Magic Gems Gourmet

Here’s the chapter. Enjoy~

ED: LonelyMatter

Side Chapter – The Collection of Side Chapters (Varra, the Glacier Family, and the Sea Dragon Twins)

(Varra Edition)

She didn’t know what it tasted like. And by unsure, she simply meant that it was a taste she had never experienced before. So, of course, it tasted good, and she could feel her body enjoying it.

She never thought that she would be the one. She never thought that she would ever experience castle cooking.

…Some time had passed since she left Ain last night and arrived at the castle in the royal capital with Katima.

As Warren had mentioned, everyone needed to eat first. Varra was relieved that Katima and Dill were with her and not just left alone with Mei.

“Mei. Here, eat this, too.”

“What is this? …It’s sweet!”

She was especially grateful to Katima. They had been orphans in the slum. And the fact that she treated Mei so well made Varra more than happy.

During the meal, she was able to talk to Mei several times, and Mei seemed to enjoy talking to her as well.

“U-um… Katima-sama? Even though we received such delicious food, we have nothing to repay you…”

“If it is Varra, you can have as much as you want from now on-nya. …Well, if something happens, don’t worry about just one meal-nya.”

It’s not just one meal, but… In Ist, they rented an apartment and had meals there as well. Even though they rented the hot bath, she only felt sorry for them.

“But…”

“…As Royalty of Ishtalika, we are trying to reduce the number of orphans-nya. But we have not been able to achieve any results yet-nya. So I really think we should do this for everyone-nya.”

Katima, perhaps sensing Varra’s feelings, opened her mouth wide.

“From now on-nya. I promise to make things better-nya. …That’s why these words may not be appropriate as a person in a higher position, but right now, you’ve been lucky-nya. I want you to think so-nya.”

There was no denying that she had been lucky. It was the result of Ain, who happened to walk in, happened to hear Mei’s screams, and then saved her.

Considering that, she could be said to have been quite lucky.

“…Yes. I understand.”

It was true that Mei was happy and eating a full meal. If her precious little sister, whom she cherished the most, was happy, that was the best thing that could happen to her.

“Martha! Is Martha here-nya?”

As Varra was in deep thought about the matter, Katima suddenly raised her voice and called for Martha.

“Of course, I’m here, Katima-sama. And please don’t shout.”

“I made sure you could hear me-nya. We’ve finished our meal, so we’ll be on our way-nya. Can I leave Mei with you-nya?”

They could have taken a break for a while, but she would like to go to Warren and ask him to check something about Varra as soon as possible. That was, the degree of her healing ability.

“Very well. …Now, Mei-chan, come in. Let’s play and wait with me, okay?”

She knew that she was too old to call herself an older sister. But she didn’t want to be called “Auntie,” so she said “with me,” which was Martha’s feminine way of thinking.

“What about Onee-chan?”

“She has to go to work. So let’s play a little and wait for her, okay?”

Martha’s words must have made her a little uncomfortable. Mei turned her attention to Varra.

“Wait a little, Mei. Onee-chan will be back soon.”

“Hmm… okay! I’ll wait for you like always!”

Varra went with Katima to Warren’s place.

——Martha was playing with her, and Mei was interested to see her in her maid’s outfit.

At Mei’s urging, Martha showed her how to make tea, which she usually did as a maid. Mei was fascinated and followed Martha around for the next few days.

Martha, having lost her patience, accepts Mei as her apprentice. …From that day on, Mei took her first steps as a maid, trying to outdo her mentor.

＊＊＊

The examination process by Warren and the experts went by faster than expected. They just wanted to see the results of the treatment.

The test was the treatment of a prepared injured person. That was how it was judged.

“I saw something good.”

“Yes. Prime Minister… in our judgment, we would rate it as second class.”

“Oh… second class? In other words, if the injury is less than near death, it can be cured?”

The two experts informed Warren of the results. In front of them were Varra, with a nervous look on her face, and Katima, who looked happy.

