An Unpleasant Turn
Huh... the cooking tools in your world look pretty similar to ours.
I'm surprised they're still intact. Though it's only the basic ones.
Those will do just fine.
You just need to cook and boil the ingredients, don't you?
You're weirdly enthusiastic about this...
Very well. Do as you like.
What, Commander? You're just going to stand there and watch?
Call it division of labor, rookie.
What should we make?
Omega wants hamburger steak!
Oh right, we had eggs too.
I hope they haven't gone bad...
They should be fine. The ones at the old hideout were oddly still good too.
Alright! Let's get cooking!
I just need to mince it, right?
Ooh...! Like this?
Oops. It cracked!
You really are a kid. You're supposed to handle it gently.
Ehehe... it's slippery, though. Kinda interesting.
W-wait, Captain!
Didn't you just skip me over?
Got it! Leave it to me!
Here, there's canned salad too.
Paired with bread, it should make for a decent meal.
What is it?
...I guess this all just feels a bit strange to me.
I never imagined something like this.
Cooking in the Counterside with people I barely know...
Having fun, is it...
...Yeah. It's been a while since I felt like this.
After plenty of twists and turns, the meal was finally ready.
...Though the garlic Asherah was supposed to take care of burnt completely.
Well?
...Not bad. Better than the restaurants near the company.
Seriously? After you just stood there and watched the whole time...
But Omega helped out a bunch!
Every bite of this hamburger steak tastes like it was made with care.
I can't believe we get to eat a proper meal even in a place like this...
Enduring the spiciness was worth it. Really.
Asherah, there's something I want to ask you.
Huh? Me?
You said earlier that taking Rosaria down might fix this situation.
...What if beating her changes nothing?
You mean nothing would change...?
...
Ahaha, I'm not sure. I never really thought about it.
So you just said it without really thinking?
N-no, that's not it.
You might be right. Beating Rosaria might not change anything.
But...
It's hard to think about everything all at once.
So I'm just trying to do my best with what we can do right now.
...And what if you fail?
Then we find another way!
We can worry about things going wrong when they actually do.
Can you really afford to be that carefree?
It's fine. We have the Captain with us.
He'll definitely find a good solution.
...Really?
You two seem quite close.
Then again, I suppose young people tend to grow close when they spend time together.
Yeah. Asherah and Mister are super close.
I-it just means we trust each other as teammates! Nothing weird!
And you have Hilde too, Mina.
W-what are you talking about?!
She's helped a few times, sure, but...
She is super blunt, and she always acts before she saying anything!
You certainly hold nothing back when speaking to someone who saved your life twice.
If anything, aren't you the one who acts before thinking, rookie?
N-no... I only said that because Asherah started with the embarrassing comments.
I'd say your conduct since joining has been embarrassing enough.
Oh...! Omega's not as hungry anymore!
Great! So we're ready to fight Rosaria now?
There's no need to rush. My armament won't repair itself that quickly.
...Not a bad idea. I was nearing my limit.
Mmm... Omega's sleepy now that she's full...
Agreed. Just getting here was exhausting enough.
Hmm... Part of me wants to head out right away, but...
Rest is just as important as combat.
I knew you'd say that!
Fortunately, there seem to be no Voidborns in the area.
Since it came up, let's take a short rest.
By the time we wake up, the repairs should be finished as well.
...And so, while we rested, everyone except Omega took turns standing watch.
*Yawn...*
Fitting for a world reduced to ashes, everything was silent while the others slept.
Staying still made the drowsiness creep back in.
And then...
I ended up dozing off.
I felt something gently rocking me in my sleep.
Thinking someone was waking me, I opened my eyes...
Krghoo...!
When I came to my senses, I found myself being carried by Voidborns.
Well done, you little runts.
Rosaria...?
Krghoo...!
Yes. Since you followed my orders, you may leave now.
Ah, of course, leave that one here.
Hmm... For someone from the outside, you look rather ordinary.
I thought perhaps some octopus-face Martian or something would appear.
Well, we can find out what makes you special soon enough.
Get rid? Of you?
If that were the case, I wouldn't bother going through all this trouble.
So this really is about casting me as an actor?!
Hmph. The moment you rejected my offer, that opportunity was gone.
Are you suddenly having second thoughts, mortal?
It's only natural. You rejected the chance to debut in an unprecedented masterpiece.
What?! Are you serious?!
Setting aside her terrifying power, her personality suddenly felt much easier to understand.
...Tsk. Such insolence from a mere mortal.
Still, you seem to get along with Hilde quite well despite not being a Wolf.
...Do you need something from her?
Of course.
From the beginning, all I wanted was a genuine battle with her.
But if a hero is to challenge the Demon Lord, there must be a princess to rescue.
Exactly. You crawled out of your hole at last. I can't let you crawl back in again.
So sit tight and wait, mortal.
You are about to watch your friends leap into the flames.
Ahahahaha!