DanMachi Universe, Lower World, Orario.
Nearly two hours passed after the members of the Aislynn Familia returned to the Dragon's Nest. During that time, they all got cleaned up after their trip to the Dungeon. Then, Tatsuo and Alfonzo immediately headed to the kitchen to get started on dinner.
Usually, whenever Tatsuo and/or Alfonzo were cooking, they were not disturbed at all. In fact, unless they invited Violet and Sakura to assist them, the kitchen was usually off-limits to the other residents of the Dragon's Nest.
Yet, whenever the Loki Familia decided they were going to visit, there was always at least one person who barged into the kitchen while they were cooking.
And this time was no exception.
As soon as the two chefs of the Aislynn Familia stepped into the kitchen, Ais, like a lost puppy, followed them in. And it did not take a genius or a God of Investigation to figure out what she wanted. Nor did it take much to figure out what her expression would look like when Tatsuo and Alfonzo told her that there would be no Jagamarukun for dinner tonight.
Then, shortly after Ais left with a crestfallen expression, Loki stormed into the kitchen, demanding an explanation as to why these two stinky men made her Ais-Tan sad. However, before Loki could get herself worked up and try to trick Tatsuo and Alfonzo into working as the chefs at the Twilight manor, Riveria appeared with her staff in hand and knocked out Loki before dragging the goddess back to the main hall.
After that, the Hiryute Sisters made an appearance in the kitchen. And while Tiona was pleasantly cheerful, though she asked a few too many questions, Tione spent the entire time glaring at Tatsuo, looking as if she wanted to forcefully raise him to Level 5, so she could show him just how strong she was.
But the pair of Amazoness twins were also eventually dragged out of the kitchen by Riveria, who scolded them about acting like proper guests as she did so.
Eventually the kitchen fell into a rhythm familiar to Tatsuo and Alfonzo. And with the relative quiet, they started chatting about the day.
{Pic}
"You really need to be careful the next time you go into the Dungeon." Alfonzo said while tending to a pan over a magic stove. "I doubt that Hyakinthos asshole is gonna give up so easily."
"I'm actually not worried about him." Tatsuo said nonchalantly. "With [Blink] and Sakura-Chan's [Shadow Space], even if the pretty boy captain of their Familia came, he wouldn't be able to catch us."
"Don't be too confident." Alfonzo said in a warning tone. "We all know you're strong, T. But most of our power is sealed during this [Mission], and anything can happen. Pride comes before a fall, as they say."
"Yeah, I know… I know." Tatsuo replied casually. "But seriously, I'm actually more worried about you guys."
"About us?" Alfonzo asked rhetorically while getting his thoughts together. "Ah! You're afraid he's gonna do something underhanded like attacking us to draw you in, huh?"
"Exactly." Tatsuo replied with a nod. "And if Apollo has found out about us, things will be even worse."
"Even worse for him." Alfonzo said nonchalantly. "Do you really think your future dragon-mate will let that… amorous… Yeah, let's say amorous… You really think Aislynn will let that amorous god do what he wants?"
"Probably not." Tatsuo replied uncertainly. "But she might let us go through some hardship in the name of training. She doesn't want me to be too weak, after all."
"Oh… Now that you mention it…" Alfonzo muttered. A moment later, just as he was about to continue, he raised his head and sniffed the air. Then, he lowered it again and went back to handling the pan he was tending. "The casserole should be done. Can you get it out of the oven real quick?"
"Already on it." Tatsuo said while making his way over to the oven.
With that, the conversation came to a brief end as Tatsuo took the casserole out of the oven and checked to see that it was just right. However, before the conversation could continue, the last of the guests wandered into the kitchen, attracted to the smell.
"Well, I'll be…" Gareth said while looking around the fully stocked kitchen. "If the food you two cook tastes as good as it smells, I"m in for one hell of a treat tonight. I'm gonna have to brag to Finn about this."
Hearing that, both Tatsuo and Alfonzo smiled proudly as they kept working.
"Hey, Gareth, need anything?" Alfonzo asked casually.
"Just had a tiny question to ask." Gareth replied while holding up his hand with a small distance between his thumb and index finger.
{Pic}
"Let's hear it." Alfonzo said with a smile.
Hearing that, Gareth lowered his hand. Then, he started rubbing his hands together with a flattering smile on his face.
