"Shirou? Now that is a rare sight! Are you looking to buy something?"
The moment he pushed open the door, Shirou saw Closure sitting beside a table tinkering with some machinery. As soon as she noticed him, she immediately set aside what she had been working on and enthusiastically switched into sales mode.
That was right. If there was any place on Rhodes Island where ingredients could be obtained, this was the only one Shirou knew of.
As long as the money was there, Closure could produce almost anything.
Of course, that was assuming it was not something overly dangerous. As for how "dangerous" was defined... Closure had her own standards.
Kal'tsit was aware of those standards as well, which was why she generally turned a blind eye to Closure's private business activities.
As long as she did not go too far, Kal'tsit usually did not interfere.
"Yeah, I am looking for something sweet."
Shirou did not bother beating around the bush and got straight to the point.
"Something sweet, huh... That is a bit troublesome. I think this is all I have left."
After hearing his request, Closure looked troubled.
Desserts and sweets were always in high demand, but most people on Rhodes Island were required to watch their diets, so she could not stock much of them.
As a result, the only thing remaining in Closure's store was... edible sugar.
It was expensive. Ordinary people would never buy sugar just to cook with it. If they failed, it would be a costly mistake. It was far more practical to spend the money on snacks or biscuits.
And those who could cook usually did not buy from her. Most either brought back cheap sugar from missions or purchased it through commissions before showing off their culinary skills.
Fortunately, plain sugar had a long shelf life. Combined with the occasional customer who could not resist eating it directly, it managed to sell.
Otherwise, Closure would never have bothered stocking it.
"Only sugar?"
Shirou was somewhat surprised to hear that sugar was all she had left.
Then again, Rhodes Island had been stationed in Ursus for nearly a month now. It was understandable that obtaining this kind of stock had become difficult.
He could understand that.
"That is right. A bag like this only costs this much."
Seeing that Shirou had not immediately turned around and left, Closure swiftly returned to sales mode. She pulled out a bag of sugar and held up a number with her fingers.
"That is a lot more expensive than it was in Lungmen."
Shirou frowned slightly.
The reason was simple: the sugar here cost more than twice what it had in Lungmen.
A small increase would have been understandable, but double the price was a bit ridiculous.
So Shirou cast a skeptical look at Closure.
"Hey, getting supplies is not easy over here! This stuff takes up storage space if it just sits around. Compared to my other products, the profit margin on sugar is already pretty low! How about this? I will give you a twenty percent discount!"
Questioned by Shirou, Closure responded with her specialty move: acting pitiful.
It was extremely effective.
"Hmm... Fine. Do you have any other ingredients I could cook with?"
Since Closure had explained herself and even offered a discount, Shirou felt it would be difficult to keep pressing the issue.
Still, something felt off.
For a brief moment when she opened the cabinet containing the sugar, he could have sworn he saw nearly fifty bags of it stacked inside.
But now was not the time to dwell on that.
Taking the precious sugar from her, he moved on to asking about other ingredients.
"Ingredients, huh? I think I have only got Milk left. Someone delivering ingredients on commission brought me some extra a while ago. It just arrived yesterday, do you want some?"
As she spoke, Closure opened a nearby refrigerator.
Inside, besides the milk, were all sorts of strange beverages packed together.
"I will take two bottles. Please pack them up."
After accepting the bottles from Closure, Shirou weighed the sugar and milk in his hands.
A recipe quickly formed in his mind.
The remaining two ingredients would definitely be available in the cafeteria, so there was no need to buy them here.
"Thank you for your patronage! Please come again!"
After swiftly taking Shirou's money and handing over the change, Closure enthusiastically waved in the direction he was leaving.
Anyone who spent money in her store would receive the most sincere farewell she could offer.
"...I think I got overcharged."
After leaving Closure's shop, Shirou stared at the change in his hand and fell into thought.
Inside, he had been swept up by Closure's sales pitch and smooth talking, leaving him no room to think in other directions.
But now that he considered it carefully, there seemed to be quite a few problems.
The sugar was one thing.
The price of those two bottles of milk alone could have bought him more than ten bottles back in Lungmen.
Even accounting for the difficulty of obtaining supplies on Rhodes Island, the markup was excessive.
At that moment, Shirou suddenly understood why opinions of Closure among Rhodes Island operators were so divided.
