Posts from Lafrenia Auto-translated

/I did some calculations and realized that Ashura only needs to buy one more item from another store to complete the companion achievement. So, after visiting Boreas, all that will be left is to spend the experience points./

By the way, characters created in the first chapter receive 500 additional experience points. Starting with the second chapter and onwards, they might receive even more.

The GM is subtly hinting at a party wipe...

We urgently need to recreate the characters from scratch.

Seven Avarites

Taking advantage of the Ashura discount, I buy an experience potion (4.1), and also order Nem Kuon, Nem Nyong, Nem Che, Nem Tua, herbal tea, and sugarcane juice (9.84). After that, I go to learn the chef skill and then head to the quest with recipes.

Having finished with the questions, Ayrlis decided to visit "Boreas" again, this time on a mission to help with the recipes. Before that, however, the girl decided to try the local cuisine, both out of curiosity about the taste of the local dishes and to better understand what kind of recipes might interest the local chefs and patrons of the establishment.

“Alright, let’s see what you’ve come up with,” Chinh Thi Trung said, bustling around the kitchen and tidying up, “I need a dish that won’t stand out too much from the rest of the menu, but also has a price that’s affordable for customers.”

“We need to come up with a name, a recipe, and the effect the food will have; the cost will depend on the effect.”

I'm just too lazy to describe the socks and hair... sigh

Having put on an apron and tied her hair back to keep it out of the way while cooking and to prevent it from accidentally becoming a secret ingredient in a new dish, Ayrlys began to cook. In her life, she had tried many different dishes, including some that were similar to the local assortment, so the girl already had some ideas. Let it not be so much an original recipe as her own interpretation of an existing one. It was best to start small. And so, humming a melody to herself, she gracefully moved around the kitchen, switching from one cooking step to another. Despite her calm appearance, however, the Kaolian intended to give it her all – it was far from certain that she would be able to impress the local chefs, and they would probably even find a way to improve the recipe, but that didn't mean she shouldn't try. Her mother always told her that if you start something, try to do your best. And now, Ayrlys was trying to follow these words as closely as possible. And finally, when the cooking was finished, the swordswoman presented the fruits of her labor to the owner, who had probably been waiting for a while.

Banh xeo
Coconut pancakes with a filling of shrimp, soybean sprouts, and onions
A chance that something good will happen to the character soon.

“Surprisingly well done for someone born outside the Federation,” commented Chinh Thi Trung, after trying the new dish, “but, let me put it this way… We already have a similar dish on our menu,” she said, pointing at the “Banh Xeo,” “so, unfortunately, I can’t approve it.”

I should have focused on improving my perception.

Added 1 minute later
— Thank you for the compliment, and I apologize, — Ayrlis said, slightly flustered, as that menu item had completely slipped her mind. — May I, then, try to prepare something else?

— It’s okay, don’t worry, I think the names of our dishes might be a bit difficult for people from your country to grasp due to unfamiliarity. For now, we’re accepting one recipe per person, so you won’t be able to submit a second attempt yet, but if we don’t find anything suitable, we’ll be happy to welcome you back to our kitchen.
He then bows and thanks us before saying goodbye.

Added 23 minutes later
Is there anyone else here who is polite?

I’ll also turn in my sheet.

High Culture

1. Which of the deities of the Pantheon of Seven is the most beautiful and why?

Luxuria. It is absolutely obvious. Surely all the little girls in this land, playing house or princess, if they have any concept of the images in their religion, choose her as their role model. After all, she looks the best, wears the most beautiful clothes and jewelry, the powerful of this world fall at her feet, she is pampered and given any gift she asks for.
Surely all the little boys feel discomfort and get very nervous from this image, but still naturally fly to it like a moth to a kerosene lamp. Surely this is one of the best-selling dolls in this establishment, not counting purchases for religious purposes.

2. What are the strongest aspects of the images of Mana, Abelia, and Risha?

Mana: aquamarine nails, cherry eyes, dull-icy hair flowing in the water, gorgeous sandals (I would very much like to find those for sale), very cute bracelets, a magnificent and prestigious necklace, but such things don't suit me.
Just as with Luxuria, the Lady makes it clear that she will not tolerate competition in her kingdom, therefore she complements the initially high bar of polish with individual stylish touches. It is superfluous to even mention the details of her dress that evoke an association with sea maidens — another bright childhood image for any girl.

Abelia: undoubtedly her lush, curly, uncontrollable luxurious hair, one look at which makes you want to be wrapped in a shroud and never return to the cycle. When my younger brother was seriously ill as a child, bedridden for a whole month with a terrible fever, spending days and nights in delirious fever, Aun... Auntie often appeared to him, leaning over his poor, powerless, paralysis-stricken body, blocking the flame of the nightlight, and all he could observe was her pale, glowing skin and sorrowful gaze, which seemed to be considering whether to take his soul with her sharp black hand immediately or to wait a while longer.
Otherwise, her ephemeral image of transience, fragility, and sickliness is well offset by her bright lips, a couple of unobtrusive jewelry, and a princess-like pose, or rather something between a princess and a cruel empress of the afterlife, leaving room for interpretation of her true intentions; all this together makes it clear that such a style is her personal choice, unlike what is destined for you.

