Watching Princess Alice carefully attempting to walk, it seemed as though she hadn't used her body to walk in a long time. Even her gait appeared somewhat unsteady.
Yet, she was clearly delighted with her newly mobile body, despite its current weakness.
"Alright, your body isn't fully recovered yet. Come, eat this bowl of Tempura Shrimp Ramen first."
Observing Princess Alice's transformation from an elegant noblewoman to a lively young girl before her, Phoenix opened her left hand. A steaming bowl of Tempura Shrimp Ramen materialized in her palm.
The golden tempura shrimp paired with the aromatic broth created an enticing visual. No one witnessed its origin; it simply appeared in Phoenix's hand as she extended her arm.
"Ramen? Where did that come from?"
The sudden appearance of the Tempura Shrimp Ramen left everyone in the room momentarily stunned. Beyond the mystery of its origin, the more pressing question was why Phoenix would offer ramen to Princess Alice?
Was she concerned about her hunger?
However... the ramen's aroma was truly intoxicating!
"Don't worry about where it came from. Just trust me and eat it," Phoenix said, placing the ramen on the nearby table.
"That smells amazing! I'm actually feeling a bit hungry now!"
Princess Alice glanced thoughtfully at Phoenix, then rubbed her stomach before nodding. She walked over and began eating without hesitation, showing no concern about whether Phoenix had tampered with the food.
After all, if Phoenix truly wanted to harm her, she wouldn't have gone through such trouble.
"Wah, this is authentic Japanese cuisine! I haven't had anything like this in ages. Wait! I haven't eaten properly in ages. And my first meal in so long is something this delicious!"
As she savored the Tempura Shrimp Ramen, Princess Alice couldn't help but exclaim in delight.
Watching Princess Alice enjoy the ramen Phoenix had prepared, Higokumaru grew even more upset!
"Phoenix-nee, I'm hungry too! Can I have some?" Higokumaru pleaded, looking pitifully at Phoenix.
"We'll eat properly once we're outside..."
"Ugh..."
Hearing Phoenix's response, Higokumaru felt utterly dejected, convinced that Phoenix no longer cared for her.
After Princess Alice finished eating the ramen, her condition completely changed. Her pale and weakened cheeks regained their former color, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say she looked radiant.
If she had been a critically ill patient before, she now appeared completely normal. Clearly, Princess Alice herself noticed this change and immediately looked at Phoenix with an astonished expression.
"This is..."
"Am I completely healed?" Princess Alice hesitated, jumping up and down a few times, her face full of disbelief.
The other three were also very shocked.
"Could it be this bowl of ramen?"
Princess Alice looked at Phoenix with confusion, but within that confusion was a sense of certainty.
"Yes."
Phoenix nodded.
This bowl of Tempura Shrimp Ramen wasn't an ordinary item, but a dish made using rare ingredients collected from Honkai's open world.
[Tempura Shrimp Ramen]
[Effect: When consumed by a Valkyrie, restores 30% HP (Health Points).]
I didn't expect it to work so well for others too...
"Phoenix-nee is being biased..."
Higokumaru grew even more jealous upon learning about the Tempura Shrimp Ramen's special effects.
"You're not injured anyway. Giving it to you would be a waste. I don't have much left."
Phoenix wasn't exaggerating. Although her inventory and Higokumaru's collection from Yae Village over several years had yielded substantial materials—especially food ingredients that remained largely unused—she now retained approximately several hundred portions.
However, Phoenix could no longer venture into the open world for material gathering. These remaining portions had become precious resources.
In essence... these were her final... few hundred portions. Naturally, they couldn't be consumed as ordinary food anymore.
"O King, I thank you for restoring my health. I feel absolutely wonderful!"
Hearing Phoenix's words, especially after learning how precious these items were, Phoenix had still chosen to use them on herself.
This deeply moved Princess Alice.
She immediately bowed to Phoenix, her noble figure curving slightly as she leaned forward. The deep cleavage revealed by her nightgown caught Phoenix's attention, making her glance sideways involuntarily.
The joy and excitement of regaining her health lasted only briefly. Princess Alice quickly resumed her refined demeanor.
"Now that you've healed my body, O King, what price must I pay?"
"I'm not entirely certain if it's a complete cure. This might just be temporary..."
"So... what does the King require of me?"
Campione weren't saints who helped others for pleasure. They never offered assistance without reason.
Moreover, Princess Alice had previously offended Phoenix once.
Not only had Phoenix not held a grudge, but she'd even gone to great lengths to treat her. Princess Alice wasn't foolish; she knew Phoenix wasn't helping her out of kindness.
"Is that the price? From this day forth, your life... belongs to me. How's that?" Phoenix stepped closer to Princess Alice, using her beautiful index finger to lift the princess's chin.
Taking advantage of her height advantage, she looked down at Alice with a superior gaze.
"..."
Princess Alice was taken aback, staring at Phoenix with surprise. She clearly hadn't expected such words from her. If it were a male king, Alice might have understood - after all, she was confident in her own beauty.
But Phoenix before her was a woman who matched or even surpassed her in every way.
Yet this exceptional peer was declaring her possessiveness over Alice as brazenly as any male would.
How could Princess Alice not be astonished?
"King, please don't joke..."
"Am I joking?"
"...You're interested in women?"
"Sex doesn't matter when it comes to romance," Phoenix replied matter-of-factly.
"..."
Princess Alice suddenly found herself at a loss for words.
"Alright, I'm joking. But I need your loyalty, along with that of the Wise Men's Council behind you. I require your intelligence, particularly regarding the Heretic Gods. And then... I need your help summoning one of those Heretic Gods."
Phoenix withdrew her hand, gazing calmly at Princess Alice before her.
"You wish to summon a Heretic God?"
Hearing it was a joke, Alice seemed to breathe a slight sigh of relief. Then she stared intently at Phoenix.
"Of course. After all, searching slowly could take who knows how long."