Phew


    Ares wiped a bit of sweat off his brow. Runemancy, over extended periods of time at least, was not easy work! Etching the walls constantly drained him as he had to use his disintegration and runemancy simultaneously so he was running a bit low on the mana front. He was done, however! His handiwork was decorating the walls and he activated it with a click of his fingers. A small hum buzzed in Ares'' ears before disappearing as the runes glowed a pretty and ethereal blue that dyed the room in its soft colour. No longer would shouts, collisions, or other audible agitations outside this room be transferred through these walls. Ares would have informed Remmy but she was working hard right now so he simply left the kitchen instead and headed over to the booths. For a second, he thought he was going to have to trouble the people inside the other booths and knock on their doors to find the right one but that problem was made irrelevant the second he heard Gavel''s booming laughter. It was deep and easily trackable so Ares just advanced towards the correct booth with a wry smile on his face as he knocked on the door.


    Gavel was the one who opened it as she seemed to be taking this opportunity to leave the love birds alone. She couldn''t just leave without making a comment and winking in exaggerated fashion at Ares however. "Not just two beautiful women but two beautiful sisters? Oh Ares, you are a riot. And how it all happened? Ah priceless youth. You''re a funny kid Ares, always have been. Enjoy your meal tonight, it''s on me. I''m in a good mood after meeting those two and I owe you for a million different reasons anyway, least of all the rune thingamajig you just set up. Ah but, in return, promise to come visit Remmy more often? She likes chatting with people about cooking but doesn''t get much of a chance to ''cos I''m kinda dense when it comes to anything that requires finesse like that. I tried chopping vegetables once but she actually got annoyed at me because the lengths were off... I''ll leave cooking talk to you in the future so come by more often, yeah?"


    Ares chuckled at the thought of quiet little Remmy berating big and brutish Gavel, it was quite the sight. "I''d be happy too. Remmy is a phenomenal chef and, if anything, I''m lucky to be able to share knowledge of the craft with her and vice versa. She''s also pleasant to chat with so sure, I''ll come by here and there. Actually, I know someone else around her age who''s also getting into cooking and happens to be quite good. He''s also a quiet kid so they might get along. Maybe he could even wind up working here one day. I''ll send him your way some time before the international ends so he can grab a bite to eat. His name''s Phobos and I''m sure he''d be happy to discuss food stuff with Remmy too."


    "The more friends Remmy has the better... Or are you trying to set her up, huh? If you are, I''mma have to do some serious evaluating of this kid!"


    "Ha, no, really, it''s not like that... Also I don''t think Palioxis would be too pleased if I got involved in that way... It''s really just a cooking pal kinda thing. Nothing more."


    "I see I see. Well he''s more than welcome if you''re recommending him. Anyway, I''ll leave you and your lady friends to it. I''ll be back in a couple minutes to take your order, k?"


    "Sure, thanks Gavel. Oh and, here..." Ares sent a mental message with all the details for the runemancy he''d set up. It was a simple thing which Gavel appreciated as she wasn''t really up on magic so anything too complicated would have been a nightmare to learn. The runemancy just needed to be poked to activate the noise cancelling feature and poked again to turn it off. If Gavel wanted to turn it from a distance in an emergency, she just had to yell ''noise on'' and that would work. Plus it was tied to her so only she could do it. The last thing anybody wanted was for some random diner to happen to say ''noise on'' and have direct control over the formation for no good reason. Technically Remmy also had control over this but there was no real reason for her to use it as she was always in the kitchen anyway.


    Ares waved goodbye to Gavel and went inside the booth, closing the door behind him and taking in the seating arrangement. He locked eyes with Enyo who was seated in the corner and she gave him an evil smile. The plan to have Bellona seated in the middle was working flawlessly! Although Bellona was also in on it... But Enyo didn''t need to know that. It was probably more exciting for her if she believed Bellona was being conned into this situation so Ares didn''t spoil her fun and winked back at her, going along with her tomfoolery that was all out in the open. Blo Blo couldn''t help but snort to herself as she sipped on her drink of plain water at the silly display Ares was putting on. Ares sat down next to Blo Blo and leant on her shoulder which got her blushing a bit. She didn''t stop peering at the menu, and treated Ares like air, but her face was red nonetheless. Ares picked up the menu and scanned it too to find something he was in the mood for. The menu hadn''t changed much since the last time he was here so he picked quicker than the wives who were perusing and musing over the options, all of which sounded spectacularly delicious.


