Liyue Harbor, Jade Chamber.
Under the clear sky, a thin column of smoke rose from the center of Liyue, filling the square of Yuhai Pavilion with the mouthwatering aroma of cooked meat.
"Guoba, breathe fire!"
Wearing an apron, Xiangling excitedly stirred the dragon meat in the pot beside her cooking station.
On the other side, Hiroshi was roasting dragon meat on a grill, smiling at Klee, Luo Xiaohei, and Yaoyao who sat next to him, their eyes glued to the meat.
Hiroshi turned to Wuxian, who was also watching intently, and explained, "Wuxian, look at this piece of dragon meat. Since it is from a water-type creature, we need to use wood-element energy extracted from various plants. By injecting this energy in different proportions, we can retain the meat's freshness while enhancing its flavor.
"Next, we roast the surface until it's slightly charred to boost its flavor and texture, while simultaneously heating the interior with a combination of fire and water energies in a 7:3 ratio. When it is almost ready, we increase the fire element energy in an instant, following the concept of 'wood feeds fire,' then activate the water energy within it. Most of the remaining energy is expelled, leaving just enough to maintain balance so it is safe for anyone to eat."
Satisfied with his handiwork, Hiroshi divided the roasted dragon meat into five portions. He handed three pieces to the hungry children—Klee, Luo Xiaohei, and Yaoyao—before gesturing for Qiqi, who was sitting quietly and sipping coconut milk while being held by Noelle and Kuroneko.
"Noelle, take a break; you shouldn't always overwork yourself," Hiroshi said, handing Noelle a serving of dragon meat, gently ruffling her hair.
"It's alright, Master Hiroshi. This is just part of my knight training," Noelle said, holding her plate with a happy smile. "Besides, while I was with the Knights of Favonius, I often took on these tasks, and since I started traveling with you, it feels like I've been on a long vacation."
She patted her slightly rounded belly, embarrassed, then clenched her fist with determination, her eyes shining. "I must work harder to catch up with you, Master Hiroshi!"
"Uh... ahaha." Hiroshi scratched his head awkwardly. He did notice that Noelle seemed to have put on a bit of weight since they arrived in Liyue. While he thought it suited her just fine, Noelle seemed to think it meant she was being lazy.
"Alright, but eat first before you go back to helping. Cold food doesn't taste as good," Hiroshi urged, holding her back from immediately running off again.
"Yes, Master Hiroshi," Noelle said, nodding enthusiastically. As she ate the food, she felt a gentle warmth spread through her body, boosting her spirits before heading off to help again.
"Noelle, come try this new dish I made!" Xiangling called out.
"Right away, Xiangling! You can count on me!" Noelle replied, soon getting pulled into another taste test.
Watching Xiangling pull Noelle away, Hiroshi had an epiphany. "So that's why Noelle gained weight despite my training! It's Xiangling's fault!"
"Brother Hiroshi... why is this meat... glowing?" Qiqi asked, her small face showing a hint of confusion as she looked at the meat on her plate, which emitted a faint blue glow.
"Ah, that," Hiroshi smiled, patting Qiqi's head. "It's a new cooking technique I developed. You should be able to taste this, Qiqi."
"Just like the treat Klee gave Qiqi last time?"
"Haha, that was the incomplete version. This one is perfected," Hiroshi said, puffing out his chest. "After all, if a dish doesn't glow, how can you call it complete?"
"Oh..." Qiqi looked up at Hiroshi, then picked up a piece of glowing dragon meat with her chopsticks and took a bite.
"It's delicious... Qiqi can feel warmth," she said softly.
Hiroshi laughed warmly. "Do you want more, Qiqi?"
"Yes..." Qiqi nodded.
"Klee wants some too!"
"Xiaohei wants some!"
"Yaoyao too!"
"Haha! Don't worry, there's enough for everyone!" Hiroshi declared as he tied his apron back on. "And make sure to thank Sister Noelle—she's helped me test many new dishes."
"Got it!"
Nearby, Wuxian glanced at Noelle, who was helping around energetically, then looked at Luo Xiaohei, who was drooling over Hiroshi's cooking, and made a decision—Luo Xiaohei needed more meat; he was too skinny!
Meanwhile, Kazuma Satou was in high spirits, pulling Megumin close as they drank, celebrating the 4 million Mora reward Ningguang had given them. On their previous visit to Teyvat, Kazuma had taken back some Mora that Hiroshi had given him. Wiz had verified that not only was Teyvat's Mora usable as currency, but it was also a high-quality alchemical material—worth ten times its value as currency.
