As it turned out, Vivian had very good taste.
The Dwarf blacksmith’s craft was quite exquisite. Although it had taken a bit of time, the armor was indeed masterfully made.
This set of armor was still designed to cover Alet’s entire body. However, compared to his previous heavy, silver-white plate armor, this new suit appeared slightly thinner and sharper. Its primary color had been changed to a duller silver, with a faint blue glow from the magic circuits flickering within.
A few blue Mana Crystals were embedded in areas like the back and shoulders. These could forcibly restore Alet’s Mana in emergencies when he ran low.
After the final product was forged, Vivian was extremely satisfied and full of praise.
“Quick, little knight, come over here.”
“I’ll help you put it on.”
Hearing that his new young miss wanted to personally help him dress, Alet felt a bit awkward, but he decided that obedience was better than politeness and allowed her to fuss over him.
Although Vivian looked frail, she could still lift the heavy pieces of armor after using Strength Enhancement Magic. Her movements were light and gentle as she helped Alet dress, as if he were a precious treasure made of jade or glass that would break with the slightest bump.
“There, it’s all on. Stand up and try it out!”
After helping Alet into the full set of armor, Vivian’s eyes suddenly lit up, her entire face filled with anticipation.
At that moment, the familiar sensation of being encased in armor covered Alet’s body once again. A strange sense of security welled up from within. However, it was completely different from his previous suit.
Much like its appearance, this new armor had been thinned in many places. This made it feel much more lightweight than the last set, making Alet feel as though his movements were far more nimble. It also felt more form-fitting. It was almost as if it had become a part of his own body.
“Well? What do you think?”
After finishing dressing Reno in the armor, Vivian looked at him with sparkling eyes, eagerly awaiting Alet’s response.
“Um… It’s quite good.”
He raised his hands, now covered in the brand-new armor, and carefully observed every detail of the equipment.
“It’s just that it feels too light when I wear it. Is the defense really sufficient?”
“Hehe, don’t worry about that!”
Vivian gave a playful wink and continued.
“I carefully selected the materials for this armor. Even though they’re light, the texture is still very hard.”
Then, using Space Magic, Vivian took out a small mirror and held it up in front of Alet. For a moment, his reflection caught Alet’s eye. Unlike the previous clunky feeling, he looked much more agile and sharp in this new set.
“How is it? Pretty handsome, right?”
“Yes, the workmanship is excellent.” Alet was very satisfied. After thinking for two seconds, he added, “It should be even better than the last one I wore; I’m just not used to it yet.”
Vivian was exceptionally pleased with Alet’s assessment, and a smug curve immediately formed at the corner of her mouth.
“Right? The things I give you will definitely not be inferior to that person’s.”
“Alright, I’ll help you take the armor off now and keep it for you. Let’s go find something to eat first, and then we can come back later to get the matching sword and shield.”
“Understood.”
Soon, Alet followed her instructions, shed the armor, and left the blacksmith shop.
By then, it was around 7:00 or 8:00 AM. All sorts of bakeries, restaurants, and even breakfast stalls lined the streets of Dice Town. White steam carrying sweet aromas wafted everywhere, soothing weary travelers and Adventurers about to head into the Dungeon.
“Hey, little knight, what do you like to eat? This young lady is treating you today.”
“In this Dice Town — “
“What do I want to eat…?”
Alet thought for a moment before speaking.
“Toast, fried eggs, and vegetables.”
“That’s it?”
“That’s it.”
Listening to this menu that was so simple it was almost meager, Vivian’s lip couldn’t help but twitch.
“Stop, stop! I asked you what you love to eat, not what your life support meal is!”
“I’m being kind enough to treat you to a meal! Are you really going to brush me off like this?”
As Vivian spoke, she puffed out her cheeks indignantly and glared at him with dissatisfaction.
‘Something I love to eat…’
‘Flav likes baked sweets and sugary sauces.’
‘Della likes spicy food and large chunks of meat.’
‘As for me…’
He clearly remembered all the preferences and dislikes of his teammates, yet he didn’t know his own. For a moment, Alet was actually stumped by such a simple question.
During his ten years with Melro, Alet had basically eaten nothing but the simplest, plainest food. He rarely ate meat, and the seasoning was nothing more than pure salt. The steak Flav had brought him before was already a delicacy to him. Unfortunately, he had just recovered from his illness at the time, and his sense of taste hadn’t fully returned, so he hadn’t really been able to savor the flavor.
Finally, after pondering for a long while, Alet shook his head.
“I…”
“I don’t know.”
Yes. How ridiculous. A person who had lived for over eighteen years didn’t even know what he truly loved to eat. It was almost as if he had lived all this time for nothing.
For a moment, loneliness and helplessness spread through Alet’s eyes. He wanted to laugh a little, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it.
This hint of negative emotion was immediately sensed by Vivian. The moment she noticed something was wrong, she dropped her tantrum and immediately moved closer to him, trying to ease his mood by closing the distance between them.
“Alright, alright, I’m not blaming you.”
She lightly placed her hand on his shoulder, her eyes darting around as she thought of how to resolve the situation. Then, Vivian’s gaze lingered on Alet’s face.
For a moment, that youthful and slightly childish face almost directly triggered a long-forgotten memory from her childhood. She hadn’t felt it when she first saw him, but after reading that file, Vivian increasingly felt that he resembled the person in her memory.
Instantly, a small idea born from those memories popped into Vivian’s mind.
‘I remember he really liked…’
“I’ve got it!”
Vivian clapped her hands and gave a confident smile.
“Follow me, little knight. I know something you might just love!”
And so, Vivian mysteriously led Alet to a shop. After making a few requests to the owner, two bowls of rather plain-looking soup were soon placed in front of them.
The thick, milky-white broth enveloped the delicate fish meat inside, with a few greyish mushrooms floating on the surface. It didn’t smell like anything unique, just an ordinary meaty aroma. However, this rich fragrance unexpectedly stirred Alet’s appetite.
“How is it? Give it a try! Here, open wide!”
Vivian seemed much more excited and thrilled than Alet, appearing to look forward to his reaction after tasting it. She immediately used a nearby spoon to scoop up some of the milky-white broth, blew on it gently, and held it out toward Alet’s mouth.
Although this sudden feeding made Alet feel a bit awkward, seeing her enthusiasm, it seemed he really had no room to refuse. Thus, Alet opened his mouth slightly and took the small spoonful of fish soup.
In an instant, the pure, meaty flavor of the fish exploded over his taste buds. It was unexpectedly delicious. But it was also very strange.
In his memory, he had almost never eaten fish. But he felt a strange sense of familiarity with this dish…
‘Strange…’