Regarding Takumi's request, Alice Nakiri did not hesitate and signed a contract with him obediently.
"Okay, now you officially become a member of the Dimensional City," Takumi said. "Then, it's time to give you some due benefits."
Takumi spoke and provided Alice Nakiri with a set of training methods and the standard configuration of magic patterns. Alice Nakiri felt the sudden extra memory in her mind and could not help but be stunned.
"Am I doing magic?"
It was unbelievable that Takumi actually let her master magic just by raising his hand. Takumi nodded. "Yes, I know it, but now you are just borrowing my power to cast magic. Wait until you are able to cultivate your own magic power."
"I will definitely practice hard!" Alice Nakiri said consciously, without needing Takumi's advice. Then, she curiously began to try various spells. Takumi watched from the side, and once she was familiar with it, he reminded her:
"Stop playing. It's not like you don't feel the loss when you use your magic power, right? If it runs out too quickly, I won't refill it for you."
"Hee hee, I am just curious." Alice Nakiri stuck out her tongue in embarrassment, trying to be cute. Takumi was too lazy to argue.
"Go back and prepare. Explain things to your family and pack your luggage. From now on, you will basically be stationed in the Dimensional City permanently, responsible for the food. As for the ingredients, I will give you a ten-kilogram share, so you can take whatever you like."
Takumi did not intend to let Alice Nakiri take away too many strengthening ingredients at once. Ten kilograms was enough to strengthen a malnourished person to the level of a normal person, and it might even be more than enough.
"OK." After hearing this, Alice Nakiri nodded seriously to express her understanding. Then, she went to the field to pick some fruits and vegetables. It was only a few kilograms. For the rest, she chose rice.
This was something she had considered. What if the ingredients were used to make a dish but it didn't taste good and Nakiri Mana did not eat it? But as for rice, simply cooking it can't cause any more provocations, right?
Moreover, with Nakiri Mana's stomach, which had been fasting for a long time, she could not eat anything too hard right away. 21. Rice could be used to make porridge, which is a liquid food. Even the weakest people can eat it with peace of mind. After choosing, she took the items and said goodbye to Takumi before passing through the Dimensional Gate.
The Return to the Nakiri Manor
Alice Nakiri felt a blur in her eyes and returned home. She did not hesitate and quickly went to find her grandfather, Nakiri Senzaemon.
"Alice, where were you just now? I didn't see you for lunch, and you didn't even say a word to the family." Before she could speak, Senzaemon asked first. After discovering that Alice was missing, he could not get through on the phone.
He was so anxious that he thought some evil had happened to her. He quickly arranged for people to look for her. At this moment, he had almost turned over the entire Totsuki academy. However, he was relieved to see that his granddaughter appeared safe and sound.
"Grandpa, I'm sorry for making you worry, but now is not the time to talk about this. Please listen to me first." Alice Nakiri put down her things and quickly explained the adventure she had encountered. She was afraid that Senzaemon wouldn't believe it, so she cast a spell.
Senzaemon originally thought she was joking or teasing him. But after seeing Alice Nakiri cast a transformation spell to turn a vase into a crispy noodle, he suddenly lost his composure.
"How can it be?! Is this actually true?!" Even though he had seen many storms, he could not help but get excited at this moment. After reacting, he shouted: "Okay! OK! God bless the Nakiri family!"
If his own granddaughter could have such an adventure, why worry about the Nakiri family's future? As for what Alice Nakiri said about not being able to betray or quit after joining the Dimensional City, Senzaemon did not care at all. He wished he could send his other granddaughter too.
With the conditions of the Dimensional City, even if Takumi didn't want it, he still wanted to tie up his two granddaughters and force them to go there. No matter how big the Nakiri family's fortune was, it was just an island. It was just capital. Even Nakiri International was just a bigger wave on the international stage.
It could not compare with the influence of a larger country, and it could not even occupy the world stage. Compared to the Dimensional City, their world was simply too small. It was a stage between worlds! On such a stage, as long as you seize a little opportunity, it will be better than struggling in your own world for hundreds of years. Senzaemon would be out of his mind if he didn't fight for it. Fortunately, Alice Nakiri was spotted by the city lord.
"Alice, you did a great job. Grandpa is proud of you." Senzaemon looked at his granddaughter with unprecedented satisfaction. In such a short period, this child has become very successful. Not only does she know how to bring benefits to the family, but she also grasped an opportunity for the family to skyrocket.
Senzaemon, who was originally worried about how to train Erina to be the heir, was now completely relieved. Regardless of whether Erina became a talent or not, Alice would take care of her in the future.
"I didn't do much. I just thought of it suddenly. At that time, I didn't expect that it would develop like that in the end." Alice Nakiri was a little embarrassed to be praised, but she was also very happy.
"By the way, you didn't tell anyone else about this, right?" Senzaemon asked quickly. Alice Nakiri shook her head: "No, I came to see you as soon as I returned."
"That's good. Don't mention this in front of outsiders. This will be the most important secret of our Nakiri family." Senzaemon nodded and warned her.
"Okay, I know," Alice Nakiri responded obediently.
