In one of the private rooms at the Danbral restaurant, Reyn and Viola sat across from each other. The room was semi-open, on the second floor, overlooking the main hall on the first. The restaurant's ambiance was elegantly refined. In the corner, a female musician played the keyboard organ, and the tender melody, blending with the soft light of crystal lamps, created an atmosphere of comfort and enjoyment for the guests.
Since it was late, there were few patrons. But this didn't spoil Reyn and Viola's wonderful mood at all. They savored exquisite dishes, conversed quietly, occasionally exchanging tender, affectionate smiles.
Reyn was in such a high-class restaurant for the first time but showed no embarrassment whatsoever. The dishes at Danbral were indeed delightful, living up to their reputation and high price, but Reyn didn't find them extraordinarily special. It wasn't about the food; all his thoughts were consumed by the beauty opposite him. The half-elf was beautiful in everything—every smile, every glance touched his heart, evoking admiration. He finally fully realized the meaning of "a feast for the eyes."
At the same time, he felt some self-satisfaction: just one melody, and Viola's psychological defenses fell, the thin veil of hints was torn, and their relationship was developing rapidly. Now Reyn, on the contrary, wasn't rushing things to avoid backlash. Everything should happen naturally. Could prey already in the trap escape? He enjoyed this beautiful feeling of infatuation, not yet crossed the final line.
In his phone's personal library, Reyn found a book titled "Complete Collection of Banal Compliments." He had once considered it useless, but now it finally came in handy. Compliments that would have made his teeth ache with awkwardness in his past life sounded fresh and original in the world of Ellunes. Reyn selected a few, enhanced them with exaggerated acting, and made Viola laugh until tears, casting coquettish glances at him that he enjoyed immensely.
Dinner lasted nearly two hours. Reyn ate his fill and enjoyed his companion's company. At the end of the meal, the waiters served dessert.
Viola, tasting the sweets, chuckled quietly:
"Reyn, did you spend all your academy years just learning these compliments?"
"They don't teach that at the academy," Reyn laughed with a smug look, without a hint of embarrassment. "I learned it all myself."
"Reyn?" a female voice suddenly sounded nearby.
Reyn broke off the playful banter with Viola and turned. The voice belonged to the waitress who had just brought the dessert. The girl was a little over twenty, with light makeup, a pretty face, and beautiful big eyes. Now her face showed extreme surprise, as if she couldn't believe her eyes.
"Sorry, esteemed guest," she asked doubtfully, "is your name Reyn?"
"Yes, that's me."
Reyn nodded. The girl's face seemed familiar. Straining, he finally remembered who she was and, standing up, asked:
"Deysia, how did you end up here?"
This waitress was his classmate from Kleyden Supernatural Academy—they had even been in the same group. Over the past three years, they had talked quite a bit and were considered good friends. Deysia, like Reyn, was from a small provincial town; their towns were not far apart, and they knew each other well. After his rebirth, Reyn hadn't returned to the academy once, so he didn't recognize his former classmate right away.
"I work here part-time," Deysia answered mechanically, then, with a look of utter bewilderment, covered her mouth with her hands and exclaimed: "Goddess, you really are Reyn! If I hadn't heard your name, I never would have recognized you!"
In fact, even when serving the dishes, she had thought this guest resembled her classmate. But Reyn had changed so much—both in appearance and manners—that he barely resembled the Reyn she remembered. This was Danbral, one of Longsand's most expensive restaurants. How could Reyn, from a small town, afford to dine here? Not to mention the lady sitting opposite him—her beauty was blinding, and the nobility and elegance of her manners left no doubt about her aristocratic origins and, quite likely, Superhuman status. Deysia had worked at Danbral for several years and seen many beautiful women—socialites and noble ladies of Longsand—but none could compare in beauty to this stranger. Many waiters in the kitchen were whispering, trying to guess who she was.
This handsome young man and his beautiful companion looked very close, obviously a couple, making it even more unbelievable for Deysia that it was her classmate. She had watched him stealthily for a long time, and the more she looked, the more similarities she found, but she still couldn't believe it. Only when she heard Viola call him Reyn and mention the academy did Deysia finally ask.
Unexpectedly, this man really was Reyn!
She saw Reyn stand up—he was a head taller than her—his figure now slim and strong, a confident smile playing on his face. When he called her by name, Deysia's surprise reached its peak; it felt like she was dreaming.
" Reyn, where have you been these past two months? How did you change so much, and grow so tall... Goddess, you're unrecognizable, I just can't believe it! Are you really Reyn? "
Deysia spoke incoherently, and Reyn didn't know what to say. The situation was getting awkward. Viola intervened just in time:
" Reyn, won't you introduce us? "
Reyn glanced at Viola and realized she wasn't angry, just teasing him a little. He sighed inwardly. With her insightfulness, Viola must have figured out that Deysia's excitement wasn't just from meeting a classmate. He knew perfectly well that Deysia had been secretly in love with him for a long time. The old Reyn seemed to have some sympathy for Deysia too, but it was just fleeting thoughts that never turned into anything serious. There were a few more girls like that at the Supernatural Academy. Sometimes Reyn even wondered why his predecessor had been so indifferent to all the female attention. Handsome, smart, surrounded by a crowd of girls in love with him, a girlfriend within arm's reach—no, he could have dated several at once—and yet right up to his death, he hadn't even held anyone's hand.
