Lately, Uriel had been feeling a bit paranoid.
For the past few days, he had felt like he was being watched every time he left his wonderful shop to run some errands, like paying taxes and all those boring things that no business owner enjoys.
After all, Bastion was the capital of capitalism... well, more or less. You had to pay taxes to avoid problems with the owners of the citadel, and that meant long lines, endless paperwork, and officials who seemed to enjoy making people wait just to take their money and make themselves richer.
Anyway, the point was that he felt watched.
He had tried to discover the mysterious stalker, but he couldn't find them. Either they were too good at hiding, or he was just bad at finding them. Both options were equally likely, considering his combat skills were... let's say, deficient. He preferred kitchen knives to swords, and his only "weapon" was an iron skillet that he used more for sautéing vegetables than for defending himself.
Either way, he was losing.
Uriel returned to his shop, opening it with a sigh of relief. The establishment, from the outside, looked like a cozy two-story café with carved wooden windows and a sign that read "The Hunter's Feast." But appearances were deceiving.
He headed to the basement.
Despite the modest appearance of the place, it was quite large, descending underground into hidden floors that no customer suspected. The main storage room was a large cold chamber, almost freezing, where he kept all his products in perfect condition. By using runic sorcery, along with a piece of crystal from the Winter's Blessing, he could generate a cold function contained within a specific area. It was high-level preservation magic, the kind only the most dedicated chefs mastered.
Uriel walked through his storage, passing between shelves full of exotic herbs, rare spices, and fermentation barrels. Each section was meticulously labeled, with runes glowing softly to maintain ideal conditions.
He reached the meat section and frowned when he saw his supply was almost empty.
"Damn it," he muttered to himself. "Only a few cuts left."
He needed to get more, and for that, he would have to go to a death zone to get the best meat. Not just any meat, but that of corrupted beasts that looked like dinosaurs. Their meat, when prepared correctly, had a divine flavor that no other ingredient could match.
He was an excellent chef, and his ingredients were nightmare creatures. After all, those things ate humans, so it was only fair that humans ate them too. It was a perfect balance in both senses. Or at least that's what he told himself to ease his conscience.
Of course, no one needed to know the origin of the meat, especially his civilian customers. "Monster meat" sounded like bad publicity. "House special cut" sounded much better.
Uriel left his storage and returned to the upper part of the shop. As he climbed the spiral stairs connecting the levels, he noticed he had a customer.
Woman. Long black hair. Dark sunglasses hiding her face, along with a black cap and a scarf covering the lower half of her face.
Uriel mentally blinked several times.
How the hell is Nephis here? he thought, while maintaining his professional smile. And with a disguise that would fool many who didn't know her well enough... but I'm not many.
It was like watching a dragon trying to pass for a cat. Adorably pathetic.
Uriel smiled and approached the table where the famous Changing Star had sat down.
"Welcome to my café, dear customer," he said in his most professional voice. "If I may, I would advise you to try our special pancakes. They are absolutely delicious."
Nephis, hidden behind her glasses, replied in a neutral tone:
"I'll take them."
"Excellent choice." Uriel nodded as he retreated to the kitchen. "They'll be ready in a moment."
In the kitchen, Uriel moved with the efficiency of someone who had done this thousands of times. From his dark storage, he took out the pre-prepared batter, poured it onto the hot griddle, and waited. The pancakes began to bubble, releasing a sweet aroma that filled the entire kitchen. Exactly two minutes later, he served them on a plate decorated with fresh fruit and a generous amount of honey.
He came out and placed the plate in front of Nephis.
"Enjoy."
Nephis looked at the pancakes, which looked fluffy and perfectly golden. The sweet smell was tempting, even for someone like her.
"I've heard good reviews about this place," she said, picking up her fork. "I hope it lives up to the hype."
Uriel smiled, resting his hands on the table with confidence.
"It will surely exceed your expectations. I've had important customers."
Nephis, always looking for information, asked:
"What kind of customers?"
"A few legacies, many Awakened... and a Transcendent," Uriel replied naturally. "But that's not important. What brings you here?"
Nephis cut a piece of pancake and brought it to her mouth. Her eyes, although hidden behind her glasses, widened slightly. The flavor was incredible. Fluffy, sweet, with a hint of something she couldn't identify but that made her want more.
She chewed slowly, savoring each bite. When she finished, she wiped her mouth with a napkin.
"I saw Lady Cassia enter here several times," she said, in a tone that pretended to be casual. "I decided to investigate."
"Oh, really?" Uriel maintained his friendly smile.
"Do you have some kind of relationship?" Nephis asked directly.
Uriel, in his role as Jinwoo—the fake name he used for customers—smiled amiably and replied:
"Yes."
This disconcerted Nephis. For a moment, her neutral expression cracked, and her fingers tightened slightly on the fork. But she recovered quickly.
"What kind of relationship?" she asked, in a tone that pretended to be indifferent but hid a hint of curiosity.
"It's just a professional relationship," Uriel clarified. "I'm the owner of a small shop, and Lady Cassia is a Transcendent who works with the Changing Star. Surely I get a lot of income thanks to her recommendation."
Nephis was mentally disappointed. Her expression relaxed, although her eyes continued to observe him attentively.
"I see."
"Besides that," Uriel continued, as if he had just remembered something, "I'm a translator. I know runes inside out and also ancient languages. I've even had to translate texts from a language so lost that even they couldn't understand each other."
