After he sprayed the few ten thousand dollars in that restaurant, Atlas left, having no desire to eat there anymore.
'But I still want fancy food,'
Just as he thought that, a new smaller restaurant came into his sight. This restaurant didn't have a lot of people going inside, but it looked even better than that trash one he just visited. It was also just across the street from the latter.
"I guess I'm lucky," he laughed as he crossed the street and then went into the other restaurant.
An old-looking waiter appeared almost abruptly next to him, holding a small notepad.
"And how many of you will be eating at The Pantheon this evening?"
Atlas was caught off guard by the name. The restaurant was called The Pantheon. That name rang several bells in his mind.
"Is this place owned by Zeus or someone else?" he asked the butler-like waiter with an expression of marvel on his face.
The waiter with grey hair slicked to the side and a small handlebar moustache merely laughed. His monocle came close to falling off, and he had to adjust it multiple times before he stopped laughing.
"Apologies. I didn't realize that you were a newcomer. This restaurant is owned collectively by all the major pantheons. No one brings personal business into it. After all, we don't shit where we eat."
Atlas gained instant understanding and asked the waiter, who was known as Alfred, for a single standalone table since he wasn't with anyone.
Alfred guided Atlas to his table wordlessly and sat him down. Throughout this, the teen was in deep thought.
'Why is every butler guy named Alfred? Why can't we have one that's called Brad or Chad? I'm really starting to think that their employers change their names to Alfred at this point.'
As he deeply contemplated, a new waiter came over to his side and politely smiled.
"Have you decided on what you're getting, mister?"
The waiter sounded British, making Atlas think of a dozen inappropriate okes instantly.
"Not yet. Give me a minute." However, he kept a straight face.
He stared at the menu as the waiter stood. His mind went blank in that instant.
'Heavenly Calf Steak?
Water-walking Crab?
Divine Egg Fried Rice? (A/N: Have you read that book? I have)
Three Thousand Flavours Fish Fillet?
Godly Nectar Soda?
Legendary Gelato? What the f*ck is this shit?!'
The waiter noticed his sceptical look and inwardly mocked him, sneering.
'This kid probably doesn't have enough money. How dare he come here with his poor ass?!'
However, the waiter was wrong. Atlas had the money. He was just extremely conflicted about the choices. All of them sounded so good!
"Uh, I'll have the Divine Egg Fried Rice, Heavenly Calf Steak and Godly Nectar Soda. Should I pay now?" Atlas asked, pulling out a huge stack of money.
The waiter was clearly shaken by the large sum of money pulled out in an instant.
"I only have this much in cash. Let me pay through my bank account,"
Atlas was ready to spend all the money he had on the exotic dishes. And knowing the gods, the dishes served probably weren't just ordinary.
"You may pay when you're done eating," the waiter said,d jotting the order down and then excusing himself to go back to the kitchen.
Atlas put his phone back and began to observe the customers sitting. Most of them were extremely peculiar, having features that were unnatural in the modern world. There were people who looked very old and others covered with vines, some with glowing eyes and others who were just not human looking.
He withdrew his eyes as he correctly sensed that most, if not all, of them in the room were stronger than he was.
'Didn't realize there were so many monsters in Oakcliff.' He mused, staring at the seat opposite him. There was no one there, as expected.
"I should've brought someone along. Clyde is chatty enough,"
As he said that, a gust of wind suddenly passed through the entire restaurant and a slight rumbling sound followed quickly after.
"You can converse with me," a low thundering voice called out to Atlas from the seat he had just looked at.
Atlas looked up abruptly, knowing the person who performed the feat must have been extremely strong. A face appeared in his view. The owner was a thirty-year-old Japanese man with hair covered by a Durąg and a well-kempt blue beard.
When he saw the man, there was only one thing in Atlas' mind.
'Rin?'
The man moved his tattooed hand across the table and placed it under his chin to hold it up.
"You said you wanted someone to talk to. Now talk"
Atlas gulped, realizing that the man was probably some strong god from the Japanese Pantheon.
"Um, I don't know what to talk about. Gas prices?" He frantically suggested, shrugging his arms a little.
"ZAZAZAZA! You're a funny kid, but that's boring." The man's strange laughter echoed throughout the restaurant, but no one had the guts to go up to him. They seemed to be afraid of something.
"How's that technique treating you?" the man abruptly asked, causing Atlas' eyes to widen. Now he was certain that the man was connected to Rin.
However, he made sure to keep answering the man.
"I guess it's been good. It still feels like torture, though. That's part of the reason I decided to come here. I have a feeling that it will be beneficial,"
The suspected god grew curious and leaned in to look at his menu options. "Ooh, what are you ordering?" He was annoyingly close to Atlas, constantly pressing him down with his gorilla-like strength.
Atlas showed him his menu choices as he struggled for air, but the god seemed disappointed at his options.
"This stuff may be good at your level, but if you want next-level stuff, you need more than dollars, I can assure you that. Anyway, it's good that you're getting along with my nephew."
As soon as he called Rin, his 'nephew' Atlas' mind spun into full gear.
'Rin is Amaterasu's son and this man's nephew. Amaterasu does have a brother, but that would mean that this man is-'
"Lord Susanoo, we weren't expecting you today!"
****
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