"Give me some swamp frog!"
After narrowly escaping arrest, Vi, hungry and thoroughly irritated, headed straight to a familiar shop, calling out loudly to order a clean and properly prepared plate of chilled swamp frog.
"You've got excellent taste."
The shop's former apprentice, now elevated to head chef, felt a surge of joy upon hearing someone order what used to be their signature dish.
Just from the specific name alone, he knew the customer had to be an authentic old Zaunite, only the veteran generation appreciated this delicacy. The newer residents couldn't stomach clean and hygienic swamp frogs, especially served chilled.
The chef looked up from his prep work.
Well now! Even more surprising, it was a familiar face from years ago.
"Vi! Long time no see. Where have you been all these years?"
He recognized her immediately and greeted her happily.
Vi didn't remember him particularly well, but she figured he must be someone from her past, even if the specific memory remained frustratingly fuzzy.
Compared to the rather ordinary-looking chef, she had much sharper recollections of the very distinctive shop owner who used to run this place.
"You're... that apprentice from back then?"
She scratched her head thoughtfully, thinking hard before she finally managed to recall who the chef was and how he fit into her memories.
"You've done well for yourself, head chef now, huh? Come on, hurry up and make me a cold plate of swamp frog. I've been craving that taste like crazy."
She urged him on; she still had to escort Caitlyn around afterward, so time was precious.
"Haha, just give me a moment. Swamp frogs are quite rare these days, most customers have to place orders in advance. But since you're such an old regular, I'll do you a special favor. I'll use some from the boss' personal reserve stash."
The chef chuckled warmly, then used a fine-mesh net to scoop up a plump swamp frog from the live-water tank.
With several swift slices, he expertly gutted, skinned, and bled the creature, then thoroughly washed the meat clean and cut it into diagonal strips for elegant plating.
He poured the specially prepared sauce evenly over the meat.
Bang!
A perfectly finished plate of chilled swamp frog landed in front of Vi.
Without any concern for proper etiquette or appearances, Vi grabbed a handful of meat and stuffed it directly into her mouth.
A few rough chews and she swallowed it whole, eating like someone who hadn't tasted their favorite food in years.
"That's the taste! I've missed it so much. That time Cipher brought some back, it wasn't nearly enough."
The distinctive green-blue mutated frog meat paired with the yellow secret sauce created an indescribably eerie and unpleasant visual combination.
Caitlyn, sitting beside her at the small table, frowned as she watched Vi devour the dish. No matter how she analyzed it, that so-called swamp frog didn't appear remotely edible by any civilized standards.
But Vi was clearly loving every bite, chilled preparation and all.
"Hm?"
Vi's cheeks were bulging as she suddenly remembered Caitlyn's presence. Good food should always be shared with companions, so she grabbed a piece of frog meat and shoved it toward Caitlyn's face. The move was so abrupt and forceful that the frog meat nearly touched her lips.
"No, thank you very much."
Caitlyn's appetite completely vanished, and she was feeling distinctly queasy from the close encounter.
She absolutely couldn't bring herself to consume something "clean and hygienic" that looked so wrong.
"No appreciation for genuine good food," Vi muttered without particular concern, not bothered by Caitlyn's refusal, and continued eating with undiminished enthusiasm.
"You're going to ask him about the situation, right?"
Caitlyn covered her forehead with her left hand, speaking urgently.
Her main reason for coming to Zaun definitely wasn't sampling the local street food offerings.
"Ask what? For the meat?"
Vi looked blank, completely missing Caitlyn's point. She had always assumed Cipher told her to accompany Caitlyn just to wander around casually, and that's exactly what she was doing.
Hey, just having fun and enjoying herself.
"I came here because I was hungry. Do you have any idea what I had to eat during training?"
"I've gnawed on tree bark, eaten wild grass, nearly starved to death multiple times."
"Of course you wouldn't understand, you're a privileged lady from the House Kiramman. You've never experienced hunger."
"When we were children, thanks to Cipher's efforts, we only had chocolate twice in over ten years. You probably had so much of it as a child that you got sick of the taste."
