"Let's get to know each other over a nice meal. My treat."
Lady Zee didn't like that Eren hadn't greeted her with etiquettes dictated by the rankers' code of conduct. She was an Expert– a rank above him after all.
But she decided not to create a scene against a man who owned the entire city for himself. No matter how small he was in front of her in terms of ranking status, he had created a status of his own.
In the face of overwhelming individual power, money and status did not matter much. However, they certainly held their values within certain frames of reference. Jules, Lady Zee, and Tara decided to follow Eren's lead unanimously, unaware of the fact that this was the man they were looking for.
Lady Zee had changed her appearance a bit using Tara's powers. She was a known cultist with a bounty on her head. Thus, she could only depend on such means to pose as a normal adventurer.
But the change in appearance wasn't enough for Eren not to recognize her. However, he showed the same signs on his face when he looked at Lady Zee. He looked at her as if he was seeing her for the first time, not letting her know that he had recognized her.
***
Summer and greenfield vibes had arrived for Eren and his guests.
Eren had booked a private dining space at the same restaurant using his reach in the city. Spatial and illusion arrays created a landscape that looked like an endless expanse of pasture. There were faded mountain ranges and hills in the distance.
Thousands of birds flew from nowhere to nowhere in the clear blue sky that served as an eternal stage for them to perform. They would produce their chirping sounds from time to time, highlighting their illusory presence.
The butterflies fly over the flowers and lush berries. The smell of earth and wild vegetation was barely masked by the food that had been waiting for its consumers. The food baskets and vessels containing a range of delectable cuisines as well as the jugs containing various drinks were placed neatly over a large wooden table.
This round wooden table, made of old red fire oakwood, was surrounded by a group of chairs. Soon those chairs were occupied by the newly arrived inhabitants of this illusory space.
"You are a man full of surprises, Adept Eren Idril. I never thought I'd get to meet the man who created this city just when I was about to leave.
You truly inspire me. I thank you for inviting us to share a meal with you."
Tara said, looking at Eren with stars in her eyes. She was really inspired by Eren's journey. She felt her adventure-seeking elf heart beat faster every time she looked at the man who was an Ace rank like her not too long ago.
Eren smiled mildly but didn't say anything. He let the three ladies take their seats and served them the food with his own hands. He got near each one of them and asked what they would like and the quantity they preferred before placing their platter full of food in front of them.
Lady Zee's slight irritation was soothed by Eren's gesture. She started seeing him in a positive light after coming into contact with his graceful and elegant personality.
Eren only took four briskets on his platter and an entire jug of special ale all to himself. This was the White Raven ale sample that Levine had concocted using Eren's recipes.
It hadn't been made for commercial use yet. The recipe still needed to be perfected and approved by him. But for now, he decided to taste-test it on himself and the three ladies.
"Hehe. I'm glad to meet you, ladies, as well."
Eren said, looking at all three women in front of him before focusing his eyes on Jules.
"How's LA treating you, Ace Julie?"
Jules, who was busy drinking the White Raven ale Eren had just poured for her, paused and looked at him before smiling mirthlessly. She cut a piece from her brisket with the knife and lifted it in front of her mouth using the fork before replying to him.
"It's been a while since I left LA. I'm no longer an assistant professor there, Eren. And I'm all the more gladly about my decision after meeting you. It would have been awkward for me to see a student getting ahead of me in ranking status in such a short time."
Eren was surprised when he heard Jules had left LA. For him, it didn't make sense. Although the fear of being persecuted by Arthur of the books was lifted, Jules had no reason to leave the protection she enjoyed.
Unless she felt restricted by the rules and regulations LA had placed on her, not allowing her to make full use of her cultist identity.
'Once a cultist, always a cultist!'
Eren thought to himself as he watched Jules enjoying her meal. He could also understand that part of the reason Jules might want to move away from her previous stage in life would be because of him. Specifically, his altered identity.
***
Eren had gotten close to Jules to keep tabs on Lin Karr's investigation. And she had served her purpose well. Later, she was the one who had helped him get into Purgatory using her Illuminati reach.
Eren had been retrospecting his decisions all this time ever since he got out of Purgatory. After considering everything that had happened so far, he didn't regret the fact that he had gotten inside the subspace that was under Eliza's hidden control.
He regretted that it had happened too soon for him. If only he and Reen were allowed time to grow over time, things would have been different. Or at least he hoped they would have been. If nothing else, he was sure to get him and Reen out of harm's way with proper preparation in place.
Eren thus blamed himself more for not preparing enough for Purgatory. He didn't blame Jules for things that had happened to him.
