I’m currently sitting down by myself taking a short break after our meal.

  Today’s dinner was better than normal though my mothers mushroom gratin is still the best.

  I ate a bit too much though and it’s lying a bit heavy in my stomach, however, this feeling of fullness is pretty good.

  Everyone else has gone into the workshop. My father learnt Ray was interested in making swords so he enthusiastically took him to the workshop.

  Misha and Sasha also disappeared.

  It’s been a while and they still haven’t come back, however, I can hear laughter from time to time so they are still chatting away.

  Leaning back in my chair I can hear noises from the kitchen.

  My mother? Let’s take a look.

  It was actually Misha inside.

  “What you doing?”


  Misha turned around with her usual deadpan expression.

  “Gratin.”


  I can see the stone ovens lit. Is she actually making gratin?

  We’ve finished eating though.

  “What about it?”


  “Making it.”


  “You are?”


  *Kokuri* Misha nods.

  “Arnos’ mother is good.”


  “Well I won’t argue with that but why?”


  Misha blinked a couple times.

  “Taught me.”


  Sasha and Misha did help out when preparing dinner. Did my mother teach them how to cook it at the same time?

  “Practising by myself.”


  I see.

  “You wanted more practice making gratin?”


  “Nn.”


  “Well, my mothers mushroom gratin is the best there is.”


  Misha nods again.

  “Arnos’ favourite food.”


  “…….Does that mean you are practising because it’s my favourite food?”


  It’s only a little bit but Misha suddenly looks shy.

  “I like Arnos’s happy face.”


  She’s saying something cute.

  “I’m glad.”


  Misha smiles at my words.

  “Arnos is close with Sasha.”


  “That’s right.”


  Sasha exposes all her emotions without holding back and talks to me rudely. She’s also meddlesome and unintentionally amusing at times. I had no such subordinate 2000 years ago.

  “Something wrong with that?”


  “It’s nice.” Misha stares into my eyes. “But I’m a little lonely.”


  “I see. Does it feel like I’ve stolen your older sister?”


  Misha’s eyes opened slightly and she shook her head.

  “Opposite.”


  Misha suddenly points at me.

  “Me? By Sasha?”


  Misha nods slightly.

  Unusually for Misha, she’s assertively looking me in the eyes.

  “I made friends first.” Her voice becomes thinner. “…….But Sasha is closer now…….”


  I unintentionally laugh.

  “So even Misha can think like that.”


  She looks down and says in a small voice.

  “……..Jealously is not good………”


  Our feelings don’t always go the way we want them too.

  “I’m not on better terms with Sasha than you.”


  “Really?”


  Misha stares doubtfully at me.

  “She just talks more”


  “…..I speak less……”


  Misha’s voice gets even quieter.

  “That’s one of your good points Misha.”


  Her face relaxes slightly.

  “Really?”


  “Yeah. I can feel calm when I’m talking to you.”


  *Fufu* Misha laughs shyly.

  “I’m happy.”


  Fumu. This misunderstanding seems to have been solved.

  “Ah.”


  Misha suddenly notices something and puts on some mittens before fetching a pot from the oven.

  A delicious scent of white sauce and cheese drifts out.

  “I did it.”


  Misha joyfully puts the pot on the table before taking a wooden spoon and scooping up some gratin, blowing on it to cool it down and then eating it in one gulp.

  Did it go well? Misha’s nodding while tasting her gratin.

  “Is it delicious?”


  Misha turns around to face me with her deadpan expression before scooping up some more gratin and pointing the spoon at me.

  “Eat?”


  “Ah, no, I just ate a while ago.”


  “…………………………………..I see…………………………”


  Misha stares at the gratin on the spoon.

  She somehow looks lonely.

  Oh, she did say she liked seeing my happy face so that’s why she was practising.

  In that case, no matter how full I am I will eat it.

  “Fumu. Actually, I’ve changed my mind. I’m a bit peckish. Can I have it?”


  Misha smiled happily and nodded before blowing on the gratin.

  Moving forward she brought the spoon to my mouth.

  “Here.”


  Misha’s demanding that I open my mouth.

  “………..”


  I’m not a baby. I can eat by myself.

  When I didn’t open my mouth she tilted her head to one side.

  “…..Aaahn……”


  Did she think her intention wasn’t communicated? She’s asking me to open my mouth again.

  Whatever. It’s fine I guess. Do what you want.

  I opened my mouth and Misha fed me the gratin.

  Umu, this is exquisite. She’s only just learnt from my mother but she can already perfectly replicate my mother’s mushroom gratin taste.

  “…..How is it………..?”


  “Exquisite.”


  *Fufu* Misha laughed.

  “One more?”


  “Let’s have it.”


  Misha brings it to my mouth again.

  “………Aahn…….”


  Did you think I wouldn’t open my mouth if you didn’t do that?

  Misha feeds me the same way again.

  I was already stuffed but in the next 10 minutes, I managed to eat another dish of gratin.

  “It was delicious. Misha’s good at cooking.”


  “…….Normal……” She says a little shyly. “I’ll make it again.”


  “Don’t overdo it. You don’t need to make it to remain friends with me.”


  Misha falls silent and looks troubled.

  “No good?”


  Apparently, it was an unnecessary concern on my part.

  “If you actually want to make it then please do.”


  “I like making it.”


  She must be a creative person. She’s also good at Construction Creation

  “Will you let me eat it again?”


  “Promise?”


  “Yeah. I look forward to it.”


  I touch the plate and spoon and activate my magic. They’re quickly washed before floating in the air and returning to the cupboard.