Risha: nothing declares an image's femininity as much as full hips. At first glance, it is clear that this goddess brought life into a vast layer of the universe, and then nourished it with her mighty breast.
Incidentally, in most of her officially recognized depictions, one can see that the tips of her breasts are concealed by the clawed, leathery wing of a presumed demon reaching for sustenance, which she is nurturing to terrorize this unfortunate world. The same can be said for the part of her garment that gently flows around her legs, embracing the goddess like a mother — the same clawed demon wings, although it could just as easily be a dragon, or even an ordinary fruit bat, completely harmless and cute, but due to its somewhat strange appearance and nocturnal lifestyle, causing rejection and a desire to see it destroyed in many people.
Was it created by the Lady? Despite the otherworldly associations prevalent among the people — no, this animal is as much a full member of the living world as you and I, created by Mana and then abandoned to its fate, and due to its unattractive appearance, finding acceptance and compassion nowhere else except in Risha's bosom. In my opinion, the ability to accept and love any creature, even the most repulsive in appearance, is one of the main virtues defining a woman. Many will disagree with me, but in this aspect, the Lady is immeasurably closer to any form of femininity and motherhood than Mana.
Why do I call her the Lady? Because if you develop the idea of the pantheon (or the Church — call it what you will) as a family, the place of Auntie is already taken, and besides, it doesn't quite suit her. Here, Risha rather plays the role of an uncontrollable, destructive mistress from outside, that is, if we take on faith the mass perception formed by strange folk stories and even uncritically accepted by the uneducated masses. The Church here, to some extent, has a more sober and balanced approach to assessing her role and qualities, but again it varies in detail from parish to parish.
Personally, I find such an attitude towards this goddess completely unfair. Ever since childhood, when I had to attend church regularly with my whole family, I noticed that her name was spoken with fear, sadness, or even anger, while in response, from her official depiction, she looks completely unmalicious, with a slight half-smile and a detached gaze, as if she understands that nothing can be done about human ignorance, but at the same time, there is a hint of sadness in her expression. One of her eyes is closed so as not to fully partake of all the injustice of the world that one must come to terms with, and to slightly dim the intensity of the crimson flame it emits, which simple mortal beings cannot handle.
Equally biased, it seems to me, are such elements of the official depiction as those same demonic wings and the incomprehensibly mutant-looking scythe with eyes sprouting from it, made from a dragon's tail or something similar, with a clawed, gnarled paw at the end. In this way, the official theological artists seek to instill otherworldly horror in the common person, and they succeed, but we must not forget that this is merely the representation of people depicting such an image.
On a more positive note, I want to mention the hair again — to some extent, it combines the shades and styles of Mana and Abelia, which is surprisingly to the credit of the official artists, pushing us to think that even these horrors they depict are merely one of the facets of existence, which they chose to portray in such a way. In form, this hair, in my opinion, fully conveys the essence of this goddess's image — it flows freely and luxuriantly over her body, but part of it is tied back so as not to obstruct her view and actions, and it becomes perfectly clear that if let down, it would rival even Abelia's mane.
"Your great-Rishan dream is, without descending into the rut of order, to free the universe and everyone else from limits. This is Rishism" — a quote by Basoslav, an Orion priest canonized posthumously, before his supposed execution on the main square of Maoshima — a story we were all told from the cradle. It is supposed to highlight the Lady's ill intentions and the inability of her adherents to coexist, but I see it as a metaphor for the fact that in the last moments of his life, Basoslav was finally able to understand the position of his opponents, in opposition to their excessive dehumanization, even if he did not accept it, according to his own stoicism and unshakable morale.
But we have digressed a bit.
The other elements of Risha's attire in her official depiction should emphasize her rejection of generally accepted norms — in not many modern societies is it considered decent for a woman to show so much skin. But what can you do if you are used to a different climate and it's hot for you in the new place? Due to differences in climate, some people can even easily get a tan under sun that is relatively moderate for local latitudes. In general, I am on the Lady's side here; moreover, her flawless, velvety skin of a perfectly healthy tone suggests rather that she is fully aware of her maternal-feminine image and has no intention of hiding it in any way. An extremely small and semi-transparent veil seems to mock social norms, nominally covering part of the body, but a very small part, and still leaving space for view.
I will conclude my analysis of the Lady's image with her boots and gloves — unlike Mana and Abelia, these parts of her body she keeps covered. The question is — why? Could it be that clawed paws or demonic hooves are hidden behind them? But that is not the case — the design of one of the boots deliberately anticipates this question and, with a certain degree of insolence, completely refutes this biased assumption. I think two factors are at play here — firstly, of course, long gloves and high boots are feminine clothing items and further emphasize this in her image. And secondly — perhaps this serves as another form of detachment from the dirt and imperfection of the world. All in all, this creates an interesting and quite refreshing contrast with the open body, ready to take into its loving maternal embrace any unfortunate soul who has not found their place.

