About an hour after Lilia-san’s hurried departure, I found myself wandering through the streets of Rigforresia alone.
After Lilia-san and Lunamaria-san had rushed off, Reijihart-san and Sylphia-san had seemingly tried to shake off the heavy mood. With strangely high energy, they offered to show us the city.
For some reason, they seemed desperate to get Sieg-san and me alone together. In a rather forceful arrangement, Reijihart-san and Sylphia-san took charge of guiding Kusunoki-san and Yuzuki-san, leaving Sieg-san to show me the sights. Thus, the two of us set out to explore the town, but...
As I expected, Sieg-san wasn't herself. She was clearly worried about Lilia-san and Lunamaria-san. I told her that I’d just wander around the immediate area on my own and that it was fine for her to go check on them. After a great deal of hesitation, she eventually headed toward where the others were, which was how I ended up on my own.
It was good of me to be considerate, but I didn't actually know my way around Rigforresia. To avoid getting lost or wandering into any trouble, I simply loitered around the nearby vicinity.
With the Treasure Tree Festival scheduled for tomorrow, the city was vibrant and bustling. It truly felt like the eve of a major festival, with couples visible at every turn. Happy couples should just explode...
I’d known this would be the case, but being alone in this festive atmosphere was a bit dull. I wished I could at least run into someone I knew, though the odds of finding an acquaintance in a place like this were—
"Aaahhhhhhh!!"
"—!?"
"It’s Kaito-kun-san!"
"Eh?"
Startled by the loud voice, I spun around to find a fairy with familiar pink-blonde hair. She was tiny, standing somewhere around thirty centimeters tall.
"...Raz-san!?"
"It’s been a long time~!"
It was Razlyria-san, a girl of the Fairy Race and a member of Kuro’s family whom I’d met at the barbecue. She flew circles around me on her small wings, her face beaming with a bright smile.
"It has been a while. Meeting you here is quite a coincidence. Are you here for the Treasure Tree Festival too, Raz-san?"
"That’s right~! There’s a Fairy Forest here, so Raz has lots of friends in town."
"I see. Still, I’m glad to see you again."
"Raz is happy to see Kaito-kun-san too!"
By the way, Raz-san has called me "Kaito-kun-san" for some time now. She once explained that since Kuro calls me Kaito-kun, she simply added "san" to it. I tried to correct her once, but it clearly didn't stick.
"Oh? Somehow, did Kaito-kun-san get more handsome?"
"Eh?"
"I don’t really know how to put it, but being near Kaito-kun-san feels all soft and warm. Hmm. It feels a little bit like Shallow Vernal-sama."
"I did receive a Blessing from Shiro-san, but..."
"Ah~ I see! Shallow Vernal-sama is the God of the World, so since Kaito-kun-san has her Blessing, he is loved by the world. That’s why Kaito-kun-san’s magic power feels so pleasant to Raz, since she’s a fairy born from nature~!"
"Heh, so it has an effect like that."
The actual benefits of Shiro-san’s Blessing had been a mystery to me until now, but apparently, it meant I was "loved by the world." For a fairy born from the natural essence of this world, the magic power I radiated was inherently soothing. It sounded a bit like the relaxing effect of forest bathing.
"Are you here alone, Raz-san?"
"No~! Raz came with Noin."
"With Noin-san?"
"Yes. Noin was depressed, so we came for a change of pace~"
"Depressed? Did something happen?"
"...Look over there."
"...What is that...?"
Following Raz-san’s finger, I looked toward the edge of the road. There, a set of black armor was huddled on the ground, hugging its knees in a dejected, gym-style pose.
That was definitely Noin-san, but... what on earth was going on? Moreover, how was she even managing to sit like that while wearing full plate armor?
"How did she end up like that?"
"Well, you see~ Ever since Kaito-kun-san taught her how to make Otofu, Noin was really fired up. At first, Ein-san was going to make it, but Noin insisted she would do it herself this time."
"I see."
"She holed herself up and made it every single day, muttering things like 'it’s not smooth enough' or 'it lacks depth.'"
"She’s quite the perfectionist, then."