  “Did you go to the workshop?”


  “Not yet.”


  “Shall we go then?”


  “Nn.”


  I head to the workshop with Misha but inside there’s only my mother. No one else is in sight.

  “Where’s Ray?”


  My mother raises her index finger and puts it in front of her mouth in a shushing motion.

  Near to her is Sasha wrapped up in a blanket and sleeping.

  “Sasha-chan became tired.”


  To be fair she used a lot of magic power in the test.

  “Ray-kun and the others have gone to the garden to enjoy some night air.” My mother says in a quiet voice.

  Shall we go to the garden?

  We leave the workshop and head outside. The sun may have gone down but the moons pretty bright tonight.

  Where we live is very densely packed with houses so light spills out from them as well.

  “But thank you for today.”


  From our garden, I heard the voice of Misa.

  Peeking into the garden I see Misa sitting down amongst the roots of a tree with Ray standing by her side.

  “In what way?”


  “Fufufuu. You invited me. If Ray-san hadn’t spoken up I don’t think Arnos-sama would have let me join the group so thank you for that.”


  Ray smiled.

  “That wasn’t my intention.”


  “Ah, how modest. You’re kind.”


  Misa laughs then smiles.

  “……It’s the first time I’ve met someone like Ray-san…….”


  “Like me?”


  “……..Hmmm. How to put it. You don’t care about being royalty at all………?”


  Ray laughs.

  “I think both those Necrons are also the same though.”


  “Ahaha…..but it’s a bit different with you, right? Sasha-san and Misha -san know about the meaning of royalty and understand it but still became Arnos-sama’s subordinates.”


  “I’m different?”


  “Yes, you are. Royal lineage or mixed blood. Neither matter to you. You don’t seem to be interested in the blood of the founder. I can’t find the right words but what I’m trying to say is you just don’t seem to care?”


  Ray laughs again.

  “You might be right. Like I said in the group test I’m not good at it.”


  Ray looked away from Misa and stared into the distance.

  “I only really want to think about the sword. How can I swing faster? How can I cut something that can’t be cut? Anything beyond that is troublesome.”


  “Anything beyond that? Are there no circumstances where you’ll think about anything but the sword?”


  Misa asks a simple question.

  “Well, there’s various things if you are alive. There’s eating for example.”


  Misa burst into laughter.

  “You’re just lazy Ray-san.”


  “My origin is an easygoing fellow.”


  Ray turns his eyes back to Misa.

  “Therefore I won’t be entering the unification faction. The royalty aren’t in the right though.”


  “Ah, no. I had no such intention.”


  Misa panicked and waved her hands before putting on a serious face.

  “I did think it though. A person like Ray-san might be the ideal person for the unificationists. Whether you are royalty or not, the mazoku are split in two. It’s troublesome and I don’t care. The person who can say that is surely someone who doesn’t discriminate against people.”


  “It’s embarrassing if you lift me up that much. If you say that then there’s Arnos. He really doesn’t seem to care about anything.”


  “……..Arnos-sama……..”


  “Since you want him to be the face of your cause can’t you see him with calm eyes?”


  Misa looks at Ray in surprise.

  “That’s very forthright.”


  Ray doesn’t answer back. He just looks at Misa who looks away awkwardly.

  “……For us, there’s no other way than to believe in Arnos-sama. I know it might not be a good thing for Arnos-sama…….”


  “I think it’s okay.”


  Misa’s face took on a surprised look again.

  “No matter what Misa-san does he won’t be influenced even the slightest bit.”


  Misa buried her face in her knee’s having no answer to give back.

  “He truly doesn’t care. I honestly believe that. Is it useful? Is it bad or poor looking? Arnos doesn’t have that perspective at all. A bucket of water thrown into the ocean will not make a wave. To me, he’s transcended all that.”


  “You’ve only just met him. How can you be so sure?”


  Ray laughs again.

  “It’s just my intuition. I’m not good at thinking about difficult things.”


  Misa laughs.

  “I feel a bit more easy somehow.”


  “Can I ask you something?”


  Misa’s face takes on a curious expression.

  “Yes”


  “Is Misa-san a half spirit half demon?

  “Yeah……..”


  “Is your bodies condition not worsening?”


  As if not understanding Misa cocks her head to the side.

  “Errrm….well……there’s times when I feel a little unwell but basically I’m always fine. Why do you ask?”


  Ray closes his mouth for a moment then speaks with an unusually earnest expression.

  “I’d heard that half spirits half demons don’t have very long lives.”


  “Eh…..?”


  “But as far as I knew there were no lively half spirits who could use spirit magic. I think Misa-san is special.”


  “Is that so? I don’t know myself………”


  Ray stretches his hand out to Misa.

  “Shall we head back? My bodies getting cold.”


  “Ah, yes.”


  Misa took Ray’s hand and stood up.

  “Thank you very much for today. I will do my best to make a society where people like Ray-san are the norm.”


  As soon as she spoke Misa made a face like she’d made a mistake.

  “Sorry. I shouldn’t have said something so bothersome.”


  “It’s fine.”


  Ray laughs.

  “I’ll support you. Because I’m a royal and a member of the chaos generation I’m honestly tired of being pushed around all the time.”


  Misa’s face blooms into joy and she makes a fist.

  “Please leave it to me. I’ll do my best so the day Ray-san can relax will come.”


  _______________________________________________________________

  Authors note: Recently Sasha has been prominent but I strongly believe in the Misha faction! Expect the hot support for Misha to increase!