Long Time No See And Tofu Hamburgers - Part Two

Rir was in an exceptionally good mood right now.

Why, you ask? It’s obvious.

Because Shuri had returned.

She wouldn’t let him go to a prison ever again. This time for sure, she would protect Shuri.

And she wanted to end the nightmare of no longer being able to eat hamburgers.

A few days after the incident.

Rir and the rest of the mercenary band came to be permanently stationed at the castle. Or rather, although Gings was nominally installed as the feudal lord, in reality, Gings handled the management of the Sunity soldiers. Ecres was in charge of domestic affairs, and Gungrave sat at the very top of it all.

There was a reason for this; through the series of incidents, Gings himself seemed to have realized that he lacked the internal capability to govern a territory.

Therefore, taking this opportunity, he was carrying out various handovers to have Gungrave installed as the new feudal lord.

“I don’t have the ability to navigate these troubled times. I’ve learned that lesson all too well from this whole affair. Even so, leaving me to rule this territory as it stands is also problematic. If things go poorly, Sunity might even vanish. In that case, I have no choice but to entrust it to someone who can at least protect this land and its people.”

Gings spoke thus, intending to leave the rest to Gungrave.

As for Ecres, they tried to have her take the nominal position of feudal lord, but she declined.

It was clear that balance would be achieved by putting Ecres in charge of domestic affairs and Gings in charge of military matters. That was the conclusion Gungrave reached after investigating, and anyone could see it by looking at the quality of their work.

However, she expressed that after finishing the handover to Gungrave, she only wanted to do a moderate amount of work. Naturally, everyone understood that such a thing couldn’t be permitted, but in the first place, Ecres was female.

Moreover, she was a person at the very center of the problem, and just like Gings, standing in the position of feudal lord was inherently problematic.

Ecres also said,

“I don’t want to pretend to be a man anymore. From now on, I want to work and fall in love as an ordinary girl. Also, I want to start a family with the person I love and be happy,”

All while looking at Shuri as she spoke. It was somehow an unpleasant conversation. Gungrave also had a subtle look on his face.

Then what about Garn? people would ask, but that man also posed a problem.

Although he possessed the bloodline of the father… the former feudal lord, he was the child of a concubine. Simply because they couldn’t install the child of the Empress, installing the child of a concubine was out of the question. In the first place, to prevent such succession issues from becoming even more complicated, Garn had not been given the qualification to be an heir, so having the mercenary band install him as feudal lord on this occasion would only complicate matters further.

Besides, Shuri was negative regarding that opinion.

“No, no, Garn-san is my assistant, or rather my subordinate, or well… I promised to have him join the kitchen staff. If he’s forcibly installed as the feudal lord, I’ll be in trouble.”

Because of that, Garn became Shuri’s subordinate.

For some reason, a huge man named Adora also became a subordinate, but Rir had no interest in him.

No matter who became Shuri’s subordinate, as long as Shuri could make hamburgers without difficulty, there was no problem.

As long as he could make hamburgers… Whoops, she was about to be swallowed by the dark side.

Thus, both Garn’s treatment and the feudal lord issue were resolved.

Afterward, they would wait for an opportunity to hand over the status and authority of the feudal lord to Gungrave.

As for Gungrave, he seemed to want both Gings and Ecres to continue working here unchanged.

Even if he became the feudal lord and gained the nation, people capable of territory management were fundamentally lacking, so he wanted them to lend a hand.

At that time, Gings and Ecres would be appointed to appropriate positions and titles, but behind-the-scenes arrangements were currently being made so that no problems would arise then.

If truth be told, if he drove out Gings, Ecres, and all the subordinates under their influence to obtain the territory, all internal problems might disappear.

However, even if he did that, all the human resources necessary to rule the territory would be lost, leaving Gungrave in trouble as well.

Neither Gings nor Ecres wanted to be driven out of this territory, and if possible, they wanted to spend their time in this territory.

Thus, the interests of the three coincided, at least for the time being.

Now then, once the nominal feudal lord was decided and the arrangements leading up to the handover were settled, the next thing to do was already determined.

Namely, the wedding of Gungrave and Arius.

Gungrave and Arius had exchanged a promise in the past.

That once they obtained a territory, they would marry.

