The steak, grilled to medium-well, gave off an enticing aroma of meat. Beside Aya, Miss Aisha's stomach began to rumble.
"Aisha, you can sit over here and eat too."
"May I?" Aisha asked hesitantly.
"Of course," Aya said. "Just sit across from me."
"Thank you very much," Aisha said.
The waitress was still watching Aya. She narrowed her eyes, revealing a gaze almost like that of a predator.
The movement was slight, and her expression immediately returned to normal. But the subtle change did not escape Aya's notice, because she was carefully observing the waitress at that moment.
The scent of grilled steak was rich, and the corn chowder carried a sweet fragrance, yet Aya could smell none of it.
What lingered at the tip of her nose was a familiar, fresh scent. Because it was too familiar, Aya instead began to feel confused.
This was the aura of a Primordial Beast. Aya could not have been more certain—only Primordial Beasts could recognize this special fragrance.
In truth, the essence of this fragrance was not pheromones, nor was it any kind of substance. It was magical power—a magical power with special properties.
According to the setting, Primordial Beasts were born with immense reserves of magical power. Their magic radiated outward, and only other Primordial Beasts could detect it.
The result of that detection manifested in the senses as a fragrance. That was the true nature of the scent Aya had caught.
"Is this waitress in front of me a Primordial Beast?"
The fragrance came from her. That comfortable, pleasant scent had already revealed her identity.
"How is that possible..." Aya thought. "There are no wild Primordial Beasts in this world!"
Rather than being the ancestors of modern creatures, Primordial Beasts were more like an entirely different form of life.
The