Ryu admired his purse, a satisfied smile on his face. The weight of the bag brought him immense joy, filled with the Cacao Nibs he had received earlier from Mathias. Aurora whizzed about overhead, going from store to store to gawk at the products on sale.

Wisteria led the way as they strolled through the busy marketplaces of Kopi City, directing them to the entrance of a restaurant that led into a basement. They made their way down a flight of stairs, illuminated by the cool blue light of an aquarium running above and along the sides of the stairwell.

Schools of fish and sea creatures Ryu had never laid eyes on before swam through the clear water, displaying vivid colors and patterns ranging from deep purple hues, the red of coral, and the aquamarine of the sea itself, to name a few.

Aurora pressed her face to the glass, salivating as she watched a particularly large fish swim by. It hastily distanced itself from the glass as if it was aware of her presence.

“Yes, swim away. You’ll be even tastier when I finally catch you, nya,” she cackled to herself.

“You know the staff will just catch it and cook it for us, right?” Ryu explained.

“Where’s the fun in that?” Aurora pouted.

Ryu brushed his fingertips along the stone walls, guiding them along the seams in-between the bricks as they walked further in. A waiter greeted them as they entered the main dining area, the tables packed to the brim with patrons enjoying succulent meals.

All the dishes were made to order with the freshest ingredients. A heavenly aroma of herbs, spices, and butter wafted through the air, almost lifting Ryu off of his feet. He eyed the plates of other tables as they were seated, making note of which dishes looked the most appetizing.

“This place is called Oceano tra le Nuvole, the Ocean in the Clouds,” Wisteria said. “Get anything you’d like here. Mathias gave you the free food service pass, so you should be able to eat here or at any of their sister locations, free of charge.”

“Free food is the best food, nya!” Aurora cheered.

“I’m excited to try this place out,” Sylfie remarked pleasantly. She folded a napkin and tucked it into her shirt after they had placed their orders, waiting patiently as the servers arrived with their food.

She can be really ladylike sometimes. Ryu noticed.

Their plates were warm and the courses sizzled as they dug in. The meat of Ryu’s fish was delicate and flaky, melting in his mouth as it burst with flavor, a healthy seasoning of fried garlic chips on his dish, just the way he liked it. He dipped pieces of the fish in a sauce that enveloped his taste buds as if it were ambrosia. He was in heaven. Ryu couldn’t recall a time when he had enjoyed a meal so thoroughly before. He took a mental snapshot of the moment, cherishing it.

Glancing up from his plate, he observed Wisteria savor her meal with dainty little bites and the occasional dab from her napkin. Ryu immediately regretted turning to the other side, however, watching with horror as Sylfie and Aurora tore through an entire seafood boil by themselves, leaving no shellfish unturned as they sucked them dry. It was like a scene out of a nature documentary.

The maître d' fainted at the sight, having to be revived by Wisteria. Ryu apologized to the dining room staff, slipping them a sizable tip as they proceeded to clean the area, shooting dirty glances at Sylfie and Aurora. The two burped in satisfaction, not a hint of remorse behind their eyes.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

“That was amazing, nya,” Aurora sighed, laying contently on Ryu’s shoulder.

“I agree, but I doubt they’d want to see us around again anytime soon,” Ryu sighed, shaking his head at them. So much for being ladylike. “The both of you could use a lesson in dining room etiquette.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Sylfie said, waving a hand dismissively. “They’ll probably forget about it in the next few days, given how many customers they get on a daily basis. C’mon, let’s go to some specialty stores for brewing and adventuring. If you see something you like, I’ll buy it—my treat. Deal?”

“Uh, sure,” Ryu replied, shrugging his shoulders.

“Good, now stop complaining,” Sylfie replied, marching down the street in high spirits.

They entered a store selling items for brewing first. Ryu perused the shelves, amused by Sylfie’s excitement as she pestered the store clerk about every product in the shop, her curiosity overriding her sensibilities.

Most of the wares there were barely above third-rate quality, though Ryu did spot some gems amongst the rest of the garbage. He picked out a cezve, a cylindrical copper pot with a long handle and a pouring lip, and its accompanying set of dishes and cups. He was reminded of his interaction with Madame Ursula; she had a set similar to this one in a sealed box with her other wares.

Perhaps the next time she visited the café, he could ask her about sourcing the right grounds to make coffee with the cezve.

The store clerk rang him up at the counter, and they were off to the next store.

“So what’d you buy?” Sylfie prodded.

“It’s a type of coffee pot and a matching set to go along with it,” Ryu said.

This piqued the elf’s interest. She hovered around Ryu, wanting to know what kind of coffee he’d make with his new tools.

“I can’t make anything with this yet. I’ll need to wait until the next time Madame Ursula comes to visit, so I can get the proper grounds from her,” he explained.

Sylfie looked disappointed that she wouldn’t be able to try a new brew just yet. She gathered herself quickly, however, putting on a positive attitude. “Well, it’s not like we’re going anywhere after this. I can wait a week or two. Anyway, I said I would buy you something, so keep your purse in your pocket while we’re at this next store,” she ordered.

“Yes, ma’am,” Ryu replied.

The specialty store with adventurer’s gear seemed quite a bit more interesting than the brewer store, with a plethora of MacGuffins and glowing artifacts saturating the space. Sylfie seemed at home in the area, ignoring the flashy weaponry and decked-out suits of armor. Ryu followed her, figuring she would have better knowledge on which items were actually useful.

Wisteria and Aurora browsed the library, poring over various tomes containing everything from spells and potions to recipes on how to bake the perfect sourdough bread.

Sylfie and Ryu found themselves in the dagger section of the store. As Sylfie sifted through the shelves, Ryu took the time to look around the area, trying to find a useful tool he could use in conjunction with his staff.

He searched for some time, not a single weapon striking his fancy. Frankly, they all looked incredibly well made, but nothing set them apart from the next intricately crafted knife. Ryu had almost given up, until, out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a short bundle wrapped in copious amounts of cloth, sealed with multiple talismans.

He inched towards the bundle, apprehensively. There was a sinister aura around it. Its energy seemed to pull him in, the allure to open it growing stronger. Ryu hunched over the bundle, checking over his shoulders to see if anyone was watching, before unwrapping it.

He found it strange that the seals came undone so easily, but it didn’t stop him from unveiling the contents locked inside. He carefully removed the last piece of cloth, staring at a dagger so dark it actively dimmed the light around it.

A single inscription was carved into the fuller of the blade.

[Grimm Reign]

He attempted to analyze it with [Insight], only managing to produce an incomplete information sheet.

[Background: Vorpal Blade belonging to ??? of ???]

[Item appears to originate from the Lost Age]

[Status: error]

[System cannot identify weapon attributes or gather further information]