"Why hasn't Mikoto returned after so long?" Ouka frowned, his stern face full of anxiety.
After thinking it over, he decided not to wait any longer. Turning around, he said to his companions behind him, "Let's go towards Mikoto."
"No problem."
"Given Mikoto's strength, she shouldn't be in any danger."
Compared to Mikoto, Ouka was more realistic. The Dungeon was essentially a place of survival of the fittest, and besides, he had promised Takemikazuchi. He must bring all Familia members back safely.
The group moved in the direction Mikoto had left, but they hadn't gone far before Ouka saw the familiar figure of the girl in the distance ahead.
Gathered in the open cave ahead, a group of people sat around a campfire enjoying food, the atmosphere quite harmonious.
As for Mikoto, whom he had been worried about and searching for, she was currently sitting cross-legged on the ground, holding a wooden bowl and chopsticks in her hands.
Her eyebrows were slightly raised due to the impact of the deliciousness, as she continuously picked up the dish from the iron pot.
Ouka looked around. It was indeed the familiar environment of the Dungeon—the cave walls, and even a Minotaur carcass not far away.
That's right, this is the Dungeon!
But the more he looked, the more absurd he found it. This was supposed to be a dangerous floor where Adventurers advanced with bated breath, so why were there Adventurers treating this place as a dining spot?
He gathered all the confusion and urge to complain in his heart into a helpless murmur, "Why are they able to camp so leisurely in the Dungeon?"
The Familia companions who had followed behind him stopped in their tracks, noticing the absurd scene that looked like an outing.
"Captain Ouka... I feel like Mikoto hasn't encountered any danger, has she?"
Ouka nodded.
In the two years since coming to Orario, the overall level of the Familia had remained stagnant at Level 1, and the members were accustomed to the tense atmosphere of the Dungeon.
But the scene before him shattered all his perceptions of the Dungeon. According to the information released by the Guild, the 15th Floor belonged to the middle floors and it was rich in monster varieties.
Minotaurs, Hellhounds, and so on. Encountering any of these monsters could potentially cause a party of Level 1 Adventurers to suffer casualties.
But what about now?
There was actually a party of Adventurers he had never seen before, who were around the same age, treating the middle floors of the Dungeon as a picnic spot.
Just as he was wondering what to say—
Noticing the arrival of her party members, a look of embarrassment appeared on Mikoto's face. It was obvious she realized that she had been too engrossed in eating, which ultimately led to this situation.
She stood up and called out, "Ouka."
Mikoto cast her gaze toward Zephyr and took the initiative to introduce him to her Familia members, "This is Zephyr-san from the Loki Familia. And Lefiya-san and Lili-san, they are friends I just met."
"Friends?" Ouka scratched his head.
He looked at Zephyr, then turned to look at the steaming dish in the iron pot, and finally understood the situation.
So, they became friends because of this food?
When he noticed the extremely appetizing dish in the iron pot, his Adam's apple bobbed involuntarily, and his stomach rumbled in protest.
Having gone through high-intensity Dungeon exploration, he was already hungry. He had originally intended to find Mikoto, distribute the bento, rest briefly to recover his stamina, and then continue exploring the Dungeon.
The requirement for the [Gourmet Sharing Mission] was to share with strangers, so Zephyr took the initiative to extend an invitation. "Would you like to try some? There is definitely enough. Anyway, we can't finish it all, and it would be a waste to throw it away."
Ouka was just about to raise his hand to refuse. After all, this was food belonging to other Adventurers, and there was no way he could just come over for a free meal, but before he could speak, he saw Mikoto's serious expression.
"Ouka, try it. Although the ingredients used are a bit special, it tastes really good."
Hearing this, Ouka's heart wavered. The two of them had spent so many years together in the orphanage, and he had always trusted Mikoto's judgment. Moreover, Zephyr, Lefiya, and the others were all eating it too.
Although he couldn't understand why the ingredients would be special, they were Mikoto's friends, and refusing after such a recommendation would embarrass her.
What's more, facing Zephyr's expectant gaze at this moment, he felt embarrassed to decline, so he took the chopsticks and picked up some food.
When the beef was just stuffed into his mouth, his chewing motion paused for a moment.
The texture of the meat was even more tender than he had imagined. The fibers were short and fine, requiring almost no effort to chew, to the point of melting in his mouth.
Ouka looked at his equally nervous Familia companions behind him, then looked at Mikoto in front of him, and finally nodded. "It is indeed quite delicious. It's just... There are many people in our party, I'm afraid there won't be enough for you all to eat."
[Mission Progress: 2/10]
Zephyr glanced at the Gourmet Sharing Mission issued by the system.
As his gaze swept over the members behind Ouka, he shrugged his shoulders, "Don't worry about such things. The raw materials are actually the least valuable part, and besides, you are also Adventurers. It's not appropriate to explore the Dungeon on an empty stomach."
"Then... thank you."
As the Familia Captain, Ouka felt it necessary to be responsible for the feelings of his Familia members, especially since Zephyr was an Adventurer from the Loki Familia.
He had a pretty good impression of Zephyr. He came from a powerful Familia and was able to camp leisurely in the Dungeon, his strength must be impressive. The most crucial thing was the other party's attitude of equality, without any discrimination.
As a gesture of reciprocity, Ouka asked somewhat awkwardly, "When we return to Orario, can I treat you to a meal?"
"We'll see when I have time." Zephyr waved his hand.
Soon, the rest of the spicy braised beef in the iron pot was finished.
[Mission Progress: 7/10]
"Thanks for the treat."
Actually, Mikoto should have reminded her Familia members that this dish was cooked with Minotaur meat, but remembering Zephyr's words just now, she felt that emphasizing it repeatedly would be a desecration of his cooking.
"No need. The meaning of food lies in sharing, and besides, in the Dungeon, our common goal is monsters, not each other as competitors." Zephyr waved his hand.
Now that the party's state had been restored, there was no reason for him to continue lingering here.
His gaze swept over Lili beside him. She quickly understood the implication and collected the cooking utensils into the backpack.
He looked at Mikoto, who hadn't exposed the secret, and nodded. "Then we'll be going first. You all should pay attention to safety while exploring. If there's a chance, see you on the surface."