Chapter 43
I’m currently sitting down by myself taking a short break after our meal .
Today’s dinner was better than normal though my mothers mushroom gratin is still the best .
I ate a bit too much though and it’s lying a bit heavy in my stomach, however, this feeling of fullness is pretty good .
Everyone else has gone into the workshop . My father learnt Ray was interested in making swords so he enthusiastically took him to the workshop .
Misha and Sasha also disappeared .
It’s been a while and they still haven’t come back, however, I can hear laughter from time to time so they are still chatting away .
Leaning back in my chair I can hear noises from the kitchen .
My mother? Let’s take a look .
It was actually Misha inside .
“What you doing?”
Misha turned around with her usual deadpan expression .
“Gratin . ”
I can see the stone ovens lit . Is she actually making gratin?
We’ve finished eating though .
“What about it?”
“Making it . ”
“You are?”
*Kokuri* Misha nods .
“Arnos’ mother is good . ”
“Well I won’t argue with that but why?”
Misha blinked a couple times .
“Taught me . ”
Sasha and Misha did help out when preparing dinner . Did my mother teach them how to cook it at the same time?
“Practising by myself . ”
I see .
“You wanted more practice making gratin?”
“Nn . ”
“Well, my mothers mushroom gratin is the best there is . ”
Misha nods again .
“Arnos’ favourite food . ”
“…… . Does that mean you are practising because it’s my favourite food?”
It’s only a little bit but Misha suddenly looks shy .
“I like Arnos’s happy face . ”
She’s saying something cute .
“I’m glad . ”
Misha smiles at my words .
“Arnos is close with Sasha . ”
“That’s right . ”
Sasha exposes all her emotions without holding back and talks to me rudely . She’s also meddlesome and unintentionally amusing at times . I had no such subordinate 2000 years ago .
“Something wrong with that?”
“It’s nice . ” Misha stares into my eyes . “But I’m a little lonely . ”
“I see . Does it feel like I’ve stolen your older sister?”
Misha’s eyes opened slightly and she shook her head .
“Opposite . ”
Misha suddenly points at me .
“Me? By Sasha?”
Misha nods slightly .
Unusually for Misha, she’s assertively looking me in the eyes .
“I made friends first . ” Her voice becomes thinner . “…… . But Sasha is closer now…… . ”
I unintentionally laugh .
“So even Misha can think like that . ”
She looks down and says in a small voice .
“…… . . Jealously is not good………”
Our feelings don’t always go the way we want them too .
“I’m not on better terms with Sasha than you . ”
“Really?”
Misha stares doubtfully at me .
“She just talks more”
“… . . I speak less……”
Misha’s voice gets even quieter .
“That’s one of your good points Misha . ”
Her face relaxes slightly .
“Really?”
“Yeah . I can feel calm when I’m talking to you . ”
*Fufu* Misha laughs shyly .
“I’m happy . ”
Fumu . This misunderstanding seems to have been solved .
“Ah . ”
Misha suddenly notices something and puts on some mittens before fetching a pot from the oven .
A delicious scent of white sauce and cheese drifts out .
“I did it . ”
Misha joyfully puts the pot on the table before taking a wooden spoon and scooping up some gratin, blowing on it to cool it down and then eating it in one gulp .
Did it go well? Misha’s nodding while tasting her gratin .
“Is it delicious?”
Misha turns around to face me with her deadpan expression before scooping up some more gratin and pointing the spoon at me .
“Eat?”
“Ah, no, I just ate a while ago . ”
“………………………………… . . I see…………………………”
Misha stares at the gratin on the spoon .
She somehow looks lonely .
Oh, she did say she liked seeing my happy face so that’s why she was practising .
In that case, no matter how full I am I will eat it .
“Fumu . Actually, I’ve changed my mind . I’m a bit peckish . Can I have it?”
Misha smiled happily and nodded before blowing on the gratin .
Moving forward she brought the spoon to my mouth .
“Here . ”
Misha’s demanding that I open my mouth .
“……… . . ”
I’m not a baby . I can eat by myself .
When I didn’t open my mouth she tilted her head to one side .
“… . . Aaahn……”
Did she think her intention wasn’t communicated? She’s asking me to open my mouth again .
Whatever . It’s fine I guess . Do what you want .
I opened my mouth and Misha fed me the gratin .
Umu, this is exquisite . She’s only just learnt from my mother but she can already perfectly replicate my mother’s mushroom gratin taste .
“… . . How is it……… . . ?”
“Exquisite . ”
*Fufu* Misha laughed .
“One more?”
“Let’s have it . ”
Misha brings it to my mouth again .
“………Aahn…… . ”
Did you think I wouldn’t open my mouth if you didn’t do that?
Misha feeds me the same way again .
I was already stuffed but in the next 10 minutes, I managed to eat another dish of gratin .
“It was delicious . Misha’s good at cooking . ”
“…… . Normal……” She says a little shyly . “I’ll make it again . ”
“Don’t overdo it . You don’t need to make it to remain friends with me . ”
Misha falls silent and looks troubled .
“No good?”
Apparently, it was an unnecessary concern on my part .
“If you actually want to make it then please do . ”
“I like making it . ”
She must be a creative person . She’s also good at Construction Creation .
“Will you let me eat it again?”
“Promise?”
