After I managed to escape the scene, I had finally made it out to the main plaza yet again. I was quickly running out of stamina, and my hunger was really wearing me down. I had no other choice but to lay low in a nearby establishment.

I didn’t really think too much about where to go, I just found the nearest restaurant and walked in. Even still, I tried to make sure the place was as empty as possible, since that way I would have a lesser chance of getting found. The place I had entered was this somewhat old timey restaurant that looked very ethno in style. Since no one was there in terms of customers, it was a no-brainer to hide there.

“Excuse me, sir.” I greeted the waiter in an overly-polite manner, “It is with great displeasure that I inform you of my aching stomach.”

The place didn’t seem too expensive for me to eat there, so I thought if he saw my courteous side he’d have mercy and give me some grub.

“Hmm? What did you say, child? You hunger?” said the waiter with a gentle, yet worried tone.

He was quite old. Older than my father, but not by much. You could see some gray hairs on him, but otherwise he was quite the dapper individual.

Donning a black, butler like uniform, he truly lived up to the image of a high-class gentleman that I had first ever heard of from Schnell’s Handbook. With short but well-kempt hair that contrasted his fair skin, he was definitely an etalon of elegance.

Even with all this, he seemed like a very kind soul. He reminds me of my grandfather who passed away when I was 6, so there’s also a nostalgic feeling to him.

“Come now, boy. Let’s get you fed.” He suggested what I most wanted to hear.

Immediately after seeing me in my current state, worn down with stomach growling, he gave me a plate of mushroom stew. The delicious scent quickly filled the room as I wasted no time digging in.

“Kid’s these days are all picky eaters, so I hope you can handle-” He said without even noticing me speedily eating away.

“Thanks for the food!” I said as I put my spoon down.

In a matter of seconds, I had already finished my plate. It was stew that you could eat just about anywhere, nothing more to it than that. But seeing as I was starving and in dire need of something hearty, it was like finding an oasis in the middle of Abyssus Solis!

“Thank you so much, grandp-err, sir” I almost said something embarrassing again, “I don’t have any money on me, but I’ll make sure to pay you back in ful-”

“Pfft! Hahahahahaha!” He burst out laughing, immediately breaking the illusion of a dapper man in favor of showing his honest side.

…He started laughing at me, did he perhaps hear me call him grandpa? I fretted over my slip of the tongue.

“Oh Heavens! I’ve never seen a boy eat so fast!” He commended my agility with the spoon, ”Your stomach isn’t gonna accept that much food that quick, you know! Hahahahahaha!”

Thank all Five God’s it wasn’t because of the grandpa thing!

After composing himself, he made an audible “ahem” and pondered:

“But why are you in such a hurry, boy? There’s plenty of food to eat, or…is it because this old man is making you uncomfortable…” He timidly backed away.

“NOT AT ALL! In fact sir, I quite enjoy your presence, and if I had the time, I’d eat your entire pantry!” I proudly professed.

He chuckled at that one once again. He’s an honest and cheerful fellow, isn’t he?

“Oh! How splendid, you truly are a gluttonous child. Tell me, boy, what is your name, and by the Gods what is it that’s keeping you from eating here? Being picky is bad, but being too apprehensive is even worse in my opinion.”

“My name is Lune Grimheart, and I have to go meet up with a friend I got separated from.” I tried to explain without going into too much detail.

“I see. Well then, Lune, I am Arthur.” He introduced himself.

Nice to meetcha’, Arthur.

***

“In any case, if you’re looking for your friend in this vast city, going out starving won’t give you much time.” he protested, “So why don’t you stay a bit before you go?”

His points made sense, so I obliged and stayed. Sorry Ed, I’ll treat you to some food when I get the funds for it.

Arthur told me all about his restaurant. Apparently, it used to be quite popular amongst the residents of Springwood, but in recent years he barely gets even a couple of them come in a day.

“It is probably due to me not adapting to the new generation,” he said, “people love to visit new places when they open up, and old ones like mine simply get forgotten over time.”

The story he mentioned was very saddening, to slowly get forgotten to time would be like a nightmare to me, so having it happen to such a nice old man is unforgivable. Although, it reminds me of that dream I had this morning. That friend of Schnell’s, he too was forgotten to time simply because he didn’t want to try hard enough to be remembered. I would like to help Arthur in some way to avoid that fate, but first I need to go find Ed.

After finishing both my plate and my chat, I bid farewell to Arthur and headed out. May we meet again soon, Grandpa Arthur!

As I made my way to the viewpoint where I pushed Ed off, I had paid close attention to the other establishments nearby which customers always seemed to flock to and noticed an important detail. Most of the more successful businesses were painted in a vivid color. This made them stand out and divertede people's attention to them. Think of it this way: your eyes are more incline to look at a shining red flower than a dull white or gray one. I should definitely tell this to gramps when I find Ed, I'm sure he'll be overjoyed.