“Huh?! Wait a minute, Father! That attack just now, you were serious, weren’t you!?”

“Mnn-nnn, there’s nothing to worry about. If you talk during a battle, it can be dangerous!”

“Whoa!”

The next day, I was having a mock battle with Father in the garden since morning. We had promised not to go all out and just treat it as exercise, but right from the start, Father launched a fierce attack with a strong step forward.

I managed to avoid Father’s attacks somehow and created distance between us. Father increased his speed even more and continued his assault. I narrowly dodged his attacks, and he increased his speed again and attacked once more—

“…!”

“I-I’m sorry, Lark.”

After that, it turned into something more like a game of tag than a mock battle, with Father chasing after me relentlessly. In the end, I was blown away by the blast caused when Father swung his sword with full force, and it all came to an end. During breakfast, Father apologized, but I didn’t say anything in response.

After quickly finishing my meal and cleaning up the dishes, I deliberately looked only at Rin and said, “I’m going to help out at the shop today, so do your best with your adventurer activities, Rin.”

“Y-Yeah, have a good day…”

“Lark, I’m sorry…”

“…”

I left the house without saying a word. I’ll let Father reflect on his actions for a while.

“Geez, since Father doesn’t have anyone to practice mock battles with, whenever I invite him, it ends up like this… In the past, he used to go easy on me.”

As I walked, I muttered to myself.

I appreciate that he goes all out against me, but I don’t think it’s right to break the initial agreement.

At that moment, I spotted a familiar figure ahead and called out, “Asura-kun, long time no see.”

“Ah, Lark-kun, long time no see. It seems like you haven’t been to the guild lately. What have you been up to?”

“Yeah, I’m going to school, so I don’t usually go to the guild on weekdays. But since it’s winter break now, I’ll be going more often. But today, I’m going to my own shop, not the guild.”

“Oh, Lark-kun, you go to school… Wait, what do you mean by your own shop? Are you running a business?” Asura asked with a puzzled expression.

“Well, yeah… Wait, didn’t I mention it before?”

“I didn’t hear about it. So, what kind of shop do you have?”

“It’s a restaurant. If you’re free, want to come along? It’s still early, so there won’t be many people yet, and you can sit without waiting in line.”

“That means depending on the time, there might be a long line, right? It must be a popular place.”

Impressed, Asura followed me as we headed towards the direction of the shop.

When we arrived, Asura exclaimed in surprise, “Ah, this is the most popular shop in the capital! This is your shop, Lark-kun!?”

“Yeah, that’s right. Let’s go inside for now.” I pushed Asura’s back, who was frozen in front of the shop, and entered.

At the counter, Leticia was working as a salesperson. “Lark-kun, good morning. Oh, is this your friend?”

“Good morning, Leticia-san. Yes, he’s a friend I took a request with the other day. His name is Asura.”

“I see. Nice to meet you, Asura-kun. I’m Leticia. I’m in the same party as Lark-kun.”

“Ah, nice to meet you.”

Leticia and Asura introduced themselves and shook hands. Then I led Asura to an empty seat and told him to wait while I went to the kitchen to bring the food.

“Lark-kun, good morning. Are you going to be here all day today?” Naraba greeted me as I entered the kitchen and asked.

“Yes, most of my homework is done, so I plan to stay at the shop today. But I brought a friend with me earlier, so is it okay if he helps after I bring the food to him?”

“Yes, of course, that’s fine.” Naraba smiled and agreed, so I plated the fried rice and rusks and brought them to Asura’s table.

“Here you go.”

“Thank you. But I haven’t paid yet…”

“It’s on me today.”

I said so and placed the plates on the table. Asura swallowed nervously.

“It looks delicious…”

“Well, don’t hesitate and dig in.”

“O-Okay. Itadakimasu.” Asura clasped his hands together and took a bite of the fried rice. “It’s delicious!” His eyes widened, and she quickly ate the fried rice. He soon finished with a bite of the rusk as a dessert and had a big smile on his face. “I’ve never had something this delicious before.”

“I’m glad to hear that. If you like it, feel free to come and eat anytime. Around noon, it gets crowded with customers, so it’s better to come a little earlier to get a seat without waiting.”

“I’ll definitely come again. Can I bring my family next time?”

