Published at 29th of November 2025 6:47 pm

Chapter ONE HUNDRED SEVENTY: A Fun Way to do Supper

This chapter is updated by JustRead.pl

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<<and one of the hover ferries donated by Makuinlo Scholar City, Artona I, has been in service since yesterday. If you havent seen it yet, its stunning. The vessel should be completely able to resist Submerger particles, but wizards will also be on board for every crossing to ensure safe journeys. The modifications to the second ferry will be finished soon. Its due to be teleported in Sunday evening.

<<Thanks for listening to the morning news with us. That was our last story for today. Our extended coverage of the disaster will continue tomorrow, and well be having a discussion about the proposals for the new Span. We know were getting a rail connection. Why stop there? How can we make it even better than before? If you have ideas, call in and let us know!

<<Well also hear from Doctor John Singh, who lost his home and office in the floods. Hell be telling us how he approaches these stressful times and how you parents can explain it all to your children. Now>>

The womans peppy voice was suddenly joined by the first notes of a fast-paced song.

<<We have the latest from Sona and Yodel! Theyre in the middle of their world tour, but home is on their minds. Theyve decided to donate all of their profits from 2040 to the rebuilding. So you can feel great about dancing to this one, Anesidora. Happy Thanksgiving! Im Resama, and this is Radio Above.>>

The chatter ended, and the cafeteria at Matadero filled with a voice singing in Punjabi. A metal tray sailed through the air, and Alden caught it.

Preserve just the tray, he thought. Flip.

The last bit of a banana peel fell into the trashcan beside him. Then he unpreserved and added the tray to one of the clean stacks on the table at his back.

No, Kabir was saying to whoever hed just called. He reached for another dirty plate and tossed it gently to Alden. I dont understand why its impossible to get pre-thawed turkeys. Its Thanksgiving. Youre a grocery store. Im willing to pay whateveryes, I know I should have prepared in advance for a large gathering!

The next plate flew a little far to the left and Alden almost overturned the trash reaching for it. He managed to snag it out of the air and preserve it in the same instant.

What about chickens? Kabir asked in a desperate voice. Maybe you have some very big ones?

Alden caught another plate. Theyd started in the kitchen with the worst of the dishes, and with a more verbal cleaning system where Kabir chanted, Take it, take it, take it! for Alden in between searching through supplies and trying to formulate a plan.

Alden had become a connoisseur of falling food visuals over the past half hour. Watching things that looked really stuck-on fall prey to gravity all at once was satisfying. He was planning many future dish washing sessions with people who werent worried that a wizard named Momo-neen would be disappointed if there wasnt stuffing stuffed into appropriately sized poultry.

Kabir had almost hyperventilated when the first store hed called said cranberries were sold out, so now didnt seem like a good time for Alden to ask for more challenging plate tosses or to spend a few extra minutes experimenting with preserving different layers of grime.

Haoyus going to love chucking things at me, though. And theres dinner tonight. I bet well have tons of dishes.

If a Rabbit with a dedicated dishwashing skill showed up, he would arm wrestle them for the privilege.

Kabirs call ended, and his shoulders slumped. Im going to have to ask her for help.

Who? Alden caught a bowl.

Bowl only. Flip.

He couldnt resist giving one gentle toss straight up, trying to get it to hold its preservation when his hands werent on it.

Total failure He lost preservation and entrustment the moment he let go of it.

I only held onto Zeridee because I desperately wanted to, and because I was in that too-intense headspace. I cant desperately want to protect a cereal bowl and throw it at the same time.

Ms. Velra, Kabir answered. If I call her, there will probably be turkeys falling from the sky within the hour.

You dont want to ask her for help? She was the one whod loaned Kabir to the wizards in the first place, but his reluctance was understandable. I dont blame you. Considering how everything has been going with her

How everything has been going with her was the subtlest way he could refer to the situation.

Just about ten minutes ago, the radio station had played a clip of Aulia making yet another statement. This time she was calling on High Council members to prove that they werent SAL sympathizers trying to frame her. She also suggested a public tattooing ceremony to magically bind them to their oaths of office, conducted by wizards approved by the Artonan Grand Senate. In the past, shed apparently run on promises that she would be willing to do that herself.

Alden thought it wasnt half bad as far as ideas went. Why not have politicians swear unbreakable oaths to do their jobs honestly? But the councilors were all united against it.

