Chapter 23: Breakfast with Two Goddesses
The next day.
His biological clock woke Charlie from his sleep.
Since there was no bathroom in the house, he had built a simple bath in the backyard. With Earth Spirit Art, he created a large tub, Water Spirit Art filled the tub, and Fire Spirit Art heated the water inside it.
Thanks to the practical use of Spirit Art, Charlie no longer needed to go all the way to the lake to bathe as he did on the first day.
After bathing and dressing casually, he went to the market to buy groceries.
The market had shops lined up on both sides, with a row of stalls in the middle that split the road in two. With a lot of foot traffic, the road was crowded with all kinds of people.
The vendors enthusiastically hawked their wares, each trying to attract the attention of passing customers.
"Peel the fruit on the spot, it's fresh and sweet! Just try it!" Called out a fruit vendor showing off oranges.
"Spices from the Far East, perfect for any dish! Come and smell the aroma!" A spice seller lured Charlie with an enticing scent.
"I'll buy this, this one, and this as well."
After smelling the spices, Charlie selected those similar to the spices in his previous life.
"That'll be 500 valis."
"Here's the money."
'Thank you for shopping, please come again.'
Under the friendly demeanor of the merchant, Charlie stepped further into the market, his eyes dazzled by the variety of goods on offer. He still wasn't used to what was sold in this world's market compared to the markets in his previous life.
There were swords made from rare metals, clothing of fine silk from exotic regions, and fresh fish just caught from the sea.
"Hey, young man! Try this bread, made with flour from the mountains! You won't find anything softer in this city!" A bread seller with a wide smile offered some warm bread.
"In that case, I'll take one."
"It's 50 valis. I guarantee it tastes delicious."
"Mmm, it's good."
Charlie smiled, feeling entertained by the merchants' enthusiasm.
While eating the bread, he bought a few more groceries he needed: noodles, meat, and some spices. As he walked back out of the market, his bag was full of groceries.
On the sofa, he saw Aphrodite still fast asleep, showing no signs of waking up soon.
Charlie glanced at the bra-like garment Aphrodite was wearing, which had slipped slightly, revealing a hint of her peach-colored skin.
'She must be doing this on purpose to tempt my resolve…'
Pulling his gaze away, he headed to the kitchen and started preparing breakfast. He was worried that if he kept looking any longer, he wouldn't be able to resist the temptation. After all, this body was still in its teenage years, so it was no wonder that sexual desire was at its peak.
Then, the sound of cooking in the kitchen echoed.
'Tch, this isn't working. The Chosen Savior's Skills are truly the natural enemy of the Goddess of Beauty. It seems relying solely on charm isn't enough to bring him down.'
Still pretending to sleep, Aphrodite grumbled because Charlie didn't do anything to her body.
Thirty minutes later, Charlie finished cooking.
"Breakfast is ready. Come on, wake up and eat."
Using Wind Spirit Art, he let the wind carry his voice to both Hera and Aphrodite at the same time.
"You can cook?"
Aphrodite acted as if she had just woken up, stretching her arms upwards, her scantily clad figure clearly visible.
"What's the matter? Are you captivated by my beautiful body? It's not too late for you to join my Familia."
Seeing him silently staring at her, Aphrodite didn't miss the opportunity to tease him.
"Ahem, I can cook, though it's not a complicated meal."
Changing the subject, Charlie inwardly complained that his body and mind were at odds due to puberty.
"Fuffuffu... It seems your charm resistance doesn't make you completely uninterested in women."
Aphrodite was pleased with this discovery.
"Stop teasing my sweet child."
A cold and arrogant voice was heard.
"Don't be so serious, Hera. I was just playing with him~"
"..."
Then, the two goddesses sat side by side in chairs, while Charlie sat across from them.
"What kind of noodles are these? This is the first time I've seen noodles like this."
Unaware that Charlie was an Otherworlder, Aphrodite looked at the food on the table with curiosity.
"It smells good." Hera said lightly.
"These are called celor noodles. They're rich in broth that dissolves in coconut milk, appearing thicker and coating the noodles, topped with pieces of beef marinated with spices."
As usual, Charlie provided a brief explanation of the food he made.
"Slurp... Not bad." Hera commented as usual.
"This is delicious! It's better than the noodles sold in Orario!" Aphrodite gave more praise.
"I'm glad the food in this country suits the two goddesses."
Then, Charlie also began to eat.
Ten minutes later, the dining table was cleared.
"Phew, I'm full. My decision to leave Orario was the right one. Otherwise, I would have missed meeting Charlie and tasting his cooking."
Leaning on the sofa, Aphrodite patted her stomach and looked satisfied.
"I'm sure your Familia members are panicking looking for you." Hera said coldly.
"Before I left, I left a letter. The Familia runs as usual just because I'm gone for a few days."
Waving her hand, Aphrodite seemed unconcerned.
"Goddess Hera, I want to go to Orario."
After washing the dishes, Charlie approached Hera and directly stated his intentions.
"I see. It's true, the monsters outside Orario can no longer help you grow. Only by hunting monsters in the Dungeon can you gather Excelia at a stable rate."
Hera wasn't surprised to hear this. However, she didn't expect the time would come so soon.
"Aphrodite."
Instead of giving an immediate answer, she glanced at Aphrodite beside her.
"What is it? I didn't do anything wrong, okay? Don't keep threatening me with a War Game."
"That's not it. I want you to represent me while Charlie is in Orario. Whether it's alias recovery when Denatus is held, or a god proposing a War Game to bring Charlie into their Familia, you'll take care of everything."
"Are you serious?"
Aphrodite was excited, unable to believe what she heard.
"Of course, you should consult Charlie first if you want to do something related to him. Do you agree?"
"There's no way I'd refuse! Leave Charlie to me! I'll take very good care of him."
Turning her gaze to Charlie, Aphrodite couldn't hide the excitement on her face.
"Charlie, I can't go to Orario. As for updating your status, I'll give you my blood. With your Chosen Savior Skill, you can update your status without my help."
Honestly, Hera wanted to accompany Charlie. But there was no other choice, she and Zeus were exiled and not allowed to return.
"I understand, Goddess Hera, I accept your arrangements." Charlie nodded and said.
"Before you go, you'll fly to take me to Olympia." Hera said a bit gently.