Chapter 8: Mushroommeister Mia...Hears the Call of the Forest!

“Wow! Look, look, Miss Mia! The Libra King is wearing an apron!”

As soon as Miabel stepped into the kitchen, she immediately squealed in delight. Her wide, sparkling eyes became glued to Sion. Maniabel was clearly still alive and well.

I swear, sometimes I’m almost ashamed to have Bel as my granddaughter. That girl can be so embarrassing...

This, of course, was coming from the one who, in the previous timeline, had taken her first look at Sion and promptly exclaimed, “My! It’s him! Prince Sion! And he’s wearing a uniform! Moons, is there anything more beautiful in this world? No, there isn’t!” Maniabel Luna Tearmoon, meet your grandmother, Mania Luna Tearmoon. Given the dubious nature of her recollective faculties, however, this particular event had long drifted past the irretrievable horizon of her memory.

A number of other girls soon filed into the kitchen. Chloe, Tiona, Liora, and even Lynsha had all shown up with the kind of enthusiasm typically seen in the moments before a live idol show began.

“Now then, let us begin preparing the sandwiches we will eat for lunch today,” announced Keithwood.

Amidst the excited chatter of their fangirls, the team set about their work.

“As usual, I’ll be helping milord Sion. Lord Sapphias, could you please assist Prince Abel?”

“I certainly can. What about the actual menu though? What kind of sandwiches should we make?” asked Sapphias as he crossed his arms and regarded the ingredients Keithwood had laid out.

“Well... To play it safe, how about we do the same thing as last time? Grilled meat with white sauce. Oh, and since we have some here, why don’t we add fried eggs?” suggested Keithwood.

“Sounds good. We do have a lot of girls with us today though, and they might appreciate some with extra veggies instead.”

“Ah, I see. It’s true that meat alone can make for a rather dense meal. In that case, let’s make a few different kinds. One with vegetables and fried eggs, and another with grilled meat. Then, we’ll add a third option with thin slices of smoked meat on a bed of greens.”

Mia regarded the pair’s exchange with pursed lips.

Hmm, not bad... I didn’t think Sapphias could hold his own in a conversation with Keithwood about cooking. He’s got some serious marriageability! Well then, I’d better up my game!

She huffed out a pugnacious breath as if accepting a challenge and said, “Are you sure you have enough hands there? I’ve got nothing to do anyway, so I might as well help—”

Her dangerous proposition was shot down with extreme prejudice. Normally, Keithwood would have to deal with such hazards himself, but this time, he had help from Sapphias. After twitching simultaneously at the mention of her encroachment, the two boys shared no more than a brief moment’s eye contact before mounting a swift and coordinated retaliation. Sapphias made the first strike.

“No, no, Your Highness. We couldn’t possibly trouble you so. Please, feel free to stay right where you are and continue observing us.”

Not missing a beat, Keithwood added the cross to Sapphias’s opening jab.

“This is a chance for milord and Prince Abel to impress you with their creations. Surely, you wouldn’t wish to rob them of their time in the spotlight?”

“I-Is that so? Well, I suppose in that case...”

With her advance masterfully repelled by the pair, Mia awkwardly scratched her head and returned to enjoying the royal cooking show as a spectator.

“All right then, Prince Abel, let us chop these vegetables. Ah, hold on. Make sure you curl your fingers on the hand you hold them with. Yes, yes, just like that. That way, you won’t cut yourself.”

Mia couldn’t help but gape as Sapphias carefully guided Abel through the basics of knife handling.

“Huh...”

After a period of staring at the two boys, she broke into a grin.

Oho ho, this is great. Abel’s so adorable. I love how he’s a little clumsy with the knife but still trying so hard to use it properly. Ah, it’s just too good!

It was charming to see him struggle so earnestly, and she enjoyed watching him learn. Until, that is, she noticed the motions of his hands growing steadily faster and more practiced.

W-Wait...is it just me, or does it look like he’s better with the knife than me now?

She wished she hadn’t noticed. Now that it was on her mind, she couldn’t keep from comparing herself to the others. Sion, being his flawless self, was kneading dough like a pro while drawing the gazes of the other girls. That was expected though. What she didn’t see coming was the skill that Sapphias displayed. He was clearly a better cook than her as well. In other words, when it came to prowess in the kitchen, Mia... No, not just her, but every last one of the young, eminent ladies present...

We’re losing to the student council’s guys?!

This terrible revelation left her aghast. The whole point of this sandwich making exercise had been for her to show off her marriageability. To that end, a very big wrench had been thrown into her plans.

“O-Oh, I just had an idea. Why don’t we make the shape more elaborate? Food should also be appealing to look at, after all. Last time, we made them horse-shaped, so this time, why don’t we try mushroom-shaped—”

The dynamic duo reacted swiftly again, cutting her off before she could even finish her proposal.

“Don’t worry about it, Princess Mia,” said Keithwood with whirlwind speed.

“But—”

“There’s no need. Everything is fine,” added Sapphias with iron resolution.

Furthermore...

“Yeah, relax, Mia. I appreciate your concern, of course, but could you just let us handle this one ourselves?”

Even her beloved Abel spoke against her, leaving her with no choice but to back down. In the end, she was forced to sit there watching the princes demonstrate their superiority in the kitchen. The experience left her feeling utterly defeated.

Ugh, I hate to admit it, but they’re obviously better than me...

Sion was superhuman, so he didn’t count. Abel, however, was no genius, and yet he was still better at this than she was. Realizing that she was no match for them on the cooking front, Mia desperately racked her brains trying to figure out a way to make herself seem competent. She thought and thought...and finally arrived at a simple truth—she’d been going about this all wrong!

That’s right. What was I thinking? I’m not the Great Gastronome of the Empire—I’m the Great Sage. I got too caught up in all this talk about marriageability. What I should be impressing people with is my wisdom. Specifically, my knowledge as a veteran mushroom guide!

The fact that her mushroom know-how skewed so heavily toward consumption made the distinction a tad suspect, but some truths were, perhaps, better left unrecognized.

“All right! For the sake of my delicious mushroom stew, I’m going to knock this one out of the park! Mushroom hunting, here I come!”

Galvanized by the superior marriageability of the boys, Mia felt something flare to life within her. Whether it was motivation or desperation, she could not tell, but the fiery emotion drove her to return to her room, whereupon she declared to her trusty maid, “Anne, get me a change of clothes. No self-respecting mushroom meister would walk into a forest wearing a school uniform!”

“Right away, milady!”

As if pulled by some invisible force, both Mia’s heart and body gravitated toward the forest’s depths.