“Yeah, bring as many people as you want. If you come with a large group, I recommend making a reservation in advance.”

“Got it. I’ll go back to the country once and tell my family about your shop.”

Saying so, Asura left the shop.

(Returning to the country? Does that mean Asura-kun is from another country…)

Is he from the Leblanc Kingdom, or is it another country… If he’s from the Holy Kingdom, what should I do? I was just told by Melia yesterday that it’s better not to get involved with the Holy Kingdom, so it would be complicated if that’s the case.

Well, I’ll ask Asura next time. With that in mind, I finished cleaning up the dishes and started helping out at the shop.

◇

A week had passed since the start of winter break, and now I was adventuring with Leticia-san and Rin after a long time. By the way, I had already finished all my homework during the break. Now it was just a matter of enjoying the rest of the vacation to the fullest.

The request we took today was to subjugate ten Killer Bees in a forest near the capital. Killer Bees are evolved individuals of the bee species, specialized in hiding and ambushing. It’s generally said that beginner adventurers struggle to find them hidden in the forest.

Well, Rin and I have high scouting abilities, so we had no trouble finding them. We deliberately pretended not to notice and passed by the Killer Bees, then struck them down with swords and magic as they jumped out of the bushes, following that strategy to defeat them.

After defeating the required number of monsters, I asked the two of them.

“Well then, we’ve taken care of the monsters for the request, what should we do now?”

“Hmm, let’s see. Since we’re here, how about exploring a bit more?”

First, Leticia-san answered, and Rin agreed.

“I agree too. I went a little deeper into the forest when Doldos-san and the others taught me various things, but I haven’t been there since then.”

“Alright, shall we go while mapping the area?”

With a plan in mind, we entered the unexplored depths of the forest.

Along the way, we moved with extra caution, trying to conceal our presence more than usual. This was something I had been taught by senior adventurers like Doldos; when going to an unknown place, it’s important to be extremely vigilant to be prepared for anything that might happen.

That being said, I’m kind of excited. Going to an unfamiliar place is fun.

…However, after walking for about two hours, nothing significant happened. Well, it’s best if nothing happens, but I can’t help but think it would have been better if there were a little more excitement.

Since it was approaching evening, we decided to end the exploration and head back. We left the forest and returned to the town, then moved to the guild.

“Well then, I’ll go report to my father, so Leticia-san and the others, please wait in the dining hall.”

“Yes!”

Since Leticia and the others must be tired, I asked them to rest first and went to Father’s reception desk to make the completion report.

By the way, we reconciled about the mock battle incident the other day. We agreed that Father would handle the morning snow shoveling for three days as a compromise.

After receiving the reward, Father approached me and spoke, “By the way, Lark, Asura, one of your friends, came earlier with a letter. I kept it since I knew you would come to my reception desk.”

“Eh, Asura-kun?”

My father took out an envelope and handed it to me. I opened the envelope and read the letter.

“Hmm… ‘I brought my family and I want to make a reservation for a seat three days later, is that okay?’… Of course, I don’t mind, but how should I reply?”

“He said he will come to the guild again tomorrow, so should I convey the message?”

“Is that alright? Then please do it for me, Father.”

I thanked my father and went to the dining hall where Leticia and the others were waiting, carrying the reward. After distributing the reward and chatting a little, we dispersed. I returned home, prepared for a bath and dinner, and when father returned, the three of us had dinner together.

After dinner, I went to my room and took out a new book I recently borrowed from Wallis from the “Useful Box.” The title was “Alchemy: Beginner Level I,” and it explained the skill of “Alchemy.”

“I’ve gotten quite used to ‘Alchemy’ recently, so I want to try creating something other than sugar…”

Naturally, you can create more than just sugar with “Alchemy.” You can make many other useful tools as well.

As I continued reading, looking for beginner-friendly items, I noticed the section about healing potions. It said that beginners should start by making this healing potion to practice “Alchemy.” I already knew about healing potions since they are sold in shops, but I always thought they were made by compounding chemicals, so I was surprised to learn that they could also be made with “Alchemy.”

“Let’s see, the ingredients… Oh, I have all of them.”

Luckily, I had all the ingredients in the “Useful Box,” so I decided to try making it right away.

