Sunset had finally arrived, and the air in the council room was cramped and stuffy. After countless hours of seemingly never-ending discussion, the council members were completely exhausted. Hakim rose from his seat, tugging at the collar of his suit while letting out a soft breath. "Finally..." he muttered under his breath.
"Councilman Hakim." A voice stopped him before he had the chance to leave. Mitz was standing directly behind Hakim, his hands casually intertwined behind his back. "Would you mind coming to grab a bite with me?"
Before Hakim had a chance to respond, a woman with flowing gray hair and fair skin joined their conversation. Only the fine wrinkles on her face and her sharp temper belied her age. From a distance, she didn't even appear a day over forty. "Mind if I join in?" Council Speaker Alice Freuler approached. "I'm so damn hungry right now... you brats couldn't help but bicker and curse each other twenty-four hours straight, huh?"
"Oh, well—" Hakim spoke, about to decline Mitz's offer, but he was cut off by the sound of his rumbling belly. He desperately wanted to return home, take a nice bath, and then sink into bed with his wife, but he couldn't just ignore the immediate issue building within his stomach. Nor could he avoid Alice's expectant gaze. "Alright, sure," Hakim relented. "...Where are we going?"
* * *
The three exited the council house, stepping into a large courtyard overflowing with creeping greenery and vines. Lanterns were embedded in the walls, providing a comfortable yellow glow to the space that contradicted the chilly night wind.
The council house itself was a large, domed building sitting directly at 'the point of convergence'—a location where the corners of all three residential districts met. If one were to climb to the top of the council house, they could easily witness the disparity with their own eyes. Another benefit of the council house's location, however, was its proximity to the commercial district.
"So," Hakim asked, warming his frigid hands with short, sharp exhales, "...where exactly are we going? You can't just say 'it's a surprise' and expect me to follow you. What happens if you take me to some shady back-alley roadkill shop?"
"Why? Don't like the smoky taste of pigeon steamed by a skyship's accordion fan?" Mitz smirked. "Well, it is an acquired taste, so I won't blame you for not being cultured, Hakim."
"Just follow the dolt, Councilman Hakim," Alice grumbled, furrowing her brow as she pulled her robe taut across her shoulders. "Food is food is food. I'm starving right now, so I'm willing to eat anything edible with anyone whatsoever as long as I'm not the one paying."
"...Right," Hakim noted, having no choice but to follow Mitz due to the speaker's encouragement. The trio spilled out into the commercial district, which was abuzz with life despite the late hour. Steam carriages hissed and bumped across stone-paved roads as citizens flocked between crowded arrays of shops and restaurants.
"We're going to a little hole-in-the-wall," Mitz informed his colleagues. "It's not very well known, but they serve the best noodles in the Garden. Not to mention that they actually have real pork there, too."
"Wait, what?" Hakim's eyes widened. He had been suspicious of following Mitz, but the mention of pork completely turned the tables. "Are you serious? Pork? From real pigs?" His eyes glimmered with gluttonous hope.
"Yeah, at least I think." Mitz put a finger to his lips in contemplation. "I'm not quite sure where they could even find a real pig... who knows—maybe they source their pork from all that scrap and junk the Sky Empire tosses down at us."
"That place sounds like a health hazard," Alice spoke in a flat voice. "Are you trying to poison us, you little skank? What a terrible plan. You could at least try to make it a little less obvious."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Mitz groaned. Taking such an informal tone with the speaker of the local council was considered taboo, but Alice paid it no regard. It was actually quite comforting to be treated like an equal after so long. Mitz continued walking ahead, pointing to a small shop nestled in an alleyway between two large department stores. "A little poison's not gonna kill ya."
* * *
The restaurant was secluded and low on business. The three council members were the only patrons present at the establishment. However, instead of taking this as a foreboding sign, Hakim saw it as a cue: there was something Mitz wanted to talk about with him. And it had to be somewhere quiet.
The chef served up their noodles—cooked perfectly with a savory umami broth, accompanied by a slice of pork and garnished with shredded cilantro. Its warm aroma wafted into the air with another gust of wind, filling Hakim's nostrils with a pleasant smell that only further drove his hunger. "...It really does look... and smell delicious."
Mitz locked eyes with the chef, slowly nodding, before waving his hand in dismissal. The chef untied his robe, hanging it up by the counter, before vacating the restaurant entirely. Alice didn't bat an eye.
Seeing the chef leave, Hakim pulled his mouth away from his spoon and stammered, "H-hey, wait sir! How are we going to pay you?..." The chef pretended not to hear Hakim and completely disappeared in a matter of mere moments. Hakim sank back into his stool, hunching his back as he let out a long sigh. "What do you want to talk about?"
"It's obvious, isn't it?" Mitz replied, slurping on his noodle broth. "Octagon will soon be attempting to assassinate Sven Aichinger, who happens to go to the same school your son attends."
Hakim's fingers tightened around his spoon. "My son..." his voice came out dangerously low. "I don't know what you're planning, Mitz. But do not bring my son into this. He has absolutely nothing to do with any of this. And besides, you stated yourself that Octagon's presence in Farrah is unconfirmed."
"That was just a plain old lie," Mitz smirked, swallowing a mouthful of noodles. His admittance earned a side-eye from Alice, who otherwise seemed solely focused on her dinner. "We are both well aware of the state the council would devolve into if Octagon's presence were made public... that's why my 'little, trusted club' will be the only ones privy to the matter."
"Little trusted club?" Alice finally spoke up, wiping away noodle broth from her mouth. "...You have a plan, don't you? If it's something decent, then I guess I'll lend a hand as well. It sounds quite fun to be part of a secret club again..."
"This isn't a playground, Speaker Alice..." Mitz shook his head. "And what could a frail old lady possibly do to help us in a fight against the Eight-Armed Flayer of the capital? Are you planning to woo him with your womanly charm?"
"Ha!" Alice laughed. "That's not a half-bad idea! I might just go on and give that a try if you keep beating around the bush too much!" She took another mouthful of noodles. "...The fact that you allowed me to accompany you to dinner shows that my involvement is needed. I do have influence, after all."
"But I still don't get it..." Hakim scowled. "What the hell does this have to do with my son? For all we know, he might not even be an accessor!" He found himself unable to control his words. "...This is preposterous! If you're planning to use Ansel as a decoy, or bait of some—"
"Huh?" Mitz looked at Hakim with an incredulous expression. "...You haven't heard?" He leaned closer, drawn in by Alice and Hakim's curious expressions. Before Mitz took the opportunity to expand upon his confusion, a figure detached from the shadows.
A large man walked toward the three. His figure was obscured by a gray cloak, with a red '0' embroidered onto his left breast. His skin was a warm brown, and his hair was a buzzed blonde. Donnie spoke with a wide smirk that carried unparalleled charisma. "Councilman Hakim. Your son is more powerful than you know."