Cooking Preparations
"Luke! Is it true about that free attendance thing?"
"So it seems."
"What! I'm so jealous! I don't want to go to the academy either!"
Mary pouted, sticking out her lower lip in a sulk.
For all her complaining, she seemed to rather enjoy academy life. The girl looked like she had plenty of friends, too.
"Haha……."
It wasn't as if Luke had never tried to adapt at first. But the more she talked with the other children, the wider the gulf between them grew.
What was her favorite song? What games did she play? What TV shows did she watch at home……?
There was nothing she could answer without difficulty.
Even so, the children were kind enough that, while Luke hemmed and hawed, they kept earnestly searching for something they might have in common. If she had wanted to live up to their expectations, she could have invented a persona for herself—but Luke simply could not bring herself to do it.
The more they talked, the more she felt the conversation slipping off-key.
Favorite song?
Back when she had once visited the capital, she had overheard a bard named Denise singing The Song of the Great Plains of Serengal and the Twelve Knights. It had been rather pleasant—yet now even the fact that such a song had ever existed was gone.
Games?
Did they mean hide-and-seek, tag, or playing at being heroes? She only joined in to keep the children company; at her age she did not actually enjoy such things.
TV? Well, that puppet show—Spirit Girl Maruru, or was it Meruru?—had been fairly interesting to watch. The historical accuracy regarding spirits and magic, however, left much to be desired, as one might expect from entertainment. So, craftsmanship aside, it was hardly something Luke could truly enjoy.
Responding to every such question was tiring in its own right, yet Luke—with her unusual appearance and air—could never escape being dragged around by the children. She was not skilled at refusing a child's request. Wasn't it natural to want to grant them whatever they wished, even if it left her own body exhausted?
Thanks to that, she had been living in a constant state of fatigue of late. So when Zenpei proposed free attendance, she was truly grateful. Completely cutting ties with the academy would have left her with too many regrets. The library and cafeteria, especially, were still quite useful.
"So what brings you to school? It's lunchtime—did you come to eat?"
Mary asked.
Come to eat…… Well, that was not entirely wrong. Since she was already here, she might as well have a meal.
"What is on the menu today?"
"Seafood cream pasta, they said."
"……."
Seafood and pasta……
Deciding she absolutely had to eat it, Luke swallowed hard.
"You just swallowed! Don't tell me you really only came for the food?"
Oh dear. Had she actually swallowed out loud?
Luke gave an awkward smile and shook her head.
"Not at all. I came to return some books I borrowed."
"Books? Oh right. You borrowed a ton last time."
Mary nodded as she eyed the large bag slung over Luke's shoulder.
"By the way, where is Shirud?"
"Shirud should be in class. Want me to go get him if it's okay?"
"Hmm, no need. You just keep him company."
"Huuung……."
Was she embarrassed, afraid of rumors spreading? There was no need to worry about that! Rumors that the two of them were "like that" were already plentiful enough. In the few days Luke had attended school, not a single student had failed to notice her always hanging around with Shirud. If it wasn't love at first sight, that closeness made no sense!
"Okay, then see you at lunch!"
"Yes, Mary. See you then."
After returning her picture books, Luke entered the library to borrow a few cookbooks.
Hmm, this one says even children can do it easily, so I should at least be able to try something.
If asked about her cooking experience right now, Luke would of course have to say she had almost none. Originally she had never taken any interest in cooking. Meals had been prepared by servants, and they had not been particularly delicious. The servants did serve decent food as a baseline, of course, but back then she had never truly savored the taste.
Moreover, after living so long, she had gradually come to drink more elixirs than eat actual meals. In her final years, meals had been completely replaced by elixir intake—mere sustenance for survival.
As one ages, the sense of taste grows dull.
Circles were a power, but not omnipotence. No matter what one did, it was impossible for a human to escape the yoke of mortality. There was no ability that could heal a person naturally dying of old age. That was Providence.
A mage was one who made use of Providence—but for a human to break free of that Providence was an entirely different matter. He was no "Hero" who had transcended Providence; he was merely a "Champion."
Even Renier, the Hero who had stepped outside Providence, had been unable to escape the passage of time. So how could Luke, who was only a champion, have ignored it?
As the years piled on, her teeth had grown unsound and her sense of taste had faded. It was only natural that such a body would lose interest in meals.
Has it changed because this body is young? This is truly a good thing.
Only a few days ago she had been full of complaints about this body, yet now that the situation had shifted she found herself overflowing with gratitude toward it. The human heart was indeed fickle.
She had realized the joy of eating delicious things far too late.
Her previous life……
If she had researched how to make delicious food back then as well, what might have happened? Would she have been able to see that smile of yours again, Renier?
Looking back, what truly remained in the heart were these small, ordinary happinesses.
Just then, the spirit Pai checked the book Luke had chosen. Seeing the pictures drawn inside, she drooped as if she still did not understand, producing a gloomy tone as she looked up at Luke. Her expression seemed to say it was far too regrettable that spirits did not eat.
But the moment their eyes met, Pai tilted her head and brightened.
Luke, looking forward to cooking?
