Was it really that incredible?

Asta was savoring her fried egg.

The Astral Express Crew hadn't been idle, either.

After dealing with the Stellaron on Jarilo-VI.

They had already planned their next destination.

If a certain Aeon of Voracity hadn't barged into the picture.

The Astral Express would have headed to the Xianzhou Luofu under Kafka's guidance.

But who could have known that Jiang Yao's appearance would disrupt communications throughout that star system?

Even Silver Wolf's Aether Editing couldn't get Kafka's message through~

More coincidentally still, shortly after the Astral Express made its jump, lo and behold, Jiang Yao appeared, asleep and floating through space.

Pom-Pom slammed on the brakes, muttering, "We hit someone, pom!" while informing the Nameless that something unusual had happened.

In the end, Welt and Dan Heng worked together to bring Jiang Yao aboard.

After discussing it, they decided to take Jiang Yao to Herta Space Station for treatment.

That led to the scene at the beginning.

The Herta Puppet could do nothing, so the Astral Express Crew had no choice but to settle Jiang Yao into a room for the time being.

Then they went to Herta Space Station for a meal.

Since they had once helped Herta Space Station confront the Antimatter Legion, the supply agreement between the station and the Astral Express had been upgraded.

With honored guests arriving, Herta Space Station naturally had to arrange a fine meal.

The sheer variety of dishes was dazzling.

Every plate had been meticulously arranged.

Not only were they exquisite, but the portions were generous enough to fill everyone up.

But right in the middle of their meal.

Himeko received a message from Asta informing her that Jiang Yao had awakened, along with... uh, an unexpected set of coordinates.

"Keep eating, everyone. Our Drifter has woken up. I'll go check on him."

Himeko motioned for her companions to enjoy their food.

Especially Stelle, March 7th, and Dan Heng.

Their trip to Jarilo-VI really had been hard on those three.

"I'll come with you."

Welt elegantly wiped his mouth.

As a dependable senior member of the Astral Express.

He ought to be there to check on him, too.

"The Drifter's awake?"

March 7th looked torn as she glanced between the feast on the table and Stelle, who was taking huge mouthfuls of meat.

"Himeko, Uncle Yang, let's go together."

After considerable hesitation, March 7th decided she wanted to go with Himeko and Welt.

Not for any particular reason, simply because seeing Jiang Yao reminded her of herself.

Both had been utterly alone.

Only one had been encased in Six-Phased Ice, while the other had been floating through space.

What else could you expect from our wife March?

She was just that thoughtful~

"Little March, just relax and enjoy the feast. This trip was hard on all three of you."

Himeko indicated that they didn't need to come.

Of course, our thoughtful Himeko also glanced at Stelle, who was frantically stuffing food into her mouth, and reminded her:

"But take it easy. Overeating isn't a good habit."

At that, Stelle and March 7th gave a couple of sheepish giggles.

Then went right back to eating.

Meanwhile, Himeko and Welt headed to the coordinates Asta had sent.

Herta Space Station was no small place.

Each area served a different purpose.

So it still took Himeko and Welt quite a while to get there.

Sniff~

Sniff~

Welt's nose twitched. He suddenly adjusted his glasses and asked:

"Himeko, am I imagining things? I could swear I smell something delicious."

Himeko's lovely brows also furrowed in confusion. "You're not imagining it. I smell it too, and..."

Himeko and Welt came to a stop inside the room.

Then Himeko checked the coordinates Asta had sent.

Yes, they clearly had the right place.

But why was there such a rich aroma here?

Then Himeko pushed open the door.

An even richer aroma immediately washed over them!

Strangely, Himeko and Welt felt a little hungry, despite having just eaten.

Stranger still, the Drifter—Jiang Yao—was showing off his cooking skills.

Meanwhile, Asta and Peppy, one girl and one dog, watched with desperate anticipation, practically ready to stick their noses into the pan.

Wait, what was going on?

Himeko and Welt exchanged a glance.

Each saw the confusion in the other's eyes.

Seriously, with Asta's wealth, surely she shouldn't look as though she'd never seen good food before?

