Chapter 26 "Record Tampering and Freshly Baked Toast"
Early morning in a dimly lit room of the guild.
The only sound was the scratching of a quill pen's tip against stiff parchment‚
echoing with an eerie regularity.
Nagi: 「……My stomach hurts.
It really‚
hurts so sharply it’s unbelievable……」
What slipped from her lips was
a sigh like the scraped-off scraps of a soul.
The kingdom’s greatest archivist.
One of the ‘Seven Sages’ who was supposed to coldly weave the truth of history‚
why was she forging official documents
under such dim lamplight before dawn?
Nagi: 「Every time Lord Rui breaks the laws of the world‚
I feel like my forgery skill is being pushed to its absolute limit for nothing.」
She let out a heavy sigh.
Nagi: 「I’m so tired…….
I can’t do this anymore……」
With that murmur‚ she collapsed onto the desk like an exhausted small animal.
Raiga: 「Hey hey‚
what are you doing collapsing like this when you’re supposedly one of the Seven Sages?」
Setting down the wine cup in his hand on the table‚
Raiga muttered in exasperation.
Nagi: 「Lord Raiga‚
you smell like alcohol.
That’s enough‚
I’ll drink too!」
Raiga: 「Wait‚ wait! Even if you’re just an eighteen-year-old girl‚
don’t start drowning your sorrows in drink before dawn!」
Nagi: 「Fufu‚
this is what I’m drinking.」
She lifted the herbal tea that had been placed beside her
and mischievously showed it to Raiga.
Raiga: 「……Are you really sober? Or are you the one who’s drunk!?」
Nagi: 「It’s because Lord Raiga keeps pushing all sorts of troublesome work onto me
that I just wanted to tease you a little.」
After giggling‚ she straightened her expression.
Nagi: 「So…… about this.」
She gathered the documents and held them out in front of Raiga.
Nagi: 「Lord Raiga.
Do you really think this will hold together?」
The great hero didn’t even glance at the documents.
Raiga: 「You wrote it.
It’s perfect‚ right?」
The man who had leaned his greatsword against the wall and folded his arms
stated it so casually‚
as if it were someone else’s problem.
Nagi: 「You’re treating it like someone else’s problem! Do you have any idea how much brainpower it took
to rewrite that massive ‘candy umbrella’ as
‘a temporary anti-magic barrier deployed by a young genius sealer
in response to rainfall’!? And‚
was the ‘candy debris’ at the scene really cleaned up nicely?」
Raiga: 「Yeah.
The traces of battle were completely ‘cleaned up’ by me and my subordinates.
The muddy water‚
the fragments of candy‚ everything.
All that’s left is for you to deceive the world with that single pen.
We’re both adults‚
didn’t I say we’d split the mud fifty-fifty?」
Nagi: 「I never asked for that kind of mud-splitting!」
Puffing out her cheeks‚ she slid the pen across the final signature.
That said‚
if this ‘complicit relationship between adults’ could make Lord Rui’s collapse even a little gentler‚
she would gladly swallow this stomach pain
and the dishonor carved into her name as one of the Seven Sages.
＊＊＊
When she returned to the inn ‘Honeybee’s Perch‚’
the air in the shared space was filled with an unnaturally fragrant aroma.
Nagi: 「……? Is this
the smell of baking bread?」
The moment she curiously peeked into the kitchen‚
she froze in place once again.
In the corner of the dimly lit counter.
There——
the Calamity that had nearly destroyed the kingdom‚
the Blazing Heavenly Dragon King whose name was etched in legend.
That very being was now shrunken to palm size‚
sitting properly with its front legs aligned on the counter.
Nagi: （……What was a Dragon King again……?）
The red dragon Flare opened its tiny jaws
and gently blew tiny flames with a “puff‚ puff”
toward the bread dough it had carefully kneaded itself.
It was an incredibly precise baking technique that even the royal head chef would find impossible to replicate.
Flare: 「Current temperature: 219.8 degrees」
Flare: 「Moisture retention rate: 97%」
Flare: 「Outer shell formation initiated」
Flare: 「Aroma generation rate
has reached the prescribed value」
Flare: 「Croissant layered structure‚
stable」
In the quiet kitchen‚
only Flare’s monologue piled up calmly.
Nagi: （Eh…….
What is this……? It’s not just adjusting the fire! It’s performing ultra-precise magic control at the same time……!?）
She forgot to even move on to the next thought.
Nagi: （It’s trapping the very air around the dough with magic…….
