This House Has A Delicious Restaurant - Chapter 15 - Spy (4) - Part 1

15. Spy (4)

He can still sense the footsteps fading away while his vision remains obscured. Then, a cold touch brushes his forehead.

The figure who had pressed his forehead to the ground brushed back the hair covering Luke’s face. There, looking down at him, was Moa Ablon.

“Luke seems better suited for long-range combat. Close-quarters might be difficult for him.”

“…My body won’t move. Sister, do you have any other ability?”

“Of course not.”

Luke frowned as his head was pinned to the ground, unable to move.

Phel had forgotten to withdraw her ability and stared blankly at the situation that had ended in an instant.

She had been worried that Moa Ablon might get injured or bleed, but… who would have thought she’d use her ability like that?

Furthermore, she had known in advance about Luke’s condition of not blinking, so she deliberately obscured his vision from the start to prevent him from using his ability, which was a good strategy.

“There are still many things I need to work on, so I won’t be of much help in real combat.”

Moa Ablon said humbly, which was unusual for her.

Anise praised her, eyes shining with admiration, and Diswen, seemingly having anticipated this to some extent, didn’t appear overly surprised.

“…Are you a monster, Sister? How can you fight like that with such an ability…?”

Luke said weakly.

As Moa Ablon released her ability, Luke was free to move again, but he seemed so drained that he didn’t see the point in getting up.

Moa Ablon reached out a hand to the sullen Luke, who lay on the ground and smiled.

“So, can you trust and follow what I say now?”

“Of course. You’re my mentor from now on.”

“Me too! What was it you told me earlier? To try using my ability on the others who were far away? Should I practice right now? What should I start with?”

Luke, holding her hand and getting to his feet, was followed by Phel, who expressed her eagerness to participate as well.

Terisier looked on at them with a bewildered expression.

“I still have a lot to improve on, so let’s all exchange good ideas. First, Anise and Luke, it would be good for you two to practice using your abilities frequently until you’re comfortable with them. Luke, try to focus on objects as quickly as possible. Since people can’t avoid blinking, it would be advantageous to speed up the manifestation of your ability as much as you can.”

“Got it!”

“Phel, help Anise with her ability, and at the same time, as I mentioned earlier, check if you can use your ability on teammates who aren’t right next to you. There’s a good chance you can if Anise amplifies your ability.”

“Got it. I’ll try it out and report back if it doesn’t work!”

“Yes. Diswen, remember what I told you before? Try to see if your ability works not just on people but on other living creatures as well. Also, I’d like to confirm if your ability still works even when the target moves out of your line of sight.”

Diswen nodded in agreement.

Brainwashing is hard to practice, so Diswen had never tried it. However, she knew how useful her ability could be.

In that case, it would be helpful to learn as much as possible about her ability.

As everyone agreed without much resistance—no, they accepted it easily and followed—Obella watched with a curious gaze.

Seeing his look, Moa Ablon approached and asked.

“Why? Are you upset that I gave orders without consulting you, even though you’re the leader?”

“Of course not. You’re helping us. I don’t cling to the title of leader that much. I just realized once again how amazing a woman you are.”

“Pretty and amazing? How could anyone resist?”

Moa Ablon smiled lightly as she spoke, and Obella looked at her with the same affection one has for something they love.

“Yeah. I must have a good eye when it comes to women.”

“Obella… You do realize we’re all here, right?”

Phel, startled by Obella’s remark, quietly tried to intervene. But, of course, Obella didn’t seem to care at all.

If there hadn’t been others around, he probably would have hugged Moa Ablon and kissed her right then.

Seeing how tenderly Obella looked at Moa Ablon, Terisier began to snap his tail irritably, as if he didn’t like it. He then slipped out of Obella’s lap and returned to his human form.

“Ah, Terisier, are you going to practice your ability too?”

Moa Ablon asked.

“I’m fine. I’ll handle it on my own.”

Terisier responded a bit curtly, prompting Diswen to mutter ‘What’s with him now?’.

Was he jealous?

Moa Ablon thought she understood why Terisier was acting that way, so she just nodded in acknowledgment without saying anything further.

Then, suddenly, Terisier turned to look toward the front door. Perhaps because of his animalistic senses, Terisier was more sensitive than others.

