This House Has A Delicious Restaurant - Chapter 6 - The Hunters (3) - Part 2

The man nodded. He didn’t want to be in this criminal organization either but had no choice because of Zerdan.

 

So, what was the real point? After calling him out to show him all this?

 

“For now, we’ll keep an eye on her. It’d be great if she joined us, but if not, she might become a nuisance.”

 

“You’re something else. Why worry about that so early? You should be more concerned about your brother. You never know when his lightning might strike us down.”

 

“It’s a different kind of threat from Bella. Anyway, I’ve said enough for you to understand, right?”

 

“Yeah, yeah. I was wondering why you showed me all this.”

 

The man shifted his gaze from Zerdan and looked back at the woman talking to Terisier.

 

The necklace around her slender neck, exposed by her short hair, caught his eye. An amber flower-shaped pendant with a small, sparkling gemstone in the center.

 

He wondered why Zerdan had given that gemstone to the woman, and now he understood.

 

He focused on the gemstone. For a moment, it glowed black before returning to its original color.

 

“Poor girl, marked by you and bound to suffer.”

 

“It’s a form of affection.”

 

“Affection, my ass. Who curses a girl they’re interested in?”

 

Zerdan smiled. It was a pleasant smile, making the man shake his head.

 

Seeing Zerdan about to move, the man restored the previously isolated space to normal and followed him.

 

* * *

 

“Do any of the people coming specialize in gathering information?”

 

So far, the members I’d met were Obella, Terisier, and Diswen.

 

Obella’s ability was combat-oriented, while Terisier’s and Diswen’s abilities if used well, could be helpful in other ways. With these three having decent abilities, I was curious about the remaining members.

 

Though we have a small team, and while Zerdan’s side might have the upper hand in numbers, we still stand a chance with decent abilities.

 

“If we strictly look at abilities, it doesn’t seem like we have anyone specialized in gathering information. Terisier is the closest we have to that.”

 

“So, are we more focused on combat?”

 

“…We have one person specialized in long-range combat, one in defense, and then there’s Terisier and myself, who are combat specialists. Another person has no special abilities.”

 

“Oh, having a long-range specialist is great. Is it something like guns or arrows? That could allow for more diverse strategies depending on the situation.”

 

While our numbers were significantly lower than Zerdan’s side, our balance wasn’t bad.

 

A tank, two strong damage dealers, and a long-range dealer. Unfortunately, Diswen can’t join us immediately, but still.

 

It felt like we were preparing for a game, which made my heart race a bit.

 

I didn’t notice the slightly awkward expression on Obella’s face as I was lost in thoughts about having a proper ability.

 

After a moment of hesitation, he spoke up.

 

“I’m going to prepare a meal. Would you like to join?”

 

“Oh, let me help you.”

 

“No need. As a guest, you should relax.”

 

He stood up, firmly rejecting my offer to help, and headed to the kitchen. Since the kitchen was close to the living room, I could see him preparing the meal.

 

“Bella seems accustomed to doing things alone.”

 

“I wasn’t used to relying on others, so I made an effort to adapt to doing things alone.”

 

“I see. Well, it’s good, in a way.”

 

“What’s good about it?”

 

Resting my chin on my hand, I looked at him. Seeing his golden eyes turn towards me, I smiled.

 

“Now, he has Terisier and other good people by his side. Though Terisier can be a bit arrogant.”

 

“You’re probably the only one who’d say that knowing Terisier’s personality.”

 

Obella smiled. He must have recalled the argument Terisier and I had earlier. Though my actions were somewhat embarrassing in front of him, his reaction didn’t seem overly negative.

 

He almost seemed entertained.

 

“You two look like siblings from a distance, with that resemblance.”

 

“Terisier and me?”

 

“You both have uncommon silver hair.”

 

It only then hit me that I also had silver hair. I had forgotten since I wasn’t yet used to it. I subconsciously touched my hair and thought of Terisier.

