In the morning, Zephyr was woken by sunlight streaming through the window, its brightness forcing him to squint. He sat up, still half-asleep, and noticed Elira by the window, sipping from a steaming cup.
"What are you drinking, Elira?" he asked, his voice groggy.
"Lemon water," she replied, her tone weary and her eyes underscored by dark bags.
"Why?" he pressed.
Elira gave a tired smile. "Hangover. I think I drank too much last night."
Her words triggered a rush of memories. Zephyr recalled how much she had consumed and couldn't help but marvel.
"Are you not feeling any headache or signs of a hangover?" Elira asked, her curiosity piqued. "Because, as far as I remember, you drank just as much as I did."
Zephyr shrugged. "I feel fine. No hangover."
Elira's jaw dropped in disbelief. After a moment of contemplation, she smirked. "Must be because of the title you earned yesterday." Her voice turned teasing. "Well, if being a Dragon Slayer means no hangovers, I'd say that's the best power ever. If I'd known, I would've fought the dragon myself!"
Zephyr chuckled, shaking his head. "Oh, sure, Elira. You, fighting a dragon. I'd pay to see that."
Elira shot him a glare, but it lacked any real menace. "Mock me all you want, but I'm starving. And thanks to a certain someone who slept like a rock, I missed breakfast. You owe me."
"Alright, alright," Zephyr surrendered with a lazy grin. "I'll get you something to eat."
Elira crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow. "Oh no, you're not getting off that easy. I don't want leftovers. I want to go to the restaurant down the alley—the fancy one."
Zephyr groaned but nodded. "Fine. We'll go there."
At this, Elira's face lit up with a triumphant smile. "Good! That's exactly how a hero should treat a lady."
Zephyr smirked, leaning against the bedpost. "Lady? All I see is an old woman whining like a child for food."
Elira's cheeks flushed a furious red. "Y-You little brat! Don't you forget who looked after you when you first joined the army!" Her voice quivered as tears began to pool in her eyes, threatening to spill over.
Zephyr's smug expression instantly vanished. "H-Hey, Elira, come on," he stammered, kneeling beside her. "I was joking! I didn't mean to hurt you. I'm sorry, okay?"
With a pensive look, Zephyr added, "I'll do anything you want as an apology. Okay?"
Elira sniffled, wiping her eyes. "Anything?"
Zephyr hesitated but sighed. "Yes, anything."
Her lips curled into a devilish grin, her teary façade vanishing in an instant. "Perfect. You're paying for my meal. And now that I think of it, there's this fancy place in Ravenmere I've been dying to try. It's expensive, but hey, you promised."
Zephyr's shoulders slumped in defeat. "Of course, you had to pick the priciest place."
Elira was already at the door, practically skipping as she opened it for him. "Come on, Dragon Slayer. Don't keep a lady waiting!"
Zephyr trudged after her, head low. When he glanced up, her mischievous smile made it clear she had won this round.
As they stepped out, they went into a dimly lit corridor. Only a few candles could light up the area, which was quite dark. Elira looked around and could not help but comment, "Hmph, is this the inn chosen by the great hero? Not even decent lighting.
Zephyr shot her a dry look. "Oh, come on, mistress. You drank till midnight, and this was the only place left. I had to make do with what I could find, alright?"
Elira let out a long, exaggerated sigh, stepping a little ahead of him. As they walked, Zephyr suddenly stumbled over something on the floor, nearly losing his balance in the poor lighting.
Elira bit her lip, then tried her best to suppress a laugh before it finally burst out of her. Zephyr huffed, hastily standing up, and continued walking ahead. She had to put some space between them and get away from this awkward moment in time.
As they went down the stairs, the reception area was very packed with people signing out and in. Elira moved ahead and noticed Zephyr holding a coconut in his hand. She stopped in front of him as her curiosity was piqued.
"Zephyr, what's this for? Are you planning to throw it at my head because I made fun of you just now?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
Zephyr played along, grinning. "If I could, I would have. But this is for your hangover. I heard from the receptionist that it helps with that."
He handed it to her, and they both continued walking toward the posh area. Zephyr made a casual remark, "This city is quite clean, not a single piece of trash on the road."
