The morning sun fell upon the long street lined with red-roofed buildings, and the fresh fruits on the stalls were adorned with glistening dewdrops, while pedestrians and vendors came and went in an endless stream.
As the busiest and most prosperous street in the Common Realm, Jica Market Street was almost always bustling with people from dawn until dusk.
Moli Restaurant, which had recently brought another huge wave of people to Jica Market Street, was naturally packed at this moment, with a long queue even extending outside the restaurant.
On the north side of the street, the warm sunlight shone obliquely on the storefront carved with purple patterns. Someone in the queue looked through the glass at the people inside enjoying their food, and thinking of themselves still waiting in line, began to grumble impatiently: "Seriously, why isn't it my turn yet? Proprietress, hurry up! I've been waiting all morning!"
"Exactly! We came early in the morning, and it's still not our turn!"
Someone took the lead, and the people in the queue naturally followed suit, their clamor like buzzing bees. "We can pay more! Just let us in first!"
"Me too!"
"Hey, is there anyone in charge inside? Come out and discuss..."
Amidst the clamor, the restaurant door opened silently, and a lion-like roar came from within.
"Are you trying to die?! Making so much noise right by my ear first thing in the morning! If you don't want to eat, then get out of my sight!" A woman, looking to be about twenty or thirty years old, walked out of the restaurant.
She was wearing a long purple dress, the elegant color outlining a graceful and somewhat seductive figure. Her dark hair was tied up with a silver hairpin, and a black veil half-covering her eyes added a touch of maturity.
"Who is she?"
Those who were visiting for the first time clearly didn't know her identity and quietly asked about her in the crowd.
"Idiot! Who else could speak with that tone? Of course, she's the owner here."
"The restaurant owner is a woman?" The man asked in surprise.
Someone who vaguely knew the woman's identity spoke up: "Don't underestimate this woman, Shelly Garcetaph. Almost no business owner on Market Street doesn't know her name. Although she started from scratch, it's rumored she has intricate connections with a certain noble in the Royal Capital."
"What made her famous was that last time, some guy tried to forcibly acquire her restaurant. As a result, he not only lost all his assets but is now selling fruit on the street."
"Eh?!"
A pair of sharp phoenix eyes scanned the long queue of people. The noise slowly subsided. Shelly couldn't help but sigh; bad business was a worry, but too much business was also a worry.
"If you want to eat at the restaurant quickly, come early! Don't come late and then complain there's no seat!" The woman left these words, looked at the quiet crowd, and returned inside the restaurant.
"Haha~ Those guys outside got snubbed again~"
"Proprietress Shelly, your business is too good! How about we celebrate with a drink!" The customers eating inside raised their glasses and cheered.
"Maro, who are you to ask Proprietress Shelly to drink with you? Aren't you afraid your tigress at home will cause you trouble? Be careful, she might make sure you can't get out of bed tomorrow..."
"You shouldn't talk nonsense! I'm not afraid of my wife!"
"Haha~"
Shelly skillfully mingled with the crowds at various tables. Apart from declining drinking invitations, she also gave each table a few small dishes. While the staff were busy, she walked to the kitchen and urged, "Everyone, table 155 is rushing us! We need to speed up!"
"Yes, yes~ Proprietress, the head chef hasn't rested since he entered the kitchen~ We'll do our best!"
"Is that so?" Shelly looked at the young man simultaneously operating several woks to prepare meals. His forehead was covered in sweat, but an uncontrollable smile hung on his lips. She felt a little puzzled: "Isn't this guy tired? He can still smile? How strange."
Of course, she didn't understand Bai En's joy—the pleasure of constantly increasing his physical strength and Mana, and receiving a large salary after work.
The Mana, which he had originally estimated would take about a month to break through, had been halved in just three short days... If he had known it would be so fast, he should have come sooner.
"Clang—"
Suddenly, the door of Moli Restaurant was kicked open. Shelly looked up. The long queue outside the door had dispersed at some point, and three ill-tempered youths appeared at the entrance.
Unlike most people's attire, the fabric used for these three's clothes was clearly more 고급, with bright colors and smooth silk, not something ordinary commoners could afford. They were nobles from the Royal Capital.
Everyone in the restaurant clearly noticed this.
"They're nobles, aren't they?"
"Why would they come here to the Common Realm? Those high-and-mighty guys from the Royal Capital rarely come here, do they?"