 

It was nice to be considered siblings with such a pretty person.

 

“He’s rude but not a bad kid. I hope you understand that.”

 

“Judging by how he tried to protect me earlier, I think I get it. Even if he had complaints about me, he tried to protect me. Bella, you seem to care for Terisier a lot.”

 

“Yes. He lost his parents due to Zerdan’s organization, so I took him in. We grew attached.”

 

“I’m envious of Terisier.”

 

Obella might have seemed stern, but perhaps he had a warm, caring side. When I had been on the verge of tears yesterday, he had stepped back instead of pushing me further. Was he unexpectedly gentle?

 

“Bella.”

 

“Yes?”

 

“I don’t have a family either…”

 

He didn’t look at me, but he was listening.

 

I decided to play up my vulnerability.

 

“Could you take me in too? I promise I’ll be well-behaved.”

 

“Terisier was a child in need of protection, but you don’t seem to be.”

 

“But I am a delicate woman. If I wander alone outside, I’d likely be targeted for my body or organs.”

 

“It’s impressive how casually you can say such scary things.”

 

“But it’s true.”

 

In society, a powerless and pretty woman can be exploited in many ways. Or worse, she could end up in the night business.

 

Although I was planning to stay here until we rescued Diswen, I didn’t have a plan for after that. This place was comfortable to stay in.

 

The main male character was here, along with Terisier, and Zerdan could also come around.

If I could live here and win over one of them to reach an ending, that would be perfect. And honestly, Obella and Terisier seemed easier to win over than Zerdan.

 

Obella, unaware of my thoughts, seemed to be considering it. Since Diswen had also stayed here before, it seemed like having a woman stay wasn’t an issue.

 

“For now, let’s hold off on that decision. Our priority is to rescue Diswen.”

 

“You still don’t trust me. My ability is trivial; there’s no need to be wary. I’m just an ordinary woman, not a threat.”

 

“Even so, I can’t completely rule out all risks.”

 

He was quite resolute.

 

I nodded, knowing that pushing further might only create more resistance.

 

“Well, it’s not as charming to agree too easily anyway.”

 

“Do you not gather information yourself, Bella?”

 

I decided to change the subject.

 

Relying solely on Terisier had its limits. So, how did Obella plan to find Zerdan’s location?

 

He brought over the food he had prepared. Simple bread, salad, and grilled ham. I thanked him and started eating.

 

“After eating, I’ll need to check.”

 

“Do you have a plan?”

 

“Care to guess? You know the person.”

 

Someone I knew who might know Zerdan’s location. It couldn’t be Khan; he was Zerdan’s ally and wouldn’t reveal his location. Besides, I wasn’t even sure if Obella knew Khan.

 

It had to be someone both Obella and I knew who could know about Zerdan’s location. There was only one person that fit the description.

 

The person who would know Zerdan’s location could share that information with us. Gray eyes come to mind.

 

“You plan to visit Lazis, don’t you?”

 

“Yes.”

 

It seemed to be the right answer, as Obella smiled.

 

Indeed, Lazis was in a neutral position and had an image of being someone who could do anything for money. As he was also a capable person, there was a high probability that he knew something about Zerdan. Even if we couldn’t get information about the location, we might still obtain other useful information.

 

“Please take me with you.”

 

“It would be troublesome if there was another surprise attack like before, so it would be better for you to stay here.”

 

“But…”

 

“I’ll take you with me next time when I move with Terisier. For today, stay here.”

 

It was a tone used to handle a child.

 

I looked dissatisfied but soon nodded.

 

“All right. Be careful.”

 

“Thank you for understanding.”

 

He didn’t understand, but there was no need to insist, so I gave up quickly.

 

After finishing the meal, Obella left to visit Lazis as he had mentioned. He asked me to pass on the message to Terisier if he came, saying that he had already prepared a meal.

 

How considerate.