Chapter 356: Fine Dining.
Boris somehow got his hands on a limo, so when they pulled up to their destination, no one suspected that they came from a mundane neighborhood in Hollowgrid.
A group of three servers awaited their arrival at the entrance—one man and two women. They bowed their heads then faced Finn, who was standing at the front of the group after Dante pushed him there.
"Good evening, Mr. Ward." The man said. "Your room is ready for your reception."
"G-good. Lead the way." Finn said.
Dante couldn’t help feeling exasperated. Though he had instructed him on how he should act, the boy still appeared like a nervous wreck, ruining the image they were going for. Infiltrating the restaurant was his idea in the first place, yet he was having second thoughts now of all times.
[Dante: Back straight. Chest up. Shoulders back.
And raise your head.
]
As he sent the messages, Dante got the feeling that he had heard something similar back in the day, and watching Finn scramble to fix his posture only strengthened that feeling.
After a short elevator ride, the group was led down a lavishly decorated hallway and into one of the rooms lining it. The words "private area" signified luxury, but the place far exceeded what Dante had in mind.
La Soleil was a three-star restaurant, and the interior matched that rating.
Golden light spilled from the chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, reflecting off the polished wood and silk-covered walls. At the center was a large table covered in pure white linen, surrounded by six high-back leather chairs. One of them was particularly large, ordered to accommodate a certain big-bellied man.
Each of the corners had a small stand carrying a peculiar vase with an assortment of flowers. Near each one was a discreet door service door, painted in a way that blends with the surroundings.
"Let’s take our seats."
Dante pulled a chair for Nobara then held her hand as she climbed onto it. Finn decided to imitate his, earning a soft chuckle from Suzuka. Boris did the same for Kizuna, but when she thanked him with her usual sparkling eyes, the big guy seemed a little troubled
Once the guys sat down, the servers came in and offered some drinks. Dante held back on alcohol and went with sparkling water. Finn ordered the same, even though it clearly wasn’t to his taste. Kizuna asked for some champagne, but Suzuka stopped her, telling the female server to give them a none alcoholic cocktail. Dante found it odd that she barred the android from drinking alcohol, but he didn’t bother asking.
"Château de Lune, huh?" Nobara said after taking a sip from her glass. "Haven’t had it in years."
"You can tell just from the taste, madam?" Boris asked. The big guy had ordered the same, but he didn’t bother trying to guess the brand.
"Good champagne is hard to forget, no matter the passing of time."
Next, the servers brought in some Gougères—delicate, bite-sized cheese puffs made with choux pastry and Gruyère. The crisp, golden shell gave way to a soft interior filled with a rich, cheesy flavor. The aroma was especially inviting, or so Dante made it look when he moved to taste his. At the same time, he had already opened his Storage, selecting a certain item and taking it out under the table.
The servers returned after a few minutes, bringing a small cart with them. As they cleaned up the dishes, three Scorpio-bots sneaked from under the table, clung to the bottom of the cart, allowing the servers to take them out of the room.
’So, what do you think?’ Dante asked while sipping from his glass.
[This place is indeed bugged.] Volcan replied. [There are several hidden cameras and hidden microphones as well. I have sorted through the signals transmitted by each device and am currently in the process of Diving into their servers.]
It was to be expected. A high-end restaurant meant wealthy clients, and wealthy clients meant a source of some rather juicy information. People who reserve private rooms usually do so because they don’t want to be seen or heard.
One would expect the establishment to honor such an arrangement, and getting caught would certainly lead to a lot of problems. Even so, La Soleil still chose to bug the place. It might be just for the newer clients who pose no real threat to the owners, but it still is a scummy move.
’The Scorpio-bot wasn’t caught, right?’
[The route I chose is a blind spot undetected by any of the cameras. The servers did not notice, either.]
’Did you get them?’
[Yes. I will be using them as additional access points.]
’Do ahead.’
Menus were handed out next and only the male server from before remained in the room, ready to take their orders. Dante studied the thin cardboard and the items it listed. He recognized most of the listed items, and some of the names tickled his appetite.
As he decided on which dish to order, Dante noticed Finn staring intently at his menu, his face scrunched up. Everyone else seemed to have decided on what they should get, and only he seemed to be struggling.
[Dante: Just order the Tartare de Saumon.]
From the looks of it, the boy was the only one in their group who didn’t have experience with fine dining. Dante guessed that if he asked Volcan to take a look at his OAM, he would find several apps open with guides on how to navigate the event. That would explain his tense reactions and stiff movements, but it was nothing odd for a kid his age, or the age he appeared to be, at least.
[Finn: This is way more difficult than it looks.
Dante: Of course, it is. People hire tutors for stuff like this.
Finn: Seriously?
]
A sigh escaped the boy, and his shoulders slumped.
[Finn: I wish Jake were here.]
Considering the place they were visiting, bringing an old gym bag along would’ve drawn too much attention. Also, it would’ve rendered the effort Suzuka put into creating the cover for his MLP meaningless. For those reasons, Finn was forced to leave his exocore and his AI friend in Dante’s apartment. It was also for that reason why Volcan was handling the Diving, even though it was the boy’s idea in the first place.