Her inventory was undeniably impressive and could satisfy the needs of most people.
But her prices were undeniably outrageous as well.
"Well, whatever. It is fine to indulge once in a while. This should be enough to make portions for everyone."
Since he had already bought everything, Shirou felt that going back to argue with Closure would be pointless.
All he could do was remember to think twice before shopping here again.
Rather than dwell on it, he decided it would be better to think about something else and improve his mood.
Since milk could not be left at room temperature for too long, Shirou headed straight for the cafeteria at a brisk pace after leaving Closure's little shop.
The cafeteria was fairly empty during the afternoon hours. Only a handful of chefs who happened to be on duty were busy working.
"Shirou? It is pretty rare to see you coming here at this time to eat."
While working, the Ursus girl with yellow hair noticed Shirou entering the cafeteria and assumed he had come for a meal.
The person in question was Lada. Due to a series of circumstances, she, Sonya, Anna, and the others had temporarily come to Rhodes Island.
Unlike Sonya, who possessed strong combat abilities, or the intelligent Anna, Lada felt that brute strength was her only real advantage.
However, she was quite skilled at cooking, which was why she was now working as one of the cafeteria's chefs.
"I came to borrow the kitchen and make something, are Sonya—I mean, Zima and Istina not with you?"
Shirou was somewhat surprised to see someone he knew.
Lada, or rather, Gummy, as she was called on Rhodes Island.
He had met her back in Chernobog before the operation began. At the time, he had asked her to take away the pot of soup he had only half-finished cooking.
She had done an excellent job preserving it, and afterward everyone had been able to enjoy the soup together.
It was also during that period that they came to understand Rhodes Island much better. After spending several days thinking it over, they had ultimately decided to join.
However, after returning to Rhodes Island, Shirou had not seen any of them again, so running into Gummy now came as a surprise.
"Just call me Gummy! Big Sis Zima and Big Sis Istina are busy somewhere else!"
When Shirou mentioned the other two, Gummy answered honestly while leading him to an empty workstation in the kitchen.
"I see. You have been working hard. The cafeteria must keep you pretty busy, right?"
Setting the sugar and milk on the counter, Shirou began searching through the refrigerator for the remaining ingredients he needed while chatting with Gummy.
What he intended to make was not particularly complicated, so carrying on a conversation while working was no problem.
"It is not too bad. Everyone takes good care of Gummy. What ingredients are you looking for, Shirou?"
Seeing him rummaging through the refrigerator, Gummy walked over and asked.
"Eggs, vanilla extract, and Rum."
Only after Gummy asked did Shirou realize it would be easier to ask her directly.
After all, asking someone who had been working in the kitchen all day was much more efficient than searching blindly on his own.
"The eggs are over there. As for the vanilla extract and rum... I will have to ask the others. I can get them for you! How many eggs do you need?"
After confirming Shirou's requirements, Gummy quickly pointed out where the eggs were stored.
As for the other two ingredients, she had not used them in her own cooking and therefore did not know where they were kept.
Still, she could ask someone else.
"Those two bottles of milk should be enough for more than twenty servings. Let us make twenty-four portions and thanks for the help."
Shirou did not refuse her assistance. Before he could use the ingredients, he still needed to prepare the sugar.
Watching Gummy jog off, he took out a pot and the bag of sugar.
What he was making was caramel pudding, and the first step was preparing the caramel.
"Cold water, sugar, heat over a low flame..."
It had been quite a while since he had made desserts, so Shirou found himself muttering the steps aloud as a reminder.
When making caramel, there was no need to stir it. He simply held the pot and gently swirled it from side to side until the mixture turned amber, then added a small amount of hot water before quickly portioning it out.
"That should do it."
Rather than searching the kitchen for pudding cups, Shirou projected them himself.
During his recovery period, he had been forbidden from using magecraft, so he had not used it for quite some time. This could serve as a bit of rehabilitation.
They were standard pudding containers, each decorated with a little penguin on top.
He had projected the same kind they used in the dormitory. Apparently, everyone had bought them together at some point.
Unfortunately, aside from Exusiai, almost nobody cared for sweets.
And Exusiai herself was usually focused entirely on apple pie.
As a result, the containers had been left almost completely unused.
