*
Time flew by quickly, and soon the sunset was setting.
Due to the rapidly cooling weather, we lit a campfire near where we set up our tent.
The flickering flames and the warm glow felt soothing.
“Thanks to you, I had a lot of fun. Thanks… Licht.”
“Not at all.”
I should be the one thanking her. It was because of Pina that I stopped being afraid of fire.
There was that accident where I ended up deeply buried at the bottom of the valley, but I guess we had fun nonetheless.
She must have had her reasons for it. No matter how much I asked, she just blushed and hiccuped, so I decided to stop asking further.
I took out a blanket to cover Pina, ensuring she wouldn’t catch a cold, and moved away to prepare dinner.
“Being here reminds me of when I first met Helmet-kun. Right, Kain?”
“It’s true; it feels similar to back then.”
As I chopped onions, I could hear voices. It seemed the hero couple had returned from their water play.
Were they talking about how I deliberately imitated the Crown Prince when we were on the carriage?
“When I first met Licht?”
That was the time before Pina was around. Curiosity peaked in Pina as she bombarded Kainel and Ariel with questions about my past.
“There was a time when I used to flirt with him too~!”
“…What?”
Ugh, I hit a sensitive spot. I couldn’t help it back then.
The love rival strategy. Kainel was the type who would never admit to having feelings for Ariel without competition.
“Really… Ariel?”
“Yeah, it was more like a jealousy trigger for our Kain~!”
gulp, a bitter taste filled my mouth. I hoped he wouldn’t show possessiveness like he did when we went to the north.
Even if I thought of someone as precious, I was now scared of what might happen.
I started by frying the pork in the pot to release some oil and then set about cooking the onions and other vegetables.
“The Licht I know would never do that! He used to like some Saintess, after all.”
My hands began to move faster. After adding water and finishing all the preparations, I dashed toward where everyone else was.
“What are you talking about so entertainingly?”
“….”
Am I late? Pina’s glare was icier than ever. She was just staring at the campfire without saying a word.
“..What I was hitting on you before wasn’t my true feelings.”
“Right! After that, he never even got close to me again~!”
I delivered my final defense like a criminal confessing the truth.
No matter how cute and beautiful Ariel was, I felt nothing.
“Thanks to that, I ended up dating Kain!”
“Honestly… if it weren’t for Licht, we would still just be friends.”
thud, the Mage of Flames leaned his head onto the Light Hero’s shoulder as they smiled softly at each other.
“That’s really…”
Only then did Pina let out a sigh of relief. The muffled voice from inside the helmet.
If the player goes for the Harem Route, that could derail the Saintess Route, and my relationship with Pina could be ruined too.
“Kain, so how did you feel when Licht hit on me?”
Ariel was close to Kainel, looking up at him as she spoke.
“To be honest, I felt really jealous.”
“..No way.”
Now that I think about it, there was quite a crowd of girls when I came out of the water. They must’ve come to see Kainel.
He was the type who could potentially create a harem in the sequel, Black Heart.
“Hey, when you showed your face, I realized how unfair the gods are!”
Seeing Kainel’s joke left me speechless. He didn’t seem like he was lying with that look of exasperation.
It was probably jealousy over my swordsmanship or being close to Pina.
Instead of answering, I opened the pot lid. The bubbling aroma of curry wafted around us.
“..It smells delicious.”
“Maybe it’s because it’s from another world. The food here is quite unique….”
Pina and Kainel reacted first. They didn’t seem shocked at the curry at all.
This world’s setup is mixed with people from all sorts of eras due to the hero summoning.
I heard that the reason White Lily came to love coffee was because she had it when she arrived in this world.
“..Is it yellow stew?”
“Pretty much.”
As I plated the curry with rice, Pina rushed to eat. Before I knew it, a glass wall had appeared around us.
“..It’s delicious.”
Her white hair fell to her waist, and her wolf ears perked up as she removed her helmet.
But for some reason today, she wasn’t releasing her masterpiece.
I wanted to see her tail spin like a fan. Thankfully, the taste was to my liking.
“Hmm, Helmet-kun really cooks well!”
“Ariel, eat slowly. No one is going to take it from you.”
I had plenty of experience cooking.
The hero couple was also scooping up curry with their spoons. Just like the last time with the beef stew, the pot quickly ran out.
“..Can I have more?”
The biggest reason was the gluttonous Pina. I had made a lot on purpose, but her portion sizes were increasing lately.
I could guess where all that food was going, but it was too embarrassing to mention.
There’s clearly a reason her main dish pockets were so huge.
