Chapter 37

036. Wolfram von Loewengrim

Aira Trystar simply said her piece and then watched with wide eyes as Wolfram turned to leave.

“...”

Wolfram von Loewengrim.

Her fiancé. A person chosen by her family.

Her first impression of him was that he was a very disappointing person.

Their engagement was a political contract.

Although they had known each other since childhood, there was more reason than emotion between the two.

The royal family sold a prince with low standing to a powerful family to secure loyalty.

Even though Wolfram and Aira had been childhood friends, the contract came before any affection.

When his younger sister betrayed him and took away his position as student council president, she was greatly disappointed.

She thought he couldn't even fulfill a contract.

Wasn't he supposed to marry her and soar with those wings of rebellion? Why was he crawling on the ground like this?

“...I'm curious. Really, I'm so curious I can't stand it.”

Aira Trystar, who is straightforward and would go directly to ask if she was curious, went to her building and then to Wolfram's convenience store.

And when she peeked outside the building to see what Wolfram was doing, her eyes widened.

[Next is this. Try eating it.]

[U, uh. I'm full, senpai.]

A student with pink hair who seemed overly docile. From her tie, she appeared to be a first-year.

The sight of him piling up a lot of snacks and offering them to her.

“What are you doing?”

Wasn't he supposed to be planning a strategy to bring down Regina Sierra? Why was he flirting with a junior like that?

[This, this is immoral!]

Aira thought this as she was about to kick open the convenience store door, but she stopped at the sound of a voice.

[We don't have time. Hurry.]

[Hee.]

[You can eat a little at a time. It's just to check the buff.]

[Hee.]

[If you do this, you can bring down Kelthers, and I can defeat Regina Sierra. Hurry and eat.]

[Y, yes.]

Was this the means to defeat Regina Sierra?

Aira stopped opening the door and watched him again.

Looking closely, it wasn't so much a pink aura as something else.

“Gather the feed?”

It was a surprisingly accurate expression.

***

If he said he would win, he had to win.

Honestly, I put on a bit of a show to get rid of the annoying Regina, and it worked well.

The royal bloodline skill is great. Even if you lie, it's accepted as the truth.

Anyway, when I returned to the convenience store, I held the cookies I had made over the past 24 hours and looked at Milady.

“What do you think of this?”

“U, um. I think I can deflect wind arrows well!”

“Resistance to wind-based projectiles, huh.”

It's like using a cash item to check options, but there's no probability manipulation in this D/Z SAGA.

“Number 15. Resistance to wind-based projectiles. Still at the beginner level. There's a long way to go. Number 16.”

“U, uh.”

“Does it taste bad?”

“No, it's delicious. It's just that... eating like this will make me...”

“If it's delicious, you won't gain weight.”

“Y, yes? Really? Is, is that true?”

“Of course.”

Nodding, Milady's eyes lit up.

Sorry.

So, we moved on to the 16th, 17th, and finally the 19th cookie.

I can fill my mana by 24 units a day, and I can make a total of 24 cookies.

I hope there will be a change within the next 5 times.

“Eh...”

“Why?”

“This... is a bit different.”

“Can you describe how it's different?”

“Yes? Yes. Well... all swords? No, spears. No, no. All melee... yes, all melee attacks can be dodged quite reliably.”

It's here.

Finally, a buff that can be useful on the battlefield.

This means the proficiency of the Magical Pastry Chef skill has reached the intermediate level.

“True Physical Evasion.”

“Yes? True Physical Evasion? Isn't that a Magic Department skill?”

“Right. It's an 8-tier buff skill. Now, isn't this artifact really something that could be used on a real battlefield?”

“...It's the first time I've heard of a cookie that can apply a buff, let alone one that reaches 8-tier...”

Milady shivered.

Among the first-years, except for those with talent, they are just now entering the 9-tier.

In this situation, an 8-tier buff is definitely a big help.

“Right. Just by eating, you can apply an 8-tier buff. A true ‘buff snack.’”

“Magical Sweets.”

“...Why are you so fixated on the name?”

“I don't want to think about eating a bunch of weirdly named cookies.”

Is that so?

Well, the name isn't that important.

“Right. Magical Sweets. At 9-tier, it only applied low-level buffs, but now that it's reached 8-tier, it really shows promise.”

“T, that's true!”

“Let's try the rest.”

“Hee. I'm full.”

Saying that, the chick started pecking at the feed, and among the remaining 5 cookies, one was an 8-tier buff. I couldn't accurately gauge the probability since I didn't know when it reached the intermediate level, but it was encouraging that two came out.

Then, let's use it.

“Milady. Can you eat one more?”

“...Hee. I'll try... somehow.”

“In return, I'll show you something good.”

“Yes?”

“Watch closely. It's a technique you don't usually get to see.”

As Nunu said, the ‘Magical Pastry Chef’ is a good buff skill.

But think about it, I played this game until it rotted.

For such a skill to be called ‘good’ by me means it's not just any ordinary skill.

Magical Pastry Chef.

This is indeed a fun and good skill in the early stages.

“Actually, the name of the cookie is up to you.”

“...??”

The first thing to make is the [Chiffon Cake].

[I'm using the Magical Pastry Chef!]

[Some kind of magic is imbued in the cookie!]

[The Chiffon Cake is imbued with magic!]

When the Chiffon Cake cools, I decorate it with cream made from mixed beans.

So, what will happen now?

What should I name this?

[I'm using the Magical Pastry Chef!]

[Some kind of magic is imbued in the cookie!]

[The Whipped Cream Cake is imbued with magic!]

“Of course.”

“Yes, yes?”

The system didn't betray me.

