"I'm telling you, the food at Nordic Hunt is delicious! Paimon loves Honeyed Roast. When Amber brought us here, that's what she treated us to."
Outside Nordic Hunt, Paimon excitedly introduced various delicious foods to Durandal. Seeing his expression of unbearable excitement, Durandal poked his belly, scaring him into hiding behind Lumine.
"You… what are you doing? It's very impolite to casually touch a Damselette's belly, don't you know that?"
"Strictly speaking, I am also considered a Damselette now, right? Since we are of the same gender, what's wrong with touching a belly?"
Durandal recalled what Venti had done to her earlier and said, "Someone told me before that when female friends meet, they grab each other's Slime as a way of greeting. I understand, because our relationship isn't good enough, so I can't do that to you, right?"
"Eh? That…"
Paimon's expression was hesitant. He was just startled by Durandal's sudden action and simply complained, but how did the topic turn to their relationship not being good?.
Was his relationship with Durandal not good? They had only met twice, and the time they spent together was no more than half a day, but he quite liked Durandal because she had treated him to delicious fish soup, so she was a good person, his good friend.
But… was there something in her words that needed attention?
"Who told you that the way good female friends greet each other is by rubbing Slime?"
Durandal tilted her head: "Isn't that right?"
"Of course… well, it's not entirely wrong. Certain intimate behaviors do occur between very close female friends. But not everyone can do that; it can easily cause trouble for others."
"Not everyone does that… well, that means that guy was lying to me."
It wasn't like that at all. That Venti guy, for his own selfish desires, actually deceived her. That guy… he really has guts, to even lie to her.
"Ach-choo! Huh? What's going on? Is someone talking about me behind my back?"
Venti, who was slacking off in the tavern, rubbed his nose and scratched his head in confusion.
As the God of Wind, he naturally couldn't catch a cold, so his sudden sneeze must mean someone was talking about him behind his back? Who would be so bored as to gossip like that? That person must be very petty.
The God of Wind, who loved to slack off, hadn't realized he was being targeted, and Durandal's dishes were served.
Seeing the fragrant delicacies, Paimon was the first to pounce on them and feast.
Lumine was tired after a day of hard work, but unlike Paimon, she ate gracefully, like a lady.
Durandal looked at the array of unfamiliar dishes, tasted a few bites, and then lost interest in eating.
Lumine noticed Durandal putting down her chopsticks and asked, "What's wrong, Durandal? Do these dishes not suit your taste?"
"I just have no interest in eating. As a God, I don't need to eat. However, I do have a sense of taste, and based on previous experience, these dishes should be considered delicious."
"Eh? You don't need to eat? That would take away so much fun."
Paimon, who loved to eat the most, immediately widened her eyes when she heard Durandal didn't need to eat, and said.
She couldn't imagine her life without delicious food; it would lose a significant meaning, and she wouldn't be able to bear it.
Lumine had the same thought. As a human, eating and drinking are essential. Although Durandal is a God, she now has a human appearance. Even if she hasn't fully accepted the change in identity, she should at least try to get used to certain things.
"Even if you don't need to eat, you still feel things when you eat, right?"
"Yes, I can taste."
"Since that's the case, then just eat a little. You are the protagonist this time; how can a protagonist not eat? And you can try it; maybe you'll find a flavor you like among these dishes."
"A… flavor I like?"
"Yes, a flavor you like. Everyone's taste is different, and I believe you also have a flavor you like. So just try it; you don't dislike these dishes anyway, right?"
"...I understand."
Although the meaning was unclear, she had nothing else to do, so she might as well join them and carefully taste the flavors of these dishes.
Many unfamiliar flavors spread in her mouth, some of which were similar to the grilled fish Klee made for her.
Although she said she didn't eat and had no need to eat, her actions were like those of a noble, making Lumine somewhat confused.
As for Paimon, her attention was entirely on eating, with no mind to notice Durandal's abnormality.
"Um... excuse me, are you the divine doctor who helped Anna here before?"
At this moment, a slightly nervous voice came. It was a simply dressed woman, holding a very young Children in her arms.
However, the Children's condition was not optimistic; her face was morbidly flushed, and her breathing was rapid, clearly ill.
"...Do you need something?"
Durandal put down her chopsticks, looked at the Children in her arms, and asked.
"It's like this: my Children has had this problem since before, often experiencing inexplicable high fevers. No matter if I went to a doctor or the Church of Favonius's Preacher, it was no use; my Children's condition just wouldn't improve."
