Chapter 4 Self

Chapter 4 Self

Suye remembered that his parents had worked at the Dolphin River Restaurant in Kelton. When they left, Kelton personally tried to keep them.

Kelton was a Silver Warrior. Although he hadn’t fought for many years, his strength far exceeded that of Bronze Warriors.

He ran several restaurants and was known for his generosity. Everyone in the nearby neighborhoods knew Kelton’s name, and anyone associated with him could seek help, which he would always try to provide.

Suye had heard his parents mention that if they ever needed help, they could turn to Mr. Kelton. They also said that Kelton was backed by a noble, and his true influence was greater than imagined.

Suye recalled all the information about Kelton, pondered for a long time, and determined that he was the right choice.

Not because Kelton was powerful or kind, but because Suye had something that could attract Kelton.

"However, before that..."

Suye took off his brown Himation robe and carefully examined his body. There was no jade pendant, no birthmark, no ring, no necklace... nothing extraordinary.

He didn’t lose heart and tentatively whispered a few words, as if mentioning "system" and "luck."

In the end, nothing happened.

Suye sighed deeply and put on his clothes again.

"I can only rely on myself!" Suye made his decision, with a glimmer like dawn in his eyes.

Suye took a step, then suddenly stopped, thinking for a few seconds. He placed his hands on the shallow wound on his neck and tore it open, letting out a hissing sound but not stopping.

Feeling it was enough, Suye lifted the spellbook.

The white paper became incredibly smooth, far more reflective than a bronze mirror.

Suye looked at the wound and the blood on his neck in the mirror, satisfied. Then he looked down and realized his clothes weren’t dirty enough. Just as he was about to make them dirtier, Kelton’s image flashed in his mind. Instead of dirtying his clothes, he patted them clean, trying to make them as neat as possible, though an observant person would see that the robe wasn’t truly clean.

"Ultimately, life has forced me to become cunning..."

Suye sighed inwardly, took a deep breath, and stepped out.

After a few steps, Suye turned back to look at the grayish-white house, images of the dim living room and the three statues flashing through his mind.

No matter how hard he tried, the faces of the three statues remained blurred.

The gods cannot be directly seen.

Suye quickened his pace.

At the street corner, Suye casually glanced around and saw two familiar faces.

Those two people had once stood behind Lawrence.

Their gazes met, and Suye continued walking toward the Dolphin River Restaurant.

As he walked, Suye recalled information about the Dolphin River Restaurant.

The Dolphin River Restaurant was located at the boundary between the workshop district and the small noble district. It was the most upscale of Kelton’s restaurants, barely considered high-end in all of Athens, but only small nobles frequented it; other nobles wouldn’t visit such a place.

Every employee at the Dolphin River knew that Kelton had always wanted to connect with the great nobles, especially after his severe injury prevented his advancement. Suye’s parents had said that Kelton wasn’t a vulgar businessman; there must be another reason for his actions.

By the time Suye reached the Dolphin River Restaurant, the sun had set behind Athena’s statue.

The restaurant was on the bustling Ninth Avenue in the workshop district. One block west, toward the city center, was the noble residential area.

In this world, nobles were another term for descendants of the gods.

The gods do not mingle with mortals.

There weren’t many pedestrians on the road, and the doors of the Dolphin River were wide open, ready for business.

A linden wood sign hung beside the entrance, with silver threads depicting graceful dolphins.

On either side of the entrance, about ten meters away, stood two burly men observing the street.

The two men glanced at Suye, allowing him to enter the spacious dining hall.

The moment he stepped inside, Suye saw two waiters looking at him.

Both quickly sized him up from head to toe. One showed surprise, while the other remained expressionless and approached swiftly.

"Honored guest, may I serve you?"

Suye smiled and replied, "If you say ‘what service do you need’ next time, it would be better, especially when recommending wine."

Without waiting for the waiter to react, Suye continued, "I’m here to see the kind Mr. Kelton. I have a big business deal to discuss with him. If you can’t decide, please find the supervisor."

The waiter hesitated for a moment and immediately said, "Please wait."

The waiter quickly left the hall and returned shortly with a middle-aged man wearing a broad smile.

This middle-aged man wore clothing similar to the two waiters and the burly men outside. Unlike Suye’s Himation robe that reached his feet, they wore short chitons, with hems ending at their knees.

Their left sides were partially covered by the garment, revealing their strong right sides and shoulders.

Along the way, Suye noticed that everyone either wore these short chitons or Himation robes, both loose and simple, just draped over the body and tied with belts, confirming the joke about Ancient Greek clothing.

"A hundred ways to wear a sheet."

"I never thought that in a few years, little Suye would grow so much." The middle-aged man laughed heartily.

Suye had completely forgotten the supervisor’s name and smiled, getting straight to the point, "It’s an honor that you still remember me. I’ve come to make a deal with Mr. Kelton, one that will greatly enhance the reputation of the Dolphin River. I believe Mr. Kelton will be very pleased with this news."

The middle-aged supervisor said decisively, "Come on, I'll take you to meet Mr. Kelton."

Suye nodded and followed the middle-aged supervisor, avoiding the awkwardness of not knowing his name.

As they walked, the middle-aged supervisor said, "Sigh... I already know about your parents. Please accept my condolences. After they left Dolphin River, they did well. Who would have thought that after borrowing such a large sum of money to expand their shop, they would meet with an unfortunate accident..."

They soon circled around the dining hall and arrived at the backyard.

A gaunt man with sunken eyes stood at the back door of the courtyard. He wore a brown robe, but of a different style—short sleeves and a shorter cape on his back, covering his upper body.

At his waist hung a short sword.

Suye recognized this man.

Bronze warrior Hake, once a professional soldier, joined the Athens City guards after being injured and eventually became Kelton's bodyguard. According to rumors among the employees at Dolphin River, Hake had killed at least a hundred people.

With the sound of their footsteps, Hake slowly turned his head. His skin was shriveled, as if most of its moisture had been drained, resembling tree bark. Suye immediately recalled his limited knowledge of magic and guessed that either the man had suffered a severe magical injury or had experienced an accident while using a potion.

Hake glanced at Suye and then turned away, not giving him another look.

"Mr. Hake," the middle-aged supervisor bowed slightly as he passed by Hake and continued walking inside.

"Mr. Hake," Suye greeted as he passed by.

Hake never looked at them again, instead gazing at the sky in the courtyard, his eyes obscured by the shadows of the eaves.