Flowers were blooming everywhere. Pink, yellow, blue, and all sorts of colors, flowers could be found sprouting and budding here and there, but it was not a garden nor was it a forest. In the first place, the flowers were nothing but illusory objects brought about by the rosy atmosphere.
It was still early in the morning, but the atmosphere was already sweet and sappy like that of freshly harvested honey. The cause was none other than the newlyweds who were flirting so openly even in front of guests.
"Here, Aria, say ahh～!" ［Kris］
"No... That's too embarrassing..." ［Aria］
"Come on now, I just want to spoon feed and spoil my cute and lovely wife. Is it so wrong to do so?" ［Kris］
"No, not at all..." ［Aria］
Much to Kris' persuasion, Aria finally opened her mouth and so, the former managed to feed her. Her cheeks quickly turned bright red as the rosy atmosphere intensified, burying Grey and Yuna in even more flowers.
While the two could understand why they were acting like such since they had just gotten married, it was still too much that their eyes started hurting. It was only then that they realized Aria really was Falroe and Valka's daughter.
They two were now regretting visiting so early in the morning. While it was rude to refuse someone's genuine goodwill to join them in breakfast, at the moment, the two of them felt like air, there but unnoticed by the newlywed couple.
But Kris and Aria weren't the only ones who caught their attention. In the very same room, there were two other people with... interesting... mood about them. One was happy and bright as the sun, Reina, while the other was in the darkest depths of despair, Falroe.
Throughout the rest of the night, Reina chatted and danced more with Eldhart. In just a couple hours, they were quick to become friends. She may not have realized it, but Reina was definitely having a crush on the latter. It was obvious with such a dreamy atmosphere looming over her.
On the other hand, Falroe was despairing and clenching his heart. The more he looked at how happy his daughter was, the tighter his heart became. His existence was fading faster and faster by the moment.
If anything, it was amazing how Valka and Zeke could tolerate such different and extreme atmospheres. Whilst Zeke was understandable since he was still young, not embarrassed as much as the others, Valka was just a different breed. Rather than scolding them, she was encouraging them. An incomprehensible existence.
Knock Knock Knock
A guest had started knocking on the door, but the moods were not broken in the slightest. It was as if everyone were in their own worlds, not giving a single shred of care about anything else.
"Ah, I'll go get it." ［Grey］
"Oh, thank you, Grey." ［Valka］
Seeking for a breather, Grey headed towards the door to greet the visitor. But rather than a welcoming smile, what was plastered on Grey's face was a surprised yet lifeless expression as soon as he opened the door.
What greeted him was a nervous young elf, about the same age as him, fixing his clothes a little with a reddish tint on his cheeks. It was the one and only Eldhart whom Reina has been daydreaming about.
"G-Good morning, Sir, isー" ［Eldhart］
"You're looking for Reina, right?" ［Grey］
"Y-Yes! I... Is she around?" ［Eldhart］
"Ah, yeah, she is... Just wait a moment, I'll go get her." ［Grey］
"Th-Thank you very much!" ［Eldhart］
There wasn't even a need to guess. With his attire and actions, it was obvious what he was there for. He was lucky it was Grey that faced him. If it was Falroe, there was no telling what would have happened. It wouldn't have been pretty.
A lifeless expression on his face, Grey headed back to the dining room to relay the young man's message. It was still early in the morning yet he felt like going back to bed again. What a troublesome way to start the day.
"Reina, someone's looking for you." ［Grey］
"A-Ah, y-yes!" ［Reina］
At Grey's words, Reina quickly stood up from her seat and headed towards the door. Grey hasn't even told her who was looking for her, yet there was already a blooming expression on her face.
A few minutes later, the awkward atmosphere still unchanging, Reina returned with blinding happiness traced on her face. Her cheeks were rosy and her smile was extending ear to ear. Such brilliance only made Grey and Yuna feel more like air.
"Umm... Mom, Dad, I-I'm going out for a bit." ［Reina］
"Oh? Did you have something to do today?" ［Valka］
"A-Ah... That's... Eldhart, he... He asked if we could go around the village today. I-Is it okay? I promise I'll go home early..." ［Reina］
It was a date. There wasn't anything else more fit to describe it. While a bright smile bloomed on the mother's face, the father's expression was the complete opposite. It was as if the world had crumbled as he froze completely, his face going pale.
"Fufufu, of course! Make sure to have lots of fun, okay?" ［Valka］
"Y-Yes!" ［Reina］
Having gotten her mother's permission, Reina excitedly exited the house and went out into the open streets. Her timid, high-pitched voice echoing with cheerfulness along with the voice of a joyous young man.
