"Why are you here useless buffer?" James' expression turned to that of scowl as soon as he Albert.
"Ah, the one and only useless prodigal son of the Emperor is here. Last time I checked this shop doesn't offer women as part of their complimentary service." Albert insulted James without even giving him the respect of a crown prince.
"You asshole just wait until I become the emperor. The first thing I will make sure is to have you beaten in the streets stripped naked." The prince insulted the commandment back, it was if this was common among them.
"Ah so we have a feisty one here. Unfortunately, the balls in my court doesn't roll towards men, like you and Tom." He laughed. Unable to make a counter the prince flushed red, while Tom just ignored both of them.
"Anyway, I have got important things to do, I don't want to spend my time lecturing on useless trashes." The old man said as he walked towards the desk as James looked at him with utter rage and anger.
"Kid here is your money, I got it all back in 2 hour's time isn't it awesome? Do you have any special privilege for your first member? If you give me a privilege I will make sure that my whole family eats from here from now on and ..."
"Hahahahaha" The prince interrupted Alberts dialogue, as he was handing me the pouch with the plat chips, with a burst of laughter. "Too bad old man it seems someone became a member before you did and received the first member privilege. Ahahahahaha" The prince laughed while showing off his membership card.
Now it was Albert's turn to rage "What the hell kid, how did he get a membership before me? I thought I was the first member." He screamed with an angry expression.
"You were the first person to accept the mission, but his highness was the first to complete the task assigned to get membership, thus he gets the first membership." I explained while the old man still had an unwilling expression. Seeing how this would lead to, I carried on explaining the benefits and rules of the membership card, before he starts to convince me otherwise, while after mocking him the prince along with Tom left.
I showed him the card asked him for his name while I wrote it in his card in some kind of gibberish nonsense, that I am sure no one will understand. I told him what and why it was written there. He took the card with a reluctant face as he ordered another set of meal. After the meal his expression brightened as he asked if he could bring some ingredients tomorrow. The ingredients where all level 5 beast ingredients, I closed my eyes for few moment before I told him what to bring with those ingredients.
"Bring all of those tomorrow afternoon." I said as I finished listing off all the ingredients he would need as he wrote all of them down.
"Wait! Afternoon? Why not in morning?" He asked me puzzled.
"His majesty made an appointment with me for morning, as I am not sure what time he will appear in the morning I made all of tomorrow morning free, also I feel like I will be too lazy tomorrow morning to cook." I gave him a lame reason as the real reason was for me to cook and eat the ingredients I got from James. I am not sure what kind of reaction high level ingredients might present, if level 1 ingredient already illuminated the body.
"Damn that kid is one step ahead of me, always." Albert cursed as he walked out.
'Finally, some peace and quiet'. I took this moment to heat up my cold food I prepared before, for my dinner and ate it.
I took a chair beside the desk after dinner and started going through the book given to me by James. The book worked kind of like a tablet, as you can just scroll down to see the list of names of all people in the kingdom. As soon as I saw the detail of the first few people, I realised how stupid a prince could be. If this book were to get into the hand of enemy spies, it would literally be a disaster.
Not only did it have a detailed list of all the relatives of the kings and nobles of the empire, but this book composed a detailed explanation of each person such as their likes and dislikes, any crimes committed by them in the past that was covered up, where they would love to go, their hobby etc. Every single person had a detailed explanation. It took me 3 hours to scroll through the whole tablet. Other than the emperor, main leaders of each commandments every single detail was written on the tablet, including mine, and it seemed to be updated information, as me running a restaurant was shown in here.
I can soon expect someone sent by Smith to come in for this tablet. And I was right although my expectation was wrong, as soon as it was midnight, while the street was still deserted, someone did come in. He was tall about 2 meters, well built, with white hairs and a small stubble adorning his icy face.
"Will you not close the restaurant even during midnight? Do you not want to sleep?" Smith said as he walked closer to me.
"I have to make sure that I don't lose a single customer just because I was asleep. What can I get you?"
"1 serving of everything on the menu. And the book." Smith said as he glared at me.
"Everything for a price Smith. The food will cost 2000 gold because it is worth that much, while the book will cost according to its value." I said as I looked back at him unaffected by the glare
"The book was in your hand for the past few hours. If you were smart, whatever information you wanted to know you would have looked at it, in those few hours, you had." He replied while passing me the 2000 gold. While implying that I better give him the book as I have had used it enough.
"Oh, are you threatening me. I would like to see you even touch me." I took the gold and put it into the drawer.
"Did you know that young chef that you gave us was found dead? His post-mortem team said, he suffered agonising torture, that left no marks in his body before he was killed. We believe he was kidnapped by our enemies wanting to use him to poison his majesty.
Besides that, I am pretty sure those guys outside looking after you, wouldn't mind me and you having catch up time." He said as he walked toward a table and sat down. While I started trembling in fear and started sweating. I closed my eyes breathing few times, before opening them, and reaching for the table and motioned as if taking something before putting it in my mouth. Seeing me do this, Smith watched me curiously.