Normally, they wouldn’t have even gotten engaged until obtaining a territory, but in the past at Alturia, that soft-heartedness had invited crisis.

Although the crisis was averted through Shuri’s quick wit, there was no telling what would have happened without Shuri.

That was why Gungrave and Arius moved the promise forward and got engaged.

However, the wedding ceremony had not taken place yet.

Of course, it was partly because they had been too busy up until now, but the primary reason, though a guess, might be this:

They did not want to move the promise forward any further.

In order to strictly fulfill their important vow and marry with heads held high.

Although put stylishly, this felt the most fitting.

And Rir believed that now was the time to fulfill that vow. Rir also agreed with that.

That was why Rir was currently moving toward that goal.

“Mm, that’s enough for today.”

Rir was working in her research lab located in the castle.

A Magi-Technician researcher serving the castle. This was also an occupation Rir had yearned for since long ago.

The Rir before meeting Shuri was… oh, so arrogant that even remembering it made her blush.

She had thought it would certainly turn out like this, but after meeting Shuri, she had made inventions prioritizing her comrades above all, so she had forgotten a little.

However, now that she had created her own base in the castle like this, how should she put it?

There was an immense sense of accomplishment.

Of course, the real activities were just beginning, but that feeling naturally welling up could not be helped.

Even now, even as she made various tools for Gungrave’s wedding, thinking that this was her first job gave her a deeply emotional feeling.

Yes, the wedding. Rir’s current job was the preparation toward Gungrave and Arius’s wedding.

From furnishings to decorations, a wedding ceremony required a vast number of items.

Rir had to make them.

Wouldn’t it be fine to just buy them? Many people might think so, but there was a reason for that as well.

First of all, there was no money.

When saying there was no money, both this castle and the band possessed funds. It was impossible to lack funds when bringing together a territory.

Unlike that, although there were funds for territory management, there was no engagement money.

Normally, for the wedding of a feudal lord or their relatives, a corresponding amount of money would be saved before the engagement and spent all at once when the time came.

That served as a demonstration of national prestige to show off the financial power of the feudal lord’s house, as well as congratulatory money for a new start for their child.

However, unfortunately, neither Ecres nor Gings had plans for marriage.

In short, they had not secured funds in preparation for a wedding.

Then what had they been using it on? When investigating, it seemed that rain had continued around here recently, leading to road blockages caused by landslides. They had used it for those construction works.

At least the funds had been used for a proper purpose, and in the first place, one couldn’t rely on other people’s money for an important wedding, so Gungrave swallowed everything he wanted to say.

Then wouldn’t it be fine to use the mercenary band’s funds? While that topic came up, there was a sad circumstance to it.

They had not expected to obtain a territory, a nation, under such circumstances, so although they had been saving, they had saved, but it wasn’t enough.

The mercenary band ate money simply by existing as it was.

Gungrave had said before: horses, equipment, food reserves, supplies, repair tools, and above all, the fighting humans themselves… those required money as time passed.

Neither horses nor humans could live without eating, and for that, food was needed. If injured, treatment with medical tools was necessary, and if injured, tools would break as well.

Even so, Gungrave managed to get by and came this far.

However, that money was insufficient.

Sadly, the world turned on money… life was harsh.

Therefore, they decided to prepare what they could prepare themselves, and purchase only what was absolutely lacking.

Rir was in charge of toolmaking.

Incidentally, outfits were handled by the shop, venue preparation by Teg and Kuuga, and cooking was handled by Shuri.

Well, the right person in the right place.

Arius? It couldn’t be helped for Gungrave, but Rir thought making one of the main figures work too hard was also a problem.

“Then, Rir is going to eat food!”

“Please wait a moment, Captain—”

One of her subordinates stopped Rir as she tried to head immediately to the cafeteria.

…This fellow, what is your objective?

“The work isn’t finished yet, is it?”

“Ah.”

Because her subordinate complained, Rir pointed at the corner of the room and spoke.

Over there were the tools for today’s quota.

Candelabras, plates, and tables.

Even after seeing this, you still have complaints?

“No, I understood the Captain’s work. But there are still things to do, like writing reports and logging the management forms for used tools, right?”

“…Goddamn!”

What a disaster. Did it mean Rir still had work as a manager to do?

Damn it. However, Rir had something she must do.

