Ch.100Chapter 100: Happiness with Tea Time

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And so, after entering the lodging, I headed to the small kitchen to brew some tea to warm Shizu’s chilled body.

Last evening, when I first stepped in with heavy footsteps, leaving her bedridden with a cold, I was too busy with sleep to properly look around.

But now, as I surveyed the kitchen to brew tea.

“Oh…”

I let out a brief exclamation of admiration.

The facilities of the lodging where I would be staying, including the kitchen, were excellent.

Even the inn inside the fortress where I stayed when I visited as a mercenary before my regression.

It had fairly decent facilities for a place where a mere mercenary would stay.

Despite being at the very edge of the Empire’s administrative reach.

This lodging, infused with the essence of magical science that supported the Empire’s ever-developing governance, was even more impressive.

The small heating element that used electricity drawn from the power plant with a magic stone core installed in the center of the fortress could instantly heat a kettle of water needed for brewing tea.

The lighting system, designed to adjust the brightness levels in the room with button controls, was also impressive.

I heard that the accommodations prepared for Cradle students were identical in structure to those where Imperial Knights of regular rank stayed.

If rooms for newly knighted regular knights, not even veteran knights, were of this quality.

Considering the location itself was in a frigid land, I’d say the convenience facilities, including the lodgings in this fortress, could be rated as very good.

Ah, I should be boiling water for tea instead of thinking about this.

I took out Darjeeling tea leaves, a teapot, teacups, and a tray to carry them, all of which I had prepared for this subjugation festival.

Then I filled the kettle with water and turned on the small heating element.

#

I enjoy brewing tea and serving it to others.

I do like drinking good tea myself.

But more than that, I enjoy seeing people’s reactions as they taste and enjoy the tea I’ve brewed.

The origin of this hobby—unusual for someone from a noble family where receiving tea served by others is more common than brewing it—goes back to when I was quite young.

Naturally, as you might expect.

The one sitting on the small sofa in the lodging, her blue eyes sparkling with anticipation, is the very person who inspired this hobby of mine.

After what happened on that day when rain poured down heavily during our childhood.

When I spent time playing house with Shizu, with whom I had grown particularly close.

The moment I saw her happy expression as she drank the tea I had brewed, based on what I had observed the servants in my household doing from afar, tea brewing became my hobby.

People who don’t know me well usually have peculiar reactions when they learn about this hobby of mine.

During my mercenary days before the regression, most people reacted by saying it was quite a refined hobby for a mercenary.

Before that, during my time as a student at Cradle, most reactions were tinged with bewilderment, questioning why someone from a household with servants to brew tea would do such a thing.

But even when I ruined my life with wrong choices and had to be content with watching her from afar, I couldn’t give up this hobby.

Every time I heard the water bubbling in the kettle.

I would hear her voice, filled with anticipation, asking when it would be ready, like an auditory hallucination.

And every time I drank the tea I brewed alone.

The memory of that moment when she drank tea in front of me with a happy expression would appear like a vision.

It was the only element related to moments of happiness for the wretched person I was then, doing despicable things.

Something like that, I couldn’t abandon even if I wanted to.

Suddenly recalling that.

I’m truly overwhelmed by the small happiness I’ve gained through experiencing this miracle called regression.

After regressing, I was initially confused and reacted foolishly.

But as time passed and I corrected each wrong choice one by one.

The good things keep increasing.

When I face you drinking the tea I brew and making that happy expression like back then, won’t the good things increase even more?

With such thoughts of Shizu happily drinking the tea I brewed, I focused my gaze on the kettle on the heating element.

Since I was brewing tea for just two people, I didn’t add much water.

Bubble, bubble

Even considering that, the small heating element heated the water in the kettle to a sufficient temperature for brewing tea in, with some exaggeration, the blink of an eye.

Once the water has boiled, preparations are complete.

I fill the teapot and teacups to about one-third with the boiled water to warm them.

After about a minute, when the teapot is sufficiently warmed, I empty the water from it.

Then I put Darjeeling tea leaves into the bottom of the teapot, using a special spoon to measure out two scoops.

After that, I boil the water in the kettle again until bubbles the size of an Imperial gold coin start to form.

At that point, I boil it for another 1 to 2 minutes.

Then I carefully pour enough of this fully boiled water into the teapot with the tea leaves for two people to drink, and wait for the tea to steep.

The Darjeeling tea leaves I prepared this time are small, which she prefers, so I think waiting about 3 minutes should be enough.

“Is it still far from ready?”

“I’ve poured the water, so it’ll be ready in just a moment.”

“I’ll wait…”

Shizu’s voice, full of anticipation, quietly resonates in my ears.

It was a voice filled with the same excitement as when she was young and greatly enjoyed drinking the tea I brewed.

If she anticipates the tea I brew that much, it’s only natural that I should put my heart into every step of the process to meet such expectations.

As I was determined to serve Shizu the best tea possible, 3 minutes passed.

Now I empty the water I had put in the teacups to warm them.

After stirring the tea in the teapot two or three times with a spoon.

The Darjeeling black tea, infused with warmth and an aroma that will make one forget this cold, is fully steeped.

All that remains is…

[Young one.]

…It seems like Paphnir has been increasing the frequency of speaking to me during important moments lately.

But if I object here, he’ll get upset, right?

So let’s just go along with it appropriately.

‘What is it?’

I responded to Paphnir’s voice calling me while thinking that.

[How is it that even your hobby is the same?]

‘…If you suddenly say my hobby is the same without any context, I can’t tell who you’re referring to… Unless…’

[Yes, your ancestor.]

A rather shocking truth sprang from Paphnir’s mouth.

[She was a woman who, whenever there was a moment of rest, would diligently pack a teapot and teacups from somewhere and serve tea to her companions.]

