Chapter: 9. What’s Your Situation? (5K)
The moment Timani pulled off her hood, she regretted it.
There were so many people here—if she showed her dragon horn, she definitely wouldn’t be able to keep working, right?!
That annoying little girl… suddenly shouting about fire lizards!
However, the fearful exclamations and scenes of scattered fleeing that she had anticipated did not appear.
Timani turned around in surprise, only to see the diners still eating and drinking, seemingly unaware of the situation here.
She knew what this fire lizard was thinking.
Xue Feiya tugged the duck meat on the edge of the table towards herself with her finger, and reinforced the perception isolation barrier by another layer.
Now not only the diners but even the staff bringing dishes couldn’t notice the situation here.
“Don’t panic. Since you’re a high-level race, you should be able to feel it, right? There’s a layer of Perception Isolation Barrier here. You don’t need to say anything about taking off the hood; even if you’re roasting lizards to eat here, no one would pay attention.”
“You little girl…! Who are you calling a lizard?!”
“Ah? I didn’t say you; I just saw that there was a roasted forest lizard on the menu earlier, right? That thing would sizzle and run around when roasted, making a lot of noise. I’m just using this example to tell you that the isolation barrier is very useful. Why are you so irritable? Can’t you be calmer?”
“……”
Under her fiery red hair was a flushed face.
She hadn’t spoken much to this black-haired girl, but every time they talked, she ended up at a disadvantage.
However, high-level races have their dignity. She crossed her arms in front of her proud chest, huffed, and turned her head aside defiantly.
“It’s not… it’s just a perception isolation barrier. Of course I can feel it. I was just… uh… it was because… no, I wasn’t panicking at all.”
It seemed this Fire Dragon Clan girl had no idea about the perception isolation barrier…
Xiya came to this conclusion not only from Timani’s reaction but also her earlier uncontrolled magic when she was competing in the Gladiatorial Arena.
This seemed to indicate that Timani had a high magic reserve, but her control and perception of magic were lacking.
Timani’s current situation was quite awkward. She originally thought she would never encounter these two demons again, but in just one afternoon, she ran into them again.
She had no intention of saying much more.
Turning around, she was about to put her hood back on and leave.
But…
Miss Shaya started eating roasted duck meat at that moment.
After all, it wasn’t just Timani who was too lazy to talk; Xue Feiya believed in the principle of saying as little as possible and eating as much as possible when it came to delicious food.
Nom nom…
“Oh…! Surprisingly, it’s pretty good? Xiya, you should try this duck leg, it’s sizzling with oil!”
“Um… is it? It’s alright, I guess… hmm, not bad.” Xiya tasted the duck leg but didn’t seem too pleased.
“Oh, I know what you’re thinking. Don’t worry! It’s tasty, but it definitely can’t compare to what you make!”
“Ugh… Shaya, you should have said that earlier. Well, since that’s the case, I can give an honest evaluation. The roast is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, but it’s a bit salty.”
“That’s no big deal. After all, it has one decisive advantage.”
“What?”
“It’s cheap! This roasted duck costs the same as a donut outside; I can eat until I’m stuffed!”
“Pfft… don’t do that; don’t treat a meal like a battle.”
“Hehe… just kidding, moderation in eating! Slurp… I’m going to nibble on this duck head first. Hmm…?”
Just as Xue Feiya was about to bring the duck head to her mouth for a hearty bite,
she silently put the duck down.
Because… Timani had been standing with her back turned.
With her hood lifted halfway, she wanted to put it back on her head but didn’t, conflicted but refusing to leave.
Xue Feiya always found it hard to enjoy food in the presence of others.
After all, you never know if the delicious food on your plate might be quietly taken away, especially since it was a fire lizard—it was even harder to say.
Xiya turned her head partially and also noticed Timani’s situation.
“Miss Timani? Is there something you need…? Miss Timani?”
“Ah? What’s going on?”
“No, it’s just that you’ve been standing there… uh.”
As Miss Timani turned around, her gaze instinctively locked on the duck meat that Xue Feiya had already nibbled on halfway.
She probably hadn’t even noticed that the proud high-level fire dragon’s mouth now held a hint of glistening, and her crimson slit pupils sparkled with a craving for food.
From the red tail peeking out from her brown robe, it swished back and forth rapidly, like a little dog seeing food!
The most obvious sign was the sudden growl of Timani’s stomach.
“Ugh…! No… no!”
