One week after the subjugation of the black monster Goliath, at the Starlight Garden.
Suren had just finished his morning meditation. As he pushed open his door, he saw Ryuu Lion standing in the center of the courtyard, frowning at a piece of parchment in her hands.
Drawn upon it was... something that looked like a twisted mushroom cloud, with the caption "Clear Meat Broth Steps" scribbled next to it.
"Ryuu?" Suren approached, peering over her shoulder with curiosity. "What are you looking at?"
"Ah!" Ryuu jumped like a startled animal. Her pointed ears instantly flushed a pale pink. She frantically tried to hide the parchment behind her back but accidentally dropped it on the ground.
Suren bent down to pick it up. Looking at what could only be described as an "abstract expressionist" cooking diagram, his lip couldn't help but twitch.
"Is this... a recipe?"
"Y-yes." Ryuu's voice was several octaves lower than usual, her gaze darting away. "Noin has been busy lately training the supporters like Lili, so I thought I'd try to help out in the kitchen."
Her voice grew smaller and smaller, eventually becoming a mere mumble. "I thought if I followed the steps, it wouldn't be too difficult..."
Just then, a muffled thud echoed from the direction of the kitchen.
The two shared a look and hurried toward the source.
When they pushed open the door, the sight left Suren speechless.
Three ceramic pots sat on the stove, each containing a liquid of highly suspicious color. The pot on the left held something a ghastly shade of blue-purple, with charred, unidentifiable vegetable-like objects floating on the surface.
The middle pot was filled with a liquid as thick and dark as pitch, bubbling with ominous, sluggish pops.
The pot on the right was crystal clear, but the chunks of meat submerged within had turned an unnatural, ghostly ashen gray.
Meanwhile, the actual recipe Ryuu had been using as a "reference" lay pitifully in the sink, half-soaked in some kind of sauce.
"I... I just wanted to adjust the heat," Ryuu said, her voice laced with a rare sense of panic.
"According to the steps, I was supposed to bring it to a boil over high heat and then simmer it... but I think I mixed up the order. And the amount of seasoning was also..."
She pointed to the blue-purple soup. "This one had blueberries and herbs added; I wanted to make it sweet and sour."
Then she pointed to the "pitch" in the middle. "This one was supposed to be thickened like Noin said, but I might have used too much starch..."
Finally, she looked at the plain water and gray meat. "I forgot the seasoning for this one. By the time I remembered, the meat was already overcooked and tough..."
Suren suppressed a laugh and was about to offer some words of comfort when a familiar, mocking snort sounded from behind them.
"Heh. Just as I thought."
Kaguya was leaning against the kitchen doorframe, her black kimono sleeves tucked back to reveal her pale forearms. She stood with her arms crossed, her slender eyebrows arched. Looking at the "masterpieces" on the stove, her lips curled into an unabashed smirk.
"I was wondering why I smelled something strange. It turns out our 'Gale' is performing explosive experiments in the kitchen."
Kaguya walked in slowly, scooped up a bit of the "asphalt" with a wooden spoon, and gave it a sniff. She immediately made a face of pure disgust.
"What is this? Secretions from a Dungeon Slime?"
"Kaguya!" Ryuu's ears were now completely red—this time out of sheer embarrassment and indignation. "I... I just haven't mastered it yet!"
"Haven't mastered it?" Kaguya set the spoon down and turned, her eyes scanning Ryuu from head to toe.
"Let me see. Last month, you tried to help mend the Captain's training gear, and you ended up sewing the sleeves to the pant legs."
"Last week, you tried to organize the warehouse and almost caused a disaster by categorizing red potions and poison bottles together based on color. Three days ago, you offered to check the ledgers and misplaced a decimal point, nearly causing the procurement budget to skyrocket."
With every sentence, Ryuu's head sank lower, and the crimson on her ears deepened.
"So, as I was saying," Kaguya concluded, her tone as light as if she were discussing the weather, "our dear Elf Lion is a total lifestyle klutz at anything that isn't swinging a sword or acting all stoic and serious."
"I-I am not!" Ryuu snapped her head up, her jade eyes burning with a rare spark of fury. "I'm just not suited for these trivialities! Combat and protection are my duties!"
