Honkai: Starting to Wander with Kiana

Kiana picked up the dining guidelines left on the table. Inside was the menu the receptionist had mentioned earlier. There were many dishes listed, but apart from rice and noodles, she didn't recognize most of them. Still, she decided to order one of each.

By the time Ryn finished his bath and returned, Kiana was just about to request his card for payment. The server approached with a card reader, asking her to insert her card and enter her PIN. Instead, Ryn swiped the card directly, stating there was no password.

After payment, the server began placing the ordered dishes on the table one by one. The sheer variety of food dazzled Kiana. Having only ever eaten Siegfried's burnt cooking or simple bread before, she couldn't contain her excitement.

Ryn observed that a quarter of the dishes had already disappeared by the time he sent the server away. Kiana was shoveling food into her mouth straight from the plates, emitting puffs of steam after each bite before moving on to the next.

"Slow down a bit. It's just the two of us; no need to rush," Ryn said as he opened a bottle of mineral water and handed it to Kiana.

"Mm… Ubiftis… mo fumme discloshuu…" Kiana mumbled incoherently through a mouth stuffed with food, her cheeks puffed out like a little white hamster.

Ryn grabbed a steak and a pork hock from the table, leaving the rest to Kiana. Given her Kaslana appetite, there was no need to worry about her overeating.

Kiana's voracious eating seemed to influence Ryn. Struggling with his knife and fork, he became frustrated with the pork hock and eventually resorted to eating with his hands, savoring the combination of pork and steak.

Before Ryn could finish a few bites, Kiana had already cleared the table. She then looked expectantly at him. Ryn noticed he still had half a pork hock left. After a moment's hesitation, he offered it to her.

With a look of disdain, Kiana pushed the pork hock back, her grin smeared with food remnants.

"I'm still hungry. Let's order another round."

Ryn stared at her incredulously. He glanced at the twenty-plus empty plates on the table, then at her flat stomach. Damn Honkai Beast! he thought. Did you just consume all this food in one sitting?

"What's with that look?!" Kiana protested, clearly hurt. "I'm just not full… what's so surprising about that?" She picked up the menu and handed it to Ryn, pointing to the half-eaten dishes on the table. "Some of these were really good, but I don't know their names. Can you figure them out? Let's order more."

"Let's see… fried chicken, fried chicken legs, braised meatballs, steamed chicken…" Ryn compared the dishes to the menu and named them one by one. Kiana silently memorized the names, planning to share them with her dad after finding him. They were far better than the burnt offerings he usually cooked.

Ryn dialed room service, ordering Kiana's favorites with two extra portions of each. He added some of his own preferences as well.

After hanging up, Ryn marveled at this magical new world. Even a small hotel offered such a wide variety of dishes.

"We should pack a few dozen meals tomorrow before we set off. That way, we'll have food for the next few days. Though I bet you'd eat it all in one day."

"Heh-heh-heh…"

After several trips by the waiter, Kiana lay satisfied on the bed, her arms and legs sprawled like a starfish.

Ryn turned on the TV in the room, nudged Kiana aside, and slid under the covers.

"Kiana, is there anything you want to watch?" he asked.

"Hmm… how about Adventures of Alahato or Adventures of Hoom? My dad always brought home comics, and it'd be fun to watch cartoons based on them."

"Let's go with Adventures of Hoom. It seems pretty popular, so it must be good."

They watched several episodes of Adventures of Hoom from under the covers. Then, out of nowhere, Kiana poked Ryn's waist and asked, puzzled, "By the way, why did you lie to that receptionist earlier? Today, you've told so many lies to so many people."

Looking at Kiana's innocent face, Ryn gently squeezed her round cheek and smiled.

"Kiana, the real world isn't a fairy tale. It's a murky gray area. Everyone has selfish desires, and while education and morals are supposed to restrain them, not everyone follows those rules. Sometimes, to satisfy their desires, people end up hurting others."

"Especially since we're children—easy targets for deception. What if someone wanted to harm us?"

"I'd knock them flying with a single punch!" Kiana declared.

Ryn chuckled but then replied, "You're right, sometimes a punch is necessary. But talking our way out can prevent harm while keeping us safe. It's not about running away; it's about avoiding unnecessary trouble."

"I still don't get it… Seems easier to just punch them and be done with it."

"Idiot Kiana."

"You're the idiot!"

Ryn didn't press further. Explaining grand ideas to Kiana seemed futile. He hoped she'd understand with time.

"Forget what I said. Just be yourself, a pure-hearted girl with a burning sense of justice. And your most loyal knight will always be your sword and shield."

"You've got your 'middle school syndrome' again, haven't you?"

"Hey…"