In my sleepy consciousness, I felt a strange sensation.
"Sizzle, sizzle" – the gentle splattering of oil echoed. Alongside, there was a soft bubbling sound – was it the noise of something boiling?
Soon, a pleasant aroma wafted into my senses, and my empty stomach began to growl.
I couldn't sleep any longer like this. I lifted my eyelids. It felt nostalgic; back when I was still living with my family, I would wake up to the sound of breakfast being prepared.
...Huh?
Wait a minute, something's not right. It's just me and Lisha in this house right now. While Lisha's intentions are noble, her culinary skills are at a dangerous level even for handling a knife.
I raised my body from the carpet, and that's when I noticed someone standing in the kitchen.
A woman wearing the white shirt I had lent her and a long, flowing skirt I had bought for Lisha. Her hair was a violet shade that stood out beautifully against the white.
"Ah... Good morning?"
"Oh, good morning, Yuusuke-sama."
She turned around with a twirl, and it was Kanami, wearing the apron I had purchased for Lisha.
For someone from another world, the apron strangely suited her.
"...You made breakfast, huh? Sorry about that."
It felt quite rude to let a guest cook, but what could I do?
By the way, the saintly guest-turned-housemate was still in bed. It might be time to teach her the saying, "Those who don't work, don't eat."
While stirring the contents of the pot with a ladle, Kanami responded.
"No need to apologize, Yuusuke-sama. I am indebted to you not only for your assistance but also for providing a place to sleep. Please let me do what I can."
"...Don't you think you could stop using 'Yuusuke-sama'?"
I did ask her to stop calling me "Hero-sama" yesterday, but she wouldn't drop the honorifics. And, as expected, Kanami shook her head with a somewhat disappointed expression.
"I cannot do that. To us, you are the symbol of hope and glory. It would be a disservice to refer to you casually, desu~wa."
"That's a bit melodramatic."
"If you think that way, wouldn't it be better to reveal your true identity to Lisha too?"
"Mm..."
Although it seemed like Lisha wouldn't mind knowing my true identity, that was just my hopeful speculation. If possible, I didn't want to disrupt our current comfortable relationship.
"Alright, you win. I'll stop resisting."
"I never thought of it as a contest. Shall we have breakfast now? I hope it suits your palate."
"In that case, should we wake up the sleeping beauty?"
But first, I need to wash my face before breakfast.
By the way, I should clarify that Lisha is, after all, a nun, so she generally wakes up early. The reason for her delayed awakening today is likely due to the magic Kanami cast on her.
Well, life goes on, even if I have some concerns about what Kanami told me last night. Let's start with breakfast and then have a strategy meeting.
* * *
"The demon lurking in this vicinity holds the title of 'Senai (Chaos/混).'"
Kanami, who had removed her apron and taken her seat, began with this words.
On the table before us, there was crispy bacon, fluffy omelets, a colorful salad, vegetable soup, and toasted bread – all cooked to perfection. It was a classic Western-style breakfast that showcased Kanami's culinary skills. At least, it was a far cry from my attempts at making scrambled eggs that ended up resembling something else entirely.
"Huh? Demon...?"
Lisha, who was about to take a spoonful of vegetable soup, looked at us with her spoon frozen in mid-air.
First things first, put down that spoon; this is an important conversation.
"Yes, well, the reason I couldn't immediately find you after we got separated was because I was engaged in combat with that demon, desu~wa."
Kanami explained.
Only now, after hearing this, did Lisha seem to understand the flow of the conversation. She hastily adjusted her posture. Well, being suddenly bombarded with such information would make anyone flustered.
I, too, would have been quite surprised if I hadn't heard it last night.
In terms of the timeline, Lisha and Kanami got separated due to an attack by Luiid. Lisha escaped while Kanami tried to chase after her but was hindered by another demon.
However, holding the title of "Senai (Chaos)" was quite something. I had heard about it in passing, but I didn't know the specifics of what kind of magic they used. I didn't really have the impression that they were particularly strong in direct combat.
"So, according to what Kanami says, you haven't defeated this 'Senai (Chaos)' yet?"
"Yeah, embarrassingly enough. The magic that demon use allows them to create duplicates of themselves, but they mostly make decoys that appear as humans. It's challenging to reach their real form."
"...They can appear as humans?"
If that's the case, it's quite troublesome. My magic can see through superficial disguises and illusions as long as it's activated, but it's not so effective in its passive state.
But Kanami shook her head.
"It's not much of a problem when they transform into a human. It's impossible to deceive my eyes."
"You seem pretty confident."
"I've never seen concealed magic better than yours, Yuusuke-sama."
Now that I think about it, Shayka Eyes must be quite remarkable if it can discern my true identity.
"Um, what are you two talking about?"
"Nothing important."
I waved my hand casually to Lisha, who had her eyes wide open. Even though she was being treated rather casually, she rested her hand on her chest and let out a relieved sigh.
"Is something the matter?"
"...No, I just thought that maybe I was seen as completely useless and abandoned."
With a shy smile, Lisha's position as someone who needed protection created a sense of powerlessness that occasionally surfaced.
At those words, Kanami contorted her lips with an indescribable expression. Then, she placed her hand on Lisha's golden head and gently stroked it.
"My duty is to protect you, no matter what. As long as I live, I will not forsake that mission."
"Kanami-san..."
"Even if you happen to be a somewhat clumsy, lost saint."
"Kanami-san!?"
Lisha let out a surprised cry, but I couldn't deny it either. There's an inherent clumsiness that I can't quite shake off, despite being high-spec in various ways.
By the way, this scene where a beautiful woman is stroking a beautiful girl is dangerously yuri, creating a sensually elegant atmosphere in the morning. My room suddenly turned floral.
While enjoying the pinkish ambiance, I noticed something.
"But, Kanami's way of speaking suggests that there might be another problem..."
Kanami, who had been gently kneading Lisha's soft-looking cheek, turned to look at me. What's that? I want to do that too. How much do I need to pay for that?
Kanami continued to make cooing noises with Lisha as she spoke.
"Yes, that's right, desu~wa. In fact, there is one... a somewhat troublesome problem——"
She did not finish her sentence.
An explosive shift in consciousness occurred, and magic power surged throughout my body.
With a deafening noise, I activated "My True Name," and Kanami pushed Lisha into a corner of the room as she stood up.
...
...
At almost the same time, the room's window shattered, and someone leaped in from outside.
Under the shockwave, the dishes flew off the table, and the curtains fluttered as if they were being torn apart. Amid the shattered glass shards, there floated a woman who could be mistaken for an angel.
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