Patting the shoulder of her exasperated subordinate, Rir spoke.

“Rir has a place she must go.”

“It’s still early for lunch, though.”

“It doesn’t matter! A hamburger is calling Rir!”

“Ah, wait!”

Brushing off her subordinate’s restraint, Rir broke into a dash.

She grasped the entirety of this castle’s interior layout. The number of steps on the stairs, the length of the hallways, the spacing between doors, the height of the ceilings—everything.

Based on that information, she calculated the shortest distance to the cafeteria, and Rir ran in a straight line.

At times turning hallway corners, at times leaping down stairs…

Using every bit of power available, Rir ran. She ran, ran, and kept running.

It was at that moment. When she turned a corner, she ended up running alongside someone.

“! Rir, is that you?”

“…Arius!”

Her arch-rival was there. Yes, her formidable foe with whom she competed over lunch.

Arius was running closely parallel right beside Rir. Or rather, it might be better to say she was floating slightly off the ground and gliding.

She was probably flying using magic, but seeing how she pared away waste to the extreme and leaned into speed, while running at a razor-thin speed that wouldn’t cause accidents through precise operational technique, Arius must have been training in preparation for this moment as well.

Magic that appeared wasteful on the surface, but was in fact completely calculated.

Splendid…!

However…

“Arius. Shouldn’t you be checking the venue right now? It’s problematic for the main figure not to be present.”

Yes, Arius was indeed the main figure, and basically on the side giving instructions or rather being entertained, but even so, that shouldn’t serve as a reason that it was fine to leave.

“If you say that, Rir, shouldn’t you have the work of creating furnishings? Even if your quota is finished and time opened up, I submit that it doesn’t serve as a reason that it’s fine to leave from there, doesn’t it?”

Gnk, to think both of them slipped away from work just for this single moment.

What terrifying tenacity…!

No, Rir only needed to write reports and such later, though.

“Look, Rir. Why don’t you head back first? Your subordinates are probably troubled as well. I will take the liberty of going to Shuri’s place first. Today, with boiled tofu.”

“I won’t let that happen! Even if Heaven and Earth permitted it, Rir won’t permit it!”

She would prevent it no matter what!

“I see… It seems Rir has also been researching and developing in preparation for this moment, hasn’t she?”

“…What are you talking about?”

“It’s useless to play dumb. In that lab coat and shoes, you’ve embedded the Magi-Spells for Flight and Weight Reduction, as well as the Magi-Program for Impact Mitigation, haven’t you? That is why even with Rir’s physique, you can produce that much speed… Though I’m sure that isn’t all.”

As expected of her formidable foe. She understood.

Yes, Rir’s lab coat was embedded with Magi-Spells and Magi-Programs to the absolute limit. On the sleeves were Strength Enhancement and Defensive Barrier. On the torso were Defensive Barriers against all manner of attacks: piercing, slashing, explosive, and bludgeoning. On the back were Weight Reduction, Sensing Barrier, and Defensive Barrier. On the hem was Flight. It was made assuming every conceivable scenario.

The shoes, trousers, and clothes were also provided with similar settings. She thought that putting this much preparation into them was something only Rir in the entire wide world would do.

And the trick that Arius failed to see through. That was the Magi-Program engraved directly onto her body.

That was Gravity Control. Eyeing the existence called gravity that she heard about from Shuri, it was her crowning masterpiece. Engraved on her right arm, it applied the effect of gravity to Rir’s body and whatever she touched with her right hand.

Lightening her body, flying, lightening things she touched to lift them up, and pressing down things she touched with gravity were all possible.

Of course, engraving this on bare skin was extremely dangerous. If creation failed, at best her arm would be blown off, and at worst her body would have exploded.

But Rir succeeded. Direct on the body, engraving a Magi-Program to enable the restricted execution of magic—a new technology.

Rir called this the Magi-Ladder Chart. But although it succeeded this time, if it failed it would become a disaster, so she had no intention of doing it to other people.

Be that as it may, using all of these, Rir was heading toward the cafeteria.

However, that plan also had to be changed.

Arius said, “I will request it.”

In that case, Rir also had to go.

To Shuri’s side. To the kitchen!

“However, I will not lose either.”

With a smirk, Arius laughed.

