When Paimon made her declaration, Caesar, Burnice, Lucy, Anby, Nekomata, and the others all turned to look at her in surprise.
With such a tiny frame, could she even lift a spatula?
Nicole stared in disbelief. "You? A chef?"
Paimon blinked, then quickly shook her head. "Not me—the Traveler."
She promptly pointed at the Traveler standing beside her.
Being the focus of so many stares, the Traveler felt a bit awkward. "Uh... I've traveled to many nations, so I've picked up different cooking styles along the way..."
Caesar's face lit up with delight. "In that case, you two will be our head chefs for tonight."
But running a restaurant with just Belle and the Traveler clearly wasn't enough. Nicole, Anby, and Burnice also stepped in to help as assistants.
Perhaps word of Cheesetopia's opening had already spread, because just as they were busy preparing...
A battered SUV rolled into town, stopping right in front of Cheesetopia.
A bearded middle-aged man climbed out, eyeing the restaurant with curiosity. "When did Calydon Town get a new place to eat?"
The moment he stepped inside, his gaze landed on Caesar.
Caesar looked equally surprised, then broke into a smile. "Uncle Stephen! What brings you here?"
Stephen was from a gang in the neighboring town and had frequent dealings with Calydon, so they knew each other well.
Stephen chuckled. "Just passing through. Thought I'd try some local specialties. Is this place yours?"
Caesar shook her head quickly. "This is Kasa's restaurant—we're just borrowing it for now. Uncle Stephen, have a seat. I'll grab a menu..."
"Alright," Stephen replied with a smile.
But when he turned, all he saw was an empty hall—not a single table or chair. Were guests supposed to eat on the floor?
Meanwhile, Caesar's search for a menu turned up nothing. Cheesetopia had just opened, both chefs were last-minute recruits, and even Caesar didn't know exactly what they could cook. A menu was out of the question.
Seeing Caesar's discomfort, Stephen laughed. "No rush—it's normal for a place to be when it first opens. Take your time."
Caesar nodded. "Right, just wait a bit. Lighter and Billy should be back with the tables and chairs soon."
And as if on cue, Lighter returned.
Piper pulled the truck up to the door, and Caesar hurried outside. When she saw the sofas and tables in the back, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Lighter hopped down from the truck. "Billy, Itto—let's get these inside."
After they carried the furniture in, the once-empty hall finally looked like a proper restaurant.
Paimon immediately floated over to Stephen. "So, what would you like to eat?"
Stephen smiled. "How about braised fire lizard?"
What kind of strange dish was that?
Paimon shook her head. "Nope..."
"Then steamed cactus?" Stephen offered.
Again, Paimon shook her head. "Nope."
Both were Outer Ring dishes, and with Belle and the Traveler in the kitchen, it was no surprise they couldn't make them.
Stephen chuckled. "Then what can you make?"
Paimon began counting on her fingers. "We can do the Traveler's specialty—boiled sea bass... Liyue-style fried rice... and Belle's drinks and desserts..."
She rattled off quite a few dishes, though most of the names were unfamiliar to Stephen.
"Alright," he said, "just give me your best."
Paimon passed the order to the kitchen. After a brief discussion, the Traveler and Belle each began preparing one of their specialties.
A short while later, when Paimon returned, both chefs asked eagerly, "Well? Did he like it?"
Paimon beamed. "He said it's the best food he's ever had. He wants to bring his whole gang here—and if he could, he'd move Cheesetopia to their town."
Since Cheesetopia had opened late and without much publicity, the first night saw only a few customers.
By sundown, the real banquet began. Billy, Lighter, Arataki Itto, Caesar, and the others lit a bonfire in the open space outside, driving back the darkness with a warm glow.
Burnice cheered and jumped up. "Woohoo! The banquet's started—everyone, dance!"
Paimon fidgeted. "Um... I don't know how."
"I'll teach you," Burnice grinned.
Her dancing carried an infectious energy, drawing others into the rhythm. Pulled into the circle, Paimon found herself swaying along despite herself.
"Traveler! Hu Tao! Keqing! Xiao! Come on—"
Hu Tao smirked. "Looks like fun. Next time Wangsheng Funeral Parlor does a promotion, I'm inviting Burnice."
Xiao: "...That's so you, Hu Tao."
The feast went on until the bonfire burned down, with everyone enjoying Belle and the Traveler's dishes and Caesar and Lucy's red wine.
The next day, when Cheesetopia reopened, Stephen returned—this time with several members of his gang. Business was much livelier, and with the Traveler and Belle's cooking, the restaurant quickly earned glowing reviews.
On the third day, the group bid farewell to Caesar and the others, riding back to the city in Piper's truck.
No sooner had they returned than Keqing shared her plan—she would negotiate with New Eridu's officials once more, and if things went smoothly, they'd leave for Liyue the next day.
Billy was instantly excited. "We're coming too! Finally, we'll get to see Sam Li's hometown."
Paimon said confidently, "Of course—we'll bring you all along."
That afternoon, Keqing headed to the Public Security Bureau headquarters with Xiao. There, she met with the leadership of the Public Security Bureau, H.A.N.D., the Defense Army, the Hollow Investigation Association—practically every top official in New Eridu.
Facing the gathered high ranks, Keqing went straight to the point.
"Liyue is willing to give its full support to eliminating the threat of Hollow Zero. But there's one condition—New Eridu must become part of Liyue."
Only if New Eridu became Liyue territory would Keqing be confident in persuading the Adeptus to act against Hollow Zero.