Nagai Koto c6

「Hahaha, you've got that right. You have memories from the time you were Asakura Ryuuma, it might be hard because of that. I don't have any ideas in the first place unlike you though.」 (Melma)

Going to my teacher's shop to have ramen and chat has now become my daily routine. I arrive around lunchtime and stay till halfway through evening so that there would be fewer customers, allowing us to talk without hesitation. Well, since I recently haven’t been eating at home, my mother’s been pouting.

「Sensei, is there easy to use and convenient magic that, like, goes *boom*?」 (Velt)

「To lower my head to that brat would be unpleasant. If I requested something from her, she’d be super happy and full of herself, she’d also demand something in exchange.」 (Velt)

「Cut it out will you? At any rate, after a few years she’s going to turn her back on me.」(Velt)

Still, Forna being called a genius is the truth. Her everyday life consisted of essential and artisanal magic techniques. Furthermore it seems she learned a great deal of offensive magic. In a manner of speaking, she had the ability to fight without the need of an escort.

「By the way, how does sensei use magic?」(Velt)

「That’s how it seems～ I’ll do my best from now on, but I don’t think learning that would be useful on an adventure. As expected, how do I put it, something like combat skills to survive? I wonder...」(Velt)

「Well, I don’t really like flashy things. It’d be kinda unfitting for a delinquent.」(Velt)

It’s not like I’ll refuse to use a weapon in a fight. However, I don’t like people using sharp things.

「Besides, I don’t want to be carrying a sword or spear with me all day. I want a more fun way to show my power.」(Velt)

Well, if there was a way to do that then everyone would be doing it.

「Huh? It’s pretty good, but what’s up with that all of a sudden?」(Velt)

「U-uuh? W-well, since the raw ingredients are different～ In my previous life as Asakura Ryuuma, the best tasting ramen restaurant was definitely the place at Ikebukuro I think? But what about it?」(Velt)

I didn’t understand but I answered and sensei glared at me as he held his kitchen knife.

「Progressing through my life as Melma, I didn’t have any talent in magic nor combat, but from the age of sixteen I built my way up from the bottom. Starting as a dishwasher, years passed until I was entrusted with cooking, and when I regained my memories as Kobayakawa I practiced the art of cooking ramen for ten years. Even though I still have a ways to go I never gave up my pursuit of flavor.」 (Melma)

「Remember well. No matter which world it is, you can learn and refine yourself every day.」 (Melma)

That hit a sore spot. For the delinquent who has never accomplished anything, they were the most severe of words.

「Putting effort doesn’t suit a delinquent.」(Velt)

「You’ve said enough haven’t you? Even idiots can’t be fixed.」(Velt)

「Yo. It’s been a few days since I last saw you, what’s going on all of a sudden?」(Velt)

Ever since I was able to meet sensei again, I’ve been constantly hanging around here so I haven’t seen her in a few days. She doesn’t attend the school of sorcery that I go to. It was because she had nothing else to learn. However, she always ambushes me at the entrance after school and invades my house, so she had pretty much seen me every day, but the last few days were different. From that, Forna noisily entered the restaurant, and violently sat on the chair next to me, and resolutely opened her eyes and yelled at sensei.

「Tonkotu Ramen, heavy on the flavor please!」 (Forna)

In that moment, we were suddenly thrown off. By the way, in this restaurant, since I started using the words the words 『kaedama』 (second serving) and 『kotteri』 ("heavy" in the context of food) some of the regular customers started using it.

「Got it, Tonkotsu with some heavy flavor!」 (Melma)

The soup was thick and oily. The moment the ramen, which was unbefitting of a young aristocratic girl, reached her, she removed the fork that was given to her. Reaching into the hollow cylinder, she took a pair of chopsticks and started slurping up the ramen.

「H-hey, princess!」 (Melma)

「Y-yeah, that’s right but..」(Velt)

「Well, no, but..」(Velt)

「Whaaat?! P-princess, do you understand what kind of thing that is?」 (Melma)

(TN: Ninniku also means garlic in Japanese, but in this world they seem to use the English pronunciation for it,)

I couldn’t believe my ears when Forna ordered it. But, Forna mixed the crushed garlic into her soup and once again began to vigorously eat the ramen. Gazing at this spectacle, I had realized something.

「Forna, you...」(Velt)

「The chopsticks, you can use them?」(Velt)

Until this day none of the regular customers were able to use chopsticks. I was the only one able to use them. But, even though Forna was somewhat awkward with them, she was eating without a fork.

「......I practiced.」 (Forna)

「I, there’s nothing that if Velt understands, I can’t! I trained intensely in the castle!」 (Forna)

Forna, who had a sullen expression for a while, finally revealed a triumphant look. It seems like she was waiting for this moment. However, I was surprised. It was the correct way to use chopsticks, something that even the kids in Japan didn’t remember. That is, it had only been a few days since she had met the manager. As expected, this brat might be a genius. And then, as if seeing through me, from an angle Forna couldn’t catch, sensei poked my head.

「W-what are you doing?」(Velt)

I didn’t understand the meaning of his actions, sensei was shocked, and he spoke in a low voice.

「The princess gave it her all practicing didn’t she? Take a good look at her fingers.」 (Melma)

Right now, I noticed. Although her fingers were joined together, on her tiny smooth fingers were calluses.

「It’s true. It’s only because her pride is so strong that she’d do that.」(Velt)

「Whaa? Why would she want me to notice her using chopsticks?」(Velt)

「Children are children, pure and innocent right? Figure it out already.」 (Melma)

However, coinciding with that I witnessed something dazzling. I intended to turn over a new leaf, but I hadn’t tried anything interesting with my own effort. However, Forna continued putting in effort for her own reasons, and the results bore fruit. A ten year old precocious brat. However compared to the one that had the mental age of a seventeen year old, she was much more amazing.

「Forna. You’re great. The reason being, you’re pretty cute arentcha.」(Velt)

(TN: He sure does have a terrible way with words.)

I spontaneously rubbed her head. With just that much, it was as if her head had become a chimney blowing out smoke. What an interesting person. Somehow, it wonderfully suits her. More than that I believe I’ve lost this one.

「Hey, sensei. If you’ve got some free time won’t you come with me to the weapons shop?」　(Velt)

「It’s not that. Just, I want to try looking for a sword again. However if you’re under thirteen you can’t enter, so come with me.」(Velt)

「Don’t worry about it. It’s against the law in Japan, but nobody will judge us here. That’s just one of the unique things about this world」(Velt)

With inspiration from Forna, I’ll thank her with just this for today.

Chapter end