Chapter 289: Reaching the End, Only to Realize the Garden is Filled with Fragrance
At that very moment, Courage was curled up under her quilt, phone in hand, eagerly chatting with Decora and the others. She had originally planned to spend a little more time downstairs with Ren, but a relentless bombardment of messages from her friends had quickly urged her to retreat upstairs.
A blush crept up Courage's cheeks as she read the latest message, but she still dutifully typed out a reply. It had become the highlight of Decora and the others' day to see the photos of the dishes Courage sent from her dinner, which they would then attempt to replicate. It didn't matter if their versions tasted as heavenly as the originals; as long as the results weren't terrible, they considered it a win.
Their other, more pressing hobby was poring over the daily intelligence reports Courage sent about her progress. This was what Decora truly lived for. Food was secondary. What she, a woman nearly driven mad by loneliness, cared about most were the affairs of her beloved.
Heaven only knew the scene that had unfolded earlier today. After finishing their work, Decora and the others had seen Courage's message detailing Ren's preferences—and dislikes—in women. The moment she read it, Decora had burst into unrestrained laughter.
She was a foreigner, a natural beauty with rich, dark skin, and a Special-Class Inspector. If that combination wasn't "special," then nothing was. The thought kept a triumphant smile on her face for a long, long time.
What Decora hadn't anticipated, however, was Nakiri Mana's intense interest in the matter. Mana had even chimed in to ask what, exactly, was so special about herself. The others simply brushed it off, assuming the God Tongue was just being playful.
Their final, joking conclusion for Mana was that she possessed a divine sense of taste, a surprising "gap moe" personality, and the unique status of being the only other Special-Class Inspector in the world.
Nakiri Mana had seemed quite satisfied with that answer at the time and said nothing more. This only solidified everyone's assumption that she was definitely just having a bit of fun.
While Decora and the others were happily chatting across continents, the atmosphere back in the restaurant had grown considerably quieter. In fact, it had become intensely strained.
Just as Ren and the others were in the middle of a conversation, the dimensional door at the entrance suddenly shimmered into existence. But after the light solidified and the door swung open, no one came in. That was the strangest, most nerve-wracking part.
An entrance like this always heralded the arrival of someone far from simple. Azazel, the governor of the fallen angels, had appeared in such a way. Ash and Pikachu had, too. And while those two weren't nearly as powerful as Azazel, the sheer novelty of Pokémon was enough to capture the desire of Lucifer, the Queen of Hell herself.
Coupled with Ren's earlier, ill-timed joke about whether they might get a visit from the likes of Kayako or Sadako, both Lucifer and Cerberus were on high alert. Lucifer's grip on Ren's arm tightened, her heart hammering against her ribs as if trying to escape.
Suddenly, Ren's expression shifted. He paused, inhaling deeply, and whispered, "Hm? This scent… it's the fragrance of sunflowers."
"Oh? It seems we have met someone who understands flowers…"
The moment they heard the calm, melodic voice, Lucifer and Cerberus let out a collective, silent sigh of relief. They weren't afraid of whoever was coming, so long as it wasn't a stringy-haired ghost crawling out of a television.
Ren's gaze remained fixed on the restaurant's entrance. In the next moment, an exquisitely beautiful, green-haired woman stepped inside. Upon entering, she didn't look around in awe like most new customers. Instead, her eyes landed directly on Ren.
She had clearly heard his words just now, and the reason for her focus was simple: Ren was the only man in the room. The woman looked at him, her voice perfectly even. "What is this place? And what was that light?"
Ren offered a gentle smile. "This is a restaurant that connects to other worlds. As for the light, I can't say for sure what it is, but it's very warm."
The woman's expression remained placid. "So, you cannot control that light?"
"The light is the restaurant's portal, connecting to countless other worlds," Ren explained. "If you mean control in a certain sense, then yes. If I were to blacklist a customer, the door would never appear for them again. And even if it did, they wouldn't be able to enter. Also, when the restaurant closes for the night, no customers from any other world can come through."
