Sure, I do need milk, and since I have the 'Smile' skill to increase affection, maybe I should give it a try.
'Smile.'
My lips moved naturally, forming a perfect business smile.
[Skill 'Smile' activated.]
[Lv1. Effect: 'Feeling good when you smile' makes the target feel better.]
[The target's affection increases.]
"Moo."
The golden triangular-horned cow, which had been grazing, turned its head to look at me.
Oh, there's a slight reaction.
Good, let's try it again. And again, and again...
[The golden triangular-horned cow is slightly interested in you.]
[Affection: ♥♡♡♡♡]
"Ah, heave..."
My lips ached from the effort. I don't know how many times I had to smile to fill up one heart.
Calculating, it seemed it would take a mouse-nibbling amount of time to fill up all five hearts at this rate.
Watching me must have been quite boring. I took a step closer to the cow.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm trying to increase its affection to tame this cow."
"That's a weak human way. Predators don't seek the affection of their prey."
Huh?
I now know that our house's genius part-timer is not just an ordinary middle school boy with a delusion, but a mysterious and unknown entity called a 'divine incarnation.' I learned this from the black slime incident last time.
Even so, that line sounded very stormy and rebellious.
"Can't you just turn this disobedient monster into a steak?"
"Ah! Kim As, calm down! The golden triangular-horned cow is a dairy cow, not a beef cow!"
I quickly grabbed As.
"A dairy cow is the same when cooked."
"Moo!"
The golden triangular-horned cow took a step back, startled by As's boldness.
[The golden triangular-horned cow is wary of you. Affection decreases.]
No, how could I have raised the affection to this point!
"Calm down, yeah, think of a café mocha! You need milk to make a delicious café mocha!"
Hesitation.
At the mention of café mocha, our house's impulsive part-timer stopped moving.
Taking the opportunity, I quickly opened the Ether-Wiki to find a way to increase affection other than the Smile skill.
《Golden Triangular-Horned Cow》
Type: Animal Monster > Mammal
Grade: A
Description: A cow monster that lives only in A-grade clean dungeons. It has black and white spots and primarily eats grass. Milk can be collected from it.
What the Golden Triangular-Horned Cow likes:
[Continue reading]
There was just the information I needed. According to this wiki, to increase affection, I need to...
"Hey, what are you doing out here without me?"
At that moment, Miumi and Lime came out of the café, having heard the noise.
However, when the golden triangular-horned cow saw Lime's bright red body, it suddenly started snorting.
Its excitement grew with each bounce of Lime's bouncy body.
"......Moo?"
The golden triangular-horned cow charged at Lime.
Startled, Lime bounced away, rejecting the cow.
But every time the bright red blob appeared in front of the cow, its excitement grew even more.
"Moo!"
"Kya, nya..."
Cows are actually colorblind, so the myth that they get excited by red is not true. But for some reason, this golden triangular-horned cow seemed to have a major crush on Lime.
Lick. The cow licked Lime's smooth body with its tongue. It was so thorough that Lime's bouncy body was soon covered in saliva.
"Kya, nya..."
The reaction was clear even without a slime language translator.
"Kyaa! This red blob is covered in saliva!"
Miumi jumped back in shock.
Thud!
While trying to dodge, Lime bounced and stuck to the golden triangular-horned cow's face.
This way, it would suffocate. Just as I was about to pull the saliva-covered Lime off the cow...
"Moo, moo!"
The cow's affection started to rise.
[The golden triangular-horned cow is interested in the Red Slime.]
[Affection: ♥♥♡♡♡]
[The golden triangular-horned cow is very interested in the Red Slime.]
[Affection: ♥♥♥♡♡]
[The golden triangular-horned cow looks at the Red Slime with a deep gaze.]
[Affection: ♥♥♥♥♡]
The hearts filled up rapidly, and finally...
[The golden triangular-horned cow thinks it would be good to share its life with the Red Slime.]
[Affection: ♥♥♥♥♥]
[Taming completed!
Summoned creature: The love-struck golden triangular-horned cow will follow your commands.]
[Congratulations! You have completed the side quest: 'Where is the Throbbing Heart?']
[Please claim your reward.]
[A dedicated barn can be built. Choose 'Build' in this space.]
[A high-end automatic milking machine can be installed. Choose 'Install' after building the barn.]
The quest was completed on its own.
"Moo."
The golden triangular-horned cow walked into this space on its own before I could say anything.
Love is like a flame, indeed, it was lightning-fast.
* * *
Choi E-chan swung his sword at the monster.
Swish, thud!
It was lightning-fast.
The sword targeted only the monster's vital points with a nimbleness that was hard to imagine from his large build. After finishing the battle, Choi E-chan checked the system window.
[Name: Choi E-chan
Class: Berserker (S) (Lv.39)
※ Great One: Contracted with the King in Yellow.]
