Volume Five, Prologue
“…And so, that’s how it went… We had an audience with Mr. Ville’s brother, and explored a dungeon again… it was quite an eventful time!”
The meat in the frying pan sizzles with a lively sound.
As I stand watching it with a turner in hand, a milk-white face stretches toward me. Two full-moon-like eyes blink and observe me intently.
‘You never change, do you? Always getting swept up in strange and uncanny things, girl.’
“Ehhh… I think it’s what you’d call ‘beyond my control’…”
The brilliant white dragon sighs. Those golden moon-like eyes regard me with a mix of exasperation and disbelief as I flip a hamburger steak.
This dragon who stares at me with pity as I furrow my brows at the harsh words is none other than the esteemed Lady Meel, a Mirage Dragon. It’s a dragon capable of casting extremely advanced illusions!
Whether she’s like a knight princess or a noble lady… despite her haughty attitude, which suits her perfectly, I met Lady Meel through a chance encounter. Despite our chaotic first meeting, she’s now taken a liking to me as her "meal provider.”
‘Still, that so-called ‘saint’… something about her smells fishy.’
“Yes… I feel nothing but bad vibes about her in every sense…”
‘And asking you to run around interfering with this saint’s activities is also strange. Why not just go directly and crush her?’
“Ah, hahaha… The King has his own thoughts on the matter, I suppose.”
Lady Meel snorts with a bewildered expression, and only dry laughter escapes my mouth in response.
I think Lady Meel completely fails to understand the intention behind the orders from Mr. Ville’s brother—Mr. Noah, who resides in Schulbrand, the royal capital.
‘If crushing her isn’t an option, why not try persuading the saint herself? As people from the same world, shouldn’t communication be easier between you?’
“Ah… I think that would be quite difficult too. From what I’ve heard, the saint’s group is quite rampaging around, and they probably wouldn’t listen to anything I say.”
Lady Meel, seemingly unable to give up on dealing with the saint directly, snorts with a look of exasperation after hearing my response.
I don’t know what the saint herself is thinking, but the romance targets around her are definitely looking down on me. If I, who was kicked out as "useless," went to persuade them… well, the outcome is pretty obvious.
Besides… according to the original game’s storyline, Mr. Ville with his party should have died before meeting the saint’s group… that’s what bothers me the most. If I let them meet and something happens… honestly, I don’t want them to meet no matter what!
Moreover, from my perspective as someone who knows this world’s secrets, the instructions I received from Mr. Noah—"I’ll give you all the event information I remember (including romance events), so please disrupt as many of those events as possible, which also serve as level-up opportunities for the saint’s side"—seem extremely reasonable… but I can’t just tell this to Lady Meel, can I?
I mean, how could I possibly say, "This world is actually an otome game world, and everyone except the saint’s group is treated as an NPC"? I haven’t even told Mr. Ville about this! That’s how serious I consider this information!
“Well, since the King has personally ordered me to travel around stirring up trouble for the saint’s plans, I’ll have opportunities to visit you again, Lady Meel.”
With a meaningful grin, I present the contents of the frying pan to the dragon. I don’t want her to pry any further, but if she realizes that, it could be even more troublesome! Maybe I should distract Lady Meel with this perfectly cooked meat!
‘…Hmm. When you put it like that, I suppose it’s not such a bad arrangement?’
The sight of a haughty dragon bringing its large face closer would terrify normal people, but for me, cooking in front of this dragon isn’t a new experience.
My encounter with this princess dragon dates back to when we were heading to the royal capital to gather and report information about the “saint summoning.” It all started when the head of the adventurers’ guild in our base city, Ellarge, asked me to run an errand to the town of Melnoa along the way.
Then, after we arrived in Melnoa, we heard that some monster was rampaging at the volcano near the town. According to Lady Meel, who snatched me away when we went to investigate, she just “turning back rude people…” After that, various things happened, yup.
