BKSL CH 95

Chapter 95

Cooking in Tori After a Long Time

After several weeks of travel, we finally arrived safely in Tori, where members of the Third Knight Order came out to welcome us.

I had heard that the number of monsters had increased, but there didn’t seem to be any visible damage.
Apparently, there hadn’t been any deaths among the townspeople, nor had any houses been destroyed.

That was truly a relief.

It meant the monsters coming out of the forest were being stopped before they could reach the town.
And all of that was thanks to the knight order’s fortress, built as a barrier between the Forest of Monsters and the city.

“Even though I was here just a few months ago, it somehow feels so nostalgic,” I said.

“Yeah, it really does,” Leo replied.

Walking side by side with Leo down the dormitory corridor, I found myself recalling the happy days I had spent here.
Of course, I was very happy even now.

“Shibel…!”

Just then, I heard someone call my name—it was Lord Markus.

When I turned to face him, I saw him walking toward us in a white knight’s uniform, his expression far sterner than before.
The uniforms of the Royal Knight Order were the same from the First to the Third divisions, distinguished only by the color of their cravats.

The First Knight Order, where Leo belonged, wore red.
The Second wore blue, and the Third—where Lord Markus was stationed—wore green.

Seeing Lord Markus in a knight’s uniform felt unfamiliar, but judging by his face, it was clear he had been going through quite a lot.
His build, too… seemed just a little sturdier than before… or so it felt.

“It’s been a while, Lord Markus,” I greeted him.

“Shibel… I’m glad you came. The journey must have been hard.”

“No, not at all. Thanks to everyone, it was a very enjoyable—no, a very comfortable trip.”

This wasn’t a pleasure trip, after all.
I had come here to work as a Saintess, so I needed to keep myself together.

Still, for Lord Markus to open with words of concern for me…
He really had changed.

In the past, I was sure he would have immediately ordered, ‘Hurry up and grant protection to the magic stones!’

“Brother… and thank you as well, Crown Prince, for coming all this way yourself,” Markus said.

“No, I’m just here as an escort. More importantly, it looks like you’ve been working hard too,” Leo replied.

“No, I still have a long way to go… Anyway, let’s sit down and talk. Please, this way.”

“Alright.”

Leo spoke while looking at Markus, but Markus avoided meeting his eyes.

An awkward atmosphere seemed to settle between them.

“—These are the shattered magic stones.”

“Oh my…”

The magic stones laid out on the table in the reception room we were led to were so badly broken that they barely retained their original form.

“…Did these magic stones really shatter on their own?” Leo asked.

“Yes. It happened all of a sudden one day.”

“I can’t believe it…”

Rick, who was knowledgeable about magic and magic stones, was clearly shocked.
As expected, this wasn’t something that happened often.

“…The blessing Shibel-chan granted them is gone as well,” Milko said.

“So it seems,” Leo agreed.

Both Leo and Milko examined the fragments in their hands, their expressions grim.

“Was it because my power wasn’t sufficient?” I asked.

“Hm… even so, for a magic stone to suddenly shatter like this…”

Leo trailed off, unable to finish his sentence.

What in the world could cause a magic stone to break on its own?

“In any case, let’s prepare new magic stones!” I said firmly.
“With my current strength, I think I can provide better ones than before!”

“Yes. But since you just arrived today, you should rest first. We’ll do the blessing tomorrow,” Leo said gently.

“I understand.”

I nodded, but I knew I had to do my best—for Tori, which had given me so many precious memories, and for the safety of the Third Knight Order and Lord Markus.

“Shibel, there’s something I want to talk to you about later—”

“Hm?”

Just as I steeled my resolve, Lord Markus quietly spoke to me.

But right as I leaned in to listen—

“Sister-in-law!!”

BANG!
The door flew open loudly, and she—Annika—burst in at the worst possible timing, crying as she threw herself at me.

“Sister-in-law, sister-in-law! I was so scared—monsters appeared! Please help us quickly!!”

“Annika… I’m glad to see you’re well,” I said.

“I’m not well at all!!”

She looked thinner than the last time I’d seen her, but she clung to me with such force that I nearly lost my balance.

Even so, Annika was shouting right by my ear—she looked extremely energetic.

“Annika, Shibel and the others are tired from their long journey. You need to let them rest today,” Markus said.

“B-but Sister-in-law came here to grant blessings to the magic stones, right!? If we don’t prepare new ones quickly, the monsters will attack again…!”

She must have been truly terrified—Annika refused to let go of me.

“It’s alright. Just having Shibel-chan here is enough to keep monsters away. On the contrary, if she overuses her magic right now and exhausts herself, that would be far more dangerous,” Leo said calmly.

“R-really!? …I understand.”

Persuaded by Leo, Annika finally released me.

“…Sister-in-law, I’m sorry. I was just so scared.”

“We’re here now, so everything will be fine,” I reassured her.

“Yes…”

Sniffling as she wiped away her tears, Annika looked like a real little sister—almost adorable.

If only we’d been able to talk openly like this from the start…
I suddenly thought that maybe Annika and I could have become much closer sisters.

“Then rest in your room until dinner. Come on, Annika,” Markus said.

“Yes, Lord Markus.”

As I watched the two of them leave the reception room, I suddenly spoke up.

“Dinner…? If you don’t mind, may I help with the cooking?”

“Huh? But… Shibel, you must be tired,” Markus said.

“I’m fine! It’s been a long time since I cooked in Tori, but please let me help!”

When I said that enthusiastically, Lord Markus looked troubled.

“But I’d be so happy to eat Shibel-chan’s cooking again! How long has it been?” Yoti said brightly.

“Ufufu, I don’t often get the chance to cook at the palace,” I replied.

“Hey, Yoti. …Shibel-chan, you really don’t have to push yourself, you know?” Leo said.

“It’s alright! Cooking doesn’t use magic,” I said with a smile.

Cooking wasn’t a burden to me.
On the contrary, I loved seeing the happy faces of Yoti and the knights like this—so as long as I wasn’t a nuisance, I truly wanted to help.

“…Is Shibel good at cooking?” Markus asked.

“You’ve never eaten Shibel’s food?” Rick said.

“No. I never had the chance.”

“Then you should try it at least once! It’s really good.”

“….”

At Rick’s response—Rick, his childhood friend—Lord Markus quietly shifted his gaze to Leo.

“Brother… is it really alright?”

“Yes. If that’s what Shibel-chan wants.”

“Ufufu, please do!”

Leo smiled gently, understanding me well.

The knights always ate my cooking with such delight, genuinely enjoying it.
Making the knights happy was my greatest joy—it truly made me happy from the bottom of my heart.

So whenever I did something that pleased them, my fatigue seemed to vanish instead.

“…Sister-in-law, you’re good at cooking, aren’t you?” Annika said.

“Not exactly good—just that I like it.”

“I see… Would you teach me the secret to making delicious food? I want Lord Markus to say it’s tasty too.”

Oh my, Annika.

As she murmured that shyly, she looked incredibly cute.
She had always liked Lord Markus, after all.

“Of course!”

“…! Thank you very much.”

And so, feeling cheerful, I headed toward the kitchen together with Elga and Annika.