Chapter 94: New House And Neighbours

Sora pointed toward a flat patch of land beside the wild kitchen and clapped her hands together.

"Build it here. Don’t put it directly on the ground. Drive thick wooden posts into the earth first, then build the house on top of them."

The five beastmen paused before realization dawned on them.

"So... raise the house?" Lucas asked.

Sora nodded. "Exactly. If the floor is off the ground, I won’t have to worry about snakes crawling into bed with me in the middle of the night. Bugs won’t treat my bedroom like a buffet, and floodwater won’t turn my home into a fish pond."

The five exchanged impressed looks.

Why hadn’t they thought of that?

Their houses were either built directly on the ground or inside caves. Yet Sora casually suggested lifting an entire house into the air as though it were the most natural thing in the world.

"As expected of Kaelira."

Damien puffed out his chest proudly.

"I knew Kaelira would think of something amazing."

Lucas folded his arms.

"You say that every time."

Damien grinned shamelessly.

"And every time I’m right."

Without another word, the five divided the work.

Thanks to helping Sora build her previous house, everyone already knew their responsibilities.

Lucas flew off to cut long, sturdy timber.

Xavier and Ace worked together stripping bark and trimming beams.

Ryan silently carried the heaviest logs with effortless strength, as if they weighed no more than bundles of grass.

Lukan measured the spacing for the support posts with careful precision.

Meanwhile...

Sora returned to what she considered far more important.

Lunch.

After letting the dough rest for the second time, she dusted her hands with flour before picking up one smooth piece.

She pinched both ends.

Stretch.

Snap.

Stretch again.

The dough widened into long ribbon-like noodles before she tore them into thick strips.

Nearby, Damien stopped hammering a wooden stake.

"...Magic."

Lucas glanced over.

"That’s called cooking."

"No," Damien whispered seriously. "That’s definitely magic."

Ace looked over as well.

"I’ve seen snakes shed skin before."

He pointed at the dough.

"That somehow looks even smoother."

Xavier snorted.

"You’ve lived too long underground."

Water soon boiled in the large clay pot.

The noodles danced inside like white ribbons.

Sora tossed in fresh wild vegetables she’d picked earlier before fishing everything out into several large bowls.

Next came minced garlic.

Finely chopped scallions.

Sun-dried chili flakes.

Salt.

She sighed.

"If only I had Sichuan pepper..."

The others blinked.

"...What’s Sichuan?"

"...Never mind."

Sometimes explaining another world’s cuisine was simply exhausting.

She scooped sizzling pig fat into a stone ladle.

The oil shimmered violently.

"Stand back."

The five obediently stepped away.

Sizzle!

The moment the hot oil poured over the garlic and chili—

CRACKLE!

A rich aroma exploded into the air.

Garlic.

Chili.

Rendered fat.

Fresh noodles.

The fragrance swept through the camp like an invisible tidal wave.

Five beastmen froze.

Six noses twitched simultaneously.

Lucas’ wings trembled.

Damien’s tail wagged so hard it nearly knocked over a pile of timber.

Ace swallowed audibly.

Xavier slowly lowered the axe in his hand.

Ryan stopped carrying a log halfway through the yard.

Lukan looked toward the kitchen despite trying very hard not to.

Silence.

Then...

Growl.

One stomach rumbled.

Everyone turned.

Damien immediately pointed at Lucas.

"It was him."

Lucas exploded.

"It was YOUR stomach!"

"It wasn’t!"

"It echoed!"

"I have dignity!"

"You just growled loud enough to summon wolves!"

Sora watched the five grown men arguing over whose stomach had embarrassed itself.

She covered her mouth, trying not to laugh.

"You all look like hungry chicks waiting for their mother bird."

Five pairs of eyes instantly turned toward her.

"...Can we eat now?"

She burst into laughter.

"Come over."

The words had barely left her mouth before chairs scraped across the ground.

The five sat down with astonishing speed.

If anyone had blinked...

...they would’ve thought teleportation existed.

Just then—

Ryan arrived.

He stopped beside the table and stared at the unfamiliar bowls.

"What is this?"

Sora smiled proudly.

"Wheat noodles."

Ryan raised an eyebrow.

"The yellow weeds?"

"The very same."

"...Impossible."

She deliberately pointed toward the stone mill.

Several unground wheat heads still sat there.

"I left those for you."

Ryan looked from the wheat...

...to the noodles...

...then back again.

His usually calm face finally showed genuine surprise.

"You turned grass into this?"

"It’s called civilization."

"..."

"I’ll explain later."

Ryan picked up a pair of chopsticks awkwardly.

The first bite entered his mouth.

Chewy.

Smooth.

Fragrant.

The garlic exploded with flavor while the chili left a pleasant warmth behind.

His eyes widened slightly.

Then another bite.

Then another.

Soon...

His bowl was empty.

Ryan stared silently into it.

He hadn’t realized when he’d finished.

The others were already reaching for second helpings.

Damien hugged his bowl protectively.

"No stealing."

Lucas scoffed.

"As if I’d steal yours."

Damien narrowed his eyes.

"You’re looking at my noodles."

"I’m looking at MY future noodles."

Ace reached over.

"I’ll take his bowl."

Both men slapped his hand away simultaneously.

"Ding!"

Congratulations, Host!

Ryan’s Affection has increased to 40.

Charm Value +25.

Sora almost smiled.

As expected.

Winning over Ryan wasn’t about romance.

It was about proving herself.

Every invention...

Every recipe...

Every clever idea...

Little by little, she was earning his respect.

Even if he dispensed affection points like they were made of gold.

Honestly...

Getting points from Ryan felt like squeezing toothpaste from an almost empty tube.

After lunch, Sora walked outside to inspect the construction.

She froze.

"..."

Her raised wooden house...

...was finished.

She blinked.

Five Level-Five beastmen working together truly were monsters.

The elevated house stood proudly beside the wild kitchen.

Wide stairs.

Strong support pillars.

Large windows.

Even the roof looked sturdier than her old one.

She smiled in satisfaction.

"This is perfect."

Then she looked farther behind it.

"...Huh?"

Five more wooden houses stood neatly in a row.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Five.

Like obedient ducklings following their mother.

Sora slowly turned toward everyone.

"...What are those?"

Damien beamed.

"Our houses."

Lucas smiled.

"We built them ourselves."

Ace nodded.

"So we can all live together."

Xavier added calmly,

"Whenever you decide where you’re sleeping..."

"...we’re already nearby."

Lukan finished with a gentle smile.

"You can choose whichever house you like."

Silence.

Sora stared at the neat little neighborhood.

Then at the five hopeful faces.

Then back at the houses.

"..."

Somehow...

They had accidentally created the Beastman Bachelor Village.

She rubbed her forehead.

"...You really planned this thoroughly."

Damien looked confused.

"Isn’t it convenient?"

Lucas nodded seriously.

"Extremely convenient."

Ace added honestly,

"You won’t have to walk far."

Sora’s lips twitched.

Yes...

Convenient indeed.

Convenient enough to make her feel like she’d accidentally opened an all-you-can-eat restaurant—and now the customers had decided to move in permanently.