[center][h2]Nicolas Li[/h2][h3]??? — Witch's House[/h3][/center]

Though there were a few other ways he could've tried to justify everything that Ilsa was needling him about, Nick ultimately chose to stay quiet and only chose to nod his head slightly at Relki's comments. Plausible deniability would let him escape the worst of the consequences of "returning fire", as it were, but what was most important about the situation at hand was getting access to the kitchen (and the pantry by extension). Being reincarnated into a world of fantasy was well and good, but if he was alive now then food would be necessary one way or another.

Making something fancy would also be a decent way to repay the girl for saving them from a second death so soon after reviving, at least in his eyes. Hikari's offer to help was also appreciated, though the assertion that the primary means of survival had been on instant noodles up until then was less than ideal with the plans he had in mind.

It probably wouldn't hurt to see just how good (or bad) she was, though; with Jor's quip about making clothing in mind as she demonstrated her current inability to help in the kitchen, Nick made a mental note to not try and pull her for help for the moment.

Maybe she could make him a proper chef's coat, though; as cool as his new outfit was, it wasn't exactly something fit for a kitchen. As he stepped into the room, though, the young man felt a slight tingle run through his body; a brief once-over showed that any of the dirt or debris his clothes had picked up were missing. Whether that was because of some magic cast by the girl or upon the room mattered little more than the fact that it had been done, which meant far less worry about any threat of cross-contamination.

Rustic though the kitchen was, Nick found himself perusing it's wares with a keen eye. Slowly, the man took mental stock of the ingredients that he saw as he passed through. Vegetables, meats, herbs, seasonings, fruits... The list went on and on. It was surprisingly well-stocked, all things considered; a curious fact, but not one he was really concerned with. More unfortunate, though, were the facilities at hand. While there was nothing wrong with what was present here, as the young man's mind began to wander as to where to take things for the night the loss of modern amenities at hand.

"Man, what I wouldn't do for a stand mixer..." he mused to himself before turning around and seeing a door that was most [i]certainly[/i] not there before in front of him. The young man blinked in mild shock as he stared at it for a few seconds before glancing at those around him; their looks betrayed no hint of know what exactly this [i]was[/i], but instinct pushed the young man to simply open it and see what lay past it anyways.

Obviously, another [i]building[/i] past the archway that had established itself was far from what he had expected. Curiosity naturally overtook him as he poked around to see what lay within. One room was filled to the bring with beakers and burners; another, a massive pot and a few scrolls of [i]something[/i] piled off to the side. And in the last...

"Oh. Now [i]this[/i] is what I'm talking about."

While the other rooms could have conceivably have been made for Ilsa's sake, the kitchen in front of him was far too modern in nature to think of as anything but... Well, [i]his[/i]. This explained his lack of a cheat up until now, at least; it wasn't anything super flashy up front, but if there was something that would make his craft easier it had to be this.

With the new atelier's main rooms more or less explored, Nick finally popped back out of the doorway from which he had disappeared into—though it wasn't as if he hadn't been in full view from said doorway for most of it—and rubbed his hands together in anticipation.

"Hikari, you said you wanted to help, right?" he asked as he began to gather various ingredients from Ilsa's kitchen. "How confident are you at prep work? I want to go for a three-course menu tonight, and an extra pair of hands getting everything ready to go would speed things up exponentially."

Hopefully this cheat-apparent would let her inside as well; it would be far more efficient than having to ferry goods back and forth through the awkward arch in the middle of the kitchen.

[@VitaVitaAR][@Raineh Daze][@Pyromania99]

[center][h3]??? — Abandoned Inn[/h3][/center]

With the only threat present dispatched and some rudimentary survival supplies now in hand, it would only be a matter of time before the trio would finally deem it time to leave the inn in which they had awoken. Leaving through the back door nearest the kitchen—after some struggle getting the door to open, of course—would lead to a dark alleyway kept in the shade by the building across from them. Any trash had long since been taken care of by the passing of the seasons, and the cramped space was empty...

For the most part.

A quick glance towards one end of the alleyway would reveal the presence of a few humanoid figures in the way—some standing, others slumped over against the wall. The other way, unfortunately, seemed to be blocked off by broken debris from the other house. It didn't seem impossible to navigate, though how well the three of them could do so was yet another factor to contend with.

The options here were fairly straightforward, at least; take a path or retreat and try the front entrance, and in so doing pray that there were less enemies waiting there.

[@VitaVitaAR][@Crimson Paladin][@Rune_Alchemist]