Reiki was in the middle of chewing, he thought. Hmmm… The meat has good marbling but they decided to give me a tough cut of meat. He noticed the odd looks on both the women staring at her, Reiki swallowed and said. “What?” Chishiki glanced at the grill filled with sizzling meat, she said. “Do you want me to call Yuna again so you can order rice?” Reiki shook his head as he flipped a few thin slices of wagyu on the grill and said. “I’ll pass, they decided to use shank.”
Akemi and Chishiki’s brows furrowed in confusion. Akemi spoke with a hint of confusion, she said. “Shank?” Reiki picked up another piece of thin monster wagyu and said. “It’s the toughest part of the cow.” He shoved another piece of wagyu into his mouth while Chishiki stared at him as she cleared her throat, she said. “Can you tell us where you got those cherries? They seem to have a higher volume of mana in them.” Reiki looked over his shoulder as he watched Cherry using her beak to peck a small piece of one of the cherries in the bowl, he said. “I got it from the elves.”
He picked up a tong and placed a seven-ounce steak on the grill as it released a tempting aroma in the room, Reiki continued. “Need me to change the coins for you?” Akemi used the chopsticks she was holding onto to pick up a piece of shrimp tempura, she said. “If you can that would be-.” Chishiki's right hand blurred as she took the fried shrimp pinched between Akemi’s chopsticks using hers. Chishiki said. “It’s fine, we can manage that by ourselves.” Reiki used the tong to flip the steak to its other side, making a loud sizzling sound.
He said. “If you need to swap the coins just text me using the number I gave you.” Chishiki gave him a polite smile while ignoring the glare Akemi was giving her. Chishiki said. “Sure, we’ll keep that in mind.” Reiki used his chopsticks to pick up a couple of thin slices of wagyu as they were half cooked, he said. “Suit yourself.” He shoved them both into his mouth while Chishiki maintained a smile on her face while Akemi was staring at him with wide eyes. Akemi thought. They weren’t even cooked yet.
While chewing Reiki used a pair of chopsticks to move the meat around on the grill, he swallowed and said. “Alright, with that out of the way. Got any questions for me?” Chishiki picked up a couple of slices of thinly sliced fugu and dipped them into soy sauce that was mixed with wasabi, she said. “When do we get to meet the head?” Reiki flipped a seven-ounce steak on its side and said. “Sooner than you think.” Chishiki’s expression had a hint of surprise as the two pieces of sashimi fell into the small container of soy sauce with wasabi.
Akemi used her hand to reach out and pick up a scallop by the shell that was shucked along with one side of its shell missing. The bottom shell had slightly burnt marks on it as it was cooked with butter topped with some lemon zest and parsley, Akemi said. “Have you ever had a conversation with the said head?” Reiki nodded his head as he rearranged the meat on the grill and flipped the steak to its other side, he said. “I talk to her fairly often. Sometimes over tea and if I’m lucky, lunch.”
Akemi had a hint of judgment as she used a pair of chopsticks to pick up the scallop in the shell she was holding. She dipped it a couple of times in the butter in the shell while Chishiki picked up a napkin and wiped her lips clean, she said. “How did you get access to the library?” Reiki started placing the thin slices of monster wagyu on the plate in front of him, he said. “I asked.” Chishiki and Akemi had doubtful expressions all over their faces. Akemi raised a brow at him and said. “And they let you in? Just like that?”
Reiki flipped the steak onto one of the last two sides that still had a tinge of red on it, he said. “Well, I was only allowed on the first floor and had an elf guard with me at all times.” Akemi placed the shell beside the other scallops that were untouched as she repeatedly made small nods. Chishiki was slowly chewing as she subconsciously stared at him, her eyes widened as a white bird appeared on Reiki’s right shoulder. Reiki the seven-ounce steak on his plate along with the thinly sliced wagyu, he slightly turned his head and said. “Do you want more cherries?”
Cherry flapped her wings and let out a caw, Reiki placed his chopsticks on the plate filled with nothing but meat and thought. I needed to let the steak rest anyway. He reached inside his pocket while Cherry used her beak to peck something in her wing. Chishiki reached her hand out to pick up one of the lobster tails that had some melted cheese on top, she said. “Now for the important question, hand over our souvenirs.” Reiki took out a tattered pouch from his pocket while Akemi used a pair of chopsticks to pick up a de-shelled piece of king crab leg from the pile, she said. “What sauce is this?”