She shrugged indifferently to Caitlyn's frustration.
She knew already, Cipher had explained it to her, ladies like Caitlyn, who'd never truly suffered, would have significant difficulty understanding people from the bottom social strata.
"Are you completely serious? I didn't come to Zaun just to keep you company while you eat what amounts to swill!"
Caitlyn was furious, knocking on the wooden table with a sharp thunk to express her displeasure.
Zaun's local snacks were absolutely nothing compared to the crucial business at hand.
Tens of thousands of lives depended on this operation's success, she carried that weight on her shoulders. She couldn't allow herself to get distracted by indulging in Zaun's questionable "special delicacies."
"This really does taste good!"
Vi didn't bother answering Caitlyn's question, she simply praised the chef's culinary skills after finishing her meal, paid the bill promptly, and headed directly toward the exit.
"Vi! What's that supposed to mean? I don't have time to go shopping with you!"
Caitlyn's anger grew even hotter. She was already stressed enough to pull her hair out, there was absolutely no time to waste pursuing street food. If they were going to continue this charade, Vi at least needed to get her priorities properly arranged.
"Relax, relax, you're stressed because of those hired thugs, right?"
"Leave them to me. I can handle them myself."
Vi casually dug a finger in her ear, clearly completely unfazed by Caitlyn's irritation.
She knew perfectly well what was occupying Caitlyn's thoughts and causing her anxiety.
A bunch of hired muscle?
Absolutely laughable.
"You? The hired security forces for this operation, there are at least nearly a hundred of them, all experienced fighters."
Caitlyn shot her a glare, turning her head away with a huff. She figured Vi had let Zaun's refined cuisine scramble her brain.
Boasting like that? She'd be fortunate not to embarrass herself completely.
"Oh? A little bit of fire and spirit in you, I like that."
Vi suddenly closed the distance, appearing directly in front of Caitlyn before she could react. That spark of defiance was exactly what she found attractive.
Caitlyn's eyes widened, Vi's speed wasn't normal. They'd been several meters apart, but she hadn't even noticed when or how Vi moved.
"How about we make a bet?"
Vi, attempting to imitate the confident aura of a domineering corporate executive, reached out and gently tilted Caitlyn's chin upward.
She studied her closely, this exquisite little cupcake, and the more she observed, the more satisfied she felt. She couldn't help but smile slightly and nod approvingly.
In her eyes, Caitlyn's looks, figure, facial features, and even her spirited personality were exactly her type.
But with Vi being shorter, the executive-style chin-tilt gesture looked... well, somewhat less than imposing.
Not that she particularly cared, she felt she was performing at peak charm, radiating magnetic confidence. Abstract CEO energy suited her just fine.
Caitlyn, meanwhile, was already thinking several steps ahead. There was absolutely no way she didn't suspect Vi's motivations.
She deliberately adopted the part of a soft, fragile office worker, appearing stunned by Vi's supposedly "dangerous charm."
Her eyes widened, her gaze becoming blank and uncertain.
She even forgot to resist the contact, not brushing away the hand holding her chin in place.
"If I win our bet, you agree to fulfill one request from me."
"If I lose, I'll agree to fulfill one request from you."
"Fair enough, right?"
Vi leaned in until she was speaking directly beside Caitlyn's ear, allowing her warm breath to brush against the skin.
The skin at the base of Caitlyn's ears turned pink immediately.
The color quickly spread to her cheeks, tinting her face with an alluring blush that made her appear even more appealing.
Absolutely delicious.
"Since you didn't say no, I'll take that as a yes."
After all, a girl's blush was more convincing than any written love letter. Vi decided the moment was perfectly ripe, so she stepped back.
They'd only just met today, pushing too aggressively might frighten away the sweet "office worker."
What Vi didn't realize was that as soon as she turned her back... Caitlyn's eyes narrowed slightly, a sly smile tugging at the corner of her lips.
She was no delicate little office worker, she possessed plenty of skill and cunning.
Vi the confident CEO?
Ha!
All it would take was the slightest move, and this particular pond would be welcoming a fine catch with an upturned snout.