Chapter 33: Fried Rice and Consultation 

“I’ll make that for lunch”

With my decision made, I set a large wok on top of the stove.

First, I took some frozen white rice from storage and heated it in the microwave until it thawed completely. Once it was warm enough, I carefully loosened the grains with my hands so they wouldn’t clump together later.

Next came the ingredients.

I finely chopped a long green onion and diced some store-bought char siu into roughly one-centimeter cubes.

Well, that had been the plan.

Unfortunately, I was out of char siu today, so I substituted it with roasted pork instead.

Shrimp or garlic would have worked nicely too, but…

There wasn’t any shrimp in the refrigerator, and using garlic in the middle of the day would leave me worrying about bad breath afterward.

Best to skip it.

“Alright. Preparations complete.”

The important thing when making fried rice was to keep every ingredient and seasoning within arm’s reach.

Once the cooking started, there wouldn’t be time to stop.

I poured cooking oil into the wok and heated it over medium heat until a faint trail of smoke began rising from the surface.

Then—

In went the beaten eggs.

“Before the eggs fully cook, add the rice…”

Using a Chinese ladle, I broke apart the rice while coating every grain with egg.

Occasionally I tossed the wok, shaking everything together until the rice became light and separate.

Once the grains were nicely fluffy, I added the green onion, roasted pork, chicken stock powder, salt, and pepper.

Then I stir-fried relentlessly.

The aroma gradually deepened as everything mixed together.

Finally, when it was evenly combined, I drizzled soy sauce around the inner wall of the wok.

The moment that rich, smoky fragrance rose into the air—

“Fried rice, complete.”

I couldn’t help smiling.

Even by my own standards, this was a masterpiece.

My grandfather had been absurdly strict when it came to fried rice, so buying a proper wok and Chinese ladle had turned out to be a worthwhile investment after all.

“Now then. I’d better call Raphiel and Eve before this gets cold.”

With lunch finished, I headed toward their rooms to gather everyone.

But…

Raphiel was nowhere to be found.

I figured Eve might know where she’d gone, so I asked her.

Eve simply shrugged.

“How would I know? Maybe she went for a walk or something.”

“Y-Yeah. Maybe.”

But somehow…

I couldn’t shake a bad feeling.

Thinking back on it, Raphiel had seemed unusually irritated ever since this morning.

Then part of our earlier conversation resurfaced in my mind.

“Regarding Amate’s upbringing. The things that bandit said upset me somewhat, and I ended up arguing with you.”

The bandit had certainly said plenty.

As long as Raphiel lived here, assassins would continue targeting her.

And by extension, everyone living under the same roof.

Could it be—

Had she left because she thought she was putting us in danger?

“I-I need to find her immediately—”

“I have returned.”

A familiar voice interrupted me.

“There seems to be a rather pleasant smell coming from somewhere.”

She came back almost instantly.

“…Eight, why are you collapsing in disappointment like a comedian in a stage show?”

“H-Hey! You don’t have to say it like that!”

I pointed accusingly at her.

“I finished lunch and went to get you because I was worried! Then you weren’t in your room!”

“Hm.”

Raphiel blinked.

“My apologies. I went to visit Larsa for a short while.”

Cardinal Larsa?

Before I could ask further—

“Pardon the intrusion, Eight-sama.”

“C-Cardinal Larsa!?”

A familiar face peeked out from behind Raphiel.

It was Cardinal Larsa herself.

Just as always, she looked astonishingly youthful for someone who had supposedly lived for over a century.

Her priestly robes were also as revealing as ever.

Far too revealing.

My eyes immediately struggled to find a safe place to look.

Perhaps noticing my discomfort, Cardinal Larsa gracefully extended a gift box toward me.

“This is merely a small token.”

“My, how thoughtful. Thank you very much.”

“Actually, I came today because I wished to consult you about something.”

“A consultation?”

Standing around in the doorway wasn’t ideal, so I invited her inside and led her to the living room.

“Oh my.”

Larsa sniffed the air.

“Something smells absolutely wonderful.”

“Ah, if you’d like, would you care to join us for lunch? It’s freshly made, and I accidentally cooked too much.”

“My goodness!”

Her face brightened instantly.

“I would be delighted.”

And so—

The dining table became considerably livelier.

Raphiel.

Eve.

Amate.

Cardinal Larsa.

And me.

Together we sat around the table while I served everyone generous portions of fried rice.

The moment of truth.

How would they react?

“The aroma of the toasted soy sauce passes through the nose so elegantly! The rice is perfectly fluffy and separate! Delicious! Five stars!”

Raphiel gave her review immediately.

“Wait a second.”

Eve narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

“Isn’t this roasted pork instead of char siu? You totally used whatever was already in the fridge because you couldn’t be bothered, didn’t you?”

She grinned.

“It’s really good though!”

“I-It’s delicious, Father!”

Amate’s face lit up with happiness as she shoveled another spoonful into her mouth.

“I’ve never been particularly fond of grains, but I feel as though I could eat endless amounts of this.”

Even Cardinal Larsa was thoroughly enjoying herself.