“Prime Minister, the second class means that it is recognized that anything but near death illnesses can be cured.. Of course, the amount of magic power possessed does act as a limitation…”

“The only thing is, compared to the first class, near-death illnesses and similar injuries, there is no quick effect in healing them. It is necessary to have someone to take care of the patient all the time. …Also, special wounds caused by monsters cannot be healed.”

“This is good. We should be grateful to Ain-sama.”

After explaining this, the two experts left the room with the prepared wounded person in tow. They would now go to collect the detailed data.

“Now, Varra-dono. I’ve had a good look at it.”

“I-it’s just something I’ve always done… so it’s not a big deal…”

“Hmm. Those who do not know the value will judge it. There is no greater loss… don’t you think, Katima-sama?”

“You are right-nya. I’m not saying that a talented person has a duty-nya, but I do think that they should be compensated for their power-nya.”

The two nodded in agreement, but Varra still didn’t understand the situation. Why did she get so much praise? It’s something she’s always done… she thought.

“Well then, Varra-dono. The job description is an exclusive healer in the castle. How about that?”

“…..!?”

Working in the castle? She had never thought of such an opportunity; rather, a lowly person like her should not stay at the castle for too long. Such words stirred in Varra’s mind.

The shocking words made Varra’s body freeze like ice. Katima, seeing this, opened her mouth to ask.

“…Can I do the talking-nya?”

“Y-yes… I think that would be better. Please do, Katima-sama.”

“Then let’s get on with it. …Varra, I enjoyed being with you both-nya. Isn’t that the case with you-nya?”

“H-how can… such things be boring?”

Grinning, Katima continued to weave her words.

“I promise you-nya. I will see to it that Mei gets a full meal and a good home to live in. Of course, the same goes for Varra-nya. I’ll make sure that you get paid well, too-nya. So, to take the job here… would you be willing to do it-nya?”

There was no lie in her words. And she really meant what she had said earlier about how much she enjoyed being with the two of them. Katima adored Mei, too, and personally, she would like her to accept this offer.

“I-is there a job I can do…?”

“There is a job only Varra can do-nya.”

Katima looked at her with strong eyes. It’d been a long time since anyone looked at her with such sincerity. The strong eyes she showed her were like the eyes of her late mother… she felt that from Katima.

“…Me too. I want to give Mei a full meal. And I don’t want to sleep in a cold place anymore…”

“…It’s decided-nya.”

For Mei’s sake. She had been thinking this all along, but Varra was still at her limit. Katima’s words triggered her, and she couldn’t help but burst into tears. Every day was hard and unbearable, and she wanted someone to help her. There was no lie in this feeling.

“Well. Varra, I’m sorry to interrupt your hard time-nya, but…”

“…I-I’m sorry for what I did…”

“It’s okay-nya. But I have something important to tell you-nya.”

What was the important thing to talk about? But as long as they could eat well and sleep in a place that wasn’t cold, it didn’t matter what it was. She even began to feel that way.

“Warren! Time to talk about her salary-nya!”

“Hahaha… That’s why I’m here, Varra-dono. Now, let’s talk about your salary.”

“Eh?”

“As I said. Salary-nya! We are not so low as to let you work for free-nya!”

“I-I never thought I’d actually get paid…”

To be honest, with all due respect to Katima, she never thought she would actually get paid. So she was half happy and half surprised.

“It’s only natural-nya! That’s totally rude-nya… Good grief-nya! Warren, please explain the salary-nya.”

“Well, let me explain. How about 9 coins per month for the first year as a starting salary?”

Nine copper coins are 9,000 G. If she thought about it for one month, it was more than enough, considering her life so far. She really appreciated it.

“Warren? It’s hard to convey with that expression-nya.”

“Oh… I’m sorry, Varra-dono. We will pay you nine Ishtar gold coins per month. That is how much you will be paid.”