Only Shirou thought it was a waste, so he had specifically learned how to make desserts like jelly, milk pudding, and tea jelly in order to put them to use.
Everyone had enjoyed them greatly.
Especially when the first spoonful landed right on the little penguin's head.
"Smells amazing! Shirou, are you making dessert?"
Just as Shirou was about to pour the finished caramel into the containers, Gummy returned carrying a bag stuffed with eggs, along with a small bottle and a tiny liquor bottle.
The small bottle contained vanilla extract, while the tiny liquor bottle was naturally the rum.
Both were common ingredients in dessert-making, so the Rhodes Island cafeteria kept some in storage, though not in large quantities.
The vanilla extract was not particularly difficult to obtain.
The rum, on the other hand, was genuinely scarce. The cafeteria only had some because a few operators were especially passionate about making desserts and had specifically requested the procurement department to stock it.
"Yeah. Just leave them over there. And here, this jar of caramel is for you."
After quickly pouring the caramel into the containers, a small amount remained in the pot.
Shirou promptly projected a small bottle, poured the leftover caramel into it, and sealed it tightly.
Afterward, he pushed the jar of caramel toward Gummy as compensation for her help.
"Really? I can have it?"
Looking at the jar filled to the brim with caramel, Gummy could not help swallowing.
No matter what, she was still a child. Her resistance to sweet things was extremely low.
No child could refuse sweets. If one could, it only meant there was not enough of them.
With a jar this large, even if she generously poured it all over pies, it would still last for several days.
"Of course. I still have sugar left. If I want more, I can always make it myself. Besides, I will be heading back to Lungmen in a few days, so I cannot take it with me."
Afraid she might refuse, Shirou pulled out the half-used bag of sugar and showed it to her.
"Thank you so much!"
Hearing that, Gummy happily accepted the jar of caramel.
Her way of thinking was very simple. Since Shirou said he could not take it with him, then he genuinely could not take it with him and was giving it to her instead.
"It's nothing. I will need your help returning these two later, though."
To keep her from worrying too much, Shirou deliberately assigned her an easy task.
It definitely was not because he had no idea where those two ingredients originally came from or where they should be returned afterward.
"Leave it to me! Is there anything else I can help with?"
Having received her reward, Gummy was overflowing with motivation and eagerly asked if there was anything else she could do.
"Hmm... Then help me prepare the eggs. Just lightly beat them. Do not whisk too hard and create bubbles."
Seeing the hopeful look in her eyes, Shirou could not bring himself to refuse and handed over the egg-preparation task.
Anyone working in the cafeteria understood cooking much better than the average person, so there was no risk of her getting in the way.
Besides, it was only a simple task of beating eggs gently.
He was quite comfortable leaving that part to her.
With their duties divided, Shirou moved on to preparing the milk.
Heat it, add sugar until dissolved, then add vanilla extract and rum for flavor.
It was not particularly difficult, though still slightly more complicated than beating eggs.
After letting it cool slightly, he poured it into the beaten eggs while continuously stirring gently.
Once the mixture was evenly combined, he strained it several times before pouring it into the pudding containers and covering them with aluminum foil.
"Add water to the tray, set the oven to one hundred and fifty degrees... Thirty minutes to start with. If it is not enough, I can add more time."
Placing the tray full of caramel puddings into the lower section of the oven, Shirou finished the settings and closed the door.
After tidying up the workstation, he sent a message to Doctor.
Naturally, he did not forget Penguin Logistics, nor Amiya and Rosmontis.
As for Blaze?
She was probably still busy.
Shirou had been fortunate enough to glimpse the plan Scout had devised. Even if he placed pudding directly in front of her right now, she would probably suspect it was a trap and refuse it.
So he decided not to notify her.
"It smells so good."
After baking for a while, the sweet aroma of caramel pudding drifted out from the oven, making Gummy, who was standing nearby, feel completely at ease.
Sweet foods could make people feel happy and relaxed, so naturally their aroma could have a similar effect.
Though it could also make people hungry.
"Once they are done, take three with you. And say hello to Zima and Istina for me."
Sitting nearby and browsing Rhodes Island's daily message boards on his terminal, Shirou noticed how completely immersed Gummy seemed in the sea of sweetness and suggested she take a few puddings.
There would still be plenty left afterward.
Even if she took three, there would still be enough to share with most of the people he knew who enjoyed sweets.