To put it simply, she liked the food I made and declared me her "meal provider." When we arrived at the royal capital, various things happened there too… but I’ve already explained that to Lady Meel, so I’ll skip that part. The conclusion is that it looks like I can continue enjoying traveling with this party!
“By the way, I didn’t expect you would still be staying here, Lady Meel! I’m glad I stopped by.”
‘Hmph. The other cooking was reasonably tasty, so I decided to stay in this area a little longer.’
After finishing our productive stay in the royal capital, on our way back to Ellarge, the scale Lady Meel gave me started flickering strangely as we approached Melnoa, so I thought something might be happening… and stopped by. Mr. Ville, our party leader, said, "Can’t we just ignore it and go home?" but I was afraid things would become more troublesome if Lady Meel found out we had passed by without visiting.
And my intuition was right. As soon as I showed up at the princess dragon’s place, she casually said, ‘I was thinking of chasing you to the ends of the world if you dared to pass by without visiting me!’
Really… I’m so glad I came to see Lady Meel…
“Oops! Looks like the hamburger steaks are just about ready!”
While we are having this aimless conversation, a savory aroma tickles my nose. I poke a bamboo skewer into the lump of meat cooking in the frying pan—I made hamburger steaks from the Drauwurm we defeated recently!—and clear meat juices ooze out.
Hmm, it seems cooked through! Well, Lady Meel probably wouldn’t get a stomachache even if it was a bit raw.
“Lady Meel, Lady Meel! Would you like to taste it fresh off the pan?”
I haven’t made the sauce yet, but I’m sure Lady Meel will like it! As I learned from the curry I made the other day, dragon meat itself is incredibly delicious! It has a strong umami flavor… That’s why I think it’s quite tasty even without sauce.
‘Fufufu…! You understand well! Eating it hot and fresh is best!’
“I guess you’d never burn your mouth, no matter how hot the food is, Lady Meel…”
When I offer the dragon hamburger steak on my turner, Lady Meel—or Millie—takes a big bite. She can instantly gobble up a freshly cooked hamburger steak that would definitely scorch the inside of an ordinary human’s mouth. Dragons are amazing!
‘Hohohoho! Delicious, delicious! For a lizard, it’s quite tasty!’
“Treating a dragon species as a lizard… as expected of Lady Meel…!”
Watching Lady Meel munching on the hamburger steak, I feel envious at times like this, yup.
I made the hamburger steaks fairly large, but for a huge dragon, it was just a single bite. Lady Meel swallows what’s in her mouth in the blink of an eye and licks around her mouth with her long tongue.
‘Hmph! Just knowing that cheeky dragul brat isn’t around made it taste even better!’
“Come ooon, you’re the one who told him to go fetch prey, Lady Meel!”
’Hmph! That brat… he still looks at me like I’m some kind of villain…!’
I think Lady Meel is clearly furious, but… I kinda think that’s understandable.
“Well, your first impression with Mr. Ville and everyone was pretty terrible, Lady Meel…”
After all, Lady Meel snatched me away right before their eyes and took me to her nest. Of course, the whole party came to get me back, brimming with murderous intent. So, even after we somehow managed to make peace, they still haven’t let their guard down around Lady Meel.
However, the princess dragon here really doesn’t like that kind of attitude from them…
The illustration’s description: Rin with a spatula with hamburger steak and Meel looking at the steak.
From Lady Meel’s point of view, it’s like, "I simply summoned a caretaker under the ancient covenant, so why must I be treated this way!" She keeps insisting, "I haven’t done anything wrong!" at every opportunity. That’s exactly why she intimidates Mr. Ville and everyone, who still treat her with tension, saying, "I guarantee the safety of your cook, so bring me ingredients for my dinner or I’ll rampage again!”
Weighing their irritation against Melnoa’s safety, the party—except me—went hunting for prey. Gomamiso insisted on staying with me until the end, but with Lady Meel’s tail slapping the ground, the kitten had no choice but to go food hunting with everyone while grinding its teeth…
‘Well, that’s fine. You’ll be traveling here and there from now on, yes? Feel free to show your face at my place occasionally.’