“W-what is the Ishtar gold coin? I am sorry. I only know copper coins and such…”

Having lived in the slums all her life, she only knew about it, but she had no idea how much it was.

“One coin is 100,000 G-nya. So nine coins is 900,000 G-nya. The amount will be higher next year. I want you to do your best, nya.”

“9-900,000G? What is that? Is that the national budget?”

She had never seen such a large amount of money before. On the contrary, Varra openly revealed her surprise at the amount of money, which even made her afraid.

“If the national budget is that much, the country won’t last a minute-nya…”

“By the way, if you want, I can prepare a room for you in the castle. In that case, three meals will be included, so the take-home pay will be about 500,000 G… Of course, there will be no problem with bathrooms and such.”

“I-I’ll take that, please!”

Normally, a room in a castle with three meals… would be too cheap for 400,000G, but most of them are like benefits and are very much discounted.

There was no better idea for the environment and for Mei’s safety. And it would be difficult for her to find a place to rent on her own. With that in mind, Varra put aside her shame and made a quick decision.

“Then please use the room you just used as it is. You may carry your luggage as you wish. I will have the castle servants prepare Mei-dono’s meals on time. If it fits in with Varra-dono’s resting time, you may have your meals with Mei-dono in your own room.”

Varra’s mouth fell wide open at the result. Katima saw her face and began to laugh.

“Nyahahaha! Then, let’s get right to it-nya. Can you start working tomorrow-nya?”

“O-of course! In fact, I’d rather start now…”

“That’s fine. There are a few things you need to understand about living in a castle. Today, I will explain them to you.”

There was a lot to learn at first, and every day was a struggle, but compared to life in the slums, it was heaven. Varra worked desperately to get the job done.

…But a few days later. After a few hours of work, Varra returned to her room and was surprised to see a surprising sight. It was Mei, dressed as a maid, being instructed by Martha. She was so proud of herself that she said, “I have become Martha-san’s apprentice!”

When Varra heard this, she was the most surprised she had ever been… Thus began Varra’s vibrant new life.

＊＊＊

(The Glacier Family Edition)

Dill returned to the royal capital a day earlier than Ain as Katima’s escort. If things worked out well, he had planned to return the same day. But considering Varra and Mei, it would have been better for him to stay behind. With these words, Dill did not return to the Magic City.

But in the end, he felt comfortable in his own home.

Dill took it easy, thinking of it as his first vacation in a long time. But the day came when Ain, his master, was to return to the royal capital. On the eve of that day, Dill had a busy time because of the Crown Prince’s return.

By now, Ain-sama must have boarded the train, right? Dill’s mind tightened again at the thought.

“I’m back.”

It was late at night when Dill could finally return home. He seemed to be the last one home that night, and his father, Lloyd, and mother, Martha, were already relaxing in the living room.

“Welcome back, Dill. Have you finished preparing for tomorrow?”

“Yes, it’s done, Mother. I was mostly checking security and making minor adjustments.”

Still, he finally came home after a long day. Martha understood the situation since they both work at the castle.

“What about dinner?”

“If Mother’s food is still available, I’ll have some.”

“Of course, I’ve saved some for you. You can sit down and wait for it.”

Martha was a first-class maid in the castle. One rank below the head maid. Was it pride or just custom? Martha often prepared meals for her family alone.

The Glacier family mansion had many servants, of course, but even they have gotten used to the idea of Martha cooking alone. …Recently, they even announced this in advance in a job offer so that they would be aware of the situation.

“You’re back, Dill. Tomorrow is the day of Ain-sama’s return, and you must be on your guard and work hard.”

“Of course, Father. As an apprentice guard of Ain-sama, I must not make any mistakes.”

“Hey, you! I told you to stop talking about work as soon as you get home.”

Martha, who had gone to prepare Dill’s meal, delivered a scolding message. The former general and personal bodyguard of the current king of Ishtalika. Even for a man in such an important role, his wife’s words were higher than anything else in the house.

“I-I just wanted to say welcome back…!”

