When the waitress lifted the cloche from the next dish, Luo Qiqi exclaimed.
"Sweet and Sour Meatballs!"
The waitress smiled and corrected her.
"This is the VIP exclusive dish, The Last Wish. We use the meat of a Spiritual beast, the Three-eyed Boar, to prepare this dish."
"Is this the same species as the hog from the folk tales?"
Ikasa probed the waitress.
"Yes, Sir." She nodded in affirmation.
"What story, Ikasa-ge?" Yan Xiao asked with curiosity. Other kids were also interested in learning more about it.
"According to folklore, an ancestor of these beasts gave up her life willingly to save her babies. When she learned she was to be killed and cooked, she requested the hunters to make her into a dish with conflicting flavors to reflect her last emotions."
Clap! Clap!
A middle-aged man came to the table from the kitchen entrance.
"I am glad I cooked for a knowledgeable patron today."
He bowed respectfully. His words were a compliment as well as his introduction.
"I hope you like my interpretation of this folktale. I represent the mother's love for her baby as the sweet flavor of this dish. The sourness is from her reluctance to part from it."
Ikasa looked at the delicious meatballs wafting steam before him. The glaze from the sauce glowed in the light of moon pearls. They were cooked to a perfect reddish-brown color to preserve the meat's flavor and chewiness.
Everyone except Yan Xiao gulped hard.
"I have yet to try the flavor. So, I cannot comment on it. But the dish looks appetizing."
Ikasa complimented the Chef.
"Yes, of course. Please enjoy your meal. Patrons who can appreciate the story behind the dish are indeed rare and always welcome."
After a bow, the Chef and the waitress made themselves scarce.
Everyone picked up their cutlery to dig in, but Yan Xiao had tears streaming from his eyes. His gaze was fixated on the meatballs.
Ikasa understood the reason behind his sadness.
"Don't cry! That was just a story. These meatballs are made from some hog who was harassing the farmers. By eating him, we are just following the laws of nature."
Ikasa patted Yan Xiao on his back, urging him to taste the delicacies.
"Really? We are not eating somebody's mom, are we?"
Yan Xiao inquired after wiping his tears with the back of his hands.
"Really... Now eat quickly, or those ravenous ghosts will eat up everything!"
Ikasa said, pointing to the four children and one oldie. When Yan Xiao started to eat, he also picked up his chopsticks. Watching everyone laugh and eat together, he felt like this was his family.
'In this world, I have no one except for them. And they have no one except me.'
An hour later, the battle waged on food ended. The plates were squeaky clean, and the warriors were satisfied.
Chu Qing let out a burp while caressing his stomach. His burp was the beginning of a burping contest. Feng Yan won it with an overwhelming brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrp.
When the waitress came to the table to collect the check, Xin Ruo hid her face in embarrassment.
"Sir, this is your bill. A total of 1457 gold."
Ikasa waved her off.
"It's fine. Your Sixth Elder said the meal is on the house."
The waitress looked at him with suspicion. She didn't dare offend the guest of the Elder, but the bill amount was also high.
'Are the companions of this uncouth guy really her guests? I should check in with the Elder.'
By uncouth, she naturally meant Feng Yan. She remembered the instructions. They only mentioned opening the VIP room for Mr. Ikasa. She decided to stall for time by offering desserts.
"Mr. Ikasa, please wait for a while. I will send you complimentary desserts. Since you are the guests of Sixth Elder, we should at least do this much."
She escaped before Ikasa could deny or accept her request. She ordered the kitchens to prepare some simple rice puddings and went to find the Elder.
During the evenings, when the Four Seasons Restaurant is busiest, the Sixth Elder would personally come to the Restaurant. She would not go out to entertain any guests. Only in the case of disputes, did she step in to mediate them.
The waitress found the Elder lounging in her chair while popping a grape in her mouth. Without wasting time, she recounted the incident in the VIP room.
When Elder Xue heard the waitress mention 'Mr. Ikasa', she immediately gave her permission to waive off his charges.
"But... Elder, the bill amount is 1457 Gold!"
"What? The laziness disappeared from her eyes, and she jumped up to snatch the bill from the waitress' hand.
"This bastard! He ate away our profit for this month! How did one person eat so much?"
She asked the waitress.
"He was not alone. There were five kids, a lady, and a disheveled old man with him."
"Damn it!"
She yelled, punching her fist on her other palm. If it was anyone else, she could act shamelessly and say that the offer of the 'On the House' meal was for Ikasa alone.
But at the moment, he was being accompanied by the kids with special identities.
