“Don’t gloat,” Uliel warned back in Amy’s home while Vasta was beaming.

“And you don’t be jealous. You’re getting levels from the towers at least, meanwhile, I’m stuck practicing the best I can for all of mine while trying to teach someone who doesn’t even want to learn. Let me enjoy this,” The non-affinity mage shot back, even if that was no longer the most accurate thing to call her for the fact that she was no longer the only one in the world with the skill. There’d obviously been Jake for a few years by that point, but Ben had just helped awaken two more who had been trying to reach the same height. Of course, she still had the highest level of any of them, and by a decent margin too, but the side effect of that was that she would be having two new students joining her lessons with Jake in an effort to help them get comfortable with the potential of their new power.

Ben for his part ignored them, focusing entirely on his cooking as he rushed to make enough to feed a crowd, despite the limits he had to work under. He had his four homunculi of course, their faces hidden away under Amy’s instruction to keep any of their old classmates from being freaked out if they happened to see them, but there was still a limit of hands for all of the cutting, kneading, and cooking that needed to be done, leaving him to rely on his mana as anyone watching would think that a lot of the work was just doing itself, with pans flipping their contents and spoons stirring pots under his extended control.

“Uh, Ben?” Amy asked, guilt in her voice from seeing how much work Jake dumped on him without a second thought. “Could you use a hand?”

“Nah, don’t worry about it. With how much I have going on, it’s easier by myself,” He told her, trying to be reassuring despite the chaos in his kitchen. “How long do we have?”

“I think people will start arriving in tenish minutes.”

Her comment was immediately rewarded with the sight of him working even faster as the bit of guilt festered, even as Thera tried to reassure her.

“Don’t worry, he really is happier this way.”

“Are you sure?”

“Happier might be a bit of a stretch, but at the very least it is kind of interesting to be acting as an entire kitchen staff all by myself,” He told her, trying to make sure his only uncovered face looked positive.

It wasn’t like it was that bad, and he really didn’t mind, any pressure he was feeling was just self-imposed. He wanted everything to be delicious for everyone and he wanted to have a nice, fun environment for their little class reunion. Sure, he’d seen them all to some extent over the course of the day, but that hadn’t been a reunion so much as it had been work. They barely got to exchange any words, and even if he wasn’t close enough to any of them back on Earth to care, now that they were all they each had of the human race, he couldn’t help but want to make the best of a time like that given how low the odds were it would happen again.

As one set of pizzas came out of the oven another went in with the sounds of knocking at the door, clearly their expected guests since the gatesman let them through as Jake rushed out to greet them.

“Okay, if the rest of you want to start taking some of this out and lining tables buffet style then I’ll finish up here and be out in a bit as I finish up the last of it. Just give me a few.”

He had more food in the ovens and more munchies to complete, not to mention a dessert, but he had his drive and wasn’t going to let himself fall flat at the finish line. Every body he had was moving with a renewed level of speed and precision and he watched through many eyes as it all came together into a cohesive whole, ready to be fed to any waiting guests.

Huh, seems like those two skills like to grow together. Guess it makes sense given that my so-called puppets have hands for me to use. Maybe something to think a bit more on later.

For the time being he loaded up his arms with plates, leaving behind his clones as he carried out all he could to place down with the rest, not noticing how many eyes were making their way to him at first until he turned around to greet the crowd with a smile, taking in far more than anyone expected.

He didn’t make any big show of his arrival, not thinking himself special enough to warrant something so flashy, but under the effect of his absolute thought speed he felt like he had. All he’d done had been slip through the kitchen door to the lounge area, but dozens of eyes had flicked his way, holding just a little longer than could be considered passing interest before going back to their conversations, none wanting to be too obvious as to their intent as Ben did his best to keep any displeasure from his face.

He wasn’t really clear to what extent information about his skills had gotten out, but there were plenty of clues to give away the fact that he had a few awakened ones. His awakened crafting was a publicly known fact given how it had happened, and if rank one adventurers were in any way public then they might know he had at least two.

And I’m not really shy about materializing things so that adds a third, plus I’ve shown I can help others awaken under the right conditions which doesn’t necessarily imply a fourth but it doesn’t have to to make me valuable. Damn it, this is going to be a recruitment drive, isn’t it?

The most annoying part of it was that he wasn’t just seeing it in the eyes of the people acting as the other humans’ escorts, but a few of his old classmates as well, no doubt asked by their friends and higher-ups in their new homelands to see about bringing him into the fold.

But I don’t actually know if that’s the case yet so I gotta give them the benefit of the doubt. He told himself, trying to be positive, even as he stretched out the effects of his deep connection as far as they would go, ready to read the minds of anyone who walked in his path as the first came to him, her escort looking familiar as well.

“Ben, it’s been so long!” A girl, Sarah told him enthusiastically, a jötunn noblewoman he’d once rebuked by her side. “How have you been? Jake’s been talking up your food since we got in so I’ve been looking forward to giving it a try. And… your eyes are purple now?”