"Ah they wouldn't mind that at all Smith, as long as I am left in one piece. But are you aware of what a pain pill is?" I said as I slowly swallowed it.
Hearing me Smith froze for a few second and kept staring at me like I was a crazy person. Smith suddenly understood what I was doing while he was walking towards the table.
Pain pill, unlike what it sound was an anti-torture pill. It was something carried by all spies and agents. They use it when they are surrounded by their enemies and have lost all hope of escape.
The benefit of this pill was as soon as the body even registers a minute amount of pain, it will cause the brain to cut all nerve connection with the body before causing death.
"Now be a good grandpa and sit there while waiting for your food. If I as much as get hurt while cooking in the kitchen you know what will happen. Also, while you are at it, think off a good deal for the book." I said as I watched Smith sweating bullets.
The spies and agents watching me from outside can view what is happening inside the restaurant like in a 144p quality video, using a rank 2 spell, but they can't hear what is going on or clearly see. They can use a spell that is able to let them hear and see clearly, but that is a spell for rank 5 magi. And I am pretty sure no rank 5 magi would ever be bored enough to sign up as a stake-out agents.
So, what did the agents from outside see. Smith walked in and said something to me, while I reply back. Then as Smith walks back, John is seen to be very afraid and frightened. But he closes his eyes and make a resolve and takes something from the desk where Smith was standing before. And swallows it.
So, what would happen if I get hurt in the kitchen while cooking or if Smith actually hurt me if he was stupid enough? They would see me dead.
If I died in the kitchen while cooking, they would think Smith forced me to take a poison and I died due to that, and if I were to be harmed by Smith, they would think I was killed on purpose. In both cases Smith killed me following the order of his majesty. Even if the agents can't do anything about me they will make sure to at least take an arm if not outright kill him.
But what would happen next is the best scenario. All high ranking magis will start hating the emperor for being extremely selfish at only wanting the best chef for himself, followed by the backlash of majority of the nobles, including his own supporters. Soon followed by unrest which can lead to many situation which wouldn't end happily.
All because of what not paying for an invaluable book, but they wouldn't know that all they will see is the emperor want to be the only one benefiting of the chef, that is capable of increasing the magi accumulation of everyone, and increasing their lifespan, for himself.
It wouldn't have this much effect if Smith had sent someone else in his place to the restaurant. As the emperor could have just deny himself of any involvement. But everyone knows that Smith is the very embodiment of the Emperor inside and outside the palace.
I finished cooking as I bought in the food. I saw Smith looking at me terrified as I took each step. "Eat up Smith. Let's talk after you have eaten." Smith carefully took the tray from the table afraid that if anything spill over to me and I get hurt, then I might die.
He ate the food, while temporarily forgetting the crisis he is in. After he finished he turned towards me and said, "What do you want?" From the question and glow he emitted I imagined him as some kind of wish fulfilling deity found in novels. I chuckled at the question.
This was no more about the book, but about the downfall of the empire being discussed in a restaurant. The condition being Smith gave a good enough deal for John not to kill himself.
"What do you think, and give me the right answer before, I accidentally prick the needle in my pocket?" I warned
Hearing that I have needle in my pocket he abruptly stood up in shock. He remembered what Albert told him. Smith wasn't convinced before but now he utterly convinced, that Albert was very, very wrong about John. Not only is John dangerous, he is crazy and mad too, to the point of using his life as a bargaining chip like it's some cheap item found in any store.
Smith has enough experience to spot liars, along with his award, and from what he knows John wasn't joking about his life. Along with with that the conviction from his eyes, it says 'If I go down then I will make sure to drag everything with me to hell.'
"You want the title right I can get it for you right now?" Smith finally relented. All thought giving him title is the last thing they wanted, it is much better than the collapse of the empire, no the emperor. Smith was only loyal towards the emperor and no one else, not even the empire came before the emperor to him.
Besides they will have plenty of chance to take him out or even better Jack will do it for them, once he enters the competition. It wasn't that bad of a choice.
Unexpectedly John shook his head. "Nah, I don't really want it now. I will take the title when I want to." Smith brain short circuited for a moment. Smith didn't know how to respond when he heard that. Especially the part about 'I will take the title when I want to.' It was as if he was sure he will get the title when he wanted to, not even Jack would dare say that. Then he remembered what Albert said, 'It feels almost as if we are playing into his hands no matter what we do.'
"Then what do you want?" Smith asked seething with anger.
"Hmm how about ... actually you know what I am bored and tired playing this game. Here." I said as I threw the tablet to Smith "Now go, I need my beauty sleep. *yawn*" I said as I climbed onto the desk to sleep. Seeing Smith still standing there and failing to catch the tablet/book as it dropped onto the floor I said while smiling "Leave old man before you piss me off."
Hearing that Smith frantically took the book as he ran out of the restaurant towards the palace, all sorts of things going through his mind.