Magic Gems Gourmet

Chapter 261

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Chapter 261 – Things to Do the Next Day

Ain returned to the mansion and started chatting with others in the spacious living room.

Olivia, who had some free time, joined them. Chris was sitting on the sofa directly across from them.

“So, that’s why Chris is taking care of her…is that right?”

Olivia couldn’t hide her wry smile as she looked from Chris on the sofa to Arche sleeping on her lap.

Ain told her how the demon lord Arche came to this place. Afterward, Ain went out to the main street and bought some skewers.

He handed her the skewered meat, which filled both her hands. Arche followed him with a happy smile.

However, there was a reason why Chris was holding her.

Rather than a mother-daughter pair, the two were more like sisters of different ages, with Arche mainly attached to Chris.

This seemed to be related to how Arche was revived.

“Ahaha… When she’s this quiet, she doesn’t seem like a demon lord at all.”

She was brought back to life through the Mithril sword, her core, and the magic stone’s influence.

There was an emotion unique to Arche that others couldn’t understand.

Having lost her parents at a young age, she saw Chris, who had given her a new life, as a special existence.

These feelings weren’t the same as maternal feelings or the sisterly feelings she had for Sylvia. It was a mysterious sense of closeness.

“Mmm…”

As she supported Arche, who was twisting her body, Chris smiled like a mother, perhaps because Arche’s movements were cute.

She looked so happy sleeping as Chris stroked her head.

“I said I wouldn’t rely on any of them during the day, but I guess it’s true that I feel reassured when she’s around…”

Ain mostly felt her reliability in terms of security.

For example, when he was out and Marco and Chris accompanied him, the mansion’s security was weakened.

Even though there were Black Knights and Royal Knights, it was best to avoid weakening security when the enemy’s strength was unknown.

Ain had many people to protect right now.

The people of Ishtalika were important too, but of course, he cared more about his family.

In that sense, having a demon lord like Arche to help them was a relief.

“By the way, Chris. What are we going to do about this situation?”

“…Well, I’ve prepared a room, so I guess we’ll take her there.”

“Oh, you don’t mean you’ll be sleeping together, do you?”

Ain looked at her with a confused expression and raised one side of his face in embarrassment.

“I’m just kidding. She’s probably just tired from the water train ride.”

“Um, do demon lords get tired, too?”

She asked Ain.

It was then Ain’s turn to look at her with a confused expression.

“Hey, I’m human, too, you know?”

“I think you’re a World Tree.”

Now that she mentions it, I guess I’m not human after all, Ain thought.

That was a pretty sharp comeback.

“I mean my heart is human, you know?”

“I know that, but isn’t that a different issue from physical strength?”

“It’s not so much physical fatigue as mental fatigue or feeling sluggish. I get that, too.”

In the end, he gave up.

It’s like when you’ve been sitting in a chair working for a long time.

Your bottom starts to feel heavy, and you don’t want to stay in the same position.

That’s what Ain was trying to say: not physical fatigue.

“That’s right. Ain, your arms have gotten so muscular without me noticing.”

“Eh… um… thank you…?”

Olivia naturally reached out and rubbed Ain’s upper arm with both hands.

Indeed, perhaps from long hours of training, his upper arms were muscular and toned.

Without holding back, Olivia moved closer to Ain.

“O-Olivia-sama… I feel like you’re a little too close.”

Chris probably wanted to stop her, but she couldn’t because she was holding Arche.

All she could do was give her an annoyed look.

“It’s a privilege of being related by blood. Chris treats Arche-sama like a sister, doesn’t she?”

“No, no, no! That’s completely different…”

Meanwhile, Ain was in a complicated state of mind.

Olivia was his mother. She was undoubtedly a saintly mother.

However, although he had no memory of it, Ain had experience from his previous life.

This was why he couldn’t think of her as his mother the same way he did before.

It was a subtle feeling, a mixture of three types of relationships: mother, close older sister, and beautiful neighbor.

This feeling was likely influenced by Ain’s birth and the nature of dryads.

Since Ain was born to a mate, it was unreasonable to expect him to think of her solely as a mother.

(Well, the crown prince’s mental strength is perfect, though.)

Enveloped by the presence of the beautiful woman sitting next to him, he murmured the mysterious word he used before in his mind.

“Anyway, I’m already rooted in Ain, so it doesn’t matter if I’m nearby, does it?”

“I’m sorry. Could you tell me more about that?”

Chris’s eyes lost their color, and cold air flowed from her body.

However, Olivia said cheerfully, without caring.

“Don’t you remember? During the war in Heim, Ain went berserk and I got injured, didn’t I?”

“I remember. But what I’m asking is the meaning of ‘rooted.’”

“Hmm, I think there are two reasons…”

She said both reasons go back to when Ain was a child.

The first reason was the way Ain was born.

Since it was a method that produced a mate from the start, perhaps he was rooted from that moment on.

That’s his first guess.

The second reason was the physical affection Ain received when he was young.

Olivia loved Ain so much that she kissed his cheek countless times.

That might have influenced him. That’s the second possibility.

“I see. Then there’s no problem.”

Chris let out a sigh of relief and closed her eyes.

However, the next moment, she looked up with a confused expression.

“Wait, but if that’s the case, what happens to the bond formed with Krone-san?”

Her question was simple yet surprisingly intense.

Everyone fell into deep thought, but no answer came to mind.

After a while, the contemplation ended because Ain was the World Tree.

◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

“Oh, Ain-sama! You’re up early today.”

“You’re the one who’s up early, Martha-san.”

The next morning, Ain woke up early.

