“Ow, ow, ow, ow…” When he woke up the next morning, Kaito found himself groaning and cradling his arms. He’d made an awful lot of pizza the day before, and his muscles hurt. He could barely move. “Goodness, Kaito, are you all right?” Fiona asked when she saw him rising unsteadily to his feet. “Lord Kaito! Whatever is wrong?!” Lilia rushed to his side. Kaito managed a smile for her benefit. “We did a lot of baking yesterday. I’m just a little sore…” The pizza skill card had given him the knowledge of an experienced practitioner but not the body. “That’s terrible!!” Lilia dashed across the room and grabbed a first-aid kit. “I don’t think we need to—” “You should keep them cool!!” Kaito decided not to argue as Lilia bandaged him. He certainly wouldn’t mind a little relief. Lilia took something like ointment and covered it in gauze, then wrapped it around Kaito’s arms. Kaito found that her diligent attention gave him a surprisingly warm feeling. Gee, it’s awful nice having someone to fuss over you like this. When you live by yourself, you have to deal with all your illnesses and injuries on your own… “How’s that?” Lilia looked up at him, having finished applying the bandages. Up close like this, Kaito could see how big and beautiful her emerald-like green eyes really were. Her strawberry-blond hair reflected the sunlight, shimmering gracefully. A girl this gorgeous is kind of wasted on me. Even if she does have an insane appetite… He decided it would be best not to push himself until he was more accustomed to the work. His arms felt like overinflated swim wings, like they might burst at any minute. “Perhaps you should take today off?” Fiona offered, looking worried. “You’re right, but we have the oven going and everything…” He didn’t want to waste the leftover heat. “I can manage a little bit.” Then an idea struck him. “Um, if it’s all right, would you let me make dinner tonight? You’ve taken such good care of me, I’d like to treat you to some pizza.” “We’d be very grateful…but please don’t overexert yourself.” Kaito nodded vigorously at Edmond. “I’ll be all right! Pizza for five, then!” Kaito was excited as he arrived at his shop. He wouldn’t be baking until that night, but preparations had to start first thing in the morning. It took time to ferment the dough and especially to heat the oven. “Hmm, a peel and brush for cleaning…” He read off the names of the new cards that had been added to his item pouch. He was grateful that he kept getting more items at each new stage, even if it was only because it was so early in his career. He opened the oven door and used the peel to clean out the ash and cinders inside. “Ow, ow, ow…” “Oh, I’ll do that,” Lilia offered. She was becoming a genuinely helpful partner. “Thanks. Could you clean up the embers in there?” “Leave it to me!!” Lilia began moving the brush enthusiastically. A cloud of ash puffed up and assaulted their faces. “Urgh…cough, cough!!” Kaito helplessly broke into a coughing fit. “Hrkcoughcoughcough!!” Lilia, too, choked from the smoke. “Yikes…” Kaito hurriedly opened the windows and door to let in fresh air. “Lilia…cough…go slow, okay?” “Hrkcoughhrk… I’m very sor— Hkkkcoughcoughcough!” She had gotten a little overexcited, that was all. She was a good person, albeit a bit scatterbrained and slightly rough around the edges. “Look, now you’ve got dirt on your face.” Kaito wiped away the smudges on Lilia’s cheek. “!!” His heart rate jumped when he felt the smoothness of her skin, and he quickly looked away. “Uh, anyway, I’ll handle the rest!!” Eventually, they succeeded in cleaning the oven. Kaito picked out some small pieces of wood and started a fire. “All right, oven’s ready to go!” He picked up his item pouch. “Now ingredients…” He reached into the bag. He had used up all the ingredients his cards had provided the day before. “Phew…” Several new cards had appeared in the bag. All were ingredients. “Wheat Flour, Natural Yeast, Tomatoes.” One by one, they appeared as he read them aloud. It amused him to see Lilia watching this with wide eyes. He felt a bit like he’d become a magician. “Hmm? Garlic?” It was the first time he’d seen that ingredient. A moment later, different varieties of pizza suddenly popped into his head. “Tomato sauce plus garlic equals…marinara!!” “Marinara?” Lilia looked puzzled. “What kind of pizza is that?” “It has the longest history of any Neapolitan pizza, having been created around 1750! It’s a simple pie beloved by fishermen, featuring tomato sauce and garlic!” Kaito couldn’t lie to himself this time: He was dying to put his skills to use! But despite his burning passion, he realized he had gone over Lilia’s head. “Oh, sorry. That’s knowledge from the world I used to be in. I know it doesn’t mean much to you.” “No, it’s fine…” Lilia gently wiped her hand with her mouth. Drool… “Just listening to you makes it sound good…” “O-oh, does it?” Lilia had the look of a