Timani felt her stomach crying out, tears of embarrassment welling at the corners of her eyes as she covered her stomach and squatted on the ground, desperately suppressing the hunger pangs.
It was clear that whether it was the human race, the demon race, or high-level races, the body was very honest.
The aroma of the roasted duck prompted another growl from Timani’s stomach, and this red-haired beauty struggled to curl up in the corner of the table, looking like she might cry from her own embarrassment.
At such times, the emotionally intelligent Miss Shaya always sensed the need for help.
She shook the remaining half of the roasted duck, and Timani’s gaze followed the swinging direction of the duck.
“I say… are you hungry? I understand, I understand. The feeling of hunger is painful; our stomachs tell us everything.”
“Hungry…?”
“Yes, weren’t you broke at noon? I suspect you can’t afford to eat. Want a bite of roasted duck?”
“Who… who can’t afford to eat… I can afford to eat… I’m a Fire Dragon Clan, how could I be out of money…”
“Oh, as long as you have money, I won’t have to share my roasted duck with you, then I’ll just eat it myself.”
“Ah…!”
Xue Feiya lifted the roasted duck, opened her mouth wide as if to showcase the half-roasted duck once again!
The drool from the corner of Timani’s mouth and the tears in her eyes fell at the same time!
No matter how noble or dignified, the feeling of hunger will tell you that some things must be fought for!
Xue Feiya brought the duck meat to her mouth but didn’t put it in.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Timani reaching towards the roasted duck but remaining motionless, so she silently placed the roasted duck back on the plate.
It can be said that Miss Shaya’s bad intentions were rising!
Last time you roasted my fish and repeatedly acted ungrateful, right?
New debts and old debts counted together!
If you want to eat meat, you have to learn to compromise!
Seeing Xue Feiya’s small devilish grin, Xiya’s eyelid twitched. She knew Xue Feiya must have thought of some mischievous idea again.
Xue Feiya coughed lightly twice and pointed to the steaming duck meat on the table.
“Want to eat?”
“No… I don’t want to. Uh, but if you want to break off a piece for me… I could reluctantly accept it!”
“Oh? Still not understanding the way of the world? Well, high-level race, today Miss Shaya will give you a lesson!”
Miss Shaya once again lifted the roasted duck, striding confidently in front of the squatting Timani.
Holding the remaining duck leg, she shook the duck meat in front of Timani like a large flail.
Timani’s eyes followed the duck meat swaying back and forth, as if the light in her eyes had formed a whirlpool.
So close and the enticing aroma of the roasted meat made her tail sway uncontrollably!
Miss Shaya’s expression grew increasingly mischievous, even revealing her small fangs in a smile.
“Haha… I’ll tell you, if you want to obtain food, you need to have the right attitude. Just say whether you want to eat or not?”
“I don’t want to…”
“Mm?!”
“I want! I want to eat…!”
Miss Shaya’s rapid movements, as if she would swallow the roasted duck in one bite, made Timani quickly change her statement!
However, the crux of Miss Shaya’s lesson came next.
“You want to eat, right…? Very well, if you want to eat, you have to put away your incessantly foul temper. Just say one sentence: ‘Thank you, Lady Shaya,’ and this half roasted duck—cough, this duck leg—will belong to you! How does that sound? Isn’t it a good deal?”
“What?! You little brat…! How dare you make the noble Fire Dragon Clan refer to you with respect?!”
“Just say if you want to eat. If you want to eat, say it quickly.”
“Ugh…! So cruel… so pathetic!”
Wuwu… Xue Feiya was fully in character.
Xiya had to admit, sometimes Xue Feiya’s personality did fit the role of a Demon Princess, a bit wicked.
Xue Feiya moved the duck meat closer to Timani, whose expression was becoming increasingly dazed.
The temptation of food can definitely transcend races.
As a drop of hot oil from the roasted duck fell to the ground…
Timani’s thoughts about wanting to eat overwhelmed her reasoning completely!
Damn… she could afford to keep her dignity, but she had to ensure she wouldn’t starve to death first!
“Th-thank you, Lady Shaya! Ugh… are you satisfied now? You devilish little girl!”
“Still cursing me?! You won’t get the duck leg anymore; you’ll get the duck head instead!”
“?!”
A duck head was shoved into her mouth.
Timani hadn’t tasted meat for a long time, and even if it was a duck head, it made her eat with gusto, even to the point of tearing up.
You said you were getting a duck leg, but instead, you got a duck head.
