Chương 174: Chapter 175: Metgar

"MADEMOISELLE LORELIE, IT HAZ BIN TOO LONG SINCE YOU HONOURD METGAR WIZ YOUR PRESARNCE." Everyone in the restaurant looked over to see that a creature, which Adam could only describe as a humanoid catfish wearing a Chiefs outfit, was waddling over towards their table on two stumpy legs. The creature's skin was blueish-grey in colour and fish-like; it had a wide mouth with several long whiskers and two beady-looking eyes that rotated in all directions.

As it walked, it made slapping sounds as each foot slapped against the ground while a tail emerged from under its chief's outfit..

"Metgar," Lorelie said with a smile as she stood up to greet the humanoid catfish.

"Mademoiselle Lorelie, you honour zis little chief wit your presarnce in my restaurante." Metgar replied in a tone that Adam swore sounded almost French.

"Your restaurant is hardly little Metgar, you are, after all, Oasis Galaxies Paramount Chef."

"Pareimont Chef, BAH, It iz a stupied title, a true chef needz not titles or glory. But zee abilitay to produz the fineest tastz zee univrz haz to offar. Allow zis chief to cook for zee hiz finest dizhez""It would be our pleasure to taste the food you have personally cooked, Metgar."

"Bon, Exzelarnt." Metgar replied before turning and heading back the way he came while still making the slapping noises.

"Metgar plans to cook all the dishes for Diva Lorelie's table personally, how lucky."

"Indeed, even the royal family does not always get that favour from Metgar."

"Well, that was certainly something." Rowena said with her signature smirk before continuing.

"I had heard that Metgar was unique when it came to chefs, but calling the title of Paramount Chef stupid is something else. Surely he knows that title puts him on the same level as you and me?"

"He knows," Lorelie replied with a chuckle before explaining.

"To Metgar, all that matters is the taste, he uses his whiskers in combination with his taste buds to dissect and analyse a piece of food's taste so that he can find ways to improve it."

"So Lorelie, since we have some time before our meal arrives, tell me, have you decided when you will go visit the palace? I hear they have invited you." Jacques asked.

"It will most likely be some time tomorrow, I plan to relax and go swimming with my friends first since it's been so long since I could take my true form," Lorelie replied.

"I honestly don't know how you manage not being able to take your true form for so long," Jacques said while shaking his head.

"You get used to it, but I will admit that at times I miss it." As they were talking, there was suddenly a commotion from the entrance of the restaurant, which began to attract people's attention.

"Senator, please, I'm afraid I can not allow you to enter if you do not have a reservation." The female staff member who stood behind the desk said.

"Do you know who I am?" A female voice that caused Tephe's eyes to widen slightly asked irritably. The voice belonged to a tall woman who looked very similar to Tephe, with the same long green hair and a pair of horns visible.

"I am aware, Senator Pevaphio, however, our rules still stand."

"Well, luckily for you, I am not here to eat, but to pick up my troublesome daughter."

"Damn it." Tephe cursed.

"Oh, someone's in trouble," Rowena said with a smirk.

"Let me guess." Adam said with a smirk before adding, "That's your mother."

"How did she find you?" Stacey asked curiously.

"She probably detected my scent once we arrived on the planet," Tephe replied Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"But that was hours ago," Stacey added. As Pevaphio and the female staff member continued to argue, Lorelie decided to step in and so rose to her feet and proceeded towards the front desk.

"Senator Pevaphio, so lovely to see you again," Lorelie said with a smile. Pevaphio, who was about to argue with the female staff member again, paused when she heard her name and turned to see who had spoken to her.

"Ah, Diva Lorelie, how nice to see you again. Would you be so kind as to take me to my daughter?" Pevaphio replied.

"Of course." Lorelie replied before turning to the staff member and saying, "I will take care of this."

"Thank you very much, Diva Lorelie." The female staff member replied with obvious relief. The last thing she wanted was to anger the dragon senator.

"This way, Senator Pevaphio," Lorelie said as she led them back towards the table. The other patrons watched as Lorelie and Pevaphio walked by them back to the circular table near the window.

