“How is it, Dirt-Dirt? Is it tasty?”
[Hmm! It’s not that great! What exactly is this supposed to taste like!]
“Uh…? Really? Well, we’ll just eat the leftovers…”
[Leave it behind! Since you went through the trouble of making it, there’s no need to force yourselves to eat it!]
“Hehe! Eat up, Dirt-Dirt!”
With a bright smile, Charlotte handed over a tray piled high with donuts.
Dirt-Dirt, sitting in the field, swallowed a donut one by one.
Soon, his eyes curved into a happy expression.
Despite the sharp words, it seemed to suit his taste.
Charlotte had gotten used to Dirt-Dirt’s manner of speaking by now.
“I made these! How are they?”
“I-I helped too. I handled the dough.”
“And I handled dipping the donuts in the sugar cream!”
And all the frying was handled by the maids.
…That part was conveniently left out.
The maids took care of all the difficult, labor-intensive, and dangerous tasks.
They even endured the risk of getting scolded later on to keep Aslan at bay.
When Charlotte wanted to show her gratitude, she was told that just existing in this mansion was already a great help to them.
She was turned down with some incomprehensible reasoning.
[So this is the delicacy of humans. Even their top-notch food isn’t that impressive.]
“It’s not top-notch. There are many things tastier than donuts!”
[…What!?]
Charlotte said with a sense of pride.
Just a few months ago, the most delicious food Dirt-Dirt had tasted was a dry pastry that the orphanage director bought to show off when the benefactors visited.
But since coming to this mansion, that pastry had fallen far behind in the rankings.
For Charlotte and Julia now, food wasn’t just a means to gain energy.
It was about savoring.
Every day, with the introduction of new menus, it was a continuous journey of discovering new flavors.
[Kyaaak! Don’t tell me lies! Are humans tasting such delicacies every day? Three times a day?]
“If you include snacks, it’s even more frequent.”
[This is outrageous…!]
Dirt-Dirt, who had believed humans were inferior for needing to consume nutrition to survive, was shocked to find out that meals were not a constraint but a blessing!
His entire view of the world, which he had known for 1000 years, was collapsing.
[Kyaaak! Why have only you humans been eating such delicacies!!!]
“You didn’t ask for any…”
[From now on, give me some!]
“Alright. But sharing meals every time might be a bit much. I’ll share snacks instead!”
[Kyaahak! Negotiation settled!]
Clasping his large, soft hands with Julia and Charlotte, Dirt-Dirt felt a mix of emotions.
So humans were eating such delicious food all this time!
It was infuriating!
It was regretful that he had been isolated in the mountains for 1000 years and didn’t know about this!
As a being with a lifespan as short as a mayfly, he should enjoy amusements to the fullest.
Preparing for the next hibernation, he decided to savor it just for a little while.
Maybe… 100 years?
After enjoying it for that long, he would need to regain his strength.
Dirt-Dirt made that decision in his mind.
To enjoy the tributes given by these damned little ones, it seemed he would have to stay here for a while.
This time, it was by my choice!
Not because I was forcefully bound to the little annoying brats!
It was my choice!
Thinking that, Dirt-Dirt began to find this place he had desperately wanted to escape from, a little more pleasant.
“I’m glad they seem to have reconciled.”
Watching from outside the window.
Aslan smiled bitterly.
That Dirt-Dirt.
Are donuts that delicious?
He had donuts here made with Charlotte and Julia’s own sweat and care.
Dirt-Dirt will probably end up with some plain donuts with cream on them.
Aslan chuckled to himself, reveling in his sense of superiority.
“Master… The donuts are going to spoil… Please eat them quickly…”
“I’ll eat them myself.”
The maids looked at Aslan with worried expressions.
It was always such an unpleasant smile…
How long does he plan to leave a bitten donut unattended?
If left alone, it would spoil quickly and attract bugs.
Yet Aslan still showed no sign of wanting to eat the donuts.
“Do you not like it?”
“Well, it seems like you don’t often see him eating sweet things…”
“Oh no. What should we do? Charlotte and Julia worked so hard on these.”
The maids whispered with worried looks.
Aslan stared down at the donut, grinding his teeth.
The maids were startled.
Maybe he really was feeling quite displeased?
‘Damn it. I can’t eat it because it’s too precious.’
How should he eat this?
This isn’t just a simple donut; it’s a masterpiece.
Can’t you see the fantastic decoration made solely for me?
A unique donut in this world, made just for me.
The moment I took a bite, I knew.
Eating it all would bring an immense sense of satisfaction.
But how will I handle the emptiness that follows?
The guilt of destroying a piece of art with my own hands?
Aslan’s clenched fist trembled.
‘Store it in the refrigerator? No, no…’
While there was a method to preserve it in the refrigerator to prevent spoiling, Aslan quickly shook his head and dismissed the idea.
The refrigerator was a place frequently visited by Charlotte and Julia.
The shock of seeing the donut, which he had meticulously made, left unattended would be indescribable.
In reality, he was preserving it because he felt it was too precious to eat, but it would inevitably appear as neglect.
If only time could stop.
If only this moment could last forever. Why does everything beautiful eventually rot away?
