Chapter 33: 33

You Are Not Alone

“Then, you can all sit down. I’ll take care of the heat and other details.”

Sheila marinated a huge chunk of boar meat and threaded it onto a thick skewer.

She then roasted it over a fire that she had already made. The skewer was supported by pillars on either side of the flame, so once it was hooked onto the pillar, all she had to do was change the searing surface to prevent it from burning.

The meat was seared with a sizzling, savory sound. Someone cleared his throat at the appetizing smell of garlic.

Sheila adjusted the heat and didn’t forget to stir the large pot occasionally. It looked like they were getting hungry soon, so she’d have to start cooking some wild birds for the appetizer.

“There’s plenty, but you can’t eat it all, okay? The old ladies in the cafeteria will be sad if we don’t show up for dinner.”

She said that while heating the frying pan and pulling out the oil, and Bert gave a friendly smile.

“Do you think we can’t eat dinner with this amount?”

“Well…. I don’t think so.”

The boys’ appetites for food were inexhaustible. She knew that each of them had several snacks between meals. Zechs and Bert gulped down the meat wraps and fried foods that they had bought in the royal capital, while the aristocratic group ate tea cakes and other sweets in an elegant manner.

In the meantime, Cody arrived. Right on time, he was accompanied by Seiryuu and Leidyrune, as well as the dorm leader, Axe, and Regress.

Sheila had just skewered a large chunk of meat and was spinning it around. Wiping the sweat from her forehead, which was beading from the heat of the flames, she smiled radiantly as she greeted them.

“Ah, now everyone’s gathered. We’ve already started, you know!”

“Oh, Sheila! I’ll take care of the good stuff right away!”

Cody stood next to Axe, whose muscles and smile were glistening. There was a gap between them and the three emotionless men behind him, as if they were rejecting something.

Axe immediately sat down on the ground and began to eat the roasted chicken skewer. He quickly acclimated himself to the group of students who’d already started.

Cody looked a little uncomfortable as he quietly approached Sheila.

“Um…. Sheila, I’m sorry I’m late.”

“It’s okay, Cody. You’re right on time.”

“I’m glad to hear that. By the way, Sheila, how should I put it…. It looks like a Chinese cuisine.”

The figure of Sheila, who was still spinning the skewer, looked more heroic than anyone else in the room.

“No, I kind of knew what to expect, didn’t I? I know how the hunt went this morning, you know? But if you say it’s a home-cooked meal, some people might expect more of it…… Look, I can feel a tremendous amount of disappointment behind me…..”

“Behind?”

The three people behind Cody were still expressionless. Or rather, there was no light in their eyes.

Next to Sheila, who tilted her head, her caring friend let out a dry laugh.

“I wonder why I feel so unwanted…..?”

“Ah, it looks like the boar meat will be ready soon. Good, everyone can enjoy the freshly cooked boar meat.”

Taking the meat off the fire, Sheila smiled.

The sweat glistening on their foreheads was proof of their efforts. No matter what the dish was, even if it wasn’t what they imagined, it didn’t change the fact that they worked hard to cook it.

Regress was the first to recover.

“I’ve never had boar meat before.”

“Really? You’ll be surprised how tasty it is.”

Sheila was pleased to see him sitting on the ground while complaining and hurriedly began to divide the meat.

Seiryuu also sat down to receive the plates of food that were being served one after another.

“Delicious!”

“What is this? It’s better than pork!”

Starting with Axe, Zechs and the others also started making noise. Seeing that, Regress timidly brought the fork to his mouth.

“…. It’s delicious.”

It was a simple murmur, but his light blue eyes were sparkling, and his cheeks were uplifted. Judging from the way he immediately took a second bite, it seemed that he liked it.

Sheila shifted her gaze to Leidyrune, who was still standing there with his arms crossed.

“Leidyrune-senpai, why don’t you sit down first?”

Leidyrune, who had been standing silently, finally opened his mouth.

“….. I was not told there were others.”

“….”

His usual grumpy face seemed to be sulking for some reason. Does it mean that he didn’’t want to eat in this place where there were commoners?

“Um, you mean you can’t eat it here? If I give it to you on a plate, will you take it home?”

As Sheila proposed a solution, the furrow between his brows deepened. She wondered why.

“…. Enough.”

Leidyrune took the plate and fork from Sheila’s hand. He quickly sat down and began to eat. He didn’t comment on the taste, but it was enough for her.

Seiryuu was refilling his second plate. Cody had somehow made his way over to Zechs’ side and started eating. Axe had already become a central figure in the dinner party, and for some reason he had stripped off his top and was on a rampage. The disturbing words “Muscle League” reached her ears, but Sheila simply decided not to listen.

The lively atmosphere warmed her heart.

This scene unfolding before her eyes… For once, there were no nobles or commoners. Just friends eating delicious food together.

It was a carefree moment, just like when she was in the village. Sheila loosened her lips. If she could have moments like this, life in the city wouldn’t be so difficult.

When most of the cooking was done, Sheila sat down to eat the fried chicken with basil. It had just the right amount of saltiness and garlic flavor, and the aroma of basil wafted through her nose. She was glad it was delicious. They should also thank whoever was growing the medicinal herbs in the mountains.

