Even surrounded by several towering men, Alaric remained calm, slowly savoring the food of this era.
He had already discerned that these four men were anything but ordinary, one of them was even a divine offspring, but to him, even if they were warriors of legendary rank, they were hardly opponents worth paying attention to.
There were four men encircling him.
The first was tall and powerfully built, with a square face and a thick beard that lent him an air of ferocity. It was he who had earlier praised the delicacies of Iolcos.
The second, though equally muscular, was clearly much younger. His most striking feature was a head of golden curls.
The third, compared to the first two, was slimmer in build, with black hair and a handsome yet melancholic face. He held a lyre in his arms.
The fourth looked the least combat-ready of them all. Draped in a black robe, pale-haired and refined in demeanor, he leaned on a strange-looking staff, he looked, at first glance, like a mage.
It was the bearded man, the one who had been mocked as a country bumpkin, who first stepped forward, fuming.
"Hey, woman, what gives you the right to say that? How am I a bumpkin?"
His tone was fierce enough that, had he been glaring at an ordinary person, they would likely have been scared witless by his size, his aura, and his savage appearance.
But who was Circe? The troublemaker of Mystra Academy, a witch doted upon by several goddesses, did anyone think she would be cowed by a few hot-headed men?
"Food like this, and you dare call it a delicacy?" she retorted. "With taste that crude, what else should I call you but a bumpkin?"
Her audacious comeback left the men momentarily stunned.
Though in Greece, the goddesses of Olympus occupied half the heavens, this was still a male-dominated world.
Among mortals, women held low status, and among the great heroes of Greece, female figures were rare, most from the mythical nation of Amazons.
The rest were accessories, trophies, or, as witches, cautionary tales cast in a negative light.
For a woman to openly challenge them like this, it truly defied expectation.
In truth, their intent had been to confront Alaric, expecting him to explain himself.
But when they noticed him still calmly chewing, the men began to realize that the outspoken girl beside him seemed to have some authority in this matter.
And, as proud men, they could not very well raise their fists against a woman.
So, they resorted to words.
The golden-haired youth stepped forward, his tone gentle and courteous.
"My lady, may I ask on what grounds you deem this unworthy of being called fine cuisine?
You should know, my brother Telamon has traveled across Greece and even fought alongside the great hero Heracles in the Trojan campaign.
He has tasted the finest dishes across half the land, surely, he is qualified to judge food."
Though as burly as Telamon, this young man was far less aggressive.
His refined manner and respect toward women, so unlike most men of this age, made him effortlessly likable. It was no surprise he might be called a "lady-killer" in his time.
Naturally, he was chosen to handle Circe for this very reason.
However, Circe was not the kind of woman who could be swayed so easily.
At the academy, she had been confessed to by countless students and even professors, there was no type of man she hadn't seen before.
"Tch. Just because you've eaten mortal food across the land, you think you can spout off here?" she said haughtily. "
This world is far bigger than you can imagine. Don't think your meager experience qualifies you to understand it all."
"I… I see…" The golden-haired man, stung by her sharp tongue, looked somewhat defeated. "My apologies, then. It seems I've been ignorant."
So, he's a pure-hearted one, Alaric thought dryly.
But behind him, Telamon was already bristling again.
"Meleager, why bother talking to her? That woman's tongue is venomous, she deserves to be taught a lesson!"
"You're welcome to try!" Circe shot back without hesitation. "Men like you, fit only to become piglets, shouldn't speak so boldly."
Tension instantly filled the air.
Just then, the soft sound of a lyre resonated. The gentle melody brushed across everyone's ears, clearing the anger in their hearts.
The atmosphere began to ease.
It was the black-haired man strumming his beloved instrument. As he played, his voice flowed like music itself.
"Since the lady believes Telamon's judgment is wrong, perhaps she could name a few true delicacies, to convince us by example?"
Meleager, who had been fretting over the dispute, immediately chimed in.
"Orpheus is right. If you know what counts as real cuisine, my lady, perhaps you'd share it with us?"
At this, Alaric suddenly noticed Circe's expression light up with excitement.
He had a bad feeling at once.
"Oh my, you truly wish to experience real cuisine?" Circe smiled mischievously at the four men. "Then I'll let you have a taste, right now."
As she spoke, she pulled out a steaming bowl of porridge from who-knows-where.
"This porridge is called Kykeon," she said sweetly. "It is both medicine and poison, the food of the gods, fufu."
Of course it was.
Alaric's eyelid twitched as he stared at the bowl in her hand.
He knew this stuff far too well. Every year, he had to deal with dozens of disasters caused by that very porridge.
He wanted to warn them, but the four men were already entranced by its aroma.
The strange fragrance spread through the air, gripping their senses completely.
In their eyes, the porridge before them was no mere meal, it was the ultimate delicacy, surpassing every flavor in heaven and earth.
Even the food they had eaten moments ago now seemed like swine feed by comparison.
"Such divine food exists in this world?"
All four men were awestruck, staring at the porridge like children seeing wonder for the first time.
Telamon, the most impatient among them, stepped forward and took the bowl.
"L-Let me try it," he stammered, trembling with excitement. "Let me see… if it truly tastes as heavenly as you claim."
Without hesitation, he raised the bowl to his lips and gulped down a large mouthful, poison or not, he didn't care.
The instant it touched his tongue, his eyes widened. His taste buds felt as though they were exploding with sensation.
"I… I've never tasted anything like this… Is… is this really porridge? Truly… the food of the gods…"
Hearing his words, the other three couldn't resist trying it as well.
But just as they reached forward, something strange began to happen.
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