On the surface of her mind, she really was just making conversation, wanting a friendly chat to catch up, even if she’d been asked to, just like he’d expected. It seemed like someone was hoping they might cozy up enough that he could be talked into visiting, where the real recruitment drive would start.

The woman beside her on the other hand, someone Ben had made a brace for in the past but hadn’t cared enough to remember her name, was busy thinking of any way she could work things to make not only herself, but Sarah as appealing as possible, putting words to tell her off on the tips of his lips.

Stop. This is a party, even if it’s annoying, I don’t want to ruin the mood.

“Just a side effect of a skill, but I’m doing well,” He told her brightly. “Got a nice job, made some friends, got a super cool and beautiful girlfriend over there chatting with Steph. If you get the chance you should say hi, she’s great.”

He was going a bit over the top, but he at least wanted to make it clear that he was taken and seduction of any sort wasn’t going to work, even as the jötunn was thinking about how humans didn’t seem entirely monogamous because of one particular relationship.

Damn it Jake, going around and complicating the perception of all humans everywhere because you’re an idiot. Of course, from the looks of things he’s not the only person who came here with a couple lovers.

He could already see the idea of seduction being used as a tool against him in the eyes of some others, but Sarah at least seemed to get the idea.

“Ha, lucky girl then,” She told him, moving on to talk about herself and what she’d been up to for a span until he could find an excuse to politely slip away. There were a lot of people around after all, he couldn’t only focus on one.

And maybe I can enjoy some conversation from someone without any ulterior motive. There’s gotta be a few, right?

His optimism was admirable, even in the face of all of the hungry eyes who’d noticed he no longer had a conversation partner, all of them waiting for the perfect time to strike.

“‘Sup, you look alone and ready to be talked into moving to my magical home,” Karly teased, one of the few that had no reason to try and talk him into anything given the strong connection he already had to Anailia.

“I’m glad it’s not just obvious to me,” He sighed. “This has made the night so much less fun.”

“Ha, well Pelenia did tell me that if anyone else was bothering you, I should tell you to marry Thera and maybe it would stop.”

“Since it hasn’t even though my engagement is public knowledge, I don’t think getting married is going to do anything.”

“Probably not, I think she just wants to see her daughter’s wedding,” She laughed. “If you do get married you have to cater it yourself though, this is delicious.”

“Why does everyone always tell me to cook for events I’m taking part in? Part of the fun of these things is getting to enjoy the taste of anyone else's hard work.”

“Hmm, but you’d do the cooking for it if Thera asked you, right?”

“In a heartbeat.”

“Ha, then I’ll make sure I tell her to tell you. Speaking of, I think I’ll mingle with her and Amy for a bit, I just wanted to say hi between all of your recruiters.”

“Please come save me again if you can,” He told her, waving her off and in a slightly better mood for the chat. It wasn’t like everyone there was interested in recruiting him, with only about a quarter of the humans and about fifty percent of their handlers, but of them all, they were the ones making the greatest effort to talk to him. He had plenty of respect for anyone who had declined their nation's requests on the grounds that they really weren’t that close before their deaths, but it still left him at the hands of those who were proactively going for him.

Where the hell are Will and Jake, they should be saving me and… Wait, did Jake talk Will into an eating contest? I didn’t cook all of that for it to not be savoured! As soon as I get my hands on them-

“Hey Ben,” A new voice called out in a friendly tone as they made their way over. “I’ve wanted to chat all night but it looks like you’ve been mister popular. How’ve you been?”

“Hey John, good to see you,” He began, putting back on his friendly face as he waited for the other to step into the range of his skill to see whatever nefarious goals were hidden in his thoughts.

I wonder what he was offered. So many were just told they’d get a bonus or a fun new toy, they really should look for a little more and- wait, nothing? No hidden agenda for coming to say hi? Oh John, Jonnyboy, what an absolute sweetheart. Here we are with a quarter of the humans on the planet trying to have me pulled into the nations that took them for their own added benefit and all he’s thinking about is how glad he is to see none of us died yet? And he’s trying not to let on that he even cried for me when I was pronounced dead back in Galwax’s trial? Myriad, get me his mailing address, someone is being sent a fortune in equipment.

No, we spoke occasionally but weren’t even acquaintances. Still, anyone who’ll shed some tears for me deserves nothing but the best that I can provide.

Among the rest, he could also feel just genuine worry for him given how he’d been left behind to fend for himself that touched his heart, making him move to put the other at ease.

“Life’s honestly been good, man. I have a job I love, I’ve made friends, met a great girl and honestly feel like I’ve been making this place my home. I’d love to talk about the last couple years for a bit if you don’t have anyone else to chat with right now?”

“You sure? It looks like a lot of people want to talk with you.”

“Bah, don’t worry about them. And you need to tell me how you’ve been too. I want the details about the life of John on the alien world.”

It wasn’t how he’d expected the night to go, nor who he’d been expecting to spend so much time talking to, but as the hours wore on he couldn’t help but enjoy that little bit of company as they talked the night away until it was finally time for them to part as the twenty humans of the world said their goodbyes for a second time, the mood for all of them being a lot brighter than the first.