Policeman and the cat

62 - Part-time priest

When they paused their conversation to drink up an aether essence while Valerie kept her arms around their neck, inconspicuously draining aether still, they overheard a bit of a conversation -

"I'm grateful that Lil bro started doing all the really shifty things after seducing Bermont," Bro said, sounding like he meant it.

"Lane and Khalil, do you feel jealous?" Royalty asked in a half-joke as she gathered the dungeon core pieces.

"Of whom?" Lane asked rather seriously. While Khalil started laughing. Along with Amina they were still seriously and neatly gathering up the blitz bugs, carefully picking them out from a particular entangled moss with tweezers.

Royalty also laughed-- "Well, Lane, I think you have good chances," she said.

"My aether drain isn't good enough, I'm getting mixed signals of 'great to seduce' and 'dangerous to seduce' and just when the 'dangerous' part almost disappeared--" Lane sighed.

They returned to their conversation and Valerie sent them more recipes.

[That's all I recall for now,] she said [If I recall any others I'll give you a kiss.]

[We will cherish and use your wisdom, Goddess,] the feral said, grateful to be blessed yet again with a good teacher.

[I kind of get it why he scolded you,] she said.

[Bermont?] the feral asked. 

[Yes, prayers feel intimate, I think he wanted you to tell them in person,] Valerie said.

And with that they also returned to harvesting the bugs, the others still had plenty of digging to do. But that said, for all the information they exchanged, they had spent very little time in reality. 

They also recognized the recipes for some of the teas Knox had brewed for them when Madison was healing Mom, but not all of them, looked like they would have plenty of cooking to learn from Knox still. Yet the most valuable were likely the tips and tricks Valerie added on cooking in general because those don't appear by the recipes, even the ones Knox had picked out at his home had extra bits he needed to add or explain for them to make those things.

They harvested more, hunted more, tickled Bermont 'for profit', and had a meal, those blitz bugs were delicious enough to reduce all of those without legendary tier skills into a panting mess. And this time even the dessert was no better - Valerie's recipes were just as dangerous.

They made some tea after the meal so they could have a conversation while all the not-consumed-by-the-meal people leisurely enjoyed the cooking.

Mario let out a breath. "First-- Lil bro just what sort of crazy prayer did you make to seduce Valerie?"

Valerie chuckled. "He said I had a delicious scent and the prayer also included the emotion he felt of hunger and longing, I couldn't help but want to feed him. He's such a greedy one too - eating and savoring my aether like a delicacy till I had none left, but I got to eat his, so I'm not complaining."

And it was-- not a lie even. Ian was impressed, he smiled and nodded, that was a good way to put it.

"Valerie is delicious," Nelly let out a content breath.

"Ah, so, no seduction happened--" Mario noted with scrunched-up eyebrows.

"Hm, no I am completely seduced, just bad timing, they are busy with Chilli and Bermont and we are also raiding a dungeon, aren't we?" Valerie asked.

Lane, Khalil and Amina were all nodding their heads. That's how it is.

Oh cool! He had no idea. But he was really happy to hear.