Helia, La, and N had already taken their ces on the mattresses they hadid out, and Rio joined them, sittingfortably as they watched Lia cook. Shebined a variety of ingredients, creating a delicious dish called "Mystic Spiced Stew," a blend of savory meats, colorful vegetables, and fragrant herbs, served over steaming rice.


    The enticing aroma filled the air, promising a satisfying and delicious meal for everyone to share.


    As Rio and the others eagerly awaited the dish to be ready, N yfully moved closer to Helia, attempting to sniff her hair. She asked, "Did you change your shampoo, Sister Helia?"


    La and Rio exchanged amused nces as they watched Helia''s cheeks turn a shade of pink from embarrassment.


    "No, I didn''t," Helia stammered, attempting to dismiss N''s question.


    "I''m pretty sure you did. This scent is simr to the one Sister La uses," N insisted, with a mischievous smile.


    Caught off guard, Helia hesitated for a moment before doubling down. "I didn''t," she said stubbornly.


    With a cheerful tone, N replied, "It''s okay, I already know what I wanted to know."


    Helia felt like fighting N for exposing her, but she was helpless. She just prayed to heaven that Rio wouldn''t notice it as this was very embarrassing if it got revealed.


    As expected, the boy didn''t pay much attention to the conversation, but the girls present knew the real reason behind the change.


    Helia had wanted to use a shampoo that Rio liked, and La had once mentioned that the particr scent was Rio''s favorite from their childhood days. Later, Helia asked La if she could buy the same shampoo for her when she returned to Earth, and La happily obliged, bringing enough for the lioness.


    Although this secret was known only to La and N, Lia was already aware of it, as she understood her sister better than anyone else.


    As their yful conversation came to an end, La gracefully stood up and began cing tes in front of each person''s sitting spot. Lia and La then proceeded to serve the delicious, freshly prepared food to everyone, ensuring that each te was filled with an enticing assortment of dishes.


    Rio watched his two loving wives, his heart filled with happiness. He was grateful to be a part of such a warm, affectionate family.


    Once everyone was served, Lia took her seat beside Rio with a tender smile, radiating the warmth of a caring wife.


    She looked around the group, and noticing that everyone had their tes filled with food, she spoke up. "Let''s start eating. We need to stay fueled up before we start fighting those beasts."


    She took her own te filled with food and started to dig in, savoring the vor of the food. The others followed her lead, as they ate. La also took her seat on Rio''s other side, while N and Helia focused on savoring their meal. N couldn''t resist casting mischievous nces at Helia, who blushed and red at her in response.


    They hadn''t stopped for lunch at the Empress Vi whileing to this ce, eager to start their adventure as soon as possible. However, now they had the time and opportunity to enjoy a satisfying meal together.


    After everyone had finished eating, Lia gathered the tes, deciding to store them forter cleaning. They had brought enough tes for their journey, so there was no need to wash them immediately. Instead, they could be taken home and given to the maids to wash at ater time.


    La handed Rio some water and delicately dabbed his lips with a handkerchief to remove any remaining drops.


    Everyone could see how La doted on Rio, and they knew they couldn''t replicate her affection, which was driven by her motherly instincts for the boy, as she had taken care of him in their childhood like a caring older sister.


    Lia was very caring towards Rio as well, but not to the same extent as La. N worried that acting this way might annoy him.


    After finishing their meal, Helia suggested, "We should get moving. There are at least fourteen Fire Smanders in the area. We need to be careful not to alert them, or they might run away."


    La and N nodded in agreement, and Rio chimed in, "Let''s prioritize both of you over the beasts since I''m already at your level."


    Although N and La wanted to decline Rio''s offer, they knew he was right. He didn''t specifically need their help to fight, and he could even join Lia and Helia in hunting silver stage beasts. The goal of this mission was to help N and La be silver-stage warriors so they could all hunt together like a party.


    After packing everything up, Helia led the group toward the beasts. Lia and Helia concealed their auras to avoid frightening the red-stage smanders.


    As they approached the creatures, Helia turned to Lia and said with a smile, "Since we have you here, you should work your magic."


    N, puzzled by Helia''s statement, looked at Lia and asked curiously, "What magic, big sister?"


    "You''ll find out," Helia replied, her eyes twinkling with excitement, instead of the white-haired beauty.


    Lia closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and prepared to cast her spell.


    The atmosphere shifted as if a cool breeze had suddenly swept through the area. The temperature plummeted, leaving a crisp chill hanging in the air. The bewildered beasts paused, their heads swiveling as they tried to make sense of the abrupt change in their surroundings. A soft crunching sound apanied the appearance of delicate frost patterns that snaked across the ground like icy tendrils.


    Lia''s hand moved with a magical grace, and in response, a breathtaking ice wall began to rise from the earth. The sound of cracking ice echoed as the wall expanded, eventually towering above them and encasing the entire area, effectively trapping all fourteen smanders within its frosty confines.


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    Edited By: TheWhiteSnow