To spirits who did not eat, "cooking" was a nonexistent concept, so she seemed to be using the human word as-is.
Looking forward to it, was she?
Only when she raised a hand to touch the corner of her mouth did Luke realize she had been smiling with anticipation.
Ah, so that was it. She had ended up smiling again.
"Hmm. Yes, I am looking forward to it."
……!
Watching the blue form make a little beep and avert her gaze in dissatisfaction, Luke spoke as if teasing her.
"I would like to treat you to a meal as well, but spirits cannot eat, so there is nothing to be done about it."
……,……,……!
That might mean she finds it unfair.
It really is delicious……
The pasta she took into her mouth was truly fantastic! The seafood smothered in cream was delicious as a matter of course, and the chewy texture of the pasta crushed between her teeth, the salty yet soft mouthfeel, and the subtle, non-fishy fragrance of the sea rising gently all seemed to present Luke with a goal, declaring, This is cooking.
How wonderful it would be if she could make dishes like this at home!
And watching Luke from the side was Mary. Seeing Luke eat with both eyes sparkling was always entertaining no matter how many times she saw it.
Did she like eating that much? Mary herself enjoyed food, but she had never managed to savor a meal quite like Luke did.
How does she stay so skinny when she eats like that?
That was a real mystery. Even if she was a beastkin, eating that much every day ought to make her fat.
While she was thinking that, a rapid pattering sound reached them from somewhere. Someone was running this way.
"Oh!"
It was Shirud, arriving at the cafeteria.
"Hey, if you came to school you should've said something!"
The moment he spotted Luke, Shirud dashed over and made his disappointment plain. Luke calmly twirled a forkful of seafood cream pasta, swallowed it with perfect composure, and ignored him.
In truth it was less that she was ignoring him and more that speaking during a meal was, in Luke's view, a breach of etiquette; she was simply trying to finish quickly. But it was more than enough for Shirud to feel he was being ignored.
"Don't ignore me!"
Luke raised a hand toward Shirud, and Mary spoke from beside her.
"Just wait a bit. Luke only talks after she's finished eating."
At those words Shirud lost his voice and could only stare blankly at Luke's meal.
Chew, chew…… chew, chew……
The way she kept her mouth constantly moving yet still chewed thoroughly might have looked cute to others, but whenever Shirud saw it he was reminded of his grandfather and felt a strange sensation.
Why is that……
Whatever Shirud might have been feeling, Luke finally finished her meal, stood up with her tray, and said,
"Let us go to the classroom."
Occupying a seat in the cafeteria after finishing one's meal was not manners, after all.
"Huh? Uh……."
In the end Shirud left the cafeteria having done nothing but stare dumbly at Luke eating. Mary, for her part, was grinning as if she found the whole thing endlessly amusing.
Upon reaching the classroom, Shirud spoke without even sitting down.
"The reason you decided not to come to school…… is it because of me, by any chance?"
Shirud was feeling guilty deep down. He knew that because of his own mistake, Luke had taken the punishment in his place. The moment he had been in the nurse's office, Luke had been summoned straight to the faculty room. He could not help but worry.
Had Luke come to dislike him because she had been scolded by the teacher in his stead over that incident? Was that why she no longer wanted to come to school……?
Luke shook her head.
"It is not, so do not worry. I spoke with the principal and received proper permission for free attendance."
"If that's the case, then it's fine, but……."
Shirud let out a heavy sigh.
"Ah, Shirud. Although I may not come to the academy often from now on, if you ever have questions for me, you ought to contact me."
"Huh? Oh, yeah. Right."
"Give me your phone. It would be better if we exchanged numbers."
When Luke held out her hand, Shirud hurriedly pulled out his phone and placed it on that small palm. Having already more or less figured out how phones worked and grown quite adept at handling them, Luke quickly dialed her own number, confirmed the vibration, and returned the phone to Shirud.
It had all happened in an instant, and Mary covered her mouth as she spoke.
"Whoa, this is the first time you've exchanged phone numbers with a boy, isn't it?"
Come to think of it, the only numbers stored in Luke's phone were those of Yerna, Daiton, and the other forest-keeper colleagues—plus Mary. And coincidentally, they were all girls.
Yet Luke, who had no idea of the other meanings attached to exchanging numbers, simply nodded and answered because it was true.
"That is so."
"Oh, then Shirud's the first!"
"I suppose it would be?"
Luke said, calmly holding out the phone.
"What?"
Shirud took the phone and flushed red. At that reaction Mary laughed, hohoho.
"Hohohoho……."
"Why are you laughing?"
"No reason—you two just look like you get along so well!"
"Well, of course it is not bad. Is that not so, Shirud? Do you dislike me?"
"……Huh? Uh…… no? I don't dislike you……."
What a half-hearted fellow. For a boy to give such a limp answer was truly something.
"Mary, even when I am not here, I leave Shirud in your care."
"Leave it to me!"
Mary thumped her chest boldly, and Luke nodded, placing her trust in that display.
"W-who are you to go around entrusting me to people however you like!"
Shirud's flustered shout was thoroughly ignored this time.