She took a few swigs from the coconut, nodded. "Yeah, this city is the second cleanest in the whole kingdom, right after the capital."
Zephyr nodded in appreciation. "Impressive."
"So, where is that restaurant you were dying to visit?" he asked.
Instead of replying, Elira grabbed his hand and led him toward a luxurious establishment. The gates were grand, the seats were cushioned with leather covers, and the fragrance of flowers wafted through the air. At the front gate stood two tough-looking guards.
"We're here," Elira said, smiling as Zephyr marveled at the beautiful exterior.
She pulled him out of his daze. "Come on, let's go."
Zephyr hesitated. "I think this place requires a reservation before entry."
Elira shrugged it off, her confidence unwavering. "You're the hero, remember? We'll get a seat. Come on."
As they reached the gate, both guards stopped them. "Miss, Sir, can we see your reservation ticket?" one of them asked.
Zephyr took a deep breath, then handed over his emblem. "Show this to your manager, and we'll get our reservation," he said calmly.
The guard, still looking uncertain, took the emblem and entered the building. After a short while, a man in a suit, clearly the manager, emerged and bowed respectfully.
"How may I assist the hero of Valoira and his lover?" he asked.
The guard's eyes widened, scanning Zephyr from head to toe. Zephyr quickly clarified, "She's not my lover. Elira is my colleague. We're here for breakfast. Can you arrange something?"
The manager considered it for a moment before nodding and gesturing for them to follow him after returning Zephyr's emblem.
As they walked deeper into the restaurant, the scent of delicious food and fresh flowers grew stronger. After a short walk, they arrived at a lavish table. The manager handed them the menu, and Zephyr turned to him. "I'm not choosing today. Elira's in charge of the order."
A few minutes later, Elira placed the order with a smirk. The manager quickly departed for the kitchen.
Once he was gone, Zephyr turned to Elira, raising an eyebrow. "So, what did you order?"
Elira grinned, her eyes gleaming mischievously. "It's a secret. You'll see when it arrives."
After a short wait, the food finally arrived, covered with a lid. He set it down on the table and walked away to fetch the drinks. Zephyr glanced over at Elira across from him, practically drooling but doing her best to control herself, only revealing the dish once the drinks were served.
"What's in there, Elira? You're drooling," Zephyr teased, his eyes locked on her.
Elira, her eyes still on the table, raised them to him and responded, "Wait a little. Are you really that hungry? Let the drinks come first."
She said this to him, but it almost sounded like she was reminding herself.
It was a few more minutes before the waiter returned with an expensive-looking bottle of wine and two glasses. As he was pouring the drink, there was a look of satisfaction that passed over Elira's face.
Finally, the food was revealed: a perfectly cooked steak, juicy and tender. The drink was a rich red wine. Zephyr took a moment to admire the meal before speaking.
"The food's good and all, but Elira. can I ask you something?" Zephyr asked, his voice laced with curiosity.
Elira looked up from her plate and met his gaze, her eyebrows raised. "Yes?"
Zephyr leaned in slightly, his tone a little more serious. "So, last night we had a feast too, ate meat, and drank alcohol. So why again?"
Elira smiled softly and answered, "Well, don't you like meat? And steak and wine go together so well. It's the specialty of this place."
A small chuckle escaped Zephyr's lips. "I knew you'd answer something like that. You'll be fat in no time if you keep eating like this. You should eat less, girl."
Elira blushed but did not respond, paying greater attention to the food in front of her.
Having finished eating, Zephyr started toward the reception, Elira towards the exit; after having paid, both of them were standing in front of the restaurant.
"So, Elira, what now? Should we head back to the camp?" Zephyr asked.
Elira nodded, and they began to walk toward the stables. They saddled their horses once there and set off, their steeds galloping flat out through the city.
As they entered the forest, Zephyr tried to make a little small talk. "It was a good trip, right? I got a nice power-up, you got some experience, and we even had lunch at your favorite restaurant."
Elira just nodded, her mind seemingly elsewhere. The journey back to the base continued in silence, her thoughtful expression saying more than words could.