Infinite Mana (4)
The next floor was the one selling mid-sized magical equipment on the first basement level.
“Th-that one! That one!”
Ayoung spotted something on display in one of the shops and rushed over with an excited squeal.
“This is… the premium electric scooter that came out two years ago! I can’t believe it’s here…!”
It was far too large to really call an electric scooter. It even had a seat attached. Like everything else here, it resembled the ones you’d see on the streets, but compared to the shared scooters that littered sidewalks like obstacles in a 90s RPG, this was an incredibly rare find.
Whenever Serpina saw those things on the street, the same thought always crossed her mind.
“Wouldn’t it be better to just ride a proper scooter at that point?”
“Ugh!”
Ayoung looked frustrated but couldn’t argue. That exact model had been discontinued two years ago for that very reason.
This one’s different… It uses magic to balance stability and speed at the same time, so it’s actually faster…
But she knew that explaining any of this to someone with zero interest in the subject would just earn her a blank stare and a “what the hell are you talking about,” so Ayoung kept it to herself.
After a few minor distractions, they finished exploring from the third floor down to the first. Only the underground level remained.
“The basement is the food court, right?”
“Yes. Since everything outside closes early because of the curfew, if you want a late-night snack without going all the way to a special place like Shinsi, people end up gathering at spots like ML Mart that stay open late.”
Listening to Ayoung’s explanation, they stepped onto the first basement floor. The moment they did, a completely different level of noise greeted them.
“Look, I’m telling you, this request is pure honey!”
“Three beers over here and a whole seasoned chicken!”
“Your slime cold noodles are ready!”
Voices and laughter echoed nonstop from every direction. The clamor here easily rivaled the daytime hustle of the main ML Mart floors.
“I was wondering where all those guys who were hanging out in the basement went since I didn’t see them upstairs. So they were all down here?”
“Hehe. Honestly, more than half the people who come to ML Mart at night are here for the food court. It’s better to go all the way to Shinsi for other stuff since it’s cheaper and higher quality, but who wants to bother going that far just to grab a bite?”
Ayoung herself visited this food court quite often. Naturally, it was for late-night snacks. Working part-time during the day and taking requests at night meant both physical and mental exhaustion piled up. Physical fatigue could be mostly handled with a witch’s potion, but mental fatigue had no easy fix. Eating delicious food was Ayoung’s personal way of relieving stress. It was also an extremely common method.
Ayoung led Serpina to her favorite shop.
“This is the place I like best. Their deep-fried cockatrice leg meat is seriously amazing. Pair it with dwarf-made beer… Mmm. I can’t wait!”
Ayoung practically flew to the counter and shouted.
“Mister! I’m here!”
“Don’t make a racket when there are other customers! Just sit down! The usual fried stuff and dwarf beer, right?”
“Yes! Make it two portions today, please!”
“Two? Not three? Now that I look, that customer over there is a new face. Guess I’ll throw in a little service!”
“Really? Yay!”
“Sit and wait. I’ll bring it out myself.”
“Okay!”
After finishing her order with a very familiar and friendly exchange with the shop owner, Ayoung set the table with the practiced ease of someone who came here all the time. It seemed the word “regular” wasn’t just for show.
While she did that, Serpina looked around. A large number of the food court customers were wearing the distinctive clothing of mages. Thanks to how unique the outfits were, you could often tell someone’s race just from what they wore. There were witches like Negin wearing oversized hats, and beastkin whose clothes had holes cut out for their tails.
“The new tail-comb that came out is seriously great. Want to try it?”
“Really? My tail fur’s been getting a little stiff lately, so I was worried. Think it’ll be okay?”
“You should’ve used refined lava instead of maneater petals in that one. Haven’t you read the latest recipe?”
“It’s because our thesis advisor is a fossil. He throws a fit if it’s even slightly different from the old recipes.”
Everyone was noisily chatting about their own topics. Watching them made Serpina think of taverns from the other world, stirring up a faint sense of nostalgia. Life there had been incredibly difficult, but there were still good moments.
Just as Serpina was lost in those memories—
“Boss! Five chickens here! And beer too!”
A group of men and women burst into the shop, shouting loudly. Unlike with Ayoung, there was no reply from the kitchen this time. They didn’t seem to care and simply claimed the largest table. It was the one right next to Serpina’s.
“Hahaha! Today’s on me!”
“Oh really? Then I’ll have two orders of tenders!”