As I tilt my head, wondering how to soothe Lady Meel and how to smooth things over with everyone when they return, a big, toothy grin spreads across her face, and then—
“I object…! We have no obligation to visit this wicked dragon!”
Along with the sound of pushing through the bushes, a thoroughly irritated voice called out from beyond the foliage.
Looking in the direction of the voice, I see the familiar faces of our party returning, all wearing expressions like they have just swallowed something bitter.
“Ah! Mr. Ville, everyone! Welcome back! Did you find anything goo—whoa?!”
Before I could run over to them after standing up, Mr. Ville returned with long strides, pulled me by the shoulder, and sheltered me behind his back in one swift motion.
“Rin! You are our party’s cook, right? Stop spoiling this selfish dragon any further!”
‘Hmph! What’s this, boy? Are you jealous? Clingy men are disliked in any era, you know?’
“Huh? Jealous? Don’t be ridiculous—I’m making a perfectly reasonable argument here.”
Since I’m behind Mr. Ville, I can’t see his expression, but I can easily imagine what kind of face he’s making. He must look really annoyed…
…But it’s true that I am, after all, the cook for the "Gourmands." While I have a connection with Lady Meel and cook for her too, I think I should prioritize cooking for our members.
As Mr. Ville and Lady Meel’s heated exchange rages on, a pale hand suddenly reaches out from behind me. I’m pulled into a tight hug, and something soft presses against my back—aaaahhh…! I don’t even need to turn around to know who those chilly arms belong to.
“Mm! You should only cook for us! Not allowed to feed anyone else! Think only about us!”
“Ms. Aria… That dialogue sounds exactly like a possessive girlfriend!”
Hmm… just hearing those lines, she does sound like a toxic girlfriend! But her tone is completely that of a sulky little girl. Like a child saying, "Don’t take my mommy away!" And she’s even clinging to me and nuzzling her cheek against mine with her lips pursed as if to say, "I’m sulking!"… To think this beautiful married woman has such a side to her… This goes way beyond just a gap in personality!
…Although, well… if something like that happened, the monster wouldn’t stay quiet! The monster named "Husband"…!
“…Rin…? Aria’s not your girlfriend—she’s my wife, okay?”
“Y-Yes! I’m fully aware of that!”
With Mr. Ed’s voice practically crawling along the ground, all I can do is nod repeatedly. I honestly raise both hands and quickly move away from Ms. Aria! The one who rushes over to me as I step back is Gomamiso, who has grown a bit bigger compared to when I first met it. The force with which it launches itself at my stomach is like a shooting star, creating an impact that almost knocks the wind out of me!
“Oof! G-Gomamiso… please… not in the solar plexus…”
‘Haaah? If you can’t properly catch this adorable me, maybe you don’t love me enough?’
“That’s not the point—you come in way too fast!”
This cheeky Gomamiso, pawing at me dissatisfied in my arms! I think I should be praised just for not dropping the kitten!
‘Listen, listen! Me went swoosh-swoosh and got meat!’
“Oh! Did you catch something? Nice job, Miso!”
Still, its face beaming with pride at catching prey is cute. If it’s meat, did it catch a magical creature or a monster? Or maybe just an ordinary animal?
As I hold the purring Gomamiso, something bumps against my back. I recognize this familiar warmth. Without turning around, I know it’s Mr. Ville’s palm.
“Good work on Lady Meel’s sudden mission. Did you find anything worthwhile?”
“I don’t like following that wicked dragon’s whims… but, well, we got some decent things.”
Mr. Ville, with a grin stretching across his lips, pulls out meat wrapped in thin wooden sheets, fresh wild vegetables still vibrant green, and colorful berries in red and yellow… all visually appetizing.
From what I can tell from Survival, everything looks delicious!
What particularly catches my eye is a green fruit larger than Mr. Ville’s fist. It has an irregular oval shape with a somewhat bumpy surface, and at first glance, it doesn’t look particularly tasty…
‘Oh ho! Isn’t that an Amara Fruit? Well done, boy! Chill it first, and it’s truly divine!’
