Outside the Grand Hall.
After Saidat's figure had fully disappeared, a faint sound of sobbing gradually rose from within the hall.
Lernen, standing behind Gut, was briefly stunned before moving to push the wooden door open to investigate.
Gut turned around. Seeing Lernen's action, he quickly reached out to stop him—but was still one step too late.
Fortunately, just as Lernen was about to push the door open, Serie, who was inside braiding Gumi's hair, raised her hand.
With a flash of magical energy, the hall's wooden doors were sealed shut tight—no matter how much Lernen tried, he couldn't budge them.
Inside, Serie gently ran her fingers through Gumi's hair, signaling to her disciple that the tactless one outside wouldn't disturb them, and that she could cry without worry.
Back outside the hall—
Watching Lernen, who still looked like he was about to knock and ask the teacher to open the door, Gut sighed and rubbed his forehead. Then, with one free hand, he gently pulled Lernen back.
"Tch."
Gut gave Lernen a light knock on the head with his knuckle. "I don't know if Saidat understands social cues, but you really are something else."
"Stop trying to knock. Come walk around the city with me. Let's pick up something tasty to bring back to our junior sister."
Though Lernen lacked social sense, his intelligence was sound. Gut's words made him quickly understand.
"So, senior brother… is the one crying inside our junior sister? Because Saidat's story reminded her of when her hometown was destroyed?"
"Who else would it be?"
Gut shrugged. "What, you think it's Master Serie crying?"
He put on a mock-dramatic tone:
"'Oh no, my precious magic has been transferred away… I'm so mad I could die… wahhh… boo-hoo… how tragic~'"
"Come on, brother. You really think that could happen?"
"I guess… probably not."
Even Lernen, who usually missed these things, couldn't imagine that scene.
"Exactly. Come on. Let's go buy snacks for our junior sister."
With that, Gut took Lernen into the bustling snack and dessert stands of Äußerst, strolling through them under the wary stares of countless stall owners—buying just a few from each place.
Finally, when Gut arrived at the most renowned restaurant in town, Lecker, who was crouching outside the entrance with a cigarette in his mouth, enjoying his break, immediately froze.
Before Gut could even speak, Lecker stuck his head into the restaurant and shouted toward the kitchen and waitstaff:
"Fire it up! Prep the kitchen!"
"And you! Hurry, while the market's still open, go buy more ingredients!"
Seeing the sudden chaos inside the restaurant, Lernen looked toward his senior brother, dumbfounded.
"Tch."
Gut clicked his tongue, grabbed the panicked runner by the collar, and turned to Lernen.
"See that? That's called a reputation."
He brought the runner back and knocked on the kitchen door, telling Lecker that this time, he only wanted a few small takeout dishes—no need to panic.
"Haha, r-right…"
Lecker scratched his head in embarrassment. Truth be told, Gut and Gumi's combo had left psychological scars on the restaurant industry of Äußerst.
Among restaurant owners, they were known as the "Inventory Reapers."
No matter how much stock was left at the end of the day, the two of them could finish it off. Especially the guy—just when you thought he was full, all he needed was a five-minute rest, and he'd be back at it again, full throttle.
To the kitchen staff, their nickname was "The Clock-Out Heralds."
Because once that pair walked in, it was guaranteed that no one was going home early. As long as those two gluttons were still eating—especially the male one—no food would remain.
Later—
When head chef Lecker handed over a stack of neatly packed takeout boxes to Gut, he couldn't help but ask:
"What's going on lately? Lost your appetite? Feeling under the weather?"
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Powerstones?
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