Zephyr was not idle either. He picked up some meat from the meat tree, the crispy crust shattering between his teeth. The meat was softer and more tender than imagined, with dense fibers that required almost no effort to chew.
Next was that plate of Parmesansho Fruit plus Macaroni Grass.
The macaroni were still steaming, and the cheese strings stretched into long arcs. When stuffed into his mouth, his entire palate was filled with richness.
The fragrance of milk and the aroma of pasta intertwined in layers on his tongue.
But the real highlight was the charcoal-grilled Crab Pig meat in front of him.
Zephyr cut off a piece and put it in his mouth.
The moment his teeth bit down, he was slightly stunned. The fibers of the Crab Pig meat were firmer than imagined, yet they didn't feel dry or tough when chewed.
The first thing to reach his taste buds was, surprisingly, a kind of sweet flavor unique to crab. It wasn't the fatty aroma peculiar to pork. It was that kind of delicate yet intensely concentrated savory sweetness found only in top-tier seafood, blending wonderfully with the heavy flavor of land-based meat.
No wonder it's called Crab Pig.
Zephyr kept stuffing his mouth. When he had eaten almost all the food in front of him, he finally let out a satisfied burp.
He reached out to prop himself up on the soft lawn, and looked at the team members who were also smiling with satisfaction.
"That felt pretty good."
"Eat some of this." Lili walked over with a whole serving of Marshmalrock.
"Dessert."
She added in a wistful tone, "You ate so much meat just now, aren't you sick of it?"
"It's fine."
Good food should never be wasted. Especially since it was rare to come to this Gourmet Paradise.
Zephyr took the marshmallows. They didn't have that cloying, industrial saccharine taste from his previous life. On the contrary, the flavor was very refreshing.
He shrugged his shoulders and said nonchalantly, "That's what you're here for, to look out for me."
Lili's fingers clutching her hem tightened quietly. She lowered her head, her hair covering the blush gradually spreading across her face, and muttered softly, "You always say things that are easy to misunderstand."
Zephyr propped himself up on the grass with both hands, his gaze sweeping over Charles and Kate, who were gnawing on meat not far away, and Lefiya sipping juice.
Although no one was speaking, a certain atmosphere lingered in the air.
After Charles bit off the last piece of Crab Pig meat, he looked up at the crystal dome overhead, his eyes filled with complexity.
Kate wiped the grease from the corner of her lipa.
Finally, Lefiya, clearly realizing that she was about to part ways with the companions she had known for so many years, felt her eyes redden slightly and pursed her lips.
She turned her head to look at Zephyr and tried to make her smile look more natural.
"Um... Zephyr, would you... like to say something here?"
Zephyr didn't refuse Lefiya's invitation. After all, the DanMachi world was not like the modern world. Tavel was slow, and a parting might mean years before they met again.
The friendship accumulated during this time was hard to describe in words. The most profound impression was definitely that night when they opposed the Soma Familia. Knowing it had nothing to do with them, they still firmly chose to stand by his side.
As for what to say?
Zephyr pondered for a moment and finally thought of the right words.
"I remember a saying that goes like this. Today we part for a while, but surely we shall meet again in the future. Even if we cannot meet, we will always be friends, our friendship is something that cannot be changed. And finally, I wish you all good fortune in battle. If you really can't make it out there, come back to Orario and see me. I'll make sure you're well-fed."
— — —
Loki was actually quite at ease regarding Zephyr and Lefiya.
After all, the former had a very steady personality—every choice and the development of his interpersonal relationships revealed a maturity far beyond his actual age. As for his talent, it was impeccable.
However, before Zephyr went exploring, she noticed a detail that had been overlooked.
As an Adventurer of her Familia, how could he not have a handy weapon?
Finn and the others were heading to the deep floors for an expedition. According to past experience, it would take at least half a month before they could return to Orario. But Zephyr's exploration progress definitely couldn't stop.
She sat slumped on the sofa in the parlor, her fingers tapping rhythmically on the armrest. She squinted her eyes, considering this matter. Of course, her thoughts were mixed with a bit of her own agenda.
Using the Familia's public funds to get Zephyr some handy weapons first would increase his sense of belonging to the Familia.
...
After leaving the Familia headquarters, Loki walked towards the Hephaestus Familia's shop.
The high-end weapons in the Familia were basically custom-made by the Goibniu Familia, but the Goibniu Familia had low efficiency, and it would take several months to get the goods. Since it was a weapon for transition, there was no need to look for Goibniu.
Besides, this was an old friend's shop, she had to show some support.
Loki pushed the door open and walked into the shop.
Inside the shop, the weapons displayed on the shelves all exuded a unique quality, but these were not what she was looking for.
After greeting the girl at the counter, she made her way to the shop's private office and saw her friend from her time in Heaven—Hephaestus.
She wore a dark eyepatch over her right eye and was reviewing a ledger.
Hearing the door open, she looked up in surprise, but upon seeing who it was, Hephaestus frowned and asked in confusion, "You're here to see me?"
"That's for sure. Can't I come over?"
"Nothing good ever happens when you come over."
"Don't say such things."
Loki made herself at home, leaning against the leather sofa in the office.
"I've come to ask you to custom-make a weapon for my new familia member."
"?"
Hephaestus looked up, her expression filled with confusion.
Having known each other for so many years in Heaven, she knew Loki's personality well. Her standards for recruiting familia members were absolute. Unless it was a child she truly took a liking to, it was impossible.
She put down the ledger and looked at Loki, not rushing into the topic of weapons and equipment.
It would be a lie to say she wasn't curious. What kind of familia member was it that could make Loki personally come over to buy a weapon?
"Tell me about it."
Loki squinted and waved her hand, her tone carrying a subtle hint of boasting. "A child from the Wishe Forest. Her magical talent is indeed quite good. Perhaps she could take up the position of Riveria's successor in the future."
Hearing this from Loki, Hephaestus did not doubt it.
However, looking at the smile on her face, she subconsciously felt that this matter was not as simple as she imagined.
If it were truly just to pick a weapon for Riveria's successor, she would definitely not have come all the way over here, as her Familia was not the best choice. After all, they focused on mass production.
"Then you want a custom staff?"
Hephaestus continued the conversation, "For a mage, a custom-made staff would be much better to use than mass-produced goods. I suggest you go see Goibniu."
As the conversation extended to this point, noticing the undisguised teasing in Hephaestus's eyes, Loki knew that trying to sponge off her today was definitely unrealistic.
She shrugged, not feeling embarrassed or angry at being exposed.
Recalling the exaggerated talents that Zephyr possessed, she said, "That's not it."
However, even as a goddess, she didn't know how to choose a weapon for Zephyr. After all, she hadn't asked him that question.
She scratched her head. "Actually, its about another child. I don't know either. I have to wait for him to return to know what he wants."
Hephaestus frowned, her tone carrying a hint of seriousness. "Loki, surely you haven't come all the way over here just to talk about this because a familia member went on an expedition to the Dungeon, right? Get to the point."
"Then just take it as me coming here to show off?" Loki shrugged.
When it came to sharing the news of recruiting an Adventurer with such talent as Zephyr, she racked her brains and could only think of Hephaestus in all of Orario.
Her tone was filled with emotion. "But I'm not joking about wanting to prepare a transitional weapon for him. It's just that the time we've spent together is quite short. I don't know what kind of weapon he needs."
Thinking of the skills Zephyr possessed, her lips twitched. She couldn't very well custom-make a brand-new set of kitchenware for him, could she?