Epilogue 2: Reverse isekai cooking and a new arrival.
"Master! Is this much salt alright?!"
In the middle of a very busy kitchen, Mika exclaims that as she gives me a soup spoon of broth to try out. Said broth is a mix of beef broth, chicken broth and shrimp broth, and it is the base for my pseudo-ramen soup! Yes, pseudo-ramen!
"Mmm! Perfect! Now crush the garlic clove how I taught you and throw it into the broth! Then, after it starts to boil, throw the noodles in and lower the fire!"
"Yes, Master!"
With that, Mika goes to do as I told her, and I immediately crouch to check how a couple of dishes are doing in their respective ovens. And oh yes, the pulled pork and the cochinita pibil are doing just fine! Having multiple ovens rocks! You can just do these kinds of dishes at the same time and not have to worry about oven space, cooking temps and times!
Who would have thought that the path to having a perfect kitchen was dying and going to another world?!
Hm? Why cochinita pibil? Simple! Nana liked it. She used to make some every now and then and I sometimes helped her. One of those times she told me that Gramps once tried to woo her with a worldwide buffet, but that it was kind of 'meh' and she ended up correcting him on a few things.
Heh.
You see, Gramps used to be a cook, so he collected lots of recipes. It was his obsession along with pocket watches. And that is where his idea of the buffet came from.
I think he would have loved teaching me when I was all crazy about making anime food back in college. Sadly…he passed away long before that.
But hey, at least I can say that I used many of his recipes for those anime dishes or just to cook myself something tasty. I know that would’ve made him happy too.
And I was able to bring those recipes to this world thanks to my memory. So, sumanai if it looks like I’m cheating, but I wanted everyone to taste lots of delicious things!!
As such, Gramps, I'll be using your idea!!
Ah! Sorry! I got too into it! Well, as you can guess by now, I’m acting as a chef! After all, I did promise my Maid-Knights that I would cook for them if they did well. And they sure did!
At first, I was making everything on my own, but the ones that can cook really wanted to help and their eyes were all lit up with excitement when they asked, so I couldn't say no!
How could I? They look so cute after all!!
THAT’S WHY I AM NOW THE APRON-SIDE-BOOB KING OF THE KITCHEN!! SO HOT AND IT’S NOT THE STOVE!
Oh, but don't try this at home my fellow weebs and nerds. I have draconic skin harder than titanotite, so no oil burns for me!
"Master Sis, I cut these vegetables like you asked! Should I also cut this chicken and the...su-ri-mi?"
That’s Bertia, I gave her permission to call me that last night and she was really happy!
"Umu! Good job pronouncing it correctly too! But also start cooking those vegetables in the pan, then throw in the diced chicken and season it with this black sauce!"
"On it, Master Sis!"
The black sauce bottle that I just ‘pulled out’ from my bountiful cleavage and threw at Bertia—which she caught easily—contains soy sauce, of course! After all, I don’t need any filler arc to find rice or soy sauce, heh. Why? Because I can create them here in my personal space, duh! Also, just like the mix of broths, those veggies, chicken, and surimi are for the pseudo-ramen! It’s a recipe that I invented when I got tired of cup noodles in my early years of college and there was no restaurant serving ramen! That also implies that there was no miso to buy, so I had to improvise!! Nana then helped me fine tune it when I made some for her on one of my visits!
Yeah, I tried living in the college dorms for a while, but I moved back home during the last year.
Anyways, the pseudo-ramen has broccoli, purple onion, potatoes, surimi, and chicken! Sometimes I would add carrots too, but just sometimes. After all, I was in college! So, I was broke for food, never for waifu, only for food.
Kids, don't follow my example! My fellow adults, we are already deep inside the abyss, so at least let's enjoy it!
"Master, I put the…umm...miso? I put that inside the pot as you wished. I also finished cutting the pork belly meat and the…mmm…na-ruu-too?"
That’s Louise! Also, listening to her trying to say those things is so cute!!
"Good! Then go back into making those noodles, you were almost finished with them anyways!"
"Yes, Master! I am so happy that we can cook together!"
Awww…my heart! Louise is truly beaming with happiness. Also, yes, that’s true ramen. After all, I did get a job some time after college, and with some cooperation between weebs we were able to get some nice miso and noodles!
Of course, all of us were only interested in that, so there was not much bonding after we got them, but that is fine now.
I have Ere, Gabrielle, the rest of the Maid-Knights, and last, but certainly not least…
…I have Nerinne.
Speaking of my divine darling, she’s looking for Ilya right now. Our cinnamon roll said that she was going to explore and play a bit, but it has been an hour since then and she has not returned. Of course, Nerinne and I know where she is, but we are still worried about the reason why she hasn’t returned. Even then, we don't want to pry with our powers because...what if she is making a surprise for us?!
I don't want spoilers about that!! And Nerinne doesn't want them either!!
"Master, the Kasseler is almost done smoking. It smells good."
And coming out from the smoking room as she says that with a cool smile on her face is Jules. Also, it seems that German has some similarities with the Kyrie Kingdom's language, Kyr, so it’s easier for her to pronounce that, unlike Japanese.
