Chapter 25

As cherry blossoms danced in the wind, Misaki opened the old diary and read the words of promise written there.

---

Watching Yurii, who was crying, being led to the infirmary by Vincent, I couldn't help but scratch my head. Yurii's crying face was etched in my mind and wouldn't leave.

Besides, the glances from the cafeteria were annoying. Who would willingly make someone cry?

"Dilnan Captain..."

"...Let's get it over with quickly."

Swallowing the bitter taste in my mouth at Bax's voice, I changed my mood. I had to finish all the tasks by tomorrow morning when I go to the infirmary to pick up Yurii, or what was the point of making her cry?

"I'll clean up the trays, so please go and see her."

"Thanks."

Taking advantage of Bax's words to shake off the annoying glances, I left the cafeteria quickly.

---

On the way to the facilities team, I stopped by the blacksmith team to check on Jott. The petty knife was already finished. A tiny, tiny knife. It's amazing they made it.

I confirmed that a set would be brought to the cooking team by tomorrow morning.

On the way, a member of the blacksmith team handed me a paper bag containing a toothbrush, comb, and small mug adjusted to Yurii's size, which had been ordered by Elies. I tried to call out to Kalaf, but he wasn't there. According to a member of the clothing department, he had gone to deliver something Yurii had made to the infirmary, so I backed off. I'm not really comfortable with that guy.

Next, I went to the facilities team, but Captain Yaeto was on leave today. Deputy Captain Ruchika was also absent, as she was repairing the animal shelter.

Since Yurii's bed, wardrobe, desk, and chair were needed, I told a member of the facilities team about it. They seemed to understand immediately, having seen Yurii in the cafeteria.

Apparently, an adjustable folding chair had already been ordered by Shunas. ...That guy works fast. Even the special dishes for Yurii were ready by dinner time.

I confirmed the size and asked them to finish by mid-afternoon tomorrow and deliver it to my room.

I also went to the information team to check on Yurii's investigation, but Vas was absent.

---

After arranging everything that was absolutely necessary, I returned to the kitchen, used magic to quickly clean the stains on my cook's uniform, and tied my apron. My beard... I'll leave it as it is for today.

Checking the kitchen, the dinner service was almost over, and the cleanup and preparation were proceeding smoothly.

More than half had already finished their work, and only Deputy Captain Shunas, veteran Oji, and Ordima were left in the kitchen. It's because of this team that everything is going smoothly.

"Captain, what about that little one?"

"It's already bedtime. I just finished arranging a place for her to sleep, so what else could I do besides leaving it to Vincent?"

"...Can't be helped."

Shunas, who had seen Yurii crying, asked, but he understood the situation. ...Yurii's crying face flashed in my mind again.

"So, the cooking team?"

"The cooking team, the second special team, the document team, and the medical team have agreed to a weekly health check and emergency treatment training. For now, I'll start with preparation work from tomorrow."

"Having a dedicated preparer will be a big help, even for a little one. ...Still, to be liked by the two big troublemakers, that little one must be something."

"Exactly. Yurii will have a strong ally."

Regaining my composure, I took out a knife and stood in front of an empty counter to start butchering the meat.

Shunas, who was preparing vegetables for tomorrow with Oji, confirmed Yurii's treatment and commented with a mix of admiration and exasperation, which I couldn't help but agree with.

"Where did you find such a small child?"

While quickly cleaning the dishes with magic, Ordima, who seemed to be curious, asked.

Feeling a bit annoyed, I explained again how I found Yurii, and as expected, the three of them reacted in a familiar way.

"To leave such a small child in the 'Deep Forest'... That's not sane. Or it must have been someone with a very twisted mind."

"It's not certain that she was abandoned, but the person who took her there definitely had a strange hobby. It's not a place for children."

"The 'Deep Forest' is no place for a small child. The demons there wouldn't let a small child escape. Seeing such clear malice makes me feel sick."

Shunas spat out, deeply unhappy. We, who go hunting in the 'Deep Forest,' know how special and dangerous that place is.

"...But, thanks to Yurii. We managed to hunt a big catch thanks to her."

Taking out the meat of the Rizail, which I had roughly butchered in the subspace, and placing it on the counter, Shunas and Oji's expressions changed.

"Rizail?"

"Yeah, two of them. Both were trying to eat Yurii when I caught them."

"The meat quality and fat content are excellent."

Oji, who had stopped to look at the meat, rarely praised it. Indeed, the meat Yurii and I ate was of high quality.

"With this and Kafshe, we can make a high-quality meat dish."

"Agreed."

"Is it Ordima's turn to plan the menu?"

"Let me think about it."

