Book 3: Chapter 51: Benefits and Consequences

Book 3: Chapter 51: Benefits and Consequences

"All of our private rooms are currently occupied, as they often are. I'm sure you don't mind having to use a communal dining room considering this is a walk-in, yes, Master Mezro'nan?" the gnome asked.

"Of courssse. But if a private room becomesss available...?" the lizard alluded.

The gnomish employee shook her head as their group came upon an open archway that lead into a magnificent dining hall. "Sadly, they are fully booked for the next 16 years. On the event of a guest not attending for any reason, pre-reservations have been made and you do not meet the criteria to take claim of one such pre-reservation."

Lone was a bit shocked. 'She's a double-S-ranker but she gets to talk to him like that and he just has to take it based on his expression? That's pretty fuckin' cool. This place must have some serious power behind it. But if that's the case, why is it here and not in, say, a Divine-ruled city or country?'

"I've only ever been here once," Yulia said softly. "It was an experience I will never forget. Some of my siblings frequent this place but it's too expensive for me, personally, given how much my research costs."

"What was it like the one time you did come here?" Lone replied just as softly.

"It was only the Golden Pass City version of the establishment, but it was still the best food I have ever had in my life. Even father says there is no comparison elsewhere on the continent," she answered.

'On the continent? I'd believe her if she said in the city, but the whole continent? Prince Keining must not be too well travelled despite his age,' Lone assumed. 'As what does she mean by 'Golden Pass City version'? Is space magic afoot, maybe? That's fun if so.'

Without missing a beat, their tiny guide dismounted her lectern and led the group through dozens upon dozens of tables, mostly filled with X-rankers. There were close to a hundreds employees going about delivering food, serving drink to tables, chatting with their assigned guests, the whole shebang.

"There's too many X-rankers... I even feel some XX-rankers... Golden Pass City only has one of those, the prince. Space magic. Gotta be space magic. Bet this place is linked to other cities. Did we walk through a teleportation gate or something unknowingly?" Lone asked Soph softly.

She nodded. "I'm pretty sure. The archway that took us from the hallway to this massive room felt spacey. I think?"

Lone noticed many eyes flicker towards them, mostly in curiosity, but there were hints of hostility stemming entirely from the content of their hushed words.

'Yikes. Telepathy only, I guess. Good thing we're in disguises at least. Didn't realise our stop for lunch would lead to so many powerful people suddenly being in the same room as us,' he commented.

Soph donned a downcast look. 'S-Sorry. I just wanted you to have what looked like the best. Everyone left here looking so satisfied... It looked like a normal restaurant with my Mana Sensing. I-I'll get better and telling space magic and concealed enchantments from what's actually normal! There must be differences for me to discover. I'm sure of it!'

Lone would have kissed her if he didn't think he'd get chewed out by a couple dozen X-rankers for being inappropriate. Instead, he held her waist as they walked and he replied, 'That's my Soph. I know you can do it, but remember our bet. You gotta earn that subskill or new effect for Body Manipulation before I get 20 skills out of beginner rank... Best not to distract yourself, right? I mean, I already have a few skills that qualify and there's so much time left...'

'I'm working on it, you big dummy!' she replied with a mental pout.

"Here we are. A table for five with room for six. I'll return shortly with our selection of menus. Would anyone like a complimentary drink to begin your stay?" their gnomish escort now turned personal waitress, it would seem, asked.

Lone witnessed Master Mezro'nan furrow what could be called his brow in surprise. "Would it be too much to asssk for a bottle of Ruodafolai?"

Yulia wasn't reacting beyond general amazement at the room, so she clearly didn't see either the gnome or Master Mezro'nan's requests as being too odd. Why, Lone didn't know.

"Not at all. Do you have a preference on the vintage?" the waitress asked.

The lizard's surprise turned to pure shock as the purple scaled quadruped hesitantly replied, "From the assscensssion of Divine Fractiousss, if posssible."

"Of course. And everybody else?" the gnome asked Lone, Soph, and Breena.

Lone pursed his lips. "Who owns this place?"

"Lord Im- Bob!" Master Mezro'nan hissed in warning for being so rude.

The gnome didn't seem to care, however. Instead, she smiled warmly. "Journey's End is owned by the Deposit Conglomerate. Now, complimentary drinks?"

"Whatever Peter would recommend. I'm sure he knows better what would make our coming meal as amazing as possible, right? If he's unavailable, I'll take the head chef's recommendation," Lone said as he pulled out a chair for Soph and then for Breena before taking his own place at the table.

