Chapter 62: The Shocking Reunion

Chapter 62 is out!

TLN:

Hello and greetings everyone,

This chapter had been edited by Dogboy90 and Nova. Thank you so much and I really appreciate it.

Do enjoy. ????

The next day after tearing up Baldomyl and Karios.

We haven't left Almest yet.

Besides supplying food and tools, I stayed here to make the prototype of the electrical fan. It was difficult to adjust the angle of the propeller, which would generate the wind most efficiently, and I wanted to make sure the proper thing was completed, since I was the one who suggested it.

Since the rotation mechanism was done by a magic formation, there was an accident where the main part of the fan was crushed by the wind pressure; but, at last, a fan that was similar to the one in my previous life was completed.

"Wow... This is a terrific magic tool. Compared to what that noble sold, this uses less than half of the mana consumption. It will definitely sell well." (Gadd)

"Although the cooling is possible by using water magic formation, it is important to let the heat escape with the wind. This can be done by eliminating the waste, reducing the cost and emphasizing the practicality." (Sirius)

"Indeed, as expected of Master, to think of such technology. So, the reward for offering this is..." (Gadd)

"Actually, there are couple of suggestions for the reward. Rather than money, there is something else that I want." (Sirius)

Since we will be leaving soon, we won't know the market value of this magic tool, so it is impossible to get a reward based on the yield in Elysion. Because of that, I wanted something else, and not money.

Instead of money, I asked for the house where I was born.

I think that the financial situation of the Dorianus household will collapse in the future, so they might try to raise money. We held the discussion in the Galgan Company, and I wanted them to buy that mansion.

It depends on Gadd's negotiation as to how much the price can be lowered down to, but considering the locations conditions and the inconvenience of traffic, the price won't be too high.

Taking this opportunity, I also discussed about the matter of Valio. I said that I wanted to meet him once more and discuss it with him. If it's him, he will manage the house with almost no charge, and this will lessen the burden for Gadd.

Gadd, who heard the content of my reward, poked his chest out and nodded.

"Leave it to me. I will absolutely obtain the house that holds Master's memories. So, will it be alright to entrust it to that old man, Valio, to manage the mansion?" (Gadd)

"Aah, that's right. Because he is at a fairly old age, I'd like to ask you to visit him once in a while, as well." (Sirius)

"Understood. Frankly speaking, if I consider the sales, I think the reward for Master is too little. Do you want anything else?" (Gadd)

"Also, please provide me with seasonings and tools for travelling. Other than that, well... I will tell you when the time comes." (Sirius)

"As usual, you have no real desire." (Gadd)

Gadd immediately prepared the tools while having a wry smile. Since I'm going to depart by tomorrow, I will prepare everything until then.

As I made the final adjustment to the fan, while reminiscing the previous life, the disciples, who have been strolling around the town, were surprised when they saw the completed fan. When Reus performed [I am an Alien] joke with the fan, Gadd looked at us with a loosened mouth and nodded in satisfaction.

"Even so, Master and the others have really grown up big. I want to see how surprised Dee and the rest are." (Gadd)

"We are also looking forward to seeing Onee-chan's child." (Emilia)

"Yeah, the child is terribly cute... uhm, I can't. It seems Noel-chan will be angry if I talk about it. Sorry." (Gadd)

"It's going to be fun over there. How long does it take from here?" (Sirius?)

"It is about three days by a carriage. It's practically a straight path, so I think you won't get lost." (Gadd)

Since Gadd had went past the town where Noel lives many times, he took out a map and showed me the way. There were a few branch roads along the way, but it seems we won't get lost, since there is signboard.

"By the way, how is the public order of that town?" (Sirius)

"The public order is good. The name of the town is Aurum. There are almost no gaps between races and I think it's easy to spend time in that town. Oh yeah, Dee and Noel were excited when Master's graduation was getting closer. They would say this many times, 'We can see Sirius-sama at last.'" (Gadd)

"Oh dear, they're going to complain once we begin our journey. When will we go to Aldroad Continent...?" (Sirius)

"Sirius-sama, we are fine, since we are not in a hurry." (Emilia)

"Yeah. I want to tell many things to Noel-nee and Dee-nii." (Reus)

It is alright to stay for a while since we are not in a hurry for the journey, but Noel will definitely ask us to settle down there. 'Please build a house next to us and live here!'... maybe something like that.

—

With this and that, our business and suppliers in the town were done and we left Almest the next day.

