After all the chaos, their shopping was finally done.

Allen then took Charlotte to their next destination.

As they sat across the round table, Allen stroked his chin.

“Well, I’ll have an ale… what about you?”

“U-um… just water is fine.”

“Then we’ll have one ale and one orange juice.”

“I said water was fine though…”

The waiter gave a polite bow and walked off, leaving the menus behind.

Every movement was elegant and efficient

And that was to be expected, since the two of them were in one of the city's most luxurious restaurants.

The spacious restaurant was lined with many tables, and the sound of a piano gently echoed. Although there was no dress code, it was the kind of place where you would have to check your wallet before entering.

Charlotte had been visibly tense ever since they stepped inside. She kept looking around uneasily, then leaned forward to whisper to Allen.

“Um, Allen-san… this place looks really expensive…”

“Well, yeah. Not exactly for the average customer. But it’s nothing to stress about.”

“Of course I’m stressing! You already spent so much on my wand earlier too…”

Leaning against the back of Charlotte’s chair was a newly purchased magic staff.

It was a metal wand with a blue crystal on top.

The first one she picked up was perfect in length and weight, so she decided on it without much hesitation.

She must have seen Allen hand over several gold coins for it, which left her looking downcast and glommy.

(Well, this gloomy face of hers is cute in its own way… but I’d better clear up the misunderstanding.)

As Allen reached into his coat, he spoke.

"Don't worry, your expenses are nothing. Look at this receipt."

“A receipt…?”

It was a good idea to have Gill prepare one for something like this.

The receipt lists all the items Allen bought this time.

“A magic staff… twenty bundles of herbs, seven paralyzing mushrooms, three vials of purple slime secretion…?”

As she read off the endless list, Charlotte’s eyes grew wide.

“That’s… a lot of stuff. When did you even buy all this?”

"Yeah. I just needed some."

"Are they ingredients for a magic potion?"

“Something like that.”

Allen replied with a relaxed grin.

To tell the truth, these were compensation for the items that were damaged as a result of the brawl at the store.

(They were weak, but there were a lot of them. Guess I overdid it a bit.)

There had been over twenty attackers.

Though Allen had tried to neutralize them as cleanly as possible, some products still got caught in the crossfire.

Luckily, the area they fought in only carried low-grade magical tools, so the bill wasn’t too painful.

The ambush in the darkness had been over in just a few minutes.

By the time the lights came back on, Gosetsu and Luu had carried out all of the men in black, leaving only Charlotte and Allen with their eyes closed... and the product shelves in a slightly messy state.

When the time was right, Allen gently lifted the wind barrier.

Then he told Charlotte to open her eyes.

‘That's enough imagery training for now. Open your eyes and chant the spell as I tell you.’’

‘O-okay.’

Charlotte opened her eyes without any suspicion and repeated the spell Allen had said.

‘U-um… Lighting!’

As she chanted in a tense voice,

A palm-sized light appeared softly in front of Charlotte.

Thanks to that, Charlotte's face brightened up.

'Look, Allen-san! It's small, but... a light appeared!'

‘Yep, just like I thought. You’re a brilliant student.’

Allen smiled warmly, committing the sight of her first successful spell to memory.

And with that, the enemies had been eliminated without Charlotte noticing a thing.

Up to this point, everything was going according to plan, even though Charlotte was feeling a bit intimidated by the atmosphere of the restaurant.

She now seemed content after checking the receipt and understanding the cost but it seemed like she still wasn't used to the restaurant. She muttered in an uneasy low voice.

“But still, a normal restaurant would’ve been fine, really. As long as I’m with you, Allen-san, I’m happy eating anywhere…”

“I thought the same at first, but after researching, this place fit the conditions best.”

“Conditions?”

"Excuse me, customer."

Then the waiter came over with drinks.

After placing the ale and juice on the table, he respectfully handed over the menu booklet.

"Here is the menu. Please enjoy."

"Yes. Thank you."

Once the waiter left, Allen handed the menu to Charlotte.

“I wanted you to try the food here.”

“What is it...?”

Charlotte opened the menu and immediately froze, eyes wide.

Allen calmly began to explain the lines he had prepared in advance.

"The chef here is from the neighboring Kingdom of Niels. This is why you can enjoy food from both countries here."

This town is located near the border between the Notre Empire, where Allen and the others live, and the Kingdom of Niels, where Charlotte come from.

That meant there were quite a few people from Niels around, and plenty of restaurants offered dishes from both nations. This one was particularly well-known for it.

He explained, but Charlotte remained silent.

This made Allen feel uneasy, which was unusual for him.

(Was it too soon to bring up her hometown…?)

Since arriving here, Charlotte had never once mentioned missing her country’s food.

Maybe she was holding back out of consideration for Allen. Or maybe she had no fond memories of her home. Or maybe it was both.

That was exactly why Allen had decided to bring her here today.

“You’ve really started to settle in here lately. I thought it’d be nice if you could enjoy something from home again. But… if this makes you uncomfortable, we can leave and find another place――”

“…No.”

Charlotte quietly interrupted Allen.

Slowly shaking her head, she pointed to the corner of the menu.

Her narrowed eyes glistened with a warm light.

“This tomato soup… with beans and chicken… My mother used to make this all the time. I’d like to try it again.”

“…I see.”

Allen nodded, savoring her words.

After ordering soup and a few other dishes from the waiter, he smiled at Charlotte again.

“While we wait for the food… let’s talk. About what comes next.”

“…Okay.”

Charlotte nodded somewhat awkwardly.