Morgan shifted forwards in her seat. “Many years ago, our kingdom was on the verge of destruction. We were under attack from not one, not two, but five large enemy nations, each of them made of a powerful race of beings. The Anima Kingdom was seen as the smallest and weakest of the world’s nations. We felt hopeless and desperate. We were afraid of being crushed and driven extinct in the Five Kingdoms War. But then! A pair of Heroes emerged.”

Enrique kept listening as Morgan grew more excited, her voice becoming louder. “First, there was a man named Aurelius. He came from seemingly nowhere, an ice mage of endlessly brilliant schemes and amazing ability. He earned the nickname “The Mage of the Frozen North” during a famous battle. Then, there was his partner, the one our enemies called the “Blue-Eyed Demon in Black”. She emerged from the legends, a Hero spoken throughout untold millennia, always stepping in when the world needed her the most. The two were not just heroes by title, but by action. They inspired the Kingdom and rallied our army and fighters through their spirit.”

“Okay, good for you, but why do I care—”

“Hang on! I’m getting to the juicy part.” Morgan waved a hand as if to shush him. “They not only successfully defended the Kingdom, but single-handedly conquered the other nations. They utterly defeated entire armies. Saved citizens, aided allies in need, freed prisoners from the staunchest of strongholds. Brought the other nations’ best warriors to their knees. Devastated the greatest magic users of that era. Gave us hope again. That’s the power of true Heroes.”

Enrique took a moment to let this sink in. “That’s a little scary. But I like that.” He smiled. “Where can I find these two? I want them to teach me.”

“That’s what I thought you’d say.” Morgan gazed at him with her brown eyes. For a moment, her expression seemed hesitant. “Well, here’s the strange thing. Around ten years ago, after the war, Aurelius mysteriously vanished. Only his old partner knows what happened to him. Her name is…Vivian Azurelane!”

Morgan finished with a flourish of her arm, as if revealing some dramatic secret.

“Okayyy.” Enrique had difficulty hiding his annoyance. “All I needed was a name.”

He bit into more of his steak and sipped his tea.

“I’m giving you a heads-up,” Morgan explained in a reasonable tone. “We’re talking about a war hero here. Not someone ordinary, you know? I doubt she’d be willing to train you. Do you think you’ve got what it takes?”

“Don’t underestimate me,” he said. Morgan looked amused by his determined gaze. “Do you know where this Azurelane could be?”

“Oh, that’s not a problem.” Morgan leaned back again and kicked her legs under the table. “My client, your partner, knows her extremely well. Like I said, your partner’s in this cafe. We could arrange a meeting today without any trouble.”

Enrique held in his surprise. “That’s it? Azurelane seems really easy to find.”

“Duh!” Morgan waved her fork at him. “That’s who she is! You think all mythical heroes live in some kind of faraway mountain, pondering a troubled past and cut off from the rest of society?”

“All right.” Enrique felt uneasy. Morgan had been helping him a lot even in a single hour. He still wasn’t sure if she was friend or foe, but no matter how kind she’d been to him, he didn’t like the way her assistance was stacking up. That could be used against him. He decided to seize the situation more into his own hands.

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“Waiter!” he called out, raising a hand. The fox woman in the apron walked over to him.

“Yes?” she asked politely.

He gave the waitress a hard look. “I think I know what’s going on. You must be getting some kind of benefit for those, uh—hugs. Does your boss pay you more or something?”

“Huh—huuuh?” The waitress looked bewildered. “Um—the others don’t need to, but it’s following the heart of the cafe—”

“You do it, when I bet no one else wants to. That means some kind of loyalty to this place. You’re one of the senior staff at this cafe, correct?” He shot the question at her like a bullet. Before she could respond, he went on. “That means you know the owner here, and probably everyone else. Tell me, do you know anyone who knows about Azurelane?”

The waitress looked embarrassed. Morgan was silent but looked ready to laugh again.

“Yes, but—”

“I want her to train me. This Azurelane. I want to become a strong Hero. Set up a meeting with her today. I’m willing to hear whatever price or favor she wants from me.” Enrique made sure his voice sounded authoritative and decisive. It was the tone he used when he had been herding the rowdy, smaller kids back home.

“Ah…” The waitress fidgeted with her apron. She looked at Morgan, who was trying very hard to restrain herself from another fit. “Sure.” The fox woman’s face brightened. “The cafe closes after lunch. I’ll meet with you outside it.”

“That works.”

“Okay! Great! Let me know if you need anything else!” The waitress smiled courteously, bowed, and then left for a while. Enrique spotted her go to the back of the cafe, then return to help other customers, yammering energetically at a few Anima and briefly speaking to one of the blond, green-robed waitresses.

After he had stuffed himself with the food, the fox woman returned, skipping happily. “I hope you enjoyed your meal! Here’s your receipts!” The waitress handed Morgan a paper receipt with typed black letters. She handed a similar one to Enrique as well.

He read it:

Marinated steak special - 0

Tea set: chicken club, black tea - 0

Training session meetup - 0

Will of Flame - 0

Save your life - 0

Love!!! Hugs!!! Cuddles!!! - 0

“What the heck is this?” He eyed the paper and looked at Morgan’s receipt. Hers made much more sense, except for the price:

Tea set: chicken club, black tea - 0

He shoved the paper at her face. Morgan took a look at his receipt.

“Looks fine to me,” the witch told him mildly.

“I’m not an idiot,” he snapped. “Why’s everything free? What are all those weird items?”

“She set up a meeting like you asked.” Morgan stretched and yawned. “Don’t worry about the other stuff. She’s giving you a hint of what she can do.”

“What do you mean?” he asked irritably.

The bunny woman merely took out her phone. “Lunchtime ends in half an hour. Let’s walk outside and wait a bit, alright?”

----------------------------------------

Enrique paced the ground restlessly as Morgan stood with him, waiting outside. He tried to come up with scenarios of what to say and do, but his lack of knowledge about this new world was blocking him. He definitely wasn’t home, and he didn’t even know if he could return.

The cafe door opened. The fox woman from before stepped out, but she wore what appeared to be a simple black top and black shorts. She also had an elegantly curved sword sheathed at her side, like a katana. Enrique wondered if they were going to go somewhere dangerous, and tensed slightly. Morgan, on the other hand, looked delighted at the sight.

“Well? Where is she?” Enrique demanded.

Morgan tittered. “Haha! Vi! Just tell him!”

The fox woman’s sky blue eyes looked at him in an abashed way.

Wait a minute, he thought. Vi. Short for Vivian?

His eyes widened. “Don’t tell me…this dumba** is Vivian Azurelane?!”