What a waste of natural gifts.
Still, his relationship with Deysia was a clean slate. But running into this scene on his first real date with Viola was a bit awkward.
Reyn kept his composure and introduced them:
" Deysia, this is my girlfriend, Viola. Viola, this is Deysia, my classmate. "
Viola rose very politely and, extending her hand, said softly:
" Hello, Deysia. "
She cast a quick glance at Reyn—clearly because of the word "girlfriend"—but didn't question it and gracefully accepted the role.
Deysia looked flustered. Only when Viola offered her hand did she snap out of it and say excitedly:
" Lady Viola, you... hello... I'm Deysia, Reyn's classmate. I haven't seen Reyn in so long, so I got really worked up. I hope I didn't interrupt your dinner. "
Being so close to Viola made her feel even more constrained. Even as a woman, she couldn't help but admire Viola's beauty and felt a pang of her own inadequacy.
" No harm done, we just finished dinner, " Viola said graciously. " You classmates haven't seen each other in ages; you must have a lot to catch up on. Deysia, nice to meet you. Reyn, I'll wait for you in the car. "
With that, she left the private room.
Only when Viola's silhouette vanished through the restaurant door did Deysia pull herself together. Turning to Reyn, she hurriedly asked:
" Reyn, what happened to you these past months? "
" I underwent the Soul Transformation Ritual and became a Superhuman, " Reyn answered honestly.
" Goddess! "
Deysia froze, then understanding dawned on her face.
" No wonder you didn't come back to the academy for registration and changed so much. You finally became a Superhuman—that's wonderful! " she exclaimed joyfully.
Reyn nodded and asked with concern:
" And you? Still at the academy? "
Deysia's family was poorer than Reyn's, but as their only daughter, her parents supported her fully, spending nearly all their savings on her academy tuition. She was independent and strong, not wanting to burden her family, so she always worked part-time outside the academy to help them. The "Danbral" restaurant was near Kleyden Academy, and with her looks, getting a job as a waitress here wasn't hard.
" Yes, I'm still at the academy, " Deysia smiled. " The teacher says I'm making great progress, and in a year, I can undergo the Soul Transformation Ritual. "
" I hope it works out for you. "
Reyn activated his Soul Eye. Deysia's spiritual power was much higher than an ordinary person's, and her chances of succeeding in the ritual were good.
" I'll do my best, " she was already one of the best in the academy, far more talented than the old Reyn.
Silence fell in the room. Deysia looked nervous, as if she wanted to say something but hesitated. Reyn guessed what she wanted to ask but didn't want to start that conversation himself.
" I should go; Viola's waiting, " he decided to say goodbye.
Deysia's eyes dimmed, and she nodded quietly.
As he was leaving the room, she suddenly remembered something and called after him:
" Reyn, your younger brother Brisset enrolled in the academy this year too. He came to see me once, asking about you. "
" Brisset? "
Reyn stopped. Since his rebirth, this was the first news he'd heard about his family. He hadn't decided yet how to act toward his relatives. His impressions of them came only from memories; he felt no deep emotions. The old Reyn had quarreled with his father, Bad, a few months ago and run away from home to Longsand. It might have been impulsive then, but it turned out to be a permanent farewell.
Bad didn't want to fund Reyn's further studies precisely because Brisset was growing up. He was three years younger than Reyn and had just turned sixteen this year—the perfect age for the Supernatural Academy. A year at Kleyden Academy cost twenty gold shields. Bad couldn't afford two sons, and since Reyn showed no special promise, he gave the chance to Brisset.
Twenty gold shields—that was no big sum for the current Reyn.
He sighed inwardly. No matter how he looked at it, it was his family, blood ties; he couldn't abandon them to fate. Inheriting this body meant taking on the responsibilities too. The old Reyn had loved his family dearly, especially his younger brothers and sister. Now that he had the means, he should help them.
Reyn thought it over, took ten gold shields from his wallet, and asked:
" Deysia, give this money to Brisset and tell him I'm doing fine. If there are any troubles, have him write a letter to the Longsand Public Security Bureau headquarters; I'll get it. "
Deysia stared at the handful of gold coins in her palm and asked, bewildered:
" To the Public Security Bureau? "
" I'm an officer there now, " Reyn said curtly, without details. " Hide the money well so no one sees. "
Ten gold shields were a fortune for an ordinary person. He trusted Deysia's integrity but couldn't guarantee others wouldn't get ideas if they saw.
" Don't worry; I'll definitely give the money to Brisset, " Deysia assured him solemnly, carefully tucking away the gold coins.
Reyn nodded, said nothing more, and left after a farewell.