Kanata, who came back in the morning, and Lilith, who woke up with a hangover. As usual, their marital banter begins.
\*This story is told from Lilith’s perspective.
Feeling light on my eyelids, I woke up. …It seems morning has come.
My head is throbbing from the core. Is this what they call a hangover?
I buried my face in my pillow. Just the thought of the Warrant Officer’s scent seemed to ease my lethargy a little.
Last night was a mistake; I never thought tequila would hit me so hard.
If I fell asleep at the beginning of the banquet, that would be a problem. I wanted to enjoy the night with the Warrant Officer more.
Oh well, my time with the Warrant Officer will continue. There will be plenty of opportunities.
The cheap door creaked open, and the tired-looking Warrant Officer returned.
“Coming home in the morning, you’ve got some nerve. If you were cheating, I wouldn’t forgive you!”
“You’re unusually early. It’s not even 6 AM yet.”
That’s right, I’m not good in the morning. It’s partly due to my low blood pressure, but if I don’t have work, I can lounge around until around 10 AM.
The main reason, more than low blood pressure, is laziness. Diligence might be a virtue, but it’s not my principle.
“I went to bed early like a child yesterday, so I’m waking up early too.”
“Going to sleep drunk isn’t ‘like a child’!”
Yes, that’s the kind of retort I wanted. If I crack a joke, I get a precise comeback.
Conversations with the Warrant Officer are so enjoyable, truly.
The Warrant Officer also seems to be hungover, taking out a bottle of mineral water from the small refrigerator and drinking it.
He must have been dragged out drinking until the morning by someone.
“Give me some water too.”
I stopped the Warrant Officer with my hand as he was about to take a new bottle of mineral water from the refrigerator.
“This is fine. No need to open a new one for me.”
“Uh, no, but…”
“There’s no need to worry about indirect kisses now, is there? We’ve already kissed, haven’t we.”
“Let’s use words accurately. It wasn’t that I kissed you, it was that you *were kissed*!”
Grumbling, the Warrant Officer handed me the half-empty bottle of mineral water.
I put my hand to my aching head, brushed back my hair, and took a sip of water.
Phew, it’s perfectly chilled and like nectar. Not bad at all.
“Well, someone once said that nothing is sweeter than cold water on a hangover morning, and I agree. Perhaps it’s also sweet because it’s water you’ve already touched?”
“Young Lady, let’s avoid crude talk first thing in the morning.”
“So, crude talk is okay after noon then?”
“They say you twist words, and that’s exactly what you’re doing, Lilith.”
“I’m accommodating your preference for my behind. If you don’t like it, I can switch to picking on your ankles. You seem to like thighs too.”
“I like both my behind and my thighs, but in either case, I’m not going to be saved, am I?”
“There’s also the saying, ‘those who believe are saved.’ What would happen if I tripped you and you fell?”
“After I trip you, I’ll step on you. Isn’t that the ironclad rule?”
“Are you a demon? You always spew lies, exaggerations, and confusing statements! You’ll end up being reported to Jaro!”
“Jaro? What’s that?”
The Warrant Officer sometimes says words that make no sense.
Words that don’t register in my brain’s Library, which has memorized all encyclopedias.
I am a little curious about that. Is it because the Warrant Officer’s imagination is so wild?
“…It’s a secret society of words. It’s a terrifying organization that delivers the hammer of judgment upon those who frequently use false, exaggerated, and misleading expressions.”
“If that’s true, then it’s my natural enemy, the word mafia. Fine, if an agent of Jaro appears before me, I’ll unleash my seal and transform. I wonder if you’ll be able to stay unharmed after being showered with my true torrent of abusive language?”
“You said you still have two transformations left, right? All I can say to the people at Jaro is ‘run’.”
As usual, I was chatting with the Warrant Officer, but something felt off.
…Something happened. The Warrant Officer seems to be putting on a brave face.
Don’t underestimate me. I’m always watching you, Warrant Officer, so I notice even the slightest changes.
The Warrant Officer took a bottle of aspirin tablets from the shelf, opened the lid, and offered it to me.
“I don’t need it. This is my first hangover, so I plan to savor this lethargy just for today.”
“Please make your next hangover in ten years.”
“If you expect me to, I’ll want to betray you.”
“Whether it’s good or bad, you always betray my expectations, you little devil.”
“I am deeply honored by your praise.”
The Warrant Officer took an aspirin, swallowed the remaining mineral water, and downed it.
Your head hurts not just from the hangover, right? If you have worries, talk to me!
Even if it’s a headache that aspirin can’t solve, I can still offer advice.
“Warrant Officer, you don’t seem to have much appetite, do you?”
“Yeah, I’ve thrown up twice, so my stomach is empty. I drank a lot with Tozen and the others last night, no, until this morning, so I have no appetite at all.”
Drinking with those upright-walking reptiles… you really do resonate with strange people.
I got out of bed and rummaged through the refrigerator. Yes, I have eggs and leeks.
“Okay, if you were drinking all night, you’ll want to sleep now, right?”
“I will, the bed seems to be free too.”
“Then, before I leave, I’ll make you some porridge. Eat it when you wake up.”
“Thanks. For now, you look like an angel.”
“I’ve always intended to be your angel.”
The Warrant Officer smiled wryly at my response and went into the bathroom to take a shower.
…The Warrant Officer tends to prefer strongly flavored food, but considering his condition, it’s better to make it lightly flavored today.
I should get things ready quickly. I’ll make a dashi broth with kelp and season it with soy sauce.
I’ll warm the pre-packaged rice in the microwave and transfer it to a container. The Warrant Officer prefers using leftover rice for porridge or okayu.
