“Are you… putting pineapple on it? Did I hear that right, Mister?”
“Yes, I told you so. Why are you so suspicious?”
“Yes, I understand. I’ll bake the pizza as instructed, then add the pineapple on top as a topping…”
“No. You need to bake it together with the pineapple. Make sure to control the temperature so it doesn’t burn.”
“…?”
The kitchen chief looked at me with a gaze that seemed to say, “What kind of nonsense is this?”
This guy.
As I frowned, the chief’s eyes softened dramatically, and he turned his head away.
“I—I’ll make it first!”
Sweet sauce, cheese, bacon, and finally, the crowning glory of baked pineapple.
It’s a disastrous combination that would make me nauseous just imagining it. But I’m not making this because I want to.
[Kyaahh! The smell is so sweet and tangy! I’m getting excited!]
“…”
It’s just that the spirit really wanted it, and that’s why I’m making it.
I merely mentioned in passing that there’s such a thing as this pizza.
When the spirit begged to make Hawaiian pizza, promising to help me with a wyvern trap, I had no choice but to accept the deal.
I had no responsibility in selecting the menu at all.
‘This is the Hawaiian pizza you wanted.’
The chef kept tilting his head while baking the pizza.
Eventually, a warm, freshly baked pizza came out, and despite its appearance, it looked pretty decent.
Except for the grotesque pieces of pineapple on top.
[Wow! This is the ultimate pizza that humans have personally baked for me! Should I give it a try?]
With a twinkle in its eye, Dirt-Dirt eagerly clung to the pizza.
“Did you bake the pizza? What kind of pizza…? Ugh!?”
“W-What is that? Why on earth is there fruit on the pizza…?”
“What crime did the spirit commit to deserve that?”
Unable to resist the smell, Charlotte and Julia rushed over, horrified.
If the spirit has any guilt, it would be for having too much curiosity.
Dirt-Dirt managed to grab a slice of cheese-stretching pizza and opened its mouth wide, ready to shove it in.
[Wow! What is this flavor…?]
“Spirit… You don’t have to force yourself to eat it…”
“But don’t spit it out either!”
[This is unbelievable! I could add all kinds of embellishments and sing its praises! This tastes like something from the heavens! Wow!]
“…?”
In a frenzy, he began to devour an entire pizza.
Is it really… delicious?
In a moment of shock and horror, another pizza came out of the oven.
“It looks a bit strange, but it seems tasty!”
“I want just one bite…”
Ultimately unable to hold back, Charlotte and Julia reached for the pizza.
For a moment, I was tempted to try a piece myself, wondering if it was genuinely delicious.
“Ugh! The mushy pineapple! The texture is too…!”
“A-Aslan… I feel so nauseous…”
“…”
[The Evil God ‘Kali’ is complaining about what you fed our necromancer and dark knight!]
Seeing Charlotte and Julia’s reactions, I quickly withdrew my hand.
This is the normal reaction.
In the meantime, the spirit finished one pizza and started on the second.
It seemed that the flavors suited the spirit’s taste perfectly.
If it can eat that well, could it be that the spirit just enjoys everything?
What if I enlarge the spirit and use it as a garbage disposal?
Then, I wouldn’t need to deal with food waste, which would be great.
I found myself seriously contemplating such thoughts.
“Sylvia. Speaking of which, what happened with Vermont Security? I heard they made significant changes to the training program.”
“I haven’t been around much lately, so I don’t know the specifics… Would you like to go observe it?”
“Sure. Let’s go take a look.”
Well, Sylvia has been managing everything on her own lately.
She completely stepped away from the instructor role.
Since she completely revamped the training program, she left it to the veterans.
It was time to see if it was running well.
After preparing to head out, while riding the carriage towards the Ariente territory.
I noticed a large crowd gathering in the downtown area and stopped the carriage.
“Wait. What’s going on over there? Today isn’t a market day, so why are there so many people?”
“I’ll check it out.”
“Okay. Go ahead.”
“…”
“…”
After saying she would check, Sylvia sat quietly, gazing at me.
What’s wrong with her?
I was dumbfounded and remained silent, and then Sylvia, like a puppy, tugged at my sleeve.
“Why are you making such a whimpering noise like a dog that needs to go out?”
“Um… If you don’t come with me, I can’t go… I’m not scared of going out without a sword, I’m just worried I’ll be late to save you if something happens…”
“…”
Realizing it’s a weak excuse, she avoided my gaze, mumbling in a tiny voice.
I could manage to separate her from me in the mansion, but outside, it seems she struggles to cope with her anxiety.
I wanted to be stern, but seeing the tremor in Sylvia’s eyes, I couldn’t bring myself to do it.
Perhaps it was also because of the guilt lingering from the mark still left on her neck.
“Sylvia.”
“Yes, Master.”