There was Galgan Company's carriage behind our carriage and it contained goods which needed to be delivered to its branch in Aurum town.

The reason why we have another carriage was because we received an escort request from the Galgan Company. The carriage also contained ingredients and seasonings that will be delivered to Dee, so we must ensure its safety.

Gadd planned to go with us, because he usually sends the goods to Dee, but since he had other things to do, he introduced to us an apprentice this time and he sat inside the coach box.

He was a boy with short red hair and blue eyes, the childish features stood out a bit, but he seemed to be honest, like Reus. When he appeared before us, he introduced himself loudly.

"Nice to meet you! My name is Chris Fayt and I am training under Gadd-san. Please feel free to call me Chris." (Chris) (TLN: The name in raw is クリスフィート)

"I found this fellow in the slave market two years ago, and he is similar to Zach, he became my disciple. Although he is still a child, I expect his future prospects, so will it be alright for you to take him to Aurum?" (Gadd)

"I don't mind, but will he be alright to go for a trip?" (Sirius)

"He's been going to Aurum with me a couple of times. Besides, I also taught him about the knowledge of adventurers and how to properly handle a horse. Therefore, there will be no problems if he follows Master." (Gadd)

"I will not drag your feet, so please take care of me, Sirius-san." (Chris)

Well, he is going to travel with us and we were also given an escort fee. He is twelve years old, 2 years younger than me, but Gadd said that he is good at handling the carriage, it should be alright if Hokuto doesn't speed up.

I was told this secretly before the departure, it seems the reason Chris wanted to go along with us was that he wanted to see our splendor in person. He seemed to think that Zach, who was Gadd's disciple, grew up well because of him getting involved with us. That's why he also thought that he can be like that, too. I just provided technology, but he probably grew up because he managed it well.

For that reason, Chris, who was following us, sat on the coach seat to drive his carriage, but he was looking at us with a revered look.

"Uhmm... may I ask you something?" (Chris)

"Hm? What is it, Chris-kun?" (Sirius)

"Why is everyone not getting into the carriage, that is..." (Chris)

Chris unexpectedly began to talk after seeing Reese running near the coach box. Well, it's not that I don't understand why Chris asked such a question. Emilia was resting inside the carriage and was not on the coach box, while Reese got off of it and started running.

Furthermore, Reus and I were chasing the carriage while sparring slightly away.

"We are training, of course. Our bodies will become lax if we just ride the carriage." (Sirius)

"I understand that, but until where are you going to do it?" (Chris)

To common people, what were we doing was nothing but strange. It was because you were not sure when you will be attacked by monsters and thieves when you go outside, and you should avoid wasting energy.

However, we have strength to defeat monsters and thieves, and we have Hokuto, who was sensitive towards the signs of enemies. In case of an emergency, we have one person resting, so as long as a whole group doesn't suddenly show up, we can still handle.

By the way, Hokuto moves on his own, while considering the circumstances around us, so we don't have to sit on the coach box.

"Yeah, I can understand Chris-kun's feelings. I think that I thought the same way a few years ago." (Reese)

"That's right! It's not that I don't understand why Reese-san is running, but are the two who are sparring over there training too? No matter how you look at it, it seems unreasonable to do it with enough force that could cause injuries." (Chris)

While occasionally leaving the carriage, I moved forward to face an assault from Reus. When Reus' fist hit the ground, I used Aikido to throw him away and he would flying over the carriage's top, drawing a curved line. From an outsider's perspective, they'd probably be wondering if we can call it training, but...

"That's still a light one. If they go all out, they'd become too engrossed and leave the carriage." (Reese)

"You mean, that is light training? So, what Gadd-san said wasn't a joke..." (Chris)

"What did he say?" (Reese)

"If I get involved with Sirius-san and the rest, I was told to abandon common sense. It is absurd to say that is common sense indeed." (Chris)

From his state that accepted and admired our actions, Chris seemed to be a very undaunted young boy. I understand what Gadd has his eyes on.

—

The carriage moved on, while we take turns resting. When evening came, we made preparations to camp. Chris said he would prepare the meal himself, but I don't like one person being left out and eating different things, so I invited him to eat together, because I made a larger portion of the meal. Chris was probably interested with the meals that we made, he nodded obediently and returned to his carriage to take care of the horse.

I ordered Hokuto to watch the surroundings, Emilia and Reus to secure the ingredients, and when I asked Reese to help me, Chris, who had finished taking care of the horse, approached me, who was still cutting the ingredients and offered to help.