Then, I’ll chop the leeks. Actually, it’s best to chop leeks just before serving to preserve their flavor, but the Warrant Officer will definitely find it troublesome.
By the time the porridge is ready, the Warrant Officer, having finished his shower, emerged from the bathroom wearing a bathrobe.
“If I put the rice in now, it will get soggy by the time you eat it, so put this leftover rice in the container when you want to eat. I’ve already prepared the dashi broth in the donabe, so just add the beaten egg right before finishing, this is important. The leeks are chopped and in a separate container.”
The Warrant Officer clasped his hands at me and then lay down on the bed.
“Just have porridge for lunch. Also, don’t go out drinking today. I’ll prepare a special menu for you tonight, so let’s eat together.”
“Thanks. I don’t want to see any more alcohol today. Goodnight~zzz”
The exhausted Warrant Officer was soon snoring.
I quietly left the room, not wanting to wake the Warrant Officer. You seem to have a worry, but at least have pleasant dreams.
Back in my room, across from the Warrant Officer’s room, I took a hot shower, changed, and then made coffee.
During operations, I could only drink instant coffee, so the carefully brewed coffee from high-quality beans, enhanced by the flavor, made me feel exhilarated.
Thanks to the shower and the coffee, my hangover seems to have improved considerably.
Alright, I can do my best today!
After all, today I’ll find out the cause of the Warrant Officer’s worries and solve it. If I can’t solve it, I’ll have to bear it with him!
After spending time relaxing in my room until 10 AM, my hangover had almost completely disappeared, so I decided to go shopping.
As soon as I left the Barracks Building, I put my index and middle fingers in my mouth and whistled.
The clear sound echoed through the Barracks Building. It should have been heard no matter where she was in the Garden.
Soon, Yuki-chan came running towards me, her white tail wagging.
Yuki-chan helps me get around the Garden. I’ve also come to understand Yuki-chan’s thoughts quite a bit.
“Woof woof! (Good morning!)”
“Good morning, Yuki-chan. Will you be my legs again today?”
“Woof! (Yes!)”
Yuki-chan assumed a ‘lie down’ position.
As I lined up my legs and sat on her snow-white back, Yuki-chan slowly stood up.
“First, I want to go to the hardware store in the shopping district.”
Yuki-chan nodded and then began to run as if gliding.
Thanks to Yuki-chan’s impeccable balance while running, I only need to lightly grip her red scarf, which serves as her collar.
Around the Garden, people were cleaning up the mess from last night’s revelry. It felt like after a festival, which made me a little sad.
Arriving at the shopping district, I bought a low table and two cushions at the hardware store. I asked for them to be delivered to Room 666 at 6 PM.
Next, I bought groceries at the supermarket – ingredients for tonight’s special menu.
Oh, I also need to buy some cured ham as a reward for Yuki-chan.
After leaving the supermarket, I tried to give Yuki-chan the cured ham, but the white ninja dog shook her head.
Right, this ninja dog was a perfectionist and wouldn’t accept her reward until the mission was complete.
Then I must complete the mission quickly. Yuki-chan and I headed to our final destination, the cafeteria.
The cafeteria, which had been the main venue for last night’s banquet, had also undergone significant cleanup. It seemed like it would return to normal operation in about an hour.
I went to the kitchen and beckoned Head Chef Isokichi over.
Responding to my signal, Isokichi, with his buzz cut and headband, the very image of a seasoned chef, approached.
“Oh, Lilith-chan. Did you enjoy yesterday’s food?”
“Unfortunately, I got drunk right after drinking tequila. What a shame.”
“That’s too bad. But banquets are frequent in the Garden, so it’s no problem. So, what did you need?”
“There was sukiyaki at yesterday’s banquet, right?”
“Yep, Bakura loves sukiyaki.”
“Then you must have made some sukiyaki sauce, right? Is any left?”
“Yep, Bakura likes to season it himself with sugar and soy sauce, but his subordinates always stop him. In the end, he eats with the sauce I made.”
There are people like that – bad at seasoning but insisting on controlling the sukiyaki, culinary simpletons.
“Can I have some of that? I’m having sukiyaki with the Warrant Officer tonight.”
“Oh, sure. But with Lilith-chan, unlike Bakura, you’d probably season it well yourself, wouldn’t you?”
“No matter how skillful I am, I can’t compare to a professional. Your sukiyaki sauce is exquisite, Master Isokichi.”
“You make me so happy to hear that.”
Isokichi brought me a flask containing the sukiyaki sauce and a stainless steel container from the refrigerator.
“Take this too. It’s grilled chicken skewers. Not just any grilled chicken, though. They’re made from Chicken. Shigure likes Chicken Hot Pot, so I prepared some, but there was a little left over.”
“Thank you, I’ll take it without hesitation. I’m always bothering you.”
“It’s nothing. Lilith-chan’s job is to fight. My job is to feed people delicious food. Leave the food to me.”
I left the cafeteria and returned to Yuki-chan, who was waiting outside.
“Mission accomplished. Here you go.”
“Woof! (Yay!)”
I opened the bag of cured ham and fed it to Yuki-chan.
“I got some Chicken skewers from Master Isokichi, so I’ll share some with you tomorrow too.”
“Woof woof! (I’m looking forward to it!)”
Yuki-chan wagged her tail and barked happily.
I think this ninja dog has better taste than that Captain named Bakura.
The story progresses entirely through character dialogue, which makes capturing their speech patterns challenging.
I’ve made Kanata use “Ore” instead of “Ore” specifically so his lines are easily recognizable.
Characters like Sanpin, who speaks in a low-class manner, are easier to give personality to, which is quite enjoyable (laughs).
