Rhea woke earlier than usual because she had expected Kael to be impatient.
She had not expected him to already be standing outside her door.
Fully dressed.
Waiting.
Rhea opened the door, stared at him, and then looked toward the nearest window.
Morning light had barely begun spreading across Veyrun.
“You’re late,” Kael said.
Rhea looked at him again.
“The festival hasn’t even started.” “Exactly.” That answer made absolutely no sense to her.
Then again, Kael had shown considerably more preparation for this festival than he had for meeting the Veyrun Guildmaster.
Rhea stepped into the hallway and folded her arms.
“Before we go, rules.” Kael’s expression immediately suggested he disliked where this was going.
“Why?” “Because I know you.” “You’ve known me for a few weeks.” “Long enough.” Kael waited.
Rhea began counting on her fingers.
“One, don’t buy everything immediately.
Two, don’t use Absolute Spatial Sense to inspect food before tasting it.
Three, don’t use Decay Domain to remove ingredients you don’t like.
Four, no creating extra occupied positions just to stand in several food lines at once.” Kael frowned at the final rule.
“Why?” “Because that’s cheating.” “Against who?” Rhea paused.
There was no festival authority specifically forbidding someone from existing in multiple lines simultaneously.
“Everyone.” “That doesn’t answer anything.” “It’s still a rule.” Kael considered ignoring it.
Then shrugged.
“Fine.” Rhea narrowed her eyes.
“You agreed too easily.” “I can still eat faster than you.” Unfortunately, that was true.
By the time they reached Veyrun’s central districts, the city had changed completely.
Colorful banners stretched between buildings.
Musicians occupied street corners while performers prepared small stages along the main roads.
Temporary stalls filled entire avenues, selling food, crafts, clothing, games, decorations, weapons, sweets, and things Rhea couldn’t even identify.
Children ran through the streets carrying glowing lanterns shaped like animals.
Hunters who normally walked around heavily armed had replaced part of their equipment with festival clothing.
Merchants shouted over one another while visitors from distant regions crowded into the city.
Kael stopped near the entrance to the central square.
For several seconds, he did nothing.
Rhea watched him.
He looked around at the banners.
The musicians.
The performers.
The crowds.
The thousands of ordinary people who had gathered for no reason other than enjoyment.
After a century inside the Hollow Depth, there was nothing comparable in Kael’s memories of this world.
Rhea smiled slightly.
Then Kael spoke.
“Food.” Her smile disappeared.
The moment had lasted approximately five seconds.
Kael began walking.
Rhea followed and quickly realized he wasn’t wandering randomly.
He turned down one street.
Passed two stalls.
Changed direction.
Stopped beside a vendor selling roasted meat filled with herbs and cheese.
Rhea looked at him suspiciously.
“Master.” “Hmm?” “You already know where everything is, don’t you?” “Mostly.” “What does mostly mean?” Kael glanced around the district.
“Meat is that way.
Bread is farther east.
Drinks are near the fountain.
Desserts are in two sections.
Regional dishes are behind the performance street.” Rhea stared at him.
“You made a map?” “Yes.” “Of the food?” “Yes.” “Master, this is a festival, not a dungeon to clear.” Kael looked serious.
“This is more complicated.” Rhea closed her eyes.
She needed to intervene before he actually began clearing the festival district by district.
“Performances first.” Kael immediately objected.
“Food first.” “You ate breakfast.” “That was breakfast.” “Exactly.” Kael didn’t understand why that prevented lunch.
Rhea dragged him toward the performance street anyway.
Several entertainers were already performing by the time they arrived.
A group of dancers manipulated glowing ribbons through carefully controlled techniques.
Nearby, musicians played instruments Kael hadn’t encountered before, while an illusionist created dozens of tiny animals that ran through the air above delighted children.
Kael watched quietly.
Rhea looked toward him.
“Well?” “Acceptable.” She gasped.
Kael glanced at her.
“The festival got an Acceptable.” “What?” “You said acceptable.” “So?” Rhea pointed triumphantly.
“You’ve started ranking things too.” “I was describing it.” “That’s exactly what you told me!” Kael stared at her.
Rhea smiled.
He had no defense against his own words.
Their next stop was not intentional.
A large crowd had gathered around a strength-testing game where participants struck a reinforced platform to send a marker upward along a tall numbered column.
Rhea saw Kael looking.
“No.” “I didn’t say anything.” “You looked at it.” The stall owner overheard them.
He laughed.
“Young man, scared she’ll beat you?” Kael looked toward Rhea.
Rhea immediately raised both hands.
“No.
Absolutely not.” The stall owner misunderstood her concern.
“Come on.
First strike is half price.” Kael walked forward.
Rhea grabbed his sleeve.
“Normal-person strength.” Kael looked at her.
“Which normal person?” Her face fell.
That was a terrible question.