“My new magic, Skater Fly, lowers the learning difficulty to the extreme, allowing any mage to learn it easily, achieving both safety and speed. Generating a force opposing gravity—which I heard about from Shuri—just slightly off the ground to float, it is used so that only momentum proceeds in the desired direction. By doing this, one avoids getting caught on bumps in the ground. If trained, one can probably cast magic while moving at high speeds. The establishment of a High-Speed Mobile Magic Unit is not a dream either. For now, I merely use it for the sake of what I desire, though.”

She realized this was what a real, true waste of talent was.

When they turned the final corner, Rir and her rival remained evenly matched.

While Rir generated speed by adapting to and utilizing the terrain with both feet, Arius maintained a constant speed using her abundant magical power to run.

Even if Rir tried to overtake, Arius’s speed wouldn’t allow it, and even if Arius tried to pull away, Rir utilized the terrain to catch up. Truly the cat-and-mouse game Shuri spoke of.

A battle that could not be lost was right here.

““It’s in sight!””

At long last, the kitchen door came into view. Just a little more; three seconds and they would reach it.

These three seconds were the final critical moment. Rir put on a burst of speed, and Arius also raised her speed.

At that moment, a voice Rir couldn’t simply ignore reached her ears.

“So Sensei, what shall we make for lunch today?”

What shall we make?

Did that mean lunch hadn’t been decided yet?

No way. Lunch was decided to be hamburgers. Even though it was Shuri’s cooking, he would make something other than hamburgers? She couldn’t leave that alone.

As expected, coming was the right choice.

“If you’re lost, make hamburgers.”

“If it’s for lunch, boiled tofu.”

Entering inside was simultaneous. Rir and Arius had reached the kitchen goal side by side.

Tch, with this, there was no priority right to speak. As if Arius also found it vexing, she knitted her brows.

But there was no need to worry. Shuri was a person who understood if one talked to him. If spoken to with a smile, he would understand.

“There is still time… If I talk with a smile, he should understand… He is a person who understands if spoken to…”

Tch! Arius was thinking the exact same thing!

However, still. Still, it could be managed somehow.

Therefore, to talk to Shuri with a smile, Rir approached step by step.

That was the same for Arius. She was walking while wearing a smile.

If it came to this, the battle was already about the refreshingness and lack of malice in the smile.

Even so, Shuri was backing away a little. Why?

The subordinates behind pushed such a Shuri forward, placing him in front of Rir and her rival.

They understood, those guys did. Yes, there was no need to shrink back, nor any need to be afraid.

Because it was such a malice-free smile. With a big beam.

Even so, because Shuri tried to run away, she grabbed his shoulder and stopped him.

With this, they could talk.

“Now, Shuri. Hamburgers.”

“Boiled tofu, right?”

…

What a thing. To think Arius was thinking the exact same thing. Trying to project friendliness by grabbing his shoulder. As expected of her arch-rival, she left no stone unturned.

However, as expected, a conflict of opinions was unavoidable, huh.

When Rir looked at Arius, Arius was also looking back at Rir.

She understood. From here on was the real battle. From here on, words would do the talking.

“Rir. Shuri is cooking for the first time in a while. Wouldn’t it be better to start with something simple and let him get his senses back?”

“Arius. Since it’s been a while, you should let Shuri start with his specialty dish. That’s why Rir is here.”

That’s right, Shuri’s greatest specialty dish was hamburgers. After all, under the pretense of tasting, Rir had requested them, so he had built up the count.

Compared to that, boiled tofu? Hmph, that was just simmering kelp and tofu. The one that took effort, was delicious, and was his specialty was decided to be hamburgers.

“Rir, I will happily eat whatever dish comes out. If I had to say, and I really mean if, I would be happy if you served boiled tofu here. No, of course I’m not saying you have to. But my subordinates were also looking forward to boiled tofu. Oh, if it’s something else, then it can’t be helped. But, you know? It’s been a while, so you’d want to eat it, wouldn’t you? No, no, if it’s impossible then that can’t be helped, but…”

Wh, what rhetoric. She had no choice but to say splendid despite her being an enemy…!

This casual yet point-focused refutation.

Gnk, at this rate she would lose… Something, if there wasn’t something to act as a trigger to change the flow of battle.

“Please wait. I understand what you want to eat.”

