The Hero League Dining Hall was the most luxurious dining space within the League's headquarters.
Ingredients from countless worlds were gathered here.
Not only did it offer top-tier delicacies from ordinary realms—Almas-grade caviar, A5 Kobe beef, bluefin tuna, Bresse chicken—but also fantastical ingredients that could only exist in myth.
Beasts whose marbled flesh melted upon contact with the tongue.
Trees that bore imperial crab meat year-round.
Amber-hued brandy springs that flowed endlessly, rich and aromatic.
Fantasy-level ingredients filled the hall in abundance.
Rainbow fruits.
Gemstone-grade meat.
Century stews.
Divine cola.
Wine-dragon cuts.
The only thing missing was a truly legendary chef.
If someone like Starfire Sage Lucien, Erina Ashcroft, Soma Vale, or Joichiro Vale were present, these ingredients could be elevated even further.
Of course, ordinary ingredients were freely available.
Fantasy-grade dishes required energy points to access.
"Mm—this is delicious!"
The violet-haired girl sat at the table, staring wide-eyed at the radiant slab of meat before her.
Gemstone-grade meat.
It looked like a masterpiece carved by countless artisans—perfect fat marbling, shimmering juices flowing like liquid gold, a fragrance so rich that even high-end perfumes would pale in comparison.
Even without expert preparation, the primal aroma alone made it irresistible.
"…."
Aiden Cross glanced at the pile of plates stacked beside her—already taller than a person.
Only now did he truly understand the terror of a true glutton.
If resources were scarce, raising a spirit like her would be outright impossible.
And this was with gemstone meat alone—whose energy density was hundreds of times greater than ordinary food.
If one day he were to recruit beings like Artoria Vale, Yuki Noire, Korra Emberlyn, or Arlen Walker, he would likely be worrying about food nonstop.
"…Mm."
After finishing her final piece, the girl finally stopped.
She was about eighty percent full—something she had never experienced since her birth.
Yet despite the richness, something felt missing.
"How is it?" Aiden asked.
"The meat is very good…" she said slowly, "…but I still think the roasted soybean bread is better."
He paused.
Gemstone meat was objectively superior, yet she favored the humble bread.
First impressions lingered deepest.
"If you want it, just say so," Aiden replied calmly. "Today's on me."
"Really?!"
"Yes."
"Then I want one hundred portions of roasted soybean bread!"
"…."
She ate happily, as if it were the finest food in existence.
Pure, untainted, like a blank page—she naturally drew the eye.
Halfway through, she hesitated, then tore a piece in half and offered it to him.
"Here."
Aiden accepted it with a faint smile.
"Thanks."
She had clearly already taken a bite.
From a certain perspective, it was an indirect kiss—but she clearly hadn't thought that far.
She was simply sharing what she cherished most.
"…Say," Aiden asked, "do you have a name?"
"…A name?"
Her expression dimmed instantly.
Since the moment she appeared, she had only been hunted, attacked, or classified.
No one had ever asked her such a thing.
"I do not," she said softly.
"Then let me give you one," Aiden said.
She looked at him, confused.
"Why?"
"Because you deserve one."
"…Why are you so kind to me?"
"Because that's the privilege of being a girl worth protecting."
He lightly pinched her cheek, crimson eyes narrowing with a faint smile.
"…Is that so…"
"Of course."
"…But every human I've met said I had to die."
"They were insignificant," Aiden replied indifferently.
"You don't live by the words of insects. If they're annoying, you silence them."
She nodded thoughtfully.
"…That makes sense."
"So," she asked, eyes brightening, "what name will you give me?"
Aiden answered without hesitation.
"Stella Nightfall."
She tasted the words.
"…Stella Nightfall."
A small smile bloomed.
"Then from today onward, that is my name."
The former Dragon-class calamity, once known only by a codename, had finally gained an identity.
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