LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 310
Shia is…
ding ding
Opening the restaurant door again today.
ding ding
To eat more than the customers.
ding ding
Humming a meaningless melody, Shia looked over the bustling scene of Alley Shia’s Restaurant.
At first, it did feel like it came out of nowhere, but seeing the hunters enjoy the food she made filled her with an indescribable warmth that money couldn’t measure.
‘It feels similar to when I made flower buns for the orphans at the Rose Order.’
Of course, it wasn’t without trouble. It wasn’t all peaceful either.
“Sister Saint, cluck cluck. Where’s my dad?”
In the midst of it all, a hen monster, presumably the daughter of the Suhweenggakgwiin, stopped by.
“Uh… Dad of Chick Pigeon Junior went to a faraway place…”
“I’m not a Chick Pigeon! I’m a Suhweenggakgwiin!”
“Right, Chick Pigeon… Want some chicken that’s here?”
“Yes, I do.”
‘Hey, hey… Isn’t that the hen monster locked in the kitchen…’
‘Ssh, quiet.’
‘Let’s just eat and go…’
‘Ugh, I can’t eat suddenly…’
‘Then I’ll eat. Chicken leg, yumm~’
The customers could hardly contain their tears, quietly tearing into their chicken while looking away at the scene of Shia being kind to the young Suhweenggakgwiin.
If you think about it, the young hen’s visit was no more than a minor event.
The nearby forces, the Scavengers and Centaur Yakuza, had long been wrecked by the hunters, but still, there were other monsters who caught wind and came to provoke Shia’s restaurant at an average of twice a day.
Originally, this place wasn’t Shia’s restaurant but the Grasshopper Chef’s.
It was now a proper restaurant with a sign up and many customers, so it was not surprising that gangsters were drawn to it.
Word had already spread that Shia’s restaurant was a ‘dangerous establishment’ in the back alley of Green City, but since the residents of Green City knew they would resurrect no matter what, they came feeling like they might as well give it a shot.
With quite a few people going in and out, wealth had stacked up. Even Shia’s ingredients alone were substantial, so from the gang’s perspective, it would be beneficial to loot Shia’s restaurant.
Of course, most of the time, before they could even reach the restaurant, they ended up sliced by Menelapie’s sword.
As for other troubles…
“Why is it so expensive?!”
“What the hell. Do you think selling food in the middle of a dungeon is charity work?”
There were also Teresa’s excesses.
When assessing the various hazard pay, ingredient costs, and overall efforts involved in running this restaurant, charging each person 500,000 won would still be insufficient, but simply because she was bored and wanted to give the hunters who ate tasteless canned food something delicious, Shia priced it cheaply.
But sometimes, Teresa would arbitrarily raise the prices.
More specifically, she’d demand different prices based on the customers.
Hunters who looked rich were charged high, while those without money were charged the listed price.
“The chicken is 100,000 won, and the table fee is 300,000 won per person! That kobold monster ate something that costs less than one-tenth of my price!”
“Aren’t you an A-grade hunter who has money? And since they don’t have money, they’re offering to cut off a hand! How could you accept that? You don’t consider hazard pay and are only worried about the chicken price; you’re a shameless friend!”
Usually, even if Teresa raised the prices arbitrarily, the hunters would accept it and pay up.
Hunters weren’t daunted by money either, and as an A-grade hunter, paying 500,000 won for fried chicken was almost pocket change, but the feeling of being robbed right in front of them wasn’t pleasant.
Of course, Teresa had assessed the hunter’s equipment, charms, and the high-priced drones following him, so she would deliberately pull this stunt.
“This little brat! No matter how much I seem rich, who would like getting cleanly robbed in front of their eyes!?”
Of course, if a hot-headed hunter felt they were being scammed right before their eyes, they would naturally rebel against it.
“Oh? The poor pay less taxes, while the rich pay more, right? You should understand this!”
“What restaurant charges differently based on income levels? This is illegal!”