Occasionally, when I hear Paphnir speak like this.

Due to the immense barrier of a thousand years.

I can hear such unexpected aspects of heroes from that era, which are otherwise only accessible through bards’ epics or worn-out ancient documents.

It’s surprising.

And on the other hand, it makes me newly realize the obvious fact that even such great people.

Were not so different from me, having ordinary aspects.

[That woman said her dream was to go down to a suitable small or medium-sized city and run a tea house once the demon gods were sealed and the world became peaceful.]

Paphnir’s voice, immersed in peculiar reminiscence, continued without pause once he started.

A tea house, huh…

There were no records of my ancestor, Lumen Ranos, running something like a café before ascending after obtaining divinity at the end of the Great Holy War.

Rather, there were plenty of records of her becoming the founder of the greatest family supporting the empire established beyond race and species after the Great Holy War ended.

Far from running a tea house, there were abundant records of her struggling with the heavy responsibilities she had to bear as the head of the family.

Well, our family does have a tradition of paying particular attention to the quality of tea served to guests.

…So that’s how it was connected to this.

After this subjugation festival ends, I need to visit my family home.

I should peruse the ancient documents stored in the house then.

Even as I continued these thoughts, my fingers, slowly but steadily stirring with the spoon, were busy completing the tea in the teapot.

Before long, a refreshing and sweet aroma reminiscent of green grapes brushed against the tip of my nose.

It was a signal that the Darjeeling black tea was ready.

Now I just need to pour it into the teacups, and the tea for Shizu and me will be complete.

I place a strainer on top of the teacup and first pour for Shizu’s cup.

Then I move the strainer in my left hand to my teacup and pour the tea from the teapot in my right hand into it.

The tea in the cups had a color and aroma of quite decent quality, even to me who hadn’t brewed tea in a long time.

[Hmm. The color is similar to the black tea that woman brewed.]

Even from Paphnir, who could confirm visual information but had difficulty checking taste and aroma.

Praise for the tea I brewed came out.

Judging by this, I think I can be confident in this tea as my first creation after a long hiatus.

Now that I’ve filled the teacups, I just need to carry the tray they’re on to the small table in front of the sofa.

“Wow!”

A very joyful voice came from Shizu when she saw me carrying the tray.

Even though it was just the act of drinking a cup of tea.

This sight of her being so happy is the greatest joy for someone serving tea.

As I took one step, the anticipation in Shizu’s blue eyes deepened even more.

And as I took another step, she made a gesture of lightly twirling her tightly clenched fists.

It was a behavior she sometimes exhibited when anticipating something.

It was a lively and cute gesture that didn’t reflect her status as the future head of a prestigious family supporting the Empire.

[Agrinne would be quite shocked if she saw this child. She would be aghast, saying there’s no way a child inheriting my blood would act like this…]

This time, words related to Shizu’s ancestor, not mine, came from Paphnir’s mouth.

There was a bit less fondness than when mentioning my ancestor, Lumen Ranos.

But his voice clearly contained the emotion of longing for an old friend.

[The ones I want to see are all gone. What remains is just a dark-skinned man and someone I’d rather not meet.]

…This dragon. Is he discriminating against his friends right now?

I was about to retort but held back and tried to recall who Paphnir was referring to.

The dark-skinned man must be referring to the head of the Belpheus Institute who stored the sleeping dragon sword.

And the one he’d rather not meet…

[Is a peculiar lady of the same rank as me. I see she’s now active under the name Grace Rabin.]

That’s right. Professor Grace Rabin.

By the way, isn’t she also a dragon?

Judging by how he speaks, his voice is even stiffer than when mentioning my ancestor who once stabbed and killed him.

[She is not of my kind.]

…What?

What is this dragon saying?

Saying they’re not of the same kind when they’re both dragons.

Isn’t this discrimination against his own kind?

[…The central continent was never originally a continent where ‘dragons’ as a species dwelled, so there are still confusing aspects, and you’re exactly like that. Listen carefully. I represent the west, and that woman represents the east of the dragon species…]

‘Ah, we’ve arrived. I need to concentrate, so please don’t talk to me.’

[…]

…As I continued my thoughts while listening to Paphnir’s monologue(?), I finally completed my steps to the table placed in front of the sofa.

“Such a nostalgic aroma… I love it so much.”

A gentle voice that warmed my heart just by hearing it reached me.

As if the outside weather, with pure white snow falling alongside biting cold wind.

Couldn’t penetrate even slightly into this room where Shizu and I were.

Right now, this room is incredibly warm.

#

After arriving at the table like that.

I placed the teacup from the tray in front of Shizu.

Then placed the cup I would drink at my seat.

After putting the tray in the center of the table, I sat down in a position where I could face Shizu.

“It’ll get cold. Drink it quickly.”

I urged her to drink the tea.

Despite her expression showing she was eager to drink the tea right away.

Shizu, who had been gazing at me intently without touching the teacup, immediately upon hearing my words.

“Yes!”

With a bright voice that improved my mood just by hearing it, she picked up the teacup.

“I’ll enjoy it…”

Sip, sip

She drank the tea in small sips with a posture so elegant that just looking at it gave an impression of grace.

I could see the tea passing down her throat as she took a sip.

“…How is it?”

The question asking for her impression naturally came from my lips as the one who brewed the tea.

Upon hearing my words, Shizu lowered the teacup from her lips for a moment.

“…”

Though no words came from her mouth, I could tell at a glance what her impression of the tea was.

It was identical.

The tea I brewed with clumsy skills, imitating what I had seen the servants in my household do.

After drinking it.

Your gentle expression with eyes and corners of the mouth forming soft arcs as you gazed at me intently from childhood.

Is being recreated right here, right now.

Thus, I could add a few more lines to what I would write if I were to record the good things that have happened since my regression.