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Chapter 35: Furina's Social Circle
The moment Aiden subconsciously reached out his hand, he felt a killing intent almost solidifying into substance emanating from the corner of the shop.
He followed the sensation and looked over, only to see a tall girl with short brown hair and dog ears standing by the herb grinding table. She was staring daggers at the God Miach with eyes that seemed ready to spew fire.
Her gaze was filled with a complex mix of despair, frenzy, and exasperation, as if screaming silently:
"Our family is about to run out of food, and you, this spendthrift God, still dare to give away valuable stock for free?!"
Her dog ears were pinned flat against her head due to extreme emotional fluctuation, as if she were about to transform into Cerberus and swallow her own patron deity alive the next second.
Aiden's hand froze in mid-air, a drop of cold sweat trickling down his forehead.
He finally understood why this shop looked so desolate.
"No, no, no, God Miach, this is too expensive."
He hurriedly waved his hands, refusing righteously.
"We are just stopping by. How could we accept such a generous gift? I appreciate your sentiment."
He could feel that with his refusal, the killing intent from the corner eased slightly.
"That's right, Miach. Don't always give things away randomly like this."
Furina seemed to have sensed the subtle atmosphere as well. She blinked playfully at the dog-girl in the corner.
"Otherwise, Naaza will get angry again."
The dog-girl named Naaza heaved a heavy sigh, her tense ears relaxing a little.
She looked up and gave Aiden a look that said, "At least you know what's good for you," which counted as barely expressing approval.
Aiden could only respond with an awkward yet polite smile.
Finally, under Miach's regretful gaze and Naaza's relieved watch, Aiden and Furina left the Blue Pharmacy.
Aiden secretly decided that in the future, when buying potions, he could give his business to the Blue Pharmacy. After all, Miach really intended to give him potions just now without asking for anything in return.
Adding Furina's relationship into the mix, helping them out was nothing.
Bidding farewell to the dirt-poor yet still charitable God Miach, the two continued to wander, unknowingly walking into a more bustling district.
A rich aroma of butter mixed with potatoes began to drift through the air.
"It's Fried Potato Snacks!"
Furina's heterochromatic eyes lit up instantly. Following the scent, she accurately dragged Aiden to a small food stall on the street side.
The stall wasn't big. A large oil pot was sizzling, with golden potato balls rolling inside.
And the person in charge of the ladle turned out to be another God.
He was tall and upright, wearing a simple short-sleeved shirt and an apron. Under his neat black hair was a pair of equally black, piercing eyes.
His features weren't exactly handsome, but they exuded a heroic air. If not for the divine aura that was almost imperceptible on his body, anyone would have thought he was just a hardworking, ordinary human youth.
"Takemikazuchi! I smelled the aroma and came over."
Furina greeted him familiarly. "The usual, cream flavor."
"Oh, it's Focalors."
Takemikazuchi, who was busy, looked up with a hearty smile on his face. "I knew you'd be attracted by this smell. Wait a moment, fresh out of the pot is best."
He deftly scooped out a few perfectly fried potato balls with a strainer. After draining the oil, he put them into a paper bag, skillfully squeezed sweet cream on top, and handed it to Furina. "Here, same old rules. It's free."
Then, he looked at Aiden and asked enthusiastically, "This must be Focalors' child? Have a portion too, my treat."
"Thank you very much, God Takemikazuchi, but we can't always eat your food for free."
Aiden smiled and took out his coin pouch from his chest.
"Please give me five portions. Include my Goddess's portion in the total. I want to bring some back for my companions to taste."
Saying that, he handed over Valis far exceeding the value of five portions of potato snacks.
Takemikazuchi was slightly stunned, then laughed loudly:
"You young man, you really are a serious person. Alright, since you insist, I'll accept it without hesitation."
While packing efficiently, he looked at Aiden approvingly. "With a child like you in the Focalors Familia, Focalors can rest easy. Unlike those brats in my house who always make people worry."
His words were full of care for his own Familia members.
Aiden took the bags of steaming hot fried potato snacks, feeling not only the warmth of the food but also the undisguised goodwill and straightforwardness of a simple God.
On the way home, Furina was taking small bites, happily savoring her cream-flavored potato snack.
Aiden walked by her side, thousands of thoughts in his mind.
He now thoroughly understood Furina's social circle.
He had been a little worried before, afraid that Furina's naive, fun-loving personality would be led astray by those Gods in Orario who saw seeking entertainment as their duty.
But now, he was completely relieved.
Looking at the girl beside him, her face full of happiness just because of a dessert, the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curve into a gentle smile.
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Warm daily life is always short-lived. For adventurers who make a living conquering the Dungeon, combat and growth are the eternal main themes.
During the time the Focalors Familia was steadily growing, all of Orario was quietly changing due to Aiden's skills.
As time passed, various pieces of intelligence regarding the "New Type Monsters" were finally collated and summarized by the Guild, which commissioned major Familias to investigate. Eventually, it turned into a detailed report posted on the most conspicuous notice board in the Guild Hall.
The Guild Hall was bustling with noise, more crowded than ever before.
Adventurers surrounded the huge, newly erected notice board three layers deep, craning their necks, trying to extract key information from the dense text that would allow them to survive and get rich.
"Look, the Guild named the new monsters."
"Pyro Slimes are weak to water, and the core is the weak point... So that's it. Before, my sword cut into them like cutting cotton because I didn't hit the core."
"And this one, Pyro Hilichurl Grenadier... throws Pyro Slimes? Damn it, that's how I got burned last time."
"Rock Shield Hilichurl, extremely high defense. Recommended to use heavy weapons or magic to break the shield first... This intel is too critical."
With this official intelligence, adventurers could finally adventure more safely and avoid dangers specifically.
Although the casualty rate of adventurers had indeed risen sharply in the beginning due to the appearance of the new monsters, everything had pros and cons.
The risks increased, but the returns were equally amazing.
The drops provided by the new monsters were far more precious than Dungeon monsters of the same level. Their magic stones contained purer energy and could be exchanged for more Valis. More importantly, the Excelia they provided to adventurers was exceptionally abundant.
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