Leaving aside other matters, at least when it comes to eating, the Crown Prince is still very capable. A large fish over one meter long was processed in the blink of an eye. The fish belly was cut open and all the internal organs were removed. Then, the fish meat was skillfully sliced like a master butcher. The most delicious meat from the belly was cut into sashimi, while the other parts of the meat were cleaned and marinated with spices. They were then wrapped in tin foil and grilled over charcoal fire. Finally, the fish head, fish bones, and some difficult-to-pick fish meat with too many bones were thrown into a pot to make fish soup together with some sliced white radish.

"Phew... alright, you can come and try the sashimi first... Why are you all looking at me with such horrifying eyes?" Brad placed a large plate of translucent sashimi on the stone table in the pavilion, and he also set up several sets of tableware nearby. Finally, he poured two small plates of soy sauce.

Turning his head, Brad noticed his sister and father were both staring at him with excitement, making him feel very uncomfortable.

"Ahem, little Brad, um... after the New Year Festival, you shouldn't be in a hurry to leave, right? How about staying in the capital for another year or six months?" His Majesty the King realized it wasn't appropriate and quickly coughed a couple of times to cover it up, before speaking in a serious tone.

"Big brother, don't listen to him! Come back home and be my chef... Oh, ow! Why did you hit me again, Tiran?" Tiran dashed forward and grabbed her older brother's hand like she had found a treasure.

"Your Highness, please mind your manners. Although he is family, we are still in front of His Majesty and Prince Brad." Mimi put away her hand that was about to hit Tiran's head. She folded her hands in front of her and apologized slightly to Gurang Shiu and Brad.

"I don't mind, but before being forcibly brought back by father, I just agreed to study a dish with a master chef after the New Year Festival in the East..." The Crown Prince scratched his cheek, feeling a bit embarrassed.

"Wait, according to this saying... big brother, have you actually been studying cooking outside for the past two years? That's so unprofessional!" Tiran suddenly stared at Brad with excitement.

"You are the least qualified to say someone is unprofessional!" Aya couldn't help but retort.

"Regardless, father, big brother has also neglected his studies for two years, so... " Tiran's intention was clear; studying on her own was too painful, so she wanted to drag her older brother down with her!

"No need, Tiran. Your older brother did a test paper this afternoon and got full marks. If you want, I can give you one tomorrow. If you can pass it, you can skip catching up on your studies, but you still have to continue with etiquette classes." His Majesty the King remained calm and steady like an old dog.

"In that case..." Passing the test was impossible; it was never possible in a lifetime.

How unbearable it was to study! I hate all those study maniacs who can still get such good grades while playing all the time!

"I say, let's all taste the sashimi while it's fresh... Huh?" Brad wanted to invite everyone to eat, but when he turned around, he found a furry little creature had climbed onto the stone table and was stuffing a slice of sashimi into its mouth with its little hands.

"Mew mew?!"

"What's going on? Wasn't it in your arms?" Tiran pulled the corner of her mouth and nudged Aya with her elbow. "You're such an incompetent mother."

"Incompetent? I never claimed to be good! Besides, didn't she call you daddy? I didn't see you paying attention." Aya was dissatisfied.

But when did this little girl climb out? She was clearly just in my arms, and in a blink of an eye, she ran off while I wasn't paying attention?

"Wait a minute... little sister, what does this mean... is this your child?!" The Crown Prince, understanding the meaning of their conversation, had a horrified expression, an expression similar to the one his father showed when he discovered the creature. "When did lilies start reproducing?!"

Speaking of which, why do all of you care so much about this? What kind of thinking is this?

Tiran was already too lazy to explain, so she kicked Aya out with one foot. After explaining this kind of thing a couple of times, Aya got used to it and quickly explained the origins of the creature.

"I see. I thought my little sister had already grown up..." Brad let out a sigh of relief and wiped off the cold sweat. "But, if this child is from the north, I can try going to the north to find its parents after the New Year's Festival. I heard that there are especially delicious cod fish in the areas near the ice sea in the north. By the way, I can also help find this child's parents."

"Well, let's talk about it later."

Tiran responded casually. Honestly, she was a bit reluctant to hand over the creature now. It was such a cute and lovely being; it would make a great pet even if she kept it.

"I say, let's eat quickly, or else there won't be any left..." Aya covered her face and pointed at the plate of sashimi that the chirps had already devoured while they were talking.

"..."

Although the taste was slightly different from what they had imagined, the sashimi made from piranha meat had a unique flavor. Coupled with Blade's knife skills that could rival a professional chef, the smooth texture and delicious taste were immediately addictive to everyone.

