NOVGO.NET Chapter 422: Who wants seconds?
Chapter 422: Who wants seconds?
“…Gods…”
One of the Elders who arrived with the bowl the fastest and took the first bite muttered, his eyes instantly opening wide when he tasted the food Maela served.
“It’s… it’s so good!”
Another woman’s lips trembled as she swallowed,
“I have never tasted something so good in my life before! Even that noble food those Merchants bring is nothing compared to this!”
“You talk as if you have eaten that food.”
An elder who was still standing in line stared at the woman and snorted. The woman stared back at him and—
“I smelled it, and it wasn’t this good.”
She snorted as she ate another spoonful, her eyes brightening even more than before. The rest of the elders practically drooled as they stared at her.
“Hahaha~
My mouth is thanking me!
It is the first time it has tasted something so good!”
Another man let out a snarky laugh as he took a bite.
Maela was working quickly; by now, she had already filled ten bowls. The ten people who ate her dish all had shines in their eyes; the way they gobbled everything down despite it being hot showed how delicious it was.
Of course, the people didn’t hold back with their praises either. The more they ate, the more they praised Maela, putting a big smile on the chef’s face.
The Elders’ voices carried down the line, and those still waiting for their turn shifted on their feet restlessly. Their eyes continued to shift from the people who were eating as if this was the first time they were ever given food, to the bowl, constantly checking how much of it was left and if they would get their turn or not.
Things took a turn for the worse when those who already ate started teasing the others, telling them how flavourful it was.
The annoyed elders even thought of actually jumping on those bastards and hitting them; in the end, Kael, who sensed the growing tension, had to interfere.
He could tell all of it was still playful, but he still needed to be careful.
The Elders respected their God’s wishes and stopped, not to mention now that more and more people got their share, they were all satisfied.
Instead of teasing each other or fighting, they all wholeheartedly praised Maela with big smiles on their faces. Soon, conversations of ‘old times’ started; these elders, who only stayed in their homes, silent like graves, after having their bellies filled, started talking and laughing out loud.
Just like that, the chatter grew louder, and the small square—once quiet and forgotten—felt alive again.
And Kael and Lavinia, who saw it happen with their own eyes, smiled gently.
As time passed, the big line that had formed finally shortened as the elders standing at the very end also got their shares.
Maela already had a rough idea about the total number of people living around her, so she had made food accordingly. No, she had actually made more than required since Kael told her to not care about rations and just think about not letting anyone walk away with an empty stomach.
This was also the reason Maela needed an entire hour to cook for these people; it had been a long time since she worked this much, but instead of feeling tired, she felt… satisfied.
The smile on her face never once faded in this past hour; even when she served the food and heard others praising it, the chef inside her couldn’t help but smile.
Maela today truly felt more energetic and cheerful than the usual one.
And it wasn’t just her; the Elders, too, enjoyed every second of the time they spent outside, eating and talking to each other after such a long time.
The whole environment, despite the weather being cold, felt warm and joyful,
Until suddenly—
“Alright then,
Who wants seconds?”
Kael, who noticed there was still quite a bit left, clapped to get the elders’ attention and questioned with a smile on his face.
However, the reaction he got in return wasn’t something he was expecting; instead of the now energetic elders quickly forming a line again with shining eyes, they all stared at him with confused, even disapproving looks on their faces, almost as if he had said something he shouldn’t have.
“…what?”
“…seconds?”
Soon, muttering began as well. The more it spread, the more the confusion spread; the warm and joyful environment that was created disappeared in an instant.
“Lord Kael…”
Maela called out; even she had an uncertain look on her face. Kael turned towards her in confusion and the woman began,
“I filled their bowls to the brim; there is no need for seconds. It is better to store it inside your Sanctuary or feed the young ones.”
“Are you saying that none of them want seconds?”
Kael questioned.
“It is not about what they want…”
Maela answered in a low voice.
“It is about what is right and what is not.”
She spoke and only then did Kael finally realize it.
These people…
They were so used to hunger that even when they were given the chance to fill their bellies, they hesitated, thinking about others or saving everything for future use.
For a while, this realization made him freeze; he glanced at these people, he saw how they all stared at him with uncertainty and hesitation until finally,
He took a deep breath and—
“The food tastes the best when it is fresh.”
He began.
“I will ask one last time,
Who wants seconds?”
The elders, however, only stared at each other and remained silent, but Kael had already prepared for it.
He steeled his heart and, with an emotionless, cold look on his face,
He began.
“And before you answer, I want you to think it through.
Do you truly wish to offend a God who stands at your doorstep offering his help?
The food I offer you is sacred; it has its own consciousness; it cannot be stored inside a Sanctuary like some normal rations. The moment one tries to put it inside a Sanctuary, it will rot away.”
The Elders widened their eyes in surprise when they heard those words, Kael, however, wasn’t done yet.
“This food here has but one goal—to fill people’s bellies. If even a single one of you feels the slightest bit of hunger while it is being passed to others, it would mean this food failed to fulfil its purpose.
If that happens, this food’s very existence will be erased; the rations it was created from will disappear as well.
I stand before you today, but if this happens, I won’t be standing here tomorrow and you all will be on your own again.
And when that happens,
Know that it happened because you refused the God who came to you.”
Kael spoke in a strict tone and, after his last words, heavy silence fell over the place.
“W-What would happen if we eat it all…?”
After about a minute-long silence, an old woman asked hesitantly. Kael smiled at her and—
“Then it would mean the food’s purpose was fulfilled, and I will be standing here in the morning with more of it in my hands.”
The woman’s expression changed when she heard those words.
“A-And what if we finished the food in the morning as well…?”
Another old man questioned.
“Then I will return in the afternoon with more.”
Kael answered.
He then looked at the rest of the people and—
“If you finish everything in the afternoon, I’ll return at night, then the next day, the day after that, and so on.
The condition is simple,
As long as you continue eating till you feel full, I will continue to return.
Three times a day, every single day without fail—this, I promise you.
The only thing I ask in return is that you eat what is offered without holding back.”
The elders stared at the divine entity standing in front of them with shocked looks on their faces. Their ears only heard one thing—unlimited food.
Just that thought alone felt ridiculous, something that shouldn’t be possible.
But…
The being in front of them wasn’t someone who could be comprehended with their limited perspective,
He was a God—the strongest of them all.
If there was anyone who could make such claims and have the power to fulfil them, it was him.
When Kael noticed the change in their gazes, he nodded to himself, satisfied, and then—
“Keep in mind, I am not asking you to force yourselves to eat just to finish what is presented in front of you.
I simply ask you to fill your bellies—eat till you no longer want to—and once every single one of you has eaten enough,
We can feed others.
Is that clear?”
Kael explained, making sure these people did not overeat, and once the elders nodded at his words, he smiled again and—
“Now, once again,
Who wants seconds?”
He repeated the question and, in an instant, the elders raised their hands and quickly formed a line.
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