Looking out the window, he saw that the sun had not yet risen and that the boundary between night and the faint blue of dawn was unclear.

It felt like it might snow soon, so Ain put on a thick coat before leaving the mansion.

He met Martha at the front door.

She was sweeping the area in front of the door with a broom.

“I’ve always done this since I was a child…”

“I heard from Dill that even when you don’t have work, you get up early to clean the house.”

“Yes, it’s embarrassing, but it’s become something of a hobby.”

She smiled sweetly; being a maid seemed to be her true calling.

The day she surpassed Beria may come sooner than expected.

“Huh? What’s that?”

Ain noticed a small wooden box at Martha’s feet and pointed to it.

“This is a knife that I received from Mouton-sama. He sharpened it himself. It just arrived from the capital city a short while ago.”

“Oh, I see.”

Lately, Mouton had been making the royal knights’ weapons by hand, and they were of high quality.

He had been of great service to both Ain and the royal family.

“The cooks also praise them. Apparently, they are from Mouton-sama’s hometown and are said to be exceptionally sharp.”

“Wow, not only swords, but he can make things like that, too. He’s really talented.”

He says, but it’s only natural.

There may be subtle differences, but they’re all blades. That’s what Mouton would say.

“By the way, where is Mouton-san’s hometown?”

“Actually, we asked him about it once, but it seems he forgot all about it after traveling around so much.”

“I see. Dwarves are supposed to live long lives, so I guess it can’t be helped.”

Then, Ain slowly started walking to the backyard.

He parted ways with Martha at the front door and walked away with a clear purpose in mind.

He arrived at a small garden near where the Black Knight was training.

“I didn’t think you’d notice.”

“It’s only been a day, so I thought something might happen. It was just a coincidence. With what happened to Arche-san, I didn’t sleep well last night.”

“I see. Let’s just leave it at that.”

Just as Ain arrived in the backyard, Lili appeared from somewhere.

She looked tired, as if she had just finished work.

“Are you investigating the Ist Trading Company?”

“No, I’m still investigating that, but I found some people wearing robes.”

“Was it in Strohm?”

“Near the port. They were hiding and watching the twins.”

Ain doesn’t understand what that means.

If they were targeting the twins, then those guys’ flames must be powerful.

However,

“Can they handle El and Al?”

“I don’t think so. If I were told to do something about the twins, I’d give up and hand Elena-sama over without hesitation. I’d cry and beg, but I’d hand her over.”

That’s quite a burden.

Ain couldn’t help but laugh.

“I don’t think that’s right either, but, well… I guess so.”

Just as he was about to laugh at the thought that they were still in Strohm, Ain spoke up.

“Marco, Are you there?”

“Over here.”

“W-w-what!? Wh-When did you…?”

Marco appeared out of nowhere so stealthily that even Lili didn’t notice him.

He bowed to her in a gentlemanly manner and knelt down next to Ain.

“Can you protect the mansion with Arche-san?”

“I can’t. Ain-sama’s life is…”

“Let me rephrase that. Marco, can you protect the people who are more important to me than my own life?”

This became another source of pride for Marco.

He trembled as if startled, then nodded after a moment of silence.

“As you wish.”

Arche and Marco.

With the two of them, the mansion would never fall.

Was it wrong to feel so certain? No, it was an unshakable fact.

“Then, who will accompany you?”

“I think I’ll ask Lili to show me the way. Is that okay?”

“Leave it to me!”

Just then, Ain looked toward the entrance.

A man appeared from the corner of the mansion.

“I know another knight like Marco. I can trust him to protect me.”

“…You’re right. He is a knight who lives and dies by loyalty.”

Ain cheerfully replied and started walking.

Marco disappeared like mist and headed to work at the mansion, obeying Ain’s orders.

He didn’t look the least bit dissatisfied; rather, the gesture was befitting the loyal Marco.

“Ain-sama? What shall we do about the Black Knight?”

Eventually, the man caught up with them, exchanged a few words with Ain, and Ain led the way out of the mansion.

“I’ll leave the Black Knight to Marco. I’m the strongest in Strohm, so I want to focus our forces on the mansion.”

“Ha. Understood.”

He replied obediently, then approached Ain and handed him his sword.

“This is from Krone-sama. She said, ‘Good luck. We await your return.’”

“Huh. I want to ask her how long she knew, but I’ll save that for when we get back.”

Her keen intuition, developed from being around Ain for so long, probably played a role, but he was grateful for her thoughtfulness.

The three of them eventually arrived at the mansion’s gate, and the gatekeeper opened it for them.

“It’s like a raid, but isn’t it lonely with only two escorts?”

Ordinary royalty wouldn’t do such a thing.

They should be protected and stay behind.

But Ain was the crown prince of Ishtalika.

It would be rude to lecture him on common sense.

He didn’t think that way at all.

He asked as a joke.

“Come on, Ain-sama, that’s no good! Lili can fight pretty well, too, you know!”

“Haha, don’t worry. I still remember your exploits in Heim.”

As they exchanged jokes, the other man spoke up, looking both delighted and proud.

“Wouldn’t it be fun to walk around with a golden lion?”

With his golden mane blowing in the wind, Dill said.

Despite their long relationship, this was the first time he had ever found himself in such a situation with him.

When Marco went berserk, Ain had settled the matter alone.

In other words, today was a special day for Dill, as he had finally fulfilled his long-held wish.

“It’s frustrating,” he muttered, unable to suppress his regret. He couldn’t forget the large tears that accompanied his words.

Standing next to Ain, his heart burned fiercer than during the battle with Heim.

“It’s not a bad idea—let’s get revenge for that surprise attack the other day.”

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