Bonus Short Stories

The Temptation of Salted Seaweed Chips

One day, as Felmenia happened to walk by the kitchen, she caught a glimpse of the unusual sight of Suimei working at the sink.

“Suimei-dono? What might you be doing in the kitchen?”

“There’s something in particular I had a hankering for. While I was at the market today, I spotted something similar to something we have in the world I come from. So, well... After seeing that, I wanted to try making some, and ended up buying all the ingredients for it.”

What Suimei had found was sea lettuce—in other words, a precursor to dried seaweed. After seeing it, he thought that he might be able to try making a certain something himself, and bought the ingredients to give it a go. And with a little experimenting in the kitchen, he managed to succeed in spades. He now had homemade dried seaweed.

“Oh? But if I remember correctly, you said you could only do simple cooking, Suimei-dono...”

“Yeah. Lucky me, this here is pretty simple. It’s basically just frying these.”

Suimei looked down at the other ingredients spread out before him—potatoes with their eyes already removed.

“Heh heh heh, my blade is invisibly made... It peels potatoes and reduces them to nice, thin slices!”

Letting out a creepy laugh and weaving together an idiotic chant, Suimei put his magicka to culinary use. In short order, the potatoes in the sink were all rendered into thin slivers. Watching on in horror, Felmenia called out to him.

“What are you doing, Suimei-dono?!”

“What? I’m just slicing the potatoes.”

“S-Slicing?! Why are you being so wasteful, reducing them to paper like that?!”

“Uh, to eat them?”

With that, Suimei tossed the sliced potatoes into the heated oil he’d prepared.

“Are you frying them like that?”

“Yup.”

“Would it not be tastier to fry them whole so that they come out soft and flaky?”

“That’s an option, sure. But this is also quite tasty.”

“I see...”

With the grimace on her face, Felmenia’s consternation was obvious. She’d likely never had potato chips before, so trying one for the first time would be a surprise. After shaking off the excess oil from the freshly fried chips out of the pan, Suimei sprinkled salt and dried seaweed over them.

“Now they’re done. These are salted seaweed chips. Go ahead and try one.”

Even after receiving the finishing touches, the fresh potato chips were still steaming ever so slightly. Felmenia timidly stretched out her hand, took one, and popped it into her mouth. There was an audible, appetizing crunch, and Felmenia’s expression quickly changed from skepticism to admiration.

“I-It’s delicious! This is a potato revolution!”

“Right?”

“Yes!”

With Felmenia’s enthusiastic approval, Suimei got to frying up the rest of the potatoes. All the while, he could hear the gratifying sound of one chip being crunched down on after another.

“The texture is so crisp, and the flavorful fragrance is... from this green powder?”

“Yup. That’s the dried seaweed. It’s made by dehydrating sea— Wait, where did half of the chips go?!”

The next he turned around, half of the mountain of salted seaweed chips he’d just fried up had already been demolished.

“Ah, s-sorry! They were so delicious that I just...”

“W-Well, there’re still more potatoes, so it’s fine. If you like them that much, you can take these to the living room.”

“Thank you for the treat!”

Felmenia happily absconded with the rest of the salted seaweed chips. Once she was gone, Suimei started his work anew. And once he was all done slicing the potatoes with magicka and frying them in the heated oil...

“Suimei-kun.”

“Whoa! You were there, Lefi?!”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

Suimei was startled by Lefille seeming to appear behind him from out of nowhere, but she sounded irritated. Just what was going on with her? From the look of it, Suimei thought she seemed restless.

“Suimei-kun.”

“Wh-What’s going on? You’re kinda scary, you know?”

“That’s just your imagination. You don’t need to be so on edge. So? Are they done?”

As she spoke, Lefille was eyeing the plate of freshly fried chips.

“Hmm? W-Well, yeah...”

“Alright!”

Lefille pumped her fist in the air in some sort of triumphant gesture.

“I mean, I still have to fry up the rest of them...” said Suimei.

“Then there’s no need to worry. I will help you out here and carry these to the living room.”

“Huh?”

“Don’t worry. You can just keep cooking away.”

After their rather one-sided conversation, Suimei more or less figured out what was going on. Lefille must have had some of the previous batch and, unable to stand it any longer, came to the kitchen to see when more would be ready.

“Then take that towel to wipe off your hands. It’s kinda gross to get them all sticky and oily from the plate, right?”

“Ah, yes, thank you. That’s certainly true... Huh?!”