Lady Meel stretched her neck forward and exclaimed in an excited voice. If the food-loving princess dragon reacts like that… this must be delicious!
“Hah! I’ve been adventuring long enough to be confident in my gathering skills.”
‘Pfft! You’re sure skilled with that mouth of yours, boy!’
“Come on, you two… Lady Meel, Mr. Ville, quit throwing sparks already!”
While watching the two engage in their intense verbal battle from the corner of my eye, I focus my attention solely on that green fruit.
[Amara Fruit (Edible: Extremely Delicious)
When ripe, it has a sticky texture and strong sweetness, making it extremely delicious. Its rich flavor is its main appeal. However, since the skin remains green even when ripe, it’s very difficult to tell when it’s ready to eat.
Unripe flesh is highly acidic with a crisp texture. This sourness can be used to good effect in dishes like salads.
This fruit is just at the perfect ripeness.]
This looks incredibly delicious!
Since it’s described as "sticky," I wonder if the texture is similar to a mango. Would it taste even better slightly chilled? I considered asking Mr. Ed to chill it with his magic, but first, I want everyone to eat dinner! If I put it in the fridge of my Camping Car, it should be cold by the time we finish eating!
The red and yellow berries also look perfectly delicious, and the wild vegetables would make great side dishes after boiling! I’m nothing but grateful to everyone!
I gather all the fruits in my hands and rush to the Camping Car. As I put them in the fridge, I take out the raw hamburger steaks I had been chilling.
“Alright! We’ve got dessert and sides covered! Now let’s dig in and enjoy our meal together!”
When I hold up the bowl of raw hamburger steaks above my head, the atmosphere grows lively with excitement. There’s enough to make portions for everyone plus Lady Meel! I might even be able to make seconds!
By the way, even after making so many hamburger steaks, there’s still dragon meat left. How much did it drop, seriously… There is that much dragon meat!
“How about we first enjoy the steaks as is, and then change up the flavor with some sauce?”
“Rin… Rin…! The absolute best…!”
“Ah, are such luxuries allowed?!”
“Rin, really! You always think of such devilishly good ideas!”
While Ms. Aria, Mr. Xenon, and Mr. Ed raise their hands in cheer, beside them, Lady Meel and Mr. Ville remain unchanged. They’re still silently shooting sparks at each other…
…But I understand. Those eyes say to each other, "You’re the reason my share is getting smaller, you know?”
“Ahhh, geez… I’ll grill the meat you brought back too. Let’s all eat together nicely!”
I step between the two who seem ready to clash at any moment, and hold up one of the souvenirs—a firm, red cut that looks like it came from a migratory duck—above my head… aren’t I amazing for stopping this cold war?
Honestly, there are many things I need to think about, but such considerations should come after filling our stomachs first… right? As they say, you can’t think on an empty stomach, and when you try to think while hungry, your thoughts tend to turn negative.
“Come on, everyone! Let’s eat together until we’re satisfied!”
As I raise my fist, a cheer shakes the air.
“For now, I’ll start by grilling the hamburger steaks.”
I place the raw hamburger steaks one after another in the largest frying pan from the Camping Car. The size is a bit larger than a single bite. Since this size should cook quickly, I’m thinking of cooking while we eat.
With more pieces, I think we can enjoy different flavors!
I also set a wire rack over my portable grill and place a large foil-wrapped hamburger steak on top. This one is made extra big for Lady Meel.
Although the frying pan is quite big, if I put this size on it, I wouldn’t be able to cook anything else. So I’m preparing it as a steamed foil-wrapped hamburger steak!
“What kind of sauce should I make… A demi-glace style sauce, and a Japanese-style…?”
As I flip the sizzling mini hamburger steaks in the frying pan, I’m mentally composing sauces I can make now.
I think the classic demi-glace sauce made by reducing meat juices mixed with ketchup would be tasty, as well as the refreshing Japanese-style sauce made with onions, soy sauce, and lemon juice. I also want some kind of unique sauce, but what can I make?
