After a brief few seconds, Garrett continued:
"Everything in this restaurant is of the highest class. I wouldn't even be surprised if the tables and chairs are worth a fortune."
Hervy frowned and grumbled incomprehensible words under his breath. He knew Lane and Garrett were correct.
The owner was fucking rich!
Sitting down, his depressed face lit up when he saw a piece of Siren's Melody Poached Egg on Lane's plate.
"Lane, give me that piece of poached egg, and you can have those Mana Stones," Hervy excitedly said while hungrily licking his lips and pointing at the small pile of Low-Grade Mana Stones.
Lane was pleasantly surprised, but just when he was about to open his mouth and accept his offer, everyone in the dining area heard an indifferent-sounding voice from within the kitchen.
"Fourth Rule: No customer can eat from another customer's plate."
[Host, would you like me to add that rule to the menu?]
[Yes.]
Immediately after, a new rule mysteriously appeared on the restaurant's menu.
'Fourth Rule:
No customer can eat from another customer's plate or bowl.'
Hervy was stunned before his expression changed to anger.
'Fuck, he must be messing with me!'
Lane and even Garrett felt that the owner was being too much. This was no different from bullying.
Cody and Coby, meanwhile, were too afraid to voice out their opinions. Ever since they had entered the restaurant, their senses had been on high alert, telling them not to use their Race's Unique Eyes on the owner. Trusting their sixth sense, which had helped them survive to this day, they never looked at the owner with open eyes.
However, that did not mean they could not open their eyes and look at the menu. And when they did, they were surprised.
"The owner-"
"Is telling the truth."
After speaking and handing the opened menus to Garrett and Lane, they hurriedly closed their eyes. The pain was too much.
As Garrett and Lane read the menu, their expressions became complicated.
Since Hervy was sitting next to Lane, he leaned over and also read the menu. Suddenly, his expression became bitter.
"I don't remember reading this rule before."
Without an ounce of shame or embarrassment, Lucian indifferently replied:
"I just added it. The restaurant is mine; therefore, I can do whatever I want. If you don't like my restaurant's rules, you are free to never come back. "
"..." An awkward silence fell as Lucian's words hung in the air.
Hervy gritted his teeth. He still felt the owner was purposefully targeting him.
Sensing his friend was about to explode in anger, Garrett hurriedly placed a hand on his shoulder and said:
"We can always come back tomorrow."
"Tch, tomorrow we are escorting James Orchard to Harmony City. There's no telling when we would be back." Hervy muttered, his tone laced with annoyance. If he had known such a wonderful dish existed on Arcadia that could help him breakthrough he would have never agreed to the quest.
…But now, he had to go, unless he wanted to be chased and killed by the Adventurer's Guild.
Once a quest was accepted unless the adventurer could give a reason backed up with evidence on why they were canceling the quest, they must carry it out.
… And obviously, he could not say the reason why he was canceling the quest was because he wanted to eat.
—-------------
Optional Trial Quest: Find Wang Chen's body and present it to the Wang Family
Description: Find a way to convince Lion's Liver to allow you to join them on the escort mission. While passing by Moon Grove Forest to Harmony City, 'accidentally' discover Wang Chen's body inside of the forest. Then, take his body and bring it to the Wang Family.
Time Limit: Before Wang Chen's body is found by someone else or is destroyed.
Reward: System Upgrade and Spatial Farm
—------------
Lucian's eyes narrowed as he read the quest. It seemed there needed to be an opportunity before he would be eligible for a System Upgrade Quest. However, completing the quest was easier said than done. It was no different than asking him to jump into a Dragon's mouth.
Lucian had come to Thunderfall City precisely to stay away from Harmony City. In the meantime, he would peacefully restore his Mana Veins and then increase his Mage Rank. However, just as his Mana Veins were restored the System was asking him to go to the one place he least wanted to visit.
Lion's Party might think he was an expert, but that was far from the truth. Lucian had not even stepped into the Mana Condensation Realm. If not for his Soul, which was a fusion of Ancestral God Lucian's Soul and Dao Immortal Lucian's Soul… and the weakling Chef Lucian's Soul, he would have been beaten black and blue.
[System, this Quest is impossible to complete.] Lucian complained, hoping the System would have a change of heart or maybe it might have made a mistake when making the Quest. He could only pray.
Without wasting a second, the System replied:
[Host, the System would never ask you to die. Each Quest given by the System is fair and reasonable. After all, if you were to die, I would die alongside you. I can assure you that there is a method available that the Host can use to complete the Quest. Good Luck!]
It was not as if Lucian did not know how to complete the Quest. In fact, the method to complete the Quest was quite simple.
Lucian had complained to the System merely… to complain.
He was still weak and powerless and did not want his name or even his appearance to be seen in a city as big as Harmony City.
If Chef Lucian had any good merits about himself, other than his ability to cook it would be the hundreds of thousands of web novels, light novels, mangas, and anime he crammed into his brain.
In every single one of them, the main protagonist somehow always ended up provoking a young master with a powerful background.