An Exquisite Breakfast

“You are to be reincarnated as a human.”

“A human?”

“It means you are to live as one of those fragile beings called humans.”

“…”

…That dream again.

“The instant this formation begins to shine, you will be reincarnated as a human.”

“Got it… Wood, stay away from here.”

I’d already seen this dream more times than I could count.

I get it already, so stop showing up in my dreams.

Thinking that, I stroked Wood’s head.

Then, just as the formation beneath my feet began to glow—

“Wait!!!”

A woman suddenly leaped into the shining formation and threw her arms around me.

Huh…!?

This was different from the usual dream.

Who the hell was this woman?

She raised her face and looked straight into my eyes.

Beautiful blue-violet eyes reflected my image.

Yuri!?

“………………”

When I opened my eyes, I was lying in my familiar bed.

Normally, an indescribable exhaustion washed over me afterward, but today my head felt strangely clear.

As I slowly sat up, I thought back on the dream I’d just had.

Yuri had appeared in the dream of my previous life that I’d already seen countless times.

Apparently, my dreams and reality were starting to get mixed together.

Maybe having her live under the same roof as me had been that much of a shock.

My house, nestled in an unnamed mountain range, was as peaceful as ever.

It took more than a full day to reach the commercial city of Eto on foot, so this place had nothing to do with the noise and bustle of the city.

I’d bought the entire mountain, so technically it was all private property.

A small stream ran nearby, and there was even a hot spring behind the house.

The house itself was a detached wooden home, and magic stones regulated the indoor temperature, making it extremely comfortable.

Another peaceful morning.

The calls of mountain doves came from outside.

The gentle murmur of the stream.

And when I opened the window, a refreshing breeze flowed in.

Back in my previous life, the world had felt brutal from the moment I woke up.

Peace really was wonderful.

When I came downstairs from my second-floor bedroom, a delicious aroma greeted me.

“Good morning, Roy.”

Bathed in the morning sunlight streaming through the window, Yuri-kun was practically glowing like a saint again today.

She was making breakfast.

That apron looked good on her.

It was just the plain white apron I’d always used myself, but naturally it suited a cute girl much better than some middle-aged guy.

“Roy, would you like coffee or tea?”

Yuri tilted her head slightly as she asked… What are you, my wife!?

Despite panicking internally, I maintained a calm expression and answered, “Coffee, please.”

Yuri nodded and headed back toward the kitchen.

The atmosphere felt so different from usual that I glanced around the room.

Now that I looked closely, the dining room was spotless. Had she used Clean Magic?

The whole room almost seemed to sparkle.

Then I sat down and widened my eyes at the wide variety of dishes laid across the table.

There was an omelet that looked incredibly fluffy, soft-looking bread, and steaming chicken soup packed with vegetables.

There was walnut salad too, along with fresh wild grapes picked from this very mountain.

Everything looked delicious enough to make my mouth water.

“Let’s eat before it gets cold.”

“Y-Yeah.”

At Yuri’s suggestion, I brought my hands together, my heart strangely pounding.

Then I picked up a spoon and immediately took a sip of the soup.

“!?”

Maybe my reaction would’ve looked exaggerated to anyone watching.

But it was shockingly delicious.

How the hell did she make soup this good?

“U-Um… is it not to your taste?”

“No way! I was just shocked because I’ve never had soup this good before.”

“You don’t have to flatter me. My companions used to complain about my cooking all the time.”

“What!? Someone actually complained about soup this insanely good!? They must’ve been living ridiculously luxurious lives. This is the kind of soup an SS-rank chef would make!”

“T-That’s way too much praise!!“

Her face turned red, apparently from embarrassment.

Had she really never been praised much before?

The soup was rich with the flavor and stock of vegetables and chicken that had clearly been simmered for a long time. The chicken itself was tender while still having just the right amount of springiness. The omelet was exquisitely fluffy and creamy. The instant it entered my mouth, the flavors of butter and egg spread together, leaving me in a dreamlike daze. It might have sounded exaggerated, but this genuinely tasted like something from a dream.