“Oh, that’s right! I have the mustard I bought in the royal capital! I’ll make a mustard-mayo sauce!”
What suddenly comes to mind is the homemade grain mustard I bought at the market in the royal capital before we headed back! I got to taste a sample, and the balance of sourness and heat was exquisite! If I mix that with mayonnaise and lemon juice, I think it would transform into a sauce that’s rich yet refreshing!
…That settles it…!
“Mr. Ed, Mr. Ed! Could you use your magic to chop this onion super finely? I want to use it for a sauce to go with the hamburger steaks!”
“Suuure! Rin, you’re planning to make something tasty again, right?”
“Hehehe! You’ll have to wait and see!”
The troublesome part of Japanese-style sauce is grating the onions, but if I hand the peeled onion and a bowl to Mr. Ed, that problem is solved! With his magic, the onion is minced extremely fine in no time. Mmm! No tears, no dirty cutting board or knife… magic is truly a blessing…!
All that’s left is to mix in soy sauce, lemon juice, and maybe a little mirin to adjust the taste, and it’s done, but…
“Since we’ve got them, why not use the fruits that you all picked?”
I pick up a red fruit from the pile of bounty stacked on the worktable. It is slightly bigger than a ping-pong ball, just small enough to nestle into my hand.
[Red Bomb Citron (Edible)
A type of citrus that grows wild in the mountains. Compared to other varieties, it contains more juice in its pulp. While it has a good aroma, it is extremely sour.
The fully ripened fruit has thin skin that’s vulnerable to impact. There was even a time when people used it as a blinding weapon, throwing it at enemies to splash the juice into their eyes.]
Yikes, that’s intense! A sourness strong enough to be used as a blinding agent?!
I decided to test it by squeezing one tightly over the bowl of super-finely minced onions that Mr. Ed just prepared for me. I feel the skin burst between my fingers with a soft pop, and a refreshing aroma rises up. Then, drops of juice start falling into the bowl below. This definitely has a good scent! And it really is super juicy!
…But what about the taste…?
“Ack—yup! It really is sour!”
When I lick the juice from my fingertips, my tongue tingles and goes numb from the sourness! Just as Survival said, this could definitely blind someone!
But with this much impact, it should complement the rich flavor of the Drauwurm meat nicely!
“And with soy sauce, mirin, and onion in the mix, it’s just a matter of blending it properly.”
Right. We’re not eating the Red Bomb Citron juice by itself! In the bowl, I add soy sauce, mirin, and… a little honey as a secret ingredient… It’s still a bit sharp, but I think it’ll be fine once everything melds together.
The mustard-mayo sauce just needs mixing, and the demi-style sauce is made in the same pan with the hamburger steaks’ meat juices—so that wraps up all the sauce prep!
Now, let’s get back to mass-producing hamburger steaks for our hungry folks!
“Alrighty! The meat’s cooking up just rrright!”
“Mmm… there’s just something magical about the smell of meat sizzling…!”
“Totally. That smell seriously makes you hungry.”
As I lifted the fully cooked hamburger steaks onto the plate one after another, a hungry glutton, drawn by the smell, called out to me from behind. Mr. Xenon, with his perfect features and melting smile, has his eyes glued to the mountain of mini hamburger steaks on the plate.
“They’ll be ready in just a moment, so please take this to everyone and wait!”
When I hand the plate to the impatient-looking Mr. Xenon, the gleam in his eyes grows even stronger.
“Yes, understood! Is there anything else I can help with, Rin?”
“Let’s see… please keep watch to make sure no one sneaks any bites!”
“Hehe. As you wish. I’ll handle it perfectly!”
Mr. Xenon smiles gently as he carries away the plate piled high with hamburger streaks. I can feel the aura rising from his back that says, "I’m not letting anyone reduce my share of meat!" Hmm… how reliable!
