Elqueeness [EN]: Chapter 154

“Okay, this issue is closed! Let’s not think or discuss it any further. You said your cousin showed hostility towards the Demon Follower, right? That means his condition isn’t too bad. The fact that a Demon Follower is visiting him regularly is proof of that. Sending a supervisor means the curse is incomplete. Curses are mainly meant to inflict pain, so his condition won’t suddenly worsen in a few years. You have plenty of time to find a Demon Sword without risking getting help from demons. I’ll do my best to help, too.”

“Yes, I was short-sighted. Thank you for enlightening me.”

“……”

With Isana’s agreement, the plan was finalized without any room for change.

I looked at the backpack again with a sense of emptiness. Of course, I didn’t think the outcome would have been different even if I had pondered it more. The danger of demons aside, the Demon King is behind them. And that Demon King is currently in some kind of relationship with the Grand Duke. In this situation, it was best not to get involved with his henchmen, the demons, if possible. Besides, I didn’t want to be near someone as suspicious as Lucarlem, even if it made me anxious. Ultimately, I probably would have come to the same conclusion as Sibelius. But regardless, I felt a sense of defeat. It was like having my turn stolen even though the order wasn’t even decided. Even at that moment, the two were continuing their conversation amicably.

“Everything will be fine, so don’t worry too much. My abilities are more useful than you think. I used to be a Seraphin, you know.”

“A Seraphin?”

“It’s a title given to the best warrior of our clan. Only the winner of the martial arts tournament held every fifty years can receive it. I was a Seraphin ten times in a row.”

“Wow, that’s amazing. Then what kind of weapon does Sibelius use?”

“Just call me Sibel. I don’t really have a specific weapon. I can use swords, spears, and bows, and I know a little bit of martial arts, and other things…?”

“That many?”

“Any man born in our clan can do that much. We only learn those things from a young age.”

Sibelius smiled and began to boast, disguised as an explanation.

“According to rumors, unicorns were originally a combat race created by the God of Justice and Discernment as gatekeepers of the Divine Realm. Back then, the passage between the Demon Realm and the Divine Realm was connected, and many demons secretly came in and caused trouble. After the passage closed, there was no longer a need for gatekeepers, so they were sent down to the Intermediary Realm [the mortal world] to live freely. But since they were originally created for combat, the habit of training their bodies continued. Well, eventually they couldn’t endure life here and returned to the Divine Realm.”

“Hee, I see.”

From the words that followed, I was able to obtain some more information about unicorns. First, their clan has as much mana as dragons, and they also possess unique abilities called spells. In particular, Sibelius had a strong longing for the human world from a young age, so he left home early, and thanks to that, he had many experiences with adventures and travels, and he also learned the languages of various other races.

But no matter what, to me, he was just another big freeloader who had suddenly appeared. In terms of ability alone, the demon Lucarlem was also a great being. I can’t just like someone just because they’re strong (of course, it’s definitely not because he’s trying to win Isana over!).

Until then, my thoughts were firm. But then, an unexpected event occurred that changed my assessment of him.

* * *

“What is this?”

As the afternoon approached, Sibelius stared at what I handed him and asked with a puzzled voice. His expression was so subtle that I looked at his face once, then at what was in my hand, and then answered.

“What do you mean? It’s bread and jerky, isn’t it?”

“……Are you saying this is the meal?”

“Yeah.”

As soon as I nodded, his face hardened rapidly. What, was this guy in the same category as Lapis? I sighed, thinking of the red dragon who always demanded luxury wherever we went. The only good thing about that guy not being with us was not having to listen to his luxury demands, but the thought of being bothered again already made my head throb.

“Bear with it for a while, even if it’s uncomfortable. When we get to a village, I’ll let you eat as much proper food as you want.”

“Wait a minute. When we get to a village? So you’re saying we’re going to eat this stuff while camping out?”

“We can’t help it. Did you think we’d live in luxury while traveling?”

To be honest, I didn’t like this limited diet either. Above all, it was severely lacking in quality and quantity for Isana, who was in her growing phase. The reason we were eating like this was because neither of us had much talent for cooking. Isana, who had lived as an empress, goes without saying, and I also didn’t have much experience making food. Moreover, there were too many differences in food ingredients and cooking methods in this world compared to Korea, so I couldn’t easily try it.

Of course, if I put my mind to it and researched, there was nothing I couldn’t do, but the problem was that I didn’t feel any hunger at all. No matter what I ate, it all tasted the same, so I couldn’t swallow more than the right amount, so there was no way I would be motivated to actively research cooking.

‘……But I can’t keep living like this. Should I learn to cook for Isana’s sake?’

In the future, we will be spending more days outside than in villages. It would be very harsh on Isana to have her eat poorly every time. I was feeling a little guilty inside when.

“Do you have any ingredients at all?”

“Hmm, I bought a few things to make soup for dinner….”

“Really? Can I take a look?”

It wasn’t a difficult request, so I immediately opened my backpack and took out the ingredients. There were a few seasonings including sugar and salt, dried fruits, some vegetables, and two chunks of frozen raw meat. Sibelius looked at them one by one and muttered with a serious expression.

“Hmm, this might be enough.”

“For what?”

“Wait a minute.”

With a short answer, he put his hand into the pouch on his waist and stirred it. Then, something big started to be caught one by one from the palm-sized pouch. It seemed that it was also something that was in the subspace [a pocket dimension or storage space].

The things that were caught were various cooking utensils, including ladles and pots. I looked at the tools that were piled up in an instant and asked sullenly.

“What is all of this all of a sudden?”

“They’re my treasures.”

“Treasures?”

Cooking utensils are treasures? Sibelius smiled happily at my question and nodded. He looked very excited.

