Chapter 159: The Royal Funeral and Kitchen Commotion (2)

"Oh, it is good!"

The temperature is just right, not too strong not too weak.

It cannot beat the tea Cathy brews, but otherwise it is by far delicious.

"Right. It is a work I am proud of."

Sophia said looking happy and satisfied.

Since she brought delicious tea I want to eat some sweets.

The relief supplies Anirofe order sent are enormous and even used for rations of the people living in the royal capital there is surplus.

Therefore there was food enough for occasional snacking.

Anirofe order is various.

If you receive surplus food when gasping in poverty anyone would be grateful.

A lot of people will join Anirofe order, will they not.

While thinking that I stood to go to the kitchen to search for food.

"Hiroyuki! Wh-where are you going?"

I was stopped on the way to the kitchen.

"Nn? I thought there might be something to eat."

I answered that and pointed at the kitchen.

"N-no, no. Etto, look, dinner is soon and you must not get in Muriel and the others’ way."

Sophia hurriedly stood in front of the door to the kitchen and rattled on spreading both hands flustered.

Somehow her state is strange.

Together with everyone going into the kitchen, is there something there?

"Sophia. Move a little."

I pushed Sophia aside and passed through the door. In the kitchen the Dules were all out cleaning up, or rather major cleaning, or rather repairing the floor and walls and such.

"This is?"

I slowly turned my neck and looked toward Sophia.

"I am sorry! I was taught how to make baked sweets so I thought I would make them and started a fire but the force was weak so I used Fireball and it exploded anyway I am sorry."

Sophia spoke the reason in one breath and bowed her head so deep she almost knelt.

...Is this a critical failure fumble?

Or rather why did she use attack magic to bake cookies?

"...Haa."

I thought to ask Sophia and stopped.

I see, the reason everyone went into the kitchen is this.

"Anyway let’s clean up. At this rate we cannot even make dinner. Right, Muriel."

I asked Muriel who was scrubbing scorch marks on the floor with a metal scourer.

"It is fine. Dinner will be ready soon so Master please relax in the living room. Sophia, seal that wall."

On the wall Muriel pointed at there was a hole I could enter if I crouched.

"W-wait. Restoration magic uses an order of magnitude more magic power. I cannot fire it in succession."

There is a magic called Restoration.

It seems convenient.

No no, more than that.

Meaning there were other large holes besides this.

It was quite a disaster.

"...Sophia. Were you not injured?"

I turned Sophia this way and asked.

"Eh? Ah, un. I thought it was dangerous and immediately ran..."

"Is that so. Did no one else get injured?"

This time I asked everyone in the kitchen.

"Yes, no one besides Sophia was in the kitchen."

Representing them Muriel answered.

"Is that so, good."

I who can heal the Dules, and the three who can use healing magic Rosina, Sheena, and Tiria, were all not in the house all day today.

I was truly relieved that no one was injured.

"...I understand, I will fix it immediately."

Whatever change of heart, Sophia said that to Muriel with her red-dyed ears standing pin-straight then began chanting magic toward the hole in the wall.

"O existence created that is not natural. Repair the destroyed place and return that form to the shape it should originally be."

"Restoration!"

When Sophia activated the magic the wall with the hole shone dazzlingly.

After a little the light subsided, the hole was gone, and it became a clean wall as before.

"Ah..."

Oh, the surprise lasted only a moment. Sophia sank to the floor.

I hurriedly supported Sophia.

"Are you okay?"

"Eh, ee. If I rest a little..."

She smiled at me but her face had gone pale.

The long ears that show emotion directly were also hanging down.

Is it quite hard.

I lifted Sophia with both hands.

"Yanica, come here a little."

I called Yanica and headed to the living room.

When I entered the living room I turned to check whether Yanica had come.

There Yanica stood with a finger in her mouth.

"What?"

She seemed to want to say something so I asked.

"Eh? Na, I-I am not envious at all!"

Yanica hurriedly turned her bright red face away.

"Haa."

...For now I laid Sophia on the three-seater sofa.

"Watch Sophia. If something happens notify me."

"Ah, un, got it."

When I impressed it on Yanica she nodded obediently this time.

"Then I leave it to you."

I stroked Yanica’s head.

"Do-do not treat me like a child."

She said that and glared at me but did not brush away or dodge my hand.

When I looked at her face she was clenching her teeth as if enduring something.

Does she hate it that much.

But her ears as long as Sophia’s were swaying up and down looking happy.

...I do not understand this girl at all.

For now I lightly patted her head pon pon then headed to the kitchen to help Muriel and the others.

...

After we cleaned the kitchen neatly we had dinner.

By then Sophia’s complexion had improved quite a bit, and except for Tiria and the still-not-returned Rosina and Sheena mother and daughter we gathered around the table.

"Sophia, are you okay already?"

"Ee, somehow. After that if I sleep I will be fine."

Magic power recovers little by little if you stay still, and quite a bit if you sleep.

Normally even if you use up magic power it fully recovers if you sleep about six hours, apparently.

Well, I who took more than a month to fully recover even borrowing Ilma and Helma’s help am not normal.

Anyway Sophia’s magic power that almost used it all up will fully recover by tomorrow.

Now then...

"Sorry but tonight is off."

After finishing the meal I declared that to everyone.

Of course it is about the night’s activity.

Because there was a funeral I do not feel like it, and including the kitchen cleanup I am tired so I want to sleep early.

Everyone floated expressions of understanding, but Cathy and Sara who had night duty tonight clearly dropped their shoulders and hung their heads.

I feel sorry but endure it.

"Then I will sleep already. Good night."

I gave the before-sleep greeting while apologizing in my heart.

""""""""""Good night.""""""""""