Disciple of Immortal

I was currently having an idle chat with Noble Mimic as I revised the notes from the previous lesson while waiting for Lunaire to finish cooking.

「Even If She SaID ThAt She’S GoiNG to CoOK, PleaSe Don’T ExPEcT tOO MuCh From Her CooKINg SkILL. It ISn’T AMOnGsT MasTeR’s HoBbY AfTEr ALl」

T-This treasure box really wanted to die huh….

I looked towards the kitchen but, it seems his words just now didn’t reach Lunaire’s ears.

We’re safe for now.

「NoW Let’S GuESS WhEtHEr It’LL BeCOme A PILL or SomeSOrt oF DruG. It DeFIniTelY Won’T beCOme SomeThing THaT yoU Can CaLL A dish.」

…. For some reason, I’m convinced that her dishes would turn out just as this box described.

My image about Lunaire was the kind of girl who prefers to research about miracle drugs rather than methods of cooking.

Though the image of two whole roasted golden chicken heads from before appeared briefly in my mind.

Which reminded me of the fact that she told me that she’ll give the two heads of the monster called Ra to me….

I-I guess I have no choice but to brace myself for everything that would come… And savor it like a delicacy!

「MaSTeR Is IneXpErIEnCed But, PleAse TakE CarE of Her.」

Noble Mimic body inclined as if he were bowing to me.

This box’ attitude made me feel that he was looking down on Lunaire.

「She’ll beat the crap out of you later you know? Moreover, despite lacking any interest in cooking area, master is surprisingly a perfectionist.」

「Do you ReaLLy ThINk So? AcTinG CoOl lIKe ThAT As If YoU CaN FAce EveRytHIng That WiLL Come WILL HiT YoU BaCK YoU KNOw.」

「S-Such a thing is….」

「ThEN SAy THaT WhILe YoU lOOk AT mY EYEs.」

I ignored Noble Mimic and continued scanning on my notepad.

… Despite the basics, I’ve mountains of things to learn.

「Oi, I KNoW YoU’rE DeLIBeRaTEly IGnORinG Me Just NOW.」

Noble Mimic went around me as if to tease me.

This shitty box, I guess I should tell Lunaire about his secret huh.

「Just because she isn’t interested in cooking doesn’t mean that she can’t cook. She might come to understand by instinct after so many years cooking for herself you know. And since she can make so many drugs, it means that she can skillfully hide from you the fact that she can cook. I think she can do at least that much as long as she puts her mind to it.」

「ThEN, WhaT WiLL YoU Do If She CamE BaCk WitH SomeThing ReseMBlINg WhoLE RoasTEd PiLLs? 」

「It’s not like she will make that kind of dishes.」

When both of us were having such a conversation, I heard the sound of an explosion coming from the kitchen.

「Is thE DeMON… RaiDIng THis HuT? 」

Noble Mimic asked with a doumbfounded face.

I took out my sword and ran towards the kitchen immediately.

Though I didn’t know what a weakling like me could do, my great benefactor’s life might be in danger.

If that happened, then the only thing I could do was to protect my master with this fleeting life of mine.

In the kitchen that was wrapped in the flames of the explosion was… The ruin of what looked like cookware to me.

With charcoal-like meat splintered around the kitchen.

And in the middle of that explosion was Lunaire’s figure, standing there with a dumbfounded look on her face.

Below her feet was the freshly severed head of the golden macho chicken, Ra.

The other ingredients had turned into ashes.

「I-Is it those demons?! Are you okay?! 」

「The dishes are…… A failure.」

「Eh ……？ 」

I looked at the ground and wall that was broken into pieces and charred by some sort of explosion.

Did I just mishear her say that the dishes were a failure?

My only conjecture before was that she’d fired some sort of grand magic but….

「I’m sorry, I shouldn’t try to do something that I’m not used to.」

Crestfallen, she bowed..

In spite of using her usual emotionless voice, I noticed that she was feeling utterly downcast now.

How should I pacify her I won…der?

「.. AAH, SeE, ThIS IS WhaT HaPPenS WheN You’Re GeTTinG Too HiGh SpiRiteD.」

Noble Mimic, are you trying to kill yourself?

And yet, Lunaire didn’t even react to that provocation.

W-What should I do now?

「T-THAT’S IT! I CAN COOK FOR YOU SINCE I’VE ALWAYS COOKED FOR MYSELF! THAT’S WHY PLEASE LEAVE THE COOKING DUTY TO ME! 」

「But, leaving such a duty to my guest is….」

「Please don’t worry about it, I’m indebted to you after all! But, can you teach me how to use the cookware? I’m unfamiliar with the cookware of this world? 」

Thus, by going with the flow, I was entrusted with the cooking duty.

Regarding the cookware, there was nothing that I had to pay attention to except for the fuel which was made from the mana-filled ore called magic stone.

Well, the cookware function was basically similar to the one I’m familiar with.

I rummaged through the inside of Noble Mimic, looking for things that could be used as food like meat and milk. After I confirmed their safety with 《Akashic Record》, I made stew with the available ingredients.

…… Although there were numerous items of high value in 《Cocytus》, I could use it all without a care since we will get nowhere by worrying about ownerless things.

And it might be thanks to the high tier ingredients, the stew was extremely delicious despite being made with a minimum amount of time.

I scooped the stew with a ladle and poured it on a prepared plate.

Lunaire stared at the stew as if it was an ultra rare elixir, and then scooped it with the spoon in her hand.

「H-…-How’s the taste? 」

The moment she tasted it, Lunaire’s body became red from head to toe.

When I wondered what had just happened, I saw tears in her eyes.

Is this a failed dish!?

「S-Sorry, is it not tasty? 」

「No, it’s just that…. It’s been a really long time since the last time I tasted human cooking, that’s why I….」

Wiping the tears from her eyes, Lunaire continued to eat.

「Thank you very much, it’s really delicious.」

It was the first time I saw Lunaire’s smile.

The gap between her normal face and smile once again left me dumbfounded.

I understood something by seeing her current appearance.

Though I don’t know what happened to her in the past, I understand that all of this time that she had spent alone, deep inside this most dangerous dungeon, had made her extremely lonely.

The moment I realized that, I decided.

「I-If I’m not being an inconvenience to you, Master…. Can I, stay with you in this place?」

「EH……」

Lunaire’s eyes twinkled as she looked at me with surprise on her face.

After that, she continued eating her stew with a bright red face.

Upon hearing my words, Noble Mimic who was crawling behind towards the food to sneak a bite jumped in surprise.

He looked at Lunaire and I as if he’d just seen the rarest monster.

But, Lunaire kept her silence.

I was just waiting there for her reply.

Lunaire lifted up her face.

By then, her face had…… Returned to her usual expressionless face.

「…. What in the world are you talking about? I’ve told you before that you’re just going to be a hindrance if you stay in this kind of place. So you must leave as soon as possible. I’m gonna send you out of this 《Cocytus》 as soon as you’ve reached the end of your training.」

Lunaire said.

Noble Mimic looked despondent as soon as he heard her.