The Demon Lord Is An Angel
Chapter 276: Thank You For Dining

Chapter 276: Thank You For Dining

"You represent the ruin of my art! Get out!"

A young man with dark brown hair and a weasely face was pushed out onto the street. Halie looked up to see a sign that read "Slowick’s Fine Dining", with a pair of silvery bars crossed by a hawthorn branch. It reminded her of the "unequal" sign used in math.

The young man took off toward Amarena, wiping tears, but paused to gasp as he noticed her. "A d-demon."

"Keep moving," she read the name that had been scrawled over his white apron, seemingly with a quill since it looked splotchy and uneven, and read ’Tyler.’

Tyler rushed past her, and Amarena entered the restaurant. There were only two other customers, one server, and a white-garbed man who had to be the chef.

"I do apologize, the restaurant should not have been opened before I arrived. Please accept a proper meal on the house and a gift bag from me."

"Oh, that sounds lovely," the elf woman said.

The chef and owner, a balding human male who looked to be in his fifties was talking to a pair of women sitting at a table. Judging by the density of his mana and the vague sense of circulation strength he gave off, he was actually in his two-hundreds.

The women were the same, with strong green auras approaching blue. One was a hulking specimen of an elf, and the other was a petite human. They were sitting next to each other, and presently holding hands, suggesting a romantic relationship.

In short order, the chef returned to his kitchen, and Amarena was approached by a server. She was elven, with her onyx hair up in a tight bun and an intense disposition to her heart-shaped face; once she regained her composure. She tilted her head slightly, her face freezing with an emotion Amarena had not seen much of since living in Hell, amongst her siblings. It was a look as if Amarena were unexpected, instead of unwanted, worn by the kindest of her siblings.

"Can I help you?" In the case of this elf, Amarena couldn’t tell if her question was sincere, but that didn’t matter.

She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Yes, I’m a demon. I’m allowed to be here," she poked at the badge on her left shoulder, which marked her as Order Justiciam, with Halie’s sigil - a falling comet entering a portal - to delineate her status as a squire.

"You must be Warmancer Halie’s squire." The woman blinked multiple times. "Last time she was here she told us she had an... unconventional new charge."

"Yes, and Warmancer Halie wishes me to bring her meal."

"She has been one of our regulars for months now. Did she ask for her usual or something specific?" the server asked.

Sensing she wouldn’t find dining here pleasant, Amarena relayed Halie’s order and decided to have a large bone broth for herself. Then she settled in to wait at the table nearest the door, leaning her elbow on it.

After a few minutes, the chef returned, a tray of meals hovering in front of him, doubtlessly from magecraft.

He served the couple at the table, then gave them a fancy-looking black bag that glowed blue from within. "Please accept this bottle of heavenberry wine, my personal bread recipe and secret yeast, and a copy of our menu. I’d offer you Tyler’s fingers for the... incoherent atrocity he put in front of you, but the lad has run off."

"It’s okay," the elf said. "The lamb was..."

"Raw, honey. The lamb was raw," the human said.

"Thank you for dining with us, all the same," the human chef smiled. "Let Elsa know if you need anything more."

He left them with the most dainty food Amarena had ever seen. Little green and orange balls of flavored ice underneath a lace of charred flower with a sprinkle of sugar. Next to them were freshwater oysters, likely from the lake,

As the human woman looked away from her wife, her eyes met Amarena’s. She had green eyes and brown hair, pretty-looking for a human, but Amarena wasn’t exactly aware of what beauty standards were on Ayther. When the chef disappeared, she got up and approached.

"Good morning!" she said, her voice light and pleasant, yet clearly careful not to call Amarena what she was.

"Yes, I’m a demon. Yes, I’m allowed to be here." It was an unfortunately familiar routine by now, so Amarena skipped the bull of returning a greeting she wouldn’t mean.

"I don’t mind all that. Our son is demonkin... But I couldn’t help but overhear you’re getting a meal for someone named Halie. Would that be Demon Breaker Halie?"

"Do you always eavesdrop?" Amarena scowled, annoyance at being bothered radiating from her orange eyes. She just didn’t want to be bothered; so she could get back to training...

"No... but I would like to know if you’d be willing to sit with us. I’d be willing to pay for your food, in exchange for asking a few questions. We’re looking for her and-"

"No." Amarena looked her in the eyes.

"It would only take-"

"Listen to me very closely. No."

That was when the elf stood up, looming over them both.

"My wife is trying to be nice. The least you can do is return the favor," the elf said.

"Or what?" Amarena bared her teeth. "It sounds more like she wants to dig up dirt on my teacher."

"Or we can take this outside," the elf crossed her arms, flexing slightly as she bulged her biceps.

Amarena stood and did the same, staring her down before she turned and walked out the door.

As the elf exited behind her, her wife tried to be the voice of reason. "Darlae, we don’t need pick a fight. She’s a squire, Darlae-"

"I know what she is, Briget. And I’m not going to let some ogre disrespect you. So please just give me the bag."