But how are we making Kasseler when it needs to be wet cured for at least 48 hours, you say? Hah! Remember, my dear holly weeb, I have spatial magic!! I enchanted one of the fridges so that in the space inside it time would run faster! Umu! Aren't I a genius?!
"Hmph, just you wait and taste it. It is something quite good."
Making the perfect hand sign to accompany my words, I smile back at Jules with confidence.
"I am getting hungrier just thinking about it, Master."
Yep, no need for words, that drooling face of hers says it all.
"Master, the Lumpia are ready. Should I start with the sauces?"
"Very well, I shall leave the sauce-making to you, Allegra. Ah, but do not forget the vinegar sauce, it is a must for the Lumpia."
"Of course! I won’t! Making all these new sauces has been really interesting for me, so I would not dare to forget about one! To think there were so many tasty combinations between Master’s ingredients and ours! Even more those that achieve tastes that I was only able to achieve with some ingredients derived from poisons!"
Heh, look at her go, I knew that putting Allegra in charge of making sauces was a good idea.
Also, yes, she used her 'Insta-crisper' or a variation of it to help cook the many Lumpia, and other fried foods. Like some arancini and the fried calamari that will go with the tomato and herb seasoned sauce she is making now!
"The...Raspebeller...are coming out...too..."
Says a smiling Luca while showing them to me and man, do they look good! These Maid-Knights really are talented! Also, did I already say that I love my big kitchen? Because I love my big kitchen! We can all work on many dishes and not have any space problems!
Ahhh…it’s so nice.
As for the rest of the maids, they are doing other jobs. Like setting up the tables as one really big table, bringing the tablecloths, taking care of the drinks and so on! For example, Gabrielle and Evangeline went to the capital to get some more drinks that I don’t know of, so that I can make a big stock of them later.
Meanwhile, Kris is using her strength to make some good ol’ mashed potatoes, a dish that we have in common. Of course, there’s mashed uruns too! Uruns being this world's potatoes in popularity as a crop!
"Oi, Master, that ce-vi-che thing reminds me of something that I used to eat in my village! Are you sure it isn't from there?"
While I would love to answer Kris question, I can’t help but think that it doesn’t matter, for the hungry look she is giving to the nearby bowl of fresh ceviche tells me that it doesn’t matter. Ah, she has a spoon now! She is reaching for a spoonful of it but…!
*smack*
"Focus on your dish, Kris!"
…the ceviche’s guardian, Sophie, stops her by smacking the back of Kris’ hand with a wooden spoon!
"Come on, Sophie! I just wanted to taste it a bit!"
"Nah, you will wait like everybody else!"
Heh, it always makes me happy to see how Sophie gets along with everyone. As for why she is the ceviche’s guardian, well, she said that she knew how to prepare fish dishes, so I let her take care of the ceviche. Although, it’s not that difficult to make if one follows the recipe.
"Kris, be patient."
"Yes, yes, Master..."
"It looks good, Sophie. Well done."
"Kekeke…of course it is. I learned to make lots of things on my travels! This is nothing!"
Smugly smiling Sophie is smug.
Moving on.
"The...Lasa-gna, mhm? It’s almost ready. Yep."
Making an ‘ok’ sign with one of her hands, Gail says that and manages to perfectly pronounce that dish’s name! Also, the pink kitchen gloves she is using are really, really cute!
"Excellent, just remember to cover it when it is time to take it out from the oven. We do not want it to get cold."
"Mhm, yep, Master!"
In this dish’s case, I preferred to use mil cheese—this world's cheese—rather than mozzarella or provolone, since it REALLY is tastier than those! Heck, it’s tastier than most cheeses I remember!
But of course, there is one tray with those two cheeses, plus parmesan, and one cheese-less! That way everyone can try them out! Hm? Why not just make one following earth's recipe and nothing more? Umm, because people in this world only consume cheese that comes from the 'milk' of a tree and not cows?
It may be too heavy for them or not that tasty. So, I got to be mindful. And before you ask, Nerinne told me that in terms of doing actual harm to them there is no problem. She literally makes all the food that could pose problems good for consumption by blessing it, which means…no bathroom emergencies here.
Nerinne really is convenient!
Anyways, while everything is going perfectly, our guests could arrive at any moment so we must have at least more than half of the dishes ready before that!
"Dear, I am sorry to interrupt you while you are enjoying yourself in the kitchen, but...you need to come here. Now."
Ok...that did not sound strange and foreboding at all...
"I apologize, but I must leave. Nerinne is requesting my presence. Though, I shall return as quickly as possible."
Telling that to all the Maid-Knights helping in the kitchen, I remove my apron and magically change into my OG Angelusia outfit.
"Don't worry, Master Sis, we have your recipes to guide us! But before you go, can I start with the steaks?"
Yep, you just need to see how excited Bertia looks to know that grilling the steaks is probably what she wanted to do the most. And why wouldn’t she? There are many cuts of meat that she has never seen before since they are from my world.
"Of course, I shall entrust those steaks to your capable hands then."
"Leave it to me, Master Sis!"
Heh, she really is beaming with excitement!
"Agreed, leave it to us Master."
Allegra joins in while nodding and working on various sauces at the same time.
