Archmage's Restaurant - Chapter 39: Such a Day (2)
“Why are you suddenly barging in here and asking that?”
“Well…”
The woman was rather ordinary, but had a bit of a cute charm to her.
“Are you still open?”
“I suppose I can be. I run my own business.”
I guided her to a table, and she nodded, pulling out a chair to sit.
“I want to know what that man likes…”
She mumbled, sounding unsure. I gave her a long look, deliberately making her feel more suspicious.
“I can’t just tell you that kind of thing.”
The woman seemed to realize this approach wouldn’t work and quickly conceded.
“He’s my father.”
“You don’t know what your father likes?”
“Well… It’s not that I don’t know… Is he a regular here?”
She couldn’t even say “father” easily, continuously referring to him as “that man.”
Why is this woman chasing after her father?
The man earlier said he had no idea how his daughter was living.
It made sense if her mother knew the man’s job and residence. Given that, this situation seemed quite natural.
Not being able to call him father and instead referring to him as “that man” highlighted the emotional distance.
“Actually… I haven’t seen him in years. My mother was very stubborn… But she promised to tell me once I became an adult, so I finally…”
But then she bowed her head. She found him, but seemed troubled.
“I know a bit about your story. Your father told me.”
“Really? Did he?”
She lowered her head again, gripping her hands tightly.
I handed her a warm cup of milk tea. She needed to calm down.
“What’s this? It smells nice.”
“It’s on the house. Don’t worry about the cost. It’s because you’re the daughter of a regular.”
“Thank you…”
Of course, that man had only come today for the first time. But he seemed like someone who would become a regular, so it was fine.
The woman sipped the warm milk tea and sighed. Seeing her sigh, I could tell she was indeed his daughter. The sad expression on her face was just like his.
“Since I know a bit of the situation, let me ask you this: have you ever resented your father?”
“Well, when I was younger and didn’t know the situation, I did resent him. But as I grew older and learned the truth, I just wanted to meet him.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yes. So, I want to know what he likes, where he often goes, what he eats… Can you tell me? You said he’s a regular! I actually ran into him once while following him. I was watching him work at a construction site and got into a scuffle with some other men. He stepped in and helped me out, saying he couldn’t just stand by while someone’s daughter was in trouble.”
“Did he?”
“Yes, he didn’t forget about me. About me. But saying that in front of his real daughter, it was kind of funny, strange even. Still, seeing him work hard made me admire him. But I couldn’t find the right moment to reveal I’m his daughter…”
“Isn’t it better to tell him now?”
“What…?”
“You came all the way here from another city to find your father.”
“That’s right.”
“He drank this and cried.”
I placed the glass he drank from next to the milk tea.
“Why…? Why did he cry?”
“He said he might not have much time left. Before that, he wanted to meet his daughter.”
“What do you mean?”
She dropped her milk tea in shock, her face showing horror.
“Oh, it’s a secret, actually.”
I pretended to realize I’d made a mistake and clamped my mouth shut.
“But let me give you some advice: you should meet your parents while you can, while they’re alive. Once they’re gone, it’s too late. I couldn’t do anything for my parents. Absolutely nothing.”
Talking about it made me emotional.
My mother, who lost her only child, how is she doing? There’s no way to communicate from this other world.
Some people are separated by an insurmountable wall, yet here’s a daughter and father unable to meet because of a mere fifteen-year gap. It’s absurd, even luxurious.
“No way… My mother left first. I had no choice but to leave too. Why is my father, who always talked about me, saying such things? I need to go! Thank you!”
She reacted as I intended. Believing her father was ill, she ran out the door.
Even though it was his first time here, he looked healthy. He won’t die anytime soon.
I watched the daughter run off.
The hill path is long. If she runs, she’ll catch up to him.
***
In the center of Grayke City, the lord’s castle stands prominently. From the castle, the city is divided into commercial and residential areas, with farmlands stretching beyond them.
In the commercial district, various shops are selling my cheese. To be precise, cheese from the hilltop ranch.
The response to this new food has been significant.
[Cheese for Sale]
[Fresh Cheese from the Hilltop Ranch]
[Cheese that Pairs Perfectly with Bread]
Stores selling food ingredients are all promoting cheese. It’s a sign of high demand.
It’s not just cheese.
Large restaurants are offering their own Pallenque dishes. I hear they’re so popular that they can’t keep up with demand.
[Pallenque Acquired. Special Dishes Available Now]
Promotional phrases to attract customers are prominently displayed outside the restaurants.
People come from far away just to taste Pallenque. I’ve essentially created a local specialty for Grayke City.
Naturally, all royalties are my income.
The restaurant operates as I please. The ingredients are high-quality, and the prices are low. It’s not a profitable business, but that’s my restaurant’s principle.
A restaurant where I sell my cooking to those I like.
The earnings from Pallenque and cheese make up for the restaurant’s shortfall.
My treasures.