“Weak normal person.” “How weak?” “Just don’t break anything.” The stall owner laughed again.
“Don’t worry.
That platform has survived Gold-ranked hunters.” Rhea slowly looked toward him.
“You shouldn’t have said that.” Kael stepped forward.
He raised one hand.
Then tapped the platform.
Not punched.
Tapped.
The marker shot upward.
It passed the first level.
Then the second.
Then the highest marked section.
Then disappeared into the top mechanism.
Silence.
Everyone stared upward.
Something rattled inside the machine.
The stall owner slowly looked toward Kael.
Kael looked toward Rhea.
“Too much?” Rhea’s expression went blank.
“You think?” The stall owner walked around the machine and inspected it.
Nothing was actually broken.
That somehow made things worse.
He laughed loudly.
“Best hit I’ve seen all festival!” Rhea stared.
The man enthusiastically handed Kael the largest prize available.
It was an enormous stuffed monster nearly as tall as Rhea.
Kael immediately handed it to her.
She looked down at the ridiculous plush creature in her arms.
“What am I supposed to do with this?” “Keep it.” “Why?” “You wouldn’t let me hit harder.” Rhea stared at him.
Somehow, this had become her fault.
She spent the next half hour carrying the giant stuffed monster through crowded streets while Kael walked beside her completely unbothered.
Eventually, Rhea spotted a throwing game.
Her expression changed.
“Master.” Kael looked over.
“My turn.” The game involved throwing harmless darts at rotating targets.
Rhea paid the entry fee and handed Kael three darts.
“No Spatial Sense.” “Fine.” He closed his eyes.
Rhea stared at him.
“Master.” “What?” “Closing your eyes doesn’t stop Spatial Sense.” “I know.” “Then why did you close them?” “You said not to use it.” Rhea narrowed her eyes.
Kael threw.
Center.
Second dart.
Center.
Third.
Center.
Rhea stared.
“You used it.” “No.” “Then how did you hit everything?” “I remembered where the targets were.” Rhea slowly realized another problem.
Even without Absolute Spatial Sense, Kael possessed a century of physical control.
She crossed her arms.
“You’re impossible to play games with.” “Seems like a bad game.” Rhea almost threw the stuffed monster at him.
Then they finally reached the food district.
Kael stopped.
For once, even he seemed impressed.
Dozens of stalls represented different regions.
Some sold grilled meats covered in sauces Kael had never tasted.
Others served soups, dumplings, baked dishes, noodles, stuffed breads, roasted vegetables, fried seafood, sweetened fruits, and countless combinations he didn’t recognize.
Kael took it seriously.
He began asking vendors how dishes were prepared.
What spices were used.
Which regions they came from.
Why certain ingredients were combined.
Rhea gradually realized he wasn’t merely eating.
He was fascinated.
For one hundred years, food had been something Kael acquired because his old habits told him eating was enjoyable, even when his unusual body didn’t strictly require it.
Most meals had involved killing something, applying heat, and hoping it tasted acceptable.
Here, people spent years developing food solely because they wanted it to taste better.
That concept appealed to him far more than Rhea expected.
Unfortunately, Kael kept purchasing full portions.
By the seventh stall, Rhea intervened.
“Stop.” Kael looked at her.
“If you want to try everything, we share.” “Why?” “Because then we can buy one portion from every stall instead of you buying enough food to feed an army.” Kael considered the idea.
It was surprisingly efficient.
“Fine.” Rhea bought the next dish.
They split it.
Then another.
And another.
Soon they were walking through the district sharing whatever looked interesting.
Kael discovered smoked river fish with sour herbs.
Rhea introduced him to stuffed grain cakes.
They tried an extremely spicy stew that Rhea regretted immediately while Kael simply continued eating.
Then Rhea spotted something.
A small bowl of fermented vegetables.
She smiled.
“Try this.” Kael took a bite.
Stopped.
Rhea leaned forward.
Kael’s expression became unusually serious.
“Terrible.” Rhea’s eyes widened.
Then she began laughing.
“Finally.” Kael looked at her.
“The mighty Unmeasured Hunter has discovered his natural enemy.” Kael stared at the remaining bite in his mouth.
A tiny Decay effect removed it.
Rhea froze.
Then pointed at him.
“YOU BROKE RULE THREE!” “It was terrible.” “That wasn’t the point!” “It solved the problem.” “You cheated!” Kael returned the bowl to her.
“You eat it.” Rhea immediately stopped complaining.
The festival’s competitive eating event began shortly after midday.
Rhea saw the banner.
Then looked at Kael.
Kael looked at the banner.
“No.” “I didn’t say anything.” “No multiple positions.” “Fine.” Rhea stared.
“You’re entering anyway.” “Yes.” Of course.
The competition attracted a large crowd.
Several contestants were enormous warriors.
One man looked like he weighed twice as much as Kael.
Another contestant was apparently a local champion who had won for three consecutive years.