“Well, once the sauce reduces a bit more, everything’s done, and there’s no way anyone would be so disrespectful as to sneak a taste…”
“I caught you, Ed! Slowly put that hand down!”
“Aww come on! Xenon, you found me way too quickly!”
“…There really was a thief…!”
What kind of unexpected development is this?! I didn’t think a hero would appear, trying to sneak a taste in the time it just took me to think that! But anyway, amidst Mr. Ed’s wails, the sauce is finally done! I need to bring everything over before anyone else tries anything reckless!
“Okay, okay! Sorry to keep you waiting! The hamburger party starts now!”
The moment I appear with the various sauces, the cheers that erupt are the loudest I’ve ever heard. Everyone seems to have already said their pre-meal prayers, and their hands rush toward the hamburger steaks, each trying to get there first.
“This is de-licious! Even without any sauce, it’s delicious!”
“So juicy, so meaty, yet so soft… I could seriously eat a mountain of these!”
Next to Ms. Aria, who’s writhing in ecstasy with a fork in hand, Mr. Ed, who finally got his long-awaited hamburger steak, lets out a cheer as he stuffs his mouth.
“I thought this during curry time too, but dragon meat has such a rich flavor. Eating it just as meat like this makes that very clear. It has a powerful taste.”
“It’s got some fattiness, but it works perfectly with the richness of the meat. It doesn’t feel heavy at all.”
Mr. Xenon, who normally takes a back position, snatches hamburger steaks with a speed that surpasses even frontline fighters. Mr. Ville nodded at his comment while securing his second helping.
I always think that it makes me so happy when people enjoy eating something I’ve made and tell me it’s delicious.
“Rin, are you getting enough to eat?”
“Here! This is something you… shouldn’t miss out on!”
“Mr. Ville… Ms. Aria…! Thank you so much!”
As I was deeply moved by my thoughts, hamburger steaks descended onto my plate from both sides. Being cared for like this makes me want to cook even more delicious things…! I’d better eat while their thoughtfulness is still warm!
Maybe it’s because I mixed roughly chopped meat with finely minced meat? Every time I bite into the meaty texture, rich, flavorful juices burst and fill my mouth! And even though it’s fatty, it’s not heavy at all. Looking at it, the taste has a wild character that matches its appearance, but there’s absolutely no strange smell or gaminess! Instead, a nutty, savory aroma wafts up to my nose, and I can’t stop taking one bite… then another… my hand just won’t stop.
“This meat works well with both rich sauces and refreshing ones… dragon meat is truly formidable…!”
Sure enough, sighs of pleasure and exclamations of wonder escape from everyone’s mouths as they try the hamburger steaks with the sauces.
The demi-style sauce filled with meat juices enhances the richness of the meat, while the Japanese-style sauce with the tangy Red Bomb Citron makes for a refreshing aftertaste—no matter how many mini hamburger steaks we have, it wouldn’t be enough!
The wild vegetables used as an appetizer—apparently called Yamaamana—pair perfectly with the hamburger steaks as well. They have a crisp texture and are about as thick as a thumb… but they’re soft enough to bite through easily. They’re so juicy that the essence drips from the cut surface when you bite into them, and they taste amazing on their own!
“The Drauwurm is so meaty with incredible flavor, right?!”
“Mm! Delicious! Could eat endless amounts! I want more!”
“I’m partial to this mustard-mayo sauce. It has a taste I’ve never experienced before.”
I asked while glancing at the two grinning beside me, and sure enough, their voices were all bubbly. And honestly? I totally get it. That Drauwurm is ridiculously good!
“The whole grain mustard is what makes it special, right? It gives it a somewhat fancy flavor.”
“A ‘fancy flavor’… I don’t quite understand that, but… I can see why you’d describe it that way, Rin.”
All of the sauces are making their debut with our party today, but among them, the up-and-coming mustard-mayo sauce seems to have won our leader’s approval. Mr. Ville seems to like mayonnaise to begin with, so the mustard-mayo sauce must be right up his alley. Besides the taste, the interesting popping texture of the mustard seeds might be part of the appeal, too.
