“Fehhh . . . I’m stuffed. I’m so full but I can’t stop eating! Itsuki! Help me!” Rishia had tears rolling down her face as she ate, begging Itsuki for help. I’d not seen anyone eat like that before. Itsuki himself was caught up in his playing, eating a little between practicing. The musical instrument . . . was shaped like a grilled fish. I couldn’t overlook that detail.

“This is the Glutton God Tango, a skill that enhances digestion, it seems, so please relax and enjoy your meal,” he said.

“I can’t relax at all!” Rishia replied.

The musical instrument vassal weapon power-up method was very similar to the projectile power-up method in that they both used money. The projectile one mainly offered things like erasing failed enhancements or increasing the effects of other power-up methods, but in the case of the musical instrument, you could buy status for cash—like spending 100 yen to get +1 to magic. However, it was a bit more complicated than that, and after making one purchase, you had to buy a different item the second time. There were various prices for each item, such as magic +3 for 500 yen, and in some cases, you could even purchase increased maturation rates or magic recovery speed.

It was pretty convenient but also looked to be quite an outlay of cash. Maybe it was derived from the fact that musical instruments were normally so expensive.

I had to smile at the thought that even Itsuki’s power-up method was now like Rishia’s. He was certainly bound to her.

“Raph!” Raph-chan said, stuffed full and rolling on her side.

“Pen!” Chris agreed, right there with her. Raph-chan’s big tummy looked so fluffy. I just wanted to stroke it. Probably not the best idea right now though.

“I want more to drink!” Sadeena shouted.

“Me too!” Shildina agreed. The two of them were packing it away and drinking like fish. I guessed that being giant killer whale therianthropes meant they could eat quite a lot if they put their minds to it.

“Come on, Raphtalia. Tuck in, just like you used to!” I told her. Raphtalia’s face paled a little, and she started to eat the food in front of her.

“Do I really have to try and fit all this in?” she asked.

“I want you to eat as much as you can. Are you checking the status icon?” I asked her.

“I am, but still . . .” she said.

“Ah, another dish is ready. This is the fastest way to boost our combat power at the moment. I need you to eat and get strong!” I told her. I used the status icon to check the new dish. Hmmm, so adding some life force had improved the numbers considerably. It was definitely more effective than just cooking normally.