I took out the ingredients and activated “Alchemy.” In no time, the healing potion was completed. It consumed much less magical power compared to sugar.

“It’s easier than I expected, especially for beginners. Well, it’s better than not being able to make it.” Muttering to myself, I poured the healing potion into a bottle.

“Alright, now that I can mass-produce healing potions, I can feel more secure even in case of emergencies. I should actively gather materials for healing potions in my future adventurer activities…”

After that, I performed my daily prayer, lay down on the bed, and fell asleep.

…Three days later, I would come to know that Asura was an extraordinary person, but at that time, I had no way of knowing.

◇

Today was the promised day when Asura would come to the shop with his family. I left home early in the morning and headed to the store. When I entered the kitchen, Naraba was already preparing as usual.

“Good morning, Naraba.”

“Good morning, Lark-kun. You’re earlier than usual today… Oh, right, it’s the day your friend is coming, isn’t it?”

“Yes, so I wanted to prepare in advance.” I said that and enthusiastically started preparing.

After some time, Leticia and the others also arrived for work, so we continued preparing the shop together and opened for business.

After a while, it was finally time for Asura to arrive.

“Lark-kun, Asura-kun, who made a reservation, has arrived~”

“Oh, yes. Understood. Please guide them to the table immediately.”

“Okay~”

I asked Leticia to guide them and changed into the clothes I wear while cooking. After changing, I headed to the table I had prepared for Asura and his family. Asura and his family were already sitting there.

“Lark-kun~”

“Hey, Asura. If you raise your voice inside the shop, you’ll bother other people.”

When Asura noticed me and waved, the adult woman sitting next to him scolded him, “Ah, sorry about that. Mother…” Asura became a bit dejected and withdrew his hand.

I stood in front of them and greeted them before speaking to Asura’s mother, “It’s alright. There are many easygoing customers in my shop.”

“Even so, it’s not appropriate to bother others as a member of the royal family.”

“I see… Huh? Royal family?”

Did I mishear just now?

At that moment, Asura looked at me as if he had realized something and spoke, “Come to think of it, did I ever tell you my proper name, Lark-kun?”

“Huh? No, I’ve only heard you as Asura…”

“Oh… sorry, it’s late to tell you, but I’m Asuradia B. Leblanc. I’m the second prince of the Leblanc Kingdom. Nice to meet you again.”

“…Huh?”

I was dumbfounded after hearing Asura’s self-introduction. The other customers around us were also momentarily silenced.

Asura’s mother looked surprised and opened her mouth, “Oh my, Asura, didn’t you tell him anything about us?”

“I thought I did tell him~. Sorry, Lark-kun.”

“…So, those people over there…”

Struggling to find the words, I shifted my gaze to Asura’s family, and each of them started introducing themselves.

“I am Asura’s mother, Alama B. Leblanc. Thank you for getting along with Asura, Lark-kun.”

“I am Diblo B. Leblanc. I am the king of the Leblanc Kingdom, but right now, I’m just here as Asura’s father, so there’s no need to be formal.”

“Hey, I’m Dilan B. Leblanc. Nice to meet you, together with my little brother Asura.”

Asura’s family, or rather, the royalty of the Leblanc Kingdom, smiled amiably, but I couldn’t find it amusing at all. For now, to avoid causing a commotion, I decided to have them move upstairs.

I led them to the VIP room I had prepared just in case and had them go there. Then, I stared at Asura with a serious expression. “Asura… you should have told me something this important in advance. I was shocked by the surprise.”

“Oh… sorry, I just happened to forget to tell you. I’m really sorry!” Asura bowed with his hands clasped together.

Then, King Leblanc, who had been watching the exchange between Asura and me, Diblo, asked curiously, “To say this may be rude… but Lark-kun, even after knowing that Asura is of royal blood, you don’t change your attitude, do you?”

Well, I was certainly surprised at first, but when I thought about it, Asura being my friend didn’t change anything.

So I conveyed that to Diblo, “I would like to maintain our relationship as it has been so far… Besides, I think Asura would dislike it if I started speaking in polite language.”

“I see, but if it were an ordinary person, wouldn’t they at least be somewhat humble when they realize the other person is of royal blood?”

