Red light like the flames of hell.
Molten rock turned to lava—humid and ominous—as if skewered on the tip of a demon's trident from hell.
As the slowly lifted utensils reached her lips—
"Haah—"
The food vanished into her mouth, and at the same moment, a poignant, melting moan echoed out.
Along with it, an ecstatic smile spread across her lips, as if dissolving in bliss.
"Huuu—"
With every movement of her cheeks and teeth like smooth white pebbles, her breaths mixed faint hints of pain with sighs of pleasure.
Her face flushed pink, cold sweat beaded like pearls on her porcelain skin from the inner heat, and her eyes grew moist.
The figure poised on the boundary between girl and woman licked the rouge-like red sauce from her tongue—a sight that stirred a strange sense of depravity in any onlooker.
"That was delicious."
She politely set down her utensils and dabbed her lips with a napkin. The surroundings fell silent.
"…Crazy."
"Gulp… Fuck."
"?"
A stir rippled through the area. When she glanced around, everyone stared blankly in her direction.
Those who met her eyes flushed red and hurriedly looked away.
? What the hell.
She tilted her head and turned away, only to find Kaiden and the cat beastkin, Miella, gazing at her too.
"What?"
"Whoa… insane. How does she make eating food look like…"
"..."
Unlike Miella, who murmured dazedly, Kaiden fidgeted uncomfortably and bowed his head low.
What? Sudden urge to hit the bathroom?
🌙 Goddess Message 🌙
...Haa.
"?"
What could it be, really.
"The food here is pretty good."
"…Right? It's a hidden gem—only those in the know come here. Most of the dishes are delicious."
My praise drew a quiet smile from Kaiden.
"Though that one you ate—we've never actually tried it ourselves."
Miella eyed my empty bowl with the lingering sauce, looking a bit queasy as she spoke.
At her words, I bowed my head to inspect the finished dishes.
Death Pepperñoqui and Volcano Stew.
In a world where spicy wasn't mainstream, they were a bit different, but they evoked a nostalgic taste from home after so long.
"The owner made that one as a challenge. First-timers said it felt like swallowing hell's lava—some even ended up at the clinic or temple."
"That was probably the early, unfinished version. They wouldn't put something inedible on the menu and charge for it, so it's surely been refined since."
I traced the bowl's edge where a bit of sauce remained with my fingertip as I replied.
"It was a little spicy, but I enjoyed it just fine."
"…Really?"
Miella's ears perked up with interest.
"Here…"
Miella stood and scampered over, dipping her finger deep into the bowl and popping the sauce into her mouth.
She rolled it on her tongue for a moment.
"…——! Nyaaang!"
Her fur bristled all over in an instant, and she clutched her mouth, rolling on the floor.
"I'm dying! Dying! My mouth's on fire! Hellfire's burning my mouth!"
"Mia! Water here!"
"Hic… Hic…!"
Hey, drinking water would only—
"Nyaaaaang—!"
…Make the spiciness spread worse.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Since she'd only tasted a tiny bit to begin with, Miella's commotion didn't last long.
That said, she seemed pretty shocked, laying her head on Kaiden's lap and whimpering.
"Ugh… that vicious bitch."
Amid her forehead-clutching mutters came scattered curses aimed at me.
It felt a bit unfair on my end.
She'd shoved her mouth in there before I could even stop her.
Didn't most women her age love stuff like spicy rice cakes or mala tang?
Were tastes really that different in this world?
"Kuh. Cats are curious beasts. It's not rare for them to throw themselves into danger like that."
A voice like metal scraping on metal.
It was Rask, the lizardman warrior from Kaiden's party.
Unlike the beastkin who maintained humanoid forms, lizardmen had wholly different builds, so expressions were hard to read—but she could sense he found the situation amusing.
"Don't worry too much, though. That's what makes her such a talented scout. It all depends on how you use it."
"I see."
"Name's Rask. Kaiden introduced us earlier, but we're dungeon mates now. Better greet properly."
"Arjen."
"Kuh. Never thought the famous Rusted Silver would join our party."
🌙 Goddess Message 🌙
Huh.
"Ah, don't like being called by your moniker? Come to think of it, humans do use them derogatorily sometimes."
"No issue."
"Kuh. Can't fully grasp human notions, but by lizardman warrior standards, it's a fine name. Better than some shiny, soft silver scrap—battle-worn, rusted silver holds more value."
