Magic Gems Gourmet

Chapter 175

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ED: LonelyMatter

Chapter 175 – Contact From Dill

Despite many short breaks for lunch and other things, there was still a pile of paper and a stack of books.

Just when they thought they had finished one pile, they would see an even bigger pile next to it.

Although they were grateful for the large amount of material, they began to show signs of fatigue.

“You know, I don’t think we can really compete with people like Krone or Warren-san with this kind of work, don’t you?”

“Those two are in a class by themselves. From my point of view, Ain-sama is in a class of his own as well.”

“Haha. However, I still have a long way to go…”

As a result of rummaging through the documents while taking notes on the contents of Chris’ translation, they were able to get some interesting information.

Apparently, there was a culture of embedding magic stones in the past.

It seems that they were sometimes embedded in weapons or placed around the house, such as in furniture, for ritualistic reasons.

Of course, they don’t do that anymore. After all, if you put them in weapons or put them around the house, it would be natural for them to have a negative effect on the human body.

“Let’s organize this a little bit. In other words, the technology for embedding magic stones has been around for a long time, right?”

Ain must be tired.

As he stretched out, he looked at Chris.

“It seems so. Perhaps the experiments with the artificial demon king were also based on these old facts.”

This made Ain happy because it seemed to connect the story a bit.

However, there were still many unanswered questions.

“I think Professor Oz knows a lot about it.”

“Yes, I think so too. I also think I should use my royal authority to call an emergency meeting.”

After nodding in agreement, Ain stood and looked out the window.

“It looks like the sun is setting. We must have read for a long time…”

“Yes… It’s been a while since I read so many words.”

Chris, smiling wryly, also looked tired and stretched out like Ain did a while ago.

“I’m afraid there was no direct information about this creature.”

“I think that’s probably true. If the chief had known about it, I’m sure she would have written about it.”

Although Ain was able to find out the meaning of the name Wernstein, the information he was looking for about the creature that appeared in Euro was scarce.

However, Oz and the Ist Grand Magic Academy may have some valuable information.

It couldn’t be said that getting such a lead was a bad result.

“There’s still a lot of material left, but we’ve gone through most of it, bit by bit.”

“…I don’t want to think about it, but should we assume that they have created a new species of creature?”

“It is possible. It’s probably a good thing that the fleet’s attack was effective, and the fact that they were killed with swords is a blessing.”

The fact that they weren’t difficult to defeat was a relief.

The sheer numbers were tough, but if that’s the case, weapons for land battles will undoubtedly be introduced.

The army of Ishtalika would move after seeing the situation in Heim, but since the opponent was the Red Fox who controlled the Demon King, they had no choice but to be cautious.

“It seems that there are ways to control monsters, so everything is really a matter of careful consideration.”

“Should the twins be evacuated somewhere so that they can’t be controlled?”

“Yes, I was thinking about that as well. I don’t want to think about it, but if the twins were controlled, it would be…”

Then, when Lloyd wanted to defeat the twins, he should have killed them without sparing them.

There might still be people who think that way, but for Ain, it was unthinkable that he would defeat the twins who had already become his family.

If that had been the case, he would have tried his best to prevent it.

“Well then, let’s get right to it…”

Just as they were about to sit down and start looking for more information, the door to Chris’ house was knocked on, just like in the morning.

Ain’s mood was dampened by the setback, and he turned to Chris, who was looking at the door and asked her to go and greet the visitor.

“Yes… Oh, it was Sierra.”

As the chief had said, Chris didn’t seem to have opened her heart to the people of the village, and until she realized that the visitor was Sierra, she even kept her eyes fixed on the door with a stern expression.

“Oh, what does that mean? Well, never mind. I’m here to pick up His Highness and Chris… Your eyes look terrible.”

The effect of constantly reading small letters was shown in Chris’ eyes, and when it was pointed out, she had swollen eyes that did not look like Chris’ usual appearance.

She seemed unaware of it, and when it was pointed out, she looked alternately at Ain and Sierra before rubbing her eyes.

“You know why… We’ve been working hard so far.”

“Hmm… I guess I should have helped. I’m sorry, I was getting ready to pick you up.”

“It’s okay. It’s not right that you have to check on us and then help us…”

Seeing Chris sigh, Sierra stood on tiptoe and patted Chris on the head.

The difference in their heights was significant, and at first glance, it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that they looked like mother and daughter.

As she stood on tiptoe, she put a hand on Chris’ waist for support and patted Chris’ head, her feet shaking slightly.

“Yes, yes. I know you’ve been working hard. I’ve also prepared something that Chris likes, so please be patient until then, okay?”

She turned and walked towards Chris, acting like a big sister to her.

“I’m sorry. I just enjoyed talking to Chris.”

“Haha, that’s okay. Chris seems to be enjoying it as well.”

With a loud “heave-ho,” Ain got up from the chair.

Then he picked up the jacket hanging on the chair and put it on. For today’s research, after borrowing a hot bath from Chris, Ain had spent the time with two buttons of his thin shirt undone.

It was a light and comfortable outfit, but it was not good to go out like that.