"Master can leave the kitchen to me, I promise that all these dishes will be properly done and served! I swear it on my pride as a cook!"
And of course, we can’t forget about Louise, whose motivation levels are going through the roof!
Man, it really is contagious!
The rest give me a thumbs-up and/or nod at me before focusing on their dishes again.
Ahhh…I so can't wait to see all these dishes!
“…[Teleport].”
___________________________
And we’re here now, the castle’s forest area.
Yep! It has forest area now! And let me tell you, I was so surprised when I first saw it!
Seriously, Nerinne is so cool for making it!
Like…can you hear that? That’s a waterfall! She really thought of everything!
As for my cinnamon roll and my bigger cinnamon roll, I can see them from where I am now, they are near the lake where the waterfall is.
They look so cute together. A mother and her daughter.
Hmm? There is also another presence?
It’s…there...hiding behind that tree that is close to them...
"Ah, dear, you are here."
"Father..."
So beautiful...these two are so beautiful...and my cinnamon roll has just come up to me, grabbed my hand, and is now pulling me as if telling me to hurry up!
So cuuuuute!!
My cute Ilya is wearing a super adorable bunny hoodie too! I want to hug her so bad!!
"Dear, is there something you want to talk about?"
"Hm? What do you mean, darling?"
Also, why is your face practically telling me that you don't believe me?
"Fufufu~~, that is the exact reason, dear. Last chance, is there something you want to tell me?"
"Ahmmm...I really don't know what you are talking about, darling."
"Kukuku...I see...Ilya dearie, you can bring her."
"Yes...Mother..."
Hmm? 'Her'? Wait...that presence over there?
"You...can come out...now..."
"I…I can...?"
"Nnn."
Wait. Wait. Wait. What was that other super kawaii voice that can compete with the super cute voice of my dear daughter?!
Wait…Ilya just extended her little hand and…another tiny hand has grabbed hold of it!
No way...!
A little girl?! A LITTLE GIRL WEARING AN AGE-APPROPRIATE GOTHIC LOLITA DRESS?!!
Gotta clear that up always!
She also has dark violet hair...draconic eyes...baby horns...and a cute tail covered in violet scales...
Man, that is a lot of violet. Hm?
*CLICHÉ LIGHTBULB*
VIOLET?!
She is...Scath?!
That's...! But...! No…I guess I did tell her something along these lines...but I never thought it would actually happen!!
Aaah! She is also coming towards me with Ilya!
"Father...this is my little sis...right?"
LITTLE SIS?! AND AAAAAHH!! SHE LOOKS SO EXCITED!!! EVEN IF HER FACE IS THAT OF AN ALMOST EXPRESSIONLESS KUUDERE!! AAAAAH SO CUTE!!
"...*stare*..."
She—mini-Scath—is staring at me really hard with those violet eyes of hers...
Wait...
Does she...remember?
Oh no.
Oh no.
Nononononono.
I have to say something...
"I..."
Ah...there is a knot in my throat...
"Papa."
"Eh?"
"Papa!"
"EH?"
"Papa! Papa! Papa!"
"EEEEEH?!"
"...!"
KAWAIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!! SHE IS HUGGING MY LEG!! SHE IS HUGGING MY LEG WHILE WAGGING HER TAIL! AND LOOK AT THOSE PUFFY CHEEKS OF HERS!! CUTE! CUTE! CUTE!
THAT KNOT IS GONE!! VANISHED BY ADORABLENESS!!
WHAT IS THIS CUTE NEW DAUGHTER OF MINE?!!
BECAUSE YES, SHE CALLED ME PAPA!! SO, I AM HER PAPA!!
IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT, FIGHT ME!!
"YES, I AM YOUR PAPA!! NOW, UP YOU GO AND YOU TOO MY CINNAMON ROLL!"
I’m now carrying my girls on my arms, each on one of them.
“Hihi…”
“Heehee..”
And they are hugging me now! Ah, so healing...
"Papa! Papa! So happy!"
"Father...Ilya is happy too. Ilya is a big sis now...Ilya promises to take care...of little sis..."
DID YOU HEAR THAT?! ISN'T THAT SUPREMELY CUTE?!! SO MATURE! MY LITTLE GIRL IS SO MATURE!!
COME ON NERINNE! JUST LOOK AT THESE CUTIES!!
Nerinne…?
*twitch *
"Aaaah! I cannot hold back anymore! My Ilya is so cute! I am so proud! Mother is so proud!!"
Woah…talk about changing your tune! So you were just pretending to be mad at me, but now you are unable to keep that up, eh darling.
Well, if I was in your shoes, I too would launch myself at us and start rubbing my face with Ilya’s, the act be damned.
"Ilya...is happy..."
Aww…so cute.
Hm? A cute little someone is poking my cheek.
"Papa, Papa...nuuuu..."
Ah! She is pouting! Is she jealous?
“…mmm…”
Oh, she has stopped pouting and is now cutely pondering about something.
"...what is my name, Papa?"
