The Knives That Cut Too Well
“Don’t tell me you used it without even checking the blade? Heh~ You’re so hopeless♡ Take a closer look, will you~?!”
At first, I thought she was spouting nonsense again. Out of nowhere she demanded I reveal my identity and asked if I’d ever learned swordsmanship… none of it made any sense.
“Huh? W-wait, what’s wrong with this blade? And just now, how did you…?”
But the moment my eyes landed on the cleaver’s edge, Eros’s words finally started to click. The blade wasn’t in great shape. It wasn’t obvious at a glance, yet up close I could see the teeth were chipped in several places. Normally, peeling an apple with a knife like that would be a struggle. Yet somehow I’d managed to slice cleanly through the tough skins of the dango fruit and drill apple.
Was it just luck? Or was there something special about this knife? Even I could hardly believe what I’d just done.
“Huuung~? What’s with that reaction? Don’t tell me you really didn’t know?”
“No, not at all…”
“What is it? Are you actually clueless, or are you just pretending to be hopeless again?”
“It’s not an act. I’m genuinely surprised.”
“Kukuk-♡ Well, being hopeless suits you better anyway, Teacher. That dumbfounded look is actually kind of charming~♡”
Eros looked up at me, her face brimming with mischief. The sight of her smug little grin made me wonder if another round of “education” was in order.
“Ha, maybe the other knives are different?”
I deliberately ignored her provocation and reached for another knife, determined to test whether that ridiculous cutting power was consistent.
“Eeh~? Hopeless Teacher! Are you ignoring me now?!”
“……”
I didn’t bother answering. Responding would only drag things out, and after a while her teasing had started to feel strangely familiar. Maybe I was finally building up a tolerance to Eros’s provocations.
—Ssak, ssak-ssak…!
Paying no mind to her complaints, I picked up a smaller paring knife and began peeling. It was a compact blade that fit neatly in one hand, though its edge was visibly damaged and covered in nicks. It looked ready for the trash.
—Seogeok…!
“W-what the—?”
Yet again, the result was astonishing.
“…This one looks even worse than the cleaver, so why does it feel sharper?”
The little paring knife sliced through the thick skins of the dango fruit and drill apple as if they were soft pudding. The moment the blade touched the surface, it seemed to sink in on its own. I barely applied any pressure, yet the dull-looking edge glided effortlessly through the peel.
“How is this even possible? The skins aren’t overripe or anything, so why…?”
Staring at the ordinary, worn-out paring knife in my right hand, I felt a strange sense of déjà vu. It was almost like picking up a rifle again after years away from the reserve training grounds—muscle memory taking over the instant I held it.
The results spoke for themselves. Even though I’d cut rather carelessly, the thick dango fruit skins lay neatly sliced on the cutting board, their edges perfectly straight.
“Waaah—?! I’ve never seen such light, clean cuts before! And that grip style too—it’s so unusual!”
“Hm?”
Eros, who had been grumbling and teasing from the side, suddenly let out an admiring cry. Her violet eyes sparkled like stars. Unusual grip? I was simply holding the handle with my palm while pinching the blade between thumb and forefinger—nothing particularly special about it. It didn’t look like the stance of a professional swordsman at all.
Still…
‘Did I always cut like this? How exactly have I been holding knives while cooking all this time…?’
Suddenly even I felt uncertain. The memory refused to surface. It was such a trivial detail that the confusion only grew worse—like an old man wondering whether he’d tucked his beard under the blanket or left it out before falling asleep.
—Tak-tak-tak!
—Seuk, seuk, seuk…!
Whatever the reason, the knife was ridiculously sharp. My hands moved on instinct. After peeling everything, I sliced the flesh into neat, bite-sized pieces. The dango fruit and drill apple were now arranged in perfectly uniform cubes on the plate.
“Ooooh…! Teacher, I take it back! I thought you were completely hopeless except for your lower half, but you’re actually pretty good with a dagger too!”
Eros showered me with praise once more. Even though she was smaller than me, her tone remained as cheeky as ever.
“That’s not the point right now. Could you hand me a tangerine? I need to finish the rest quickly.”
“Huh? This, red tangerine? You just want the peel removed?”
Ah, so that was its name. Simpler than I expected—almost like a direct translation of some premium citrus variety. Anyway…
“No, I’m going to squeeze the juice over the shaved ice.”
“Ooh…! That sounds refreshing and tangy! I can help with that much!”
Eros nodded eagerly and reached for the fruit with a confident expression, looking ready to crush it on the spot.
“Ah! Since you’re helping anyway, how about you prepare Sonya’s portion yourself?”
“Eh? Me, for Sonya? Why?!”