“Finding illegality in a restaurant operating in the middle of a dungeon?”
“Forget it! I can’t pay!”
“Oh, so you can’t pay?”
“That’s right! What are you going to do if I can’t pay?”
“Hey, Menelapie!!! A freeloading scoundrel!!”
“What? Menelapie? The one who worked in the Blood Swamp…”
Boom!
Before a second passed since Teresa’s words echoed, something burst through the restaurant’s front door faster than the sound.
At that noise, the hunter instinctively flinched his shoulders.
He felt an overwhelmingly strong presence had appeared.
i>”What did you just say? Free loading at Shia’s restaurant?”
“Damn….”
In the end, the hunter had to pay up cleanly with his hunter pay.
Anyone who had seen Menelapie soloing over 10,000 mutated slimes in the Blood Swamp couldn’t help but bow down.
“Yummm~ Poor customer’s oishii hunter pay is a nice steal~!”
“Y-you brat…”
“Yep, poor customer ♥ come again~”
“……”
‘When on earth did Teresa get so corrupted after exploring the internet?’
Teresa’s adaptability to Earth was remarkable, but it was unexpected for Shia to see her absorb internet slang or catchphrases from the past.
However, operating a restaurant in the heart of Green City, as Teresa said, came with risks, including ingredient procurement and other danger factors.
Running a restaurant might sound easy, but when monster fights break out right in front of your eyes, running a restaurant peacefully means making efforts to secure the surrounding area.
Menelapie was patrolling near the restaurant with a sword drawn to eliminate all the dangerous elements, and Teresa, being sharp-minded, evaluated all the hazards, ingredient procurements, and combined efforts and time needed to set prices accordingly.
“Hmm, that was delicious.”
And just as Shia had finished frying the last chicken and was taking a short break, someone came to visit.
A burly black man from Texas.
Wooden Blackhand.
It was slightly amusing to see him eating a tiny chicken that didn’t seem to match his giant frame, but Wooden Blackhand was surprisingly quiet and reserved and even had the nickname of the “Confucian Black Man” in Korea for his polite demeanor.
“Was it tasty?”
“Speak comfortably, Shia Hunter. After all, you’re probably much older than me.”
“That’s true.”
85-year-old returnee Shia.
Unless someone was a genuine first-generation hunter like Yeonseo, most hunters were younger than Shia.
Most likely, Wooden Blackhand was also significantly younger than Shia.
“I saw your restaurant while taking on a direct request from the Hunter Train Operations Committee, hunting in Green City. I knew there was a lot of gossip among the hunters, but I didn’t expect you to be operating it seriously.”
“I’m glad to hear the taste was good. In fact, I wish the hunters would order something besides chicken like Bladed Centipede fries or Mandragora soup… I’m quite proud of it but no one orders.”
“Chicken is the most popular, after all. But…”
Wooden Blackhand shifted his gaze to the kitchen behind Shia.
He seemed to be looking at the Grasshopper Chef diligently chopping green onions.
“Collaborating with a monster in the restaurant is quite fascinating. You, a monster and…”
“I’m glad you found it tasty.”
It seemed Shia wouldn’t allow more words than that to pass.
Did he want to stir up trouble for collaborating with a monster?
When Shia shot a sharp glare at Blackhand, he awkwardly bowed his head.
“Ahem, my apologies. I was just surprised. I’ve seen many returnees intoxicated by their strength.”
“Really?”
“I personally have great interest in returnees, so I keep an eye on the information posted by the Association whenever it comes up. Most returnees are often intoxicated by power to the point they falter. Yet here you are, running a restaurant instead of wielding your strength.”
“This also requires a lot of strength. To run a restaurant in a lawless city, you need strength to maintain it.”
Well, in fact, Shia wasn’t exerting that much strength either.
Menelapie was doing all the external handling and securing the restaurant’s safety. They split up duties with Teresa for serving, and the Grasshopper Chef handled about 80% of the cooking.
“Do you have a family?”
