CHAPTER 172: REST AND REFLECTION

The rhythmic sound of knocking came from the door of Wang Yu's home. Wang Yu got up from the dining table in the living room and opened the door.

"Hey, we're here. Hope we're not interrupting." Standing at the front was Charles, smiling as he greeted Wang Yu.

"Come on in." Wang Yu invited them inside.

"Alright. Here's a little treat, some great desserts for you to try later." Charles walked in, carrying an exquisitely packaged box resembling a gift.

"Sounds good. Let's eat together later. Avia's almost done with the preparations."

Wang Yu casually placed the gift box on the dining table.

"And here's mine—a little specialty from the northern regions. Oh, and this—some elven fruit that just arrived in the capital."

Edward, smiling, handed Wang Yu a medium-sized metal container carved with preservation runes.

"Nice! I haven't had elven food before."

Wang Yu was slightly surprised. Elven goods were still quite rare in the capital. With Aleisterre and Selwyn at war, Wang Yu hadn't bothered to try to sample them.

"Haha, I have some connections." Edward scratched his head, looking a bit embarrassed.

Just as he was about to step inside, Wang Yu blocked his way with a hand, making Edward look at him in confusion.

"Hey, I invited you over, and I even told you to bring a companion with you. Didn't you forget someone?"

Edward was momentarily baffled and pointed toward Charles, who was already seated at the dining table—though he was visibly uneasy due to the presence of the Lady of the Night's incarnation.

"Well, I invited Charles too. Think again. Who's missing?"

Edward frowned as he tried to grasp Wang Yu's meaning. Suddenly, realization struck him. "Ah, the Professor and the captain! Right, I forgot to notify them."

He reached into his pocket for his communication crystal, preparing to send a message to their two superiors.

"Smack!" Wang Yu slapped Edward on the forehead. He tsked in disappointment.

"Do you think they're as free as we are? Don't bother them—I'm sure they're packed with work. Where's Miss Sue, huh? How did you manage to leave her behind?"

"Huh? This... uh... well, I just thought... it might not be appropriate..."

Edward finally realized what Wang Yu meant. The usually reliable knight suddenly became flustered, his face turning red.

"You're a grown man—what's there to be embarrassed about? Go on, her flower shop is right down this street. Go and bring her here, now."

Wang Yu gave Edward a light punch, urging him to move. Edward was even denser than Wang Yu himself when it came to these things.

"Alright, alright." Edward, too embarrassed to argue, hurried off.

It didn't take long before Edward returned to Wang Yu's house. Sue's flower shop was right down Redmaple Street. With Edward a full-fledged knight and Sue an agile catfolk, they were back in no time.

"Sorry, I didn't have time to change. I'm still wearing what I had on while tending to the flowers."

Sue followed Edward into Wang Yu's home. The catfolk girl was still dressed in her work clothes.

She had tidied up her face a bit, but given her feline traits—fur and ears—there hadn't been enough time for a full touch-up. Not that it mattered: Sue was naturally adorable, and her attire did nothing to diminish her charm.

"It's fine. Just having you here is great," Wang Yu replied smoothly.

"As for you, Edward..." Wang Yu shot Edward a sidelong glance, silently reprimanding him with his eyes.

Edward grew even more self-conscious. He sat at the dining table, scratching his head awkwardly.

Sue didn't seem to mind at all. Her personality was similar to Wendy's, optimistic and lively. She quickly got into conversation with the other woman at the table, Darkness.

She chatted cheerfully with Edward and occasionally exchanged a few words with the still-intimidated Charles even as she engaged in casual conversation with the Lady of the Night.

Though Charles was still somewhat overwhelmed by the Lady of the Night's presence, he managed to keep up with the conversation. The Lady of the Night responded to Sue in her usual slow and languid manner.

Among those at the table, aside from the enigmatic Lady of the Night, Sue was the most relaxed. Her energy quickly livened up the atmosphere.

"Sorry for the wait—everything's ready." Avia's voice came from the kitchen. Today, instead of her usual ponytail, she let her golden hair cascade down her back, fastened simply with a hairpin. She wore an apron.

As soon as Avia stepped out of the kitchen, the aroma of food spread through the room. The various scents mixed together—not in the extravagant manner of the capital, where spices were added without restraint, but in a harmonious and complementary blend.

The rich, seared fat of the meat combined with the fresh, leafy aroma of cooked vegetables. The enticing fragrance made everyone at the table instinctively swallow their saliva.

One dish after another was placed on the dining table. Though Avia could only carry one plate at a time, the multiple floating Magician's Hands behind her effortlessly handled the task.

"Wow, this smells amazing—it's even more enticing than the food at the Echoing Hearth!"

Charles made no effort to hide his excitement as he glanced at the dishes on the table. There wasn't too much variety, but the portions were generous to account for the appetites of knights like Wang Yu and Edward.

"It's a cooking style from my homeland that's different from standard capital fare. Thanks to Avia, I'm able to eat the dishes I enjoy again—it'd have been far harder to prepare them on my own."

Wang Yu smiled. These were home-style dishes from Earth, recreated with similar ingredients from this world. With Avia's cooking skills, they were rich in color, aroma, and taste. Enhanced with magic, they might even surpass the quality of the food prepared by some high-end chefs on Earth.

Wang Yu didn't bother with table manners—there was no need to wait for the host to start. He immediately invited everyone to dig in as he quickly explained how to use chopsticks.

"Wow, these are pretty handy." Sue played with the two wooden sticks and found them more convenient than expected.

