Reincarnated Elf Chapter 22

 Reincarnated elf (102), discovering the joy of meals

"Thanks to Sir Reese's skilled slicing, tonight's meat is incredibly tender! This is Silfa Dining's secret recipe number 33: Cockatrice Oyakodon. Please enjoy!"

The dinner table displayed a sumptuous feast, adorned with fresh eggs from the fortress and recently harvested chicken, their luster gleaming.

And the discovery of rice in this world was a welcome surprise, reigniting the lost pleasure of mealtimes.

Each scoop with the spoon brought forth steaming, delicately half-cooked eggs. Every chew released the meat's rich succulence and its savory broth, enhancing the rice's sweetness.

"Yup, as delicious as ever. Minoru, your culinary skills keep expanding. Thanks, as always."

"Ehehe, I'm just happy you enjoy it."

I tousled her hair, making her fluffy locks bounce. Her way of expressing joy hadn't changed much over these two years.

But her eyes, as she gazed at me, seemed even brighter than usual.

"Is something on my face?"

"No, it's just that seeing Sir Reese savor his food so contentedly makes me happy."

"…You're right. It's been so long since I've enjoyed a meal like this."

Recalling the roasted Bloodsnakes and dried Cucoco fruits I used to consume while camping in the wilderness, the transformation felt almost unbelievable.

Around once a month, Minoru began visiting Kukule Fortress, where she learned to cook from Silfa at Silfa Dining.

Over these two years, Minoru had become not only a formidable magician and swordswoman but also an excellent cook.

And there's a reason for that...

"Is tonight's dinner for Sir Reese another Cucoco fruit stored in a subspace?"

Since we started living in the forest house with Minoru, some time had passed. While Kukule Fortress provided occasional support through Grillet-san, my choice of meals typically consisted of tree nuts.

In my previous life, I was used to dining alone, and even in my current life as an Elf, meals were primarily for sustenance. Consuming tree nuts was sufficient for an Elf's nutritional needs.

After all, living alone for almost 120 years in my past life as a Japanese had made the idea of enjoying meals quite distant.

Witnessing this, Minoru finally expressed her intention...

"I'll cook for you! I want you to experience the joy of meals, Sir Reese!"

With her unwavering enthusiasm, she started preparing meals for me.

Although Minoru often mentioned how much I'd saved her, the reverse might be true.

Our tranquil life continued for the past two years. The network of Appraisal Magic expanded, yet the enigmatic 'Hero' factor remained elusive. Notable changes were limited to an increased number of magical beast sightings and occasional appearances of formidable individuals enveloped in a dark aura. It all served as valuable training for Minoru.

However, the horned Demons that Grilliet-san recalled and the articulate, language-speaking magical beasts hadn't shown any signs of appearing.

...It seems the current situation will persist in a stalemate between our side and the Demon side for a while.

And so...

"'Kuruppo, kuruppo'..."

Unusually for the evening, the sound of pigeons could be heard outside the window.

"Ah, it's a magical messenger pigeon from Kukule Fortress. I'll be right back."

Minoru quickly made her way to the front door, waving to the pigeon.

It was a peaceful scene indeed.

The magical messenger pigeon, known as Messeltuope, was a magical device developed by humans in this world, similar to a postal service. By imbuing a magical stone with mana and attaching a letter to it, it could temporarily take the form of a living creature and deliver mail to its intended destination.

"It seems to be from Silfa-san. I wonder if she has come up with a new recipe?"

After delivering the letter, the magical messenger pigeon transformed back into its original magical stone and returned.

Slowly but surely, this world was developing similar systems. It was likely that everyday items I used back in my past life, like this, could be magically replicated.

Thinking about this, I considered that it might be interesting to visit a research institution working on magical tools and practical applications.

While lost in these thoughts, I enjoyed some dried Cucoco, which my father had given me for dessert, and the tea that Minoru had brewed after our meal. At that moment...

"Sir Reese..."

After opening the letter and reading it, Minoru called my name in a trembling voice. Her complexion had changed drastically since the earlier cheerful exchange.

"Lord Griellet is...?"

I remarked as I glanced at the letter passed to me by Minoru.

"Ah, I understand."

The tea I was sipping suddenly tasted bitter as I learned that my first friend in this world was gravely ill.

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