Kael sat between them.
The champion looked at his relatively lean frame.
“First festival?” “Yes.” “You won’t last long.” Kael shrugged.
Rhea stood in the crowd holding the giant stuffed monster.
She almost felt sorry for the man.
The contest began.
Plates arrived.
Kael ate.
More plates.
Kael continued.
The large warrior beside him began sweating.
Kael looked completely relaxed.
Another contestant surrendered.
Then another.
The defending champion slowed.
Kael kept eating at exactly the same pace.
The crowd gradually stopped cheering for the larger contestants.
“KAEL!” “KAEL!” Rhea covered her face.
How had this happened?
Eventually, only Kael remained.
He finished another plate.
The announcer declared him the winner.
Kael looked toward the next plate.
“There isn’t more?” The announcer stared.
The prize was announced.
Free meals at the sponsoring restaurant for one month.
Rhea’s face went pale.
They had done something terrible.
They had given Kael unlimited access to food.
Kael looked extremely satisfied.
Afterward, he discovered something Rhea could participate in.
A Hunter obstacle course had been constructed near the southern square.
Participants had to cross moving platforms, avoid harmless projectiles, pass swinging barriers, and strike several targets along the way.
Kael looked at Rhea.
“Your turn.” She stared at the course.
Then at him.
“You made me carry this thing all day.” She pointed toward the giant plush monster.
Kael took it from her.
“Problem solved.” Rhea sighed and entered.
The course began.
Her first movements were careful.
Then the training took over.
A swinging barrier forced her sideways.
Instead of stopping, Rhea converted the movement into a turn.
A projectile came from the opposite side.
She ducked.
The lowered position became the beginning of her next step.
A moving platform shifted beneath her.
Her balance broke.
She rolled with it rather than resisting, rose, and continued.
Broken Flow Recovery.
Kael watched quietly.
Rhea didn’t finish first.
She didn’t expect to.
But when she crossed the final line, her time ranked among the better participants.
She returned breathing heavily.
Kael handed her the stuffed monster.
“Good.” Rhea smiled immediately.
Then remembered yesterday.
She continued walking.
Kael nodded.
“Better.” Rhea stopped.
Her eyes widened.
“I GOT TWO?” Kael looked at her.
“You stopped.” Her face fell.
“Now terrible.” Several nearby spectators laughed.
Rhea stared at him.
“I hate your ranking system.” “I don’t have a ranking system.” “You absolutely do.” Kael bought her a cold fruit drink afterward.
Rhea took it.
Then looked at the flavor.
Berry-lime.
Her favorite from the stalls they had visited earlier.
She glanced toward Kael.
He was eating another pastry and watching a group of street performers.
Rhea didn’t mention that he had remembered.
She simply drank.
They eventually sat beside the central fountain.
For once, neither of them was training.
Kael rested against the stone edge.
Rhea held the giant plush monster between them.
“Did you have festivals where you came from?” Kael thought about Earth.
“Yes.” “Like this?” “Sometimes.” He told her about fairs.
Amusement parks.
Concerts.
Fireworks.
Food stalls.
Crowded places filled with games that were mostly designed to take people’s money.
Rhea became particularly interested in amusement parks.
“You built giant machines just to scare yourselves?” “Basically.” “Why?” “Fun.” She thought about that.
“Your world sounds strange.” “It was.” Rhea looked at him.
“Do you miss it?” Kael became quiet.
Earth had been another lifetime.
Not metaphorically.
He had spent an entire century away from it.
Some memories remained sharp.
Others had softened around the edges.
“Sometimes.” Rhea waited.
Kael looked around Veyrun.
Children ran past carrying lanterns.
Musicians played nearby.
Food smells drifted through the square.
People laughed.
“This is good too.” Rhea smiled.
Nothing else needed to be said.
As sunset approached, the festival changed again.
Lanterns illuminated the streets.
Music became louder.
More people arrived.
Then an amplified voice spread across the central square.
“The Summer Festival’s night events are now open!” The crowd cheered.
Rhea stood.
Kael didn’t.
He was staring toward a newly opened street.
Rhea followed his gaze.
A massive banner hung above it.
SEVEN KINGDOMS DESSERT STREET Her face slowly lost color.
Kael stood.
“Rhea.” “What?” “Change of plans.” She grabbed the enormous stuffed monster.
“Master, we’ve already eaten all day.” Kael started toward Dessert Street.
“That was food.” Rhea stared.
Kael pointed toward the illuminated stalls.
“This is dessert.” Her mouth opened.
Then closed.
He genuinely considered them separate categories.
Rhea hurried after him before he disappeared into the crowd.
The first day of Veyrun’s Seven-Day Summer Festival wasn’t even over.
And Rhea was beginning to suspect the city had made a serious mistake by advertising unlimited quantities of sweets to a man who had spent a hundred years without dessert.
the link is in the synonyms.