    After Ares explained to the sisters, on the way here, just how highly rated this place was, they started to get really excited for the meal. Ares had only mentioned the place was good but he never mentioned it was an internationally famous, fine dining experience! It was only really sinking in now that gossipy Gavel had left, and the menu was displaying its glorious options, that this was a mouth watering experience through and through. Discussions were held about what the sisters wanted to eat and they eventually came to a conclusion that was, effectively, to have everyone share their dishes. Like that, everyone could try a bit of everything that peaked their interest. Ares had no say in this matter but that was fine as he was willing to go along with it anyway. During the heated debate about which three dishes they should choose, Ares overheard a small debacle going on outside but paid it no mind. Gavel got difficult customers regularly and was more than capable of handling them... Although she usually would have done it quicker by now. The threat of Hans was enough to stave off pretty much anyone and everyone so the fact the argument was still underway was concerning... At least the silencing runes were up and running! Remmy didn''t have to get involved in this and she could keep working in peace despite the ruckus coming from the front of the restaurant. The runes were already coming in handy!


    It took Ares three attempts to pick his dish ''correctly'', the process of which Blo Blo and Enyo were heavily involved in, but he did eventually pick something that took his fancy. He wasn''t particularly in the mood for anything specific, otherwise the sisters could shove their preferences up their asses, so he was happy to let them take the wheel and guide him. They were clearly enjoying themselves and so he let them go wild with the menu to their heart''s content. For some strange reason, even though only one of the three dishes had been chosen, they were already looking over at the drinks and desserts... This level of scatter-brained lack of co-ordination was fun to watch for Ares but he was getting worried about the increasing volume of the quarrel outside. The involved parties were getting louder and louder for two different reasons. One, it was getting progressively more heated and so they were yelling over one another and two, they were getting ever nearer to this booth... As they did, Ares could just about hear small pieces of the conversation and it seemed like Gavel was trying to tell this stubborn mule that there were no booths available and the person had to eat in the main dining area with everyone else. The other person was refusing because he saw himself as being above the riff raff in said dining room although the language he was using was a lot more colourful and a lot less polite. The words, ''I don''t give a shit about Hans'' had just come out and Ares was wondering if he should get involved. Anyone not deterred by Hans, specifically if they knew exactly who he was and weren''t just uninformed, was likely to be a problem Gavel couldn''t deal with by her lonesome.


    As much as Ares wanted to relax tonight it seemed like he might have to deal with an unruly upstart first. Ares sighed to himself and was about to stand from his seat but he realised it probably wasn''t even necessary. The voice trending towards his location seemed to coincidentally end up right outside the booth... According to the logic of the person complaining outside, as this was the last booth in the row, the person here must have arrived the latest of everyone and thus likely weren''t eating already or hadn''t ordered. He was right too but none of that meant he had the right to kick out other paying customers just because he was a ''bigger deal'' than them and they hadn''t put food in their mouths yet. Still, Ares was glad this kid picked his booth. If he was going to deal with him anyway then it made no difference whether he went to the problem or the problem came to him. Plus this way it couldn''t be argued this matter didn''t concern him. He wasn''t involving himself, he was forcibly being dragged into things! Very convenient! It seemed Gavel also had similar thoughts as she was still arguing but being less obstinate in her refusals, almost as if she was subtly guiding the rude guest to open the door. Gavel trusted Ares to deal with this problem and she would be sure to reward him with more free meals in the future as thanks. She didn''t want to ruin his meal but this kid was going to be a pest regardless of what anyone wanted and bash into Ares'' room no matter what she did. If that was the case then she couldn''t stop the date from being crashed and just figured everyone should make the most of it. She gets her problem dealt with and Ares gets more free food. The best possible outcome.


    BANG


    Without even waiting a second to see who was in the room, a kid strolled in like he owned the place flanked by two broad-shouldered, clean shaven, bodyguards in suits. They were even wearing black shades indoors which was precisely how you knew they meant business! That or they were idiots, it could really go either way. As for the kid, he wore what could only really be described as a rich man''s parka. It was a crimson red with a golden dragon pattern lining it. The dragon was positioned vertically on the left side of the jacket in such a way that it went up and around the neck region where there was golden coloured fur present, resembling a dragon''s scaly body, and then the head came down onto the right side of the jacket. It looked as though a dragon was wrapped around the kid''s neck. It was a clever design and, although the guy wearing it was determinably a piece of shit, the jacket was neat! If things came to blows here then Ares may very well just steal it from him! Better yet, it even looked to be a treasure of some kind. Maybe heat insulating? Ah but if it had dragon symbolism on it then it might even have some kind of draconic effect for someone like Ares to boot! This could be a good thing to own for him... In a way, Ares was now really hoping this kid caused a scene. Or rather more of one than he already had and force a fight so Ares could feel justified... Not that he couldn''t just do it anyway but if people were watching then rumours of Ares'' ''outbursts of violence at the drop of a hat'' would spread and negatively impact him in the long run.