The woman gave a slight nod, her gaze sweeping over Ren once more before she spoke softly, "You are the owner?"
"I am. Would you like something to eat? Or perhaps you'd just like to rest here for a while?"
Gazing at Ren's disarmingly gentle smile, the woman considered this for a moment before asking another question, her voice still soft. "You… are human?"
"That," Ren replied with a slight chuckle, "should be visible to the naked eye."
"Hmm. Although your life force is surprisingly vigorous, you do still appear human," she mused aloud. "A human… You must be quite strong to operate a restaurant such as this."
Hearing the subtle challenge in her tone, Kasugano Sora looked at Ren with a flicker of worry. Lucifer, however, leaned forward with a playful smirk. "Oh? Are you looking to test Ren's strength?"
The woman's ruby-red eyes shifted to Lucifer. "And you are not human?"
Lucifer simply smiled, offering no answer.
Ren, ever the host, asked with genuine curiosity, "So, customer, are you interested in a spar?"
The woman stared at Ren, her gaze deep and penetrating, her ruby-like eyes seeming to hold an ancient profundity. After a long, silent moment, she finally shook her head. "You seem decent enough. At least, you are pleasant to look at and have done nothing to offend me. This is a restaurant, is it not?"
Ren nodded. The woman's voice softened slightly. "What can you make?"
"I can make anything, so long as I have the ingredients."
The woman was visibly taken aback by his simple confidence. Then, the barest hint of a curve touched her lips. A few perfect sunflower petals fluttered from her fingertips, drifting toward him. "Can you make something with these?"
Ren caught the petals, his eyes widening in mild surprise as he examined them. "It seems, miss, that you are a master gardener. I can tell just by looking at these petals that they were freshly picked, and their quality is exceptionally high."
His words made the woman pause. She then gave a slight, affirming nod. "Flower tea. Can you make it?"
"What kind of flower tea would you like?" Ren asked thoughtfully. "If we're using sunflowers for the main ingredient, it's best not to use them for the tea itself. Sunflower tea is notoriously bitter, and adding too much sugar would overwhelm the delicate floral scent."
"Anything will do," she replied. "But… I want a creative flower tea."
Ren considered her request for a moment, then nodded decisively. "Is that all? Do you require anything else?"
"No."
"Very well. Please wait a moment."
With that, Ren took the petals and disappeared into the kitchen. Lucifer and Cerberus both turned their full attention to the strange woman, their expressions a mixture of curiosity and caution. To Lucifer, this woman might truly be on a level that warranted their full attention.
The woman met their stares, then spoke softly to Lucifer and Cerberus, "Is it not impolite for the two of you to stare at someone so intently?"
Lucifer propped her chin on her hand. "I can feel the presence of magic from you. It seems you're no ordinary person."
The woman said nothing more, simply sitting there in perfect stillness. She was like a flower blooming on a high, unreachable mountain peak—beautiful, yet so remote that one lacked the courage to even approach.
"Hm? The scent of flowers…"
Just then, a faint, sweet fragrance drifted to the woman's nose. Her eyes scanned the room and settled on several potted plants resting on the restaurant's windowsill. She could see with a single glance that these flowers were thriving, growing with a vitality that ranked among the best she had ever witnessed.
'Did that human plant them? Interesting… The decor here is also quite tasteful. What a strange human man.'
Only now did the woman truly take in her surroundings. Sometimes, life was like that: when you focus intently on a single goal, you see only its shadow. But once that goal is reached and you finally stop to breathe, you realize you are surrounded by a world of stunning scenery.
Often, one chases after what they believe to be the most beautiful flower. But after finally picking it, they look up, only to find they have already reached the end of their path. And all around them, a hundred other flowers are in full bloom, filling the entire garden with their fragrance.
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