[Amelia] The Level Zero Hero Chapter 219 (Patreon)

It took a few days before Bucky’s Out of this World Restaurant was reopened to the public. While Amelia was finished setting up the brand new tables and chairs, she wasn’t done with redecorating just yet. There was a lot she needed to do to make sure the place was not completely plain and bare. So she spent some time redecorating and adding quite a bit of flair to the common room.

Meanwhile, the town guard needed to let the whole ordeal with the suddenly appearing Elder Dragon blow over. They tried to convince everyone that it was a wyvern, not a dragon, that fell from the sky. However, rumors spread anyway, and somehow, that benefitted Amelia’s business even more.

“Is this the restaurant that a dragon came to visit?”

“Seriously? A dragon came here?”

“That’s right! I heard it was drawn here by the hummus mixed with savis cubes! They’re delicious!”

“…but expensive.”

“And worth it.”

Honestly, some of these rumors had to have been spread by Amelia herself. Maybe she asked Harlan to have start it, or maybe she recruited the help of some other folks in Wolfwater. Either way, when Bucky’s Out of this World’s Restaurant reopened, there was a deluge of customers— both returning and brand new.

So it was a busy day. There was a lot of work to be done. Especially for Harlan, Jax, and Edlyn. The three of them were going to have to struggle to accommodate the new influx of customers, considering the increased capacity the restaurant had now.

But Arthur’s workload remained the same. The bar hadn’t been expanded, and the amount of alcoholic drinks he needed to serve barely changed. So all the former Lich King needed to do was stand at his bar like he usually did, watching as the restaurant was assailed by a rush of unending customers.

He stared at them blankly, his mind a daze. He could not focus on anything that was going on around. Even when a customer approached the bar and asked for a shot of whiskey. It took a minute for the bartender to break out of his stupor, before he profusely apologized.

“Sorry, here you go. It’s on the house.”

Arthur bowed his head as the customer accepted it with a grumble. Sighing, the former Lich King leant against the bar as he closed his eyes. There was a reason why he wasn’t able to concentrate. There was a reason why he was standing here in a daze.

And it was because of the conversation he had overheard between Amelia and the Elder Dragon.

Kallistus Kal the [Hero King] had become enthralled by the powers of the Void. And because of that, he had become the Heir of the Void. Such a development was going to lead to incredibly destructive consequences. All of Vacuos was going to suffer because of that.

Especially considering the ongoing war between the Astrad Kingdom and the Kingdom of Kal. Arthur hadn’t paid much attention to the politics of it all before, considering it seemed like a simple affair between two nations. But now that he knew the context behind it, he found it hard to ignore all the news surrounding it.

He found it hard to pay attention to his work as he heard the whispers and rumors coming in about the war.

“So what do you think will happen to this restaurant when the Kingdom of Kal conquers Wolfwater?”

“Idiot— don’t say that! That’s not going to happen! The war hasn’t even gotten close to Whiteridge just yet…”

“But I hear their counteroffensive has been very effective. Their armies are advancing in the north and the south. It’s only a matter of time before they launch an attack from the west too.”

“When that happens, the Knights of the Astral Order will repel them.”

“And how? Where have they been the entire war?”

“It sounds like to me you want the Kingdom of Kal to win!”

“No— I’m just being realistic! The [Hero King] has never lost a war since he has arrived in this world! In fact, he has never lost a battle either. And I heard he’s reappeared once again in the front lines of the southern border.”

“You can’t be serious…”

That made Arthur perk up. His brows furrowed together when realized the [Hero King] was going to rejoin the battlefield.

The southern border… that is far from here… Arthur pursed his lips. That was far away. Too far. The former Lich King almost hoped that the [Hero King] was closer to the restaurant, so he could do something about it. Unfortunately, it was all far away.

And Arthur could do nothing but bide his time and grow stronger. He looked down at his hand below the bar, glowing with a purple aura. The power of the Void that had been left within his body— ingrained into his soul.

Yet, he was still…

“…so weak,” he whispered.

He was trying to grow stronger. But he was growing stronger too slowly. He needed a way to grow stronger quicker. Faster. He needed better control over his powers. He gritted his teeth as the glow in the palm of his hand began to fade.

And a voice drew his attention from his side. “You’re frustrated, aren’t you?”

Arthur blinked, looking up to see Jax standing right outside of the kitchen. He had a pile of dirty dishes in his hands, but he had stopped to stare at the bartender with a smirk.

“It is quite upsetting,” the elf said simply as he shook his head, “to work so hard, but reap no reward.”

“...right.” Arthur hesitated, not sure what to say in response.

Jax smirked and continued, “I have been in your position before. For over a decade, I found myself unable to progress— unable to grow stronger. Even though I sought power, I was never able to attain it. Because it was an amorphous goal. Until I met Amelia.”

“Where are you going with this?” Arthur asked as he narrowed his eyes. In the background, the restaurant continued bustling with customers. Harlan rushed around the room, working alone to deliver all the dishes to the waiting tables.

“I believe you need a goal to strive towards. And I don’t mean an enemy that you want to defeat. But someone you can challenge and help you learn from your weaknesses.” Jax looked down at himself, before it looked like an idea popped into his head.

Arthur just stood there uncertainly. But he didn’t turn away even as a customer called for more drinks. Instead, he waited for the Forsaken Archer to finish.

Jax looked up and grinned. “What about a sparring match after work?”

“A sparring match…?” Arthur frowned. He considered this for a moment, then heard the customers calling for him again. And he nodded. “Sure.”

—--

The restaurant had been expanded. There were more customers than ever. It was the busiest day since Edlyn had gotten here. It should have been stressful. She should have been feeling exhaustion settling in. But she… was at ease.

And that was for a variety of reasons. Firstly, the bastion bees were no longer stirring up trouble for whatever reason. They weren’t even bothering Amelia any longer. They had somehow been placated.

Edlyn wasn’t going to question what happened. She was simply grateful for it, and she didn’t want to bring it up, because that was certainly going to make them stir trouble again for whatever reason.

But more importantly, since the restaurant had been so busy with renovations and now the influx of customers, the [Royal Chef] hadn’t needed to speak with Amelia that much over the last few days. That was why Edlyn was at ease. Because she could simply spend her time cooking and enjoying herself.

It was nice. Especially with all the time she spent chatting with Harlan.

But as the day slowly came to an end, Edlyn watched as Amelia approached her. The brown-haired woman wiped her hands on her apron, before nodding at the [Royal Chef].

“Hey,” Amelia said as she smiled. “Can we talk?”

And that immediately made Edlyn freeze.

Author's Notes:

What thonk?

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