His level had risen quite a bit. Now, if he killed a few more monsters, he could see the end of the quest.
"Ha..."
'I want to go back quickly.'
While putting away his weapon, he sensed a presence behind him. The sound of dry branches cracking.
Another monster? He had already cleared all the monsters in this area.
Curious, Choi E-chan turned to the source of the sound, but a voice interrupted him.
【Don't go that way.】
"Why not?"
【Something bad will happen.】
Hmm.
Choi E-chan thought for a moment after hearing the voice, then headed towards the sound without hesitation.
【Oh, no trust.】
It had been several days since entering the dungeon 《Abyss》.
During this time, the King in Yellow had often meddled in his affairs, warning him of dangers or pointing out good items.
Naively following the voice led to him being dropped into a high-difficulty monster area from the start.
No matter how S-class he was, without practical experience or decent items, it was a struggle for a dirt-poor hunter.
His current achievements were the result of leveling up through tears.
Choi E-chan's actions, stained with distrust, were resolute. Ignoring the sneering voice, he identified the source of the presence. He held his weapon ready to defend against a monster attack.
Rustle. The presence grew louder.
The rustling was low, indicating a small size. By the sound, it weighed about 60 kg. Could it be a human here...?
"Uh, could it be...?"
For a moment, Choi E-chan doubted his eyes. But his sharp senses confirmed the same answer.
The owner of the presence...
Swoosh. He put away his weapon.
A person appeared from where he was looking.
A middle-aged man who had lost his weapon and was wandering.
He had no visible major injuries, but he looked quite worn out, with a thick beard and only a piece of cloth covering his body. He was thin and gaunt, but his eyes were bright.
If not in the dungeon, he would have been mistaken for a homeless person.
But Choi E-chan approached him and bowed.
"Uncle, hello!"
"......?"
The middle-aged man, who looked like a homeless person, turned his head, confused about where he was.
"I've met you before, don't you remember? I'm Choi E-chan, a friend of Leeul. You're Leeul's uncle, right?"
"......Oh?"
The hunter, Kwon Seok-min, the father of Kwon Ji-won who went missing in the maze dungeon years ago and the uncle of Kwon Leeul, looked surprised.
* * *
"Moo."
"Right. Let's go, go."
The large dairy cow settled into this space, mooing. The area had expanded as a reward for the quest.
As I approached, a notification chimed.
[A dedicated barn can be built. Would you like to build it?
Yes☜ / No]
Instantly, a barn with a roof and a feed trough was constructed.
[Summoned creature: The love-struck golden triangular-horned cow is pleased with the dedicated barn.]
[A high-end automatic milking machine can be installed. Would you like to install it?
Yes☜ / No]
The milking machine, with thick tubes and a stainless steel container, was installed on the golden triangular-horned cow. I pressed the button on the milking machine. After a moment, the machine started to hum.
"......!"
Drip.
Fresh milk started to fill the stainless steel container.
[Item: Freshly Milked Milk (★★★☆☆)
Milk freshly squeezed from the rare A-grade golden triangular-horned cow.
A rich flavor different from ordinary milk.
Improves the quality of beverages.]
This milk has one more star than if I had bought it from the dimensional shop. It was worth the effort to bring the golden triangular-horned cow here.
"Kya, nya..."
Lime bounced, as if to say, "I did all the hard work."
In any case, since I had finally obtained the milk, I decided to have a cup of coffee before exploring the area further.
There was no information that could hint at where we were, and the freshly squeezed milk smelled delicious.
Is it not allowed to drink coffee in a dungeon?
Of course it is. Why not? They say that exploration is best after a meal.
I took the milk and left this space to prepare coffee. I brought up the extended recipe list and thought for a moment about what to make.
The answer soon came. The menu I needed was right there.
Ice cream coffee.
I hadn't made this menu since Choi E-chan left a note and departed.
To avoid any misunderstanding, I didn't stop making it because of him. It was just that no customers were asking for this menu in the winter.
The phone connection was down, and I had no idea where Choi E-chan was or what he was doing.
The <Dungeon Management Office> was frantically searching for him, but if he hasn't been found in such a small country, he must be in a dungeon. I hope he's okay.
While thinking about this, I quickly made the coffee.
I filled a glass with ice, espresso, milk, and vanilla syrup. After adding a generous scoop of ice cream and sprinkling chocolate powder, it was complete.
This time, I also gave small cups of coffee to Miumi and Lime. Although they usually didn't care about coffee, they accepted it without a word.
"Here, As, try it."
"......Okay."
First, a bite of ice cream, then a sip of coffee mixed with it. A natural sigh of satisfaction escaped.
"Now I feel a bit better..."
As nodded in agreement.
It's been a while since I tasted a sweet coffee with milk. The taste was good, but there was another reason I chose this menu.
It was because it was too hot here.
Outside, it was winter, but we had been warped to a summer seaside cliff in a day.