"Th-That would not be right, would it? I already accepted the caramel. Taking three puddings too feels like too much."
Upon hearing Shirou's offer, Gummy's first reaction was not happiness but nervousness.
Do not let Shirou's casual purchase of a bag of sugar fool you.
For an ordinary person, the price of that bag was a genuine luxury.
And Gummy's only source of income at the moment was her cafeteria work.
Moreover, the bag was not actually that large. Shirou had already used a portion of it for these caramel puddings, and what remained would only be enough for perhaps three or four more batches.
That was why Gummy felt so uneasy.
After already receiving an entire jar of caramel, would accepting three puddings make Shirou spend too much on her?
"Well, there is no helping it. I ended up making far more than I expected. I am already wondering who I should give the leftovers to. If you could help me get rid of three of them, I would really appreciate it."
Seeing how nervous Gummy had become, to the point where even her fingers seemed out of control, Shirou put on an act and said so.
It was an obvious lie.
Each caramel pudding was not very large. Although there were over twenty of them, the four members of Penguin Logistics alone could probably wipe out more than half.
Of course, Shirou had no intention of letting that happen.
After all, Penguin Logistics' work frequently brought them into contact with Originium.
During their previous medical examinations, everyone except Sora had received warnings.
Keeping their conditions stable was actually quite simple: adjust their current lifestyle, adopt healthier habits, and rely on their own bodies to resist Originium's progression.
Reducing sugar intake was one of the most important parts of that process.
For that reason, Exusiai and Texas had suffered quite a bit.
One was a Sankta who practically lived on sweets.
The other was a Lupo who practically lived on Pocky.
Suddenly cutting back on sugar was bound to be painful.
As for Sora, she was already quite disciplined in that regard. Aside from the occasional indulgence, she had no major problems.
The biggest winner this time was Croissant.
While everyone else was cutting back on sweets, she had simply shifted her focus to other foods instead. She had absolutely no dietary restrictions whatsoever.
It could be said that allowing each of them one pudding was already the greatest amount of leniency Shirou was willing to show.
"Then... then I will take three!"
The innocent Gummy completely believed Shirou's story. At that moment, she genuinely thought she was helping him solve a problem.
"...That really helps me out a lot."
That gave Shirou a brief sense of guilt, as though he were tricking a child.
However, the moment he saw the excitement written all over her face after learning she could take the puddings home, that guilt vanished without a trace.
To him, nothing brought greater happiness than seeing a smile on someone else's face.
While the two chatted, Exusiai, Texas, Croissant, Sora, Doctor, and the others gradually arrived and took their seats in the cafeteria.
Notably, besides Amiya and Rosmontis, there was one person Shirou had not expected to see.
"Kal'tsit!? Why are you here?"
The instant Doctor saw Kal'tsit, they felt their entire world fall apart.
The sweet aroma filling the air had been sending desperate signals from both the stomach and the brain, urging then to eat.
But the moment Kal'tsit stepped through the door, Doctor's brain immediately betrayed them and completely suppressed their desire for dessert.
That alone demonstrated just how much psychological trauma Kal'tsit had inflicted on Doctor through dietary restrictions over the past few days.
"When Shirou sent the message, Dr. Kal'tsit happened to be nearby... Ah, everyone is here!"
Noticing Doctor's mood plummet from heaven to hell in an instant, Amiya helplessly explained why Kal'tsit had come.
At the time, she had been handling paperwork together with Dr. Kal'tsit. By the time Shirou's message arrived, they had just reached a stopping point in their work.
Amiya had only intended to inform Kal'tsit before coming over herself.
However, as soon as Kal'tsit learned that Shirou was the one who had contacted Amiya, she immediately stated that she would come as well.
For some reason, Amiya had felt that Dr. Kal'tsit's expression at the time had been... somewhat strange.
Yet after entering the cafeteria, that subtle feeling disappeared.
In its place was a chilly atmosphere.
One directed entirely at Doctor.
That was why Amiya hurriedly changed the subject, attempting to ease the tension between the two.
"Yeah! Shirou told us all to come over. The smell in here is making me miss Laterano a little."
Exusiai, who had already completely immersed herself in the ocean of sugar alongside Gummy, lazily replied to Amiya.
"That sounds wonderful. I definitely want to visit someday."
