Chapter 45
“Huh?!?!?”
Rinka, like MP, had stuffed her mouth full of food, and a third of the dishes on the table had vanished.
Something was wrong.
I could've sworn we'd ordered enough to fill the table.
And yet, in such a short time...
As my gaze went back and forth between Rinka and the table――.
“Ah... I'm sorry. I was hungry, so I couldn't help myself.”
Rinka blushed bright red, looking embarrassed.
So that's why she'd been so quiet—she'd been eating with single-minded focus...
“No, you just surprised me. Don't hold back—eat up. If that's not enough, I'll order more.”
“Like yesterday, I'd never used 【First Blade】 for such a long time before... It makes me incredibly hungry...”
Good grief. Maybe it was the Skill's effect, but who knew Rinka could be such a big eater...
I'd have to factor food expenses into the budget from now on...
Anyway, I was hungry too, so we kept conversation to a minimum, placing additional orders along the way and eating our fill――.
“Phew, thanks for the meal.”
“Thank you for the meal. It was so delicious. I've never eaten until I was this full before~”
“Thanks for the meal~”
Both Rinka and MP looked happy and satisfied after finishing their food.
I felt the same way, but when I saw the plate MP had eaten her Guildian Dog from――I just couldn't let it go.
“Hey, MP. Did you like the Guildian Dog?”
“Yes~ It was so satisfying~ I thought sauce was the ultimate partner for flour-based foods, but... ketchup is nothing to sneeze at either~”
“...I see. I'm glad you enjoyed it. But MP, you've forgotten the most important thing.”
“Huh?! What is it?!”
This was MP's first time eating a Guildian Dog.
So it was understandable that MP hadn't noticed.
But I――just couldn't overlook it.
“MP, what part of the Guildian Dog did you like best?”
“Um~ The meat and batter together, and the combination of ketchup and mustard was the best~”
“That's right...”
Indeed, the harmony of those four flavors was sublime.
But that wasn't the Guildian Dog's true appeal.
“That's not the best part of a Guildian Dog.”
“I-is that so~?”
“I don't know either.”
They both stared at me blankly.
I picked up the skewer that had held the Guildian Dog and held it up for them to see.
“This part. The crunchy bit left at the base of the skewer. This is the best part of a Guildian Dog. In fact, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that Guildian Dogs exist for the sake of eating this bit.”
“What?!”
MP looked surprised.
“No need to explain. Try it.”
I gently held out the skewer.
MP cautiously bit into the crunchy part――.
“?!?!?!?!?!”
MP's eyes widened, and then MP began gnawing at it like a hamster.
MP kept gnawing away with single-minded focus, and when it was finished――.
“Master. As expected, you really are amazing~ Crunchy bits are the supreme treasure humanity has created. Crunchiness is the truth!!!”
It was a bit exaggerated, but I understood how MP felt.
“I'm glad you understand.”
“I-I want to try it too.”
Rinka hurriedly ordered one too.
――And so, we were more or less finished with our meal.
“Hey, Rinka, I'm meeting Roger from the 'Meteor Shower' after this. I think Roger would welcome you too, but what do you think? Want to come with me?”
“Um...”
Rinka seemed unsure, but――.
“I'm sorry. I'm happy you invited me, but... I'm still scared of other people...”
Maybe because her former party had abandoned her, Rinka still had trouble trusting people.
Rinka had accepted me, but probably didn't want to get too involved with others yet.
“No, don't force yourself. We'll take it slow.”
“Yes!”
So Rinka decided to return to the inn ahead of me.
After that, I continued nursing my ale when――.
【Afterword】
Crunchy bits are the best!
Next time――'“Meteor Shower” Roger (1)'