Noin-san apparently had a deep obsession with Japanese food and had been striving to create the perfect tofu. I recalled her saying she would bring some as a gift once it was finished. The reason she hadn't visited was likely because she hadn't made anything she was satisfied with yet. Though I didn't know her that well, I knew she was a die-hard fan of traditional Japanese cuisine; she wasn't going to settle for anything less than perfection.
"And so, Raz and Acht-kun got curious about the Otofu. But Noin wouldn't let us eat any until she was happy with it. Since Raz really wanted to try some, she asked Ein-san to make it instead."
"Knowing Ein-san, she probably whipped it up in seconds."
"Exactly! She made it right away, and Raz ate it with Acht-kun. Acht-kun said it was 'bland,' but Raz thought the Otofu was jiggly, soft, and very delicious!"
Raz-san was a vegetarian—I wasn't sure if it was a racial trait, but she couldn't eat meat at all. I remembered her only eating the vegetables at the barbecue. To her, tofu made from soybeans was a delicacy.
"And then, right at that moment, Noin showed up saying she’d finally finished the Otofu~"
"I see..."
"She saw Raz and the others eating, and since she was confident in her own batch, she said, 'No matter how much of a master Ein-sama is, surely her tofu can't be better than mine.'"
"...How reckless."
In other words, Noin-san had inadvertently challenged that monster of a maid. It was hopeless. No matter how much I wanted to root for Noin-san, I couldn't envision a scenario where she won against Ein-san.
"And then, she took a bite of Ein-san’s Otofu... and she just collapsed on the ground and started crying. She said, 'A miserable worm like me has acted insolently toward the maid, Ein-sama. I am deeply sorry. Please, let me continue to eat this tofu from now on.'"
Her spirit was broken! Her confidence had been pulverized along with the soybeans!
I-I see, so that was why she was so depressed. I suppose if you spent a month of desperate trial and error only to be surpassed by someone on their first try, anyone’s heart would break.
"That is... incredibly pitiful."
"Ein-san was only answering Raz’s request; she didn't mean to bully Noin. She actually looked strangely troubled while she tried to comfort her."
It felt rude to think it, but I couldn't even imagine Ein-san looking bewildered. It just went to show how much Noin-san’s despair had exceeded everyone’s expectations. Raz-san had brought her to the festival to cheer her up, leading to the scene before me.
Having heard the whole story, I approached the huddled Noin-san and spoke up hesitantly.
"U-Um, Noin-san? It’s been a while."
"...Miyama-san? Ah, yes. It has... Thank you for remembering a trash bug like me who can’t even make tofu properly."
"...Um, Raz-san."
"What is it?"
"...I had the impression that Noin-san was a bit more resilient than this..."
"She gets like this sometimes. Once she starts sinking, she doesn't come back up easily."
Being the First Hero, I’d assumed she would have a mind of steel, but it seemed she was the type to spiral once she lost her confidence. She felt like someone with a strong sense of responsibility, the kind of person who could easily let self-loathing fester. Still, this was an awkward sight. She was in a state that could never be shown to the people of this world who worshipped her as a legendary figure.
"E-Err, I heard the story from Raz-san, but... it’s just that Ein-san is too incredible. I’m sure the tofu you made is just as delicious, Noin-san."
"...Then, please try it."
"Eh?"
"If you eat it, you will understand the difference."
"Ah, er... alright."
Desperate to cheer her up, I offered whatever support I could. It was a mistake to compare herself to a monster like Ein-san in the first place. I was certain that tofu made by someone as dedicated to Japanese food as Noin-san had to be good. At my words, Noin-san pulled out her Magic Box and produced two types of tofu.
"The one on the right is what Ein-sama made. The left is mine... Compared to Ein-sama’s, my tofu is like raw garbage."
"..."
Under the pressure of her intensely dungeonesque gloom, I tried both.
The one on the right was, in a word, extraordinary. It had a texture so smooth it felt like it vanished on the tongue, and a refined, elegant flavor that even a novice like me recognized as a masterpiece. And Ein-san made this on her first try? Seriously, just how much of a monster was she?
The one on the left, however, felt truly handmade. It had a gentle, warm, and comforting taste.
Wait. Actually...
"...Personally, I prefer the tofu on the left."
"...Eh?"
"Ah, I mean, I’m sure I don't really know the finer points of tofu. It’s just, while the one on the right is certainly elegant and delicious... to me, the one on the left has a 'home-cooked' feel to it. I like this simple, gentle taste better."