“Well… in my case, it’s also a matter of familiarity.”

“Familiarity?”

As Diblo furrowed his brow, I explained in more detail, “For some reason, I have a close relationship with the royal family of Recommetys due to certain circumstances.”

“…Could it be that you are the boy who lived in the Recommetys castle about two years ago?” Diblo asked with a surprised expression. So the news had reached Leblanc Kingdom as well.

“Yes, um, that time I received a lot of help.”

“I see… that explains it… Will you continue to be friends with Asura from now on?”

“Yes, of course.”

When I nodded, Diblo smiled. On the other hand, Asura blushed and said, “Father, please don’t meddle in.”

After that, Leticia brought the dishes and placed them on the table. “This is our most popular fried rice.”

As she introduced it, Asura’s eyes sparkled, “Father, Mother, Brother, this fried rice is really delicious!”

The members of the royal family greeted before eating, and they immediately expressed their opinions, saying, “It’s delicious!”

Diblo was impressed. “Despite being able to cook such delicious food, Lark-kun is not only a chef but also an adventurer.”

“Yes, the shop is more like a side job, my main job is being a student and an adventurer.”

“I see. That’s a shame… With this level of skill, I would have liked to hire you as our exclusive chef at the castle…”

When Diblo said that with a disappointed expression, the entire room was covered in light.

When the light subsided, Ars was standing a little away from the table, striking a strange pose.

“Hehe, too bad, Deelo. Lark-kun doesn’t belong to anyone.”

“Ars, you’re making a weird entrance again…” In response to Ars’s words, Diblo rubbed his eyes and reacted.

Could “Deelo” be Diblo’s nickname? They seem to be quite close.

Ars looked at us and spoke, “However, Lark-kun, to think that you have a relationship with Deelo and the others, you’re really something.”

“It’s not like that, I just found out today too. By the way, how did you know that Diblo and the others were here?”

“Well, the other day, Deelo and the others said they would visit your shop. I remembered that, so I thought I’d drop by for a bit.”

I see… but as always, he has impeccable timing.

“By the way, Ars, do you have permission from Emma-san to come here?”

“Nah, I just wanted to surprise her a little, and if I asked Emma, she definitely wouldn’t allow it. So I’ll keep it a secret. Well then, see you later, Lark-kun.”

Saying that, Ars disappeared with a flash of light using teleportation magic.

After Ars was gone, Diblo asked with a puzzled expression, “Is he really doing his duty as a king properly?”

I didn’t know about that either, so I tilted my head in response.

After we finished our meal, Asura said it was time for him to leave, so I saw him off outside the shop.

Diblo, Alama, and Dilan got into an elegant carriage, and before Asura boarded, he turned back and bid farewell to us.

“Well then, Lark-kun. Let’s go on an adventure together again sometime.”

“Yes, please let me know when that time comes.”

Then the carriage doors closed, and it slowly started running. I watched until the carriage disappeared from sight before returning to the shop.

◇

After the greeting with Asura’s family, more days passed, and it became the new year.

“Happy New Year. Please take care of me this year as well.”

I greeted Father and Lin, and they returned the same words to me. It seems that the custom of celebrating the new year exists in this world, and this exchange also took place naturally.

Surprisingly, there are also customs such as receiving New Year’s gifts and visiting a shrine called “church” instead of a shrine.

“Lark, Rin-chan.”

Father called us, so when we turned around, he handed us two small envelopes. Each had our names written on them.

“It’s your New Year’s gift. It’s not much, but please use it carefully.”

“Thank you very much, father. I will cherish it.”

“Yes, I will cherish it too. Although I feel a little sorry since I’m being taken care of at your house… But I’m happy.”

After Rin and I expressed our gratitude, our foster father turned his face away and said somewhat shyly, “I see…”

After that, the three of us ate the New Year’s dishes and osechi that I made using ingredients from this world. Father and Rin made faces like “What kind of dish is this?” but they said it was delicious.

After that, I went alone to make New Year’s greetings. Well, it’s not really making rounds since I don’t have many acquaintances, and most people have gone back to their hometowns, so I only visit the guild and “Bears Inn.”

I greeted Fia and Lala at the guild and then headed to “Bears Inn.”

