Chapter 239
Chapter 239
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 239
Chapter Title: Chapter 6-1. Iris
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Watching the waitress express her gratitude, Judah scratched his inexplicably itchy nape. Even if it was all an act, the way she bowed nearly ninety degrees and kept thanking him over and over was genuinely impressive. He raised his hand to show it was fine.
"No, there's no need to thank me so much. For now, I'll order food with this. One gold coin should be... more than enough for the meal, right?"
She nodded. She scribbled something else on a piece of paper and showed it to him.
-There'll still be leftovers even if you order one of everything.
"In that case, bring one of everything. Skip the alcohol but include some drinks. And use whatever's left over plus this extra gold coin to cover what those mercenaries ate earlier—divide it up and hand it out."
-Is that really okay? It's not a small amount.
"It's basically free food for them, so of course it's fine."
-Understood. I'll bring it out as soon as the dishes are ready.
The conversation was a bit slow because of the notes, but there were no real issues. Still, what to do with all the paper she'd handed him? She'd torn pages from her notepad and kept offering them, so Judah's side was now piled high with her memos.
Her handwriting was pretty, too. Keeping them wouldn't be a bad idea. They could become memories later on. Judah stacked the papers together and pretended to pocket them while opening his <Bag> and stashing them inside.
"Thank you for your hard work."
"No injuries, right?"
It was only after the waitress left that Lime and Arhil spoke up. It hadn't been hard work at all, and of course he wasn't hurt. He wasn't clumsy enough to get injured by people who weren't even on the level of Sword Owners or their equivalents.
"That's a relief."
"Did you think the Sword Owner thing was a lie?"
"No, nothing like that. To be honest, I wasn't worried about you, Judah. I was concerned about that maid who fell over there. Seeing her working fine now, it looks like she's unharmed."
He'd been wondering what she'd been staring at earlier. It turned out she meant the waitress who'd quickly approached to calm things down when the mercenaries were causing a scene. While watching her from behind, at just the right moment, she'd bent at the waist, revealing her plump rear wrapped in white panties.
"!"
It was a nice sight. He quickly turned his head away, but that image lingered vividly in his mind. Judah cleared his throat with a "Ahem" and looked at Lime.
"If you're interested, why not go talk to her? She's a high-ranking magic swordsman, so she'd at least consider it."
"No, just looking at a flower is enough."
Lime nodded with a pleased expression, not taking his eyes off the waitress until she straightened up. Unlike Judah, who was mindful of Arhil's gaze, he had no such reservations.
"That's unexpected. Your eyes looked like you were about to rush over and ask if she was free tonight."
He gave a wry smile.
"I'd love to, but if my wife found out I was hitting on another woman, she'd kill me."
"......?"
Was he married?
Judah hadn't heard anything about a wife. Come to think of it, they'd never talked about personal matters before—probably out of politeness.
"Any kids?"
Arhil asked. Lime nodded as if it were obvious.
"I've got a grown son and daughter. My daughter got along so well with a friend she'd grown up with since childhood that they ended up getting married."
"Whoa."
Who would've thought.
"And my son takes after me—he's got a talent for magic and became a magic swordsman."
He launched into an impromptu brag about his kids. Did he have photos? He opened his subspace and showed them. There were his son and daughter, along with a woman presumed to be his wife, all smiling with flower crowns on their heads. The son looked displeased with his flower crown, frowning a bit, but it suited him well enough.
"Wow...! Where do you even take pictures like this?"
Arhil seemed deeply envious of such a family photo, unable to tear her eyes away.
"Any decent magic tower can do it. It doesn't cost much, so when you visit one next time, we should get one. If it's on the way, let's all do it together."
"Great idea! Right, Judah? Let's get a family photo like that."
Arhil passed the photo to Judah as she spoke. He replied affirmatively, glanced at it briefly, then handed it back to Lime.
"They all look great—probably because they take after you."
"Heh heh heh. Thank you."
He was slyly acknowledging his own good looks. But it was true. If he didn't have the beard, or rather, because he did, it gave him that distinguished middle-aged charm.
*I hope I grow up to be a guy whose beard suits him like that when I get older.* That thought crossed Judah's mind. Moments later, the food arrived. It wasn't a small amount. The cart had three tiers piled high with dishes.
"That's a lot."
"You ordered one of everything, so there's probably more to come."
"...Can we eat all this?"
"Not a problem."
As long as it tasted good, he could eat and digest as much as needed. The table filled up with appetizing food. The aroma was fantastic. Just as he reached for his fork and knife, another note was proffered.
-There's more food—if you finish this, I'll bring the rest.