“Goodness… yes, yes!”

Dill smiled without speaking. He couldn’t let the public see Lloyd like this, thought Dill.

“Mm. I must have made a mistake with the stitching…”

“Father? What are you sewing now…?”

His father was sitting on the sofa, moving his fingers skillfully. Dill saw this and asked what he was sewing.

“This? This is Mei’s maid’s uniform. Martha asked me to make one for her, so I’m making a new one.”

The “Sword King” was the title of his father, Lloyd. It was the only one in Ishtalika today, and it proved that he was the strongest swordsman in the world.

The father, Lloyd, was such a man. His fingers are as thick as his large torso, and he used them skillfully to make splendid maid’s dresses. He was born with the skill of “Embroidery, Sewing, and Knitting,” so nothing was too much trouble for him.

In fact, he displayed his beautiful dressmaking skills in a way that would have made even Martha, a first-class maid, proud.

“Did Mother ever take an apprentice?”

“No, she never did. I don’t know why, but Martha seems more excited than ever. Look at this fabric; it’s quite good. Martha bought it with her own money.”

Besides, the cloth was quite thick and strong.

By the way, Martha had already gotten permission from the head maid. So Mei was now officially working with Martha as an apprentice maid.

“Mei is in a growing period. It’s better to be strong.”

“That’s right. …Oh, by the way, Dill. I also fixed the loose ends on your knight’s cloak. It’s outside your room, so check it out later.”

“Thank you very much. I’m glad I won’t have to embarrass myself in front of Ain-sama tomorrow.”

“Umu, umu… it’s important.”

Meanwhile, Martha prepares Dill’s food and returns with it on a large tray.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, Dill… Oh, I see you’ve been looking at that.”

“I hear this is Mei’s maid’s uniform.”

“Oh, yes. She works hard, and I was supposed to get it for her.”

“Haha, I see. By the way, how is she? How is Mei?”

She was in a slum until the other day, so how was she doing with this kind of work? Dill was a little worried. But it seemed that his worries were unfounded, and with Martha’s words, his worries disappeared.

“She’s a girl who can work hard, so she’ll be all right. She has a long way to go in terms of language and manners. She can learn all those things later.”

“I’m glad to hear that. By the way, I heard that she said she would surpass Mother.”

“Isn’t she a sweet girl? I wanted a daughter too, so I’m actually quite happy.”

She was not blessed with a daughter. Although she did not want to say much about it, the only child she managed to have was Dill. Although she had worked hard to have a second child as well… she was never blessed with results. Not that she was pessimistic about it, but she was at least thinking about… having a second child.

“Maybe it was just right. And then what? Could she really surpass Mother?”

“Well, I don’t know. I’m going to be head maid sooner or later, and I’m not going to give that up until I’m dead.”

The current head maid was primarily Queen Laralua’s personal attendant, often working in her chambers. So Martha would eventually become headmaid as well. With that in mind, she had no intention of relinquishing anything to her apprentice.

“Hahaha! That’s good, Dill. You said you would surpass me, too, right? The same goes for Mei, I guess?”

“Oh, Father. Then it’s a good opportunity. I just wanted to relax my body before Ain-sama comes back tomorrow. How about it? Father, why don’t you take a break and work up a sweat with me?”

“Umu… That’s fine. Martha! Dill and I are going to…”

Dill wanted to get used to fighting with his father, Lloyd, so he would be ready in case of an emergency. Lloyd, on the other hand, just wanted to exercise his body, which was just as well. ——As they were about to go out into the yard, Martha’s lightning struck.

“Dill, eat first! You have to wait! Geez… you’re going to do it soon, and then you’re going to grab your sword.”

“S-sorry, Martha…”

“Thank you, Mother!”

The fact that they apologized honestly showed that Martha was still the most powerful person in the household.

After sweating it out in the yard, Dill and Lloyd went to the large bathhouse to freshen up. They enjoyed the bath while reflecting on their training.

