Lucian slumped in his chair, belly bulging.
His face was listless, eyes vacant.
His arms hung limp at his sides, and an unknown fluid dribbled from the corner of his mouth.
Of course, he wasn't broken. He had simply eaten his fill.
Across from him, Charlotte leaned back in her own chair, gently rubbing her slightly rounded stomach.
She hadn't eaten as much as Lucian, so her belly wasn't as pronounced.
"Ah, I've missed this flavor so much..."
Charlotte closed her eyes in contentment. It had been ages since she'd tasted home cooking.
"Shikikan-sensei, do you like Fontaine cuisine?"
Charlotte glanced at Lucian, who looked utterly burned out.
"I used to really like it... until now."
"Now I just hate my own excessive curiosity."
Lucian shot a glance at the "delicacy" still on the table.
Even looking at it nearly made him vomit again.
There on the table sat the infamous Fishy Toast, more commonly known as Stargazy Pie.
Out of curiosity, Lucian had ordered one to try after finishing his meal.
But he never expected its destructive power to be so overwhelming.
All memory of the delicious food he'd eaten earlier had been obliterated.
His taste buds had been ambushed, leaving only the phantom wails of fish echoing in his mind.
"Ahaha... This restaurant's Fishy Toast is famously terrible. Next time, I'll take you somewhere more proper."
Charlotte forced an awkward laugh.
Even she considered this dish borderline inedible.
Once, out of similar curiosity, she'd tried it herself. Fortunately, hers hadn't been the cursed version.
When prepared correctly, the dish could actually be quite tasty.
But this time... it very much wasn't.
"So it's famously bad?"
Lucian suddenly recalled the waitress's expression earlier, that mix of shock, confusion, and reluctant admiration.
At the time, he'd wondered why her face was so animated.
Now, glancing back at her, he saw her watching him with a look that plainly said she lived for expressions like his.
He couldn't help but laugh in defeat.
After all his teasing of others, the tables had turned. The jokester had become the joke.
"If I'd known eating could backfire like this," Lucian lamented, nearly in tears.
He vaguely remembered the game's description of this dish being relatively normal,
which was why he'd dared to try it.
Who knew he'd have the luck to get the cursed version?
"Here, have some Fonta." Charlotte handed him a bottle.
Lucian immediately chugged it.
"Ahhh... Crisp, refreshing. The bubbles are coursing through my veins. My body and soul feel reborn."
Or so he claimed.
Charlotte couldn't hold back her laughter.
Out of politeness, she didn't laugh outright but covered her mouth with her hands, shoulders shaking.
Then she noticed a familiar face watching them with amusement from a distance.
Charlotte found it odd. Why was she standing so far away instead of coming over?
"Miss Chenee," Charlotte called out.
The garde officer finally approached.
"My apologies, Miss Charlotte. I didn't mean to interrupt your date," Chenee said with a smile.
"Date?!"
Charlotte's face, already slightly flushed from suppressed laughter, turned even redder.
"You've got it wrong. We're just friends!" She waved her hands dismissively.
"Just friends?"
Chenee glanced between the red-faced Charlotte and the rejuvenated Lucian, smiling knowingly.
"Yes, this is Lucian, a novelist who just arrived in Fontaine," Charlotte introduced.
To Lucian, she added, "This is Chenee, a Garde officer and a genius too."
Charlotte had met Chenee after the latter turned down an invitation from the Fontaine Research Institute.
How could any journalist resist interviewing someone like that?
"Hello."
The two exchanged greetings.
"Welcome to Fontaine, Mr. Lucian. I hope you enjoy your stay," Chenee said warmly.
"But I'm on duty. Senior Frejus is waiting, so I'll take my leave. Let me cover your meal."
Before Charlotte could refuse, Chenee had the bill charged to her account and departed.
In the distance, a middle-aged man waited for her to finish saying goodbye.
[Emotional Value Obtained: 100]
[Source: Chenee]
[Content: Stupid Frejus, why didn't you recognize me?]
Frejus? Chenee?
Only then did Lucian realize who they were.
Their limited in-game appearances and generic NPC designs had made them easy to overlook.
Lucian hadn't immediately placed Chenee's name, but the system's hint jogged his memory.
Watching the two walk away side by side, Lucian thought: Why even live at this point? Just end me.
Or so he dramatically declared.
"Well, since Miss Chenee covered this meal, I'll treat you next time, Shikikan-sensei," Charlotte said.
Not one to take advantage, Charlotte insisted.
If she'd promised a meal, she wouldn't let someone else's generosity count as her own.
Music to his ears! Another good meal awaited!
To Lucian, Charlotte's words might as well have been: Revive, my beloved!
And so, he was reborn again.
"Come on, Shikikan-sensei, let's find you a place to stay."
Charlotte's extensive knowledge proved invaluable.
She knew exactly which areas had good available rentals.
In no time, she'd secured Lucian a place.
With his last bit of savings spent on rent, Lucian was now officially broke.
Before leaving, Charlotte gave him her contact info and address.
She could tell he was strapped for cash and openly invited him to drop by for meals, if she happened to be home.
"Finally, I can rest properly in a real bed."
Lucian luxuriated in the stationary comfort.
After who-knows-how-long on a ship, even a motionless bed felt strange.
"My novel will be released in Mondstadt soon. I wonder how they'll react."
"And when everything in it starts coming true, it'll be hilarious."
The thought of the chaos to come kept him too excited to sleep.
This method of foreshadowing wasn't just legal spoilers. It'd have people begging for more.
Meanwhile, he'd get to watch everyone's reactions from his future-knowing perch.
Especially the key players. Their responses would be priceless.
Imagine Ei being force-fed snacks and light novels by Yae.
If he conveniently paused the story right before her arc, the payoff would be glorious.
Not that he did it just for fun, of course.
It was all to gather more emotional energy.
This was for the world's salvation. Surely Ei would understand.
Though he did wonder if Aha might glance his way at this rate.
If so, he'd need a proper transformation chant. He'd already drafted it:
"I seek joy, I seek mirth, I seek delight!"
"I don the mask of revelry, mocking all, awaiting the grand performance!"
"Everything for the Elation!"
===✧✦✧===
Character Voice Lucian: Disliked Food
"Just mentioning this brings back that day's trauma. Fishy Toast. I suspect its ingredients are some unspeakable horror. Merely remembering it drains my sanity!"