Chapter 421: A Slow Day - End
"Yeah, are they from a supermodel agency or maybe Hollywood stars?" his friend speculated.
"Wow, why are they here? They're dressed so well; I bet their outfits cost more than a thousand dollars."
"Maybe that guy buys all those expensive clothes for the girls, which is why he brought them here. Must be broke as f*ck," another speculated.
The whispers and theories continued, with various speculations about Daniel's group. But the prevailing theory was that Daniel purchased the expensive clothes for the girls and brought them to eat here because he was financially strained.
"Heheh," Koyuki giggled. "They think you're broke," she teased Daniel, who continued to ignore the whispers and speculation about his group.
"Yes... A person who plundered the entire Mammon's Hell realm is broke. Who would have thought?" Envy chimed in, adding to the teasing.
"Alright, alright," Daniel chuckled, waving off their teasing. "More food? Anything you ladies crave? Because I'm definitely getting more."
The women quickly listed their desires, including ice cream. But before Daniel could head to the cashier, Envy touched his hand.
"Wait," she murmured, her voice barely a whisper. "What about that snobby Pierre Dubois? When are you going to get back at him?"
Daniel smirked. "Patience, Revenge is a dish best served cold. Besides, he just annoyed me. Nothing happened to you or Koyuki. I can wait. Didn't you used to preach peace?"
Envy playfully swatted his hand. "You started it! Fine, I apologize for being a hypocrite back then ok? I just..."
He gently pressed a finger to her lips, silencing her. "Shh, it's okay. I understand you wouldn't want to destroy your ex..."
"Ahem!" Svetlana's pointed cough cut through the moment.
Daniel cleared his throat, his earlier flirtatious tone replaced with a smile. "Err… His legacy, exactly. If the roles were reversed, I might be even worse. Let's just forget it, alright?" He then headed towards the cashier and went to place their orders.
While they waited, Anastasia, her cheeks flushed after witnessing the exchange, leaned towards Envy. "Excuse me, Lady Envy," she whispered. "You mentioned Lord Emberweave plundered an entire hell? What exactly did you mean by that?" Unsure of the details surrounding the war at Sector Alpha City, she sought clarification.
"Yes, he plundered Mammon's entire Hell realm. I'll tell you about it. Listen…" Envy then proceeded to tell Anastasia about what had happened in Tessia Kingdom during the Hell Gate Incident.
Anastasia listened with glistening eyes, as if hearing the greatest adventurer tales. She absorbed the details of the battle and nodded at the comments Envy added from time to time. When Daniel returned with the second order, he also answered some questions from Anastasia.
The meal went on without any problems; there was no one causing trouble, except for the speculation that he was broke. The people here were nice, unlike the snobbish guy named Pierre whom Daniel had met at the French restaurant.
Now, it was time for the movie. The group moved from the fried chicken fast food joint to a nearby cinema. At the cinema, Koyuki seemed to be more giddy than the others, as her favorite movie in the Lizard King Series, the fourth installation of the "Lizard King" Series, "Lizard King Vs. Mech Lizard," was showing.
"Koyuki sure loves her giant monster movies," Envy commented, watching Koyuki's giddy behavior. "Where do you think she gets that from?"
Daniel smiled, reminiscing. "Probably from me. Back when we lived together, I was into them too. I think she tried to share my hobbies – building models, collecting robot figures, card games, that kind of thing."
"Sounds sweet," Envy said, a hint of longing in her eyes. "Makes me a little jealous, actually. I wish I had that kind of moment with you."
Then, glancing at Anastasia, who seemed eager to be closer to Daniel but still didn't dare to come in since she seems to be afraid of Envy, Envy let out a small smile. "Why don't I let you and Anastasia sit together? It might be good for you in the long run. Gaining favor with the Romanovs is a wise move in the Curtained World."
With that, she excused herself and headed towards the restroom. "Don't take too long," Daniel called after her. "The movie starts in fifteen minutes."
Envy responded with a nod as she turned her head back and headed towards the restroom. However, instead of going to the restroom, she walked past it and headed towards a nearby elevator. Taking it to the first floor, she made her way to a nearby Public Well, a landmark preserved from the colonial era.
Although somewhat secluded, the well was a known landmark. It was common to find only a few people waiting there, or sometimes no one at all, given its location that is quite challenging to find since it is at a secluded spot that was hidden by a cloth shop building.
Arriving at the well, Envy noticed the few people waiting there walk out of the preserved area. She stood near the well, took out her phone, and dialed a certain number, waiting for the other side to pick up.
"Hello, Aunt. How may I help you?" Greed inquired.
"Yes, I need a favor," Envy replied. "Can you teach that snobby brat, Pierre Dubois a lesson?"
"What did that jerk do?" Greed's voice hardened.
Envy then proceeded to tell Greed what had happened at the Dubois French restaurant. Greed became angry and expressed a desire to use her power and influence to take down the Mother company of the Dubois restaurant, Dubois Food.
This company produced many processed food ingredients such as foie gras, high-grade German sausage, meatballs, cheese, and even owned subsidiaries specializing in A5 beef production.
While Envy recounted the story of the incident at Dubois Restaurant, a woman approached her, seemingly asking for directions. Suddenly, a black tentacle emerged from Envy's shadow and pierced through the woman's stomach to her back, instantly disabling all of her combat capabilities.
The woman was taken aback, showing signs of surprise and horror, but more of surprise than fear, almost in disbelief at how swiftly the attack had incapacitated her.
"How... how did you... know…" The woman slumped to the floor, blood dripping from her wound, yet miraculously still alive.
Envy's expression remained unchanged as she continued speaking to Greed on the phone. "Hold your horses. Don't outright destroy the guy. Daniel told me he will eventually deal with him," Envy said calmly.
"Alright... Then I'll just teach him a little lesson," Greed replied before ending the call.
Envy also hung up and turned her attention to the woman on the ground struggling for air. Suddenly, a hydro spear shot out from the well, soaring into the sky before transforming into droplets as it passed the height of nearby buildings, shielding it from sight.
Moments later, several figures in black dropped to the ground. They were mages specializing in stealth magic, following Envy since morning. Each of them had a hole in their forehead caused by the hydro spear, eliminating their brain matter.
Envy recognized them due to her special repellent spell emitting a unique odor, repelling ordinary people and leaving only mages and supernatural beings within 5 meters of her.
After a few minutes, a lizardman emerged from the well and knelt before Envy.
Envy waited a few minutes before a lizardman emerged from the well and bowed respectfully. "Interrogate her," she commanded. "Find out who sent them and why they were following me."
"As you wizzzz, my ladiezzz," the lizardman replied, taking the injured woman and disappearing back into the well.
Envy then turned to the corpses of the mages surrounding her, casting fireballs that reduced them to ash. The ash dispersed in the wind, erasing all traces of violence and magic, including the burnt blood pool, leaving no evidence behind.
She looked around and saw no evidence or witnesses. Humming to herself, she canceled the repellent spell and walked out of this place. Within a few seconds, several people returned, looking confused as to why they had suddenly left and why they suddenly had a strong urge to return.
They talked among themselves, speculating that they might have been haunted by a ghost. However, they joked with each other before settling down, enjoying their smoking and bantering around.
Envy hurried back to the theater, arriving a bit late. Relief washed over her when she spotted Daniel waiting patiently by the entrance.
"Sorry for the delay," she apologized, a white lie readily at hand. "There was a bit of a mishap in the restroom."
Daniel offered a smile, unconcerned. "No worries. Ready for the movie?" He extended his hand, and Envy gladly took it, following him into the theater.