When I arrived, I saw the landlady Imelda cleaning in front of the entrance.

“Imelda-san.”

When I called out to her, Imelda raised her face and showed a smile. “Lark, it’s been a while.”

“Long time no see, Imelda-san. Happy New Year. Please take care of me this year as well.”

“Yeah, take care of me too. It’s cold outside, so come on in.”

“Yes.”

Following Imelda’s invitation, I entered, and I saw Anna coming down the stairs, rubbing her eyes while in her pajamas.

“Oh, it’s Lark-kun. Good morning~”

“Good morning, Anna. And Happy New Year. Let’s continue to get along this year too.”

“Happy New Year! Take care of me this year too.” Anna, still half asleep, muttered as she staggered.

“Anna! Wake up properly before you speak! Honestly, go wash your face,” Imelda scolded, and Anna replied, “Yes,” heading towards the washbasin.

“Sigh… that girl, she’s always weak in the mornings, no matter how much time passes…”

“Imelda-san, you’re also having a hard time, aren’t you?”

“Really. I wonder who she takes after. Both me and Datz are early risers…”

As Imelda pressed her temple and sighed, Datz emerged from the back.

“Oh, it’s Lark. Long time no see.”

“Happy New Year, Datz-san.”

I greeted Datz and he patted my head while returning the greeting with a smile, saying, “Yeah, let’s work together this year too.”

“Lark, do you have any plans for the rest of the day?”

“No, I’ve already been to the guild, so I just have to go back home.”

“I see. Well, we’re having a meal with Doldos and the others now. How about joining us?”

“Is that alright? In that case, I’ll join you.”

Although I had just eaten New Year’s dishes, I happily followed Datz. When we arrived at the dining hall, Doldos and the others, who were already drunk, greeted us cheerfully.

“Oh, Lark. Long time no see. Looking forward to this year too.”

“Doldos-san, I’m looking forward to this year too. Thank you.”

After that, we enjoyed the banquet together.

By the afternoon, Doldos and the others were getting more intoxicated and spoke fewer words.

“It’s about time to finish up.”

With Imelda’s words, the cleanup began. I also decided to join in the cleanup and took a garbage bag, but Imelda took it away from me. “Oh, Lark, it’s fine. You came all the way here, so…”

“No, we ate together, so I’ll help with the cleanup too.”

“It’s fine, we invited you.”

Imelda-san went outside without saying anything and started cleaning up the trash.

“Hahaha, Lark-kun, you’re lucky. Well, I’ll make my retreat now…”

“Anna, you’re going to help with the cleanup!”

“Eh!?” Anna, who was caught by Imelda upon her return, let out a despairing voice.

By the time the cleanup was finished, Doldos and Datz were completely drunk and couldn’t even move, so Imelda carried them to their rooms. Imelda said she would take a break in the dining hall for a while, so I followed her to have a chat.

“By the way, Lark, you’ve really grown strong. At first, when Guldo brought you, you were so skinny that I wondered if you were really ten years old.”

“That’s true. I think it’s because I’ve been eating a lot thanks to him and exercising with him. I’ve become more manly, don’t you think?”

“That’s right. But you still have a long way to go. You need to build more muscles.”

When I asked, Imelda laughed and answered, patting my shoulder. Her face was slightly red. Imelda mainly carried meals and drinks, and she had been drinking alcohol while doing so, so it seemed that she was starting to get drunk.

“Well then, I’ll go to sleep… Lark, you can come to visit anytime, you know?”

“Yes.”

As I stood up from my seat, Imelda saw me off to the entrance and hugged me before I left. Then she went back inside and hung a sign on the inn’s door that read “Closed for the day.”

(Everyone around me is really good people…)

As I thought about that, I returned home, where father, Idel, grandparents, and uncle were happily drinking alcohol. Rin was also participating in the banquet with a cup of fruit juice.

I sat next to Rin and asked her quietly, “Hey, Idel-san is one thing, but why are Grandfather and the others who should be in the Leblanc Kingdom here too?”

“Well, at first it was just Idel-san who came, but somehow it got lively along the way, so Idel-san brought them over using teleportation magic.”

I see… this is a pleasant surprise.

After that, I received New Year’s gifts from my grandparents and uncle, and I joined the second banquet of the day.