AWWWWWWWWW!!! ARE YOU SEEING THIS?! NO, ARE YOU RECORDING THIS?! YOU BETTER BE RECORDING THIS!! SHE JUST ASKED WHILE TILTING HER HEAD AND PUTTING ONE OF HER FINGERS NEAR HER MOUTH! KA-WAAA-IIIIIIIIIIII!
Wait...
Did she just ask what was her name?
"Is your name not—"
"That is not the case, dear."
No? But isn't her name Scath?
"Darling, you know what happens after someone passes away, yes?"
“Umu.”
As I say this, Nerinne takes Ilya from me and is now carrying her on her left arm.
"Well, the one you are holding is, indubitably, that woman's reincarnation. As in, her purified soul is now in her next cycle of life. But she is a different person now and so that name no longer holds any meaning."
I understand...
But...wouldn't she be a baby dragon then...? Or even another being altogether?
"Indeed, but that is only for normal cases and as you can see, this is not."
Then?
"Your words, dear. They had a great impact on her in those last moments, even more so since her soul is technically yours."
But that doesn't explain this...
I mean, like I said, I did tell her to live an innocent life but...
"You didn’t do anything that would warrant such development? Dear, her soul felt attracted to that pure wish of yours, so much so that it wished for it too. And thus, a sort of pact was established. The girl you are holding now is the result of said pact, of said...wish."
I see.
"Papa?"
Heh, I see now. I really must take responsibility for what I said then.
"Indeed, dear."
You look happy.
"Fufufu~~..."
"...why would I not be happy when the one I love is so happy that she is crying tears of joy?"
What are you...
"...saying?"
"Papa, don't cry."
Ah...she is wiping my tears with her little hands...
How come I didn't notice?
"That is normal, dear. When joy overwhelms us, it simply happens."
Yes...I guess you are right...
Looking at this innocent girl in the eyes, I understand too.
She is there, yes, but she is no longer the one I fought.
This is her new chance at life.
And this is chance I must and am embracing tightly.
"Papa?"
Ah, this little heartbeat...I-I...
"I promise. I promise that I will give you a sweet and innocent life…Celesia!"
"...! Yes, Papa!"
I really will...
I swear it on my own new chance at life.
____________________________________
Five minutes...
Just five minutes after that heartwarming scene and...
"Why Celesia? Why won’t you let me to hug you?"
...Nerinne is now being rejected by Celesia.
"Bleeeh! I don't like Mother!"
"Gah...!"
Nerinne just turned into a statue due to the shock and mental damage...
"Mama. Mama. Mama. Mama. Mama."
...and now she is muttering that.
"Why don’t you call me Mamaaa...?!"
"Mother is not Mama."
"Gyun...!"
Oof...she now looks like she just received a gut punch with that cold tone from Celesia...
*thud*
…aaaaand she is down.
"Mother..."
Ilya, who Nerinne had put down before her fall, is poking her now with her index finger.
Hmm…I think I should intervene.
"Celesia."
"Yes, Papa?"
Aaaah, so cute! Her face lights up every time I call her!
*ahem*
That is not the point...now.
"Why do you dislike your mother?"
"I don't know."
“Huh?”
She...doesn't know? Could it be that even if she is a new being, her compatibility with Nerinne is still low?
"Then...why don't you try playing with her? I know that you will like her. She is very fun, and she can teach you lots and lots of things."
"No."
*twitch*
Umm...did Nerinne just twitch?
Anyways…
"….can you do it for Papa?"
"...! Mnnn....no! No! No! No! I don't want to play with her, Papa! I don’t want to!"
*twitch* *twitch* *twitch*
She dislikes Nerinne so much that she is throwing a tantrum?!
"...I think I am returning to the heavens..."
"Oi! You are the Goddess; you can't do that!!"
This dummy...
"Celesia. Listen to me."
I say with a bit harsher tone.
"...! Yes, Papa?"
Just a bit, nothing intimidating at all, just enough to take her out of her tantrum.
"I won't ask you to play with her again. Nor I will ask you to call her Mama. But she is your mother and as such, she is hurt when you say mean things to her.
“Nu…”
She is pouting again…so cute…ah! No, focus!
“Let me put it this way, would you like it if I said those things to you, Celesia?"
"...! No...I would be sad..."
Heh, there. This is something that always worked with my little sister, so I thought that it might work here.
I’m glad I was right since instead of going the 'this is your mother, and you should respect her!' route, I took a route that plants and nurtures empathy.
"Exactly."
With a proud nod, I say that, and slowly put her down on the ground.
“Now, when we make someone sad, we apologize. We say ‘sorry’ to them. Do you think you can do that, Celesia? If so, go.”
"..."
With that, Celesia looks at me and then looks at Nerinne, then back to me and then back to Nerinne.
This would be the perfect moment to start a certain deodorant ad, but I shall hold it in!
Anyway, Celesia then starts walking towards the knocked out Nerinne and...
*pomf*
...sits on her stomach? She looks cute, but she shouldn't do that! But...she already decided to go to her, so if I do something I might ruin the moment.
"I am sorry...Mother...so stop being sad..."
That was good. She said sorry…
"...! Yes! Mother is no longer sad!"
...and Nerinne's back as if nothing had happened!
So much so that she now caught Celesia in a big hug!
"Nuuu...!"
