Mini Tasting Session
After returning to the dorm, I immediately headed to the kitchen to start preparing dinner. Not long after, Mariel-chan and the others returned from their classes.
"Cristea-san! We're back!"
"Oh, Mariel-san, Sei, welcome home."
I turned off the stove and went to greet Mariel and Sei.
"Cristea-san, was everything okay with that summons earlier?!"
"Huh? Oh, yeah... I think it went fine."
Mariel-chan seemed to be blaming herself for the summons, thinking it was her fault because of the commotion she caused earlier. So, I moved to the dining hall and briefly explained what had happened.
"Ugh... I'm sorry. It's because I made a fuss about the aphrodisiac..."
"I told you, it's not your fault. If anything, I'm the one who brought up the whole chocolate and aphrodisiac thing in the first place."
"But still..."
"... Aphrodisiac? Why would you talk about something like that?"
"That's a bit too early for you Ojou, isn't it?"
"Hey, you two, don't butt in!"
Suzaku-sama and Byakko-sama, who must have sensed Sei's return, barged into the dining hall and immediately reacted to the word "aphrodisiac."
Sei, who had been sitting silently at the table with us, quickly scolded the two.
Byakko-sama, it's true that I don't need an aphrodisiac, but you're implying that I'm "just a kid," aren't you? Well, it's true, but still!
"No, it's an ingredient that was used as an aphrodisiac..."
I explained to everyone what I had told Master Marlen and the others.
"Hoh, I see. It's true that for you humans, the easiest way to absorb magic power is through food. And there's no doubt that some foods are packed with magic power or can amplify it."
From Suzaku-sama and Byakko-sama's perspective, this seemed like common knowledge, and Suzaku-sama nodded in agreement with Byakko-sama's words.
"We Sacred Beasts have an immense amount of magic power within us, and it's easy for us to absorb it from all sorts of things, so we never really thought about it. But some Magic Beasts hunt creatures that have such effects or are rich in magic power to steal their power. Those creatures include humans, by the way."
Suzaku-sama, could you not casually say such terrifying things?!
It's true that Kaguya, the Magic Beast that appeared before me in the past, was drawn to my magic power, so I know firsthand... but still!
"Still, a fruit that amplifies magic power being called an aphrodisiac... For us, a slight increase in magic power is just a margin of error."
"That's true."
Byakko-sama and Suzaku-sama's conversation had Kurogane and Mashiro nodding along.
Comparing us to you guys... it's not helpful at all.
"So, this is the so-called aphrodisiac?"
Byakko-sama and the others were intrigued when they heard that the aphrodisiac was a chocolate dessert, so I gave each of them a small piece of the chocolate I had saved.
"Whoa... choco... Chocolate-sama...!"
"Ma-Mariel-san, are you okay...? Don't tell me the effect is kicking in before you even eat it?!"
Mariel-chan, holding the small plate with the chocolate like it was a treasure, was so excited that Sei looked a bit concerned. I advised everyone to start with a small piece and see how they felt.
"Let's eat! … Huh? This is chocolate, but... um..."
"It's not exactly delicious, is it?"
Compared to the chocolate from my past life, this one was far from impressive, so it was no wonder Mariel-chan was confused.
It's kind of gritty, after all.
"No, I think the balance of bitterness and sweetness is interesting and tasty..."
Sei seemed to like it, but since he was cautious and broke the piece into even smaller bits before eating, he seemed unsure whether to finish the rest.
He had heard about the apprentice chef who got so worked up that he started bleeding from the nose and felt dizzy, so he was probably worried about making a fool of himself.
"For now, how do you feel after eating it? Do you feel your body heating up or a sudden surge of magic power?"
"No, not really… Maybe just a slight warmth, but that's about it."
Sei, like me, seems to have a lot of magic power, so there wasn't any significant change.
"Then I think it's safe to eat a bit more, but if you're worried, you can take the rest to your room and eat it there."
"I'll do that."
"Hey, if you're not gonna eat it, give it to me..."
"You already ate your share!"
"Ow?!"
Byakko-sama tried to grab Sei's chocolate, but Sei's iron fan smacked his hand with a loud *thwack*.
"Honestly, Byakko, you're so greedy. Oh, Cristea-sama, this is delicious. The only downside is that it melts easily in heat... If you get more, could you share some with me?"
"Huh? Oh, y-yes, of course!"
Suzaku-sama licked the melted chocolate off her fingertips while giving me a seductive look, leaving me flustered. Licking your fingers is bad manners, but when Suzaku-sama does it, it's sensual and picturesque...
Mariel-chan, who was watching nearby, turned bright red and muttered, "Eek... wha?!"
Um, Suzaku-sama, the aphrodisiac isn't working, right?
… Wait, come to think of it, the pudding was way more dangerous... Pudding aphrodisiac theory? ...Nah, that can't be~
What do you think about this chapter?