Is this a simple sealed baking oven……? No way…… Is it recreating an oven with just its own body!?）
The shock was so great that the tip of the pen she was gripping let out a small creaking sound.
Flare: 「The moment Master wakes up‚
the highest quality breakfast.
Master consuming a happy breakfast
is my current definition of existence.
……Not a single second of delay‚
not a single margin of error is permitted.」
The supreme‚ dignified line befitting a former Dragon King
was spoken in a strangely adorable voice from the mouth of a palm-sized red dragon.
Nagi: （Flare-san…… The way you’re desperately trying to maintain your dignity
is a little funny……）
And then‚
the moment the surface turned a perfect fox-brown
and the beautiful layers puffed up plumply.
Flare: 「Master.
Baking complete.」
The red dragon’s body flickered faintly with a sparkle.
――Ding!』
In the inn’s kitchen‚
a light‚ goofy household appliance sound
that one would never think came from inside a living creature
rang out brightly.
She gently pressed her forehead.
Nagi: 「……Seriously‚
really.」
Nagi: 「What was a Dragon King again……」
The moment he woke up‚
he noticed a cool blank space spreading in the depths of his mind.
――A sensation like standing alone
in a pure white‚ empty space.
Was the current me really ‘me’……?
He began his usual morning inspection.
Like opening drawers in his head‚
he carefully traced through his memories so far.
――Ah.
Several neat strings of text that should have definitely been there until yesterday
could not be found no matter what.
Japanese language textbook.
Cold pipe chair.
Timid self-esteem and
arrogant shame.
Every time he tried to recall the contours of those words‚
the characters slipped through his fingers like sand
and trickled down into the depths of his consciousness.
Rui: （……Ah.
It was shaved away again.）
Perhaps because his emotions were being forcibly organized by the ‘Optimization Patch‚’
even facing such a major loss‚
the fear felt like something happening on the other side of a thin acrylic sheet.
At that moment‚
the air in the bedroom swayed slightly.
What drifted in softly was
the sweet scent of vanilla.
As if breaking the silent stillness of his thoughts that had been as quiet as a deep forest‚
the bedroom door was flung open without reservation.
Serina: 「Ruu~i…….
Good morning……」
The one who shuffled in with sleepy steps
was the silver-haired destruction goddess with bedhead exploding in all directions.
Serina rubbed her still half-closed eyes sleepily
and approached his bed as if drawn in.
Then‚ without any warning‚ she lifted the edge of the blanket and
slipped inside with a completely natural expression.
Into the blanket filled with a cool blankness‚
soft body heat and a rich vanilla scent
came rushing in all at once.
Ciel: 『⚠️《Emergency Notice》.
Confirmed intrusion of a mental regression request virus from target “Serina.”
Protection code activated……ERROR……Correction patch activated……Rejected』
Ciel: 『Lord Rui! Please separate from Serina immediately!』
As if his head had short-circuited‚
his vision was dyed in bright red warning colors.
The previous silence was a lie;
noisy static burst deep in his thoughts.
Emotions that should have been frozen
were forcibly pried open and released.
Rui: 「Eh…….
What is this‚
wait a second……!」
Deep in his chest‚
heat surged rapidly.
Ciel: 『⚠️《Emergency Notice》.
Damage confirmed to part of the emotion control program.
Executing correction program——Correction program rejected by virus named “Serina.”
Error‚
Erro‚
Er‚
Rej‚
Rejec‚
Reje‚
cti——』
While the system screamed violently inside his brain‚
a perfectly ordinary daily scene was unfolding before his eyes.
Rustle‚
roll‚
plop.
When Serina turned over in bed‚
her thin silk nightwear made a small rubbing sound.
Even that faint friction noise
sounded like a loud volume directly shaking his eardrums
to his currently deranged hearing.
Rui: （……I’m going to die.
My heart rate is about to pierce the magic barrier
and blow off the inn’s ceiling.
This woman has absolutely no awareness of her own ‘destructive close-combat power’……!）
From the loosened collar‚ her white‚ delicate collarbone peeked out like morning dew.
The sweet‚ warm breath of waking up rising from there
and her unrestrained vanilla scent
instantly ravaged the chilled air of the private room.
Serina placed her soft chin on his shoulder without hesitation‚
pressed her face against his neck‚
and narrowed her eyes in bliss.
Serina: 「Sniff……‚
sniff sniff.
……Rui‚
you smell like sweets.」
The lukewarm breath blown directly onto his skin.
At its intense heat‚ every pore on his body tightened‚
and a strange shiver ran down his spine.
