Gremmy Thoumeaux.
Even among the mutually exclusive Sternritter, he was an individual who displayed an exceptionally self-righteous and isolated disposition.
The reason for this might have been his cold nature, which disregarded others, but there was an additional reason.
It was because he was strong.
Purely because of his overwhelming strength.
In truth, the number of times Gremmy had stepped onto the front lines to engage in battle could be counted on one hand.
Yet, even with those few instances, he was already considered the strongest, second only to Yhwach.
Schrift V.
The Visionary.
Fitting for the name 'Visionary,' he possessed a truly bizarre ability.
Specifically, the 'ability to turn imagination into reality.'
An ability that everyone has dreamed of at least once, he used as naturally as breathing.
This was why even Haschwalth showed Gremmy a degree of deference.
However, thanks to this transcendent power, he had lost all sense of accomplishment and desire, living a very cold and inorganic life.
"Ah..."
He wandered aimlessly through Silbern, letting out a faint sigh without even realizing it.
Whether it was work, training, or people talking—if there was something worth watching, he would sit somewhere and observe the scene.
That was how he spent his days.
Since almost no one bothered to speak to him, he fell deeper into the same routine.
'Is this the life of an Ouroboros? A snake biting its own tail is truly tedious.'
Anything he imagined would come true, but conversely, unless he was in an active situation like combat, no particularly interesting thoughts came to mind.
'Today, the sky is black, and the buildings are cold. The frozen icicles remain in the same shape. It would be more interesting if they melted a bit.'
'Is this a brain in a vat? Or is it not?'
'What if I'm not a brain in a vat? What if I'm killing time with my actual body? What if I'm wasting my life?'
What did it matter?
Everyone was beneath him anyway.
Things that would die without him even lifting a finger.
"Moping all by yourself again, Gremmy?"
"Liltotto."
He wasn't surprised.
He had seen her walking toward him from over there.
The only one who ever spoke to Gremmy was Liltotto Lamperd.
"Well... there's nothing particularly interesting."
"So you're just wasting your life, then."
"Yeah. Want a cookie?"
"Oh, I'll take one."
'Imagine a sweet cookie suddenly appearing on my hand—'
Pop.
A perfectly shaped chocolate cookie appeared in Gremmy's hand.
There was no puff of smoke like in a cartoon, nor was there any actual sound.
As if a video had been edited, the cookie simply appeared without warning at a certain moment.
He handed it lightly to Liltotto.
"Here."
"Thanks for the food."
Crunch.
After taking a bite of the cookie, Liltotto shifted her gaze to the empty air.
She closed her eyes for a moment, then rolled them in a circle.
She seemed to be deep in thought.
Naturally, he could imagine a way to know what she was thinking, but...
'Not really...'
He had no reason to.
The biggest reason was simply that he didn't feel like it.
"It's exactly the same."
"What is?"
"Actually, Bambi's Soldat made a cookie the other day..."
Listening to her story, the point was that someone had made a cookie completely identical to his own.
'Is that even possible?'
This cookie was set to the most ideal taste he could imagine, but conversely, that meant it was infused with his specific preferences.
Therefore, unless someone had taste buds identical to his, they shouldn't be able to copy this flavor exactly based on preference.
It must be a coincidence.
The world occasionally threw out some minor entertainment.
This must be one of those things.
"Then I guess you won't need the ones I make anymore."
The words just came out of his mouth as they usually did.
Ah. But if that were actually the case...
It might be a bit disappointing.
'...Why would I be disappointed?'
If anything, it was better because one troublesome chore had disappeared.
"Huh? Why would it be like that? That's that, and getting them from you is different."
"Is that so?"
For some reason, he felt a little happy.
He imagined more cookies and put them in a bag for her.
"Right, I didn't tell you that guy's name."
"What is it?"
"Einsamer Nachahmer."
Einsamer Nachahmer?
'Lonely Mimic.'
"I wonder who named him."
What a poorly chosen name.
*****
"That's what he said."
"Ah, I see."
Haschwalth was the one who gave me that name, though.
'I guess it doesn't really matter.'
In fact, I didn't have much of an attachment to my name.
It only held the significance of being the first thing I was given.
Rather, I preferred the nickname 'Nachahmer' that my fellow recruits used.
No, what I held in even higher regard than that...
Was the low-effort title of 'Soldat' that Bambietta called me.
A name was a strange set of syllables that could change one's mood depending on who was saying it.
"Hey, is it going to take much longer?"
"It's almost finished."
I pulled my mind back from where it had strayed for a moment.
My hands were moving subconsciously, but it was better to focus.
Right now, Einsamer was preparing a meal for Bambietta and the other women.
Spätzle, a noodle dish that could be served in individual portions.
Sauerkraut, a pickled cabbage that served as a salad.
Eisbein, a large meat dish that everyone could share.
Knödel, small round dumplings to snack on as a side.
And even a light sparkling drink mixed with white wine.
I had purchased ingredients that made one wonder how they were even secured within the Wandenreich.
...Seriously, how did I get these?
Anyway, it was quite a luxurious feast for a lunch.
I hadn't originally intended to put in this much effort, but my cooking skills had come into the spotlight during the incident with Gremmy's cookies.
In particular, seeing Bambietta boast proudly as if she were the one who had done it made me feel good, so I honed my skills even further.
The meal born from that effort.
Dishes with visuals that looked like they belonged in a cooking magazine were placed before them, steam rising warmly.
"Wow..."
"Bambi. I'm really jealous of your Soldat..."
"Ha! Of course you are. Look who he belongs to."
Bambietta crossed her arms and acted smug.
