Why Am I a Priestess When I Reach the Maximum Level? - [Vol. 5] Chapter 175

[Vol. 5] Chapter 175: The Bamboo Lodge and Awen

The bamboo grove wasn’t particularly vast, covering only about six or seven times the area of the bamboo house itself. It was obvious that it had been planted by human hands.

But these green bamboo stalks were quite interesting. Not only were they tall and straight, but they far exceeded the height that ordinary bamboo could reach. Some of the older-looking ones were particularly thick, growing to sizes that only ancient trees usually attain.

The priestess couldn’t help but silently muse to herself.

With trunks so thick that it would take one, or even two people to wrap their arms around them… can these still be called “bamboo”?

Seeing Miss White Fox and the little girl, who was only a head shorter, curiously looking around the entrance, the Holy Knight, standing at the peak of the height difference among the three, couldn’t help but chuckle.

“What do you think? This place is pretty nice, right? Although it’s technically a cafeteria open to everyone, the owner deliberately raised the price range and added several extra rules. Plus, it’s quite far from the main dormitories and classrooms, so not many people actually come here to eat. I’ve loved its peaceful atmosphere since I was young.”

“Huh? It’s… expensive? Sister Fox, maybe we should just…”

“……”

Seeing Eudora suddenly startled and then frantically pulling on Miss White Fox’s dress as if she wanted to leave, Edwina lowered her head, quietly observing her for a moment. Her smile deepened, becoming even more amused.

“Don’t worry, don’t worry! It’s only expensive for the average student. It’s just a meal, and I can definitely cover it. Feel free to order whatever you want, no need to be polite!”

“Huh? But…”

As if she hadn’t noticed the slightly peculiar look in the Holy Knight’s eyes earlier, Miss White Fox simply smiled and patted the pink-haired girl’s head, nodding.

“Since Edwina said so, there’s no need to worry about the cost. Don’t let her appearance fool you. She’s from a *very* wealthy family. Saying she’s rich enough to rival a country wouldn’t be an exaggeration.”

“Ahaha… it’s not *that* exaggerated…”

As they chatted casually, the blonde girl lifted the hanging door curtain and led the other two into the bamboo house.

The interior decor matched the serene elegance of its exterior. Even though this was the cafeteria for a campus with over ten thousand students and staff, it only had about a dozen sets of tables and chairs, a single ordering counter, and no high-end, expensive decorations. Even the tables and chairs themselves seemed to be made from woven bamboo.

It was as if the element of “bamboo” had been taken to its ultimate expression.

When the three women entered the ?Bamboo Lodge?, there were no other customers inside. The place was cold and quiet, with only a young woman with long, bamboo-green hair tied at the waist with an apron, leaning against the wall behind the counter, yawning in boredom.

She was the only other person in the bamboo house besides Violet and her companions.

Even though she noticed the guests entering, the girl didn’t show much enthusiasm. She merely glanced at the three, raised an eyebrow, and then focused her gaze on the blonde girl leading the group.

Edwina, however, seemed quite familiar with her and immediately greeted her as soon as they met.

“Hey, Awen, long time no see! You’re still as relaxed as ever~”

“Hmm… oh, it’s you.”

The girl, who had been leaning against the wall with her eyes closed, pretending to nap, lazily lifted her head upon hearing Edwina’s voice, finally taking in the sight of the three women, led by the Holy Knight.

“The ‘Little Miss Rigid’ from the Academy, huh? Haha, it’s been a while. You’ve changed quite a bit, haven’t you, little one… So, you finally thought of coming to see me?”

“Ah, come on, Awen! Don’t keep calling me ‘Little Miss Rigid’—I have friends with me…”

Hearing the affectionate nickname that was clearly a private joke, even someone as calm and easygoing as Edwina couldn’t help but blush a little. She quickly tried to change the subject.

“Awen, let me introduce you… Miss Dawn and Eudora. They’re tourists visiting from outside the Holy City. They heard about the fame of the Holy Academy and came specifically to tour the place.”

“You know how the Academy rules are, haha… and since it’s around lunchtime, I thought I’d bring them here to grab a meal and get to know you a bit.”

After finishing, the Holy Knight turned toward the two standing beside her, Miss White Fox and the little pink-haired girl, whose heads barely reached above the counter from Awen’s perspective. Awen likely could only see the fox mask and a tuft of pink hair from where she stood.

“This is Awen, the owner of the ?Bamboo Lodge? and a good friend of mine for many years. Back when I was still at the Academy, I used to come here to eat often.”

“Hello.”

“Hello, hello~”

“Sister Awen…”

After exchanging brief pleasantries, Awen, the proprietress, tilted her head and began sizing up the two new guests in front of the counter who weren’t easy to see, and soon, a look of realization crossed her face.

“Oh… So it’s because of the Academy’s rule that outsiders aren’t allowed to dine in the internal cafeterias that you brought them here, huh? ‘Little Miss Rigid’ is still a ‘Little Miss Rigid’, I see. Haha, you haven’t forgotten the rules at all. But you’re a bit more sly now, knowing how to find loopholes.”

“A-A-Awen!!”

Awen’s blunt comment revealed Edwina’s true intentions, causing her to stiffen up and blush with embarrassment as she quickly tried to explain herself. Meanwhile, Awen casually pulled out a bamboo menu from under the counter and tossed it onto the surface.

“Here, take a look and decide what you want. Everything I can make is on there, and I’ll cook it fresh. It’s all clean food. But don’t expect anything too fancy from this little place. Any complaints—keep them to yourselves.”

“Whoa, this really is… an attitude of not caring about business at all. No wonder the environment is nice, but barely anyone comes to dine here.”

It’s like she’s one step away from hanging a sign around her neck that says, ?Eat if you want, don’t if you don’t.?

Since Edwina had vouched for the place, and Violet wasn’t the type to nitpick over small matters, she didn’t say much. She picked up the notebook-sized bamboo menu, covered in densely packed writing, and skimmed through it.

Soon, she noticed a problem.

“Mushroom and bamboo shoot soup, braised bamboo slices, stir-fried fresh bamboo, bamboo leaf juice… uh, why is everything made of bamboo or bamboo shoots?”

Awen, who had just finished tying her apron, rolled her eyes.

“Who said that? There’s other stuff later on the menu. Besides, if I didn’t specialize in bamboo dishes, could I still call this place the ?Bamboo Lodge??”

That… kind of made sense?

As Awen said, about half the dishes were indeed bamboo-based, but the rest… well, to be honest, they were still more or less related to bamboo. They were either bamboo by-products or similar items, and there was hardly any meat.

Given the bamboo forest outside, could it be that the ?Bamboo Lodge? sourced all its ingredients on-site?

Seeing Miss White Fox fall silent, Edwina, having just recovered from her earlier embarrassment, sensed things weren’t going well. She quickly jumped in to smooth things over.

“Um! The food here is a bit light… but I remember Miss Dawn prefers this kind of taste, right? Don’t be fooled by the simple appearance. Awen’s cooking is really good! How about… we give it a try first?”