บท 18: Chapter 18: It`s time to go

Elizabeth and Robert knew very well how much Stroph loved lasagna. It was the perfect dish to reward him. They were also surprised by the coat Stroph was wearing, but decided not to ask about it, they guessed that he hadn`t found it on the road anyway.

"Mom, Dad, I think you`ve already known it? About the monster, about entering the fighters' school and about my departure tomorrow?" Stroph stopped staring madly at lasagna and asked his parents as Anthony had said him that they would be told everything.

For a while they didn`t say anything, but soon Robert said with a slightly excited voice: "Yes, we were informed about everything, we are really proud of you. You weren`t afraid and you were able to kill such a dangerous monster and also managed to get an offer of admission to the school of fighters. You have exceeded our expectations!"

Elizabeth only nodded a little and smiled charmingly. After the praise, they all sat down at the table and started eating. Besides lasagna, there were also several quite interesting dishes on the table. It was a big steak made of some monster of zero rank. Juicy burger, with a huge number of sauces, a couple of kinds of cheeses and two cutlets and with absolute minimum of vegetables. The dessert looked like a cheesecake almost drowned in salty caramel, with pieces of different fruits on top.

And, of course, the amazing lasagna that was in front of Stroph. It was simply swamped with a rather popular cheese, which was made from a monster of zero rank called "The Six-eared Cow", besides the fact that it had six ears, this monster also had four long horns, as well as six hooves and two long tails. It was much bigger and more muscular than an ordinary cow and if it was angry it could kill a man easily.

But monsters of zero rank were not usually called monsters, they looked more like livestock, in most cases they weren`t aggressive and with a proper care could give a lot of useful things.

Lasagna also included the meat of the same cows as well as some strange mushrooms similar to the chanterelles, only they were bright red and slightly sharp in taste. The sauce had a pleasant white color, but Stroph didn`t know exactly what it was made of. Mom and Amber refused to tell him the secret of this sauce.

Everyone seemed to be waiting for Stroph to put the first piece in his mouth. He slowly cut everything into small squares and when the fork was in his mouth and the piece of lasagna disappeared in his mouth, everyone started eating.

There were four dishes in total, to each their own. The drinks on the table were green and black tea as well as plain water.

After a couple of seconds Elizabeth's voice was heard: "Stroph, you are a sweet tooth as your father, you two can easily destroy all the stocks in our house".

She looked with a smile at Stroph's father, who was eating his dessert filled with caramel quite quickly. Then Elizabeth slowly cut off a piece of juicy steak and delicately put it into her mouth.

By the moment, when Robert almost finished his dessert, his eyebrows frowned heavily and he said: "Amber! Where are your manners? Look at your mother, how elegantly she is eating. And your face has already smeared in the sauce! Hands are greasy and there are a couple of stains on the T-shirt! At least wipe your hands and mouth with a napkin, if you put so many sauces and eat such a fatty food!"

Robert didn't like that Amber was eating like some kind of barbarian. She was a real savage at the table. He was also surprised how Stroph managed not to get dirty though he was eating heartily.

This guy's love for lasagna was just some kind of limitless. Although Robert's love for sweets is also abnormal. It seemed that if he didn`t eat anything sweet, he instantly would die.

By the moment when Stroph ate more than half of the lasagna, there were sounds in his head.

<AHAHAHAHAHA, boy, you look like a chipmunk now, do you really like the taste of this food so much?> It was "Snow White Darkness", he used telepathy to communicate with Stroph.

Stroph chewed up and immediately answered him: "That, what I eat, is truly the greatest miracle of cooking, at least for me." Then he continued eating.

< I can't wait for tomorrow...> "Snow White Darkness" said nothing more.

Soon everybody finished, the last was Amber, it was quite difficult for her to cope with such a big burger and it took a lot of time. It`s amazing how much food could fit into this little girl.

After meal they talked about a lot of things till the night. They discussed today's Stroph's events, Amber's academic success, Elizabeth and Robert's work and of course Stroph's departure tomorrow and his entry into the fighters' school.

It was obvious that his parents were sincerely happy but it was also possible to notice a small unwillingness to part with their son, because it was unknown how long he would stay at the school of fighters.

Amber went to bed first, then Elizabeth and Robert fell asleep, and Stroph was the only one who wasn`t sleeping in the deep night.

He spent a lot of time admiring his revolver, checking the ammo, he also loaded the "Last Light" with seven electromagnetic bursting cartridges.

Of course, Stroph talked to the "Snow White Darkness" for a while, but he could not learn anything about its past or why it was in that coffin in the branch of the Phantom Association.

He tried to put it in his inventory, but no matter how much he tried he always received only one message.

[The item cannot be placed to the inventory]

Stroph didn`t know whether he could not put it in the inventory in principle or he was still too weak for this.

Finally, he fell asleep at 3 a.m.

At about 11 o`clock a black, rather expensive car arrived at their house.

A tall woman in a business suit came out of it. She had short gray hair and black eyes. Apparently, she was Anthony's person.

She went up to the house and asked the AI to notify about her arrival, but she didn`t have to wait at all.

Almost immediately, a white-haired young man, wearing a black strange coat appeared in front of her. He was quite tall, about 6 feet (185 cm). And, under his colorful eyes one could see large bags, saying that he hadn`t slept at all.

"Hello, Stroph White. My name is Julia West I was sent to escort you to...".

She didn`t finish her phrase as Stroph passed by her and sat down at the back seat without her invitation.

The woman didn`t say anything, just turned around and sat down at the driver's seat without any words. She immediately started the car and they left in a hurry.

About 30 seconds later, she started talking: "Boy, I don't advise you be cheeky with me, I do it only on the order of my superiors. I`m not going to tolerate your ignorance and neglect anymore. You are just an ordinary boy who`s become lucky by chance. Don`t be arrogant!"

Julia was clearly dissatisfied with the way Stroph behaved, he didn`t even greet her.

Stroph paid no attention to her words at all.

He was addressed by "Snow White Darkness," saying with his creepy voice: "Boy, I think you should have understood everything by now...". Its words were slowly heard in Stroph`s head.

Stroph sighed a little and answered calmly: "Of course", he looked at the woman behind the wheel and continued: "We must kill her".