As Apollo watched the training ground guardian walk away, he couldn't help but chuckle.
Sir Guo had told him they would meet tomorrow morning to discuss the detailed plan for their assassination.
Of course, the beggar would show up and follow Sir Guo's lead. But Apollo was also looking forward to seeing the man's face when he found out that Klown was already dead.
The thought alone made him laugh.
As he shook his head in amusement, Ned appeared around the corner, carrying a basket in his hands.
"Good morning, Mr. Yoma," Ned greeted him with a smile as he handed over the basket.
"Good morning, and thanks," Apollo replied, taking it. "How's the restaurant?"
"It's going well, sir, but since Filly's helping her father, we're struggling to keep up with the customers. More and more people are coming in every day, and we just can't match their momentum," Ned said with a sigh.
"That's to be expected," Apollo said, unsurprised. "Hire more workers, then."
"We already did, but they're still in training," Ned replied with a bitter smile. "Hopefully, things will improve soon."
"They will. Don't worry about it," Apollo reassured him with a smile.
The two chatted for a while before Ned returned to the restaurant. Apparently, Filly was busy assisting her father, as their family was taking over several businesses left behind by the other Great Families. She was the most suitable person to handle this responsibility.
Many of the noble families that had sided with the Mayor had perished when the mansion was destroyed, as most of them were inside at the time. And the one responsible for their deaths? Technically, it was the beggar. Not that he cared much about them.
"Filly and Bel should thank me later," Apollo mused before heading inside his beggar's spot.
Opening the basket, Apollo was about to start his meal when a low cry came from the corner. Glancing toward the sound, he wasn't surprised to see the monkey peeking its head out.
"Do you think you can just come back here that easily?" Apollo smirked, taking a big bite of the fried chicken. The loud crunching sound echoed, causing the monkey to gulp.
Apollo continued eating while his companion watched.
But Bubba couldn't bear the growling of his stomach any longer. Despite his trauma from the chili, he approached the small human with slow, deliberate steps.
A foot away, Bubba dropped to his knees and kowtowed, his small frame trembling. He started crying—or perhaps saying something in his monkey voice—while tears welled in his eyes.
Apollo paused mid-bite, watching the scene.
This guy… he already knows how to beg for forgiveness? Apollo thought. The Chili of Intelligence is really a good item.
Bubba seemed to be trying to say something, but his vocal cords, unlike a human's, could only produce high-pitched cries.
"Do you regret your actions?" Apollo asked, placing a piece of fried chicken directly in front of Bubba.
Bubba nodded vigorously, sniffing the delicious food in front of him.
"Are you going to do it again?"
The monkey shook his head.
"Will you eat the Chili of Intelligence willingly?"
Bubba was about to nod but hesitated. However, seeing the fried chicken pulling away from him, he quickly nodded.
"Good," Apollo said with a smile, handing the food to the monkey. Bubba jumped happily upon receiving it. So, Bubba can now understand human words… or maybe just the intent. Nevertheless, it's good news.
Apollo considered buying another chili but decided against it. Although he was extremely curious about what would happen if Bubba ate another one, he needed to save his Alm Points for other essential purchases.
He knew the best way to use his Alm Points was by buying items that would help him grow stronger. With this in mind, he quickly finished his meal to bring up his System Store.
But before he could browse the items, another visitor arrived unexpectedly.
"Mr. Yoma? Are you… here?" Don whispered softly as he looked around, unable to see the person he was searching for.
"Don, right?" A voice suddenly rang out in front of him. Startled, Don lost his balance and fell on his bottom, his wide eyes staring into empty space.
"Oh, I forgot," Apollo muttered before materializing out of thin air.
"Ah, Mr. Yoma!" Don's face lit up as he got on his knees. "Yes, I'm Don!"
"Stand up, Don," Apollo said, helping the boy to his feet. He noticed sand clinging to Don's clothes and asked, "Where did you come from?"
"From the desert," Don replied, staring at the ground.
Apollo recalled their last meeting and remembered Don and the slum people leaving to find a new place after being forced out of their previous home. "How are they?" he asked, concern evident in his voice. "You know, a lot has changed. I think you guys can come back here and build your own homes. You don't have to worry about being kicked out anymore. There's a new mayor now, and he's very friendly."
With Mathias as the new mayor, the city was bound to prosper. The Core Creation Cultivator was a good, reasonable, and strong leader. Apollo was confident that Mathias wouldn't discriminate against Don and the others.
Hearing this, Don looked up at Apollo with wide eyes as tears began to stream down his face. "Thank you… thank you, but…" He wiped his tears with the back of his hand and bit his lip.
"But?" Apollo tilted his head.
"We found a temporary place to settle, but the city guards tracked us down. We tried to escape and even fought back, but we couldn't defeat them. We're just normal people; there was nothing we could do. They've been torturing us, and the women… they've been using them as their playthings." As Don spoke, his voice cracked, and tears flowed freely.
Apollo fell silent for a moment. "What about Miss Millie?"
"Miss Millie…" Don sobbed harder at the mention of her name. "She's dead… A lot of them have died. We couldn't do anything but watch. I managed to escape, but they died… they died because of me. I came to find you, sir. I want to learn to be a cultivator… to help them."
Bubba peeked out from behind Apollo, tears also falling from his eyes.