’Ogre’ was a term for wrath demons, which Amarena was. She was also half incubus on her father’s side, but she had none of their abilities and a lot of unwanted "soft flesh" because of her heritage.

As soon as Brigit handed Darlae the bag. The elf reached in and drew out a weapon that was far too large for any normal bag, proving it was a dimensional storage bag.

A long metal staff... capped with heavy metal.

The weapon Halie had trained Amarena on for days... Guess I have to fight now.

"What’s your name, ogre?" Darlae asked.

"Amarena, Daughter of Wrath, Get of Leviathan."

"Draw your weapons."

Amarena extended her claws. "I don’t need weapons to take you on."

"Oh gods..." Briget said as she walked back up the steps of the restaurant. "Just finish before your food gets cold."

*

Inside the restaurant, Briget sat down and cleansed her palate with a light bergamot tea as the sounds of battle began. Lights flashed by the window, as the colliding forms of Darlae and Amarena.

She was sure Darlae was just pent up, frustrated at being stranded on news of Nyandor’s fall. Since there was no Adventurer’s Guild in Isegart, their credentials were virtually worthless and the only safe way to travel would be by caravan, of which none had gathered to leave.

For a time, they’d simply helped out, waiting for the inevitable wave of refugees, but aside from villagers in the middle and north latitudes of Nyandor the country, not a single person from the city of Nyandor had showed up, and Brigit suspected it was because of the arson that burned the docks, forcing them to travel up here in the first place.

After the palate cleanser, she cut into the small, jewel-cooked steaks which had been glazed with the perfect amount of sauce, exclaiming "Mmm!" as they simply melted apart in her mouth while a rain of pebbles clattered against the front of the building.

There were also pressure-cooked vegetables and a cracked mammoth bone the size of her bicep muscles, which contained a hearty spiced bone broth that warmed her insides as a tongue of flame flashed red outside the room. "Mm. This is so rich..."

Around that time Elsa reappeared, "More wine?"

"Please," Brigit offered her glass, receiving the dark red, slightly masculine wine which was perfect for cutting through the rich flavors she was enjoying alone while her meathead of a wife was outside getting pummeled in the face at a rate that vibrated the floor.

"Such interesting weather we’re having," Elsa said as Amarena was thrown into the window, only to be repelled with a dull thud as the magic protecting the restaurant activated.

Light flashed across both of them, a long line of energy screeching past the window.

"Quite interesting. It’s been a while since I’ve been up north; much less seen the sky-lights and the half-year day." A moment later, Darlae received the same treatment as Amarena, only with her front colliding with the enchanted glass.

"The chef wanted me to ask if you would like to try my new dish. It features freshwater crab with some lightened kelp and umeboshi."

"Say no more, Elsa! I haven’t had crab in ages." Outside Darlae charged, only to be hit by a barrel of crabs, many of which latched onto her long hair.

A flash of magic outside became a torrent of small spells. And then an explosion that lightly rocked the whole neighborhood, causing her table to rattle.

Darlae re-entered the restaurant, looking rather roughed up with a few slashes on the shoulder of her shirt, followed by Amarena, who took a heavy seat next to Brigit’s wife, across from them. A crab fell out of Darlae’s hair, scuttling away.

"How was your talk?" Brigit asked.

"She’s good. Gods I’m getting rusty... barely won..." Darlae gasped.

"I didn’t lose," Amarena said, minding a hand that had three out of five claws broken. "It was a tie."

"Are you two muscleheads ready to behave?" Brigit asked.

"Hey, I broke your claws, and you didn’t even scratch my weapon." Darlae panted out a laugh.

"Grrr," Amarena scowled. "Fine, you get one question. But only if you acknowledge it was a draw!"

Brigit gave Darlae a look, silently communicating the way only long-established couples could.

"Fine," Darlae relented to Amarena, before turning to her wife. "You’re the smart one, you ask."

Brigit took her time thinking as she sipped her wine. Before finally deciding on "Where can we call upon your knight, Halie?"

Amarena’s scowl deepened.

"The western wall, most mornings. Don’t expect her to tell you anything, the woman’s a mystery, especially to me."

At that moment, Elsa reappeared.

"One Folly Of Man for you, Mrs. Brigit, and one meal to go for you, our newest guest," the elf said with a well-worn smile as she gave Amarena a small crate with her order. "Chef would like to have your name for next time.

"Why?"

"We like to know everyone who dines with us, Miss..."

"Amarena... Wrath-Daughter."

"Miss Amarena. Thank you. Would you be willing to advise Chef on dishes that suit a demonic palette? He is most excited to expand his craft."

Brigit suppressed a laugh as she watched the odd looks play out on Amarena’s face. The demoness finally answered, "Only if my teacher allows it."

Elsa smiled. "Then I see it won’t be a problem. Thank you for dining with us. Please have a nice day."