Prologue
Some time had passed since the war incited by the King and Head Priest of the Land of Nadasha, the kingdom that summoned Ruri to this alternate world, had come to a conclusion.
Directly after the war, the royal castle, where Ruri resided, had been extremely busy and rife with noise and activity. People ran around as if pressed for time, and voices barked orders that echoed throughout the area—it was the textbook example of hectic.
Now, however, things had settled down, as if none of that had ever happened, and the castle returned to a state of peace.
“Ever since the cleanup of Nadasha finished, things have really calmed down, haven’t they?” Ruri commented.
The rulers of the Nation of the Dragon King had always governed their nation wisely. As long as there were no outside factors like the situation with Nadasha, there was nothing to cause a ruckus within the castle walls. In fact, the chaos of people running back and forth, preparing for war and settling the aftermath, was an abnormal sight.
“Now, what should we do to pass the time today?” asked Ruri.
“Perhaps some bathing in the sun?” Kotaro suggested.
“That sounds absolutely divine, but...” While the prospect of using Kotaro’s pelt as a bed for sunbathing in the garden on such a beautiful day was appealing, it had been quite a while since her last visit with Lydia. Ruri was sure she was probably craving a tea party right about now. Knowing Lydia, however, she would probably be ecstatic to have one with Ruri every day.
Unlike Kotaro and Rin who were by her side every day, Ruri could only meet with Lydia in her domain of space. And even though she was bound to a contract with Lydia, extended periods of time in the pocket space could have unknown effects on her mind and body, so she was only making the occasional visit. That was why Lydia was positively thrilled every time Ruri came to see her. It made Ruri feel as though she at least had to do something for Lydia.
“I know. Maybe I should make cookies or something, for a change of pace, and go have a tea party with Lydia.”
“Mm, I would like some,” said Kotaro, a spirit who was occupying the body of a large, fluffy wolf-like creature.
“Me, too~!” added Rin. She was a spirit inhabiting the body of a creature that looked like a sea-dwelling clione, but it was really a river-dwelling magic beast.
Upon hearing the word “cookies,” both of their eyes lit up in excitement.
“I’ll make sure to give you two some, too.” However, in order to make cookies, she would need to borrow the castle’s kitchen. “But first, let’s go get Jade-sama’s permission.”
Ruri and her entourage then walked their way to the royal office, where she assumed Jade was. True to her expectations, as soon as she opened the door, she found Jade, the Dragon King, along with Claus, his royal advisor.
The two of them together in the office was a common sight, but there was yet another in attendance—an intelligence operative and Claus’s son, Joshua. Ruri was surprised to see him here since she was told he was away in Nadasha.
“So you’re back from business, Joshua? Welcome back.”
“Yep, ’preciate it.”
“How are things in Nadasha?”
In post-war Nadasha, the King, Head Priest, and the rest of the people who incited the war had their statuses revoked. The moderate nobles, who had been banished from the kingdom by the King and Head Priest, were uniting the people of the nation together and taking command of the reconstruction efforts under the Nation of the Dragon King’s aid. The royal capital wasn’t in any great disarray, but the many towns and villages were in terrible shape due to the mandatory draft, the unreasonable taxation, and the violence against those who opposed any of it. Knowing what several of the towns looked like before, Ruri worried whether the restoration efforts were coming along okay. She was the one who had prompted Jade to send a large amount of goods to Nadasha, but she hadn’t heard much of anything after that.
“The restoration is proceeding just fine,” Joshua informed. “We’ve sent all the conscripted soldiers back to Nadasha, and the refugees who fled are coming back since they heard of the kingdom’s restoration efforts. We’re also pulling back the troops we had stationed there now that their job is done. We’ll still continue to send them aid, but the rest is up to the efforts of the Nadashian people.”
Knowing that the reconstruction was going well, Ruri felt relieved. “I see. That’s great to hear.”
“So, Ruri? I assume you’re here for something, correct?” Jade asked, reminding Ruri of what she came to the office for.
“Oh, right. Would it be possible to use the kitchen? I want to bake some treats.”
“The kitchen? You’re free to do so, but... bake? You, Ruri?” Jade asked with a suspicious expression on his face, doubting whether Ruri was capable of baking at all.
“What do you mean by that?”
“Ruri, we have a staff of chefs for that. You shouldn’t push yourself. Let the chefs make whatever it is you’d like,” Jade said. His tone sounded sincere, but he spoke as if he assumed Ruri couldn’t cook.
Ruri gave Jade a grumpy expression. “How rude. I know how to bake, at least!” she asserted, but her words didn’t wipe the dubious look from his face.
“Your Majesty, there is no use in trying to challenge her every move. Why not take the opportunity to kindly watch over her instead?” Claus said in an attempt to back Ruri up, but he just came across like he couldn’t believe Ruri could bake either.
“You too, Claus?!” Ruri exclaimed, honestly shocked that she gave off the impression she was incapable of cooking. While a point could be made that she never needed to cook in a castle with a cooking staff, unlike her self-sufficient lifestyle with Chelsie, that didn’t mean she didn’t know how.
“If you say so, Claus, I will grant permission. However, make sure not to get yourself hurt. Also, don’t destroy the kitchen.”
She wanted to ask why he was so concerned about the kitchen when she was just baking cookies. And he wasn’t saying that in jest either; he looked dead serious. She could see that he was actually concerned, which was extremely rude.
“I’m going to make incredible cookies and show you all, just you wait!” Ruri said sharply and confidently before rushing out of the office.
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