Inside a common restaurant in New Moon Village, Mokomo Dukedom.
On the long wooden table, plates were piled high, every dish completely devoured.
Gern's eating speed was terrifying; the fork in his hand was almost a blur, and a plate of roasted meat would be reduced to bones in the blink of an eye after being served.
The chefs in the restaurant were bustling, sweat dripping from their foreheads, yet they still couldn't keep up with Gern's pace.
"Another super-sized roasted meat steak!" Gern raised his hand, his mouth still full of food, shouting indistinctly.
"Still, still more?!" The restaurant owner's eyes widened, and he nearly dropped the spatula in his hand.
"Guest, we've already used up all our reserve meat..."
"Then ten more cakes!" Gern grinned, his gaze sweeping over the untried dishes on the menu.
All the Mink Tribe members in the restaurant stopped what they were doing, staring at the scene in astonishment.
Whispers rose and fell.
"Is that guy's stomach a bottomless pit?"
"He ate all the food in the restaurant by himself!"
"Where did Libo bring this 'guy' from? He couldn't have come specifically to eat us out of business, could he?"
Meanwhile, Libo, sitting at the dining table, clutched her carrot-shaped small purse tightly with both hands.
The purse, originally bulging, was now as deflated as a wilted vegetable leaf.
"Ugh..." She trembled as she inverted her purse, and a lone coin clinked onto the table.
Her droopy ears hung down completely, and her pink pupils shimmered with tears.
At the dining table, Gern was devouring the twenty-seventh plate of roasted meat like a whirlwind, while the head chef, panting, handed him the thirtieth stew.
When Gern reached for the last piece of carrot cake in front of Libo, the lop-eared rabbit girl finally exploded.
"Waaahhh!" Libo sprang onto Gern's back, her legs clamped tightly around his waist, and her hands desperately tugging at his collar.
"No more eating! Libo's purse is going to starve to death!" Her tears, like broken pearls, all smeared onto Gern's Marine cloak.
"Do you know that this money was saved by Libo for three months to buy new seeds!"
"Libo is going to go bankrupt! Wuwu..."
Gern coughed twice, choked by the constriction, and the cake on his fork teetered: "Wait, wait..."
"No waiting!" Libo bit Gern's ear (not hard), and tearfully mumbled, "Is your stomach connected to the sea?"
"Libo, it's not that bad!"
"How is it not that bad?!" Libo suddenly looked up, staring at him with teary eyes, "You ate all of Libo's money!"
Gern was startled, then awkwardly scratched his head: "Uh... sorry, I was too hungry."
"Is apologizing useful?!" Libo, with a whoosh, continued to grab his collar with both hands and shake him wildly.
Gern was dizzy from her shaking, and helplessly said, "Stop shaking, I'll compensate you..."
"Compensate? With what?!" Libo huffily released her hands, plopped back into her chair, and snorted with her arms crossed.
"Libo doesn't even have money to buy carrot seeds now! I thought it was just one meal..."
Just then, the restaurant door opened, and two small figures walked in.
One was Wanda, a dog Mink Tribe member with a ponytail, and the other was Pedro, a leopard cat Mink Tribe member dressed like a ranger.
As soon as they entered, they were shocked by the scene before them.
A table full of empty plates, exhausted chefs, a happy owner, and... Libo, teary-eyed and slumped over the table.
"Sister Libo?" Wanda blinked, and curiously walked forward, "Why are you crying?"
"Hm?" Libo looked up, and seeing the two, as if seeing saviors, she tearfully stretched out her hand.
"Wanda, Pedro... do you have any money?"
Wanda and Pedro exchanged glances, their mouths twitching simultaneously.
"Sister Libo, did you spend money recklessly again?" Wanda asked helplessly as she handed her pocket money to Libo.
"No, I didn't!" Libo pointed at Gern, and said aggrievedly, "It was him! He ate all my money!"
"He?" It was then that Wanda and Pedro noticed Gern, who had a slight smile on his face.
"Human?!" The moment he saw Gern, Pedro frowned and asked warily, "How did you get here? Why are you in Mokomo Dukedom?"
Gern wiped his mouth, and was about to answer, but Libo jumped up first, hands on her hips, and said proudly,
"He's the hero of justice—Gern! He came specifically to find me!"
"Hero of justice?" Wanda, who also had little contact with the outside world, tilted her head, curiously observing Gern.
And Pedro, upon hearing the words "justice," was visibly startled, knowing that he hung out with Nekomamushi and Inuarashi.
Before, when his two bosses were going out on adventures, they had gathered a lot of information about the outside world.
So he knew a lot about the outside situation!
Thinking of this, Pedro subconsciously moved behind Gern.
When his gaze fell on the cloak of justice on Gern's back, his pupils slightly constricted, as if he recognized something.
"You're a Marine?!"
"Wanda, Sister Libo! His cloak... that's the Marine symbol."
"Marine?" Wanda was stunned, "What's that?"
Of course, Libo was no better, also staring blankly at Pedro with her head tilted.
Pedro did not answer them, but looked directly at Gern, and asked in a deep voice, "Why is a Marine here?"
"Me?" Gern put down his eating utensils, slowly stood up, a faint smile on his lips: "Don't worry, I'm not here to arrest anyone."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone, finally landing on Pedro: "I'm just interested in Mokomo Dukedom.
And... looking for a suitable companion."
"Companion?" Libo blinked, then suddenly leaned closer: "Are you looking for Libo to be your companion?"
Gern looked at her, and chuckled softly: "If you're willing."
Libo's eyes instantly lit up, and she smiled so wide her eyes squinted with excitement: "Then Libo wants to be a hero's companion!"
Looking at the naturally naive Libo, Pedro frowned and stepped forward: "Sister Libo, don't be impulsive! Marines are not like us!"
Gern looked at Pedro, his tone calm: "Pedro, right? You seem to know something about the outside world."
Pedro raised his hand and gripped the hilt of the sword on his back, not denying it.
At this moment, Wanda tugged on Pedro's sleeve, and whispered, "Pedro, he doesn't look like a bad guy, he smiles so gently..."
"Wanda, smiling gently doesn't mean he's a good person!" Pedro replied helplessly.
Just then, the restaurant owner walked over, holding a large bag of coins, and said to Libo with a beaming smile, "Libo, this is your money."
Libo looked at the bag of money, and tears welled up again: "My money... it's back?"
"This guest gave me several gold coins as soon as he entered, so you don't have to pay at all."
(Mokomo Dukedom doesn't use Berries, but gold is hard currency)
However, thanks to you bringing this guest, all our restaurant's ingredients are sold out!"
"I know how much I can eat," Gern patted her shoulder, and laughed, "Your little carrot purse isn't even enough to fill my teeth!"
"Sister Libo, he..." Pedro still wanted to say something, but Libo directly interrupted him.
"Pedro, no need to say anything, Gern is absolutely, absolutely a good person!"