Breakfast and dinner.
This is the custom of the Dalgodas family. It is a custom that they eat together every day when the sun rises and sets. Almost anyone working at the mansion, including Dalgodas, eats together.
Frey said she was going to eat in her room. Yesterday, Rose stubbornly refused to sit at that high table and what looked like a child's chair. It reached Frey's ears, and she said "Do whatever you want.'' So, Rose decided to eat next to Dalgodas.
When little Rose sits near her father, who has a large body, Rose looks even smaller. Naturally, the eyes of the executives and employees focused on Rose.
Those gazes made her uncomfortable. However, since she is the result of her own efforts, she understands that she cannot be allowed to be any more selfish.
Next time, she thought, they should eat further away.
Food was brought out one after another from the kitchen. Everything looks very delicious. It's a heavy menu starting in the morning. There is a large piece of roasted meat. Its appearance resembles that of a large animal. It smelled very fragrant. And fish and herb dish, something she had never seen before. Everything looks very delicious. Vegetables and fruits came in colorful, and dishes like boiled corn and rice were brought on large plates. All the dishes, such as soup and egg dishes, were pleasing to her eyes. Everything looks beautiful and delicious. Many kinds of fruit juices, were brought to the table. Water bowls were put nearby are used to wash their hands. There is a sliced lemon-like fruit in the bowl. Washing the hands with lemon will remove the oil and odor from the hands.
"Okay, let's have it!"
When Dalgodas said a word, they shouted in unison, "Thank you for the food!"
Everyone has been eating heartily since early morning. The head chef, Seti, and his subordinates are having meals at the table there. They are laughing and talking.
Rose also took a nearby dish and put it in her mouth. Yellow rice with red vegetables.
Spicy!
But it wasn't as hard as it looked. There's a little bit of meat between the vegetables. She doesn't know what meat it is, but the spices eliminate the animal smell. When she saw that creamy egg dish, she couldn't help but smile. Because she loves it.
"Rose, eat more. This roasted big beef from Elgo Plains is delicious!"
While saying that, Dalgodas cut the meat with great enthusiasm and placed it on her plate.
Wow, so big! , she was surprised.
“Hahaha, Lord Dalgodas, isn’t that meat too big for Miss Rose?”
The person sitting next to her, who appeared to be a military officer, said.
"Is that so? Rose, I heard from someone at the dining yesterday that you're a big eater."
"Eh! No... that much..."
"I heard you ate five dishes by yourself. Hey, Seti! Is that so?"
Dalgodas called Seti to check.
"Oh, it was true. She ate all of Mister Yanagi's portion by herself."
She heard a loud voice from the other table. All their eyes turned to her. The dining room was filled with laughter.
"Huh? So it's okay. Well, eat. Eat a lot, play a lot, study a lot, and train."
"Yes, Father."
"Listen, Rose. From now on, you will do different things and do your best."
Dalgodas is laughing and eating his share of meat.
"That's what I mean, father."
"What? Is the meat big?"
"Ah, no. It's not meat..."
"Say what you want to say."
Dalgodas puts down the meat and looks at Rose.
"Hmm, yes. I am so weak, I can't do anything or understand anything. Shortly, I didn't have any abilities or knowledge. I decided to study and train because I didn't want to be like this. I want you to give me some teachers to help me."
When Rose asked timidly, a smile appeared on Dalgodas's face.
"Huh, what do you want to study? Sewing? Embroidery? If it's about the manners of a girl, you can talk to your mother or the head maid."
"Hmm. First, I want to study this country's alphabet. Also, I want to do some basic training to gain as much stamina as possible."
"Do you also want to train in martial arts?"
"I don't know yet if it's a martial art. But I think it would be good for me to run and not get tired."
Rose said shyly. In fact, it was because she was crazy.
"I see. Was today's result really that disappointing?"
"Yes, it was."
It seems that Dalgodas has received the report as expected.
"I see. Let's think about it. Now, make sure you have breakfast. Eat."
"Yes, thank you."
Rose nodded and started eating.
"Hahaha, now, the guard over there, you eat well too. You're the smallest. Building your body is part of your job."
"Yes, Sir!"
One of the guards who was pointed out nodded and saluted. There are grains of rice on his face. Then he sits down again and continues eating.
As she ate, she thought, "Every day is such a lively mealtime.'' The boss and subordinates eat in the same space and eat the same thing. Have fun, deliciously, and thoroughly exchange information.
But the maids are not here. According to the men around Rose, the maids, the guards, and the person in charge of the kitchen will eat after them. Of course, it wasn't leftover food, but the same menu with a new set of dishes.
It is an eco-friendly system in which leftovers are turned into fertilizer and handed to the production department. But looking at this situation, she thinks there's not much food left. Because everything is delicious.
"Yanagi-big brother is missing. Why doesn't he have breakfast with us together? Is he sick because of yesterday?"
When Rose looked around, the person sitting across from her looked surprised.
"Oh? Don't you know? Mr. Yanagi doesn't live here."
