A Surprising Meal and the First Cooking Lesson
Christina smiled gently as she pulled her hand away.
"Wait just a moment, dear. I'll whip something up for you right away."
"Kyuuu."
[Thanks, Christina.]
His hunger was raging too fiercely inside to refuse.
Rune snatched another egg-coated sausage and popped it into his mouth.
"Bacon and eggs, hmm? A sandwich? Or perhaps a light brunch?"
"……."
To be precise, it was neither.
It felt too slapdash to count as a proper meal.
If I say that, Christina's going to give me an earful with that personality of hers.
That thought crossed his mind, but Rune decided to be honest.
"Kyuu."
[I didn't think that far ahead. I was just gonna eat it straight from the pan however it came out...]
He hadn't even baked bread, let alone prepared any extra salad.
It was purely for filling his belly—nutrition and balance be damned, an ultra-simple snack.
As expected, a look of pity crossed Christina's face.
"You make such varied meals when you're cooking for others. But when it's just for you, you eat so carelessly."
With that, she pulled out some pre-made dough and slid it into the oven to bake.
Rune grabbed another egg-coated sausage and munched on it.
[This is plenty tasty already.]
When you're starving, everything tastes good.
Eggs and sausage were a solid combo no matter how you prepared them.
Once he finished, he could just top some fried eggs with bacon and call it done.
The bacon might be a bit salty, but the eggs would balance it out enough to make it edible.
Christina let out a soft sigh.
"Still, it's best to eat proper meals. What you eat is important for growth, after all."
As she spoke, she took out some hole-riddled orange cheese, sliced it into triangles, and whipped up a fresh vegetable salad.
The bread browned beautifully, filling the air with its aroma.
Ding!
The oven chimed, and Christina pulled out the freshly baked loaf, plating it up.
Ciabatta bread, cheese, a small bowl of salad, and a glass of white milk.
Now it finally looked like a real meal.
"Kyuuu."
[Thanks for the food.]
The little black hatchling gripped the bread with both front paws and tore into it.
The baked loaf revealed its white crumb structure, steam rising fragrantly.
Rune licked his chops without thinking and dipped a burst yolk into the bread for a bite.
The bacon's saltiness has seeped in perfectly—nice seasoning.
As he chewed, Rune layered on some golden cheese and crispy bacon, then took a massive chomp.
Nomf!
His cheeks puffed out like bread itself, and he nodded.
Delicious.
With a foolproof combo like this, even slapdash prep couldn't ruin it. Rune chewed contentedly.
Seeing him eat so heartily, Christina offered a small bowl drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette.
"When do you think the others will wake up?"
Rune, savoring the tangy dressing, replied.
"Kyuuu."
[They all pulled an all-nighter yesterday and crashed late. Even if they wake early, it'll be lunchtime.]
To balance his nutrients, Rune speared some salad with a fork.
"So you were the only one who woke up early, then."
"……?"
Rune felt a strange sensation.
He looked up at Christina.
She was gazing intently at the little black hatchling devouring his food with such relish.
Feeling her eyes, Rune stopped eating and met her stare.
"Kyuuu?"
[Why are you looking at me like that?]
Her gaze held some deep, unspoken contemplation.
"I was just thinking what a precious life you are."
"?"
Puzzled, Rune watched as Christina asked with an inscrutable expression.
"Rune. Have you been feeling confused lately? Or is there some problem?"
Gulk.
Busted.
Rune felt like the bread was lodged in his throat.
Did she notice something?
With his cheeks stuffed full, he broke into a cold sweat—or so it felt.
But he played it cool as best he could.
"……Kyuu?"
[Not really?]
The hatchling blinked his big eyes and tilted his head slightly.
A touch dopey, innocently puzzled.
It was a pretty polished act, but Christina's deep, serene gaze didn't waver.
"I see."
She watched him a moment longer, then nodded faintly.
And then, her faint whisper reached him.
Not yet... probably.
It was so perfectly timed that a normal hatchling might have flinched in guilt.
Someone suspicious wouldn't look so relaxed.
Thinking that, Rune kept up his harmless facade.
Christina smiled warmly at him.
"Just remember one thing. No matter what you are, I'm on your side."
She patted his shoulder lightly and met his eyes.
"Do your best in tomorrow's classes. I'm always cheering for you. See you later."
As she rose and waved, Rai left a farewell.
Christina and Rai vanished in a swirl of teleportation magic.
