A few moments later, Latifa returned with her serving tray filled with three mugs of Madam Morning Dews and three servings of Glazed Rockmeat. The time of her departure to the time of her arrival was no more than two dozen breaths.

Such efficiency was hardly seen in bars and restaurants.

However, it was only possible with Vaan because none of the items he ordered required preparation. Everything was pre-made and ready to serve; they only needed to be grabbed and delivered.

Moreover, it appeared he was getting special treatment from the beautiful waiter.

Evidently, while Vaan was interested in Latifa's information, she was similarly interested in learning more about him. He had piqued her curiosity. Since there was something she didn't understand, she had to investigate and shed light on her doubts.

"Sorry for the wait, Sir Jihaad and Sir Vanderlin."

"I-It was no wait at all, Miss Latifa!"

"Right. Surely you jest, Miss Latifa."

"Haha…"

Latifa smiled after Jihaad and Vaan's comments as she knelt down behind them. After wiping the gap between them clean, she unloaded their drinks and food, including her share.

"Please enjoy first, Sir Jihaad and Sir Vanderlin," Latifa politely said before dismissing herself.

Vaan and Jihaad nodded.

Since it was the first time for both of them, they glanced at the three mugs of Madam Morning Dew and three plates of thinly sliced Glazed Rockmeat with interest and curiosity.

There was nothing particularly special about their appearances, nor did they possess any appetizing aroma. In fact, they seemed very ordinary at a glance. After all, while they were signature drinks and food of the popular bar, the taste wasn't their forte, nor was it their focus, for that matter.

Instead, it was their function.

The Madam Morning Dew was clear and transparent like water but a little viscous like maple syrup or honey. It was cold and refreshing but had no distinct smell.

According to Vaan's knowledge, the hydration potency inside a standard mug's worth of Madam Morning Dew was enough to stop a Rank 3 Body Refining warrior from feeling thirsty for three days. Naturally, the effect would be even stronger for those below a Rank 3 Body Refiner.

On the other hand, the Glazed Rockmeat was a type of meat jerky.

However, it was much tougher than normal meat jerky; it was hard like a rock, hence its name. It contained a concentrated amount of energy that could assist in promoting physical growth. Alas, it only applied to ordinary warriors.

For someone at Vaan's level, it had no effect besides a little satiety.

Nevertheless, a few moments later, Latifa returned without her serving tray. Instead, she brought a round mat for herself. She seated herself right where she had previously knelt, forming a triangle between them.

Although this took up some of the walking space, it didn't obstruct the other waiters with their work.

"What would you like to learn about our Great Ratholos Empire, Sir Vanderlin? Do you have any specifics in mind?" Lafita inquired before suggesting, "Or would you like me to give you a brief introduction of our empire's top warrior training locations first?"

Jihaad was a little downcast when Lafita focused her attention on Vaan, but his eyes immediately lit up when he heard her suggestion.

"Please give us a brief introduction of the empire's top warrior training locations, Miss Latifa!" Jihaad requested excitedly.

Latifa's expression slightly crumpled as she looked forward to hearing more from Vaan. But since the two were together, she could only agree with some hidden reluctance.

"Alright, Sir Jihaad," Latifa nodded.

After she turned to Vaan and received his acknowledgment, she sorted out her topics and decided where to start.

"The Great Ratholos Empire has many training locations throughout its territory. But when asked which ones are the best, only three would immediately come to mind. And I believe they are renowned enough that every warrior paying the empire a visit would have at least heard something about them beforehand."

Latifa paid attention to Vaan and Jihaad's expressions at this point.

After she noticed their silent approval, she continued, "You've guessed it. They are the empire's three wonders – Black Mountain, Heavenly Steps, and Martial Hall."

"The Black Mountain… while its name is ordinary, it is anything but ordinary. This Black Mountain is completely made up of black iron, both above ground and below. It is our empire's largest untouched mineral deposit of black iron. Its value cannot be estimated."

"The Black Mountain could bring immense wealth to the empire if mined and processed. However, it has become one of our empire's holy training grounds due to its particularly strong gravity field. It is said that warriors scaling it can experience anywhere between twofold to an incredible hundredfold gravity!"

"This kind of extreme pressure is very useful for tempering the body and highly efficient in doing so, especially the inner organs. After all, it's the most difficult area to strengthen. Unfortunately, if Sir Vanderlin and Sir Jihaad are thinking of visiting Black Mountain, I suggest giving up on that idea."

"Why?" Jihaad wondered with a frown after getting his hopes dashed.

"Because Black Mountain is protected and isn't open to the public. If Sir Jihaad and Sir Vanderlin wish to gain access to Black Mountain, you must become core members of the Martial Hall," Latifa patiently explained.

The Martial Hall was the largest martial arts academy in the Great Ratholos Empire. Anyone could join it by becoming a citizen of the Great Ratholos Empire. However, becoming a core member of the Martial Hall required a different set of conditions that needed to be satisfied.

Be that as it may, Black Mountain wasn't the only benefit members of the Martial Hall could enjoy.

The Martial Hall had a large library of martial art techniques, body refining exercises, and aura cultivation methods that even ordinary members could access.

Even so, Jihaad couldn't help but become dispirited after listening to Latifa. He knew it wasn't easy to become a core member of the Martial Hall.

"You don't need to be disappointed, Sir Jihaad," Latifa comforted after noticing Jihaad's expression.

"Even if you can't access Black Mountain right away, the empire still has other training locations and facilities that can allow you to experience a glimpse of the Black Mountain's effect."

"For example, the Gravity Chamber in the northern district is one such place."