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    Now that Ares thought about it, this kid was probably from the Isasz region which would explain a number of things about why he was wearing this getup wherever he went. He was wearing a parka inside a restaurant for crying out loud! Either the kid had some screws loose, he was from the Isasz region in which case this was normal behaviour, or he was only going to take it off after he was seated for whatever reason. Either way, the jacket was really the only thing this kid had going for him. He was slightly below average in the face department and his personality was obviously faulty in many ways. His appearances suggested he was about 18, maybe slightly younger, but his cultivation was still near mid mental accumulation so he was a bit of a slacker in that regard. The guards were at early transition though so there was some threat here, just not the kid.


    To be able to deploy early transition realm cultivators as bodyguards meant this kid clearly came from big money which narrowed things down a lot if he was truly Isasz born. The Neo Vikings ruled the mountains but the base had some competition here and there, namely the Vesta family who were one of the top families in Sheryashka worldwide. They had a number of transition realm cultivators and were top dogs in the region for the most part. Again, the Vikings would wipe the floor with them if push came to shove but they operated in different places so they were safe from the raiders. It was no wonder the kid didn''t fear Hans. Hans was an incredibly powerful cultivator but he was still just one man. He could go even against a family of transitions if they were average but it would still be a task he would rather not undertake. Hans, if he were here, would maybe consider just letting the brat kick someone out but he would seek reparations from the family later. Neither side could really bully the other or force them into unpleasant situations so Hans was at a disadvantage currently as, well, he wasn''t here right now. Seeking damages after the matter of fact was a petty waste of time and the Vestas would fight him on it. Still, coming to his region and causing trouble was risky so this kid was playing with fire... His ego was a bit too big here. This was doubly true considering the fact that the kid had no idea who was in the booth. If he busted into a late transition realm cultivator''s booth this mess would have devolved beyond salvation as then it would become a pissed off transition cultivator, maybe even multiple if this hypothetical cultivator also had backing, further backed by Hans. The kid was too used to throwing his weight around and never facing consequences but he needed to understand, for the sake of his family, that he was not the biggest fish in Sheryashka. Not even close.


    The kid, at least in terms of maturity if not age, briefly scanned the room as it seemed like he realised he could have potentially just made a huge mistake. He was inwardly relieved when he saw some poorly dressed chumps with cultivation bases no higher than sensory enhancement. Bingo, these people could be bullied safely! Kicking them out of the room would be a complete non-issue and everyone involved would be better off just doing as he ordered them too. He couldn''t start a major incident and kill people on Hans'' turf but breaking a few bones if they were adamant about remaining here was most certainly in the cards. Or maybe he''d just have some of their bones broken anyway, he was feeling a little violent after being denied time and time again by Gavel. Have the guards hold them down and then he could bring out his hammer and slowly break a few for the fun of it then threaten the owner to serve him or she''d be in the same boat. With a plan of action sorted the kid was about to start making demands but his brain did a double take and made him re-check the people in the booth.


    One annoyingly above average looking guy, some random flat chick with odd clothes... And who the hell was that literal angel?! Why was it possible for someone wearing nothing more than a shirt and jeans to be this beautiful?! Also, both the women were wearing rings that matched the ones the guy was wearing... Seriously? The guy, Ares, was ok looking but he was definitely a pig compared to the woman! He was obviously batting above his weight class here... Maybe the woman was stupid? Easy? Maybe the guy was rich and she was a gold digger? Either way, no matter which option was true, the kid felt confident he could walk away from this place with that woman in tow by taking advantage of whatever reason it was she was with him in the first place. The flat one could get lost though. The man could keep her. She wasn''t ugly or anything but the muscles were off-putting for the kid as his senses were clearly not as refined as other people''s when it came to discerning a good-looking woman. Perhaps deep down he acknowledged Bellona but who cared about her when Enyo was right there?


    Actually, if Enyo wasn''t here, he''d probably be pining for Bellona unreservedly. Any woman paled when Enyo was around and that wasn''t Blo Blo''s fault! She''d gotten a fair few glances on the way here, as her clothes stuck out, and there were some people who even ogled her a bit. It stopped the second Enyo came into view but it did prove that Bellona was a striking woman under the right circumstances. In a way, Bellona was somewhat glad to be in Enyo''s shadow as it meant she wasn''t hassled as often as Enyo was. Enyo had received many cat calls and some people even straight up blocked the trio''s path to ask her for her time. Blo Blo would seriously freak if that kept happening to her and she would just deck them and move on. So if Enyo wasn''t around she would get all the attention, yeah, but to hell with that!


