Seeing the orange cat waving at her, Akira Mado was stunned for a second and then also waved at the other party.
In response, Tiger meowed, signaling the other party to wait a moment, and then continued to cook.
Although modern kitchens save a lot of trouble for many people, Tiger was still not very satisfied with the roasted meat made in the oven. He planned to put more effort into the soup, after all, Lancer had already reminded him that he was not allowed to set up a barbecue grill inside the house.
"Click~!"
Just then, the bathroom door was pushed open, and Akira Mado saw Lancer walk out wearing a tight-fitting vest. His hair was slightly wet, seemingly having just taken a shower.
"Good morning."
"Mmm, good morning."
After greeting each other, the two stood there awkwardly, not knowing what to say, but at this moment ––––––
"Meow~!!"
Accompanied by a cat's meow from behind, Aru, holding a towel in his hands, walked out, and behind him was Jack, who seemed to be wearing a cloak.
"Ah~ I forgot to introduce them to you."
While speaking, Lancer picked up Aru and Jack.
"This one is Aru. He's usually lazy, but he doesn't cut corners when working. And this is Jack. Although he looks a bit aloof, he actually cares about me a lot... Alright~ Jack, stop scratching me~ Sorry, Jack is a little shy."
The three cat people differed greatly in terms of body size, fur color, weapons, and even their eyes and temperament.
"Are they... your familiars?"
As a Japanese person, she had learned about some manga before her mother's accident, and most of them mentioned the 'familiar' setting when talking about magic. However, for some reason, the thought of Lancer, who was full of muscles, being accompanied by three adorable cat people made her feel that the style of the scene was a bit strange.
However, if Lancer knew Akira Mado's thoughts, the corner of his mouth would probably twitch violently, because the three cat people in her eyes were once skilled cat warriors who had hunted ancient dragons, and with the bonus of the 'Heroic Spirit Template', the three of them even teamed up to subjugate the head of a legendary divine beast.
"Familiar? No, I prefer to call them my 'partners'. They have been by my side ever since I left..."
Perhaps sensing Lancer slight depression, Jack, who was being tsundere and scratching Lancer earlier, also retracted his claws and pressed his little paw on Lancer face as a form of comfort. Al on the other side also stuck out his tongue and licked Lancer face.
"Alright~ I've grown up a lot now, and I don't need you guys to comfort me anymore~"
"Meow~ Meow~ (You idiot.)"
"Meow... (Alas...)"
Looking at Lancer interacting with the cat people, Akira Mado suddenly felt that the Lancer in front of her was a little unfamiliar, seeming quite different from the Lancer she knew, but then she shook her head.
'No, it is precisely because I know these things that I can understand Lancer more. This is the real Lancer...'
"Meow!!"
And at this moment, Tiger's shout suddenly rang out.
"It looks like breakfast is ready. Akira, you and Jack and the others go eat first."
"Eat first?"
"Yes, I'll help Tiger wash up and then I'll be there."
As Lancer words fell, Tiger also trotted over, but Lancer was carrying Tiger in his arms. Akira Mado didn't know if it was an illusion, but she always felt that the orange cat named Tiger looked like a walking tank?
Watching Lancer, who was holding Tiger in his arms and walking towards the bathroom, Akira Mado also followed Jack and Al to the dining table.
Perhaps because Lancer had greeted them in advance, Tiger specifically prepared a salad and placed it in front of Akira Mado's seat.
As for why she could determine where Akira Mado's seat was? It was actually very simple: three roasted fish, a piece of roasted meat no thinner than Akira Mado's waist, and a salad. Anyone with eyes could tell which one was hers.
Although she felt it was a little strange to have a cat person cook, she decided to trust Lancer. She picked up a bite of salad with her chopsticks, and her eyes instantly lit up. Then she picked up the cup placed next to it. Akira Mado initially thought the white liquid was milk, but after taking a sip, she found that it wasn't. It must be some kind of unknown fruit?
After the one person and two cats had eaten for a while, Lancer walked over, holding a bath towel and helping Tiger dry off.
"Akira, how is it? Not bad, right?"
"Very unique, but very delicious~"
Generally speaking, Akira Mado would not eat meat for breakfast to maintain her figure, but because of the enthusiasm of the two cat people, she also tried some of the fish Tiger made, and found that it seemed quite delicious.
"Meow~!"
And at this moment, Tiger, who was held in Lancer arms, suddenly let out a cry. It was clear that for a chef, a diner's compliment is the best reward.
––––––
Because Akira Mado's current situation was classified as 'held captive by Nutcracker', she absolutely could not show her face, so the planned trip to the 23rd Ward together had to be Lancer going alone today.
However, what Lancer felt a little unaccustomed to was that when he left, Akira Mado and the three cat people came to the door to see him off.
"I'm leaving now."
Although he was unaccustomed to it, Lancer remembered that Japanese people usually say this, right?
And Akira Mado on the other side was also surprised for a moment, then smiled and tilted her head.
"Come back soon."
"Mmm."
"Click~"
As the door was closed, Akira Mado also touched her cheek with a blush.
'What was that just now? Was it a habit developed from when my father left for work? It must be, right...'
Akira Mado embraced Aru, who was closest to her, and shook her head somewhat helplessly.
But when she sat on the sofa with Al in her arms, she felt a little strange. After all, ever since her mother passed away, not only did her father become a workaholic, but she also became a training fanatic. Whenever she had time, she was training and studying. She had even forgotten how long it had been since she had nothing to do like this.
"Let's clean the room!"
Akira Mado rolled up her sleeves, tied a bandana around her head, and took out the vacuum cleaner from the utility room.
"Let's clean thoroughly today!"
"Meow!"
"Meow~"
"Meow."
Akira Mado, who originally only planned to pass the time, was stunned when she saw the three cat people also raising their fists, and then she handed them a few cleaning cloths.
"Then I'll rely on you guys~"
Lancer had already said during breakfast that these three cat people possessed intelligence not inferior to humans, even far surpassing humans, so she did not treat them as ordinary cats. Since they were willing to help, Akira Mado would not refuse, and she herself also hoped to build a good relationship with these three cat people, or rather, Lancer partners.
Things were going well on her end, but she wondered how Lancer work was going right now?