Summoning a Cook in the Gardener’s Garden.
And I will eat her food.
This logic might sound utterly absurd if you just hear the words.
The Gardener’s Garden is a lush forested area without a single building. You might find ingredients, but cooking there seemed nearly impossible. Especially dishes like pork cutlet and soup with rice that I’ve been craving.
But then again, who did I call upon? None other than the Outsider, the Cook. The only thing impossible for an Outsider like her might be breaking the laws of the universe.
And as if to prove that…
Sizzle, pop, pop.
I could see several cooking utensils summoned on barren rocks. Of course, I was worried. Since these utensils were created by the power of the Cook, I wondered if the food would turn out weird due to the interference of the Outsider.
“…Actually, I saw another unfortunate soul wandering the Snow Mountain and decided to drop some food as a test, and they ate it up deliciously.”
The Cook assured me with the results of her perfect experiment, making my worries pointless. Even though experimenting on people was unsettling, if lost on the Snow Mountain, one might be as good as dead anyway. From their perspective, they might think some unknown force kindly helped them.
“But to start cooking as soon as you arrive….”
“Of course! I heard on my way here that more friends than usual would be coming. If I don’t start preparing now, they might have to wait a long time.”
Watching the Cook cheerfully speak with a warm smile somehow made me feel comforted. More friends coming… right, if that’s the case, plenty of food needs to be prepared… Wait a minute. Did she say ‘many’ friends?
Just as that thought struck, another new form was about to manifest. And the shape that formed this time…
Seeing a pair of ears perked up on someone’s head, I instinctively stretched my arm forward. Something was trying to bend my arm with immense strength.
“Human!”
…As expected, it was the unique characteristic of the party flea. Along with Bell’s manifestation, she was trying to drench my entire body in saliva again.
Contrary to her appearance, her unexpected strength required me to muster all my body strength to resist her.
“Ugh, don’t resist! I have the right to lick humans!”
“Well, I also have the right to not be licked!”
I tried to tackle Bell, who was nonchalantly uttering nonsense, but she didn’t listen and kept pushing her head into my hand with all her might. Just dealing with this was overwhelming.
Cold shivers. Yes. I felt a shiver so intense it chilled my spine right behind me. Twisting my body to block Bell, I turned my head toward the source of the chill… only to find, hunched and holding something, the Gardener looking at me from the side.
“…Hmm, I see. So you ignore what I say and show happiness with another woman. And you think I can do nothing?”
The Gardener’s nonchalant yet terrifying comment made my body tremble as if watching a scene from a horror movie. It felt like spotting a monster just before it jumps out in a horror film. Definitely fitting of a dark fantasy, horror genre. Even with a skin change, it’s just as scary! Trying to satirize the situation to ignore reality, my thoughts went blank when I saw the Gardener stand up abruptly. Then, she began to walk slowly toward me.
“…Calling me suddenly now means you’re prepared for whatever might happen, right?”
“Wa, wait, don’t make such a face!”
Just with her gaze, she had the power to drive someone into absolute terror. Of course, it was indeed wrong of me to ignore the Gardener’s words until now!
“Ugh, Bell, save me!”
“I’ll save you if you let me lick!”
“If I get licked, then caught, it’s over! Ugh, she’s here! She’s here!”
The soft touch of the Gardener’s hand approaching my face led me to withdraw the arm that was blocking Bell. Consequently:
“Ugh!”
“Uh-oh?!”
Crash!
With Bell’s charge, all three of us ended up crashing onto the ground.
“…W, where do you think you’re touching?!”
“I swear it wasn’t intentional!”
“Human! I won’t let you go!”
“Grr, grr! Must you do this in such chaos?!”
As I felt Bell again licking my face, I tried desperately to get away from her. Suddenly, a form began to take shape in the air, gradually turning into a dragon’s horn and tail. Wa, wait, at a time like this…!
But naturally, the situation didn’t wait for us. At this inopportune moment, the daunting Dragon Slayer manifested! With a slightly embarrassed expression, the Dragon Slayer cleared her throat immediately upon completing her appearance.
“…Hm, hm! The fact that you summoned me now means you’ve finally decided to take responsibility. I thought I would die waiting for so long….”
