Anna and Noel were panting. They were sitting on the ground with their backs leaning on each other.
"I'm so tired." Anna let out a long sigh of relief.
"Still…" Noel glanced to the side, looking at the numerous corpses.
"Indeed. It's quite a sight to see this many corpses here." Anna nodded in agreement while taking pride of their hunt. It was hard to fight them, especially the Advanced Level Demons, so they should be proud they could defeat all these demons in one fight.
"Then again, we have to face more demons in that mountain. There is something wrong with that mountain, don't you think?"
"I believe so. Even the bird that alarmed the demons didn't come to chase us. I'm afraid that there are more demons than we originally expected."
"But this danger comes with an opportunity. The more demons we're going to face, the more Crystals we could get. In fact, with all these demons alone, I can pay off the debts." Noel smiled and pointed at the demons. "There you go, this is the hunt, you can get all of them."
"…" Anna was speechless, never expecting Noel to think about this opportunity. He had absorbed all their Demon Crystals not long ago to become a Spirit Wielder, and now he claimed he had finished repaying the debts.
Considering there were many Advanced Level Demons, she finally accepted. "Fine… We'll split as usual after this."
"Good." Noel nodded in agreement.
"I think we'll be in trouble if we bring these Demon Crystals on top of the ones we'll get on the mountain. So, do you mind if I absorb them first? It'll take a while but no more than a half day."
"We have Moon Blessing, so the night is not a problem."
As soon as Noel agreed, Anna started taking out the Demon Crystals from the corpses and gathering them in one place.
Noel was near her all the time to protect her from any threats, but luckily, nothing came to this area.
Anna was woken up by a sweet smell. She had just finished absorbing all the Demon Crystals, so she hadn't eaten this whole time.
When the smell entered her lung, it incited the reaction from her stomach.
"!!!" Anna's body trembled as her face was flushed red. She never expected that she couldn't even control her stomach.
She glanced to the side and found Noel steering a soup in a black wok. Although they had been traveling together for so long, this might be the first time she saw Noel cooking.
After all, her food was so delicious that Noel couldn't resist. However, she forgot that Noel would also start cooking to make sure he wasn't dependent on her and by the time she realized it, Noel's cooking was already quite decent.
She gulped down while looking at the yellowish white soup. "This is…"
"Sweet and creamy magic soup from the Greenwood Kingdom. I have to boil it for another thirty minutes. So, why don't you head to the river over there to wash yourself first?" Noel pointed at his back.
"O-oh!" Anna didn't know how to react to this bizarre finding. "Since when did you started cooking? I have never seen you cook."
"A few months ago. I know that my cooking skill is low compared to yours, but at least, this one tastes decent." Noel rolled his eyes as if Anna was looking down on his food.
"…" Anna fell silent for a moment before she decided to go to the river. On her walk, her heart was beating crazily. She gulped down and screamed inwardly, 'What is that? Noel can cook? If he can cook, does that mean he doesn't need me anymore? I thought I could conquer Noel through his stomach, but if he can cook, that's a different problem.
'That's right. We have to go separate ways in a few months… by the time we meet again, Noel shouldn't be interested in my food anymore.' Anna pinched the bridge of her nose. She knew that the food wasn't that relevant anymore after solving the hatred, but there was a disappointment in her heart when thinking that she couldn't cook for him anymore.
"Well, shouldn't I be happy that I don't have to cook all the time anymore?" Anna muttered, trying to make her feel better, albeit failed. She hung her head low as she walked toward the river.
After a while, she returned to their camp while drying her hair with towel. "I'm back."
"Mhm." Noel nodded, took out a bowl, and poured the soup on it. "Here you go."
"Thanks." Anna received the ball and sat next to Noel. She didn't hesitate to taste the soup, trying to measure Noel's cooking skill.
But when the spoon entered her mouth, the sweet smell from the found instantly filled her mouth and lung. But more importantly, the soup actually had two tastes. It was sweet but sour, making her confuse the taste for a second before realizing the clash between the two actually enhanced the dish's flavor.
*Cough!* Anna coughed once, overwhelmed by the flavor.
"What's wrong? Is it that bad?" Noel let out a long sigh, knowing that it wasn't up to par with Anna's cooking.
"No, it tastes good, but there are a few problems. The taste is a bit too overwhelming. You have to dilute it with water a bit more. I can understand that you pair it with hard bread, so that the bread will have a good flavor and soft texture if you dip it into it… But you have to understand that we're adventuring right now.
"If you eat something too overwhelming, there is a bigger chance that you will fall ill. Even if our body is stronger as a Spirit Wielder, you have to take care of your diet. One time might not be a problem, but if you continuously do it for a period of time… You might also create a chronic illness in your body."
"Ah!" Noel scratched the back of his head before remembering something. "Is that why your cooking feel so light but fulfilling?"
"I see." Noel sighed, muttered inwardly, 'So, Anna didn't cook something just for the sake of filling our stomach. She also took care of our bodies but still gave us the satisfaction that we needed…'
Seeing Noel's disappointment, Anna quickly devoured the soup and said, "Still… I said that once in a while is fine. So, another bowl please."