Chapter 61: Sukiyaki and a Preferred Way of Life 

Three days had passed since the dragon extermination.

On a quiet afternoon, Raphiel invited Saril—who was staying at the newly built inn in the village—to Tsurugi Hachi, which was unusually closed for business at that hour.

“Thank you for coming, Saril.”

“…For you to summon me so suddenly… you’ve finally… reached some kind of decision, haven’t you?”

“Yes.”

Raphiel gave a small nod.

“But before we talk about that… let’s have a meal together first. Eight, I’ll leave the rest to you.”

“You got it.”

The first step was preparing the ingredients.

I sliced the long green onions diagonally into thick one-centimeter pieces before roughly chopping the enoki mushrooms and napa cabbage. The grilled tofu was cut into bite-sized cubes, while the stems were neatly removed from the shiitake mushrooms.

The shirataki noodles were briefly parboiled to remove their bitterness before being cut into manageable lengths.

Next came the warishita sauce.

Into a small pot went mirin and sake, brought to a gentle boil so the alcohol could evaporate. After that, I added soy sauce and sugar, stirring until everything blended into a glossy, fragrant broth.

“Now then…” I murmured with a grin. “This is where the real show begins.”

Carrying a portable gas stove, I set it down in front of Raphiel and Saril at the counter before placing a shallow iron pot on top.

Saril’s eyes widened.

“This is… remarkable. Fire… emerging from such a flat object…”

“It’s a gas stove,” Raphiel explained. “You attach the gas canister and turn the knob to ignite it.”

“…A very… convenient invention.”

While the two chatted, I began heating the pot over medium flame.

I laid the sliced green onions across the surface and dropped in a generous spoonful of dragon fat—rendered from one of the countless dragons Eve had so thoroughly massacred.

The fat slowly melted into shimmering liquid, filling the air with a rich aroma as the onions began browning beautifully.

Once their sweet fragrance bloomed, I pushed them aside and spread thin slices of dragon meat across the hot surface.

The meat sizzled immediately.

As soon as both sides were lightly seared, leaving just a hint of pink in the center, I poured in enough prepared warishita to nearly submerge the meat.

Then…

I let every slice soak up every last drop of flavor.

“Here you are,” I said, placing bowls of beaten raw egg before them. “Dip the cooked meat into the egg before eating.”

“I shall.”

Saril picked up a slice with her chopsticks, coated it in the silky egg, and took a bite.

“…This is dragon meat.”

“We happened to visit the forest recently,” Raphiel replied. “…With a friend… no, just a housemate. We ended up hunting quite a lot of dragons.”

“…It’s excellent. The meat itself is wonderful… but this mildly salty, sweet sauce… complements it perfectly.”

“We’re not finished yet.”

The dragon meat had already infused the broth with its rich juices.

Into that flavorful base, I carefully arranged the remaining green onions, more dragon meat, grilled tofu, shirataki noodles, napa cabbage, and shiitake mushrooms until the pot looked almost like a carefully composed painting.

Then I simply let everything simmer.

The vegetables softened.

The tofu absorbed the broth.

The mushrooms released their earthy fragrance.

When every ingredient had fully soaked up the sweet and savory flavors…

The sukiyaki was complete.

“…Delicious delicious.”

“…Delicious delicious indeed.”

I nearly dropped my chopsticks.

I knew judging people by appearances was wrong.

I knew that.

But hearing someone like Saril calmly say “delicious delicious” was so wildly unexpected that my brain simply froze.

Raphiel, however, immediately realized what I was thinking.

“Saril becomes rather demonic once battle begins,” she said matter-of-factly, “but normally she’s actually quite gentle like this, Eight.”

“…Don’t… call a Saint… a demon… simply because you can.”

Thunk.

“Oww! Saril, please don’t suddenly punch me!”

Their lighthearted banter continued as the two happily worked their way through the bubbling pot, repeatedly murmuring “delicious, delicious” between bites.

Only after much of the sukiyaki had disappeared did Raphiel finally bring up the matter she’d invited Saril to discuss.

“I’ve been thinking ever since you spoke to me.”

She lowered her gaze briefly.

“First, I entrusted the decision to Eight.”

She smiled faintly.

“He refused to make it for me. So I thought about it again… on my own.”

“And?”

“If there are people I can protect… if there are things only I can accomplish… then perhaps I should fulfill my duty as a Saint.”

“I see.”

Saril quietly watched her.

“So that’s… your conclusion?”

“…No.”

Raphiel looked directly into Saril’s eyes.

Her usually placid expression now held an unmistakable resolve.

“To hell with a Saint’s duty.”

“W-Wait, Raphiel-san!?”

I nearly fell right out of my chair.

Could she maybe have phrased that a little more diplomatically!?

I wasn’t criticizing her decision…

But saying that with another Saint sitting right beside her felt incredibly reckless!

“I thought long and hard,” Raphiel continued. “If I possess the power to save people, then I should use it for that purpose.”

She paused.

“…And then I realized something. I don’t want to.”

“So,” Saril asked quietly, “how… will you use… that power? And… for what purpose?”

“I’ll use it only to protect the people precious to me.”

Raphiel smiled.

“That isn’t the mission given to me as a Saint. It’s the mission I’ve chosen for myself. I’ve decided to live however I want.”

Then she puffed out her chest proudly.

“…Just like sukiyaki—because I’ll live as I like!!”