Watching us entangled on the ground, the Dragon Slayer froze in place, her mouth slightly ajar, making it apparent how shocked she was.
“W, wait a minute. That, that’s not it. Listen to me. This is…!”
Trying to explain, I attempted to speak as we laid in a blatantly misinterpretable position. All the while, Bell cluelessly continued to lick, likely diminishing any effectiveness of my words.
My stammering appeared to backfire, seemingly enhancing the Dragon Slayer’s understanding of the situation. Her cheeks, seemingly embarrassed, began to redden more intensely as her eyes tightly shut, letting out a roar:
“Such shamelessness!!!”
We narrowly avoided being swept away by her words, only for the Cook watching to beam with a satisfied smile.
#
“…So you’re saying it was all a misunderstanding?”
“O, obviously, yes. I wouldn’t entangle myself with just anyone.”
Once the situation settled a bit, all of us gathered around the chairs prepared by the Cook. As soon as the Dragon Slayer took a seat, she looked at me with a sassy gaze, making me answer as if I had turned into a criminal.
No matter how I think about it, I wasn’t that at fault there. If anything, maybe for ignoring the Gardener’s words too much and not stopping Bell? But then again, there’s no Outsider present here capable of stopping Bell with mere strength. Meaning, it was inevitable!
“If that’s the case, then this one doesn’t entangle with just anyone.”
Suddenly, hearing the Gardener’s voice, I turned in surprise. With the most peaceful look, eyes closed, she was sipping water.
“He ignored my words for two days, so would he deal with a counterfeit wearing a fake mask?”
Her tone was clearly targeted as she spoke to the Dragon Slayer, who scoffed disdainfully in return.
“Pitiful like a stray weed. Jealous because you think this man will now come to me? Saying it directly would be less shameful.”
“Wha, what?! Who said I was jealous!”
“Then what else is it if not jealousy? However, your actions change nothing. This man has expressed his feelings to me several times already.”
…Ugh.
Hearing it directly from Argeta herself made my heart ache in a way, in the bad sense. I wasn’t sure about taking responsibility, but I did intend on doing something along those lines.
“Hm.”
Then, the softer voice of the Gardener speaking just moments ago turned chillingly cold. As if feeling pity for the other.
“What… have you gone mad, unable to refute my words properly?”
“No, that’s not it. It’s just pitiful.”
“…Pitiful?”
At the Gardener’s words, the Dragon Slayer furrowed her brows, while the Gardener chuckled.
“She acts without knowing a shred about dragons, counting chickens before they hatch.”
…She’s using the English expression “drinking kimchi soup,” isn’t she? As the Dragon Slayer heard those words, her face went blank, and her gaze drifted toward me.
“…Is that true?”
Ah, geez. Look at those pitiful eyes. I felt I might cry at the sight of her looking like she’d crumble if I say the wrong word. But hidden truths must come to light.
“Oh….”
“No, don’t answer!”
As I tried affirming, the Dragon Slayer stopped me, cupping my mouth with her hand. Surprised, I looked at her, and she broke into a pleased smile.
“Even if it were a mistake or intentional, I care not. However… as my feelings are genuine, if we can just reach a conclusion, even a fabrication can become reality, wouldn’t it?”
Initially, I couldn’t decipher the meaning behind those words. Yet, seeing the Gardener’s shocked expression upon hearing them indicated their groundbreaking nature was undeniable.
“Not sure what she means, but I like humans too!”
Bell threw in a mood-breaking comment, immediately transforming the atmosphere into something more unsettling.
Ah, ah. Someone, please help….
“Okay, everyone! The food’s ready!”
At that moment, the Cook placed the meal on the table with a loud thud, redirecting all eyes toward the four bowls simmering with soup with rice. The hearty scent of pork filled the air, instantly clearing all previous thoughts from my mind.
“…Well, for now, let’s eat first.”
“…Quite so. Quarreling before food would be unbecoming.”
“Delicious food! Let’s dig in!”
With that, the Outsiders quietly—well, one rather voraciously—began eating. Taking a deep breath after things calmed down, I noticed the Cook winking at me.
Watching her lips move slowly.
You’ve got one debt now.
…Oh, my dear. You’re irreplaceable.
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