“Two? Get five!”
“Hahaha! Hey, part-timer! You heard that? Five extra tenders!”
They immediately started talking at the top of their lungs. Even in the already noisy food court, their voices stood out as especially loud.
Ayoung glanced at them and frowned slightly.
“They’re from Wolf Fang.”
“Wolf Fang?”
“It’s a guild made up entirely of werewolves. They’re extremely aggressive, so a lot of people are scared of them.”
There were other werewolves in the food court too. None of them looked particularly happy to see the Wolf Fang members. Wolf Fang was one of the more extreme factions among werewolves.
“I see.”
Serpina replied indifferently. It wasn’t particularly interesting to her. Even if that table was a bit loud, it wasn’t enough to bother her hearing. And for Serpina, who had just been reminiscing about taverns from the other world, a bunch of thugs barging in and making noise was simply another nostalgic element.
“What do you mean by aggressive? Do they fight with other guilds?”
“It does happen sometimes. They fight over hunting grounds, or sometimes just to test their strength. Though honestly the latter is pretty rare.”
They chatted casually about whatever topics came up while they waited, and before long their order arrived.
“Two orders of deep-fried cockatrice leg meat and two glasses of dwarf-made beer. The boneless fried chicken is on the house.”
The food was finally here. Deep-fried cockatrice leg meat. At a glance it looked similar to chicken drumsticks, but the faint traces of mana lingering in the meat made it clear this wasn’t ordinary chicken.
Yet even as Ayoung stared at the glistening, perfectly fried leg meat, she tilted her head.
“Huh? Where’s the sauce? Don’t they usually serve it with sauce?”
“Ah! I’m sorry. I’ll bring it right away.”
The server bowed hurriedly and rushed back to the kitchen. Ayoung shrugged.
“Must be a new employee. It’ll be out soon, so let’s start eating first.”
Serpina didn’t hesitate. She took the largest leg Ayoung offered and tore into it. With a loud crunch, the crispy coating shattered. The tender meat pulled apart easily, releasing a burst of savory juices. It was somehow both melt-in-your-mouth soft and pleasantly chewy—a contradictory texture made possible by the mana remaining in the meat. Just when the slight oiliness started to feel heavy, a sip of the dwarf-made beer washed it all down cleanly, leaving a lingering aftertaste that made you reach for the next piece.
Her taste buds, which had survived for so long on nothing but triangle kimbap, let out a cheer at this long-absent luxury. Serpina started thinking it might be worth spending money on meals from now on. She had been too lazy to earn money and had just used magic to get by, but now that the Cat Mom bounty had come in, she could enjoy food without any hassle.
“This is good.”
“Right? That’s why I come here so often.”
The server soon returned with the sauce. Serpina and Ayoung both reduced their conversation and focused entirely on eating. The food was that good.
Then, from the table that had been rowdy since they arrived, a shout erupted.
“Are you kidding me? I told you to bring chicken!!”
Serpina felt a flicker of annoyance at having her pleasant meal interrupted and glanced over. The same server from before was repeatedly bowing his head at the Wolf Fang guild members’ table.
“Th-this is the five fried chickens you ordered…”
“Who the hell ordered fried chicken?! That! I ordered that!”
The largest man among the Wolf Fang members pointed at the deep-fried cockatrice leg meat on Serpina’s table.
“But when you ordered, you clearly said chicken…”
“Who the fuck comes to this place and eats regular fried chicken?! If you don’t want to die, go get it again!”
“B-but…”
The man’s words were nothing but pure nonsense. The menu clearly listed fried chicken and deep-fried cockatrice leg meat as completely separate items. It was only natural to assume “chicken” meant the fried chicken. He was just being a jerk, like those people who walk into a convenience store, bark out a brand name for cigarettes, and expect everyone to understand.
Even so, if it had ended there, Serpina probably wouldn’t have paid much attention. She wasn’t the type to stick her nose into other people’s business.
“I said bring it again!!”
— BANG!
The man shouted and violently slammed the plate of chicken down. The freshly cooked, steaming-hot pieces flew off the dish. One of the bouncing pieces landed right on the lower part of Serpina’s newly bought pants.
Serpina lowered her gaze to check her trousers. A clear oil stain now marked the pants that still carried the fresh scent of new clothes.
“…Ah.”
Ayoung dropped the chicken leg she had been eating and let out a dazed sound.