With tears welling in his eyes, Aslan picked up the donut with trembling hands.
“You’re eating it while crying…”
“Is it really that bad?”
“It’s strange. It shouldn’t be like this…”
Regardless, he needed to eat it before it spoiled.
Aslan shed tears as he savored the donut.
Julia’s donut wasn’t just beautiful to look at but was also exquisitely delightful to taste.
Charlotte’s donut, seemingly hastily decorated, had an unexpectedly perfect harmony.
“Haah…”
The donut was gone.
Yet the satisfaction far exceeded expectations.
It was a moment when Aslan, immersed in bliss, swallowed his tears.
“Master, have you finished the samples?”
“…What?”
“Since we made quite a lot… Charlotte and Julia put a lot of effort into decorating these for you.”
“…”
At that moment, the maids rolled in a mobile tray into the room.
The trays were filled with plates of donuts on every tier—1st, 2nd, 3rd.
Oh.
“Umm… If you can’t finish them, should we dispose of them?”
“No. Leave them. Whether you dispose of them or not, I’ll handle it myself.”
“Understood, Master.”
Am I crazy?
Why would I dispose of what the kids worked so hard on?
If it’s to be discarded, it should be discarded into my stomach.
Ah, but how long will it take to eat all of this?
If I want to eat it before it spoils, I’ll need to finish it by tomorrow.
It seems I’ll have to fix the menu entirely to donuts until tomorrow evening.
…Even just imagining it makes my stomach churn.
.
.
.
‘It’s delicious…’
Munch munch.
As Yuri stuffed warm bacon and bread from his tray into his mouth, his eyes widened.
The dining hall at the Magic Academy? It was too uncomfortable to use.
Every time he entered, everyone would run away, making it impossible for him to visit without feeling guilty.
He didn’t know how good it is there, but the meals provided at Vermont Security were truly a feast.
The ingredients and dishes were nothing particularly grand or extravagant.
But how long had it been since he had tasted such warm and delicious food?
‘I thought it was going to be a shady company handling Vermont’s dirty work. Isn’t this place too full of human warmth?’
He had thought this place was where they trained warriors willing to sacrifice their lives for Vermont.
But the only thing intense about the training was the occasional session.
The quality and quantity of the provided equipment were excellent, meals were always hearty, and there were ample sleep and vacation times. It was an incredibly stable job.
Moreover, having successfully evacuated the residents of the Ariente Territory from the monsters the other day, the morale of the staff was sky-high.
Bonds between colleagues had even started to form.
‘I thought they’d teach me some quick and powerful magic techniques, but there’s nothing like that…’
How to become stronger? Practice by swinging the sword non-stop.
That was the mindset of Instructor Sylvia.
Who doesn’t know such straightforward methods?
He wanted to get stronger quickly!
Yuri was on the verge of losing his mind from frustration.
‘Oh, and the exams are coming up soon. What to do…’
Adding to his worries, next week was the exam period.
There was far too little time to dedicate to studying due to training.
Fortunately, Vermont Security had a flexible attendance system where you received pay based on the days you showed up for work.
Ugh.
Once this exam is over, it’ll be vacation time.
During the break, he’ll train with Instructor Sylvia the entire time.
‘Recently, it seems like a path is starting to appear.’
Until now, Yuri had always thought that magic was the only path.
Surprisingly, after picking up a sword, he discovered a new aptitude.
It was as if his body moved of its own accord whenever he held the sword.
In reality, Yuri was showing unparalleled growth in swordsmanship training compared to anyone else.
‘Even the instructor trains intensely…’
After eating.
Yuri’s gaze turned to the back warehouse.
He had always seen the instructor as an immovable mountain in their sparring sessions, someone who seemed impossible to defeat.
Hadn’t the instructor once served in the knight order?
An elite among elites.
A human weapon.
A living tactical weapon.
Did even such a person have a higher goal?
It was a moment when Yuri felt ashamed of his past self, who only wanted to gain power quickly.
“Oh, Yuri… What is it?”
“It’s nothing. I was just curious about what the knight aims for in training…”
“I aim to protect what is dear. When you think of precious things and people, you cannot afford to be lazy in training.”
“Ah…”
“But I suppose that’s not the answer you were looking for? To be more honest, I am aiming for the realm above Sword Expert.”
“Above Sword Expert? Is there such a thing?”
“Yes. It’s called Sword Master. It’s not just a human level, but rather, it’s considered halfway to the divine, hence also known as the realm of demigods.”
“Sword Master…!”
So there is such a thing!
He thought being a Sword Expert was the peak of strength.
To know there’s a level above it.
Since he needed to surpass Instructor Sylvia, who is a knight of Vermont, his new goal from now on is to become a Sword Master.
As Yuri’s eyes sparkled with admiration, he heard an urgent shout.
“Instructor! A message from the mansion!”
“Let me see it.”
A staff member, running out of breath and urgently handing over the mail.
Sylvia tore open the seal and unfolded the letter, her expression instantly turning grim.
“Work has come in?”
Isn’t that a good thing?
Why does she look so worried?
“From Her Majesty the Empress…?”
Oh.
