After Riselia left with Veira to train, Leonis took a brief shower and returned to the first floor living room. It was just around sunset.
“Come, Leonis. This is quite fascinating.”
As soon as he came down the stairs, he heard someone calling out to him. The Lord of the Seas was loitering on the sofa and gazing at a tablet terminal with great interest. There was a printed-out picture of Princess Altiria pasted to the back of the terminal, so it was likely Regina’s.
“The humans have integrated the power of Spirits into this magical device.”
“Yes, indeed,” Leonis said, switching on the living room light. “They have the means of using magical technology to artificially create Spirits and Elementals.”
“Mm. The sorcerers of yore were able to perform such things, but the fact that even those with no talent in sorcery can use this device with ease is what truly surprises me.”
Rivaiz tapped on the tablet and a movie started playing—a panic horror film about a gigantic shark attacking a city.
“The lobster girl has good taste,” she said.
“…Lobster girl?” Leonis frowned.
Oh, she means Regina…
He realized what she meant. Regina’s twintailed hair did look like a lobster’s whiskers. An appetizing scent wafted up from the kitchen, prompting a grumble of complaint from Leonis’s stomach.
…I swear, this human body is so incorrigible!
Leaving the Lord of the Seas to her shark film, Leonis made his way to the kitchen, where he found Regina, clad in her maid uniform, making dinner. Her kitchen knife hit the cutting board with a clear, consistent rhythm. She hummed to herself, her blond twintails swaying.
“Miss Regina.”
“Oh hi, kid—” Regina turned to face him, a tomato in hand.
“What are you making?”
“A paella and onion soup au gratin.”
“I see…”
The scent that reached the living room did smell of marine food.
“Actually, you came at just the right time. Can you taste it for me?”
“You don’t mind?”
“I bet you’re hungry, kid. Your big sister can see right through you.”
“…Well, I am.”
Since she could see right through him, he decided to take her up on that offer. Leonis walked by Regina and stepped up to the kitchen counter. Sitting in the bowl were white fish and clams cut into chunks. These marine products were raised in the Seventh Assault Garden’s aquaculture plant, and were quite expensive products.
✦ ✦ ✦
✦ ✦ ✦
“You really splurged today, Miss Regina.”
“Of course. We’re hosting your big sister today, after all.”
“…”
Leonis felt a bit mixed about that statement. Regina scooped up a bit of the onion soup onto a platter.
“Here you go, try it. ”
“Thank you.”
He blew on the steaming soup to cool it down and tasted it, only to exclaim in surprise. The sweetness of the onion was matched by just the right degree of salt. Dipping some warm bread in this soup would surely be delicious.
“It’s great.”
“Good, I’m glad you like it.” Regina smiled and gently pat Leonis on the head.
“…Miss Regina?” Leonis looked up at her, confused.
“I’m glad your friends came here. We honestly had more ingredients than I knew what to do with,” she whispered in a lonely tone, her gaze fixed on something in the distance.
“…”
She was no doubt thinking of the girl who should have returned to the dorm with them.
“Onion soup au gratin is Miss Finé’s favorite dish, you know?” Regina said softly.
Silence hung over the kitchen, disturbed only by the gentle clinking of the pot.
“Back when Lady Selia had just scouted her to our platoon, Miss Finé didn’t care much for what she ate, and mostly lived off military rations. She said it didn’t matter and she just needed energy to keep going.”
“…”
At the time, she was emotionally hurt by the seventh platoon’s fall to the point where she lost her Holy Sword’s power. She lost her feelings of joy and sorrow, living like a machine.
“So Lady Selia and I tried all sorts of things, but it was like her body just rejected our cooking. Miss Finé kept apologizing about it.”
Regina filled the platter with soup again and tasted it herself.
“But then, one day, our platoon of misfits won its first training match. Back then, Sakuya wasn’t with us yet, so looking back on it, it was probably a fluke. But we made a feast to celebrate, and Miss Finé decided to at least have some soup out of respect for the occasion. She had a bit of onion soup au gratin, and…”
Regina wiped her eyes with her uniform’s sleeve.
“…it was the first time she smiled and said she likes my cooking.”
And since then, she started eating their cooking, and in spending her days with the eighteenth platoon, she gradually regained her emotions.
“…Oh, drat. It must be because I was cutting onions…” Regina wiped her tear-filled eyes with a finger.
Leonis took out a handkerchief from his pocket and offered it to her.
“Heh-heh. You’re such a gentleman, kid. ” Regina took the handkerchief and used it to wipe her tears away. And then, she gripped it tight. “…Miss Finé’s coming back, right, kid?”
“Yes. She will.” Leonis nodded.
“Then, when she does, let’s do a huge party here in the dorm.”