The Grand Priest put his hands behind his back, looked at Gohan with a smile, and said:
"Mr. Gohan has truly shocked me. I haven't seen you for a few years, but your strength has changed drastically. It's truly amazing."
Gohan was a little embarrassed by the praise. "Well, thank you for the compliment, Grand Priest," Gohan smiled.
"Haha, no need to be modest; it is indeed an amazing achievement," the Grand Priest said, glancing at Beerus before addressing his question. "His Majesty, Lord Zeno, has something to ask of you, Mr. Gohan."
"What? His Majesty, Lord Zeno, wants something from Gohan?" Beerus's eyes widened in surprise, his heart racing.
The Grand Priest smiled and nodded, "That's right."
Gohan, too, was taken aback. Lord Zeno wanted to see him? The Lord Zeno who could erase entire universes with just a wave of his hand? They hadn't interacted much, with their last meeting being during the Tournament of Power, where Gohan had given him two toys.
The Grand Priest said, "Mr. Gohan, do you have time now? Come with me to Lord Zeno's temple."
Gohan came back to his senses and replied, "Yes, of course."
He wasn't sure what this was about, but his curiosity was piqued. Whatever it was, he would find out soon enough.
"That's good," the Grand Priest nodded. "Whis, Beerus, you two should also accompany us to Lord Zeno's temple."
"Okay," both of them agreed, though Beerus felt a wave of unease. He never enjoyed seeing Lord Zeno. If there was one being in the universe he feared most, it was Lord Zeno. Every meeting with him brought immense pressure, making Beerus feel like he couldn't even breathe properly. But refusing the Grand Priest's request wasn't an option, so he had no choice but to agree.
"Let's go!"
The Grand Priest waved his hand, and their figures suddenly blurred and disappeared.
The next moment, they were at Lord Zeno's temple.
Gohan and the others appeared out of thin air.
"Follow me," the Grand Priest said, leading them into the temple.
Whis followed closely behind, with Gohan right behind him, and Beerus bringing up the rear.
As they walked, Whis quietly asked the Grand Priest, "Father, what's this all about?"
The Grand Priest smiled and replied, "Don't worry, you'll find out soon."
Behind them, Beerus was quietly giving instructions to Gohan as they walked, talking incessantly.
"Gohan, you must be polite to Lord Zeno. Don't contradict His Majesty. Whatever he says, just agree with it. Don't even think about refuting him. His Majesty doesn't like being questioned. Just be careful, understood?"
Gohan couldn't help but feel a little exasperated. It's you who should be careful, Lord Beerus, he thought to himself.
"I know," Gohan responded, not wanting to argue further.
Soon, they arrived before Lord Zeno.
Lord Zeno sat on his divine chair, his two personal guards standing on either side, as still as statues.
"Yeah, you're here," Lord Zeno said with a smile when he saw them approach.
Beerus knelt down immediately, shouting, "I have met Lord Zeno!"
Gohan smiled and greeted Zeno but did not kneel. Seeing this, Beerus frantically winked at him, tugging at Gohan's clothes.
Beerus's eyes seemed to scream: Brat, are you trying to get us killed?
But Lord Zeno paid no attention to this and said with a smile, "Gohan is my friend; there's no need to kneel. Beerus, you can stand up too."
"Uh, thank you, thank you, Lord Zeno," Beerus stammered nervously as he stood up.
Friend? Beerus was shocked by the word Lord Zeno used. When did Gohan become friends with Lord Zeno? He kept muttering to himself, his palms sweaty.
"Gohan, I missed you very much, so I asked the Grand Priest to find you," Lord Zeno said with a smile.
Gohan hurriedly replied, "I missed you too, Lord Zeno. Your Majesty, would you like some cake? I brought you a gift."
"Cake?" Lord Zeno blinked in confusion. "What is cake?"
Gohan took out a few beautifully decorated small cakes from his dimensional storage and said, "This is cake. It's very delicious. Your Majesty, would you like to try it?"
"Ah, then bring it over and show it to me," Lord Zeno said eagerly.
"Okay."
Gohan walked toward Lord Zeno, holding the small cakes.
Whis and Beerus exchanged glances, while the Grand Priest smiled, saying nothing.
The two guards stared at Gohan with cautious eyes.
"Which one would you like to try first, Your Majesty?" Gohan asked, squatting down next to Lord Zeno to be at eye level with him, holding two small cakes in his hands.
"I want to try both, but this one looks more beautiful. I want to eat this one first," Lord Zeno pointed to the cake in Gohan's right hand, which had a cat pattern made of strawberries and a few petals for decoration.
"Okay, let's try this one first." Gohan opened the lid of the small cake, handed it to Lord Zeno, and then produced a fork with a flourish. "You can eat it with this fork."
"Okay," Lord Zeno said, looking very pleased.
He carefully picked up the small cake in one hand and the fork in the other, his movements a bit clumsy. After all, he had never eaten cake before. In fact, it's likely he hadn't eaten anything at all, given that he didn't need to.
As Lord Zeno cut a small piece of cake as big as his thumb and put it in his mouth, Whis and Beerus both swallowed nervously.
Hmm, I wonder what it tastes like? Will Lord Zeno like it? they thought.
They had never seen Lord Zeno eat before and didn't know if his taste buds were similar to theirs. And as foodies themselves, they were naturally curious about the taste of the cake.
As the cake entered his mouth, Lord Zeno's eyes lit up.
"Yeah, Gohan, it's so delicious! I've never tasted anything like this before. Thank you for the gift you brought me."
"Hehe, as long as Your Majesty likes it," Gohan said with a smile.
Gohan thought to himself, Lord Zeno is as easy to please as those two at home. Like children, they either love toys or all kinds of snacks and desserts—very easy to handle.
Earth's food is truly unbeatable!
Gohan's heart was filled with satisfaction.
Seeing Lord Zeno happily eating the cake, Gohan asked, "Your Majesty, you invited me here this time—are there other matters you wish to discuss?"
Gohan didn't quite believe that Lord Zeno had summoned him just because he missed him. It would be great if that were the case, but he suspected there was more to it.
Lord Zeno, still eating the cake, glanced at Gohan and then said to the Grand Priest, "Grand Priest, you explain it to him. I'm busy eating."
The Grand Priest bowed and said respectfully, "Yes, Your Majesty."
Beerus and Whis, standing nearby, pricked up their ears. They were just as curious to know what had prompted this summons.
...