After putting on his jacket, he closed one button and adjusted his clothes by adjusting the collar.

“It’s time, let’s go. Chris.”

Actually, he was looking forward to this.

The meal the people of the forest would prepare to welcome them piqued his interest.

Just imagining it made him salivate, and he couldn’t wait. That’s probably why he quickly grabbed his jacket.

“I’m… I’m ready, too.”

Chris also put on the knight’s jacket, wearing a Mithril rapier at her waist.

Her skirt was already on the knight’s outfit, so all she had to do was put on the jacket and get her weapon ready.

She took the jacket and adjusted it, just like Ain, and stood next to Ain.

Even though their positions didn’t change, the fact that they were now looking at each other from different heights made Chris feel proud, and when she looked next to her, she found herself looking up at Ain’s face and a natural, gentle smile came to her lips.

“Well then, Sierra-san. I’ll leave the guide to you.

“I understand. And it’s okay if you just call me Sierra, you know? If Your Highness were to call me with honorifics, my ancestors would scold me.”

＊＊＊

“Oh, welcome!”

Like last night, Cyrus greeted Ain as he made his way to the chief’s house.

For Ain, it had been a long time since their walk, so he chose his words carefully so as not to give anything away.

After all, the fact that they had gone for a walk was a secret, so he had to make sure that the girl next to him didn’t know.

“Thank you for going out of your way to welcome me.”

“No, not at all. If we didn’t welcome Your Highness, who has been favored by the tree spirit, it would be more than just rude.”

“…Favored by the tree spirit?”

Chris looked at Ain.

There was no way she would have used the word Tree Spirit in her life. Besides, Cyrus and Ain had never met alone.

That’s strange; there’s something wrong with what he said. She looked at Ain with doubt in her eyes.

“…What’s wrong, Chris?”

“Yeah, I just want you to explain, okay?”

“…Explain about what?”

“About the tree spirit. Where and when did the tree spirit end up liking you?”

――Damn it, Cyrus. I hate you, Ain thought.

Not only Ain but also Cyrus had a look on his face that said, “I screwed up.”

Ain never said that he would go for a walk without Chris, but when Cyrus considered it, it was strange that he was alone.

As Cyrus watched the distance between them grow, he realized that he had made a big mistake.

“If I tell you how it happened, will you forgive me?”

“Oh, did Ain-sama do something to make me angry?”

Oh no, this is really bad. She’s really angry.

Ain tried to smile, but Chris’ expression remained stern.

In fact, it seems to be getting more and more serious. Yes, it’s definitely not a mistake.

When Ain looked next to him, Cyrus covered his eyes with one hand and acted apologetically.

“…Can’t I tell you later?”

“No, you can’t.”

So that’s impossible, huh?

Since he couldn’t argue with her about being careless, Ain was willing to apologize.

But explaining the circumstances would also mean telling her about carrying Chris to bed…

Since Cyrus and Sierra were there, Ain hesitated to say anything and put his hand to his mouth while he thought about it.

“Hmm… not good.”

“Please, can you tell me what happened last night?”

Of course, the only time that would be relevant was last night.

Chris knew that, because there was no other time when they weren’t together.

However, Chris doesn’t seem to remember much about being carried to bed.

As she stared at him with her strong eyes, she pressed Ain for an answer again.

“How much do you remember of last night?”

“If you’re talking about last night, I took you to the bedroom and then…”

Chris opens her mouth after staring into the empty room for a few seconds.

She checked each word, as if she were tracing the sequence, but then stopped at a certain point.

“Hahaha… That’s what I mean. When we get back to Chris’ place, I’ll tell you the real story. Can’t we just do that?”

Chris remembered feeling disappointed when she woke up this morning.

As her cheeks slowly flushed, she realized why Ain had been reluctant to speak.

She blinked quickly and then closed her mouth, looking embarrassed.

――Nod, nod.

Then Chris nodded repeatedly without saying a word.

If he had just said, “I went for a walk in secret,” it would have been enough, but it was hard to hide the fact that he had gone for a walk.

Sierra, who had been on the alert for a bad turn of events, also saw Chris’ embarrassed expression and put on a dazed look.

“Uh, well…”

Sierra shook her head from side to side, unsure of what to do.

Seeing that Chris had understood, Ain called Sierra.

“Sierra. Chris isn’t angry, so can you continue to lead us?”

“Y-yes, I understand.”

As soon as he called her by her first name, Sierra agreed after some hesitation.

Chris still looked dissatisfied, but her embarrassment seemed to overtake her, and she walked behind Ain, hunched over.

Ain noticed that Cyrus wanted to tell him something, but he waved him away with his hand.

So Ain made his way to the reception that had been arranged for him.

A meal prepared with the skill of an elven cook awaited Ain.

Would it be as he had imagined, or would there be dishes that exceeded his imagination? He suppressed his feelings of anticipation and took every step, walking behind Sierra.

＊＊＊

The elven cuisine Ain had in mind was not entirely vegetarian but a simple, low-salt cuisine.

Mountain produce… nuts and berries from the forest, and fresh meat grilled over an open fire.

This was the elven cuisine Ain had in mind. But the dishes that spread out in front of him were completely different.

