Afterwards, the priestess lady tried to cheer me up, saying things like, “I’m sure things will turn out alright” and “Let’s have tea sometime.”
The priestess’s reactions were half the reason I was so depressed. But now that I’d dipped a toe into this unknown realm of gears, I didn’t have the energy to point that out.
I stayed the night in the neighboring town, and then returned to the town of Cardiff by carriage.
The time was just before noon.
A day ago, I’d been so full of hope.
The familiar old-timer manning the gate called out to me.
“Hey there, Annie! How’d it go?”
He was asking about the Skill Bestowal, right?
As I was now, I didn’t even have the mana in me to force a smile.
“Yeeeah. I’ll see you at the shop later, alriiight?”
“...? R-right.”
After exchanging that vague greeting, I headed towards my house.
How will I explain things to Dad and everyone...?
I walked down a path that veered away from the center of town for a bit. Before long, I saw a line of people and smelled a delicious smell wafting through the air.
The shop that everyone was lined up for had a flashy orange sign hanging up in front of it.
“Proud to boast the greatest taste in all of Cardiff! The Kythera Eatery.”
I was home...
As I entered through the rear entrance, I heard the voices of the customers yelling out their orders.
“Pops! Two of the ‘makes ya’ dizzy’ specials! That round chicken dish!”
“I want a heading helping of the rice ‘kaboom!’ special over here!”
“Coming up!”
A musclebound blond man called out from the kitchen while waving around a pot. Ah, that’s my dad.
“Ooh, Annie, welcome back!”
That came from a woman calmly chopping vegetables at high speed: my mother.
“Waaaaaah, Boss, I’ve forgotten how to prepare the meeeeeat!”
“Shove it into the wheat, you idiot!”
“B-but the eggs....!” Pryce, the assistant, yelled out. He was four years older than me, but he still had a long way to go when it came to stuff like cutting up meat.
Haaaah... good grief. I guess I’ll have to descend upon the noontime battlefield myself, huh?
“Then you’ll be fine if I crack the eggs for you, right?” I asked.
“Y-young miss!!”
“Don’t call me that!!”
I quickly threw on an apron, washed all the way up to my elbows, and headed into the kitchen.
“You’re a lifesaver, Anti!”
“I’m glad I gave birth to you!”
“Yeah, yeah. Should I go with fifty to start?”
Crack, crack, crack...
I cracked the eggs in a practiced motion. Using both hands, naturally.
It sure would be nice if I could be this skilled at using magic...
Ugh... I had finally started to forget, but now I’m feeling down in the dumps again.
“You’ll have to tell us all about your magic later, alright?”
Gah. I know you’re just being considerate, Mom, but that’s the worst thing you could have said right now.
Ugh, what’ll I do? They paid so much for my tuition, and yet...
Gears... Gearcraft... what even is that...?
“Uuuuuugh...”
“Hey! What’s the matter, poster girl?!” “Yo, Annie, yesterday was your birthday?!” “Yeah, but she’s still positively shining today! Just like the shop’s sign itself!” “Huh? Yesterday was her Skill Bestowal?!” “That’s amazing! Our little poster girl’s a full-fledged magician!” “What do ya think she learned?” “That’s obvious! Magic that’ll help her cook a delicious meal!” “Bwahaha! What’s that about?!” “Hey, you all are making a ruckus!” “Phew, finally done the morning shift! Is there any of the daily special left?” “Hey, could I get some raw egg on top?!”
“Agh, you’re so loud! Here!”
Fwoosh!
I tossed the contents of the egg while cracking it, and it landed into the customer’s small bowl.
“Ooooooooh!!” “That’s amazing! It’s magic!” the customers yelled out excitedly.
Oh shut up, you don’t even understand how I’m feeling! I’m the gear girl special!
Damn... how’d it turn out like this, sniffle?
The noon-time rush caused me to forget my gear-driven sadness for a bit. However, time is a cruel mistress. Once those stalwart men were stuffed, they all returned to their jobs or headed back home.
The last customer for the day departed just as it was getting dark. It was dangerous at night, so the restaurant didn’t stay open. The Kythera Eatery was only open for breakfast and lunch.
After Pryce tottered off back home, the topic was broached at last.
“So, how’d it go?”
“Gah.”
Dad brought out some bar munchies after he finished tidying up the plates. He may not have been a big drinker, but he sure loved his snacks.
“Still, to think that my daughter’s finally a magician!”
My warm and gentle mother was drinking from a mug.
Mom, you really should make sure you’ve got something in your stomach. Filling it with nothing but booze is bad for you.
“...”
“...?”
“...?”
H-how should I explain?
“I learned Gearcraft. Look at it spin!”
...I-I’m doomed...
I may have gone to school, but I didn’t have even a tiny hint of magical talent to show for it.
Even after I finally reached the age where God would take pity on me, all I got was magic (ish) to make a dinky little gear spin...
I’m pathetic...
I’ve got no excuses for my parents, who worked so hard, or anything to repay them with.
“U...”
“U...?” both of my parents repeated.
“Uwaah!”
“Hey, hey...”
“Oh, my...”
“Uwaaaaaaaaah!!”
I finally broke down crying.
“There, there. Just calm down.”
“Would you like some hot milk, Annie?”
Mom held up her hand, and a small flame appeared beneath the pot.
Dad and Mom both used Fire magic. It was an ideal match for running a restaurant, even if it wasn’t useful for much else.
In comparison, I...
Dad saw where I was looking and gave a slow sigh.
“Listen, Anti... It’s true that Sola and I can both make fire. But that’s all. Even people without Fire magic can do the same with a Fire magic stone and oil.”
“That’s right, Anti. There’s more to you than just magic. I mean, look at all the eggs you cracked during the lunch rush. Even some big-shot magician from the royal court couldn’t do that!”
“Hahaha, that’s for sure!”