Chapter 334: Date [2]

"...What do you recommend?" Soren decided to ask the expert since this was his first time here. He handed her the menu in case it had changed.

"...Their honey bread is really good," Ethea replied as she scanned the menu. "And the herbal tea too. She used to make it with mint and a hint of lemon. It was my favorite."

She also recommended two light meals.

"Good, then we’ll order these." Soren smiled, and just as he was about to place his order, the door opened abruptly, and a figure stumbled in.

"S-Sorry!" The figure, a young boy, shouted, slightly out of breath. His messy red hair stuck up in every direction, and his shirt was half-tucked in.

The other customers looked up, and instead of being annoyed, they laughed out loud. From their words, it seemed like this was a regular occurrence.

"There he goes again."

"Third time this week."

"At this rate, Sister Mehriban is going to start charging you instead of paying, boy, haha!"

The woman in question emerged from the kitchen and let out a long sigh, massaging her temples. "You’re late again, Darian."

"I know, I know! I’m sorry!" Darian bowed repeatedly. "The bakery was packed, and then I tripped and-"

"Calm down first," she interrupted, waving a hand. "Catch your breath before you start explaining. And inside."

Darian froze, turned to the customers, bowed, and apologized for disturbing them before hurrying into the kitchen.

"Are you ready to order?" Mehriban asked, walking toward Soren and Ethea with a warm smile.

"Yes, we would like to..." Soren replied, listing everything Ethea recommended. Mehriban nodded and left. Then, Soren turned his attention to the floating windows in his vision.

════════════════

Name: Mehriban Farhadi

Race: Human

Age: 53

Status: Healthy

Rank: 2nd Circle (Early Stage)

Mental State: Warm, Content, Observant

Abilities: Enhanced Taste

Affinities: Fire (Grade 2 - E Rank)

Hidden Talent / Traits: Culinary Intuition

Potential: 2nd Circle (Estimated)

Investment Value: Low

════════════════

’So she does have some talent in cooking...’

════════════════

Name: Darian Dervish

Race: Human

Age: 15

Status: Healthy

Rank: Unawakened

Mental State: Energetic, Scatterbrained, Determined

Hidden Talent / Traits: Photographic Memory, Serendipity’s Fool, Uncommon Wisdom

Potential: 8th Circle (Estimated)

Investment Value: SUPREME

════════════════

’Interesting,’ Soren thought as he read through the second window. ’8th circle potential and a Supreme investment value... And those traits...’

He glanced toward the kitchen where Darian had disappeared. The boy didn’t look like much on the surface, but potential was potential. With the right training and guidance, he could become someone formidable.

’Is something the matter, dear?’ Ethea asked, noticing his gaze lingering in a particular direction.

Soren turned back to her with a smile. ’The boy who just came in. He has the potential to become a Sovereign.’

’Oh,’ Ethea’s eyes widened slightly. She glanced toward the kitchen, then back at Soren. ’You used your ability on him?’

’Mm.’ Soren nodded. ’His name is Darian Dervish. He’s fifteen, unawakened, but his potential is estimated at the 8th circle.’

’That’s... impressive.’ Ethea admitted. ’What else did you see?’

’Three strange but powerful traits and talents,’ Soren continued. ’The first is a talent called Photographic Memory, which is self-explanatory from its name. The second is a trait called Serendipity’s Fool.’ He paused, read the description, and continued. ’It brings minor misfortunes that lead to frequent accidents and delays, yet it oddly offers a strange safeguard from serious harm, as if fate is preserving him for a larger purpose.’

’That... explains the late arrivals,’ Ethea murmured.

’And the tripping,’ Soren added with a small smile. ’The second one is the Uncommon Wisdom trait. He’s... scatterbrained, but every once in a while, he says something surprisingly deep. And apparently, those words tend to come true.’

’...’ Ethea was speechless for a moment at the odd combination. A boy with bad luck and bursts of wisdom, protected by fate for reasons no one could explain. It somehow sounded like something straight out of a story.

’You... plan to help him?’ Ethea asked, recalling how Soren started making donations and helping people out whenever the chance arose. Be it a beggar on the streets or a struggling traveler, he always found a way to lend a hand without making a big deal out of it.

Sometimes, the recipients wouldn’t even know it was he who helped them. She didn’t understand why he did it or whether he had always been like this, but she found herself admiring that part of him more and more.

And she could tell, through the bond they shared, that his intentions were genuine. He wasn’t doing it for recognition or reward. He simply helped because he could.