And Celesia is not amused.
She is puffing her cheeks too...so cuuuute!
"Ilya...wants hug too..."
"Come to Mother, Ilya!"
“Nn…”
*hug*
Awww…now that’s a wholesome scene! From one side we have the cute kuudere volcano daughter and from the other side we have the...huh...actually, Celesia is red...hahahaha so that's how it is! She is a tsundere like Papa!
I-I mean...she is just a tsundere! Ahahahaha!
And now it’s time for me to join in, of course!
*hug*
"Isn't this good, Ilya, Celesia?"
So I ask to my girls we are all enjoying this big family hug!
"Ilya is...happy...Father is back...missed Father, missed these hugs..."
"Aww Ilya...don’t worry I am back now and I promise that we will spend more time together."
"Nnn!"
So cute!
"Nununu...I am happy too...this hug is warm Papa, M-Mother, Big Sis. This is a family...yes?"
"Of course, it is Celesia!"
This girl, I am going to fill her heart with lots of love.
"Yes...little sis…we...are..."
Of course, I will also give Ilya even more love!
"Indeed, Celesia. You sweetie!"
And Nerinne, well, she will get even more forms of love.
"Fufufu~~."
Heh.
But...before that, I need to do something that I haven't done, so I separate from them just a bit and...
*kiss*
"...!"
*kiss*
"...!"
...kiss my two cute daughters on the forehead.
They are quite surprised by it, and their cheeks are red.
"We love you, Ilya, Celesia. Never, ever forget that."
I pat their heads, say that, and smile at them from the bottom of my heart, it is to the point that I feel my eyes getting teary again.
Nana, I wonder what you would’ve said if you were able to meet these two?
"Nn...Ilya loves...Father and Mother too...very…very much. To be like this...is like a dream..."
"I love Papa too! Mother...too...but I love Papa more! But, but, I am happy!"
I guess you would’ve had a really big smile on your face, right? I mean, my heart is melting just by listening and seeing them, their joyful words, their smiles, their warm and innocent eyes…my daughters.
Your great grandkids, Nana…
See…? I am making good on my promise…
The promise I made to you when—hm?
It seems the [Door] has opened.
I see…we finished here just in time then.
"Darling, my adorable daughters, we have guests and lots of food to eat. So how about we get going?"
"Nnn...! Ilya...is hungry...wants to taste...Father's cooking!"
So precious!
"Me too! Me too!"
So precious times two!
"Me three~~."
So precious times three!!
"Let's go then!"
And with that said, I teleported us back to the dining hall.
__________________________
"As you can see, everything is alright, Master!"
"Hmph, 'alright'? This is beyond alright. Everything is already dressed and served. Well done, everyone."
Showing quite the satisfied smile, I tell that to both Louise and the rest of the Maid-Knights who helped.
"It was nothing, Master Sis!"
"Kekeke, yeah, this was a breeze!"
The first to reply are Bertia and Sophie, who are putting even more food on the table.
“Master already did something as rewarding as teaching us how to cook food from her land, even cooking for and with us, it was only proper for us to try and have everything ready before your return.”
Says Mika while pushing her glasses upwards as always! And I will never get tired of her doing it!
"Mhm, the only thing left are the desserts, yep!"
That Gail, always cute, not only is she is taking care of the desserts now, but she is also protecting them from others that might try to eat them.
“Oeeeeee….”
Like a smiling Maevis...who is lying on the floor...unconscious...and with some cookie dough on her cheeks...
"...so much food...to choose..."
On the other side of the kitchen, Luca says that while helping with the cleaning of dishes and the kitchen itself.
"Yes, Master sure is spoiling us with all of this."
Beside her is, of course, Allegra, who is also helping with the cleaning. Although, the kitchen is already sparkly clean, so they are probably just about to finish.
And…oh! Speaking of finishing! Sylvie is giving the dining hall’s decor the finishing touches with some big crowns of flowers!
Now that I look closely, there are crowns on both the table and the walls! But there’s more! There are also flower wreaths on the cealing!!
This is just...wow!!
I mean, not only is the food ready as I said, but also the dining hall looks perfect for the occasion!
"Sylvie, did you make these?"
I, of course, make my way to her and ask that. Also, if you look at a certain corner of the room, you’ll see the table where the drinks are, drinks that range from juice to beer and wine. But that’s not the ‘wow’ part, no, the ‘wow’ part is that the cups are arranged like a pyramid! Fancy!
"Yes, Lady Auros. Do you like them? I’m not that good at cooking and my table arranging skills are subpar given that I’m a villager so...I tried adding a bit more color to the place in the only way I know of and…ah! I took these flowers from the forest! I'm sorry if that was not permitted!"
"You worry too much, Sylvie, these are beautiful. Right, dear?"
Nerinne here saying pretty much what I was about to say while smiling at Sylvie.
I still must answer though.
"Indeed, these are more than worthy of enlivening the dining hall."
I mean, can you make something as amazing as this? Because I can’t.
What? You can? You even made a plant sculpture of your waifu?! Teach me your ways, oh succubus cosplaying weeb!!
"Ilya...thinks they are beautiful...Sylvie sis..."
