New Eden: Live to Play, Play to Live

"I can start this ball," Alex said, smiling warmly at Gabriel.

"I'm a sort of battle mage, the class name specifically, I won't say, but that is what I do. Blades and magic are my go-to."

Gabriel smiled at him.

"Ahh. Couldn't pick between the two either. I know a few people like that. I've heard that battle mages become weak over time, since they can't focus on one branch and bring it to the next level. Is that true?" he asked.

Alex shook his head.

"I disagree with that statement. It just requires more dedication and practice. Only people who give up fast would think like that," Alex said, smirking.

Kary repeated what she had told her mother, and Guylaine begrudgingly admitted she had a crafting class, eliciting a soft smile from Gabriel.

"There is nothing wrong with going crafter in a game like New Eden, Ms. Guylaine. If something, it's a better way to make money, and that is always a welcome addition."

Guylaine blushed as he picked up her hand, trying to look comforting.

Kary coughed with a glare, noticing the very open flirting the man was doing to his mother. He let go of the hand with a laugh, brushing her glare off like it was nothing.

Alex noticed the earpiece on Gabriel's left ear was flashing and wondered why. With the new neuro-phones, that flashing light could mean so many things.

He could be on a call, linked to his restaurant's order list, notifying him of what was ready or not. Or a panoply of other things.

But Alex had a feeling this wasn't an app. It felt like someone was listening in on their conversation.

You could activate that function on neuro-phones. They could either not register ambient sounds or could record all of them.

He didn't get a bad vibe from Gabriel, but something about his attitude screamed rehearsed. It was like it was all a facade, and his true colours were still hidden.

Of course, Alex wasn't an expert in this, and he could be wrong. But he liked to think he had a good read on people he met and talked to.

The conversation pussy footed around for a while until Alex realized Gabriel still hadn't told them his class.

"So. Tell me, Gabriel. Were you going to tell us your class? Or did you just want us to tell you ours? Because we are still waiting."

Gabriel faked a surprised look.

"I'm sorry. I got carried away in our conversation. Far from me the thought of slighting you. I'm a mage of sorts. I wanted to experience something novel and was drawn to the prospect of magic."

Alex squinted lightly at his answer.

'That's a lie. Reading minds is a Psychic class ability. I guess now I know what his intentions were,' Alex thought.

Again, he kept those thoughts behind a wall, inaccessible to Gabriel's probing. He had to let a few stray thoughts through to ensure Gabriel didn't suspect him.

At least for now.

Soon after, Gabriel's earpiece stopped flashing, and he got up from the table.

"Your plates are ready. I will go and fetch them; in the meantime, would you like me to ask Emerest to refill your wine?" he asked.

"I'm good, thank you," Alex said.

"Same for me," Kary followed suit.

"I would love another cup, yes. And can you ask him to bring me another napkin, please?" Guylaine asked.

"Why, of course, Ms. Guylaine," Gabriel replied with a smile.

He left for the front desk, where he spoke briefly to the floor manager before heading to the kitchen.

Emerest looked at the table with a look of anger and walked over to them.

On the way there, he picked up a napkin from a service station and a bottle from the cellar.

"Your napkin, madam," Emerest said flatly before filling her cup of wine.

"Is the food up to your expectations?" he asked in the same tone.

"The food is great, and the service is even better. The owner here is really a friendly person, isn't he?" Alex said, looking the manager in the eye.

He saw a flash of disdain in the man's eyes, but it was gone faster than it appeared.

"Yes. Mr. Duffour loves speaking with anyone and everyone. It's how this place became so popular. We also cater to a large part of the business magnates of the region, which makes us a premium establishment," he said, that last part sounding accusatory.

Alex raised an eyebrow, but kept his mouth shut.

'Such a hostile person. Is it because we don't look like businessmen?' he wondered.

Glancing around the bistro, he could see that over ninety percent of the clientele wore suits, most likely on business lunches or important meetings. This made him and the few other clients in civilian clothes stand out.

But, from what he saw, the other civilian-clothed clients were sitting near the door, and service to them was done quickly and in silence.

Meanwhile, the businessmen were treated almost like family.

'How strange… Why would they keep those busy men and women waiting so long when they can serve the rest of the clients speedily?'

Then it clicked.

Because of the owner.

What better way to gather intel than to keep them seated here for so long when you could read minds? The owner only had to wander around the restaurant occasionally, and he had access to a treasure trove of info of all kinds.

Business deals, security details, big accounts, and bank contents. This was easy for a man who could access thoughts.

'This is a front. Now I'm certain of it.'

He could feel the occasional wave coming from Gabriel like he was sensing something, and at first, he thought he was looking for more people like them.

But now he knew. The truth was far from.

'He's looking for hits. This man is a criminal…'

Alex had read online, before his month AWOL, about a spree of thefts happening around the city.

Whether it be bank vaults getting emptied without tripping alarms or armoured trucks getting robbed midday, the guards left with no recollection of what happened. These were all things a psychic could do.

Alex grinned.

'Already one disappointment. I'll deal with it later when Kary logs back in. What's an hour later going to change to my situation, anyway?'