Even the slowest reaction had to kick in eventually.

Only then did Asta notice someone behind her.

She let out an "Ah~"

Then she spotted Himeko and Welt.

She hurriedly gave a sheepish smile. "Oh, it's Ms. Himeko and Mr. Welt! Sorry, sorry, I didn't notice you."

As she spoke, the aroma reached her nose, and Asta couldn't help swallowing again.

Jiang Yao also saw Himeko and Welt, but he wasn't in a hurry to greet them.

As mentioned before, he held food in exceptionally high regard.

Giving it his undivided attention while cooking was the greatest respect he could offer it.

As for why he was cooking again...

Naturally, Asta's cravings had been stirred up, and she'd begged Jiang Yao to make her something else to eat.

"What exactly are you..."

Himeko wanted to comment, but held her tongue.

What hadn't she seen before?

Well, she certainly hadn't seen anything like this!

A "patient" was cooking.

And a wealthy young lady was waiting with desperate anticipation.

What kind of brain-rotting "urban Dragon King returns" short drama did this plot belong in?!

"...Hmm?"

Crap!

Asta abruptly fell silent for a moment.

Himeko and Welt's reactions made her realize something crucial—

They might not know just how delicious Jiang Yao's cooking was!

In other words, Jiang Yao might not be one of the Nameless!

He might simply be someone they'd happened to rescue.

Otherwise, they would never have asked that question.

Jiang Yao's cooking.

The flavor spoke for itself—no extra salt needed!

Anyone who had tasted it would inevitably look forward to the next time.

That was what Asta was capable of.

In an instant, she'd figured out most of what had happened.

And so.

Asta immediately dreamed up hundreds upon hundreds of plans to keep Jiang Yao around.

For one fleeting moment, she even considered becoming Jiang Yao's sugar mommy.

But remorse quickly rose in her heart.

She was wrong. How could she poach someone else's person?

Whether Jiang Yao was one of the Nameless or not, the Astral Express had at least saved him.

He was practically born to be one of the Nameless, okay...

Okay, her ass!

What had she done wrong?!

After a moment of indecision, Asta decided she was keeping Jiang Yao, no matter what!

Even the Amber Lord couldn't take him away!

"Obviously, we're enjoying a little private meal."

Asta finally came back to her senses and turned her attention to Himeko and Welt.

But her answer left Himeko and Welt struggling to process things.

If.

And they meant if.

The two of them weren't seeing things.

What Jiang Yao was making was Egg Fried Rice.

Yes, the absolute simplest Egg Fried Rice.

At most, he'd added a little sausage.

How should they put it?

It certainly looked, smelled, and promised to taste wonderful!

Both its color and its aroma were enticing.

The scent of eggs mingled with the fragrance released by the heated rice, complemented by the rich, fatty aroma of diced sausage.

Calling it refreshing to the very soul would be no exaggeration.

Egg coated the rice, each grain separate and golden, tumbling through the pan like a sea of golden flowers swaying in the wind.

The evenly diced sausage looked like crimson enchantresses amid that sea of flowers, adding to its allure.

This was the pinnacle of egg fried rice: Golden Fried Rice.

But.

No matter how perfectly it was made, it was still just a simple plate of fried rice!

Chefs capable of doing this weren't exactly rare.

With Asta's status, getting some should be easy, shouldn't it?

She could even get something better!

Did she really need to react so dramatically?

Fine, they admitted that its aroma alone whetted their appetites, and the mere sight made them want to eat.

But was it really that incredible?

They didn't believe it.

No matter how good a plate of Egg Fried Rice was, just how delicious could it possibly be?

Most importantly, the person holding the spatula...

Had only just woken up!

Amid the silence.

Jiang Yao's Egg Fried Rice was ready, too.

Only then did he wipe his hands, look at Himeko and Welt, and say:

"Hello, Ms. Himeko, Mr. Welt."

"This should be our first meeting. My name is Jiang Yao. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"I'm sorry I didn't greet you right away. I respect every serving of food, so I give it my full attention when I cook."

"But I'm very grateful to you for bringing me aboard the Astral Express."