"Mmm, it's really delicious!" Tiran held her cheeks in sheer bliss.

"Such a bother..." Aya sat aside, watching Tiran enjoy the food with a sullen expression. It wasn't because Tiran wouldn't let him eat, but because he couldn't compete with this group of people!

Since they were having an Eastern-style dish, Blade had only prepared chopsticks as utensils, which was a nightmare for Aya, who was clumsy with his hands. What made it even worse was that everyone else seemed to be skilled at using chopsticks and snatched the food quickly. Poor Aya could only use chopsticks as tongs and could only manage to grab a few pieces.

Please pay attention to your character settings! Aren't you all Western royalty? Why does everyone know how to use chopsticks?

"It's all right, open your mouth~" As if taking pity on Aya, Tiran suddenly picked up a piece of sashimi from her own bowl and placed it near Aya's mouth, while her other hand gently stroked the silky white fur of the dragonette.

Huh? What's wrong with this princess? Did she suddenly change?

Aya was dumbfounded for a moment, but instinctively swallowed the piece.

"...What is this? Water! Water!" Aya suddenly covered his throat and started coughing violently.

Not knowing what was dipped on the sashimi, Aya felt an instant surge of stimulating flavor overwhelming his tongue and mouth, almost choking him to tears.

"Wasabi sauce, triple concentration." Tiran laughed audaciously.

"A type of sauce brought back from the East, but indeed quite stimulating for those who are not used to it... You'll get used to it." Blade looked helplessly at his sister laughing loudly, poured a cup of cold water and handed it to Aya, while gently patting his back.

"Chirp? Mommy, are you okay?" The chirps nestled back in Aya's arms, tugging at the hem of his shirt.

"Tongue... has lost sensation..."

...

While Aya was enjoying the delicacies brought back by the Crown Prince, the Archbishop Heinrich in the Royal Cathedral was so busy that he hadn't even had time to eat dinner.

It wasn't because the Archbishop wanted to diet by skipping dinner. In fact, just a second ago, he was sitting at the dining table praying before the meal. However, the next moment, there was a violent tremor under his feet that shook the table, causing the dinner to be completely abandoned.

"Johannes!"

Leaning on his elbows to support the table and covering his face with exhaustion, the Archbishop stayed silent for a moment before angrily banging the table and storming out of the dining hall, heading straight to the underground chamber of the cathedral.

When he reached the entrance, Heinrich's expression became even more frustrated.

Damn it, even the restrictions set outside the door had been blown away. What the hell is Johannes doing? Did he start researching bombs after switching from being a dedicated mage to a gunsmith?

The already fragile door didn't even need Heinrich to push it, it trembled and swayed on its own with a squeaky sound. However, before it could fully open, the door hinge snapped with a crack, and the whole door panel collapsed with a bang, raising a cloud of dust.

"Hey, are you still alive?" Heinrich's face twitched, half worried about this crucial mage, half feeling sorry for the basement.

Did it end up like this? How much will it cost to repair this mess?! Does this guy really think the Church's funding is just picked up off the ground?!

The Gusthumble Cathedral was one of the top-ranking cathedrals in the entire Church, and its architectural specifications were also among the top. Many of the building materials used were exactly the same as those used in the royal palace. The design and craftsmanship were impeccable. The relief on the outer wall, the decoration of the dome eaves, and the interior and mural paintings were all commissioned from top architects and sculptors.

But just now, after the explosion... even on the way here, Heinrich saw cracks appearing on the mural paintings on the walls.

"Cough... Your Excellency, I'm fine."

In the lingering smoke and dust, a figure pushed away the debris of bookshelves that had fallen on top of him and crawled out of the ruins, coughing and brushing off the dust from his body. His body was enveloped in a faint but still visible white light film, which had protected him from most of the explosion's damage.

He was a young man, smiling awkwardly and waving to Heinrich. He was in his twenties, with short, curly brown hair, a small round pair of glasses perched on his nose, and wearing the white robe symbolizing the identity of a mage of the Church.

"You better have a reasonable explanation, otherwise you won't receive any subsidies for the next two years," the bishop said expressionlessly.

"Hold on, hold on! We shouldn't deduct my salary. I've been working hard to save money recently!" Johannes panicked, waving his hand. "Actually, I just wanted to try if I could activate the technique early, but unexpectedly it exploded!"

"Are you referring to the ritual in the Holy Scriptures..." Heinrich paused for a moment, then became angry. "Didn't I tell you that it's impossible to succeed without coordinate traction?"

What on earth is this kid up to! Even though he was recommended by the Pope himself as a genius, this kind of behavior is too much!