Zhu Yuan and Piper seemed to take the captured Exaltist Order researchers very seriously. They had originally planned to leave two people behind for the banquet, but Zhu Yuan refused without hesitation.

"Sorry, Senior Qingyi and I need to escort these Exaltist Order members back right away. Next time we have the chance, we'll definitely visit."

"What a shame, there's no time. Mr. Sam Li, we'll be going ahead. I'll treat you to tea next time."

With that, Zhu Yuan and Qingyi pulled out a handful of handcuffs, securing all of the Exaltist Order members before bundling them into the vehicle.

"Goodbye—"

Watching their car disappear down the road out of town, everyone let out a collective sigh.

...

Paimon then turned toward the run-down Cheesetopia.

After all the work they'd put in, all they had done was bring back the building materials. There was still plenty left to do.

On the side, Billy—still bursting with energy—called out, "Paimon, stop staring. Everyone, come help make Cheesetopia look brand new!"

Arataki Itto immediately answered the call. "It's so empty in here. Can't keep out the wind or the rain—it's not even as good as the Arataki Gang's hideout. Let me start by putting up this big pane of glass..."

He clambered onto the truck, hefting the large glass sheet down all by himself.

Paimon quickly warned, "Itto, careful! Don't drop it!"

Lighter shook his head helplessly. "Mr. Arataki Itto, that's not how you install it. Let me handle it."

He might not have been a professional builder, but as someone born and raised in the Outer Ring, this sort of repair work was nothing new to Lighter. He had even rebuilt several houses in Calydon Town alongside Caesar before.

With the materials on hand, they started replacing everything that couldn't be salvaged—walls, floors, the roof—giving the entire place a thorough overhaul.

With more than a dozen people pitching in, they worked through most of the day. By evening, the job was nearly done.

Looking at the revitalized Cheesetopia, Paimon's face lit up. "This is the restaurant we rebuilt together—it feels so rewarding! Traveler, let's go inside and see if anything's still missing."

The Traveler nodded. "Alright—"

Arataki Itto followed close behind, brimming with confidence. "I've already checked—nothing's missing."

Kuki Shinobu: "..."

Inside, the change was dramatic. Everything had been replaced and polished until it looked brand new—hard to believe it was once an old building from years ago.

But Paimon still frowned in thought. "Something's not right... It feels like something's missing..."

Itto laughed. "Nothing's missing! Look how spacious it is—just like the Arataki Gang's base. Perfect for bug fights or throwing a big gathering!"

Hu Tao chuckled. "Itto's not wrong. But... if this is a restaurant, we can't expect customers to sit on the floor, can we?"

The hall was completely empty—not a single table or chair in sight.

It didn't look like a restaurant at all.

Hearing that, Paimon smacked her forehead. "Right! Cheesetopia's a restaurant—we need tables and chairs, or no one will come! But where are we supposed to find them?"

Calydon Town was already in a state of disrepair. Even if they searched, they'd probably only turn up battered, broken furniture.

And that wasn't all—when Paimon flew into the kitchen, she found it just as bare as the hall. Not a single pot, pan, or utensil in sight.

"How are we supposed to cook like this?" she groaned. "If only we'd brought more kitchenware and tableware from the city..."

She certainly hadn't expected this. They'd come for a banquet, only to find there was nothing—now they had to renovate the restaurant and figure out where to get furniture and cooking tools.

At that moment, Lighter stepped forward. "Don't worry about the tables and chairs—there's plenty in the Hollows. I'll head there right now and find some intact ones."

Lucy added, "This is Calydon Town—good-looking tables and chairs might be rare, but we definitely have kitchenware and tableware. After all, we still have to eat. I'll go grab what we have."

Caesar gave them both an approving nod. "Alright—let's do that."

...

Soon after, Lighter, Piper, Arataki Itto, Billy, and Xiao headed off to the Hollows.

Meanwhile, Lucy, Caesar, and Burnice returned with a heap of kitchenware and tableware.

In one go, most of the problems were solved.

With the fresh ingredients they'd bought in the city earlier, they finally had everything they needed—it was time to open.

Burnice grinned confidently. "Time for me to shine—gas-grilled fish, charred pudding, 360-degree flame-seared beef..."

As she rattled off the menu, the Traveler, Paimon, Nicole, and Nekomata all felt a chill, while even Caesar and Lucy—locals of Calydon—frowned, as if recalling a less-than-pleasant memory.

Caesar coughed awkwardly. "Uh... The store manager and Nicole are our guests. Let's have them do the cooking instead."

Paimon stared blankly.

What was that supposed to mean?

The Sons of Calydon had invited them to a banquet—shouldn't the hosts be the ones cooking? Since when did guests do the work?

Then again, looking back on the day, they'd already been working like staff since they arrived—this hardly felt like attending a banquet at all.

On the side, Lucy arched an eyebrow. "Caesar, that's a terrible excuse. Let me put it plainly—Burnice's cooking is not suitable for guests. We should find a chef who can actually cook."

Lucy, a runaway heiress, naturally couldn't cook...

Caesar, as the leader, was far too busy for the kitchen...

Piper couldn't be bothered to learn...

That left only two possible cooks in the Sons of Calydon—Burnice, a master of dark cuisine, and Lighter.

Normally, Lighter handled the cooking. But he and Piper were still in the Hollows, with no telling when they'd be back—it was too late to wait for them now.

Caesar scratched his head and turned to Belle awkwardly. "Uh... can any of you cook?"

Belle smiled. "Of course. No need to go looking for a chef—leave the cooking to me."

On the side, Paimon cleared her throat. "Ahem, everyone, quiet."

Burnice tilted her head. "What is it, little flying one?"

Paimon grinned, puffing herself up. "Alright, I'll come clean. Standing before you is none other than the first-place winner of the Liyue Harbor Cooking Competition. Cooking? That's nothing for us—it'll be a piece of cake."