wild animal hunting its prey. “Well, I’m glad you’re looking forward to it.” “Yes, I’m looking forward…to tonight…” “Wait, Lilia, stop!! You can’t eat a whole bulb of garlic!! I haven’t even peeled it yet!!” He practically had to jump on her to keep her from consuming the raw ingredients she’d picked up. “Oh! I’m sorry! I just forgot myself…” Forgot yourself and almost ate an entire unpeeled bulb of garlic?? “This isn’t cooked yet! It wouldn’t taste good this way!! I’ll make plenty of food, so just calm down, Lilia!!” “Okay…” Lilia nodded sweetly, but she continued eyeing the garlic. “I’m making this pizza to show my gratitude to you guys! So I’ll make it by myself! You just wait inside, okay?” “Are you sure…?” Kaito grabbed Lilia’s hand as it reached for the garlic again. “I’m sure! Please just wait!” “O-okay, I will!!” Having him take her hand inspired a fit of blushing and gaze aversion. “I’ll wait like a good girl.” “Yes! Please do!!” When he had finally succeeded at getting Lilia out of the kitchen, Kaito heaved a sigh of relief. Her “beast mode,” her unfettered displays of appetite, worried him more than a little. How could such a restrained and quiet girl go so out of control when she got hungry? Kaito finally got around to working on the meal. “All right, time to bake some pizzas!” It was almost dinner, and Kaito entered the pizza parlor, bubbling. He shaped the dough and got the tomato sauce ready. Because pizza marinara, unlike margherita, doesn’t use cheese, he made sure there was plenty of sauce. He applied it in a spiral shape, remembering that inconsistency was key to delightful mouthfeel. Then came a pinch of salt, followed by something called hanahakka, which was what he’d found in the garden to substitute for oregano. Finally, he added the most important ingredient for good pizza marinara, the garlic. He put garlic slices onto the crust to bring out the aroma. He doused everything in olive oil, and the pizzas were ready to go. “All right!” These were his first pizzas marinara, but he was very pleased with them. It was impossible not to smile as he looked at the rich pies, each as red as the setting sun. He put four of them into the oven, one after another. Cooking several at once was no problem for him. He lifted each one with the peel to check that it was done, then took them out. “Ahhh, it smells so good!!” Kaito took the four pizzas straight to the mansion, wanting everyone to enjoy them fresh from the oven. “Ah, Lord Kaito!!” His three dinner guests were already at the table and waiting anxiously. The table was set; all he had to do was provide the food. “Here you go! My very first marinaras!!” Lilia and her family all exclaimed as he set the pizzas on the table. “Wow! It’s so red, it looks like the setting sun!!” Lilia gushed admiringly. “It’s such a rich color… What are those little black spots?” “Hanahakka. For fragrance.” “It does smell wonderful…” “I think it’ll go well with the garlic. Go ahead—help yourselves!” “Don’t mind if we do!” The four of them immediately dug into the pizza. “Mmmmm…” A satisfied sigh seemed to come from everyone at once. “Oooh… The sour flavor of the tomatoes really spreads through your mouth.” “That garlic has a punch. It really brings out the taste!” “The crust is so…so fluffy!” All of them ate voraciously, and in no time at all, their plates were empty. “Ahhh…” Everyone at the table was clearly very happy. For a beautiful moment, they savored the aftertaste of the food on their palates. Kaito felt the same way he had the day before; having people compliment the food he put so much effort into making felt even better than he’d originally thought. All right, I’ll make this again! thought Kaito, feeling motivated. “Phew! I’m stuffed,” Edmond said, wiping his mouth with a napkin. “Thank you!” “I’ll bring tea and some gelatin for dessert.” Fiona bustled around the table, picking up dishes and setting out cups. “Ahhh, what a pleasure to share a meal with my family.” “It certainly is.” “And it’s so nice to have a new family member like this!” “Thanks…I think.” What does that even mean? Kaito worried. Was he like family? Or was he actually part of the family? That was the question. Geez. I’m getting so worked up, I’m starting to sound like Hamlet. “Enjoy, everyone!” “Don’t mind if I do.” Kaito took his serving of gelatin Fiona had brought out and dug in. “Ahhh, that’s so refreshing.” The gelatin felt cleansing in his mouth. “Is this mint?” “It’s menthe and lemon.” Whatever menthe was, it was apparently a fresh-smelling herb similar to mint. “The sweetness comes from extract of Sweet Slime.” “Huh? Slime?!” Kaito stared at the gelatin in disbelief. “Yes,” Fiona said matter-of-factly. “It has a lot of nutrients that make it an excellent beautifier.” Like collagen, perhaps. That’s an alternate world for you… “Well, it’s delicious.” “Thank you.” It wasn’t especially sweet, but it was a perfect