Meanwhile, Falroe's expression have gotten even worse. If one looked at him, it was hard to say he was still a person. He looked more like a lifeless zombie, his soul escaping his body and his eyes void of any color.
"Waah～! Is Big Sis Reina getting a boyfriend?!" ［Zeke］
"Fufufu, that may be so. If things go well, maybe we'll have another grand wedding a couple of years from now." ［Valka］
"Really?! I can't wait to get another big brother!" ［Zeke］
"Then we'll better support you Big Sis then." ［Valka］
Each and every single statement from Valka and Zeke was like an arrow piercing Falroe's heart. Especially the words "boyfriend" and "wedding". They were like heavy boulders weighing down on him.
However, no matter how dark and heavy Falroe's expressions became, neither Kris nor Aria paid no heed to him. They just continued flirting, spoon feeding, and teasing one another as if they were the only two people in the world. Even when breakfast ended, they were still like that.
"Mister Kris and Miss Aria sure are enjoying their newlywed life to the fullest, aren't they? The atmosphere is so sweet I might get diabetes at this rate." ［Grey］
"Fufufu, just let them be. They just got married yesterday. I'm sure it'll die down in a few days." ［Valka］
Or so Valka said, but coming from her, such words weren't very convincing. After all, even after having been married for Falroe for more than two decades, they still act like newlyweds, head over heels for one another.
'Really now, the atmosphere is just too sappy liー hm? Sappy?' ［Grey］
Grey suddenly stopped on his thoughts. Sappy... Viscous... Sticky... Something like honey, sweet and sticky. Such a thought process played inside Grey's mind until a certain sweet popped up in his mind.
A Japanese sweet made with glutinous rice and some sweet fillings. A dessert he often saw in many fictional works and also had the pleasure of tasting it himself. A rice cake with sweet confections hidden inside. It was mochi!
"Hey, Yuna... Would you want to eat some sweets?" ［Grey］
"Sweets?! Of course!" ［Yuna］
"Alright then, it's decided! I just have the right thing in mind!" ［Grey］
There was no need for another question. As soon as Yuna heard the word "sweets" was mentioned, her mind was already set. For a sweet tooth such as herself, there was no need to hesitate. Her motto was "Sweets are life!".
Even the flirting newlyweds couldn't help but be intrigued at Grey's declaration. It was true that they had just had breakfast, but they still couldn't ignore Grey's words. After all, it was an opportunity to taste yet another immaculate creation!
Grey stood up from the dining table and headed outside, towards the backyards. Without him saying a word, the others followed and when they arrived, they just simply seated themselves on the benches as if they were guests on a cooking show.
'These people... Really...' ［Grey］
A wry smile showed on Grey's face as he looked at how carefree the others were. Even Falroe who was still down in the dumps looked both excited and despairing, an expression one couldn't help but worry over.
From god-knows-where, Grey quickly took out a couple kitchen tables, a ton of ingredients, and even a fully functional oven, refrigerator, and faucet. In just a fraction of a second, the backyard has turned into an outdoor kitchen.
"Right, Yuna, since you promised to cook Zeke pizza yesterday, why don't you cook some for us?" ［Grey］
"Pizza? Leave it to me! I'll make sure to create the most delicious pizza you've ever tasted in the whole world!" ［Yuna］
"Hahaha, then I'll leave it to you. Just make sure not to overdo yourself, alright? Just make enough for us to eat." ［Grey］
"Un!" ［Yuna］
Excited as one can be, Yuna quickly agreed on Grey's request as she quickly grabbed a number of ingredients here and there. There was flour, a jar of tomato sauce, some frozen chunks of meat and many more.
"Big Sis Yuna, what are you making?" ［Zeke］
"Ah, I'm making pizza." ［Yuna］
"Pizza?! Can I help out too?! I also want to make them!" ［Zeke］
"Of course! Any help would be welcome. Then... can you hand me those mushrooms and that jar over there?" ［Yuna］
"Yes!" ［Zeke］
With great enthusiasm, Zeke joyfully approached Yuna, looking at the tables with such bliss on his face like a toddler who was just gifted a number of presents. He then took what Yuna asked for and gave it to her.
Yuna gaining a little assistant, she and Zeke quickly started their task. The oven's flames were turned alight, the faucet started flowing, and the scent of fresh ingredients wafted through the air. The stage was set.
Well, they weren't the only ones who were ready. Grey was also the same. Atop the table was flour, cornstarch, sugar, milk, cream, salt, butter, strawberries, chocolate, red beans, and of course, glutinous rice!