Surprisingly, in the meantime, Shuri had made up his mind. It must surely be hamburgers.

Heh, the flow was on this side. Arius, this is as far as you go. With this, Rir’s victory was assured.

Although fatigue floated on Shuri’s face for some reason, it must surely be because he selected hamburgers after thinking through various things.

“Then I’ll go get the beef.”

“No, it’s tofu.”

Wha, what?

When she glanced at Arius, Arius also wore a puzzled face. This meant Arius had also been convinced of her victory. It meant she had thought it would be boiled tofu.

“Let’s use tofu.”

And then, the death sentence.

What? Tofu? Not beef, but beans?

Ridiculous, so ridiculous…………!

“Haha. Funny joke.”

That’s right, a joke. It must be a joke.

This helpless, hot, hot impulse swirling inside her body, she put it into her fist and tried striking.

Rotating her hips, linking the power through shoulder, elbow, and wrist, the unleashed fist might exceed the limits of the human body if given a little more time.

“However, it is not boiled tofu.”

Eh? Not boiled tofu? Whew, what a relief. He was just trying to make something else.

…Is not what she could think. Given the development up to this point, that betrayal could not be forgiven.

Arius over there was swinging her arm around after turning it into a whip. It even grazed Rir’s hair, but it possessed enough power to take off one or two strands.

If it hit a human body, it would undoubtedly sustain damage as if the skin had burst.

“Shuri. Is my hearing playing tricks on me…? You said tofu, but it’s not boiled tofu… Could it be that you were making excuses…? May I ask you again?”

That’s right. It meant something that was neither hamburgers nor boiled tofu would be made.

Such tyranny, how could it be permitted? Coming this far, letting the great wish go unfulfilled could not be overlooked.

“Shuri, now, take the beef in your hands. If the tofu was a joke, you should be able to do it.”

“If it is tofu, take the pot and the water in your hands.”

With a smile, if spoken with a smile. Shuri should understand.

She was supposed to be striving to smile, but why was it? The spurting fighting spirit leaked out.

“It is a healthy dish using tofu that is like a hamburger. It’s good for your stomach and your skin.”

“Shuri, let’s cook now. Is there anything we can help with?”

“Rir will do it too. Together for the first time in a while.”

Ahaha, why was Rir acting so wild just now again?

To be able to eat a new variation of hamburger, Shuri was truly amazing after all.

I see, since a plain hamburger wouldn’t be suitable for the first time in a while, he meant to celebrate grandly with a new hamburger.

In that case, Rir had to help too.

Arius also wore a refreshing, bright smile. Why had Rir and her rival been fighting?

Conflict and acting wild were unnecessary in this world, and yet.

Even though the world, yes, the world was beautiful, cruel, and shining so brightly.

She was starting to lose track of what she was saying a little.

“No, we will do it with the new recruits for their training, so please wait in the cafeteria…”

Before finishing listening to those words, Rir and her rival dashed off.

With the refreshingness of boys running through a grassy field as their hearts desired.

Leaping over the prep counter, exiting the kitchen, simply in a straight line.

They headed toward the cafeteria.

The goal was the seat closest to the serving counter!

Staring blankly while sitting on a cafeteria chair waiting, she felt like she might achieve enlightenment.

Taking the number one seat, waiting the entire time.

Rir and Arius, arriving at the cafeteria a step or two faster from the kitchen, commandeered the seat closest to the serving counter.

Be that as it may, because it was still early, not a single person was there. Not a single soul was present. Not even a shadow.

“…Arius.”

“Rir. I will not yield.”

Tch. She saw through it, huh.

Because it was a bit early, she was going to lightly attack by asking “What about work?”, but as expected of her formidable foe. She read ahead.

Incidentally, because Rir said it while overlapping with Arius as Arius was also about to say something, Arius must undoubtedly have been trying to say something similar.

Truly, one could not let one’s guard down.

“Ah, Captain, were you here? We were looking for you!”

At that moment, Rir and Arius’s subordinates entered the cafeteria.

Tch, nuisances had arrived.

“Look, it’s still early for lunch, so let’s head back. Everyone’s work is coming to an end, so if the Captain isn’t there, we can’t sign off on the end of work. Besides, there is other work, right? Like castle maintenance. Come on, let’s go back.”