Hearing that, Doctor immediately developed a strong interest in Laterano.
"Rhodes Island currently has no plans to establish contact with Laterano. And even if we did, you would not be the one handling negotiations. Rhodes Island has people far more suitable for that role."
Kal'tsit did not indulge Doctor's fantasy in the slightest and immediately shattered their dream of visiting Laterano.
Doctor visibly deflated.
"Those two seem to have a pretty terrible relationship."
Watching the interaction, Croissant quietly tugged on Shirou's sleeve and whispered.
The main reason was that Exusiai had already disappeared into her own little world, making conversation with her impossible.
Sora was busy helping Rosmontis, who had rushed over, straighten out her appearance.
As for Texas, there was no need to mention her.
She was already a woman of few words. Holding a conversation with her alone felt awkward.
So Croissant naturally set her sights on Shirou instead.
After all, he was not doing anything at the moment.
"Do not stick your nose into other people's drama. That sort of thing can get you into trouble."
Faced with Croissant's invitation to gossip, Shirou did not hesitate to smack her lightly on the head.
Doctor was one thing.
But she dared to gossip about Kal'tsit too?
He wanted no part of that.
After firmly rejecting the invitation, Shirou stood up and walked over to the oven.
The moment he opened it, the sweetness in the air intensified even further.
He gently nudged one of the puddings. After confirming that no liquid seeped out, he put on a pair of baking gloves and pulled out the entire tray.
Twenty-four puddings sat neatly arranged in rows.
They immediately captured the attention of everyone present except Kal'tsit.
"Hold on."
Shirou slapped away Exusiai's sneaky little hand.
After peeling back the foil on one of the containers and preparing to invert it onto a plate, he suddenly realized a serious problem.
Baked pudding...
It did not unmold well unless it had been chilled first.
"What's wrong?"
Seeing Shirou wear an expression as though he had encountered a powerful enemy, Amiya asked curiously.
After all, it was rare to see him display such obvious emotions.
She found it rather fascinating.
"I actually forgot... pudding tastes best after being chilled for a while."
Realizing he had made such a basic mistake, Shirou felt somewhat defeated.
He quietly put the foil lid back on and returned the pudding to the tray.
"Ugh... Does it really not work if it is warm?"
Doctor could no longer sit still.
If they missed this opportunity, Kal'tsit would undoubtedly bury them beneath mountains of work later, leaving them with no chance to enjoy these delicious treats.
The only thing Doctor had was this moment.
"The taste and texture might be a little worse," Shirou admitted honestly, still somewhat dejected.
"For pudding, there really is a difference between chilled and unchilled versions. Though, if I remember correctly..."
Exusiai, who had the most experience making desserts among everyone present, added her thoughts before suddenly falling silent, as though she had remembered something.
"As long as it gets chilled, right? Shirou, do you already have plans for the extra puddings? If not, set aside a few. I can ask someone to help."
After listening to both of them, Amiya quickly grasped the situation and turned to Shirou.
"Would five or six be enough?"
Although he had no idea why Amiya was asking, Shirou quickly calculated the number of people present, along with a few absent individuals who might want some, before answering.
"That should be enough. I will contact Miss FrostNova right away. If I remember correctly, after receiving treatment from Rhodes Island, some of her sense of taste has recovered. Just a few days ago she was saying she wanted something sweet."
After confirming there would be extra puddings, Amiya pulled out her terminal and started contacting people.
If the goal was simply to chill the puddings, Originium Arts could accomplish it much faster than a refrigerator.
After all, the output could be adjusted as needed.
However, asking someone to come all the way here just to cool some puddings would feel a bit rude, so it made sense to offer a few as compensation.
As it happened, FrostNova from Reunion had recently come aboard Rhodes Island for examinations and treatment.
Her sense of taste had recovered slightly, causing her to spend a lot of time visiting both the cafeteria and Closure's store.
She had even accidentally gained a little weight.
That said, it had only been a short-lived case of compensatory overeating. She had already returned to a normal diet, though she could still occasionally be heard mentioning cravings for certain foods.
"I would not recommend using Originium Arts for such things, especially not for a severe patient like FrostNova. Furthermore, her recent compensatory eating has already caused imbalances in her physical condition. Under these circumstances..."
