A Culinary Revelation

“Aya Tone, are these dishes you’ve ordered truly edible?”

Staring at the array of dishes spread across the table, Li Jia’s face paled noticeably.

Heavens… what monstrosities had she just witnessed?

Fried grasshoppers and charcoal-grilled centipedes.

Were they truly here for a meal, or had they stumbled into a training ground for poison masters?

“Of course they’re edible. These are incredibly delicious!”

Without the slightest hesitation, Aya Tone picked up a skewer and popped it into his mouth.

The satisfying crunch and savory flavor were absolutely divine.

He had endured for so long, having to restrain himself whenever he went out with Xiao Jiu.

Merely watching others feast while he himself couldn’t partake had been an agonizing experience.

Now that he finally had the chance to enjoy a ‘solo meal,’ he was determined to indulge his cravings to the fullest.

“Ugh…”

Li Jia watched, mesmerized, as Aya Tone bit off the grasshopper’s head, then effortlessly tugged it free from the bamboo skewer.

With a slight tilt of his head, the entire insect, from antenna to leg, slid effortlessly into his small mouth.

A distinct gulp echoed in the quiet air.

She instinctively swallowed a mouthful of saliva.

Each crunching sound from Aya Tone’s chewing relentlessly grated on her nerves.

She had never imagined that the seemingly adorable Aya Tone would possess such an unusual palate.

The contrast was truly striking.

“Mmmph mmph…”

Noticing Li Jia’s prolonged hesitation with her chopsticks, Aya Tone assumed she was merely feeling shy.

He then picked up a skewer of what appeared to be relatively normal grilled meat and placed it in her bowl.

Swallowing the last remnants of the fried grasshopper, he declared, “This one’s good.”

“Oh… thank you…”

Li Jia found it difficult to decline Aya Tone’s well-intentioned gesture.

Witnessing Aya Tone devour it with such gusto, and noting that the meat itself appeared unproblematic, she cautiously concluded it must be edible.

A faint glimmer of hope flickered within her.

She picked up the meat skewer and took a tentative bite.

“Mmmph!”

Li Jia’s eyes widened, a spark of surprise igniting within them as she stared incredulously at the grilled skewer in her hand.

The flavor!

With a single bite, the succulent juices burst forth, flooding her mouth with a delightful savory aroma.

The texture, exquisitely crisp on the outside and tender within, was nothing short of sublime, the outer layer imparting a subtle char.

A delicate crispness accompanied each bite, culminating in a satisfying ‘crunch.’

The cumin and chili seasoning proved to be the perfect flourish, infusing the dish with a vibrant warmth and spirited zest.

“It’s delicious!”

In just a few swift bites, Li Jia devoured the skewer, her gaze lingering wistfully on the remaining pieces on the plate.

This truly surpassed all her expectations.

“See?”

As if personally responsible for grilling every skewer, Aya Tone proudly lifted his head.

“What kind of meat is this? I don’t think I’ve ever tasted anything quite like it before.”

Li Jia licked the lingering cumin from the corner of her lips, savoring the aftertaste.

She resolved to bring some back when she returned, eager for Fire Finch to experience it as well.

It would surely make her envious.

“It’s rat meat,” Aya Tone stated, as casually as if discussing the weather.

Unbeknownst to him, his words detonated like a bombshell in Li Jia’s mind.

Li Jia’s eyes widened in horror, and the smile on her face instantly froze into a rigid grimace.

Her tongue, which had only moments ago savored the exquisite flavor, now felt utterly unresponsive, as if it had betrayed her.

“Rat meat? Did you say this is rat meat?” Her voice trembled, barely a whisper.

She clapped a hand over her mouth, her face turning ashen.

Seeing her distress, Aya Tone mistakenly assumed she was disgusted by the perceived uncleanliness of the boss’s meat.

He quickly explained, “Don’t worry, the rats here are incredibly clean! They’re all raised on grain, so their meat tastes fantastic.”

This was, after all, the boss’s signature dish, a specialty that every customer absolutely had to order.

Most patrons who frequented this establishment came specifically for this particular delicacy.

But Li Jia could no longer process his words; her stomach had begun to churn violently.

The meat she had just consumed now felt as though it had transformed into a swarm of live, scurrying rats wreaking havoc within her gut.

“Hey, hey, hey, if you don’t like it, then let’s just have some porridge instead!”