Preparation and Departure
Senzaemon looked at the enhanced ingredients on the table. "Just leave these things to me. I will arrange them according to your ideas. You don't need to worry."
Senzaemon was also very supportive of Alice Nakiri's idea. He felt distressed seeing his daughter who had been turned into a ghost of her former self. There was no way before, but now that the solution was given, Senzaemon would not let go of this opportunity.
"Now, hurry up and get ready. Don't let people wait for you for too long. If you need anything, just tell the butler. I will ask him to meet all your needs. As for the rest of the family, I will tell them. Take good care of yourself there. If you feel homesick, come back often. This will always be your home."
Senzaemon kept nagging her. But he didn't mention anything about how Alice should carry the burden of the family. He knew she was emotional, so some things didn't need to be said. He mainly gave advice on how to deal with people in the Dimensional City.
"Okay, that's all. Go ahead."
"Yes." Alice Nakiri nodded, stood up, and bowed to Senzaemon. "Goodbye, Grandpa."
Senzaemon smiled and waved his hand: "Go quickly. It's not like you can't come back."
"Yes." Alice Nakiri reacted, and then she looked embarrassed. "It's all your fault, Grandpa. You nagged me so much that I thought I would never come back."
"Haha, okay, it's my fault." A small episode made the atmosphere lighter. After that, Alice Nakiri hummed a song and went back to pack her luggage. Senzaemon asked his men to stop searching and called the butler. Then, he made another phone call.
"Hey, brat, there's something I need you to do right now. It's very important. Come right away." The person on the other side was stunned but did not refuse. Then, Senzaemon found a servant and carefully stored all the enhanced ingredients. On this day, the power of the Totsuki Group began to operate.
Settling in Dimensional City
Alice packed her things and came to the Dimensional City again. "Takumi-kun, here I come."
Alice Nakiri used a floating spell and pulled a dozen large boxes out of the Dimensional Gate.
"Did you... move your entire house here?" Takumi looked at her pile of luggage. He just asked her to pack daily necessities, not a whole building.
"No, these are my cooking machines." Alice Nakiri said she was just moving her kitchen.
"Okay, let's put them over there for now. There are no conditions for you to use them yet." Takumi helped her put down the machine and then smiled. "Before arranging housing, I have a good thing for you."
"A good thing? What is it?" Alice Nakiri asked curiously. Takumi raised his hand to her forehead. Then, Alice Nakiri felt that there were more memories in her mind.
"This is?!" Looking at the various recipes and cooking skills in her memory, Alice Nakiri was stunned.
"How is it? Surprised?" What he just gave to Alice Nakiri was the cooking inheritance of Liu Subaru from the world of Cooking Master Boy. Takumi had mastered all of Liu Subaru's skills, but he copied the memory for her. After all, she was the official cook of the Dimensional City.
"Well, Takumi-kun, you are great. I like this gift very much." Alice Nakiri nodded excitedly. She felt that with this memory, her cooking skills would surpass Erina's. Then, Alice Nakiri couldn't help but kiss Takumi on the cheek.
Then, both of them were stunned. Takumi didn't expect that this girl was so bold. Alice Nakiri was stunned before she realized what she had done. Takumi broke the silence.
"Ahem, as long as you like it. I also hope you can master it as soon as possible and make more delicious food for us."
"Well, I'll try my best." After getting over the embarrassment, Alice Nakiri regained her energy. Takumi arranged a room for her in the branch building. He helped her tidy up the kitchen and asked her to start preparing dinner. Only then did Alice notice that it was almost dark.
"When no one passes the Dimensional Gate, the time flow rate in the two worlds is different. It is unstable, sometimes fast and sometimes slow. Only when someone stays as an anchor does it stabilize." Takumi explained. He didn't want the time flow to accelerate suddenly, so he added the anchor point operation.
Compared with the unstable time difference, it is better to let it be completely stabilized. Especially for a world like the Danmachi world, a stable parallel time was needed. After hearing this, Alice was relieved. She quickly started cooking. This time, she tried the inherited Chinese recipes, and they were well received. Even Takumi had to admit her talent. Two days later, the housing project was completed.
A Growing Community
Alice Nakiri adapted to life in the Dimensional City. In addition to cooking, she plays with the pups in her free time and practices magic. She loves taking care of the fields to observe the growth of ingredients. Her joining improved the happiness of everyone. Even Marikawa Shizuka and the others worked harder knowing a good meal was coming.
Hestia, Kochou Kanae, and others also welcomed her. Alice Nakiri became the most popular person besides Takumi. Hestia also gave favors to Marikawa Shizuka, Minami Rika, and Alice Nakiri. Surprisingly, their talents were all good.
Marikawa Shizuka awakened a skill that enhances healing and a good healing spell. Minami Rika has a shooting skill. When not discovered by the enemy, the attack power is doubled, and the movement speed increases after attacking. It matched her identity as a sniper.
Alice Nakiri has a skill related to cooking. The function allows the food she makes to add a buff to the eater. This result made Takumi wonder if their innate skills were tied to their original identities. Whether it was the Kochou sisters or Saeko Busujima, they all had unique skills. It was a common trait among characters from the original works.