After understanding Amiya's plan, Kal'tsit launched into a lengthy lecture, attempting to explain why such behavior was inappropriate.
However, before she could finish, Doctor suddenly covered her mouth.
"I know about FrostNova. She has been following medical advice very closely these past few days. Eating one occasionally will not hurt her. And using a small amount of Originium Arts should not be a problem either."
Apparently terrified that Amiya might be convinced by Kal'tsit, Doctor hurriedly argued their case.
This was one area where they did not joke around.
As much as they desperately wanted to eat the pudding, they would never gamble with someone's health or safety.
If anything, occasionally enjoying a high-calorie meal different from one's usual diet could prevent the body from becoming too accustomed to a single eating pattern while also helping a person relax mentally.
A healthy diet certainly benefited the body.
Whether it benefited the mind was another matter entirely.
And that was something she understood very well.
"Mon3tr!"
The moment she broke free from Doctor's hand, Kal'tsit immediately summoned Mon3tr.
As soon as it appeared, Mon3tr hooked one of its claws into the back of Doctor's clothing and lifted them into the air.
Since the claw caught the clothing from behind, it did not choke them.
That did not make dangling helplessly in midair any more pleasant, however.
"..."
Watching the scene unfold, Shirou's lingering frustration vanished completely.
In its place came a small sense of confusion regarding the relationship between those two.
If Kal'tsit truly disliked Doctor...
Then why did she tolerate so much from them? As long as dangerous matters or certain secrets were not involved, she generally left Doctor alone.
But if Kal'tsit genuinely cared about Doctor...
Then why did she constantly target them, speak in frustratingly cryptic riddles, and occasionally summon Mon3tr to punish them?
It was...
A very puzzling relationship.
"Ah! I got it!"
Ignoring Doctor's ongoing cries for help, Exusiai suddenly sprang to her feet.
Even the halo above her head seemed a little brighter than before.
She immediately headed into the kitchen and began searching for something.
Eventually, she found the tool she needed.
A culinary torch.
"Even if the texture ends up a bit strange, there is actually a group of people in Laterano who enjoy eating it this way. Though they often get chased around by supporters of the traditional method."
Peeling back the foil, she sprinkled a layer of sugar over the pudding.
Then, borrowing a nearby flame source, she lit the torch and aimed it directly at the sugar.
Within seconds, the sugar melted and formed a thin caramelized layer over the top of the pudding.
The intense heat left scattered dark spots across the surface.
Rather than making it less appealing, however, those slight scorch marks made it look even more appetizing.
At least, that was how Exusiai saw it.
"Give it a try!"
Once she finished, Exusiai did not eat it herself.
Instead, she handed the pudding to Shirou.
"...You should eat it first."
Looking at the pudding in Exusiai's hands, Shirou immediately recognized the dessert it resembled.
Crème brûlée.
The preparation process was very similar to baked pudding.
The main difference was that baked pudding used whole eggs, whereas crème brûlée used only egg yolks, resulting in a firmer, bouncier texture for the pudding.
The two desserts were similar, but ultimately not the same thing.
Still, Exusiai clearly did not care about distinctions like that.
The only thing she truly cared about was apple pie.
And she had eaten enough bizarre and unconventional apple pies to stop worrying about technicalities long ago.
"Works for me... Ah, hot, hot, hot!"
Exusiai accepted the spoon without hesitation and immediately dug in.
The long-awaited taste of dessert filled her with happiness.
The pudding was still fresh from the oven, however, and quite hot.
As a result, she had to pause after every bite to cool her mouth before taking the next one.
"Still, it tastes pretty good. Quite unique, actually."
"Eat slower. It is not going anywhere. And do not eat too much. There is caramel underneath and extra sugar on top. If a doctor sees this, you will probably get chased down."
Seeing her like this, Shirou could only smile helplessly. After offering a brief warning, he let her do as she pleased.
Still, Exusiai's little experiment had given him an idea.
Following her example, Shirou prepared a serving for everyone present who was willing to try it.
Croissant, Sora, and Doctor were all eager to sample it.
As for Gummy, she planned to bring hers back for the other two, so it would be better to wait for the chilled pudding later.
Amiya and Rosmontis simply had no choice. There was too much sugar involved, and under Kal'tsit's watchful gaze, they were forced to decline.