I dont want to talk to her, Kabir said. If I talk to her, Ill feel too guilty to quit. Id rather wait until Ive received an official offer from Momo-neen so that I cant back out.

Are you really going to go work for a wizard?

Ive never wanted to before, but now I have an inbox full of messages from people who want to know what I know about Libra, Orpheus, magical water, and Aulia Velra. Like maybe people stand around discussing their plans to blow up Matadero while Im mincing garlic. The woman I went on a few dates with last month called to say we shouldnt see each other! Getting away sounds fine now. Momo-neen seems to be part of some kind of anthropology club? She said they could hire me for almost a year.

Utensils clattered as he swept them onto the last tray and walked over to present them to Alden.

Do you think its traitorous of me to abandon ship when Ms. Velras in trouble? Kabir asked.

Alden was trying to pick up six forks at once, defining them as a single set in his mind. He managed it, but when he shook them, some of the food was still stuck. Hmmmmmcant hold a conversation and perfectly define a stack.

He dropped them back on the tray again and went for a single one. I dont think youre a traitor. Shes just your boss, right?

Kabir shook his head. The line blurs when your boss is Aulia Velra. Most people imagine shes horrible to work for, but shes not. Demanding, impulsive, impossible to reason withyes. Shell wake you up at two oclock in the morning to have you make cookies. Half of her familyno, more like eighty percentI have wanted to poison them before.

That sounded less joking than Alden thought it should.

But Ms. Velra pays very well, said Kabir. And shell wake you up to ask for ginger cookies at two oclock in the morning, but she will also laugh with you when you burn them and tell you about the time she burned a pan full on purpose because her mother forced her to make them for the boy her parents wanted her to marry.

That would have been a long time ago. Alden was struggling to imagine an Aulia who had parents trying to manage her life and choose her fiance.

Not many people know this kind of thing, said Kabir. She only talks about the time before the Artonans arrived when were drinking champagne in the middle of the night.

He paused, then coughed. Non-alcoholic champagne.

I dont care if it was real champagne, said Alden. Can you imagine if that was what the authorities used as an excuse to arrest her, though?

That prompted a sharp bark of a laugh from Kabir. Theyll never imprison her for longer than a day. Not even if she stands on th tip of the Needle and drops whiskey barrels on the people below her. Thats what I believe.

Interesting. Because of how important she is to some Artonans?

The sounds of utensils clattering surrounded them.

That too, maybe, Kabir said. But even if she wasnt thatshes one of the originals. Your generation doesnt really understand them. You think that only the loud few like Aulia are still relevant and the others are all relics. That theyre all too busy working on the Triplanets or bouncing grandchildren on their knees to understand Anesidora today.

Remember Im new, Alden pointed out. Until earlier this year Anesidora was kind of

A theme park. A fantasy land. That place where everyone seemed to have money, magic, and access to more of the universe than the average person could dream of.

Hed known better than that; hed had enough glimpses to add a touch of reality to the place. But it still had been a spot on the map that was simultaneously more and less than what it was in truth.

Thats right! said Kabir. I dont know how I forgot with the accent. But my point is that the old ones are different. And they look out for each other. Ive served meals to some people you would be surprised to know Aulia considers friends, and the things they talk aboutit would take more than a few missing neighborhoods to really upset them. Thats the impression I get.

Kabir looked down at the almost empty tray. Youre fast.

This is great for me. Alden grabbed a spoon. You holding the tray out like youre presenting them to me is enough right now. Its good to know things like that.

They were almost finished.

America, Kabir said. Youre from there. There must be so many turkeys in America right now. Just lying around. But locating them and getting them teleported inI dont know how to do it. Most of the Artonans wont be back until night, and the sun sets late this time of year. But its still not possible.

An idea came to mind suddenly. I could ask my friend Natalie. Im sure shes got a turkey.

I cant take your friends turkey. And just one wouldnt be enough to feed all of them.

Yeah, but Natalies turkey would be loaded with holiday spirit. Literally. Shes got Cook of the Moment. You could add little pieces of it to the sandwiches you were planning on serving before you realized what day it was and everyone would get a taste.

Cook of the Moment? In that case, I definitely cant take your friends turkey. But he looked interested. I could buy it, though. If you think she would be willing to sell it?

Shes business-minded. And shes very interested in working on the Triplanets.

