"Had we really been talking this long without realizing it?" Evan said with a smile. "Then I should be going." The goddess rose and headed for the door.
"Why don't you stay for dinner?" Fura said, happily trying to persuade her. "Zhang Ruofeng, the boy who just joined our Familia, is going to cook for us tonight."
"That's because your cooking is so terrible." Evan shook her head. From her expression, she seemed to have experienced the full force of Fura's cooking herself.
"Exactly, Lady Evan. Why not stay and have dinner with us? After all, I've just received help from Permanselrus, the head of your Familia." Zhang Ruofeng bowed formally, and Xin Mu obediently followed suit.
"So that's it. I thought I recognized a familiar scent on you." The goddess smiled faintly at Zhang Ruofeng. "Using that kind of medicine means your wound must have been pretty serious. I heard you two only just made a contract with Fura today. Did you already go exploring the Dungeon this afternoon?" She turned a questioning look on Fura.
"What could I do?" Fura pouted unhappily. "My principle is never to interfere with the children's decisions, but to support them with all my heart. I told you about their situation, too. Their greatest wish is to go home. If they want to try the Dungeon, I can't stop them."
"Oh, you..." Evan poked Fura in the forehead, worry in her eyes. "Are you afraid you haven't had enough heartbreak already?"
"Anyway, if they get hurt, I'll just go to you for medicine..." Fura peeked at Evan, but when she saw the goddess angrily raise a fist, she could only cower behind Zhang Ruofeng.
"All right, all right. Lady Evan, please don't be angry. Have you ever tried Chinese food? Why not stay and see how my cooking turns out?" Zhang Ruofeng hurried to smooth things over. He knew the two goddesses were only teasing each other because they were close, but if this kept up, they would all go hungry. He quickly steered the conversation back to dinner.
"Ruofeng is a good cook." Xin Mu, who had been quietly watching from behind Zhang Ruofeng without saying a word, now vouched for his skills. In their old world, Zhang Ruofeng, Xin Mu, and a few friends had once cooked at a friend's house near their school. Xin Mu knew how good Zhang Ruofeng was in the kitchen.
"Hahaha. My dad's a chef, after all. I picked things up by watching him, and I've been cooking for myself since I was little. If it tasted bad, I wouldn't be able to eat it either." Zhang Ruofeng smiled as he spoke, but the others could hear the bitterness and helplessness in his words. To the two goddesses, it was normal for children to have a hard time growing up in a world overrun by monsters. Xin Mu, however, didn't see it that way.
"Everyone, please wait a little. It'll take me about an hour. I checked, and the kitchen's pretty well equipped." With that, Zhang Ruofeng went into the kitchen and started cooking. He actually enjoyed cooking. When the food turned out well, he could enjoy a good meal, and over time he had come to like making his own food. There were plenty of cookbooks at home, and he had often watched his father cook, so Zhang Ruofeng had become quite skilled.
Zhang Ruofeng heard the women outside start chatting again. The two goddesses seemed to be asking Xin Mu all sorts of questions, but he was just about to fry the meat and didn't have time to listen. "Dinner's ready!" Zhang Ruofeng carried out a steaming bowl of red-braised pork and a plate of cucumber salad and set them on the table. Xin Mu had already laid out the bowls. The only thing missing was chopsticks. No one in this world used them. Zhang Ruofeng had asked around, and even in the eastern lands, no one used such things. He didn't particularly like eating rice with a spoon, but there was nothing he could do about it.
"What is this? It's amazing!" Fura took a bite of the red-braised pork and was instantly enraptured. Its delicious taste astonished even a goddess.
"Indeed. This Chinese food of yours has such a distinctive flavor. It's delicious." Evan had taken a bite, too, and praised it. They finished their meal on a happy note.
"I'll be going, then. Remember, there's nothing wrong with adventurers taking risks, but you mustn't be too reckless. Taking things step by step is what adventurers should do." Before leaving, Evan made sure to remind them. Then she slowly disappeared into the sunset.
"Well, the flower shop is closed for the night, so let's update your abilities." Fura and Xin Mu tidied up together, then the goddess clapped her hands.
"Sure." Neither Zhang Ruofeng nor Xin Mu had any objections. Zhang Ruofeng wanted to know whether his abilities had improved after the hard-fought battle that day. This wasn't a game, after all. Improving his abilities could affect his body in many ways, and there wouldn't be a damage number popping up like in a game to tell him how strong he had become. Knowing how much he had improved would help him understand his own condition.
"Good. Let's head upstairs first." Zhang Ruofeng and Xin Mu obediently followed the goddess upstairs. Compared to the first floor, the second floor was even smaller. It had only three separate rooms: two bedrooms and a tiny bathroom, where the water had to be heated by a Magic Stone-powered heater. The place was rather out of the way and truly small, but it had been all the Familia could afford at the time. They had even borrowed some money from Evan's Familia.
"I'm sorry, but for tonight you two will have to sleep in the room on the left. My room on the right is a tiny single room. The Familia has always had no more than two members, and they've never been of different sexes. Sorry!" Fura turned back as she spoke, apologetic but playful. Her pale red hair fluttered in the air, and Zhang Ruofeng's first instinct was that the goddess had tricked him again. His first impression had been that she was breathtakingly beautiful and gentle, but his Main God also had a mischievous side and liked to play tricks on people. He could tell from the look on Medicine God Evan's face.
"This is my room." Zhang Ruofeng and Xin Mu followed the goddess inside. To their surprise, the room was very neat and tidy. It held only a small bookcase, above which hung seven wooden plaques, each carved with a name. The name of the previous owner of the armguard Zhang Ruofeng now wore was among them.
"Actually, everyone's soul returns to the divine realm after death, then waits for a suitable opportunity to be reincarnated. As a god, I shouldn't dwell on things like this. But I've only been in the mortal world for seven years, and I still haven't gotten used to how quickly the children pass away. I feel as if keeping these plaques lets me stay with them a little longer." Fura gave an embarrassed smile.
"There's nothing wrong with that. They were like family to you. There's nothing bad about keeping them close." Zhang Ruofeng spoke as gently as he could. It was clear that Fura truly cared for her Familia, and it was best not to stir up painful memories.
"Mm." Xin Mu silently nodded and studied the seven little wooden plaques.
"Now that we've talked so much, let's get your statuses updated." Fura smiled softly and drew their attention back to her. "Ruofeng, take off your shirt and sit on the bed." Zhang Ruofeng did as she asked. His wound had healed, but from rubbing against the ground, the inside of his right arm was still covered in scrapes and scars.
"Honestly, you're just like that strongwoman." Fura gently stroked Zhang Ruofeng's scars and chided him in a quiet voice. "You push yourself so hard. You'll end up covered in scars."
"There wasn't much I could do. I hadn't planned on going all out on my very first day." Zhang Ruofeng shrugged helplessly.
"Just a moment." The goddess said this as she pricked her thumb slightly and let a drop of blood fall onto Zhang Ruofeng's back. He felt a slight warmth, then a glow seemed to shimmer across his back. "All right. I'll copy your stats onto a sheet of paper." She took a piece of hemp paper and pressed it against Zhang Ruofeng's back.
"Does this prove that you really are from another world? You've already gained a skill on your first trip into the Dungeon." The goddess's eyes gleamed as she spoke.
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