This was a test of sorts. Peter, or the Undying Teller, had somehow convinced him and Soph to used a soul slot of Lone's to create the unique skill True Contract Magic and to adopt Kyuubi, without any of it seeming overly suspicious or weird.

If this place was owned by that man's employer, Malcolm Deposit, and judging by Master Mezro'nan's shock at the complimentary drink, then it seemed wise to see if he was getting special treatment for some reason. At worst, he'd just get told 'no' or get thrown out for being rude. Lone could live with that if that was what his words would lead to.

Soph nodded. "Same."

"Uh, um, m-me too..." Breena said.

"That sounds ideal to me. I know far too little about food and beverages to judge what I would like. Ah, I do have a preference for fruit juices, however, if that's appropriate," Yulia answered.

"I would appreciate an explanation as well," Yulia said.

"Lord Immortusss'sss first then. Demonic Lava isss a delicacy of one of the planesss of hell the sssummonersss of Altrosss have managed to connect to. I know not which one, sssadly, but it is pure poison to anyone not of a demonic ssspeciesss outssside of a ssselect few beings like fire-basssed elementalsss. It will, however, if sssuccesssfully ingesssted, make a non-native of the hellsss resssisstant to all formsss of demonic influence. Like my wine, it variesss from perssson to perssson how effective it isss and how dangerousss it isss. A sssingle drop can kill an X-ranker. You have sssix full ssshot glasssesss worth of the ssstuff, and it hasss been refined three timesss to be even purer," Master Mezro'nan explained.

"Had I not ssseen the recording of your fight with Lord Keining, I would have asssumed the Undying Teller wanted to asssasssinate you. I cannot even fathom how harmful ingesssting sssuch a sssubssstance would be when the normal version is ssso lethal to thossse of my rank already. The gainsss will likely be jussst asss amplied," he added.

Soph's eyes filled with concern. She held Lone's hand and said, "Maybe you shouldn't drink it right now? Your soul still isn't fully healed..."

"Your soul is damaged?" Yulia asked in surprise.

"Did something stupid to myself with my aura. I'm almost better now though." Lone picked up the shot glass and stared at the bubbling liquid inside. "I wasn't told I could keep the glass like I was with the bowl of milk, and if it's only physical... As much as I am suspicious of him, I do trust Peter."

And with that, he downed the liquid in one gulp. His throat immediately burned up like he had just swallowed the sun. Lone thrashed about in his chair as he clawed at his Adam's apple as if he was trying to burrow into his own oesophagus to remove the raging inferno he had just consumed.

His skin turned bright red and steam rose from his entire body. His disguise flickered before collapsing entirely, revealing his true appearance before he slammed out of his chair and onto the floor where he rolled around while screaming madly.

"Lone!" Soph panicked and moved to grab Lone but was stopped by Master Mezro'nan who had used a silently casted earth magic spell to encase her entire body except for her head.

"Fool! Touch him and you will likely die. Bessst cassse ssscenario, you will lossse whatever limb you touch him with. Leave him. He did not die immediately and he isss recovering remarkably fassst. No one at thisss table will be free of consssequencesss when consssuming thier drinksss, ssso sssit back down and lisssten to my explanationsss asss he worksss through hisss consssequencesss," Master Mezro'nan ordered, showing a sort of sagely wisdom that could only come with millennia of living as an independent mage.

Soph struggled against the earthy constraints and was just about to user her barrier magic to rip herself free, but a coldness overtook her plain foxkin face before she nodded.

Master Mezro'nan squinted his lizard eyes but he relented and undid his magic, allowed it to return to Altros, freeing Sophie.

"She will behave now. Thank you for restraining her. The girl acts before she thinks sometimes. Just like this foolish man of ours," Sophie sighed before the softness returned to her expression along with an embarrassed smile.

"Two sssoulsss, one body?" he asked.

Soph shook her head but didn't let her eyes leave the struggling Lone. "No. It's complicated."

"Asss mossst thingsss are. That explainsss your drinks, however. They both react differently depending on the persssonality of the consssumer," Master Mezro'nan stated. "Ssshapessshifter'sss Delight isss a drink ressserved for the mossst privileged of the different ssspecies that can naturally ssshapessshift. It turns the drinker into a blob akin to a ssslime before relying on their thoughtsss, wantsss, hopesss, and pure willpower, to boossst their ability to mould their form at will. While ressserved for the mossst privileged, it isss also almost exclusssively usssed for thossse who cannot control their powersss."

