Chapter 132

Chapter 132: Yeona Said Daddy

When I placed the kaymak on a plate and drizzled honey over it, a system message appeared.

Because the milk came from a rare monster, the Blessing of Dexterity effect had activated.

[Master's Kaymak]

[Blessing of Dexterity Effect: All attribute resistances increase by 20% and Defense increases by 16% for 7 hours. (Stackable with other dishes)]

It came with a buff that could stack with other dishes.

And it even boosted Defense.

'I can raise attribute resistance to about 30% from Applecherry Fruit Wine, roughly 45% through equipment with resistance options, and if I eat kaymak on top of that, it is possible to reach approximately 95% attribute resistance.'

Attributes included not only water, wind, earth, and fire, but also holy, poison, dark, and flame attributes.

I could become nearly immune to such elemental environments and attacks.

An extremely useful option when going to hunt in attribute-specific Rift dungeons.

Depending on how it was used, this could become an outrageously powerful buff dish.

'And after clearing the ice dungeon for the first time, I received the Conqueror of the Frozen Rift title, which granted an 11% cold resistance bonus.'

Meaning I could achieve 100% cold attribute resistance.

I should search for a cold-attribute dungeon through the random dungeon exploration soon and try hunting there.

Setting that aside, I placed the plate of kaymak in front of Ria, who was sitting at the outdoor table.

"The treat I spent three days making is done."

"Wow!"

Ria clapped her hands in delight.

Then she continued.

"I saw this kaymak thing on TV and wanted to try it."

"Really? You should have told me sooner. I would have taken you to a place that sells kaymak."

"The thing is, I heard the kaymak sold domestically is not very good."

"That is true. They make it with dairy cow milk instead of fat-rich water buffalo milk. But there are a few places that do make it the authentic traditional way."

"Really? I did not know that."

"Anyway, from now on, if there is anything you want to eat, tell me right away. I will either make it for you or take you to a good restaurant."

"I will. Thank you."

Ria picked up a knife, spread the kaymak drizzled with Great Honeybee Honey onto a slice of wood-oven bread.

She took a bite.

"......"

She was silent.

Then her head dipped slightly.

I recognized that reaction.

'The reaction that comes when you eat something so unbelievably delicious that words fail you.'

As if to confirm it, Ria let out a small sigh.

Then she stared at the kaymak as if she could not believe what she had just tasted.

I asked her.

"Is it really that good?"

Ria nodded.

"Yes, it is a dream-like flavor...... It seems smooth and creamy, yet it has this weighty, dense richness and an intensely nutty taste that just takes your senses away. The combination with the sweet honey is perfect too. And spreading it on this bread that is crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside makes it incredible."

"I am glad you are enjoying it so much."

I took a bite as well.

It was definitely tastier than the kaymak I had eaten at famous shops in Turkey.

That made sense, since it was made from Pullo milk, which had a far superior butterfat flavor compared to water buffalo milk.

To make delicious food, quality ingredients mattered more than the chef's skill.

'And with Great Honeybee Honey drizzled on top, there is nothing more to say.'

A truly heavenly kaymak, unavailable anywhere else in the world, had been born.

"It is so good......!"

Ria ate with immense happiness.

Seeing her expression, Rin stopped growing crops in the garden and walked over.

"Mama, is that weally that dewicious?"

"Yes, Rin. It is absolutely delicious."

"I am cuwious what it tastes wike."

Rin smacked her lips.

She seemed to want to try it too.

But it was a dairy product. Would it be safe to give her some......?

Ria and I exchanged glances.

'Probably not, right?'

'Yeah, she might get sick.'

We shook our heads in silent agreement.

For Rin's sake, there was no choice.

"Rin, it is a dairy product, so you might get a tummy ache. You cannot eat it."

"That is right, Rin. Instead, Daddy will make you something else delicious next time."

Rin looked dejected at those words.