"Who knows?"
The leading youth among the three had a gloomy expression. If Bai En had come out of the kitchen at this moment, he would have recognized this guy as Grace, who he fought against in the Magic Knights examination. But he was busy in the kitchen and completely unaware of what was happening outside.
Emerald green Mana surged from Grace, flowing towards everyone like a tide. An invisible pressure rose within the restaurant.
Bai En, who was sensitive to Mana, couldn't help but raise his eyebrows. The dish in the wok was almost ready to be served. 'This familiar Mana is?'
"Get out!" Grace spoke coldly to the people inside the restaurant.
"Huh? What the hell is this guy saying?"
"I just started eating..."
Occasional sounds of doubt arose from the crowd, but more were from sensible people who, sensing trouble, had already slipped out through the side door.
A man, still drinking and unaware of what was happening, was suddenly hit on the head by his companion. "You bastard, why did you hit me?!"
"Still drinking? Let's go!" His companion dragged the man out by his clothes.
"What nonsense are you talking about? I've only had a few sips, and I just paid!"
"Idiot! Can't you see the situation? They're nobles, we can't afford to offend them! Hurry up and go!"
...The originally packed and lively restaurant was left with only some unfinished food, messy tables and chairs. Outside on the sun-drenched street, a crowd of people gathered from afar, gazing at the commotion at Moli Restaurant.
Grace frowned because there was still someone ignoring him, lingering in the restaurant and eating.
That guy was holding a fragrant bowl of rice, scooping up tofu covered in red oil and minced meat with a spoon, eating with relish. He didn't look particularly special: white hair, a scar on his forehead, a young boy.
"Hey, kid, didn't you hear my big brother? Get out!" Cook, Grace's subordinate with a slanted fringe, spoke for his boss.
The white-haired youth then subconsciously looked up at them: "Get out? Why? I paid for my food and haven't finished eating. Why should I leave?"
"Huh? Can't you tell who we are?"
"Who are you?" The white-haired youth shook his head: "I don't know you."
"Damn it, you really won't listen until you're forced to!"
Cook's grimoire flew out from the satchel at his waist. The next moment, a blue bolt of lightning suddenly blasted towards the white-haired youth. The white-haired youth's reaction was not slow; a grimoire emitting a fiery red glow floated beside him, and a fireball erupted.
The fireball and lightning intertwined and collided, the overflowing sparks and electric arcs overturning and scattering the surrounding tables, chairs, and food.
"You guys!" The white-haired youth looked at his unfinished meal scattered on the ground, his expression furious: "Why?"
"What why?"
"Why did you suddenly attack? This is food I paid for! Is it just because you're nobles that you can do this?"
"You still know we're nobles?" Kit, the other corpulent subordinate behind Grace, sneered, "I thought you didn't know our identities, commoner!"
Flames of hatred seemed to burn in the white-haired youth's eyes. His fiery red three-leaf grimoire quickly flipped pages. "Flame Magic, Nightmare Fireball!"
A huge red fireball shot towards the three.
The emerald green grimoire in front of Grace gently flipped a page. With a raised hand, countless trees materialized from the grimoire. "Wood Magic, Wooden Prison!"
The extending trees enveloped the fireball, forming a huge wooden knot inside the restaurant!
The flames continuously scorched the trees. Although there was a magical attribute counter-relationship that should have allowed them to burn quickly, under the vast difference in Mana between the two, the growing trees, like brave and fearless soldiers, directly extinguished the flames.
The white-haired youth murmured, "How is this possible?"
Grace again activated the condensed trees, sending them towards him: "Wood Magic, Ironwood Spikes!"
Curving tree branches grew sharp, iron-hard wooden spikes that instantly pierced the white-haired youth's body, pinning him tightly against the wall. Blood stained the white wall, extensively reddening the surface.
"Ah~"
The white-haired youth struggled in pain, trying to free himself from the trees piercing his body, but found that every time he moved even a little, the iron-thorn-like trees would penetrate deeper!
He was powerless to resist, only able to look at Grace with resentment.
But Grace never even glanced at the white-haired youth. Instead, Cook and Kit looked at him with mocking smiles on their lips: "A commoner is a commoner, doesn't know his place!"
"Tap, tap, tap."
Ms. Shelly, the proprietress of Moli Restaurant, stood with one hand on her hip, while with the other, she lightly tapped the counter with a small copper pipe: "Young noble sirs, there should be a limit to causing trouble. I don't want a guest to die in my restaurant."
