?Archer watched Eveline smile as she spoke, ”Do you want to explore the city with me? My family are drinking and celebrating the start of the Knockout Stage.”

”Sounds good to me,” he replied with a cheeky smirk. ”Lead the way.”

The rabbit girl’s ears twitched in excitement before they explored Starfall City while getting to know each other. An hour passed, and Archer commented as they watched a street entertainer, ”Are you hungry, Eve?”

”Yes,” she answered with a meaningful smile. ”I know a good place. Let me show you.”

Eveline grabbed his hand and dragged him into the crowd. The duo walked for a while until they came to an outside stool that sold some soup that smelled delicious, forcing Archer to approach the owner.

The man behind the counter looked up and smiled when he saw two of them, but when he spotted Eveline, his smile grew, ”Princess! How have you been?”

”I’ve been fine, Marvin,” she replied while motioning toward Archer, ”I’m bringing my boyfriend to try some of your famous soup.”

Marvin, the stall owner, looked between the two; his eyes widened in shock as he stared at Archer. “Your lover is the White Prince?”

Eveline nodded, causing the man to smile. ”Well, I’m happy for you, little Eve; I’ve known you for many years, and if someone deserves happiness, it’s you.”

The rabbit girl smiled, ”Thank you, Marv,” she said. ”Can we have today’s special and two bowls of Sunfire Noodles?”

”Yes, Eve,” the old man commented before cooking. ”Take a seat, you two; it won’t take long.”

Archer and Eveline did as he said and sat down before she looked at him with her crimson eyes, ”How has life been? Did you enjoy the festival?”

”The girls and I enjoyed it a lot, and the food was nice,” Archer replied. ”And life’s been hectic, to be honest. Keep getting attacked by Mutant Demigods who seem to be stalking me.”

”Stalking you?” Eveline question with a raised eyebrow. ”What do you mean?”

Archer went on to explain the Swarm and all the creatures involved. He told her that they started sending Demigods after him, and in the last engagement, the creatures attacked while he was with his Mother in Mediterra.

Eveline grew confused and asked, ”Aren’t you from the Avalon Empire? Why’s your Mother down down?”

He chuckled before explaining his relationship with the sun-elf empress, “Hemera’s Mother, Cassandra, adopted me as her son and has treated me like one ever since, even though I don’t see her much, so if anyone is like a Mother to me, it’s her.”

The rabbit girl gave him a sweet smile, ”Who would have thought there was a deeper side to the big bad dragon that burns kingdoms.”

”Only because I like you, Eve,” he replied. ”I wouldn’t just show this side to anyone.”

When Eveline heard this, her smile widened before she reached over and took his hand, ”I like you too,” she said. ”I don’t want to rush into anything like your other girls, as I believe in letting a relationship blossom on its own; I hope you don’t mind that strange reasoning.”

Archer agreed with a nod, ”Don’t worry, I plan on getting to know you and the others before taking the first step,” he explained. ”We have enough time and don’t need to rush anything.”

As Eveline heard him, her smile changed into a radiant one, and her mood soared as the aroma of the soup hit their noses, rumbling Archer’s belly. The couple didn’t have to wait long when Marvin came bustling out of his stall.

He balanced two trays with four bowls of soup and two tankards of ale on them, which caused Archer’s attention, but Eveline’s voice brought him back to reality, ”The Sunfire Soup is hot and burns your tongue, but the taste is amazing,”

Archer chuckled at her reaction and couldn’t wait to try it. When the old man placed the trays in front of them, he said joyfully, ”Today’s special is called Forest Broth, full of mana-filled vegetables, also filled with Rank A Forest Bear meat and other ingredients. It is one of my most popular dishes, as Eve already knows.”

After explaining, Marvin went to walk away, but Archer called out to him before throwing him a gold coin, which caught the old man off guard as he tried to refuse, ”I can’t accept this, White Prince,” he said. ”It is too much for a simple meal.”

”Bring me two of everything and anything Eve wants, Marv,” Archer threw another coin at the man, who rushed back to his stall.

The rabbit girl giggled before commenting, ”You don’t have to waste coins trying to impress me, Arch.”

Archer chuckled, ”I’m not trying to impress you, Eve,” he revealed. ”I’m just hungry and like supporting small businesses.”

