"Oh. I like the atmosphere."
As Chae Nayun had said, the inside of the restaurant was every bit as magnificent as its exterior. The melody of string instruments flowed softly and beautifully, and every decoration was delicate and elaborate, as though it had passed through the hands of a master craftsman.
The guests’ dignity also suited the scenery. Even though it was lunchtime, every one of them was dressed in dresses or suits.
"Please follow me."
The seat the waiter guided us to was by the window.
"I’ll take your order."
"You do it."
I left it to Chae Nayun. She took the menu and placed the order with practiced ease.
After the waiter disappeared, silence settled between us. We were sitting face to face, but there was nothing to say, so I simply looked out the window.
"…What the?"
Beyond that window, however, I spotted someone unexpected.
End
A woman’s face brushed past outside the window. Her face was wrapped up in a mask and sunglasses, but she was familiar to me. I could see her bare face.
The vice-leader of Korea’s number one guild, Yoon Seungah.
She was walking somewhere with one companion.
But this was something outside the story. Yoon Seungah was not supposed to be here.
"Wait. Stay here."
"What? Hey, where are you going!"
Shaking off Chae Nayun’s shout, I rushed out of the restaurant.
Fortunately, Yoon Seungah wasn’t walking quickly. I soon reached her back and grabbed her shoulder.
"Excuse me?"
"Hwaaak!"
She gave a strange scream and jumped in shock. Then Yoon Seungah creak, creak, creaked like a machine as she turned around. When she saw my face, her shoulders flinched. She had clearly recognized me.
"…Wh-who are you?"
However, she was desperately pretending not to know me. If so, had she come here as part of a mission?
I looked beside her. Another person. A sturdily built Western man, but judging by his face…
For now, I opened my laptop first.
As expected, a message had arrived.
[Setting Change—Through an anonymous informant, the ill-fated connection between ‘Jane’ and ‘Yoon Seungah’ has been ignited.]
Jane and Yoon Seungah.
I knew the relationship between those two better than anyone else.
In a word, they were like cats and dogs. Jane was the Yellow (黃色) of the Chameleon Troupe, possessing a talent specialized in stealing things and disguising herself.
Bored with life, Jane, merely as a form of amusement, fabricated her identity as Yoon Seungah’s “peer” and joined the Creator’s Sacred Grace. Then, through several incidents, the relationship between the two rapidly grew closer.
Afterward, Jane became the only person the desperately hard-living Yoon Seungah could even call a “friend,” but at the most decisive moment, Jane betrayed Yoon Seungah. In a battle against Djinns over a relic, she dealt Yoon Seungah a fatal wound and monopolized the relic for herself.
That Jane was infiltrating the VIP ball being held in Paris this time.
In order to steal a “ring.”
This ring was also a rather unique item. Though its abilities had not fully blossomed yet and it was not worth much at present, the moment its potential exploded, it would become an incredible object.
And what made things even more complicated here was that, in the future, the owner of this ring would be Chae Nayun. When Chae Nayun had just switched over to becoming a swordsman, Chae Nayun’s father would obtain it from the black market and give it to her as a gift.
"I don’t know who you are, but we have to be going."
Yoon Seungah continued to deny it, and the man beside her stepped forward to block me. He was a huge man, at least a head taller than me.
However.
His true identity was not “him,” but “her.”
My eyes saw through her false color (僞色) as well.
Jane Valerin.
She was currently disguised as one of Yoon Seungah’s subordinate guild members.
"…Ah."
Jane, whom she regarded as her sworn enemy, was right beside her, but unfortunately, Yoon Seungah did not recognize her.
"I’m sorry. I must have mistaken you for someone else."
I bowed my head.
Since it seemed like we would all meet at the ball anyway, I would back off for now.
* * *
"Ugh, that lunatic."
Kim Hajin had rushed out. It was annoying that some fit of insanity had suddenly seized him again, but since he had been strange from birth, Chae Nayun did not particularly care. In truth, the person who bothered her more than Kim Hajin was somewhere else, and with another woman at that.
