Chapter 13: The Unbearable Persistence

Chapter 13: The Unbearable Persistence

Axi merely glanced at Airael before turning away, finding a table in the lobby to sit down.

Though it was an inn, the Traveler’s Inn provided meals for its guests, aiming to make travelers feel at home as much as possible.

At home, one could sleep and eat, after all.

Of course, the Traveler’s Inn only offered these basic services; if guests desired more, they’d have to figure it out themselves.

After Axi settled in, a waiter approached him, ready to take his order.

Axi, as natural as could be, began to rattle off a long list of dishes, each portion quite generous, particularly heavy on the meats.

Airael couldn’t help but worry whether the small table could hold all of that, let alone if he could finish it all.

Even though he was a man and a warrior needing to do plenty of physical labor, Airael thought the amount of food was a bit excessive.

It’s important to note that Axi was not a big, burly guy; in fact, he had a beautifully proportioned figure that exuded an aesthetic charm.

But if he ate this much, this greasy, at every meal, how could he possibly maintain such a trim physique?

Was someone joining him for dinner, perhaps?

The thought made Airael shake her head.

Axi was a lone mercenary, and he would only find companions when necessary.

And looking at him, he didn’t seem to be waiting for anyone.

Once he finished ordering, he noticed Airael’s gaze still fixed on him, causing his brow to furrow slightly.

Unaware of his scrutiny, Airael continued to ponder the food.

If he could finish all that, his appetite was certainly enormous!

“If you have something to say, just come out with it,” Axi finally said, his tone straightforward.

His words snapped Airael back to reality.

She had no intention of rejecting the invitation. After all, she came here to get close to Axi and satisfy her curiosity.

She directly moved to sit across from Axi.

“So, what do you want with me? Looking for a favor?” Axi questioned.

After thinking for a moment, Airael smiled and replied, “Not much of anything, I just want to get to know you better. In other words, you have piqued my interest, and I’m curious to learn more.”

Axi shot back without a hint of mercy, “If there’s nothing, then you might as well leave. Besides, getting to know me won’t benefit you.”

The hint of dismissal was all too clear.

Airael wasn’t about to play by his rules: “Have you heard the saying, ‘Inviting a god is easy, sending one away is hard’?”

Axi looked a bit annoyed, “I may not have heard that before, but you’re no god!”

Airael had already made up her mind to stick around: “Maybe I’m not a god, but I’m not leaving until my curiosity is satisfied. Plus, this place and this road aren’t your property, so you can’t control where I am!”

Seeing the determined Airael, Axi fell silent.

He decided to go for a silent treatment.

If she wouldn’t leave, he simply wouldn’t acknowledge her, acting as if she wasn’t even there.

Many before had tried this tactic to cling to Axi, especially women, but he had always managed to bore them into leaving.

Before long, they would always walk away.

He believed Airael wouldn’t last long, either.

Axi was about to find out he miscalculated.

Airael, having just arrived on this continent with her own plans, found her intentions tossed aside as soon as she met him.

Plans are meant to keep one organized, but they’re merely static guidelines while people (and elves) are alive and adaptable.

Since the old plans were now irrelevant, she could just draft a new one focused on getting to know Axi.

And for the long-lived Airael, patience was something she wasn’t lacking.

After all, her magical prowess had stagnated at the Ninth-level for a whole century, waiting to venture out into the world again.

She’d been training in martial skills during that time, but the stasis of her magical ability was real.

During that century, every time she thought about her magic stuck at a standstill, her desire to explore stirred within her.

Thus, she had become extraordinarily patient over that hundred years.

As long as she was doing something she wanted, she could keep at it indefinitely.

Unless, of course, she found it utterly meaningless or simply didn’t want to do it anymore.

The two faced off in silence at the table.

Axi refused to engage with Airael, and Airael wasn’t going to speak first either.

Not long after, the peculiar atmosphere between them was broken by the waiter serving their food.

Noticing two people seated and that Airael had been there for so long, the waiter kindly brought two sets of utensils along with the dishes.

Airael graciously accepted the utensils without hesitation and started eating before Axi had even touched his food.

Watching how casual Airael was, Axi was left dumbfounded.

Just moments ago, he had asked her to behave like a gentleman—so why wasn’t she being more ladylike?