Chapter 361: Speak of the stars...

"...Gulp." Zura swallowed her soup while already reaching for a piece of honeybread before the bowl even hit the wooden surface. She took a massive bite, her cheeks puffing out as she chewed, her hands and utensils practically moving in a blur as she went from one dish to the next.

"Hey, slow down a little," Ethea laughed, shaking her head. "They are all yours. Nobody is gonna take them away."

"Yu shay dat bat I kent stoup," Zura mumbled, her mouth far too full to speak clearly.

Ethea sighed in defeat, a fond smile tugging at her lips as she let her continue her feast.

"By the way, what are all these dishes called?" Zura asked Soren after finally clearing her mouth with a gulp of water. She pointed her fork toward the table. "I only know this one since you cooked it in the finals."

"The soup you just finished is called Crimson Ember Broth," Soren explained, gesturing to the empty bowl before moving across the table. "It helps soothe your pathways and speeds up mana recovery. The skewers next to it are Fire-Glazed Tenderloin, which boosts physical strength and stamina, and the salad uses Dawnbloom Leaves to clear mental fatigue."

He went through each platter, detailing their names, ingredients, and effects. "...How are they? Do they live up to expectations?"

Zura nodded vigorously, her eyes sparkling. "I don’t think I’ll be able to enjoy normal food ever again at this rate!" She paused, turning her gaze toward Ethea with a mischievous grin. "And I think I finally understand how you seduced her. There is no way anyone could resist a spread like this."

Ethea’s cheeks flushed a light pink, though she simply rolled her eyes. "Keep eating, Zura, before you start talking total nonsense."

"Hey, I’m really serious!" Zura declared, taking another bite of the roast with pure bliss written across her face. "If I had someone cooking like this for me every single day, I’d fall in love on the spot too."

Soren chuckled, shaking his head as he poured them all glasses of chilled fruit juice. "I’m glad you approve. Just make sure you save some space, because there’s still dessert."

Zura’s head snapped up, her eyes wide. "There’s dessert?"

Soren nodded with a smile. "Mm. I made a few things earlier. They’re resting in the cooler right now."

Zura stared at him for a moment, then glanced down at the table. The dishes were already half-empty, and she had eaten more than her fair share. Any ordinary cultivator would have been full by now, maybe even struggling to finish their first dish and drink. Fortunately, she was a 6th circle cultivator. Her metabolism and digestion were far beyond those of ordinary and low-ranked cultivators. However, she didn’t know whether she would be able to finish everything, especially with dessert still waiting.

Still, looking at the remaining dishes and realizing how much effort Soren must have poured into each one, she clenched her fists under the table, her eyes burning with determination. Letting a single bite go to waste after all his hard work was out of the question. She was going to finish every dish on that table, no matter what.

Ethea watched her lock in with total seriousness and chuckled. "If someone else saw you right now, they’d think you were preparing for a life-and-death battle."

Zura turned to her, completely serious. "This is a battle, Ethea. A confrontation between my stomach’s limits and culinary perfection. And I refuse to yield!"

"...Pfft!" Ethea laughed out, unable to hold back, and Zura couldn’t keep her stoic face for long before joining in.

Soren sat back, leaning against his chair as he watched them banter across the table. ’This brings back memories...’

The dinner had been just as lively back then.

’I wonder if she’s doing well...’

A minute had barely passed before a chime sounded in his mind.

[Ding!]

Soren’s eyes widened as glowing text flowed past his vision, displaying a name he had just been thinking about.

’Speak of the stars, and they light up the night...’

His expression softened as he stood up and turned to the startled women. "You ladies continue enjoying the feast. I need to take care of something."

’...It’s really ok, don’t worry. And I’ll be back soon.’ He added mentally to Ethea.

Then with a quick, reassuring smile, he stepped away toward the side hall. Zura watched him go, then turned to Ethea. "Is he alright?"