Eveline started laughing, ”I’m sorry for assuming things. People with wealth like you often do it to the younger ladies to try to charm them.”

”I do not need to do any of that,” Archer said. ”I already have enough women to keep me company, and now only bother with the ones I like.”

”Makes sense,” Eveline responded before eating, as the delicious smell was too much to ignore.

Archer tried the Forest Broth, which exploded in his mouth, from the bear meat’s sweet taste to the vegetables’ earthy flavor. As the mana flowed into his body, he felt refreshed. He started eating it without speaking, as Eveline also copied.

She was preoccupied with eating her Dragonfire Soup, which looked nice to him, but soon after that, the spice caused her to drink the ale Marvin had brought. Archer turned his attention back to the Broth before finishing it off.

Once Archer finished with the Forest Broth, he took a mouthful of bitter-and-sweet ale, catching him off guard. He enjoyed it, so he downed it before moving on to the second soup, a reddish brown color with pieces of meat.

When Eveline saw him staring at it, she explained, ”That is the meat of a Fire Bird, raised just outside the city in special farms. It’s delicious meat and has a kick to it.”

Archer nodded before using his fork to try some of the hot meat, but it didn’t burn him as he chewed the soft meat. He loved every bit of the Dragonfire Soup, and by the time it was gone, Marvin returned with another tray.

This time, it had six bowls, which caught Archer’s attention as the aroma wafted off it and hit his nose, causing his mouth to water in anticipation of the incoming feast he was about to have.

While watching this, Eveline smiled before speaking, ”Marv, please Bring me three more bowls of Dragonfire Soup and four bowls of Southern noodles.”

”What?” The old man looked at her wide-eyed before a big smile appeared. ” I found someone you’re, I see.”

Marvin rushed off, causing Archer to laugh as he asked, ”How do you know him?”

”My older siblings used to bring me here as they also studied at the College of Magic,” she said. ”Papa used to join us sometimes when he wasn’t meeting with Emperor Osoric.”

He nodded when he heard her before picking up his first bowl of soup, which looked like chicken. Soon, Eveline revealed its name: ”That’s called the Starfall Special.”

”Why is it called that?” Archer questioned while taking a mouthful of the smooth and tangy soup, which left a delicious aftertaste once he swallowed it.

”Marvin sources all the ingredients from local vendors and uses mana to cook them, which enriches the food, giving the customer a good experience when eating it,” Eveline explained while watching the old man cook her food.

After the explanation, the two of them continued to eat. Archer offered her one of the Dragonfire Soups, which she happily took and started consuming the food with gusto, which caught his eyes.

‘Maybe I found my partner in crime when he comes to food,’ Archer thought while watching the slim rabbit girl devour another bowl of soup he gave her.

The thought made him strangely happy, but he soon pushed it aside and started eating the fourth bowl before Marvin returned with Eveline’s food, who quickly offered him a bowl of noodles, which he took.

Archer finished the strange soup, which made him feel like he was drinking several energy drinks once he had finished eating. He shook his head before asking, ”Why do I feel like I’m bouncing?”

Eveline started laughing when she looked at his bowl. She soon calmed down and explained, ”It’s called the Boltfire Broth. The Boltfire Eagle meat is used to make it, and it gives the person eating it a boost of energy.”

‘Oh no,’ he thought. ‘I don’t want to bounce around or be hyper.’

With that, Archer moved on to the next soup and started devouring it as his leg began to shake due to the Boltfire Broth, causing Eveline to laugh at his reaction, ”It will calm down soon, Arch. Just eat more.”

After speaking, Eveline got up and walked over to Marvin’s stall, where she grabbed four more tankards of ale before returning to the table and giving him all but one. She said, ”Drink some of this, and it will make you feel better.”

Archer nodded before downing one of the ales and felt the excitement dissipate into nothing, causing him to sigh. He gazed at the rabbit girl and said, ”Thank you for helping me.”

Eveline beamed, ”No worries!” she said. ”I understand what that broth does to you, as my older brothers gave me some.”

After hearing her explanation, he chuckled, and the duo continued eating until their bowls were empty, and they felt pleasantly full. Marvin glanced at them with a bemused expression as if they were odd creatures, earning a laugh from both Archer and Eveline.

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