The creaky wooden table groaned under the weight of the platters laid before Kael and Mia.
Steam rose from freshly roasted meat, thick cuts of scarlet-drenched beef, glazed bird wings laced in orange spice, and dark stew filled with tender, root-soaked chunks.
A bottle of dark wine sat between them, its cork already removed.
Kael raised a brow. "Did he say this was their daily meal?"
Mia sniffed at a slice of the meat, her nose twitching. "This is phoenix chicken. And this one…" she poked a marbled strip of red meat "is Tier-5 Spirit Wandering Cow. I'd recognize that aura anywhere. These are premium. Together they're worth… five hundred gold coins, minimum. And that's just what I can tell by smell."
Kael frowned. "And we're still paying one gold coin for all of this?"
