Chapter 154
Ice
「Pardon the intrusion.」
「Amazing... So this is your family
home, Masaru-sama.」
I
had brought Lirica, who had been training almost non-stop, and Priola,
who said she had finished a round of chores, back to my Home. Since I
had previously just guided them straight up the stairs to the training room,
this was naturally their first time relaxing in the living room like this.
「How should I put it... It's an
architectural style completely different from anything we demons or humans
have.」
「Is this what they call wooden
architecture...? I have heard of it, but this is my first time actually seeing
it.」
They
both looked tired, so I prepared some sweets and snacks first. Peach juice with
plenty of pulp, and... potato chips should be fine. I have alcohol too, but
that can wait until after we finish our serious talk.
「Just so you know, these are drinks
and snacks from another world. They aren't anything that grand, though.」
「...(Gulp). Snacks from the
world where the Heroes lived... Priola, could it be that we are
the first demons to ever eat this...?」
「That is highly likely... To think
that we ourselves would be able to taste legendary other-worldly cuisine...」
Both
were just return gifts from hometown tax donations, so they weren't exactly
high-class luxury goods, but maybe my way of introducing them was bad because
their excitement had shot through the roof.
I
wonder if these can live up to their expectations... I thought, as I timidly poured and
handed them the peach juice. Upon drinking it, Lirica and Priola's
eyes flew wide open.
「Wh-What is this deliciousness...
Could this be the legendary Elixir...?」
「It is sweet, rich, and yet feels
like it melts... Both the mouthfeel and the aftertaste are completely
unburdensome. A juice that is merely sweet could never be like this... I admit
total defeat.」
Lirica making wild guesses and Priola
making a declaration of defeat for some reason. I didn't really get it, but it
seemed to be a huge hit, so I was relieved for the time being.
When
I asked, "Want a refill?", they thrust their cups out with zero
hesitation, so the whole bottle was emptied in the blink of an eye. True, I've
never had anything this sweet and perfectly balanced in Aristella
either. I'm glad they liked it.
Well
then, next up are the potato chips, but...
「And Masaru-sama, what exactly
is this...?」
「It has a bizarre shape... Is it some
kind of magic tool...?」
「These are called potato chips. You open
it like this and eat the potato... the tuber inside.」
Timidly,
as if touching a fragile glass ornament, Lirica picked up a potato chip
and put it in her mouth. Her face instantly lit up.
「D-Delicious! What is this? It tastes
like the sweetness of slowly simmered vegetables!」
「It truly is just fried potato, but
this depth of flavor... Marvelous. The strong taste is also right up my alley.」
It
seems they suited the palates of people from another world too, which was a
relief. I tried one myself, and the light, crispy texture combined with the
heavy punch of the consommé flavor created an amazing synergistic effect. It
was incredibly delicious. The strong flavor really seeps into a body exhausted
from running around all day.
For
these two, who will likely have more opportunities to use this place in the
future, I needed to properly explain what was where. After satisfying our light
hunger with snacks and juice, I gave them a room tour, teaching them the
general layout of the things in my house and how to use them.
「You have a bath... Could it be that
your family was quite wealthy, Masaru-sama...?」
「This is... A-A machine that finishes
the laundry automatically!? You wouldn't even need a maid!」
「A microwave...? —No way, to think an
appliance that can heat food without using fire exists in this world!」
「This is higher performance than the
refrigerator we had at the Baron household...」
I
was worried it might be boring since they were all just mundane things to me,
but judging by Lirica's reactions, it seemed that worry was unfounded.
Or rather, because they gave such great reactions, I ended up unintentionally
showing off all sorts of things.
「All the magic tools here run on my
magic power, so you're free to use them whenever you're inside the house.」
Using
a hair dryer for the first time in her life, blowing her bangs up with a loud woooosh,
Lirica gave a firm nod. By the way, Priola also gave a firm nod
in the same way, her cheeks puffed out.
The
reason she couldn't speak was that her mouth was stuffed full of ice from the
ice maker. It seems she has a much more playful personality than I thought.
「Also... ah, I'll use Refresh
on these too.」
I
cast Refresh on the empty peach juice bottle and potato chip bag,
reverting them to brand-new, unopened states.
「...There, like this. I can restock
the things inside my Home using my magic power, so if you use anything,
just leave the trash somewhere I can easily spot it.」
「Restocking food with magic power...」
「Ath dish phoint anyphing goes shoo
much, I'm naught efen shurprised anymore...」
Priola herself probably thought she was
making an entirely serious face, but because her mouth was stuffed full, the
visual was so ridiculous I almost burst out laughing. Why did she even have her
mouth full of ice in the first place? N-No, I can't. The memory of her saying,
"As an ice mage, I cannot help but investigate this!" while
aggressively munching down on the ice keeps flashing back to me.
Don't
laugh. Hold it in, me...
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