Chapter 40: At a Victory Feast, You Have to Order the Most Expensive Dishes
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 40: At a Victory Feast, You Have to Order the Most Expensive Dishes
In the end, the shopkeeper led us to the place she’d picked out.
Since they were all used to riding flying brooms, I had no choice but to reluctantly hitch a ride on a senior sister’s broom to get there.
I have to say, even though I’ve been flown around before, every senior sister has different flying habits, and the experiences vary wildly. This time, Senior Sister Tang Yihan was the one carrying me, and she kept me in a state of constant terror the whole way, terrified I’d fall off.
It was then that I finally realized how much Sister Bai favored me—her flying was truly rock-steady.
The destination was a very low-key restaurant. At first, I thought that given the shopkeeper’s personality, she’d pick somewhere loud and crowded. Like a bar or a KTV, where the drinks flow freely and you can let loose and vent your inner joy.
As it turned out, I was wrong on all counts.
On the way there, even while flying through the sky, the senior sisters couldn't help but brag about their glorious deeds from earlier. I managed to piece a few things together from their chatter.
For instance, the whole situation had been sparked by Shopkeeper Xia Li. As for what Xia Li had actually done... well, I should have known. She’d gone to snatch this year’s Top Scorer.
It seems she succeeded; word is that Tan Han is already at the academy, currently having her "emotions soothed." I really feel for that Top Scorer.
I took a moment to check the academy system. The pinned quest indeed showed as completed. The person who finished it hadn't hidden their info, but unfortunately, Xia Li and the others weren't on the list. Makes sense—they were probably just called in as backup. After all, if you can just take a quest directly from the academy, why go through the trouble of involving the shopkeeper?
Still, looking at her, she must have gotten a decent cut of the rewards.
What I didn't realize at the time was that Xia Li had only received the price Ying Shiqian had negotiated beforehand—nothing extra. She was only this happy because she’d gotten to thrash a few students from the Holy Angel Academy. As for why she was so obsessed with that, only Xia Li herself knows.
"This place is reservation-only. I booked the whole place yesterday. It was a 'do or die' move, so we’re going to eat well today!"
The shopkeeper chatted with us as she led the way inside. It seemed the actual dining area was deeper within.
We hadn't walked more than a few steps when I saw someone coming to greet us. She was dressed in simple cloth clothes—clearly a chef’s uniform—and she beamed at us with a warm, welcoming smile.
"Xia Li! It’s been ages. I’ve been prepping today’s dishes ever since I got your reservation call yesterday!"
Well, it looked like the restaurant owner and the shopkeeper were quite close.
I’m just a total country bumpkin who’s never experienced a high-end, reservation-only restaurant like this. But seeing how calm the two senior sisters were, I figured there probably wasn't too much etiquette to worry about.
"Is that so? What’s the main course? I can’t wait! I even brought a new employee along today. Consider this a joint celebration for her joining the shop."
As she spoke, Xia Li pulled me forward by the hand. "Let me introduce you. This is... uh..." At that point, Xia Li froze, looking at Ying Shiqian with a slightly awkward expression.
It was glaringly obvious that the shopkeeper hadn't bothered to learn my name yet; she only knew the senior sisters called me Xiao Han.
"Hello, Senior. My name is Yang Yuehan. You can just call me Xiao Han," I said politely, stepping in to save the shopkeeper from her embarrassment. This boss of mine was a bit too negligent—she didn't even ask for her employee's name beforehand?
I only knew the owner's name because I'd heard the senior sisters mention it. It felt a bit pathetic, but it also showed that the shopkeeper didn't really value me much yet. After all, I was just a part-timer.
"Xiao Han, eh? Not bad. You're a freshman this year, right? You arrived at the academy quite early."
"Yes, I wanted to get used to academy life ahead of time."
"Haha, and are you adjusting well? What happened this morning is a rare occurrence. Don't let it give you a bad impression of the academy."
"I won't, I won't," I replied quickly, then tried to fade into the background. In a situation like this, it was better not to act like a total attention-seeker. Even though the shopkeeper said this was partly for me, she was still the star of the show.
Should I offer the shopkeeper a toast later? Does this world even have that kind of culture? Probably not... I don't really pay attention to that stuff.
Once inside, I realized the space was actually quite small with very few seats. It was as if the kitchen had been moved right to the front desk, with the food being prepared right in front of the guests.
So it was that kind of place?
No wonder it was reservation-only and tucked away in such a hidden spot. They clearly didn't care about foot traffic at all. Did they think a few regulars making reservations was enough to keep the place afloat? The profit margins must be terrifying. Or maybe, like the shopkeeper, she had a side hustle?
Looking at the shopkeeper and the owner, their relationship made me suspicious. It wouldn't surprise me if this owner was an even more terrifying existence than the shopkeeper. It was entirely possible.
I watched the owner head toward her "home field." That’s when I noticed a girl beside her who looked a bit green compared to the owner. Even so, I still had to call her "Senior Sister." She was likely the owner’s apprentice.
She seemed a bit awkward, just like me, though she carried herself more naturally, remaining quiet behind her master.
Once we sat down, the atmosphere in the shop seemed to relax. The two senior sisters were the same; although we were here to eat, it felt more like a casual hangout. Before we started, they even asked if I had any food allergies or dislikes. It seemed very professional—at least so far.
Then came the display of today’s ingredients. I couldn't tell what any of them were, as they involved many Transcendent creatures I’d never encountered before. These weren't just animal meats soaked in high concentrations of Transcendent energy; these were high-level lifeforms that possessed Transcendent power themselves... or at least, they were "ingredients" now, about to lie on my plate.
This grand sense of ritual was certainly novel, but I was more curious about the taste.
"Xiao Han, do you drink? This is a low-concentration variety, basically an alcoholic soft drink." Tang Yihan placed a bottle next to me. Judging by the packaging, it had to be expensive.
"Um... just a little, then."
"Help yourself. And don't be polite with the shopkeeper; she's the one footing the bill," Tang Yihan whispered in my ear. Seeing that I had no one to talk to while Ying Shiqian and the shopkeeper were busy, she’d leaned over to chat.
"Xiao Han, see that cut of meat in the display case? When they serve that later, eat as much as you can. It’s not just delicious—it’s incredibly expensive."
"O-okay..."