"Huh? Is that so?"
"Yes. Mr. Yanagi is living in a level 3 dormitory. He will have breakfast at the dining hall dormitory over there."
"I see. But, he came here yesterday to see me..."
As Rose thought, she heard what the person said.
"That's true. Yanagi came to see you regularly to see when you would wake up. Coincidentally, you woke up the day before yesterday, and he was happy."
Dalgodas nodded as he cut the meat and ate it.
"Well, I know you will have a hard time from now on because of the gravity on your face, but please forgive him. He didn't mean it maliciously."
He ate while saying that.
"Yes, Yanagi-big brother apologized yesterday. But it's not a big deal to me."
"I see. I was relieved to hear that. Good. That's right, Rose, you should go see Yanagi today. He's probably depressed because he's been banned from going out for a while. I think he shouldn't be so reckless. Despite what I said, he defeated the thunderbird by himself.''
"But Yanagi-big brother protected me, right? Thanks to him, I can safely have breakfast with Father like this."
"That's true. He did the obvious thing. Since Yanagi has decided to become a warrior, it's natural for him to protect you who are weak. However, high-level enemies are dangerous. He recklessly attacked the enemy. If he attacks it, what will happen next, and who will protect you? If he cannot defeat it, imagine what will happen then. I will not tolerate actions that endanger lives due to immaturity. He will reflect on this thoroughly. He has to. Do you understand, Rose?"
"Yes, Father."
There is love behind the harshness. He was right, Rose nodded. If Rose did the same thing, she was sure he would be angry. That's if she is still alive. While thinking this, she ate up the large piece of meat on her plate.
After eating, Rose went with Moi to the dormitory where Yanagi lived. Go through the gate from the side garden of the mansion and go east for a while.
She heard Yanagi's voice around that area, Rose thought. There were some tall buildings on the east side of the ground.
"What you see over there is Mr. Yanagi's dormitory."
Moi pointed to a building with her hand.
“The buildings here are all similar in construction, but are they all dormitories?”
As Rose checked her surroundings, she noticed the unique features of each building. Apparently, the different colors make it easier to understand.
“Yes, the building farthest away is a level 1 dormitory, in order, the next building is a level 2 dormitory, and this is a level 3 dormitory. The buildings further away are dormitories for levels 4 to 8."
Rose nodded and looked around. Four buildings from 1 to 3 were built near the mansion, surrounding two other grounds a little further away.
“Are there no dormitories higher than level 8?”
Rose asked, and Moi nodded.
“Yes, there is no. Generally speaking, people with a high level have a dormitory at work or their own home because they hold a position. People who work far away have a room to rent at level 8's dormitory when they return home. It is also common to rent an empty room.
"Really? Isn't there a hotel?"
"Hotel? What is that?"
"Hmm, it's a business that rents out rooms daily. They charge a fee, and in return, they provide you with a place to sleep."
"Oh, that's an inn. If you go to a big town, you'll find one, but not here. Travelers rarely come here, so I don't think it would be a good business. If you really need a place to sleep, there's an empty one. Depending on the number of people, the technical department will do something for you, such as using a room or setting up a tent in a vacant lot.''
I see, Rose nodded. This means that there is not that much population. The fact that travelers are rare may mean that the country is closed, or that transportation facilities are not very developed.
"We've arrived."
They arrived at the entrance to the Level 3 dormitory. There, she asked permission from the dormitory director and was allowed to visit. It seems that Yanagi lives on the 5th floor of this building. Since Rose and the others are relatives, they are allowed inside. If the person is not a relative, the person will undergo a rigorous check and be asked detailed questions about the purpose of the visit. That's the dormitory rule.
As expected, the stairs to the 5th floor were difficult. Rose was exhausted when she finally arrived in front of Yanagi's room. The buildings in this world are quite large, as Rose thought while looking around.
Moi knocked on the door and spoke out. After a while, I heard a voice replying from inside. When the door opened, Yanagi appeared. Moi bowed her head in greeting.
"Good morning."
"Moi? Ah! It's Rose!"
"Good morning, Brother Yanagi."
"Good morning Rose, please come in. Moi, please come in too."
"Yes. Excuse me."
Rose and the others entered Yanagi's room. It's a simple one-room room with a small kitchen, one table, and one chair. It has a bookshelf on the wall, and books are lined up inside it. There was a thick carpet on the floor, with pillows and cushions. However, there is no bed. A blanket was neatly folded nearby.
A small room near the kitchen that looks like a water area. The water area is equipped with a toilet and a bathtub. Simply put, it's a bathroom. There is also a balcony at the back of the room, from which you can see the ground.
“Moi, have a seat.”
Yanagi handed a cushion to Moi and then approached where Rose was. He opened the door to the balcony and went out onto the balcony. A nice wind is blowing.
"I saw Rose running this morning. Good job."
"Hmm..."
Rose nodded.
"I cheered for you, but did you hear me? From this distance..."
"Yes, I heard you, but..."
"What happened? Did something happen?"
