“Ding-a-ling~” Pushing open the door, the “homemade wind chime” hanging in front of it let out a crisp sound.
After casting a light glance at the wind chime that looked like it had been cut from a discarded exhaust pipe, Wen Jin’s gaze began to wander around this unremarkable little shop.
Clean, tidy, without the pungent stench from outside.
The wooden tables and chairs inside the shop were arranged in orderly rows, the tabletops wiped spotless.
The warm-colored lights were soft and cozy.
For a moment…
Wen Jin only felt as if he had suddenly crossed over from an apocalypse into a small family tavern in some normal civilization.
Then, he turned his gaze toward the potted green plant placed beside the bed.
The veins on its leaves were clearly visible under the warm light, and there were even a few crystalline droplets of water lying lazily on them, looking especially glaring in this world where water was exceedingly precious.
Wen Jin’s gaze did not linger on the green plant that symbolized “the hope of life.” He walked straight to the wooden counter, sat on the tall stool, and looked at the figure busying herself in the back kitchen.
He did not immediately call out to her, instead casually picking up the menu placed in front of the bar and flipping through it.
A moment later, the figure in the back finally seemed to finish the work at hand and belatedly looked toward this “suddenly appeared” customer at the front counter.
“Y-You…
hello?
What would you like to order?” That slightly timid voice came from behind the bar.
Wen Jin followed the sound and looked up, and a fresh, beautiful figure appeared within his golden eyes.
The girl before him was like the standard “girl next door” in people’s impressions.
She had a lovely face, quite a bit of delicate charm, and even without makeup, she was still pretty and graceful, while also carrying a bit of innocence from someone who had yet to experience the world.
The girl’s long pink hair was tied behind her, making her look very capable and neat.
The clothes on her were plain and unadorned, and there were still traces of water on her apron.
At a glance, it was clear that she had just finished cleaning.
Those clear blue eyes were fixed tightly on Wen Jin, who was gently flipping through the menu.
She looked very nervous.
“…” “I’ll start with one Stede-Karl specialty dish.” Wen Jin pointed at the most conspicuous dish marked on the menu and softly spoke to the pink-haired girl before him.
“Okay!
One St.
Karl Specialty Roasted Horned Lamb Chop, I’ll make it for you right away!” The moment she heard the dish’s name, a few traces of confidence suddenly emerged on the cheeks of the girl, who had originally seemed somewhat timid.
She looked as if she had absolute confidence in her own cooking.
Wen Jin stared at that figure as she walked into the kitchen, and a few traces of thought flashed through his golden eyes.
Just imagine…
on a wasteland planet that was about to face its apocalypse, you suddenly found a shop in a ruined city that looked like it belonged before the end of the world, and the shop’s owner was even a pretty pink-haired girl.
In this world where even breathing required wearing more than two layers of filters, this girl not only was not wearing a heavy protective suit, she had even opened a spotless little restaurant in a district that could hardly be considered safe…
Any one of the above would make people suspicious on its own, let alone now that they were all combined together…
In the back kitchen, the girl’s movements were clean and efficient.
Wen Jin could clearly hear the sound of the fresh horned lamb being roasted on the iron plate.
Under the effects of high heat, the meat produced an almost perfect Maillard reaction.
For a time, the aroma of meat spread everywhere, and that rich fragrance made Wen Jin’s brows furrow tightly at this moment.
“Customer, this is the Stede-Karl Specialty Horned Lamb Chop you ordered!
Please enjoy!” The pink-haired girl gently placed the exquisitely plated lamb chop in front of Wen Jin, then handed him a pair of chopsticks.
Those blue eyes sparkled brightly, full of anticipation as they watched Wen Jin, who was deep in thought over the pair of chopsticks.
Wen Jin did not respond.
He merely picked up the chopsticks and gently lifted the lamb chop.
The lamb chop that had been deboned in advance was tender and fresh.
With one bite into his mouth, there was no muttony smell, nor any taste of nuclear waste.
There was only that mellow meaty fragrance exploding across the tip of his tongue, nourishing Wen Jin’s taste buds.
For an instant, Wen Jin’s eyes widened slightly, but he still remained silent.
Under the mysterious girl’s gaze, he finished the meat and all the side dishes on the plate, then took the pink handkerchief she handed him and wiped his mouth.
“It tastes good.” Placing the handkerchief on the table, Wen Jin gave the girl a slight nod, and then…
He changed into an even more defenseless posture, resting his arm on the bar counter as his golden eyes stared at the girl whose face had brightened with joy because of his praise.
“So then…
when did it start?” Looking at the smiling girl, Wen Jin’s voice remained as usual.
“Eh?
Customer, what are you talking about?” The girl seemed not to understand the meaning behind Wen Jin’s words.
She tilted her head in slight confusion, looking somewhat adorably clueless.
“Did it start from the moment I saw that green plant, or from the instant I entered the door?” Nanook’s golden eyes calmly stared at the girl before him.
There was not the slightest fluctuation in his words, as if he were describing an extremely calm matter.
“A clean and tidy little shop, warm-colored lights, a pair of chopsticks suited to the eating habits of Xianzhou Natives, and a lamb chop that tastes pretty good.” “You don’t seem to have any intention of covering any of this up at all…” “Memokeeper…” Wen Jin slowly revealed the other party’s true identity.
After who knew how many lifetimes, this was still his first time facing a Memokeeper.
It seemed…
after the battle at Cangcheng, he really had become famous…
Even the mysterious group known as the Memokeepers had begun to seek him out.
Then what would come after this?
Would there be Masked Fools, Self-Annihilators, or even the Family of Harmony?
Wen Jin did not know, but at this moment, he was very curious.
This Memokeeper before him…
just what exactly did she want to do?
Did she want to peek into his already countless memories of [Destruction], or…
was she merely curious about this ability of his?
“Oh my…
is my acting really that terrible?” Hearing this, the pink-haired girl’s face instantly flushed red, as if her inner thoughts had been exposed in public.
She looked very embarrassed.
But the slightly raised corners of her mouth revealed her true thoughts at this moment.
This Memokeeper had been pretending from start to finish, and even now, it was still the same.
“Yeah…
terrible beyond belief.
It’s just that your cooking made up for that…
assuming I hadn’t tasted this flavor in my memories before.” “If there were an award for being able to recreate delicacies from someone’s memories, then you’d definitely win a well-deserved first place.” Hearing this, the pink-haired girl paused slightly.
Then, as if she had given up on something, that youthful feeling she had originally disguised as the girl next door instantly dispersed, replaced by…
a mysterious and confident aura.
Her pale pink lips parted slightly, and the girl’s voice was extremely crisp.
“I’m honored by Sacrosanct’s praise.
This is merely the most insignificant ability of a Memokeeper…” “As for you, Sacrosanct, upon seeing a [trap] meticulously arranged by a Memokeeper, not only did you not avoid it, you even took the initiative to step inside.
You even…” She slowly moved closer, carefully examining that face comparable to a god’s.
Her azure eyes were filled with curiosity.
“You can casually eat food made by someone with [ill intentions].
Aren’t you afraid I’d poison you and kill you?” The girl tilted her head slightly, suddenly carrying a bit of playfulness that matched her appearance.
Hearing this, Wen Jin laughed.
That smile was absolutely from the heart.
“If you poisoned me to death…
then I’d even have to thank you!” ★ ★ ★ T/N: If you spot mistranslation, do tell me.
★ ★ ★ Shilling time!