"Good job my porters!" Penta said as he saw Claud have his leg wrapped and sitting on a chair.
"H-honorable brother!" Little Kaya came running into Penta's arms as soon as he came back from showing the guests outside.
Little Sana ran after seeing her sister get all the attention from "bwutha."
He gave them a hug before they both revolted and yelled together.
"STINKY!"
This caused everyone who was still inside to start laughing before Penta scratched his head and said he would go bathe.
"Oy, you three. Go tie him up and stand watch while one of you go bathe as well and take shifts. We got a party tonight!" Penta hollered as he started walking up the stairs which creaked ever so more.
Claud looked at all this while staring at Penta climbing while trying his best not to break the stairs.
"He's a good kid." Claud mumbled which Celia overheard and couldn't help but agree with.
He really was a lifesaver.
Sasha looked over curiously at the trio while wiping some blood off her
"Who are you three?" She asked.
The trio tensed up for a second before Karu stepped up and smiled politely.
"I'm Karu, We met honorable brother in the forest while he was hunting and decided to uhm... help him out as he asked." He stuttered towards the end remembering what happened after they met.
"I'm Faren and this is."
"Grass! My name is Grass!" Griss said while trying to hide his embarrassment and his name at being a porter to someone while from the Briskflame family.
Faren and Karu just looked at him oddly for a second before continuing to tie up Castello.
Sasha looked at all this and blurted out while laughing.
"He got you three to call him "Honorable Brother" too!? Hahahaha!" She was holding her stomach while laughing.
The trio was suddenly taken aback. They all thought 'Hadn't the little girl called him that as well?'
"It's Bwutha! Don't make fun!" Little Sana reprimanded Sasha but it was just too adorable while Kaya was holding her shoulders.
Celia smiled too while sitting near her father and checking on his leg as though this was all her fault.
"I'm sorry father. This was my fault." She said softly.
"Haha, what are you talking about? This had nothing to do with you but simply the nature of some. Celia dear, I regret having sent you to the Storm tribe for what it made you feel but I do believe you did get stronger from going. So I don't want you worrying yourself over such a thing." Claud said while gently patting her head while she teared up again.
"Alright girls, let's get to cleaning and then go for a bath ourselves. We got a party to attend apparently." Sasha smiled as she grabbed a mop.
The trio had put Castello to the side of the Inn where a table was near and Faren and Griss sat down.
"Who wants to go bathe first?" Karu asked but he received his answer from Claud.
"Bathe my ass. You three bring the meat inside and then go wash yourselves. My Inn's water ain't free." Claud shouted over when he heard the white-haired boy.
-Later that evening-
"Penta get those tables out! Come on, People are coming from everywhere." Celia shouted while Claud and a few other friends he called over were setting up some large grills outside the Inn.
The guards that frequented and the usual foody customers came running once they heard Penta's throwing a party.
Penta started charging by putting a donation box instead of actually charging. It was written that it was to thank the chefs and thank Celia's Inn.
It also did get donations rather easily which made Ther who showed up quite surprised at the fee taking method. These were all high-grade meats on the grills. This made people even more generous.
Karu, Griss, and Faren were manning some grills and taking care of setting more tables up alongside Penta. They were drooling just as much as they hadn't eaten all day and their bottoms were still sore, though the bath did help relieve some pain.
As more and more people showed up. The atmosphere started turning lively.
People brought drinks from their own houses and many restaurants closed and brought some things over as well. A great time to advertise was at gatherings.
Though Penta somehow became an unscrupulous businessman towards these other "stalls" A very large fee was asked to join his celebration as it was for his departure rather than a city held event.
Technically it was a private gathering as he only invited "his" friends when he gave invitations.
The ones that were there for pure business and not joining the occasion paid but they made a decent turn over for being able to advertise like this as Penta pointed out when they showed.
"Didn't think you could handle money so well." Celia brought him a mug of ale as she mentioned.
"Haha, really? You always handled my funds so far so it feels nice hearing that. Maybe I learned from watching you." Penta laughed as he downed the cup while staring intensely at the bears, pythons, and the Elk being grilled.
Claud really knew how to cook and so did his friends apparently as the aroma lingering all over the place was enough to drive everyone crazy with hunger.
Soon more parties started showing up as the scent of high-grade meat being grilled could attract all.
Kaya, Little Sana, and Sasha were helping people get food while Celia was assisting with the drinks.
It was truly a lively night.
The poor Castello kept being put " back to sleep" every time he woke from the aroma that lingered the streets.
He cursed Penta and all generations of his ancestors for this humiliation.
As everyone was enjoying the lively event, a commotion happened near the end of the street.
"Move out of the way for the City Lord!" A guard shouted and the people gathered all turned over as this was an important figure in the City.
The crowd was surprised that even the City Lord had arrived.
As the crowd parted towards the Inn, a middle-aged man wearing a bright azure robe with an epaulet and a blade at his waist was walking forwards with a group of guards.
"Who authorized such a gathering in the City streets?" The City Lord questioned as he gathered everyone's attention as he had made his way towards where all the grills were set up.
The guards behind, though well trained, couldn't help but gulp at the assortment of meat and food available.
Celia looked at the City Lord and realized this party may have been a little too large for someone of his status to arrive.
Penta however looked the City Lord up and down before realizing the man was quite strong. Much stronger than anyone he's met so far except for maybe that mysterious brooding old man from the testing site.