So affirms my cute volcano bunny daughter.
"..."
And while my dragon lord daughter is acting shy, her eyes are completely taken by the crown of flowers that’s still in Sylvie’s hands. Truly the face of a little girl who is seeing something for the first time.
"Thank you, Ilya and oh? Who is this cute girl beside you?"
Noticing Celesia, Sylvie asks the question that all the other maids clearly have on their minds now, as their eyes are burning with curiosity.
"She...is Celesia...Ilya's little sis..."
"Ah, your little sister! She is so cute."
Wow, Sylvie took it well.
"As expected of Master..."
"Indeed."
"Kekeke, she does look like her..."
The rest of the maids too...?
And here I thought that they’d be more surprised and…
"""""LITTLE SISTER?!"""""
There it is.
"L-lady Auros, when did you...?"
Wait, Sylvie...
"So dragon Lords can make children that fast?"
Oi, Allegra stop it with that amazed look!
"Hahahaha! Way to go, Master! Who is the mother? Miss Nerinne or...Erevain?"
HAAAH?!! WHEN DID EREVAIN COME INTO THE EQUATION?!
""""""...*STAAAAAARE*...""""""
COME ON! STOP LOOKING AT ME LIKE THAT!!
Wait…I need to calm down, someone is opening the door.
"Is everything alright, My Lord? I heard a commotion."
OF COURSE, IT HAD TO BE EREVAIN OUT OF EVERYONE!
"Hi! I heard someone say little sister!"
EUPHEMIA, YOU ARE ACTING WAY TOO RELAXED NOW!
"Mama!"
NAAAAAAAAANIIIII?!! DID CELESIA JUST CALLED EREVAIN, MAMA?!!!
"...?!"
*hug*
"Mama...heeheehee...Mama..."
SHE DID IT AGAIN!!! SHE IS EVEN HUGGING HER!!
""""""MAMAAA?!""""""
THE MAIDS ARE AS SHOCKED AS ME!
"..."
NERINNE IS A STATUE...AGAIN!
"So cute!"
RIGHT, EUPHEMIA?! SHE TOTALLY IS!!
"Could this child be...?"
"""""""""""...*STAAAAAAAAAAARE*...""""""""""""""
Everyone is staring so hard right now...
Please, Erevain...say something that will stop this misunderstanding from growing bigger...
"Could this child be the product of our kiss that night, My Lord?"
Yes, I totally just fell and got up in anime style at super speed and that’s because…
…THAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATS NOT IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT!!!!!!!
WHAT IS THIS?! A COMEDY WEB NOVEL?!!
DON'T ANSWER THAT!!
"""""""KISS?!""""""""
DON'T LOOK AT MEE!! ALSO, WHAT ARE YOU DOING LOOKING SO MAIDENLY PROUD RIGHT NOW, EREVAIN!!
Wait again, the door is opening wider…hm? HAH? GABRIELLE WAS BEHIND EREVAIN ALL ALONG AND SHE ALSO TURNED INTO A STATUE?!!
ALSO, EVANGELINE!! CATCH THOSE BOTTLES!!
"Oof...managed to save the wine."
NICE SAVE!
"PFFTHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! GA-GABRIELLE IT LOOKS LIKE LEADER WON NOT ONLY THE BATTLE, BUT THE WAR!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Glad that someone is having fun with this...seriously...Kris...
Stop it before Gabrielle…
"HAHAHAHA—!"
*slam*
"GAH!"
*thud*
“Oeeee….”
What just happened? One second Kris was laughing and the next she is lying on the floor unconscious...
Also…was Gabrielle this close to me?
"Master..."
"...!!"
SCARY!! THAT VOICE SHE IS MAKING IS SUPER SCARY!! DON'T DO THAT! IT IS ALREADY DIFFICULT FOR ME TO MAINTAIN CHARACTER!!
"...why...why does she have a child?! We kissed too!! There must be another one, right?! Right?!"
"There is nooooot!!! Children don't just appear from kisses!!!! That's impossible even for someone like me! She is a bundle of cuteness that comes from a wish of mine!"
""""""""..."""""""""
Crap...
I just said something absurd out loud, didn’t I?
"Aurooos, your best friend Ludovica is here~~! Yes~~!"
THE PERFECT OPENING JUST ARRIVED!
"Ludovica!"
"Yes?!"
"Cover your eyes, hold your breath and don't move!"
"Yes~!"
"*snap*"
YES! I JUST TELEPORTED MYSELF AWAY WITH NERINNE AND LUDOVICA WITH ONLY A SNAP OF MY FINGERS!
_________________________
A moment after Auros teleported away, Gabrielle turned her attention to Erevain, who was now holding the little girl in her arms, and before she could say anything, Erevain made the following declaration with a straight face:
"Wish or not, she is mine."
"Mama! I love you!"
Meanwhile, the overjoyed little girl exclaimed that while rubbing her face with Erevain’s endearingly.
"That means I am an aunt now! That’s great!"
Immediately accepting the new addition to her family, Euphemia said that quite happily.
"*ahem*Where can I drop a disgraced unconscious prince?"
"..."
