Chapter 83

<082. The Sincerity Mode of a Veteran>

To Emily Jin, Emily Hymelody was a very meaningful heroine, not just to Wolfram.

Let me clarify, though—she’s not the main heroine. She’s a secondary heroine. And among the secondary heroines, she’s a true secondary.

In the second year, she chooses the Magic Department, but she can also be pursued in the Knight Department. This means she’s completely different from Elphira, the fairy living in the Submap Sanctuary.

With her, you can start the pursuit route at any time, and the entry conditions are easy.

The method to open Emily Hymelody’s route is to level up the specific skill 【Cooking】.

Simply by gifting a lot of cooking to party members and boosting your reputation within the school, she will suddenly appear and start a conversation with you.

At first, she will approach you with something like, “Would you like to talk about cooking?”

If you start down Emily’s route from there, the other stories will suddenly stop, and only Emily’s route will unfold.

Regardless of the difficulty or the story that has been developed so far, you will fly into a world that belongs only to Emily and Kelthers, and the world will change accordingly.

The D/Z SAGA, a party-raising battle academy RPG, turns into a passionate cooking manga for young boys.

Judges might fly into space,

you might face off against a dark cooking organization with a black flag,

you might collect the legendary Tier 1 seven cooking tools,

and you might become the youngest royal chef.

At the end of that struggle, Emily, who has convinced the Hymelody royal family with her cooking, becomes Kelthers’ lover, and the two of them hold hands and make the world happy with their cooking.

Honestly.

To be honest.

What kind of drug did I take to get this story?

Of course, the biggest charm of D/Z SAGA is that each heroine has such a different taste, making it hard to follow, but still.

Anyway, Emily is that kind of heroine, and the number of times I’ve seen her ending is 1,631.

Because I’ve seen it so many times, I also know that she is truly a kind and innocent girl.

So, there’s no harm in getting close to her, but...

“Teach me cooking, Master.”

“...What time do you think it is?”

“It’s 3:30 AM. Teach me cooking, Master.”

“...”

It’s 3:30 AM, and she’s looking at me like that.

“Teach me cooking, Master.”

“Go back.”

I see.

In the game, a straightforward and upright girl becomes quite a nuisance in reality.

I learned something good.

***

Emily came back again at exactly six o'clock.

She was wearing a cook's outfit, neat and tidy, giving off a sense of being well-prepared.

“Alright. I’ll do my best, Master.”

After saying that, she paused for a moment in thought.

Well, I’ve seen Emily Hymelody’s ending 1,631 times.

But that was back when I was a newbie.

If I were to vividly recall everything right now, I can’t say I can.

Let’s see.

“First, Emily Hymelody. There’s something I need to tell you.”

“Yes, Master.”

Anyway, once you raise your intimacy with Emily, you get an incredibly ‘good’ benefit.

Let’s start with the preliminary work for that.

That’s why I accepted the teacher-student relationship.

If I teach, I should get some benefit in return, instead of tuition.

“Hymelody. First, let me be clear. Strictly speaking, my cooking skill is lower than yours.”

“Huh?”

“My cooking level is 2. What’s yours?”

“3.”

“Indeed, yours is higher.”

“Yes, mine is higher.”

“However, let me be clear. My ideas are unmatched by anyone in this Jefrin.”

“Oh. So you mean...”

“I can’t cook, but I won’t disappoint your expectations for ‘insight.’”

“You’re a straightforward person. That’s fitting for my master.”

The aura around Emily’s body slightly turned from blue to pink.

Indeed.

To raise Emily Hymelody’s intimacy, there are a few ‘absolute conditions’ that must be met.

One of them is to ‘never lie to Emily Hymelody.’

“Because of that, I will taste the food you make, give advice, and suggest new insights. Your cooking technique is higher.”

“Yes, that’s enough for me, Master.”

Once again, the aura turned pink.

“Alright. I will only give you honest and clear answers, and I won’t give you false advice. It’s your responsibility to accept and internalize it.”

“Yes, Master. I’m really grateful. I needed someone like you.”

The aura turned red again.

Let’s see.

‘You fit me.’

‘That’s enough for me.’

‘I’m really thankful.’

These lines indicated that Emily’s intimacy with me had increased three times.

If I do it four times, a special event flag will be set.

“Then, will you taste my cooking and evaluate it?”

“Not a problem.”

First, I let Emily cook.

“It’s a steak.”

The next dish she made was at the level of Cooking 3.

“Hmm. Let me taste it.”

When I taste it, a message will definitely appear saying, ‘Something is lacking.’

Then, I’ll have the choice to ‘be honest’ or ‘beat around the bush and praise her.’

And here...

“It’s not good. It’s completely lacking.”

“Is that so.”

“First, the sauce made from the remaining juices is too weak. This is more like a raw meat grill than a steak. The fire control was good, though. If you’re making a steak, try to make it a bit more flavorful.”

“...Ah. That’s a very accurate critique. But...”

I have to completely nail it with the facts here.

I straighten my posture and ask Emily Hymelody, who is deeply thinking and can’t say anything.

“Is there something you’re worried about?”

“...Do you know about my background?”

Here it comes.

Do you know about my background?

“Princess of the Hymelody family. Good grades, but a weirdo who dreams of being a cook.”

“Yes, that’s correct. You know a lot.”

After that, Emily’s detailed explanation begins, and I just need to interject appropriately.

Hmm. I see. That’s right. I remember. However, you...

In short, Emily Hymelody has the following backstory.

She was born into the Hymelody royal family but hated the life that came with the royal name.

She came to Jefrin to study abroad and wanted to do something on her own.

And cooking is cooking, whether made by a royal or a commoner. If it’s bad, it’s bad. She wants to make cooking that surpasses the royal name.

