章 12: Chapter 12
At night, in a cave in the snowy mountains, Zeke brought a bowl of noodles with eggs and sliced ham to Kiana.
"Come and eat."
The boy looked at her with disdainful eyes, as if addressing worthless trash.
Kiana rubbed her reddened cheeks, glaring tearfully at Zeke just moments ago, but now she flashed him a charming smile and eagerly accepted the noodles.
"Thanks, Zeke! You're the best!"
Slurp, slurp!
These were the sounds of enthusiastic noodle consumption—using a child-sized fork, typical for Westerners who don't employ chopsticks.
Seeing Kiana contentedly eating her noodles, Zeke turned back to ponder the matter from earlier.
Wait, what was I thinking about at the end of the last chapter again?
Oh right! It was about leaving Kiana...
"Zeke, I'm done. Can I have another bowl?"
With a stoic expression, Zeke glanced over. The silver-haired girl, lips glistening with oil, held up an empty bowl, not a single drop of broth remaining. Her blue eyes conveyed clear messages: "Delicious!" and "More please," as she fixed her unwavering gaze on him.
"Scoop it yourself. If you can't wait, feel free to grab straight from the pot."
"Aiyo! Zeke, what're you saying? I'm a lady; of course I wouldn't do such impolite things... Give me a cloth, though—the edge of this pot's a bit hot, and grabbing it directly might burn my hands."
Seeing those chubby little hands extended towards him, Zeke took a deep breath, lowered his head, and plastered on a friendly smile.
Instead of handing over a cloth, he offered her a pair of dead fish eyes brimming with danger and darkness.
Then, he seized those chubby little hands.
"Come now, it's not actually that hot. Why would you need a cloth? Just pick it up straight away. What? You don't believe me? No worries, let me personally show you," Zeke said amicably, but combined with his malicious dead fish stare, it resembled a scene straight out of a horror movie featuring a deranged serial killer.
Cold sweat broke out on Kiana instantly, yet she forced herself to maintain composure as she pleaded:
"Zeke! Calm down, stay calm! Don't act rashly—you can't push around someone like me... Yikes! Stop, stop right there! Almost touching it! Not in that spot! I was wrong! Okay, okay, I admit it—I was wrong!"
Just before pressing her small, plump hands onto the pot, Zeke halted abruptly.
"What exactly were you wrong about?"
"I was wrong about...about...I don't know what I did wrong..."
"Don't act cute."
"Okay..."
Zeke released Kiana's hands, picked up a bowl, filled it with noodles, and handed it to her.
As Kiana sighed in relief, Zeke slowly continued, "Firstly, you were wrong for interrupting my thoughts. It's not just me; disturbing anyone deeply engaged in their work is impolite. Try your best not to do that, understood?"
"I understand, got it."
"That quick response sounds insincere—are you brushing me off?"
"No way, no way! I'm really listening carefully!"
Kiana lifted her head indignantly while holding the bowl.
Zeke stared at her for a moment before proceeding. "Let's assume you're genuinely paying attention. Secondly, grabbing the pot and devouring its contents is also improper behavior. Broadly speaking, any unrestrained and excessively unruly actions reflect poor manners due to lack of etiquette. I know modern society often emphasizes phrases like 'liberation' or 'freedom of personality,' but these concepts are separate from having proper etiquette."
Seeing Kiana's puzzled expression, as if she comprehended yet didn't fully grasp his words, Zeke pulled out a clean cloth and wiped the grease from the corner of her mouth, then continued:
"Throughout our lives, we encounter countless individuals, but those who truly understand and accept us intimately can be counted on one hand. This holds true for everyone; the number of strangers we meet is inexhaustible. The way these strangers perceive you and treat you largely depends on your image. And this image stems half from appearance and half from manners."
"In terms of appearance, I have no doubt that you will always stand out. As for manners, it's about maintaining self-control even in front of strangers or people you dislike. It may sound simple, but putting it into practice is challenging. Nonetheless, I hope you can achieve it because good manners are the first step towards becoming exceptional. For girls especially, the distinction between an ordinary girl and a perfect one often lies directly in their level of etiquette."
Kiana remained somewhat bewildered but grasped enough of what Zeke was emphasizing to slowly nod her understanding.
Zeke felt a sense of relief wash over him, akin to an old father imparting heartfelt wisdom to his child. With his claim of possessing a mature soul, he found nothing amiss in guiding Kiana.
Similarly, Kiana didn't feel any discomfort either.
Although Siegfried was her father, his unpredictable and impulsive nature, coupled with his overly simplistic mindset, often left Kiana feeling exasperated and speechless.
Zeke, on the other hand, inspired trust and reliability. While sometimes intimidating, this combination of dependability and authority resonated with Kiana's young soul. Though she couldn't fully comprehend it yet, instinctively, she felt that this was the true essence of what being a "father" meant.
"Mmm, delicious!"
With these simple but expressive words, Kiana expressed her satisfaction post-meal, patting her pleasantly full belly, her face flushed with contentment.
Zeke tossed the bowl and fork into the pot, filled it with snow, and placed it back over the fire to boil. This method allowed him to wash away the grease from the utensils using melted snowwater.
Then, he gently patted Kiana's head, urging her to focus as he asked, "I haven't had a chance to inquire yet - how is your body feeling now? Are there any discomforts or issues?"
"Nope, I feel great! Actually, I think my strength might have increased a bit; must be just my imagination?" Kiana replied cheerfully.
However, Zeke suspected it might not be mere imagination. Perhaps the active Honkai Energy was indeed strengthening Kiana's youthful physique.
However, Zeke's understanding of Honkai Energy was still rudimentary, akin to knowing something exists without comprehending its nature. He couldn't definitively determine if these changes were beneficial or harmful.
Zeke sighed and pushed his concerns aside for now. "So, how did your reconnaissance go? If you didn't find any signs of civilization, did you notice anything unusual?"
"Nope... Oh wait! If I had to mention something, there are a few peculiar-looking mountains over that way. They seem partially destroyed, as if blasted by some massive cannon, with strange shapes."
"That means we truly haven't discovered much. It's quite troubling; it'll be hard to decide our next direction without landmarks."
Zeke discreetly glanced at Kiana, suspecting those 'peculiar' mountains might not be so odd after all—they could have been damaged by either Kiana or Siegfried.
Honkai Energy, indeed, is both wondrous and perilous.
If his suspicion was correct, they likely hadn't strayed too far from their original path. In that case, finding their bearings might not be overly difficult. Fortunately, he had prepared ample supplies, so for now, getting lost or running out of provisions wasn't a significant concern.
Just then, Kiana looked at him quizzically.
"Huh? Since that uncle who saved us has been here before, why didn't you ask him for directions?"
Zeke leaned back and looked up at the sky.
Indeed, how could he forget to ask Siegfried for directions earlier?
"I forgot," Zeke admitted honestly.
Kiana burst out laughing, clapping her hands. "And you called me dumb?! Clearly, the idiot here is you!"
"...Just sleep."
At a loss for words, Zeke managed only these two syllables.
As for Kiana's mocking laughter, well, it was indeed his oversight; let her laugh if she must.
Clearly, Kiana had other ideas about Zeke's suggestion. She drew her legs up, hugged them tightly, shook her head vigorously, then tilted her head sideways while gazing at Zeke.
"I just woke up; I don't feel like sleeping yet. What should we do?"
"...Honestly, I'm not sleepy either."
Following Siegfried's explanation, Zeke realized that his newfound vigor wasn't merely due to the fever subsiding but rather the result of Honkai Energy strengthening his body. In the brief days since his arrival in this world, this was the best physical and mental state he had experienced.
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