After agonizing over it alone, Chae Nayun eventually raised her smartwatch.
"…Yeah, Yeonha. Where are you?"
The person on the other end was, as expected, Yoo Yeonha, who had been paired with Kim Suho.
—I’m just looking around some shops right now. Why?
Shops. There were a lot of shops around here. But what kind of shop?
Pretending not to care, Chae Nayun asked indifferently.
"What kind of shop?"
—I’m trying to buy some clothes.
"A-alone?"
—No. With my partner.
Yoo Yeonha answered immediately. By partner, she must mean Kim Suho. Chae Nayun’s stomach twisted slightly.
"…Really? What are you doing there with him?"
—I’m just having him try on this and that. His face is fine, but his clothes are awful. If there’s anything decent, I’m going to buy him a few.
"What? Why are you buying them for him?!"
Before she knew it, Chae Nayun had raised her voice.
The gazes of the people around her, who had been dining with elegance, gathered on her. Embarrassed, Chae Nayun demurely lowered her head.
—Hm? Why? Is that bad? We’re going to the ballroom after this.
"…No, it’s not bad. But it’s expensive. You should save your money. And if you buy him too many things, you’ll spoil him."
—…Uh, okay. More importantly, Nayun, where are you?
"I’m at a restaurant right now."
—With Kim Hajin?
"Yeah. He guided me here. But how many restaurants are there that actually suit my taste? I’m just going to endure it and eat. Like the old cafeteria food."
Suddenly, the painful memories of the past came to mind. The lunches she had been forced to eat when she was a cadet at the Agent Military Academy. If she skipped them, she was hungry; if she ate them, her stomach churned greasily all day…
Chae Nayun let out a faint sigh.
—Really? What’s the restaurant called?
Chae Nayun looked around. The restaurant’s name seemed to be stamped on that plaque over there, but she had no idea how to read it.
"I don’t know. …Hold on."
Just then, the waiter arrived with the appetizer.
"Excuse me. How do you read the sign here?"
"…Pardon?"
"I’m asking how to read the sign. The name of this restaurant."
"Ah. It’s ‘Goût céleste.’"
"Please say that into this."
Chae Nayun held her smartwatch toward the waiter. Though the waiter looked dumbfounded, he pronounced it clearly.
"Goût céleste."
"Thanks."
"Ah, um, did you perhaps come here without knowing what this place is?"
"Huh? Ah, yes."
Shoo, shoo. After sending the waiter away, Chae Nayun listened to Yoo Yeonha’s call again.
"Yeah, hey. Did you hear that?"
—…Don’t tell me you’re there? Goût céleste? Heavenly Taste?
She wasn’t sure if that was right, but the pronunciation was exactly the same.
"Yeah. I think that’s right. Why? Is this place famous?"
—…Kim Hajin took you there? How?
"Huh?"
Yoo Yeonha’s reaction was strangely exceptional, so Chae Nayun tilted her head.
—I tried to make a reservation there and failed. They said that even if I signed up for a VIP membership, I’d have to wait at least a week.
"Seriously? This place is that famous?"
—Good grief…
That innocent answer drew a deep sigh from Yoo Yeonha over the watch. For Chae Nayun, who had no interest in how the rest of the world worked, it was something she could not possibly know.
—That’s the restaurant directly run by De Jubon. The cooking Hero.
"Ah?"
De Jubon. He was certainly a person who existed in Chae Nayun’s memories as well.
There were all kinds of talents in the world, and just as many kinds of Heroes. Among them, De Jubon was quite a special great man. After all, he had earned the praise of moving the world with nothing but food.
The saying that Djinns and Heroes were equal before Jubon’s cooking had now become an idiom.
—If it’s Paris, then that’s the main branch, so it won’t be one of his disciples. De Jubon himself will be cooking.
"…"
This place was that incredible? Chae Nayun was at a loss for words for a moment.
—Oh, right. Nayun. When you were a third-year at the Agent Military Academy, you were in the same class as Kim Hajin.