The tobacco smoke created wisps of black mist.
"In that case, no matter how delicious the food, no one would patronize us afterwards."
A blue-glowing grimoire floated beside Shelly. A biting chill began to spread through the restaurant, and ice had already condensed over the entire counter.
"We're here to eat." Grace's gaze lingered slightly on Shelly before he slowly spoke.
"Eat?"
Shelly chuckled softly, glancing at the messy restaurant and the white-haired youth pinned to the wall. "This doesn't look like you're here to eat."
His two subordinates, with good judgment, quickly cleared the nearby tables and chairs for Grace to sit down. "I heard Moli Restaurant recently hired a new chef, and business is good?"
"So what?"
"I want to see the standard." Saying this, Grace pulled out a money pouch from his pocket and threw it to Shelly. "This is for compensation and the meal."
Shelly picked up the heavy money pouch, opened it, and looked inside. Estimating it to be about 500,000 yule, the frost on the counter slowly melted, and her cold expression turned into a continuous smile. No one would object to money.
Her gaze flickered to the white-haired youth on the wall: "Then what about him? He... is a guest here."
Grace was expressionless: "In the Clover Kingdom, commoners and peasants challenging nobles is a serious crime. This is just a small punishment to make him recognize his place. Besides, I didn't intend to kill him."
Shelly maintained her smile, "In that case, I will prepare the house specialties for you gentlemen. Please wait a moment."
Grace surveyed the restaurant, 'The space is too small, and the decor is average. Although it's on Market Street in the Common Realm, it's not even in a central location, it's on the north side of the street. Yet, in recent days, this restaurant has taken away most of the business from other restaurants on the street. Is it simply because of the chef?'
'If it's just the chef, it would be simple, just poach him, right?'
'...Indeed, I still hate that father made me take over the restaurant business in the Royal Capital. If it weren't for losing to that guy, I would have already joined the Magic Knights...'
The waiting interval made him recall many things: his father's reprimands in the castle... his defeat in the Magic Knights examination... learning from his subordinate about a thriving restaurant in the Common Realm during a exchange meeting... "As the eldest son of the family, you actually lost to a mere commoner?! All the honor of the nobles has been thrown away by you alone. To think you're called the Bloodthirsty Treant, how pathetic!"
"There's nothing I can do, old man..."
"In that case, starting today, you will take over the family business."
Bai En, feeling his Mana stop growing, listened to the assistant chefs beside him saying that a "fight had broken out." Finally, the moment the dish was complete, he dished it out and walked out with it.
He met Shelly walking towards him, a smile on her face: "What a coincidence, a distinguished guest just ordered, and you're bringing out the dish."
Bai En looked into the restaurant with some confusion: "Distinguished guest?"
Grace also looked up at Shelly's back in a daze. Almost the instant he saw Bai En, he unleashed his Magic: "Wood Magic, Ironwood Spikes!"
Countless intertwining trees erupted from his grimoire, instantly filling the entire restaurant. The interior of the restaurant transformed into a small forest, and the tips of the tree branches grew sharp wooden spikes, wildly stabbing at Bai En.
Shelly turned around and stomped her foot, and white frost condensed. Her voice was icy: "Young noble sir, things are getting out of hand, aren't they?"
Bai En frowned, 'This guy seems to be—what was that Treant thing called?'
Frost condensed on the trees. Bai En raised his hand, and the 'Sever' technique stacked. Invisible slashes cut the frozen trees into fine powder. He walked forward.
"Be careful!" Shelly warned Bai En, but when the wooden spikes extending from the trees stabbed at Bai En, he merely shifted and dodged the attacks repeatedly. The wooden spikes missed again and again, piercing the ground or the walls.
It was then that she suddenly remembered something: during their first meeting and evaluation, he was wearing the Magic Knights cloak. He was a member of the Magic Knights.
Arriving beside the white-haired youth pinned to the wall, Bai En fulfilled his duty as a member of the Magic Knights, severing the trees embedded in his body with a slash.
When the surging tree attacks came again, a somewhat impatient Bai En activated his Mana Zone. Amidst the 'Sever' and 'Disperse' dancing, the spreading trees turned into wood chips.
As Grace was momentarily stunned, a silver spoon, like a knife, pressed against his neck, drawing a faint line of blood...