Chapter 30

After finishing wiping the trays, Dillnan and another person came out of the kitchen. The other person was slender with a gentle aura, had burnt brown hair, and eyes that were a lighter shade of light green than Dillnan's.

"...Are you done wiping?"

"Yeah, just need to move them now."

"You really work fast... Yeah, the trays are wiped clean."

When I reported the progress of my work to Dillnan, who looked a bit surprised, the other person took about ten trays to check the finish. I made sure to wipe them properly, so there's no need to check them again. I can handle it.

"Nice to meet you, Yuriko. I'm Ordima. You can call me whatever you like."

"I'm Yuriko... Ordima?"

"‘Ordima-san’ is fine. Got it. Let's set these trays and have breakfast. The others are preparing it."

"Okay!"

I can call Ordima-san properly in my head, but my mouth can't seem to follow. I'm sorry. Thank you for accepting the ‘Ordima-san’ call.

Dillnan held a few stacks of the wiped trays, and Ordima stacked the rest. ...Huh? That's almost twice as much as Dillnan's??

"Ordima, I can carry some too."

"You want to help? Then take these."

When I said I would carry, he gave me ten trays. The rest is clearly too much. It's pointless for me to say I'll carry. I thought that, but Ordima picked up the rest so easily!?

"Ordima, it's heavy!"

"Hmm?"

When I hurriedly called out, Ordima looked down at me with a very cool expression. Dillnan was watching us with a smile.

"Yuriko, Ordima may look like this, but he's the strongest in the kitchen team. He can easily swing around his all-purpose knife with both hands. You can trust him to carry the trays."

"...Ordima is the strongest?"

"If there's something too heavy, just let Ordima carry it."

Oh, I see... I never would have guessed from his appearance.

After wiping the empty tables, I followed Dillnan and Ordima to set the trays in their designated spots and then entered the kitchen. Inside, meals were prepared on a counter at the back, and simple chairs were placed around it. There was a steaming, delicious-looking cream stew with plenty of vegetables and chicken, and bread. I'm getting excited!

"Hey, your eyes are sparkling!"

"Here, take a seat."

Dillnan and Ordima led me to a chair between them. It was a height-adjustable simple chair. ...Is it a custom-made one?

"The equipment team did a good job. It's just right."

Shunas' words confirmed it. A custom-made chair! ...Seriously, how fast do they work? The dishes, the chef's uniforms, the toilet and washroom, everything is done at an unbelievable speed. Or is this the normal speed in the Northern Demon King's Castle?

While I was thinking about this, Dillnan picked me up and sat me down in the chair.

"The bread is from yesterday, but the stew is fresh. Eat it before it gets cold."

"Okay."

Seeing the others start eating at Dillnan's words, I hurriedly picked up a spoon, said "Itadakimasu," and started eating. You can't fight on an empty stomach.

Even after a day, the bread was still crispy and fluffy and delicious. Shwanas, you can't underestimate them. They do a great job despite their cute appearance. The hot, creamy stew was rich but not greasy, with perfect salt seasoning and impeccable preparation of the vegetables and meat. The combination of bread and stew is perfect. You can also crush the crispy outside to make croutons, which are delicious, and the fluffy inside pairs perfectly.

"Is it good?"

"It's delicious, Uncle."

Oji wiped the stew from my cheek with a towel and spoke to me. I made sure to thank him. Still, everyone eats so fast. It's nerve-wracking to be watched so closely.

"You don't need to rush. No one's taking your food."

"Be careful not to burn yourself."

...I feel like I'm being treated like a rare animal. I guess I need to get used to it and stay calm.

"You guys, it's hard to eat when you're staring so much. Be subtle, be subtle!"

Eeeeh! There's someone who's completely unbothered and even more bold!

And the two in front, "“I see!”" They shouldn't be so convinced.

"Three fools, be quiet. I'll bury you."

"“““Sorry!”””

While I was mentally facepalming, Oji stopped them with a glare on my behalf. They immediately apologized, which is weak. And the fact that he calls them ‘three fools’ without any reaction means it's a constant nickname! ...Alright, in my mind, these three are the ‘Three Fool Trio.’

"Yuriko, don't get involved with these three. Foolishness is contagious."

"“““Hey, Uncle!?”””

"Okay...?"

"“““Yuriko-chan!!?”””

...The Three Fool Trio might be fun to tease. Oji is completely serious, though.

After finishing breakfast, Dillnan reminded me to drink water immediately if I'm thirsty and showed me that mugs were also prepared at the water station. They were cute cat-patterned mugs. I've never seen them before.

While the others started preparing for breakfast, Dillnan led me to the back door and showed me the preparation for vegetable prep. ...This is a huge amount. I wonder how many people they're feeding. I can tell it's not in the hundreds, but definitely in the thousands.

Right now, I have onions in front of me. There are two large cases. I saw more stacked outside because there's no space to put them. The trash bins are also extra large.

By the way, I asked Dillnan if I needed to change shoes when going in and out, and he simply said "No." Apparently, the mat at the entrance is a special product made by the cleaning and blacksmith teams, which cleans your shoes just by stepping on it. Magic can do anything.

"The task for the morning is peeling the onions. You can use one of the cases as a stand. You also have a bowl for trash, a bowl for washing, and a towel. I'll show you how to peel them, so pay attention."

"Okay."

Onions are also called ‘Ordima onions.’ I got it.

Dillnan took out his knife and started peeling a sample. He cut off a bit of the top of the onion, peeled it bit by bit, and finally cut off the root. It's almost exactly how I remember. I was taught to soften the skin by soaking the onion in water before peeling, but they don't do that here?

"Actually, soaking in water makes it easier to peel, but there's too much to do and no time or space for that. So, we use magic."

While I was thinking, Dillnan wiped his knife with a towel, created a large block of water in the case, and submerged the onions for about ten seconds before lifting them out!

"Like this, you submerge them in water. The water seeps into the skin without any gaps. ...Try it with the other case. The way to create water is the same as yesterday."

Following Dillnan's sudden instructions, I took action.

Okay, the way to use magic is to imagine. A sphere of water that fits perfectly in the case. ...I put it in the case, submerged the onions for about ten seconds, and then took them out. Got it.

"That's good. When you're done using the water, just think of it as unnecessary and it will disappear. If it doesn't, pour it out at the water station or outside."

Water, disappear... It really did.

"Is Dillnan around?"

While I was holding a soft, water-soaked onion, I heard someone calling Dillnan from the entrance. I turned around and saw a very muscular man with a striking red appearance. He had a red work uniform, short red hair, and red eyes. He was very intense.

"Here."

As soon as he saw the man, Dillnan picked me up and carried me out to the hall. ...It was dangerous, so I couldn't help it. But I brought the onion with me.

When Dillnan stepped into the hall, the muscular man had already crossed the entrance barrier.

"Good morning."

"Yuriko, this is Jott, the leader of the blacksmith team. He's the top expert in weapon making and made your knife."

I didn't recognize him, but Dillnan introduced him after I greeted him.

As the leader of the blacksmith team, he must be Kharaf's superior.

"Hi, Y