Remember when I mentioned meat was rare?
Well…
I meant real meat.
Synthetic meat was everywhere.
Cheap.
Artificial.
Mass-produced.
And unfortunately?
It tasted like absolute garbage.
"RANDY'S DINER."
Large red letters hung above the entrance. Dirty letters, sure—but still red.
The diner itself looked old and worn down, but the food was surprisingly decent.
It was run by an orc named Randy.
Rough around the edges.
Mean-looking.
Built like he could bench press a horse.
But the Man could cook.
More importantly, his prices were fair.
That alone made him a saint in the lower districts.
I pushed open the door, the bell above it giving a soft jingle as we entered.
The place was fairly crowded.
Workers.
Mercenaries.
Street thugs.
A few exhausted-looking adventurers.
The usual crowd.
I led everyone toward a table in the corner and sat down.
A waitress walked over shortly afterward.
Fairy.
Tiny wings.
Blonde hair tied into a ponytail.
She handed us menus with a tired smile.
"What can I get y'all?"
"I'll take a burger," I said immediately. "Extra onions."
I was starving.
The rest of the group quickly placed their orders as well.
Once the waitress left, I leaned forward slightly.
Time to ask the important questions.
"Lily," I said quietly, "is the Phenomena active?"
She silently nodded.
I frowned slightly before looking toward Roy.
"What happened?"
Roy lowered his gaze in thought.
"The information spread farther than expected," he said carefully. "The whole area turned into a warzone."
"It was a trap," Lily added quietly.
…Yeah.
That confirmed it.
Still, at least the whole thing wasn't a complete loss.
We'd made some money.
Not much.
But enough.
The food arrived shortly afterward, and the table fell silent as everyone started eating.
Honestly?
The burgers weren't bad.
After finishing my meal, I stood up and headed toward the counter to pay.
As I approached the front window, my reflection stared back at me through the glass.
Curly black hair.
Golden eyes.
I paused slightly.
Even now…
I still couldn't get used to this face.
It felt wrong somehow.
Like I was looking at someone familiar and unfamiliar at the same time.
Like my appearance should've been completely different.
The feeling was strange.
Uncomfortable.
I pushed the thought aside and walked up to the cashier.
That's when I noticed them.
Imperials.
Clean armor.
Disciplined posture.
Obvious military training.
There were too many of them.
And they were searching for something.
…We should leave.
"Alice. Roy. Let's go."
I casually walked past the table toward the back exit.
The others immediately followed behind me while trying not to draw attention.
I pushed open the back door—
—and someone slammed directly into me.
"Oof—!"
I stumbled backward slightly.
A girl fell with me.
"Are you alright?" I asked instinctively, reaching out a hand.
"I-I'm fine," she said softly. "Thank you…"
She grabbed my hand as I helped her back to her feet.
Then I finally got a proper look at her.
Long light-blue hair.
Bright blue eyes that reminded me of the ocean.
And clothes expensive enough to feed an entire slum district for months.
A noble's daughter.
No doubt about it.
She was ridiculously beautiful.
"Be careful, miss," I said, preparing to walk away.
Then her eyes suddenly widened.
"Wait."
She stared directly at my pocket.
"Where did you get that sapphire from?"
Ah.
So that's what this is about.
"A friend gave it to me," I answered casually.
Not technically a lie.
Roy did hand it to me, after all.
"Please," she said quickly, her voice almost desperate. "Name your price. I need that sapphire."
…Bingo.
Here comes payday.