She might be really eager to sell you the magic turkey. I can ask. Let me go call her.

If she says yes, Emilija will never forgive me.

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Back in his room, where his call wouldnt be overheard by Kabir or any stray wizards, he spent a few minutes thinking about what to say so that he wouldnt slip up and reveal some kind of critical Matadero intel and also so that Natalie would have as much of the full picture as possible.

Everyone knows the visiting Artonans come back here every night, so thats not a secret. They have the polite fiction that theyre working on the facilities, so I wont say anything to contradict it. But the fact that they must consume food isnt exactly a secret either.

I literally cant think of anything about the dining arrangements that should be kept private except for the location of the cafeteria.

And when he explained why he was here, he would use Porti-loth as an excuse again, just like he had with Haoyu and Lexi.

Planning done, he called her. She answered right away. She was standing in her kitchen, dressed in one of the chefs jackets the students in the culinary prep program were assigned.

Hey, Natalie, he said. I have a request from another chef.

Giving her the rundown took a while, but when he got around to asking if she might be willing to part with a turkey, she said yes before he could get the whole question out of his mouth.

Are you sure? He watched the messy blond bun on top of her head shake as she aggressively whisked something in a large steel bowl. You can take longer to decide if you want. Kabir is hoping your turkey will bring the meal together, but its not like anyone will go hungry if you say no.

Of course Im sure! Natalie beamed, and her dimple deepened. This is so exciting, Alden. Ive been nervous about cooking professionally for wizards for the first time. Now Im getting a trial run! And I know the turkey should be good. Really good. I set timers so that I could wake up and use my skill on it every chance I got while it thawed. And it will get plenty of doses while it cooks, too. Im basting it with herb butter and with magic!

I bet its perfect and the people who taste it will love it, said Alden, leaning forward in his chair. About paymentthe chef who wants the turkey is well-off and the person who donated the chef to Matadero is hideously wealthy and theres got to be a generous budget for wizard-feeding on top of all that. You can name your price, and you really should because

Nothing, said Natalie. Her golden eyes had gone round with surprise. Obviously. Its Thanksgiving. And the Artonans came here to help.

But youve been working on it so hard. Youre positive?

That tall, bald wizard caught some of the Avowed who threatened us on Friday night. And theyre protecting the ferry that Emilija used to get here. And Cafeteria Norths serving turkey today anyway, so I dont think anyone who comes to my dinner tonight will be that upset if we just have side dishes. Theyre usually the best part. Whoops! Shed whisked too hard and something that looked like it might be whipped cream had escaped from the bowl.

That big bald wizard

Alden bit back the urge to say he hoped those bastards Ro-den had caught with his invisible staircase spell were still crying like babies while they climbed toward outer space. As well as a simultaneous urge to describe Ro-dens true character in unflattering detail.

Telling her he knew The Bald General was a long conversation for another day, and it would ruin the mood.

Thats really good of you, Natalie, he said instead.

What time do you need the turkey? I was timing everything to have it ready a little after six oclock, but I can adjust. And how do I get it to you? she asked.

So turkey is a go. Cube meal delivery logistics

Let me get back to you on that. The grocery deliveries probably get teleported from the TC to us here. But your food deserves a guard.

She laughed like hed said something hilarious.

Im serious, said Alden. It cant go sit in some pile at the TC or travel with a hungry wizard. I saw two Artonans gulp down a dozen servings of trifle by themselves. Some random TC employee might catch a whiff, and the next thing you know, the turkey will be missing a drumstick. Ill see if I can make arrangements to come get it myself.

She was still laughing. Ill guard it with my big knives until you get here.

He nodded. And then use your big knives to guard me from Emilija and Hadiza.

After she was gone, he sat for a while looking at the thermos Porti-loth had given him. Made in Tennessee. Such a minor detail, but he actually had to find a cup made in the right location just to serve me potion in.

He set the thermos back down and headed toward the cafeteria.

On his way through the residential areas lobby, he took a moment to appreciate all the signs of effort that hed only glanced at when he passed through earlier. The projection screen was displaying lists of spells. He assumed, based on some of the names, that they were spells that had been found useful for decontamination. There were funeral programs laid out on one of the tables. And when h walked over to another table and looked inside a box labeled repair these, he saw human personal possessionsa water-damaged photo album, a broken watch, a bag full of painted shards.

