Chapter 146: We Will Rise

[Half an Hour Later.]

​Asher and Sara carried the final steaming platters from the kitchen, setting them at the center of the grand mahogany table before taking their respective seats. But before anyone else could even pick up a utensil, Kelly dived in headfirst, loading up a massive spoonful and eating with complete, unbridled enthusiasm.

​"Does she ever get a stomach ache from eating like that?" Viper murmured, shaking her head in stunned amusement.

​Asher smiled softly at Kelly’s wild appetite, then turned his gaze toward Juliana:

​"Alright, I don’t think there’s any need for us to say grace tonight," he joked lightly, picking up his spoon.

​"Who would we even be praying to anyway? Are there actual gods out there listening?" Viper asked, crossing her arms and staring straight at him.

​"The Holy Church firmly believes in their divine light, active Awakened focus solely on honing their individual strength, the common folk follow whatever ancient traditions bring them comfort, while most high nobles simply revere their own ancestors or worship statues in their private shrines..." Tang interjected, staring down at his plate before offering his own perspective:

"As for me, I don’t truly believe there is an actual god out there worth worshiping."

​"Hmm... I won’t refute your logic, but humans inherently crave something higher to place their faith in," Juliana added smoothly, her voice calm and analytical. "Even if it turns out to be a false deity, people will still eagerly jump forward to revere them just to feel secure."

​"Come on now, why are we suddenly debating theology at the dinner table? Let’s just enjoy the meal," Asher said, waving his hand dismissively with a warm smile. He picked up his utensil, entirely unaware that Sara’s quiet, watchful eyes had been fixed on him the whole time.

​Asher scooped up a fresh spoonful of savory rice, bringing it to his mouth. The moment the flavors hit his palate, he completely froze in place:

​’Whoa! This is ridiculously good...’ He snapped his head up to look at Sara, who instantly lowered her gaze back to her own plate, her cheeks faintly flushing.

​’I honestly can’t believe her culinary skills are this refined... I genuinely thought she only knew how to wield a blade on the battlefield,’ Asher thought, stunned into silence.

​Without hesitating, he quickly took another full spoon: "Wow... This is truly delicious, Sara." He praised, unable to hold back his genuine admiration.

​Sara offered a subtle, graceful nod in response, quietly enjoying her food alongside the rest of the household.

​’I am genuinely impressed by her—’

​{DING!!}

​{Congratulations, Master! Your second wife, Sara, has personally prepared a sincere and exquisite Dinner straight from her heart.}

​{Gained System Reward: Reverse Investment!}

​Asher froze, his eyes widening as a radiant golden interface screen materialized directly before his vision. He continued eating at a measured pace, keeping his face completely neutral while his mind locked onto the glowing text scrolling across the screen.

​{Reverse Investment Feature Unlocked!}

​’What the hell?!! Preparing a home-cooked meal actually triggered a Reverse Investment reward?!!’ Asher exclaimed internally, utterly speechless at the sudden system prompt.

​{Congratulations! Master may now select ONE of the following Golden Reward Chests:}

​{First Chest: Skill Book (Heaven-Tier)}

​{Second Chest: Physique (Heaven-Tier)}

​{Third Chest: Potion (Heaven-Tier)}

​{Fourth Chest: Pills (Heaven-Tier)}

​{Fifth Chest: Full Armor Set (Divine-Tier)}

​’I actually triggered another reward chest... but why are the item tiers noticeably lower this time?’ Asher questioned, analyzing the options.

​{System Notification: Reward Tiers are directly calculated based on the Wife’s current Affection Level.}

​’Ah, that makes sense... Sara’s affection is currently sitting at 60%, whereas Juliana’s sits at a deep 90%. The baseline difference between their loyalty tiers is still massive. Heaven-Tier... Should I select another physical Physique?’ Asher pondered for a brief second before mentally shaking his head:

​’No, at a mere Heaven-Tier, a specialized Skill Book or high-grade Pill would be far more practical... But what would I even do with a random Pill? I can’t predict the exact one I’ll draw. A Skill Book, on the other hand... any high-tier skill will at least possess tactical value. If it doesn’t align with my personal build, I can simply pass it to one of my wives.’

​He gave a subtle internal nod, but just as he was about to finalize his pick, his eyes caught the final option on the list.

​’A complete Divine-Tier Armor Set... Even if it’s rated at Divine-Tier, gaining a full set is still miles better than receiving a random consumable... I can even use it as a foundation to Invest further and eventually extract a higher Mythic-Tier set down the line.’

​Reaching his final decision, he mentally selected the fifth chest.

​{Congratulations on selecting your reward chest!}

​{Opened: Fifth Chest — Full Armor Set (Divine-Tier)}

​{Congratulations! Master has acquired a New Divine Equipment Set!}

​{Item Acquired: Full Armor Set Of The Fire Goddess}

​’What in the world...?!!’

​Asher blinked, completely dumbfounded as he stared at the detailed item description hovering on the screen. Was the system literally handing him Sara’s combat armor?

​He slowly turned his gaze toward Sara. Once he successfully purged the toxic curse tearing through her body and restored her shattered core, equipping this tailored Divine-Tier set would exponentially amplify her combat potential back to her peak glory. Asher inspected the radiant red-and-gold armor shimmering on the system screen, taking a slow, steady breath to collect his composure.

​This wasn’t the appropriate time or place to dive deep into the system inventory; for now, he would sit back, relax, and savor the incredible meal Sara had prepared for their family.

​’I didn’t draw a direct power boost for myself this time around, so perhaps I could have picked a different chest. But securing an artifact that will prove immensely vital to one of my wives is an incredible win regardless,’ he reasoned, glancing up at Viper, who was busily devouring her food while casting quiet, awe-struck glances toward Sara.

​’Thank goodness Viper is managing to restrain her usual instigations for once... Right after dinner, I need to have a serious, private discussion with Sara. I need to gather crucial intelligence before escorting Juliana into that SSS-Rank Dungeon. Once we successfully clear that dungeon, I can finally challenge the Mental Destruction Dungeon and secure the absolute, permanent cure for Juliana’s condition. Tomorrow marks the true starting point of our military expansion.’

​Asher took another generous spoonful of food, his eyes narrowing with absolute, unwavering resolve.

​’The Aetheldawn name will rise far above every ancient family in this world... And my wives will stand as the absolute Queens ruling over this world. That is my ironclad promise.’