"Excuse me, is there anything that I can do?" (Chris)

"Well, can you watch over the bowl on the firewood?" (Sirius)

"Understood. Hmmm, I should hear the boiling sound from inside, is that right?" (Chris)

That bowl is one of the tools which the Galgan Company put on sale, it seemed to be popular among people who know the secret of the rice's taste.

He waited with a wooden stick on the side when I asked him to watch over the bowl that I put on the firewood some time ago. I think it should be fine because I explained the details about cooking once.

"Let me know when the water is about to overflow. Well, how's your side, Reese?" (Sirius)

"I finished cutting the vegetables. So, what is left to do is to wait for Emilia and Reus to come back." (Reese)

By the way, the vegetables were bought at Almest the day before, and the freshness was still good.

That was because it was put in the refrigerator built in the carriage. It was similar to the olden days refrigerator, by using a magic formation to maintain a fixed temperature, and that was sufficient to preserve vegetables and other cold things. Since the mana for the cooling magic formation was made to absorb naturally from the atmosphere, there was no need to fill it with mana, unless the cooling rate was increasing due to hot weather.

The water inside the bowl overflowed, Emilia and Reus returned when the rice was cooked.

"I'm back, Aniki. There was a strange monster that looked like a wild boar, so I sliced off only the appetizing part." (Reus)

"I'm back. I picked up some peppers, herbs and nuts." (Emilia)

The green seed was obviously different from the chili pepper that I saw in the previous life, but I decided to use that name on my own. However, the taste was definitely a chili pepper itself. It appears that it as a kind of condiment in this world. I put the pepper aside, since it can be used in many dishes. First, I separated the hunted blocks of meat and put them on a skewer, and then I asked Reus to rekindle the firewood.

"Amazing, there is no need for a meal box." (Chris)

"We only prepare a meal box in the case of emergency. Now, can you cook all these in one go?" (Sirius)

I put the ingredients that don't go well with direct fire on the pan and started preparing to cook. Chris, who was told to cook, looked at me and the firewood alternately and tilted his head.

"Well, if the firewood is covered by the skewered meat, how can I fry it?" (Chris)

"There is a magic tool for that. Emilia, get that." (Sirius)

"Yes." (Emilia)

Emilia took a box-shaped object from the carriage, and I poured my mana after I put the pan on top of it. Although I poured some mana in for only a few seconds, it released a high heat, and then a burning smell from the hot pot came drifting towards us.

"Ehhh!? Could that be a magic tool!?" (Chris)

"Yeah, it's a portable cooking stove. It can release stable heat compared to putting it on a fire." (Sirius)

"Wow... such high-performance expensive magic tools one after another. Gadd-san, who are these people...?" (Chris)

It seems easy when I use the magic formation that released a high temperature, but compared to any magic formations that I used until now, this one in particular consumed a high amount of mana for cooking like this. And, I couldn't use it as a stove, unless I kept pouring mana all the time.

However, by combining it with a magic stone that absorbs mana, the mana consumption of a similar magic formation is lowered, while maintaining a similar temperature. Thus, we have developed a product that served as a practical use of a portable cooking stove. The disadvantage was that the price was expensive because it uses a magic stone.

Chris, who was about to suffer mental damage, left me alone and finished cooking.

"Next, put the cooked rice in here...there you go. I'll finish doing this from now on." (Sirius)

What am I trying to make is fried rice. It was also good to eat the cooked rice as it was, but I decided to give it a little twist.

I sprinkled spices over the cooked rice, and cooked it with the remaining vegetables and meats and cooked some fried rice.

"Aniki! The skewer meat are grilled." (Reus)

"The egg soup is also done." (Reese)

"I have also prepared the tableware for us." (Emilia)

Today's menu is fried rice with lots of vegetables, egg soup and plenty of skewered meat. Although it is quite a lot, there is no problem because the disciples can eat it normally.

The fried rice was served in a dish and the soup was given to each person. Thus, this became a dinner.

"Wow... it is delicious. I never thought I could eat such meals outside." (Chris)

"Don't hesitate to eat the skewer meat. Since we will depart tomorrow, please eat a lot." (Sirius)

"I want more, Aniki!" (Reus)

"Sirius-san, I still want the fried rice..." (Reese)

"There is still some left in the pot, so eat it as much as you want. Make sure you divide it properly." (Sirius)

The two gluttons of our family scoured away the remaining fried rice. There wasn't a single grain of rice left, as a side who made it, I felt satisfied with the way they were eating. The drawback was the Engel coefficient is probably high, I think? (TLN: Engel coefficient is the proportion of money spent on food in household expenses.)

