"Chew, chew, chew…"
"This is delicious!"
Inside a barbecue restaurant in town, Ellen and a few others were eating frantically. Ellen's mouth was full, like a hamster.
Her chopsticks were busy too; she spotted a freshly grilled piece of meat and reached for it.
"Smack!"
Just as she was about to get it, Kabal extended his chopsticks, knocked Ellen's aside, and snatched the grilled meat.
"Damn it, I saw that piece of grilled meat first!"
Kabal, whose mouth was also full, said indistinctly:
"Whoever snatches it gets it! I've been eyeing this piece of grilled meat for a long time too!"
Watching the two argue, Miss Shizu, who was sitting nearby wearing a mask, reached out her chopsticks, quickly picked up a piece of grilled meat, and put it into her mouth under the mask.
"This… A Chen! Are they reincarnated hungry ghosts? Are we going to be eaten into poverty?!"
Rimuru looked at the few people, who seemed like they hadn't eaten in days, and said with a horrified expression.
Zhong Chen, sitting beside him, looked at this scene and recalled a scene from an anime in his previous life, where Ellen's group of four also ate barbecue in a small thatched hut like hungry ghosts. Looking at it now, he found it quite amusing.
"Haha! Don't worry! This restaurant is run by Shinobu! If worst comes to worst, we'll just dine and dash!"
Looking at Zhong Chen, who was righteously making such shameless statements, Rimuru cautiously asked:
"A Chen, aren't you afraid Shinobu will chase you home for the debt?"
"Hmph hmph! I'll hide at Kanae's place! Let's see what she can do to me!"
Hearing that Zhong Chen planned to hide at Kanae Kocho's place, he couldn't help but pout and say:
"Hmph! Who knows what you're going there for! I think hiding from debt is fake, and secretly meeting someone is real!"
"This… How could that be! Don't you know what an upright person I am?"
Looking at the obviously jealous Rimuru, Zhong Chen couldn't help but recall the day Rimuru asked him about his relationship with Kanae Kocho.
At that time, he had clearly told Rimuru about his relationship with Kanae.
However, after Rimuru met Kanae Kocho alone once, things changed. Although Rimuru would be jealous of Kanae Kocho,
He didn't object to their interactions. Zhong Chen had asked Kanae Kocho what they had talked about, and Kanae Kocho always replied mysteriously, "It's a secret! ✧(＾＿－✿"
"If A Chen is upright, then there are no treacherous people in this world! Hmph!"
Rimuru, who doubted Zhong Chen's character, retorted unceremoniously.
"I think Lord Rimuru is absolutely right! You are a treacherous big bad guy!"
"You're the only one who can talk about dining and dashing so righteously!"
Zhong Chen, who was caught red-handed, looked at Kochou Shinobu, who was walking over with a plate, and gave a sheepish smile:
"Shinobu! I was just kidding, why did you take it seriously!"
Hearing Zhong Chen's sheepish remark, Kochou Shinobu glared at him and said fiercely:
"It better be!"
Then she turned her head, instantly her face full of smiles, and took out the beef from the plate, saying to Miss Shizu and the others:
"Guests, this is the special flavored beef you ordered. Please enjoy!"
Looking at Kochou Shinobu's two-faced demeanor, the people present couldn't help but chuckle:
"Hahaha! A Chen! Shinobu always has you wrapped around her finger!"
"I never expected Lord Zhong Chen to have this side!"
Zhong Chen, who was being teased by everyone, didn't mind and continued to display his shameless spirit, saying:
"You guys are teasing me like this, it seems I can't leave any of this grilled meat for you! Sakuya, grab all the grilled meat for me!"
"Yes, Lord Chen!"
Hearing Zhong Chen's command, Izayoi Sakuya reached into her maid outfit pocket, pulled out a pocket watch, and gently opened its cover, saying:
"Time Stop!"
In an instant, the entire barbecue restaurant seemed to fall into a standstill. Only Sakuya, holding chopsticks, moved the grilled meat from the grill plate one by one onto Zhong Chen's plate.
"Time Resume!"
As Sakuya stopped using her ability, everyone started moving again.
"Huh! Where's the grilled meat?"
"Yeah! Where's the grilled meat? It's all gone! It was just here!"
Looking at the confused crowd, only Rimuru, who knew Sakuya's ability, couldn't help but say to Sakuya:
"Sakuya! You spoil A Chen too much! Don't use your ability for such small matters!"
Hearing Rimuru's words, everyone simultaneously looked at Izayoi Sakuya, who was sitting beside Zhong Chen in her maid outfit. Sakuya, expressionless, said:
"This is my master's command!"
"…"
"I'm a bit envious of Lord Zhong Chen! I want a maid like that too!"
Compared to the somewhat speechless crowd, Ellen was so envious that her face was almost distorted.
"Alright, alright! Don't mind these small matters! Keep eating! Shinobu, bring them two more plates of beef!"
Hearing Zhong Chen's instruction, Kochou Shinobu didn't contradict him this time but obediently walked towards the back kitchen.
"After dinner, what are your plans?"
Looking at the people in front of him, Zhong Chen asked about their upcoming plans.
"After dinner, we plan to go find Mrs. Kamado. We promised to visit her place!"
Ellen lifted her small face, which was chewing on grilled meat, and said indistinctly.
"Oh? You even know Mrs. Kamado?"
"Yes, we met her the first day we came here. Mrs. Kamado is very nice, and she even treated me to candied hawthorns for free!"
Ellen excitedly boasted to Zhong Chen.
"Haha! Is that so? Then you should get along well later!"
"Of course!"
Just as Ellen and Zhong Chen were eating and chatting, Miss Shizu, who was sitting nearby, suddenly covered her mouth under the mask and started coughing violently:
"Cough, cough, cough…!"
"Cough, cough, cough…!"
Looking at Miss Shizu, who was coughing continuously, Rimuru, sitting beside Zhong Chen, couldn't help but ask with a worried expression:
"Miss Shizu, are you alright?"
And Ellen and the others nearby also asked worriedly:
"Jing Jiejie, are you alright?"
"Miss Shizu?"
Looking at the worried crowd, Miss Shizu removed her mask and gave everyone a gentle smile, saying:
"I'm fine! It's an old ailment! Everyone, please don't worry!"
"Is it getting harder to suppress Ifrit?"
Zhong Chen, who understood why Miss Shizu suddenly coughed, couldn't help but think to himself, then spoke:
"Miss Shizu, are you finding it harder to suppress the spirit within you?"
Hearing that Zhong Chen could actually tell that a spirit resided within her, she asked with a surprised expression:
"As expected of Lord Zhong Chen! You actually noticed that a spirit resides in my body?"
"Eh!!!"
The surprised Rimuru, hearing that Miss Shizu had a spirit inside her, immediately asked Great Sage internally:
"Great Sage! Does Miss Shizu really have a spirit residing within her?"
"Notification! Based on detection and analysis, the spirit residing within the individual Izawa Shizue should be a High-Tier Fire Spirit!"
"Notification! There are many high-tier races in the world, including demons, angels, and spirits!"
"The three races have a mutual restraining relationship: spirits restrain demons, demons restrain angels, and angels restrain spirits. High-Tier Spirits are also considered high-level spirits among spirits!"
"I see! Thanks, Great Sage, you can rest now!"
"Heh…!"