She looked just like someone bragging to her friends about a boyfriend who was good at cooking.
"How did you learn to cook?"
"I made them according to recipes in books. I studied them in my spare time."
"Anyway, thanks for the food."
"We'll enjoy the meal~"
The meal, which began with Giselle's fork, continued in silence.
Einsamer was sitting on a folding stool, pre-prepping fruit with a knife.
He had to prepare the dessert in advance so he could serve it without breaking the flow.
While he was trying to make the shapes as round and pretty as possible, Candice, who was right next to Bambietta, caught his eye.
Actually, he had just happened to see her while looking at Bambietta.
Candice was also eating deliciously, but she was picking at her food.
It was as if... she was exercising patience.
'Come to think of it, Candice Catnipp was quite strict about self-management.'
Hadn't she said herself that she woke up several hours earlier than others just to do her hair?
In any case, she seemed to be holding back for reasons like maintaining her figure.
'If she's like that when all five of them are gathered, it might dampen the mood...'
He briefly set down the fruit he was prepping and picked up some rye bread.
He lightly toasted the bread, spread cream cheese on it, and topped it with sliced avocado and tomato.
Finishing it off with a sprinkle of pepper and parsley to keep it from being bland, he created a healthy diet sandwich.
He took the plate with the sandwich and went over to Candice's side.
"Candice-sama, is my cooking insufficient for you?"
"Huh? Oh, no. It's really delicious?"
"I'm glad to hear that, but it seems I gave you something that doesn't quite suit your tastes, Candice-sama."
He placed the plate gently in front of her.
"I tried making a sandwich using some of the fruits you usually enjoy. It's a health food that's also used for dietary management, and it's quite tasty."
"Ah... Th-thank you..."
Candice was inwardly very surprised.
She had been trying her best not to make it obvious, yet he had noticed?
'He's incredibly quick-witted.'
Honestly, if he hadn't added that last part, she would have wondered what this was.
She was also very satisfied that he hadn't said it outright but had conveyed it indirectly.
'This is really convenient. Maybe I should get a Soldat like Bambi...'
Just as she was thinking that and picking up the sandwich...
She felt a stinging sensation and looked to her side. Bambietta was glaring at her from right next to her.
She made her dissatisfaction surface as if she had seen something truly unpleasant.
'Ah.'
Only then did the situation just now make sense.
A man being considerate of another woman in front of his partner.
And that other woman was her.
'He stepped on a landmine.'
"Hey, Soldat."
"Yes, Bambietta-sama."
"That... is that all?"
Her burning gaze landed on Candice's sandwich.
"Ah. Since I've prepped all the remaining fruit for dessert, it might be a bit difficult to make more."
'No, you idiot. Why would you say it like that...?'
Candice suddenly felt resentful toward that Soldat.
To say something like that when things were going well.
It was as if he were saying, 'Yeah, honey. I made a portion for that woman, but unfortunately, there's none for you. Too bad.'
How was it any different from saying that?
Liltotto looked on with a bit of pity, and Meninas sent a 'good luck' signal with a gesture.
Even then, no emotion could be felt from them.
Meanwhile, Giselle was just eating cabbage.
Useless things.
"Oh, really? So that was made exclusively for Candice? I didn't know you were so interested in her, huh?"
Ah, it's over.
This can't be salvaged.
The ending was already set.
She could predict the situation following this.
They would somehow finish the meal, but the atmosphere would be so thick they'd barely be able to taste it.
After that, she would immediately kick him out, saying she didn't want to see him.
Then, she would hurl all sorts of curses and hysterics at her.
The wide-range artillery capable of local provocations would transform into a high-yield nuclear radioactive sniper targeting her.
Dammit.
"Hmm... but I only bought fresh fruit this time."
"Is that all you have to say? 'I don't have the ingredients,' huh?"
'Please stop. Just get on your knees and beg.'
In fact, it was truly rare for Bambietta to express her anger with words like this without immediately attacking the other person.
Even setting aside her fellow Ritter.
In the midst of that, she hated that Soldat for maintaining such a nonchalant attitude.
She began to seriously wonder if she had ever done something wrong to him.
"But all the ingredients I have right now are flour or chocolate."
"Hey, do you think what I'm saying is—!"
"I only bought things that Bambietta-sama likes, so I didn't really pay attention to anything else."
Freeze.
Her mouth, which had been moving violently, stopped.
"Uh, dark chocolate, honey syrup, flour, white sugar, brown sugar. For fruit, there's the seedless grapes, oranges, and cherries you usually eat often, and a little lemon to use for seasoning.
That's all there is."
'Those are all just things Bambi likes.'
In fact, even she hadn't known there were so many different kinds.
Did this guy, who had only been around for a few weeks, know better than she did?
'Who cares? I see hope...!'
"If I had known this would happen, I would have asked the others in advance. I'm sorry. Instead, I'll take a note right now..."
"W-wait a minute!"
Bambietta hurriedly cut him off.
"How... how do you know everything I like...?"
Uncharacteristically, her lips wavered.
A shy reaction that was the opposite of her usual boisterous appearance.
She surely didn't realize there was a faint blush on her cheeks.
"Because it's you, Bambietta-sama. It's only natural that I know."
"..."
Now, she made her lips into a complete wavy line and cast her gaze to the floor.
"...Did you take a note of mine, too?"
"No. Of course I have it memorized."
"I see..."
Bambietta turned around demurely and resumed her meal.
However, she was picking at her food, her mind completely elsewhere.
She remained in that state until she had finished all of her dessert.
The rest of the group, having witnessed a truly rare sight, enjoyed the remaining food in silence.
Comments (0)
Please log in to leave a comment. Login or Register