“Oniichan, what do you think?”
“Does it suit me?”
“You look like a princess!”
“You even styled your hair. It suits you well.”
“““Ehehehe”””
Shiro is wearing a green dress, Fran is wearing a blue dress, and Horn is wearing a yellow dress. Their hair is neatly braided. At first glance, they look like noble ladies, but deep down they’re quite the tomboys.
“It suits you too, Sue and Sylvia-san.”
“Thank you.”
“Oh, thank you very much.”
Sue, being a noble young lady, wore her red dress flawlessly. The rich crimson fabric seemed made for her, accentuating her refined bearing and natural elegance. Sylvia-san had chosen a pale green gown that perfectly complemented the color of her hair. The soft hue gave her an almost ethereal presence, gentle yet dignified.
I shouldn’t say this out loud, but Sylvia-san, who is about the same height as Shiro, has a bigger bust than Sue.
“Shun, are you thinking about something?”
“N-not at all.”
Yes. Let’s not think about that topic any further.
Lately, Sue’s intuition had become frighteningly sharp.
“So, were you told to come to the reception room as well?”
“Nope! We smelled you, Onii-chan, so we came!”
Right. As a cat beastkin, Shiro’s sense of smell was surprisingly keen. Fran nodding enthusiastically beside her only confirmed it—they had truly tracked me down by scent alone.
I suppose there was no hiding from them, no matter where I went. Not even in a quiet reception room meant for adults.
“By the way, where did Ao go?”
“Ao went somewhere with the Margrave.”
“I see. Well, it’s not a problem if we know where she is.”
The Margrave must have tasked Ao with some kind of work. Probably to deal with the person he was watching during the day.
“It seems like the dwarf girl has improved her skills quite a bit since then.”
“Is that so? Thank you.”
“She’s been training with Shiro and the others lately.”
“Really? If so, she might be a contender for the championship next year.”
That’s right. The martial artist noticed that Sylvia-san’s skills had improved dramatically, but even so, I think that even in a year, Sylvia-san still won’t be able to beat either the martial artist or the guard. That wasn’t a criticism. It was simply the difference in their experience. Talent and growth alone couldn’t erase that gap overnight.
After that, we continued passing the time in the reception room, chatting idly while waiting for the banquet to begin.
“Come to think of it, your cooking is really excellent.”
“Yes. It was extremely well received within the guard unit as well.”
“I–is that so? I’m glad to hear it.”
Before I knew it, the topic of conversation had drifted entirely to my food stall. From martial arts and magic… to grilled skewers and seasoning techniques.
Well, as long as the dishes I made were well liked, I couldn’t complain. That brought a different kind of satisfaction altogether.
“Oniichan is a very talented chef!”
“Shiro, I’m an adventurer, not a chef.”
“Oniichan can do both well!”
Shiro also sees me as a chef.
Sue is smiling wryly.
But please, please stop. I’m an adventurer, a magician, and a healer!
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.
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