"Aha, let me guess what's for dinner tonight, my dear Miss Xili."
Mavario held his wife's hand as he walked toward the dining room, asking impatiently.
Wearing an apron, Xili emerged from the kitchen and said with a smile, "Mr. Mavario, tonight's dinner is..."
Just then, Ventura pushed open the door and came in, calling, "Xili, you need to come with me."
"Now?"
"Yes."
"Oh, all right. I'll go change."
Seeing this, Mavario, who had been waiting to eat, stood up and asked Ventura, "Hey, hey, hey, what exactly do you mean by this?"
Ventura saluted Mavario and answered, "Divine Son, these are orders from above."
"So what does Kallen mean by this? My wife and I haven't eaten yet."
It was certainly rare to see someone so self-righteous about freeloading a meal, but the Divine Son certainly had the standing for it. After all, in theory, having him over for dinner was practically equivalent to bringing a divine statue home from a temple and enshrining it on the dining table.
Ventura said, "This order was issued in the name of the Whip Bearer's Office."
"Uh..."
The displeasure on Mavario's face faded into confusion. "Does the Whip Bearer want to sample Xili's cooking?"
"That, I don't know."
"Didn't Kallen go to the Dinge District and say he wouldn't be back for dinner tonight? Can't he cook for the Whip Bearer himself?"
"Divine Son, I don't know. I'm only responsible for taking Xili to the Dinge District."
Mavario waved a hand. His status as the Divine Son was exalted, but he knew very well the gap between himself and the position of Whip Bearer.
Ventura walked farther inside and reminded Xili, "Bring seasonings and side ingredients."
"What about the main ingredients? I bought plenty of groceries tonight."
"You don't need to