Translator: Tsukii
Editor: Lilia
Read at Watashi wa Sugoi Desu!
Chapter 25 – Mealtime
Some time had passed since the SwordX family allowed Erin to continue attending school.
Early in the morning, in the dormitory’s kitchen, I put a clay pot on the fire and watched it intently.
Inside were about four cups of carefully washed rice.
This world of “CHORD FRONTIER” had a culture of rice cultivation.
Although it was a world of sword and magic, we still grew and ate rice as normal.
It was the best. I was really grateful that the developers made it possible for me to eat rice, even though the historical background and worldview were drastically different.
In the first place, meals in the game system were primarily items made by players when setting up camp. As long as the ingredient requirements were met, a few clicks would instantly create the food item.
Eating a meal allowed players to obtain a buff for a certain period of time, so it was useful when they didn’t have enough stats.
Perhaps this was the fate of this kind of system, but in the latter half of the game, players would only make meals for the sake of recipe mastery.
By the way, even while traveling, cooked food items could be eaten at any time and wouldn’t go bad.
For example, eating a rice ball would restore 20 HP.
Also, the sweet and spicy chicken stew gave an attack power buff.
I wonder why spicy food often has the effect of increasing attack power, though.
While I was thinking about this, the pot lid started to rattle as steam filled the pot.
The timing was calculated so that the food could be served in its freshest condition by the time the students arrived at the dining hall.
“All right…”
I placed the fish I caught this morning on the fire and slowly grilled it.
When the mountain collapsed, all the animals left the area, but fortunately, the nearby stream wasn’t affected.
I could catch dozens of fishes at once if I set the trap, so it was custom at this school to release them into a holding tank and eat them one by one.
Meanwhile, I dropped eggs into another frying pan to make fried eggs.
Erin and Sharon preferred their eggs half-cooked, while Kuyumi preferred hers to be well-cooked.
The vice principal and I didn’t mind either way, so I decided to cater to Kuyumi’s taste for today.
I moved the pot in the corner closer to the fire to reheat the miso soup.
It was my proud dish made from self-made soup stock.
I could only do it that way since there was no ready-made soup stock.
“Why did I go through all this trouble when I’m already so busy?”
I was tired of doing it, but I already accepted there was no other option.
Because the science in the world of cooking wasn’t advanced enough, I still had to go through the trouble of making things from scratch. Cooking couldn’t be a hobby yet.
I wonder if someone would develop instant food during my lifetime.
Anyway, the menu was now completed.
Today’s breakfast was very familiar to me.
There was rice, grilled fish, fried eggs, and miso soup.
“It really doesn’t feel like things that should be eaten in a fantasy world… but whatever.”
As a former Japanese person, I was truly grateful to be able to eat Japanese food on a regular basis.
When I was traveling with my previous party, I used to make Japanese food every time my turn to cook came.
After I quickly plated everyone’s food, I took off my apron.
When I left the kitchen and looked into the dining hall, I saw Kuyumi sitting on the chair while dangling her feet.
She seemed to practice on her own every morning and was always the first to arrive.
“Ah, mornin’~ sensei♡ aren’t you wearing a cute apron today?”
“You teased me a lot about it, so I decided to take it off as soon as I finished cooking…”
I’d really like to buy a new one, but the current design was the only option I had.
It was definitely not a design an adult man would wear.
“Since you destroyed the school building, sensei will be in charge of taking care of school meals and toilet cleaning, was it?♡”
“Aah, it’s totally my fault after all, so it can’t be helped.”
Zanba also helped with the reconstruction of the school building, and was supposed to come after school to help clean both the interior and exterior with lightning speed.
That guy completely destroyed the advantage of having a fast horse by his own hand.
But rather than destroying it, it was more like he outgrew it.
“But I wonder… How did sensei and others fix the school building?”
Kuyumi gave me a prying look.
Indeed, it only took about three days to completely rebuild the partially destroyed school building.
If it was entrusted to a contractor, even a month might not be enough to fix it.
“You see, about this school building…”
“Yes?♡”
“It was completely destroyed about 200 times during my days as a student.”
“Hah?”
The school building at the beginning was just terrible.
Although it couldn’t be helped, since it was made of wood and built in a remote area, it was just a normal building that didn’t even have a coating of magic resistance.
It would end up reduced to a vacant lot just by me swinging the Hero’s Sword three times.
It would even be destroyed when students other than me were fighting each other.
The cycle of destroying and rebuilding was a natural part of this adventurer school.
“So gradually, we started to make various modifications, such as using materials with magic resistance that were less likely to break, and designing a structure that could quickly be put back together.”
“……H-Heeh～…………”
Kuyumi’s gaze was clearly filled with confusion and fear.
Her eyes seemed to say, “What the hell is he talking about?”
“In other words, all of you can destroy the school if you like.”