But then, as if it had never bothered her, she smiled and answered.

"Okay! Win is full wight now, so it is okay! Hehe."

Full, she said.

It was nearly dinnertime, so she should be getting hungry right about now.

Rin was truly too kind for her own good.

Young as she was, she was already so mature.

During this exchange, the Adult Dryad, who had been watching Rin from a distance, approached and spoke.

"Dryad. Milk. Fine. Over-consume. Bad. Moderate. Fine."

"You mean milk and dairy products are fine for her as long as she does not overdo it? No digestion problems if she has them in moderation?"

"No problem. Moderate. Drinking. Good. For body."

"I see."

That was the first I had heard of this.

If I had known earlier, I would have been giving her milk from when she was tiny.

Ria chimed in too.

"I had no idea. If I had known, I would have given Rin some milk. Maybe she would have grown a bit taller?"

Rin, sensitive about her height, perked up her ears.

"If I dwink miwk, will I get taller?"

"It does help somewhat with growing taller."

"Then, then I want to dwink miwk!"

Rin was excited at the mention that it helped with growth.

She wanted to grow taller so she could take care of Yeona as a proper big sister.

I placed some kaymak on a plate, drizzled honey over it, and handed it to Rin.

"This is made from milk too, so try it."

"Wow! I am so excited! I will eat it dewiciously."

Rin climbed up onto her child-sized high chair and sat down.

She picked up a child-sized fork.

"Rin, you spread it on bread like this and eat it."

"Okay!"

I pulled out Rin's personal vegan bread from Acresia and set it before her.

Rin picked up the bread with her tiny hands, spread kaymak on it, and took a bite.

"......"

Rin's eyes flew wide open.

An expression as if she had just experienced a whole new world of flavor.

"Woooow......"

She stared at the kaymak in utter wonder.

'Looking at Rin reminds me of the first time I ever had a carbonated drink.'

When I was little, my mother had forbidden me from drinking carbonated beverages.

Because they were bad for the body, she said.

Then one day, my mother and father divorced.

With no one to stop me, I went to the neighborhood store and bought a carbonated drink.

'The first carbonated drink was a shocking experience.'

The strong carbonation made my throat sting terribly.

But that lasted only a moment before the intense fizz, coupled with a cool sweetness, made my entire mouth and body feel refreshingly cold.

It was truly the experience of discovering a new world of flavor.

'For Rin, tasting dairy for the first time must feel like discovering a new world of flavor too.'

Rin then began working her tiny hands, quickly eating the bread and kaymak.

It must have been truly delicious.

Ria wiped the kaymak from Rin's lips with a handkerchief.

"Rin, you are really enjoying that."

"Yesh! This is absowutely dewicious!"

Rin gave both Ria and me a thumbs up.

I watched Ria tend to Rin and smiled warmly.

"Hehe! I am glad Rin gets to try dairy. Eat well, our daughter."

"Yesh! Hehe."

Then Ruina came over, carrying Yeona in her arms.

Yeona watched her older sister eating and brought her fingers to her chin.

Did Yeona want to eat too?

It was natural for a younger sibling to want to copy whatever the older one did.

As if confirming my guess, Yeona squirmed and kicked her limbs.

Ruina patted her gently.

"What is the matter, our lovely Lady Yeona? Do you want to go to Mommy? Or to your sister?"

"Oo, ah!"

Yeona kept squirming.

I stood up from my seat.

"I am done eating, so I will hold Yeona. Ruina, go have some kaymak and bread too."

"Really? Thank you."

I took Yeona and held her.

Then I spoke to her.

"Our little princess, did you want kaymak like your big sister Rin? But what can we do. You are still too young, so not yet. Let us wait until you are a little bigger."

Yeona was currently four months old.

Having been Awakened from birth, her senses were developing faster than most babies.

But even so, I could not let her taste something like kaymak already.

'Once she turns five months, I will start initial baby food with rice porridge.'