chaser for the pizza. The headman’s dining room was full of pictures and knickknacks. Kaito’s eye stopped on a garland of dried flowers, blue and white blossoms woven into a ring, and he pointed to it. “What’s that?” “Ah, that’s the flower garland my wife and I used at our wedding.” “We dried and saved it as a memento.” “Wow…” So they wore that on their head? It was true the blue and white flowers had an innocent, pure aesthetic that would be well suited to a wedding. “In our village, it’s tradition for the groom to pick blue and white flowers for the bride.” “Then he gives the bride the garland as a gift, and she wears it at their wedding.” “Those flowers are called bluebells and whitebells. They only grow on sheer mountain cliffs, so they’re not easy to get.” “That’s what makes it such a touching gift.” “Huh…” Sounds like a real rite of passage. I wonder if it’s anything like bungee jumping? Kaito was about to ask the question aloud but caught himself. Even he could tell it wasn’t quite the same thing. “You’ll go pick them, too, won’t you Kaito? For Lilia?” “Er…” Fiona sounded like she thought everything was already settled, and it brought Kaito up short. The entire family looked at him with hopeful eyes. Whoooa, I let my guard down for one minute, and look what happens! This is bad… This is real bad! Kaito began looking anywhere but at the people around him. “Oh!” “Yes?” “What’s that? That, uh, pretty, shield-like thing?” He directed their attention to something that appeared to be a shield but was the color of an iridescent beetle. The greenish shimmer was unlike anything he’d ever seen before. “Ah, my dear Kaito, what excellent taste you have!” Edmond was nodding happily, to Kaito’s relief. Apparently, he’d succeeded in changing the subject. “That…is a dragon’s scale.” “A dragon? There are dragons around here?” Kaito thought for a moment that maybe they were teasing him, but everyone’s faces turned serious, starting with Edmond’s. “There certainly are.” He said it as though this were a perfectly obvious fact, but Kaito was dumbfounded. Sure, okay. When you’ve got a place with elves and slimes, I guess it only makes sense to have dragons, too. But still…dragons! Are they really huge creatures that fly through the sky and breathe fire? “Are there any around here?” “One lives just past Twin Peak. He spends most of his time asleep, but he does wake up every once in a while.” “Twin Peak…?” “That mountain with two summits that you can see to the east.” “Oh, is that it…?” Kaito knew which mountain Edmond was talking about; it was pretty distinctive. It was quite a ways off, but not so far that a dragon couldn’t fly there and back. To think there was a dragon so close by… “Um…does he ever attack villages, perchance…?” “Mm, well, it seems food has been scarce in the mountains lately, so he does make his way to inhabited areas sometimes…” “Does he eat people?!” “No, but he attacks the livestock and occasionally makes a mess of our fields.” “……” It sounded a bit like on Earth when a bear woke up from hibernation and wandered into a town. And it wasn’t unheard of for them to attack humans. “Um, you seem pretty calm about this. If you don’t mind my asking, isn’t it a problem?” “Of course it is. We wish we could do something about it, but the dragon is huge and terrible.” “What do you do when he comes?” “Often, we get everyone in the village to make as much noise as they can in hopes of driving the creature off. We certainly couldn’t win in a fair fight, so we try not to attack him directly. In a worst-case scenario, we might have to summon soldiers from the palace, but the warriors in our army aren’t exactly very intimidating…” “……” Kaito hadn’t realized the elves faced such a terrible situation. But then again, nobody seemed unduly worried about it. The damage it did wasn’t awful, and they had no way to fight it… The dragon was more like a natural disaster than a monster. “It’s not all bad, though. Dragons naturally shed their old scales, and those are quite valuable. It gives us a chance to make a little money. That particular scale has been passed down in this family for generations.” “Wow…” “Dragon scales are very tough and last a long time. That’s what makes them precious.” “I see.” Kaito’s interest was piqued by talk of something so unique to an alternate world. “Is dragon meat…tasty, by any chance?” He was surprised to hear himself blurt out such a question. Becoming the High-Calorie Hero seemed to have given him a bent for all things culinary. “There are stories. Some claim that eating dragon meat makes you immortal. Others say just one mouthful contains enough poison to annihilate an entire village. Honestly, I’ve never heard of anyone actually eating dragon meat, so who knows?” “Huh…” There were obviously a lot of things Kaito didn’t yet know about this world, many of them edible. It made him hungry to find out more.
Chapter 6
14 min read