The purple being that looked like a Komodo dragon didn't question why a human would need this substance. He clearly knew better than to do that. "I have heard the processs isss immensely painful, akin to a prolonged attack on the sssoul meant to caussse harm, not to kill. It isss not fatal asss a result. The processs isss also known to permanently enhance the Ssstrength, Dexterity, and Vitality, of the consssumer. The amount variesss basssed on how long they can ssstay consssciousss during the processs."

Soph didn't seem to care much. She was too busy fussing over Lone who was still writhing about madly. Besides, this was clearly Sophie's drink, not hers.

"Asss for Highborn Acorn Sssyrup, it is the sssoftessst of the drinksss we were given. A sssingle sssip can do nothing, or it can ressstore mana, permanently increassse Magical Power, grant random levelsss in magical ssskillsss, increassse magical affinitiesss, trigger magical enlightenment or ssskill enlightenment related to magic, or even grant an entirely new magical affinity or magical ssskill to the drinker. The risk, however, asss already sssaid, is that it could do nothing, wasssting it. The chance of sssomething happening dependsss wholly on the purity of the consssumer. Entirely in a ssspiritual sssense, not a physssical or moral sssense. It isss a dissstilled product of a World Tree, after all," the X-ranker detailed.

Soph's interest has been piqued but she still didn't reply or move her eyes from Lone. "What about the milk?" she asked.

"The Gulfian Milk? It isss guaranteed to evolve the bloodline of a beassst, animal, tamed creature, ssspiritual animal, or monster, who consssumesss it. It forcesss the drinker into a deep sssleep that they may never wake from, however. The chancesss of that worsssen if they have no motivation to do anything complex. A deeper, more powerful bloodline requiresss equally deep and powerful thoughtsss," he explained. "It would benefit even me. I am mossst jealousss of this 'sssleepy one'."

Soph nodded softly but didn't reply.

Seeing this, Master Mez'ronan continued. "Sssalient Night Infusion isss rather sssinisster. It will return the drinker to the deepessst, darkesst moment of their life and force them to repeat it for what feelsss like an endlesss amount of time. The drinker must overcome the moment to essscape, and doing ssso will grant them a ssskill only obtainable from the processs. That isss all I know. The information of the ssskill isss a tightly guarded sssecret. Your drink, child, very well may be the raressst one on the table."

Breena stared deeply into her pitcher filled with a liquid as black and ominous as the Void in Lone's features. She held back a fearful gulp. While she didn't rush into drink her beverage as Lone had, she didn't turn away from it, instead choosing to study it intensely despite her mounting terror of what consuming it would entail.

Master Mezro'nan gave her a look of pity then moved on, "Thinker'sss Fruit Punch, Princesssling Yulia, isss the most common drink here but it isss by no meansss ordinary. It will forcefully grant you enlightenment on any sssubject. It cannot fail which isss very remarkable. It isss, however, entirely limited on your own knowledge. You won't have the posssibility of being enlightened with sssomething you do not know. You need the building blocksss for the drink to create a ssstructure for you, ssso to ssspeak. The consssequencesss aren't fatal but they can be quite dangerousss. To induce the enlightened ssstate, the drink will ssseal all of your ssstatsss and ssskillsss for two monthsss."

"This is exactly what I need. They even gave me two servings... Um... waitress, are we allowed to bring these drinks home with us, or must they be consumed here?" Yulia asked.

Appearing near the table, the gnome smiled warmly and said, "The containers as well are the drinks are your to do with as you will. Even the special shot glass of Mister Immortus's."

Given his disguise had dropped, the woman had addressed Lone by his real name, which wasn't too surprising. She disappeared just as soon as she was done talking.

"That is good to hear," Yulia sighed in relief. "What are the consequences of your wine, Master Mezro'nan?"

"It isss a trade. I mussst offer up an earth magic ssskill I cherisssh for the affinity boost I previously mentioned. I can re-learn the ssskill though, so it isss not that concerning. Centuries of work isss well worth the millennia of effort it would take to earn the affinity boossst myssself," he replied.

Lone crawled back up to his chair, noticeably less red but still burning far too hot for anyone here to touch him. Through gritted teeth, he said, "Not taking another shot for a while. Fuck me. Thanks for the info, man, it's appreciated. Wanna... wanna move on to official talks now? I need time to cool off before we order food anyway."