Chapter 227: Prime War [VI]
*TING!*
As Ren opened the restaurant door, the bell hanging above it chimed, signaling a new customer’s arrival.
"Welcome—... Tch, it’s you."
An unwelcoming greeting came from the woman behind the bar.
Her hair often tied up or worn long, was now cut to shoulder length with thin bangs framing her forehead. Its bright pink color stood out vividly, yet complemented her fair skin.
A pair of bright blue eyes glared at Ren with a mix of disgust and slight annoyance.
She wore a long-sleeved gray t-shirt that accentuated her figure, paired with a dark apron, indicating she was working. In her apron pocket, a large black scrunchie was looped around her wrist, ready to tie her hair if needed.
Around her, neatly arranged wooden racks held jars of spices and dried ingredients, adding a warm touch to the restaurant’s interior.
She was Nakano Nino!
"Nino, that’s rude. Ren is still a customer, after all."
A woman with an identical appearance to Nino, standing beside her, defended Ren. Her long, pink hair flowed in slight waves over her shoulders and back.
Her gentle blue eyes looked at Ren kindly. She wore a simple yet well-fitted gray-and-white striped t-shirt paired with comfortable brown pants.
Like Nino, she also wore a dark apron, showing she was working at the restaurant too.
She was Nakano Miku!
"Nino-san still doesn’t like me, huh... When will you approve of my relationship with your little sister?"
Used to Nino’s cold attitude, Ren nodded at Miku in thanks.
"Hmph, even if you’re in a relationship with Itsuki, it doesn’t change the fact that you’re a jerk!" Nino crossed her arms over her chest, huffing. "Honestly, I don’t know what Itsuki sees in a playboy like you."
"Why are you here, Ren? Has Itsuki given birth already?"
Not letting the conflict escalate, Miku brought up a serious topic.
Once Itsuki was mentioned, Nino stopped picking a fight with Ren. Her protective instincts toward Itsuki always outweighed her disdain for him.
"No, Itsuki hasn’t given birth yet. I came as a customer and to meet someone here."
"Don’t tell me the person you’re meeting is a woman?" Nino eyed Ren suspiciously, crossing her arms again.
No wonder she thought so—her brother-in-law’s track record with women was notorious.
"Nino-san, do you think I’d meet a woman at the place where my sisters-in-law work?" Ren raised an eyebrow, a faint smile on his lips. "Even an amateur playboy wouldn’t make that kind of mistake."
"So it’s fine as long as it’s somewhere no one knows you, Rokuhara?" Nino shot back, unwilling to back down.
"I’ll leave that to your imagination, Nino-san. Miku-san, I’ll have a sandwich and a glass of chocolate milk."
Stopping his argument with Nino, who was always ready for a verbal spar, Ren placed his order with Miku and walked to a corner table where a seemingly ordinary Japanese young man sat.
However, flanking the young man were two stunning European women, one with silver hair and the other with golden-blonde hair, both radiating grace and elegance.
"Sorry I’m late, Godou." Ren greeted, pulling out a chair and sitting across from the trio. "Some issues delayed me."
He didn’t mention that his tardiness was due to hooking up with his friend with benefits.
"It’s fine. We just got here too." Godou replied casually.
"Godou, that’s the kind of line a guy says to a girl who’s late for a date." Erica commented on the Campione she served’s choice of words.
"Eh? Really? I didn’t know that."
Smiling sheepishly, Godou scratched the back of his head.
"Erica, your behavior is disrespectful in the presence of King Ren."
Liliana reprimanded her colleague and rival. Compared to Erica’s playful demeanor, Liliana’s personality was more rigid and formal.
Seeing Erica act disrespectfully in front of the Seventh Campione, she quickly intervened, not wanting unnecessary conflict between the two Campiones.
It was common knowledge that interpersonal relationships among Campiones were often strained. Typically, when two met, they’d fight without regard for their surroundings.
"I know what you’re thinking, Liliana, but Godou and King Ren have a decent relationship. Relax, they won’t fight over something trivial... Probably?"
Erica ended her sentence with a hint of mischief.
"You’re not even sure?!"
Liliana grumbled at Erica’s carelessness, her forehead creasing with worry.
"Godou, how far has your relationship with these two women progressed? Are they pregnant yet?"
"Cough! Cough! Cough...!"
Caught off guard by Ren’s sudden and blunt question, Godou, who was sipping tea, choked violently. His face turned bright red.
"O-Our relationship isn’t what you think, Ren!"
Godou waved his hands frantically, denying it nervously. Both Erica and Liliana blushed.
"Hmm... So no progress, huh..."
"Can we move on to a more serious topic?"
Godou changed the subject, not wanting to be teased further by Ren. He knew the other liked to poke fun at him, especially about women.
"Here’s your order, Ren. Enjoy."
Miku arrived, placing a plate of sandwiches and a glass of chocolate milk in front of Ren. She glanced briefly at Ren’s three companions—Godou, Erica, and Liliana—before returning to the bar.
"So, let’s discuss where we’ll be stationed when the Prime War begins."
Grabbing a sandwich from his plate, Ren ate casually, as if discussing the weather.
Given the catastrophic damage caused by both Campiones and aliens during the Prime War, the battlefields were predetermined with utmost care.
Mystic practitioners worldwide, coordinating on a global scale, didn’t just put humanity into a deep sleep during The Day of Silence through a global-scale magic ritual.
Beyond that, they had also constructed super magic formations designed to automatically teleport alien spacecraft—appearing randomly in Earth’s atmosphere—to pre-designated locations, the prepared battlefields.
This was an effort to minimize collateral damage to cities and populated areas.