After dinner was ready, I placed the dishes on the counter. Ethefelis carried them to the dining table, while Alice helped set the tableware and put the seasonings in place.
Then I took out four bowls to serve the freshly cooked rice. As usual, Ethefelis carried them to the table. When she reached the last bowl, she stared at the rice inside and said,
"Not enough."
"You want more rice? How about this much?"
As I spoke, I scooped in another spoonful and showed it to her.
"Not enough."
"How about now?"
"Still not enough."
It was still not enough? The rice was already piled to nearly twice the height of the bowl. I knew Ethefelis was in her growth phase, but this was a bit much.
And to make matters worse, the rice cooker was empty. I'd have to cook another batch. I lifted the pot and showed her the inside.
"The rice cooker's empty. I'll give you more once the next batch is done."
"Okay."
Since I still needed to cook more rice, I wouldn't be eating right away—but there was no reason to make everyone else wait.
"You all start eating first. Jacob, dinner's ready. Grace, if you're feeling better, go take a shower."
Grace wasn't eating anyway. If she didn't shower now, it would just waste time—once we finished eating, we'd have to line up for the bathroom.
"Coming."
"Okay."
Jacob came over and sat down at the table, and the others began eating. Grace slowly stood up and left the living room.
"By the grace of Fatelis, Goddess of Fate, I receive this meal with gratitude. I humbly begin."
After finishing her pre-meal prayer, Alice started eating. I quickly washed the rice, set the rice cooker, and then joined them at the table.
"Delicious."
"Really good. Karen, this is good enough to sell."
"That's quite the compliment."
I picked up a piece of fish drizzled with soy sauce, put it in my mouth, and chewed as I glanced around the table. It was a four-seat table: Jacob sat beside me, Alice sat across from me, and Ethefelis naturally took the seat diagonally across.
I had chosen this table because I thought there would only be four of us. Now there were five. We could squeeze in, but the problem was that we were one chair short.
Unfortunately, I didn't have a spare chair in my storage hole. Looks like I'd have to buy one in the next town. Tomorrow morning, I'd be eating breakfast standing up.
Decision made, I swallowed the last bite of fish. Just as I was about to take another bite, I noticed Alice's grilled fish was completely untouched. She was eating rice and side dishes, but her eyes lingered on the fish with a troubled expression.
So the temple really doesn't eat meat? I wasn't sure, so I decided to ask her directly.
"Alice, aren't you going to eat the fish?"
"Huh!? N-no, it's not that, it's just…"
Startled by my question, Alice lowered her head and answered timidly.
"…I don't know where to start."
I see. So she does eat meat—this was just her first time eating fish. Still, something felt a bit off, like I was missing something.
Whatever, letting her experience how good fish tasted was more important for now. I smiled at her.
"Then I'll show you how to eat it."
After teaching Alice which parts of the fish were edible and how to use chopsticks, I went back to my own meal. As she ate, she praised every bite, her mood clearly lifting, and she became much more talkative. Did that mean we'd made up?
"Mr. Karen, thank you for letting me enjoy such a delicious and plentiful meal."
"Hm? This is just a normal meal."
I had only made three dishes and a soup, and it hadn't taken long. How was this considered plentiful? Alice then replied with an expression that was both envious and a little sad.
"Normal? I eat bread and mushroom soup every day. Only during Fatelis's thanksgiving festival do I get to eat rice and vegetables—meals as abundant as this."
"Really? Do the other priests only eat bread too?"
The temple's meals sounded downright cruel. I couldn't help but wonder if it was discrimination—maybe the higher-ups feasted on meat every day.
"Yes. That's why I'm very grateful for the chance to eat something other than bread."
Grateful… She hadn't mentioned meat just now. Don't tell me—
"Wait. Have you never eaten meat before?"
"No."
Now I understood what had felt off. If the temple could afford meat, it would've been normal for her to have eaten fish too, since the price wasn't that different.
At that moment, Jacob chimed in to explain.
"Karen, the temple's income comes from offerings by believers. Meat is expensive for them, so the temple doesn't eat it."
No matter how I looked at it, life in the temple sounded miserable—almost like begging, taken to the extreme. If I were to submit to the temple, would I be eating bread and mushroom soup every day too? No thanks.
Alice had been confined to the temple since childhood, waiting for the Brave to appear. Now she was finally free. I decided to make her a suggestion.
"I see. Alice, before, you had no choice. Now that you're out here, how about living a life where you can eat meals even better than today's, every single day?"
"I don't really understand. What do you mean by "I had no choice"?"
She didn't get it even now? Fine, I'd put it more plainly.
"Let me simplify it. Do you want to leave the temple? Learn how ordinary people live, work hard, earn money. You wouldn't have to eat bread and mushroom soup every day. You could eat whatever you want."
Alice could heal the injured and the disabled with light magic. She could easily earn enough to enjoy three dishes and a soup every day—if not more.
Of course, that would probably put nearby clinics out of business. My apologies in advance. Still, all I wanted was for Alice to become independent and stop being used as a political tool by the temple.
But Alice shook her head.
"No. Every meal I receive is a blessing granted by Fatelis. I must repay her great kindness with gratitude."
If someone told me every meal I ate was granted by a god, I'd never believe it. Every meal I ate was the result of my own effort—it had nothing to do with any god.
If meals truly came from divine grace, then why would anyone struggle to survive? Wouldn't it be better to lie around doing nothing all day?
But faith was useless to argue against. I decided not to refute her—besides, it would probably sour the mood again. Alice would understand someday.
"I see. Then let's keep eating. Once we're done, we'll get ready to take showers."