As she was eating her fill, Zechs sat down next to her.

“Sheila, congratulations again on entering the special course.”

“Thank you, Zechs.”

She tilted her head and watched over her friend who had fallen silent after that. He looked more serious than usual.

“――You’re really amazing. Even though studying is hard because you entered midway through, you are improving your grades steadily. Even in the competency test, you managed to beat the nobles and entered the special course…. I had never even thought that a commoner could get into the special course. So, I guess I gave up right from the start.”

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Zechs clenched his fists on his knees. He squeezed his fist so tightly that veins could be seen on the back of his hand.

Suddenly, his eyes caught Sheila’s. His hazel eyes were filled with the most sincere emotion she’d ever seen.

“The low-class aristocrats, they’re pretty chagrined that you’ve overtaken them, so I’m sure they’re going to try something. ――You, just wait until Bert and I catch up.”

Advice and support. A declaration that he would definitely enter the special course. Zechs’ short words contained everything.

Sheila nodded slowly with a smile.

“Then I’ll work even harder so that Zechs and the others won’t be able to catch up.”

“Hmph. I’m not going to let you make any more difference.”

Zechs returned a sharp, belligerent smile and then returned to Cody. As she was seeing him off, a presence appeared next to her again before she knew it.

“Male friendship, that’s what youth is all about, isn’t it?”

“Ah!”

Sitting there was Jornwerner. In his hand, he was holding a skewer.

The other students, as soon as they noticed Jornwerner, receded like a wave breaking in a flash. Sheila, who was left behind, puffed her cheeks as she realized that she had been treated like a bulwark.

“I was just caught up in the delicious smells. What was it, ‘to thank those who have helped me’? Huh, wasn’t I in that range, as I’m the one who takes care of your supplementary lessons?”

“….”

She could never say that she didn’t want to face him even on a holiday.

Sheila forced herself to smile.

“I-I just forgot. Of course, I was going to invite Jornwerner-sensei, too.”

While she was feeling awkward, Jornwerner continued to eat his food. He had a surprisingly good appetite, and she couldn’t help but stare at him.

Noticing the gaze, he smiled without seeming to mind.

“Come to think of it, I haven’t eaten anything since yesterday. I just realized that.”

Sheila’s eyes widened and she stood up quickly. She gathered up all the boar stew, the skewers, the fried basil and the chunks of boar meat.

“Sheila, you….?”

“Please don’t say such a thing so casually. It worries me.”

For Sheila, who grew up in a small village community, it was a conditioned reflex to help those in her family who were weak or starving, even at the cost of her own life.

It was a complicated feeling to realize that she recognized Jornwerner as one of her own people, but it didn’t really matter as soon as he gave her a rare and innocent smile.

“Fufu. It’s very good. Thank you, Sheila.”

Jornwerner came close to her face with a smile that seemed almost childish.

“I want you to be my wife and cook a delicious meal for me every day.”

Sheila was taken aback by his usual teasing tone. She felt that the way he kept his voice down was considerate, but did he really had to say that?

Sighing, she wondered why she considered so many people as one of her own in the royal capital. It’d only been a month since she entered the dormitory, but the more she became familiar with this place, the more she felt at home here.

Every day there was some sort of a commotion, and conversations with strangers were already a part of Sheila’s daily life.

With one more person in her mind she thought of as family, Sheila stood up.

“…… I have some errands to do. I’m going to take a break.”

Jornwerner smiled meaningfully as he watched Sheila begin to gather the food again.

“Did you remember another person you’re grateful to?”

He seemed to know where Sheila was going.

Sheila smiled back at him. It was the first time she and Jornwerner had laughed together like this.

“――Yes. I’m off.”

◇　◆　◇

In that room in the staff building, someone’s figure was still there, even though it was a holiday today.

“Excuse me.”

Claushezade greeted her as usual, without looking at her.

“It seemed to be very noisy, but by the looks of it, it was a success.”

“I told you I’m good at cooking.”

Sheila held out a tray with several piled plates.

“I’ve prepared this as a token of my appreciation. This is also for the dean.”

Smiling, Claushezade looked up. His face, which usually didn’t show emotions, was alive and well today.

“The dean is serving at the royal castle. I will let him know that you thanked him.”

“Thank you. Then it would be a shame to have too many leftovers, so I’ll eat this myself.”

Sheila took her usual seat and grabbed her fork. Claushezade, unusually, also rested his hand without persuasion and began to eat. Was he hungry?

He moved his fork gracefully. She was suddenly nervous, wondering how he would react.

He turned his peacock eyes on her.

“….. Next time you make it, call me too.”

Sheila burst out laughing when she realized what it meant.

“In other words, you want it freshly made.”

Claushezade didn’t answer. However, the fact that he didn’t argue was probably a good sign. He was probably keeping silent because he was embarrassed.

She had been feeling apologetic and awkward for a long time, but now, at last, she felt like the atmosphere was clearing up.

Sheila and Claushezade enjoyed their meal, sharing the warm air.

Translator Notes:

Volume 1 is finished! Next week, we’re starting Volume 2. Wow, can’t believe we’re 33 chapters in already. If you guys enjoyed my translations, please support by buying me a coffee or simply rating the novel here or at Novel Updates, thank you so much!

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