90 90 – The Announcement
Lilian, Yua, and Elise walked down the marble-floored hallway. Elise—hugging her little dog—looked around at the elegant carvings on the walls and ceiling. The building was genuinely magnificent, befitting the appearance of Lilian, who was the wife of a noble.
“I am very pleased with the arrival of you two.” Walking in the front, Lilian put a damp cloth on her swollen forehead. Her mouth formed a wide smile. “So, I’ve been hesitant to ask this… However, I’m really curious what you two will do for my dear son?”
“Why does that question sound wrong?” Raymund chimed in.
Yua smiled back. “Sorry, but I can’t say that right now, Mrs. Lilian. That’s my master’s order.”
“Well, then I won’t ask again.” Lilian didn’t show that she was suspicious at all.
They finally got out of the building, which turned out to be a large resort. Raymund’s two servants were greeted with a view of a vast field with green grass. People were sitting at various tables that were already full of luxurious foods.
They are not ordinary people. Almost all of them carried weapons or magic staff. Some only had small bags, but judging by their appearance, they were magic users.
The adventurers barely paid attention to Yua and Elise as the two women passed the tables. They mostly greeted Lilian, who only smiled back. Maybe it’s because Raymund’s second servant outfit doesn’t really stand out there. Many men and women wear more skimpy and flashy clothes. There’s even a muscular guy who only wears some kind of g-string.
“Please sit here, Miss Yua, Miss Elise.” Lilian invited Raymund’s servants to sit at one of the far-end tables. “Sorry, you girls have to sit here. The other places are already full. There are over a hundred adventurers present.”
“Thank you very much, Madame Lilian.” Yua bowed her head.
“I have to prepare various things.” Lilian also bowed. “Please, enjoy the lunch.”
“What happens if someone provokes the people there, huh?” Raymund babbled like a drunken man. “There will definitely be chaos.”
“Are you bored, sir?” Yua whispered to her master.
“No. I just don’t like fancy parties like that.”
Before long, several female maids brought food to Yua and Elise. The lunch menu was cream soup, a large steak, and a round cake. Everything is served at the same time, in contrast to the custom on earth. In addition, the two of them also got a large bowl of fruit and a large jug of water.
“Let’s one of us know if you want more.” A maid poured wine into a metal glass on the table. She gave such a friendly smile.
“Thanks, miss.” Yua smiled back.
Seeing Yua’s warm smile, the maid widened her smile, put down the wine bottle, said goodbye, then walked away.
“Why don’t you eat, Yua?” Raymund noticed that only Elise started eating.
“It’s okay, sir. I basically don’t need to eat, right?”
Raymund was silent for a moment, thinking why Yua was behaving like that. “Do you feel bad for me not being able to join in there?
Those words made Elise, who was enjoying her soup, freeze.
“You don’t have to do that, Yua.” Raymund continued, remembering that he was poor and could not order food from the god of food and drink. “You don’t have to take care of your nutrition and weight anymore like when you were a race driver…. Well, this is my order. Eat it, or I will give you more punishment.”
“I am very grateful for your concern, sir.” Yua made a special gesture to make it look like she was chatting with Elise. “But, to be honest, the appearance of this food is indeed appetizing. However, I can tell from the smell that the taste is lacking.”
And in fact, Elise pushed her soup bowl away. She then tried to eat her steak. However, she struggles hard to cut the food.
“I’ll stick with the fruit.” Yua took an apple and took a bite.
Lilian went up to a stage set up at the edge of the field area. She gave loud claps, making the adventurers silent.
As the woman started to speak, Elise and Yua exchanged glances.
“Can you hear it, Elise?” The kunoichi took another bite of the apple.
The female warrior shook her head. “No, maybe the distance is too far.”
“That idiot noble lady.” Raymund laughed. “There are a lot of guests, but why does she sound like she’s talking to someone nearby?”
“Can you hear it, sir?” Yua leaned forward so she could hear more clearly. The distance from one table to another in the place was a bit far. The area used was so vast that Yua and Elise, who were at the other end, could only hear a small grumble.
“The point is that tomorrow there will be a competition to persuade Lilian’s son to practice being an adventurer. The participants are free to use various methods.” Raymund’s voice showed no energy at all. He wanted to use the fast-forward feature, but at the same time, he had to listen to Lilian’s explanation. “After this, there will be a raffle to determine the order of the adventurers.”
“I see. Thanks, sir.” Yua drank her wine and reflexively spitted it back into the glass. “Holy shit. This is really bad.”
Meanwhile, Elise was still munching on her dessert. The female warrior had been doing that for a minute. And finally, after looking around, she took the food out of her mouth into a handkerchief.
“Yua…. You’ve been around the world for racing, haven’t you?” Elise rinsed her mouth with water before continuing her speech. “Have you ever found a dessert like rubber?”
The kunoichi shook her head with a chuckle. “Not yet.”
Lilian made a gesture to let someone in. A boy who was probably ten years old stepped onto the stage. His face and hair color were almost identical to Lilian’s.
“I don’t like his expression.” Raymund snorted. “He seems to be looking down on all of you. Maybe he was a brat…”
Before Raymund had finished speaking, the boy stepped off the stage, leaving his mother confused and embarrassed.
“He really is a brat,” Raymund concluded.