The meal starts, and I take a bite of the fish. It's good. Really good. The citrus glaze has just enough tang to balance the richness, and the flesh practically melts. The seafood is grilled perfectly, still tender with a hint of char. Even the vegetables have that sweet, caramelized edge from proper roasting.

  This is the kind of food you get when you have access to quality ingredients.

  Demon Lord Kaelith sets down his fork and looks across the table at me.

  [Kaelith] "I notice your group has changed since we last met at the hot springs. The Spirit Queens and Kings aren't with you. Neither are the otherworld heroes."

  His crimson eyes shift to Aurelia.

  [Kaelith] "And there's a new face."

  I think back to yesterday at the festival in Thornhaven and the tired Sylphaeris.

  [Wright] "The heroes stayed behind in Rathen to attend the academy there. As for the spirits, it's apparently the busy season right now. They have a lot to handle to keep the world running smoothly. They can't always travel."

  Demon Lord Kaelith nods slowly.

  [Kaelith] "I understand that sentiment all too well. There's never enough time to handle everything that requires attention."

  King Alden lets out a long sigh.

  [Alden] "Constant meetings, trade disputes, infrastructure projects. The work never stops."

  Supreme Mage Lysara taps her fingers against her wine glass.

  [Lysara] "At least ruling gives you moments like this. Research never sleeps. There's always another experiment, another theory to test."

  Chancellor Selis's tail flicks sharply.

  [Selis] "Excuse me, but the kings and supreme mage shouldn't be nodding along to complaints about being busy."

  Chancellor Mirelle sets down her fork with pointed precision.

  [Mirelle] "You sign the documents we prepare. We do the actual work."

  [Velira] "Every decision requires three drafts, two revisions, and a final review before it reaches your desk."

  King Alden raises his hands in mock surrender.

  [Alden] "Fair point. I concede."

  Demon Lord Kaelith's lips twitch into something almost resembling a smile.

  [Kaelith] "My chancellor reminds me of this regularly."

  [Velira] "Because you regularly forget."

  Supreme Mage Lysara actually laughs.

  [Lysara] "I have six assistants and they still claim I work them too hard."

  [Selis] "That's because you do."

  Several people chuckle. Even Aurelia's shoulders relax slightly.

  King Alden turns his attention back to our side of the table.

  [Alden] "But back to introductions. I recognize Lucien and Seraphina from the famous adventuring party, Grivers."

  Lucien inclines his head respectfully.

  [Lucien] "We appreciate the recognition, Your Majesty."

  [Seraphina] "Though we've retired from active adventuring now."

  [Alden] "And the others?"

  Eldrin gestures to Liora first.

  [Eldrin] "This is Liora, a shrine maiden from our village. She oversees our spiritual rites and assists with agricultural management."

  Liora bows her head slightly.

  [Liora] "It's an honor to meet you all."

  [Eldrin] "And this is Vesper, our village's foremost arcane artificer. She specializes in enchantments and magical tool creation."

  Vesper looks up from her fish long enough to nod.

  [Vesper] "Hello."

  Then she goes back to eating.

  All eyes shift to Aurelia.

  She freezes, her hands gripping the edge of the table. Her face flushes.

  Pope Orell smiles gently and speaks up.

  [Orell] "This is Aurelia. She's one of the blessed individuals from Aldencrest, though the nobles there misused her gifts terribly. Since then, she's trained relentlessly to grow stronger. When Aldencrest began to collapse, she led and protected a group of refugees as they fled to safety. She's here to listen to our discussions, as she plans to help with the rebuilding efforts."

  I add my own piece.

  [Wright] "She's pretty amazing. She won the tournament held in Thornhaven recently and is planning to use those winnings to buy supplies for the rebuilding effort."

  Chancellor Selis's eyes widen.

  [Selis] "You won the Thornhaven tournament? That's our annual tradition. It draws mighty warriors from across the continent."

  She leans forward, her tail swishing with interest.

  [Selis] "If you won that, you're legitimately strong. Not just for your age, but by any standard."

  Chancellor Mirelle nods approvingly.

  [Mirelle] "Using your winnings for relief efforts is remarkable. You truly embody what people mean when they call you a Saintess."

  King Alden raises his glass slightly.

  [Alden] "Respera would be honored to support someone with such dedication to helping others."

  Demon Lord Kaelith lets out a sharp huff.

  [Kaelith] "Aldencrest's kings and nobles were insufferable to deal with. Arrogant, shortsighted, and utterly convinced of their own superiority."

  Chancellor Velira's smile carries an edge.

