The Long Journey Until IReunite With You

If I Don’t Have Any Talent,I’ll Work My Hardest

To put it bluntly, Velt Jeehahas no outstanding talents. My teacher and those living in this world seem tobe able to use elementary level magic, while I have yet to be able to use magicat all. I don’tparticularly mind being unable to use magic. However, if you were to head outinto the world, you need to be strong in order to protect yourself. The levelof peace in this country is unique, if you were to leave, you’d encounterthieves and kidnappers. If you pa.s.sed through human territory, you’d faceseveral different types of demonic beasts that attack people. And most of all,in this world, the various races mutually continue to divide themselves inconflict. Although I thought that to myself,even when I took the lessons at the magic school seriously, the result wasterrible.

「Well, I"m not too sure. It"s not like I knew too muchabout manga or fantasy before. Something about magic power being the naturallife energy of the world, too many different kinds of magic, and somehow thelanguage for invocation is hard so it"s a pain.」 (Velt)

「Hahaha, you"ve got that right. You have memories fromthe time you were Asakura Ryuuma, it might be hard because of that. I don"thave any ideas in the first place unlike you though.」 (Melma)

Going to my teacher"s shop tohave ramen and chat has now become my daily routine. I arrive around lunchtime and stay tillhalfway through evening so that there would be fewer customers, allowing us totalk without hesitation. Well, since I recently haven’t been eating at home, mymother’s been pouting.

「Sensei, is there easy to use and convenient magicthat, like, goes *boom*?」 (Velt)

「If there was something like that I would’ve known along time ago. Besides, would a cook go about asking questions like that? Forsomething to that extent, ask your wife to teach you. She’s rumored to be agenius isn’t she?」 (Melma)

「To lower my head to that brat would be unpleasant. IfI requested something from her, she’d be super happy and full of herself, she’dalso demand something in exchange.」 (Velt)

「Gahahahaha. But, for that Asakura Ryuuma to beflirting with the princess of another world, what a development.」 (Melma)

「Cut it out will you? At any rate, after a few yearsshe’s going to turn her back on me.」(Velt)

Still, Forna being called agenius is the truth. Her everyday life consisted of essential and artisa.n.a.lmagic techniques. Furthermore it seems she learned a great deal of offensivemagic. In a manner ofspeaking, she had the ability to fight without the need of an escort.

「By the way, how does sensei use magic?」(Velt)

「Hm? Well~ For example I use levitation to move tableware andflames for the sake of cooking, but it’s not that big of a deal. It’d be thesame degree of difficulty as having tools or extra hands.」 (Melma)

「That’s how it seems~ I’ll do my best from now on, but I don’t think learning thatwould be useful on an adventure. As expected, how do I put it, something likecombat skills to survive? I wonder...」(Velt)

「Rather, why not learn how to use the sword or spear?」 (Melma)

「Well, I don’t really like flashy things. It’d bekinda unfitting for a delinquent.」(Velt)

It’s not like I’ll refuse touse a weapon in a fight. However, I don’t like people using sharp things.

「Besides, I don’t want to be carrying a sword or spearwith me all day. I want a more fun way to show my power.」(Velt)

Well, if there was a way todo that then everyone would be doing it.

Then,

「Hey, Asakura. Comparing the ramen I made and theramen from back home, what do you think?」 (Melma)

「Huh? It’s pretty good, but what’s up with that all ofa sudden?」(Velt)

「Don’t worry about it, that was a pretty genuinecomparison! In your previous life which restaurant had the best tasting ramen?」 (Melma)

「U-uuh? W-well, since the raw ingredients aredifferent~ In my previous life as Asakura Ryuuma, the besttasting ramen restaurant was definitely the place at Ikebukuro I think? Butwhat about it?」(Velt)

I didn’t understand but Ianswered and sensei glared at me as he held his kitchen knife.

「Progressing through my life as Melma, I didn’t haveany talent in magic nor combat, but from the age of sixteen I built my way upfrom the bottom. Starting as a dishwasher, years pa.s.sed until I was entrustedwith cooking, and when I regained my memories as Kobayakawa I practiced the artof cooking ramen for ten years. Even though I still have a ways to go I nevergave up my pursuit of flavor.」 (Melma)

「O-oh.」(Velt)

「Remember well. No matter which world it is, you canlearn and refine yourself every day.」 (Melma)

That hit a sore spot. For thedelinquent who has never accomplished anything, they were the most severe ofwords.

「Putting effort doesn’t suit a delinquent.」(Velt)

「Dying and being given a new life, change yourself!」 (Melma)

「You’ve said enough haven’t you? Even idiots can’t befixed.」(Velt)

「Don’t say it like you’re some kind of cheeky brat.」 (Melma)

At that moment, the door waspowerfully opened.

「Excuse me!」 (Forna)

We turned our heads and atthat spot stood a brat with golden hair rolls who had an obviously angryexpression.

「That’s the princess. Welcome. Or rather, with thatexpression......do you need Velt for something?」 (Melma)

「Yo. It’s been a few days since I last saw you, what’sgoing on all of a sudden?」(Velt)

Ever since I was able to meetsensei again, I’ve been constantly hanging around here so I haven’t seen her ina few days. She doesn’t attend the school of sorcery that I go to. It wasbecause she had nothing else to learn. However, she always ambushes me at theentrance after school and invades my house, so she had pretty much seen meevery day, but the last few days were different. From that, Forna noisilyentered the restaurant, and violently sat on the chair next to me, andresolutely opened her eyes and yelled at sensei.

