"This is my first time… actually walking around the Undercity."
Caitlyn looked around with open curiosity, taking in the stalls on both sides of the street. Everything carried Zaun's rough, strange flavor, and the gloom from earlier had already vanished from her face.
"Didn't you walk around last time?"
"Last time? No. I was too busy following Jayce to notice anything by the road… Though honestly, I didn't need to be that careful. Jayce has no sense of caution at all. Then your sister caught me, and once I had that ridiculous sack over my head, I couldn't see anything."
"Hahaha…"
Van laughed. After coming out for a walk, the frustration sitting in his chest had eased quite a bit. He no longer felt as restless as he had in the chapel.
"First stop."
"What?"
Van took Caitlyn by the arm and led her to a small food stall beside the Last Drop's entrance.
"Jericho, two servings of meat."
"Wah, wah, wah!"
Jericho smiled, wiped the grease from his hands, and turned back to prepare the food.
Ever since Van had taken over the Lanes, Jericho, owner of Van's favorite local snack, had risen along with him. His stall was cleaner and tidier now, and he had even been allowed to set up right beside the Last Drop. Sometimes he delivered food inside for customers drinking at the tavern.
"Uh… an Undercity specialty?"
Caitlyn sat down a little stiffly. The stall had the heads of all kinds of unknown creatures hanging from it, and she could not help frowning.
"Mm-hm. You came all the way down here. You should try something fresh."
"Right. Haha…"
Jericho moved quickly. Strictly speaking, mire-frog meat did not need much cooking. He only had to cut up the roasted meat, pour on his secret sauce, and serve it.
"Woo, woo, wah!"
Two large bowls of meat were set in front of Van and Caitlyn, and Van took two forks from the stall's box.
Jericho never used to have these things. Van had been the one who forced him to add them after getting sick of having sauce all over his hands.
Van skewered a piece of mire-frog meat with his fork, coated it in sauce, but did not eat it right away. Instead, he held it out to Caitlyn.
"Try it?"
"Mm… thank you."
Caitlyn stared at the oddly shaped piece of meat in front of her, gathered her courage, opened her mouth, and took a big bite.
"Mm! It tastes… not bad."
"Haha, don't force it."
Van laughed at the way Caitlyn clearly wanted to spit it out but was too polite, leaving her no choice but to chew through it. He pulled a napkin from the table and handed it to her.
"Looks like Zaunite food isn't your thing… Come on. I'll take you somewhere else."
Then Van turned toward the tavern and shouted.
"Zeri!"
"Coming, boss!"
Zeri rushed out like a gust of wind and barely managed to brake in front of Van.
"For you. A reward for all your hard work."
Van put the half-eaten piece Caitlyn had bitten into his own mouth, then pointed at the two large bowls.
"Really?! Uuu… Boss, you're too good to me!"
Zeri hugged the bowls of meat with tears in her eyes. Ever since she overloaded in the street, all her savings had gone into compensation, and she still owed a mountain of debt. She had basically sold herself to the Last Drop. She had not eaten meat in ages and could only drool at Jericho's stall from a distance.
Caitlyn stared at Zeri wolfing the food down, then looked at Van in shock and disbelief.
"It's fine. She's got a little problem up here."
Van pointed at his own head and whispered without the slightest guilt.
…
…
"Where are we going now?"
"I'll show you some other places, and find a restaurant you can probably handle."
Caitlyn looked around. At some point, the streets had stopped looking as lively and peaceful as before. The road grew muddy and chaotic, and in the darker alleys, pairs of eyes occasionally glinted from the shadows.
"Where are we?"
"Where? The Undercity."
After they passed through a long, narrow alley, the view ahead suddenly opened up.
A commercial district of stacked buildings and neon lights appeared before them. It was noisy and prosperous, yet somehow completely out of step with what Caitlyn had seen in the Lanes.
It was not actually late, but the Undercity never truly saw the sun, so the bright, colorful lights stayed on all the time.
The area looked busy and thriving, but Caitlyn still felt something was wrong. She could not name it, only that the place gave off an uncomfortable air.
"I know a decent place around here. The food is good. Topside style, but with an Undercity twist."
Van led Caitlyn through several turns until they reached a finely decorated restaurant. The wall facing the street was even made of glass, an extravagant choice in the dust-filled Undercity.
They found a seat by the window, glanced over the menu, ordered a few dishes, and began chatting.
"I still feel like something here is off."
"What feels off?"
"It just feels… different from before."
"Haha. That's because this is what the Undercity really looks like."
Van drank some of the wine that had just been poured, but he could not taste much in it.
"Right, Caitlyn. I wanted to ask you for a favor."
"Oh? What is it?"
"I want to find an excellent music teacher for my daughter… I figured you would know more about that kind of thing."
As a young lady from a noble family, Caitlyn probably knew far more famous performers and artists than he did.
"What?! You already have a daughter?!"
Caitlyn froze, nearly jumping out of her chair.
"Ha. Goddaughter. I'm a respected man in the Lanes. It's normal for me to be someone's godfather, isn't it?"
"Oh, goddaughter… Haha, right…"
Realizing she had overreacted, Caitlyn smiled awkwardly and took a sip of wine.
But she really had been startled. Someone the same age as her having a school-aged daughter was a lot to take in.
"That's simple. I can introduce you to the most famous musicians I know. Whether she wants to learn an instrument or singing, I can help."
"Then I really owe you one. Tuition won't be a problem… I'll talk to the girl later and see what she wants to learn."
Caitlyn agreed readily, and things went even more smoothly than Van had expected.
As for the other matter…
Just then, a soft tap came from the glass beside them. They looked up and saw several thin children pressed against the window, staring hungrily at the food on the table.
Caitlyn was startled at first, but once she realized they were only children, she froze in dismay.
"Those children… what happened to them?"
"…Don't mind them. Pretend you didn't see."
Van only glanced at them before looking away.
"Pretend I didn't see? How can I pretend I didn't see? They look like they're starving!"
Caitlyn ignored Van's words. She stood up, went to the server, asked for a large bag of bread, and walked out on her own.
Van simply watched her in silence. He said nothing, and he did not stop her.
[End of chapter]