“Kudzu soup?” Ganzi asks. “I’ve never heard of it, but it smells good. And even sick people can eat soup easily. But does it have any effects?”
I cast a spell and hear the voice in my head say: Fruity citrus kudzu soup. It has the following effects: physical strength recovery (small), alleviate symptoms of illness (large, immediate effect), and confession (small).
“Oh, excellent! It does have effects. Apparently, it has physical strength recovery (small), and alleviate symptoms of illness (large, immediate effect)!” I pass the bowl to Ganzi.
“Thanks, Sakurako!” Luke says. “I’ve never heard of ‘alleviate symptoms of illness’ before, but I’m glad it has effects. Quick, Ganzi! Give it to Mother!”
“Got it. Leila, can you lift your head?” Ganzi supports Leila’s head to prop her up. He blows on a spoonful to cool it down, then holds it to Leila’s lips. It dribbles in while she’s still unconscious, and her throat soon starts moving to swallow it.
Her eyes flutter open, and she takes the bowl from Ganzi. She tilts it against her mouth to drink it faster, but chokes on the piping hot mixture. “Ah, it’s hot!”
“S-stop, you idiot. Pace yourself! Fool!” Ganzi snatches back the bowl, flustered, and rubs her back.
“B-but the drink just now…! Please, Ganzi, gimme it back!”
“F-fine, you can have it back so long as you drink it slowly!” Ganzi hands her the bowl along with the spoon.
Leila blows on a spoonful to cool it down this time before popping it in her mouth. “Yeah! This is delicious! It’s so sweet and refreshing! It melts in your mouth and soothes like a lozenge! Amazing! Geez! Astounding! And uplifting! I feel like I was never fatigued at all!” Leila drains the bowl in no time, huffing as she eats to let heat escape. When she reaches the end, she sighs in contentment and raises her bowl with a broad smile. “Can I have another helping?”
“L-Leila, you were unconscious a moment ago. Please settle down!”
“No, I think I’m all better already. I’m not tired in the slightest, and my thoughts are clear. More than that, I’m hungry.” As if to confirm her words, the rumble of a tummy purrs in the air.
“Oh, no! Excuse me!” It was my stomach! How embarrassing!
Kazuya doubles over laughing. He’s so mean.
“Haha. Mother, you seem fine!” Luke’s smile is heart-warming. “Your cooking is truly amazing, Sakurako! With that weight off our shoulders, I’m quite hungry myself.”
His grin buoys me. “Oh, then I’ll cook something for all of us! I know a kudzu recipe I want you to try!”
“Thank you,” Luke says sincerely. “Thank you also on my mother’s behalf. I’m glad you’re here.”
His bashful smile makes my heart throb. He’s so gorgeous! I’m head over heels! Feeling uplifted, I start cooking immediately with the kudzu flour and potatoes we have. I have to use the latter, considering I used the leather bag they were in to make kudzu powder. Also, although Leila seems fine now, she’s still recovering from illness, and all I have on hand that’s easily digestible is potatoes.
I steam and mash the potatoes, knead salt and pepper into them, then roll them into small patties with cheese in the middle of most—cheese isn’t easy to digest, so Leila will get the ones sans cheese. I then wrap the patties in kudzu leaves and sear them in a pan for a minute.
“All done! I call this ‘sticky potato with cheese wrapped in kudzu leaves’!” I put them on a plate for everyone to pass around.
“Wow! What’s with this texture?! Oh my God! It’s addictive!” Ganzi exclaims.
“The way the cheese melts is lovely. It’s wonderful,” Luke adds.
Yay! It really is an ego boost to hear that your cooking is yummy. Woohoo! I’m stoked to have leveled up my femininity!
Oh, wait. Um, the reason my dishes have a confession effect is because I desire praise. I should take it easy… But I’m allowed to indulge just this once, aren’t I? I shoot a glance at Molozov.
He leaps to his feet. “It’s delicious! The sweetness of the potatoes is subtle and gentle on the stomach, and the thick cheese stretches like elastic. Above all else, its chewy texture is its greatest strength, producing the ultimate waltz between potato and cheese with every bite, the rhythm of which is slow and light-footed. All while the kudzu leaves watch over their first dance like doting parents… Yes, this is indeed a jewel of a dish!”
Ah. Whoops. I think he fell prey to the confession effect again. He slowly sits down, looking mortified.
I’m sorry, Molozov. I didn’t do it on purpose.
“Yep. It’s so delicious that you wouldn’t believe it was made with brute force.” Kazuya takes another bite of his chewy potato with a sadistic smile.
You, zip it and eat.