“It’s simple enough. Just follow what I do and you’ll be fine.”
“S-still, this is so sudden…?”
“Hm? Don’t you two exchange little gifts like this?”
“O-of course not! Why would friends do something so embarrassing—?!”
Eros shook her head furiously, clearly unable to comprehend the idea. For a Love Dragon, she was surprisingly stingy when it came to showing affection even to her friends… The more I thought about it, the more contradictory her clan seemed. Maybe friendship and romance were fundamentally different concepts to them. Or perhaps, true to the name Eros, they only took physical love seriously.
“Well, this is a good opportunity then. Why not use it to express your gratitude?”
“I-I mean, why should I—?!”
“From what I’ve heard, Sonya has been looking out for you without you even realizing it. Am I wrong?”
“……”
Eros suddenly fell silent, as if she’d swallowed honey. At least her conscience kept her from denying it outright.
“I’m sure Sonya would appreciate it. It’s a perfect chance to convey your feelings. What do you think?”
“F-fine, tell me how…! She really is a good friend, after all-!”
At my persuasion, Eros puffed out a hot breath through her nose, her motivation reignited. As straightforward as ever. Perfect. I hadn’t expected her to cave so easily. This would also clear Eros’s condition-based rapport quest—the strange request to teach her the recipe while making dessert together.
“Um, by the way… Breeder Teacher?”
“Yes? What is it?”
“…Th-thank you.”
“Hm? All of a sudden?”
“For accepting me earlier… and for looking out for me and Sonya too… Th-thanks-!”
Even though I’d only been spinning a plausible excuse for the quest, Eros bowed her head in genuine gratitude.
“Huu…”
A small laugh escaped me at the sight—so unlike her usual self. It wasn’t mockery, but a warm, fond smile. She seemed to have grown a little, and somehow that made me feel proud too.
“…I should be the one thanking you. Thanks to you, I recovered much faster.”
“H-hmph-! That’s only natural! You’re the man I’ve set my sights on, after all!”
“Haha, that’s a bit problematic…”
“Huh? What’s problematic-?!”
“Ah, nothing. Anyway, let’s stop chatting and finish this. We’ve already wasted enough time.”
“Tch…! Fine! You’re hopeless, but you can be pretty grown-up sometimes, Teacher.”
“Of course. I’ve lived long enough to look this ordinary on the outside.”
Even if my appearance was that of an ordinary human, my body had once walked alongside the ancestors. I still wondered about its true age. I should ask Sofia in detail about the past she saw yesterday when I meet her later.
“Huh? What do you mean by that?”
“Come on, enough idle talk. Would you like to try following me first?”
I cut the conversation short before it could wander further and picked up a red tangerine. Then—
—Roll, roll, roll…!
I rolled it firmly with the peel still on, bursting the juice inside. I could feel the popping sensation through the thick skin. After rolling it thoroughly several times—
—Thwack!
I sliced off the tip with the knife—
—Drip, drip…!!
Golden-orange juice poured out in a steady stream onto the pure white mound of shaved ice. If I squeezed it all the way to the end, I could extract every last drop of juice while leaving the fibers behind.
“Waaah—?! Bright orange snow? It’s so pretty!”
“Now we just top it with the sliced ingredients and we’re done.”
“Eh? Already? By the way, what exactly are we making?”
“Ah, I haven’t told you yet. We’re making shaved ice.”
“Shaved ice…?”
“Yes. It’s a bit different, but you can think of it as similar to sorbet.”
“Ah! So it really is a cold dessert!”
“Exactly. For the final plating, Eros, feel free to decorate it however you like with the prepared ingredients. I’ll make one for the young lady in my own style.”
“Great! When it comes to aesthetics, I’ve got skills too!”
At my words, Eros rolled up her sleeves and picked up the pre-cut fruits. I also grabbed a dango fruit to finish quickly.
—Rustle…!
I covered half of the crimson shaved ice—already drizzled with red tangerine juice—with dango fruit, then arranged the remaining half in a fan shape using the sliced drill apple.
‘Now I need to add the main ingredient.’
—Clink, clink!
Next, I placed the well-chilled red bean paste right in the center of the shaved ice.
“Alright, now for the last touch…”
Once I topped the red beans with a cherry-like fruit as decoration, the red bean shaved ice was finally complete!
“All done-! May it be delicious, yap-yap♡”
“Hm? Eros?”
“May Teacher’s be delicious too, yap-♡”
Apparently Eros had finished as well; she chanted a spell that sounded straight out of a maid café. And at that exact moment—
Specialty Fruit Red Bean Shaved Ice
★★★★★
“Huh? F-five stars…?!”