Mason Conquered by Barbecue (Please Vote!)

"Closed for business!?"

In the Ruby District on Eckley Street, Mason stood at the entrance of Ron's Wonderful Flower Shop, staring speechlessly at the sign hanging on the door.

To be honest, if the effects of the Nether Orchid weren't truly exceptional, Mason would have suspected that Ron had simply packed up and run off with the money.

He went to the clothing store next door and asked the owner about Ron's whereabouts.

Owner: "The owner of the flower shop next door? I'm not sure either, but he usually closes up pretty early. He basically shuts down around five in the afternoon every day."

"But isn't it only four-thirty?" Mason asked, puzzled.

"I couldn't tell you," the owner shook his head. "Maybe you could go ask the owner of the Barbecue Shop on the other side; he seems to have a pretty good relationship with the guy next door."

So, Mason hurried over to Lyle's Barbecue Shop.

As it turned out, he didn't see the owner, Lyle, so Mason had to ask the two employees inside.

"Someone is looking for me?" Ron asked from the courtyard, sounding confused.

"Yes," Lyle nodded. "It seems to be the customer who bought flowers from your shop yesterday. Should I invite him in, or would you like to go out and see him?"

Ron rolled his eyes, quickly guessing the visitor's intentions. Recalling the man's identity, Ron smiled and said, "Let him in. And while you're at it, have him try your new barbecue. He's a teaching assistant at the Magic Academy; it's the perfect chance for him to taste it and help you promote it at the academy."

Lyle's eyes lit up, and he nodded immediately.

Mason was soon ushered in by Lyle and sat down at a table, his legs dangling off the edge of the chair.

"Hello, Mason. Good to see you again," Ron greeted him politely.

"Hello, Ron," Mason replied with a smile, expressing his gratitude. "I have to thank you. If it weren't for your Nether Orchid, I'm afraid I would never have been able to promote to a Tier 4 Mage in this lifetime."

Ron raised an eyebrow: "You just promoted to a Tier 4 Mage?"

"Yes," Mason nodded, sighing with emotion. "I had been stuck at Tier 3 for a long time and failed four attempts at promotion. Using your Nether Orchid today allowed me to advance to Tier 4 very smoothly. It has quite literally changed my life."

"Congratulations," Ron said with a smile.

Just then, Lyle walked into the courtyard carrying a large platter of barbecue, laughing heartily: "Come, come, have a taste! This is our shop's new barbecue!"

Mason, who had originally intended to continue the conversation and bring up his interest in purchasing more Nether Orchids, was immediately captivated by the rich, meaty aroma.

"Let's talk while we eat," Ron said to Mason, then looked at the skewers on the table, which were sprinkled with specks of cumin and pepper, smelling incredibly enticing.

"This... what is this?" Mason had clearly never seen this style of barbecue before and asked with a hint of wonder.

Ron smiled, picked up a lamb skewer, took a bite, and said while chewing: "Just do as I do—pick up a clean end and eat it like this."

Mason found it quite novel. He carefully picked up a skewer and took a closer look: "What is that sprinkled on top? It doesn't look like salt."

"This is a seasoning invented by Ron. It tastes ten thousand times better than salt! Just try it and you'll see!" Lyle introduced proudly from the side.

Mason took a small bite and began to chew slowly.

Then, his eyes widened in disbelief. He couldn't believe how delicious the skewer was; it felt as if his taste buds had just exploded!

"Mmm..." Mason quickly finished the skewer in his hand and grabbed another, unable to stop himself.

Seeing Mason's mouth working non-stop, Ron and Lyle exchanged a knowing smile.

"It's so delicious! Cough, cough!" Mason ate over a dozen skewers in one go until his throat felt a bit dry and he finally stopped.

Lyle immediately brought over two mugs of ale.

Mason thanked him and downed the drink, feeling incredibly refreshed!

Ron, being a man who had eaten barbecue countless times, was much calmer than Mason.

He finished a skewer and asked: "As a customer, Mason, what do you think of this way of grilling meat?"

"I think it's fantastic! I've never had such delicious barbecue in my life!" Mason gave Ron a thumbs-up before reaching for another skewer.

Lyle was brimming with excitement. Seeing such high praise from Mason, he felt even more confident about the future of his barbecue shop.

Ron nodded in satisfaction, thinking to himself that this was the charm of a good barbecue session.

If one never had the experience of sharing skewers with friends in their life, it would truly be a great pity!

Creating a barbecue shop in this other world had given Ron a uniquely interesting experience and a different kind of sense of accomplishment.

However, he wouldn't put too much effort into it.

After all, while seasonings like cumin and pepper powder were easy to find novel when they first appeared, they would eventually just become common ingredients over time.

Moreover, it was far too easy to plagiarize this kind of seasoning.

Once the method for making the seasoning was exposed, copycat barbecue shops would soon pop up, stealing a portion of the popularity from Lyle's shop.

Beyond that, once the method for creating such seasonings spread, people would inevitably start trying to concoct other varieties.

This world was so magical that someone might even end up creating something even more delicious.

Therefore, while Lyle's barbecue shop might be a hit for a while, it would eventually become ordinary.

But that didn't really have much to do with Ron.

He just wanted a place where he could eat barbecue for free; there was no need to overthink it.

Maybe he could try hot pot or something like Haidilao in the future?

In any case, he was still very young, so there was absolutely no need to rush.

After a whirlwind of eating, Ron and Mason were stuffed, and Mason had even forgotten the purpose of his visit.

However, Ron clearly still remembered. He stood up and said to Mason, "So, shall we talk about business now? You didn't just come here to thank me, did you?"

"Uh, of course, of course!" Mason finally recalled why he had come. He hurriedly stood up and said, "I'm here to buy Nether Orchid. Professor Hicks from our Magic Academy wants to purchase five stalks from you."

"Follow me." Ron nodded, then looked at Lyle. "I suppose that's it for today?"

"No problem, your business comes first." Lyle waved his hand.

"Oh, right, I haven't paid for the meal yet." Mason realized this and reached for his wallet.

Lyle immediately stopped him. "No need. This barbecue is on me. I intended to treat Ron anyway, and I wasn't looking to make a profit."

Mason shook his head quickly. "That won't do. This is the first time I've ever had such delicious food; it wouldn't be right not to pay."

"Then why don't you help Lyle promote his place at the Magic Academy?" Ron interjected from the side. "Let your friends taste such delicacies and help Lyle drum up some business while you're at it. What do you think?"

"Yes, exactly!" Lyle nodded vigorously. "That's a great idea!"

Seeing that Lyle agreed, Mason gave up on the idea of paying. "No problem, I'll bring people over to eat your barbecue tomorrow."

Smash those recommendation votes over here~(???????)