[One Hour later]
[Kitsuna POV]
'This was the best decision I've made in both my lives,' I thought, patting my full stomach with a deep sense of satisfaction and joy that radiated through every inch of my being. My tail gently swayed behind me, echoing my delight. The afterglow of a hearty feast was like a warm, fuzzy blanket wrapped around my soul. My whole body was relaxed, joyful, and just a little sluggish from the indulgence.
Knock knock.
"How are the fair ladies doing?" the manager asked as he walked into our booth, giving a light knock before stepping in. His voice was cheerful, but you could tell he was testing the waters, probably unsure if I was still the cold menace from earlier.
"We are doing wonderful," I said with a warm smile, a stark contrast to how I'd been earlier. The food had fixed everything. His smile in return looked more relieved than anything.
"Hahaha, wonderful to hear," he chuckled, clearly pleased that no one was threatening to freeze the restaurant solid anymore.
"Well, seeing as everyone is happy, are you ready to move on, Kitsuna?" Mom asked, putting down her seventh empty glass of beer with a loud clink. She was leaning back in her seat, red-cheeked and grinning like a satisfied cat.
I raised an eyebrow at her, genuinely surprised. I never would have thought Mom would love drinking.' It was oddly endearing but also a little alarming.
I sat up a bit straighter, adjusting my position. To my left, Kayda looked absolutely done with life. She stared off at the mountain of plates I'd left behind with a blank, ghosted expression. It was like she was trying to calculate just how much I had eaten and whether it was physically possible.
"Are you sure you're up for it?" I asked Mom, my gaze still fixed on her while ignoring Kayda's soul-departing stare.
"Huh? What do you mean by 'Will I be alright?' Of course, I'll be alright! Who do you think I am?" Mom asked, proudly puffing her chest out before slurping the last foam from her mug.
"A drunk cat. What else?" I said without missing a beat, grinning as I watched her stunned expression freeze in place.
Kayda raised her hand, flagging down a waiter nearby. "Can you please clean our booth? We'll be here for a while longer," she said calmly.
"Ah, get me another beer," Mom chimed in immediately, lifting the empty mug with renewed determination.
"Don't listen to her. She's cut off," I said, waving a dismissive hand before the poor waiter could be swept into Mom's alcohol spiral.
"Ugh, Kitsuna! "Don't be so mean to your mother," Mom whined, flopping over the table with exaggerated dramatics like some noblewoman fainting in a play.
"Nope. You can't drink anymore. Otherwise, we'll never get anything done today," I said sternly, folding my arms like a disappointed parent.
"I take it the ladies will be settling the bill, then?" the waiter asked with practiced ease.
"Yes, you're right. Can you please bring it to us?" I nodded politely before turning back to Mom, who was now trying to pout her way into getting more beer.
"I'll be right back then," the waiter said, bowing slightly and leaving with a professional smile.
"Kitsuna, can't you let your poor mother enjoy herself?" Mom begged, her lips wobbling into a pout that might have worked if she didn't have beer foam on her nose.
"Hey, Kayda," I gently elbowed her side, "was Mom always like this?"
"Huh? Oh, right. Yeah, Stacy loves to drink," Kayda answered absentmindedly, clearly still caught up in whatever mental math she was doing with my plate stack.
"Huh. So not only is she a horndog, but she's also an alcoholic. Sigh, how problematic," I muttered, dropping my head into my hand and slowly shaking it.
"It's not really that bad," Kayda said, trying to sound reassuring. "She might seem totally drunk and useless, but she still has rationality under all that."
"...If you say so," I said, not fully convinced but not really wanting to argue over something I admittedly didn't know much about.
'Sigh. I never thought Mom was a drinker,' I mused, watching her flop her ears lazily and hum to herself. I guess I didn't know her as well as I thought… or maybe she just hid this side of herself from me. I suppose most parents wouldn't want their kids to see them drunk.'
"You won't get anything from staring at her like that," Kayda said, snapping me from my thoughts. "Anyway, why did you eat so much?"
"...Because they make good food," I replied simply.
"That can't be the only reason."
"Well, it's not. The main reason is because of the drunk cat over there," I said, gesturing toward Mom again.
Snore. Snore.
"She's sleeping," I muttered, baffled by how quickly she passed out.
"Hmm, this is normal for any drunk person, though. Why are you so surprised?"
"What? This is normal?"
"Hey, wasn't your teacher drunk when you guys… you know."
"She was," I said with a sigh, "but she never passed out that quickly."
"Sigh. I just don't understand you. How can you be so knowledgeable at times and so clueless at others—"
Bang!
A loud crashing noise echoed through the restaurant, interrupting Kayda mid-lecture.
"Hmm, what was that?" Mom said sleepily, rubbing her eyes like a cat waking from a nap.
"I don't know," Kayda said, turning her head toward the source of the noise.
"Yeah…" I mumbled, standing up and walking toward the door—only for a loud crashing sound to stop me in my tracks as a body came flying through the wall beside us and smacked into the floor with a heavy thud.
