The place I took Yoshino was a nearby family restaurant.
“Ah, little lady. It’s a bit awkward to go in while you’re still wet, so let me show you a little magic.”
I equipped the pyromancy flame from my inventory.
[Warm Flame]
The pyromancy I cast was [Warm Flame]. Its primary effect was to continuously restore the HP of all living things within its range, but through trial and error, I had discovered that since it was literally a flame, it could also be used to dry off water.
“W-wow...”
『Whaaat? How is a flame just floating in the air~? Wait, could this Knight guy actually be a wizard instead of a knight?!』
“Haha, it’s just a miscellaneous little trick. Now then, it looks like you’re all dry, so let’s go in.”
When I opened the restaurant door and stepped inside, a cheerful chime rang out and a staff member greeted us.
“Ah, h-hello! H-how many in your party?”
She looked briefly flustered, but quickly recovered with a professional smile. Was this what true professionalism looked like?
“Two.”
“Then please, come this way.”
Following the staff member’s guidance, Yoshino and I took our seats. The server handed us our menus and stepped away.
“You can order whatever you want.”
“R-really...?”
“Yes. I’m the one who said I’d treat you. Besides, I actually have quite a bit of money.”
Normally, Yoshinon would have been the one doing the talking, but perhaps because we were in a crowded place, she seemed to be holding back. More than that, people kept sneaking glances at us; the combination of a knight and a little girl was, admittedly, quite a strange sight.
“Th-then I’ll have the kids’ set...”
“Are you sure that’s enough?”
“Y-yes...”
Once Yoshino had decided, I called the staff member over and placed the order. After noting it down, the server headed toward the kitchen to relay the request.
“A-aren’t you going to eat, Knight-san...?”
“Ah, I’m not particularly hungry. Besides, just watching the little lady eat is enough to fill me up.”
Suddenly, Yoshino’s face turned bright red. Why?
『Could this Knight guy be into that sort of thing~?』
“What are you talking about? ‘That sort of thing’?”
I didn’t know what “that sort of thing” meant, but it sounded suspicious, so I denied it immediately.
“Here you go, your kids’ set is ready~”
“Ah, thank you. You can put it right there.”
The staff member placed the meal in front of Yoshino and returned to the counter.
“So, how is it? Does it suit your taste?”
Yoshino answered with a quick, shy nod. It was so cute that I couldn’t help but let out a small, fond chuckle.
“I-it was delicious...”
“Then let’s head out.”
By the time Yoshino finished her meal and we stepped outside, the rain had already stopped.
“Th-thank you...”
『It had been a long time since I had such a delicious meal~! Thank you so much, Knight guy!』
The combined thanks from Yoshino and Yoshinon made me feel a bit embarrassed. It wasn’t as if I had bought the meal just to be thanked. Hiding my awkwardness, I replied, “Haha, it’s nothing. Really. If a child—especially a little lady—is hungry, how could an adult just walk past? It’s an adult’s duty to look after children so they can grow up healthy.”
『You don’t see adults like that these days~! Anyway! Thanks for the meal!』
Yoshinon waved goodbye. And with that, my first meeting with Yoshino and Yoshinon came to an end.
*****
Today was the day for cooking practice at school. The entire class had gathered to make cookies.
“Shido! I made something called a cookie!”
Tohka proudly showed Shido the cookies she had crafted with help from the other students.
“During cooking practice, I learned from the others and kneaded the dough myself! Will you eat it?”
Due to Tohka’s booming voice, the rest of the class turned to look. Shido wore a troubled expression, though it was hard to tell if he was bothered by the attention or the situation itself.
“I made cookies too.”
The door opened, and Tobiichi entered. She walked over to Shido and presented the cookies she had made.
“Mm. Satisfactory.”
Amidst the commotion, I remained focused on my own baking. The shape of the cookie I produced was...
“Whoa... A dragon?!”
“Guys! Hieta-kun made a dragon!”
It was the Ancient Wyvern, a boss from Dark Souls 3—the one everyone called Yepi. But... Hieta?
“Hieta... means me?”
“Huh? Yeah, right? Higakieta is too long, so we shortened it to Hieta-kun!”
Before I knew it, I’d gained a nickname. Hieta, huh. It was a name I’d essentially created for myself, but my surname really was too long.
“By the way, Hieta-kun. Are you good at cooking?”
“Yes. Since I live on my own, cooking became a hobby.”
After answering one of the girls, I looked around to see the class—especially the boys—staring at my cookies. As expected, boys that age love dragons. It must be some ancient, primal instinct in men.
“Hieta-kun! One for me too!”
“Me too! Me too!”
The requests started pouring in. Was it really that desirable? It was just a cookie that would disappear the moment it was eaten.
“Hieta! Me too, just one!”
Oh boy, even Shido joined the crowd. And behind him, two girls were glaring at me as if they wanted to kill me. For the record, those girls were Tohka and Tobiichi.
“All right, everyone! I only have two hands, and I’m short on ingredients! So please, put your hands down!”
At my shout, the boys lowered their hands.
“Now! From here on, only three people, first come first served! When I count to three, I’ll pick the three people who raise their hands the fastest! One! Two! Three!”
Hands shot up with incredible speed. I focused as hard as I could and picked the three fastest reactions.
“Yay! You losers! I got a dragon!”
“Haha! How do you like that! Behold the majesty of the dragon!”
“Yesss!!!!!”
“Aah...”
“Damn it...! If only my reaction had been a little faster!”
“Gyaaaah!!! I didn’t get a dragon!!!”
Joy and sorrow were split sharply. The three who secured the Yepi-shaped cookies held them up proudly, while the other boys looked on in utter disappointment. One student seemed completely devastated.
“Guh!”
That devastated boy was Shido. I quietly walked up to him and handed him the Yepi cookie I had saved.
“This is...!”
“Shh. It’s a gift from me.”
“Thanks, Hieta!”
He was already having a rough time because of Tohka, and he would continue to struggle while dealing with spirits in the future, so I figured this was a small, well-deserved gift.
While Shido was happily receiving my present, Tohka and Tobiichi approached me.
“Hieta! Could you teach me how to make a dragon too?”
“Please. Me too, Hieta.”
Their goal was clearly to learn how to make the Yepi cookies. It wasn’t actually that difficult, and there was no reason to refuse, so I agreed.
“Haha, of course. I can’t do it right now, so I’ll teach you next time we have cooking practice.”
“Thank you, Hieta!”
“Got it.”
At the time, I had no idea how much those two would end up fighting over who could make the best dragon.
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