With the meat in front of us, we talked lightly while quickly processing it. Rizail's fat melts easily, so speed is crucial for the taste.

"Still, couldn't the preparation wait until tomorrow, Captain?"

Ordima, who had finished cleaning the dishes, came to help with a knife in hand.

"If I leave it until tomorrow, I won't be able to take care of Yurii."

"...That's true. She was crying as soon as she was separated from you, even though she was eating so happily."

"I don't think she's shy, so she should be fine once she gets used to the surroundings."

"Is that so?"

While talking, our hands didn't stop. The other two were also listening while preparing vegetables.

"First of all, she didn't even flinch when she first met Retz. Retz likes her so much that she can use him as a bed for naps."

"「...What?」"

"Also, during dinner, after staring at Oji, she said she wasn't scared and even said 'I love grandpa' with a super smile."

"「Ouch!」"

To explain Yurii's lack of shyness, I first talked about her with Retz, and as expected, the three of them were skeptical.

Yeah, this is the normal reaction, and Yurii is different.

I was so shocked by the sight of Yurii and Retz that it took a while to calm down.

When I told them about dinner, Ordima and Shunas were so flustered that their blades went off course. Oji was completely frozen.

"Wait a minute. How big of a deal is that little one?"

"Eh? What!?"

Putting down their knives and holding their cut fingers, Shunas and Ordima couldn't hide their disbelief.

Hey, usually Oji would scold them.

Well, you guys wouldn't make such mistakes in the first place.

"Her instincts are sharp. The first thing she said when she saw Kalaf was 'Big brother? Big sister?'"

"By the way, Elies was there, but Yurii didn't even notice her, and when they met, she didn't ask anything at all."

"Normally, it would be the opposite."

"Exactly. We have an idiot here who got beaten up for doing the opposite."

As I continued to talk about Yurii, Ordima said what I was thinking, and Shunas added to it. Hold on. I heard something I couldn't ignore from Shunas.

"Ah?"

"Alf was assigned for a while. One day when you were on leave, he slipped and said something. After smiling and beating up Alf, I was scolded by Captain Elies with a super smile for not educating him properly."

"Captain Elies' personality was already known in the shadows, but thanks to that, it became common knowledge."

Hearing an unknown story from Shunas and Ordima, I couldn't help but be genuinely surprised.

So that's why Alf was so afraid of Elies.

"Still, being able to say 'I love grandpa' to Oji is impressive. I've only seen kids cry and be scared."

"Me too."

After processing the meat into large blocks, I stored the bones and tendons back into the subspace.

I also stored the blocks Ordima had finished and started on the remaining ones.

"Ah, Captain, sorry. The bleeding has stopped, so I'll help too."

"Phew, it's been so long since I cut my finger, I can't even remember when it was. ...Oji, you need to be more careful."

Continuing the preparation, a figure appeared in the cafeteria hall.

"Hey, is Captain Dilnan here?"

Recognizing the voice, I turned to see a man with light blue hair and eyes, wearing a blue work uniform, standing there. He was a rather cold-looking, medium-built man—Deputy Captain Ruchika of the facilities team.

...I had already arranged the necessary items with other team members, and Ruchika was supposed to be an expert in facility installation.

I couldn't think of any reason for him to come here specifically, especially to see me.

"Do you have something to say?"

"Captain Vincent ordered it. He asked us to install a children's toilet and washbasin in a corner of the cooking team's toilet. Captain Elies has already given permission, so we can start the construction immediately."

Hearing the unexpected answer, I couldn't help but widen my eyes. The others were also surprised.

"Apparently, it was difficult for her to use the regular toilet, and she almost fell in."

Ruchika's words, laced with a smile, made Shunas and Ordima burst out laughing.

What was Yurii doing?!

...No, she was just pretending to be strong, and she's still a young child.

"So, I came to get your permission as well."

"Sure. ...By the way, put this in the washbasin area."

"Alright, we'll start the work right away. Hey, get ready to start!"

After giving permission and handing over the paper bag from the blacksmith team, Ruchika immediately got to work.

This means that attention to other facilities is also necessary.

"Almost falling into the toilet... What kind of joke is that?"

"...She is small, after all."

While laughing, the two of them, along with Oji, who had apparently recovered from his shock, laughed casually.

Perhaps because we were talking about Yurii, the kitchen atmosphere was softer than usual. It wasn't just my imagination, as even Oji was laughing.

---

What changes will the cooking team undergo with Yurii? For some reason, I was looking forward to tomorrow more than usual.

[Additional Explanation]

Kafshe... It looks similar to Earth's buffalo but is nearly twice as large. It has a fierce temperament and strong horns, and its lean meat is popular.