Ciel: 『⚠️《Emergency Notice》.
Physical‚ emotional‚ and mental erosion of Lord Rui by target “Serina” detected.
Unpleasant‚
extremely unpleasant……! Lord Rui’s heart rate has already exceeded 150.
To prevent complete autonomic nervous system failure (short)‚
immediate forced removal of the target
or 100% retinal blockage is recommended.』
Inside his brain‚ Ciel was furiously flashing blood-red warning logs across his vision.
However‚
before the vanilla heat gently tracing his neck
and Serina’s small‚ fast heartbeat transmitted through her clothes——even that inorganic announcement
quietly melted away like noise from a distant world.
His heart rate remained abnormally elevated.
Rui: （This is bad…… I’m really losing consciousness……）
Hiding the great turmoil in his mind‚
he desperately built a poker face and pretended to be calm.
――At that instant.
The silver bug——Serina——who had crawled out of the bed rustling‚
peered into his face.
Serina: 「Rui~.
Because you smell like sweets‚
I’m hungry!」
Rui: 「I get it‚
I get it.
Just wait a bit……」
Serina: 「……Hey‚
Rui lately has been kind of dark.
But the current Rui feels like he’s back to normal!」
Rui: 「Eh…….
Was I acting weird?」
Serina: 「I don’t know~.
But somehow‚
I felt like Rui had gone far away.
……I’m weird‚ huh.」
Rui: 「Alright‚
let’s go eat breakfast.
Flare and the others should be waiting downstairs.」
As if to cover it up‚ he took Serina’s hand and descended the inn’s narrow wooden stairs.
With each step down‚
the rich buttery aroma and the fragrant smell of baking wheat
completely repainted the cold morning air.
At the dining table‚ the great hero Raiga was already sitting heavily.
Next to him‚ Nagi‚ still pressing her stomach with a pale face‚
was sipping soup with a face that looked like she was about to die.
There‚
Flare appeared gracefully‚ having returned to human form in her perfectly tailored maid outfit.
From a palm-sized red dragon back to her usual beautiful girl appearance‚
she held up a silver dome cover with both hands.
Flare: 「Master.
I will now begin serving today’s baked goods.
……Please enjoy my cooking‚ which has reached the pinnacle of supremacy.」
With elegant movements‚
the dome cover was slowly lifted.
In an instant‚
an exquisite aroma exploded and enveloped the area‚
revealing a croissant shining with dazzling golden color.
Serina: 「Waaah! I want to eat it right away!」
Serina leaned forward‚
clasped her hands‚ and sparkled her eyes.
Rui: 「Hey! Don’t reach out.
Serina‚
wait just a little longer.」
Serina: 「The bread is saying to eat it quickly while it’s still warm!」
Rui: 「It’s not saying that.
And don’t add ‘o-’ to it‚
it’s just bread.」
Serina: 「O-bread is o-bread! It’s sparkling and all dressed up!」
Rui: 「Dressed up…… It’s just a croissant.
Don’t be fooled by the butter’s gloss.」
The moment he let out an exasperated sigh‚
Flare cut into the conversation with a serious expression.
Flare: 「Correction‚ Master.
That is neither a croissant nor bread.
Based on my current definition of existence‚ the formal name is——‘Edible Heat-Processed Product.’」
Rui: （……The worst possible answer came flying from the kitchen’s highest firepower……）
Rui: 「……Flare.
Please use a little more emotional vocabulary.
I don’t want to pour something with such an inorganic name into my stomach first thing in the morning.」
Flare: 「Understood.
I will rephrase.
Today’s baked good is a highest-grade croissant with a 247-layer hierarchical structure‚
woven with the finest ingredients pushed to their limits.」
Rui: 「247 layers? ……Is there any meaning in giving bread so many layers?」
When he unintentionally furrowed his brows‚
Nagi‚ who had been sipping soup beside him‚
leaned forward so vigorously she nearly dropped her spoon.
Nagi: 「That’s not the issue!? With that many overlapping layers‚
and every single one perfectly baked through‚
it means the total surface area of the dough has increased explosively! The aroma of high-quality heated butter
rises all at once from that vast surface area‚ you know? One bite fills your entire mouth
with a ‘fragrance bomb’ of rich aroma!」
Nagi: （Uuu…… I accidentally raised my voice…….
But today’s Lord Rui
feels somewhat like when we first met……）
Raiga: 「247 layers‚ huh.
By stacking many thin sheets‚
you create a unique texture‚ right?