“What?”

“I-It’s nothing... Mm, these seaweed chips or whatever sure are tasty. Mm...”

After staring for a bit, she walked off carrying the plate somewhat awkwardly. Moments later, Suimei could hear the cheers of joy from the living room.

Thinking to himself that he’d now have to use all the ingredients he had to get any chips for himself, Suimei once more returned to slicing and frying the potatoes. After a while, he suddenly realized that someone was standing behind him again.

“Suimei...”

“Huh, this time it’s you, Liliana? What’s up?”

“Have you finished... more of those ‘see-we’d ships’ yet?”

“They’re seaweed chips... But you know about these too, huh?”

“No, um... I just thought... I would help carry them.”

“You’ve got seaweed flecks on your face.”

“I-I... already wiped them off!”

Liliana took out a handkerchief and immediately began wiping her face with it. But when she looked down at it, there wasn’t a single fleck of seaweed to be seen.

“...?”

“I was lying.”

“Suimei... that’s mean. You’re the worst... I ought to bring slander charges... against you.”

Liliana directed a reproachful gaze at Suimei, and with that, Suimei handed her the fresh plate of potato chips.

“Then consider this an apology―”

“Thank you. I’ll take them... right away.”

Liliana didn’t even wait for Suimei to finish his sentence before taking the plate and a pitcher of grape juice back to the living room. She seemed to know exactly what she was doing. And moments later, cheerful voices could again be heard coming from the living room. It was nice that they were all delighted, but...

“I don’t care if you have some, but leave some for me, damn it...”

In the end, Suimei wouldn’t be that lucky.

Further Developments After the Resolution of the Incident

A few days after the coma incidents in the imperial capital were resolved, Graziella Filas Rieseld was headed towards the northern plaza of the city. There she would find the mastermind behind the incidents—an elf named Romeon. Or, at least, part of him. Because of the chaos he wrought in the capital for nearly a month, as an unprecedented warning to the people, his head was put on public display.

Although, because it was pitch black, it wasn’t really clear at a glance whether it was a head or not. It has been several days now, but there was hardly a sign of rot on the severed head. Not even a single fly circled it. It was utterly bizarre to behold, and gave a glimpse of just how thoroughly corrupted the man known as Romeon had really become.

“The power of darkness, was it?” Graziella muttered to herself, reflecting on the real source of the problem.

Magic that held the power of darkness had been loathed and detested since ancient times. But to think this man had met such a cruel end because of it was outside the range of anything Graziella had expected.

The object resembling a head looked like it had been painted a repulsive black, but there was something indescribable about it that made it difficult to look away. Graziella felt like her eyes were being drawn to it. Like she was being sucked in. Beckoned by that strange, dark power, Graziella slowly and steadily began to stretch out her hand.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you. That there is something humans should never touch upon.”

Just as it became uncertain whether she would continue to reach out her hand or retract it, a voice of restraint called out to her. When she turned around, she spotted the figure of the summoned hero of El Meide, Elliot Austin. In response to his tone, which didn’t contain an ounce of courtesy, she shot a reproachful look his way. Elliot then took a bow.

“It is wonderful to see you well, Your Imperial Highness, Third Princess Graziella Filas Rieseld.”

“El Meide’s hero, is it? Did you also come to see this damned thing?”

“Yes.”

“It seems that attendant of yours isn’t with you today.”

“Christa is currently in the middle of finishing some business at the church. You could say I got a little bored.”

“I see.”

Keeping her greeting short, Graziella looked back towards Romeon’s head.

“Now, what did you mean by saying this is something that should never be touched upon?”

“As a mage, I do believe that you should already understand, Your Imperial Highness.”

“Unfortunately, this is my first time seeing such a thing... Have you seen it before yourself, bastard?”

At Graziella’s question, Elliot narrowed his eyes as he looked at the head.

“I have... seen something similar just once before.”

“Oh?”

“It’s just... what I saw was something that was directly summoned.”

That was most interesting. Since Suimei had said nothing more other than that this would be the end of days for those swallowed by darkness, Graziella still had plenty of questions. There was still much she didn’t know.

“Hmph, and what was this thing that was directly summoned?”

“Let’s skip the long explanation. To put it simply, it was a mass of malice. It scattered violence, and any and all who approached it were promptly desecrated and driven to madness. It was a dangerous foe indeed.”