That’s roughly it. If you delve deeper, it starts with why she hates the royal name, and it’s a bit dark, but she’s just that kind of girl.

Anyway, the Hymelody royal family, knowing that Emily aspired to be a cook, completely cut off all support related to cooking.

“I couldn’t get any spices because they were too expensive.”

Because of that, she couldn’t get high-quality spices, and her cooking was at a standstill. Emily is trying to find a way out. This is the basic narrative of her route.

And if you fully set the flag here, the special event will open immediately.

“Still immature, what did you stake for your goal?”

“My entire life.”

“I see. However, are you trying to buy spices only with the money given by the royal family? If your entire life is at stake, then your life is already dependent on the royal family.”

“...Ah.”

“If you’ve staked your entire life, walk with your own feet. Emily Hymelody, have you ever tried to get something outside the academy grounds?”

“Ah, no. I haven’t... It’s dangerous.”

“Indeed. Right now, you’re no different from a bird that envies the outside world while eating seeds in its cage.”

“Ugh, then, what can I do?”

“Follow me. I’ll show you a new world.”

If the story progresses to this point, the game would display the following message.

【The special conditions for the sub-heroine Emily Hymelody have been met.】

【Special rewards will be given!】

【A new field has been opened!】

And Emily Hymelody would look at me with determination and say this.

“I will follow. Outside the cage.”

Good.

It really opened.

***

Emily Hymelody was shocked.

Wolfram von Loeningen.

His words seemed to read her heart completely.

His words cut into her heart so sharply.

A warm pain that wasn’t painful.

With the sharpness that seemed to peel away her useless outer shell, she couldn’t help but relax her expression.

I see.

If she can’t get spices because she doesn’t have money, it means she has been living a life dependent on that money.

If she hates the name Hymelody, she should hate all the support given by the Hymelody family.

She is angry at her own half-hearted duplicity.

And she was surprised that a man she met for the first time today could strip it away.

“Emily Hymelody.”

“...Yes, yes.”

She stuttered for the first time.

Why? Because the other person is royalty?

No. It’s because his words made her tremble.

Just by calling her name.

Just by wanting to learn cooking, after a conversation that didn’t even reach ten exchanges, something in her heart felt filled.

Is this the leader of the most dangerous new crew in Jefrin?

No, honestly, I don’t know.

This is a person with such charisma. Someone who can read a person’s heart at first glance, come in and stir things up, and drag people along.

A person like this would naturally draw people around them.

“If you want to go outside the cage, follow me.”

“...Yes, Master.”

As if she had looked into her soul thousands of times, her actions were bold, and her words filled my heart strangely.

***

The original D/Z SAGA was a very heroine-centric game.

For example, if you take the Eve route, Kelthers also learns 【Holy Light Blade】. If you take the Regina route, you learn Regina’s 【Blessing of the Great Merchant】 skill, which halves the price of all shop items.

In other words, the special skills you receive depend on which route you take and which heroine’s ending you see. If you take the Izzolda route, you might learn 【Seven Royal Magic Swords】 or something. Anyway, the heroine is incredibly important.

So, what is the special reward for Emily Hymelody, who is walking calmly three steps behind my rickshaw pulled by Partasch?

It’s the 【Opening of a New Field】.

Originally, this new field doesn’t open just by raising her intimacy a little.

This is a field that, in a way, becomes the core of the story.

She ponders between the name of the Hymelody royal family and her personal identity.

She wonders if she can develop her friendship with Kelthers, a commoner, into love, and they argue, and she falls into self-loathing.

In the rain, they embrace and apologize to each other, and they boil a warm soup, realizing that all their memories, friendship, love, and connections are in the cooking.

They defeat the dark cooking organization with the black flag, and so on, and this field opens.

But that’s too long. No, it’s really long.

And I already know where this field is! Isn’t that obvious?

Can’t I just go there by myself?

No, that’s not possible.

To enter this field, you need someone who is willing to dedicate their soul to cooking.

This is also part of the first emperor’s arrangement, so if you just try to go, the map won’t open.

So, for quick intimacy, quick questions, quick answers, and quick opening, this is the fastest technique!

“...Isn’t this the Sleeping Mountain Range?”

“Hmm. We turn right here.”

And if we turn right, surprisingly, just like when the fairy’s paradise opened, the portal hums.

And a voice is heard.

【You who walk a path neither of swords nor magic. What do you seek?】

“Is this a question for me? I, I...”

Emily Hymelody hesitated, looking at me.

I don’t want to do a passionate cooking manga for young boys just by coming this far.

“You can answer honestly. Hymelody, what do you want? Speak your heart.”

“...Senior. Thank you.”

Finally, Emily Hymelody sighed and answered the question.

“I want to walk the path of cooking. I want to walk my own path, where only my skills are evaluated.”

【Good. Your pride. Your resolve, I see it well. Swords and magic are not the only paths of learning. My arrangement will open here for you and your friends.】

The great voice of the first emperor is heard, and the door slides open.

And what appears is...

“Oh, oh...”

“Hmm. As expected.”

The monsters roaming around range from White Rabbits to Dragon Bone Sauruses, all of which are ingredients.

The open fruits on the trees, from acorns to watermelons, are all edible.

The items lying around nearby, from refined salt to pepper, are all spices.

“This place...”

“I read in the royal archives that the first emperor made arrangements for those who walk the path of cooking, not just swords and magic.”

“...So, so...”

“Be happy. You’ve just opened the door of the cage.”

“...Ah, ah...”

Emily looked at me and shivered.

Is she that happy?

I’m happy too.

This place is a bit dangerous, but if you bring party members, you can farm ingredients quite well.

I opened this map for convenience, and before I knew it, I saw your ending over a thousand times.