"Maybe just poor maintenance."
"Kuh. Empty words."
His reptilian slit pupils contracted, sliding over her body like peering through her clothes.
"No one with such a perfected physique rusts from mere laziness."
His grinning maw parted with a growl, sharp teeth glinting.
"If not for the dungeon run in three days, I'd want to cross weapons with you."
"I'm a rear-line role."
"Doesn't seem like it'd be an issue."
His voice brimmed with battle lust.
"No hobby in unproductive pastimes."
"Kuh. What a shame."
Rask said no more and backed off.
Impressive restraint for a lizardman known for belligerence.
"Ah, Arjen."
"The meal was enjoyable. I'll head out now."
"Glad to hear it. Then…"
"Yes, as agreed—depart in three days. I'll prepare during that time and join up."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
"Contract went well, and it was a satisfying meal to wrap things up."
🌙 Goddess Message 🌙
Your goddess worries that her one and only daughter consuming such overly stimulating food might harm her health.
"It was a bit spicy, but nothing to make a fuss over."
With her past life's useless spicy pride—from Korea, the world's top in that regard—that level of heat was a breeze.
'But my tastes have changed.'
She wasn't unable to handle spice, but in her previous life, she hadn't been one to seek out overly stimulating stuff like spicy rice cakes or mala tang.
Was it the body swap?
Or her upbringing here?
Her preferences and sense of flavor had shifted dramatically.
But if there was one thing unchanged…
Tap tap.
…Sizzle…
"Huuup…"
The smoke from her breath seeped deep into her lungs, awakening every cell in her body.
The energy passed through vessel walls, rode the blood flow to her heart, then pumped onward to the brainstem.
The moment it breached the barrier and flooded her brain, it hit like a lightning strike—sharp pleasure jolting her, consciousness sharpening as if her soul awoke.
"Fuu…"
She exhaled the smoke filling her body, her expression one of bliss.
The faint mana trace unique to high-quality mana grass glimmered ethereally in the drifting smoke before fading.
🌙 Goddess Message 🌙
…The things my daughter enjoys are truly worrisome.
The goddess's voice came again, laced with lament.
"They say a smoke after a meal is a shortcut to longevity, no?"
🌙 Goddess Message 🌙
Such sophistry is unheard of by your goddess, both before and after ascending to the heavens.
"Heh."
The goddess's spot-on reaction lifted her spirits, drawing a laugh.
She inhaled deeply, the ember burning faster.
🌙 Goddess Message 🌙
Don't indulge too much.
"Not like cheap mana grass from the old days—this is an alchemist workshop's pride. The indirect mana absorption makes it more beneficial than harmful."
She pulled another fancy paper pack from her pocket, wrapped in a red band labeled Malrusso Russus.
🌙 Goddess Message 🌙
Everything in excess turns medicine to poison. Moderation brings the greatest benefit.
"I'll keep that in mind."
🌙 Goddess Message 🌙
Moreover, I recently heard from my fellow goddesses that excessive mana grass is harmful to women and children.
"..."
Hm. Heading into risky territory.
🌙 Goddess Message 🌙
My daughter is a woman of marriageable age, soon to love and bear fruit. That fruit will surely be a beautiful life like gold and jade, resembling her mother. Yet excessive mana grass would rob your goddess of that pious joy, so my daughter should avoid indulgence and practice moderation.
'Slipped into a tricky topic.'
🌙 Goddess Message 🌙
And your goddess longs for those angelic children… and a companion for her daughter who has good manners… a stable position… an upright heart…
Once the goddess latched onto the topic, she rambled on like elders during holidays.
Considering it sentimental, Arjen half-listened with one ear in and one out—an irreverent act—while lost in thought.
'Marriage, huh…'
She'd lived quite some time now in a woman's body.
But faint though they were, memories of her past life as a man lingered, and that span still outlasted her time as a woman.
The male gender, now her sex, still felt awkward to view sexually.
A woman felt more natural, even.
Above all, imagining herself moaning under a man made her want to retch.
Could someone like her marry a man and build a family?
At least for now, utterly unimaginable.
Masking her tangled feelings, she let the goddess's words flow past with practiced nonchalance until the lecture wrapped up.
🌙 Goddess Message 🌙
Thus, take caution.
"I'll take it to heart."
On the way back, while shopping, she bought 10-silver citrus oil instead of the 25-silver pine incense perfume originally meant as an offering to the goddess.