"I have no doubt that the food is gonna be great." Gareth said. "But the meal wouldn't be complete without alcohol, would it? I doubt chefs of your caliber wouldn't understand such a thing, would you?"
"Oh, there will be drinks." Tatsuo replied with a grin. "Unfortunately, you came too early. Otherwise, we would have had some really good stuff."
When Gareth heard there would be drinks, he couldn't help a smile spreading across his face. However, when he heard that he was too early for the really good stuff, Gareth's smile froze. Then, he leaned forward and opened his mouth to get more information.
"What do you mean?" Gareth asked in a somewhat frantic tone. "How is it possible that I'm too early for the good stuff?"
"It's because I've been fermenting a batch of wine for the past week. But you know, good wine takes time. So, it probably won't be ready for at least a year."
As a seasoned drinker, Gareth was both excited and skeptical when he heard that Alfonzo also brewed wine. Despite having yet to taste Tatsuo's and Alfonzo's cooking, Gareth would not argue if someone told them they were amazing cooks. However, cooking and wine brewing were different. So, he could not bring himself to immediately believe that Alfonzo knew anything about the subject.
"Well… When it's done, you'll have to invite me over to taste it." Gareth said, his tone much more reserved than before. "I have a lot of experience when it comes to drinking, so I think I could give you a pretty good review after trying it."
Alfonzo could not help chuckling at that. It was obvious to him that Gareth was doubting his brewing skills. But he was not offended. Instead, he was looking forward to the look on the old Dwarf's face when he tasted the same wine that he learned how to brew to satisfy his second wife, Cana.
In fact, Alfonzo did not only intend to let Gareth try the wine he was brewing. After it was finished, he had every intention of pitching it to the Hostess of Fertility, and every pub and bar in the city, as well. And because the scale at which he could brew it was limited, he planned to market it as a luxury good, bringing in a little extra income for the Familia as long as they were in this world.
After Gareth's visit to the kitchen, it did not take long for dinner preparations to finish. And before long, everyone in the Dragon's Nest was seated at the dining room table waiting for dinner to be served.
"Alright, hope everyone is hungry." Alfonzo said as he and Tatsuo stepped into the dining room pushing carts topped with all the dishes.
"Hell yeah!" Tiona cheered happily. "I've been dreaming about this ever since the last time we were here."
"Hmph!" Tione snorted disdainfully while glaring at Tatsuo, yet, she did not say anything about not eating.
Meanwhile, Ais was looking at Tatsuo and Alfonzo with the expression of an abandoned puppy because of the lack of Jagamarukun present for tonight's meal. Riveria, on the other hand, was looking at the food with apprehension and a rather noticeable blush on her face.
"*Sigh* I'm really looking forward to this." James said while smiling at Riveria.
"I know what you mean, Kid." Loki said with a lecherous smile on her face. "Seeing Mama like that again has been one of the things I've wanted most in my long life."
"I think we've all been looking forward to it." Elicia giggled. "I mean, it's not often you see someone so embarrassed that they run away with the plate and all the food still on it."
With every teasing word, Riveria's face reddened even further.
"You all have horrible hobbies." Riveria muttered while lowering her head.
"Things aren't as bad as they seem, Miss Riveria." Zelretch said in a gentle tone. "We've all experienced it. It's best not to think about it. Just remember, as long as you're not embarrassed, it will be everyone else who feels awkward."
Though she could see the wisdom in Zelretch's words, Riveria was not nearly thick-skinned enough to put those words to use.
"Why do you all seem a bit different tonight?" Momo asked curiously.
"What do you mean, Momo-San?" Sakura asked while tilting her head uncomprehendingly.
"I mean, there's someone here who has never tasted Tatsuo-Kun's and Alfonzo-San's cooking, right?" Momo asked while glancing at Gareth. "Why aren't you more focused on him?"
"Because no one wants to see a middle-aged man react like that." Loki said before glancing at Gareth with a bit of disgust.
Seeing Loki's gaze, Gareth was thoroughly confused. Ever since he returned from the kitchen, he had kept to himself, only thinking about the wine Alfonzo was brewing. But now, he was being looked at as if he had done something to offend his goddess.
However, before Gareth could question Loki, Tatsuo and Alfonzo finished serving the food and took their seats at the table.
