Chapter 201
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Peaceful days pass by.
One day, Sena intensely craves something sweet.
After thinking for a moment, I wonder if I could use Absolute Freeze to make sherbet, gelato, or ice cream, so I run the idea by her.
But she shakes her head as if to say 「that’s not enough.」
So I suggest making a pie, one of my signature dishes, in addition to the frozen treats.
Finally, Sena, looking like some organization’s VIP, solemnly nods her head in approval.
Additionally, she suggests (more like commands) that instead of apple pie, we should make one using fresh fruits and nuts gathered from the forest.
I reply 「aye aye sir」 and we set out to gather ingredients together.
I suggest that splitting up would be more efficient, so Sena and I go our separate ways – but this proves to be a shallow idea.
After all, I have no way of knowing what’s edible and what isn’t. When I first came to the mountain, I nearly died from eating poisonous berries.
However, since I’m the one who suggested splitting up, I can’t bring myself to suggest we stick together instead, so I rack my limited brains trying to figure things out.
「This is inedible.」
Saying this, Sena puts one of the berries I brought into the right basket.
「Hey, you know about patch testing?」
「This is also poisonous.」
Sena takes another berry and puts it in the right basket.
The right basket has a paper labeled 「POISON」 attached to it.
「You know, where you rub something on your skin before eating it to check if you get a rash?」
「This is also poisonous.」
My excuses fall on deaf ears as the 「POISON」 basket rapidly fills up.
「Since my skin didn’t react, I thought it might be okay to eat…」
「This one too.」
「Haha, I didn’t know you’re supposed to cut it open and test the inside on your skin! But hey, you know what they say about room for growth?」
「This one too.」
「Looking at it another way, I’ve got nowhere to go but up, right?」
「This one too.」
The verdict is in.
Thanks to Sena’s sorting, it turns out that pretty much everything I gathered is poisonous.
「Ichiro, are you going to make a poison pie?」
「Oof.」
「Do you… like poison?」
「Why would you say that?」
Yamada cried!!
「Hehe.」
Sena gives a soft smile.
「We have time. Next time, let’s go together.」
I suddenly think that if we could keep having peaceful days like this… maybe I could forget everything.
Since I already have pie dough prepared and resting, the cooking doesn’t take very long.
Even the sherbet is quickly made using the tart fruits that Sena gathered.
I place a plate in front of Sena, who’s making exaggerated 「I want to eat quickly」 poses.
It’s a pie loaded with sugar and various berries (or something like them), served with sherbet.
「Mmmmm!!」
Gripping her spoon and fork, Sena hums with delight and lets out a cry of joy.
「There’s seconds if you want.」
「Seconds.」
Sena holds out her empty plate.
「That was too fast!?」
But there’s no greater happiness than seeing someone enjoy your cooking.
○○○
Satisfied Sena and I.
After chatting about nothing in particular, once our fullness subsides a bit, we decide to do some combat training.
Romance died on the beach.
After an intense hand-to-hand sparring session, we return to the cabin, properly tired.
「In a little while, want to go stargazing again?」
The sun sets and night’s curtain falls.
We make our way back to where we watched the stars that day.
We sit down together and lie back on the ground.
At night, darkness rules supreme.
There are no street lights here.
But that’s perfectly fine.
The moonlight and stars illuminate us.
「Sena, I’ll teach you the names of the stars.」
「The stars’ names?」
「Yeah. Make sure you watch me carefully.」
「Okay.」
After confirming her nod, I point to the night sky.
「’Auriga’」
「…」
「Come on, don’t be quiet, repeat after me.」
「Okay.」
「’Auriga’, ‘Deneb’, ‘Altair’, ‘Vega’」
「’Auriga’, ‘Deneb’, ‘Altair’, ‘Vega’」
She follows along perfectly with my intense star lecture.
「Ichiro, what’s ‘Auriga’?」
「Ah, that’s just decoration. But it’s essential.」
The stars in this world are very different from those in my original world.
Constellations are connected to mythology.
Different histories mean different legends.
Even if this world’s sky had the same stars as Earth, the constellations passed down here would surely be completely different.
「Ichiro, you—」
I sense Sena hesitate with her words.
Unusually, she seems to be struggling to speak.
「Me?」
「You’re troubled.」
Now it’s my turn to be at a loss for words.
「Since returning to the mountain, you sometimes look pained.」
If that’s true, it’s weak and pathetic and shameful.
But if I am troubled—
「When you’re in pain, I’m in pain too.」
I didn’t want to make her say something like that.
「Sena, I’m sorry. There are still things I haven’t sorted out in my mind. But I promise I’ll tell you about them soon.」
I’m truly overwhelmed by this situation pulling me in all directions. But that’s just an excuse.
「Please wait just a little longer.」
「I understand. Just knowing how you feel is enough for me.
So don’t push yourself. I know better than anyone how hard you always try.」
As always, Sena is too kind to me.
But I don’t think I can allow myself to keep relying on her kindness. I know that the time for me to make a decision is approaching.
○○○
「My beloved Sena! My beloved son-in-law!!
I’m home!!!」
The next day, Sensei returns home with a noisy greeting.
Sena and I look at each other and laugh.
○○○
About ten days later.
During dinner, Sena and Sensei suddenly perk up.
「Ichiro, there are two people at the foot of the mountain. This presence is—」
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