As long as it’s delicious‚ I don’t care if it’s the hierarchy of the gods or the abyss of mud.」
Raiga casually picked up the croissant
and bit into it boldly.
Crisp‚
crunch‚
perfect crushing sounds pleasant to the ear echoed through the dining room.
Nagi: 「Lord Raiga! Don’t sell off your dignity as a great hero for one bite of croissant! And you too‚ Lord Rui!」
Nagi looked back and forth between the two indignantly‚
then snorted and puffed out her chest.
Nagi: 「……Flare-san
has been working hard since before dawn
to bake these‚ you know? Please eat them with more gratitude and respect‚
savoring each individual layer!」
Flare: 「For my lord——Lord Rui——to consume a happy breakfast
is my greatest mission at present.
For that purpose‚
converting all of my inferno into the residual heat of a toaster
is also the honor of a maid.」
Serina: 「Ruu~i‚
Flare-chan’s o-bread
is really crispy all the way to the ears!」
Serina happily thrust her half-eaten croissant toward his mouth.
Rui: 「That’s why I said don’t call them ‘ears.’
Croissants don’t have ears.」
Serina: 「Ehh? Then what is this pointed‚ cute part at the end?」
Rui: 「That’s…… just the edge
that happened to form during shaping‚ right?」
Flare: 「Master.
That is not an edge‚
but the ‘premium seat of browning’ where heat concentrates most efficiently.」
Rui: （I really wish this toaster would stop
interpreting every element of breakfast like combat data……）
He reluctantly took a bite of the pushed-out ‘premium seat of browning.’
With a crisp pop‚
a rich buttery flavor spread throughout his mouth.
At this moment‚ he still hadn’t noticed.
That the sense of taste‚ which should have been lost due to optimization‚
had returned to him‚ even if only slightly.
And so‚
the flavor that gently spread in his mouth
quietly soaked into his depths
as faint proof of survival.
After finishing breakfast‚
Raiga awkwardly beckoned him with “Come here for a sec”
and led him to a quiet courtyard behind the inn.
On the lawn where sunlight filtered pleasantly through the trees.
The great hero stabbed his greatsword awkwardly into the ground‚
then casually tossed out a crumpled bundle of parchment from his bosom.
Raiga: 「Here.
It’s about the ‘stupid stunt of turning a volcano into an oven’ you pulled yesterday
and the ‘candy umbrella that blocked the saltwater rain.’
I had it perfectly rewritten in the guild report as
‘an experiment deploying multiple magic barriers by a young sealer
in response to meteorological changes.’」
Raiga declared it in his deep voice‚
sounding utterly bored.
From behind him‚
Nagi‚ still somewhat pale‚
peered with her jade-green eyes from behind a sheet of parchment larger than her face
and let out a small sigh.
Nagi: 「It’s true…….
To think that my kingdom’s pinnacle skill
would be used for cleaning up after candy (official document forgery)‚
it’s practically blasphemy against the god of history.
……But with this‚ Lord Rui has been overwritten
as a ‘promising‚ somewhat eccentric genius sealer’
within the guild——a perfectly safe and unremarkable status.」
Rui: 「……」
As he stared at the elegant handwriting on the presented report‚
the back of his throat grew hot.
The battle where adventurers feared him as a ‘monster.’
The saltwater rain where Serina cried and nearly destroyed the world.
All that mud
had been taken on and split in half by the kingdom’s great hero
and the archivist who was one of the Seven Sages‚
dirtying their own hands.
He pulled his hood deeper and lowered his gaze.
Rui: （……How ridiculous.
For someone like me‚
adults would get covered in mud
and carry half the burden of the lie.）
He had thought that sooner or later he would just burn out beside Serina and disappear.
His memories‚
his name‚
everything was disappearing little by little‚
and eventually even he would cease to be himself.
Even so‚ no one would be troubled.
He had truly believed that.
Yet——.
Someone other than himself
had smiled ruggedly and reached out a hand‚
saying they would “carry that unreasonable pain for you.”
Rui: （……But.
Just a little.
……No‚
it made me unbelievably happy.）
He was too embarrassed to say words of gratitude directly‚ even if his mouth split open.
However‚ into the frozen cavity in his chest‚
their clumsy yet hopelessly warm kindness
slowly soaked in.
Nagi: 「Lord Raiga‚
Lord Rui has withdrawn into his hood and gone silent again.
Was our kindness too heavy for him……?」
Raiga: 「Leave him be.
