Tonight's dinner included juicy roasted meat, fragrant stew, and steamed root vegetables.
None of the dishes were especially difficult to prepare.
Once the food was ready, everyone carried their own bowls and divided the dishes among themselves before casually sitting wherever there was space to eat.
Meals always seemed more delicious when shared with many people.
The sounds of chewing were strangely infectious, and the aroma of food mixed with the dry scent of burning firewood drifted throughout the open field.
The sky had already darkened.
A huge bonfire crackled loudly nearby, creating a relaxed and lively atmosphere.
While nibbling on roasted meat, Hayoon sat beside a smaller fire pit, patiently stirring the contents inside a pottery pot with a wooden spatula.
Inside was a mixture of milk, starch, and honey.
The ingredients had already blended together smoothly, with very few lumps remaining.
The final dish had a beautiful name.
Milk mochi.
As Hayoon inhaled the sweet fragrance and imagined the soft, chewy, springy texture of the finished mochi, she swallowed unconsciously.
Even the roasted meat in her hand suddenly seemed less appealing.
The most important thing about making milk mochi was patience.
It had to be heated slowly over low heat little by little.
Hayoon estimated that by the time everyone finished dinner, the dessert would also be ready.
"What is that smell? It is sweet." One sharp-nosed beastman sniffed the air curiously.
After hearing that, everyone else also looked toward Hayoon.
Sulyeon asked expectantly, "Hayoon, is this the dessert you mentioned?"
"Yep."
"I am basically done eating. Let me help stir it for you. You have barely touched your food."
Hayoon could not refuse no matter how hard she tried.
After reminding Sulyeon of a few things to watch out for, she went to the side to eat.
Stirring was not difficult, so at first Sulyeon did not pay much attention to the food inside the pottery pot and continued chatting happily with everyone.
One of the beastmen said, "This is my first time eating something made by Hayoon. It is so delicious!"
Sulyeon nodded repeatedly in agreement. "Exactly! Even with the same ingredients, whatever she makes somehow tastes better. The first time I ate the kudzu root stir-fried with beast meat that she cooked, I kept thinking about it for days afterward."
"Hahaha!"
"Now that you mention it, I am even more excited for the dessert!"
Sulyeon glanced into the pottery pot and instantly broke out into a cold sweat.
The beast milk had solidified!
It had turned into one giant sticky lump inside the pot and was clinging tightly to the wooden spatula.
Oh no!
Had she stirred it too much?
Both beast milk and honey were precious resources, so Sulyeon felt both guilty and heartbroken.
"Hayoon, come take a look. I think I ruined it," he said self-blamingly.
Hayoon had just about finished eating as well. She set down her chopsticks, walked over for a look, and said, "No? Isn't this turning out pretty well?"
"Huh? But it has all stuck together."
"That is exactly the effect we want," Hayoon replied while holding out her hand. "I will handle the rest."
Sulyeon immediately sighed in relief and stepped aside.
"Thank Beast God. You nearly scared me to death just now." She lowered her head to study it curiously. "But why can milk turn into this?"
Hayoon explained, "Because I added starch to it. And this fresh milk has a high fat content too, so as long as you keep stirring it diligently, it will not stick to the pot."
"So that is why."
Sulyeon watched as Hayoon continuously used the spatula to shape the "dessert," growing increasingly curious about what it would taste like.
As the sweet fragrance became richer and richer, even the cubs led by Haeun lost interest in playing and all gathered around.
They asked with innocent curiosity, "Wow, will this thing stick to our teeth when we eat it?"
Hayoon replied uncertainly, "I am not sure either."
Haeun only cared about eating it. "Even if it sticks, it is fine! We can just lick it off with our tongues! Sister, how much longer until it is ready?"
Haeun had long ago bragged to the cubs about how delicious fresh milk and double-layer milk pudding were, thoroughly awakening everyone's cravings.
Now all of them stared at her eagerly in unison.
Finally, just as Hayoon was beginning to feel pressured under everyone's intense gazes, the milk mochi was finished.
The entire mass of mochi was extremely hot.
Hayoon used a wooden spatula to carefully shape it into an oval before placing it into a wooden basin nearby.
Inside the basin was starch she had already stir-fried beforehand.
After the mochi rolled through the starch once, she lifted it back out with the spatula and placed it onto a stone slab.
That made it much less sticky.
After estimating the size, she slowly lowered her bone knife and cut the mochi into small pieces, each around one-third the size of a palm.
Afterward, she grabbed another handful of cooked starch and lightly sprinkled it over the top.
Soybean powder would have been even better, but she did not have any on hand.
Fortunately, the starch she made did not carry any bitter or unpleasant flavor.
Instead, it had a unique fragrance from the root vegetables, giving it a distinctive taste.
"It is ready! Everyone come try some! Be careful, it is hot!"
Hayoon lifted the stone slab and warmly called everyone over.
Leejin and the other cubs rushed over first. After obediently thanking Hayoon, each cub took a piece of mochi and immediately opened their mouths to eagerly bite into it.
The beastmen and sub-beastmen also stepped forward. Seeing that Hayoon had not made very much, they insisted each adult only needed half a piece.
Hayoon shook her head. "One piece per person. There will still be some left over. I portioned it out on purpose. I have just been too busy lately and have not had time to make more starch. Otherwise, I could have made other snacks too. Hurry and eat. Do not be shy."