＊＊＊

(Twin Sea Dragons)

“It smells good! It smells so good!”

“It’s true! It smells amazing!”

The twins noticed the scent as they approached the stage of the duel. El, the first to notice the scent, signaled Al.

Following the lead of the August Trading Company ship, the twins swam slowly down the river.

As for the twins, they were just happy to have somewhere to play with Ain! But their happiness was only increased by the good smell from the river.

The scent, which gradually increased as they progressed, finally revealed itself to the twins. They came to an open place where they found two Krakens.

“El, Al. Wait there for me. Okay?”

With a snap, the twins felt a jolt in their bodies. What did this wait mean? Did that mean this is the ‘thing’ that had been prepared for them? They had to believe so.

The twins, who had been told by Ain to wait, obeyed Ain’s words and immediately stopped moving.

“There are two!”

“One at a time! One at a time!”

El noticed that there were two Krakens. The twins were delighted to see this “magnificent” delicay.

“It’s a souvenir from Papa!”

“Wow, wow! I love Papa!”

The twins thought very differently from Ain and the others on land, even though the souvenirs were no different from those brought by Ain. There was not even a tenth of tension between them.

As Al said, “I love Papa.” “It’s great that Papa gives us souvenirs like this,” “Isn’t it already? Isn’t it already?” These were the only thoughts that came to the twins’ minds.

~In Combat~

“It has stopped moving!”

El was pleased to see the Kraken restrained by the currents.

“Yes! It’s just big! Weak! Easy!”

The word weak was apt, as Al said, for the twins, this Kraken was no great enemy. That’s the difference between the species.

They rode the flow of water gently and grabbed one of its legs.

“It’s delicious!”

“It’s delicious! Papa, it’s amazing! What is it? Why is it so great?”

The Kraken tastes good = Papa is great for bringing it = great and incomprehensible. Al fell into this way of thinking. But El didn’t understand the meaning either. All she understood was that her opponent was weak and that the “thing” was delicious.

“Should I take the stone out of its head? Should I?”

“Take it off! If you take it off, we can eat a lot of it!”

The question was whether to take the stone from its head, or in other words, the magic stone. The twins understood that if they took the magic stone, their opponent would die. So they suggested that they take it now.

“I’ll take care of it!”

“Alright, I’ll wait for you!”

Al searched for the location of the magic stone and the weak spot. Using the ocean currents, he probed the opponent’s body. The Sea Dragon was sharp enough to detect even the slightest reactions.

“I’ll press it!”

“Yes! I’ll be right there!”

After investigation, it was found that it was enough to cut around the magic stone. So they decided to use the ocean currents and wind magic to remove the Kraken’s magic stone… The end was clear for everyone to see that the Kraken’s death had come even closer because this had been discovered.

~After the Battle~

“El, Al! You’ve eaten too much already; it’s time to finish.”

The voice of their absolute and beloved Papa rang in their ears. Then, they must no longer abstain from surfacing and going to him.

“No, you don’t have to look like it’s the end of the world…”

Ain’s eyes caught sight of the sad twins with their mouths open and their lower jaws shaking with sadness. The big eyes also seemed to have tears in them.

But, of course, Ain was not a devil either. He ended the twins’ despair with the following words.

“…I’ll tie them to the ship and bring them back home. Eat again later.”

“!? (Really?)“

“Kyuruaa! (Can I eat it again!?)“

Hearing Ain say so, the twins quickly returned to the water. They must hurry and take the Kraken with them. Then, they would have to be frantic.

“We can eat again tomorrow! Souvenirs!”

“Souvenirs! Souvenirs for myself! Amazing! Papa, that’s great! That’s so amazing!”

You can have it tomorrow = souvenir = souvenir for themselves = Papa amazing = very amazing. This was how they thought this time, and when the last thought is “Ain amazing,” it was hard not to feel the fanatical love from the twins for Ain.

——The twins returned to the royal capital and spent the next two days chewing on their favorite food, Kraken.