Looking at the front door meant someone was coming.

There was no one in particular expected to visit. Could it be Lazis? She thought, but then she was a bit surprised by the figure that appeared after a light knock.

“…What’s this? Everyone’s gathered here.”

Sidon said.

He scratched his head, looking uncomfortable with all the attention suddenly on him.

Moa Ablon quickly turned her head to look at Diswen. Sidon didn’t have the gem imbued with Liffree’s ability at the moment.

So if her guess was right…

“…Dian?”

The name she called was different, but seeing Diswen looking at Sidon with trembling eyes confirmed it. Sidon was indeed Diswen’s younger brother.

Sidon’s presence here meant he had chosen family over Zerdan.

Now, there was only one thing left for Moa Ablon to do: inform Khan of this and encourage him to be a spy.

The day they would face Zerdan was not far off.

* * *

From the moment Sidon appeared, who never sought anyone out unless spoken to first due to his laziness, there was something unusual.

“Zerdan.”

“This is the first time you’ve come on your own like this. What’s going on?”

Zerdan, who had been conversing with Liffree, looked at Sidon with a surprised expression as he asked.

Sidon, who sat comfortably next to Zerdan, wore a sullen expression.

“It’s just… I have something on my mind.”

“You? With something on your mind? And what, you’re not even acknowledging me? How about a greeting?”

Liffree chuckled at Sidon’s behavior towards Zerdan, then frowned when Sidon didn’t even glance his way or acknowledge his presence.

But Sidon merely gave Liffree a glance before turning his head away.

“He always treats me like I’m nothing.”

“Sidon doesn’t usually follow anyone well.”

“But you’re an exception? Sometimes you seem like a puppy following its master.”

Sidon didn’t seem to care much about being compared to an animal.

Liffree sighed at Sidon’s indifferent expression, while Zerdan smiled.

Perhaps Sidon’s loyalty was still due to the lingering effects of an ability, though it had been so long since it was used that the effect was now faint.

Sidon was already doing things according to his will, likely because of his laziness. So, it wouldn’t be surprising if he soon regained his memories and fully broke free from the ability’s influence.

“So, what’s on your mind?”

“You told me before, Zerdan. You said it was okay to avoid or run away, or to face it head-on. Now I’m debating whether to confront it directly.”

“…What in the world is he talking about?”

Liffree asked Zerdan, looking puzzled.

He didn’t seem to understand what Sidon was talking about, but Zerdan did. He realized Sidon was referring to Diswen.

Was it because his memories were slowly returning? The fact that Sidon had come all the way here to talk about it meant he had almost made up his mind.

But if Sidon were told now to forget about Diswen and continue looking after Ding as he had been, he would likely agree without much resistance.

What should he do? Sidon was a useful pawn to have. His ability was strong, and he was easy to manipulate.

“Did any memories come back?”

“Memories? No, I don’t think so.”

“I see.”

Zerdan said, realizing that although Sidon hadn’t regained his memories of Diswen, he was instinctively drawn to his family.

Zerdan lightly tapped his thigh with his fingers before nodding.

“Do as you wish, Sidon. I’ll respect whatever decision you make.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

Sidon blinked. Then, seeing Zerdan’s painted smile, he stood up.

“Thanks.”

He muttered, before quietly leaving.

Liffree, looking bewildered, turned to Zerdan and asked.

“What just happened? Could you stop with the cryptic talk and explain this to me?”

“Sidon seems to be instinctively drawn to Diswen.”

“Diswen… Ah, you mean Sidon’s biological sister. Even though he’s under your control? I thought he had lost all his memories.”

“It’s been quite some time, and the ability was used on Sidon while he was still alive, not on a corpse. It must have been imperfect.”

“Hmm. And you just told him to do as he pleases?”

Zerdan nodded. Liffree frowned at Zerdan’s casual demeanor.

“Why? Do you realize how rare a healer is? And Sidon isn’t just any healer; he has activation abilities! He can restore vitality to the body, not just heal wounds, but also recover energy when a lot of power has been used. You know how crucial that is not only in everyday life but also in combat, right?”

“Yes, but it’s an ability that could stop working at any time. He could suddenly regain his memories and betray us. It’s better to discard an unstable pawn.”

