A Lion's Way Home

7. Old Friend

Leon wished he could do another mission today. Fighting and adventuring would hone his combat skills and instincts, but nothing could beat the joy from adding money to his savings. However, Mr. Burke had told him, "No more missions today."

Luckily, every mercenary academy had a training center, so Leon could still gain the benefits of fighting and adventuring.

Before entering the training zone, though, Leon stopped by the building's cafeteria. Nobody could fight well with an empty stomach, especially when it happened because of missing out lunch.

Although it was already 1PM, Leon still ended up in the middle of a long queue. The worst part? If the mercenaries in front of him were all claiming their free lunch sets instead of buying snacks, it might take at least five minutes until his turn. The cashier had to scan every mercenary's ID card and check their names in the computer to prevent them from claiming free seconds.

By the time it was Leon's turn, acid had crawled up his throat thanks to the rich, buttery fragrance in the air. His stomach also rumbled, but the noisy environment - comparable to an outdoor marketplace - smothered the little sound.

Leon handed his ID card to the woman behind the counter. "One lunch set, ma'am."

"Yes, Sir." The woman took the handheld scanner from its stand and scanned the barcode on the ID card. After a beep, she tapped the computer screen several times and returned the card to Leon. Then she rushed to the service window behind her. "One carnivore lunch set!"

Leon kept the ID card in his wallet and returned it to his pants pocket. A moment later, a hand pushed a red tray out of the service window.

Like a hungry lion seeing its prey, Leon scrutinized the large chunk of grilled meat and the small pile of buttered vegetables on the tray. The cafeteria served fiend steak - the cheapest meal due to the abundance of beast-type fiends out there - almost everyday for those with carnivorous GSs, but the chefs knew the right blend of spices to make the steak taste different from time to time. Fiend meat would always share the same texture as beef, though.

The drink accompanying the meal was and would always be a glass of water. It was so cheap that one could simply refill it at one of the water dispensers in the cafeteria.

After placing a tissue paper and eating utensils on the tray, the woman brought it to Leon. "Here you go, Sir."

"Thank you."

With the tray in his grasp, Leon walked away from the counter while scanning the cafeteria for the least crowded area and the smallest table. Nothing annoyed him more than small talks when eating.

Spotting a few empty tables at the desolate corner of the cafeteria, he sped up. There were still many mercenaries who hadn't gotten their seats out there.

He arrived at a small square table without a fuss. After placing the tray on the table and his backpack beside the chair, he sat down and picked up the fork and the knife. Time to dig in.

Leon's tongue sensed butter with a pinch of garlic in the juicy steak. Of course, this was far better than his mom's cooking; not only fiend meat contained so much nutrient that non-mercenaries might suffer multiple organ failure after consuming it, but the academy also had all the tools and ingredients to make good food. However, it lacked what made his mom's cooking more satisfying.

Mom worked hard to turn whatever she could buy with Dad's and her earnings into something edible. A lump forming in his throat, he stopped chewing and stared at the half-eaten steak and veggies. Here? As long as you don't break the rules, you can claim a free breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day.