「Tonkotu Ramen, heavy on the flavor please!」 (Forna)

In that moment, we weresuddenly thrown off. By the way, in this restaurant, since I started using thewords the words 『kaedama』 (second serving) and 『kotteri』 ("heavy" in thecontext of food) some of the regular customers started using it.

「Got it, Tonkotsu with some heavy flavor!」 (Melma)

The soup was thick and oily. Themoment the ramen, which was unbefitting of a young aristocratic girl, reachedher, she removed the fork that was given to her. Reaching into the hollowcylinder, she took a pair of chopsticks and started slurping up the ramen.

「H-hey, princess!」 (Melma)

「O-Oooh.」(Velt)

With her face bright red,Forna desperately ate the ramen while making a slurping noise.

「What’s wrong? This is the correct noise to make whileeating this, is it not?」 (Forna)

「Y-yeah, that’s right but..」(Velt)

「Do you have a complaint?」 (Forna)

「Well, no, but..」(Velt)

「M-manager! Do you have garlic for me to use?」 (Forna)

「Whaaat?! P-princess, do you understand what kind ofthing that is?」 (Melma)

「Yes, it is an effective ingredient to nourish one’sbody, is it not?」 (Forna)

Garlic is one of the spicesof this world. It’s used to prevent sickness and to provide nourishment; anexcellently healthy ingredient. However, its biggest fault is the strong odor,the people who eat garlic will have bad breath and body odor, it was really difficultfor people who weren’t used to it. But if we’re talking about why someone wouldput it into ramen, it’d be because garlic is a subst.i.tute for ninniku,something from our original world. More than that, it was something that senseidiscovered in his ten years of practice.

(TN: Ninniku also meansgarlic in j.a.panese, but in this world they seem to use the Englishp.r.o.nunciation for it,)

I couldn’t believe my earswhen Forna ordered it. But, Forna mixed the crushed garlic into her soup andonce again began to vigorously eat the ramen. Gazing at this spectacle, I hadrealized something.

「Forna, you...」(Velt)

「What is it?」 (Forna)

「The chopsticks, you can use them?」(Velt)

Until this day none of theregular customers were able to use chopsticks. I was the only one able to usethem. But, even though Forna was somewhat awkward with them, she was eatingwithout a fork.

「......I practiced.」 (Forna)

「Eh?」(Velt)

「I, there’s nothing that if Velt understands, I can’t!I trained intensely in the castle!」 (Forna)

Forna, who had a sullenexpression for a while, finally revealed a triumphant look.  It seems like she was waiting for this moment.However, I was surprised. It was the correct way to use chopsticks, somethingthat even the kids in j.a.pan didn’t remember. That is, it had only been a fewdays since she had met the manager. As expected, this brat might be a genius. Andthen, as if seeing through me, from an angle Forna couldn’t catch, sensei pokedmy head.

「W-what are you doing?」(Velt)

I didn’t understand themeaning of his actions, sensei was shocked, and he spoke in a low voice.

「The princess gave it her all practicing didn’t she?Take a good look at her fingers.」 (Melma)

Right now, I noticed.Although her fingers were joined together, on her tiny smooth fingers werecalluses.

「It’s true. It’s only because her pride is so strongthat she’d do that.」(Velt)

「You idiot. No matter how you think about it, shewants you to notice it doesn’t she?」 (Melma)

「Whaa? Why would she want me to notice her usingchopsticks?」(Velt)

「Listen up, will you? Since the other day you’veconstantly been here, you’re usually with the princess right? That’s why she’sbeen practicing. Since she’s able to eat with chopsticks now, you might praiseher, you might even invite her to be with you.」 (Melma)

Now that I think about it,she didn’t have to go as far as putting in garlic. It’s just that since I useit, she’s also been using it I think. For some reason, now that I realize it,it’s a little embarra.s.sing.

「......Seriously?」(Velt)

「Children are children, pure and innocent right?Figure it out already.」 (Melma)

However, coinciding with thatI witnessed something dazzling. I intended to turn over a new leaf, but Ihadn’t tried anything interesting with my own effort. However, Forna continuedputting in effort for her own reasons, and the results bore fruit. A ten yearold precocious brat. However compared to the one that had the mental age of aseventeen year old, she was much more amazing.

「Forna. You’re great. The reason being, you’re prettycute arentcha.」(Velt)

「Oh? Eh?」  (Forna)

(TN: He sure does have aterrible way with words.)

I spontaneously rubbed herhead. With just that much, it was as if her head had become a chimney blowingout smoke.  What an interesting person.Somehow, it wonderfully suits her. More than that I believe I’ve lost this one.

「Hey, sensei. If you’ve got some free time won’t youcome with me to the weapons shop?」 (Velt)

「Weapons shop? You’ve seen it along the streetshaven’t you?」 (Melma)

「It’s not that. Just, I want to try looking for asword again. However if you’re under thirteen you can’t enter, so come with me.」(Velt)

「Rather, what do you think of a former teacher goingto a weapons shop with his former student?」 (Melma)

「Don’t worry about it. It’s against the law in j.a.pan,but n.o.body will judge us here. That’s just one of the unique things about thisworld」(Velt)

With inspiration from Forna,I’ll thank her with just this for today.

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