The bread was freshly baked and fragrant, neither too soft nor too hard. It tasted great dipped into the soup too.

“Maybe part of why it’s so good is because you put your feelings into it. You cooked it hoping your food would give everyone strength… right?”

“…Roy.”

“Thanks. After eating something like this, I feel like I could stay energetic all day.”

I told Yuri exactly how I felt.

Then tears began spilling from her blue-violet eyes.

Huh!? I meant to compliment her… Did I make her cry!?

While I panicked, Yuri wiped away her tears with her fingers and spoke.

“This is the first time… anyone’s ever been this happy about my cooking.”

“The Hero and the others weren’t happy? Good food naturally puts a smile on your face, doesn’t it?”

“My seasoning wasn’t good enough… I could never really satisfy everyone…”

What!? What the hell was there to complain about with food this delicious!?

Were those idiots’ taste buds completely beyond saving? That was the only explanation I could think of.

“So even if you’re just flattering me, I’m happy…”

“I told you, I’m not flattering you. Anyone besides the Hero’s group would say this is delicious too.”

“Do you think so?”

“Or do you not believe me?”

“N-No!! It’s not that I don’t believe you!! It’s just… it doesn’t feel real yet.”

At Yuri’s words, I clenched my fist.

Just how much had those bastards complained about food she’d made with all her heart!?

There couldn’t be many people capable of cooking better than this!

From my perspective, this was good enough that I’d willingly pay money for it. She’d already won over my stomach in a single meal.

No matter how I looked at it, the Hero and every last one of his companions had to be hopelessly bad at appreciating food.

“I’d happily drink your soup every day.”

“Every day…?”

Yuri blinked and tilted her head, and I suddenly became embarrassed by the words that had slipped out of my mouth.

Didn’t that sound almost like a marriage proposal?

“I-I mean, that’s how good it is.“

“O-Oh, r-right… I’m glad you liked it!”

“Like I said before, we’ll take turns cooking, so you don’t have to make it every day. But could you make this soup again sometime?”

“Of course. If Roy enjoys eating my cooking, that makes me really happy too.”

Seeing Yuri’s genuinely delighted smile and hearing those words made me happy as well.

She really was a good girl… Kind and thoughtful.

Even sitting here quietly eating together somehow felt comfortable.

As I watched Yuri tear off a piece of bread and eat it, my expression became complicated.

The smug face of that Hero came to mind.

He had called her useless, but how the hell could he say that about a companion who cooked meals this good? The Hero’s other companions had mocked her too.

Did those idiots not understand how important food was?

Yuri deserved far more recognition.

She wasn’t someone the Hero and his companions had any right to ridicule.

First, I needed to help Yuri become independent.

At E-rank, she wouldn’t receive any worthwhile requests, so I’d have her take a promotion exam and qualify for better-paying work.

“Yuri, once we finish breakfast, we’re heading to the Guild Hall.”

“A new job?”

“No. You’re going to take a promotion exam.”

“…!?”

Yuri’s cheeks flushed and her eyes lit up.

She must have wanted to test her own potential all along.

But almost immediately, her expression turned anxious.

“But… is it really okay? For me to take a promotion exam?”

“Anyone has the right to take one. Forget what the Hero told you.”

“Okay…”

Perhaps remembering the day she’d been expelled, Yuri’s expression darkened slightly, so I gently patted her shoulder.

Once she took the exam, she’d understand.

She’d finally learn how strong she really was.

My main goal was to make her realize that the beliefs the Hero and his companions had drilled into her were wrong.

“The exam isn’t that difficult either, so don’t overthink it.”

O-Okay… I’ll do my best.“

Yuri nodded with a slightly tense expression.

I figured she’d breeze through it even without getting this nervous… but if I said that, I might only put more pressure on her, so for now I decided to keep quiet.