Her nimble fingers easily picked up a piece of snowy-white flesh from a large platter of roasted fish with scallions.

"Mmm, so good!" She placed the fish in her mouth, savoring its tender yet slightly springy texture. The fragrance, combined with the fish's natural umami, captivated her catfolk taste buds, which were far more sensitive than those of ordinary humans.

"Miss Avia, you're amazing!" Sue rubbed her fluffy tail against Avia while vigorously chewing on the fish in her mouth.

"Indeed. This is the first time I've had a dish prepared this way. It's really delicious. Wang Yu, your hometown must be a great place."

Edward was full of praise as he ate the braised pork in his bowl—rich, yet not overwhelmingly greasy. Instead, the interplay between the lean and fatty portions created a delightful contrast in texture.

Most of the dishes in this world followed a more Western-style approach to cooking. Who knew what kind of cuisine other races had? The dishes Avia learned from Wang Yu's descriptions of Earth's cuisine were indeed more refined compared to those in the capital's high-end restaurants. Coupled with the girl's generous use of quality ingredients, it was no surprise that she had won over everyone present with ease.

"Mmm... It's all so good..." Edward and Sue were simply enjoying the food, while Charles just kept stuffing his mouth nonstop. His cheeks were puffed up with food, making it impossible to tell what nonsense he was trying to say.

"Delicious." That was Darkness's evaluation. The incarnation of the Lady of the Night was also helping herself to the dishes, just like Wang Yu and the others. Surprisingly, she could actually taste the food—something Wang Yu hadn't expected. Seeing that even a deity had praised the meal, Avia was very pleased.

After some thought, Wang Yu made no hesitation and opened up the gifts that Edward and Charles had brought. There were many people here, so they might as well enjoy them together.

Charles had brought a box of pastries. Judging by the markings on the packaging, they came from a renowned bakery in the capital—high-quality and certainly expensive. However, for the people here, it wasn't exactly a luxury.

Avia placed a well-baked slice of cheesecake into her mouth and closed her eyes in anticipation, letting the sweetness spread across her taste buds. Such simple happiness came from nothing more than these delightful treats.

Watching the young woman savor the moment, Wang Yu felt a slight stir in his heart. She still loved sweets as much as before, but it had been a long time since they had gone out together to eat something they wanted. Had he been too busy lately?

Edward's gift, kept fresh in a specially crafted container, was divided into two parts. One half consisted of small, translucent fish that were still alive. Their internal organs were invisible, leaving only tiny, dark eyes visible as they darted around agilely in the icy water.

The other half consisted of fruits from elven lands. They had smooth, crimson skin that was slightly translucent, round and plump, brimming with juice. A faintly sweet aroma wafted from them, and Wang Yu could even sense a hint of magic within the fruit's flesh.

"Eat them as they are. You'll probably like them," Edward said with a smile, picking up a glistening little fish from the ice water and popping it straight into his mouth.

Wang Yu followed suit. The taste wasn't fishy at all—it was fresh and subtly sweet. The texture was simultaneously springy yet easy to chew, and was exceptionally delicious when chilled.

Even so, the elven fruit impressed Wang Yu even more. It was the perfect level of sweet, with just a hint of tartness. As soon as he bit into its flesh, the taste spread throughout his mouth.

Juice and pulp slid down his throat, leaving behind a slight burning sensation—not painful, but instead enhancing the sweetness in a unique way.

After the mild burn, a cool aftertaste followed, leaving his throat feeling refreshingly clean. It was likely due to the trace amounts of magical energy within the fruit.

As Wang Yu chewed on the unique delicacy of the elves, he found himself lost in thought.

The atmosphere at the table was lively. Everyone ate, chatted, and let go of their usual burdens. In the presence of friends, they were able to relax and enjoy this rare moment of ease.

After the meal, Edward and the others bid farewell to Wang Yu. At some point, the incarnation of the Lady of the Night had also silently disappeared, leaving only Wang Yu and Avia in the room. The young woman had already started cleaning up the table with her magic while Wang Yu sat beside her.

"Thank you, Avia." Wang Yu sincerely expressed his gratitude. This simple gathering that she had proposed had made him realize a few things about himself.

He was someone who never felt lost or discouraged, but occasionally, he could be stubborn—too single-minded, even obsessive.

Ever since arriving in the capital, Wang Yu had been trying to grow stronger. He had thrown himself into the endeavor completely. Most of the time, it was the only thing in his mind.

His goal remained the same. As he had once told Avia, this world was vast, and he wanted to explore it. He had come to the capital because he needed the strength to make that possible.

But somewhere along the way, he had even abandoned the simple joys of everyday life. When he first arrived, he had still found time to visit restaurants and treat himself to good food.

Yet for a long time, he had been too busy for anything else. He was either dealing with the affairs of the Nightblades and the Church of Nightfall or focusing solely on training. His simplest pleasure, that of enjoying a good meal, had been completely discarded by the wayside.

Though he hadn't noticed a problem himself, Avia's keen intuition had picked up on the issue.

Wang Yu had no desire to become someone who abandoned everything for the sake of power. No matter how strong he became, no matter how remarkable his abilities, he still wanted to be a person who could find happiness in a simple bowl of well-made noodles, someone who could be content for an entire afternoon because of it.

Pulling Avia into his arms, he rubbed his face against her soft hair, pretending not to notice how her cheeks had turned as red as a ripe apple.

"I'm so lucky to have you. Thank goodness I'm not alone."

Avia's response was barely a whisper, but the quiet joy in her voice was unmistakable. Closing her eyes, she simply let herself enjoy the warmth of this moment.