“…”

“…”

Although Raphiel’s face remained as expressionless as ever, I could somehow swear she was making the most smug, self-satisfied face imaginable.

How exactly was anyone supposed to react to this atmosphere?

Saril finally tilted her head.

“…What… was that… at the end?”

“Saril-san! You can’t ask her to explain her own joke!”

“…It… was a pun…”

Raphiel answered, her voice noticeably smaller.

“‘Suki’… in sukiyaki… and ‘suki’… meaning ‘to like’…I… see.”

Saril gave a slow nod.

“…It’s… funny.”

Raphiel’s cheeks turned ever so slightly pink.

Her shoulders trembled faintly.

If it embarrassed her that much…

Maybe she just shouldn’t have said it.

Saril finished the last bite of sukiyaki before quietly setting down her bowl and standing.

“…I understand… your resolve.”

“If you intend to drag me onto a pilgrimage by force,” Raphiel replied firmly, “then even against you, Saril, I’ll resist with everything I have.”

“You’ve… never beaten me… in a single practice match.”

Saril’s voice remained as flat as ever.

“You’re… awfully confident… Rest assured. I have… no intention… of forcing you… I was fully prepared for a serious fight. If those words… had merely been childish selfishness…”

Saril looked directly into Raphiel’s eyes.

“…I would have considered… using force. But what I heard today…was your true conviction. And… I don’t possess… words strong enough… to overturn that.”

Just before stepping outside, Saril stopped in the doorway.

Without turning completely around, she spoke one last time.

“And one more thing. In society… everyone has a responsibility… to contribute somehow. If you’re going… to live under Eight’s care…don’t become… a freeloader. And…”

She gave Raphiel a long, measured look.

“…You’ve lost… quite a bit of muscle. If you don’t exercise…you’ll get fat.”

“I-I’ll… do my best.”

Struck by such painfully reasonable advice at the very end, Raphiel awkwardly looked away.

“…Though…”

Saril added almost absentmindedly,

“…if you dislike working that much…you could simply… marry Eight-dono.”

“…Huh!?”

“S-Saril, that’s…”

“…It… was only… a joke…”

She paused.

“…Though…”

Her gaze shifted between Raphiel and me.

“…Now that I think about it…you two… might actually… suit each other. I’m returning… to work… Take care… Raphiel.”

Leaving those words behind, Saril quietly departed.

The shop fell completely silent.

Only Raphiel and I remained.

An indescribably awkward atmosphere settled over us.

Seriously…

What are we supposed to do with this now!?

◇ ◆ ◇

After leaving the restaurant, Saril wandered alone through the forest near Papel Village.

“…Orvier.”

Her calm voice echoed beneath the trees.

“…I know… you’re hiding there. I thought that presence felt familiar.”

A woman emerged from the dense undergrowth with an amused smile.

“It really is you.”

It was Orvier.

But the instant Saril saw what she was wearing, her eyes widened.

“…Orvier… That outfit…”

“D-Don’t say anything unnecessary!!”

“No… but really.”

Saril looked genuinely concerned.

“…You’ll catch a cold… if your stomach stays exposed like that.”

“Stop talking to me like we’re still kids!!”

Scarlet magical energy erupted from Orvier’s body as she shouted in exasperation.

“…Magic power…”

Saril observed calmly.

“…You’ve reversed your holy power… And…”

She narrowed her eyes.

“…the Dragon King’s power… is mixed into it… An ex-Saint… now serving the Dragon King… It’s almost… laughable.”

“How about learning to speak that fluently even when you’re talking to people you aren’t close with!?”

“None… of your business.”

Saril snorted.

“…Though… I’m… better than I used to be.”

Still grumbling, she reached into the small pouch hanging at her waist.

From it, she pulled out an enormous spear.

Far too enormous to have fit inside such a tiny pouch.

Then came a sword.

An axe.

Another spear.

A hammer.

One after another, weapon after weapon appeared from the seemingly impossible storage space before being driven point-first into the ground around her.

“Orvier.”

Saril’s voice softened.

“…Come back… There’s still… time.”

“And if I refuse?”

“…Then…”

Saril’s eyes hardened.

“…As Saint Saril… And as the First Inquisition Knight… of the Holy Order… I shall execute… the traitor to the Goddess… Orvier.”

“…Impossible.”

Orvier smiled faintly.

“…You’ve never beaten me in a single spar.”

“…That was…”

Saril slowly reached for her spear.

“…the old me… The current me…is strong.”

The battle ended almost as soon as it began.

“…Looks like talent won out in the end.”

Orvier looked down quietly.

“…Saril.”

“…Ah…”

Blood spilled from Saril’s lips.

“…I… truly thought…this time… I’d finally… win… I pierced… your heart…”

“…A wound like that…”

Orvier replied calmly.

“…can be healed immediately with a healing miracle.”

“…Heh…”

Saril laughed weakly.

“…You’re right… I know… After all…my junior…can recover… even after… having her skull crushed…”

A massive hole had been blown clean through Saril’s torso.

Anyone could see it.

She had only seconds left to live.

No miracle would save her now.

Death was inevitable.

And yet…

Saril smiled.

“…Damn it…”

Orvier clicked her tongue bitterly.

“…This leaves… a bad taste in my mouth.”

After Saril drew her final breath, her body remained alone in the forest.

Before long, monsters roaming the woods descended upon the corpse.

By the time they had finished feeding…

Nothing remained.