Wizard Earl

Chapter 445 Paredes

To ensure diners have access to the freshest seafood daily, many large hotels in Loen collaborate with fishing companies. The Tottenham Grand Hotel is no exception, having signed a contract with Ryan Company, a subsidiary of the Loen Casey Chamber of Commerce. Ryan Company supplies the Tottenham Grand Hotel with seafood caught that day. However, due to the inherent uncertainties in seafood fishing, even the most experienced captains cannot be 100% certain they will catch the same seafood each day. Therefore, Tottenham's signature Thomas Seafood Platter, emphasizing freshness, features unpredictable ingredients; what you get depends entirely on what Ryan Company catches in the stormy ocean that day…

A glance at the seafood platter revealed a hint of surprise in Connor's eyes. At the center of the platter, among the dozen or so seafood dishes, stood his favorite – the Quibet scallop. This ingredient was a specialty of the western coast of the Storm Ocean, produced only there, nowhere else. Quibet scallops grew in the Storm Ocean at depths of fifty to one hundred meters. With the current fishing technology in this world, catching Quibet scallops was extremely difficult. It required not only advanced equipment and extensive experience from the fishing boats, but also a great deal of luck.

Quibette scallops are incredibly tender and juicy. One bite and the delicious, succulent meat bursts with flavor in your mouth – it's simply amazing! Connor still vividly remembers the intensely fresh taste he experienced the first time he had Quibette scallops. It's also worth mentioning that what truly made Quibette scallops famous wasn't their taste, but rather the fact that long-term consumption of Quibette scallops greatly enhances physical fitness and is extremely beneficial for a knight's training.

The difficulty of catching them, their delicious taste, and the physical enhancement they provide keep the price of Quibette scallops consistently high in Loen, a region known for their production. A single Quibette scallop typically costs between one and two gold pounds. Connor's Thomas Seafood Platter contains two Quibette scallops, along with other seafood, meaning this platter alone costs ten gold pounds – equivalent to the annual income of an average working-class family in Loen!

Even at such a high price, Connor was very satisfied to be able to eat Quibette scallops. He hadn't known about Quibette scallops since last year.

An hour and a half later, Connor, having enjoyed a hearty meal, took the last remaining quail scallop from its shell and swallowed it. As he savored the slightly sweet juices of the scallop meat in his mouth, Connor waved to the waiter standing nearby.

"Give me the bill!" Connor casually pulled out five shillings from his wallet and tossed it to the waiter as a tip. The waiter was quite perceptive; Connor was relatively satisfied with the service and tipped him more than usual.

Holding the five-shilling tip Connor tossed him, the waiter's attitude became even more humble and respectful. He bowed slightly to Connor in gratitude and said, "Thank you, sir. A gentleman just settled your bill for you. He said he was your friend and asked me to give you this!"

After speaking, the waiter took out a letter from his pocket and handed it to Connor with both hands.

Upon hearing the waiter's words, Connor frowned slightly and did not immediately take the letter from the waiter. Instead, he cautiously released his mental energy to carefully examine the letter. After confirming that there were no problems, Connor calmly took the letter, opened the envelope, and scanned the contents of the letter. It read:

"Dear Mr. Connor Ferguson, please check your mailbox upon returning to your apartment! Sincerely, Paredes!"

Those mere thirty-one words took Connor a full minute to process. After putting down the letter, a chill immediately appeared in Connor's eyes. His voice, devoid of any emotion, asked the waiter, "Where was the person who gave me the bill and asked you to give me this letter?"

Since Connor didn't show any change in emotion, the waiter didn't notice anything amiss and respectfully pointed to the second table to Connor's left, saying, "Sir, the gentleman who settled your bill was sitting over there!"

"I understand!" Connor stood up, took out another one-pound note from his wallet, put it in the waiter's pocket, patted the waiter on the shoulder, and turned to walk out of the hotel.

The waiter received the gold pound note from Connor, his eyes lighting up with surprise. He was about to bow again to thank Connor when he suddenly froze, his eyes filled with confusion. He stood there for a full minute before his companion called out to him, and he looked at the gold pound note in his hand, muttering to himself in bewilderment, "Where did this note... come from?"

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As Connor left the Tottenham Hotel, despite feeling extremely bad, his deep composure prevented him from revealing his true feelings. He wondered if Mr. Paredes, who had paid his bill and delivered the letter, was still watching him.

Connor hadn't originally intended to erase the waiter's memory, but the appearance of Mr. Paredes forced him to do so.

If Connor's memory serves him correctly, the man sitting at the second table to his left, as indicated by the waiter, who was Mr. Paredes, should be a young, average-looking, red-haired man of medium build. This man entered the Tottenham Hotel about twenty minutes after Connor, and was led to that table by the waiter. He ate quickly and left after only half an hour.

To be honest, because of old Victor's several underhanded tricks, Connor was very vigilant. Even while eating, Connor kept his eyes and ears open, carefully guarding against any possible threats. This Mr. Paredes was sitting not far from him, so Connor actually paid him a couple of glances. Since he found that this person was not a threat, he did not take him seriously. He never expected to be fooled here!

(End of this chapter)