“It was crazy.”
"Oh, I saw it. I thought so, but isn't it a good thing? It was your first time, though."
"Yeah, but I was so late and kept everyone waiting. I feel like I did something wrong."
Rose feels the wind while saying this.
"Oh, I know how it feels."
"Have you had a similar experience?"
"Yes. I've never won against a wildcat race kid. They're good at running. I've put them up against each other many times, but I've always been defeated."
"Oh, I see."
"So I think you should just focus on running hard and not giving up."
Yanagi comforted her with a smile.
"I'm weak and slow. I feel angry at myself for not being able to do anything."
"It's not that Rose is slow, it's because you have small feet. For every one step that other people take, you have to take 2-3 steps or more. It's not just a matter of speed, it's also a matter of repetition and explosive power. If you want to run like other kids, you should increase the explosive power, and rotational speed of legs."
"Hmm..."
"Have you ever seen a small animal desperately running away? For example, a mountain rabbit. When that animal desperately runs away, its front and hind legs move extremely quickly, right? "
Rose nodded, saying she had never seen a mountain rabbit, but she could imagine it.
"Besides, Rose isn't powerless."
"I don't get it."
"You don't have Father's blood in your body, but you have a lot of Mother's love in your body. The doll becomes your body, and those beautiful eyes that Keyaki made, well, aside from the graffiti I wrote, The Dragon God created all of Rose's life and body."
"I see."
"So, even though you are not a demon god, you have the power of a tree spirit and the blessings of a Dragon God. Besides, I think your magical abilities are better than mine."
"Huh?"
"Didn't you notice? Rose's vines didn't disappear until they reached the mansion, right? My vines can't sustain that long."
If you look at it that way, it might be true, Rose thought.
"Mother taught me how to make it fit. It turned out beautifully, but the flower on my head has withered and is now a bud."
"Hahaha, I saw it. When the vines came out, the flower above your head bloomed beautifully. It was cute, but I was too exhausted to praise it, sorry."
"No, even if I get compliments, I don't know how to react."
"Hahaha, you're not being honest."
Yanagi looked at Rose and laughed. But really, that's not the problem, Rose sighed. Rose thinks it's strange that she has flowers growing on her head.
"By the way, I heard from Father that you have been ordered not to go out?"
"Oh, it's true. I acted recklessly. I was prepared to receive a heavier punishment. But I was surprised that I was only banned from going out. But because of this, I won't be able to hang out with you anywhere for a while.”
“How long will you be banned from going out?”
"1 month."
"It's quite long."
"Ah well, it is."
"Are you okay?"
"I'd be lying if I said it was okay. I like hunting and patrolling my surroundings, and just thinking about being cooped up here for a month is pretty tough. My body gets stiff. The only place I can move is in the exercise room in the dormitory. I can't use any techniques to my full potential. I thought about reading books and practicing magic, but I'm worried. I thought I should study something else, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized. And it makes me sleepy."
Yanagi smiled bitterly.
"I kind of understand."
"How do you know?"
"For some reason, I have memories of my previous life."
"Wow, that's amazing. It's interesting to hear you have memories of your past life."
Yanagi looks at Rose, curious.
"Hmm, my memory is incomplete. I only remember bits and pieces, so I'm not sure. But I do remember that studying was difficult."
"What did you study?"
"I don't really remember. I'm sorry."
"Too bad. But don't worry. You can just make new memories from now on."
"Yeah, I think so too."
Rose nodded and smiled.
"We look alike. Maybe because we're brothers."
"I think so."
"I'm a lucky person because I have a reliable sister. I'll continue to do my best, Rose. I'll cheer you on when you run in the morning. Well, I'll be here for a while. Besides, I don't know when the ban on going out will lifted."
"Thank you, brother."
"Anyway, you came to see me because you were worried about me, right?"
“Oh, you realized it?”
Rose smiled. Yanagi couldn't help but laugh and patted her cute little sister on the head.
"Right. I knew that. Now, let's make some tea. Let's go inside."
When they went inside, Moi was brewing tea in the kitchen.
"Please forgive me for using the kitchen without permission."
"Ah, I don't mind. You can use it freely."
Yanagi took a low table and placed it in front of Rose. Rose takes the cushions, places them, and sits around the table.
"Please have some tea, Miss Rose."
"Thank you, Moi."
Moi held out a cup of tea. And then she goes back to the kitchen and is working on things.
"By the way, I was still holding the mirror from Keyaki yesterday. I forgot to return it. I'm sorry, Rose. I checked and it doesn't seem to be broken in any way. Yes, this."
"Ah, yes. Thank you."
It's a mirror made of metal. It's beautiful and durable.
"Anyway, I asked Father that I wanted to study and train."
"Huh? How was it?"
"I said he'd think about it."
"I see. When you decide on a teacher, please let me know."
"Yes, I will."
Rose nodded and took a sip of her tea. The tea that Moi brewed has a refreshing taste.
I'm looking forward to studying! as Rose thought and smiled.