Chapter 42: Eating With Four Beastmen (ii)

Xavier, Ace, and Lucas immediately felt a sense of crisis.

Ever since Ace had started joining them for meals, each of them had noticed the portions getting noticeably smaller. After learning that painful lesson, Ace had realized one important rule:

If you wanted to eat more, you had to move faster.

Now that Lukan had joined them as well, the competition would only become fiercer.

Lukan had heard long ago that Kaelira often cooked for Xaiver and the others, but he had never imagined that her little outdoor kitchen would be arranged so comfortably.

A sturdy round wooden table sat beneath the shelter, surrounded by matching wooden chairs. Nearby stood a clay stove beneath a simple pavilion roofed with neatly layered thatch.

Against one wall were several wooden cabinets displaying pottery of every shape and size—the bowls, jars, kettles, cups, and cooking pots Sora had made herself.

Everything looked tidy, warm, and inviting.

Compared to the tribe’s communal kitchen, this place felt luxurious.

Back in the tribe, cooking meant balancing stone pots over a few rocks in the open. Whenever it rained, everyone had to drag the cooking stones beneath a large tree, only to haul them back outside when the weather cleared.

Only now did Ace understand why Kaelira had been so unwilling to return to the tribe’s kitchen.

Compared to this...

There was simply no comparison.

Seeing him arrive, Sora smiled and pointed to the chair beside her.

"Sit here. The hot pot will be ready in just a minute."

Lukan sat down and placed his pottery bowl on the table.

Sora took it from him and spooned in a colorful mixture of seasonings.

He looked at it curiously.

"What is this?"

"This is dipping sauce," Sora explained patiently. "When you cook meat or vegetables in the hot pot, dip them in this before eating. It adds another layer of flavor."

The other three silently glanced at their own bowls.

She hadn’t explained it so carefully to them before.

Sure enough...

She treated Lukan differently.

Each of them reached the exact same conclusion.

Once everyone was seated, Sora began placing ingredients into both simmering pots.

"Hot pot is simple," she explained. "You just add whatever you feel like eating. If you want vegetables, put in vegetables. If you want meat, cook meat."

Xavier, being a complete carnivore, immediately dumped an entire plate of sliced wild boar into the broth.

Sora twitched helplessly.

"Not like that."

She sighed.

"Only cook as much as you’re planning to eat, otherwise it’ll become overcooked."

Unfortunately...

The moment the meat finished cooking—

Three pairs of chopsticks shot into the pot at lightning speed.

The freshly cooked slices disappeared almost instantly.

Sora stared silently at the now-empty broth.

"..."

Fortunately, the three still had enough conscience to leave her portion untouched.

As for Lukan...

The meat that had been cooking for him disappeared with remarkable teamwork.

"Eat slower," Xavier said without the slightest shame while stealing another slice.

Lukan couldn’t help staring at the three of them.

He hadn’t expected a simple meal to turn into open warfare.

What surprised him even more was Lucas.

Lucas had always been famous throughout the tribe for his cleanliness.

Yet now...

He was calmly sharing a bubbling hot pot with everyone else.

If Lucas knew what Lukan was thinking, he would probably roll his eyes.

Of course he still cared about cleanliness.

But delicious food came first.

If he insisted on being picky now...

There wouldn’t be anything left to eat.

Seeing Lukan constantly lose out in the battle for food, Sora couldn’t help smiling.

She quietly picked up several slices of freshly cooked meat and placed them into his bowl.

"Here."

Lukan looked at her before dipping the meat into the sauce.

The moment he took a bite, his eyes widened slightly.

The broth carried a pleasant sourness, followed by a gentle spicy kick.

The dipping sauce added another rich layer of flavor.

The meat was incredibly tender.

It was far better than the roasted meat everyone in the tribe usually ate.

No wonder the other three kept coming back.

Meanwhile, Xavier, Ace, and Lucas had already stopped talking altogether.

They focused entirely on eating.

After finishing the meat, they cooked fish.

After the fish came mushrooms.

Then corn.

Then wild vegetables.

One ingredient after another disappeared into the hot pot.

Things they had once ignored while foraging now tasted unbelievably delicious after passing through Sora’s hands.

By the end of the meal...

Everyone was completely satisfied.

Lukan, who had initially been somewhat reserved, quickly adapted to the lively atmosphere and found himself enjoying the meal just as much as everyone else.

As for Sora...

She was equally content.

The only consequence of eating too much...

Was that she accidentally let out a tiny burp.

She immediately froze.

She had expected everyone to look at her awkwardly.

Instead—

Burp.

Xavier.

Burp.

Lucas.

Burp.

Ace.

Even Lukan quietly cleared his throat after suppressing one himself.

The five exchanged glances before bursting into laughter.

When the meal ended, Lukan stood to leave.

Before he could go, Sora smiled and reminded him,

"Come eat here from now on."

After experiencing her cooking once, refusing was simply impossible.

Lukan smiled warmly.

"All right."

Watching him leave, Sora silently reflected on the previous day.

Taking Xavier, Ace, and Lucas out while leaving Lukan behind had been a mistake.

She couldn’t keep pushing him away.

Who knew whether someone like Serena would seize the opportunity to drive a wedge between them?

Eating together really was the best solution.

Without realizing it, Lukan had already begun fitting naturally into their little group.

After lunch and a short rest, Sora went to find Martin.

She intended to begin refining the salt they had collected.

Raw salt couldn’t be stored for too long before absorbing moisture and clumping together. Since the weather was clear, today was the perfect opportunity.

The moment Martin heard that Kaelira planned to refine the salt, he immediately summoned the entire tribe.

"As many people as possible should come watch," he announced.

As the tribe leader, he understood the value of knowledge.

If everyone learned Kaelira’s method, the tribe would eventually be able to produce its own salt instead of relying on costly trade with the city-states.

After all...

It was Kaelira who had discovered the salt wells.

The refining would take place in the center of the tribal square.

Before beginning, Sora looked around and said,

"Father, I’ll need someone to burn a large pile of dry grass first."