This caught Nephis's interest. She tilted her head slightly and asked:
"What kind of ancient language?"
"One completely different from the language the Spell of Nightmare uses," Uriel replied. "A lost language from an ancient civilization from a long, long time ago."
"How long ago?"
Uriel took a moment to think. His gaze drifted to the horizon, as if he were remembering something he didn't even know he had forgotten.
"Time erased it from the world," he said, his voice becoming softer. "There are no records of it in any known library. The runes that compose it are so ancient that they predate even the first Awakened. Some say it was the language of the creators of the Nightmares, but that's just speculation."
Nephis remained silent, processing the information. Her fingers drummed on the table as she thought.
Uriel took the opportunity to observe her. Despite her disguise, Nephis was unmistakable. There was something in her posture, in the way she moved, that betrayed someone accustomed to war. She was like a sword wrapped in silk.
"Would you like more honey for your pancakes?" he asked suddenly, breaking the silence.
Nephis blinked, disconcerted by the change of subject.
"Excuse me?"
"The honey," Uriel repeated, pointing at the plate. "I see you're running out. I'm very meticulous with my ingredients; I can't allow a customer to leave unsatisfied. Would you like more honey?"
Nephis looked at him as if he had grown a second head.
"I'm... fine," she said slowly.
"Are you sure?" Uriel insisted. "The honey is of the highest quality. I get it from bees from the region of... well, from a very special place. It has healing properties, you know? And a flavor that no other sweetener can match."
Nephis narrowed her eyes.
"I don't need more honey."
"No?" Uriel tilted his head, with an expression of genuine concern. "But if it runs out before you finish the pancakes, the culinary experience will be incomplete. That would be a crime against gastronomy."
"No. I'm. Fine," said Nephis, each word carefully separated.
"As you wish." Uriel raised his hands in surrender. "But if you change your mind, just say so. I have an extra jar in the kitchen. Well, actually several. Honey is never enough, you know? It's like magic, you always need more."
Nephis stared at him for a long moment.
"Are you always like this?" she finally asked.
"Like what?"
"So... chatty."
Uriel laughed, a genuine and warm sound that contrasted with the tense atmosphere.
"I'm sorry," he said. "It's my way of making customers feel comfortable. Good food should be accompanied by good conversation. Don't you think?"
Nephis didn't respond. Instead, she took another bite of pancake, chewing slowly while thinking.
There was something about this man. Something that didn't fit. He was too kind, too helpful, too... normal. And in the world of Nightmares, normality was suspicious.
But she couldn't deny that the food was excellent.
"Your pancakes are good," she admitted, reluctantly. "Very good."
"Thank you." Uriel made a small bow. "It's my specialty. Well, one of them. I also make a legendary meat stew. Though I only serve that on special occasions."
"Why?"
"Because the ingredients are... hard to come by," he explained, in a cryptic tone. "You need to travel to dangerous places. But it's worth it, believe me. The meat has a flavor you'll never forget."
Nephis frowned. Something in his words reminded her of the conversation about dinosaur beasts.
"Where do you get the meat?" she asked, carefully.
"From a special supplier," Uriel replied, evading the question. "It's a house secret."
Nephis observed him for a moment, then decided to drop the subject for now. She hadn't gained anything from her questions, but at least the food was excellent.
She finished the pancakes, leaving the plate clean.
"The bill, please."
"Of course." Uriel nodded and went to the cash register.
While he prepared the change, Nephis stood up and approached him.
"Tell me," she said, in a low voice. "That ancient language you mentioned... could you teach me some of it?"
Uriel looked at her with surprise.
"You're interested?"
"I'm curious."
"It's not an easy language to learn," he said, seriously. "The runes aren't pronounced like normal words. They're more like... concepts. Ideas frozen in time. To understand them, you need to understand the complete context of the civilization that created them."
"And you understand it?"
Uriel smiled.
"Enough."
Nephis paid, leaving some coins on the table as a tip.
"I might come back soon."
"It will be an honor to have you back, miss," said Uriel, bowing slightly.
Nephis turned toward the exit but was stopped by the black-haired man before she could leave.
"By the way. Between us, that disguise really doesn't suit you, Lady Nephis. I suggest something more casual and not so covered up; that way you'll only draw more attention."
Nephis spun around instantly, her eyes sharpening.
"You... Who are you really?"
"Me? I'm just your friendly and trustworthy friend Sin Jin-woo. Well, have a nice day."
"Sure," said Nephis, leaving the shop.
Uriel, now alone, sighed.
Well, that could have been worse. At least I didn't have to resort to Plan A, he thought to himself.
Were you really planning to pull a September 11th on yourself? asked Shade.
Oh, since when are you awake?
Since Nephis showed up. I was tempted to put on a spacesuit and do a Man on the Moon cosplay just to see what would happen.
It looks like I'll have to tell Soul to cut your head off to see if you're being influenced by that guy.
Hey, relax. That guy must think we're already dead. After all, that's why all this playing ghost business is happening.
Yeah, yeah, I know that, but just in case.
Shade rolled his eyes in Uriel's mind.
Fine, fine. By the way, about the meat.
Oh, we'll go after the meeting. Today Shadow Garden is meeting—or well, you know, me and Scarlet with Cassie and Nephis. Then we'll go for the meat.
Right, I was forgetting that.