It was followed by the meal for Hokuto. Hokuto can live just by absorbing mana in the atmosphere. It was fine for him without having to eat, but since he can enjoy taste and texture, he occasionally eats things. Among them, he seemed to like spicy dishes, and he doesn't feel the burn in his mouth.

So, I grilled the meat with the chili pepper that Emilia picked earlier, and an extremely spicy steak was made. When I called Hokuto, he came while wagging his tail. When I fed Hokuto, who opened his mouth wide, he chewed the meat well while making a sound as if he couldn't tolerate the spiciness.

On the other hands, the two gluttons said they wanted to eat it, so I cut a small part of the steak and let them eat it...

"Gyaaahhh!" (Reus)

"Yeah... It is so spicy that I can hardly feel the taste of the meat, but it isn't that bad, right?" (Reese)

While Reus rolled and held his mouth, Reese was calmly analyzing it while drinking water.

It was a glimpse of the terror of Reese.

—

The next day, we were moving while training as usual, but Chris also participated in the training today. This morning, he said himself that he wanted to be trained.

I think it is not necessary for a merchant to train, but I don't want to pour cold water on Chris' motivation. Therefore, I allowed him to do it, since he was motivated.

Even if I say so, there is nothing that can be done other than running while traveling during the day time. Christ entrusted Emilia to handle his carriage, and he kept running.

"What's wrong? It hasn't been one hour since you started running, but your jaw is going up. Don't forget to see what's in front of you!" (Sirius)

"Haa...haaa... yes!" (Chris)

I scolded while following him nearby, but Chris kept running without making any complaint. I don't know what motivates him, but it would be courteous of me to respond accordingly when he was doing it earnestly.

When he gets tired, we put him in our carriage, make him recover by using [Regen], and let him run again when he's able to move. It was repeated several times until the camp of the day, Chris' spirit was sharpened in a good condition.

And I gave several blows at Chris, who thought he could finally take a rest calmly.

"Oi, oi, today is not over yet, you know? I thought about teaching you the basics of personal battle... is it not needed?" (Sirius)

"!?... Yes, please!" (Chris)

Although his spirit was crushed for a moment, he somehow cheered up and continued the training. There is less than two days before we reach Aurum. Thus, I have to stuff it in as much as possible so that he may remember and train by himself later.

Since he had a sword, I taught him a style that added a movement based on the 'Hard Break One Hand Sword' style. In addition to the strength, I had him repeat swaying the sword while pointing things out many times in order to make him remember the technique.

Today's training was over after telling him to repeat the training of this sword technique every day from now on. Although Chris felt as if he'd collapse on the spot, he didn't seem to feel the difficulty to continue, by looking at him being satisfied.

Anyhow, I think Chris is a straightforward guy. That straightforward part resembles Reus, but it was interesting because there was fine distinction. To put it simply, I would say one is hot blooded straightforward and the other is naturally straightforward.

The disciples gathered after seeing that the training was over, I thought of entrusting Reese to prepare the meal later, but since I had something in mind about Chris, I decided to ask him first.

"Say, Chris. Why do you want to become strong? Don't you think that, as a merchant's disciple, you should learn about trading, rather than becoming stronger?" (Sirius)

"I am doing that too, of course. However, I do not have the strength at the critical moment. I don't want to taste the regret of not being able to do anything again." (Chris)

"I heard you were found in the slave market. As I expected, you were a former slave, right?" (Sirius)

"Yes. If Gadd-san didn't pick me up, I'm not sure what would've happened to me." (Chris)

There's no mistake that something must of happened in the past when he was a slave. But, I am not his guardian, I am just a companion. It's better to stop digging into his past.

"Is that so? Well... it's enough for me if I can understand your motivation. I will train you until we get to Aurum." (Sirius)

"Thank you very much. Though the time is short, please take care of me, Sensei!" (Chris)

"What?" (Sirius)

I never thought of being called a teacher. How should I put it, there's only a two year different between you and I.

"What's with Sensei? Officially, you are not my disciple, so it's weird to call me that. Shouldn't you call Gadd-san that?" (Sirius)

"I see Gadd-san as an Aniki. Besides, Sirius-san is very calm... and has the characteristics of an expert, so you deserve to be called Sensei." (Chris)

"Oh, I got it, Chris! Talking about Aniki, it doesn't seem to different compared to me, but he is really like an adult." (Reus)

"I also think the same. Although I meet him and there is no gap, I thought many times over that Sirius-san is like a father. I'm really relieved when he is nearby." (Reese)

"It's natural to call him Sensei, even if you've only met him for two days. This is Sirius-sama's true strength!" (Emilia)

Somehow, I was praised oddly, but it was reasonable because it would be strange to call me grandpa, even if the inside of me is like that. Hokuto, who knows about it, wagged his tail as if saying I am a friend, and he came closer to me.