For a twisted kid like this‚
this much is just right.」
The adults’ teasing laughter
rode the pleasant morning breeze and passed through the courtyard.
He felt as if his own outline
had been gently anchored a little more firmly
to this kind world.
His memories were disappearing.
His name too——he might forget it eventually.
Even so——just for today.
Someone was recording the definite proof that he had been ‘himself.’
Only that warm premonition remained in his chest.
At night‚
only quiet moonlight streamed into the inn room.
As if the daytime clamor had been a lie‚
from beyond the wooden walls came only the hushed sound
of the night wind rustling the leaves.
He sat on the edge of the bed
and took out the well-worn student notebook from the drawer.
On the neighboring bed‚
Serina was already breathing peacefully in her sleep.
Her usual terrible sleeping posture was a dearly familiar sight.
Her profile‚ with lips occasionally trembling happily‚
and the faint sound of insects from outside the window
quietly calmed his heart.
From the next room came the sound of Flare rustling about again tonight.
She was probably still trying to restore the connection
to her former superior‚ the ancient dragon‚ which should be impossible.
He poured water into the cup on the table
and let a single mouthful slide down his dry throat.
Then‚
he gripped the fountain pen that had soaked up ink
and lowered its tip onto a pure white page of the student notebook.
Fortunately‚
he hadn’t used any magic today.
Perhaps that was why
the fingers of his right hand were astonishingly calm‚
as if he had regained his own body.
The pen slid across the paper without hesitation‚
maintaining a steady rhythm.
Rui: （……I can write.
Yeah‚
the characters are connecting properly.）
Wrapped in a definite sense of relief‚
he recorded the day’s events in his clumsy handwriting.
Rui: 『Today‚
I ate o-bread.
Flare baked it.
Raiga-san and Nagi-san
helped me.
I still——』
Rui: （……Huh?）
Rui: （How do you write the ‘ga’ in Raiga-san again?）
After thinking for just a moment‚
he substituted an appropriate character.
Rui: （……Well‚
it’s fine.
Whether it’s hiragana or whatever‚
as long as it gets the message across.）
Serina: 「Ehehe…… Rui…… so warm……」
Whoa…… sleep-talking‚ huh.
Rui: （I’m going to die.
I’m seriously going to die……!）
Rui: （Destroying my heart rate with just sleep-talking
is definitely against the rules……!）
Rui: 「——Huh? What was I thinking about just now…….
I can’t remember.
……Well‚
it probably wasn’t anything important.」
At that instant.
From the deepest darkness of his brain‚
a cold‚ clear system voice rang out‚
tracing his very thoughts with ruthless precision.
Ciel: 『《Notice》.
Confirmed normalization of Lord Rui’s mental stability level.
……However‚
it is extremely unpleasant.
The observation rate of Lord Rui by external individuals
has recorded unnatural elevated values (glitch).』
In his mind‚
the administrator logs projected by Ciel popped up one after another
as pale emerald windows.
Ciel: 『《Notice》.
Target: Raiga = Astral.
Threat level: Medium.
Note: May obstruct Lord Rui’s self-sacrificial actions.
……Unpleasant.』
Ciel: 『《Notice》.
Target: Nagi.
Threat level: Low.
Note: Frequently observes Lord Rui.
……Extremely unpleasant.』
Ciel: 『《Notice》.
Target: Serina.
——ERROR』
Rui: （Even Serina is included as a target…….
As always‚ it’s a dangerous‚ possessive system.
They’re not enemies.
They’re just
kind adults.）
When he spoke to Ciel inside his mind‚
a faint sound like tiny pieces of ice colliding——chink——
echoed deep in his ears.
It was like her sulking response‚
yet also a sticky will that she would absolutely never hand him over to anyone else.
Rui: 「……Good night‚
Ciel.
And good night to you too‚ Flare.
Tomorrow as well‚
please do breakfast at 220 degrees.」
Murmuring to no one in particular‚
he closed the notebook and tucked it deep into the drawer.
He gently blew out the lamp wick
and slipped his body under the sheets.
Forgetting kanji.
Losing his own name.
Those things are probably‚
in truth‚ very scary.
But——just for today.
The warmth of the mud that those clumsy adults had carried half of for him
gently wrapped the frozen cavity in his chest
like a thick blanket.
Rui: ——『Today‚
I made reliable people.』
Deep inside the drawer‚
only those childish letters‚
bathed in quiet moonlight‚
quietly fell asleep.
---
Chapter 16 "Record Tampering and Freshly Baked Toast" End
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