Wyman Brionne

Before Alex could question her further, he sensed a sudden presence near their table. Swiftly turning his attention back to Leo's direction, he discovered that the senior mage was now unexpectedly positioned beside Austin.

"You're wasting time," the senior, whose name was said to be Wyman Brionne, scolded his mage apprentice. "I will only give you two more minutes. Tell him everything you have to say and then come back, understood?"

"Um, eh, yes master." Austin desperately composed himself in a rigid pose as he respectfully addressed the man in front of him.

Wyman Brionne gave a curt glance at Leo before moving his gaze towards the rest of the adventurers.

As soon as Alex felt the other man's stare, a sense of enormous pressure began bearing down on him. Due to his warrior's refinement, he was able to determine that this individual possessed the ability to single-handedly eliminate every person in this restaurant.

Although Leo and the others did not have the same sort of warrior prowess as Alex, their instincts were still capable of warning them of the unimaginable power held within this senior.

'He feels so domineering,' Leo thought as he subconsciously stepped back to keep his distance. 'No wonder he got Austin to become his apprentice. His presence alone is terrifying enough.'

Not that the man was closer, Leo was able to get a better inspection of the individual's features. Wyman Brionne's face contained only faint traces of resemblance to Halo Academy's headmaster, Lewin Brionne, having lines that made him appear noticeably more gruff and serious than the latter. As a result of old age, both brothers shared a white-colored hair and beard, with the former's being more neat and trimly cut. All in all, this senior gave off a serious attitude that suggests a hidden strength of formidability.

Wyman's gaze swept through their group, lingering only briefly upon Judy before he eventually vanished and reappeared back at his table once more.

"Was that-- a teleportation spell?" Leo hesitantly asked.

"Yeah," Austin sighed. "He often likes to do things straightforwardly."

After taking a short breath, Austin spoke to the team again, "Anyway, I'll be at the capital city by tomorrow afternoon. I was originally planning on giving you a surprise visit when I first arrived here, but I guess now that is unnecessary. If I can get some time, I'll make sure to see you all again."

"That's good to hear." Leo smiled.

Just when Austin was about to bid farewell, a feeling of curiosity suddenly took hold of Leo.

"Oh, wait. I have something else to ask."

"What is it?" Austin replied.

"Does the Brionne family happen to be well-distinguished in Bavalon?"

When Leo first heard of the senior's identity, some part of him wondered on whether or not the Brionnes were a part of the nobility.

His friend only gave a short explanation.

"I don't really know that much; my master rarely ever talked about it. However, I did once hear him say that his family is secretly renowned for producing some of the most elite mages within the kingdom.

"Although they aren't necessarily a noble house, they command just as much respect as one. Maybe even more."

"Mm, thanks for telling me," Leo thanked his friend for sharing the information.

'That could explain why none of the other workers and guests are minding the fact that this senior isn't wearing any fancy clothing...'

Just as Leo was contemplating, the waiter assigned to his group finally arrived back.

"Sorry for the wait," the waiter apologized. "I've got the refreshments now. Have you all decided on what to order?"

Realizing that time was up, Leo and Austin reluctantly said goodbye to each other before they went back to their respective seats.

"Well, guess we'll have to talk some other time."

"Yeah, I'll make sure to visit again on the first opportunity. Then, it was nice meeting you all."

After the reunion was over, Leo took a quick overview of his menu before quickly ordering something random for the waiter. His teammates ended up doing the same, as they had also been distracted by the events of the recent conversation.

----------

The dinner at the restaurant was quite fulfilling, with not a single individual member feeling dissatisfied with their meals. While they didn't have enough time to order with careful forethought, just about everything on the menu was something delectable, so it ultimately didn't matter.

Sarah's entire mood was uplifted by merely biting into the delicious food. She completely put the matter of her dress aside entirely, feeling quite grateful that she managed to obtain such a wonderful opportunity to visit this establishment.

