3 bar menu

Volume 3 Chapter 9-3: Reconnaissance

 

---

I had them line up in front of the jugs of maple syrup.

Each jug had 2 Fire Foxes serving and one of them was served by me and Kuu.

「Nenku-san, would you like your bread toasted?」

Kuu asked a homely looking male elf at the front of the line.

Kuu had taken the time to talk to man elves and made herself better known. Plus, once she talked to them, she never forgot a name. That’s why she was able to so easily call them out when she saw them here. It was something small, but left an impression.

Kuu clearly understood that as the Fire Fox representative, her appearance would affect how the Elves perceived her people.

「Ah, well, please if you could.」
「Then please hand it to me.」

Kuu said patiently as she took the bread from his hand with a smile.

Kuu’s smile and the slight touch of her hand caused this simple Elf to blush a deep red. Ah…he already fell for her.

…..first was Roleau, now it’s this guy…Kuu might be a devilish woman. I’d heard that Kuu was fairly well liked amongst the elves.

「Okay, please pour it Cyril-kun.」
「Yeah, leave it to me.」

I took the savory baked bread from Kuu and poured plenty of maple syrup on it. Eating this with their hands was sure to make them sticky, but no one in Erucy was they type to care about that.

「Okay, here you go.」
「…..thank you.」

As I handed over the syrup covered bread I could read the disappointment in the man’s eyes. I was sure he wanted to touch Kuu’s hand again. Taking the sticky syrup from Kuu’s hand and licking it, thinking it was the sweet taste of Kuu-chan he would definitely do that……unforgivable.

As I was brooding the next one came up.

For some reason the line in front of my jug was abnormally long compared to the others.

There were guests who aimed to meet with Kuu and guests who aimed to meet with me. It was the case with these three kids…

「Cyril-niisama! Please give me some sweet syrup to Kuro! Put lots on!」

Kurone said with an innocent smile as she shouted out her desires.

「Kurone, don’t be so shameless…but…could you please…put some more on mine too.」

Kemin said while standing on her tiptoes and pretending to be adult-like.

「Cyril-niisama!」

Yukino didn’t say much, but her sparkling eyes and how she glanced at the syrup conveyed her meaning. ‘Give me lots of syrup!’

The three of them had all prepared two pieces of bread. One of them was from their breakfast this morning, and the other was from the meal they had skipped yesterday, or so Kuu had told me.

One of them they had baked, and one of them they had left cool. They intended to try it two different ways.

「Okay, then give me your bread.」

They stared at my hand as I scooped out the syrup with absolute concentration.

I wanted to grant their wishes, but no matter how cute they were I couldn’t show such special treatment in front of everyone else.

I simply gave them an amount that could be called ‘plenty’ and handed the bread back.

「Uwaa, so much syrup. Mmm, so delicious. Kuro loves Cyril-niisama!」
PICTURE
「Wow so much!! Thank you Cyril-niisama!」
「Cyril-niisama, Yukino will follow you forever.」

The three of them had their hands and faces covered in maple syrup as their tails wagged so hard I wondered if they’d fly off. They were so happy that they seemed to want a big hug. Really how adorable. They were so sweet that I suspected they would be sweeter than the maple syrup.

The three of them happily stuffed their cheeks with bread as they ran off.
PICTURE

At this moment I wanted to just give them the entire jug, but there will still people waiting for me to pour syrup on their bread.

「Umm…Cyril-kun」
「I know. Even you want to treat them gently right? We need to neatly make a distinction between private and public.」
「…..So even Cyril-kun has this kind of personality. Actually it’s quite relieving.」
「Hm? I don’t get it, but we still have people here. Let’s leave aside chatter for later.」
「That’s true. Ah, Hameru-san. It’s been a while. Would you like to bake your bread?」

And so the line shortened.

---

「Cyril this is really yummy.」
「I’m glad you like it Lucy.」

Finally we finished providing everyone with their maple syrup and I took Lucy with me on a short walk away from everyone to enjoy our own bread.

「The Elf village really changed when it became Erucy. Normally around this time we’d be at home trying to stay still so we wouldn’t feel hungrier since we ran out of food.」

Usually we would not have produced enough food and then the Empire would tax us, causing us to be worried if we could even survive til the first harvest.

「Yeah. Last year I was cuddled with Lucy watching the sun rise while we were hungry. How nostalgic.」
「But this year we ended up with plenty to eat and plenty of new delicious things to eat. Able to have luxurious foods and great things. Sometimes I think…I’m too happy and this is all a dream.」

Lucy said wistfully as she stuffed her cheeks with sweet bread.

「It’s not a dream, we all worked together so hard and finally reached this point. I won’t let you turn the fruit of our efforts into a dream.」
「Cyril…I…being here with you…I’m glad I fell in love with you.」
「Why are you saying this so suddenly?」

When I asked that she looked a little sad for a moment.

「Well…recently…I sometimes feel like you’re not my Cyril, and you’ve become everyone’s Cyril instead and I feel a little lonely. I used to be the only one who knew your good points…but now everyone days. I used to think that was great, but from now on more and more people will learn how good you are…and maybe one of them will steal you away. Sometimes I worry…」

The only one who continued to believe in me even while I rotted away in despair after witnessing my father’s loss was Lucy. It was this Lucy that I adored.

「No matter what girl appears, my number one is Lucy. Well also when you say that I noticed that there are plenty of pests….Ehem, I mean guys who like Lucy too.」
「Un…there are. But you’re much cooler than them so don’t worry.」
「Well, then you should know that I’m the same. There will never be a cuter or stronger girl than Lucy in my heart so there’s no need to worry.」

I confessed and Lucy smiled. Her smile was so beautiful that my heart squeezed and beat rapidly.

「Un, as I thought this is a dream. There’s no way such a wonderful day could exist.」

Lucy murmured dreamily as she pinched her cheek.

It was so silly that I couldn’t help but snicker.

「If you say that then I’ll be troubled. I’m looking to make Erucy even better in the future. I want to make you love me even more, and come to love you even more as we go on. We’ll talk to more people, make alcohol and party. We’ll win against the empire, sell our maple syrup and make money. We’ll hold a grand marriage ceremony and celebrate with everyone. We’ll make new products and raise animals to make even more delicious foods. Erucy will get bigger. Then we will live happily until we die together of old age in the end.」

That was my dream, the dream I wanted to see through with Lucy.

「Ahaha, that’s wonderful. Just thinking about it is enjoyable…un, the best kind of life.」
「You don’t believe me?」

As I was about to speak further Lucy put her finger to my lips.

「You wouldn’t say it if you couldn’t do it, right? I’ve heard those words from you so many times.」
「That’s completely right. So believe in me.」
「Un…I will. I love you after all, and I want that dream to come true from the bottom of my heart.」

The two of us finished eating our bread before returning to the group and had the group carry the maple syrup jars back down the mountain.

I had expectations for the next batch so I decided to divide up this portion into those for the citizens and that which I would use to make alcohol.

---