Then, the disciples started talking about my splendor, so I left them alone and decided to start preparing the meals. Since they won't stop doing it, I realized that it was better for me to think about today's menu without worrying about them.

They were talking for a while, and, in the end, Chris said that he decided to call me Sensei.

"You don't have to mind about this because I'm doing this arbitrarily, Sensei." (Chris)

"Aah yeah, do whatever you want." (Sirius)

By the way, today's dinner is fried wild grass and meat as a seasoning for the noodles that I put in, and it became a seasoned yakisoba. Although I had a hard time making this exquisite taste of sauce, it was popular amongst my disciples and was eaten entirely today. To say that there would be leftovers from my disciples is impossible.

Even so... I made it for at least ten people, so what's with these guys' bellies? It is a mystery that can't be solved even after many years.

—

Continuing our journey, on the third day after we left Almest... We finally arrived at Aurum, where Noel and Dee live.

Aurum is a town that was not even half of Elysion's size, but it's still a vibrant town. There were people looking for adventurers here and there, new houses were under construction and the work to build the outer wall even higher was proceeding.

The current time was early in the evening, Chris led us to the branch of the Galgan Company and completed the request. While we were there, I also requested the branch to take care of our carriage and handle it safely.

"Thank you, Sensei. Although it was just two days, I think I will continue doing what I have been taught firmly." (Chris)

"I cannot look after you anymore, but you definitely can become stronger if you continue doing what I taught you. Do your best." (Sirius)

"Yes!" (Chris)

We merely stayed together for three days, we parted away from the quite promising Chris. And then, we walked the town as it started getting dark. In the beginning, I planned to stay at the inn in the town and head out slowly in the morning, but Noel will definitely snap if I do such a thing. 'Why did you not stay at our house!?', she'd shout that angrily.

We gathered the surrounding gazes because of the unusual Hokuto, but we didn't mind them and walked to the restaurant that Dee built. Even though I knew the name of the restaurant, because they mentioned it many times, they didn't mention the location on the map. So, I had to ask around the location of the restaurant from people nearby...

"Aah, there's no one in the town doesn't know where the restaurant is. That restaurant is just beyond that road." (Town people #1)

"It's a specialty store in the town, isn't it? I wonder if you guys also came here to eat those dishes? If so, it's the restaurant on the left of that road." (Town people #2)

"The cuisines are nice, but their sandwiches are delicious. That's what you see over there." (Town people #3)

From the reaction of the town people, Dee and Noel seemed to be doing fine. As we thanked those who pointed to the restaurant, we finally reached Noel and Dee's restaurant.

[Erina's Dining Room]

What was that? Although I knew this beforehand, there was something swelling up when seeing the signboard directly. I think that there was no other shop name suitable for them.

Emilia and Reus probably thought the same, they had gentle looks when they looked at the signboard of the store.

"...This is what Dee-san and Onee-chan dream of, right?" (Emilia)

"Hehe... I wonder why? Somehow, it makes me happy." (Reus)

"Aah, me too. Let's go inside. I look forward to see how far Dee has improved." (Sirius)

Unfortunately, we couldn't bring Hokuto inside the restaurant, so I ordered him to wait outside. I asked him to bark if something happened, and he needed to lie down secretly to avoid getting attention.

We're finally going to have our reunion with them. When we received their letter, while we were in Elysion, they wrote these sentences.

'Please look surprised when looking at me who has grown up!' (Noel)

While we looked forward on how much they had grown up, we took a step and entered the [Erina's Dining Room].

"Hey, I'd like two curries!" (Customer #1)

"Give me three more Erina sandwiches!" (Customer #2)

"Stews for two, please!" (Customer #3)

The interior of the Erina's Dining Room was an conventional eatery with several tables and chairs. Counter seats were also prepared, and the setup for the dining room was entirely for the masses.

But, whether this was the peak time of the evening, let alone the store was buzzing with activity, it was also packed. When I was looking for empty seats, a woman, who appeared to be a waitress, found us and said this.