But Euphemia was not the only other member of the Kyrie family present, as shortly after that, Mary entered the dining hall while carrying Licht, who had fainted from shock after witnessing the newfound motherhood of his Elder Sister.
After getting no response from the still shocked maids, she dropped him on the floor.
"Kekekekekekeke...really, living with Master is such a fun thing."
And the sound of that seemed to be what the shocked Maid-Knights needed, as Sophie began laughing, unable hold it back any longer, and soon enough, everyone else in the dining hall followed in the laughter.
"Pfft...a-ahaha-and the feast hasn't even started yet! Hahahaha!"
Patting Sophie on the back as she said that, was a laughing Bertia, who even had a couple of tears going down her cheeks.
“Ufufu…Master really is that much needed touch of randomness that keeps life fresh.”
Hiding her mouth with the side of her hand as she giggled, Allegra joined in with such words.
"Yes...she is...great."
Along came Luca, who said that with a sweet smile while tilting her head slightly to the right, causing her bangs to sway and letting her green eyes be visible for small moment.
"Ohohoho! My, my, this goes to show that I still need to train myself to expect the unexpected with her, but no worries, I will prevail."
Last, but certainly not least in any way, as her hearty laugh would let anyone know, was Gabrielle, who, with a lightened mood and smile full of conviction, made such a declaration.
But that was just counting the maids at that moment, for someone else spoke up…
"Father...might not...say it...but Ilya knows...Father is happy to have you all with her...you are Family...Father loves...all of you...Ilya loves all of you...too...Celesia...will too..."
*********doki-doki**********
She was an adorable little girl wearing a bunny hoodie and she moved everyone’s hearts with her heartfelt words and following little smile.
"For Papa!"
*fwoosh*
“…!”
*fzzoooooon*
*poof*
“Oooh!”
And her little sister was not left behind, as Celesia exclaimed that with every ounce of joy and love she had for her Papa, and materialized something in front of her, a floating coloring book with crayon-drawn flames as a cover, which created a beautiful spectacle of violet flames that did not burn anything at all after it lit up.
Not only was everyone in the dining hall surprised by it, but the little Celesia was surprised too, implying that she did not know how that happened, yet was still enchanted by the lightshow she had inadvertently created, for her tail swayed from right to left fairly quickly.
"That is no coloring book...that is a grimoire...! And those violet flames…! Could she be...?"
Meanwhile and as expected of her, Mika's mind quickly connected the dots and realized something.
"A wish...! I see, so she is..."
In that moment she was about to say who she thought the child really was, but then she looked at the child once more, at her innocent eyes that were just as true as Ilya’s, and instead made a small smile and muttered the following:
"Expect the unexpected...yes, those words fit perfectly for Master."
Thus, the now knowing bespectacled maid simply enjoyed the lightshow with the other Maid-Knights and guests and vowed to keep the secret to herself.
_________________________
Ok, ok, I need to calm down.
I need to bring Nerinne back from her shock.
And I need to go back to the dining hall too or the food will get cold.
Buuut! I broke character and said something absurd! How can I face them now?!
Erevain and Gabrielle seem to know about my hidden side but...what about the others?
Was my acting that bad that they all know about that side of me?
No! I know my besto waifu perfectly! My acting was top-notch!! Top-notch I tell you!!
Aaaaaaaah, but still…!! Now all of that doesn’t matter, does it?!
Ahaha…wait…what was I doing right now?
"Mmm...mmm!"
Ah, Ludovica! Nerinne!
RIGHT!
"Wait for a bit."
Just so you know, I teleported us three to one of the castle’s spare rooms.
"Let's put Nerinne over here...ok."
And now I’m placing my darling turned statue here, near this room’s bed, with her back facing it, so when Ludovica inevitably pushes her down she will fall on the bed.
Now, a question. What can bring someone out of their shock and pleasantly calm you down at the same time?
Good. Old. Revenge.
"You can now open your eyes and breathe, Ludovica."
*gasp*
"Thank you, Auros, I was about to reach my..."
*sniff* *sniff*
"...limit...! Is she who I think she is?! IS SHE?!"
Woah! That’s the same face she had when she kidnapped me…no…it’s worse.
Good, ehehe.
"Yes, indeed. She is the Goddess Nerinne. Although, she is a bit shocked due to what happened in the dining hall. As such…how about you bring her back from it?”
Do I have to tell you that I’m saying this with my biggest evil grin, because I am.
"I TOTES WILL! YOU ARE NOW TIED FOR MY BESTEST FRIEND FOREVER!!"
Aaaand with that, she has jumped at Nerinne.
Also...tied? Who am I tied with?
Oh, well. No matter.
"Nn…? ...hmm?! Ludovi—hyan?! Wha-what are you doing?! Whe-where are you touching?!"
Yep, straight for the holy breasts.
"Aaah! Goddess! I can finally meet you! Smell you! Touch you!!"
"Wa-wait a second! I know…nn! I know I told you we could play when…hiih! When we eventually met! But this is not the moment I was referring to!! Ahn!"
Heh, now you will get how I felt back then!!
Now, time to go before I get involved too!
"I will leave you to it."
DON'T SAY THAT I JUST RAISED A FLAG BY SAYING THAT!