Aya Tone, looking somewhat flustered, promptly fetched a bowl of porridge for her.

He understood completely that some individuals found it difficult to stomach such unconventional delicacies.

He just hadn’t expected that Li Jia, who accompanied him to dungeons daily and was accustomed to all manner of grotesque remains, would still be so squeamish.

Yet still couldn’t accept this.

Had he truly overestimated her resilience?

A wave of disappointment washed over him.

After a bowl of warm porridge, Li Jia’s tumultuous stomach finally began to settle.

“Perhaps you’d like to try some of this centipede meat?”

Li Jia weakly waved a dismissive hand. “Definitely next time,” she murmured.

“As for that… rat meat, could you pack me a portion to go?”

Such a delightful experience shouldn’t be hers alone; she absolutely had to pack a portion to take back for Fire Finch.

It would be perfect for Fire Finch to have a taste of this novelty as well.

“Oh, alright then…” Aya Tone readily agreed.

Amidst the unexpected commotion, Li Jia completely forgot her intention to inquire about Aya Tone’s relationship with Fire Finch.

However, she had already formed her own suspicions, rendering any direct questioning moot.

More importantly, her mind was now consumed with imagining Fire Finch’s expression upon tasting the rat meat.

It would undoubtedly be a masterpiece of facial acrobatics!

Li Jia, the mischievous demon: ‘Heheheh.’

****

The Vermillion Bird Guild, President’s Office.

Fire Finch leaned back in her chair, a gaping hole in the wall behind her stealing the scene.

Even after a full day, the massive hole remained unrepaired.

In Fire Finch’s own words, it offered “ventilation and natural light, a hundred times more effective than any floor-to-ceiling window.”

“Aunt Bai, what brings you here?”

“You have the audacity to ask me what brings me here?”

Bai Xiao slammed her hand on the table. “Didn’t you say you’d send someone to help clear the dungeons? Where are they?”

Reports from her subordinates indicated that after their arrival two days prior, the person had vanished the very next day.

Upon reviewing the travel itinerary, she was astonished.

They had departed Fengtai City that very day, on two separate flights—one at noon and another at night.

It was almost as if they were conducting a secret evacuation…

While the situation in Fengtai City had indeed been alleviated, Fengtai wasn’t the only city in the northern region.

“They’ve returned,” Fire Finch admitted without a hint of concealment.

The mere handful of A-rank dungeons she had taken from Bai Xiao weren’t even enough to occupy Aya Tone for a single day.

Since all those dungeons had been successfully cleared, returning was the obvious course of action.

Furthermore, given Aya Tone’s disposition, he would certainly never spend a night away from home.

A moment of stunned silence followed.

Bai Xiao fell silent for a moment.

The several A-rank dungeons she had entrusted to Fire Finch were assigned with the expected clear speed of a large-scale raiding party in mind.

A large raiding party, comprising around twenty individuals who had collaborated for years.

Even if composed entirely of A-rank adventurers, clearing a single A-rank dungeon would still demand several hours of effort.

Killing monsters, extracting resources, and all other related tasks inherently required considerable time.

And that didn’t even account for rest periods.

She had fully expected those few A-rank dungeons to keep Fire Finch’s dispatched personnel occupied for at least several days.

Who could have possibly foreseen that the entire task would be completed in a single day?

Not only that, but they had immediately departed for Yan’an City afterward, without even bothering to submit a report.

Was that even plausible?

“Little Finch, tell me, you didn’t, by any chance, send ‘that person’ from your family, did you?”

Apart from the silver-haired witch who single-handedly conquered S-rank dungeons, Bai Xiao couldn’t conceive of anyone else capable of clearing several A-rank dungeons in a single day.

And acting with such utter willfulness… It had to be!

“Indeed.”

This was hardly a secret worth concealing; besides, if Bai Xiao truly wished to know, it would only be a matter of time and effort.

It was far simpler to just admit it outright.

“That explains why there were only magic crystals and ores, but no other materials.”

Bai Xiao sighed. Monsters within A-rank dungeons often possessed peculiar abilities in certain parts of their bodies.

When used as primary materials, combined with other steel alloys, the resulting weapons would inherit a portion of those powers.

Consequently, they were exceptionally suitable for weapon crafting.

The lack of material output from these dungeons represented a considerable loss.

Fire Finch merely chuckled, offering no further comment.