Half a month can be a long time, or it can be a very short time.
For Cenomi and Margaret, it was half a month that changed their lives: one went from a slave back to an ordinary person, and the other went from a freshly graduated high school student to a hot favorite for the championship.
But for the long-lived Sarkaz, half a month was merely a flick of the finger.
"Mr. Goki, is the training over?"
Sitting on the innermost chair, Nightingale ate soft rice in small bites, actively scooping a spoonful of curry onto it.
"Yes, how is it, are you satisfied with today's meal?"
Beside her, Goki, who had just entered the room, pulled out his and Skadi's chairs, casually sat down, picked up a spatula, and first scooped a spoonful of rice. After pressing the rice firmly into the bowl several times, he handed it to the Little Orca beside him.
When eating, Skadi rarely spoke.
"It's just so-so. Yours is still better, Goki."
Beside her, Nightingale licked the corner of her mouth, her small lips involuntarily pouting.
During the half month she stayed here, she and Shining had basically not changed much; her expression was still as indifferent as ever, though she occasionally went out to—run a few errands.
However, Nightingale, who had never experienced modern life and had always followed Shining since gaining freedom, had developed quite a few small hobbies.
Without affecting her original duties, she preferred to stay at home, watch TV, watch Knight Tournament broadcasts, and then eat the food Mr. Goki prepared for her.
However... the new arrival, Miss Li, who claimed to be a slave but didn't resemble one in any other way, had recently been using her for taste tests every day.
Although Li's cooking skills improved rapidly, from burning food at first to achieving some success now, she still preferred Goki's cooking.
"Goki's dishes are for everyone, and he adjusts the taste for each person. Li's food is only for you—"
Nightingale's words were cut short by Shining beside her.
"Liz, be careful not to choke. Focus on your meal."
Beside her, Shining held her bowl and chopsticks, eating gracefully and attentively, her expression still calm.
Although Shining had no romantic experience and probably wouldn't in the future, she at least understood that it was best for outsiders not to expose something before the people involved wanted to make it clear.
"Hey, I knew it, Li still has a long way to go."
In response, Goki merely chuckled, shrugged, and didn't pay much attention.
"Really, I don't know whether to call this person astute or oblivious..."
He was exceptionally astute, powerful, and mysterious in some aspects, but when it came to matters of the heart, this man was remarkably lacking in self-awareness. He didn't realize that his reliable, enthusiastic, gentle yet exceptionally strong personality was practically poison to girls in their confused adolescence.
Just like Liz, although she was a little older than Goki, she was essentially a blank slate with no social experience, so it was understandable that a man like Goki would appeal to her.
These days, Shining had seen this young Sarkaz direct admiring glances at Goki many times.
This was normal, after all; her experience was still too limited. Shining herself had no interest in such things.
In over a hundred years, no man had appeared who could make her heart flutter.
Instead, Shining was more concerned with this man's purpose and identity.
"I wonder why Kal'tsit knows him, and what she thinks of him."
Shining, of course, knew Kal'tsit, and Goki and Skadi often mentioned this name in their daily conversations—it wasn't something worth keeping secret.
But Shining knew that people connected to the woman named Kal'tsit often had one thing in common—
They were connected to "God."
Shining herself was a Sarkaz who had experienced the Demon Race's civil war, and Nightingale was a tragic sacrifice, used as a healing tool in that final civil war.
Shining's faith was betrayed; the light she pursued was swallowed by darkness—and the darkness that swallowed her was a false god worshipped by a certain Sarkaz royal court.
And Nightingale was that god's—shamaness. Besides her inherent powerful healing abilities, she could even make predictions under certain conditions and listen to true knowledge.
In any case, Shining could not accept the existence of such power; greedy and insane power absolutely could not be given the name "God."
Therefore, after encountering Kal'tsit and a hooded person, she learned a bit of the truth and chose to escape with Liz.
After that, they decided to embark on a long, arduous journey to prevent those inhuman beings from poisoning the world—seeking allies and assistance, and eventually returning to Kazdel.