"Auros! You..."
Huh? The door is locked, but how?
"...kukuku...you thought I was going to let you leave? If I am getting...nnnh! If I am getting it, then you are getting it too!"
NOPE! NOPENOPENOPENOPENOPENOPE!
COME ON!! OPEN UP! OPEEEEEEEN!!!
CRAP! THE DOOR IS NOT BUDGING EVEN IF APPLY ALL MY STRENGTH!!
HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE?!!
"Kukukuku..."
THAT SHINE IN HER EYES…!! THIS GODDESS IS USING HER POWERS!! IN MY SPACE?!
THAT'S CHEATING!!
"Oh, shush and…get over here!"
THIS...FORCE...PULLING MEE!!
"Noooooooooo!!"
To be continued...(cue family illustration of Nerinne, Auros, Ilya and Celesia! Also, bunny Ilya!) (UP NEXT: EPILOGE 2.5: A taste of another world and the fate of the Kyrie family!)
AND THAT ILLUSTRATION IS REAL NOW!! WOHOOO!! AREN’T THEY PRECIOUS?! AND CELESIA LOOKS SO ADORABLE!! AND BUNNY ILYA!! AHHHHHHHH!! MY HEART! LARH DID IT AGAIN!! Ever since the idea of seriously illustrating the story was in my head, I always thought of this moment as one of those NEEDED to be illustrated and I’m so happy that that’s the case. Still, I’m so sorry for taking this long to reveal the second illustration, but with everything that happened, my tendonitis and now my moving to another house, it ended up taking this long.
Once again, I sincerely apologize.
Now…this would’ve never been possible without the support of my patrons, thank you so very much! As always, you will get the unfiltered and un-watermarked version, along with the progress images for Maid-Paragons!
Lastly, if you liked this illustration or his art for the story in general, please be sure to go to Larh’s twitter and make him know! Really! I’m sure he’ll appreciate it! You can also leave a comment down below as always!
Moving on, it’s time for some FANAAAAAAART! UP FIRST IS LORD-HOLLOW WITH HIS AMAZING ITERATION OF AUROS’ ARMOR AND NERN IN ITS SWORD FORM TOO!! AND MAN, IT FRIGGIN ROCKS!! THAT HELMET…HNNNNGH!! SO GOOD! AND THE COLOR SCHEME TOO! PERFECTION!
Thank you, Lord-Hollow! I have always loved your amor designs and this one is amazing!
NEXT IS FIA FROM OUR DISCORD SERVER!! SHE HAS TWO FANARTS FOR US TODAY!! FIRST, THIS ADORABLE 2-PAGE COMIC OF ALLEGRA AND LUCA!! LOOK AT THEM THEY ARE SO CUTE!! DOESN’T LUCA MELT YOUR HEART?!
AND NOW WE HAVE FIA’S VERY OWN ITERATION OF AUROS’ ARMOR!!! AND MAN, DO I LOVE THAT MASK-LIKE HELTMET AND THE OVERALL VALKYRIE-FEEL OF IT!! ALSO, THE COLORS LOOK SO GOOD!! I LOVE IT!
Thank you, Fia! Your fanart is always amazing, adorable and now pretty, pretty cool!!
SPEAKING OF ADORBS! LOOK AT THIS CHIBI AUROS FROM COOCHIE MAID OF OUR DISCORD!! AHHHH I SO WANT TO HUG HER! SO ADORBS!! THAT EXPRESSION! THOSE CHEEKS! SO CUTE!!
Thank you, Coochie Maid! As always, I’m a fan of your art and I’m always happy to see you draw Auros and the rest in your style!
LAST BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST, OUR DISCORD’S VERY OWN MOD AND LONGTIME READER, DAVIDDEHGOO BRINGS US HIS ITERATION OF EVANGELINE IN HER CUSTOM OUTFIT! AND SHE LOOKS BAD-ASS AS HECK!! I LOVE, LOOOOOVE HER HAIR, THE BELTS, HER GLOVES! OH WELL, ALL!!
Thank you, DavidDehGoo! I’m honored to see how much you improve with each drawing you make and I hope to continue being able to see that!
And that’s it! I hope that you liked the illustration and the fanart! As I said in the past epilogue, I’ll try to release the next one as soon as I can, but I’ll be taking care of my health so that my tendonitis doesn’t come back.
Special thanks from the bottom of my heart to: EmbraceTheSleeb, Lord-Hollow, YukisoraRin, LordInquisitorSteele, Anon, Anon2, Tikku, Teresa, Ayth, Knight_Redundant, Schoookie, sumdudeguy, pokio, greatred, eeleater, ChaTY, CrimsonNarwhal, NAEON, AnimeFreak1982, Anon 3, Aravir, Big Ounce, Anon4, Thistle’s Dragon, Cinder, Salinthrous, and Byronhunter!
Please do not translate my work without my permission. Favor de no traducir mi trabajo sin mi expreso permiso.
Please do not repost the official or the fan-made art shown here and in the story in general. Por favor no repostees el arte oficial o el arte hecho por fans mostrado aquí y en la historia en general.
See you all next chapter and thank you for reading!