Chapter 82
Chapter 82: A Peaceful Fine Day Noon, the next day . Kazura had received the water turbine generator and the well-digging tools from the transport company, which he moved to the agricultural tractor parked in the mansion garden before returning to Grisea Village . While the loud sound of the engine was roaring, he exited the tree groves, and slowly traveled towards Valin’s residence . Kazura greeted and waved towards the villagers that he met midway and the villagers too were waving and bowed towards him . The villagers were not deliberately gathered towards Kazura, they were only returning his greeting when they met with him . The villagers knew that Kazura was very busy and couldn’t stay for long, so they were being careful not to be a hindrance to him . His travelled until the middle of the village when Valetta ran approaching him from the direction of the residence . It seemed that she heard the tractor’s engine sound and so come to greet him . Her expression was very bright, she seemed cheerful . 「Welcome back, Kazura-san . You have bought a lot of items…… It’s full with tools that I never seem before . 」(Valetta) 「I’m back . It full with big items that are very heavy, so I ended up transporting it using the tractor . Sorry for the noise . 」(Kazura) Kazura shut the engine temporarily and greeted Valetta, who then began peeking at the tools piled in the tractor’s cargo cart . Then she found the blueprint file folder amongst the items, after informing Kazura she took one and flipped through the pages . 「I had prepared two copies of that files, one of them is for Valetta-san . 」(Kazura) 「Th-thank you very much!」(Valetta) Valetta showed a delightful smile towards Kazura, and then she nodded 「I see, I see」 while skimming the blueprint for threshing machine and winnower . A winnower is a tool that separates threshed grain and its husk by using the wind that was generated from hand-turned blades . In the past, most Japanese farmer house would have one of this . 「In threshing and winnowing, if we use this then it won’t cost too much time and labor, right? …… If we have these detailed blueprints, then even I could make it myself . Since it isn’t something that difficult to make after all . 」(Valetta) 「R-really? Well, they are indeed tool that used in the past……」(Kazura) Valetta made an astonishing remark, as she only skimmed the blueprints . Kazura didn’t know how serious her words were, but he had a hunch that if it’s this girl then she could really make it by herself . Valetta skimmed the blueprints for a moment and then returned it back to the file folder on the cargo cart with a satisfied face . 「I had just prepared the food for the lunch . Since I had put my best effort in it, please look forward to it! Also, I also tried to cook a sekihan[1] . 」(Valetta) 「Oh, then I will look forward to it . It’s been awhile since I had sekihan…… That reminds me, I had bought several cans of adzuki beans back then . 」(Kazura) Amongst the large amount of groceries that he purchased before in supermarket, other than canned side dishes,[2] he also put other canned food that could be used in the dishes like canned adzuki beans and whole tomatoes . It was the result of his impulsive bulk purchase that he purchased the whole shelf in the supermarket, but thanks to this the variety of the dishes that could be cooked in the village increased too and the dining table dishes in each house became extremely plentiful . Since Kazura did buy some glutinous rice too, Valetta should be able to cook a proper sekihan . 「By the way, sekihan is something that is cooked when there is something auspicious . It’s a bit like a celebration . 」(Kazura) 「It’s indeed a celebration . 」(Valetta) Valetta answered immediately and this answer made Kazura tilted his head confused about the meaning . 「After all, Kazura-san has returned . 」(Valetta) Valetta said this with a heartfelt joyful smile . Though it was a line that is quite embarrassing to say for the speaker, she didn’t show any embarrassment at all, so her words might have no especially deeper meaning . Though, Kazura became a bit embarrassed by it . 「I-Is that so? Then, let’s return and have a lunch . 」(Kazura) 「Yes!」(Valetta) Even though Kazura was puzzled inside his mind about why she was in such a good mood, he started the agricultural tractor’s engine once more and then drove it towards the residence . ✦✧✦✧✦ When both of them arrived at the residence, Valin already started to serve the sekihan in the pot at the sunken hearth into bowls . Other than sekihan, there were salt grilled river fish, (canned) chicken and tomato in basil stew, herb flavored-grilled potato and (canned) sausage, thickly fried omelette (sweet version)[3], stir-fried leaf vegetable and arcadia bug . The variety of the dishes was higher than usual . Though there were some dishes that he had eaten in Japan before, this was something that Valetta cooked from trial and error using the information she got from the book for Kazura’s sake . 「Oh, this is really an amazing feast! It’s been awhile for me to have an omelette . 」(Kazura) 「This is the first time I ever cook this, so I don’t know if this suit Kazura-san’s taste…… It might be a bit too sweet . 」(Valetta)
Valetta said this as if feeling a bit embarrassed as she made a smile . Since it was the first time she cooks Japanese dishes, she was a bit nervous inside . 「Hmm, that’s not true . I think the slight sweetness is delicious . 」(Valin) 「Really? Then, I’m glad…… Wait, Father, does that mean you had eaten the food before the meal begin!?」(Valetta) 「L-let’s eat before the food gets cold . We also have cold water that had been just drawn from the well . Kazura-san, please have a seat . 」(Vl) Valetta was puffing her cheek from anger, so to dodge the problem, Valin prompted Kazura to sit down . Kazura made a wry smile while taking a seat at his usual position in the room and then received the wooden cup with water and the bowl with sekihan from Valin . 「Mou…… Even though I want Kazura-san to eat first . 」(Valetta) 「Well, sorry, sorry . Since it’s so delicious, I can’t control myself . 」(Valin) 「Well, in front of these delicious dishes, it will be cruel to ask someone to be patient . Valetta-san really have an excellent cooking skill . 」(Kazura) 「E-even if you say that…… Ehehe . 」(Valetta) The situation was glossed over by that ‘delicious’ talk, so everyone said「Itadakimasu」 and then began to eat . For the opening, Kazura reached for the omelette that had been cut perfectly into eight pieces . But if he looked carefully there was a strange gap inside of it, so Valin only eaten the part from 2 pieces of it and then to cover his track he joined them together . This degree of completion was as if it’s an artist’s technique . 「Then let’s have the omelette first…… Delish~! What’s this!? Compared to every omelette that I ate until now, this is the top most best delicious‼」(Kazura) Valetta’s handmade omelette had such exquisite perfectness in both taste and frying degree . The outside was colored lovely golden, the inside was slightly half-cooked, a perfect omelette . Even though it should have been cooked in a round pan, but it was a perfect square, just how she could create this, Kazura had no idea at all . 「Thank goodness…… Please eat the other dishes a lot too!」(Valetta) 「Hmm, everything is delicious . These dishes don’t lose even to the dishes I ate in Havel-san’s manor . 」(Kazura) Valin who put the Arcadian bug stir fry to his mouth, expressed his impressions and Kazura also nodded in agreement .