She used the king crab leg pinched between her chopsticks to point at the small ceramic container. Reiki took a couple of whiffs from his nose and said. “Smells like aioli to me.” Akemi dipped the king crab she had in her chopsticks as an odd expression slowly formed on her face, she thought. Smells? She took a bite out of it while Reiki placed his hand inside the pouch and said. “You two need to tell me how many bottles of wine you want.”
Chishiki carefully peeled the lobster meat from its shell as the cheese slightly oozed, she had surprise all over her face and said. “Oh, you were being serious about that.” Reiki took out a large glass of cherries and placed it on the floor beside him, he said. “Think of it as a nice bonus for doing all the hard work.” He thought. I still remember having to set up my first company… And man, was it a fucking pain in the ass even with the money I had at my disposal.
Reiki placed the pouch on his lap as he twisted the cap off the jar, Cherry turned into a streak of white and appeared beside the jar. Reiki covered the top of the jar using his hand and said. “Cherry, no.” Chishiki took a bite of the lobster tail as she placed it back into the shell and glanced at Akemi while giving her a meaningful look. Akemi nodded at her as she reached for a glass of water and took a sip, she said. “That depends, how many bottles are they willing to give?” Reiki reached for the bowl behind him and said. “Just tell me how many you want and I’ll negotiate with them.”
He grabbed the cherries by their stem and started placing them in the bowl while Akemi and Chishiki glanced at each other from the corner of their eye. Akemi took another bite of the king crab she was holding using her chopsticks while Chishiki was using the tip of her chopsticks to move the melted cheese on the lobster tail around. Chishiki watched Reiki place a few more cherries into the bowl and said. “We want ten.” Reiki put the lid back on the jar, he said. “Each or total?”
He picked up the pouch on his lap as he ignored the shocked expressions on the two women's faces, he thought. Can I also do that? Chishiki and Akemi’s eyes widened as they blankly stared at him while Reiki placed his index finger inside the pouch and tapped a couple of times. Reiki glanced at the jar that was still beside him, he continued his train of thought. I need to ask how the items get sucked into the pouch. Akemi quickly came back to her senses and said. “Each! We want ten bottles each.” Reiki moved the bowl closer to Cherry, he said. “Noted.”
Chishiki somehow managed to keep her cool as she used her chopsticks to pick up the lobster meat from the tail, she said. “Now onto the main point, where are the souvenirs you brought this time? Hand them over.” Reiki stuffed the jar inside his tattered pouch, he said. “I wasn’t planning on keeping your boxes of chocolate.” He rummaged his hand inside the pouch and continued. “I only got you two five each.” He took out five rectangular wooden boxes and placed them beside Cherry who was in the middle of using her talons to hold a cherry and used her beak to pull the stem out.
Akemi almost lost her grip on the pair of chopsticks she was holding while Reiki casually took out another five boxes and placed them beside the first set. He moved his gaze onto the pile of meat on his plate and said. “Now that I think about it, Yuna-san forgot about one thing.” Chishiki and Akemi’s eyes were glued onto the boxes Cherry was eating right beside. Chishiki kept her gaze on the box, she said. “W-What?” Reiki moved his eyes onto the seven-ounce steak and said. “A knife and fork, how am I supposed to eat this?”
Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.
He moved his gaze onto the other two and noticed they were gone, Reiki thought. Let me guess. He glanced out of the corner of his eye and saw Akemi and Chishiki holding the boxes while they peeked at the top to see the contents in them. Akemi saw the dozen elven chocolate inside molded into various shapes, she quickly closed it with the lid and said. “When you meet them again make sure to give them our thanks.” She tapped on one of the sides of the wooden boxes as they all vanished.
Chishiki let go of the boxes as they fell to the floor, she said. “We’ll be sure to enjoy them.” Before the boxes could hit the floor they vanished into thin air. The two girls suddenly vanish as Reiki moved his gaze back onto the table and saw them sitting in a seiza seat. Chishiki picked up her pair of chopsticks and used them to pick up the lobster with cheese on it, she said. “Can you tell us why we have to use that one name for all purchases?”