‘By the way… You all intend to continue your journey, don’t you?’
“Yes. We’re thinking of using Ellarge as our base and taking on various requests while traveling to different places.”
‘Hmm… different places, eh?’
Lady Meel, having just polished off a steamed hamburger steak, looks down at me while licking her lips. Her two moon-like eyes remain fixed on me, showing no intention of looking away.
‘Well, do take care. You seem to have a destiny that easily gets you involved in all sorts of situations.’
“…And this is coming from the very being who caused those ‘all sorts of situations’…?”
From full moon to crescent. As her eyes quickly waned in the lunar phase and curved into an arc, Mr. Ville muttered bitterly as if he had bitten into something sour.
Fortunately, Lady Meel, who happily attacks the next foil-steamed serving, doesn’t seem to have heard him.
…Still, a destiny that easily gets me involved in things, huh. Does that mean I’m likely to run into various "events"?
“Feels like something’s going to happen again soon…”
As I stab my fork into the mini hamburger steaks that keep getting replenished, I feel an intense gaze piercing me from the side.
“…Rin, listen. I was just thinking…”
“Yes, what is it?”
Ms. Aria, who has somehow made her way to my feet and is petting Gomamiso, stares at me intently. Her voice and face both look unusually serious.
“These hamburger streaks… would have been even more delicious on top of curry…!”
“Ah! You mean that dragon curry?”
Whoa! That was a much lighter topic than I expected! I’m a bit relieved! Her voice sounded so serious that I thought something had happened!
By the way, the curry Ms. Aria is talking about is that one. The dragon curry I made at the request of Mr. Noah, who happens to be Mr. Ville’s half-brother, a former Japanese person reincarnated in another world, and one of the creators of the game that this world is based on… a person with quite the heavy resume, the king of this country.
The illustration’s description: Aria and Rin are dreaming of curry with a hamburger steak.
It was just a "normal" curry made with slow-simmered dragon shin meat as the base, chunky cut vegetables, and curry roux. It was a home-style curry without any special arrangement.
“You’re right, dragon hamburger steak on top of that curry would make it even better! The flavor synergy would be amazing.”
“Right? Right? Don’t you think? If we hunt another dragon… will you make it for us?”
“Of course! As long as we have the ingredients, I’ll make as much as you want!”
Ms. Aria clasps her hands in front of her chest and leans toward me. The power of her cute, calculated charm at close range is overwhelming!
I quickly avert my gaze to avoid a direct hit, but what would have happened if I’d taken it head-on…! Wait, does this mean Mr. Ed faces this at close range on a daily basis? Whoa… seriously… he is amazing! How can he survive being subjected to Ms. Aria’s "cute" attacks when she’s this adorable… Or is that monster husband behavior of his the result of having survived all this…? Such deep karma!
‘Wait, girl! What is this ‘curry’? Are you saying you made something I know nothing about, without my knowledge!?’
“Oh no, not you too! I’ll make it for you as well, Lady Meel! Someday! Please stop lashing your tail around!”
…Well, of course, a glutton like her wouldn’t miss out on a tasty-sounding conversation like that. The eloquent tail of our gluttonous dragon lady smacks the ground repeatedly. It’s like a small child stomping in protest.
“Ehhh, you’ve never tried Rin’s exquisite cuuurry? How saaaad!”
“To be unaware of that taste… what a tragedy!”
‘You little brats… You must truly have a death wish, aren’t you?’
In response to Mr. Ed and Mr. Ville’s deliberately provocative smiles, Lady Meel’s tail movements grow increasingly violent. It’s swinging with enough force to mow down the surrounding trees—oh come on!
“Mr. Ed, Mr. Ville, stop provoking her so carelessly! And Lady Meel, please calm down!”
I dive into the commotion alone, trying to settle the chaotic scene. Looking up at the sky, I see two large moons side by side and countless stars twinkling… All I can do is earnestly pray that any future disturbances will be smaller in scale than this quarrel.
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