"Uh, huh? Was I?"
—You didn’t know?
"I had no idea. How would I know?"
She had no memory of it. To begin with, that had been a time when she had done nothing but train.
—…Right. Anyway, since you’re already there, enjoy the meal. Ah. Don’t eat as soon as the food comes out. Take pictures too. Let me see.
Yoo Yeonha’s voice dripped with envy.
"Uh, yeah. Okay."
—Mm. I’ll hang up for now.
Should she be happy, or should she feel burdened? While she was unable to decide, the call ended.
Chae Nayun blankly looked down at the appetizer. It was only soup and salmon salad. Yet for some reason, the surface seemed to glimmer brilliantly.
Holding her spoon, she slowly, carefully scooped up the soup. She put the radiant soup into her mouth.
The moment her tongue and the soup touched, her eyes flew wide open and her entire body trembled.
"…"
She couldn’t even speak.
Was this the reason De Jubon had become the greatest chef, the so-called “taste of mana”?
As she was overwhelmed to the point of breathlessness by just a single spoonful, Kim Hajin, who had rushed off somewhere, returned.
"It’s already here?"
Kim Hajin sat back down and picked up his spoon.
Chae Nayun watched him intently.
There were more than one or two things she was curious about.
First, how had he made a reservation at a restaurant like this?
Yoo Yeonha had said that even with a VIP membership, it took at least a week. Yet Kim Hajin had reserved this restaurant “in advance.”
It was truly strange. Even if, by some chance, Kim Hajin had a VIP membership, the travel destination had certainly only been announced three days ago.
Surely Yoon Hanhyun hadn’t provided information only to Kim Hajin in advance…
Suddenly, a spark flashed through her mind. She recalled the conversation she had with Kim Hajin just twenty minutes ago.
—Hmm… Hey, but my palate is really picky.
—I know.
Kim Hajin had answered, “I know,” with great certainty regarding her taste. Then had he been planning to bring her here from the start…?
Of course, there was the matter of drawing lots, but if he had schemed with club president Yoon Hanhyun in advance, manipulating something like a lottery would be easy.
"Hmm."
Chae Nayun glared at him with meaningful eyes.
"Hey. Where did you go?"
"…Hm? I just went out because I thought it was someone I knew, but it wasn’t."
"You know someone in Paris?"
"A few."
Kim Hajin answered briefly.
"Then how did you reserve this place? I heard it’s really famous. Did that person you know help you?"
For an instant, Chae Nayun caught Kim Hajin’s hand flinching.
"Yeah, that’s right. But more importantly, aren’t you going to eat?"
All of a sudden, Kim Hajin pointed at the plate and asked. It was an abrupt change of subject.
"…I’m going to eat."
The meal continued. Now, with no more words between them, only the clinking of utensils sounded.
When every last bit of the appetizer had been emptied in silence, the waiter brought out the main course.
And Chae Nayun’s suspicions soon melted away before food so delicious it surpassed all expectations.
* * *
"Ugh. I’m full."
After finishing the meal, we came outside. What kind of food kept coming out for an hour straight? It felt like my stomach would burst. Of course, if I was full, I could just not eat, but it was too delicious for me to control myself.
This part really was nice.
Thanks to things like magic and mana and whatever else, I got to experience a heavenly taste like this.
"…Hey."
As I was rubbing my swollen stomach, Chae Nayun suddenly called out to me. Like me, she had a languid yet happy expression.
"What?"
"Thanks for the meal."
"…You’re the one who bought it."
Since I had gotten the seats, she had insisted on paying, and Chae Nayun had paid the 700-euro bill.
"The membership must have been expensive, so of course I should pay for the meal."
Chae Nayun said that while giving me a sweeping glance.
I didn’t know what membership she was talking about, but I just nodded.
"Yeah, sure."
"…Hm. Right. Where are you going now?"
I glanced at my watch. It would soon be three o’clock.
The ball started at five, so if I wanted to secure a good vantage point for observing the interior, I needed to familiarize myself with the surrounding terrain in advance.