Reiki was neatly folding a couple of pieces of thin wagyu, he said. “I don’t know the price for items, but my older sister on the other hand does.” He shoved the two pieces of thin wagyu he neatly folded into his mouth while Akemi had some thinly sliced fugu pinched between her chopsticks, she dipped them in some soy sauce that was mixed in wasabi and said. “That’s it? Reiki nodded at them as he reached his hand out and picked a piece of shrimp tempura, he said. “Can one of you call Yuna-san for my knife and fork?” Chishiki raised a brow at him and said. “That can’t be the only reason.”
Reiki held the piece of tempura between his chopsticks, he said. “And she’s the one who’s in control of the money. So on the off chance, she notices something odd with prices, she may or may not have a short talk with you.” He ate the piece of fried shrimp while Akemi was in the middle of chewing as she gave him an odd look. The melted cheese that was pinched between Chishiki’s chopsticks dripped back into its shell, she said. “Doesn’t she have her share in the company?”
Reiki shook his head while neatly folding the thin wagyu on his plate, he said. “Not really, I tried talking it with them but they didn’t want to give any more shares.” Chishiki took a bite of her lobster tail with melted cheese while Akemi picked up the king crab leg on her plate, the two of them simultaneously thought. So she’s working for free. Reiki gulped down a mouthful of food, he thought. I’m never going to visit this restaurant again. Who the fucks use shanks for wagyu? My money is on the owner being a cunt. He kept a straight face and said. “Ladies?”
The two girls were in the middle of using their chopsticks to put more seafood onto their plates as they had a hint of questioning in their expressions. Reiki continued. “My knife and fork?” Chishiki’s eyes had a hint of realization in them, she said. “I’ll do it.” She placed her left hand under the table and used her index finger to search around. Chishiki pressed a button below the table as the door leading outside quickly slid open as Yuna was on the other side kneeling. Yuna said. “You called for me, honored patrons?”
Chishiki raised her hand and said. “Yes, Yuna. Can you get the boy a knife and fork? Although it would be interesting to see him eat the steak with his bare hands or chopsticks. I think it would be better if he doesn’t make a mess.” Reiki had a couple of neatly folded thin wagyu pinched between his chopsticks, he let out a chuckle and said. “Don’t tempt me.” Yuna gave them a nod, she said. “Right away.” She slid the door closed while Akemi watched Reiki neatly folding more wagyu on his plate. Akemi said. “You were joking about eating steak with your hands, right?”
Reiki ignored the question and said. “One last thing, did you two already pick a building?” Chishiki reached out her hand and picked up a scallop that was baked in some butter and had some grilled on the shell. Chishiki said. “We already did and we made sure to follow the very specific criteria you gave us.” Akemi’s brows furrowed as she moved her gaze onto him and said. “Why does the building have to have those requirements?” Reiki waved his hand at them as he kept his eyes on the plate in front of him while neatly folding thin monster meat, he said. “Don’t worry about it.”
He moved his pair of chopsticks closer to his mouth but stopped, Reiki continued. “Make sure the place looks nice and I’ll be dropping by sometime this week to make sure it’s properly decorated.” Chishiki wiped her lips using a napkin, she said. “We’ll worry about how the place looks, in the meantime how are we supposed to put potions on the shelves when most of our alchemists are apprentices?” Reiki kept his gaze on the meat pinched between his chopsticks, he said. “Don’t worry about it.”
Chishiki tried her best to keep a straight expression while Akemi's lips pursed into a straight line. Akemi said. “You do know that’s not a very comforting answer to hear.” Reiki was in the middle of chewing as he gulped down a mouthful of food and said. “Fine, do you two want to hear a different answer?” Chishiki lips curled into a smile, she said. “That would be preferable.” Akemi’s eyes slightly narrowed, she said. “This better not be another joke.” Reiki placed more meat in the middle of the grill and said. “No comment.” Followed by a small smile that made the other two women tense up.