"I'm sorry, the restaurant is full right now. There are four of you, so can you wait at the waiting area until there is an available table?" (Waitress)

She had similar cat ears and red hair like Noel's... Maybe she is Noel's sister? For some reason, she looks similar to Noel, it was written in a letter that her younger sister worked as a waitress.

There's nothing we can do, except wait. As she said, we sat side by side on chairs placed on the wall. It seems they paid attention to what I told them and put this into practice, where they prepared seats for people waiting.

"Aniki, why didn't you say that you have come? Anyway, since that person doesn't know, won't Dee-nii be in the kitchen if you enter there?" (Reus)

"Why don't we try seeing the hospitality and the taste of the cooking naturally? Besides, they seem to be busy right now, maybe after the store has calmed down?" (Sirius)

Looking around the crowd, where residents and adventurers were, I couldn't see Noel at all. There was only one waitress, the one that received us and she seemed busy running around the store.

"... Onee-chan is not here. Although the store is busy like this, where is she?" (Emilia)

"That person seems to be quite busy." (Reese)

"Hmm... there is no other way. As expected, here is..." (Sirius)

"Oi, what's going on in this shop!?" (??)

As we thought to enter the shop to help them, when we raised our waist, a group of adventurers, who were surrounding a table, raised their voice and gathered attention.

The child waitress immediately went near them and asked about the circumstances, but the adventurers vented their angers without reservation.

"I heard that this is delicious, but how can this store serves such dish! It is spicy and we cannot eat it!" (Adventurer #1)

"That's right! No one can eat such dish!" (Adventurer #2)

The dishes that they were complaining about was the curry. Although the other party was intimidating, the child waitress looked at the dish on the table, and told the adventurers calmly.

"Dear customers, I've explained that this dish is spicy before I accepted your order. I also informed you that the spiciness can be adjusted, but did you not tell to make it the most spicy while laughing?" (Waitress)

There was alcoholic drinks like ales lined up on the table, it seemed they order the most spicy while drunk. This only happened because of their mistake and it was unreasonable to complain because she had explained beforehand. What she said was correct but... those adventurers probably won't let it go.

Just as I thought, these ruffians' eyes became sharp and they began to stand up as if they would attack her at anytime.

"So noisy, if you are a man, deal with it. Anyhow, I'm not going to let you eat this dish. Of course, you don't have money, right?" (Waitress)

"After placing an order, it is impossible to eat even a bit. That's why, why don't you ask for another dish to clean the bad taste? If it's a dessert, I would recommend a shortcake." (Customer?)

"Are you kidding me!? Don't ridicule us to order a dessert or something. Oi, you guys, this shop is..." (??)

"Please wait!" (??)

For that excessive stupid claim, I was thinking to send Reus in, but, at that time...

A loud voice spread over the store, while the adventurers were looking around... that person slowly appeared from the interior of the store. As if she had a world champion's title, she walked dignifiedly inside the shop, stood up in front of the adventurers and pointed at the other party with momentum and a snap sound came out.

"Where is the guy who complained to my cute Nokia-chan?" (??)

"Nice! Do it!" (Customer?)

"Punish them who made fool of Danna's dishes!" (Customer?)

She wore herself in the same maid dress when she was at the mansion, but she held props like some kind of magical stick. She was Noel, herself, that we wanted to meet.

Even so, what's with this situation? We hesitated to call her because this situation was entirely like a magic show, and we could do nothing but watch the scene in blank amazement.

"Wh-what is it to you?" (Adventurer)

"You mean me? I am the wife of the person who made that dish." (Noel)

"Rather than his wife, the person himself must come out! We can't eat this kind of hot dish like that!" (Adventurer)

"Ooh?" (Noel)

As Noel's eyes narrowed, I felt her mana rising up.

As I looked to the side, the waitress called Nokia held her head and was sighing. Somehow, this scene was probably an everyday occurrence.

When I looked at Noel again, her hair grew longer compared to five years ago, and she had a grown up look like a mother who gave birth. According to the letter written, she seems to have grown up.

...In a strange direction, though.

"Rather than complaining about the dish that my husband made, you can handle it easily with a dessert. And above all, as a poster girl of [Erina's Dining Room], I won't forgive anyone who disturbs other customers who came to the house to eat." (Noel) (TLN: Kanban-Musume = Poster Girl? Darling of the shop?)

"What poster girl!? Don't joke around!" (Adventurer)

"Even if God forgives your arrogance, I will not forgive you. It is because you are trouble by making noise that causes inconvenience to the surrounding customers. Hey, look around you. Everyone has a troubled face..." (Noel)

...Our eyes met.