"Alright, dinner is served." Aislynn said with a smile while looking at everyone sitting at the table. "So, don't wait on my account. Enjoy the meal."
With that, everyone picked up their cutlery. And while most of them started eating immediately, James, Loki, and Tiona focused their attention on Riveria with expectant expressions on their faces. Meanwhile, Riveria was looking at the food on her plate as if it was her mortal enemy, hesitating over whether she should eat at all.
*Bang!*
However, before Riveria could make her decision, the sound of a bang rang out and the table shook. And when everyone looked in the direction of the sound, what they saw was Gareth with his fist resting on the table, his head tilted up to the ceiling, and tears running down his face while he clenched his teeth.
{Pic}
"Oh, thank me!" Loki exclaimed in a relieved tone. "If I had to watch some middle-aged uncle moaning, I would have lost my appetite."
"Tch!" Tiona clicked her tongue. "I was hoping Gareth would start moaning like everyone else. If he had, I would have had something to tease him about for a long time."
"This is why everyone calls you stupid, Tiona." Tione said while shaking her head in disappointment."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Tiona asked while gritting her teeth as she stared daggers at her sister.
"Just think about it." Tione replied, sounding even more disappointed. "If you had actually seen Gareth moaning like that, would you ever be able to eat this food again? That image would have probably popped up every time you saw their cooking."
Tiona was about to fire back with something snarky. However, when she heard the end of Tione's statement, she froze completely, unable to start imagining the scene Tione just narrated. Then, after internalizing the image, she could not help shivering.
"Oh, thank Loki!" Tiona exclaimed in a relieved tone. Then, she glared at Gareth as she continued. "Damn it, Gareth! You almost ruined dinner at the Aislynn Familia for me! If you had started moaning like everyone else, how was I supposed to keep coming over here with Loki to freeload meals?"
Just coming back from his culinary enlightenment journey, Gareth was thoroughly confused by Tiona's reprimand. And the expression on his face showed it perfectly.
Looking around the table for a clue to what Tiona was talking about, Gareth only saw the members of the Aislynn Familia grinning at him while Loki, Tione, and Tiona looked at him disdainfully. At the same time, Ais, who was just as absent as always, was only focused on eating her food. Though, he did notice that her face was flushed, and she was fidgeting in place as she did so.
However, the one who confused him the most was Riveria. Unlike the others, she had not started eating at all. Instead, she was glaring at Gareth with undisguised annoyance.
"Riveria, what's wrong with you?" Gareth asked in a confused tone.
"Tch!" Riveria only clicked her tongue in response.
'This damn Dwarf.' Riveria thought to herself. 'Why is his self-control so good in a situation like this? Now, it makes me look like I'm easily stimulated compared to him. This is unfair. I'm a High Elf princess. Is my willpower so much weaker than his?'
"Hey, Riveria." James said, snapping Riveria out of her internal monologue. "Aren't you gonna eat? Or is there something that Elves can't eat?"
Jolting upright, Riveria glared at James, who was grinning at her excitedly from across the table. And when she looked to her right, Loki had the exact same grin on her face.
'These people are waiting for me to make a fool of myself, aren't they?' Riveria asked herself rhetorically. 'Well, they are in for a surprise. I'm not the same as I was last time. I know what to expect this time. Plus, how can I be worse than that Dwarf, Gareth?'
With that, Riveria snorted at everyone who was looking for amusement at her expense. Then, after mentally preparing herself, she speared a mouthful of food and immediately put it in her mouth.
At first, everything seemed to be alright. But as Riveria chewed the food and more of the flavor hit her taste buds, her face reddened and she started to squirm. Then, just before she swallowed the food in her mouth…
"Mmm~~~~~~~~~~!"
… she could not hold back the urge any longer, and a moan of pure pleasure escaped her throat without any input of her own.
And while most of the people sitting at the table found great amusement from Riveria's plight, Gareth was horrified. Because just the thought of reacting like that after tasting the food would have been completely and utterly mortifying to endure.
'Yeah, I'm never going to be the one to bring this up.' Gareth thought to himself while wiping a bead of sweat from his forehead as he watched Riveria come down from her food-gasm and immediately show signs of social death. 'Because if I do, I have no doubt that she will immediately start chanting [Real Laevatein] or [Wynn Fimbulvetr] without a second thought.'