Plus, a honeydew melon with strange symbols drawn on it was sitting on one of the sofas. He had no clue what was going on there.

Its not like you can tell which of the wizards are here because they want brownie points or summoning rights and which of them came because they were worried about Avowed theyd worked with before. And some of them are probably just helpful people trying to do the right thing.

But they were all working hard.

When he reached the kitchen, Kabir was slicing tomatoes while he talked to another grocery store. Alden leaned against a counter, waiting for him to finish the call. Then, he said, I just talked to Natalie. Im pretty sure weve been thinking about all of this the wrong way.

The Cook of the Moment wont sell her turkey!

Shes giving it to the cause for free, Alden said before a new wave of panic could strike the man. Ive been listening to you talk to people. You havent actually been telling them who you want all the food for.

I tried that a couple of days ago. Someone hung up on me as soon as I said Matadero. They thought it was a prank.

I think you should forget about cooking. I think we should start calling people we know personally and asking them if theyd like to donate a dish. For Thanksgiving. Whatever they want to share, not just North American Thanksgiving food. It would be more Anesidoran if we had all kinds of cuisines anyway.

Kabir blinked at him. You want to feed the wizards whatever our acquaintances have on hand? A hundred random home-cooked dishes?

You probably know some other chefs, too, dont you? But yeah. Potluck isnt professional, but it feels right for the holiday. And a lot of people are probably grateful to some Artonan whos helped them over the past few days. Maybe they want to show it. But its not easy when theyre wizards and theyre busy and they disappear to the cube whenever they take a small break. Alden shrugged. You and I are here, and I just thoughtwe could make something kind of positive happen. If we worked fast.

Kabir still looked flummoxed.

Is it such a bad idea? Alden didnt think it sounded too crazy. Most of the Artonans he knew would probably like it. I guess everyone might tell us no because of the short notice, or they might not be confident enough to donate their cooking or something. But if we call enough people, it could happen.

Wouldnt we need permission? Kabir asked.

Aldens brows drew down. Uhfor what?

I told General Esh-erdi I could handle the kitchen the last time he came by to talk to me, Kabir said, lowering his voice to such a faint whisper that Alden had to lean toward him to hear it. I told him he could leave it to me. A turkey from an S-rank Rabbit with a cooking skill is one thing. But what if hes offended to see me bringing in food from all over the place that I didnt even cook?

Esh-erdi? Alden was having a hard time falling into step with Kabirs thought process. Esh-erdi is the last person who would be offended by something like you not personally handling every dish. He seems really protective of Avowed. Possibly overprotective. And definitely too generous.

Hes a very intimidating person.

Esh-erdi is? I meanfair. Thats true. But not in the way you mean. And you work for Aulia Velra.

Miss Velra doesnt compare to an Artonan General.

Alden had a feeling that his expression was a match for Kabirs. They each clearly thought the other was being ridiculous about this.

Ill explain the potluck to the hntyons, Alden said, forcing maximum confidence into his voice. And theyre going to think its fine. I promise.

How are you going to find them to talk to them?

If theyre not in their room, Ill just text Esh-erdi.

Kabir squinted at him. Are you serious?

Yes, Alden said. Ive talked to Esh-erdi several times. Even if they dont like the food for some reason, theyre not going to be offended. I swear.

He waited for the chefs final verdict with a small and unexpected case of nerves tightening his stomach. Hed just had the idea, and the idea was only a fun way to do supper. But it felt right.

It was nice to imagine Porti-loth, Lind-otta, and Esh-erdi eating human foods made by humans who were glad they were here and understanding that people appreciated them. I could even freeze a plate for Zeridee, for when shes off her restricted healing diet.

And Drusi-otta. She needs a plate too.

He envisioned himself fixing one, calling her name, and then watching as the food disappeared into thin air.

All right, said Kabir.

Really?

Ill start by calling some restaurants.

Ill start by calling some of my friends.

They looked at each other.

This will be interesting, said Kabir.

Do you think well have enough food? Alden asked. Weve left it pretty late.

There are always the sandwiches.

They both nodded.

<<System,>> said Kabir, <<call Gao>>

Alden was already calling Haoyu. Cool, he thought. This could actually be cool.

Hi, Haoyu! he said as soon as his roommate answered. I thought you and your parents might like to know were going to have whats probably the first ever Thanksgiving Potluck at Matadero, and were taking food donations from anyone who wants to offer something.

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