After washing their hands, Takatsuki and Seele sat facing each other on opposite sides of the dining table, with the three dishes and one soup they had just prepared placed in the middle.
However, Takatsuki noticed that Seele was only looking at the bowl and chopsticks in front of her, hesitating to pick them up.
Takatsuki suddenly remembered that Seele had always lived in Siberia, and unlike Bronya, who had been a mercenary since childhood and was very versatile, Seele might... not know how to use chopsticks.
"Seele, do you not know how to use chopsticks?"
Everyone at St. Freya Academy knew how to use chopsticks, whether it was Kiana or Bronya.
"Yes, Takatsuki, Seele hasn't used this utensil before."
Seele looked at the chopsticks in Takatsuki's hand, naturally knowing they were a utensil, but unfortunately, she didn't know how to use them.
"I forgot, I'm sorry, Seele, use the spoon and fork."
Takatsuki projected a spoon and a fork, but Seele shook her head and didn't take them.
"Is this a utensil from Takatsuki's country? Is it called chopsticks?"
Seele picked up the chopsticks in front of her, clumsily imitating Takatsuki's method, but without understanding the trick, she couldn't hold them steadily, and one chopstick slipped from her hand.
"Oh, in that case, I'll teach you."
Putting down the projected utensils, Takatsuki stood up and walked to Seele's side, beginning to teach her hand-in-hand how to use chopsticks.
We won't dwell on these trivial matters; let's rewind time to fifteen minutes earlier.
At this moment, Takatsuki had just put the dishes into the wok. Whether it was the various spices poured into the wok or the meatplaced in the oil, a rich aroma instantly burst forth.
Although the Hamon restricted the oil splatters and heat, the inherent smell of the dishes could not be contained.
Deep underground, there was basically very little wind, so the aroma of spices and frying still slowly drifted into the distance with the movement of the air.
But this area, as Takatsuki had said at the beginning, was a very large abandoned mine shaft. The marrow here had basically been almost completely exploited, so it was abandoned, and everyone went to another place with more marrow to mine.
However, at this moment, there was an uninvited guest in this area.
"It smells so good."
A girl dressed like a blue butterfly, carrying a large scythe, was passing by this place and smelled the aroma, which had become much fainter after drifting a long distance.
"Someone is cooking?"
Even though the aroma had become much fainter, it was something the girl had never smelled in her memory.
After all, in this underground world, the most delicious thing the girl had ever tasted was canned newt meat, as you couldn't expect many rich spices in such an icy, snowy underground environment.
Instinctively following the scent, the girl walked towards the abandoned mine shaft in her memory.
"Isn't this abandoned? How can there be such a fragrant smell? There's the smell of meat, and also a smell I've never encountered before."
The girl could only distinguish the smell of meat; the aroma extracted from multiple spices was not only complex but also very unfamiliar.
Soon, she saw her target: several tables were placed on the ground outside the abandoned mine shaft, with some kitchen utensils on them. The pot still emitted the aroma she had just smelled, and in the middle, a young man sat beside a younger girl, holding the girl's hand as she grasped two wooden sticks.
On the table in front of the two of them lay the source of the aroma: dishes she had never seen before.
Subconsciously, the girl swallowed, dragging her scythe as she walked over.
"Who are you two? Why are you here?"
Takatsuki also noticed the uninvited guest approaching. The person's attire was different from the miners he had seen in the mine; it could be said to be quite luxurious. And compared to the dirty miners, although the girl's clothes weren't exactly spotless, they looked at least decent.
However, only two things caught Takatsuki's attention: one was the red ribbon tied on the girl's right arm, and the other was the girl's appearance...
Takatsuki looked at the girl, then at Seele beside him, and then called out.
"Seele?"
"You know me?"
"What's wrong, Takatsuki, calling Seele?"
Both girls responded simultaneously, and then upon hearing each other's words, they immediately shifted their gaze from Takatsuki to each other.
"It really is you. You're the member of the Wildfire that Natasha mentioned, named Seele, right?"
Takatsuki looked at their almost identical faces and hair colors. This unfamiliar Seele looked more like an adult version of his Seele.
And the aura she exuded was more like Veliona.
"Who are you? Why haven't I seen you before?"
Upon hearing Natasha's name, big Seele's attitude softened a bit.
"We are travelers from another place. This is my sister, Seele Vollerei."
Takatsuki placed his hand on little Seele's head and introduced her to big Seele.
"Huh?"
The carefree big Seele and the gentle little Seele stared at each other.
"You..."
Big Seele instinctively started to say something, but quickly stopped: "Where are you from? Why do you look so much like me?"
"Seele..." Little Seele subconsciously glanced at Takatsuki before turning back to big Seele and replying: "Seele came here with brother. Seele doesn't know why big sister looks like Seele."
"Hey, hey, stop, stop, stop. You keep saying 'Seele, Seele,' and I thought you were calling me."
Big Seele rubbed her forehead, a little exasperated.
"But Seele's name is Seele."
"My name is also Seele, so you..."
"But..."
Seeing that the two were about to get hung up on just one name, Takatsuki quickly intervened, saying, "Alright, alright, let's not get stuck on just one name. You are a few years older than my Seele, so let's distinguish you by calling you big Seele and little Seele."
"I!"
Just as big Seele was about to say something, Takatsuki immediately continued, "Big Seele, have you eaten? Would you like to join us?"
Takatsuki had noticed earlier that although big Seele was talking to them, her eyes kept darting to the table, and her throat had bobbed several times.
So, Takatsuki's question was almost a checkmate.
"Ahem."
Big Seele cleared her throat: "I think this method isn't bad. Let's do that then."
With that, big Seele sat down opposite the two of them.
"You invited me, you know."
This tsundere quality really is like Veliona.
Takatsuki thought so, and clearly, little Seele thought so too. She felt a sense of familiarity with this person who should have been a complete stranger.