“Let’s see……. It has preservation magic on it, but it’s been so long that I was worried, but thankfully everything seems to be fine.”

“What are you going to do with that?”

“What else? I have to make food.”

He replied with an expression that asked what was obvious. I sullenly scanned Sibelius’s appearance. Tall height, firm muscles on his arms and legs. No matter where you look, he looked far from the kitchen.

“……Do you know how to do that?”

“Hmm, I guess you don’t remember. Cooking is my favorite hobby and specialty. I used to do it for you a lot, didn’t I?”

“Re, really?”

“I did. You really liked the food I made. You said it was delicious and asked me to make it every day. Don’t you remember anything?”

Of course, there’s no way I could remember that. Rather, the more I heard, the clearer it became that the ‘Elle’ he knew was not me. When I showed a sullen reaction, Sibelius made a slightly disappointed expression and soon smiled as if he couldn’t help it.

“Well, I can’t help it. Wait a moment? I’ll make something decent to eat.”

Sibelius immediately began to prepare the ingredients. Whether it was an exaggeration that cooking was his specialty, it was a skill that was high-level at a glance.

As busy as his hands were, the food was made very quickly. Soup made by grinding beans and cooking them sweetly, as well as potato stir-fry cooked with vegetables, and meat stew with various sauces were placed on plates one after another. Even I, who hardly felt any appetite, had my eyes wide open at the appetizing appearance.

Next, Sibelius took out the tables and chairs and lined them up. After putting on the tablecloth and tent and lining up the tableware, a plausible campsite was created in an instant. I couldn’t help but admire the fact that subspace could be used so efficiently.

“Okay, eat. It will be delicious.”

Sibelius arranged the completed dishes in order and then said proudly. It was a rich and splendid table that was comparable to any high-end restaurant, not to mention jerky. I couldn’t believe that this kind of diet could be made with only a few ingredients. If I hadn’t watched the cooking process directly, I might have thought there was magic to make food.

Above all, the person who welcomed this situation the most was Isana. As soon as he sat down at the table, he carefully took a bite and immediately exclaimed.

“Wow, amazing, Sibel! It’s really delicious!”

“Hehe, right? I also have experience working as a chef in the royal castle. Nobles were lining up to eat the food I made.”

“I think you really would. I’ve never eaten such delicious food in my life.”

You could tell that what he said wasn’t a lie just by looking at his red cheeks. Isana didn’t usually pick on food, but he didn’t show any particularly satisfied feelings either. If that guy is so impressed, it must be very delicious. Sibelius also seemed very satisfied with the reaction and made a happy expression.

“Thank you for saying that. I made plenty, so eat a lot. It’s no use eating poorly when you’re at an age where you need to eat well. I’ll take care of all the meals from now on. I’ll make you a lot of delicious things, so you can look forward to it.”

“Really? But these are all the ingredients you prepared?”

“If there isn’t any, we can find it. Fortunately, there are enough seasonings. If you look around, you’ll be able to find something to eat.”

“Still, it would be troublesome…….”

“What’s that? Oh, right. Do you like sweets? There’s some dried fruit left. I’ll make you a dessert after you eat everything.”

“Wow, thank you!”

As much as Isana was happy, I was also impressed inside. You can’t tell people just by looking at them, but I never thought Sibelius would have this talent. The negative perception that had been firmly established in my head shook greatly for the first time, and his appearance looked completely different. I was wondering if I should learn to cook, and then a chef with expert skills appeared, so I felt like I had an unexpected windfall? If the first impression wasn’t bad, I would have welcomed him with open arms.

I was upgrading my assessment of him from a freeloader to ‘not a bad companion’.

“Elle, what are you doing? You eat too.”

“Huh? Ah, I…….”

“Why? Are you not feeling well?”

“No, it’s nothing. I’ll eat.”

He’ll be disappointed if I say it’s okay not to eat, right? I was going to tell the truth, but it didn’t seem polite to refuse the food that he had made with such care, so I had no choice but to pick up the tableware. When I swallowed a sip of the most manageable soup, a savory and sweet taste began to spread slowly in my mouth. But that was just information recognized by the head, and I wasn’t actually feeling the texture or taste. Still, I gave him words of praise so that he wouldn’t feel bad.

“Um, it’s delicious. Unexpected. You’re really good at cooking.”

“Really? Does it suit your taste?”

Then, unlike the person who had been boasting until just now, Sibelius asked with great joy. It was the opposite of the way he reacted when Isana praised him, so I was a little puzzled. His eyes, filled with joy, excitement, and an unknown sense of anticipation, were staring straight at me. I frowned slightly at the burdensome feeling.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Hehe, actually, those are all the things you liked.”

“……Huh?”

“I thought you’d like it. Even if you don’t remember, your taste is still the same. I’m glad.”

……Again with that.

The feeling that had been good was rapidly sinking. It seems like this guy can’t stand it unless he connects me with the person called ‘Elle’ even a little bit. I sighed deeply and put down the spoon.

“Huh? Why don’t you eat more?”

“Hey, I don’t know what will happen, but since we’re going to be traveling together for a while, I’ll just be honest. Thank you for cooking. But you don’t have to make mine in the future. I don’t really need food.”

“……What? You don’t need it?”

“I’m a spirit. I recognize information about taste, but my sense of taste isn’t clear. It feels like swallowing paper that doesn’t taste like anything. I can eat it if I force myself to, but I don’t want to do that even in a comfortable place.”

“That……. Is that true?”

The voice asking back trembled thinly. I sighed again as I looked at Sibelius’s face, which was distorted with embarrassment and disappointment. It’s a necessary process, but I don’t feel very good because I feel like I’m becoming the villain every time.