Chapter 4

"......So, Kazuha-san, you're not actually the age you look, right?"

"Yes, that's right."

Zaza's expression changed from one that seemed to be soothing a child's bravado to a more subtle one, and she seemed to understand.

"Indeed, there was a case like this in the past, or so it seems... I hesitate to ask a woman, but... how old are you?"

"Forty-five."

"That must have been... quite a shock."

Zaza is really kind... Not offering any awkward compliments about looking younger is also incredibly gentlemanly. Even as we sit in a sports-style position, gazing at the stars, the atmosphere is a bit awkward.

"Should I have kept it hidden?"

"Well, it's not that I was hiding it, it's just that it was hard to say. If it's better to report it to the king, I'll leave it to you."

"Thank you. I think it would be better for a more thorough consideration. There are probably things I wouldn't think of."

---

I wonder if everyone in this world is this kind. Even though I've only been in the royal castle, they all seem so kind.

"By the way, is your desire to work in the kitchen related to your job in your previous world?"

"It's not that I particularly like cooking, but I used to work in the school cafeteria. The atmosphere here is similar. It's mostly women of the same age."

"School cafeteria?"

"Oh, maybe not here? It's a school for children from six to twelve years old, and the school provides lunch."

"Here, it's usually a bento."

"Originally, it started when the country was poor, to ensure that children got some nutrition."

"Hmm..."

"Now, the country isn't poor, but each family has its own circumstances. Some children can't prepare a bento every day. In the area where I lived, there was a strong emphasis on children's meals."

"Children are precious. I see. It's a good system."

"There are certainly some issues, but..."

"I'll report it to the king."

"Huh?"

Is it really that different!?

"The culture of the heroes is said to enrich this world. Every country is actively adopting it. It has been happening for a while."

Surprising. This world seems to have a much higher human rights consciousness. Or, maybe that's why they treat us so well without us having to fight. Oh, what should I do? I only know about the culture of ordinary people.

As I start to feel a bit anxious, Zaza thinks for a moment and then looks up.

"...By the way, your family..."

"I have a son and a daughter. And, technically, a husband."

Zaza sighs deeply and slumps her shoulders.

"We are truly sinful. I don't know what to say."

She is so sincere that I even feel a sense of guilt. I wonder if I should be honest. Am I too much of an outsider for this world? I'm an outsider from another world, after all.

"My children are both grown up and independent. My husband, well, not all couples stay close forever, right?"

Or are all the couples in this world like lovebirds? What if they are?

"That's... I do hear various things."

Ah, good. It seems the same in this world too. I remember the conversations of the ladies in the kitchen.

I don't think our marriage was particularly strained. I guess, like most couples, we had our share of complaints. It might be a bit difficult. I might be worried. But...

I sometimes thought of myself as a good luck charm, like pickled vegetables in curry. They make the curry taste better, but the curry is still delicious without them. The curry can still be made without them.

And even when the curry pot is empty, the pickled vegetables are left over. They don't go well with other dishes, and there aren't many recipes that can reuse them.

It wasn't a broken home. I think we had a fairly standard family. Because we had built a life together, I think it won't fall apart even if I'm gone. After all, parents die before their children.

"By the way, is this your appearance when you were a child?"

"Yes, around fourteen, I think."

"...Huh?"

"...I developed slowly. I only reached the average height at around fifteen."

That's how I recognized myself from my middle school days. Most girls start their second growth spurt around ten to twelve, but I was late. Even though I danced every week, the change in my center of gravity was so sudden that I couldn't keep up.

Then there's my chest size. Even though I finally reached the average size, it's now back to a very modest size. This size, barely not flat, is indeed what I was like at around fourteen.

"Ah, ah, so, I was surprised that you could pinpoint my age so accurately, you know..."

"How old did I look?"

"Um... around ten, I guess... I'm sorry."

"It's been a while since I've been happy about looking young... It's a new experience."

"I thought you were so mature... Of course, I'm embarrassed. I shouldn't have said such presumptuous things."

I couldn't help but laugh at the redness of Zaza's ears as she turned away and covered her mouth with her hand.

What a wonderful person. Even though she's so wonderful, my current appearance... I'm completely out of her league. If I were in her league, I'd probably back away. I'm the one who's embarrassed. What a chance.

"Don't laugh so much... Oh, right. You danced, didn't you! I have to see it!"

"No way! Don't bring that up again!"

◇

"If I were ten years younger..."