As for why Doctor was allowed to have one?
That was because Shirou had put in a few good words on their behalf, prompting Kal'tsit to grant permission.
"So we ended up eating them anyway."
A short while later, the temperature in the room dropped by several degrees.
A white-haired Cautus wearing a thick winter coat walked over.
"Normally, baked pudding tastes better after being chilled."
Giving up his seat for FrostNova, Shirou replied with an awkward yet polite smile.
There was no helping it.
Who could have predicted that Exusiai's brain would suddenly start working?
At least when it came to desserts, her knowledge far surpassed his.
"Mmm~ So chilled tastes better, huh? Then I will look forward to it. If I do not like it, I will freeze you instead."
As she spoke, FrostNova activated her Originium Arts.
Tiny frost crystals appeared around the puddings.
Under these conditions, they would not freeze solid, but the cooling process would be much faster than using a refrigerator.
In about half an hour, all the puddings would be pleasantly chilled.
As for her threat, it was obviously just a joke.
Even if she really froze Shirou, he possessed more than enough strength to break free.
A certain Sarkaz mercenary whose surname happened to start with "W" had firsthand experience with that fact. The kick she received back then had left a lasting impression.
Besides, Shirou's cooking skills were already famous throughout Rhodes Island.
When people mentioned Shirou, the first thing that came to mind was not his absurd combat abilities.
It was the fact that everything he cooked tasted amazing.
That was also why FrostNova had specifically come all the way here.
"That puts me in a difficult position. How many are you planning to take back? If it is not enough, I can make more."
Shirou paid little attention to FrostNova's joke.
Instead, he asked how many puddings she wanted to bring home.
Leaving Reunion's other leaders aside, the Yeti Squadron alone had dozens of members.
Given FrostNova's close relationship with them, there was a good chance she wanted to bring one for everyone.
"Really? Let me think, Talulah... I should bring one for her and Alina, Mudrock..."
Hearing that she could take more, FrostNova began counting people while maintaining her Arts.
Meanwhile, Shirou's smile slowly started to crack.
He had already begun calculating how much milk he would need to buy from Closure.
It seemed Closure was truly going to make a fortune this time.
Assuming she still had enough stock left.
"Ahem. If it is inconvenient, three or four will be enough. I can just bring them to Alina and Mudrock."
Noticing Shirou's fading smile, FrostNova realized she might have been asking for too much.
"It is fine. I was just wondering whether there is any milk left."
With that, Shirou stood up, preparing to go purchase more ingredients.
Just as he rose, he seemed to notice something.
Turning toward Gummy, he said,
"Once FrostNova finishes here, you can head back first. You do not need to wait for me."
Then he turned toward Amiya.
"Keep a close eye on Exusiai, Croissant, and Doctor. Do not let any of them take a second one."
The reason he specifically addressed Gummy was because ever since FrostNova had entered, Gummy had been avoiding looking in her direction.
She had also become unusually quiet.
Even though she understood that FrostNova was not part of the group responsible for destroying Chernobog, some lingering distance and discomfort remained.
Unfortunately, Shirou had only noticed it rather late.
All he could do now was subtly acknowledge it.
At the same time, to prevent anyone from reading too deeply into the situation, he deliberately shifted attention by assigning Amiya the task of monitoring the other three.
"O-Okay."
Apparently caught off guard by Shirou suddenly speaking to her, Gummy nearly failed to react.
"I will keep a close watch on them! Leave it to me!"
Receiving Shirou's assignment, Amiya clenched her fists and nodded with a serious expression.
"Then I am counting on you. I will be back soon."
Shirou trusted Amiya quite a bit.
Whenever she promised to do something, she always did her best to see it through.
Even if Exusiai and Croissant started causing trouble, Sora and Texas would be there to keep them under control.
As for Doctor?
Amiya was practically her natural predator.
If Doctor did not want their workload increased again, they would definitely listen.
"...I will go with you."
Just as Shirou had not gotten very far, Kal'tsit suddenly announced that she would accompany him.
"Huh? Uh... sure."
Faced with such unexpected behavior from Kal'tsit, Shirou's brain completely stalled for several seconds.
It then took him several more seconds to piece together a simple response.
Although he had no idea what she wanted, Kal'tsit was not the sort of person who acted without reason.
There had to be some purpose behind it.