'Since the kids are here, maybe the Sense Realm expert is here too? Could it be that old man? Or is it the lady?'
Once this thought came, she let go of the idea of collecting gold from him. Instead, she decided to do a meritorious service by confirming whether Ikasa's claims about the Sense Realm Guardian were true or not.
"Did they order anything else that is yet to be served?"
The waitress shook her head.
"No, they didn't. However, I offered them complimentary desserts to stall for time."
Sixth Elder patted her back and beamed.
"You did well. I will serve those desserts along with you. Come."
She led the way to the kitchens to collect the desserts.
"Elder! Is there some problem? Did a customer complain?"
The Chef panicked at the presence of his immediate superior, who usually stays as far from the kitchen as possible.
"We are just here to confirm something. Make two rice puddings for the VIPs extra sweet."
The Chef looked puzzled but did as ordered.
Soon Sixth Elder was carrying the two extra sweet rice puddings herself while the waitress brought the rest of the bowls in a tray.
When they entered the VIP room, Ikasa stood up to show his respect.
"Elder, you didn't have to come to greet us. And you are even serving food! This is too much!"
Ikasa exclaimed. He became vigilant of her sudden visit and guessed her motives. Thankfully, there was no reliable way to identify a Sense Realm Expert. At least, he didn't know of one.
"I just came to greet you and these kids."
The Sixth Elder said while surreptitiously placing the bowls before the father and daughter seated near the entrance. The waitress also came and served everyone else.
'As I expected. She is here to find the Guardian.' Ikasa mused when he saw her serve neither him nor the kids, but the other two unknowns.
'But how will a bowl of rice pudding help her identify a Sense Realm expert?'
He saw her smile and stand by the door.
"Please try our Chef's humble dessert, The Sweetness of the Origins."
She invited everyone to taste while focusing on the two she had served personally.
As soon as Ikasa and the kids took a mouthful of the Rice Pudding, they were captured by the slight sweetness and light flavors of the rice.
The experience for Xin Ruo was not so good. When Xin Ruo took a spoonful, the sweetness of the sugar overpowered any flavor of the rice she might've tasted. She frowned, but the pudding was still good enough to be eaten.
However, for Feng Yan, it was torture. As a Sense Realm cultivator, he was extra sensitive to tastes. He had acclimatized his taste buds to Salty, sour, bitter, and other common flavors. But getting used to sweetness was hard as Sugar was a luxurious commodity selling for 10 gold per bag.
When he tasted the overpowering sweetness, his face contorted with nausea. The already extra sweet pudding's sweetness was amplified by two times due to his cultivation.
He swallowed it with difficulty but did not touch the rest of the pudding.
Sixth Elder was watching this with interest. She jubilantly looked at Feng Yan's reaction and concluded, 'He is the Sense Realm Expert!'
She asked with concern.
"Sir, is the pudding not to your liking?"
Feng Yan looked at the pudding reluctantly and said, "It is too sweet for my taste."
She called for a waitress and instructed her to prepare a new pudding with much less sugar.
After everyone was done with their desserts, they met the Chef, the waitress, and the Elder in the lobby near the entrance of the restaurant.
The Chef enthusiastically greeted Ikasa.
"Mr. Ikasa, you must be a special person for our Elder to send you off in person. It is my honor to serve a guest like you who appreciates my delicacies. When you come next time, your meal will be on us."
He felt two glares bore into his head. But he kept a smiling face.
"Sure, Sure! The Four Seasons Restaurant is truly as generous as it is reputable. I will definitely take you up on the offer."
On Ikasa's words, Sixth Elder and the waitress paled. Their glare intensified.
Ikasa bade farewell to the ecstatic Chef and left with his group.
Back at the entrance, Sixth Elder glowered at the Chef.
"Did you enjoy serving him very much?"
The Chef was confused by her questioning. He replied honestly. "Yes, I did."
"Then you should pay for his meal today."
"Of course, I can afford one meal. Give me the bill. Let me see just how much stingy our Elder is."
She sneered and motioned to the waitress. When the waitress thrust the bill in his hands, the Chef trembled with fright.
"What the hell? Fourteen Thousand Silver? Did he bring a starving ghost with him?"
When he saw the Elder turn to leave, he went on his knees and bawled.
"Forgive me, Elder! I apologize for my insolence! It will take me more than a year's salary to foot this bill!"
She turned and said, "I'll forgive you this time. but next time he eats a free meal here, it is on you."
The Chef's back shivered with fright. He whispered to the empty air.
"Ikasa, you better not show up at this restaurant again, or I will die with you!"