"Is this... The rice we grew?!"
Uvogin witnessed this scene firsthand, especially the moment he watched the wheat grow from planting to maturity.
A sense of exhilaration welled up within him that was even more intense!
This feeling was truly too satisfying!
"..."
Machi still didn't say much, but the faint curve of her lips and the slight brightness in her eyes were enough to reveal her inner emotions at this moment.
"Okay, one last step."
Luke tossed each of them a small sickle, one of the included planting kits.
"After harvesting the glutinous rice, simply place it into the chimney of the machine."
At this point, Luke didn't need any further instructions.
Uvogin had already crossed his arms, energetically stepping back into the field.
Machi followed closely behind.
Looking at those golden ears of wheat, their throats instinctively gulped.
They could almost smell the sweet fragrance of the wheat.
Their already hungry stomachs were now even emptier after two hours of toil and waiting.
Seeing the fruits of their labor, they could no longer resist and rushed forward, brandishing their sickles.
Click! Click! Click!
For a moment, the only sound in the room was the relentless slicing of wheat.
Soon, piles of wheat began to pile up before Luke.
"Put this wheat in the machine. It will automatically hull it, then steam it until cooked, and finally it will become sticky rice cakes..."
Luke shoved the wheat into the top of the chimney of the machine, then pulled the lever as the device began to shake.
And then...
When Uvogin and Machi had harvested all the wheat and climbed out of the field…
"This is..."
They watched as the machine swung, and a square, sticky rice cake, fragrant with the aroma of glutinous rice, emerged from the bottom opening!
It carried a faint wisp of steam, instantly sweeping away the fatigue felt by Uvogin and Machi.
They stared intently at the freshly baked sticky cake, and then...
Tick-tick.
One after another, steaming, freshly baked cakes emerged from the opening at the bottom of the machine.
"Hmm..."
Luke casually picked up a sticky rice cake that popped out of the machine and popped it into his mouth.
The fragrant aroma of glutinous rice, mixed with the sticky, chewy texture...
"Delicious..."
He savored it, nodded at Uvogin and Machi, and commented with a smile.
Uvogin: "..."
Machi: "..."
Bang!
The two tossed their sickles aside and charged forward like hungry tigers pouncing on their prey.
Crack, crack, crackle!
Uvogin grabbed three sticky rice cakes with one hand and stuffed them directly into his mouth.
He chewed them with a crunching sound, the sticky fragrance rushing from his mouth straight to his nose and brain!
"Delicious..."
He mumbled the words and continued stuffing his mouth with sticky rice cakes.
If it weren't for the sticky texture and the tendency to get stuck in his mouth, Uvogin would have eaten them all.
Even so, every sticky rice cake that popped out, he would swallow one almost immediately.
Although Machi's eating style wasn't as wild as Uvogin's, her little cheeks puffed out adorably as she stuffed herself.
"This is even better than the church's sticky rice cakes."
Those were the second words Machi had spoken since meeting Luke.
"Of course it tastes different when you make it yourself."
Luke smiled while casually picking up a piece of sticky rice cake and putting it in his mouth.
It tasted good, but unfortunately, it was a bit dry. Something to drink would have made it perfect.
Uvogin and Machi didn't say anything, just focused on eating the sticky rice cake.
Luke also watched the numbers ticking on the Mochi-Maker.
The top column was constantly increasing, while the bottom column was fixed at 219.
This meant that the wheat they had harvested so far could produce 219 sticky rice cakes.
Originally, it should have been 259, but because Uvogin and Machi were unfamiliar with the process, some of the wheat hadn't grown properly.
But over 200 was enough, just enough to divide into three portions, 73 each.
But it was obvious…
Luke glanced at Uvogin, who was still gorging himself on the sticky rice cake.
The big, stupid guy had no intention of sharing the food that was right in front of him with the others.
But it didn't matter.
The delicious food was still to come.
Finally, when all two hundred or so sticky rice cakes were made and quickly devoured by Uvogin...
"Burp!"
Though he wasn't feeling particularly full, Uvogin still burped politely.
"So good!"
Uvogin leaned back contentedly, wanting to grab a stick to pick his teeth.
But after glancing at the empty house, he gave up.
Machi, standing by, wiped the sticky rice cake residue from her face and fixed her small eyes on Luke.
People, only after a full stomach, can think deeply.
For example, who was this person before them, and why had he gone out of his way to entertain them?
And then there was this so-called invention, Mochi-Maker, that had suddenly appeared out of nowhere, along with all its accompanying props.
