Once he arrived at the marketplace, the bustle of life became apparent. Shopkeepers stood outside their stalls, calling out and promoting their goods.
Noel, however, felt a bit lost. He wasn't sure what exactly to buy. Still, meat absolutely had to come first—if he was going to reward himself, there was no way meat could be missing.
Speaking of which, it was already the perfect season for hotpot. Maybe he should buy some beef tallow first?
After that, he grabbed some fresh beef—Noel was especially fond of braised beef. Beside the butcher's stall, another vendor was selling meatballs, so Noel picked up a few of those as well.
As for vegetables, he settled on cabbage, leafy greens, and a bundle of chives.
He added some noodles to the pile, along with a few desserts and fruits for after the meal.
By the time he looked down at all the bags hanging from his hands, Noel thought to himself: Tonight, I'll definitely enjoy a proper hotpot feast.
Just then, Natsu happened to be wandering the street. His eyes lit up when he spotted the ingredients Noel was carrying.
"Noel, you're cooking tonight? Can I come mooch off your dinner?"
Natsu stared at him with pleading eyes. The sheer intensity of that look was overwhelming. Noel hadn't really wanted to agree, but in the end he couldn't resist it.
"…Fine," Noel conceded. "But you'd better not trash my house."
"It's a promise!" Natsu shouted, then bolted off in excitement.
Noel considered chasing after him, but after such a long day he had no strength left. There was no way he could keep up with Natsu's speed anyway.
Time ticked by.
The broth for the hotpot was nearly done, and soon enough, more and more guests began arriving.
At first, Noel had only expected Natsu and Happy. But then Lucy showed up. Then Gray. Then Erza.
"…Is this a guild meeting in my house?" Noel thought blankly.
Well, since everyone was here, he might as well show off his cooking skills a little.
Noel carried the hotpot into the living room and set it on the table's brazier, sliding some charcoal beneath it. The heat was perfect. Soon, the broth began bubbling with a cheerful gurgle gurgle.
"Let's eat!"
"Thanks for the meal!" everyone chimed.
Natsu immediately grabbed a slice of beef, swished it through the broth, and popped it straight into his mouth.
Noel, meanwhile, took a bit of fish, while the others went for the meatballs.
"These chicken meatballs are delicious!" Lucy exclaimed.
"Right? I made those myself," Noel replied, smiling at how happy she looked.
"I can't believe you can cook too, Noel," Lucy said in disbelief.
Noel chuckled. "It's not like I can eat at an inn every day. That'd get expensive fast. Besides, I like eating things I've made myself."
"But Lucy," Noel's tone shifted as he placed another meatball into his bowl, "you just disappeared and went home without telling anyone. That wasn't very fair. Everyone was worried sick."
"Uh—well, I only wanted to visit my family… I didn't think you'd be so upset," Lucy said hurriedly.
"I'm not angry about that," Noel corrected. "I'm angry because you left without a word. That's just sneaky."
Lucy flushed, suddenly embarrassed, and for a moment couldn't even bring herself to pick up her chopsticks.
Realizing he might have been too harsh, Noel felt a twinge of awkwardness himself.
Just then, Erza swept through the hotpot like a storm, clearing out nearly all of the meat. She leaned back, satisfied. "Delicious!"
The mood around the table shifted instantly—everyone's eyes locked onto the dwindling meat supply.
Damn it! She ate all the meat! Noel's heart bled. He had barely gotten a few bites himself. He had bought that beef specifically to treat himself, and now he'd hardly tasted any. To him, this was one of life's cruelest tragedies.
After a while, the broth began to simmer down. Noel reached for the kettle and refilled the pot with water, pouring it in with a steady glug-glug.
Once the last of the vegetables were finished, the group tossed noodles into the broth. By now, the soup had absorbed all the rich flavors of the meat and vegetables. The noodles, soaked through with savory broth, had their own unique charm.
Even though he hadn't eaten his fill of beef, the noodles left Noel content. At least he wouldn't go hungry tonight.
For dessert, there was grape cake and banana yogurt. Lucy, with her sweet tooth, lit up the moment she spotted the cake and quickly dug in with delight.
"No wonder Lucy's so fat," Happy teased.
Lucy's eyes flashed dangerously. "Mind your own business!" And soon enough, Happy was subjected to her tender "affection."
Erza looked at the desserts with little interest, but she still picked up some yogurt for form's sake.
Gray froze his yogurt solid with Ice-Make magic, then ate it with a spoon as if it were ice cream.
"I'm full," he said at last.
When everyone finished, they all wore satisfied smiles. Clearly, tonight's hotpot had been a success.
Although Noel's wallet was noticeably thinner, it felt worth it to have prepared such a feast.
Nobody acted like a guest, either—they all sprawled on his sofa, chatting casually.
"So, what's our next plan?" Lucy asked, sounding a little bored.
"How about barbecue?" Natsu suggested instantly.
"You glutton!" Gray snapped. "We just had amazing hotpot, and you already want barbecue? What is your stomach made of?"
"But I'm still hungry," Natsu said, patting his flat stomach.
"That's just how he is," Happy sighed. "Natsu eats a mountain of food every day."
"Then why don't you all help me polish my armor instead?" Erza proposed.
Her armor hadn't been cleaned in ages, and the last few battles had been particularly rough—there might even be stray magic crystals stuck in it.
"Absolutely not!!" Gray and Natsu refused in unison.
…
Meanwhile, Noel was left cleaning up the battlefield of a table. The mess was catastrophic, and he sighed heavily as he began the dreaded dishwashing. He hated this part the most.
Still, his hands moved with practiced ease, and soon the kitchen was clean again.
The others were still discussing plans for the night, indecisive as ever. With nothing pressing to do, Noel thought he might as well join them.
"I remember there's a job in Hosenka Town," Erza suddenly suggested. "Why don't we take it tomorrow? It should be fairly easy."
"The hot springs there are wonderful!" Lucy chimed in.
"Hot springs?" Noel perked up. "That sounds perfect. I could really use a good soak after all this exhaustion."
"…But really, you all came all the way here just to freeload off my hotpot," Noel grumbled.
"Well, your hotpot is just too good!" Natsu exclaimed. "Way better than what you get at restaurants!"
Being praised for his cooking did make Noel happy. But still… he hadn't eaten nearly enough of the meat. That part still stung.
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