“We’re going back, Captain Arius. If you aren’t there, the subordinates won’t even be able to train properly.”

Tch, even though she had entrusted the rest to them, they still required instructions?

Arius also wore a bitter face. Probably, she wanted to say “Do what needs to be done even if I’m not here.”

That was the same for Rir, so Rir also wore a bitter face.

“My apologies, Vice-Captain. Recently, my nights have been busy, so I get hungry, you see. Look, Gungrave is, well…”

Surprisingly, Arius said that while blushing her cheeks.

The Vice-Captain also teased with a smirking face of understanding, saying, “That must be busy, then.”

However, Rir knew. No such fact existed at present.

To be sure, Gungrave and Arius shared a bed. But they were merely sharing a bed. They hadn’t reached the act itself.

The reason was that if Arius were to make a child starting now, it would affect the unit’s organization. Earlier in the hallway, she had overheard her discussing this and that regarding children with Gungrave.

Rir also thought sentimental thoughts like, Will I also have conversations like that someday when I find someone I like…? but to bring up that topic just to eat a new dish… What a terrifying child!

“Come on, Captain Rir, we’re going back.”

Ha! While Arius could make excuses and stay, Rir had no reason she could use as an excuse!

What to do…!?

“Actually, my nights are—”

“Don’t lie! Nights are spent working on wedding preparations and the like with us the whole time! Don’t try to bring out the same reason as Captain Arius when you don’t even have a lover!”

Wh, how did he know she would use that reason? It should have been a flawless flow…!

“I, if it’s a lover—”

“Ah, Chef Shuri is off-limits. Don’t try to balance things inside yourself by indirectly calling a hamburger your lover.”

“As expected, a hamburger isn’t a lover.”

“Right…”

“That is Rir’s life itself.”

“That’s even worse. Come on, we’re going back.”

Gnk, so persistent…!

“Listen, okay? From now on, Rir will eat a new hamburger.”

“Since it’s still early for lunch, doing it after work should be fine, right?”

“Wrong! Hamburgers are Rir’s life. If a new light is to be shed upon that life, Rir must bear witness to it. Even the creative ingenuity Rir raises as the unit’s philosophy, tracing it back to its source, began from hamburgers. Do you understand? Hamburgers are the unit’s philosophy. Denying it without confirming it leads to the denial of Rir, and by extension, the denial of Magi-Engineering. If one belongs to the Magi-Engineering Unit, treasuring the philosophy is the motto. Now, let’s eat the new hamburger together. It’s fine, the hamburger won’t run away.”

“Please don’t shift the point of argument. In short, a new hamburger is coming out, so you just want to eat it first, right?”

Gnk…! Even copying Arius was no good…

However, he hadn’t noticed.

That Rir had already achieved victory.

“By the way, let me ask.”

“? What is it? As soon as I call the Captain, I’m heading right back.”

“What time is it now?”

When she said that, her subordinate looked outside and checked the position of the sun.

And then, his shoulders drooped limply.

“…It’s noon.”

“Then head back to the research lab and call the subordinates. Let’s take our lunch break.”

“…Understood.”

Her subordinate left the cafeteria with an unconvinced face.

Kukuku, did you see that? Rir had been aiming for this the whole time.

Timewise, it was indeed too early for lunch. However, through stalling for time via the convoluted exchange with her subordinate, she had been aiming for the lunch break.

Lunch break times differed depending on the unit. Infantry and cavalry who went to the frontlines had large numbers and ate large amounts, so their time was set later. While times were varied due to security duties and training, in any case, they took their meals around the time noon passed.

However, Rir and the Magi-Engineering Unit were different. Basically, for the Magi-Engineering Unit, speaking of training meant outdoor encampment setup, trench construction, and early repair of weapons and armor. Because they didn’t possess the skill or equipment to fight going to the frontlines like Rir, naturally they were in charge of the rear. Because their numbers were also small, their lunch time was set to be offset from the infantry to eat early.

Furthermore, today, to avoid overlapping times beforehand, the lunch break time had been set even earlier.

Her subordinate who had forgotten that. It was your loss…

“That’s a tiny battle, isn’t it?”

Quiet.

As they waited, Shuri brought in the food along with the kitchen staff.

Placing it on the serving counter, he quickly dished out a portion for one person and distributed it.

