The Innkeeper

The girl had not exactly kept her volume low, mainly because she was completely unprepared for the shock she received. That drew even more stares, but Lex did not mind. The stares only got more intense when the people noticed exactly where he was going, but by then it was too late. He had already entered the private elevator - which seemed very high tech for a relatively low-tech city - and was on his way to the top floor.

The top floor was more of a statement than anything functional, as hardly anyone ever qualified to use it. One would need a very high projection quality, high cultivation or some kind of extremely prestigious accolade to get access to it. Being a rank 5 member of the Simple Life building, which had a stellar reputation and tried and tested ranking requirements, was more than enough though.

The elevator opened to the sight of a man and a woman waiting for their arrival. Maintaining very professional expressions, they bowed to Lex, before the man asked, "exalted guest, how can we be of service to you today?"

"I am about to attend an extremely lavish feast," Lex said very calmly. "I need clothes for the occasion. Something comfortable, though. I am not used to wearing tight clothing."

"Do you have any preference?" the woman asked. "Any design choices or restrictions? Any… price ranges you want to stay in?"

Lex only chuckled. "How about you just aim to impress me?"

Both the man and the woman were surprised by his request, then filled with excitement. Immediately they brought him in and began measuring his body to begin making his suit. Fortunately, they were not nearly as thorough as Geeves, so Lex did not need to hear about his new weight.

To be honest, Lex had low expectations for the clothes, but the two of them worked really well together, and designed what looked like a formal version of a soldier's uniform. He was impressed, especially when they got to work right in front of him and created the entire ensemble in twenty minutes.

It cost a whopping 300 gold pieces, but Lex paid 350 and stepped out. Not like gold had much value for Lex anyway. Every time he spread his spirit sense out he found lost money, not to mention more than a few stashes of chests full of coins he was pretty sure had been laundered by someone. He felt no guilt using someone else's money if it was stolen to begin with.

When Lex entered the building people stared at him because they were confused and curious about his identity. When he stepped out, however, all eyes were on him because he looked absolutely handsome in his clothes, even with his physique which was skinnier than the rest of the people here.

People began to whisper, wondering about his identity, but no one had any answers. Only a few staff members began to whisper amongst themselves about how a rank 5 member of the Simple Life building, named Lex, had visited them that day.

Lex then made his way to a restaurant that was built right on the river side, with a platform that extended into the river, just below the flowing water. This way, the restaurant had a platform with a few seats where guests could sit and rest their feet in the cool, flowing river water.

It was quite a popular spot, and seemed to be bustling with crowds of families and friends alike. There seemed to be a few private rooms as well which could be booked for those who wished to dine in private.

"I'm sorry ma'am, but the chef Spong-e is not available to cater to a private party," a waitress said awkwardly to a particularly angry looking lady when Lex stepped in.

"Do you know who I am? Do you know who my son is?" the lady could not help but yell angrily. "My son is the oldest grandchild of Jacob Torrin! It's his birthday! If he wants Krabmeat patty burgers for his birthday, then that's what he's going to get! Understand?"

"Ma'am, maybe you could bring your son here…" the waitress tried to say, wearing a weak smile, only to have the angry lady begin hollering at her.

Lex could not help but sigh at the sight. As a fellow member of the service industry, he could not help but feel bad for the waitress and so he approached her.

"Hi, could you give this to chef Spong-e?" Lex asked with a smile, his soft words somehow cutting through the incessant hollering of the mad lady. He held out the coupon he got from Simple Life. "I believe he'll know what this is."

Everyone was stunned, and not just because of his charming smile. Well, most likely, none of them cared as much about his smile as much as the fact that he just went up and interrupted a Torrin!

The mad lady was so shocked, she didn't recover until the waitress took the coupon from Lex's hand. She turned, ready to begin hollering at him as well, but Lex was not in the mood to be yelled at. He simply glanced at the woman, and before she could speak, flashed a bit of his projection aura, stunning her.

With his incredible control, no one else felt the aura, though they did see him give the lady a side eye which caused her to freeze. They were waiting for the explosion, but it never came. Eventually Lex was led away by the unsure waitress as she led him to a private room with a balcony view.

After they left, when the woman still had not moved, some tried to approach her to ensure she was fine. That's when her legs gave way, and the woman fell to the floor. She went completely pale and she began stuttering, her words completely illegible.

Confused and scared, no one dared to mess with her, though countless people immediately began to spread the news. Someone had just messed with the Torrin family, and they'd done so out in public!