“I’m sorry. It’s all gone…”
I had even spared some of my portion for Pina, but it seemed her hunger wasn’t satisfied.
Watching her rummaging through the dishes in disappointment.
─grumble.
My stomach growled. Guess playing around in the valley made me hungry.
“..Licht, haven’t you eaten anything?”
“Oh, no. I had something earlier.”
I waved my hand to explain. I had eaten well, but I didn’t want to make her worry.
“Don’t lie. Licht… it’s obvious.”
perky, Pina’s wolf ears twitching like antennas. With narrowed eyes, she began to scold me.
“You only had an egg on the train with me, right…?”
I had been stuck with her since we left for the valley, so I had no idea when she started keeping track.
Trying to create a small distance would only make her cling tighter, which was kind of cute.
“Oh, speaking of that…”
While staring at the empty pot, Pina seemed to think deeply before standing up.
She took out a large leather pouch from the tent. She was heading towards my makeshift kitchen where I had been cooking until now.
“Wait… this time I’m going to cook.”
Pina pulled out red meat, tomatoes, and various vegetables from her pocket marked with an ice magic circle.
What was she planning to do? Beef stew, maybe? I began to get nervous at the thought of tasting her cooking for the first time.
She even pulled out a small Glass Knight and started cooking behind my back. Homemade just for me, isn’t that special?
Even though I had received it as a gift in the game, I had never tasted it myself.
I decided to wait quietly.
“Phew… I ate well, but I feel a bit unsatisfied.”
“I have some watermelon soaked in valley water. Shall I bring it?”
I had prepared it ahead of time for dessert. After all, I thought Pina would be happier if the dessert was perfect too.
“No, let’s wait until Mardol brings food, and we can eat together!”
Ariel immediately shook her head. Was she eager to try a friend’s cooking?
Soon, the bubbling sounds accompanied the delicious aroma wafting through the air. The savory smell mixed with the scent of meat…
Wait, why was there a fishy smell?
“..It’s done.”
thud─.
The other pot that Pina brought felt heavy. Instinctively, I sensed not to open the lid.
A shiver of unease crawled over me.
“Licht, try this.”
Pina opened Pandora’s Box. The contents of the pot were something horrific, far from beef stew.
“Gah..! What the heck is that..?”
“Could it be… Mardol.. you’ve never cooked before..?”
Her red eyes trembled.
The formerly bright expression on Ariel’s face turned to horror as she laid eyes on the fish in the pot.
Why was there mackerel in beef stew?
“Yeah, but I really tried my best.”
Now that I think about it, Pina had the setting of being a terrible cook.
I was reminded of the dreadfully flavorless beef stew I received from her when I was feeling unwell.
The hero couple was already grimacing with blocked noses.
I had to keep a straight face. Even if it was poison, I had to pretend it was delicious.
Pina perked her wolf ears up like a rabbit, waiting for my reaction. If I disappointed her, she would be gloomy all day.
“I’ll.. eat it well.”
The liquid shone with oil from the mackerel.
With my eyes tightly squeezed shut, I began shoveling the thick, dark brown stew into my mouth.
I quickly emptied one plate, but the residual fishy taste lingered torturously in my mouth.
“Hey, Licht?! Wait a minute..!”
“Helmet-kun… your face looks pale..”
The hero couple was gazing at my antics with horrified expressions.
“It’s delicious.. Thank you very much..”
No matter how they looked at me, it didn’t matter. Love is stronger than anything. I can handle anything…
“Just as I thought… I knew you’d like this. Eat more, Licht.”
“….”
I thought so, until Pina let out a huff while filling me another plate.
*
When Licht and his group left Grand Hertz Academy,
“So, where did you say you went?”
“To Cal, Calisium Valley…”
The red-haired man right now was grabbing someone by the collar while questioning them.
“Damn, you were quick as a rat…”
thud, making a clicking sound with his tongue, Pin tossed the unfortunate man aside.
The janitor at the academy, a man with white hair and a bent body, had one arm ripped off.
The campus was covered in blood. Yet, no one seemed to notice.
“Brother Pin.. I’ve dealt with everyone around here.”
Soon appeared Intinium, with blood splattered on his face, smiling innocently.
As if this situation felt like a bad joke.
The janitor cowered, observing the surroundings in terror.
“God of Light… please..”
He looked up to the sky seeking salvation, but all he could see at the end of his gaze was a gigantic single eye.
creek.
Then, that white giant leaned in, drooling from its massive mouth—
And swallowed everything around in an instant.
*
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