“There’s no way we’ll do that?!”
“I’m just joking.”
Realizing that she was being teased, Kuyumi puffed out her cheeks.
Because it was a precious opportunity to get back at Kuyumi, I couldn’t help but be a little more indulgent than usual.
“……I don’t care about sensei anymo~re.”
“Okay okay, it was my fault.”
At that moment, we heard two sets of footsteps approaching the dining hall.
Erin and Sharon must have woken up.
“Ah, I’ll carry the tray for you♡”
Where did all the grumpiness from earlier go?
Kuyumi jumped down from her chair and walked toward the kitchen while humming.
“You carry it every morning, but it’s not like you need to help me, you know.”
“I’m just doing it because I like it, so you don’t have to worry about it♡”
When Kuyumi turned around, a dagger flew out from the sleeve of her clothes.
I caught it with my fingers.
“Is it fun to do?”
I asked while handing back the dagger.
In fact, it was really strange. Since there were days she made surprise attacks and days she didn’t, it didn’t seem like she was looking for anything specific.
She put her finger on her chin and thought for a moment.
“Hm~… I guess it’s because it makes us seem like an elderly couple running the dining hall in their retirement♡”
“Okay, okay…”
I shrugged at Kuyumi’s words and ignored her grin. She was probably just trying to get a reaction out of me.
It would be a problem if a student and a teacher were seen as a couple. She should know that.
“Ahahah, sensei’s ears are red you know?”
“It’s your fault, you know!”
Damn it! I didn’t win again…
◇
Everyone enjoyed the morning Japanese-style meal.
After carefully putting her hands together, Erin suddenly muttered.
“When sensei is in charge of cooking, it really feels like a simple meal, doesn’t it?”
I fell to my knees as a result of the terrible verbal abuse.
“I agree. It’s like he fought a straightforward match using the base taste of the ingredient itself.”
Even Sharon, who had eaten all her food, played along.
N-no way… even though my former party members ate them happily…!
No, maybe they also thought this way?
Maybe they couldn’t say it? That the meal I cooked felt like a meal for poor people?
“Sensei, Kuyumi-chan understands your intentions♡”
When I looked up, Kuyumi placed her hand on my shoulder.
“This is training for when you can’t get enough food, right? It’s teaching us not to be picky♡”
“Eh… that’s not it, though.”
“……I guess I should give up on following up~”
Kuyumi, who was on my side for just a few seconds, immediately gave up on me.
As expected of her. She was very good at assessing situations.
“B-but the nutritional balance is good, and while the taste is just the taste of the ingredient itself, isn’t it still delicious?!”
“Ah… teach’, I didn’t mean that as an insult, you know?!”
Erin stood up while looking panicked.
“It’s a taste I want to eat every day! Yep, I think I could eat this miso soup every day!”
“……I see.”
I covered my face with my hands and looked up at the sky.
I was naturally seduced by my student.
And the compliment itself made me very happy, and I could tell that my face was smiling.
It was too easy.
I was way, way, too easy.
“……Sensei, you’re already an adult, so you should do something about how embarrassed you get every time you get praised for simple things.”
Sharon glared at me with half-lidded eyes.
It was completely on point, but what should I do then?
“Well, maybe Erin-chan should change the way she speaks♡”
“Eh? Did I say something weird?”
Seeing Erin tilted her head, Kuyumi shrugged.
It was frustrating to see the usually all-knowing Kuyumi shrug in confusion. It didn’t suit her at all, but none of the group questioned her. Obviously, that group included me as well.
“Okay, okay. It seems sensei could be a wonderful bride, aren’t you glad~♡”
“When I still couldn’t control my power, the kitchen knife began to shine when I grabbed it.”
“……Aren’t you glad you became able to control your strength? Good job, well done~”
Kuyumi looked at me with pity.
At that time, it wasn’t just the cutting board, but I ended up cutting the kitchen in half.
“…Anyway, we like your cooking, sensei.”
“O-ooh. Thanks.”
After elegantly wiping her mouth with a napkin, Sharon smiled softly.
“Back home, I was forced to eat all by myself and I couldn’t taste the food that entered my mouth.”
“Ah~ I understand that too! I was also under strict meal restriction rules for things like muscle building or mental strength training and the like.”
“You’re right~ I was often told that I had to eat it, even if tasted horrible, and I wasn’t even allowed to vomit it or go hungry♡”
I decided. Starting tomorrow, I will cook a lot of extravagant food. A different menu every week.
I would bring color to these girls’ lives.
It might be a difficult job for the descendant of the Hero, but as the chef here, I would make these girls happy…!
Want early access to Cannon Fodder, Melancholy of the Demon Army Officer, and I Was a Man Before Reincarnating, So I Refuse a Reverse Harem? Support the translator on Patreon!
