"So neither of you got that notification?"
"Hrng. (Nope, I was sleeping.)"
It was the next morning, and Sol sat at the dinner table talking with Thorwyn and Amber. Thorwyn, whose head was poking through the window, shook his head.
"Did you check the message log?"
It was easy to review past messages, so after Sol explained how to do it, Thorwyn shook his head again.
"What about you, Amber?"
Seeing that Thorwyn didn't get the message, Sol turned to Amber, who was preparing breakfast in the kitchen within view.
"No." She said simply, having already checked her system logs while he explained how to Thorwyn.
'So she didn't get it either? Why did I get that message then?'
Sol wasn't sure why he was the only one who received the notification, but at the very least, it meant they shouldn't expect any punishment for leaving the range of the system.
While he pondered what it could all mean, Amber walked over with two plates and set one before Sol and the other across the table.
"Breakfast."
What she placed in front of Sol appeared to be a block of meat, and nothing else.
"Just meat? Isn't that a bit heavy for breakfast?"
He hesitated. It was an odd choice for the morning.
"Try." Amber insisted without elaborating.
"Okay…"
Sol wasn't completely opposed to it, but it definitely wasn't what he expected. Still, he wasn't going to turn down food she had taken the time to prepare. With a fork, he carved out a small piece and took a bite.
His eyes widened in pleasant surprise.
"This is pretty good! And… it's not just meat, is it?"
He examined the cube again and noticed that the inside was hollow, filled with eggs and vegetables.
Seeing his reaction, Amber explained, "Orcs call it mystery meat. Used to trick children into eating vegetables."
"Mystery meat?" Sol chuckled at the name. Then he narrowed his eyes. "Wait... do you think I'm some kid who doesn't eat his vegetables?"
"Yes." Amber said it in a neutral tone that made it sound completely serious. But Sol knew she was joking, she just wasn't very good at making it clear that she was. She then added, "But also a common orc breakfast."
While originally invented to trick orc children who didn't want to eat their greens, mystery meat had become a staple in the Frostaxe Clan's diet. It was easy to make, delicious, and versatile, suitable for breakfast, lunch, or dinner depending on what was stuffed inside.
Sol nodded, taking another bite, until he heard a soft whimper from the side.
"Hyuu… (Where's my breakfast…)" Thorwyn wasn't hungry at first, but the enticing smell had awakened his appetite.
"Here." Amber had already prepared something for him. Her right hand turned to sand and stretched into the kitchen, returning with a large salad topped with a generous portion of meat.
She couldn't make a mystery meat cube large enough for Thorwyn, the structure wouldn't hold at such a size, so she opted for a deconstructed version in salad form.
Thorwyn looked a bit disappointed at first, but the aroma from the salad quickly changed his mind. He began devouring it happily.
With Thorwyn eating contentedly, Amber sat down and began eating as well.
Halfway through their meal, faint footsteps could be heard from the hallway.
Moments later, Reena walked in, rubbing one eye with the back of her hand. Her hair was slightly tousled, and her expression was groggy.
Sol was the first to greet her. "Good morning. Did you get some sleep?"
Reena scoffed. "Better than you, I bet. Did you stay up all night just to keep me from using space magic?"
She had woken up sometime in the middle of the night to try casting space magic, she didn't have much hope in doing so, but it was worth trying. Unfortunately for her it was still sealed so she simply went back to sleep.
Sol smirked and shook his head. "Nah, I slept like a baby. I don't need to be awake to maintain it, but it only works on one law technique at a time."
He had no reason to tell her the full truth. If she thought she could outlast him, she would surely try.
Reena narrowed her eyes, studying his face. She wasn't sure whether to believe him or not, and his calm expression gave nothing away. Eventually, she sighed and made her way to the table.
"Is there some for me?"
Sol nodded. "Amber made some for you as well."
On cue, Amber raised one of her arms, now reshaped into a sand limb, and extended it back into the kitchen. A moment later, it returned holding another plate, which she carefully placed on the table in front of Reena.
Reena looked at the block of meat on her plate and frowned. 'Just meat?'
Elves weren't vegetarians, they ate meat just like anyone else, but a giant block of it for breakfast was way too excessive for a morning meal. However, as her eyes drifted to Sol and Amber's plates, she noticed something different. From the sections they had already eaten, she saw that the meat was hollowed out and filled with vegetables and eggs.
Her skepticism lessened slightly.
Still hesitant, she used her fork to cut off a small piece and took a bite.
To her surprise, it was delicious.
The meat was seasoned perfectly, and the soft warmth of the cooked vegetables and eggs inside blended well with the slightly crisped outer shell. It was hearty, yet balanced.
"So, how is it?" Sol asked, clearly watching her reaction.
"…It's okay, I guess." She muttered.
As good as it was, she wasn't about to heap praise on food made by her enemies. Letting them see her enjoy it felt like giving up ground in a battle neither of them acknowledged out loud.
Crack!
Suddenly, the sharp sound of metal breaking filled the room.
Reena flinched and looked up to see Amber staring directly at her, her neutral expression carried an indescribable intensity hidden beneath. In her hand was the snapped half of a fork, now shaped into something that resembled a shiv.
Amber leaned forward slightly with the broken fork in hand.
Reena's instincts flared. She froze, her fork halfway to her mouth, suddenly finding Amber much closer with the makeshift shiv in hand.
Even though she knew logically that a simple fork turned shiv couldn't hurt someone like her, something about Amber's presence, and the way she was looking at her, made it feel dangerous.
The atmosphere tensed.
Then, instead of attacking, Amber simply asked, "How improve?"
"Wh-what?" Reena stammered.