Chapter 287 - A Cowardly Ape???

After being shown his room, Korvik left his fellow representatives and made his way to the banquet hall. He was glad to find four familiar faces in their expected spot. Scurrying to the open seat by Oli, Korvik snatched a bite off of Oli's plate.

"What's that for?"

"For needing to postpone our duel,' Korvik chuckled, quickly swallowing. "Ahh… So good."

Shaking his head with a slight smile, Oli sipped his wine. "I guess we'll have to fight some other time."

"Anyway, my father should be fine," Kraz continued, "otherwise, he wouldn't hold the reputation he does."

"Well, I'm glad to hear that," Oli remarked.

Tilgron nodded but didn't seem concerned. "It's not the first time he's been summoned to help the prefecture lord."

Vant agreed, swirling his glass in thought. "True… But I'm curious to hear about it once he's back."

"Anyone looking ta fight da lord is in trobble…"

All at once, the four of them turned and sighed. Korvik was already filling his glass for what would be his fourth cup. 

Oli joked, "I think you've had enough of that for now, unless you--"

"Don be a cowardly ape!" Korvik jeered, raising his glass.

Huh-hmm.

Before Oli or anyone else could react to Korvik, a nearby server rushed over and got the table's attention. "Master Korvik, please don't use such language right now. It's disrespectful to some--"

"I call em as I zee em," Korvik declared.

Kraz's eyes suddenly shot open wide as he leaned over the table. "Korvik, shut up!"

But Korvik only got louder in response to Kraz's sudden seriousness, "Now you acking like a cowardly ape!!" 

"Korvik--"

"WHO'S A COWARDLY APE!!!"

Though one of the banquet doors was open and allowed the servers to go back and forth, the second door was suddenly thrown open with fury. It crashed into a cushion on the wall that protected the door handle, but the wall and door both shook from the impact.

But no one had time to focus on the door or the wall. Everyone at the table was focused on the hulking beast now charging directly for them. On all fours, the beast hurriedly leaped with the aim to crush the table underfoot.

"Chef Bradok!" Kraz lifted his large torso and threw his claws into the ground, creating a large "X" in front of Korvik. Well over two-krin tall, the beast crashed onto the claws and gripped them tightly. "Please forgive his stupidity!"

"WHO'S A COWARDLY APE!!!" the man shouted all the same, even though he was now face-to-face with the culprit. It sobered the drunken swordsman in an instant. "Go on, say it again!"

"We're sorry, Chef! He didn't mean it," Tilgron stood up and bowed his head respectfully.

Vant got up as well, also bowing. "Please, he's just too stupid is all."

"I-I'm sorry. I didn't know--"

"So you can SLANDER us when we're not here?!" shouted the beast, leaning over the claws to put his large face closer to Korvik's. "But one shows up and now you're the coward, you twiggy sack of flesh!"

Bearing his teeth and snarling, the chef took a moment to look around the entire table. But he paused when he noticed the estranged look he got from the largest human there. "What's wrong?! You never seen one before?!"

"Uhhh…" Oli's mouth was open but his mind had officially shortcircuited. After everything startling about the meal and the entire day, Oli's brain was trying to jumpstart once more.

"Well here you go! Got something to say?! HUH?!" 

"No, chef, he didn't--"

"I'm talking to you!!" roared the gorilla, still leaning across the wyrm's claws. 

"Um… Are you an… Iron-body Gorilla?"

"OOOHHHHH!!!" Jumping off Kraz's claws, the beast effortlessly swung over and landed behind Korvik. He swiftly and carelessly slapped the side of Korvik's shoulder, throwing Korvik into a nearby table without warning. "So you have seen us before!"

"Only once…" Oli muttered while his brain was in the middle of rebooting.

"Don't mind the apron. That's just custom in the kitchen," the beast laughed heartily, playfully slapping Oli's back. "Hey… you're more sturdy than you look! Call me Bradok! What's your name?"

"My name's Oliver."

"Oliver… not bad!" Still laughing, Bradok lifted one arm and took a wine bottle from his silver void bracer. He promptly slammed the bottle on the table before filling Oli's glass with it. "Go on, try the real stuff, and tell me what you think."

But Oli's eyes lingered once more. They no longer stared at the bald spot on Bradok's head or the four-clawed scar running from Bradok's right temple to his chin, barely running over the corner of his eye. Oli's gaze fixed on the familiar label plastered onto the wine bottle. "... Thank you…"

He only took a sip but Oli recognized the taste without question. It would be impossible for Oli not to recognize it thanks to his Uncle's emphatic drinking.

"Good, right?" Chuckling, Bradok then grabbed Oli's glass and downed the rest himself. Another round was poured and passed back to Oli. "So, tell me. How did you recognize me?"

"Well… As a warrior with earth essence, how can I not praise gorillas?" Oli's mind picked up speed as he came up with a story. "As a nomad since birth, me and my parent once met a troop of Iron-body Gorillas. I was little but I can still remember their size and power…"

"Ha, ha! Good! Finally, someone sees the truth without question!" Bradok laughed, dowing Oli's glass of wine once more. Wiping his lips with his forearm, Bradok then refilled the glass and passed it to Oli. "Go on, before I drink it all myself!"

Accepting the glass, Oli chugged it as well, glad to have been prepared by his drunkard uncle. 

"Gooood!" Bradok laughed some more before waving to a passing server. "Bring the Fat Turkey!"

"Chef, wasn't that meant for Lord Treeda and--"

"Well, they left without tasting my food, so why should I let it sit and dry out?!" shouted Bradok, undoing his apron. "Here, take this back and bring the turkey instead!"

"Yes, Chef!"