Chapter 39

“Well said!” the man laughed, loud and proud. “It is indeed a gamble… but I see that you are in good health.”

“Thankfully, I am…” Emma pressed her slightly cracked lips against the rim of the cup and sipped her coffee. Her hands wrapped around the cup, allowing the heat to seep through her skin. “I don’t believe we’ve met.”

“Not officially, no. But, I have done my bit of research… Oh, and congratulations on your most recent promotion.”

The woman smiled, but it was cold and dishonest.

“It seems that I have a stalker.”

“Oh no, don’t get the wrong idea,” he said, waving his hands. “It’s only so that I can be of more use.”

“Is that so…? Then, tell me your name.”

“I am not at the liberty to discuss that at the moment.” He placed a coin on the plate occupied by the coffee cup and pushed it toward the bartender. “Names travel faster than faces, I’m afraid.”

A heavy, momentary silence instilled unease into the atmosphere. Only the rapid gulps made by the child, which blended in with the sounds of ambiance, kept the awkwardness at bay. The bartender busily tended to his station as denoted by a series of high-pitched glass clinks. After placing a small, red cherry on top of the ice cream he prepped, the man graciously handed the frozen dessert to the gleeful girl.

“I gave you a little extra,” the bartender whispered, his hand covering one edge of his mouth as if to dissuade the sound from escaping. “Keep it a secret!” He then winked.

Eyes seemingly beaming with joy, Anya nodded before she leaned in and concluded their pack of secrecy.

“Thank you! I will!” she winked back. As the bartender cleaned up the counter, Anya plucked the tiny fruit and plopped it in her mouth. Immediately, she chewed and swallowed with great pleasure.

“It’s good! What is it?” the girl asked.

“Canned cherry,” the bartender replied. “Scavengers recently discovered old warehouses full of the stuff, so they’re pretty cheap right now. I’m amazed that they haven’t gone bad, but hey, the Ancients have created even more ridiculous things.”

Anya had already dug into her dessert before the bartender finished. Usually, the child disliked cold food as they were often either insufficiently cooked or unpleasantly aged, however, this time was different. Unlike the stale meals of the past, the ice cream was soft and sweet. Upon the gentle contact with her tongue, the dessert melted into a delicious nectar that slid down her eager throat.

“Mmm!” Anya voiced. With her spoon, the girl shoveled scoop after scoop into her mouth until the sudden, unanticipated drop of her utensil.

“Gak-” the child yelped, she held onto her head in pain. “Ah, my head… it hurts… It feels like it’s frozen…”

“That happens if you eat it too quickly,” Emma sighed. “Press your tongue against the roof of your mouth and pull on your ear.”

Anya did as she was told. The apparent pain in her head soon faded and she returned to devouring the sundae, but at a slightly slower pace.

The man chuckled as he witnessed the closeness of the two.

“Is she your child?”

Pffffffff-

Emma sprayed her coffee onto the table’s surface, briefly garnering everyone’s attention. She quickly cleaned the mess with a handkerchief before returning to her usual demeanor, pretending as if nothing had happened.

“N-No, just someone I picked up.”

“On your way back from the Underground Ruins?”

“Not… exactly…” Emma said, hesitantly. “But, that doesn’t matter, does it?”

“Unfortunately, it is a part of my job to know. However… I am in no position to dispute your demands. I’m sure you have your reasons.”

“I do.”

With the sight of the woman’s icy glare, a chill went down the man’s spine. Thus, he remained silent as the woman continued.

“The child is to be kept off the records.”

“U-Understood, I’m just a simple messenger. No need to get worked up. I am here to keep you updated and ensure you are comfortable during your stay within this city.”

The woman swallowed what remained of her beverage before she pushed the cup away, to which the bartender immediately retrieved.

“Would you like another, ma’am?”

“No, thanks. I’m fine.”

The bartender collected the finished plates and cups, and carried them to the nearby sink for wash.

“So, what do you have for me?”

“Your lodgings prepared as well as your funds.” The man withdrew a sapphire card from within his overcoat. “The ‘necessities’ were already delivered to your room. However, we weren’t expecting…” he glanced at the child.

“It’ll be fine.” Emma retrieved the card and inspected it, the card was not made of plastic but metal. “This is…”

“Your room key, regards from Elder Gabriel.”

Luminus was known as a place of indulgence and luxury. As a new class of the wealthy rose from the ashes, the demand of extravagance grew. Catering to the desire of displaying one’s worth, the establishment invented creative ways to distinguish their products. Hotels, in particular, used keys and key cards to advertise themselves. The cheaper taverns generally opted for a variation of the traditional key, as they were cheap and widely available. On the other hand, luxury hotels tended to use key cards which required a complex and expensive infrastructure to operate. Due to the difficulty of salvaging and repurposing ancient technology, key cards were a symbol of prestige, even more so for the rarer metallic key cards.

“The hotel you will be staying at is called Decadence. It’s further down the road, impossible to miss.”

“Decadence…?”

“Well…” the man shrugged his shoulders. “It’s not my first choice, but the Elder specifically requested that particular accommodation… Again, we weren’t really expecting a child to be…”

“It’s fine.” The woman slipped the sapphire card into her pocket. On occasion, Gabriel would play such meaningless pranks on her. And due to the Elder’s status, her only retaliation was to file complaints when submitting the necessary paperwork. Paperwork which Gabriel was in charge of reading, so the most she could do was essentially write a scathing letter.

“Is this all?”

“Not quite, after you make way to the councilmen, you are needed at the outpost. Further briefing will be given there. From what I know, it seems to be urgent-”

“Gah! I’m done!” the child shouted before she wiped her mouth clean. Her eyes met that of the bartender, and she thanked him with a smile. “That was great! Compliments to the chef!”

“Well taken,” the bartender replied. Then he turned to face the woman. “The total will be thirty-two lunari.”

“Thirty-two lunari?!” Taken aback by the ridiculous pricing, Emma voiced her displeasure. “A large leg of meat is only ten lunari, how are two drinks and an ice cream thirty-two?!”

“Eight for the milk tea, nine for the coffee, and fifteen for the sundae. Do you wish to dispute the pricing?”

“No…” she mumbled. “There is no need.” Creating a scene was the last thing Emma wanted, thus she reached into her bag and placed four coins on the table. The largest one was silver and had the face of a man crafted onto the surface, while another held a similar color but was slightly smaller with different decorations. The remaining two copper coins were the smallest and much thinner when compared with the silver ones. “Is this why the prices weren’t listed on the menus?”

Smiling, the bartender acquired each coin individually and inspected them.

“We believe that the cost shouldn’t impinge on the customer’s experience. Therefore, we feel that it is unnecessary for them to think about it until the very end. But, your complaint has been noted and we appreciate your business.”

“Was… was that expensive…?” the child muttered and her shoulders drooped. Such luxuries were uncommon to Anya, especially given her background. Through the excitement, she completely forgot about the pricing and therefore felt extremely guilty. Afterall, her portion contributed the most to the cost. “I-I’m sorry…”

“It’s fine.” The woman placed her hand on Anya’s head and gave the child a good rub, messing up her neatly tied hair. “As long as you enjoyed yourself. Let’s head to the hotel,” Emma leaned in closer and pinched her nose. “You are way overdue on your bath.”

Anya blushed and immediately began to sniff herself. “It’s… it’s not that bad, is it…?” The girl whiffed every corner of her body that she could reach without bending to an awkward position. Watching the strange mannerisms made Emma smile. The woman held onto the child’s hand and left the cafe as Anya continued the sniff test.