Liyana returned from the knights' camp, bringing a man with her.
"This guy is Halo. I worked with him a few times years ago, but later he quit being an adventurer and started working for the royal family," Liyana introduced casually. "Now he's the captain of the Royal Knights of the Yalan Empire... and the esteemed captain wants to mooch a meal off us."
Halo greeted everyone with a somewhat awkward smile.
It was hard not to feel uneasy—facing five people, three of whom had strength he couldn't even begin to gauge.
Well, Liyana was an old acquaintance, so he already knew her capabilities.
The only one whose power Halo could sense was the little girl with a slime perched on her head. But her aura was oddly weak, nothing like an adventurer's... Surely, it had to be a disguise.
Musen, of course, wasn't counted among them—after all, he was just a book now. To avoid trouble, Musen stayed out of sight, given that he was a sacred relic of the Goddess Church, albeit one that had been thoroughly altered beyond recognition.
Joli stared at Halo with a hint of admiration. The captain of the Royal Knights... that had to mean he was incredibly strong. And he was actually a friend of Aunt Liyana's.
Feeling Joli's intense gaze, Halo's heart skipped a beat. He didn't recognize the boy, yet the way he was staring made Halo feel as if invisible sword energy was pressing against his back.
This one's an elf too... Is it because of Liyana? Halo's mind raced with possibilities.
"Make yourself comfortable, Captain Halo... Have a seat," Xia Lun suddenly said to him.
So this must be the leader of the group, Halo mused.
He obediently took a seat by the campfire.
Xia Lun and the others had already set up a pot, simmering a rich bone broth. The meat had been stewed until tender, infused with unknown spices that gave the broth an amber hue. The fragrant soup bubbled vigorously, chunks of well-marbled meat bobbing to the surface.
Liyana took a small knife from Aina and began dicing radishes and potatoes, dropping them into the pot. Mo Lini helped by tossing in a few leafy greens, while Joli tended to the fire, carefully adjusting the heat beneath the pot.
It was a cooking method familiar to any adventurer—a communal stew.
But the ingredients in this pot were far from the usual dried meat and wild herbs most adventurers relied on.
Xia Lun handed Liyana an iron bowl.
Inside was a pale yellow batter, a mixture of wheat and flour stirred with water—Xia Lun had been whisking it earlier with a wooden pestle.
"What's this?" Halo asked curiously.
"A mysterious dish I learned from the East ages ago," Liyana declared, tilting her head proudly.
Then, using the knife, she sliced the batter into the boiling broth.
The thick, liquid batter solidified instantly upon hitting the hot water, transforming into delicate, fish-like dumplings that danced in the bubbling soup.
Halo watched in amazement.
Soon, the delicious meal was ready. The dumpling soup was savory, smooth, and tender on the tongue.
"Liyana, when did you learn to make this?" Halo asked.
Liyana tilted her head, thinking. "About two hundred years ago, I think."
Halo couldn't help but press, "Then why didn't you make it back when we were adventuring together?"
Liyana shot him a sidelong glance. "Who do you think you are? Why would I make it for you?"
"That's harsh... I considered you a teammate back then," Halo said, feigning innocence.
"I never agreed to join your adventuring party—we just worked together on a few commissions," Liyana snorted. "Besides, your rations were terrible. You couldn’t make something like this with nearly spoiled jerky... No, you didn’t even have fresh flour, just rock-hard black bread."
"Fair enough," Halo admitted readily. Most adventurers relied on preserved food, occasionally supplementing with game hunted along the way.
It was no wonder adventurers rushed to taverns for a proper meal the moment they returned to town after a job...
Liyana and Halo chatted idly.
"Where are you all headed?" Halo asked.
"Back to my homeland," Liyana replied.
"The Libian Forest? I heard they're electing a new Elf Queen—things are pretty tense there lately..."
Liyana shrugged. "Doesn’t concern me. They’d never pick me anyway."
Halo chuckled. "True enough."
"What about you? Where are you off to?"
"Abandes. There was some trouble there recently—did you hear? A bunch of priests and bishops from the Goddess Church got caught up in a labyrinth disaster. King Olega’s worried some troublemakers might target the place, so he sent us as reinforcements." Halo shrugged. "Personally, I doubt the Goddess Church would let anything serious happen, but given the... delicate ties between the royal family and the Empire, we have to put on a show of support."
"Careful, talking like that might cost you your position," Liyana said, rolling her eyes.
"Nah, the king and I get along. He’s not like that," Halo waved it off. "He’s actually pretty easygoing—especially since he needs me to handle some dirty work for him."
Mo Lini’s eyes widened. Should he really be saying this so openly?
But Halo seemed completely unfazed.
"Want a drink?" Liyana suddenly offered Halo a leather flask.
Halo’s throat moved, but he shook his head. "Better not. Alcohol slows me down, and I’ve got to head back to camp soon."
Liyana grinned and took a long swig right in front of him, leaving Halo to stare enviously before sipping his hot soup instead.
"Regret giving up the adventurer life yet?" Liyana teased. "So many rules with the royals... I don’t know how you stand it."
"After our last expedition, I got married," Halo scratched his head. "Now my kid’s already walking... Adventuring’s too unstable. I didn’t want my family worrying every day. This job’s got its rules, but it’s safe, and the pay’s good."
"Oh, right! Before that last dungeon dive, you said you’d get married when you got back... Scared the hell out of me," Liyana looked up. "And you actually made it out alive..."
"Hey... What’s that supposed to mean?" Halo laughed, then glanced at Liyana’s current companions.
"Honestly... I’m kind of jealous of you."