Zero to Hero (Prequel/prototype)

Chapter 37. Dilemma

The aroma of freshly baked bread filled the air as Ken walked into the fanciest bakery shop in the city after telling Franklin his plan to get Clare a birthday cake.

Like Genesis had told Ken before, for a large city like Yelwraek, it's extremely common to see people of different races walking about due to its plentiful job opportunities and while the bakery staffs were eyeing Ken suspiciously, it was not because he was a human but the way he was dressed.

While Cecilla wanted to go clothes shopping with Ken and get him to wear more upskilled clothes and wanted her personal stylist to give Ken a total makeover. Clare absolutely refused and prohibited any of them from paying for Ken to buy any fancy clothes or let him have a professional makeup done.

Since Ken himself didn't really care about what he wore or spending money to get a haircut when Emma was more than capable of trimming his hair when needed. Compared to the other patrons at the fancy high end bakery, Ken looked extremely out of place.

"Hello sir, is there anything in particular you are looking for today?" One of the staff asked, while looking at Ken suspiciously not sure if he could afford any of their products.

"Yes! I want to buy a birthday cake, as fancy as you can make it look I guess. Don't really know anything about cake decoration or anything. Oh, also needs to taste good, she likes strawberries a lot and not too sweet."

"And you would need the cake now or is it for a later pickup? And what size would it need to be?"

"I need it now. Let me think, should get a bigger one so that everyone can have some, so enough for ten people should be good." Ken replied, thinking that he should include the servants and Franklin so they could also have a slice of cake.

"Let me confirm the order, you are needing a cake for ten with strawberries and less sweet, correct?"

"Yep, the best quality one."

"Our top quality cakes are made with the finest of products and for one that will feed a party of ten, it would cost 15 silver coins, are you okay with the order?"

"15? That's one expensive cake." Doing some quick math in his head, the average cake he would pay at the academy was 20 points and 15 silver coins is worth 150 or a month and half of allowance at school.

"Yes sir, we offer the highest quality and best produce in all of Yelwraek and our cakes are fit for the royal family."

"Well, it better be for 15 silver coins." Ken replied while pulling out the money bag he got from Franklin and handed over a gold coin to the shocked staffer.

Getting 35 silver coins as his change, Ken wandered around the bakery looking at all of the fancy cakes and desserts and wondered if he should get some as well.

"Excuse me sir, what personalized message would you like for us to write on the cake?"

"You can write on the cake? I guess the shop is fancy for a reason isn't it. Let me think. I guess you can write. Happy Birthday Clare, Love you forever."

Fascinated by the strange human who dressed like he was a nobody but had a bag full of coins, many of which were gold. The staff couldn't help but wonder who exactly this young man was.

"Clare spelled the same way as the princess?" The staff asked to verify the spelling of the name.

"Yep, the cake is for the very same princess so your cake better be good and fit for the royals like you promised or I will come back for a refund."

Letting out a laugh at Ken's joke, the staff looked at him for a reaction but realized the young man was being serious.

Walking back to relay the information to the cake decorator, the staff couldn't help but giggle and share the story told by the delusional human boy.