Looking at the other three people, including Loki, who turned around at the same time, Riveria paused deliberately. Only after the other three showed a hint of anxiety did she curl her lips in a satisfied smile.
"It was Arachnia, Valletta."
After Gareth and Loki's eyes widened and Finn frowned, Riveria added, "Noah still had the upper hand, forcing Valletta to escape covered in wounds."
Now, Loki couldn't sit still anymore and jumped up from the sofa.
"Hey! You didn't mention this before! What's going on?"
Facing the accusations from her own goddess, Riveria pressed back with a hundred times more force. "Because before I could talk to you in private, you dragged the kid into the bedroom like a fiend!"
Looking at the high elf's elegant and heroic face, which now exuded the aura of a demon, Loki's divine aura immediately wilted. "Well, I was just afraid the boy would run away."
Feeling the pleading gaze from his goddess, Finn sighed. "Well, I think we should go meet this new recruit. I heard he took the initiative to prepare dinner tonight, so let's go and taste his cooking."
Finn and the others were just joking at first, but when they came downstairs, they found something unusual. Although the cafeteria was the most spacious room in the Twilight Manor, it still seemed very crowded after accommodating more than forty people at once.
If it were any other time, the cafeteria would be extremely noisy, and one could hear it from a tower away.
However, today, Finn and the others did not hear any noise. No, there was noise, but no one was talking.
This is?
As the saying goes, if a member of the Familia isn't talking, they must be causing trouble. Just as Finn and Riveria were looking at each other in confusion, they both suddenly smelled a strong fragrance in the air, and their eyes widened involuntarily.
"That aroma? Haha, looks like we're in for a treat!"
As soon as he entered the cafeteria, Finn saw that the members, who would normally be making a racket, were all sitting in their seats, eating their food with blissful expressions on their faces. They didn't even notice them coming in. If there was no smell of wine in the air, he would have thought the members had all drunk the Soma Familia's illicit wine.
Fortunately, there were still a few members who were not completely obsessed with the food. After seeing Finn and the other three, they quickly stood up. "Captain! Miss Riveria, Mr. Gareth!"
Well, they didn't say hello to Loki, which showed how little respect this goddess commanded among her children.
Seeing the Familia members eating with flushed faces, coupled with the aroma wafting in the air, Finn felt his own appetite being aroused for the first time in a long time, and he couldn't help swallowing. "Well, you guys go ahead. Don't bother with us."
Scanning the cafeteria, Finn finally spotted the silver-haired boy in front of the kitchen.
Well, that must be him.
At this time, Noah was also looking at the scene in the cafeteria and fell into deep thought.
That's strange. I didn't put any drugs in the food.
Noah had never been interested in power or wealth. If he had to claim a hobby, it would probably be food. But he was not a king who could live in a palace and be served all day, so he couldn't bring a chef with him. He had to learn to cook for himself.
Over time, he had mastered the skill. But the problem was that Noah was very sure that although his cooking skills were good before, they were definitely not this good.
Recalling the cooking process, Noah suddenly noticed something unusual.
Unless you are a professional chef, most people will have moments of "good enough" when it comes to food preparation, heat, and seasoning.
Noah was no exception. But just now while cooking, he seemed to have a natural grasp of all the details. It seemed that as long as he started, he instinctively understood how to do it best.
That feeling... it was like his own swordsmanship.
Well, that has to be it. If this intuition could be applied to learning magic, forging weapons, and even combat...
Wow, doesn't that mean I can be a genius at anything?
The Falna is amazing!
As Noah was imagining the future, he noticed movement in his field of vision. He turned around and met the eyes of a short, blond Pallum. Through the information he had learned, Noah knew that this person was the captain of the Loki Familia, his future captain.
"You must be Noah-kun. I am Finn Deimne, the captain of the Loki Familia. Nice to meet you."
Noah looked at Finn, whose face was filled with a sunny and gentle smile, and took the initiative to bow. "I'm Noah Sifel. It's a pleasure to meet you."
At first glance, Noah was sure that Finn was the "reliable captain" he was looking for.
Now I can finally put my mind at ease.
What Noah didn't know was that Finn was also very moved when he saw him for the first time. Although it wasn't a skill, Finn's right thumb would ache slightly when he sensed danger, which gave him a strong intuition.
Now, although it was not an ominous premonition, Finn was sure at first sight that the boy in front of him was the same type of person... as him.