Yes, my eyes met with hers.

"...Tsk." (Noel)

"Tsk?" (Adventurer)

"You've got it wrong, you know!? E-even if I said it with that tone, I'm just into a character to make everyone enjoy eating their meals, so I'm really... arrgghhhhh." (Noel)

While screaming loudly, Noel screamed with all her power to the interior of the store.

The surroundings were stunned with such an excessive escape, I hit Reus' shoulder and asked him to clean the garbage. Reus nodded and approached the men who were still confused. He grabbed their faces and threw them from an open window. Of course, there were some who resisted, but Reus was superior in both skill and strength, so every last one of them was easily thrown out. The meal cost was collected earlier and Reus kept doing what he's been doing. Since I heard Hokuto's bark, it would probably be alright to leave it to him afterwards.

And then, I clapped my hands to gather attention, and pointed to Nokia to leave the matter to her.

"Aah... well, everyone please continue your meals." (Nokia)

The clatter sound regained back because of those words, I guess the customers are used to it. Since the busy situation didn't change, we nodded to each other.

"I will enter the kitchen. Emilia and Reus, I'll leave things here to you." (Sirius)

"Yes, please leave it to us." (Emilia)

"This is my first time as a waitress, but I'll work hard." (Reese)

—

As I confirmed that Emilia and the rest offered help to Nokia, I turned my feet to the kitchen.

In the kitchen, Dee and another man with cat ears, had turned into a scenario where they moved around tightly. I borrowed an apron on the wall, and the man with cat ears noticed me when I stepped into the kitchen.

Which reminds me, it was written in Dee's letter that he has one disciple. If I'm not mistaken, his name is Alad?

"Aah, I'm sorry, Mr. Customer. Here is the kitchen, so it will be a trouble if you enter arbitrarily." (Alad)

"No, I came here to help." (Sirius)

"You said you wanted to help, huh. In the first place, who are you...?" (Alad)

"Sirius-sama!?" (Dee)

Thereupon, Dee noticed my presence and turned around. Seeing Dee's eyes for the first time in five years was sharper than before, and without a doubt, that was a feature of an artisan. Although he is just a chef, I realized the muscles on his whole body change too. It's doesn't look painful even if it seems severe, he looks fulfilling above all.

He turned his eyes and glared the same as usual, but I know he was happy because his mouth loosened.

"Long time no see, Dee. There are lots of stories hanging, but let's overcome this situation for now." (Sirius)

"But Sirius-sama... No, thank you." (Dee)

He probably understood that I won't pull out. Furthermore, the situation was also bad, so Dee accepted my help obediently.

There were wooden tags written with the dishes' name placed on the stand in the colonnade that connects the kitchen to the floor.

As soon as I confirmed the menu on the table and broke the eggs with the necessary ingredients, Alad raised his voice while pointing at me.

"Eh, wait a second Dee-san, who on earth is this guy!? Will it be alright to let him cook on his own!?" (Alad)

"If it's this guy, it will be fine, Alad. You just do your job." (Dee)

"Y-yes!" (Alad)

With those words, Alad resumed his work. Apparently, they have built a considerable relationship as a teacher and a student, since he obeyed the order faithfully. However, Alad seemed unable to let it go completely, he looked here several times, but he groaned admiringly when seeing the way I cut the vegetables.

"Amazing, he is faster than me." (Alad)

"Of course. This person is my master, Sirius-sama." (Dee)

"Ehh, this person is Sirius-sama!?" (Alad)

When Alad learned that I was Dee's master, his facial expression changed from doubt to admiration with glittering eyes. I wonder what did Dee say about me?

He looked somewhat nervous when he turned his eyes towards me.

"Alad. I understand your feelings, but move your hands first." (Dee)

"I-I can't! I'm sorry." (Alad)

"You can leave the preparations to me. You guys are finishing, anyway." (Sirius)

""Yes."" (Dee/Alad)

No matter how much they teach me the recipes, I can't produce the taste similar to Dee's. So, I decided to follow them completely.

I cut the vegetables and meat, put them inside the pot and frying pan in front of those two and kept the necessary things out of the way. As a result, the movements of those two in the kitchen were reduced, and the speed of the whole cooking rose dramatically.

When there was leeway, Dee would speak to Alad while swimming the frying pan.