The treasures of the dragon lord who gave me the dragon heart.
The treasures he amassed over time will go into the dragon lair. The income from Pallenque and cheese provides enough pocket money without touching the dragon lord’s treasures. The exclusive rights to cheese and Pallenque were officially recognized by the Lord of Grayke , making them legally mine.
“Rurin, let’s buy all the clothes we can find!”
“Really? Really?”
I declared to Rurin in front of the largest clothing store in the commercial district. Her comment about not having any clothes the other day had surprised me. I felt like I hadn’t paid enough attention to her.
In my defense, Rurin’s interest in clothes is relatively recent.
“Can we really buy everything? At first, I didn’t understand why humans bothered with clothes, but now I think pretty clothes are nice!”
Her exclamation probably reflected her true feelings. Our dragon was excitedly smiling.
“Welcome.”
The shopkeeper bowed, and Rurin shrugged her shoulders.
“Oh! How did they know?”
“It’s not about knowing. That’s just how they treat customers. You should learn from them.”
“Really? No way a human would act like that. Anyway, what should I buy?”
Initially, she had the mindset of killing and looting all such shops, but lately, thanks to my persistence, she has adapted to human society. She’s come to understand the concept of money.
The dragon’s game is to blend into human society, hiding their true identity.
“Since it’s come to this, we won’t hold back.”
While Rurin looked puzzled, I spoke to the shopkeeper.
“Could you please give us every outfit in her size?”
“What?”
The shopkeeper looked at me wide-eyed. I showed him a gold nugget in my hand.
“I’m serious.”
“Please wait a moment!”
The shopkeeper reacted with excitement and started running. Rurin also began to bounce with joy.
“Oh! All of them? Are we rich?”
“We’ve found a new source of income recently. Besides, it wouldn’t hurt to have a wardrobe in the lair.”
Since I hadn’t paid much attention to her before, I planned to make up for it all at once. Rurin’s eyes sparkled.
“Should we even buy clothes that fit your dragon form?”
“What is that? Where would you find such big clothes? Dragons are noble creatures! We don’t cover our majestic black scales!”
“Then why do you wear clothes in human form?”
“Because you told me to!”
“Well, you have to wear them.”
“And you said not to show my naked body to anyone but you.”
“That woman again?”
Whenever my old companion was mentioned, my resolve for revenge strengthened.
“Then what about when you’re in dragon form? Isn’t it the same as being naked in human form?”
“I kill any human who sees my dragon form.”
“What?”
“Don’t worry. You’re an exception! And I won’t change into a dragon. I live with you, so I want to be the same as you.”
Rurin’s sudden heartfelt confession surprised me, making me look at her.
I hadn’t known why she hadn’t transformed into a dragon since she followed me from the dragon clan.
Unaware of the impact of her words, Rurin was simply staring at me, holding a mountain of clothes.
“How are you going to walk like that?”
Shaking my head, I asked the shopkeeper for a favor.
“I’ll pay for delivery. Could you send these to the restaurant on the hill?”
“Oh, of course! We’ll deliver them for free since it’s such a large order!”
The shopkeeper couldn’t stop smiling, having struck a great customer.
After shopping, Rurin and I walked out of the commercial district. At the front of the lord’s castle was a plaza known as Grayke Plaza.
The plaza had statues of the Grayke family and benches.
Birds similar to pigeons flew around. It was a peaceful scene.
Despite being a dragon, Rurin contributed to the peace. Sucking on a lollipop made from a fruit called Mirushu, she sat beautifully in front of a statue.
It was a picturesque scene, worthy of a photograph. Like a painting.
“What are you doing over there? Come sit here!”
Rurin brightly smiled and tapped the base of the statue. Her new wardrobe seemed to put her in a very good mood.
“Why don’t we have some food before heading back?”
“Food?”
At the mention of food, Rurin jumped up and ran to me. The lollipop she was sucking on had disappeared into her mouth.
“Are we going back?”
“No, let’s eat something while we’re out. Sometimes it’s nice to try someone else’s cooking.”
“I don’t want to! I like your cooking!”
Rurin began circling me, throwing a tantrum.
“No! No! I want your food! Meat! Meat!”
She jumped around wildly, so I grabbed her and pinched her mouth, making a strange sound escape.
“Trying the local cuisine now and then isn’t bad, you stubborn dragon.”
“Can I flip the table if it’s bad?”
“Don’t flip it.”
Rurin pretended to flip an imaginary table, looking at me.
Her bad habits from human society came from my former companions. Damn them.
“It’s about the joy of eating food cooked by someone else.”
“I always eat food cooked by someone else!”
“Bragging, are we?”
For this nonsensical dragon, I applied some discipline. I began to press her temple, gently but firmly. Her cries of pain added to the effect.
“Ow! That hurts! I’ve told you it hurts!”
“Stop complaining and follow me.”
“Alright, let’s go!”
As I started walking away, Rurin dashed to catch up.