"Shall we split up now?"
From now on, I had to keep watch over what would happen at the ballroom. To do that, I had to part ways with Chae Nayun.
"Yeah. That would be best. I’ll go ahead."
Chae Nayun nodded, then walked off in the opposite direction from me.
“Hello. Yeah. Yeonha. Where are you? I’ll head over there too.”
From not too far away, I could hear Chae Nayun’s voice on the phone.
—Kim Hajin?
The person on the other end was Yu Yeonha.
“I just split up with him.”
—Huh? Why? There’s still plenty of time left.
“It was just awkward being together. I didn’t know what I was supposed to say, either. But, Yeonha. That ballroom you guys are going to—can I go too?”
Chae Nayun’s last words bothered me a little.
The ballroom shouldn’t be in that direction.
* * *
Yun Seung-a hurriedly took refuge inside an indoor café. She ordered two coffees at random, sat down, and let out a long sigh.
“Whew. That scared me. Why did he suddenly pop out there…?”
Even thinking about it now made her heart tremble.
“By the way, who was that?”
“Just a cadet. A kid I saw before. I think his name was Kim Hajin.”
“…Is he good?”
At her subordinate’s question, Yun Seung-a nodded.
“He’s hot these days. Last week, I think, a duel video of his was released. They said he shattered protective gangqi with a bullet or something. But it kind of pisses me off. I was the first one who had my eye on him.”
Yun Seung-a needlessly glared and grumbled.
“Haha… Anyway, do you think that woman will come to the ball today?”
“Yeah. She’ll come. Definitely.”
At that certainty, the subordinate’s brow furrowed slightly.
“…Who gave you the tip for you to be so sure?”
“It’s not about the tip. That woman likes parties like this. And if there’s something to steal, that’s just the icing on the cake.”
“Ah.”
The subordinate answered awkwardly. Yun Seung-a stared at him intently and asked,
“Why? Are you curious who the anonymous tipster is?”
“…No.”
“To be honest, I don’t know either.”
She burst into a small laugh and leaned back in her chair.
“There are more than a few people who hold a grudge against that woman.”
If that was the case, all the better.
With a faint smile, the subordinate asked quietly,
“…What will you do if you catch that woman?”
Yun Seung-a’s answer was simple.
“What’s there to ask? I’ll hand her over to the Association. …Ah, let’s get going now. It’s almost four. I need to buy a dress too.”
End
The ball was to be held in a castle built as a hobby by an extraordinarily wealthy man on the outskirts of Paris. I took up a position on a hill overlooking that castle at a glance. In terms of distance, I was probably about one kilometer away.
In any case, from this spot where I could see the entire castle, what I had to do today was simple: merely help the story proceed smoothly. If possible, I only hoped it would flow along the original storyline without any particular accidents.
5:00 p.m.
The sun had yet to set, but the ball had already begun. In the distance, expensive cars arrived one by one along the paved road. Those who stepped out of the cars were all dressed in splendid party attire, their faces hidden behind masks as they entered the castle.
I checked Yu Yeonha and Kim Suho’s smartwatch GPS on my laptop. They were slowly approaching this way.
5:30 p.m.
Two figures stepped out of a limousine. It was Yun Seung-a and Jain. They were each wearing masks reminiscent of a fox and a tiger. Guided by a waiter, the two walked into the castle.
Before long, Yu Yeonha and Kim Suho arrived as well. The two of them were dressed to the nines in party clothes, and even with their faces covered, their beautiful bearing reached all the way here.
“…Hmm.”
Looking at all those masks, I suddenly felt as though my bare face was somehow lacking. For some reason, it felt like I ought to be wearing one of those masks too. If only in consideration of the possibility that my identity might get exposed.
I hadn’t prepared a mask in advance, but I could just make use of Aether. Aether could transform into special armaments according to its master’s will. In that case, the form of a mask should also be possible.
What should its appearance be?
All of a sudden, a movie I had seen back on Earth came to mind. A black leopard (Black leopa