’I was just curious,’ Soren shrugged lightly. ’But if he really needs help, I will certainly help him out.’ He paused and, as if remembering something, asked out loud. "Right, dear. Do you want to talk about something else?"

Ethea smiled. "You know, you don’t have to ask permission to change the subject. We’re just talking."

"I know. I just wanted to make sure you weren’t bored."

"I’m not bored." She shook her head. "I’m actually enjoying this."

Soren nodded, relieved. "But... What should we talk about? Do you have anything in mind?"

Ethea tilted her head, thinking. "Tell me about your school days. You haven’t told me much about them."

"I didn’t?"

"Mm. Which school did you go to?" Ethea asked curiously. "Did you have friends?"

Soren paused, and Ethea noticed a brief flicker of hesitation in his expression. "If it’s uncomfortable to talk about, then-"

"No, no." He waved a hand. "It’s fine. It’s just... it might sound boring to you since it was mostly uneventful."

"I doubt that." Ethea smiled. "You’re not a boring person."

Soren let out a short laugh. "Alright, but don’t say I didn’t warn you."

"I’m listening."

"Then, where should I start..." Soren began, but before he could find his next words, Darian appeared from the kitchen carrying a tray. He was moving fast, too fast, and as he approached their table, his foot caught on the edge of a rug.

"Here’s your ord-ah!"

The tray tilted dangerously, and for a split second, it looked like everything was about to spill. But then the teacups wobbled, tipped, and somehow landed back upright. The tea that had already spilled over the rims froze mid-air, suspended as if time itself had stopped, then slowly reversed course. The liquid flowed backward, defying gravity, and settled neatly back into the cups without a single drop wasted. The honey bread slid across the tray but stopped just at the edge. The whole thing righted itself as if an invisible hand had caught it.

"W-WHOA!" Darian watched with wide eyes, his mouth hanging open. "A-Amazing..."

"Be careful next time," Soren warned, but kept his tone gentler.

Darian blinked, then seemed to realize what he had just done. His face flushed red, and he bowed his head in shame. "I-I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to! I-" He cut himself off, took a breath, and then, to Soren and Ethea’s surprise, he carefully and skillfully arranged the cups and plates on the table. His movements were precise and practiced, a stark contrast to the clumsiness he’d shown until now. "Please enjoy. And again, I’m really sorry for the trouble."

Soren told him not to worry too much.

Darian smiled and turned to leave, but stopped two steps later. Looking back, he asked curiously. "Umm... excuse me, but... are you an Awakened?"

Soren raised a brow but nodded.

"You were really amazing just now." Darian’s eyes sparkled with genuine admiration. "Do you think... Do you think I can become like you if I awaken?"

"...You will." Soren smiled. "If you work hard enough."

"Mmm!" Darian nodded enthusiastically, his earlier embarrassment forgotten. "I will definitely work hard. I am going to enter the Etenia Academy too!"

Soren laughed, and the others who were listening also chuckled. Darian frowned, looking around at the amused faces. "W-What? I’m really going to! I’ve been studying hard and everything, you know!"

"Haha, keep dreaming, boy."

"Right, unless you awaken a powerful ability, the academy won’t even look at your application."

"The entrance exam alone will be more than enough for you. I bet you will end up flat on your face before it even begins, haha"

"Haha!"

"..."

"Urgh..." Darian’s face fell, his enthusiasm crumbling. His shoulders slumped as he stared at the floor, unable to find a comeback.

"You can do it."

"!" Darian froze and slowly looked up, surprised to see Soren’s sincere expression.

"...I trust you."

"Y-You do?"

"Mm. But..." Soren trailed off, his gaze falling behind Darian.

Darian blinked. Then he noticed the other customers were looking at something behind him too, some of them smirking, others shaking their heads. A cold feeling crept down his spine.

He turned around slowly.

Auntie Mehriban stood there, arms crossed, foot tapping against the wooden floor.

"Bwah-!"

Before he could finish his yelp, her hand shot out and caught him by the ear. "Enough bothering the customers. Come help me with the dishes."

"Ow, ow, ow! Auntie, please, I was just-"

"Shut up."

"O-Ok, but please l-let go of my ear!"

Mehriban finally let go, and Darian quickly ran back into the kitchen, rubbing his ear and muttering under his breath.

"This kid is going to be the death of me." Mehriban watched him go with a sigh, then turned back to Soren and Ethea. "I apologize for the disturbance. He means well, but as you can see, he’s a handful. Still, thank you for being patient with him."