As a mother, she couldn't bear to see her Children suffer like this so often, but she had tried every method, and her Children's illness simply couldn't be resolved.
A few days ago, she heard that Anna's illness had been cured by a very mysterious girl. Although Anna's illness was different from her daughter's, and she wasn't sure if the other party was truly capable.
But she was out of options, like a drowning person desperately trying to grasp a life-saving straw.
"Oh wow~ such a pitiful little girl, can you help her, Durandal?"
Even Paimon, whose attention was on food, felt sympathy for the girl's condition. Looking at the girl leaning in her mother's arms, looking distressed, Paimon asked.
Lumine also looked at Durandal. Facing everyone's gaze, Durandal nodded: "Let me check her condition."
The woman carefully placed the girl on the chair, and Durandal cupped the girl's cheeks.
Actually, she didn't need to do this. As soon as the woman held the girl, she had already sensed the girl's condition. She could completely absorb the problem within her from a distance using her abilities.
But doing so would expose too much. Keeping a low profile is important, just like Venti, the God of Wind, also operates in the city as a Bard. She also didn't want to reveal her identity as a God.
She disdained lying, but if no one asked, Durandal wouldn't say it, would she?
The woman nervously watched Durandal. Passersby also noticed the situation here. Recalling Anna's case earlier, they walked over out of curiosity and stopped to watch.
She pretended to sense the girl's condition, then took the girl's hand, performing the same action Anna had done before.
As she moved, black-purple mist continuously condensed in her hand.
The aura released by the girl was even more severe than Anna's. In just over ten seconds, the sphere had already exceeded the previous size.
The absorption continued for over a minute, stopping only when it reached the size of a watermelon this time.
As the toxins were drawn out of the girl's body, the girl, whose cheeks were flushed from fever, now had a normal complexion. However, her body was too weak, and she could only slightly open her eyes to observe her surroundings.
"Mom? What happened?"
"N-nothing, nothing at all, Xiao Na. It's good that you're okay, it's good that you're okay."
The woman cried as she hugged the girl. She still couldn't be sure that her Children's problem had been resolved, nor could she believe that a problem that had plagued her for so many years was solved in just a few minutes.
She looked at Durandal, her eyes full of expectation, hoping Durandal could give her a hopeful answer.
"It's all right now."
Durandal clapped her hands together, absorbing all the 'toxins' drawn from the girl's body into her own, and said: "All of her 'toxins' have been absorbed. It's just that her body is too weak. That's your problem now; can you solve it?"
"Of course! Of course I can! Thank you so much, divine doctor! Please accept this."
The woman took out the Reward she had prepared beforehand. These were all her savings, originally intended to take her daughter to Liyue for medical treatment. Now that it was no longer necessary, this money was just right as a Reward for Durandal.
Durandal didn't take it. She waved her hand and said, "I'm not interested in this. I only have one request."
She pointed to a girl watching nearby and said, "Do you see that girl? I need you to take care of her until she can be as healthy as that girl. Can you do that?"
The woman was stunned, tears welling up even more in her eyes. She nodded frantically, promising that she would definitely fulfill Durandal's request, thanking Durandal many times until Durandal felt a bit annoyed, then she got up and left.
The woman hadn't walked far when the girl in her arms seemed to realize that Durandal had helped her and said.
"Sister." The girl said to Durandal's back, "Thank you for saving me."
Durandal's body paused for a moment, saying nothing, only waving her hand in response.
The surrounding crowd watching couldn't help but applaud. Some wanted to come forward for help, but were stopped by other citizens.
They were all quite rational. Durandal's sudden departure last time was because too many people requested her help, making Durandal uncomfortable and eventually causing her to disappear.
Durandal was not like that idol who would patiently interact with the public even when surrounded. If they acted that way again, she would probably turn around and leave.
For common illnesses, one could go to a doctor or the Church of Favonius's Preacher for help. So they decided to let those who truly needed help seek Durandal, ensuring she wouldn't be disturbed.
Under the persuasion of these people, those who had originally planned to crowd around gradually dispersed. Durandal, who was about to leave, saw this and sat back down.
As soon as she sat down, she saw Lumine resting her right hand on her cheek, smiling at her.
"What's wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Nothing." Lumine shook her head and said gently.
As expected, I was right. You truly are gentle, Durandal.