Kazuma drank deeply from his cup before shouting to Aqua, "Fill it up again for me! You useless goddess, weren't you the one whining about me spending all our savings?!"
"Look at this! Four million Mora! That's worth forty million gold coins, and that's just what I have on me!"
"Go ahead, call me useless one more time! Let's see if you can pull off something like this!"
"Tch." Aqua clicked her tongue dismissively but quickly plastered on a flattering smile, filling Kazuma's cup while acting ingratiating. "Oh, Kazuma-sama, since we earned so much this time, how about splitting it?"
"Hah!" Kazuma shot Aqua a disdainful look, his face flushed from the drink. "Weren't you demanding I pay you back?! You kept calling me a useless lolicon shut-in, made me go hunt monsters by day and work until dawn, just so I could shut you up. Now what?"
"Kazuma-sama~" Aqua dropped to her knees, hugging Kazuma's leg as she wailed, tears and snot flowing down her face. "It was my fault! I was wrong! Kazuma-sama, please forgive me~"
"Tch." Kazuma stared at her, shaking his head dismissively. "Fine. You can get a share, but you're doing all the housework from now on."
"Yes!"
"You're not allowed to call me a useless lolicon anymore."
"Yes~"
"And you're wearing a maid outfit at home, and you will greet me with 'Kazuma-sama' respectfully."
"Yes!"
"Good," Kazuma nodded, waving her away. "Now you can go. I'll pay you your share as wages."
"Yes," Aqua replied, stepping back with a smile on her face.
"Hmm? Why do I feel like something's off..." Aqua scratched her head, glancing at Kazuma, who wore a smug grin. "Whatever, once I get my share, who cares about those terms?" She sneakily pulled out a small pouch of Mora, giggling to herself. "Hahaha, Kazuma, you've been outsmarted! I cured so many of those Qianyan soldiers, and got a reward of 100,000 Mora. Once I get my share, I can buy whatever expensive drinks I want! Let's see how you stop me then."
Shirou Emiya patted Kamijou Touma, who was eating vigorously, with a touch of envy. "Every time I see Kazuma and the others, I think they have such a great bond."
"Huh? Yeah, sure," Touma replied, his cheeks bulging with food, absent-mindedly nodding in agreement before diving back into his meal. "It's so good, and it's also boosting my physical strength... I should ask Hiroshi to pack some to bring home for Index and Misaka. They could use the boost."
"What was that?" Shirou asked.
"Nothing, I was just saying we finished the mission," Touma said, checking his notifications.
[Ding! Group mission: Protect Liyue has been completed.]
[Mission Requirements: Liyue Adepti survival - completed. Liyue Qixing survival - completed. Majority of Liyue citizens survive - completed. Vortex God Osial sealed or defeated - completed.]
[Point Rewards: Luo Xiaohei - 2000 points, Kazuma Satou - 10,000 points, Kuroneko - 50,000 points, Hiroshi - 1 point, Wuxian - 100,000 points, Aqua - 5000 points, Lumine - 2000 points, Vanir - 100,000 points, Shiro - 50,000 points, Riku - 2000 points, Shirou Emiya - 2000 points, Keqing - 40,000 points, Zhongli - 17,000 points, Kamijou Touma - 100,000 experience]
[Experience Rewards: Luo Xiaohei - 2000 exp, Kazuma Satou - 5000 exp, Kuroneko - 20,000 exp, Hiroshi - 5000 exp, Megumin - 2 exp, Aqua - 2000 exp, Lumine - 2000 exp, Vanir - 50,000 exp, Shiro - 20,000 exp, Riku - 2000 exp, Shirou Emiya - 2000 exp, Keqing - 15,000 exp, Zhongli - 2000 exp, Kamijou Touma - 83,000 exp]
"So I was just a side character, huh just there for comic relief."
Touma sighed and then muttered, "Looks like I'm bringing back some soy sauce since we're out at home anyway."
After hearing the mission rewards, he realized just how much his role in the mission had amounted to, especially compared to the others. But the satisfaction of seeing everyone safe in Liyue made it worthwhile, even if his contribution was less flashy.
The celebration continued under the bright, open skies of Liyue, the Jade Chamber casting its shadow across the courtyard where friends and allies gathered, relishing the peace that had returned to Liyue and the bond they had forged in their united fight against Osial.