The sight of such old-fashioned thinking shocked Ain in a good way.

“Come to think of it, I heard that some elves go shopping, so it’s not like they don’t have any contact with the outside world…”

“Yeah? What’s wrong, Ain-sama?

Chris, who was sitting next to him, was happily munching on a dish that seemed to be her favorite.

When she heard Ain’s mumbling, she looked over to him.

“No, I just thought it was a little old-fashioned. “

“…..?”

She tilted her head in confusion and put the dish she was holding back on the plate.

“Um, are you enjoying yourself? If you’re not feeling well, you can go back to my place now…”

“N-no, no, I’m enjoying myself. I’m just surprised that there are more dishes than I thought.”

He wasn’t lying.

He was actually surprised, so it wasn’t a mistake.

Chris let out a small sigh of relief that Ain wasn’t dissatisfied.

It was a quiet gathering for a welcome party.

In addition to the elven warriors they had met on the first day, Cyrus and Sierra were also there, and the chief arrived late as well.

However, even with the addition of Ain and Chris, the party lacked the excitement of a party with about ten people.

But that’s not a bad thing. It’s been a little more than an hour since Ain sat down at this table, and he is full of contentment.

“If you want to enjoy your meal, this is the perfect number of people.”

“Yes, it’s just the right amount of excitement.”

It’s not too quiet, and they can enjoy their meal while chatting.

Unlike the party in the capital, where they had to worry about what people would think when they picked up their food, Ain could act freely.

“This is delicious, Ain-sama. Please help yourself.”

“――Ah, it’s delicious.”

He even showed composure when picking up the food that Chris had taken for him.

“Even though we just showed up out of the blue, it’s impressive to be welcomed like this.”

“Haha… Ain-sama is kind. But normally, outsiders wouldn’t be welcomed like this. So I guess this is something special. “

“Is that so?”

It’s not that Ain is special; it’s the blood of royalty… and, by extension, the blood of Dryads.

Although he was also famous as the hero who defeated the sea dragon, the blood of the Dryads was more influential to the elves.

It’s a bit sad to be judged solely by one’s ancestry, but if he saw it as a factor that allowed things to go smoothly, he didn’t feel bad about it.

“I’m sure no one will be allowed to go beyond the entrance of the village. Even the merchants won’t be allowed to enter.”

“Hmm… I guess it’s inevitable that I feel a bit distant.”

“We are an introverted race… That’s why there aren’t many elves who spend time in places like the royal capital.”

Now that she mentioned it, he wondered what had made Chris decide to go to the royal capital.

The most likely explanation was that he had followed Celestina, who had gone to the royal capital.

“Excuse me for interrupting your conversation.”

It was at that moment.

An elf warrior, who had not been at the meeting, came over and bowed apologetically to Ain.

Then he went over to Cyrus.

“Cyrus-sama. Actually…”

He sat down on the floor next to Cyrus and opened his mouth in a confused manner.

Halfway through, he put his hand in his pocket and pulled out an envelope, handing it to Cyrus.

As he listened to the story, Cyrus’ expression also changed to one of surprise, and he nodded several times in response to the warrior.

After a few tens of seconds, the warrior left the room in a hurry.

“…Mmm.”

Cyrus, who had been looking at the envelope that had been handed to him, nodded one last time and stood up.

He walked straight over to Ain, and Chris looked at him curiously.

“I apologize for interrupting your meal. As you may have seen, I just received a message from the warrior who was on guard.”

“Huh? Is that something to do with me…?”

Cyrus nodded his head without a word and handed the envelope he was holding to Ain.

“It seems that someone claiming to be Your Highness’s knight gave it to someone at the entrance of the village. Apparently, he is waiting there now and said that the letter had to be delivered in a hurry…”

“My knight…?”

It must be either the royal knight or Dill.

But why would they have to come all the way to the Elven Village?

Is there an emergency that requires it? Ain checks the envelope he received.

“Ah, it looks like Dill prepared this.”

Ain says this to Chris, who is watching him with concern. Then, he grabbed the edge of the envelope and pulled it open.

Inside was just a single sheet of paper with a few words written in the middle.

“…Chris.”

“Y-yes!”

Ain’s voice changed completely.

In addition to his dignified tone, there was also a harsh, impatient tone in his voice, and Chris hurriedly replied.

“I’m going to the village entrance as fast as I can. I think Dill is probably there, so I need to ask him directly.”

Then Ain stood up and urged Chris on.

“Cyrus-san, was there only one knight who came?”

“――N-no! It seems that several knights were led here by the adventurers who live in Holtra…”

“I see. That’s how they got here.”

“A-Ain-sama! What on earth… what does it mean that Dill came here…?”

As expected, Chris asked hastily what had happened.

The fact that Dill had come was surprising enough, but Ain’s attitude was even more disturbing to Chris.

When Ain stopped moving at Chris’ voice, he took a deep breath and handed Chris the letter.

“…U-understood.”

Seeing this, Chris also stood up quickly and got ready.

The letter she received from Ain contained these words.

――Warren-sama collapsed after being stabbed in the chest. Further details are still unknown…

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