The maid squad is too strong, what use is there for me, the Demon King?

Just as Gray and Philippa vanished from their spot as if blending into the shadows, Sophia, who had been staring intently at them, gasped sharply and almost reflexively darted out from her hiding corner.

"Where are they?! Where did they go?!" she cried out in disbelief and panic, as if she feared that Gray had taken Philippa to some other dimension.

She rubbed her eyes hard, repeatedly confirming that the spot where the two of them had just stood was now empty, with only the queue of people still moving slowly.

"Huh? What's gone?" Taric, who was idly examining a small nick on his axe blade, looked up blankly at Sophia's exclamation. "Huh? Where are Lord Grey and Her Highness the Princess? Weren't they just here?" He belatedly realized that his targets were missing, his rugged face filled with confusion.

In stark contrast to the panic of the Hero Squad, the Ten Shadow Attendants remained calm and composed.

Alpha's gaze narrowed slightly before returning to normal, as if he had expected this.

Beta covered her mouth with an elegant chuckle: "It seems that Lord Shadow Demon has chosen the least conspicuous way to avoid attracting attention, considering the feelings of those queuing outside."

A knowing glint flashed in Delta's bloodshot eyes, and he chuckled, "As expected of Lord Shadow, you act decisively and efficiently."

Gamma has already begun contacting the person in charge of "KenKen Chicken" via link to confirm the preparation status of the reserved private rooms.

Xita quietly adjusted the observation position.

Aita's cat ears twitched, seemingly quite interested in the momentary magical fluctuation.

“They just went in.” Phoenix’s aged but steady voice rang out, calming the somewhat agitated Sofia and the bewildered Tarik.

Phoenix's aged face was filled with solemnity and deep emotion. He pointed to the door of the "Kenken Chicken" shop and said, "The Demon King led Princess Philippa directly into the shop at a speed we can hardly imagine."

The speed was so fast... even with my ninth-tier mage's dynamic vision, I could only catch a barely perceptible afterimage; an ordinary person wouldn't even notice it.

He paused, his tone unusually serious as he looked at Sophia and Taric: "Now, you should have a better understanding of what kind of being we are facing, right? It is something that cannot be summarized by the ordinary meaning of the word 'strong'."

Sophia and Taric's expressions changed upon hearing this. Sophia recalled the illusory black shadow that had flashed by, and combined with Phoenix's words, the strongest spellcaster in the team, a chill crept up her spine.

At this speed, it's enough to kill her ten times over. I wouldn't even have time to react and cast defensive spells, and whether those spells would even be enough to withstand them is another matter entirely...

Tarik swallowed hard, his grip on the axe handle tightening unconsciously.

His pride and joy in strength and defense appeared clumsy and powerless before the Demon King.

“…Monster.” Sophia muttered under her breath, but her tone unconsciously carried a hint of awe and… helplessness that she herself was unaware of.

“Alright, we should move on.” Alpha’s cool voice broke the brief silence. “Find a high vantage point to observe the interior of the shop. Also, we’ll have lunch at ‘Kenken Chicken’.” She was referring to Gamma for the last part.

Gamma immediately understood and responded in the mental link: "It's all arranged. Someone will deliver the meals to our observation point."

...

Stepping into the "Ken Ken Chicken" restaurant, you are greeted by a refreshing and cool atmosphere, a stark contrast to the hustle and bustle outside. The air is filled with a richer and more enticing aroma of food.

The store is bright and clean, with warm colors as the main theme. The walls are decorated with a fun mural of a cartoon chicken, which makes it lively and friendly.

A shop assistant, clearly having been notified beforehand, immediately greeted Gray and Philippa respectfully upon seeing them. He showed no sign of surprise at their unusual entrance, simply bowing slightly and saying, "Mr. Gray, Ms. Philippa, the private room is ready. Please follow me."

Led by the staff, they walked through the busy yet orderly dining area and arrived at a quiet and elegant private room on the second floor.

The private room wasn't large, but it was very comfortable. It had a one-way glass window that offered a glimpse of the dining area downstairs while still ensuring privacy.

After being seated, the waiter handed her a beautifully presented menu. Philippa curiously opened it, and then... she fell into even deeper confusion.

The menu featured brightly colored food pictures that looked golden and crispy with unique shapes, but the names next to them left her completely confused.

"A hamburger... popcorn chicken... Colonel's chicken nuggets... fries... what's this? A golden crispy chicken burger? A super spicy chicken burger? And... a Coke?"

She muttered these unfamiliar words to herself. The pictures next to each dish looked quite exquisite and appetizing, but she couldn't connect these names with their specific tastes and textures at all.

Chicken can be prepared like this? Sandwiched between two slices of bread? And what are those small, golden chunks?

She looked at the dazzling array of menus, tapping her fingers across them, her delicate brows furrowing slightly, caught in a classic case of "choice paralysis."

Seeing her conflicted expression, Gray didn't explain further and simply told the waiter standing nearby, "Bring two of everything on the menu, including snacks and drinks."

"Huh? All of them?" Philippa looked up in surprise, her eyes wide.

Gray looked at her and patiently explained, "Usually, these restaurants offer 'set meals,' which combine several foods and drinks and are sold together at a price that is cheaper than ordering the items individually. The purpose is to provide affordability and convenience."

He paused, his tone calm and matter-of-fact, "However, we don't need to spend money to eat our own products, so we don't need to worry about whether the set meals are affordable or whether ordering à la carte is more expensive."

He glanced at Philippa and added, "Besides, with my appetite, you don't have to worry about wasting anything. Just try everything and find your favorite."

Philippa was taken aback for a moment, then suddenly realized. Yes, she had almost forgotten again that the man beside her was the behind-the-scenes owner of the Grand Merchant Guild, and this shop was theoretically one of his properties!

I was actually subconsciously considering cost-effectiveness and whether it would be wasteful... that's just my habitual way of thinking.

Once she understood this, she immediately let go of her slight guilt, a relaxed and expectant smile spreading across her face. She nodded vigorously and repeated to the waiter, "Yes! Just like he said, two of each!"

She is now completely consumed by curiosity and can't wait to try these strangely named and uniquely shaped foods to see what they taste like.

This experience of "scanning" the entire menu was something she had never experienced before, and it was both novel and exhilarating.

The staff member respectfully noted it down, confirmed it again, and then left the private room to arrange the meal.

Philippa turned to Gray, her eyes sparkling with adventurous excitement: "Gray, what does that 'hamburger' taste like? And 'Cola,' that sounds like such a strange name..."

Seeing her excited expression, Gray couldn't help but smile as he began to briefly describe the general flavors of these "otherworldly" fast foods...