Odin chuckled, completely unfazed by Evan’s teasing.
“Good food is meant to be shared.”
His answer was surprisingly sincere.
Then he glanced around the restaurant, and the corner of his mouth twitched.
“Quite a crowd today.”
There certainly was.
Usually, the restaurant only had a handful of customers scattered around the room.
Today, nearly half the tables were occupied, and most of the guests were even dressed in matching robes.
Odin casually swept his gaze across the crowd and easily picked out a gleaming bald head among them.
At the same time, the Ancient One noticed his gaze.
She set down her utensils, looked up, met Odin’s eye, and gave him a slight nod in greeting.
Apparently, they’d had the same idea.
Though Odin couldn’t help thinking—
You brought rather a lot of people.
He withdrew his gaze and led his family toward the left side of the restaurant.
The entire right side had practically been taken over by the sorcerers.
Thor and Loki followed in a daze.
Then they sat down in a daze.
Neither had quite recovered from what they were seeing.
They had crossed through space and arrived inside an elegantly decorated restaurant.
Then they’d watched some young man chatting and joking with Odin, the supreme King of Asgard, as though they were old acquaintances.
The usually majestic and imposing Odin was acting around this young man like a kindly old neighbor.
Thor and Loki exchanged a glance.
Both saw the same disbelief in the other’s eyes.
And the same question naturally surfaced in their minds.
Did I drink too much?
Am I dreaming right now?
“What would you like today?” Evan didn’t care what they were thinking.
He took four glasses from a cabinet, filled them with water, and set them down before asking the question.
“Do you have any recommendations?” Odin asked.
“Something suitable for a family meal.”
“Tangyuan.”
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[The More You Know]
Tangyuan is a traditional Chinese food made from glutinous rice flour, shaped into soft, chewy balls and usually served in a sweet soup or syrup.
They can be plain or filled with ingredients such as black sesame, peanuts, or red bean paste.
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It was the first thing that came to Evan’s mind.
“They symbolize family happiness and togetherness. They’re especially fitting when the whole family is gathered together. Sweet, soft, and pleasantly chewy.”
Whenever Evan thought of food meant for the whole family, tangyuan naturally came to mind.
Back home, his family always cooked some during the New Year.
Everyone would eat at least a little, even if only for tradition’s sake.
After all, tangyuan had been around for centuries and carried a strong sense of family reunion.
That said—
“I don’t really like them myself.” Evan was much more of a meat eater.
Odin, who had been listening with a cheerful smile, abruptly stiffened.
You know, that last sentence could have stayed in your head.
Evan didn’t notice his expression and continued.
“You can pair tangyuan with some other dishes too. Cold appetizers or meat dishes both work. It’ll keep the sweetness from becoming too heavy and make the meal more nutritionally balanced.”
“A little alcohol works nicely too. Rice wine would be a good choice.”
Thor had paid absolutely no attention to Evan’s recommendation.
Now that he’d confirmed this wasn’t a dream, he’d simply been sitting there quietly trying to sober up.
Then, through the haze clouding his mind, he seemed to hear one particular word.
Alcohol.
Thor’s expression changed instantly.
As an Asgardian, other matters could wait.
Alcohol could not.
“Bring me a barrel!” Thor shouted on pure instinct.
The conversation stopped.
The air went silent.
Loki covered his face with one hand and turned away.
Frigga smiled gently.
Odin’s face stiffened again.
Then his narrowed eye slowly settled on Thor, who was still grinning foolishly.
Idiot.
You’ve managed to embarrass me outside Asgard itself.
Just wait until we get home.
A sudden chill shot straight up Thor’s spine.
His entire body shuddered.
That sobered him up considerably.
He nervously looked around, trying to figure out where the ominous feeling had come from.
Evan looked toward Odin.
Odin glanced at his boisterous son and finally spoke.
“Four servings of tangyuan. I’ll leave the side dishes to you.”
Then he smiled pleasantly.
“As for the alcohol…” His smile widened.
“Give him a Rainbow Cocktail. It should help wake him up.”
Thor had no idea why his father looked perfectly cheerful while somehow making him feel even colder.
But the next instant, all of his attention shifted to the name of the drink.
Rainbow Cocktail?
What’s that?
I’ve never had it before!
Seeing Thor grinning like an idiot again, Evan nodded expressionlessly.
He silently mourned for him for exactly one second.
The Rainbow Cocktail was brewed from Rainbow Fruit.
A single drop of Rainbow Fruit juice was concentrated enough to transform an entire twenty five meter swimming pool of water into rich, delicious fruit juice.
The fruit itself was so concentrated that merely overeating it could cause a nosebleed.
The alcohol brewed from it was even more intense.
Someone weak enough could get drunk from the aroma alone.
As for Thor’s current strength?
One glass.
That was all it would take.
Still, he’d brought this on himself.
A troublesome son had managed to irritate his old man.
Now he was about to pay for it.
Evan turned and headed back toward the kitchen.
With the outsider gone, Loki could finally ask some of the questions he’d been holding back.
“Father, was the information that suddenly appeared in our minds true?”
The moment Loki entered the restaurant, a block of information had appeared directly in his mind, explaining what this place was.
The large group occupying the entire right side of the restaurant were all sorcerers.
One of them was so powerful that Loki couldn’t even begin to see through her.
And his father, Odin, King of Asgard, treated the restaurant’s owner as though they stood on equal footing.
This was Odin.
Ruler of the Nine Realms.
The more Loki thought about the information in his head, the more astonished he became.
Odin didn’t answer directly.
He merely said in a calm voice, “Loki, the world is vast.”
Though truthfully, Odin himself had only recently learned just how much vaster it was than he’d imagined.
“What? What are you talking about?”
Thor, whose head was still swimming with alcohol, had completely failed to notice the information that had appeared in his mind.
Odin turned to look at him.
Another entry quietly went into the mental ledger.
We’ll settle this when we get home.
Time passed as they talked.
Then a rich, sweet fragrance drifted toward them.
Odin’s family turned toward the source of the aroma and stared at the tray in Evan’s hands as he approached.
“This scent…”
The intense fragrance instantly seized Frigga, Loki, and Thor’s attention.
They had eaten no shortage of delicacies over the years, and aromatic dishes were hardly unfamiliar to them.
But this was different.
The sweet scent curled around their senses like a mischievous kitten scratching gently at their hearts, leaving them desperate for a taste.
Their bodies seemed to urge them on as well.
Eat it.
Now.
“Enjoy.” Evan placed four bowls of tangyuan in front of them.
The sweet aroma grew even stronger.
“I’ll bring the side dishes shortly.”
Gulp.
Loki and Thor, who had been demanding alcohol only moments ago, both swallowed involuntarily.
“Try them,” Odin said.
That was all Thor needed to hear.
Straightforward as ever, he immediately picked up a porcelain spoon, scooped up one of the smooth white tangyuan, and shoved it into his mouth.
“Hoh—! Hoh—! Hoh—!” A second later, Thor was panting frantically from the heat, both hands fanning his mouth.
Yet despite nearly burning himself, he refused to spit the tangyuan out.
The heat.
The sweetness.
The flavor was simply too good to waste.
For the first time in his life, Thor discovered just how profoundly satisfying sweetness could be.
Once it cooled enough, he bit down.
The tangyuan burst open.
Its filling flowed across his tongue, sending the sweetness soaring to another level.
Thor didn’t even bother savoring it properly.
He swallowed the whole thing.
Then—
Thor’s eyes suddenly widened.
A streak of lightning flashed deep within them.
His body began trembling.
One after another, the muscles across his frame started swelling and contracting in a steady, rhythmic pattern.