Claud had already known something like this may have happened and walked over with his daughter helping him.
"Ah great City Lord. I'm Claud the chef of the Mirage Feast and this the owner. It's a pleasure to see your arrival at this gathering. We were celebrating the departure of one of our own to the Storm Tribe and things got out of hand when he brought all this meat over...hehe." Claud responded while showing slight embarrassment.
The City Lord was intrigued by those words as he noticed quite the different high-grade apprentice-level beasts yet Claud had only mentioned one individual in his speech.
"Oh, and who may be this talent we are sending off?" He asked.
"That would be me Ol... City Lord." Penta caught himself in his usual habit of calling every middle-aged man an old one.
The crowd starting whispering as to whether Penta had just called him Ol'City Lord...
The City Lord was slightly surprised at the familiarity the kid used.
"Who might you be?" He asked again.
"Penta, a pleasure to meet you. Sorry about the size of the party... hehe I can't imagine letting all this good food going to waste so I felt it needed to be shared with my fellow City residents." Penta tried sugar coating the excuses with something to get the crowd on his side.
To which it succeeded as the City Lord cannot appear as a Tyrant to his own people when such a reason was given.
One of his guard attendants had recognized Penta and brought it up in a hushed manner to the City Lord.
"It seems you were the most talented seedling from the recruitment. What good ability and generosity you have." The City Lord praised as he realized this kid has a bright future, especially with such a magnanimous attitude.
"Haha, old man you shouldn't praise me so much. I'll get overconfident." Penda said as he pretended to blush at the praise.
The crowd gasped as well as Claud while Celia had dark lines appearing on her forehead.
"It seems you really do." The City Lord looked at him slightly more sternly.
"OH, I MEANT CITY LORD. I'm not from here so please do let me get away with it as I'm quite not used to things here yet." Penta tried saving himself.
However, Sasha, Griss, Faren, and Karu just looked at him and thought. ' He didn't apologize at all for that. The hell you mean "let me get away with it"!?'
"Hahaha, you're quite the odd one aren't you. Well so be it. You are feeding my citizens quite the feast so I wonder if I am also welcome?"
"Not unless you let me call you old man!?" Penta said with the stupidest smile he's ever had before he quickly apologized for pushing his luck and serving the City Lord a giant plate of roasted Ice hooved Elk when he noticed the dark stare the man was giving him.
The night continued and everyone was overjoyed to even have their great City Lord attend.
Though this seemed quite the surprise, the City Lord had been keeping tabs of the man ever since he showed up to the City considering a suspicious individual who kept bringing in high-grade meat every day to a certain Inn would spread rumors.
After the testing staff had handed him a black card, Penta was certainly up on his list of people to gather knowledge on.
As the crowds were split off doing their own things while enjoying the food and lively atmosphere the night turned into.
Penta was wolfing down whatever plate came his way which caused the people that were lining up for the food to start getting really aggressive about letting him have more.
"I'm so hungry... come on let's share! Claud won't always cook for me people!" Penta whined while Kaya snuck him a plate of ribs.
"You are the best little sister, this honorable brother will pray for your health forever." Penta exaggeratedly said as he started munching on the ribs.
The people in line gave stared the little girl but Penta stared back at whoever thought of opposing her decision. His stomach had eaten dirt for almost a day and he needed to wash it down with as much meat as possible.
As he was sitting and enjoying the ribs with Kaya and little Sana also eating the City Lord appeared beside him and took a seat.
"So tell me, Penta, where are you from. I'm curious as it seems not many people have known you for long here?" He asked.
"Oh Ol...City Lord. Nowhere too far, I was raised in the wild ever since I was born. Been alone since my family passed." Penta said in between bites though he ate a little more proper as the City Lord was present.
"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. It must have been hard but I guess it goes to show how strong you are for making it so far." He replied while also continuing his meal.
"How about you? Where you from?" Penta asked suddenly.
The City Lord was taken aback as no one was this casual with him in a long time except for maybe his closest people.
"Haha, kid you really don't care about my status do you?" The City Lord laughed.
"Well, I am aware of it but I'm also curious where one comes from to be able to get to such a place," Penta said with a fully cleaned plate.
He rubbed his stomach while staring at the City Lord's plate.
"Haha, I guess curiosity is normal. I was born and raised in another City before I joined the Storm Tribe officially and ascended to my position five years ago." He replied while also slightly moving his plate closer while continuing to eat the Elk meat.
It was delicious, to say the least. The man Claud sure knew how to cook and he now understood why the kid in front of him was eyeing his plate so hard.
"Well, it isn't always too good to stay so late as City Lord. Thanks for having me here Kid, and give my regards to the chef. I hope to hear great things about you from the Tribe." The City Lord got up and took off as he finished his meal.
"Oh wait City Lord!" Penta suddenly hollered.
The City Lord who was walking away turned back only to see Penta rush closer. His guards were ready but the man waved them off.
"What is it?" He asked.
"What's your name by the way?" Penta asked.
"Huh, you plan on calling me by name?" The City Lord asked with a questioning gaze.
"Oh, haha, it was an accident but no, just curious since you ate with us and I've been in your City quite a while, I figured I should at least know your name," Penta replied.
"Guess you never bothered asking til now. Fine, my name is Fulgur Crown. Remember it kiddo." He said as he left the party.
" Felt like I heard something about the Crown family at some point. Oh well." Penta returned to his food hunting.