She detested combat, but if combat could protect what she wanted to protect, Shining wouldn't hesitate to draw her sword.
And in these two days, they had been continuously searching for ways to avert that disaster in this city.
Kawalerielki's infiltration was no less severe than Kazdel's. In just half a month, Shining and Nightingale had already cleared several cultist strongholds and rescued many slaves who were about to be used as sacrifices.
Although the enemy's defenses were constantly improving, this was not a problem for Shining.
As excellent Originium Arts practitioners, the two reversed engineered those sacrificial Spells, gradually deducing the hidden location of the calamity.
However... in this process, they were surprised to find that many hidden locations were either already deserted, with only a faint smell of blood, or had already been secured by Security Knights, with no entry for unauthorized personnel.
Even in some blood sacrifice sites, the cultists had died before Shining arrived, either crushed by heavy objects or precisely killed by multiple weapons.
It was as if... a hunter had been there.
Looking towards the doorway, where Li was whispering to Margaret, Shining narrowed her eyes.
If a Great Master of swordsmanship couldn't deduce who else was eliminating cultists, then Shining might as well truly switch careers and become a physician.
"Mr. Goki—"
"Hmm, what is it, Shining? Do you need seasoning?"
Just as Shining asked, Goki immediately smiled, stopped serving Skadi, and looked at Shining expectantly.
Shining could see the wounds caused by two weapons. How could Goki, who had 20 points in Arcane, guidance from Kal'tsit and Saria, and had recently studied with two Great Masters of medicine, not sense the residual Originium energy from the two of them?
By now, after clearing several Unification Sect strongholds and rescuing many people, Goki had largely deduced the direction of their sacrificial target using Originium Arts.
And now, Goki was waiting for the two Sarkaz Young Misses to state their request.
"I—"
Just as Shining deliberated and was about to speak, a beautiful leg suddenly kicked open the door from outside the courtyard.
"Hey, Aunt? Why are you here—"
Accompanied by somewhat irritated shouts, a sheepish smile immediately appeared on Goki's face. He picked up another small bowl and served some steaming hot rice.
"What, Miss Zofia, have you come to scrounge for a meal again?"
Soon, a stylish, voluptuous blonde beauty, walking with a cat-like grace, entered the room. Her fists were clenched, and she completely ignored her niece, pushing Margaret and Li aside with an indignant huff.
"I'm telling you, you're in big trouble, big trouble!"
With her blonde hair flying, this Kuranta girl, who had been visiting Margaret's house frequently lately, almost as if she lived there, walked behind Goki and, just like she would scold Margaret, grabbed Goki's ear, pulling it sharply in both directions.
"You scoundrel, when did you offend the old man of the Nearl Family? You're asking for death, do you know that? The old man has been in a huge rage at home these past few days. I tried to hide it, but I couldn't keep the fact that you, this stinking man, are living with Margaret a secret."
Zofia had also become familiar with Goki.
"Ow, ow, ow, mercy, mercy, Knight. I think I know what it's about."
Goki, while feigning pain and begging for mercy, handed the rice bowl to Zofia.
"You still have the nerve to say—cough, cough. Mars Ling Guang, the leader of the Silverlance Pegasus, invites you to be a guest at the Nearl Family's mansion. You, fellow, just wait for bad luck; the old man has a terrible temper!"
After playfully messing with Goki's hair, and noticing Skadi's gaze on her, Zofia immediately reluctantly released her slender hand, took the rice bowl from Goki, and sat beside him—she had grown accustomed to scrounging for meals during this half-month.
"But, you can feel honored. I'll go with you, and of course—Margaret! You have to come back too!"
Margaret, who had just stepped through the door, immediately pulled a long face, even her ears drooping.
"See Grandpa and Uncle, Aunt—I don't want to go."
"Call me older sister! I'm only four years older than you! This is non-negotiable! Ah, woof—this isn't your cooking, is it?"
"See, Li, you still have a long way to go!"
"Just wait, Master, next time I'll definitely surpass you!"
And so, Goki's Kazimierz journey gained a new item on its agenda.
He was going to—meet the parents!
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