Clatter clatter.
The noisy sound of plates and cutlery clashing continued without pause.
The rhythmic noise flowing with a steady beat and sense of rhythm was like a piece of music being played by an orchestra.
Cutting, stabbing, tearing, chewing, swallowing….
Rather than calling it a meal, it was more like a violent commotion directed at the food.
Raine, holding a fork and knife in her hands, blinked and said in amazement,
“It’s fascinating how all of that can go into your stomach. Is the secret to strength really just eating well?”
“Huh? Uh… more or less. Whether it’s a body or a machine, you need fuel to keep moving.”
“Generally, it’s known that the difference in basal metabolic rate between athletes and ordinary people is about 10%. But according to my research, Raven and Alice’s basal metabolic rate is about 1.5 times that of an ordinary person. At this rate, you could compare them to an adult gorilla…”
“Wh-what are you saying, really!”
Whoosh!
Alice, suddenly treated like a gorilla, angrily threw a bone at David.
And the blunt bone flew toward David’s temple like a dart, as if being sucked in.
Thwack! A powerful fatal blow that rang his head like a bell.
David naturally fell silent, bowing his head forward from the tremendous impact.
The sin of carelessly stating a fact was always this heavy.
Hmm, come to think of it. A question suddenly popped into my mind.
If she eats this much regularly, just how much does Alice weigh…?
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“Yuria, why did you stop? Want me to get you something to eat?”
“….”
Yeah, let’s not think about that.
It’s absolutely not because I’m scared of Alice smiling with her eyes right next to me. Really.
Shaking my head once to dispel the spine-chilling feeling, I lowered my gaze to look at the plate.
There, sitting on the plate, was a steak larger than two of my palms put together.
A succulently cooked beef sirloin steak, browned to perfection.
Contrasting with that, the faint pink hue of the meat peeking through the cross-section seemed to beckon, making my mouth water just by looking at it—an extremely attractive medium-rare.
‘French cuisine is nice, but when it comes to meat dishes… steak is the best.’
That’s right.
The essence of meat dishes—filling your mouth with rich texture and juices—is none other than steak.
We were currently at a steakhouse grilling large cuts of beef.
Moreover, what sat on the plate before us was Dry-aged Steak.
The deep flavor of meat aged for dozens of days had an overwhelming presence that ordinary steaks simply couldn’t match.
Thinking about the price of this slice I’m cutting now…
Wow, how much is all this costing? Are they going to bankrupt the hotel?
As I closed my eyes, savoring the profound taste emanating from the aged meat…
Suddenly, a very familiar male voice came from not too far away.
“Hahah! So this is where you’re having your meal, Raven! To find the best steakhouse in Saint Maria Hotel, you sure have an eye for quality!”
Ugh, this energetic voice that makes me feel PTSD coming on…
As I turned my head while chewing my steak, there stood Victor, the blond muscle man.
But his appearance was completely different from what I saw at the restaurant yesterday.
One arm was in a thick cast, and his head was wrapped in bandages covering one eye.
On top of that, perhaps due to his injured leg, he seemed to struggle moving on his own.
A somewhat passionate-looking boy was supporting him from the side.
What on earth happened that could change his appearance so drastically in just one day?
I was genuinely shocked and found myself staring blankly, my hand paused mid-air…
But Raven, seemingly used to this sight, simply lifted his head from the plate and greeted him as if nothing was out of the ordinary.
“Huh? Isn’t that Victor. Did you come here for steak too?”
“Yeah. This place’s dry-aged steak is world-famous… and nothing beats meat when it comes to recovery!”
Hahahaha!
Victor, looking like a mummy, burst into cheerful laughter and naturally joined our table.
This time, since there was no rush to leave like last time, he seemed relaxed and ready to enjoy the meal.
But what exactly happened yesterday to leave him so injured?
While quietly chewing my meat, I tugged on Alice’s sleeve beside me with curiosity.
In response, Alice, effortlessly holding a large tomahawk steak in one hand like cotton candy and munching on it, briefly summarized what happened yesterday.
“Yesterday, Victor was guarding the warehouse with the artifact when he directly fought against Morty. Oh, maybe Yuria won’t understand this way of putting it? Anyway, he got hurt fighting someone really dangerous.”
“Hmm! He was an overwhelmingly strong opponent for me alone. If Raven hadn’t arrived in time, who knows what would’ve happened… I can’t thank him enough.”
“Well, he was also someone I couldn’t handle alone. We helped each other out.”
Listening to their exchange, I roughly pieced together what had happened.
First, Victor was guarding the artifact set for auction when he was suddenly ambushed by Morty.