"It’s fine," Ethea replied. "He would have told me if something was wrong."

"...Alright." Zura nodded, though she still looked slightly concerned.

A moment passed in silence. Then Zura glanced down at the table, then at her own plate, then back at the table. Her face slowly went pale.

"...Ethea."

"Mm?"

"He doesn’t think of me as a... I mean, after tonight, he’s not going to think I’m some kind of... ravenous beast, is he?" She muttered, her voice dropping to a near whisper as her eyes darted nervously toward the empty platters.

Ethea raised an eyebrow, a teasing smile playing on her lips. "Isn’t it a bit too late to start worrying about that now?"

Zura lowered her head in shame, burying her face in her hands with a soft groan as she cursed herself for acting so shamelessly. Was it because Ethea was here, or because she didn’t feel any discomfort around him? Either way, that was no excuse. She had practically inhaled half the table without a second thought.

"You know," Ethea said, her tone softening, "Soren isn’t the type to judge someone over something like that. If anything, seeing you enjoy the food that much probably made him happy."

"You... think so?" Zura raised her head slightly, her eyes searching Ethea’s face for any sign of doubt.

"More than you can imagine," Ethea said with a warm smile, before her eyes glinted with mischief. "But... I can’t give you a complete guarantee. An appetite like that is bound to leave a lasting impression."

Zura’s head snapped up, a glare fixing on Ethea the moment she caught the spark of amusement in her eyes. "Urgh, you’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you?!"

"Hehe~" Ethea giggled. "Wasn’t it just you who got worked up on your own? I was just giving you an honest answer."

"..." Zura continued glaring at her, then turned away with a scoff, though her lips twitched as if threatening to betray her with a smile.

"...You’ve gone bad," She muttered a moment later, still facing away. "Marriage has corrupted you."

"Maybe a little," Ethea admitted without a hint of remorse.

"A little? You used to be the serious one. Now you’re teasing me every chance you get."

"I learned from the best."

"...I hate you!"

"Haha~"

Zura grumbled under her breath, reaching for her glass of juice to hide the smile she couldn’t quite suppress. But before she could take a sip, her phone buzzed on the table. She glanced at the screen and picked it up, still muttering complaints at Ethea.

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up. I’ll get you back for this, just you wait."

She unlocked the phone and read the message. Her hand froze mid-air.

"...Zura?"

Ethea’s laughter faded. She watched as Zura’s expression shifted, her eyes widening as she read through whatever was on the screen. The playful mood vanished in an instant.

"It’s... bad," Zura muttered. She looked up at Ethea, then glanced toward the television. She stood, quickly found the remote, turned it on, and switched to a news channel.

The screen flickered to life, showing a reporter standing in front of a city map. Her expression was grim, and her voice sounded fearful.

"...Kita City has been completely overrun by a criminal organization known as the Outcasts. The group has taken control of the city’s main gates, communication and teleportation towers, and administrative buildings..."

A few moments later, the screen switched to footage of the city. Smoke rose from several districts, and the streets were empty. Several black-robed figures could be seen walking around with their bonded beasts.

"...The Outcasts have publicly issued their demands," the reporter continued while the screen showed a video message from the internet, posted by the Outcasts. "They want the Empire to release all captured members of their organization, including the son of their leader. Additionally, they demand compensation for their deceased comrade and the handover of the one responsible for their death. If their demands are not met within twenty-four hours, they have threatened to destroy the entire city and everyone in it..."

"..."

The room fell silent. Zura stared at the screen, her expression cold. Ethea’s hands tightened on the armrests of her wheelchair.

’The one responsible for their deaths...’ Ethea thought. ’They mean Soren.’

The reporter kept talking, but neither of them was listening anymore.

"Damn these bastards," Zura hissed, her knuckles turning white as she gripped the edge of the table. "Why hasn’t the Empire wiped them out by now?! They’re openly threatening innocent lives and acting like they own the entire city!"