  [Velira] "Though they spent rather lavishly when they visited our hot springs, we had to deal with a lot of complaints from owners about their demeanors."

  Aurelia's head snaps up, her eyes wide.

  [Aurelia] "They visited your hot springs? But I thought... weren't heroes sent to Eryndor to stop the demons?"

  Her voice wavers between confusion and something darker.

  Demon Lord Kaelith nods.

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  [Kaelith] "That wasn't a lie. Some heroes did make quite a commotion at our borders."

  Velira picks up her wine glass, swirling it thoughtfully.

  [Velira] "They were spotted outside the border city gates. Poor things had to traverse the mountain range and seemed quite exhausted from the journey. It was a very dramatic entrance."

  She takes a sip.

  [Velira] "But when they calmed down and entered the city, they saw how normal everything was. Shops, families, children playing in the streets. Not exactly the demon fortress they'd been told to expect. They lost heart rather quickly after that."

  [Kaelith] "Some chose to stay. Others left, though notably not in the direction they came from."

  Aurelia's expression crumbles. Her hands clench in her lap.

  The sounds of conversation die down. Silverware goes still against plates.

  Pope Orell clears his throat gently.

  [Orell] "Speaking of the hot springs, I must tell everyone about the cheese Wright gave me there. Truly extraordinary."

  Seraphina perks up immediately.

  [Seraphina] "Oh! Wright shared them with me as well. They were remarkable."

  [Orell] "The Parmigiano-Reggiano has become my favorite for morning meals. That depth of flavor is something I look forward to each day."

  [Seraphina] "I paired it with the full-bodied red from my winery. The crystalline texture complemented the wine's tannins perfectly."

  [Orell] "With wine? I've been enjoying it with simple bread. Though I must try your suggestion."

  [Seraphina] "You absolutely should. And the Comté! Those fruity notes paired beautifully with a crisp white."

  [Orell] "The Comté has become my evening indulgence. When you let those flavors linger, it's quite meditative."

  [Seraphina] "Exactly! It's a cheese that demands attention. And the Roquefort..."

  She looks almost wistful.

  [Seraphina] "I paired it with a sweet dessert wine. The contrast between the sharp, salty cheese and the sweet wine was absolutely divine."

  [Orell] "The Roquefort took me time to appreciate fully. That sharpness was quite intense at first, but now I understand why it's considered a delicacy. Quite addictive."

  [Seraphina] "It's definitely an acquired taste, but once you acquire it..."

  They both smile, clearly in agreement.

  Supreme Mage Lysara shakes her head with amusement.

  [Lysara] "The Pope and his cheese obsession. I should have known."

  King Alden leans forward, his expression shifting to one of keen interest.

  [Alden] "These cheeses... they sound like they would sell remarkably well. Are these the other world items we've heard about?"

  [Wright] "They are. I'm planning to introduce other crops and food items that the rebuilding Aldencrest population can use for farming. Give them something unique to cultivate and trade."

  Demon Lord Kaelith's eyes light up.

  [Kaelith] "Does this include more durian?"

  [Wright] "If you want it, sure."

  [Kaelith] "Excellent."

  King Alden nods thoughtfully.

  [Alden] "Having a stable, producing country so close to our borders would lead to a significant boom in trade. Especially if they're cultivating crops and foods from another world that can't be found elsewhere."

  Aurelia looks between us, confusion replacing some of her earlier sadness.

  [Aurelia] "The crops... they're from another world?"

  [Wright] "I got a skill from the Goddess. I can summon items from another world."

  I pull up my Online Shopping interface. The familiar screen appears in front of me, visible only to me. I search for fruits, scrolling through options until I find a good variety for dessert.

  I add them to the cart. Twenty of each should be enough. Click checkout.

  My mana drains, and a large cardboard box materializes in the air beside me. It lands on the floor with a solid thump.

  Everyone except Pope Orell and the demons stares.

  King Alden's fork stops halfway to his mouth.

  Supreme Mage Lysara leans forward, her eyes fixed on the box.

  [Lysara] "It just... appeared."

  [Wright] "Yeah, that's how the skill works."

  I open the box and start pulling out fruits. The vibrant colors catch the candlelight.

  [Wright] "Figured we could try some fruits from another world for dessert."

  I pull out a mango first, setting it on the table.

  [Wright] "Anyone tried a mango before?"

  Blank stares.

  I materialize a knife and start cutting it, working around the large pit in the center.

  [Wright] "You eat the flesh around the pit. Sweet, kind of tropical."

  I slide pieces across the table. Next comes the papaya.

  [Wright] "This one's mild. You scoop out these black seeds first."