All of it made one's mind churn with questions.
Machi could see that, despite his carefree demeanor, Uvogin was also quite thoughtful.
He didn't have Machi's habit of remaining silent.
Instead, he spoke directly.
"My name is Uvogin, and she's Machi..."
"Machi komacine."
Machi emphasized her full name.
"Okay, I'm the only one without a last name."
Uvogin spread his hands.
"Luke."
Luke simply stated his name.
Uvogin, however, was even happier: "So you don't have a last name either, just like me!"
"..."
Luke didn't bother saying his surname.
In this world, the Western naming system is followed, with the given name first and the last name last.
For example, Gon's full name is Gon Freecss, where Gon is his given name and Freecss is his last name.
Generally speaking, people here address each other by their first name.
Unless someone possesses unparalleled influence and a formidable reputation, commanding respect, then they are addressed by their last name.
The most typical example is the current strongest man in the world, Chairman Netero.
His full name is Isaac Netero.
Isaac is his first name, Netero his last name, but nowadays, people in the world only address him by his honorific title, Chairman Netero.
This also caused his descendant, his unworthy son, Beyond Netero, to almost lose his last name.
"This is the first time I have ever enjoyed sticky rice cakes so heartily..."
Uvogin still felt a little unsatisfied. "Anyway, Luke, thank you for your hospitality."
He clenched his fist and pointed his thumb towards himself. "From now on, in this area, you can just say you're my man, Uvogin."
"In this area, I'll protect you!"
Uvogin spoke with such arrogance, like a powerful leader.
But Luke knew his own limitations.
Besides his size and strength, he was essentially ignorant.
Even Chrollo, accompanied by Shalnark and Franklin, could easily outmaneuver him.
Of course, it wasn't just Uvogin and Machi; even Feitan and Phinks, the biker delinquent duo, were similarly manipulated by Chrollo.
So, Uvogin's words of support were just for show.
"If you're ever hungry and need something to eat, just come to me."
Luke clapped his hands, making a promise.
"Really?!"
Uvogin's eyes sparkled, their large eyes suddenly widening.
"Do you think the sticky rice cakes we ate today were fake?"
Luke shrugged. "Next time you're hungry, you can come over, but be sure to plan ahead."
"Of course, if you still don't trust me and won't come again, then that's fine..."
"We will come! How could we not come?!"
Uvogin grinned widely, then leaned toward Luke: "Luke, you're such a nice guy!"
"I really like you so much!"
"Come on, let me thank you properly!"
Uvogin had no other assets, nothing to thank others with.
Even after the Phantom Troupe was formed, he still had no money.
So much so that in Yorknew City, after Shalnark helped him track Kurapika, Shalnark insisted he only wanted money and nothing else, but Uvogin still shamelessly pressed his thick lips onto Shalnark's face.
Now, it was clear that Uvogin was thinking the same thing.
"I don't need your gratitude at all."
Luke, expressionless, reached out and covered Uvogin's head, pinning it there.
For now, all he needed was Uvogin's request for food, and that was all he needed.
"Don't be embarrassed, I don't have anything else... Huh?! You're incredibly strong..."
Uvogin had initially thought it was just a joke after a full meal, a way to vent his excitement.
But then he suddenly realized that the strength in Luke's hand... Seemed to be just as strong as his own!
This sparked his competitive spirit, and he began to wrestle silently with Luke's hand.
Machi, who was standing nearby, looked at Luke, who was easily restraining Uvogin, then glanced at the sticky rice cake maker nearby.
The curiosity in her gaze couldn't have been clearer.
"No more competition, I gave up!"
Realizing something was off, Uvogin quickly reacted, yelling as he pulled back and freed himself from Luke's grip.
And then, on Machi's behalf, he voiced the question on both their minds: "How did you do that?!"
Uvogin smacked his lips and asked directly: "How did you... Invent this thing?"
He felt that Luke's so-called invention was a little different from what he had imagined.
"Do you want to know?"
Luke looked at Uvogin's curious expression, the corner of his mouth curling up slowly.
"Hmm..."
Uvogin nodded immediately, and Machi glanced over. "This so-called invention stems from a mysterious power within the human body."
Luke said leisurely.
"Depending on each person's constitution, this power manifests differently."
"And how do we unleash this power..."
Looking at the two focused expressions, Luke's lips curled slightly.
"That's..."
That's… Uvogin and Machi instinctively leaned forward.
"No comment."
Luke suddenly spread his hands, his tone changing.