"Oh? Then who was it that hid in her room for an entire day because a street vendor told her, 'Miss Elf, you're so pretty'?"
Kaguya tilted her head, a mischievous grin playing on her lips. "If the Captain hadn't literally dragged you out, you'd probably still be shrinking in your room right now, wouldn't you?"
"That... that was because..." Ryuu's face was so red it looked like it might start dripping blood. She could barely form a sentence.
Suren, watching the scene unfold, couldn't help but interject. "Actually, Sister Kaguya, when I first arrived, Ryuu was the one taking care of me. She treated my wounds, taught me basic training, and..."
"And what?" Kaguya turned to Suren, her eyes carrying a look that suggested he was far too naive.
"The bandages and medicine were prepared by Noin. The training plan was drawn up by the Captain. As for her 'taking care' of you..." She deliberately drew out her words.
"She just did her daily rounds, asking how you felt and what you needed, then handed over the things the Captain had already prepared. The actual nursing was done by others. Our 'Lady Elf' enters 'Hopeless Mode' the moment she encounters a task requiring a delicate touch, for fear that saying one word too many will reveal she has no idea how to interact with people normally."
"Kaguya!" Ryuu's voice now held genuine anger. "How can you say that? I'm just... not good at it."
"Just what? Just easily embarrassed? Just bad at expressing yourself?" Kaguya stepped closer, coming almost face-to-face with Ryuu.
"Admit it, Ryuu Lion. If the Captain hadn't spent these years dragging you to every event and forcing you to talk to people, you'd still be a shut-in elf who knows nothing but how to swing a blade."
That sentence seemed to strike a nerve. Ryuu's body trembled slightly. A flash of hurt crossed her jade eyes, but it was quickly replaced by the irritation of having the truth exposed.
"And what about you?" Ryuu suddenly shot back, her voice shaking with agitation. "When you first arrived in Orario, who was it that acted like a high-and-mighty noble, speaking in flowery riddles and drawing her sword at the slightest tease? 'The upbringing of the Gojouno family'? In the end, it took less than a month for your true colors to show—foul-mouthed, sharp-tongued, and mocking everyone at every turn!"
She took a deep breath, as if dumping out years of pent-up grievances in one go.
"Alise told me that the first time you went to register at the Guild, you almost sliced the counter in half because the clerk asked a few too many questions about your background! If the Captain hadn't pinned you down and made you apologize, you'd still be on the Guild's blacklist!"
Kaguya's expression froze for a moment before her eyes narrowed.
"Oh? Bringing up old history? Still better than someone who turns red and runs away just because a kid called her 'Big Sister Elf'."
"At least I didn't hunt a man across three blocks because he said my kimono looked drab!"
"He deserved it! And I didn't actually hit him in the end!"
"Because you were distracted by a stray cat!"
"Is it my fault the cat jumped out so suddenly?!"
Watching the argument become increasingly childish, Suren couldn't help but palm his face. These weren't powerful adventurers; they were two elementary schoolers having a spat.
Just as he was thinking of how to mediate, Ryuu suddenly grabbed his hand.
"There's nothing more to say to someone like her!" Ryuu said fuming, pulling Suren toward the door. "We're going on patrol! Out of sight, out of mind!"
"Eh? Wait, hang on!" Before Suren could react, he was hauled out of the kitchen by Ryuu. They crossed the courtyard and headed straight for the gates of the Starlight Garden.
Kaguya stood where she was, watching them leave—specifically noting Ryuu's hand tightly gripping Suren's wrist. The anger on her face slowly dissolved, replaced by a subtle, pensive expression.
"Oh my?" she whispered to herself, a playful glint in her black eyes. "Dragging him away that naturally? Physical contact?"
She remembered very clearly that Ryuu Lion—this seemingly cold but actually hyper-shy elf—had a severe aversion to physical touch. In the entire Familia, there was almost no one she would touch freely besides Alise. Even Kaguya herself had only been allowed shoulder or arm contact in necessary moments after a full year of fighting side-by-side.
But now?
"Is this the 'Hero's Charm' at work?" Kaguya crossed her arms, a meaningful smirk playing on her lips. "Even a stiff-necked elf can be conquered? Hah!"
