Margine Yells
After parting ways with Rose, Margine headed to Rikka's diner at 8 PM.
"Three lovely ladies are waiting. Please go to the seat over there."
Rikka greeted Margine curtly.
"Did something happen?"
"Nothing. Please go to the seat over there."
What’s wrong with her?
Grumbling about Rikka’s unfriendly attitude, Margine headed to the table where the members of Guiding Star were already waiting.
"Oh, you actually came."
"If I didn’t, you would have kept coming to my shop, right?"
"Hahaha, that’s right. Before we talk, let's order something first.... Rikka, bring the most expensive food and drinks."
"You know Rikka?"
"Every Hunter in the royal capital knows this place. We used to come here often when we were rookies."
Boss and her wife were former Hunters, so a lot of Hunters came to this diner as customers.
"Do you guys know each other?"
The proprietress, who had brought some snacks, was surprised to see this group.
"No, I don't know them."
"Hahaha, Millie, we forced him to come. We’re just about to get to know each other now."
"I wonder what business you have with someone like Margine."
Someone like Margine? What a harsh thing to say.
"Please enjoy your drinks!"
*thud*
Rikka carelessly placed the most expensive wine she had brought in front of Rocca and the others.
"Rikka, what's wrong? You seem pretty upset. Are you angry because it's been a while since we've seen you?"
"I'm not angry at all."
*thud*
Next, she placed a glass of cheap wine in front of Margine with such force that it almost spilled.
"Hey, I didn't order cheap wine for Margine."
"This is enough for him. He doesn't have much money."
"No, we will also pay for his drink...."
"Don’t mind me. You three enjoy that bottle."
"But...."
"It’s fine. I prefer this wine."
"Is that so? I won't force you then."
Cisco poured wine for her two friends. Led by Rocca, the three women then raised their glasses.
"Cheers to our meeting!"
Margine did not join in the toast. Instead, he spun his finger over the glass and expressionlessly took a sip of his cheap wine.
"I wish you’d stop being wary of us soon...."
Rocca and the others exchanged glances.
"You did something to the wine just now, didn't you?"
Vanessa, curious about Margine's action, asked him.
"In my hometown, we do this to show our gratitude the gods for the sustenance we receive every day."
"Where's your hometown?"
"A country you've never heard of."
"Oh, what country?"
"A faraway island nation."
"How did you come to this country?"
"Why do you want to know that?"
"Well, I’ve never been abroad, so I'm kinda curious."
"It's a country where people with black hair and black eyes like me are common. I don't really remember how I got here."
"Really? Do you have amnesia? Did you get hit on the head or something?"
"I said I don’t remember! Did you invite me here just to interrogate me?"
Margine grew increasingly displeased.
"Vanessa, it's common sense for Hunters not to pry into other people's pasts, right? Enough already. Margine, I'm sorry. Vanessa didn't mean any harm. She was just curious about you."
"What do you mean by curious about me? Did I do something?"
The proprietress, having witnessed the exchange between Margin and the Guiding Star, went to report it to her husband.
~ Kitchen ~
"What? Are you saying they're messing with Margine?"
"No, those girls seem to be talking normally, but Margine is in an unusually bad mood. I was wondering if something had happened between them."
"Okay, keep an eye on it for a bit. I'll come check on them once things have settled down here."
"Please do so. I have a feeling Margine is going to snap soon."
"Got it."
~ Inside the diner ~
"Ahhh, this isn't cheap wine. It's really delicious!"
This happened while the proprietress was telling her husband about Margine and the Guiding Star. Vanessa snatched Margine's drink and took a sip.
"Give it back!"
"Hey, why did the wine become delicious? Was it because you spun your finger over it? Magic? Was it magic? Are you selling this spell, too?"
After Margine snatched the drink back, Vanessa put her arm around his arm and persistently asked what it was. That was when Rikka came to bring Margine’s food.
"Here's your order!"
*splash*
Because Rikka put the dish on the table with even more force than the wine, it splashed and got on Margine's clothes.
"Hey, you spilled it!"
"Oh, my bad."
"Hey, Rikka...."
"Hmph, you can clean it up in no time, can you?"
"You idiot!"
When Margine yelled at Rikka, the noisy diner suddenly fell silent.
"W-What? I already apologized!"
Rikka's eyes welled up with tears, having been yelled at by Margine for the first time. Margine had never been angry before, even when she said some harsh things to him or even hit him.
"I’m not mad because my clothes got dirty. Even if it’s just a staff meal, don’t treat the food Boss made with such care so carelessly."
"You are just Margine. Don't act all high and mighty!"
Leaving that parting shot, Rikka, with tears filling her eyes, ran off to the back.
"I'm sorry...."
Vanessa, who had been watching the two, apologized.
"Why are you apologizing?"
"Well, you see, I feel like I've caused a misunderstanding because I was clinging to you...."
"What misunderstanding? You were just bothering me with your questions."
Margine didn't understand what Vanessa meant.
"Margine, that's not important right now. Go and talk to Rikka."
Rocca urged Margine to go and talk to Rikka. Margine was already in a bad mood because Vanessa kept bothering him with questions, so when he saw Rikka spilling the food, he ended up scolding her.
"Rikka is at fault, isn't she?"
"Just go and talk to her."
Rikka ran into the kitchen and started crying loudly.
"Hey, what's wrong?"
"He is just Margine! He is just Margine!"
Rikka said this while crouching down and crying. While the proprietress was soothing her, Boss went to confront Margine.
"Hey, Margine. What did you do to Rikka?"
*punch*
Boss punched Margine without giving him a chance to talk.
"W-Wait, Dadd. It's a misunderstanding...."
Rocca and the others frantically try to stop him.
"That hurts, damn it!"
*punch*
Margins, who was suddenly punched on the face, punched him back.
"Hmph, such a weak punch! Even if it's you, Margine, I won't show mercy to anyone who makes Rikka cry. Die!"
Boss, who doted on his daughter more than anything, was furious that Margine not only made her cry, but also retaliated. Margine was getting pummeled by Boss and struggled to fight back. The diner was in utter chaos, with crashing and banging everywhere.
"Die!"
Margine took a powerful blow to the stomach. Taking a deep breath, he then strengthened himself with magic.
"Boss, prepare yourself!"
Boss noticed something like an aura enveloping Margine's body.
"Y-You..."
Margine was emitting a killing intent similar to that of a powerful monster, so Boss unconsciously stepped back.
*splash*
"What the hell are you two doing!? That's enough!"
Just as things were about to get out of hand, the proprietress splashed water on them both.
"M-Millie, it's because Margine made Rikka cry...."
Dad lost all will to fight after being yelled at by Millie.
*smack*
"Shut up!"
Seeing this, Margine came back to his senses.
"Umm, Lady Boss...."
*smack*
"If you're going to fight, do it outside!"
Both Margin and Dad were smacked on the head, and the commotion finally subsided. The winner of the Rikka's Diner Battle was proprietress Millie. The diner had become a mess, so as an apology, she told the customers that they didn't need to pay, and asked them to leave for today. Most of the people who came here were hunters or former hunters. No one made a big deal out of this kind of commotion. On the contrary, they were happily chatting about the fight as they left.
After all the customers except the members of Guiding Star had left, Margin and Boss were made to sit on their knees and were severely scolded by the proprietress. Margine, having been doused with water, tried to secretly dry himself with magic because of the cold, which made the proprietress even angrier, thinking he wasn't reflecting on his actions at all. Once her anger had somewhat subsided, Rocca took the opportunity to explain the whole story.