Chapter 7

Crackling! Crackling!

The firewood in the campfire crackled fiercely as several large bass were being cooked nearby. As Hiroshi evenly sprinkled seasoning onto them, the aroma spread far and wide.

"Ah, it smells so good! Lumine, come quickly! It's delicious food!"

Paimon excitedly fluttered around the grilled fish, her eyes fixed on it, before nervously hovering close to Hiroshi. "Are you really going to let us eat such delicious grilled fish? You're not joking, are you?" she asked.

Hiroshi gently flipped the fish over, then looked up at Paimon, who was practically leaning against his face, drooling. He smiled warmly.

"Of course not! You're so cute—it's only natural to treat you to some good food. Just wait a moment, it'll be ready soon."

"Really?! Hehehe, Paimon isn't that cute... Thank you, you're really a nice person," Paimon said, embarrassed, scratching her head before happily flying to the edge of the campfire.

Waving at Lumine and Fischl, who were standing near the statue of Barbatos, Hiroshi called out, "You two come over as well; it's almost ready."

On the flat ground beside the fire, Hiroshi summoned a gust of wind, sweeping away dust and fallen leaves and forming them into a small bundle, which he tossed into Starfell Lake. He took out tables and chairs from his storage space and placed the cooked dishes onto plates.

Once everyone was seated, Hiroshi distributed the grilled fish. He smiled and said, "This is my new recipe—spicy grilled fish. Please give me your feedback after trying it."

"Alright, alright. Let's eat before it gets cold," Paimon said impatiently, using a fork to take a large piece of fish. The piece of fish, tinted red by the chili peppers, steamed lightly, with peppercorns dotting the surface.

Seeing the delicious fish before her, Paimon's eyes seemed to shine. Ever since Lumine found her, they had been traveling constantly—never having enough to eat, and given Lumine's cooking skills, it had been ages since Paimon had tasted something so delicious. She eagerly opened her mouth and stuffed the entire piece in.

Next to her, Lumine, who had just raised her hand to stop Paimon, was dumbfounded. Her mouth opened and closed before she finally said, "Paimon, can you handle spicy food?"

Paimon's previously expectant expression froze the moment she swallowed the fish. Her face went blank as she opened her mouth, letting the fish fall out.

With her tongue hanging out, Paimon, teary-eyed, began to wail. "Ah! My mouth! It hurts! Did you poison me? Lumine, help me! This guy's a bad guy! Am I going to die? Waaaah!"

"Paimon, it's okay. It's just a seasoning—it's not poison," Lumine said, grabbing Paimon, who was flying around her in a panic. She gave Hiroshi an apologetic smile.

Hiroshi waved it off casually, picked up a plate of grilled fish, and approached Lumine. He looked at Paimon, who was covering her mouth, her eyes filled with tears, and smiled gently. "It's alright, Paimon. I'm a chef—how could I poison my customers? Think about it—didn't the fish taste amazing at first? The combination of those two flavors was exciting, wasn't it?"

Paimon looked at Hiroshi, his kind smile and handsome face framed by a gentle breeze, as if he were one with the wind. Lumine's explanation and Hiroshi's words echoed in her mind. Now that her body had adjusted, Paimon thought back to the taste, realizing it was indeed delicious, a flavor she had never experienced before. Her mouth began to water again, dripping onto Lumine's clothes.

"Sorry about earlier, I misunderstood you!" Paimon said, pushing away Lumine's hand and wiping her mouth as she stood on the table, embarrassed.

Hiroshi smiled, shaking his head as he set the grilled fish down before her. "No problem at all. Come, eat while it's hot. If it gets cold, it won't taste as good. And eating it all is the best way to repay me as the chef."

Paimon looked at the gigantic grilled fish before her, easily three times her size, the spicy aroma wafting up. She stepped back, covering her mouth in fear, then looked up at Hiroshi, who smiled encouragingly. Swallowing nervously, she wiped her tears and, with determination, charged forward with her fork.

Seeing Paimon cry as she devoured the fish, Hiroshi nodded in satisfaction. He glanced at Lumine, who had started eating with relish, seemingly unbothered by the spiciness and the extra peppercorns he had added for her.

Across from them, Fischl, with her eyes slightly tearing up, was staring at the piece of fish on her fork with a conflicted expression. She glanced at Oz, who was eating happily beside her, then closed her eyes, swallowed the piece of fish, and quickly chewed and swallowed.

She then looked toward Hiroshi and declared loudly, "Hehehe, it's merely food from the depths of hell! Even before me, the Prinzessin der Verurteilung, it must bow down! Hahaha—cough, cough, cough!"

"Aaah! Water! Water! It's so spicy! Waaah!"

Seeing Fischl suddenly cough and yell, Hiroshi quickly took a bottle of juice from his backpack and handed it to her. Fischl took a few big gulps, finally calming down, and Hiroshi sighed in relief. "Don't talk while eating spicy food. It's lucky this was only mildly spicy, or you'd have had a harder time."

Fischl awkwardly averted her gaze, quietly extending her fork for more grilled fish.

"Try to talk less when eating spicy food, or it's easy to choke," Hiroshi advised as he picked up another plate of mildly spicy grilled fish. This one was originally meant for Lumine, but she had gone for the extra spicy portion he had set aside for himself.

"You seem different when you're cooking," Oz said, having somehow finished eating and now appearing beside Hiroshi.

Taking a bite of fish with his chopsticks, Hiroshi glanced at Oz's plate, which was left with only fish bones. "That's because I'm in a different role now. They're the guests, and I'm the chef. Want another half a portion?"

Oz nodded thoughtfully. "Yes, please!"

In the afternoon, the group emerged from Whispering Woods. In the distance, they could already see the huge silhouette of Mondstadt.

"So you're travelers from another world too? Lumine, you're traveling to find your lost brother?"

Lumine gave Hiroshi a puzzled look, curious. "What do you mean by 'too'? Are there other travelers from another world in Mondstadt? Where are they?!"

"Hehehe, they are right in front of you. I am Fischl, Prinzessin der Verurteilung, master of the Evernight realm, reborn into this world. And Hiroshi here is a hellish demon chef from another world who has recently arrived."

"You're also from another world?!" Lumine looked at Hiroshi in surprise, a hopeful expression crossing her face. "Have you seen a boy dressed similarly to me?"

Hiroshi shook his head. "I've only been in this world for a few days. From what you've said, you've been here for quite some time but were suddenly sealed by an unfamiliar god until now."

Seeing Lumine's disappointed expression, Hiroshi tried to comfort her. "But don't lose hope. I believe you'll find your brother eventually."

'With Lumine showing up, even though I don't know the exact storyline, I still have some impression of it. Since Lumine has appeared, Stormterror should be coming soon.'

"Hey, look over there! What's that?!"

Paimon, her belly still slightly bulging, struggled to hover over Lumine's shoulder, pointing and shouting.

Looking up, they saw that the previously clear skies over Mondstadt had turned dark, and a massive black figure coiled in the sky above the city. Tornadoes raged across the city below.

Fischl, who had been striking a pose, suddenly turned serious. With a low shout, she sprinted toward Mondstadt.

Oz flashed in a burst of lightning, soaring into the sky.

Watching Fischl's unwavering determination, Hiroshi gritted his teeth and followed her.

Lumine, looking at the two figures moving away, stared at the distant city of Mondstadt, enveloped in a massive storm, feeling lost.

"Paimon, do you know what's going on?"

Paimon, struggling to hover beside Lumine, looked at the large shadow in the distance. "That's Stormterror."