"Huh?"
|˙˙)
Annie blinked, swallowed her food, and found the scene rather novel. She had been hanging around the Food Ward in the Divine Capital for days, but she had never seen a restaurant turned into a place for "official business."
Just then, the quick-witted waiter from earlier came in with a freshly steamed little pastry, still piping hot.
Annie pointed outside, picked up a steaming pastry whose surface seemed to dance with fiery light, and asked around a mouthful:
"Hey, waiter!"
(￣~￣) Chew!
"What are all those people outside doing?"
╭(′ o′)╭
"They're lined up, and it looks like they're filling out some kind of forms. Are they taking care of some business?"
Her cheeks were puffed out, like a little hamster storing food, and she could barely speak clearly.
"Outside?"
The waiter first wiped his hands with a cloth, then glanced in the direction Annie was pointing.
In the next moment, his face lit up with sudden understanding. Then he looked at Annie with a hint of surprise and asked, sounding astonished:
"Guest, you... you don't know about this?"
He clearly thought that a cultivator like Annie, who looked well-born, spent money generously, and was active in the Divine Capital, ought to know about something like this.
"..."
(￣~￣) Chew!
Annie took another bite of the pastry. She savored the curious taste: a hint of spice and an unusual sweetness, as though a flame were melting in her mouth. She narrowed her eyes in satisfaction, then raised her brows and asked:
"Why would I know? Is it important?"
(^)
It was true that she knew little about the Divine Capital's "common knowledge," and she had only been here a few days. Still, she could act perfectly self-assured and didn't think she had any need to learn about it.