Lord blessed by the elves

Chapter 106 Dinner
Reyes nodded upon hearing this, without delving into it further, after all, the world is full of wonders.

His attention quickly returned to the three cave lions. He stepped forward and examined them carefully with the eye of an expert, feeling their bones and looking at their teeth. The more he looked, the brighter his smile became.

"Hmm! Strong bones, solid muscles, and pure blood! With proper training, it will definitely be an excellent mount in the future!" He finally chose the strongest male lion cub, whose eyes were the most intelligent. He stroked its head affectionately and announced with satisfaction, "This one is good. Its bones and muscles are the best. This one is the one!"

As soon as he said that, Rezal and Elena, who had been waiting eagerly, rushed over as if they had received a signal.

Rezal grabbed the other male lion cub tightly and held it in his arms, as if afraid it would be taken away by someone.

Elena gently but quickly embraced the smaller, most docile female lion cub, her little face filled with joy and possessiveness.

In the blink of an eye, all three cave lion cubs have found homes.

Kruze looked at his empty hands, then at the lion cubs tightly protected by his younger siblings, and finally at his father, his face filled with astonishment and embarrassment. He pointed at himself and asked, "Father... what about me?"

Reyes seemed to realize the problem only then. He looked at the cub he had chosen, then at his eldest son who looked innocent but was actually complaining in his heart, and instantly understood that the three cubs had probably already been decided by the children.

But once you've got the cave lion cub as your mount, why would you give it away?
He's been eyeing a decent Warcraft mount for a long time!
A fleeting, almost imperceptible, "rascal" glint crossed the old father's face. He coughed lightly, adopted a stern "for your own good" expression, and pointed righteously at the panda still fast asleep on the ground, completely unaware of the "important task" to come, saying:
"Yours? Isn't yours over there?" He paused, trying to make his words sound more convincing. "The cave lion is certainly good, but it's a known magical beast. This 'panda,' on the other hand, has a mysterious origin; even I, your father, have never seen it! The unknown means infinite possibilities, and it could be the most powerful! I'm leaving this opportunity to you!"

"..." Kruze looked at his father's "I'm doing this all for your own good" expression, and then glanced at the "shapeshifting dragon" panda on the ground that did nothing but eat and sleep, and whose only "special ability" was to trigger system missions. His lips twitched violently.

What else could he say? Could he tell his father that this thing might be more valuable than three cave lions combined?

He could only helplessly accept this "forced sale" outcome, and replied with a wry smile, "Yes... Father is right, the unknown... has the greatest potential."

Looking at the panda's defenseless sleeping posture, he silently added in his mind: I just hope that this "unknown" potential is not just about being able to eat and sleep a lot.

Reyes patted his eldest son on the shoulder with satisfaction, then left the pet room in high spirits, clutching his new "future mount."

Kruse was left alone, staring at the fast-sleeping panda, pondering how to "develop" the "high hopes" his father had placed in him.

At dinner time, the castle restaurant was brightly lit, and the long tables were laden with food.

Baron Reyes, having changed out of his military uniform and into comfortable casual clothes, sat in the head seat. When his gaze swept across the dining table, a clear look of doubt appeared on his face.

Besides the familiar toast, soup, and roast meat, there were several dishes he had never seen before on the table, with bright colors and unique aromas.

Sitting next to him, Elena immediately noticed her father's curiosity. The little girl excitedly stood up and, like a little gourmet, waved her little hands to introduce the dishes: "Father! Look, these are new dishes made with those things called 'iron pots' that my brother had made! They're so delicious! Mrs. Patmore spent a long time researching and perfecting them!" She first pointed to a plate of golden, fluffy dishes garnished with a few scallions: "This is called scrambled eggs. It's made in an iron pot with just a little oil, and it's quick and easy to cook. It's fragrant and smooth!"

Then, she pointed to a steaming earthenware pot: "This is pea stew with mutton. The peas are stewed until very soft, and the mutton is very flavorful. The broth is best used with bread!"

Finally, her gaze fell on a plate of food shaped like small crescent moons, with thin wrappers that revealed the filling, and her voice was filled with the greatest pride: "And this too, this is called 'dumplings'! The wrappers are made of flour, and the filling is meat and chopped wild vegetables. You can boil them, or you can pan-fry them like this. They're crispy on the outside and fragrant and juicy on the inside! Father, please try some!"

Reyes looked at his daughter's excited expression as she recounted the stories with great enthusiasm, and a loving smile appeared on his face.

He picked up the cutlery as instructed, and with a mixture of curiosity and anticipation, he tasted some of each new dish.

The scrambled eggs are tender and smooth, with a unique caramelized aroma from the mixture of oil and egg liquid, which is quite different from the taste of boiled or baked eggs.

The braised mutton with peas was stewed until extremely tender, with the aroma of peas and meat perfectly blended, and the broth rich and flavorful—truly a perfect accompaniment to any meal. But when he bit into the food called "dumplings," the slightly crispy outer layer from the pan-frying combined with the juicy, flavorful filling created a wonderfully layered experience. This novel flavor and preparation method truly impressed him.

"Hmm! Not bad! It really has a unique flavor!" Reyes praised generously, and ate several more dumplings in succession. His mood, which was originally somewhat heavy because of the dragon and territory affairs, was relieved by the delicious food.

He could even sense that this new cooking method seemed to better bring out the natural aroma of the ingredients.

He looked up at his eldest son, Kruse, who was sitting opposite him, eating quietly, with a faint smile on his lips.

It seems that the novelties his son has come up with are far more than just elf insects and monster cubs; even the diet of the territory is quietly changing under his influence.

An iron pot? What new thing has he come up with this time?

Reyes had even more questions about forging and these new things, but looking at his happy family and the delicious food on the table, he decided to put aside his official duties and questions for the time being. He raised his glass and said loudly, "Alright, today is a family dinner, no business to discuss. Come, let's drink to our family reunion, to the new look of Lion's Tooth Territory!"

"Cheers!" Kruse, Rezael, and Elena raised their glasses as well. Elena's glass contained juice, and the atmosphere was warm and harmonious.

Let's wait until after this rare and heartwarming family dinner to ask about iron pots and forging.

Reyes thought to himself, then picked up another fried dumpling and began to enjoy the unexpected delicious change brought about by his eldest son.

(End of this chapter)