"Do you understand? It will be easier like this if you do the preparation." (Dee)

"Yes! As expected of Dee-san's master... Ah, thank you!" (Alad)

I put the meat for Alad's stir fry vegetables dish on his side, and I put the finished dish into the platform that goes inside the store.

I checked the inside of the store from there, and Emilia seemed to be moving around smoothly, showing unrivaled effort. She was undoubtedly demonstrating the experience for helping at Elysion's inn, [Spring Breeze of Perch].

Reese took orders while being at a loss, and with the sudden appearance of the girls with blue and silver hairs, the customers placed extra orders in a good mood. By the way, Reus, who was also a waiter, stared and dispersed anyone who tried to do any sexual harassment on the two girls.

The other side seemed to be alright, so I turned to the cooking group again.

—

"Eh? Sirius-sama, how long have you been here?" (Noel)

After a short while when the flow of customers stopped, Noel entered the kitchen with an innocent look, and was surprised with an exaggerated reaction.

"...A little while ago. What on earth were you doing?" (Sirius)

"Was it unpleasant, Sirius-sama? Even though it is a reunion of excitement between servant and master, why does it feel so bland!?" (Noel)

This married woman... she's trying to make me forget the incident a while ago.

Oh well. Let's talk slowly about that later.

"There will be a lot of talking after you close the store. Here is fine, so, please, entertain the customers." (Sirius)

"Yes. Dear, I'm going." (Noel)

"Aah." (Dee)

It seems the couple doesn't change by calling each other expressively even when they are close by. Since the kitchen started to look calm, I heard a voice from inside of the store when I got permission from Dee to make a meal.

"Emi-chan and Reus-kun, long time no see! I wanted to see you guys!" (Noel)

"I wanted to see you too, Noel-nee!" (Emilia)

"Yeah. Oh, could this be Reese-chan? Amazing, you have beautiful hair." (Noel)

"Eh!? Uhmm... Nice to meet you, Noel-san. My name is Reese." (Reese)

"Nice to meet you, too, I am Noel. I don't mind if you call me Onee-chan." (Noel)

"Onee-chan! Please do it later because you are at work!" (Nokia)

"Reus too, act properly!" (Emilia)

""...Yes"" (Reus/Noel)

I can't see it from here, but I can imagine Emilia and Nokia's depressed eyes in my mind. Which reminds me, those two often played a prank and mother got angry.

It hasn't really changed. Although we barely greeted each other for the reunion, it feels really similar to when we were in the mansion.

That made me smile naturally. And then, I confirmed the boiling condition of the pot with a good mood.

—

The store was closed a little bit early, and we gathered in the center of the store with my cooked dish... we surrounded the pot and it was the reunion greeting again.

In terms of numbers, there are four of us, Dee and Noel's family, Alad and Nokia. And there was a little girl hiding behind Noel and she's watching me.

Hmm, this means, it's a girl, huh...

"Fufu, did you notice Sirius-sama? I have a lot of things to talk about, but first, let me introduce this child." (Noel)

"Aah, I don't mind. By all mean, please introduce her." (Sirius)

"Yes! This child here is our precious, Noir-chan. Come, what should you say, Noir-chan?" (Noel)

"Hmm... M-my name... is Noir." (Noir)

She was a cute girl with red hair and cat ears inherited from Noel. She definitely took after her mother, and seemed to almost have no genes from Dee.

Because she was a bit shy, Noir hid again behind Noel after introducing herself. Dee was laughing happily and stroked her head while praising her. He seemed to be on a good terms with his child.

And then, Noel picked up Noir, lined up next to Dee, and bowed again to us.

"You did well, Noir-chan. And Sirius-sama, it's been a long time." (Dee)

"Yeah, it's been a long time. And I really appreciate it. We are here all thanks to you." (Noel)

"I only helped a little, didn't I? Your success is because you guys continued your efforts." (Sirius)

"We also made an effort, but it is all because of what Sirius-sama taught us. Please, look here, Sirius-sama. This is what we are now. My family and I are truly blessed, thanks to you." (Noel)

Noel had a smile on her whole face while I nodding in satisfaction.

—

Extra

I asked my disciples.

List any bad points of Sirius.

"..." (Emilia)

"..." (Reus)

"..." (Reese)

"No, no, if you have something, You can say it without worrying about it." (Sirius)

"Please, stroke me more! Please, brush me more! And when are you going to embrace me?" (Emilia)

"I want to eat more rice, and please take care of me more!" (Reus)

"I want to eat cake. After that... I want to hold your hands." (Reese)

"Those are your requests!" (Sirius)

The result is... I just don't get it.