[Elmer]

That’s right… I completely forgot about it.

“What in the world does this mean!?”

Matthias’ loud voice that I rarely hear resounded in my ears.

I was supposed to get up early because I was invited by Luchser-san to go to the town today.

“When I came in to your room this morning, El-sama wasn’t there, how much do you think I’ve worried…!”

I thought of going back to my room soon after I’ve finished was.h.i.+ng when Matthias jumped into the kitchen. While I watched that dazely, Matthias stood infront of me in an imposing stance and started to scold me.

“El-sama, are you listening!?”

I seemed to have troubled Matthias. It’s impossible not to be surprised if you found out in the morning that a child went missing. In the first place, didn’t I not tell Matthias I was was.h.i.+ng the dishes? I curiously considered it after all this time.

He wouldn’t have to worry if I told him from the beginning.

“I’m so sorry.”

I believe that I was really at fault so I quickly lowered my head in apology. And then I continued talking.

“Tomorrow on…”

“You musn’t! El-sama, what are you saying…?”

“Ah~ that’s no good~”

He seemed to get even more angry when I said tomorrow. It was then when I shrank back, thinking ‘what should I do?’ that Lucsher-san came. Richard-san who was perfectly dressed up in the morning stood behind her. Well, I’ve never seen Richard-san in OFF-MODE since I came here.

“Mother, please shut up for a while!”

“The one who should shut up is you. Before you scold him, you should hear the reason! His reason!”

As soon as I heard a snapping sound, Matthias was hurled several meters away from the spot he was previously standing on. My eyes went back and forth between Matthias and Lucsher-san instinctively.

From what I can see, Matthias is grasping his forehead and Lucsher-san is striking the folding fan on her palm repeatedly, it was likely that he was hurled by that fan. I pretended not to see the white smoke coming from the fan.

“This is why a greenhorn who doesn’t have any experience in raising a child is useless.”

Lucsher-san spitted out those words. Her manner of speaking towards her own biological son is extreme but no one minded the situation.

“I heard about it just now. El-chan, were you helping here? Though our cooks are excellent, they’re lacking in numbers as you can see.”

Those excellent cooks are working like zombies behind Lucsher-san. It’s the usual spectacle during this time in the morning.

“Madam, that isn’t required. If they’re short in hands, they only need to do three times the amount of work.”

When they heard the words Richard-san gave, all the hands of the cooks stopped at once.

“That’s right! Isn’t that so, everyone?”

And then, a large cook-san appeared before anyone noticed and worsened the situation by saying that while laughing heartily.

It’s a dazzling person with dark skin and white teeth paired with white clothes for a cook. From his manner of speaking, is he someone in a high position?

“Y…yes…”

Other cooks unanimously returned an answer with extremely sorrowful faces. It doesn’t seem to be alright at all. To make them do three times the amount of work, what kind of devil’s act is that!? If it goes on like this everyone will die! I must absolutely say a denial here, that is my conclusion.

“You’re wrong. I want to cook.”

Therefore, I can only say that I want to do it and looked up to Lucsher-san. This isn’t everything, it’s just one of the reasons.

However, it wasn’t Lucsher-san who reacted first, it was the large cook-san.

“Gahahaha! That was it, afterall!?”

Were my words amusing? Why are you laughing happily? There was nothing amusing about it, and the only answer I was able to say was ‘Huh?’

“I’ll teach you how to cook!”

This time it wasn’t just the cooks, everyone in the room except me stopped moving. Why was it?

While I thought about the reason behind it, I was taken in front of the cooking table. It seems like he’ll immediately teach me now. He placed a raw meat on the table. Cook-san crouched down to take out the cooking wares. Nonetheless, what kind of meat is this?

“At any rate, cooking is wonderful! The secret is to be well-versed in a battle! Don’t you think so?”

Cook-san said that while nodding his head by himself and turned back his gaze. He didn’t seem to want me to answer at all.

I think he’s a little strange, but that idea was instantly denied. I can’t say for certain that he’s strange. Right now, I’m mostly accustomed to them. Everyone in the West Vern House are unique.

“Which want do you want to use?”

Is he making me choose a kitchen knife? I’m not yet familiar with them but the big one seems like it can cut off anything so it’s scary.

“A small one…”

“Small, isn’t it! Then if that’s the case, it has to be this!”
He said that in a high-spirited voice while handing it over. I let out a soundless scream when I saw it.

It was obviously something closer to a saw rather than a kitchen knife. It slipped off, and I grabbed on the sharp edge in panic. Together with a dull pain, a small quant.i.ty of blood flowed. That vivid red liquid of mine wet the blade.

I quickly turned pale and asked for Cook-san’s help.

“Blood…”

“That’s fine! Although you may shed a little blood while cooking, you’ll eventually become good at it.”

Cook-san laughed, showing his dazzling teeth.

You’re wrong, that’s not the method of cooking I want to do. I can’t tell that to the cook-san who began handling the meat.

“El-sama, please don’t die!”

Matthias exclaimed once again.

“I’m fine… just that… my body hurts.”

It’s a little more painful than what I uttered. My whole body hurts. Piett-san’s first ‘fun cooking cla.s.s’ came to an end.

It knew from their voices that the surrounding cooks are also worried. They’re good people. With this, I wonder if they had been rescued from doing three times the workload?

Naturally, I was taken to the doctor after getting an injury from brandis.h.i.+ng that weapon. The trip to the town that day was postponed until later.

“We’re off!”

Matthias, who will be house-sitting, waved his hand as I embarked on the carriage together with Lucsher-san.

I am exhilarated with my first proper outing. I think it would be better if Matthias came, too.

“We’ll return immediately at once, alright~”

I remembered Matthias’ words from some time ago just as we were departing, and tilted my head. ‘Though I always say this often, but make sure to enjoy yourself in the outing,’ is that it? The surrounding maids looked at Matthias with a suspicious look when he said that. Though the person himself didn’t pay attention to them at all.

Well, never mind.

They left the West Vern House’s estate.

It is a high-ranking aristocrat’s estate that holds the West Fortress as its other name. Invading it is easy. However, you can never leave once you enter it. You’ll taste three levels of h.e.l.l. You’ll regret being alive when you happen to meet those eyes.

There were stories that no one ever returned or escape from there there, so no one really meddles with that place.

Those rumors are famous in the towns near the estate even if they do not know whether those are just lies or really the truth.

With this, Elmer has met every person necessary for the defending the fortress. It was that kind of day.