Chapter 741: A Different Table.

Rarely, if ever, does the sequel live up to its prequel, but this time was one of the rare exceptions.

"This... might be the movie of the decade," Dante said as the credits rolled.

"I.... can’t believe it..." Merry said, her eyes wide open. "It was actually this good?"

"C’mon now, you telling me you didn’t know that already?"

"This is my first time seeing it as well. I only heard that it’s going to be good."

Dante couldn’t even lie and pretend that it was just okay. It has been a while since he last watched a production this good, and he had enjoyed it so much that his mood improved quite a bit.

"You really know how to pick a birthday gift." He said, feeling a genuine smile form on his face. "Thank you, Sunshine. You just made this day a whole lot better."

"Ehehe~ Glad to hear that." The bright hero began to glow, grinning from ear to ear. She then seemed to realize something, causing her eyes to go wide. "But this isn’t your birthday gift, okay? I have something else prepared, so I look forward to later tonight."

"Really? Then I will look forward to it."

It was only after he gave his reply that Dante realized the predicament. He had promised Bella that he would come back after his dinner with the hero, but at this rate, he would be trapped. Depending on what Merry had planned, he might end up busy all night, disappointing his entire gang.

"I’m getting a bit hungry." He said. "How about we grab something to eat?"

"I have already made a reservation."

Though he hadn’t bothered learning its name, Dante had already guessed that the building they were in was a high-end hotel. The theater was clearly open to their VIPs, and the same went for the restaurants on their top floors. The owner specifically came out to welcome them, offering to personally lead them to their table.

"Wait," Just as the owner turned around, Dante held up a hand and stopped him. He had been looking at the restaurant’s security cams just then, and he noticed some familiar faces, causing a smile to form on his face.

~[ ]~

Boris had been through a lot in his life. He had worked for Viktor for the last seventeen years and was the only one to accompany him when they moved to Neo-Vatra a decade ago. At the time, Boris had believed it to be the most stressful time of his life, but nothing compared to what he was going through this night.

As he looked across the table, he felt that his heart might jump out of his chest at any moment. A young woman sat on the other side, and going by her expression, she seemed to be equally as nervous. Many would claim she was average-looking, which is to be expected, considering she had undergone zero cosmetic enhancements. Her figure was modest, and so was the white dress she wore. She seemed to have put some effort into her hair and makeup, and she wore contacts instead of her round glasses, but that was the extent of it.

In a world where people replaced their entire skull to alter their appearance, she looked incredibly plain, but at the moment, no woman could possibly surpass her beauty in Boris’s eyes.

"It... sure is beautiful... this place, I mean," Nana said, doing her best to smile. "Even more than the last one we went to."

"Y-yes, there is a big difference." Boris caught himself before he started bragging. He didn’t want her to think that he was going beyond his means just to support her. "I had been meaning to bring you here, but I didn’t want to overdo it right from the start."

"Do you dine here often?" She asked.

"Occasionally. I usually come here with the boss, but sometimes, when I’m in the mood for the chef’s cooking, I book a table just for myself."

"That’s great to hear. To be honest, I don’t even know how to act in a place like this. I’ll be relying on you to show me the ropes."

"Of course! You can always rely on me!"

Just as their conversation seemed to take off, Boris noticed a server approaching their table. They had yet to look at the menu, which should have been clear from the ribbons sealing them. He was about to tell him off, but the server didn’t raise his head after bowing down.

"Sir, please excuse the interruption, but there is something we would like to inform you." He said. "The owner has asked that you get moved to a different table, so if you could just-"

"A different table?" Boris interrupted him. "Where did this come from?"

He tried to keep his tone in check so Nana wouldn’t be bothered, but it was a little difficult to remain calm in such a situation. Being a big food lover, he wasn’t a stranger to fine dining. He also had more than enough wealth to visit such establishments on the regular, so it wasn’t like he appeared like a brokie trying to show off.

"The VIP area happens to be entirely empty tonight." The server said. "We believe a nicer view is what you and your date deserve."

Dumbfounded, Boris continues to stare at the server for a while. Restaurants never did such things to random people, and he wasn’t anyone important for them to show him any consideration. For the time being, he decided to go with the flow, so he turned to his date and did his best to smile.

"You heard him, Nana. Should we change tables?"

"I’m fine either way."

Boris remained on edge till the very end, fearing that they were being tricked into moving to a worse part of the restaurant. Of course, with it being a five-star establishment, even the most desolate corner was high class, so they didn’t have to worry about getting a worse experience. As he would soon learn, Boris never had to worry in the first place. The table they were led to was indeed an upgrade, and as they sat down, a message reached him, revealing the identity of the one behind the sudden switch.

[

Dante: Don’t you dare screw this up.

]