The main dishes were completed one after another. Throughout the whole process, Lefiya was responsible for washing vegetables and preparing side dishes, while Lili helped by sorting ingredients and acting as a sous-chef.
After finishing everything, Zephyr looked at the extremely sumptuous meal on the dining table and then at the morning sunlight outside the window, feeling a bit strange.
Using this as breakfast?
It certainly wasn't appropriate. However, it was just right for filling their stomachs.
He said to Lefiya who was standing there, at a loss, "You can go call Loki-sama to come and eat."
"Okay." Lefiya nodded with a smile.
As she walked towards the door, the door was pushed open from the outside.
Loki, having smelled the delicious aroma of the food, poked her head in voluntarily, her face full of anticipation.
"Um... Did I arrive at the right time?"
"Yes. Zephyr was about to have me call you."
Lefiya answered.
As Loki stepped into the dining room, her curious gaze fell upon the sumptuous feast on the table, a unique aroma washing over her.
The braised Crab Pig ribs were coated in a thick sauce. The surface of the meat gleamed with an alluring reddish-brown luster.
The soup was served in a white porcelain bowl, the broth milky white with droplets of oil, thin slices of mushrooms floating within, and steam rising in wisps.
Cheesy macaroni were coated in a creamy white sauce and garnished with thin slices of truffle, the ingredients exuding a mellow aroma.
The pan-seared meat tree's meat was golden brown on both sides. The edges were slightly crispy, meat juices slowly seeping from the cut.
The almond cabbage salad was crisp and green. Paired with the Nappa Cheese Cabbage, the color combination was quite beautiful.
The five dishes were neatly arranged in the center of the dining table.
Loki doubted reality. If she remembered correctly, the reason she recruited Zephyr was because of his miraculous talent. But even the chefs at the Hostess of Fertility might not be able to achieve this level, right?
She looked at Zephyr, her tone filled with disbelief. "Zephyr... did you make all this?"
"Lili and Lefiya helped me a lot too." Zephyr shrugged.
He didn't think it was entirely his own credit.
After setting out all the bowls and forks, he reminded her, "I think the food should be eaten while it's hot. That's when it tastes best."
Where on earth could one find a child as sensible as Zephyr?
Loki felt very lucky.
She looked at Zephyr with hopeful eyes. "Then... shall I dig in?"
"Feel free to try the taste first."
Loki took a piece of the pan-seared meat and put it in her mouth. A faint sound erupted as the crispy shell shattered between her teeth, followed immediately by a burst of sweet meat juices.
Next was the plate of pasta. The cheese sauce coated every macaroni, and the richness of the thin truffle slices slowly bloomed in her mouth.
Loki's eyes narrowed as she picked up more macaroni to stuff into her mouth.
The salad was very refreshing, the rich nutty aroma of the almond cabbage paired with the sweetness of the nappa cheese cabbage.
The Matsutakecolli rib soup was served in a white porcelain bowl. She scooped up a spoonful and tasted it, the umami of the Crab Pig and the mellowness of the mushrooms making her eyebrows arch.
"Delicious!"
Every dish was so delicious it made her want to slap the table.
Finally, her restless eyes landed on the plate of braised Crab Pig ribs. The surface of the meat was coated in a layer of glistening reddish-brown sauce, dotted with scallions.
When she put it in her mouth, she froze. The outer braised sauce spread across her tongue first, followed by the firmness of the meat.
As she bit down, the distinct flavor of crab burst forth from deep within the fibers, paired with perfectly balanced seasoning. After blending perfectly, it formed a brand new texture.
The meat juices spread in her mouth, the sweet and savory sauce wrapping around the seafood-like sweet umami, with a lingering hint of rock sugar sweetness in the aftertaste.
Loki stopped chewing, her eyes swirling with complex emotions that were hard to describe. This dish alone already surpassed every dish she had tasted in Orario.
Only 'delicious' could describe it.
However, there was no smile on her face.
Zephyr noticed her reaction and frowned. He picked up a piece for his own bowl, and after a simple taste, found it quite good.
"Loki-sama, is it not to your taste?"
"No."
Loki looked up at Zephyr sitting across from her. "Um... Zephyr, can you stay in the Familia forever?"
"?"
Just as Zephyr wanted to ask about the situation, he saw Loki scratch her head, spilling out her inner thoughts without any regard for her image.
"This food... is really too delicious. I think, if the Loki Familia doesn't have you in the future, I won't be able to eat these dishes."
Do I really look like a traitor?
Zephyr didn't think her request was excessive at all. After all, the benefits provided by the Loki Familia had long exceeded his expectations: free accommodation, pocket money, exploration environment, etc.
There was no reason to run away. Even if he left the Loki Familia, there would be no better choice.
Moreover, the casual attitude of Loki actually made him feel especially close.
She is a good goddess.
This was Zephyr's most intuitive evaluation of Loki.
"Of course I won't leave."
"Really?"
Loki's face was filled with an uncontrollable smile.
"For sure. The Familia's benefits are so good, and you take such good care of us. I think any normal person would know how to choose."
He looked at Lili and Lefiya beside him, his tone carrying a bit of seriousness. "And, here, I can see the future I want. Whether it's the resources for Dungeon exploration or the companions by my side, they are things other Familias can't give. No matter what, the Loki Familia is my best place to belong."
Upon hearing these words, the heartache and sense of crisis that Loki had originally felt because the gourmet food would cease to exist dissipated completely.
Loki picked up another piece of braised Crab Pig ribs for herself and asked, "Then, will I still be able to eat the dishes you make in the future?"
"No problem."
After getting a satisfactory answer, the smile at the corners of Loki's eyes as she chewed couldn't be suppressed, and the speed at which she used her fork was much faster than before.
Being able to eat the dishes cooked by Zephyr often in the future...
Just thinking about it was enough to make her happy.
It tastes so good. I feel like everything I ate before wasn't even fit for human consumption.
After a brief silence, Loki's sly gaze drifted toward Zephyr and she said, "It's just a pity, though. It would be great if I could have some Divine Wine to go with it."
She pouted, her eyes filled with deep regret. "If I could pair that with these braised pork ribs, I wouldn't even dare to imagine how enjoyable it would be."
"..."
Hearing Loki's words, how could Zephyr not know what she was truly trying to express?
She clearly wanted some Divine Wine and was even implicitly asking if he still had any in stock.
But the problem was that Soma himself had decided to stop brewing Divine Wine, and after leaving the Familia, Zephyr didn't have a reason to ask him for any.
He deliberated for a moment, then shook his head and said, "There's nothing I can do about that. When I left the Soma Familia, I took the last few bottles of wine with me, and besides, Soma has no intention of continuing to brew it."
Loki pouted, not saying anything, but the disappointment in her eyes was impossible to suppress.
In fact, she had known the answer long ago.
After all, she had specifically run to Soma a few days ago to beg for wine and received the same result, but she still held onto a tiny glimmer of hope.
Maybe Zephyr still had some in stock?
But now, she had to give up completely.
However, compared to the regret brought by the lack of Divine Wine, eating the dishes cooked by Zephyr quickly suppressed that feeling, and she came back to life.