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At A High Rise Building In Tokyo
Ketsueki and Namida were sitting on a large couch as they were holding onto a bento with some sushi while watching a flatscreen tv embedded into the wall. Ketsueki picked up a piece of fatty tuna using her chopsticks as she placed both her feet up on the coffee table, she said. “Whose turn was it to clean after Sachi’s… Mess?” She ate the piece of tuna while Namida made herself comfortable on the couch while watching a drama on the screen, she said. “Not me.”
Namida placed her chopsticks on top of her bento and grabbed a cone-shaped sushi with her hand and said. “I think she’s the one responsible for her own mess today.” She took a bite of the temaki while Ketsueki picked up an inarizushi using her chopsticks and said. “Oh… Then why are all three of us even here?” Namida used the cone-shaped sushi to point at herself, she said. “I tracked his location.” She pointed at the nearest door that was on the same wall of the flatscreen, Namida continued. “Negotiator.” She used the temaki to point at Ketsueki sitting on the couch.
Ketsueki ate half of the inarizushi in one bite while Namida smiled at her and said. “Last but not least, intimidation.” Ketsueki raised a brow at her while Namida rolled her eyes at her, she continued. “You know it’s true, even if you were on the mainland people would be afraid of you.” Ketsueki was in the middle of chewing as she nodded in agreement. Namida pointed at the door, she said. “Wanna take a small peek?” Ketsueki let out a chuckle as she wiped her lips using her thumb, she said. “No thanks, I want to finish my meal.”
Namida let out a scoff and said. “You need to get used to blood and gore.” Ketsueki picked up a piece of sushi that had a thin layer of salmon wrapped around it using her chopsticks, she said. “I’m used to blood and gore, I just don’t like how messy it gets when she interrogates clients.” Namida shook her head sideways as she stared at the filling of her temaki, she said. “What a pansy.” Ketsueki stopped herself from eating the piece of sushi on her chopsticks and said. “I don’t need to hear that from someone who likes slicing her opponents in half.”
The two of them simultaneously glanced at the door as a few seconds of silence passed by. Namida pointed at it using the cone-shaped sushi, she said. “Aren’t you curious?” Ketsueki placed the piece of sushi back in her bento as she pointed at her friend using chopsticks, she said. “Chopping board, if you really want to see the private bloodbath Sachi makes. By all means, go take a look for yourself. I have a higher salary than both of you combined and I think it’s still not enough to pay me to watch Sachi torture someone.”
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Inside A Bathroom
Sachi was standing by the sink while wearing a pair of yellow rubber gloves that were covered in blood, one of the handles of the sink had blood on it as she rubbed the gloves together to wash the blood off. Sachi had a small smile on her face as she whistled a tune and said. “None of this would’ve happened had you just handed the accounts in the first place.” She glanced at the left side of the mirror in front of the sink and saw a bloodied man lying in the bathtub.
The man in the bathtub was wearing a suit that was mostly red now from absorbing blood, he was missing some of his fingernails. On a closer look at him, you could see palm-shaped burnt marks that charred his flesh as the man stared at the ceiling with lifeless eyes. Sachi turned the handle of the sink, stopping the water as she showed off the yellow rubber gloves she was wearing were cleaned from the blood, she said. “There, was that so bad?” Sachi placed her right hand on her hip as she stared at the man who looked half-dead.
Sachi thought. What a child. I peeled some of his flesh, pulled a few of his nails, and burnt some of his skin, not even a few minutes in he already wanted to give me the info. She let out a sigh while shaking her head sideways and mumbled. “I didn’t even get a chance to use my toolbox.” The door leading outside opened as Namida peeked inside and saw her friend standing by the sink. Namida said. “Sachi, I’m here to make sure you don’t break the client before they give us info for the accounts.”
From the corner of her eye she glanced at the man who was lying in the bathtub in his own pool of blood, Namida thought. Still as cruel as always. Sachi took the rubber gloves off and threw them over her shoulder as they vanished, she said. “Excuse me, I’m a professional at what I do.” She placed her hand in her pocket and took out a small folded note and continued. “I made sure to write down all the accounts in this paper.” Namida saw a small smudge of red on the paper, she said. “You made him write that, didn’t you?” Sachi stayed quiet for a few seconds and said. “There’s some blood on it, isn’t there?”