You’re not just a little brat… you’re a duck head fraud!
Xiya looked at Timani, who looked like she hadn’t eaten for eight hundred years, her cheeks full as she savored the duck head with deep emotion, and she offered a small suggestion.
“I say, Shaya… how about we order another roasted duck?”
“Heh… I think so too. If we don’t let her eat more, this girl will starve to death before leaving. Alright, alright, I guess I owe her that.”
…………………………………
What does it mean to wolf down food?
This was the first time Xue Feiya witnessed someone eating faster than herself.
That entire plate of duck meat placed in front of Timani was devoured at a speed too fast for the eye to catch!
Alright, alright, you eat fast, but there’s one thing Xue Feiya must criticize.
“What about the bones…?!”
“Mm…? Bones…? I ate them. Don’t you humans eat roasted duck meat without gnawing on the bones? What a waste.”
Ha, you’re something else.
I could hear how crunching sounds while you were eating and thought the duck meat was charred!
“Unworthy of you, Fire Lizard.”
“Who are you calling…! Fine… thank you for the hospitality.”
Timani politely pushed the empty plate aside with both hands.
Now that she was full, she wasn’t as out of control as before, and she resumed her serious expression.
“I will remember this favor. When I return to the Northern Region in the future and make it big, I will definitely repay your generosity today.”
“No need to repay; I’m asking what’s your situation? Asking for food at noon, asking for food at night—how ridiculous.”
“I already said I’m not asking for food…! Okay, I’ll change my wording. You call Shaya, right? For you, I will not only repay a favor; I will also repay this great humiliation.”
“Ah, sure, I’ve already recorded that ‘Lady Shaya’ with magic; how about we hear it again?”
[Th-thank you, La… Lady Shaya…]
“Ahhh! No revenge! No revenge! Please let this magic record disappear, okay…!!”
[Th-thank you…]
“Are you really a devil?!”
As Miss Shaya repeatedly invoked the recording magic, Timani waved her hands to disperse the magical mist until she was nearly exhausted!
As Timani was so exasperated by Xue Feiya that she leaned on the table, gasping for breath,
Xiya sighed and pressed down on Xue Feiya’s shoulder to restrain her, lest she deliver a mental blow to both of them in one day.
Xue Feiya, you’ve already made Princess Livra cry today; if you make Miss Timani faint too, you’ll definitely have nightmares.
For now, suppressing Xue Feiya’s incessant chattering, Xiya finally had a chance to ask a question.
“May I ask, Miss Timani, you didn’t talk much to us at noon, and I wonder if you’d like to tell us why you’ve fallen into this situation? Well, of course, it’s fine if you don’t want to say; we’re just a bit curious.”
Actually, the curiosity was beyond just a bit.
High-level races in their territories don’t struggle for wealth, not to mention that the Fire Dragon Clan is a race that loves to hoard treasures. Each dragon species has its own treasure trove, rich enough to rival a city. It’s hard to imagine a Fire Dragon Clan person would fall to such a level.
No… for someone like Miss Timani, it’s probably the first time this has ever happened.
Hearing this question again, Timani’s crimson hair and body trembled suddenly.
She might have recalled some bad memories or simply didn’t want to face this topic.
So she remained silent for a while without speaking.
But having eaten their delicious duck meat, it seemed a little too impolite not to say anything at all.
Before speaking, Timani picked up a small bone left on the plate and ate it without wasting anything.
When she started to speak, her crimson pupils suddenly appeared somewhat forlorn and helpless.
“Sorry… I don’t want to say the specifics, but my situation now is probably that, for some reasons, I’ve been expelled from the Fire Dragon Clan’s territory. Currently, I’m wandering between various countries, broke. As you can see… I’m not begging. Whenever I reach a place, I work to earn money, like here. As long as my identity isn’t discovered, I can still earn some wages to support myself.”
“So, you participated in the Gladiatorial Arena competition for the prize money?”
“Sort of. Well, the result wasn’t satisfactory; I lost control of my magic in the first round and was forced to withdraw. But it’s fine; I watched the final showdown from afar. That blue-haired dwarf and the black-robed person, I have self-awareness. If I faced them, I wouldn’t have much chance of winning, and they didn’t go all out… This kingdom really has hidden talents… tsk, not easy.”
The blue-haired dwarf?
You must be talking about Xial.
Xiya’s sword at her waist trembled slightly, as if protesting this title.
As for that black-robed person…
Ahahaha, that person isn’t even from the kingdom!
