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「Here, you can take them.」
「Thank you very much, I expected no less from you.」
After telling Mira of the events in the Academy, he reported that their supply of Magic Bomb Sealing Stones was running low. She said she’d replenish their stock, and quickly Refined many of them. The Magic Bomb Sealing Stones used in the Academy were rather low level and could be made easily, and the materials Creos brought were enough for Mira to make nearly a hundred of them.
Creos took the newly made Magic Bomb Sealing Stones and placed them with much care inside a bag, then hurried to clean the Refining Board from the table. Mariana seemed to have been waiting for that, as she swiftly swooped in and placed what looked like a black board on the table.
(Hmm? What’s this? …Wait, this feels…)
That black board had six holes on its surface, with magic circles drawn inside them. It was a strange item, though Mira felt like she had seen it somewhere before. She glared at it, desperately searching through her memories for it.
Mariana came again from the kitchen, this time carrying a large pot which she placed above the black board.
Now Mira’s memory search finally converged on one specific thing. She had seen that item before being sold in a store for adventurers.
(Right, it’s that all-purpose cooking plate that can heat up automatically! And it’s the latest model that requires even less energy to work! I remember it cost like 100’000 in the store. I gave up on it back then, but to think I’d encounter it again here…)
Oddly specific information flooded Mira’s mind as she looked at it with shock.
The all-purpose cooking plate. It was a high-class item that even someone who did not cook like Mira wanted. Mariana was using one to heat up a pot for the main course of their dinner. Mira’s other favorites, like fried chicken, were also placed on the table. They were all on top of other heating elements as well, so they would not get cold. Mira was amazed by it all.
Mariana continued bringing more items which were ready from the kitchen.
Mira started to wonder if just the three of them would be able to eat so much. But even so she looked at the food with excitement.
「Hm, we have visitors?」
A knock on the door was heard.
Mira turned to look at the door, but Mariana was faster, saying 「I’ll see who it is」 and quickly opening the door. That created an opening for Mira’s bad manners to show, as she picked up a piece of chicken and stuffed it in her cheeks.
「Tasty!」
Mira was acting just like a child that stole some food without their mother noticing. Creos had just returned from putting away the Refining Board, and had a slightly wry smile as he looked at Mira with doting eyes.
「Welcome home, Mira. I came as soon as I heard you were back.」
「It’s been a while, Lady Mira.」
Mariana let Luminaria and her aide Litaria in. When they told Litaria that Mira was actually Danbulf she was extremely shocked, but it seemed she had overcome it already. She looked and acted normal around Mira now.
「Yes, I’m back. Did you need something?」
「Not really, I’m not here looking for something.」
Luminaria walked briskly and took a seat next to Mira.
Solomon had told Luminaria that Mira was back, so she had come to see her. Litaria was merely accompanying Luminaria. Though once inside, she looked at the long robe hanging in a corner of the room, mumbling 「So that’s Lord Danbulf’s…」 Even though she knew the truth now, her feelings for Danbulf remained unchanged.
「Oh, you’re having dinner? Hotpot? That sounds good.」
It was obvious at first sight, but Luminaria still felt like asking as she surveyed the table, the tone of her voice somewhat fake.
With all that combined, Mira could guess that Luminaria had visited at that time specifically to have dinner with her. Or rather, she always did that. But just to go along with her game, Mira decided to ask 「Why don’t you two join us as well then?」
「That’s a wonderful offer, I’ll gladly take you up on it.」
「Thank you for having us.」
Both accepted readily, even though that had been their intention from the start. 「Let’s cook this too while we’re at it,」 said Luminaria, taking mainly seafood from her Item Box. They were all high quality ingredients, making Mira’s eyes twinkle seeing them.
「Let me help you, Mariana.」
「Thank you. I’ll get another pot ready too then.」
The two aides worked together to prepare a second hotpot with the seafood Luminaria brought. They knew each other for a long time, so they were in perfect sync and finished quickly.
Creos felt a bit restless in front of two wisemen, so in the end he joined the aides preparing the food.
While the three worked on getting the second hotpot ready, Mira and Luminaria quickly got absorbed in their own conversation, given how long it had been since they last saw each other.
「Ohh, right. This reminds me, I finally got the item you requested of me.」
Mira had summoned the Holy Sword Sanctia and was talking about the blade, full of pride, when she remembered something else and took out the Crimson King’s Sword from her Item Box.
It was the item Luminaria had requested in exchange for her Encyclopedia of Skills.
She had gotten it from the Fifty Bells, who seized it from Chimera Clauzen’s armory in their main base. After Mira spoke with the angel Tiriel, she found the Crimson King’s Sword amongst the items seized, so she asked Kagura to give it to her, and in exchange Mira would let her see the Encyclopedia of Skills as well.
「Ohh, it’s finally in my hands! Good job!」