    As for the kid, his intentions were made pretty clear by the bit of drool hanging off his lip as he stared in Enyo''s direction whilst ignoring everyone else in the room. Ares had already decided that this guy''s parka was changing ownership tonight if this kid started acting up any more than he already was! There was a non-zero chance he wiped off the drool, apologised for the hassle, and left the room... But let''s face it, the chance was so abysmally low it would be more prudent to try and win the local lottery five times in a row and bribe him with the stardust to leave peacefully. From the way he was blatantly ignoring Ares'' presence, it was painfully clear this kid had just rolled into town. What Ares didn''t know was that the kid arrived here via the Freeride Federation so he could come watch the tournament. Originally the Federation was on time to make it to the start of the tournament but there were massive delays due to it being attacked again by a rather ferocious beast that even transition realm cultivators had trouble dealing with. It was a sea monster so although it wasn''t even really that powerful, and fending it off was manageable, killing it was a hassle as close range combat was nigh impossible. Transition realm cultivators could fly, sure, but that didn''t help underneath the stormy seas.


    Anywho, point being that the kid arrived late, within the last 24 hours, and had yet to see even a single match of the tournament or hear anything about the happenings of it. He had a lot to catch up on, least of all the star of the show sitting right before him. From an entertainment stand point the kid was actually rather miffed to miss out on the tournament. Sure the C.O would basically do a tour of sorts and replay the video footage, or sell it to the rare few rich individuals with access to video playing technology, but it wasn''t the same as watching it live. The kid would get to see the final matches at least and those were typically the ones worth spectating. Plus he''d been given an abundance of stardust to try and coax the winner into taking a trip to Isasz to visit the Vestas and maybe start a new life under their care. Adopting talent basically. Whoever sent this kid must have been blind to his faults though as he was a stubborn brat who wouldn''t know how to bow his head properly to the prospective talents and probably even ruin any chances of a good relation permanently. Case in point, even though he didn''t know about the trio in front of him, he was already making a mockery of the task he was sent to accomplish. So much so that the first few words out of his mouth, after he finally managed regain his bearings from the Enyo stun, were enough to make Ares want to kill him on the spot! The words he uttered had single-handedly doomed his parka to a lifetime of servitude under Ares!


    "You, greeny..." Ares assumed it was him being referred to here via the colour of his top. "... And you, flat bitch." It needed no explanation who he was pissing off right now with that last statement. "Scurry out of here like the rats you are and leave the babe behind. I''m in a good mood so get lost before I change my mind about letting you leave peacefully and not breaking your arms. I was tempted to but violence scares women and I don''t exactly want it to look like I''m coercing the chick ''cos that''s always a hassle waiting to happen. They start getting cold feet, saying no, and then you really have to just force them you know? I get that she''s probably ''important'' to you so here, this''ll make up for your losses." The kid chucked a high grade stardust at a gobsmacked Ares and the thing nearly scored a three pointer by almost landing in his wide open mouth. "Don''t cause a scene, get out, and let me have some fun with this chick alone. Don''t come back and just take that other woman with you. One is more than enough and more than some random guy like you deserves. Don''t bite off more than you can chew otherwise my two friends here are gonna have to take you out back and I can''t guarantee you''ll live through the chit chat they wanna have with you. You''ve heard of the Vestas right? If you have, you know not to mess with me. If you haven''t, then you don''t know enough about this world to even be a speck of dust on my shoe. Take the hint greeny."


    Ares was speechless! The arrogance! The posturing! The backing! The attempt to steal his wife! The threats of violence! This could only ever be one thing! Ares laughed near uncontrollably and nudged the sisters one by one before pointing at the kid with a huge smile "Look! Look! It''s a young master! Not like the Chen shitheads but, like, a real life young master! He''s such a dork! The stereotypes don''t do him justice! If anything, they undersold it! Look at him! Can you see the pathetic desire to humiliate others in his eyes? it''s so blatant! This dude has transcended loser status and achieved the fabled ''young master'' status! I''m so touched right now to be experiencing this in the flesh! What a time to be alive!" Enyo wasn''t as familiar with the young master stereotype but Bellona certainly was and she was nodding in agreement with Ares, treating the kid like a rare spectacle. The kid was infuriated he was being treated like a zoo animal but he felt confident because Enyo didn''t nod along with the idiot''s stupidity. Granted that was only for lack of understanding otherwise she would have absolutely been nodding too. Still, this misunderstanding gave the twerpy young master a bit of an ego... Not that he didn''t have one to begin with, this was a young master we''re talking about here! Either way, things were absolutely going to escalate here. That much was set in stone the moment the young master was openly defied. Such was a tale as old as time itself! And so too was the beating this young master had in store for him, that part of the story was also yet to come but equally as guaranteed...