The cultivation of glutinous rice was nothing short of an arduous task. Since Grey hasn't found it in the wild, he had to manually make it from normal rice and plant magic after thousands of tries of accelerated selective breeding and using his sharp senses to determine even the smallest hints of difference.
It was only after three years of experimenting whenever he could that he finally achieved his goal. While it was not real sticky rice and just a variant of rice, it was close enough and served its purpose. Grey was satisfied.
"Alright, let's do this!" ［Grey］
His heart blazing with passion and eyes practically glowing with determination, Grey started his great culinary adventure with a little bit of plant magic to create a large wooden mallet, a similarly large wooden mortar, and a wooden steamer.
With the tips and tricks he had learnt back on the internet, he knows how to make mochi without the mallet and mortar traditional way, but his spirit wouldn't allow it. He aspired to be like those professionals he once saw in internet videos. After all, a show is also part of the process.
Whiisshhh
Such a sound echoed in the air as Grey poured a sack of glutinous rice into a basin full of water. Such a process normally takes a day or two, but with the use of magic, there was nothing impossible. All that was needed to do was to use plant and water magic to soften the rice.
After which, the softened glutinous rice was then put in a steamer to make the rice even softer and stickier to the point one would wonder if it was even rice in the first place. It was then placed on the mortar for mochi pounding.
Bang Bang Bang
Loud booming noises filled the air as Grey pounded the hot dough time after time. A process which required two people was easily achieved by him, just using his hands to alternately flip and pound the dough.
His right hand pounded the dough with great force that could easily break bones and his left hand, covered with cornstarch, would then flip the dough at breakneck speed. Such a cycle was repeated until the dough achieved a soft and chewy texture. The mochi dough was finished.
Grey just didn't make a single type of mochi dough, he made many other types which only varied in colors. It was so that people could differentiate what fillings were inside them at a later time,
Now that the mochi dough was made, it was time to shape them. Grey placed the dough on a floured surface to prevent sticking, using rolling pins and dough cutters to make thick, circular doughs from them.
"Big Sis Yuna, what's Big Bro Grey making?" ［Zeke］
"Hmm... Actually, I don't know myself... But I'm sure it's going to be delicious! Let's look forward to it, okay?" ［Yuna］
"Yes!" ［Zeke］
"Then how about we continue? Let's make the best pizza!" ［Yuna］
"Yes!" ［Zeke］
Like a little parrot, due to his excitement, Zeke could only utter a single response to Yuna's words. As Grey progressed with his mochi making, so did Yuna and Zeke on making pizza. They were already done with the pizza themselves. All that was left to do was bake them.
Blup Blup Blup
Water boiled and a steamy hot wind caressed Grey's face. Now that the mochi dough is finished. It was time for the fillings. The very first one was, of course, none other than the traditional red bean paste!
First, Grey boiled the red beans to soften. After which, he added sugar, stirring and mashing them until a sweet paste was made. The paste itself was half fine, half chunky, with little bits of the beans still intact.
After the red bean paste, Grey made a couple more fillings for the mochi. There was chocolate, vanilla ice cream, salted caramel, and fresh strawberries, wrapping them with the mochi dough, and done, the mochi pile was finished. Some were still warm while some were chilled. Needless to say, all were delicious.
"Grey, we're done!" ［Yuna］
And just in time, Yuna and Zeke had finished cooking pizza with bright smiles on their faces. There was a pizza which resembled Hawaiian style, one which was greens heavy, one full of meat topping, a seafood style, and a couple more.
An aromatic scent drifted in the air as the pizzas were taken out of the oven. A warm and steamy atmosphere enveloping the surroundings as everyone's appetite was aroused by the appetizing aromas.
They have just eaten a couple hours ago yet after seeing and smelling the pizza. While the mochi doesn't have much of a scent, its soft and fluffy look was enough to make people feel hungry.
"Grey, what's this?" ［Yuna］
"It's mochi. Here, have a taste." ［Grey］
Without any warning, Grey suddenly took a red bean paste mochi he just recently cooked and delivered it to Yuna's mouth with a "pomfh" sound as the mochi softly touched Yuna's lips red lips.
Yuna, although a little surprised, didn't voice any complaints. She just simply opened her mouth and chomped on the mochi she was fed, looking like a little chipmunk, munching down on her snacks.
"Mnm! Dewishous!" ［Yuna］
A bright expression blossomed on Yuna's face as she continued to much on the mochi. It didn't even matter to her if her mouth was full, her excitement was just overflowing, she needed to give her feedback.
