Vol. 2 - Ch. 26 - Scatligo at Night [Part 1]

After leaving the Green Tower, they returned to the central plaza.The sun had just begun to set, and the buildings were blotched red.

(I guess it's normal to hunt from dawn to dusk.)

Ash thought while looking at the plaza crowded with challengers who seemed to have just finished their hunts.

"That was tougher than I thought it would be. It's going to be a challenging one to clear." Ash said as he walked away from the crowd, remembering the 11th Floor of the Green Tower.

Thinking about how he would deal with the Skeletons when hindered by the poor visibility

made Ash all excited.

This was also thanks to this environment which offered a variety of means to choose from.

Here Ash had to make use of the tools offered to him and not just his own strength.

The towers on Dural Island offered a new type of difficulty that the Towers of Trials on the outside did not have.

"I propose we completely halt climbing the Green Tower..." A monotonous voice muttered behind Ash.

Upon turning around, Ash saw Clara following him with a clouded look on her face.

She had been like this ever since they had escaped from the Green Tower's 11th Floor.

"But then we won't be able to challenge God."

"B-But there's caterpillars! Didn't you see it wriggle around?!" Clara exclaimed.

"Well of course it wriggles around. It's a caterpillar." Sᴇaʀch* Thᴇ ɴovᴇlꜰirᴇ.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

"They're disgusting as they are, why did it have to be that big... Just thinking about it makes me want to puke..." Clara said, bringing her hands up to cover her mouth.

She wasn't acting or anything, she genuinely looked sick to her stomach.

"It was the right choice to scout. Next time we can prepare ourselves before challenging it." Ash remarked.

"Ash, you're a demon, the devil himself!"

"Well, at any rate, we're done hunting for today, so let's go and grab something to eat."

One would only get tired if they were on their guard at all times.

As such it was essential to switch things up.

"Now that you mention it... I'm starving." Clara said.

"It's settled then. Let's go eat somewhere."

"Yea! There's actually this place where I've been wanting to visit, if you don't mind that is."

"Sure, I'm fine with wherever."

"It's a restaurant called Scatligo. It's that one! The one with the crowd!" Clara exclaimed.

"That one, huh?"

The place to which Clara pointed was on the corner of the square, with tables and chairs encroaching into the street. It was the same place where Leo had bought Ash a glass of juice.

"Unlike the day, at night you can eat as much as you want for a certain price."

"Phew. Now that's a deal."

Fighting monsters consumed a lot of physical energy.

Inevitably, one needed to eat a lot of food to keep their bodies going.

"Though, unlike you Ash, I don't have any friends... so I haven't been there during the day."

"I wouldn't call that a friend..." Ash chuckled.

"Oh, really? Then we're the same!"

"You don't have to say that so happily. And it's not like we don't have any friends. We're each other's friend, aren't we?"

"You're not my friend Ash, you're my p-p-partner!"

"You don't have to force yourself to say it if you're embarrassed."

As they talked, Ash and Clara headed to Scatligo.

They'd already seen it from a bit far away, but when they got there, the place was really packed.

After standing in line for a short time, they paid their fee to a Milma and went through the simple entrance.

"400 Duri... That was unexpectedly expensive."

"I-I'm sorry..."

"Well we did clear the 10th Floor today. We might as well treat ourselves." Ash said.

He had already paid a 1000 Duri to Blain for 10 days of rent, and his Gamal's stomach was running thin, but regardless, it was necessary to splurge once in a while.

After placing a huge plate on his tray, Ash headed to the section where the food was lined up.

Most of the items offered were seafood and vegetables, with a few meat options.

Other eye-catching items included were the wide variety of desserts. Colorful cakes, jellies, and ice cream adorned the tables.

It was unlikely that one could enjoy everything in one visit.

(This array of desserts is probably why Clara wanted to come here.)

Ash, in turn, was in the mood for something greasy, so he took his share of the scarcely arranged meat dishes.

Clara then peeked at his plate.

"Whoa. It's full of greasy things..."

"I'm quite hungry."

"You should eat some vegetables as well. Give me that."

"Hey!"

Clara took Ash's plate and began to fill it up with things of her choice.

Ash's plate soon took on a greenish-red color and the various meats were quickly covered up.

She proudly handed Ash a finished, vibrant plate - or rather, a plate filled with greens and an abundance of nature.

"Here you go."

"Thanks. I'm so moved I might just cry." Ash said sarcastically.

"You're welcome!" Clara responded with a carefree smile.

The fact that Ash couldn't tell whether she was serious or joking terrified him.

He made a mental note to include vegetables in his meals when he shared a meal with Clara.

"Now all we need are drinks." Ash said.

"Huh? There's a price tag next to the drinks... Am I imagining things." Clara said, looking at the wooden sign hanging above the reception desk facing the kitchen.

"You aren't."

A price was written exactly next to an item's name.

Alcoholic beverages were 100, and everything else was usually around 50 Duri. Just as they were looking at the price tags, an employee suddenly passed by them.

"Excuse me, are drinks paid separately?" Ash asked.

"Yes. Drinks are separate." The employee answered with a very nice smile.

Ash had been left with the impression that the drinks were free as well, but that was apparently not the case.

"We'll have to do our best from tomorrow on." he chuckled.

"Y-Yea."

It would indeed be tedious to eat without having a drink to go along with the food.

Albeit reluctantly, Ash and Clara chose a random beverage and ordered it.

"I'll bring them to you later." the Milma employee said.

Hearing that Ash began to look for a place to sit.

"It's full..."

"Hey! Ash!"

A short distance away, Ash saw Clara waving at him.

"There's a place there!"

She pointed to where a waitress was clearing a table for three people.

As they waited by the table, the waitress finished wiping down the table and said, "Please." while pointing at the table.

Ash and Clara put their food down and took their seats.

"That was lucky." Ash remarked.

"Yea! Still, there really are a lot of people here."

"There sure are. I didn't imagine there'd be this many."

There were about 40 customers.

Considering the number of people on the island, that was a significant amount.

Entrance restrictions even began being applied, and clerks were turning away customers with their heads down.

"Then again, there's only women here." Ash remarked.

Although there were some Milma mixed up with the customers, most of them were human challengers.

Ash couldn't figure out why there were so many people. He could guess that it was either because the pubs smelled like men, or that Scatligo was just that popular.

"Maybe it's because vegetable dishes are the main ones here, and also because of the various desserts!" Clara said excitedly.

"In any case, I definitely wouldn't come here alone."

"You can thank me right about now." Clara said proudly.

"You sure sound smug for being a woman who couldn't come here by herself."

"T-That was cheap!"

After stopping at that, so that he wouldn't go overboard with teasing Clara, Ash looked down at his plate.

"For the time being, let's eat. I'm starving."

"Me too. Let's eat!" Clara exclaimed and got to work on her food.

Ash promptly devoured the veggies from the platter, exposing the meat, which disappeared fast after that.

The sensation of a large amount of meat juices filling up his tired body was nothing short of bliss.

Their hearts began to fill with each bite they took. Suddenly, however, a familiar figure appeared in Ash's field of view.

It was a woman with long blond hair tied into a ponytail. It was none other than Lapis.