Leo's feelings were similarly joyful, mainly due in no small part to having reunited with his old friend. His meal had been chosen on a whim, yet it was still able to provide one of the most amazing sensations for his taste buds, though he felt uncertain if it was the best food he had ever eaten. While Leo didn't come from a luxurious lifestyle, his family would sometimes come into contact with amazing delicacies as a result of trade.

However, among the group, there were other members who were more subdued than the rest...

Alex would eat his meal silently while occasionally sending a concerned glance in Judy's direction, who was appearing quite reserved. This action eventually caught Leo's attention, as he began noticing the lack of excitement coming from his other teammate. He felt that this was particularly strange, considering that Judy had been the one who previously looked most forward to this dinner reservation.

When Leo sent a confused expression to Alex, the latter was only able to respond with a small shrug. Both of them were a little unsure on how to approach their sullen friend who had yet said a single word since they began eating.

Fortunately, there was still someone else who was able to help break the current atmosphere.

"Why are you being so silent, Judy?" Sarah asked after putting her utensils down.

"Hm?" Judy looked up after taking a nibble of a tendered loin. "Oh, I'm just thinking about certain matters, that's all. Sorry if I seem a little distracted at the moment."

"Is there anything we can help you sort out?" Alex asked from the side.

"No no, it's all good," Judy insisted. "Let's not waste our time on personal matters right now. We still have to finish our food; it's not everyday we get to try such amazing delicacies!"

Forcing a smile on her face, Judy went on and continued eating, ignoring the stares directed at her.

Some time later, everyone successfully ate everything they ordered. Cleaning themselves with the napkins, they eventually left their seats after parting ways with their assigned waiter.

Originally, Leo wanted to have another conversation with Austin again. But unfortunately, Wyman did not allow any further opportunities between them. The last thing Leo saw when he tried to make contact was a small flash of light and the figures of Austin and Wyman disappearing into thin air.

'So strict... This guy seems extremely inflexible,' Leo grumbled. 'How is someone like that related to our headmaster?'

As he was silently fuming, the adventurers walked out of the restaurant and eventually made their way to the front gate. Once there, it automatically opened, officially signaling the end of their group's dinner. The outside was currently in a period of nighttime, being only illuminated by the stars and moon.

'I wonder how he can use spatial magic so freely without regard for the city's security. Could he have some sort of considerable authority as an elite mage?'

Leo was still pondering on who exactly this Wyman Brionne person is. From the limited information he gathered, he could only make shallow guesses. However, Leo had an inkling that another individual may have the answers to his questions.

Currently leading the front of the group, Judy was doing her best effort to appear natural and composed.

"That was quite an enjoyable evening," Judy commented with a light skip in her step. "Although it is a shame that it couldn't have lasted longer."

"Yeah..." Alex reluctantly agreed, still feeling preoccupied with the presence of that senior.

"I'm afraid I have to go back home for now." Judy continued speaking, acting a little sheepish. "Sorry guys, but I think I forgot to organize something important. Let's meet up again later, okay?"

She turned around to face them, giving a warm wave that looked a little mechanical.

At this moment, Alex stopped moving and attempted to probe Judy's situation.

Using a smaller voice than usual, he tried asking, "Um, so--"

"We'll be seeing you at tomorrow's other restaurant, then?" Sarah suddenly interrupted Alex without warning.

"Of course! We still have a big day ahead of us!"

After that exclamation, Judy eventually separated from the team to enter onto a different path. The rest of her friends could only watch her back quietly recede into the night.

Alex waited for half a minute before rounding on Sarah.

"Why did you interrupt me?" he demanded in slightly hushed tones, just in case his voice would somehow travel to Judy's ears. "Back there, she was clearly affected by that Wyman guy."

"As fellow companions, it's a bit disrespectful to intrude on each other's privacy," Sarah patiently explained. "When she wants to open up to us, only then can we discuss her problems."