Judah read the note and nodded. The waitress smiled, bowed, and retreated.
"It's delicious!"
Arhil, already eating, spoke with her mouth covered as she chewed. Her surprised expression suggested it exceeded expectations. Judah took a bite himself, and Lime watched him tensely.
"How is it? Good?"
"Yeah, it's delicious. It might've been even better without you staring so intently."
"Then, compared to what I've made for you...?"
So that's why he'd been staring.
"A honest review?"
"Please."
"If you're asking like that, honestly, this place is better. But rather than hearing from me or Arhil, you should try it yourself to be sure."
Lime had always prepared tasty meals. Judah had tried to balance nutrition by pairing meat with veggies, but he wasn't as meticulous as Lime. Lime, however, was different. He always emphasized balanced nutrition, never skimping on vegetables. His subspace was stocked with all sorts of cookware and ingredients, ensuring delicious meals anytime. Objectively, his cooking was great—it wasn't for nothing that his trait included culinary talent. But this restaurant's food was far superior.
"Mm."
Lime stabbed a piece with his fork, ate it, and nodded. He was admitting defeat.
"...It's frustrating, but I need to step up my game. This place must have an amazing chef. I'd love to learn a thing or two."
Judah just gave a light smile at Lime burning with competitive spirit. The food was delicious, and they only exchanged light chatter until they were somewhat full. Lime and Arhil looked content, leaning back in their chairs with satisfied sighs. Arhil watched in awe as Judah kept steadily emptying plates without pause.
"I never get it no matter how many times I see it—how do you fit so much?"
"Who knows. I just keep eating..."
"Was what I've made so far not enough?"
"No, not at all. The usual portions are plenty. I just eat more because I can."
They marveled as he polished off the last bowl and washed it down with a drink for dessert. The stack of empty plates was cartoonishly high—something hard for a normal person to comprehend. But there was no good way to explain it. He could just keep eating without issue. No bloating, and he'd never gotten sick from overeating up to now.
"But isn't that just how it is?"
"Of course. I'd heard Sword Owners were big eaters, but not to this extent. Guess I need to increase portions from now on. Thinking back, you've never left food unfinished."
In fact, he'd even eaten Arhil's leftovers. Lime berated himself for not realizing sooner. But Judah waved it off. He'd only eaten Arhil's scraps because he hated to waste food, not because he was still hungry. No need to rack up extra costs.
"By the way, is the reason we came here specifically because someone recommended the food?"
Lime asked, picking up a piece of fruit that came with dessert using a cute wooden fork.
Not at all. Wandering tasties in this world sounded fun, but that wasn't why he'd dragged them here. Now that he thought about it, he'd brought Lime and Arhil along without much explanation—just vaguely mentioning they'd head to the Shadow Kingdom's labyrinth for info. He should've at least said that much.
Part of him wanted to tell them right there that this shop, using the name [Veil of Light], was actually the capital of the Shadow Kingdom. But with the waitress clearing tables right behind them, he couldn't bring himself to say it.
*Funny when you think about it.*
The Byron Empire, so strict on murder, was home to the premier assassin group. What irony. Even if the empire knew, they couldn't do much. If they fled in earnest, no catching them—and with the Shadow Kingdom holding a Fragment, provoking them would just mean bloodshed.
"Yeah, the food's great, but I also have business here. Lots of ears around, so can we talk details after getting a room upstairs?"
Judah pointed upward as he spoke. Lime pondered briefly, glanced around, and nodded.
"Understood. In that case..."
The three rose and headed to the counter. One double room, one single. The gold coin from earlier covered it—no extra needed. Judah handed the single room key to Arhil. She was a woman, after all; better she sleep alone.
But Arhil took the key without hesitation and cheerfully offered it to Lime.
"Why give it to me?"
"I'll room with Judah, so you take it!"
"Pardon?"
Lime accepted the key in bewilderment, scratching his chin and tilting his head. Had something gone wrong? But Arhil was already heading up the stairs, so protesting felt too late.
"Let's head up, too."
Seeing Judah seemingly resigned, Lime chuckled and followed, stepping onto the stairs. Strangely, the wooden steps didn't creak like in a typical inn. The building looked a bit aged from outside, but it was well-maintained—only their footsteps echoed clearly.
And the mute waitress watched them ascend, trays of drinks balanced in both hands, standing silently.
========== Afterword ==========
1) When the semester starts, it doesn't just get wrecked—it gets dog-medicated (drool).
2)
Q. Author-nim... If you're thinking about outsourcing, please do a Joseon one too lololol
A. Joseon?