Chapter 17
A few minutes later, the group arrived in front of Vald Restaurant.
The establishment was one of the largest restaurants in Valdwess City.
Elegant decorations adorned the entrance.
The aroma of freshly cooked food drifted out through the open doors, instantly making Eldern's stomach growl.
"So this is the place?" Elina asked.
Leron nodded confidently.
"The food here is excellent."
He then gave a respectful bow.
"Enjoy your meal, Countess Elina, Young Master Eldern, and Young Lady Elyra."
Elina smiled politely.
"Thank you, Leron."
"I'll be waiting outside." Leron replied and then he stepped aside to allow them to enter.
"Alright then."
Without suspecting anything, Elina led the children inside.
The moment the doors closed behind them, the smile on Leron's face slowly disappeared.
His eyes became cold.
He glanced toward the restaurant entrance.
Shadow Trace.
His voice was barely a whisper.
A small shadow detached itself from beneath his feet.
Like a living creature, it slithered silently across the ground before diving into Elina's shadow through the restaurant wall.
No one noticed.
Leron's smile returned immediately.
"Good."
He stretched lazily.
"Now it's time to have some fun."
This time he spoke loudly enough for nearby pedestrians to hear.
To anyone watching, he looked like nothing more than a carefree guard enjoying his day off.
Moments later, he casually walked away.
Inside Vald Restaurant.
The atmosphere was lively.
Customers filled nearly every table.
The sounds of conversation, laughter, and clinking dishes echoed throughout the building.
A waitress soon approached their table.
"Please take your time choosing, my lady."
She handed a menu to Elina.
Another menu was placed in front of Eldern.
The colorful illustrations immediately captured the boy's attention.
"Whoa!"
His eyes sparkled.
"There are so many!"
Elina chuckled.
Then she turned toward Elyra.
"What would Elyra like to eat?"
Elyra stared at the menu.
Rows of words filled every page.
Unfortunately...
She couldn't read them.
Instead, she quietly looked at the pictures.
After a few moments, she pointed toward one of the dishes.
"Eyya wants this one, Mama."
Elina glanced at the picture.
A pan-seared fish dish.
"Good choice."
Meanwhile, Eldern had already made his decision.
"Eldern wants this!"
He proudly pointed at a large meat platter.
The waitress couldn't help smiling.
"That's quite a big meal."
"Eldern is hungry."
The boy puffed out his chest.
Elina laughed softly.
Then she turned back toward the waitress.
"We'll have one beef stew, one pan-seared fish, one roasted meat platter..."
She continued listing several dishes.
The waitress carefully wrote everything down.
"Excellent choices."
"I'll have your meals prepared immediately."
After a respectful bow, she departed.
For a moment, Elyra thought someone was watching them.
At a nearby table behind Elyra.
A lone customer sat quietly.
A hood partially concealed his face.
His eyes occasionally drifted toward Elina.
A second waiter approached him.
"Sir, would you like to order?"
The man remained silent for a moment.
His gaze lingered on Elina once more.
Then he slowly stood up.
"My apologies."
The waiter blinked.
"I've changed my mind."
The man placed several coins on the table.
"I'm not eating here after all."
Without another word, he turned around and left.
The waiter looked completely confused.
"Uh... alright then."
Outside the restaurant.
The mysterious man exited quickly.
His pace was noticeably faster than before.
As though he wanted to leave the area immediately.
At that exact moment—
Bump.
He collided with someone.
A cold treat nearly fell onto the ground.
"M-M-MY ICE CREAM!"
Leron barely managed to save it.
The mysterious man frowned.
"Watch where you're going."
Leron immediately bowed.
"S-Sorry."
He looked genuinely apologetic.
The mysterious man clicked his tongue.
"Don't you have eyes?"
His voice carried obvious irritation.
Without waiting for a response, he brushed past Leron and continued walking.
Leron scratched his cheek awkwardly.
"Well, someone's in a bad mood."
He took another bite of his ice cream.
Then his smile slowly faded.
His eyes followed the man's retreating figure.
Leron remained silent.
Then he shrugged.
"Probably nothing."
Yet despite those words, he continued watching until the man completely disappeared into the crowded streets of Valdwess City.
Elsewhere in Valdwess region...
Not so far from the bustling streets of Valdwess City stood a small tavern beside a dusty road.
The building looked old and neglected.
Most travelers ignored it completely.
As a result, there were no customers inside.
Well...
A lone figure sat near the window.
Long dark-blond hair tied into a ponytail.
Purple eyes.
An appearance so youthful that most people would assume he was barely in his twenties.
A bottle of liquor rested on his table as he quietly enjoyed the peaceful atmosphere.
The tavern's waitress soon approached carrying a plate.
"Here's the fried chicken you ordered, sir."
The delicious aroma immediately filled the air.
The young man smiled brightly.
"Wow. Thank you."
The waitress froze for a moment.
His smile was unfairly handsome.
A faint blush appeared on her cheeks.
"N-No problem."
She quickly placed the food down.
"If you need anything else, just call me."
"Thank you."
The young man nodded politely.
The waitress hurried away before she embarrassed herself further.
Left alone once again, the young man happily picked up a piece of fried chicken.
Crunch.
A satisfied expression appeared on his face.
"This place is underrated."
Then—
BOOM!!
The tavern door suddenly slammed open.
The loud noise echoed throughout the building.
The young man didn't even look up.
Meanwhile, twelve men entered the tavern together.
Their clothes were rough.
Their weapons poorly maintained.
Several carried large sacks over their shoulders.
One glance was enough to tell they weren't ordinary travelers.
"See?!"
One of them laughed loudly.
"I told you nobody comes here!"
"HAHAHAHA!"
The others immediately burst into laughter.
"You're right!"
"This place is perfect!"
The twelve men dragged several tables together and sat down.
The tavern instantly became much noisier.
One of them slammed a heavy pouch onto the table.
Coins spilled out.
Another threw down several pieces of jewelry.
The group grinned greedily.
"That merchant never saw it coming."
"He cried like a baby!"
"HAHAHAHA!"
"How much did we get?"
The leader opened one of the sacks.
His eyes widened.
"We're rich!"
The group erupted into celebration.
The waitress immediately became nervous.
She had a bad feeling about these people.
Meanwhile...
The young man by the window calmly took another bite of chicken.
Crunch.
His gaze remained fixed on his food.
As though the twelve men didn't exist.
"Terrifying, Sylpha."
He muttered quietly.
No one heard him.
The robbers continued celebrating.
The young man took a sip of liquor.
A helpless smile appeared on his face.
"How did you know?"
Another bite.
"That's scary."
End of Chapter 17