“Yes, they came here earlier to eat chicken.”
“With the Hunter Train? Ah, now that I think about it, I think I saw it—the hunter I heard had a civilian tagging along. Was that you?”
“My mom’s not a civilian! She’s a D-grade hunter!”
“By the standards of danger for the Hunter Train, anything below B-grade is practically a civilian.”
The moment the word family came up, Wooden Blackhand’s expression noticeably sank.
There were hardly any changes in his expression, but Shia sensed an inexplicable regret and remorse from him.
“Family… Yes, you should cherish them while you can.”
“Why? Is something wrong?”
“Long ago, I lost my family. And even now, I’m trying to find them.”
“Oh no…”
“But the world has changed too much. Reclaiming them is not easy.”
Having said that, Wooden Blackhand tapped his hunter pay onto Shia’s drone set for calculations.
1,000,000 won.
He had eaten a single fried chicken by himself, and yet he was charged more than the maximum price Teresa would have imposed.
“It was tasty. If the opportunity arises, I’d like to eat again.”
“Alright, take care~”
But…
Lost family long ago.
Searching for family.
So changed that it’s hard to find…?
Shia stared blankly at the place where Wooden Blackhand had departed.
‘Uh, um… Could it be that this Confucian black guy is my dad whom I lost?’
Nah, impossible.
Overactive imagination leads to pointless delusions, after all.
Just as Shia was about to wrap up today’s business after Wooden Blackhand, someone opened the door and entered the restaurant.
“Hey, business is over.”
“No, let Teresa in. It must have been hard to get here.”
“Is it okay, Shia?”
“Yes, I’m Shia.”
However, the person who entered didn’t seem to have come to order chicken or food.
“I’m from the Hunter Train Operations Committee. If it isn’t a bother, could you come with me for a moment?”
○○○○
Following Lilybet to the Heart of the City, Kim Hana started walking through the sewers as if in a trance.
When the Slime’s mother had claimed this sewer, all the surroundings had been dark and gloomy, but thanks to Lilybet’s enchantment ability, there was no more dampness or foul odors.
It felt more like a narrow, dark maze with water channels. Or to put it differently, it resembled another dungeon situated beneath Green City.
Clunk clunk
“Excuse me.”
After a while of walking in silence, Hana spoke to Lilybet.
It had been a while since the battle ended, but still, the green light reflecting the sun of Green City lingered in Lilybet’s eyes.
“Why do you say that?”
“Why, you ask? I don’t even know why I followed you here in the first place!”
At that time, she had just gone with the flow, but in truth, Kim Hana had no reason to follow Lilybet in search of the so-called Heart of the City.
Originally, Hana had come to find her mother, the Slime Mother, who had sent brainwaves to her.
She no longer needed to find her mother. Hana didn’t see her as her mother.
It was rather Yoonjeong, who treated her better than her own mother, that felt more like a mother.
Now, Hana just needed to return to the Hunter Train.
“Haha, I’m just trying to show you something fun. I also feel lonesome setting off on an adventure alone!”
“When did we become that close?”
“Huh?! It’s said that generally, if you save a life or fought together, comrades can connect their hearts after only one battle…!”
“Who says that? I’ve only spoken to you for the first time today, Queen Lilybet.”
“Oh my! Truly, romantic notions and reality are poles apart. I thought we became comrades without needing words…!”
“No, in fact, if you don’t speak, you won’t know who’s a comrade, naturally…!”
Now that she mentioned it, didn’t the Queen say she wasn’t human?
Like me…
“By the way… Queen Lilybet is…”
“Oh! I don’t care one bit about you, but please don’t disclose your identity to anyone else!”
“…I know. If hunters find out the person they considered human is an aberration monster, they’ll be cautious.”
“Hmm? Haha, no! Your being a slime isn’t a problem for hunters!”
“Excuse me?”
What does that mean?