“Well, it’s clear that Miss Timani is a person who knows how to earn money,” Xiya concluded from her observations over the past few days. “If you have no bottom line, relying on your strength can offer many ways to obtain wealth. Clearly, you work here in the kitchen, and despite your hunger, you didn’t choose to steal food, which is commendable.”
“Hmph, isn’t that obvious? I’ve said it many times. I am a member of the Fire Dragon Clan, and being expelled by the clan is temporary. I believe they will accept me back one day. The Fire Dragon Clan doesn’t do immoral things and won’t compromise with anyone.”
[Th-thank you, La…]
“Enough already, you little brat?!”
Eww!
I didn’t say anything!
Xue Feiya was truly uncomfortable; can’t she just lie on the table and release magic without being disrupted?!
Speaking of which…
Remembering that Timani said she had seven days until leaving the kingdom.
This time frame seems to coincide perfectly with the Gladiatorial Arena competition being held this weekend, right?
Xiya looked at Xue Feiya, then turned her attention back to try and ask Timani a question.
“Um… Miss Timani, do you still plan to participate in this weekend’s Gladiatorial Arena competition?”
“Probably. I heard that the barrier master invited this week is stronger than last time; there won’t be any danger from such a minor magic again. I’ll try my luck; maybe this time I can win the championship and get a prize?”
“……”
What a coincidence.
Last week, it was Xial who participated.
And this week…
Xiya’s gaze slowly drifted to Xue Feiya, who was languishing on the table in boredom.
The battles this week… are probably going to be even more brutal than last week, huh?
But Xiya couldn’t just cut off someone’s source of income; she could only shake her head and smile bitterly.
“Alright, then good luck, Miss Timani.”
“Thanks! Miss Xiya, you’re the kingdom’s hero? Your words sound much better than this little girl!”
“Hah?! I wasn’t even talking to you, and you’re attacking me?! Ugh, forget it, I won’t argue with a kid. You’re well-endowed, you have a point.”
“What…?!”
Timani crossed her arms over her chest in surprise, not expecting this little girl to not only have a harsh tongue but also sharp eyes!
Xue Feiya didn’t have such earthly desires; she had already been tormented by Xiya enough yesterday.
She said this as part of her verbal attack.
Compared to all this… Xue Feiya was now more concerned about another matter.
She looked at the table, which was empty apart from two plates of duck meat, and frowned.
“So where are our dishes? Haven’t we ordered a while ago? Is the person responsible for bringing the dishes asleep? By the way, who’s in charge of bringing our table the food?”
“Right,” Timani echoed a complaint. “I still wanted to see what other dishes could… ah!”
“What’s wrong, Fire Lizard?”
“Bad news… I just remembered… the one responsible for bringing dishes to this table is me!”
“……”
So it turns out you, the culprit, have been sitting here chatting while the table remains empty for half an hour!
At the same time as she recalled this.
Outside the barrier, calls could be heard from the tavern’s proprietress carrying a barrel of wine.
“Timani! Where’s Timani? Ah… the new hire really can’t be relied on; can’t find her when things are busy. Your wages for this week will be deducted… ah! Here comes your table’s wine! Timani, are you there?!”
“I… I’ll go serve the dishes now! Otherwise, I’ll starve before I leave for the next country! Excuse me!”
Timani quickly pulled her hood back over her head and dashed out, grabbing a plate to feign that she hadn’t gone far, preserving her wages.
It seems “Timani” is her alias while working.
With Timani back at her post, the dishes at Xue Feiya’s table finally became plentiful.
Just that shameless Timani, who probably felt the earlier call of “Lady Shaya” wasn’t a loss, began to take a few bites of each dish that came up—where did your dignity go?!
However…
Xue Feiya and Xiya hadn’t even enjoyed a few bites of the delicious food yet when—
They heard a sharp, noisy commotion outside the barrier.
The isolation barrier could block most sounds, but some noise, like loud shouting while banging tables, couldn’t be fully suppressed.
Upon closer inspection, it seemed there was a drunken brawny man gripping a wine barrel lifting another adventurer and tossing him out.
It appeared that a fight had broken out, causing a rowdy scene, and a row of tables was smashed.
“Ha…?! I’m not drunk! I’m just here to tell this rabbit brat to talk to me with some… caution…! Do you see this sign…?! I’m a silver-tier adventurer… even nobles have to weigh their words when speaking to me! What the hell is he, daring to shout at me?!”