Left alone, Rune sat still for a while, then slowly exhaled.
Good thing she let it slide for now.
He'd gotten the sense she'd noticed something, but he dismissed it.
No way she knew about the other world.
Who could even imagine such a thing?
Let alone that an Imugi—a divine beast from another world—dwelled within him.
But I need to prepare. At least come up with a 'secret' she'd buy.
Only then could he plan countermeasures.
A situation in this world where I'd have knowledge from elsewhere.
Pondering, Rune glanced at the ceiling.
There is one. I don't love it, but it's plausible.
It could even explain why he hesitated to speak of it.
Not something you'd broadcast, after all.
A backup plan for emergencies, so Rune tucked it away in his mind.
If things get unavoidable... I'll have to say it.
A long tail gets caught eventually.
But it could regenerate like a lizard's.
Finishing his meal, Rune cleared the dishes and messaged Christina that he'd practice cooking and prepare lunch for the group.
And midway through cooking...
The sender was Perdikion, no doubt speaking for the rest of the still-sleeping group.
Right on cue—it was exactly noon.
Just as I figured.
Rune tapped the Mokoji Stone.
With Perdikion's reply done, Rune selected some withered herbs and flowers.
This task was crucially important to him.
The one thing he'd utterly failed at before.
Reviving sprouts, flowers, herbs—plant life.
I purified the World Tree. I can do this for sure.
The Seal of the Forest and Resurrection Authority.
Combining them, Rune was confident he could succeed where he'd failed before: saving plants.
Stay calm.
Taking a deep breath, Rune activated the Seal of the Forest's power and uttered the Word of Power.
Revive.
The dried flowers and herbs slowly regained their living colors.
A bit more.
The trembling plants gradually bloomed buds.
Soon, they were vibrantly alive, ready to be planted.
Finally...!
Rune gazed at the daisies and purple pansies in his paws.
He felt proud of himself.
The first time I tried Resurrection Authority, I couldn't even sprout a tiny shoot, let alone a flower.
Back when he could only make taut green cherry tomatoes.
But now, in his paws: white and yellow ones.
Fresh purple edible flowers bloomed like popcorn.
Kuh.
Growing things never felt this rewarding.
But he couldn't deny the thrill.
"Kyuhuhuhu."
Good. At this rate, I can revive dead plants smoothly.
The days when even a sprout was impossible were gone.
With the Seal of the Forest, reviving leaves or fruits would be even stronger.
His scales quivered with emotion as he sprinkled them with pure water from the Seal of Water.
A milestone achievement. Maybe use it for something special.
He lightly raised a claw, and the water encasing the flowers froze into ice blossoms, gathering like pellets in a glass orb.
Perfect for a holiday meal.
And Rune's idea hit the mark perfectly.
"Waaah! So pretty!"
Heungmi clasped her hands tight, her tails swishing.
The meal featured savory meat pies and apple pies, baked to perfection as always.
Fresh morning bread with creamy butter.
For dessert, chilled water or lemonade/grapefruit ade with flower ice.
"Uh, but what's this...?"
And there were fried snacks: twisted dough coated in fresh honey and syrup.
Rune pondered briefly before giving a casual name.
"Twisty snacks."
Calling them yummil might just get a "What's that?"
So "twisty" it was.
Whipped 'em up with what I had. Not bad.
He didn't know many pastries, but this sweet treat had him reaching for more unconsciously.
He'd never made them as an Imugi, but recent cookie dough practice had leveled him up to wheat dough mastery.
Perfect for idle munching, and the twisted shape drew eyes.
Crunch crunch!
"Not bad. Looks humble, but it's got heart."
Perdikion grabbed two or three at a time, tossing more into his mouth.
For a guy usually all about manners and decorum, this was a win.
"Ppiyak!"
Baekya swooped in, snatching a twist with its beak.
It gripped one tightly in its thin talons and pecked it into bits with powerful bites.
Heungmi snatched a glossy green one beside it and popped it in.
"Mmm! So good!"
"C-Cookie's... different... kinda... amazing."
Watching them devour it, Rune smiled wryly to himself.
Maybe I shouldn't have made hometown food.
The heart was fickle.
He'd just been reminiscing about old snacks while cooking.
Made too much to eat alone, so why not share?
But now...
I never thought I'd feel like this, sharing my hometown food with these guys.
This pastry, once holding only memories of his old world, now carried recollections of them too.