Percy stood before the entrance of what was apparently a restaurant.
Above the door hung a modest sign that read:
George Eats.
The name wasn't particularly impressive, nor did the building scream luxury. Still, it looked well maintained and respectable.
Percy nodded to himself before stepping inside.
Mrs. Callyst had already entered and was chatting with a woman near the counter.
The woman looked somewhat younger than her, perhaps in her late forties or early fifties.
Not wanting to interrupt, Percy kept a respectful distance from them.
Instead, he took the opportunity to look around.
There weren't many customers inside, which was expected at this hour. Most people were still working, leaving only a handful of house wifes and patrons scattered throughout the restaurant.
The interior immediately caught his attention.
It wasn't filthy like a tavern but Neither was it excessively luxurious. The place sat comfortably between the two.
The tables were clean with simple but clean decorations , also the floor looked bright like it was newly made .
It gave off a pleasant atmosphere without making someone feel poor simply by walking through the door.
"This might actually be the one,"
The only remaining question was the price.
A few moments later, Mrs. Callyst finished her conversation and walked over.
The woman she had been speaking with disappeared through a door leading toward the back.
"A worker perhaps ,or maybe the owner?"
"Well, Percy?" Mrs. Callyst asked. "What do you think?"
Percy smiled.
"The place itself is excellent."
" But I'm more worried about the prices."
Mrs. Callyst laughed.
"Oh, don't worry about that."
She lowered her voice slightly.
"They serve many of the same meals you'd find in a tavern at nearly identical prices."
"And the more expensive dishes?"
"Only about thirty percent higher than what you'd pay elsewhere."
Percy visibly relaxed.
"That sounds more than reasonable."
His eyes wandered around once more.
"The furniture looks fairly new."
"It is."
Mrs. Callyst nodded.
"This restaurant only opened about four months ago."
"You seem to know alot Mrs Callyst "
"A friend of mine told me about it. She owns the land here."
"A landowner?"
That was not a title he associated with ordinary people.
"Come to think of it, when Silia had been delivering that expensive suit to Luken Street, Mrs. Callyst had somehow been there as well."
At the time, Percy hadn't thought much about it but .
"Just how many wealthy friends did Mrs. Callyst have?"
The old woman certainly didn't live like someone rich. Yet every now and then she casually mentioned things that suggested otherwise.
Shaking off those thoughts, Percy followed Mrs. Callyst back outside.
"So, young man," she asked, "are you satisfied with this one, or would you like to see another?"
Percy hesitated for a while which Mrs. Callyst seemed to notice and smiled.
"And don't worry about taking up my time. I have plenty of it."
Percy smiled back, his reluctance fading.
"Thank you for the help, Mrs. Callyst. In that case, I'd like to see the others before deciding."
"Very well."
The old woman nodded with a gentle smile.
"Then off we go."
The second restaurant they visited was located closer to the central district named Elegance of Feast. It was noticeably more refined than George Eats, with polished chandeliers hanging from the ceiling and waiters dressed in matching uniforms.
Percy had barely glanced at the menu before quietly giving up on it. The prices weren't outrageous like he expected, but they were high enough that Gareth would probably spend the entire evening complaining.
The third establishment sat on the opposite end of the spectrum. The smell of ale greeted them before they even entered. It wasn't dirty exactly, but the atmosphere was loud and carried the unmistakable feeling of a tavern with drunkereds , he could see a few of them at the corner , they were not rowdy but noticeably loud.
Percy could already imagine Miss Gracy pinching the bridge of her nose the moment she stepped inside as she seems to be particularly sensitive with her nose.
By the time they left the third place, they had walked quite a distance since the places were quite far from eachother and occasionally stoped at small cafe's for some tea that of course Percy paid with the expenses Silia gave him .
As the sun had already begun descending toward the horizon. They decided to end the search with the three restuarant they had visited. And after comparing them all, Percy had more or less reached a conclusion.
The first restaurant remained his favorite.
The second had been cleaner but noticeably more expensive.
The third was affordable enough, but it leaned a little too close to Gareth's preferred tavern atmosphere.
In comparison, the first restaurant struck the best balance out of all .
And new enough that even Miss Gracy would struggle to find fault with it.
As they made their way back, Mrs. Callyst eventually raised a hand and stopped a passing carriage.
"Ohh crap "
The carriage door opened as Mrs. Callyst began climbing inside.
Percy's expression became slightly awkward.
He couldn't bring himself to let the old woman pay for him. Unfortunately, paying for himself wasn't exactly an attractive option either.
Especially after his recent financial disasters.
"Ah, Mrs. Callyst."
The old woman looked toward him from inside the carriage.
"Yes?"
"I just remembered that I should inform Miss Silia about the place I found."
He scratched his cheek.
"So I'll head there first. You can go ahead without me."
Mrs. Callyst looked at him for a moment before smiling.
"I see."
Then she simply nodded.
"No worries, young man."
Percy smiled back and waved and the carriage soon rolled away.
Only after it disappeared down the street did he finally release a quiet sigh.
"My reputation is saved for now."
One copper crown saved was one copper crown earned. And he had got an extra Copper crown left from the expenses Sillia gave him for the place hunting.
With considerably lighter steps than before, as he had been keeping paced with the old woman, Percy began the long walk home.