A funny couple, about the same height, consisting of a dissatisfied guy and a mischievously smiling girl, slowly strolled across a wide square dotted with colorful trees and beautiful, light-colored buildings.
Elion, looking clearly dissatisfied, suppressed his heavy sighs. Meanwhile, Noel...
She was full of joy, saying, "Hehe."
Elion just blinked harder, trying to hide his emotions.
"Hey, come on, relax. Let's think about what we want to eat. I've been so nervous about the first day since this morning that I couldn't eat anything. Now, I could eat a whole cow!" she said, exaggerating.
Elion didn't answer, but he clearly doubted that such an unbearable girl could be nervous about trifles like that.
"It's not a trifle at all! Imagine how all the guys could lose their heads at the sight of me! How would my future life turn out then? As a witness to my beauty, you should understand that, right?" She nudged him with her elbow at the end, smiling slyly.
Elion's obsession had already passed, so he didn't react impulsively to her words. He didn't care about her exaggerated expectations.
"I'm telling you, that's how it would have been! If only you knew how much I had to endure the conceited speeches of these narcissists before you came along. By the way, is slamming the door loudly your thing?"
The guy thought about Noel's last words for a moment but came to the conclusion that it was just a habit.
"Well, in any case, your appearance immediately distracted the girls' attention. Although some of the old ladies weren't very happy about it. Hehe."
—... Elion had no idea what this crazy woman was talking about.
"So, what did you say your favorite dish was?" She asked naturally.
"... Elion thought about her words.
Childhood memories immediately came to mind, but he couldn't pinpoint anything he particularly liked. It was most likely something sweet, but he hadn't eaten anything like that in the last four years.
"Hmmm... I love something very spicy, so much so that afterwards, you feel like a fire-breathing monster!" Noel said emotionally.
After hearing this, a phrase naturally popped into Elion's head:
"Crazy."
They continued to stroll peacefully through the capital, engaged in incessant chatter.
This area was very wealthy, so prices were too high for the average resident. Elion still had some money left over from the kingdom's payments after his father died, and his scholarship covered most of his expenses. However, he wasn't eager to spend money on ordinary food when he could buy a book or a training device. The couple didn't have many options, but an establishment located between the dormitory and academic buildings came to their rescue.
"Welcome, all young Seekers."
Looking at the blue and orange sign, the man couldn't help but return to the previous question: "Why, when the average age of Seekers is 20–30, is every greeting accompanied by the word 'young'?" For example, this crazy woman calls everyone older than herself 'old people.' Isn't that strange?"
Elion suppressed the urge to shake his head. Accompanied by Noel, he pushed open the double doors of a long, one-story building finished with beautiful white wood.
—... Elion stared silently at the scene.
"Wow! It looks like it's going to be noisy here!"
The huge hall was nearly filled with Seekers of all ages, even though there weren't many of them. Perhaps someone was selling fake IDs so people could eat their fill cheaply. Or maybe most of the Seekers were just food lovers.
But Elion didn't care much about that, so he thought practically.
"I hope there won't be long lines here."
"The only thing missing here is some cheerful music. You know, like in heroic stories when everyone celebrates an adventure by dancing and singing in taverns," said Noel, smiling as he looked at the noisy room.
Elion didn't even raise an eyebrow. He silently went to the shopping area.
There was a line of five people in front of him, but the menu stands were located a short distance from the counter. So, you could say that the problem with lines was constant and well-known. Elion stared silently at the menu with the inscription: "Pass the time while you wait by browsing our diverse menu."
The menu was large and divided into many sections: cold, hot, sweet, spicy, bitter, sour, liquid, solid, and mixed. In short, there were many options.
—... Elion frowned slightly.
He had lost all interest in food in recent years, so the wide selection was just a burden to him. Without thinking too much, he decided to order a couple of hot dishes and a drink. It took him fifteen seconds to make his selection. By that time, Noel had caught up with him and let out an excited squeal.
"Wow! Just look! They have everything your heart desires! It's worth becoming a Seeker just to eat here!" she shouted, tugging at Elion's shoulder.
Sad to admit, but the guy was already used to being tugged at constantly, so he didn't even frown.
He didn't share her enthusiasm for food and silently ignored the girl.
She didn't seem to notice and continued tugging at him every time she spotted an interesting dish.
After such an expressive tour of the menu, it was time to order.
A kind-looking woman in her forties, wearing an apron, looked at them and said with a smile,
"Hello, young Seekers. Please show me your ID cards, and then you can place your order."
Elion silently took a card out of his coat pocket and showed it to the woman.
"Here you go, ma'am!" The girl showed her card too.
Okay. Elion and Noel, you are both very kind. What would you like to eat?
... Elion silently pointed to items on the menu.