"I can't believe they came back already," the manager said, grunting as he pushed himself upright.
"What happened?" I asked, stepping toward the hole in the wall and peeking through the dust. Through the opening, I saw four people—two guys, two girls—standing around a broken table with smug, arrogant expressions. They looked vaguely dwarven, but… they were far too tall to be pure dwarves.
"Hmm, what do you see?" Kayda asked, standing beside me.
"I don't know. They look like dwarves but are too tall for that," I replied, frowning in confusion.
"What did you just say!?" one of them yelled, stomping toward us.
"Oh, it's you guys," Mom said, sitting upright with a yawn like she was greeting old friends.
"Who are you, old hag?" one of the boys spat.
"Old hag?" Mom repeated the words slowly, her eyes flashing dangerously.
"Hey, what are you guys even?" I asked, deciding to step in before Mom turned them into shish kebabs.
"Tsk, you uneducated plebeian. We are the highest existences in this world—High Dwarfs! Feast your eyes, for you'll never see beings like us ever again!" the loudest one proclaimed.
"High Dwarfs? That's a thing?" I said, glancing at Kayda.
"It is," she replied simply.
"Huh, but it doesn't sound like something amazing. Why are they so arrogant about it?"
"Well…"
"YOU! You filthy demi-human! How dare you insult us!" Another shouted, stomping his foot.
"Shut it. I'm not talking to you," I said, sending him a death glare.
"I, Firhumri Kuni, have been insulted! You, commoner, have offended my honor. I challenge you to a duel!" The one in the back shouted, dramatically stepping forward.
"... Huh!? Kuni? You're a Kuni?"
"Haha! Now the commoner regrets what she said!" he laughed.
"Regret? Fuck no. If you're a Kuni, you're making my life easier," I said, grinning darkly.
"Ugh! You—"
"Come on. Let's go outside for our duel," I said, already walking toward the exit.
"Tsk. Fine. Let's go!" He barked, stomping after me.
"I'll be there in a second," I said, turning to Mom and casually picking her up, tossing her over my shoulder.
"I can walk on my own, Kitsuna," she grumbled, flopping against my back.
"I need a handicap to fight a smith," I said with a cheeky grin.
"You'll regret those words," one of the girls hissed.
"Huh? You still here? I thought I told you to wait outside," I said, eyeing her with a raised brow.
"..."
"Anyway, who are you to him? His girlfriend?" I asked, squinting at the family resemblance.
"I am his twin," she said coldly.
"Oh, no grand introduction?"
"For a commoner like you? I don't owe you anything," she said, not even bothering to look at me.
"Ah, you still have that dumb arrogance," I said as I walked out of the restaurant with my mom following me.
"Hmph!" she snorted, following behind.
"Well then, are you ready, Mister High Dwarf?" I asked once we were outside, surrounded by a forming crowd.
"Tsk, Sebastian. Kill this commoner. I would rather not dirty my hands," he sneered.
"Hmm? You're not going to fight me yourself?" I asked, watching the bodyguard step forward.
Level 786, common class? How is this person his guard?' I thought, confused.
"Hah! Since when did I say I'd fight you?" Fur sneered.
"Sigh, boring," I said, glancing at the bodyguard.
"What, you think I'm weak?" the man shouted.
"I don't think you're weak. I know you are," I said, deadpan.
"Hmph! You—"
With a snap of my fingers, ice spikes erupted beneath him, skewering him in a dozen places. He was dead before he hit the ground.
"WHAT?!" the crowd gasped.
"How dare you kill my bodyguard!" Fur shouted, drawing a hammer.
"Brother, let me," his sister said, stepping in.
"What? No—"
"She's a mage. Let me handle her."
"A mage, huh?" I said, appearing in front of her and swinging a sword down.
"Kyaaa!?" the scream echoed. I stopped the sword an inch from her face. She didn't flinch, but her eyes betrayed her.
Behind her, her brother had pissed himself.
"Make way! Move it! The young master and miss are in trouble!" someone shouted.
"Are they now?" I said, pulling the sword back.
Poof.
The illusion vanished. The girl collapsed, gasping. Her brother passed out.
"Well then, Kitsuna, are you going to drop the illusion now?" Mom asked, still dangling.
"Hmm, you weren't affected?"
"Nope. I broke through already," she grinned.
"You're sober again?"
"Yes, yes. Now drop it."
"Fine." I snapped my fingers. The real bodyguard was on the ground, alive. The two Kuni twins lay passed out in their own piss.
"Sigh. Kitsuna, was that necessary?"
"It was. They attack the manager every time," Kayda said, walking past us toward them.
I was wondering where she went. I guess she talked with the manager.'
"Ah, shit. Stop your wife before she—"
"Kyaaa! That hurts! "Don't pull my ear!" the boy screamed.
"Ah, too late."
"Huh?" I muttered, watching Kayda drag them off by their ears.
"Hey, stop! Let go of the young lords!"
"Do you even know who we are?" Kayda snapped, not stopping.
"Eh?" one of the guards mumbled, too stunned to react.