Saying that, Elliot looked to the sky. Was he recalling that fateful encounter as he cast his gaze upward? After a moment of silence, he spoke in a deeply emotive voice.

“Because it was an absolute mystery, many masters were brought together to strike it down.”

“So it was defeated?”

“In the end. But because we had to guarantee our own safety, it was largely done through brute force.”

Elliot spoke in a self-deprecating tone. But since she had faced him in combat before, Graziella had an idea of Elliot’s true strength. She knew he was powerful, and didn’t think he was just being humble right now.

“If you defeated the unknown without any casualties, then I do believe it was a victory to your credit.”

“But that man managed somehow or another to do it on his own, you know?”

“I heard that Colonel Rogue was also there.”

“Even so, it was still just two people, right? There were about a hundred of us when it happened. Besides, even if Colonel Rogue was there, it was still probably that man who defeated it.”

“So you’re acknowledging his value, are you?”

“I believe all I need to acknowledge is his true ability.”

It seemed like he was saying there was more to Suimei that he wasn’t willing to acknowledge. But after those last few sarcastic words, Elliot suddenly let out a sigh and turned towards Graziella.

“Did you know? Back when you had your match with him at the plaza, that he was already wounded?”

“I heard after the fact that he was wounded while searching for the culprit before he accepted his duel with me. What about it?”

In answer to Graziella’s question, Elliot pointed his gaze at the blackened head and stiffened his expression.

“It is likely that that man had two battles with such a thing. When he defeated the culprit that was swallowed by malice, and also on that evening Liliana-chan ran away. It was immediately before we came running over. What he faced that night was likely a diluted version of it.”

“From the sound of it, you didn’t actually see it for yourself.”

“But I still believe it to be the case. The fact that he sustained such wounds must mean that he faced off against something at least that powerful.”

“What if he simply fought against Liliana Zandyke?”

“As a mage, that man is on a different level. If he fought to the full extent of his power, she likely wouldn’t have been much of an opponent. Moreover, if a child like her carried such strong malice within her body, she would have already ended up like this.”

Graziella looked to Romeon’s head.

“Do you know what damned wiles he used to defeat this thing?”

“Not at all. In terms of magic, he is a fair bit ahead, after all. I can’t say for certain how this thing was defeated, but...”

“You have some sort of idea about it?”

“Probably. At the very least, it held the breath of the stars.”

“The breath of the stars?”

“The power held by the star that we reside on. In other words, of the very land itself. It rejects all that should not be in the world, and manifests incredible power against anything that would do this world harm. To put it simply, it is a purifying power near equal in terms of holy power.”

As Elliot explained, his brow wrinkled like he found his own explanation troubling.

“In my world, such power can only be used by saints. So I wonder why a mage can use it...”

Indeed, he was grumbling to himself because the matter was rather perplexing to him.

“That man, compared to Astel’s hero...”

“He is likely much stronger. So much so that they’re hardly worth comparing. The amount of mana he possesses and the experience he has are both unreasonable.”

Hearing Elliot’s reply, Graziella scoffed like she was thoroughly unamused.

“Nevertheless, I declared that I would pay him back.”

And in response to that, with a broad grin, Elliot simply replied...

“It probably won’t be so easy, huh?”

Everyone’s Tiny?!

One day while Suimei was working in the living room, a voice suddenly called to him from behind. It was Lefille. For some reason, however, she sounded much higher-pitched than normal.

“Suimei-kun, do you have a minute?”

“What’s up, Lef— Huh, what?! What’s going on?!”

Turning around to look at her, Suimei was caught by surprise. But that was a perfectly understandable reaction. After all, just like when she had used too much of her spirit power, Lefille had once more become tiny.

“You returned to your original form earlier, didn’t you?”

“Yes, but before I knew it, I shrank again. It’s quite an inconvenience.”

“Hmm... Even if you get back on the circle, you won’t go back to normal right away, either... So, what do you need?”

“Yes, well, there’s something that I want from the shelf, but I can’t reach it. Can you get it for me?”

Certainly, considering her current height, there was no way she could possibly reach the higher shelves. She could probably get to some of them with a chair, but if she’d come to Suimei, it likely meant that what she needed was on the very top shelf. It was around then that Liliana entered the room.

“What’s wrong... you two?”

“Oh, Lefille shrank, so she can’t reach what she wants anymore.”

“I was just asking Suimei-kun for help.”

“Is... that so?”

“Indeed. So, Suimei-kun...”