Someday, I hope, the peoples of the world will grow wiser and their attitude towards this goddess will change.

3. Favorite eye color?

I have very rarely come across eyes in life that clearly draw attention to themselves, perhaps due to where I lived most of my life, where there aren't many bright shades. So I don't consider them an important element, and a color that suits the hair and clothes is good. The gaze is more important than the shade.

4. Favorite hair color?

From natural ones — golden and ash. From artificial ones — dark shades of green, pink, and light lilac. Unfortunately, artificial colors suit very few people, but someday I would like to find some population of Nii people where these were colors given to them by the gods from birth...

5. What do you prefer — tights, stockings, or knee-highs?

If ranking in descending order, then exactly that. At home, I almost never saw stockings or knee-highs, so I'm not used to them, and besides, they don't suit every appearance or every outfit.

6. And what length — thigh-high, above the knee, or below the knee?

If choosing "thigh-high," then why not just choose tights? Balance is needed in everything, so let it be "above the knee."

7. What about skirts, which length is best — mini, above the knee, below the knee?

The shorter, the better! Please, just don't tell my parents...

8. What is better — a skirt, shorts, or pants?

When it comes to femininity, of course a skirt, but one must not forget that length matters, and choosing it is not a simple matter and includes a huge number of factors to consider, such as the climate, the situation you will be in, the presence of people and which ones, your own image. If it's too difficult to calculate all this, and the climate allows, then shorts will do.

9. What about height — short, average, or tall?

Short height has never harmed femininity, so most people won't go wrong with it. Tall is also good, but only if you have a suitable image for it and maintain it skillfully, and if the men around you do not appear shorter than you, otherwise it's simply a pitiful sight — for an outside observer, for the man himself, but first and foremost, of course, for the woman.

10. And the chest — small, medium, or large?

Believe me, small breasts are not the worst thing that can happen to you. Large breasts have many downsides — shoulders hurt a lot, it's difficult to find suitable clothing, it gets hot in warm weather, and you also have to catch the glances of various nasty old men... In short, friends with small breasts, don't despair! I'm rooting for you! You will definitely meet those who will like you just the way you are!
__________________________________________________ _

Let's finish up the survey. Mira asks the seller:
- Evgeniy Stalinovich, don't take this as rudeness or idleness, but I'm very curious... What kind of name is that for your daughter, not one of ours? It's beautiful, I've never heard anything like it.

— It's alright, don't worry, I think the names of our dishes might be a bit difficult for people from your country to grasp due to unfamiliarity. For now, we're accepting one recipe per person, so you won't be able to try again just yet, but if we don't find anything suitable, we'll be happy to welcome you back to our kitchen.
Then, he bows and thanks you before saying goodbye.

Upon learning about Ayrlis's failure, Coriel was surprised and somewhat disappointed ("Our commander looks like someone who knows a lot about food; she went in there with such confidence and knowledge that it's surprising how strict their criteria are at the restaurant.") Perhaps the Kaolian told Nao about the reasons, or maybe not... In any case, the girl gathered her courage and followed her into "Boreas." After making a polite bow, she asks:
— May I try to suggest something to you? I'm not a professional.

Coriel, learning about the possibility of earning money in a peaceful way, did not fail to take advantage of it:

Culture

1. Which of the deities of the Pantheon of Seven is the most beautiful and why?
It is not a man's place to judge a woman's beauty, but still, in my opinion, Luxuria is the most beautiful of all. She possesses the features of a true Lilyan woman, and Lilyan women are the most beautiful of all.
2. What are the strongest qualities of the images of Mana, Abelia, and Rishi?
The strongest quality of our mother Mana is her water colors, both in her clothing and in her hair, which remind us all of where we come from.
The strongest quality of Abelia... her breasts? Unfortunately, I cannot say that I am a fan of death, and her entire appearance evokes thoughts of inevitable demise.
The strongest quality of Rishi is her horns, which evoke thoughts of women of another very beautiful race - the Kaolians.
3. Favorite eye color?
Purple.
4. Favorite hair color?
Blue.
5. What do you prefer - tights, stockings, or knee-highs?
I suppose this is not about what I personally prefer to wear... The one who chooses me can wear whatever she wants, but I prefer stockings.
6. And what length - to the thigh, above the knee, or below the knee?
To the thigh.
7. What about skirts, what length is better - mini, above the knee, or below the knee?
A true lady has no need to show off her virtues to everyone around. Below the knee.
8. What is better - a skirt, shorts, or pants?
For a true lady, only a skirt, and even better - a dress.
9. What about height - short, medium, or tall?
A woman should be taller than her man - this is well known. Therefore, a tall woman will always look good with any admirer.
10. And breasts - small, medium, or large?
Breasts are what distinguish a man from a woman. The larger the breasts, the more feminine the woman.