Chapter 659: Stories in Every Bite
"Cilantro!"
"Garlic!"
"Chili oil!"
"No, no, no! What is lacking is soy sauce!"
"I’m pretty sure it’s chives!"
"Ehh?"
Luca blinked at the commotion. Everyone was leaning forward, waving chopsticks and spoons, passionately arguing over condiments as though they were generals debating strategy. He found it adorable. They were so determined to create the perfect dipping sauce that they had turned the entire table into a battlefield of opinions.
And yet, every single time Luca cooked something new—be it bok choy, mushrooms, dumplings, or that wobbly miracle called tofu—the arguments ceased instantly. Everyone froze, waiting to see what sauce Luca would use with it.
The moment he dipped, the cycle began anew.
"That’s it! That’s the superior sauce!"
"Wait, but the last one—!"
"Yes! How can you forget the shimmer on that garlic blend?"
The flustered heir could only cover his face for a moment.
He was mortified.
Especially because Nina, perched loyally beside him as she ate whatever Luca prepared for her, had that look on her face.
Her wide eyes sparkled with awe every time the crowd praised her brother chipmunk. And she’d usually pat him in congratulations.
Luca’s ears burned. Compliments rained down on him like fire. He had learned the hard way that it was rude to dismiss sincere words, so instead of shaking his head, he now bowed slightly and whispered thanks.
But it was not easy to accept such relentless awe and gratitude. His heart felt like it might burst.
Then Xavier’s voice, although set low like a whisper, still cut through the noise. Calm, steady, undeniable.
"They’re thankful because it’s warranted, Luca," he said, making every head turn. "Everyone knows how much effort it took to enjoy each bite. None of this would have even been possible without you."
"Huh?" Luca tilted his head in confusion, blinking rapidly.
All eyes followed as Xavier, who had been quietly eating with composed elegance earlier, now lifted a hand and began pointing.
First, he gestured at the vegetables. "Each type was painstakingly grown on different farms. While it would be simple to grow everything in the dungeon space with the help of the elders, Luca thought of ways to grow them outside, so that more people could benefit."
Luca’s temperature shot up enough to warrant a prompt from D-29. All because Xavier not only spoke like that but looked at him with those eyes that made his knees weak.
How did he even survive this before? But then the prince didn’t look like he was about to stop anytime soon!
Sure enough!
"Aquaponics was introduced for things like leafy greens, cherry tomatoes, and baby potatoes." He pointed at the bok choy that Butler Henry was just about to eat.
"And for root crops like these, larger potatoes, carrots, and onions, special grow beds were even needed."
He pointed next at the grains and corn, his voice low but firm. "For wheat and corn, even the byproducts of the Cindermoss Burrowers were used to create suitable farming conditions."
The fact alone that they had such creatures in the sanctuary was a big thing in itself, but to be able to make spiritually infused soil with their help? Just how many researchers would’ve loved to see such a thing happen?
"But more importantly," Xavier continued, his tone sharpening, "the existence of domes that allowed for spiritual energy containment were made, so that things like this could reach many more tables."
"Just to make that a reality, a collective effort was required. Luca and Ollie’s design. The materials from House Mylor. The builders and researchers of House Kyros. The added security of House Taylor."
Xavier finally turned back to Luca, his eyes gleaming with pride and appreciation. "But above all, none of us would even know about these plants and methods without Luca sharing them."
The others were nodding at the prince’s words.
Jax, in particular, was nearly glowing with conviction. As someone who now lived for farming, he was painfully aware that none of his vegetable children and their extremely great-grandchildren, ten times removed, would ever have existed if not for Luca.
Marshal Julian, who had already inspected the complex himself, found his nephew’s words to be accurate.
He could not deny it.
Perhaps those who had never experienced the struggle might look at a potato and see only a potato. But to the enlightened few, it was a reflection of Luca’s generosity.
And to those just learning it now, every time Xavier explained something and Luca peeked at him with shy, appreciative eyes, it became clearer that each item on the table had its own story.
The Emperor and Empress, along with the newcomers, were soon treated to the tale of how the dungeon upgrade had brought about the seafood they were currently enjoying.
The concepts of a dungeon, much less an upgrade, had already gotten them gasping for breath earlier. In fact, merely learning how corruption was utilized and transformed into something like this nearly led the Emperor to abdicate, wanting to pave the way for the brightest generation.
But he couldn’t possibly do that when his son was adamant that he stay in position for as long as possible because, apparently, they had more things to do.
And they really did.
Just listening to everything they’ve been through was both inspiring and relieving, as it seemed they had managed to make significant progress while finding joy in it.
Just like in this one.
Apparently, it came as a shock to them as well.
It was Jax who gave the account. He shifted into a grave mood, describing how they first went fishing after his vegetable children were massacred for supposedly good intentions.
His words fell heavy for a moment, but before anyone could fully grieve, he brightened like the sun and spoke joyfully of how glorious that first fish meal had been, even though, on that same day, they fought barehanded against creatures they’d only seen for the first time!
Butler Gary then chimed in with his usual dry precision. "Then from that point onwards, there was a time when endangerment and extinction nearly became reality, because one person fished almost daily."
All eyes swung toward Duke Leander.
The Duke froze, coughed loudly, and tried to look innocent. Unfortunately, his twitching lips betrayed him. The room bristled with pointed stares until, mercifully, Nina gasped and stole the spotlight.
"Extinction?!" Her little hands clutched the table as she turned wide eyes toward Luca.
Luca quickly reassured her with a calm smile. "Thanks to the elders’ suggestions, we created ways to promote breeding and more sustainable fishing methods."
Relief washed over the princess. She wasn’t sure about the specifics, but her brother chipmunk looked reassuring, so she felt that was enough.
Her worried face softened just in time for Ollie—who had been chewing far too fast so he could speak—to swallow noisily. His hair antenna practically quivered with excitement and the desire to express himself.
"That’s why in the aquaponics complex, there are huge water tanks filled with fish raised for eating!"
"Wow!" cooed the princess, her imagination instantly captured by the idea.
Luca chuckled and reached over to pat her head gently. "When you’re free, we’ll visit sometime."
Her cheeks flushed with delight, and her little fists clenched in excitement. The promise was enough to make her eyes sparkle brighter than the lantern light above the steaming pots.