Chapter 12: The Restaurant in Edenmere

"These should all be residences for some angels. It's said that in the past when there were more angels, only high-ranking angels could live here. Now with the smaller population, even ordinary angels can move in," Cyra said, pointing at the villa-style houses lining the streets after we landed. 

"Angels have social classes too?" Nicola looked around while walking, casually asking.

I saw the mixed architectural styles of the houses, with carvings of all kinds of fish, insects, birds, beasts, flowers, and trees nearly everywhere. I couldn't help but lament that angels live long uneventful lives. With nothing to do, they pursue these tasks that ordinary humans simply can't afford the time for.

"Of course there are classes! Wherever there are humans, oh, living beings, there are classes!" Cyra asserted. 

"Our wings are the most straightforward representation of classes, no? Angels with more wings naturally have greater authority. And it's said that there's an Angel High Council for angels with eight wings or more. Only those big shots with ten wings can participate. Us newborn small fries don't get to know what they look like."

"That's normal. Just by the name you can tell it's some governing body for Edenmere with so many angels. It does seem over the top for a population of only tens of thousands though," I casually expressed. 

"Not necessarily. With the recent introduction of light elf, the population has grown substantially, otherwise, it wouldn't be so lively," Cyra contested. 

After leaving the residential area, a relatively bustling street came into view. Unlike before when we couldn't even see people, here we could at least spot a few angels or light elves passing by now and then.

"Finally some liveliness. I didn't know angels run businesses and earn money too?" Nicola exclaimed, suddenly pointing across the street, "There's even a restaurant!"

I looked in the direction she pointed. There was indeed a shop with a signboard reading "Human World Restaurant". Inside were all kinds of large and small tables and chairs. Clearly a restaurant. 

"Of course! How can there be livelihoods without an economy? Although Edenmere's population is small and resources can be allocated on demand, that would drain vitality from society. Of course there would be trade," I immediately understood after some thought. These angels weren't servants of God revolving around Him like how the True Church portrayed. Naturally, trade would exist.

"Fine, the apparel stores and weapon shops make sense, but don't angels not need to eat? How is there even a restaurant..." Still confused, I walked over to peek inside from the entrance. Indeed, a few angels sat at tables eating despite the lack of crowds. 

"Angels only don't need to eat given sufficient light elements. It's not that they can't eat," Cyra rolled her eyes at me. 

"Many angels who return from the outside world grow fond of human world cuisine. Back here, of course, they would crave it. Demand begets supply. Commerce thrives on goods and technology brought back from the outside." 

I see, the human impact runs deep indeed, I thought to myself and nodded. Just then, she lightly tugged at my clothes. 

"Umm...during your month out there, did you earn any money?" Cyra asked, slightly embarrassed. With her already gorgeous face and that shy expression, I felt this brat can be pretty cute sometimes, if not for that mouth...

"Why do you ask about money?" Unsure how to respond, I asked back. 

"Well...Edenmere uses the same currency as the human world, called Silver I think." Cyra's face turned redder. "I haven't eaten anything for a whole month already..."

"That long? Edenmere doesn't provide food?" I exclaimed in shock. Come to think of it, the last time I ate was the beast meat back in Val City hideout, so it has been over a day. 

"Food is a luxury here. Unlike water, angels can survive in Edenmere without eating. Other than the banquet Lady Elara held to welcome us new angels that first day, the Tivi Palace has not provided any free food since," Cyra helplessly explained. 

"If you really want to eat, either find ingredients yourself from the forests outside the city, or come to restaurants in the streets..." 

"Is there no way to earn money in Edenmere?" I asked, confused. "Sweeping floors or waiting tables in shops should provide wages right?"

"The low native population means an underdeveloped economy. Only the downtown area here has some shops and foot traffic. Further out it's desolate. So there aren't many job openings, and I'm at the bottom as a two-winged angel. The moment I said I wanted a job, shop owners would shake their heads. Those positions got snatched up by the four and six-winged angels... And I still have to attend lessons at the Tivi Palace every day..." Cyra's head hung even lower now. 

"Stop blushing harder than a hot teapot!" Nicola couldn't stand it anymore. She strode right towards the restaurant entrance, "It's just a meal! I haven't eaten in ages too. It'll be my treat!" 

"Hold it!" I quickly grabbed Nicola. "Let's check the prices first. Don't let it cost an arm and a leg finishing our wallet in one go. And we didn't even bring that much..." I felt my empty pockets and panicked, "My wallet's gone!" 

I was about to accuse thieves when I looked down at the dress from Lady Eleanora. Right, my original clothes and wallet were still left in that room back in City Val. 

Seeing my situation, disappointment crept into Cyra's pretty face at the lost chance to freeload this rare meal. "Your lost the wallet?"

"There was over a hundred Silver..." I grumbled with the pain of that loss. Although I usually didn't carry much cash, what was lost could have funded several low level quests at the Adventures Guild. 

If only I had gotten a storage ring earlier. What a waste. 

"A hundred Silver...enough for one or two meals here..." Cyra eyed the restaurant regretfully once more.

"You two, come on. We're angels for goodness sake. Yet here you are, faces of starvation..." Nicola couldn't stand our wretchedness anymore. She then fished out her wallet, "Haha! You should be thanking me now! When I left to join the army, I knew I'd be gone for long. So I brought all my savings along."

"Really? Everything?" My eyes lit up. Although she had squandered her fortune before, Angie had slowly built up her savings again to at least a thousand Silvers I reckon. 

" of course! let me count" Angel flashed a stack of banknotes thick as a brick right there on the street. 

"Don't flaunt wealth! I saw it, I saw it!" I hurriedly stopped her attention-grabbing antics. 

Naturally, we then sauntered smugly into this fabled angel-run restaurant. I just wondered how the food tasted. 

"A table for three ladies? Please come in!" A petite girl emerged from behind the counter. Smelling a big sale from three customers, she welcomed us eagerly. 

"Together right?" 

"Yup, together!" Clearly not her first time here, Cyra led us upstairs instead of sitting in the lobby. She knew this place like the back of her hand. 

"Take us to a private room!"

"Wha-?! They have private rooms too?!" My jaws nearly dropped. I had never even been to such high-class restaurants with private rooms back in human Norvale City. Yet here in this angel city, we made a beeline for one the moment we stepped into a restaurant?!

"Wouldn't those cost a fortune? Can we afford it?" I pulled Cyra aside and whispered anxiously, remembering our initial plan for a casual, affordable meal since we weren't even hungry. 

"Don't worry! Pricing here isn't steep. Even the best private rooms in this restaurant top out at just over a hundred silvers. I checked thoroughly!" Cyra confidently reassured me. "Y'all definitely have enough money!"

"Feliciana, stop pinching pennies," Nicola came over to persuade me too. "It's a rare chance after narrowly surviving doom. For all of us to reunite in this foreign realm, one indulgent meal doesn't seem excessive when we can afford it." 

"You're right, I'm being overly dramatic... Maybe because I lived too poorly on Earth," I conceded and apologized. My money-saving habits were hard to break after a lifetime of poverty. 

"But it doesn't seem right enjoying this feast without Reed. She survived with us too." For us three to first wine and dine without her felt improper.