“That anxiety you have when you don’t keep a sword by your side… Is it connected to the faculty at the Empire’s Magic Academy?”
“…!”
She trembled in shock, as if asking how I knew that.
She probably hadn’t even told Aslan before the possession.
In fact, she hadn’t told anyone, nor would she have planned to.
Sylvia is much more accustomed to hiding painful memories than revealing them.
Having played through Chapter 1, I understood.
From Yuri’s perspective, Sylvia was a strong mentor guiding the children on the right path, flawless in every way.
All of Sylvia’s weaknesses were things I first learned when after I possessed this body.
‘I think I have a rough idea of the situation.’
Sylvia was a candidate for Hero about ten years ago.
From the moment she was selected as a hero candidate until she was injured in the heart by Vermont and retired, she lived on the battlefield.
This means that Sylvia had to fight for her life from a young age.
It’s not like the Empire was facing a crisis of destruction during a great war.
Is it normal for a young girl to be thrust onto the battlefield?
The “unit” that Sylvia belonged to was a group engulfed in madness beyond the realm of normalcy.
Was Sylvia safe from the exploitation by such people?
Could she have completed her service without any injuries?
At least regarding physical injuries, perhaps she could say yes.
But if we consider her heart as well, it’s clear that Sylvia sustained a fatal wound that isn’t easily healed.
‘Sylvia never talks about that time. Just recalling those memories must be painful for her…’
It was a simple deduction.
Sylvia’s anxiety and sword dependence were caused not by Vermont, who damaged her heart, but by those who broke her spirit.
“I know that some of the people who trained me are at the Imperial Magic Academy…”
In context, it’s clear that Sylvia is referring to sworn enemies.
Yet her pupils are trembling, her voice is shaky, and she keeps using honorifics.
Even after all this time, has she not been able to escape the fear from those people?
Those unforgivable ones.
I desperately want to spend time alone with Charlotte and Julia, away from Sylvia.
But thinking about the culprits who created this annoyance fills me with anger.
“Who are they? Name them, Sylvia.”
“Um, um….”
“There’s no backlash coming your way, so don’t worry. Just tell me what I need to know.”
“Well… actually, I don’t know their names… I’ve only heard rumors that they were appointed as professors at the Magic Academy after the unit was disbanded…”
“Would you recognize them if you saw their faces?”
“Yes. Maybe. But, um…”
“You don’t want to run into them, do you?”
“Yes… That’s correct…”
Sylvia, shoulders drooping and trembling, looked completely different from the calm and composed person I had seen before, even in the face of danger.
I had never seen her like this before…
“Haah. If you’re not in a good state, draw your sword from me.”
“I’m fine.”
“Stop being stubborn. Hurry up.”
“It’s not stubbornness; I really am fine. If I draw the sword, won’t it hurt you a lot? You seem to have quite a sore throat lately.”
How did she know that?
I hadn’t mentioned it or shown any signs.
“Can I hold your hand instead?”
“Hand? That’s fine….”
“Just holding the sheath improves my condition quite a bit, and it seems to work on a similar principle. Your body is pretty much my sheath right now.”
“…”
Finally, with a bright smile, Sylvia took my hand in hers.
Now that I think about it, Sylvia’s hand is quite small.
That small hand was trembling a lot.
And more than anything…
“Ahhh!!!”
“M-My Lord? What’s wrong?”
“My hand! Hand! Ouch, it hurts!”
“Ah.”
…It seems Sylvia has a habit of gripping the sheath incredibly tightly.
“Master, there are a lot of people. Stay close behind me.”
Feeling a bit more confident, Sylvia and I pushed into the crowded city.
At first, I thought there might be some commotion inside, but upon closer inspection, it was clear that the people gathered were not residents of Vermont Territory, but outsiders.
Is there a tourist attraction inside?
As I dug deeper, a familiar shop appeared.
“What on earth is going on, Jacob?”
“I’d like to ask the same! There’s a major emergency! We’re getting orders in the hundreds every day, and the line just keeps growing…!”
Jacob rushed out to greet me, looking pale as if he hadn’t slept.
So this entire crowd in the street is made up of customers trying to book reservations at the forge…?
The forge has finally hit it big—no, extraordinarily big.
“Alright. Keep up the good work. If you run low on materials, just contact me anytime. I can help with the procurement.”
“M-My Lord! Doesn’t this seem a bit off? I never imagined we’d have this many orders. Shouldn’t we take a moment to regroup and maybe close up for a bit…?”
“Hmm. What did the contract say? It said production shouldn’t stop unless there’s a special reason, right? You’re not thinking of violating the contract, are you…?”
“I-I’ll do my best!!!”
With tears streaming down his face, Jacob bowed deeply before me.
It’s good to see him so full of fighting spirit.
It seems he can’t stop the tears of joy, thinking about the money he’s about to make.