Her imploring gaze begged him “please.” Suimei looked down at what he was currently holding in his hands.

“Sorry, I can’t really put this down right now. It’ll take some time, so please have Felmenia get it for you instead.”

“Lady Felmenia?”

“Yeah. Hey, Menia!”

Suimei called out for Felmenia, who was in the kitchen. And as he did, Lefille gave him a puzzled look.

“What are you doing, Suimei-kun?”

“Hmm?”

“Felmenia can’t reach the shelf either.”

“You’re joking, right? I mean, I know that Felmenia is a little shorter than me and you in your true form, but...”

If she had something to stand on, there was no way she couldn’t reach the top shelf. But while Suimei was in the midst of explaining this, Felmenia came over from the kitchen.

“What is the matter, Suimei-dono?”

Her voice too was unusually high-pitched. It sounded childish, even. And when Suimei turned to her with a big question mark over his head...

Indeed, Felmenia was now about the same height as Liliana and the tiny Lefille.

“WHAAAT?!”

“Whatever is the matter?”

“Menia! What’s the matter with you?!”

Suimei was gripped by surprise. In response, Felmenia made a troubled expression.

“My apologies. I have also become smaller.”

“What the...”

How had she shrunk? Why? He hadn’t the faintest idea. There was a reason it happened to Lefille, and absolutely none of that should have applied to Felmenia.

“Did I not tell you?”

“No, I didn’t hear a thing. Not a word.”

Suimei shook his head vigorously and adamantly proclaimed that he was in the dark. With all three girls now petite, the house felt more like a daycare. The adorable pitter-patter of Lefille, Felmenia, and Liliana all running about was as lighthearted as could be, but Suimei’s head felt disproportionately heavy.

“Anyway, that’s how it is,” said Lefille. “So you’re the only one who can get it for me, Suimei-kun.”

“Th-Then have Menia use magicka to get it.”

“Ah!”

“Magicka... you say?”

“I see! I could do that!”

All three girls exclaimed at Suimei’s apparently brilliant idea. How had none of them thought of that? Suimei knew he’d better not ask that out loud. Meanwhile, Lefille and Felmenia scampered over to the shelf. Lefille pointed at what she wanted, and Felmenia began chanting her spell. However...

“HWUH?!”

Towards the end of her chant, just as she was about to speak her keyword and was gesturing overenthusiastically, Felmenia pitched forward in a grand display of unbalanced clumsiness. Suimei was reminded of a similar scene back in Castle Camellia.

“Hnnh... Suimei-donooo... Suimei-dono, please get it for her...”

“Suimei-kun, can you get it after all?”

“It’s your turn... Suimei.”

Felmenia was still on the ground and on the verge of tears, while Lefille looked to be rather troubled. As for Liliana, she simply seemed to be telling Suimei he should just resign himself. What was he supposed to do with little girls multiplying like this? All of a sudden, Suimei’s vision went black.

“Suimei-dono, Suimei-dono!”

“Ngggh...”

Felmenia attempt to rouse Suimei—who had his face down on the table—but he didn’t show a single sign of waking.

“Suimei-dono seems to be fast asleep.”

“He’s making... weird noises.”

“He must be having a bad dream or something.”

While Suimei was groaning in his sleep with a grim expression, the three troubled girls watched over him. Suimei, of course, was rather relieved when he did eventually wake up.

A Sermon at the Dojo?

One day, after finishing his kenjustu practice, Yakagi Suimei was taking a break on the veranda of the Kuchiba residence. The sun had already set and a refreshing night breeze was blowing against his face.

While lazily sitting on the edge of the wooden veranda in his gi, he fanned himself with the folding fan he had in his breast pocket and gazed at the moon that had gotten big on the horizon. It was around then that a voice called out to him from further down the veranda.

“Suimei.”

“Hmm?”

His gaze was naturally drawn towards the source of the voice that tinkled like a silver bell, and when he looked, he spotted his childhood friend, Kuchiba Hatsumi. She’d been wearing the same gi he was before, but now she’d changed into comfortable-looking sweats.

“So this is where you were.”

“Yup, right here. I finished up, so I was just taking a little break. After loafing a bit more here, I’ll go on home.”

At that, Hatsumi looked and sounded somewhat dissatisfied.

“It’s not like I came here to tell you to leave. Really, the opposite. It’d be problematic if you just left on your own.”

“Why’s that?”

“Mom said she’s making dinner for five—that means you included.”

