[Lucky Overpowered] — I Became a Background Character Meant to Die in the Game’s Opening, But Now I’m Overpowered and Fighting to Save My All-Time Favorite Alchemist Heroine - Episode 18

I dipped the confit duck and ratatouille into the dark rye bread laid out on the table.

Confit is a dish where ingredients are slowly cooked in low-temperature oil. Ratatouille is more or less a medley of stewed vegetables. And the dark rye bread—well, it’s the same as always. It has that characteristic sour taste that isn’t particularly pleasant. The texture is coarse, and there’s almost no sweetness to it.

It doesn’t even come close to the kind of bread you can get in Japan. I really miss that soft, sweet Japanese bread.

Since it was a rare occasion to eat out, I splurged and ordered the duck. But, truth be told, I wasn’t all that satisfied with the flavor.

“Hmm… It’s okay, I guess…”

The taste wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t especially good either. It was one of those hard-to-rate meals.

It’s kind of depressing for my first meal out in a while to turn out like this—but on the flip side, I suppose it just means I’m used to eating good food on a regular basis.

Gael may look like a muscular octopus-headed monk, but his hobby is cooking. And he always feeds us amazing meals without ever caring about profit.

Really, I can’t thank him enough.

“Kind of underwhelming, huh?”

“Hey, that’s rude, you know?”

But even Lise didn’t deny it. Which meant, she probably felt the same way—I bet she prefers Gael’s cooking too.

From now on, I should try to eat at the Tiger’s Den whenever I can. It’s cheaper, and more importantly, way more delicious.

“I heard a merchant caravan got attacked by monsters on the eastern road.”

“That’s what happens when you skimp on escort fees.”

“You really love sausages, don’t you?”

“Our clan is currently recruiting adventurers. If you’re interested, we—”

“Sir Gee, Lady Lise, do you have a moment?”

Just as we were relaxing after our meal, someone called out our names amid the usual noisy clamor of the dining area. I turned to look and saw it was the guild receptionist.

“Yes?”

“We’ve finalized the recommended adventurer party for you from the guild.”

Already? I thought it would take more time—maybe not even get done today.

“Could you come with me for a moment?”

“Got it.”

“Of course.”

Following the receptionist, we were led to a spot beside the reception counter, where three adventurers stood—about the same age as us.

Those three…!

“This is Gilles, the leader of the adventurer party Fangs of the Wolf. Gilles, these are the guild-recommended partners, Gee and Lise.”

Fangs of the Wolf, huh?

So, they’ve already formed a party?

Well, I suppose this world is mostly like the game, but there are some differences. In the game, these three weren’t partied up yet, but I guess they decided to form one in this world.

I looked over each member of the Fangs of the Wolf.

First, there was Gilles, a red-haired boy with a fierce expression and a great sword on his back. He seemed to be the leader. He’s a warrior type with high offensive power. Honestly, he looks better than he did in the game visuals—quite handsome, even.

Next, the large boy in reinforced leather armor holding a massive shield was Gustave. He had a kind expression and was bulky both vertically and horizontally. He was clearly the party’s tank, with strong defense.

Lastly, there was a girl in a black robe with long, purplish-black hair—Isabelle. She adjusted her glasses and shot us a sharp look, as if sizing us up.

These three appeared in the game too. Not exactly top-tier, but solid enough—they’d definitely be considered a good pull.

If we’re forming a party with them, the balance seems pretty good.

“Huh… So, an archer and an alchemist, huh…”

Gilles glanced between the paper in his hand and the two of us as he spoke. Behind him, Gustave and Isabelle were peering at the document over his shoulder.

“I get the archer part, but what can an alchemist even do?”

“Um… things like disrupting monsters with items or healing allies with potions… maybe?” Lise responded hesitantly.

“But we can all use items. So, what’s the point of bringing an alchemist?”

“Well…”

“Mind if I explain?”

I stepped forward in place of Lise, who had been at a loss for words.

“An alchemist can imbue magic into items to enhance their effects. Even if it’s the same potion, one used by an alchemist with infused magic works much better than a regular one.”

“Gee…! Thanks.”

“No problem.”

Lise looked up at me with a grateful expression. That alone made me feel amazing. I’d do anything for her.

“I see… But couldn’t Isabelle just do that too?”

“I can’t. The way alchemists use magic is fundamentally different from how we do it.”

“Is that so…? Hmm, then what to do…”

Gilles crossed his arms, pondering.

“To be honest, we were hoping for a healer who could use holy magic.”

“I see…”

Holy magic—healing magic, basically. Having a quick and reliable means of recovery is definitely important. But it’s not like alchemists can’t help in that department.

That’s probably why the guild matched us with Fangs of the Wolf.