Everyone was smiling.

Then suddenly—

My blood ran cold.

Wait.

We were all eating together so naturally that I’d completely forgotten something important.

I hadn’t told Cardinal Larsa about Eve!

“U-Um…”

I hurriedly turned toward her.

“Eve may be the Demon King, but she hasn’t caused any trouble! She’s really not a bad kid or anything—”

“Hehe.”

Larsa covered her mouth with a gentle smile.

“I’ve already heard about Eve-sama from Mikaela.”

“You have?”

“I don’t mind in the slightest, so please don’t concern yourself.”

“Ahahaha!”

Eve puffed out her chest proudly.

“Looks like I’m famous!”

“…Eve.”

Raphiel stared at her.

“You’ve been sweating cold bullets this entire time. Is something wrong?”

“H-Huh!?”

Eve nearly jumped from her seat.

“I-I’m not sweating at all! Stop making things up, Saintie!”

Now that Raphiel mentioned it…

Eve’s complexion did seem unusually pale.

“Eve, are you feeling alright?”

“Well…”

Eve hesitated.

Then she pointed subtly toward Cardinal Larsa.

“How do I put this…”

“This lady is seriously terrifying.”

“Huh?”

“The Goddess’s blessing she carries isn’t all that extraordinary. And if we’re talking raw talent, she’s nowhere near Saintie.”

“But?”

Eve’s expression stiffened.

“But she’s ridiculously experienced in combat.”

Her voice grew unusually serious.

“I can tell just by looking at her.”

The cheerful Demon King who usually fought explosive battles with Raphiel in the back mountains was visibly uncomfortable.

“In terms of pure strength, Naked Grandpa is stronger.”

The village chief, apparently.

“But this woman…”

Eve shuddered.

“She’s the type who’ll use absolutely any method necessary to kill her target.”

A pause.

“I never, ever want to fight her.”

I stared at Cardinal Larsa.

The fact that Eve of all people was saying that made it hard to ignore.

Could Cardinal Larsa secretly be an absurdly dangerous person?

“By the way, Eight-sama.”

Larsa suddenly spoke.

“There’s something I’ve been curious about.”

“Eh? Ah, yes. What is it?”

She looked toward Amate.

“And who might this young lady be?”

Her eyes narrowed slightly.

“I sense an overwhelmingly vast amount of divine power from her.”

Then she smiled.

“And yet she calls you Father.”

“Ah…”

I scratched my cheek awkwardly.

“Well, the explanation is a bit complicated…”

So I explained.

Everything.

How Amate had come into existence.

How she had been born.

How she had become part of our family.

When I finished, Cardinal Larsa blinked several times.

“I see.”

A look of understanding crossed her face.

“So she is a newly created deity.”

“A-Amate.”

Amate straightened her posture nervously.

“I’m Amate. It’s nice to meet you.”

“Oh my, how polite.”

Larsa smiled warmly.

“My name is Larsa. Please feel free to call me by my name.”

“Y-Yes, Larsa-san.”

The sight was unexpectedly heartwarming.

A refined older woman and an adorable young girl exchanging introductions.

Somehow it felt incredibly wholesome.

“Larsa.”

Raphiel set down her spoon.

“Now that we’ve finished eating, let us move on to the main topic.”

“Ah!”

Larsa suddenly slapped a hand to her forehead.

“That’s right. I’d nearly forgotten.”

“The main topic?”

Come to think of it, she had said she’d come here to discuss something.

“Eight-sama, are you familiar with the Adventurers’ Guild?”

“The Adventurers’ Guild?”

I nodded.

“More or less. It’s the organization that manages adventurers who accept requests like monster extermination and ruin exploration, right?”

After all, it was a staple of fantasy stories.

Any isekai light novel worth its salt had one.

I’d learned fairly quickly that this world had one as well.

Its headquarters were located in the royal capital of the Kingdom of Elde, and branches existed in major cities throughout the world.

Of course, it was the sort of organization that had nothing to do with a tiny rural village like Papel Village.

“So what about it?”

“The temple was involved in the establishment of the Adventurers’ Guild.”

Larsa folded her hands gracefully.

“As such, we possess a certain amount of influence over its operations.”

“Uh…”

I frowned.

“I’m not really following.”

“The truth is…”

A smile spread across her face.

“It has been decided that a branch of the Adventurers’ Guild will be established here in Papel Village.”

“…What?”

I blinked.

An Adventurers’ Guild branch?

In Papel Village?

The announcement was so sudden that my brain momentarily stopped working.

And then—

Ding dong.

The front doorbell rang.

Perfect timing.

I headed toward the entrance and opened the door.

Standing outside was—

The completely naked village chief.

“I sensed talk that might be useful for village revitalization and came running!!”

“Village Chief!?”

I pointed in horror.

“WHY ARE YOU NAKED!?”

“I was in the middle of taking a bath!!”

“GO HOME, OLD MAN!!”

I slammed a finger toward the road.

“PUT SOME CLOTHES ON FIRST! THEN WE’LL TALK!”

Without hesitation, I sent the village chief back to his house.