This is the real fun of the Magical Pastry Chef.

Mixweet.

[MI X WEET!]

[Calculating the applied magic.]

[Two kinds of magic are faintly glowing silver.]

I nodded at the system description.

“...It's not a complete success.”

“S, senpai, what do you mean...?”

“First, try eating it.”

I cut the Chiffon, no, the Whipped Cream Cake and gave a piece to Milady.

“Different from usual...? Huh? Oh!”

“How is the magic effect?”

“It, it's the same as before. True Physical Evasion. But, but...”

“Tell me more.”

“I think I can dodge fire magic too.”

“Of course. One side was at the beginner level. It's a combination calculation.”

“E, ever. Until now... Oh?”

While Milady was puzzled, I was lost in thought.

This is why the Magical Pastry Chef is so interesting.

For example, I just made a Chiffon Cake and imbued it with magic.

If I decorate that Chiffon Cake with cream again, is it still a Chiffon Cake?

No, it should be called a Whipped Cream Cake.

In other words, the more you stack with the Magical Pastry Chef, the more powerful the cookie becomes.

Theoretically, you can play with it as much as your mana allows, but since Wolfram's maximum mana is 3, so far, one stack is the limit. One for the cookie, one for the Mixweet. A lousy body.

“Wow, wow. Really... Really amazing, senpai! With this, you can win the Magic Craft competition! Really!”

The chick's eyes lit up as she chirped and looked at me.

“No. This is only half a success.”

“...What? Is there more?”

“Yes. Originally, at 7-tier, it's Shining Pastry Chef. At 6-tier, it's Miracle Pastry Chef. If you're satisfied with just 8-tier Magical, that's the end.”

“...Wow. You're really different from me...”

“What do you mean?”

“I... I can't even attempt such a challenge. Senpai, you're really dazzling.”

“Can't challenge? Why?”

“I... no matter what I do, I'm just ordinary... and my stats are low... so... my physical and strength stats are low for the Knight Department, and my mana sensitivity and mana value are not high for the Magic Department...”

Hmm. Is that so.

So, your physical, strength, and mana stats are all low.

“Why are you suddenly saying this?”

“...If I eat this, and I still can't win because I'm weak... what should I do?”

...

A more realistic concern than I expected.

Kelthers' stats are probably around 15-16. Or, since he missed some classes early on, he might have several 14s.

However, now, the more important thing is that Milady isn't going to eat the cookie.

A chick digging a hole?

Are you trying to steal a mole's job?

Here, a senior's mental education is needed.

I supported the public works to raise my daily wage, even though I was exempted as an orphan.

Where did you get such a lousy spirit?

Huh?

“Milady von Sabre. Check your stats.”

“Yes. Physical 9. Strength 8. Mana 11. Skill 6.”

“Is that so. I see. That's the level. Haha. Indeed.”

“Haha. They're too low, right? Honestly, I don't know how I got into Jefrin.”

“My physical stat is 2.”

“...”

She dropped the fork she was holding and rolled her eyes.

Then, she tilted her head, thinking she might have heard wrong.

“Oh, 20...”

“2.”

“...How...”

“Ha. So, how did you get in? Well...”

“How are you even alive?”

Oh. A direct hit.

“S, sorry...”

“Don't worry. My mana stat is 3.”

“...”

“My competition opponent is Regina Sierra, with a mana stat of 20.”

“Magic Merchant senpai...”

“Right. So, don't say anything foolish.”

“...Yes, yes.”

Hmm.

She still can't accept it.

Let's give her a good pep talk.

Let's see. A good story. A good story.

A chick can become a chicken if it works hard? How does that help?

An old hawk pulls out its feathers and claws? That's just a rumor.

A good story for Milady...

Ah.

Right. Milady.

“Milady.”

“Yes, yes?”

“There's a cookie called Milady.”

“Is it named after me?”

I nodded. Here, her concentration increased. What kind of story is behind a cookie named after her?

Now, let's start the effort essay that I, Lee Youngjin, found so tedious.

“This cookie is a bit unique. The Milady cookie is made by folding the dough and rolling it thin, then folding it again. When it's finally folded, the dough has 2,187 layers.”

“R, really? Wow... That's amazing!”

“Hmm.”

Milady is looking at me with sparkling eyes, expecting something profound.

What should I say next?

Something profound as a senior.

So, hmm...

“A single layer of Milady might be weak.”

“!”

“Then, break it boldly. And repeat. When you've repeated it thousands of times, Milady will finally reveal its true form to the world.”

“Wow, wow... Wow...”

It's a bit old-fashioned and childish.

But anyway.

“So, work hard.”

“Yes! Work hard!”

“Yes! Work hard!”

“Yes!”

It's a bit of a cliché ending, but the chick's eyes are shining with enthusiasm.

You're influenced by such a makeshift motivational speech?

Are you really okay?

“Two thousand layers. Milady. Effort. Even if you break, stand up again and break thousands of times. The Milady that is finally completed...!”

She's making a face as if she's made a personal resolution.

Her face is strangely red. Are you really okay?

“Thank you, senpai. I, I was called a clumsy fool in my hometown, and I didn't know how I got into Jefrin.”

“...I see.”

“I, I've never heard such encouragement. Especially from someone from the royal family... Thank you. Really...”

Hmm?

No, the prince has nothing to do with it.

“The royal family has nothing to do with it.”

“Yes?”

“I just said it.”

“...”

Milady blinked and then smiled with a red face.

“Yes. I'll work harder! I'll do my best.”

“Hmm.”

Is it really okay for such a pure person?

Senpai is worried.

“Now, give me the cookie!”

“Go home today. I don't have any mana left.”

“Oh.”