"Breakfast is ready!"
About an hour later, the three girls chatting quietly in the room perked up at Lucas's call.
Jeanne rose first. She naturally took Aura's hand and led her toward the dining room, with Lorie following right behind.
"Come on. You're both still weak, so make sure you eat plenty," Jeanne said gently.
After a night of rest, both Lorie and Aura looked much better. Their faces were still a little pale, but at least they could walk on their own without help.
Lucas's dining table was a long rectangle.
Everyone sat facing one another as he smiled and said, "Don't hold back. Eat as much as you like. If anything doesn't suit your taste or if you dislike certain foods, be sure to tell me. I'm not too familiar with elven cuisine, so this is a good chance for me to learn."
Lucas might've been an adventurer, but his curiosity had never dulled.
Back when he worked alone, he spent every spare moment holed up in the Gnome Grand Library, devouring anything he could find: miscellanies, biographies, geography, history, even heroic epics. He read everything with equal interest.
To the gnome who managed the place, this young adventurer who always sat in a corner flipping through books seemed hopeless—he even willingly read the random piles of junk texts.
"Thank you."
Aura still carried the stiffness of elven etiquette, but Lorie had already begun devouring her food.
"Mmm! This is amazing! What's this wrap, Lucas?"
She took a giant bite, then dipped the rest into bright red salsa.
Lucas handed her a napkin. "A taco. A kind of wrap. I made a few adjustments, so you can call it Lucas's Secret Taco."
"Lucas's Secret Taco? I love it!"
Lorie lifted the wrap high like she was making an announcement.
Jeanne laughed. "If you like it, have more."
For Lucas, the joy of satisfied diners was the best reward.
Watching Lorie inhale her food, Aura finally tried a small bite as well. Her expression didn't change much, but the way she kept eating said everything. She clearly loved it.
So elven tastes aren't that extreme… not too different from humans, maybe just a preference for lighter flavors? Lucas wondered as he ate.
The table fell into a warm, peaceful rhythm. Everyone simply enjoyed the morning sunlight and each other's company.
---
"Ahh, I'm stuffed. This is literally the first time I've ever eaten until I couldn't move."
After breakfast, Lorie and Aura tried to help with the cleanup, but Jeanne promptly shooed them onto the sofa, insisting they were still convalescing.
The elf girl sprawled lazily across the cushions, one hand rubbing her belly as she sighed in contentment.
Jeanne, washing dishes beside Lucas, glanced over and asked curiously, "How's that possible? Even if elven villages are hidden in the forest, the young elves aren't starving, are they?"
It wasn't Lorie who answered this time, but Aura.
She sat with perfect posture, legs together, her feet in slippers resting neatly on the floor. Her hands folded over her lap, back straight, her manners as precise as any elven noble.
"In the village, our main diet consists of bread and fruits or vegetables. Most elves prefer such foods."
Mentioning it made Lorie immediately complain.
"That's exactly why I left! Those old-fashioned elders only eat the same boring stuff every day! How would I ever taste food this amazing if I stayed there?"
Lucas let out a light laugh. So Lorie was a little foodie after all.
Aura didn't say anything, but her presence here spoke for itself. She clearly wasn't satisfied with that limited lifestyle either.
Such different personalities, yet somehow they made a perfect pair.
---
Close to eight o'clock, Lucas and Jeanne finished tidying the house and took a short break before turning to the day's most important task.
The first mission: granting Aura her Falna.
The steps were the same as always.
After so many uses of his magic, Lucas had mastered the Falna process with ease.
"Aura, this is your Falna."
Aura accepted the parchment, but before she could look at it, Lorie's face was already leaning in eagerly.
"Let me see, let me see!"
Aura stiffened, glancing helplessly at Lucas and Jeanne for rescue.
Lucas chuckled. "It's fine. Within a Familia, Falna data isn't a secret. You can let her look."
His tone shifted as he continued, his expression suddenly serious while his gaze passed over both Aura and Lorie.
"But outside this home, remember this well: if anyone tries to peek at your Falna, you must refuse them immediately. I've already locked your blessing. Without my permission, no one—not even a god—can open it."
He paused before adding, "Well… almost no one. There is a rare black-market item that can force a Falna open, but it's incredibly scarce. The chances of encountering it are very low."
"Your Falna is the greatest secret of your Familia. This rule is absolute for both the wise and the foolish. Understood?"
Aura and Lorie exchanged a look, then straightened their expressions and nodded seriously.
"We understand. So the Falna is that important…"
Jeanne stepped in with a timely explanation. "That's right. Every adventurer has their own trump cards: their magic, their Skills. If an opponent knows your Falna data, not only is your personal information exposed, they can craft strategies specifically to counter you. Especially in fights between similar Levels, that's the same as losing before the battle even begins. And it can drag your entire team down as well."
The two elves froze as they thought deeper about her words, fear rising as they pictured the consequences.
Watching Jeanne frighten the girls a little, Lucas couldn't help but smile.
No matter how calm or tough they pretend to be, at their core they're still inexperienced kids. In terms of awareness, strategy, and real-world cunning… they've got a long way to go.
Right now, if they encountered a seasoned adventurer with similar Stats, all it would take was a small trick and they'd be totally outmaneuvered.
While he pondered this, Aura and Lorie were already absorbed in the numbers on the parchment.
[Name]: Aura Moriel
[Title]:
[Race]: Elf
[Affiliation]: Lucas Familia
[Level]: Lv.1
[Deepest Floor]:
[Stats]:
Strength: 10 | Endurance: 10 | Dexterity: 10 | Agility: 10 | Magic: 10
[Development Ability]:
[Weapon]:
[Equipment]:
[Magic]:
Feast: Harvest Revelry
· Rapidly grows countless vines using magic, binding enemies within the execution range and absorbing their stamina and magic to restore oneself.
· Wide-area annihilation magic.
Feast: Bacchanal Rites
· Places allies within range into a "revelry" state, raising all Stats, increasing attack power and speed, removing fear, and numbing pain.
· Wide-area amplification magic.
[Skill]:
Crest of Affection (Hidden)
· Conceals Falna details and deceives divine detection
· Accelerates growth and expands potential
Fairy Chant
· Increases magic effectiveness.
· Improves mental stamina efficiency.
Rhapsody Crest
· Alcohol-boosted magic doubled in effect.
· Increases magic range.
Hazy Spirit Nightmare
· Raises all abilities.