She turned back to the three "disaster" pots on the stove, shook her head, and resignedly began cleaning up the mess. After all, if she left them there for Noin to see, she'd never hear the end of it.
Meanwhile, walking down the street with Ryuu, Suren finally found an opening to speak.
"Ryuu, you can let go now," he said cautiously. "My wrist is starting to hurt a little."
"Ah!" Ryuu let go as if she had been burned, her entire body freezing up.
She slowly turned her head to look at Suren, then down at her own hand. Her cool, beautiful face turned red from her forehead to her neck in a matter of seconds. Even her pointed ears turned a deep shade of pink.
"I-I... I'm sorry!" she stammered incoherently. "I didn't mean to! I was just angry... I mean, I don't usually do this! Really!"
Looking at the elf who was so flustered she looked ready to evaporate on the spot, Suren actually laughed. He reached out and gently took Ryuu's still-trembling hand—this time in a warm, friendly clasp.
"It's okay," Suren said with a smile. "I know you only pulled me away because you trust me as a comrade, right?"
His voice was sincere. "When I first arrived, it might have been the Captain's plan and Noin's medicine, but you were the one who came to see me every day, asked how I was doing, and talked to me. I felt that care, Ryuu."
Ryuu was stunned. She looked at Suren's gentle smile and felt the warmth from his hand. Her panic and embarrassment slowly subsided, replaced by a warm, unfamiliar sense of peace.
It's true...
Without her realizing it, this boy had become a comrade she truly accepted. She worried about his injuries, felt happy for his progress, and instinctively watched over him during training...
Perhaps Kaguya was right; she really wasn't good at expressing herself. But that quiet attention and companionship weren't fake.
Ryuu nodded softly, the flush on her face receding slightly, though her ears remained pink.
"You are... an important comrade."
The two continued down the street, still holding hands, completely unaware of how intimate they looked to the people around them.
"Oh, look! It's Miss 'Gale' from the Astraea Familia and that 'Versatile' Suren!"
"They're holding hands! They must be close!"
"Ah, to be young again..."
"When did this happen? I hadn't heard anything!"
"They make a good match!"
Shopkeepers, old men sunning themselves, and passing adventurers all cast kind, gossipy glances and whispered among themselves.
Ryuu's body stiffened again. She finally realized she was still holding Suren's hand—in the middle of the street! In full view of everyone!
"Let... let go..." she whispered, trying to pull her hand back, but Suren held on firmly.
"If we let go now, won't it look even more suspicious?" Suren lowered his voice, a teasing smile on his face. "Everyone's already seen us. We might as well be natural about it. Or do you mind people misunderstanding?"
"I-I don't... but this..." Ryuu's voice grew smaller as her head dropped lower, eventually almost burying her face in her chest. She felt like her ears were hot enough to fry eggs; she didn't dare look at the people around them.
Suren looked at the elf beside him, who was blushing so hard she seemed to be shrinking into a ball, and couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Who would have thought? The cool-headed, decisive "Gale" of the battlefield was actually a shy, socially awkward "Klutz Elf" who got flustered when teased.
But she felt more real this way. More lovable.
"Let's go," Suren said, pulling her hand gently as they continued forward. "Didn't you say we were going on patrol? If we keep standing here, even more people will start staring."
Ryuu let out a tiny, whimpering sound and allowed herself to be led. With her head down and ears red, she followed him like a child caught doing something wrong.
The sunlight bathed them, casting long, overlapping shadows on the cobblestone road.
At a street corner, Alise, just returning from a shopping trip, happened to catch the scene. She blinked her green eyes and let out a bright, beaming smile.
"Well, well~" she murmured to herself, her tone full of relief. "They're getting along just fine, aren't they?"
Her fiery red ponytail bounced in the sun as she turned away, humming a song as she took a different route back to the headquarters.
Some sights were best left undisturbed.
────────────────────────────────────────
Grand Opening Celebration
Sign up now and get 50% off – from today until the end of the month!
My : https://p*tre*n.com/Noctra418
Danmachi: My Magic Style is Different from Yours (90 Chapters – Ongoing)
────────────────────────────────────────