Chapter 17: First Signs Emerge! Blood Beast Ban
[On this journey, you saw breakfast shops, Chinese restaurants, Western restaurants, dessert shops, bakeries, and specialty snack shops...]
[You have to admit, ever since ice cream awakened your taste buds, your stomach has been sending you constant signals. You are hungry.]
[You found a ramen shop that was about to close. Despite the owner’s strong objections, you barged in domineeringly.]
[You casually twisted the metal stool blocking your path into a knot. Then, you reached into your pocket and pulled out a wad of Federation Coins.]
[Although you don’t know if the currency used in the City of No Night is the same as in the Outer City, you guess it must be, based on the Federation Coins sent as monthly tribute to the Inner City District.]
[The shop owner, an old man in his sixties, was moved by your ’approachable’ demeanor. He promised that after decades of making noodles, he would pull his best, most chewy batch just for you.]
[Looking at the old man’s earnest expression, you resisted the urge to beat him to death.]
[You devoured thirty bowls of ramen and gave a nod to the old man’s craftsmanship.]
[Just as you were about to leave the ramen shop, you noticed a little girl had suddenly appeared across the table from you.]
[The little girl looked to be around eleven or twelve years old, dressed in a black-and-white lace maid outfit, complete with a white bow and a maid’s headband.]
[You weren’t captivated by her outfit; instead, your heart was seized by fear.]
[Because you entered this ramen shop alone, and during your entire meal, you never heard the sound of anyone else coming in.]