“You’re harsh, even to someone who follows you. Why not just kill him and turn him into a complete puppet?”

Liffree clicked his tongue, clearly regretting the potential loss of Sidon. Although he usually avoided unnecessary killing, there were exceptions.

At Liffree’s suggestion to kill Sidon, Zerdan shook his head firmly.

“No, there’s no need to go that far. Our current strength is sufficient.”

“Well, I won’t force it if you’re against it… But you do have a soft spot for Sidon. But if Sidon goes to Diswen, won’t he end up strengthening Obella’s side?”

“They probably think Sidon is a non-ability user right now. Even if Sidon reveals he’s an ability user… he’s not the type to explain things in detail. And even if they know, they wouldn’t have anyone capable of understanding the activation ability.”

“Except someone like you? Thinking about it, it was a good thing that the woman was killed in advance. She seemed sharp enough to figure things out.”

“…If that woman were still alive, she wouldn’t have let Sidon go so easily.”

She was a clever woman. But since she’s dead now, it doesn’t matter.

Zerdan frowned.

But what is this uneasy feeling?

“Anyway, we should be cautious for the time being. I’ll tell Khan to keep an eye on Sidon.”

“Well, if it’s Khan, he’ll be fine. He can even monitor from the shadows without being noticed.”

Liffree nodded, trusting Khan’s abilities.

Honestly, it didn’t matter much if Sidon joined Obella. Their target was something else, and Obella’s group didn’t pose a significant threat.

“According to Sidon, Ding hasn’t shown any special reaction to anyone, right? That’s strange. I was sure she’d be near Obella.”

“If not Diswen, it’s likely one of the existing members.”

“The one who turns into an animal, the woman who can create barriers, and the guy who can make eggs explode like bombs, right? Honestly, I’m most suspicious of the guy who throws eggs. He’s wrapped in bandages from head to toe, so you can’t even see his face. Isn’t that on purpose?”

Liffree mentioned the only long-range ability user he could think of.

That suspicious figure had a mysterious name, and since most of his face and body were wrapped in bandages, it was difficult to discern his appearance.

Certainly, a person worthy of suspicion.

But neither Zerdan nor Liffree could remember the faces of the people who were present at the time, so it was difficult to make any solid guesses.

“Honestly, when I heard there was a mind-control ability user, I thought she was the most likely candidate… She could have brainwashed us so we wouldn’t recognize her face. But when we tried using the ability to turn someone into a puppet, it only worked on about two people within our line of sight.”

“Yeah. If our guess is correct, the person we’re looking for must have an even more extraordinary ability. They were able to grant me powers and manipulate Ding’s memories, after all.”

“…Is that even possible? If so, isn’t that god-like?”

Granting abilities to someone like Zerdan, who was originally just an ordinary person, and completely erasing someone’s memories, even if imperfectly.

It wasn’t just one ability. Zerdan had even considered the possibility of a creation-like ability, but then erasing memories would be impossible.

An opponent whose abilities were impossible to predict. The problem was that this person currently held Zerdan’s life in their hands and was planning something dangerous.

“They might be planning to bring your parents back to life; that’s insane.”

“……”

“Why didn’t you tell Obella and ask for her help? You could’ve said, ‘Our parents were the ones who kidnapped children with abilities and experimented on them. And Zerdan, you and I are victims too.’”

Zerdan remained silent and crossed his arms.

He always clammed up whenever the topic of his so-called parents came up.

It was difficult to refer to someone else’s parents in such a manner, but since he was a victim too, it was hard to find a kinder way to put it. The past was too horrific to even think about.

“If your parents are brought back to life, the same things will happen again. I never want to go through that again. You agree with that, which is why you’ve been searching for a way to stop it, right? Since they gave you abilities, there might be a way or ability to bring the dead back to life.”

“…We’ll have to take a more decisive approach.”

Zerdan sighed at Liffree’s words.

He realized that dragging things out any longer wouldn’t solve anything.

“You plan to use Ding, right?”

Ding, like them, was a victim who had been kidnapped and subjected to inhumane experiments.

The child who couldn’t survive those experiments. And the one who had cared for that child had tried to save her by granting Zerdan his abilities.

So if Ding were to be threatened right before their eyes, would that person reveal themselves?