Morty was among the strongest of the Seven Spears. And apparently, high-ranking undead surrounded him as guards.
Even for Victor, it wasn’t something he could handle alone.
But he couldn’t retreat. If Victor, who held Morty’s ankle, disappeared, the hotel would instantly be overrun by undead.
Thus, he fought desperately against the enemy without sparing his body…
And thanks to Raven joining later, they somehow managed to drive Morty away.
‘The lack of major casualties is probably thanks to Victor throwing himself into the fight…’
After thanking Alice for explaining, I bowed my head slightly.
With mixed feelings, I picked up my fork and stabbed the steak on my plate.
Fortunately, his injuries weren’t severe and would heal with time.
But this incident at the Saint Maria Hotel was definitely not part of the original story.
In other words, this situation was a butterfly effect caused by some twist in the timeline somewhere in the past.
‘Perhaps the Liberation Army’s failure to kidnap Karen, despite deploying two of the Seven Spears, had an impact. They needed every bit of war potential they could muster.’
Logically speaking, I hadn’t done anything wrong.
I didn’t leak information to the Liberation Army, telling them to attack the hotel.
They panicked on their own and went berserk. What did I do wrong?
But if I had any share in causing the situation, it was hard to completely deny it.
Ultimately, my choices had inadvertently caused harm elsewhere.
Maybe that’s why my emotions slowly sank to the bottom, regardless of my intentions.
Now I truly can’t predict what will happen next.
Chewing the steak angrily with my molars, I tried to vent my frustration. Yet, frustratingly, it still tasted good.
Just as I was forcing myself to focus on the food to shift my sinking mood…
An unsettling topic slipped out of Victor’s mouth.
“By the way, any news yet? About that… cat saintess who suddenly disappeared.”
“…!”
Cat… saintess?
Unable to help but flinch at the combination of words, I quietly rolled my eyes and perked up my ears.
Leaning back in his chair with a nonchalant expression, Raven continued.
“Ah, according to Alice, after saying she was going to the restroom, she vanished without a trace, as if she never existed.”
“Hmm? In this hotel with dozens of Pixies? She must be quite skilled.”
“Tsk, I specifically told her not to run away… Maybe she has some special method.”
Sweat trickled down my back.
The subject of conversation now… no matter how I thought about it, they were talking about me, right?
I was tense. No, I knew better than anyone that showing any signs here wouldn’t be good.
But I was worried sick they might find out.
I blatantly used sacred power that no one on Earth could use.
If my identity were exposed, I had no idea how to explain myself or find an escape.
‘Calm down. In this world, Beastmen capable of hiding their ears and tail are extremely rare. Therefore, as a pure human devoid of magic, I absolutely won’t be suspected.’
…But with Raven and Victor, who honed their instincts fighting various races…
Could they possibly imagine the possibility of someone changing their appearance?
The difference between a probability of 0 and even a slight opening at 1 is enormous.
Especially since Victor, unlike Raven who cared for me in many ways, might…
Things could get complicated. Would he force me to work for humanity, or worse?!
Somehow, I had to change the subject.
But with my inability to speak, there was nothing I could do.
So, did I have no choice but to wait for this storm to pass…!
“Uh, umm. Mr. Jin, now that you mention it, I have a question. That thing that Morty guy took… what was it? Some kind of crown?”
As I writhed in mental agony, clutching my head in desperation…
Suddenly, Alice lightly cleared her throat and asked Raven a question.
It was like a bases-loaded home run hit by a batter in a critical moment.
A perfect escape route to change the topic.
“That’s… don’t you know better than me, Victor?”
“Ah, right. It’s an artifact called the ‘Profane Tiara of the Queen.’ It’s not something I should explain in detail here, but it’s highly valuable as an artifact and was scheduled to appear at the end of the auction.”
“Hmm… I see. Then…”
“Yeah. Honestly, it’s quite an emergency. Who knows what tricks they’ll pull with it… I’m already getting a headache just thinking about it.”
Victor spoke sparingly, as if withholding the abilities of the Profane Tiara of the Queen.
Certainly, this wasn’t the kind of story to be carelessly discussed in a place with so many listening ears.
An artifact that allows spatial teleportation to any desired location just by pouring in magical power.
The function was outrageously absurd, requiring immense consumption to replicate through magic.
Well, it needs time before it can be used again after one use.
And there are limits to the number of targets that can be transported at once… but even considering that, its ability was beyond extraordinary.
Victor pressed his forehead as if his head hurt, then covered his eyes with his hand and muttered,
“Perhaps… a major incident might occur sooner than we think.”
His statement carried an air of utmost seriousness, as if referring to an already predetermined event.
