Chapter 417: Family Picnic in the Dungeon
Just like Lian, Yue had been unable to wait and tried to bite into the meat before it was ready, earning a scolding from Joa.
Meanwhile, Rui was silently eating nothing but fish and was being reminded to eat some meat as well.
"Ow! Hey, Lingxiao, stop that! I’ll eat it, I’ll eat it, so let go!"
Over on the other side, Roan was having a freshly grilled skewer of meat repeatedly shoved into his face by Lingxiao.
Qiong Xing quickly stopped the little dragon before someone got hurt.
Lingxiao was probably trying to tell his favorite uncle to hurry up and eat.
At least, that was Qiong Xing’s best guess.
Perhaps he had inherited something from his father, because Lingxiao often behaved in ways that were difficult to understand.
They had stopped to have lunch about thirty minutes earlier.
With everyone’s help, the meal had been prepared quickly.
Watching the fathers struggle with their energetic children made Qiong Xing smile.
"Cari, the cheese is ready. Here."
"Yeah. Thanks, Big Brother."
The close brothers happily toasted slices of cheese over the fire before placing them on bread and eating together.
Thanks to Qiong Xing’s remarkably convenient bag, everyone was able to eat whatever staple food they preferred.
The side dishes, however, came from the monsters they had defeated along the way, so everyone shared the same grilled meat and fish.
Even so, everyone’s personalities showed through.
Lian, Rui, and Yue eagerly piled their favorite foods onto their plates.
Roan resigned himself to chewing on the meat that had been handed to him.
Albe and Cari ate together, smiling as they commented on how delicious everything was.
"Our little glutton, Mister Fenrir. Which flavor do you like best?"
"Hmm... Miso... no, the thing called soy sauce is excellent too... but this sauce on the meat is also very good."
Apparently, he simply could not decide.
Qiong Xing had given Fenrisúlfr both meat and fish, and it seemed he had thoroughly enjoyed every variety.
"Mao, Mayo, come here too. Would you like meat or fish?"
When Qiong Xing called to the two still perched on his shoulders, they smoothly climbed down onto his lap.
"Fish."
"I want to try the meat, Mama!"
Mao choosing fish was no surprise since he was a feline beastman.
What surprised Qiong Xing was Mayo choosing meat instead.
"I like the vegetables and fruit Mama makes, but I wanted to try eating the same things as everyone else too."
Since Qiong Xing had never raised a snake before, he had mostly fed Mayo vegetables and other foods that seemed relatively safe.
But after watching everyone else enjoy the grilled meat so happily, Mayo had wanted to try it as well.
"It’s hot, so eat slowly. And if you don’t like it, don’t force yourself. It’s okay to leave it."
"Okay!"
Since he did not know what the correct answer was, Qiong Xing decided there was no harm in letting Mayo try.
He cooled the grilled meat a little before placing it on a plate.
He also cooled Mao’s portion, knowing the boy apparently could not handle hot food.
Just then, an excited voice called out to him.
"Mama! Mama! This! This is delicious! I like this!"
"I’m glad. Eat as much as you like."
Qiong Xing smiled at Mayo’s happily swaying tail and gently stroked both Mayo’s and Mao’s backs before returning to his own meal.
"There you go again... That’s why I keep telling you to eat meat. The second I stop watching, you do this."
Hearing Joa’s exasperated voice, Qiong Xing looked up, wondering which child he was talking to.
Instead, he found a large piece of grilled meat being held right in front of him.
"...Were you talking to me just now?"
He had been completely convinced Joa was scolding one of the children.
Joa sighed heavily and nodded.
"Eat whatever you like, but eat some meat too. I’m not saying you need to get fat, but you need to put a little more meat on those bones."
His tone sounded exactly like someone lecturing a child.
Around them, even Elias and the others were nodding in complete agreement.
It was true that Qiong Xing had lost a little weight.
Still, he thought he was comfortably within a healthy range.
"Mushrooms are fine, but eat meat too. Mushrooms might have nutrients, but meat is important as well."
As he spoke, Elias cut the meat into bite sized pieces to make it easier to eat.
Qiong Xing realized resistance was probably pointless.
Still, he decided on one tiny act of revenge.
He handed Elias the mushroom he had been eating.
Apparently understanding exactly what Qiong Xing meant, Elias’s cheeks twitched slightly.
Even so, he accepted it without a single complaint and quietly ate it.
"Leander, you’re really good at grilling meat."
While holding Hui in one arm, Leander continued grilling one piece after another and steadily filling his stomach.
Qiong Xing watched him with genuine admiration.
"I’ve just gotten used to it, I guess. Here."
"W, wait a second. That’s way too much! Seriously, that’s too much!"
Qiong Xing cried out as more and more meat was piled onto his plate.
He had no idea when Leander had managed to grill so much.
He was already worried about whether he could finish everything Joa had given him.
There was no way he could eat even more.
"It’s good."
"...It is delicious."
"Right? Then have another."
Leander held another piece toward his mouth.
Unable to refuse, Qiong Xing opened his mouth, and the rich flavor of the meat spread across his tongue.
He answered honestly.
Since Hui had fallen asleep, Leander busied himself looking after Qiong Xing instead.
"I don’t want any more! Seriously, stop!"
The battle between Lingxiao and Roan apparently still showed no signs of ending.
...
It was exactly what Albe had expected.
He had been certain Qiong Xing would get himself into trouble again.
"Just like I thought... Can’t you surprise me once in a while?"
"I’d like that too..."
Qiong Xing lowered his head apologetically.
Seeing how dejected he looked, Albe accepted that he really did regret what had happened.
Grabbing Qiong Xing’s hand, Albe pulled them both out of the water.