「That’s true . Or rather, I think I enjoyed the food made by Valetta-san every time . This chicken tomato stew is also so delicious . Perhaps it’s the basil effect?」(Kazura) 「I see, I see . Then, Kazura-san, Valetta will become a good wife, right?」(Valin) 「Gu-ho--!?」(Kazura) 「W-w-w-wait, Father! Ah, Kazura-san, water! Drink water‼」(Valetta) 「Ahahaha」(Valin) Like this, the peaceful-like lavish lunch continued . ✦✧✦✧✦ Meanwhile, In the campsite at the village entrance, Isaac was stood still while looking towards the village’s direction . Sorrow was floating at his back . 「Isaac-sama, the lunch preparation seems to be ready soon…… Is something wrong?」(Havel) Isaac turned back to look at the voice that came from his rear and saw Havel stood with a fishing rod and a bucket in his hand . Behind Havel, there was Mary, who was gripping a fishing rod in her hand . 「Ah, I only think that a real genius might look like that person……」(Isaac) 「Genius?」(Havel) 「Ah, no, it’s nothing . By the way, have both of you been fishing in the river? I haven’t seen you since this morning . 」(Isaac) 「Yes, Kazura-sama have said that it’s fine to do as what we like, since my imouto is with me, I decided to have a trip with her to the river . 」(Havel) Marie who was standing behind Havel made a surprised expression as she looked at him after Havel said this words . Isaac was also the same, this was the first time he heard about this, so his eyes were blinking in surprise 「Eh? By imouto, you mean Marie? But, I think I heard that she is a slave……?」(Isaac)
「Indeed, Marie’s social position is a slave, but she is my imouto . Since our mother is different, then it can be said that she is my imouto from different mother . 」(Havel) Without being especially perturbed by the word “slave”, Havel answered Isaac’s question while smiling . Isaac himself didn’t question in the least about Marie accompanying them since she was a slave, he only has the impressions, 「That’s how it is . 」However, that feeling was only related to Havel and Marie’s relationship, when it was related to Kazura then the story was different . 「I see, so that how it was . Does Kazura-sama knows that she is your imouto?」(Isaac) 「No, since it’s not something that is especially essential to inform him for…… However, since Marie has always received great kindness from Kazura-sama, then when Kazura-sama returned tomorrow, I plan to meet him and express my thanks for the current free time . 」(Havel) 「…… You, while seeing Kazura-sama’s action for the whole time, weighed when the time to say the truth, right?」(Isaac) 「No, I never have such intention . I don’t have any ulterior motive . 」(Havel) Havel denied with an honest expression, so Isaac scratched his head . He had vaguely noticed this since a long time ago, but Havel was someone who have tendency to act calmly like this . Saying from how the event happened until now, it was certainly that Havel’s recommendation for Marie to Zirconia could be thought as a natural flow of events, but the flow of events afterward appeared to be extremely well too . Havel might act like that since he judged that there wouldn’t be a problem even if Marie was assigned to Kazura . This matter itself wasn’t a problem, however, if there was a self-interest motive to put Marie under Kazura’s patronage, then Isaac wouldn’t let it pass . 「Havel, if you did something in secret towards to Zirconia-sama or me, then I wouldn’t mind it . However, I hope you are sincere towards Kazura-sama . That person, is someone who had answered us with sincere action and thoughts . You must not do anything to take advantage of him . 」(Isaac) 「That is of course . I swear that I don’t do any of such action . 」(Havel) Havel looked straight at Isaac’s eyes and reply . Isaac wasn’t feel relieved inside at Havel’s action, but he didn’t let it show on his face and retrained that feeling down . Havel was an exceedingly excellent officer, someone that Isaac depended heavily to watch over every minute details . However, to change one’s action depending on the superior’s attitude and moving in secret if it could be useful, though he understands that this widespread practice in the society was a natural behavior, for Isaac who has a honest personality more than others, it wasn’t a conduct that he liked at all . In the future, he must not leave everything to Havel, even if he was really reliable, he needs to pay attention even more to the situation and people’s actions around Kazura . This might be too heavy for his shoulder, but it was something that he must do . 「Don’t ever forget those words . 」(Isaac) As if to encourage himself, Isaac reminded Havel with such words .