After chatting with the Amazon twins for a while, Tiona suddenly gasped, as if she had just remembered something important.
She quickly said goodbye to Emiya and Riveria, then hurried off with her sister.
Riveria continued guiding Emiya around Loki Familia's territory.
She even personally arranged a vacant room for him.
The room wasn't large-about fifty square meters-but it was warm and comfortable. Through the window, he could see an elegant garden, quiet and well-kept. The room itself was spotless.
Emiya found it more than acceptable.
After Riveria left, he lay down on the bed.
He hadn't slept long ago, so he wasn't tired, but to adjust to the time difference and prepare for tomorrow's dungeon trip, he closed his eyes and started counting sheep.
Before he realized it, he fell asleep.
He woke up several times during the night.
After the final time, he couldn't fall back asleep.
So he practiced controlling his psychic power inside the room.
By the time the sky outside began to brighten, Emiya finally stopped.
Then he activated his ability and returned to his own world.
The reason was simple.
All his daily necessities were there.
When he came back, he noticed something unexpected.
Loki wasn't lying on the sofa scrolling through her phone.
She was sitting upright, watching TV.
On the screen was an old anime.
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya.
Loki didn't even glance at him. She was completely absorbed.
Emiya shrugged and went into the bathroom.
After washing up and drying his face, he came out again.
Loki hadn't changed her posture at all.
He smiled helplessly, then activated his ability once more and returned to the Danmachi world.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
The moment he arrived, someone knocked rapidly on his door.
He opened it and saw Tiona standing outside, grinning brightly.
"Hey, newbie-kun. Good morning."
"Good morning," Emiya replied, slightly surprised. "Why are you here?"
They had only met yesterday.
This was a bit much.
"I'm here to go into the dungeon with you," Tiona said casually.
Emiya blinked. "You and me? The dungeon?"
She nodded.
"Why?"
"Riveria's order."
She didn't hide anything and told him directly.
Emiya froze for a moment, then understood.
Riveria was worried.
More accurately, she was worried about Loki.
After realizing that, Emiya didn't refuse.
"I've never been to the dungeon before," he said honestly. "If a first-rate adventurer is willing to accompany me, I won't turn that down."
He paused.
"But don't expect too much from me. Psychic power is convenient, but my current offensive strength isn't enough against high-level monsters."
Many powerful monsters possessed natural defenses.
For some of them, his attacks wouldn't even leave a scratch.
Of course, once his level increased, the destructive power of his psychic abilities would rise with it. High-level monsters wouldn't be a problem forever.
Tiona patted her chest-flat enough to rival Loki's.
"Relax. If we run into something dangerous, I'll handle it. Since it's your first time, I won't take you too deep. You can trust me."
Then she added, "By the way, have you eaten breakfast yet?"
Emiya shook his head. "Not yet."
"Then let's go. I'll take you to the dining hall."
"Thanks."
He followed her.
Riveria had shown him the dining hall yesterday, but Loki Familia's territory was enormous.
After leaving, he'd immediately gotten lost.
Having Tiona lead the way was a relief.
He was also curious.
What was breakfast in another world like?
Along the way, they ran into many adventurers.
"Hey, isn't that Tiona?"
"Morning, Tiona!"
"Where's your sister today?"
Tiona greeted them all cheerfully.
Emiya had experienced something similar when he was with Riveria, but the atmosphere was completely different.
When adventurers saw Riveria, they were respectful.
Almost reverent.
With Tiona, they were relaxed.
Friendly.
It was clearly due to her personality.
That alone made Emiya reassess her.
Of course, they also noticed him.
Unlike the smiles they gave Tiona, their gazes toward Emiya carried meaning.
"Is that the newbie who joined yesterday?"
"Riveria yesterday, Tiona today?"
"Being escorted by first-rates... this guy must be special."
"Some important background, maybe?"
Emiya forced a bitter smile.
Why were they talking so loudly?
Did whispers not exist?
Or was it intentional?
"You're pretty popular already, newbie-kun," Tiona laughed, patting his shoulder.
"I'd rather not be," Emiya replied.
"You don't like it? They don't mean any harm."
Emiya agreed.
With his psychic senses, he could tell.
There was some envy. Some jealousy.
But nothing malicious.
"I'm just not used to it," he said.
He'd lived as an ordinary person his whole life.
Being the center of attention felt strange.
Tiona laughed loudly. "You'd better get used to it!"
As they talked, they finally reached the dining hall.
A door ten meters tall opened before them.
Inside was a massive space, easily the size of a football field.
Only a handful of Loki Familia members appeared in the story, but that didn't reflect reality.
As one of Orario's strongest Familias, Loki Familia had countless members.
A dining hall this size was only natural.
The moment Emiya stepped inside, an intense aroma hit him.
His mouth watered instantly.
His expectations rose.
He followed Tiona into line.
Breakfast was simple.
A bowl of white soup.
A few pieces of bread.
A bowl of roasted meat cut into small chunks.
Tiona's meal was the same.
Just several times larger.
Despite the simplicity, the aroma was irresistible.
Emiya took a bite of the bread.
Whole-wheat.
Very ordinary.
Nothing special.
Then he lifted the bowl of white soup and took a sip.
His eyes widened.
Savory.
Incredibly savory.
He didn't know what ingredients were used, but the flavor was deep and rich.
Completely different from yesterday's onion gratin soup.
Just as delicious.
Was the chef here on Kojiro Shinomiya's level?
Unlikely.
Chefs like that weren't common.
The Shokugeki no Soma world revolved around cooking. Naturally, its chefs were exceptional.
Even Totsuki students could serve as head chefs in five-star hotels in other worlds.
The fact that Soma Yukihira's food could "drug" people said enough.
Those dishes came with built-in illusions.
Very few worlds could compete with that.
The Little Chef world might.
Its food glowed.
Who could resist that?
It also had the eight Legendary Cooking Utensils.
Each one carried mysterious powers.
Completely unscientific.
And then there was Toriko.
That world crushed them all.
Top-tier ingredients. Absurd chefs.
Danmachi, on the other hand, was an adventure-focused world.
Talented people became adventurers.
Who would choose to be a chef?
Yet this white soup was on par with Shinomiya's onion gratin soup.
The most reasonable explanation was simple.
The ingredients were superior.
~~~~~
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