Escaping the Summer Heat: Grand Magus Yuri Drewes

Escaping the Summer Heat:
Grand Magus Yuri Drewes

 

“I’D KILL FOR some shaved ice right now.” I was in the middle of training at the Royal Magi Assembly practice grounds, but it was so miserably hot that I accidentally let that slip.

“Shaved ice?” Yuri gave me a curious look.

Shaved ice was famous in Japan, but they didn’t have it in the Kingdom of Salutania.

“It’s a kind of food we ate a lot during the summer where I come from.”

“What’s it like?”

“It’s ice that’s been flaked until it’s all crunchy and soft, with fruit syrup on top.”

“Shaved ice…”

Since ice was a luxury here, no desserts used it. For that reason, Yuri couldn’t imagine what exactly shaved

ice looked like, and he started asking me all sorts of questions about it. Unsurprisingly, I didn’t really know how a shaved ice maker worked, so I could only tell him what I remembered in the vaguest sense. However, he at least seemed to get some kind of picture in his head.

After mulling this over for a bit, he cast an ice spell. A towering icicle jutted into the sky. I stared at this spike, which was taller than me, and then stared at Yuri, utterly bewildered. He was in the middle of casting a wind spell. It began to shave down the icicle before my very eyes.

“Would it work something like this?” he asked.

“Yeah, kinda.”

The shaved ice mountain looking so stately there on the practice grounds that it left me gobsmacked. Cold air wafted off it in waves. I was beyond impressed that Yuri had been able to conjure and recreate shaved ice based on my shoddy explanation.

“Now you’d be able to make it so long as you had syrup, right?” Yuri asked.

“I suppose so.”

“Then let’s go!”

“Huh?” Now it was my turn to give him a curious look. Go where? If it’s syrup we’re after, then maybe the institute’s dining hall?

Before I knew it, I’d followed a smiling Yuri all the way to the palace kitchens. The chefs peered at Yuri’s sudden appearance with due suspicion. Thankfully, I spotted someone who worked at the institute’s dining hall among the chefs. She noticed me as well and came running over to us.

“May we help you?” she asked hesitantly.

“Can we borrow some space here?” Yuri asked. “There’s something we want to make.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. Also, do you have fruit syrup or anything of the sort?” I asked. “I’d like to use that.”

Perhaps it was because the chef had cooked with me at the institute before, but despite our sudden arrival, she let us borrow a corner of the kitchens. “Will this spot suit your needs?” she asked after she guided us over to it.

“Yes, thank you.”

Another chef brought over several syrups as well as some jams. At Yuri’s directions—and mine—we also received dishes and other implements I thought we’d need.

Once everything was ready, Yuri cast the same spells again. This time, he made a much smaller icicle appear on a large dish, then he shaved it down to make a miniature shaved ice mountain. I scooped the shaved ice into a smaller bowl, added syrup, and took a bite with a spoon.

Yeah, this is it! This frosty sweetness is to die for.

After I tasted it, I made a bowl for Yuri and passed it to him.

Eyes full of anticipation, he closely inspected the shaved ice before scooping up a spoonful and putting it in his mouth. His eyes widened in surprise, and a smile bloomed across his face. “My, my. Now this is a splendid treat for hot weather.”

“Exactly. I always get a craving for it when summer comes around.”

“I can see why.”

The two of us ate our way through the rest of the shaved ice in completely satisfied silence. In the midst of this, Yuri noticed the chefs watching us and gave them permission to join in. They got their own bowls to try as well. Some of them voiced their surprise with great delight.

“Ah, that was so good.” I sighed happily. It had been too long since I last enjoyed this.

I bet the heat’s not going away anytime soon. I wish I could have this at least one more time. But it’ll probably be hard to get this much ice again. I was so lucky that Yuri was interested enough to conjure some with magic.

“Thank you for the ice,” I said.

“Don’t mention it. I was all too pleased to try a new dessert.”

“I’m so grateful I got to eat that treat again. It’s been so long.”

“If you ever want it again, I’ll conjure as much ice as you like.”

“Really?!” I asked excitedly.

Yuri covered his mouth with his hand and looked away, his shoulders trembling.

Huh? Is he laughing at me? I felt like our usual dynamic had been flipped on its head. But I couldn’t help it—I really wanted to eat shaved ice!