"Do you really think ten years would make a difference?!"

"Ten years wouldn't be enough for you, I bet."

"What are you saying, double it?! We're the same age!"

Today, the kitchen is filled with raucous laughter, just a step away from being outright crude. I bet they'll cross that line in about five minutes.

---It's so calming.

I continue peeling potatoes for dinner in silence. When I first sneaked into the kitchen, the ladies were a bit wary of me, the "hero," but they adapted quickly. I understand.

I'm allowed to come and go as I please. The head chef even said he would pay me for the work I do, as long as I let him know before and after. Even though they take care of all my living expenses, he insists that labor deserves compensation. ---I really think this world has a higher cultural level...

"Really, it's you! Aya-chan! Aya-chan!"

Rei's face appeared at the serving hatch. He didn't need to stick his head in there; there's a door right next to it.

"Ah! Y-You, Hero?!"

The ladies' squeals made Rei flinch, and he hit his head on the ceiling of the serving hatch. That was a loud thud just now.

"Are you okay? The ceiling..."

"Ouch!"

"But our bodies are pretty tough, right..."

"True."

Rei twisted his upper body to touch the ceiling and seriously confirmed, "It seems to be okay." But he kept his head in the serving hatch and looked back at me.

"K-Kazuha-sama, everything is fine here."

The head chef, who had been listening to the squeals, kindly intervened.

"Am I interrupting your work...?"

Rei, who had been crouching, straightened up a bit at the dining table. Hmm, he looks even more like a puppy. He hit his head again when he pulled it out of the serving hatch. Maybe he doesn't know his own size. I don't remember him being like that during training, so maybe he's just clumsy.

"It's a hero's privilege. I'm free to do as I please."

I poured tea into ceramic mugs from a self-serve pot. Two mugs, one for me and one for Rei. This pot is really well-insulated. It looks like just a ceramic pot, but it's apparently enchanted with magic or something. It's so eco-friendly. I can't understand why our culture is necessary.

"Earlier, at lunch, you weren't with us. The knights said you were making food here during the afternoon training."

"I've been helping out since before lunch and had the staff meal with the kitchen staff."

"Do you like cooking? It's amazing that you can cook... even though you're so small."

Uh, uh... Zaza hasn't told the other heroes... I don't know what to do. It's fine, but I already feel out of place, and raising the average age even more might make it worse.

"Well, I'm not training, so I have free time..."

"The knights said the food was delicious."

"That's the hero's bonus! I was just chopping ingredients for lunch!"

The hero's aura is really strong, even here.

"R-Really... So, um..."

He's probably in his mid-twenties, maybe around thirty. He must have had a good upbringing. His fidgeting makes him look even younger. He looks sharp when he's quiet, and he seems more composed when talking to others.

"Can you cook anything?"

"Well, I can make most home-cooked dishes. I can't guarantee the taste, though. I'm just used to cooking in large quantities."

"The food here is delicious, but it's always so formal."

Ah, the heroes' meals are made in a different kitchen. It's not a full course, but it's not home-cooked either.

The buildings and clothing are more Western-style, and the food culture is the same. The last hero was summoned 150 years ago, and the things they brought have left a strong influence. They must have been from the West.

The summoning is done every fifty years, rotating among the three major countries. It's not something you can just do with a ritual. The last two times, it was this country, Kazarna Kingdom, that succeeded, as Zaza said last night.

However, it seems that there were also summonings from the East before that, as there are condiments like soy sauce and miso. At first, I thought the food looked Western but had a mix of flavors. It's very delicious.

But it's not home-cooked. It's a meal with the king and the royal family. For a common Japanese person, the dining hall here is more relaxed. The menu and atmosphere are more familiar.

"...Do you miss Japanese food?"

"...I want an omelet rice."

Ah, that's it. There's a tomato-like sauce, but no ketchup. Well, I can probably make it by reducing it.

"It might take a while, is that okay?"

"Really!? You can make it!?"

"The ingredients and seasonings are a bit different from there, so it might not be exactly as you expect. Soft scrambled eggs or thin omelet wrapped around it?"

"Um, um, I'll tell Zaza that I don't need dinner! Ah! The omelet wrapped around it!"

Rei stood up with a thud, not even noticing that he had drawn attention. Of course, Zaza isn't the one preparing the food, but the message will get to the kitchen... or, is this what it means to have a good upbringing? Wow... My son has never even told me if he needs dinner! No matter how many times I ask! No matter how many times I ask!