“I’ve honestly never had anything like this before. It’s sooo yummy! I’ve never eaten something so simple yet exquisite, not even at the castle.”
Castle? Me, Kazuya, and the others look up sharply.
“L-Leila, what do you mean ‘castle’?”
“Calm down, Ganzi. You found out long ago. You called me ‘Lady Leila’ when I collapsed, and Luke started calling me ‘Mother’.”
The two of them sheepishly drop their gaze.
“I picked up on that,” Kazuya admits. “Are you the daughter of royalty or something?”
Leila smiles. “It’s a sorry tale. I was only an apprentice mage who served the castle. But, yes, I was too pretty an apprentice mage, and the king was taken with my beauty. He fell for me and made me his seventh wife.”
“You’re a queen?!” I cry. “Then, is Luke…”
“A prince, yes. But as the child of the seventh wife, he had next to no right to succeed to the throne, so despite being a member of the royal family, he lived freely until he turned fifteen. It’s customary for royalty to go to the temple at that age to assess his skills… It was there we learned he has the title of ‘Chosen Hero’.”
“What’s that?” I ask.
“It means he is the destined warrior who’ll battle the Demon King when he resurrects. He has a birthmark on his thigh, too—the hero’s quest. The king was delighted. He rejoiced that his child would be a hero, which frightened the other queens and princes vying for the throne. Ever since, the other heirs have targeted him. He’s been poisoned, had assassins sent after him…” Leila trails off.
“Th-that’s awful! Isn’t Luke special if he’s a chosen hero? Won’t it be a problem if he gets killed?”
“Of course, if the Demon King returns and attacks the country. But nearsighted powermongers are more afraid of a prince who was born a hero than the Demon King. So we ran. We dressed as adventurers and set out on a journey. As soon as we learned Luke was a hero, we knew we had to travel to defeat the Demon King, anyway, so we needed to leave the castle sooner or later.”
“Oh…” I don’t know what to say. I wonder how it feels to be forced to leave the place where you were born.
“Are those people from the castle still trying to kill you?” Kazuya asks sternly.
Leila nods. “Most likely. The vindictive First Prince still sends out assassins. And the king is looking for us. He doesn’t want to let go of the glory that comes with having a hero in the royal family.”
Kazuya’s face turns harder. “Why’d you tell us this? And why invite others to join your party if this is the case? What if we were pursuing you?”
“I knew at first sight that you guys are greenhorns. You give off a strong impression that you’re new to all this, and I don’t picture you as the castle’s hired guns.”
This humbling assessment is a bitter pill for Kazuya to swallow.
Leila smiles in amusement at his reaction. “Besides, heroes are drawn to those who share their fate. They’re supposed to come together in order to defeat the Demon King. I had a hunch you two might also be Chosen Ones, and after witnessing your powers, I’m convinced. You two are special. You were born to defeat the Demon King with Luke.” She concludes in full seriousness.
Kazuya huffs a small sigh. “I doubt either of us is that big of a deal. Of course, we’re not assassins or anything, either.”
Leila flashes a small smile before turning serious again. “I have a request for the two of you.”
“What do you want us to do?” I cock my head.
“You’re with us on a trial basis, but I’d like you to join us formally. I’m not asking you to commit forever. But I want you to stay with us until we vanquish the Demon King.”
“Until…” Kazuya gapes. “No, we don’t have the right roles for that. We’re not combat classes.”
“No, your menial magic skills and Sakurako’s cooking skills are high. They’re vital for journeys like ours. Like just now, if it weren’t for Sakurako, I’d still be immobilized. Worst case scenario, I might have died. We’re known as an A-class party, but that’s only because we have Luke. He’s the reason we can fight A-class monsters. The rest of us, myself included, may or may not be able to defeat C-class monsters. We can take on an owl demon, but if a stronger monster were to appear, it’d be tough for us with our current members. We’re not as strong as Luke. Not good enough to really assist him.”
“Mother, that’s not true!”
“It is, Luke. You know it is. We’re no match for you. No match for a hero. I never made it past apprentice level as a mage. Molozov was a knight of the royal guard, but he doesn’t have innate special strength like you. And while Ganzi’s skillful across the board, he wasn’t born with special skills, either. We’re not Demon King material. But with you two here, things will change. You’re both beginner adventurers who aren’t accustomed to traveling or fighting. But your outstanding skills are on par with Luke’s.”
Leila’s serious face is so beautiful that I can’t help but stare at her.
She continues, “I know it’s arrogant of me to appeal to you after telling you all that. Why would you want to come with us after learning we’re on the run from assassins? But I still want you to join us. Just until we defeat the Demon King.”
Kazuya and I are too overwhelmed by her plea to say a word.