They are both people who are good at playing tactics!
Well, in that case, can I train him to be captain so I can finally relax? It's been a long time since I had a good fight!
---
"Ohhhhh! Everyone! Drink up!"
After Riveria and the others took their seats, Loki stepped on the table with one foot, holding a wine glass, and roared like a dwarf.
"OHHH!"
"DRINK!"
More than forty members raised their glasses of wine or water, and the roar was deafening, almost blowing the roof off.
Perhaps only at this time would the Familia members be so accommodating to their eccentric goddess.
After handing over the remaining food service to a cat-person and several elves, Noah carried his own food to a corner of the cafeteria.
As for self-introductions? Judging from the fact that Noah had been stopped and greeted more than ten times while walking less than ten meters, it seemed there was no need.
Noah scooped a spoonful of broth into his mouth and couldn't help but squint his eyes slightly in enjoyment.
Hmm! I've really outdone myself.
For adventurers who risk their lives all day, the most important companions are their weapons and their food. Most of the money earned by adventurers is spent on these two things. As one of the two major Familias in the city, the Loki Familia naturally did not skimp on food.
All ingredients were delivered by the Demeter Familia, a major agricultural Familia.
The Demeter Familia often cooperates with the Loki Familia to obtain special ingredients in the Dungeon, improving and cultivating them with the knowledge of their god. The taste of these ingredients far exceeded that of ordinary food.
Even without any ill intention, the Demeter Familia still dominated the Orario food market.
The only problem was, perhaps due to their Familia's preference, the ingredients cultivated by the Demeter Familia were very sweet. However, for Noah, who already loved sweets, this wasn't a problem at all; it was an advantage.
Of course, just because Noah liked desserts didn't mean he made all his dishes sweet. That would be a waste of good food. Every ingredient has its own delicious taste, and Noah only needed to help it show its true flavor. That was the meaning of cooking.
After drinking a glass of wine, the Familia members picked up their spoons again. Having simply filled their stomachs earlier, this time, every member was completely engrossed in the food, and all kinds of exclamations and praises were heard.
"Mmm! This bread! So fragrant and crispy, and dipped in this gravy, woooo!"
"Vegetable buns? This is my first time seeing this... it's vegan? But for the first time, I think it tastes better than meat!"
"The broth is so delicious! It's lighter than usual, but so fragrant!"
"Wow! With cooking skills like this, we've hit the jackpot with this new guy! What do you know, Loki actually did something right for once!"
"Hey, I was just saying I'm getting old and need to slow down! Get out of here!"
The jokes from the members made Loki's eyes widen, and she uttered an unclear protest from her mouth, which was full of steak.
In Orario, male adventurers who could cook were rare. In fact, adventurers who could cook at all were rare.
Otherwise, the west side of Orario would not be occupied by an entire street of pubs and restaurants.
As Noah was eating and enjoying his own cooking, several people approached. "Hey, boy, that lemon meat pie is really delicious. I ate three of them!"
The person who spoke was an elderly human man. Although his face was covered with wrinkles, his back was still straight and strong. Coupled with his combat uniform, which looked like a kimono, he gave off the sharp feeling of a swordsman.
"I'm Noah." Although he didn't know their identities, Noah still stood up and shook hands with the man. "It's a compliment to the chef to finish the food. Thank you."
Behind the old man was an Amazon who looked to be about forty years old. She was still holding a large piece meat, biting into it with wild movements. "Ah, boy! Your cooking skills are probably unmatched in Orario. Even if you don't make it as an adventurer, being a chef wouldn't be bad!"
Faced with this compliment, Noah nodded calmly. "I think so too. When it comes to cooking, I don't think I can lose to anyone."
"Oh my, boy, are you so confident?"
"On the contrary, I know I don't have much ability, but I am quite confident in three things."
The old man and the Amazon looked at each other, confused. "What three things?"
"I have a handsome appearance, I'm a strong swordsman, and my cooking skills are amazing!"
After a brief silence, the old man, the Amazon, and a nearby dwarf all burst into laughter, their roars even drowning out the noise in the cafeteria. Loki also cast a curious look over, watching the communication between the veterans and the rookie.
"This kid is really interesting! Loki found a good one this time! It seems we won't be bored in the future."
"If I were twenty years younger, I would definitely fall in love with you!"
"I'm very touched, but I'm sorry, you don't fit my aesthetic standards!"