"I-Is that true?"
Hearing my impression, Noin-san finally looked up, her gaze filled with disbelief.
"Yes, it’s truly delicious. Honestly, I’d want to eat it every day."
"Fueh!?"
The moment I gave my honest feedback, Noin-san let out a strange yelp and scrambled to her feet.
Huh? What happened? She seemed to be panicking.
"M-M-Miyama-san!? T-T-That means, um, y-you want to drink my miso soup... is that what you mean!?"
"Miso soup? Yeah, if it’s miso soup made by you, Noin-san, it sounds wonderful. I’d love to try it sometime."
"~~!?!?"
Miso soup made with this tofu—yeah, she was such a fan of Japanese food that I bet her cooking was excellent. If it wasn't a bother, I’d be happy to be a guest at her table.
"P-Please wait a moment! T-To have a gentleman say such a thing to me is a first, I can’t quite process this..."
"Ah, no, I don’t mean to force you or anything."
"N-No, it’s not that I dislike you, Miyama-san! When we spoke before, I thought you were a very kind and pleasant person... B-But, I still think we don't know each other well enough yet!!"
"Eh? Ah, yes. That’s true."
Wait, what was she talking about? Was she hesitant to cook for someone she wasn't close with? I certainly didn't mean to pressure her; I just thought I’d like to try it if she was offering. Maybe she felt like she couldn't refuse because I was an acquaintance of Kuro’s?
"Noin-san, you don't have to be so polite. If it’s too much trouble, please just say so."
"N-No, I think you’re a wonderful person, Miyama-san! A-And since I’ve lived for a long time, I thought I should start considering such things eventually, but p-p-please give me some time! L-Let’s start with a 'correspondence' first!!"
"A correspondence? Sure, I don't mind that, but..."
Why had we suddenly pivoted to being pen pals? She’d mentioned not knowing each other well, so was this her way of bridging the gap? In short, it seemed she wanted to deepen our friendship before treating me to her cooking. Since she was from the Taisho era, writing letters was probably the first thing that came to mind when it came to getting to know someone.
I’d never really had a pen pal before, but I had plenty of free time in this world. Exchanging letters sounded like a fresh, pleasant experience.
"T-Then, um, though I am inexperienced... I-I look forward to our future relationship!"
"Ah, yes. Likewise."
"A-Ah, um, w-well then, I have some business to attend to, so I’ll be going! E-Excuse me!!"
Noin-san spoke in a rapid-fire burst and then vanished with incredible speed. I didn't quite follow what had just happened, but at least she seemed to have cheered up.
"Noin-san seemed really flustered. I wonder what’s wrong?"
"Raz doesn't really know. But Raz is glad she’s feeling better~!"
"Me too."
"Yes! It’s all thanks to Kaito-kun-san~! Thank you!"
Raz-san and I tilted our heads in unison as we watched Noin-san disappear.
Dear Mother, Father—on the eve of the Treasure Tree Festival, I had an unexpected reunion. And then, through a strange turn of events—I’ve started a correspondence.
A short distance away, two pairs of eyes watched the tilting heads of Kaito and Razlyria.
"...What do you think, Aoi-senpai?"
"...Regarding that just now, I feel like the other side is part of the problem. We heard she was Japanese, but she must have an incredibly old-fashioned way of thinking."
Aoi and Hina, who had happened to pass by during their walk and witnessed the exchange, muttered with looks of sheer exasperation.
"I mean, why is Miyama-senpai’s take on that 'he's bewildered' instead of 'she's blushing'?"
"Give him a break. If he doesn't notice during a normal conversation, it’s impossible for Miyama-san to pick up on it when the other person’s face is hidden behind a helmet..."
"But isn't Miyama-senpai supposed to be hyper-sensitive to emotions because of his Sympathy Magic?"
"It doesn't matter if he can read the emotions. If he can't tell the difference between 'like' and 'love,' he’s hopeless..."
As the two of them conversed with expressions of total resignation, their guide, Reijihart, approached them.
"Hmm? Is something the matter? Why did you stop?"
"No, it's nothing."
"Yeah. We just witnessed a natural-born womanizer in action."
"...What?"