Jack, as usual, was candid, revealing all his past experiences.

The cages of the mind and body ultimately failed to trap this bird yearning for freedom.

The chains of material and ideology are indeed strong, but as long as the will is firm and the heart desires freedom, those iron chains will eventually be torn apart.

From a certain angle, Jack's story can be considered as having a happy ending.

Although the road ahead is uncertain, and Soya's illness is a considerable burden, there is still hope.

Yun You really liked this story, especially when hearing about the caged bird regaining its freedom, she genuinely felt happy for Jack.

At the same time, there was a strange... envy.

"..."

Jack noticed Yun You's thoughts.

Despite being curious as well, the mercenary did not directly ask but, after considering for a while, took out some pre-prepared barbecue materials from his bag, like frozen skewer meats, synthetic steaks, beef rolls... and a variety of drinks.

Wine, beer, green tea, and most importantly, Jack's favorite, barley wine.

Jack said that ever since his father died, he became fascinated with the taste of barley wine, and whenever he had leisure time, he would sip on it.

Of course, this was just for tasting.

He wouldn't turn into a drunkard like his father.

Incidentally, he had also prepared orange juice for Yun You, which was the little girl's favorite drink.

Yun You had only mentioned it casually before, not expecting Jack to remember it and even buy it beforehand.

"Whoa? So many things?"

Seeing Jack pulling out those bottles, jars, and frozen meat as if opening a treasure chest, Yun You asked in surprise, "Were these prepared before the mission started? I don't recall you mentioning it."

"Yeah."

Jack nodded while installing the barbecue rack over the fire, smiling as he responded, "It's sort of my personal habit."

"When I was little, I never liked eating at home."

"Carlos's meals were quite nice, typical Western-style noble dishes like grilled steak, roasted foie gras, pure organic vegetable salad, and so on."

"These things were nutritious, and the quality of the dishes was top-notch... Moreover, the Patriarch went out of his way to hire a nutritionist from a medical university as a chef, each meal almost seemed like it was sent from the lab, delivered to the dining table after being measured according to the most nutritious and healthy standards."

"Typically, only direct family members had the rights to enjoy this, and everything about it was top-notch..."

"But there's one bad thing about it, which is that it doesn't taste good."

Shrugging, Jack complained, "To prevent bacteria and parasites, the meat is cooked rubbery, and that vegetable salad smells purely of chemicals. I'd rather nibble on the greenery from the upper levels with some barbecue sauce, at least the grass there has some sweet flavor."

"So back then, my favorite thing to do was to gather with a few drinking buddies, go to the family graveyard, dismantle the gun barrels and Mantis Blade prosthetic bodies, set up a simple barbecue station, and for fuel... use the C4 explosives from assassination grenades."

"As for ingredients and seasonings... the former mainly relied on hunting, since normally no one dared to go to the ancestral graveyard. There were plenty of rabbits and wild chickens it was why we chose to barbecue over our ancestors' graves, heh, hopefully, the ancestors wouldn't blame us."

"And as for seasonings, rough salt was enough; animals grown in the wild don't need much seasoning. Just roasting them makes them very tasty. Next time if there's a chance, I'll definitely bring you to taste it, Chica."

"From then on, the habit of barbecuing stuck with me, through to the time as a mercenary."

As he spoke, he tossed the compressed meat rolls into a spare cup beside him.

In no time, those compressed meats, initially the size of rice grains, quickly expanded into plump, succulent beef and lamb rolls.

"Every time I finish a mission, I treat myself to a barbecue to celebrate the victory."

"Previously, the ingredients and grills were too big to carry conveniently, so I had to bring a little, using wooden racks as grills and bugs with compressed biscuits as ingredients, barely making do."

"Now technology has improved, a fist-sized food pack can hold over two hundred slices of meat rolls; one drop of seasoning can boil a whole pot of hot soup... It's much more convenient, although the taste isn't as good as before, which is a bit of a pity."

Jack feigned a regretful sigh, but his hands skillfully skewered the meat on plastic bamboo sticks, spreading aromatic chili powder and salt for marination.

Truth be told, the mercenary was indeed a crafty guy, equally comfortable in the hall and the kitchen.

But this was not surprising, given that during times with no income, Jack took care of his sick sister by himself, for several years, likely learning most of the housekeeping skills...

In no time, Jack prepared the meat skewers, setting them on the fire while also starting to mix a fruit cocktail salad.

"Sizzling~!"

Soon, the meat sizzled and dripped oil over the crackling wood fire... The fragrance of the meat and the spicy aroma of seared cumin and chili intertwined, with the woody charcoal smell, wafting aggressively into Yun You's nose.

The rich aroma of grilled meat, intertwined with the golden-brown rolls, danced in the night, creating a beautiful scene that made one's mouth water.

"Gulp..."

Yun You couldn't help but swallow her saliva, her gaze, once attracted by the fire and the meat, couldn't be pulled away.

She hadn't had grilled meat in a very, very long time, hardly enjoying it.

Since she left home, it seemed like she lost all 'desire' for life, with the actions she took only to keep herself alive... Even after becoming an Apprentice Death God, with the large sum of money from her master, she had no desire or thought to squander it. Or rather, she didn't even have the concept of 'enjoyment'.

The most luxurious act she could think of was having an extra helping of a ready meal with two slices of synthetic meat for dinner or adding an extra cup of chemically concocted frozen orange juice, nothing more.

Now, tasting the grilled meat Jack personally made finally awakened Yun You's cravings buried in her heart. Additionally, it gently unraveled the last defenses in the young girl's heart.

"Why are you zoning out? Come and try it."

Jack grabbed the skewer with the most meat, handed it to Yun You with a smile.

Upon seeing this, the young girl didn't hesitate, taking the skewer and biting down vigorously.

Instantly, Yun You felt the abundance of meaty aroma, with the rolls roasted till crunchy, crispy yet not dry. Each bite crackled with satisfaction, the meat juices and oils sliding down her throat, warming her entire body, bringing immense gratification.

While the taste of the pre-prepared rolls couldn't fully match fresh meat, Jack's precise control of the heat made up for this shortfall.

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