“There are quite a few hunters among them with abilities in transformation! There are hunters with beast powers and hunters with appearances resembling aberration monsters too. They might catch attention but live without issue, right? If you just pretend to be human decently, you’ll manage to survive! Haha!”
Just like me!
‘….Could it be that Lilybet isn’t human after all?’
Hana rummaged through her brain at Lilybet’s words.
Since it wasn’t her original body, viewing her memories and knowledge felt like reading a book in a library, so often she wouldn’t recognize even if she remembered.
This was the case as well.
Hana realized that, as of 2088, many hunters on Earth were of aberration, mutation, or bestial types with awakened abilities, and surprisingly, her own hair that turned into slime was not an oddity.
What’s more, even Yane, a subordinate of Shia, was recognized as a mutation-type hunter by others rather than a Bladed Centipede monster.
“You must be very curious about me.”
“……No, I just want to get out of here quickly. There could be someone waiting for me.”
“Having someone waiting for you and having a place to return to is a great blessing!”
And soon, the underground waterway expanded limitlessly.
It felt less like a sewer and more like a new city beneath Green City.
“Everyone is just born and lives just fine.”
“But for me, I thought that being born was a significant fortune and blessing!”
Actual life like a blessing!
With that addition, Lilybet smiled brightly.
“A princess of the England Royal Family, born to resounding cheers and blessings of all the people.”
“Nothing—money, food, love, or blessings—was lacking for me.”
“Moreover, I’m the most likely successor of the royal family. Even if I cause chaos and mischief, they pamper and support me wholeheartedly.”
But the blessings were too much.
“Hana Kim! Have you ever read any of my information registered on the Hunter Wiki?”
“Wiki?”
“Yes, Elizaveta Lilybet Rose, the eighth king of the Windsor dynasty.”
The information on Lilybet recorded in the Wiki was no different from what was known to the public.
“Well, what I know is that you had tremendous talents as an awakened one, but by whim you reset your abilities and became an enchantment type. Yet even so, you reached the top with that enchantment ability and declared yourself an S-grade at your coronation ceremony. That’s about it?”
“Haha! You’re well-informed! But do you know the story in between?”
“The story in between?”
At Lilybet’s words, Hana again browsed through her brain cells, but there was no particular abnormality in Kim Hana’s original memory and knowledge either.
“Haha, of course! The Wiki must say that during her princess days, Lilybet ran away from the royal family and went into dungeons to hunt monsters hard, honing her abilities and skills.”
“That should be right.”
“Wahaha! Hana Kim! Do you seriously believe that?”
“Eh?”
“No, think about it a little more.”
Originally, she reset her abilities.
The ability holder who could have been the strongest S-grade physical enhancer turned her talent to nothing and became a C-grade enchanter.
“The Wiki states that a C-grade enchanter… Though her learned marksmanship and swordsmanship were outstanding, a mere teenager of that age went on her own to hunt goblins. And not only did she survive, but she grew her powers and continuously ran away into dungeons honing her combat skills to reach S-grade… Yeah, that’s what it said.”
“……..What? What’s unusual about that?”
“How do you feel about that, Hana Kim?”
“No… Lilybet survived in those extreme conditions, honed her abilities, and eventually became the King of England and an S-grade ability holder, right? It sounds absurd for a child to run away into a dungeon, but staring at you alive right before me makes me have no choice but to believe the tale.”
“It’s true. Yes… It sounds true, doesn’t it?”
Ah, that could be plausible.
After all, I am standing right here.
As Elizaveta Lilybet Rose, an S-grade enchanter.
“Hahaha! But think a little deeper. Even if you say you’re an enchanter, you’re not much different from a non-awakened little girl… Moreover, to hide in a dungeon filled with blood and ripped flesh, fighting goblins alone and emerging victorious? A single goblin could be beaten! But to emerge triumphant from a dungeon full of gimmicks and monster clusters? Ahahahahaha…!”
Honestly speaking?
That sounded utterly ridiculous!
As per Lilybet’s words, her eyes felt terrifyingly inorganic, like those of a machine.