Chapter 49 - The Last Fight Was Over Breakfast
Before Chicago, Eli needed breakfast.
For once, nobody was attacking the restaurant.
Nobody was extracting lifespan.
Nobody had opened a mouth beneath the city.
Jian sat at Jade Table's counter arguing with Mei about scallion pancakes.
"Too much oil," he said.
"Seven years in furnace and now diet expert?"
"I am thinking about health."
"Think quieter."
Tasha ran pastry service while studying for school exams.
Reggie managed facilities and had upgraded his title to Director of Things That Break.
Owen returned to active fire duty but led Hearth emergency planning on weekends.
Madam Sato had placed Aiko's Hearth Seed inside a protected body-growing vessel at the Moonlight Market. Nobody knew whether full restoration was possible.
Sato visited every day anyway.
Grant was cooperating with investigations and restructuring NourishNow into an ordinary meal company, which turned out to be difficult because ordinary companies also had problems.
Ren disappeared.
He left one note.
PROVE IT WORKS WITHOUT YOU.
That annoyed Eli because it was a good point.
So Eli stepped back.
The Community Hearth Network elected its own council.
No permanent leader.
Term limits.
Public covenant records.
Independent audits.
The Ledger received read access but no authority to change network rules automatically.
[System comment: Host distrusts own system.]
"Healthy relationship."
Breakfast service began.
A man in an expensive suit complained that pay-what-you-can diners were ruining the atmosphere.
Eli smiled.
"Private dinner starts at six."
"I spend thousands here."
"Then you can afford patience."
The man demanded the manager.
Reggie pointed at Eli.
"Unfortunately, that's him."
The customer left.
Mrs. Alvarez applauded from table three.
Then Roland Pike entered.
He carried a plastic container.
Six dumplings.
"What's this?" Eli asked.
"Company property."
Eli laughed.
Roland had lost Golden Ox when its owners discovered his Ash Pavilion involvement. He now worked as a line cook at a smaller restaurant and, according to him, slept better.
"I owe you an apology," Roland said.
"Yes."
Roland waited.
"That's it?"
"You want me to make your apology easier?"
Roland nodded slowly. "Fair."
He apologized anyway.
Not for everything. Specifically.
For humiliating Eli.
For insulting Mei.
For valuing inventory over a person.
For taking Ren's money and telling himself he had no choice.
Eli accepted the apology.
He did not offer him a job.
Boundaries were also part of nourishment.
They ate dumplings together.
The Ledger chimed.
[No Insight Qi awarded.]
Eli smiled.
"Good."
[System confusion: Host pleased by lack of reward.]
"You'll learn."
The front door opened.
A kid stepped inside wearing a delivery-driver jacket three sizes too big.
Maybe nineteen.
Exhausted.
He looked at the pay-what-you-can sign.
"How much if I have two dollars?"
"Two dollars."
"What if I'm really hungry?"
Eli looked toward the kitchen.
Jian was rolling dough.
Mei was yelling about oil.
Tasha was stealing strawberries.
Reggie was pretending not to notice a leaking faucet.
A week earlier, Eli would have seen a quest.
Now he just saw someone hungry.
"Sit," he said. "Breakfast is coming."
No notification appeared.
He liked it better that way.
Then the kid pulled a black envelope from his pocket.
"Some lady in a navy suit told me to give you this."
Miriam Cross.
Inside was a plane ticket to Chicago.
And a handwritten note.
OFFICIALLY, THE BOARD DENIES YOUR REQUEST TO INTERVENE.
Below it:
UNOFFICIALLY, BRING WARM CLOTHES.
Eli laughed.
Even magical bureaucracy had loopholes.
---
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