"Hahaha, I'm glad you enjoyed it. Here, Zeke, have some as well." ［Grey］
"Thank you, Big Bro Grey!" ［Zeke］
After Yuna, it was time for the others to have a taste. Of course, Grey didn't feed them himself. No matter how close they were, he wouldn't do anything so distasteful and embarrassing. Such a gesture was only reserved for Yuna.
Pizza on the left hand and mochi on the right hand, Yuna wolfed down on the snacks before her. Foods which were full of sugars and carbohydrates which women usually avoid. Still, Yuna didn't care about them much. She doesn't get fat anyway.
"Mom! Have a taste of this one, too! It's delicious!" ［Zeke］
"Fufufu, then how about you feed one to Mommy? Ahh～!" ［Valka］
"So sweet and tasty! But Reina! Reina...! My little girl... Why did you leave Daddy...? Do you not love me anymore?! Ugh... This pizza is also delicious!" ［Falroe］
Such an interesting family they were. Valka, rather than being the one feeding her son, was doing the opposite. While Falroe was eating whilst crying, alternating from happiness in eating the food and sadness in Reina going out with a young man,
"Alright Dear, say ahh～!" ［Kris］
"Ahh～!" ［Aria］
And as one would expect, the newlywed couple still continued flirting. And this time, they have even developed far enough to start addressing each other with "Dear". Thankfully, there was food Grey and Yuna could take refuge from the two's sweet and sappy mood.
"Ah! So you were here! I've been looking for you!" ［Reina］
A familiar voice echoed from behind as Reina arrived at the backyard. Behind her was Eldhart, wearing a slightly nervous expression but a rosy hue on his face. The same color was painted on Reina's face.
"Oh, you're here, Reina. Grey and Yuna made some food for us. Why don't you join us? Eldhart too, don't be shy and come here." ［Valka］
"Y-Yes, ma'am!" ［Eldhart］
"Fufufu, no need to be so stiff." ［Valka］
Reina and Eldhart joined the fun too and enjoyed two wonderful snacks bringing an explosion of flavor and color to their taste buds. Such a merry and hearty time continued up until a certain question was asked. And that question was...
"So, Reina, how'd it go?" ［Grey］
"Huh...? How did what go?" ［Reina］
"Your date, I mean. Did you enjoy it?" ［Grey］
"D-D-Date?! N-No, it isn't l-like that at all! W-We were o-only ha-hanging out i-in the vi-village!" ［Reina］
Stuttering, Reina tried to explain herself with a flustered expression. It was only when Grey said it that she realized that she actually went on a date, making her heart thump uncontrollably like a wild horse. Eldhart was in the same state.
"Anyway, it's not a date at all!" ［Reina］
In a desperate attempt, Reina quickly dismissed the topic before it heads in the wrong direction, her face as flustered as one can be. She continued eating her mochi in a meek manner, glancing at Eldhart's from time to time.
Eyes full of expectations, Zeke looked at Reina and Eldhart back and forth, ending his actions with a satisfied smile on his face, looking forward to the day he gains bother older brother. An enthusiastic dream.
"Big Bro Grey, Big Sis Yuna, can I have some of these in the afternoon, too?" ［Zeke］
"Hmm... Sure, why not? I'd like to eat more, too." ［Yuna］
"Hey, Yuna, don't spoil Zeke too much... Zeke, how about this. If you finish the training this afternoon, we'll have mochi for dessert during dinner?" ［Grey］
"Really?! Then I'll doー" ［Zeke］
"That's a wonderful idea, Grey!" ［Falroe］
Zeke couldn't even finish his words when his father suddenly cut him off. The man who was down at the deepest depths of the abyss was now reborn as a brightly burning phoenix soaring high in the blue sky.
"That will surely make Zeke stronger. And since we're at it, Eldhart, why don't you join them too?" ［Falroe］
"Yes...?" ［Eldhart］
"Now, now, don't be shy. I'm sure it'll be a good experience for you. Then, I'll leave them in your care, Grey, Yuna. Make sure to train them thoroughly." ［Falroe］
Well, Falroe's intentions were soon revealed with his words. Emphasizing the word "thoroughly", it was obvious he just wanted to get a little bit of revenge towards the young man who he thinks will steal his daughter away.
Not that Eldhart has any choices anyway. Not only was it the Chief's suggestion, he also couldn't falter when Reina was looking at him with such expectant eyes. Zeke had gained a comrade in his hell of suffering.
CHAPTER 154 END