A giant crystal chandelier on the ceiling refracted warm yellow light to every corner of the dining room. Its glimmer reflected off the neatly arranged silverware.
At the far end of the room, double balcony doors stood wide open. A thin night breeze blew in, carrying fresh, cold air. From the balcony, a sea of clouds was clearly visible. Green and purple aurora lights curved sharply across the starry sky, illuminating stone islands floating statically in the distance.
On the table, thin steam rose from piles of whole roast meat, meat rolls, milk, and plates filled with fresh fruit.
Rasie stepped into the room. Her red hair was still slightly wet, dripping water onto the collar of the oversized men's white shirt.
Aghh, this shirt is too big... Rasie grumbled inwardly. She tugged at the hem of the shirt uncomfortably.
The shirt's shoulders drooped past her own, and the sleeves were rolled up haphazardly to her elbows. The hem of the shirt hung down, covering part of her shorts, making it look like she was wearing nothing but the shirt.
Hasya was already seated in one of the chairs, leaning back casually. Seeing Rasie arrive, he straightened up enthusiastically.
Hasya patted the cushion of the empty chair beside him with his palm. "Darling, come here, darling!"
Rasie's steps faltered. Her face turned red instantly. "D-darling?! Wh—"
Rasie didn't continue her protest. She let out a long sigh until her shoulders slumped. "Whatever, you idiot," she mumbled softly, looking away toward the window.
Rasie walked over and plopped down roughly in the chair next to Hasya. She crossed her arms over her chest, her legs swinging under the table.
Hasya propped his chin on one hand, tilting his head to stare intently at Rasie. A wide smile was etched on his face. "You look really pretty in my clothes, Rasie, seriously," Hasya praised sincerely.
Rasie snorted roughly. Her hand quickly grabbed a silver fork from the table, stabbed a large piece of smoked meat, and shoved it forcefully into Hasya's mouth. "Shut up!."
She stuffed the meat in. "Just focus on eating!"
"Aghsjwhb," Hasya's voice was muffled by the mouthful of meat. His cheeks bulged like a squirrel, yet he kept chewing slowly with a resigned expression.
Not long after, Fyar, Illya, Cyhas, and Zaefal appeared one by one from the dark hallway. They all wore casual outfits made of fine fabric provided by Hasya. Illya, just like Rasie, wore a cream-colored men's shirt that looked loose on her slender frame.
They pulled out their respective chairs and sat around the round table. The aroma of roasted meat and spices immediately greeted their noses, awakening their suppressed hunger.
Hasya swallowed the meat in his mouth with difficulty, then looked at his friends one by one. "Sorry, there aren't any other clothes left; I didn't expect to have female guests in this place, after all..." said Hasya while scratching his cheek which didn't itch.
Cyhas lifted her oversized sleeves, then wiggled her body slightly in the soft chair, feeling the fabric's softness. "It's okay, Hasya," she said cheerfully. "It's actually quite comfortable."
"Yes, don't worry about it~" added Illya softly while straightening her slightly askew shirt collar.
"Hm hm," Hasya nodded in satisfaction. He then spread his arms, gesturing to the dishes in the center of the table. "Please eat, friends, please eat."
The sound of knives and forks clinking against porcelain plates began to fill the room.
Fyar picked up a knife and started cutting the meat on his plate into small pieces. His hands moved automatically, his gaze slightly blank.
Beside him, Illya deftly took some boiled vegetables and placed them on Fyar's plate.
"What are you doing, Illya?" asked Fyar softly, his eyes shifting to the green vegetables on his plate.
"I might not be able to finish everything..." answered Illya with a thin smile. "So I'm sharing a little with you, okay?"
Fyar chuckled softly while shaking his head. "Are you trying to make me fat or something?"
"Hihi."
Illya then cut a piece of her own chicken, stabbed it with a fork, and held it out to Fyar's mouth without speaking. Her eyes signaled for Fyar to accept it.
Fyar was initially puzzled, his eyebrows raising slightly, but eventually gave in. He opened his mouth and accepted the bite. He chewed slowly while staring at the reflection of the aurora in the crystal glass in front of him. The savory taste of the meat spread across his tongue.
"So, what are we doing tomorrow?" asked Zaefal while wiping his mouth with a napkin.
"Oh, you said after fighting those monsters we'd train against you, right?!" asked Rasie enthusiastically. Her eyes sparkled sharply,
"Yes, that's right, that's right!" Hasya nodded. He pointed to himself with his thumb. "Tomorrow we train by fighting me!"
"The four of you against me, and oh, you might be thinking... 'but but Hasya, you're too strong! Even though we leveled up, but but you're still too strong!'" Hasya dramatized his voice.
"Tch tch tch, I know you're thinking like that."
"Hm, I'm not," said Rasie casually, smiling slyly. She twirled her fork in the air. "You're way too confident."
Hasya moved his hand slightly. A piece of meat floated quickly from the plate and shot toward Rasie's open mouth.
"Agbshwhhsh," Rasie was startled. Her eyes bulged as the meat landed right in her mouth. She was forced to chew and swallow it with difficulty.
Hasya coughed lightly to suppress his laughter. "Because of that, I will suppress my power to around... hmm, 40-60 percent!"
"Or, well, equal to or slightly stronger than the monsters you fought earlier."
Zaefal, Illya, and Fyar looked at each other then nodded.
"Hnm, not bad.." Zaefal nodded while cutting his roasted potato. "That makes it possible for us to defeat you."
"Well, at least it's a bit fair.." added Fyar.
"Ohh, is that so? Is that so? Are you guys that confident?!?!" Hasya smiled thinly, his gaze challenging.
"I look forward to it..."
"Oh right, if you guys can manage to injure me! On both my hands, and manage to stab my chest, you pass!"
"Stab your chest? Master Hasya, isn't that excessive!?" Illya was shocked, her fork clinking softly against the plate.
"Oh, don't worry, my regeneration is already quite good.."
"Hmm," Hasya thought for a moment. "Hmm, maybe just cut off my hand if you're too scared."
Rasie, who had just finished chewing her food, immediately stabbed another piece of meat roughly and stuffed it into Hasya's mouth. "What are you doing, you idiot!!!!!"
Hasya accepted the forced bite while raising both hands.
Illya, Zaefal, and Cyhas laughed lightly at that. The atmosphere at the dining table became warm.
Fyar stared blankly at the aurora outside the window. His thoughts drifted far away.
"Fyar?" asked Illya gently.
Fyar snapped out of his daydream, then smiled thinly. "Hmm, yes?"
Illya fed Fyar a piece of fresh fruit. "Focus on eating and enjoying the moment here first. Don't think about heavy things just yet. Give your mind a rest."
Fyar was slightly startled by those words. He looked at Illya for a moment, then nodded gently. "Sorry."