And then, food was placed in front of Rir and her rival as well.

A strange shape.

It had the shape of a hamburger. The familiar oval meat shape.

However, even though normally meat juices would come out and it would be seared a nice color, meat juices didn’t come out much, and it was rather whitish.

“Shuri, is this a hamburger?”

“No, it’s a Tofu Hamburger.”

“It looks like… a hamburger, doesn’t it?”

It certainly looked like a hamburger. Even with Rir’s eyes—her Hamburger Eye—she could tell it was a hamburger.

However, it was different. Was this a Tofu Hamburger?

“You’ll know if you eat it.”

“I see… It’s Shuri’s cooking for the first time in a while. Let’s enjoy it.”

“Yeah, looking forward to it.”

Those two, thinking about it, this was Shuri’s cooking. Furthermore, cooking that could be eaten after a long time.

Up until now, forced to eat unpalatable inn food while confined, to say nothing of hamburgers, she couldn’t even partake of amazake…

Ah, long live hamburgers. It was truly great that Shuri came back.

Now then, right away.

While feeling excited, she tried putting a knife into the hamburger.

However, right here, there was a strange sensation.

Somehow, it was fluffy. Not the fluffiness of a hamburger, but softer, and the knife didn’t get caught on the meat fibers at all.

“Somehow… the sensation is different.”

“That’s right. For a hamburger, the sensation is different. It’s somehow fluffy.”

“That’s right. Since I mixed beef and tofu, I think the sensation is different. Since the texture and taste are also different, I hope you enjoy that too.”

Ho, that was wonderful.

Rir carried a piece of this Tofu Hamburger to her mouth.

…

This was… a new hamburger.

Yes, a hamburger. It should be a hamburger. She should have eaten a hamburger.

However, combining the savory taste of meat and the texture of tofu, it could only be thought of as a new something.

While feeling the savory taste of meat, the gentle texture of tofu filled her mouth. It was softer than a hamburger, yet not too soft, without any unpleasant sticky feeling.

Above all, the fat was not too strong. When a hamburger was sliced, meat juices overflowed from that cut surface. Those meat juices had a savory flavor, and at the same time fat that filled the stomach. For dinner it was optimal, a feast fitting to conclude the end of the day, but in the morning or noon, or when one was unwell, there were times it was difficult to eat. Even for women, there were those who cared about their figure because of the high fat content. Rir had a constitution that didn’t gain weight, so she ate without care, though.

However, what about this Tofu Hamburger? Meat and tofu. In other words, because the proportion of meat used was small, the fat was that much less. However, because the tofu absorbed the savory taste of the meat without leaving any behind, it wasn’t unsatisfying. Rather, by adding the gentle texture of tofu and the subtle savory flavor of beans, the flavor of meat alone changed and became very good.

‘I see, these were born in order to meet each other.’

Before she knew it, Rir had stood up. From the depths of her body, she wanted to express the joy of her soul.

Beside her, Arius was also standing.

Ah, Rir and her rival met for the sake of coming together right at this very moment.

“Wonderful. The compatibility with tofu is good.”

“That’s right. This way, we won’t be taking in too much of the meat’s fat. The soft texture of the tofu blends well with the minced meat, finishing it even softer.”

“Furthermore, the compatibility with the sauce has improved. The refreshing sauce, which originally had outstanding compatibility with tofu, creates a synergistic effect by combining the hamburger and tofu together.”

“The fact that we were fighting is ridiculous, isn’t it?”

“Yes, it was a pointless dispute.”

Disputes were mutual plunder.

Why did Rir and her rival fight, she wondered.

Even though Rir and her rival were merely continuing to search for the place they would arrive at while wavering.

“Peace is the best (love & peace), isn’t it?”

“That is correct.”

Peace was the best.

“Shuri! Are you there!?”

As they were immersed in peace, Gungrave entered the cafeteria.

His face contained a slight trace of urgency.

This was… not a good thing.

“Oh, I thought you would be here because it’s lunchtime, and I’m glad. So you were here.”

“What is it, Gungrave-san? If it’s lunch, today it’s Tofu Hamburger.”

“That sounds delicious… no, no, that’s not what I’m talking about. It sounds delicious, but this is no time for that.”

Crack, crack, popping her wrists and neck, Rir shifted into her combat stance—her Shift Change.

