated. Kuber didn't wait long before Nicole and Lena entered, carrying steaming bowls of the fragrant dish.
A heaping bowl sat before Kuber, radiating an enticing aroma and golden glow. He grabbed a spoon, scooping up rice, meat, egg, veggies, and sauce in one bite—the flavors exploded with incredible richness.
"How is it? Delicious?" Lena asked nervously.
Kuber wolfed down the food like a starving ghost, giving a thumbs-up without a word to show his approval.
Watching his fierce eating, Lena’s face broke into a sweet, satisfied smile. She started eating too.
Beside her, Nicole raised an eyebrow at Kuber’s exaggerated display. She took a bite. The taste was just ordinary home cooking—not bad, but nothing extraordinary. She hadn’t expected this kid to be so good at charming girls.
"By the way, Lena," Nicole suddenly asked, "about Kuber being your savior—can you tell me more, dear?" She was curious how a mere B-rank adventurer could save Lena, who was A-rank. Patrolling near Black Forest shouldn’t threaten her safety.
"While inspecting a demi-human village destroyed by illegal slavers," Lena put down her spoon, her expression turning grave, "I was attacked by an S-rank adventurer." She shivered slightly, recalling that night.
"S-rank? You were attacked by an S-rank adventurer? Are you sure?" Nicole frowned, finding it hard to believe. If it was truly S-rank, how had Lena survived? She knew her daughter was only A-rank.
"Yes. S-rank adventurer Phantom Sword Max. He has severe facial burns. Mom, you work at the Adventurers’ Guild—you must know him."
"Of course. Max Omer. He became S-rank two years ago, nicknamed ‘Phantom Sword.’ His raw strength isn’t exceptional, but he wields a powerful weapon made of mithril thread. It can slice through steel armor. If it was him, I’ll have the Guild revoke his license and issue a warrant tomorrow."
"But if you truly faced him," Nicole shrugged, clearly skeptical, "I shouldn’t be seeing you alive now. Yet here you are, unharmed."
"Uh, skip the warrant," Kuber mumbled, pausing his frantic eating. He gulped water, then pulled the mithril thread weapon from his storage space and placed it on the table. "That Phantom Sword guy’s already dead."
"...What is this?" Nicole froze, eyes wide with disbelief. She picked up the thread weapon, examining it closely. Thinner than hair, it gleamed silver under the light. She scraped it gently with a spoon’s back—it peeled off like potato skin. Undoubtedly, it was forged from rare, expensive mithril.
"No, no—I don’t understand. Kuber, you’re B-rank. How did you kill an S-rank?" Nicole’s mind short-circuited. A young B-ranker was shocking enough, but a kid slaying an S-ranker? Unbelievable, yet the proof sat before her.
"Uh, don’t misunderstand, Aunt Nicole," Kuber added casually, "I’ve only been an adventurer for less than a month."
Nicole felt a wave of dizziness. A month to B-rank? Was he joking? Was he a hero reborn? If Kuber had high innate strength, he might’ve started as B-rank—but that meant his power was only B-rank level, making it impossible to defeat an S-ranker with a mithril weapon. Or did he have some overpowered skill or item? Or had he skyrocketed from B-rank to S-rank in a month? Her thoughts tangled into chaos. She couldn’t fathom that Kuber’s level was permanently fixed at LV1—so the Guild card rated him G-rank. Yet his stats were absurdly boosted, letting him complete special quests others took ages to finish. He’d even single-handedly wiped out a lich army. That feat alone should’ve earned him S-rank, but it was so unbelievable—even with the lord’s testimony—the Guild only made an exception, jumping him straight to B-rank.