“That’s... Sorry ’bout being a bother all the time.”

“Nobody thinks of you as a bother. Truth be told, we’d rather you not be so reserved and come over more often. You’re not eating proper dinners, are you?”

“It’s not like I’m...”

Hatsumi eyed him, looking half self-satisfied and half exasperated. Suimei started to deny her claim, but...

“I bet it’s instant noodles.”

“Ugh...”

“Microwave dinners, mostly curry.”

“Er...”

“Canned mackerel with just salt on it. I could keep going—do you have anything to say for yourself?”

When she gave him an unrelenting scowl, Suimei capitulated. Raising both hands above his head, he admitted his neglect for his own health.

“Sorry, sorry, my bad. I was lying.”

“See? You don’t eat properly on your own after all.”

“It’s not always like that, you know? When it’s time to eat, I do so properly.”

“I wonder about that.”

Suimei tried to smooth things over in a fluster, but Hatsumi remained prickly. It was plain as day that she didn’t believe him. But she let it go there. She sat down next to Suimei and changed the subject.

“Suimei, about your training...”

“What about it?”

“You know what. I’m telling you to take it seriously.”

So that’s what it was. Suimei gave her a bitter smile. However, he had a proper defense on that point.

“I am taking it seriously, you know? Even when it comes to the practicing swings and forms, I’m not holding anything back, you hear?”

“That’s true, but... can you really say you’re taking your training seriously when you only come to the dojo two or three times a week? Lately, we’re lucky if you come by once.”

“That’s... I thought I told you that I have things to care of. I’ve been busy.”

“Things to take care of...? Is it really something that takes up that much time?”

“That’s precisely why I haven’t been showing up. Regarding that, Instructor Kiyoshiro already knows what’s going on.”

“So what are these things? Even when I ask, you never tell me.”

“It’s a secret.”

“That again... Won’t you just tell me already?”

“One day.”

“That’s all you ever say.”

With that, Hatsumi puffed out her cheeks in a pout. Normally she was quite serious, but every once in a while, a more childish side would shine through. Suimei thought she might be a little old for that, but because it was so cute, he hesitated in pointing that out. As such thoughts were going through his head, Hatsumi spoke up again in a somewhat disappointed tone with her eyes cast downward.

“At this rate, Suimei, you’ll be left behind, you know? Everyone who joined in the beginning has gotten stronger, and even the newer children have been improving.”

“Yeah, maybe.”

“No, it’s not a maybe. Even though you’ve been here all along, you’re the only one who still hasn’t reached the intermediate level.”

It was exactly as she said. When Hatsumi’s father, Kiyoshiro, set up a dojo in the neighborhood, Hatsumi and Suimei were his first two students. Other children joined on afterward, and as time passed, each and every one of the other students surpassed Suimei with the sword.

Of course, if he abandoned the fundamentals of the Kuchiba school and fought like a magician as he usually did, Suimei likely wouldn’t lose in a sword fight with any of the other students. Apart from Kiyoshiro and Hatsumi, he could easily see through the moves of the others and counter them.

But since he couldn’t use his magic in a normal fight, he didn’t have much to show in the way of results when it came to matches. Suimei now primarily came to the dojo so that he would never forget the basics of the blade. But if he went too far in his training, he would be drawn in by the way of the sword. Both his father, Kazamitsu, and his uncle Kiyoshiro had explained to him in detail that a magician shouldn’t become completely absorbed by the sword.

So in that respect, when he thought about it, Hatsumi was right. He wasn’t taking his training seriously. She had seen through him.

“Suimei... It’s not good for the first student to remain weak, right? It sets a bad example for the others.”

“It’s fine as long as you’re strong, right? You’re really the first student.”

“I’m the daughter of the dojo’s master. That hardly counts.”

It didn’t seem like Hatsumi was about to change her mind anytime soon. Suimei weakly knit his brow.

“Back then, you used to complain about me being strong. But now you’re complaining about me being weak. Which is it, really?”

“That’s... Isn’t it obvious that it’s better if you’re strong?”

“Huh?”

“Nothing!”

Suimei couldn’t hear her quiet voice. He asked her about it, but she firmly planted her feet on the ground, stood up, and marched off down the veranda. Watching her go, Suimei slumped his shoulders.

“Instructor, isn’t it about time that we tell Hatsumi and Haseto the truth...?”

His unheard, idle complaint was directed at Kiyoshiro, who was likely having a quiet drink in the living room.