"There you are, you troublesome hatchling," Pevaphio said with an annoyed tone as she saw Tephe.

"Hi mum," Tephe replied meekly.

"What do you think you were doing running away AGAIN?" Pevaphio scolded.

"Mum, I'm no longer a hatchling, I'm over five hundred years old," Tephe replied sulkily as Rowena and Stacey started to snigger behind their hands.

"Compared to myself and even Diva Rowena here, that is still nothing but a hatchling," Pevaphio replied.

"Good to see you again, Senator Pevaphio," Rowena said after her name was mentioned.

"And you, Diva Rowena."

"Might I suggest you join us and that we curb this conversation for someplace more private?" Rowena suggested, since the patrons were all paying close attention to the entertainment.

"You might be correct." Pevaphio replied as she too noticed the commotion she had been causing before saying, "But I do not wish to intrude."

"Nonsense, you're more than welcome to join us, right, Jacques?" Lorelie replied before turning to ask Jacques.

"Of course," Jacques replied happily before turning to a waiter and saying.

"Can we get another seat here, please?" Another seat was quickly brought over and placed between Tephe, who didn't look too happy about it and Rowena, after which Pevaphio elegantly took her seat at the table.

"Allow me to introduce those you don't already know." Lorelie offered.

"First, we have my close friend Jacques here, who is a business owner within the Oasis Galaxy."

"A pleasure, Senator Pevaphio," Jacques said.

"Likewise," Pevaphio replied.

"Next, we have Stacey, Rowena's granddaughter."

"It's nice to meet you, Senator," Stacey said politely.

"You as well," Pevaphio replied before turning to look at the young man she had not been introduced to, but with a slightly expectant look. Seeing this, Lorelie smiled lightly before saying, "And finally, let me introduce Adam, the man who saved me and who I believe you're very interested in having a discussion with."

"Senator," Adam said politely with a small nod.

"Ah, so you are the famous streamer I have been hearing so much about. I must say you are a hard individual to track down." Pevaphio said as she studied Adam closely.

"I don't know about famous, Senator Pevaphio, I don't exactly have many viewers after all," Adam replied.

"Perhaps not, however, what viewers you do have include some very influential and powerful people."

"I am new to the 'known universe' so I will have to take your word on that."

"I find that hard to believe."

"Oh, why is that?"

"You wield a Universal Force Staff, do you not? How can someone 'new' to the universe possibly have a weapon that is exclusive to the Universal Senate Bodyguards?" As the patrons who were subtly and not so subtly listening in, they broke out in hushed discussion.

"Diva Lorelie's friend is a Universal Senate Bodyguard?"

"I thought they didn't leave the side of the senator they were assigned to protect?"

"Maybe he is retired."

"But he looks so young."

"You know you can't judge an individual's age by looks alone."

"He said he is new to the known universe, however."

"Yes, I wonder why he said that."

"I'm sorry to disappoint, but it is true, I have been in the known universe for less than a month after travelling here from my home planet," Adam replied calmly after taking a sip of his drink, before adding.

"As for why I have a Universal Force Staff, well, let's just say I was gifted it."

"Gifted a Universal Force Staff?" Pevaphio asked with a raised eyebrow while the others at the table and in the restaurant listened in carefully.

"I'm afraid what you claim is impossible," Pevaphio added.

"Oh, why so?"

"A Universal Force Staff has inbuilt DNA recognition tech. Should anyone other than the authorised user attempt to wield the staff, then it will self-destruct."

"The only way for a Universal Force Staff to obtain a new owner is for the Universal Senator Bodyguard headquarters to reassign it."

"Spector, is that true?" Adam whispered quietly enough that only Stacey and Lorelie, who were next to him, heard him. [[Affirmative, your Universal Force Staff was registered to your individual DNA when you first picked it up.]]"What are you whispering about?" Pevaphio asked with a frown before adding.

"Don't you know it's rude to do such things?" Adam coughed before saying quietly enough that only there table could hear, "My apologies, Senator. However, the fact remains that I am not and never have been a Universal Senator Bodyguard."