It seemed that for the sake of peace, she must fight.

“Tofu Hamburger is at such a level? Gungrave, do you want a scar on that neck that won’t go away?”

“Gungrave. This is a wonderful dish. It is wrong to make light of it, you know.”

Beside her, Arius was doing deep knee bends to warm up her body.

Even if they were merely continuing to search for the place they would arrive at while wavering, the standing wall must be overcome.

“N, no, my bad. Ah, my bad. So, please stop the roundhouse kick to the back of my knees, okay?”

As expected of Arius. She had apparently trained her husband. Gungrave was visibly trembling.

“Ah, no, I have urgent business. You guys come too.”

“After we eat this.”

“Then hurry. This is truly urgent.”

“Did something happen?”

“The Empress, Lenha Sunity, has been found.”

Snap, the air frozen solid.

This was something even Rir couldn’t help but become solemn about.

Lenha Sunity. The mastermind of this incident.

The fool drunk on power had been found. That meant, in other words, it was time to settle this incident for real.

Making her take responsibility and punishing her.

However, the opponent was the Empress of a feudal lord’s territory. The problem was whether it could be ended with immediate effect.

“Really?”

“Yeah. Rather than found, she was captured and is being brought here.”

Captured…?

It wasn’t that Kuuga or Teg’s unit found her.

“Captured? By whom?”

“Yeah, Tebis Niewbist.”

Rir’s face instantly turned unpleasant. She could tell herself. It was an opponent so unpleasant her brows distorted.

Recently, Niewbist has gained immense strength. That was because its material wealth had become abundant due to profits from food trade, ore excavation in the neighboring mining district, and field development.

The king and chief ministers who carried that out possessed superior domestic management capabilities, but that wasn’t all.

Because behind that existed the presence of the genius, the 『Gourmet Princess』 Tebis Niewbist.

While the king and ministers worked out in the open, Tebis handled negotiations, commerce, and information gathering from various places behind the scenes. Thanks to those behind-the-scenes efforts, the front side could work smoothly.

Surely, if she felt like doing so, reigning as queen or developing the nation further was possible.

A child still barely over ten years old contributing to the development of the territory and fighting on equal footing in diplomacy with other nations.

The reason such a lump of talent was coming here. It was regarding Shuri being imprisoned during the previous incident.

And carrying the effective negotiating hand of having captured the mastermind.

“That’s the worst…”

Just as Arius said, it could only be described as the worst.

Using that hand, what would she come demanding?

Perhaps she would seize rights within the territory, or revise trade agreements.

While thinking such things, what everyone present except Shuri was thinking:

That Shuri’s custody might be staked.

That princess’s obsession with Shuri was strong. To the extent that she had handed him an engraved kitchen knife, after all.

“Yeah, will you come?”

“Understood. Rir, meals will be put on the back burner. If you really want to, do it while you can.”

“Understood.”

Even Rir read the room. Quickly wolfing down the Tofu Hamburger, she stepped out toward the research lab. She had to align the Magi-Engineering Unit’s course of action with her subordinates and face this.

She wouldn’t let Shuri be taken. She would definitely protect him.

This time for sure, she would protect him.

---

This series of uproars would later be called the 『Sunity Civil War』 by future generations.

It would be recorded in plays and books, and many people would come to touch upon that war.

After all, the Continental King Gungrave Denju Aplada first obtained a nation here, used it as a base from then on, and it would later become the current capital.

Now then, after the Sunity Civil War, the era welcomed one major event.

Among historians, there were those who stated, 『Strictly speaking, the Warring States period began to end starting from this event.』

Prominent scholars stated, 『A great turning point in history, and a decisive event that carried through to later generations.』

Academy students said, 『The first step into the world the heroes dreamed of, and they showed their manhood.』

People engaged in a certain profession said, 『The prototype of our work started from here.』

That event was the wedding ceremony said to have been directed by Shuri Azuma.

An array of dishes mixing fascination and the unknown, greatly soliciting curiosity.

For that era, a spectacle never before seen or heard of.

At the very end, an arrangement where the Continental King and his Queen publicly exchanged a kiss.

It is said there was the wedding of the Continental King Gungrave Denju Aplada and the Witch of Truth, Queen Arius Denju Aplada.