"Something's wrong. According to my data analysis, the volcano in Siesta might be unstable."
"It's fine, Eyjafjalla. Leave the rest to me."
"Ceylon, don't tell me you actually have a way to convince the Siesta administration?"
"Heh~ don't worry about it."
---
Cape stared at the security guard with an amused smile.
Indeed, Cape Group's policy had always been clear: no discrimination between infected and non-infected customers — only their spending power mattered.
But reality wasn't that simple.
Serving the Infected was troublesome. The company's Infected Customer Protocol laid out a long list of procedures every employee had to follow:
First, the staff must verify the infection level and confirm the customer's health condition.
Second, since the Infected could use Originium Arts without a catalyst, every service involving them required a dedicated security escort — a safeguard against possible "incidents" that could harm the Group's interests.
Finally, to prevent panic among non-Infected guests, Infected customers were restricted to specific service areas. (The exact implementation varied from country to country, adjusted according to local customs and laws.)
In short, dealing with Infected customers was a logistical nightmare for Cape Group employees.
Even the Infected staff members working under the Group had to abide by the same regulations.
After all, the cornerstone of the service industry was the customer's sense of safety.
Cape Group couldn't afford to alienate the massive non-Infected market just to please the minority Infected population.
Still, it wanted to have both — profit from every side.
That was the essence of Cape Group's greed.
But no matter how well the upper management crafted their policies, there would always be people in the lower ranks who disobeyed them.
Maybe this guard simply found the Infected procedures too much trouble.
Maybe he just harbored prejudice from the start.
Either way, it didn't matter.
What mattered was that he had damaged Cape Group's reputation — and that came with a price.
---
"G–Good afternoon, Boss!"
The security guard immediately bent down in a panicked bow as soon as he recognized Cape.
Anyone working for the Group would recognize him instantly. Everyone knew the Boss liked to conduct unannounced inspections.
To avoid accidentally offending him, every employee had memorized his face by heart.
'I'm finished…'
The guard froze, drenched in cold sweat.
He knew very well what he'd done — violating company policy right in front of the Boss himself.
Cape said nothing at first. He simply patted the guard's shoulder and spoke in a calm, almost casual tone.
"You remember the company rules, don't you?"
The guard didn't dare move a muscle. Regret consumed him.
If he could turn back time, he would never have refused entry to those Infected customers — no matter how inconvenient the procedure was.
Cape, satisfied with his fear, decided to let him off for now and turned toward the group.
---
"My lovely ladies, and our handsome young gentleman — would I have the honor of joining you for lunch?"
He smiled, gesturing invitingly. "Of course, to apologize for this unfortunate inconvenience, today's meal will be on the house."
Ch'en hesitated for a moment, then frowned slightly.
"…No need."
A free lunch often came at the highest price.
"Oh~ my beautiful lady, please," Cape said smoothly. "Allow Cape Group a chance to make amends."
His eyes gleamed with interest as he looked over the members of Reunion — especially the boy named Mephisto.
To exchange one's life force for power…
How fascinating. Such potential for efficient 'resource utilization.'
After all, it took too many conditions to fully draw out a person's worth.
Sometimes, it was far quicker to just use them as kindling — and burn.
Mephisto, held back by Alina, was clearly restless.
He had wanted to teach that guard a lesson earlier, but both Alina and Faust managed to stop him in time.
Now, the moment he heard the words "free lunch", he gave Alina a pitiful look — his violet eyes shimmering with unspoken plea.
After all, their travel funds were already running low. A free meal sounded like the best deal imaginable.
"…Then we'll be in your care," Ch'en said helplessly, glancing between Mephisto — who was making faces behind her back — and the flustered Alina.
Alina, a simple village girl, still wasn't used to Siesta's dazzling luxury. Everything here overwhelmed her.
Mephisto, on the other hand, cared about nothing except having fun.
And Faust… as always, silently stood behind his friend, ready to support him without question.
So, under Cape's lead, the group was escorted into one of the restaurant's most luxurious private rooms.
"..."
For Reunion, it was their first time entering a place like this as guests.
The ornate murals on the walls, the polished chandeliers, and the thick menu full of dishes they couldn't even pronounce — all of it left them a little uneasy.
Ch'en, in contrast, carried herself with calm composure. She'd seen scenes like this before.
"Well then," Cape said, removing his flamboyant sunglasses with a smile, handing them the menu. "What would everyone like to eat?"
As he spoke, Ch'en finally got a good look at the man's face — the infamous president of Cape Group himself.
So this is the man Swire once went on a 'matchmaking meeting' with…?
---
Meanwhile, out on the bustling streets of Siesta—
"Hey kid, your meat's about to burn."
"I know, stop nagging."
"Flip it! And sprinkle some seasoning while you're at it— timing's everything!"
"I said I know! Geez!"
The barbecue stall owner watched Ifrit with wide eyes.
He had only shown the little girl how to grill once — yet she had already picked it up almost perfectly.
When he took a bite of her finished skewer, his expression brightened.
"Not bad at all, little one!" he said with a hearty laugh.
This kid had talent. Real talent.
Her hands were still a bit clumsy, but her progress was astonishing. A natural-born barbecue genius, no doubt.
She muttered to herself from time to time, but that was just a minor quirk.
The stall owner's imagination began to soar. Perhaps he should take her in as an apprentice — together, they could revolutionize Siesta's barbecue scene! Build a barbecue empire!
But just as he was dreaming big… the girl's aura suddenly changed.
Her earlier nervousness vanished, replaced by cool, effortless confidence.
She brushed a strand of hair aside, her movements now precise and elegant.
Her wrist flicked lightly, brushing sauce across the skewers with perfect rhythm — smooth, practiced, and graceful.
It was like watching an entirely different person.
The stall owner stood stiffly beside her, barely daring to breathe.
Even though she was using his grill, her overwhelming presence made it feel like she owned the place.
"Please, enjoy," she said calmly — no longer just Ifrit, but Black Snake Ifrit, radiating pure assurance.
The stall owner hesitated, then took a bite of the skewer she handed him.
"!"
The taste was divine — the kind of flavor only a true master, one with decades of experience, could produce.
"…Don't waste the gift heaven's given you," he said quietly, his gaze complex as he looked at the confused girl. Then he waved his hand and walked off into the crowd.
Leaving behind a completely bewildered Ifrit — and her lonely little grill.