At that moment, perhaps because Tiona was being a little too dramatic, the curiosity of the other three girls had been completely piqued.
Lumine had no choice but to notice their eager stares, especially Ais.
Her overly blank, natural airhead expression didn't even try to hide her emotions. She looked exactly like a little hamster waiting to be fed, and the sheer cuteness damage was devastating.
"Alright then, I'll make one for you all too."
"I want another one!"
Lumine hadn't even finished speaking before Tiona shot her hand up like a student trying to answer a question first in class.
"Yaaay~!"
"Lumine, you're the best~!"
Having her slightly selfish demand fulfilled, the little angel promptly hugged Lumine, rubbing her cheek against hers affectionately.
If Ais is like a dopey hamster, then Tiona is definitely a mischievous husky.
She was the type to try to act cute when in trouble, yet in daily life, she was a constant source of chaos that left others both laughing and crying.
Anyway,
BOOM~
With just a few ingredients tossed into the pot, a flash of golden light, and four more steaks emerged.
And this time…
"Huh? Lucky me, it's a drop."
Lumine's casual comment drew everyone's eyes. Among the four steaks, one was clearly different, it was glowing.
"A dish that glows? And this smell, it's amazing!"
Lefiya sniffed delicately with her small nose, exclaiming in wonder.
Turning to Lumine, she asked curiously, "Lumine-san, did you use some kind of magic?"
"No… well, I suppose you could call it a form of [magic]."
Tione cut in with a dry laugh. "That method of cooking is so unnatural, it feels like the super-rare Development Ability Mystery."
Everyone knew that adventurers with Mystery could craft bizarre magical tools.
For example:
A few centuries ago, the sage Fels pushed Mystery to its peak. Not only did they create the legendary Philosopher's Stone, but their forbidden arts also accidentally produced undead skeletons that still wander the world.
Or Hermes Familia's own jack-of-all-trades, Asfi Al Andromeda, whose talents earned her the divine title of Perseus the Universal.
All in all,
"Lumine's cooking ability seems really similar to Mystery, letting her create these 'special dishes.' Honestly, right now, I doubt anyone else in all of Orario could make something like this."
Thank you for the headcanon, Tione, Lumine thought silently.
But aloud she said, "Well, I do get a bit of a boost from a special [Skill]. As for the exact effects… I'd rather not share, sorry~."
At the root, she didn't want others to be misled into choosing the wrong Development Ability just because of her unique case.
Choosing poorly could ruin an adventurer's entire future.
After all, no one else had a Genshin System to rely on.
Fortunately,
"Mm, don't worry. We know the rules about Skills. We won't pry… You don't have to worry about it, Lumine."
"As for cooking… sure, before now nobody would've picked it as their first Development Ability."
Tione shrugged with open palms. "Most adventurers focus on survival first. Even support Familia members usually go with something tangible like Blacksmithing. Nobody wants to gamble their future on an unknown."
"But now… I think I should bring this up with our captain. At the very least, it deserves to be considered as part of our Familia's long-term plans."
She looked back at Lumine. "Is that alright?"
It was only three words, but they carried warmth and respect.
"Of course, I don't mind." Lumine smiled, knowing this benefited everyone without harming her. "We may belong to different Familia, but we're partners, and friends. As long as it's not a true secret, the little details don't really matter."
Hearing this, Tione's eyes softened.
"Lumine."
"Hmm?"
"You really are different from the others in the Freya Familia."
She said it earnestly. "Don't misunderstand, it might sound odd, but it's a compliment."
"Oh?"
Lumine narrowed her eyes playfully. "Then I'll be shameless and accept it~."
"You really are interesting," Tione chuckled, relaxing with a hand on her hip.
Then,
"Speaking of which… I really want to know…"
Beside them, Tiona had been gulping down saliva the whole time.
She pointed at the glowing steak, the Delicious Steak, strictly speaking, and mumbled, "So… who gets the super-yummy meat?"
Everyone glanced at each other. Then they all smiled.
"Of course we'll cut it into five. Everyone gets a taste."
"Yay~!"
================
It was only because Lumine's Cooking level wasn't high enough yet.
Otherwise, she'd have made five Delicious Steaks straight away.
Still, wasting ingredients just for a low drop chance was a no-go. If she did, Loki's Mama-san would definitely lecture them.
Tione certainly wouldn't allow that kind of waste either.
So, after they happily shared the steak, Lumine made a few Mushroom Chicken Skewers for them to try.
And when the first bite went down, every girl froze in shock.
Because unlike the Steak, which revived only its first eater and otherwise restored a measly 100 HP,
The Mushroom Chicken Skewer restored 9% of max HPplus 1200 more.
The effect was…
"This is basically an elixir of life, damn it."
Tione, ever the mental commentator, was shaken to her core.
And not just her,
Even Lefiya, Ais, and Tiona, who usually didn't care about details, were stunned into silence after that first bite.
Unconsciously, they all looked at Lumine, the same thought in their minds:
Is this really just made from "mushrooms" and "poultry"?
And another, more dangerous thought followed,
If Lumine ever sold these, Dian Cecht Familia and Miach Familia would probably cry themselves to death.
==========
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