  I demonstrate, cutting it in half and cleaning out the center before slicing the orange flesh.

  The lychee comes next. I peel one, revealing the translucent white flesh inside.

  [Wright] "Peel the bumpy skin, eat the flesh, spit out the pit. It's sweet."

  I work through the rest. Persimmons get sliced like apples. Starfruit I cut into star-shaped pieces.

  Soon the table has an array of colorful fruit pieces arranged across various plates.

  Chancellor Selis picks up a slice of papaya, examining it closely.

  [Selis] "The color is unusual."

  She takes a bite.

  [Selis] "Oh. That's actually lovely. Subtle, but pleasant."

  King Alden tries the mango.

  [Alden] "This is incredible. The sweetness is unlike anything I've tasted."

  Supreme Mage Lysara samples the lychee.

  [Lysara] "Floral notes. Interesting texture. I could see this being quite popular."

  Demon Lord Kaelith tries the persimmon.

  [Kaelith] "Crisp. Sweet. Very agreeable."

  Chancellor Velira tastes the starfruit.

  [Velira] "The tartness is refreshing after such a rich meal."

  Seraphina tries a bit of everything, pairing each with sips of wine.

  [Seraphina] "These would make exquisite dessert courses. The mango especially."

  Lucien nods his agreement.

  [Lucien] "The flavors are distinct. Each one offers something different."

  Eldrin samples the papaya.

  [Eldrin] "Mild enough to appeal to most palates, but still interesting."

  Liora tries the lychee.

  [Liora] "This is wonderful. Sweet but not overwhelming."

  Pope Orell samples each fruit methodically, clearly analyzing the flavors.

  [Orell] "Remarkable variety. Each one would pair differently with various dishes and wines."

  Even Vesper looks up from the seafood she's been methodically working through to try a piece of mango.

  [Vesper] "Oh, this is good!"

  She takes another piece of mango, then reaches for the papaya. She examines it for a moment with the same focused attention she gives her enchantments.

  [Vesper] "This has an interesting texture."

  She tries the lychee next, then the persimmon.

  [Vesper] "The persimmon is my favorite."

  She takes three more slices and sets them beside her plate before returning to her meal.

  Aurelia hesitantly reaches for a slice of mango. She examines it for a moment, then takes a small bite.

  Her eyes widen.

  She takes a bigger bite this time, chewing thoughtfully. Then she reaches for another piece.

  [Aurelia] "This is really good."

  She tries the lychee next. Peels it carefully, pops the flesh in her mouth.

  [Aurelia] "Sweet. Very sweet."

  She spits the pit into her napkin, then immediately reaches for another lychee.

  [Aurelia] "I like this one."

  The papaya comes next. She takes a bite and her nose wrinkles slightly.

  [Aurelia] "Too mild. It doesn't taste like much."

  She sets it down and tries the persimmon.

  [Aurelia] "This is better. Crisp."

  Then the starfruit. She takes a bite and her expression shifts.

  [Aurelia] "Tart. Really tart."

  But she finishes the piece anyway and reaches for another.

  [Aurelia] "Actually, it's kind of refreshing."

  She goes back to the mango, taking two more pieces.

  [Aurelia] "The mango is definitely the best though."

  King Alden watches Aurelia with an amused expression.

  [Alden] "You have strong opinions on these fruits."

  Aurelia blinks, then looks down at her plate, which now has several pieces of mango and starfruit.

  [Aurelia] "Oh. Sorry, I didn't mean to..."

  She trails off.

  [Selis] "No, no. It's refreshing. Most people are too polite to say what they actually think."

  [Mirelle] "Honest feedback is valuable. Especially when introducing new crops."

  Aurelia relaxes slightly, a small smile appearing on her face.

  [Aurelia] "Then the lychee and mango are definitely worth cultivating. The papaya is boring."

  Seraphina laughs.

  [Seraphina] "Boring! I like her."

  The conversation shifts to discussing which fruits would grow best in different climates, which would be most profitable for trade, which would appeal most to different populations.

  Aurelia continues trying the fruits, offering her assessments whenever someone asks her opinion. She leans forward when she speaks now. Her words come quicker, more certain.

  Pope Orell asks about storage requirements for the lychee. Aurelia answers before anyone else can, explaining how the refugees preserved similar fruits during their journey.

  Chancellor Selis mentions concerns about shelf life. Aurelia suggests drying methods she's seen work.

  King Alden brings up transportation. Aurelia describes what worked and what didn't when moving supplies between refugee camps.

  She's not asking for permission anymore. Just stating facts as she sees them.