Vol 2 Chapter 115 Restaurant
Did she really see through Mo He? Or maybe, a better question—did she really understand Mo He?
Veronica didn’t think so.
Sure, years of work and socializing had honed her ability to read people, but that only let her pick up on certain traits—not see through a person completely.
Even now, she had no clue what Mo He might have misunderstood. One thing was clear though: she wasn’t as amazing as Mo He seed to think.
At least, when Mo He went on a shopping spree in the magic supply shop—grabbing those everyday-use magic tools like she was buying in bulk—Veronica was completely lost.
It all started because they t up much earlier than planned, so they decided to take a stroll. But sohow, that stroll led them into a magic supply store, and from there, it beca Mo He’s big shopping trip along the street.
Mini generators that converted magic power into electricity, ho-repair magic kits, water resource devices integrated with civilian water pipe systems, and a bunch of other agricultural magic tools that Veronica couldn’t even na... Mo He compared prices, seriously analyzed cost performance—she clearly wasn’t just ssing around.
“Why are you buying all this stuff?” Veronica didn’t have anything she wanted to buy, but that didn’t stop her from asking.
“For my friends,” Mo He replied.
“Your friends run a farm?”
“They live out on the frontier, so they need to grow their own food.” Mo He explained as she stood at the counter filling out a delivery form. “There’s no water or electricity out there, so they need these things.”
“On the frontier?”
That odd answer caught Veronica off guard, but then she rembered Mo He’s so-called “friends” were probably Magical Girls too. A group of capable Magical Girls helping each other survive on the frontier? It wasn’t impossible. Still, even so, this whole thing sounded a little... strange.
“So, how are you going to get all this stuff to them?” she asked.
“I’ll have the shop send the supplies to a city in the physical world, and they’ll take it from there into the frontier,” Mo He answered without hesitation.
“…Is this so kind of hobby of yours?” Veronica could only co up with that theory.
“I’m not sure.” Mo He shook her head.
Their conversation drifted along, sporadic and scattered like this.
Veronica soon noticed that Mo He seed to be avoiding talking too much about these “friends.” That struck her as a bit odd, but she didn’t press the issue. Curiosity was one thing, but knowing when to hold back was a virtue in social settings.
They had originally planned to et an hour before dinner, but since Veronica showed up an hour early, they now had two hours to kill before their al. So, their “strolling” was really just Mo He’s weird shopping trip—and it actually took up the whole ti. Neither of them seed to think it was strange. One kept buying, the other kept watching, and by the end, they weren’t even talking anymore.
Until they finally sat down in a restaurant, facing each other across the table.
Maybe it was a coincidence, but the sky outside looked exactly the sa as it did when they’d t yesterday—nearing dusk. The semi-open restaurant left nothing to block out the orange sky, letting the sunlight coat the table in a layer of gold.
A thick, soft tablecloth covered the table, and in the center sat a basket of freshly baked cream buns, still steaming in the chilly spring air.
Neither of them made a move. They just sat there, staring at each other, almost like they were waiting for the other to go first.
“So... should we eat?” Veronica finally broke the silence, reached out, and grabbed a bun, taking a bite.
Soft, delicate crust. A rich, creamy filling so sweet it went straight to her brain.
“Tastes good,” she comnted.
Mo He followed suit, picking up a bun and nibbling on it, her amber eyes lighting up after the first bite. Her pace clearly picked up as she ate.
No doubt, this was just a complintary pre-al bread for custors to munch on. But whether it was the ingredients or the baking technique, it was clear they hadn’t cut corners. This kind of perfectionism was typical of restaurants in the Magic Kingdom—when raw materials and basic techniques didn’t differ much, all that was left to compete on was flavor and service.
Veronica judged it silently in her mind as she finished her bun. Mo He finished hers almost at the sa ti, her stiff expression softening under the influence of the sweet treat. She definitely liked desserts.
Maybe that’s why she reached for a second bun.
And ate that one too, right in front of Veronica.
Then she grabbed a third.
Veronica started wondering if Mo He was “actually hungry,” but she still didn’t say anything to stop her.
This quiet continued until Mo He reached for the fourth bun, glanced around with a hesitant look, and began trying to shove the remaining buns into her shoulder bag.
“—Hold it! Hold it right there.”
Veronica spoke up just as Mo He had stuffed a few buns into her bag, looking at her in confusion.
“What are you doing?”
“Mph... hmmphh...”
“Can’t understand you. Swallow the bun first.”
“…Trying to get my money’s worth,” Mo He admitted, her confidence faltering under Veronica’s strange expression.
“Uh?” Veronica could only make a confused noise—her brain just stopped.
“I... calculated the al cost. Based on the market price for these cream buns, we’d have to eat 37 of them to break even.” Mo He explained softly, “But I don’t think I can eat that many, so I figured I’d just take a few...”
Veronica was silent for a long ti.
She analyzed Mo He’s behavior and her words over and over, trying to understand what kind of mindset would lead soone to eat enough pre-al bread to break even. Finally, she opened her mouth.
“This is pre-al bread.”
“Pre-al?” Mo He blinked in confusion, then her eyes slowly widened.
“Yeah. It’s not the actual al. It’s just to tide you over until the main course.”
Veronica took a bun that had fallen from Mo He’s hand and placed it back in the basket. “Putting aside whether it’s even possible to ‘get your money’s worth’ at a restaurant... if you were going to try, this definitely wouldn’t be the way.”
As if to confirm her words, a few servers approached their table, laying down napkins, plates, and silverware in front of them.
One of the servers glanced at the now-almost-empty bread basket, and his hands even froze briefly as he set down the plates in front of Veronica. But soon after, he composed himself, smiled politely, and finished setting the table before leaving with the others.
Maybe he wasn’t the only one who noticed the state of the basket, but no one said a word. It was as if the basket had never existed at all.
Because knowing when to hold back was a virtue in social settings.
After the servers left, only Veronica and Mo He were left at the table, staring at each other. Veronica noticed Mo He’s face had gone a little pale.
“You really don’t need to worry about it.”
She tried to reassure her. “This place is probably famous, right? Lots of Magical Girls probably co here to eat, so I’m sure there are plenty of people who eat a lot.”
“…I didn’t know. My friend recomnded this place. I’ve never been here before,” Mo He replied with a shake of her head. “But, Captain, it’s not just about the bread anymore. I just realized... I might be trying to take on sothing that’s way beyond my ability.”
“Beyond your ability?” Veronica looked puzzled.
“These... these tools?” Mo He lowered her head, pointing at the table where the plates, utensils, and a dozen or so different types of cutlery were neatly laid out. Her eyes drifted, blank and a little lost.
“What... are they for?”
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