“Yeah . I look forward to it . ”
I touch the plate and spoon and activate my magic . They’re quickly washed before floating in the air and returning to the cupboard .
“Did you go to the workshop?”
“Not yet . ”
“Shall we go then?”
“Nn . ”
I head to the workshop with Misha but inside there’s only my mother . No one else is in sight .
“Where’s Ray?”
My mother raises her index finger and puts it in front of her mouth in a shushing motion .
Near to her is Sasha wrapped up in a blanket and sleeping .
“Sasha-chan became tired . ”
To be fair she used a lot of magic power in the test .
“Ray-kun and the others have gone to the garden to enjoy some night air . ” My mother says in a quiet voice .
Shall we go to the garden?
We leave the workshop and head outside . The sun may have gone down but the moons pretty bright tonight .
Where we live is very densely packed with houses so light spills out from them as well .
“But thank you for today . ”
From our garden, I heard the voice of Misa .
Peeking into the garden I see Misa sitting down amongst the roots of a tree with Ray standing by her side .
“In what way?”
“Fufufuu . You invited me . If Ray-san hadn’t spoken up I don’t think Arnos-sama would have let me join the group so thank you for that . ”
Ray smiled .
“That wasn’t my intention . ”
“Ah, how modest . You’re kind . ”
Misa laughs then smiles .
“……It’s the first time I’ve met someone like Ray-san…… . ”
“Like me?”
“…… . . Hmmm . How to put it . You don’t care about being royalty at all………?”
Ray laughs .
“I think both those Necrons are also the same though . ”
“Ahaha… . . but it’s a bit different with you, right? Sasha-san and Misha -san know about the meaning of royalty and understand it but still became Arnos-sama’s subordinates . ”
“I’m different?”
“Yes, you are . Royal lineage or mixed blood . Neither matter to you . You don’t seem to be interested in the blood of the founder . I can’t find the right words but what I’m trying to say is you just don’t seem to care?”
Ray laughs again .
“You might be right . Like I said in the group test I’m not good at it . ”
Ray looked away from Misa and stared into the distance .
“I only really want to think about the sword . How can I swing faster? How can I cut something that can’t be cut? Anything beyond that is troublesome . ”
“Anything beyond that? Are there no circumstances where you’ll think about anything but the sword?”
Misa asks a simple question .
“Well, there’s various things if you are alive . There’s eating for example . ”
Misa burst into laughter .
“You’re just lazy Ray-san . ”
“My origin is an easygoing fellow . ”
Ray turns his eyes back to Misa .
“Therefore I won’t be entering the unification faction . The royalty aren’t in the right though . ”
“Ah, no . I had no such intention . ”
Misa panicked and waved her hands before putting on a serious face .
“I did think it though . A person like Ray-san might be the ideal person for the unificationists . Whether you are royalty or not, the mazoku are split in two . It’s troublesome and I don’t care . The person who can say that is surely someone who doesn’t discriminate against people . ”
“It’s embarrassing if you lift me up that much . If you say that then there’s Arnos . He really doesn’t seem to care about anything . ”
“…… . . Arnos-sama…… . . ”
“Since you want him to be the face of your cause can’t you see him with calm eyes?”
Misa looks at Ray in surprise .
“That’s very forthright . ”
Ray doesn’t answer back . He just looks at Misa who looks away awkwardly .
“……For us, there’s no other way than to believe in Arnos-sama . I know it might not be a good thing for Arnos-sama…… . ”
“I think it’s okay . ”
Misa’s face took on a surprised look again .
“No matter what Misa-san does he won’t be influenced even the slightest bit . ”
Misa buried her face in her knee’s having no answer to give back .
“He truly doesn’t care . I honestly believe that . Is it useful? Is it bad or poor looking? Arnos doesn’t have that perspective at all . A bucket of water thrown into the ocean will not make a wave . To me, he’s transcended all that . ”
“You’ve only just met him . How can you be so sure?”
Ray laughs again .
“It’s just my intuition . I’m not good at thinking about difficult things . ”
Misa laughs .
“I feel a bit more easy somehow . ”
“Can I ask you something?”
Misa’s face takes on a curious expression .
“Yes”
“Is Misa-san a half spirit half demon?
“Yeah…… . . ”
“Is your bodies condition not worsening?”
As if not understanding Misa cocks her head to the side .
“Errrm… . well……there’s times when I feel a little unwell but basically I’m always fine . Why do you ask?”
Ray closes his mouth for a moment then speaks with an unusually earnest expression .
“I’d heard that half spirits half demons don’t have very long lives . ”
“Eh… . . ?”
“But as far as I knew there were no lively half spirits who could use spirit magic . I think Misa-san is special . ”
“Is that so? I don’t know myself………”
Ray stretches his hand out to Misa .
“Shall we head back? My bodies getting cold . ”
“Ah, yes . ”
Misa took Ray’s hand and stood up .
“Thank you very much for today . I will do my best to make a society where people like Ray-san are the norm . ”
As soon as she spoke Misa made a face like she’d made a mistake .
“Sorry . I shouldn’t have said something so bothersome . ”
“It’s fine . ”
Ray laughs .
“I’ll support you . Because I’m a royal and a member of the chaos generation I’m honestly tired of being pushed around all the time . ”
Misa’s face blooms into joy and she makes a fist .
“Please leave it to me . I’ll do my best so the day Ray-san can relax will come . ”