An Old Country Bumpkin Opens a Box

"I'm home."

After working up a bit of a sweat at the Order of Knights' headquarters, I headed home. The sun had dipped some way toward the west, and it wouldn't be long before that source of scorching heat disappeared below the horizon. I opened the door to my new home, which I still wasn't quite used to.

"Mm. Welcome back."

Having someone here to welcome me was another thing I still wasn't used to. Not that I disliked it or anything.

When I was at the dojo back home, one or both of my parents were usually around, so when I thought about it, it wasn't all that different. Even so, I couldn't shake the strange feeling of having a younger girl waiting for me at home. I suppose I'd have to get used to it.

Myui, having confirmed my voice and face, answered in a tone that sounded almost indifferent.

It seemed she'd been sitting in a chair in the living room with nothing to do. She glanced my way for a few seconds, then began lifting her upper body from where she'd been leaning on the table.

"Oh? Something smells good."

The first thing I noticed as soon as I got home was the smell of food, which hadn't been there when I left that morning.

Hmm, this is probably some kind of stew. Pot-au-feu or cream stew, something like that. A tried-and-true recipe that's easy to make deliciously, even for Myui, who probably isn't used to cooking...