In the first-floor dining hall of Fragrant Manor, as the servants placed the plates of grilled fish onto the table, a rich aroma filled the air, making Gwen and the others' mouths water.
True to its name, Fragrant Manor had an abundance of spices, and combined with the perfectly suited garol fish from the freshwater lakes near Bayam, the dish was irresistibly appetizing.
However, while Tran nimbly picked up the "chopsticks" placed beside his plate, Lydia and Gwen found themselves at a loss.
Where are the knives and forks? And what are these two stick-like things?
Just as their confusion deepened, Ebner effortlessly picked up his own chopsticks and explained with a smile, "When eating grilled fish, it's best to use these utensils called 'chopsticks.' According to legend, Emperor Roselle was inspired by elven customs when he introduced them."
As he spoke, he gracefully lifted a piece of fish, demonstrating the proper technique.
"Elven customs?" Gwen, with her giant lineage, and Lydia, who was outright a vampire, had no particular fondness for elves, but that didn't stop them from eagerly learning to use this unique utensil.
Gwen attempted to pick up a piece of fish, but applied too much force, causing it to fall apart. She furrowed her brows and took another glance at Mr. Bryan's fluid motions. Growing serious, she instinctively activated her "Weapon Master" ability, treating the chopsticks as weapons. Before long, she was using them as if they were part of her own hands.
On the other hand, after several failed attempts, Lydia was becoming increasingly frustrated. She was seriously considering forgoing the chopsticks altogether and just eating the deliciously fragrant fish with her hands. After all, a few fish bones wouldn't pose any threat to a vampire.
In fact, thanks to the chef stuffing spices into the eye sockets of the garol fish—ensuring the flavors permeated both inside and out—if one wasn't afraid of choking on the bones, it was actually quite enjoyable to chew on them whole.
The garol fish itself had no eyeballs. While alive, its eye sockets remained sealed shut, only opening momentarily with a faint glow whenever it needed to "observe" its surroundings, almost like forming a temporary "pupil"—which would then close again within seconds.
In that brief moment, the garol fish could fully grasp its environment and terrain. As long as it wasn't swept too far away by the current, it wouldn't need to "observe" again for several days.
Upon death, however, the faint glow in its eyes would condense into an opaque white liquid, while its once-sealed eye sockets would become hollow, providing a direct passage to its brain and internal organs.
Returning to the present, just as Lydia was debating whether to swallow the fish whole, Tran reached over with his chopsticks, deftly picking out the bones while simultaneously demonstrating the proper way to use them.
Surprised but pleased, Lydia leaned in and whispered, "You're pretty skilled with these."
"Chopsticks weren't actually invented by Emperor Roselle. My family has been using them for over a thousand years as part of our traditional etiquette… Legend has it that one of our ancestors established this custom," Tran replied, also lowering his voice.
"Your ancestor… You mean Lord Yarolan?" Lydia asked curiously as she continued enjoying Tran's assistance.
Tran's hand holding the chopsticks froze for a moment. Shocked, he asked, "How do you know I'm a descendant of Lord Yarolan?"
To his knowledge, he had never mentioned his lineage to Lydia—though he hadn't deliberately kept it a secret either.
"My brother told me… Our family members are naturally drawn to Yarolan's descendants… That's why I've always had such a hard time controlling myself," Lydia replied.
"So... you're only attracted to me because of some mystical connection?" Tran pursed his lips, his face turning a little pale.
"You fool… If that were the only reason, I would've drained you dry already!" Lydia reached out and pinched Tran, stopping him from overthinking.
The two of them then leaned in and began whispering to each other, completely distracted from their grilled fish.
Their little exchange naturally didn't escape Ebner's notice, nor did it go unnoticed by Gwen, who was seated at the same table, eating her fish.
Feeling slightly awkward, Gwen gave Ebner a small, apologetic smile and explained on their behalf, "They've only recently made progress in their relationship, so…"
"This is just a casual dinner with friends, not a formal banquet. There's no need to follow strict dining etiquette," Ebner replied, unconcerned, though he made a point to emphasize that it wasn't a banquet.
Hearing this, Gwen breathed a sigh of relief and gradually relaxed, enjoying her meal while engaging in conversation with Ebner.
Recalling the possible giant castle ruins beneath Gwen's grandfather's inn, Ebner took the initiative to ask, "I remember you once mentioned that your passion for adventure and your path to becoming a Beyonder started when you stumbled upon an old notebook as a child?"
"Yes, it was a notebook written by a descendant of the giants from the Fourth Epoch. Although it wasn't complete—many pages were missing—it still contained a lot of mysticism knowledge, including the potion formulas for 'Warrior' and 'Pugilist.'
"And at the end of the notebook, that giant descendant mentioned the cave we once explored together…"
As Gwen spoke, she glanced at Ebner with some curiosity, wondering why he was suddenly bringing this up.
However, she had no reason to keep anything secret. Back when they were at the underground pool deep within the cave, she had already told him about the notebook… And besides, the "Dawn Sword" in Ebner's possession had been formed from that giant's remnants.
Come to think of it, the name "Dawn Sword" was actually chosen by Mr. Bryan after I gave him a little push.
Just as Gwen's thoughts began to wander further, Ebner's voice pulled her back. "Can I borrow that notebook? In exchange, I can give you the potion formula for 'Dawn Paladin.'"
During his interception of the "King of Immortality's" fleet, Ebner had killed the fleet's admiral, the "Ashen Giant" Gravina, and obtained his Beyonder characteristic.
And since the "Dawn Paladin" characteristic had been in his possession for quite some time, he had already fully "analyzed" its potion formula.
"That's too valuable…" Gwen waved her hands repeatedly, declining. The notebook was indeed precious, but its most important information—namely, the location of the underwater cave—was no longer relevant. Compared to a Sequence 6 potion formula, it was nowhere near equivalent.
"In reality, its value might far exceed what you imagine!" Ebner didn't elaborate further, but his serious tone made Gwen instinctively trust him. With a hint of gratitude, she agreed to the trade, though she couldn't help but ask, "What exactly does it involve?"
Instead of answering directly, Ebner posed another question: "Where did you find that notebook?"