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What was Li Zihan doing while the King of the End, Rama, fought the new King of the End, Verethragna?
The answer is cooking.
As if he hadn't encountered a battle at all just moments ago, the boy sat at the dining table, humming a song while making pastries.
The three characters for "Xiaoyeur" (Laughing Dimples) immediately bring to mind something pleasant. "Xiaoyeur" refers to the two dimples that appear when a person smiles.
When Emperor Gaozong of Song visited Zhang Jun's manor, "Xiaoyeur" was on the imperial menu for that evening.
What kind of delicacy "Xiaoyeur" exactly was in the Song Dynasty remains unclear, as there was a certain distance of expression between literati and chefs. Even Meng Yuanlao, a Song Dynasty writer, did not clarify "Xiaoyeur" in his work The Eastern Capital: A Dream of Splendor (Dongjing Meng Hua Lu) written after moving south.
However, judging from the description "making Xiaoyeur with oil, flour, sugar, and honey, calling it a fruit food," it is undisputed that "Xiaoyeur" was a sweet treat.
"Xiaoyeur" refers to a specific item, a fruit food with a certain standard shape.
Hmm, it's basically the modern traditional snack known as "Kai Kou Xiao" (Laughing Mouth / Sesame Ball).
The boy, whose culinary skills were excellent, added clear water to a preheated pot, then put in white sugar to boil, dissolving the sugar into syrup before letting it cool for later use.
Then, he sifted the flour to loosen it, made a well on the cutting board, poured in the syrup, and added peanut oil, baking soda, and maltose.
As if possessed by a master chef, the boy briskly used a knife to mix the flour with one hand while pressing it evenly into a dough with the other.
He then rolled the dough into long strips, cut them into 20 pieces with the knife, rolled each into a ball shape with hands dipped in water, tossed them into a sesame basin to coat them fully, rolled them round again by hand, and dropped them into a pot of warm oil to fry.
When the top cracked open, he used chopsticks to flip the cracked part downwards to fry again, removing them when they turned yellow.
"How does it taste?"
Li Zihan, who had run away the moment Mithra sacrificed his life and Divine Realm to launch a super-invincible awesome attack, looked at Miss Stargazer sitting at the table and asked with a smile.
"If I remember correctly, you should quite like eating this."
The white-haired dumpling, who indeed loved desserts, picked up a small piece of Kai Kou Xiao with her scallion-like fingers, chewed it carefully, and then narrowed her eyes in satisfaction.
"It's very delicious."
The girl, who had roughly adapted to her identity within this family, had also gradually grown accustomed to a life where someone was always wandering around her every day, sometimes being attentive, sometimes joking around.
If this guy were missing from my side, I'd probably be very unaccustomed to it.
While eating the dessert, the girl looked at the guy who theoretically counted as the head of the household, and the words of Miss Black Princess involuntarily echoed in her ears.
"That guy cares about you a lot."
"It's truly rare for that selfish guy to choose to walk the ultra-dangerous path of refining souls and strengthening the self."
He was willing to teach me the method of Eternal Destruction, yet because he was worried I might get hurt, he decided to retrieve the power named "Holopsicon" for me instead, choosing to walk that path himself...
Although this guy is a jerk, he is, after all, someone whose fate is connected to mine.
Thinking this, Miss Stargazer looked at the boy who had once tempted her with the power of Holopsicon to make her call him 'Husband.' A bright red blush rose on her beautiful cheeks.
It's a pity he's too philandering.
Thinking of this, Miss Stargazer couldn't help but feel a bit indignant.
Would it kill this guy to be a little more faithful?
Every night he's rolling in the sheets with his wives and concubines, making so much noise...
"By the way, why did you come back so early?"
Although she really wanted to remind a certain someone to be mindful at night, the girl, too embarrassed to bring up that topic, decided to talk about serious matters with her future husband to pass the time.
"Didn't you say you were going to face the most terrifying enemy yet?"
"You mean the duel with the King of the End, Verethragna?"
The boy, who had chosen to jump to the world where Rama was King via the System and then back to the Re:Creators world to dodge Mithra's super-awesome attack, shrugged his shoulders and said:
"The final result will be the King of the End Rama killing the King of the End Verethragna."
Rama Chandra, the protagonist of the Indian epic Ramayana.
Prince Rama of Ayodhya is—[He Who Is Granted All Favors].
The Ramayana is a massive epic describing the decisive battle between the rare hero Prince Rama and the Rakshasa King, the Demon King Ravana.
Its composition date can be traced back to before the Common Era.
In modern times, Rama is considered one of the avatars of the supreme god Vishnu.
This was an element added as the era developed.
Before intersecting with Vishnu, Rama was just Rama.
As the protagonist of a legend about a wandering noble from ancient times, a person burdened with the destiny of subjugating the Demon King, a highly respected king, and a great hero.
Due to his immense prestige, the people unconsciously linked him to the supreme god.
Thus, Prince Rama was born as the reincarnation of the God Vishnu.
In the world of Campione!, he is the Strongest Steel, and also the avatar of the Hindu Trinity—the God of Balance and Preservation, Vishnu.
Hmm, additionally, he is a God of Slacking.
He has long grown tired of the career of being a savior, driven by that dumbass called Fate.
I, Rama, refuse to work overtime.
He had long wanted to drop his burden and sneak back to the Indian Divine Realm to sleep.
Therefore, Li Zihan, holding the Fire-Bringer and the Ring of Usurpation, found him and told him the method to die.
"As long as I sever and usurp that Authority of yours which integrates you with the Divine Sword, you will naturally lose that invincible immortality and gain the right to die."
In exchange, Rama would act once for Li Zihan.
Yes, that meant going to duel Verethragna.
Clearly, that guy, who was already integrated with the Divine Sword of Salvation and could unlimitedly draw divine tools composing the Divine Sword as weapons, was completely unmatched by Verethragna.
Once Verethragna dies, I should kill Rama according to the agreement.
The boy's eyes flickered, greatly desiring one of Rama's Authorities.
If I usurp that Authority capable of integrating man and weapon into my hands, then I should be able to create a "Seat" (Throne) that never collapses.
After all, no matter how absurd the Reason of a Tyrant God is, it can't possibly crush itself to death, right?
Thinking that he only needed to defeat the War God named Artosh to bring the tool named the Star Grail (Sunya) into his hands and turn it into his Holy Relic, the boy smiled.
A Holy Relic symbolizing a universe could absolutely grant him the power of a qualitative change in his soul.
When it merges with the Tyrant God after Outflow, sharing glory and ruin with its master, it will also be the most perfect "Seat."
Thinking this, a slight smile appeared at the corner of the boy's mouth.
Perhaps the so-called Imaginary Tree isn't as unconquerable as imagined.