Kali was grumpy the entire time but still didn't leave them while shopping for ingredients. She might be standoffish and somewhat antisocial, but she was still someone who understood the importance of gratitude and giving back.
"We should get more meat! K. will ask for more meat, after all~!"
"Meat for dinner? Isn't that too heavy? Let's try going with something lighter..."
"Then stew? That still has meat."
"That's too time-consuming to cook. How about steamed dumplings...?"
Of course, she was only tagging along, as she had absolutely no idea about cooking. Cassy and Aster were the ones looking at various aisles, picking up ingredients that they would be using.
They didn't dwell for too long on deciding what to cook for dinner and quickly picked up the required items from their shelves. One after another, the cart was filled up with condiments, vegetables, fruits, meat, meat, and more meat. Of course, before Aster could take out his card, Kali had already paid for everything. It wouldn't be her treat if she didn't do her part, after all.
In just under 20 minutes, the trio finished their shopping and went on their way back. Of course, the place they're headed toward is the Twister Hotel, where Aster was staying. That was the only place where they could use a kitchen, after all.
What welcomed them was the usual light show around the hotel, with the fountains, lasers, and all that, giving the place a "bustling with life" feel.
However, unlike usual, the security around the place felt a lot tighter than before. Wherever they looked, guards could be seen patrolling in pairs.
"..."
Kali went speechless when she saw the place where Aster was staying. After all, unlike Cassy, she knew just how much it costs for a single-night stay in this place. Their earnings were definitely going to disappear in one night if they all stayed in this place!
"What's wrong, Kali?" Aster asked, seeing her stop in her tracks. "Did you see something?"
"... No, it's nothing."
And of course, she too knew that Aster was living there at the government's expense, so he was spending nothing on his lodging costs, unlike Cassy and herself.
"It's just... a bit unfair." She whispered at the end.
As soon as they entered, the smiling elven receptionists greeted the three with wide smiles. However, as usual, the aura behind their smiles wasn't friendly at all—especially towards the two girls.
"Welcome back, Mr. Aster Mistral." The receptionists bowed simultaneously. "Congratulations on reaching the second floor of the dungeon. Here's your room's key card."
"..."
With her call, the two hurried their steps, heading down the hallway at a faster pace. In a few seconds, they finally reached the door, where Aster used his key card to unlock and open it.
As the door swung open and the lights inside came to life, Cassy quickly entered as if she were used to it and sat down on the sofa as she dropped their pack beside it.
"Phew... this... I want one like this in my lodging too." She whispered while sinking deeper into the soft cushion, her expression melting in bliss.
"Haha. You two can relax while I cook. It should be ready in an hour."
"Hmmm... Then, K.! Let's go take a bath together~!"
"Huh? And why do I need to go in with you?"
"Just because!"
Kali showed a fed-up expression before waving her hand. "No. You should take a bath by yourself, stupid rabbit."
"Awww, I'm sure it'll be fun if we enter together..." Cassy lamented.
However, shortly after, her expression brightened, as if a great idea had dawned on her. "Then, you go take a bath first! I'll go help Star prepare while you're in there~!"
"..."
Kali was suspicious of her sudden change of attitude, but after being unable to read her intentions, she decided to take up her offer. She hadn't been able to take a bath for two days while they were in the dungeon, after all. She was already feeling icky about herself and honestly wanted to have a nice long shower.
"Alright. Then, I'll be taking a shower first." She relented in the end.
Kali entered the bath and locked it behind her. Seeing that, Cassy showed a playful grin, as if her prank had just succeeded. "Star, I'll borrow this for a moment~!" She said this while pointing at a certain object.
Aster saw what she was pointing at and felt conflicted. However, in the end, he just let her be.
"Just don't get into a fight, alright?"
That was all he said before returning to the kitchen, wearing an apron, and starting to cook.