When I told her no, Yeona fussed as if she had understood.

Yet she did not cry.

"Ooh!"

"Good girl."

I patted Yeona's back.

"Daddy will make lots of yummy things for Yeona later."

Only then did Yeona stop squirming.

"You listen well to Daddy. Our Yeona."

"Boo."

Yeona had begun babbling in earnest as she approached the end of her third month.

Now, in the middle of her fourth month, the babbling had become more frequent.

'Given her fast development, she will probably start talking early too.'

I wanted to hear the word "Daddy" from Yeona.

I held Yeona so our eyes met.

"Yeona, say Daddy. Daddy."

She simply gazed up at me with her clear blue eyes.

"Daddy, try saying it. Daddy."

Yeona parted her lips slightly.

As if trying to mimic the shape of my mouth.

But no sound came out.

"Yeona. Say Daddy. Daddy."

When I tried one more time, persistently.

"Da."

Wait......?

Did I just mishear?

It sounded like Yeona said "Da."

"Yeona, say it again. Daddy."

Then.

"Dada!"

She said Daddy......!

Granted, she said "Dada," but the important thing was that she said it.

A wave of emotion surged from deep in my chest all the way to my eyes.

Tears welled up involuntarily.

"Yeona......!"

I never knew hearing "Dada" could bring this much joy.

Ria was so surprised she shot to her feet and rushed over.

"Seon-u, did Yeona just say Daddy?"

"Yes, she did."

"Hehe! Congratulations, Daddy. Are you really so happy that you are tearing up?"

"I am. Incredibly."

"I want to hear it too."

Ria asked Yeona to say Mommy or Mama, but Yeona only smiled and would not open her mouth.

Most babies said "Mama" first, but Yeona had said "Dada" first.

'Typically, even at the earliest, babies can mimic sounds like Mama and Dada starting around five months, but Yeona said "Dada" at four months.'

Just as her sensory development was fast, her speech was developing early too.

I felt like I would never forget this day, the day Yeona first called me "Dada."
***
The moat construction outside the fortress wall was complete.

The moat was filled with water drawn from a nearby lake.

Bridges were installed at the east and west gates so that when the gates opened, they connected across the moat.

I looked down at the moat and bridges from atop the fortress wall.

"At this level, it should withstand most monster incursions without issue."

"Ho ho! Indeed. Even if a monster like the Behemoth attacks again, the deep, wide moat will give it trouble."

As Maxim said, even a Behemoth would have difficulty crossing the moat to reach the fortress wall.

With this, the Outpost's safety had been significantly reinforced.

Maxim then said.

"However, aerial monsters remain a vulnerability. Just a few days ago, a flock of Harpies attacked and caused injuries within the Outpost."

"I received that report."

Three days ago, nine Harpies had flown over the wall in a nighttime swarm attack, injuring three people.

Two had minor injuries, one was seriously hurt.

There were enough healer-type Hunters in the Outpost for quick treatment, but the threat of monsters persisted nonetheless.

Maxim spoke.

"But worry not. The Mage Tower construction is underway, and with Lady Ashley's and Lady Ruina's assistance, we are also building defensive Magical Turrets to install at several locations."

Hearing that, I turned my gaze to the interior of the Outpost.

The Mage Tower currently under construction came into view.

It had already been built up to four stories.

"Having you and the Eckard Family here is truly reassuring, Maxim."

"Our family considers it an honor to serve a liege lord such as yourself."

"Ha ha! I am just a single cook, that is all."

"You are no ordinary cook. You are the master of Acresia, the lord of this Outpost, a friend to a dragon and Fenrir. And also the husband of the strongest among us."

The strongest, meaning Ria.

"Ha ha...... You are flattering me too much."

"My family and I sincerely consider it a great honor to serve a liege lord such as yourself. We will continue to strive to be of assistance."

"Thank you. I know I have much to learn, but I look forward to your continued support."