The Tale of Gerald Vader, the Heretic Knightโs Rampage Through Another World
Once all the lectures for the first day were over, Nora, Twina, and I met up and headed to the cafeteria.
There are several cafeterias on campus, but this time we went to the one near the dorms.
We found a table at the back of the dining hall, then went to the counter to order our food.
I ordered the herb-roasted chicken platter, and Twina ordered the hamburger steak platter, which has recently become her favorite.
And Nora ordered mushroom soup pasta.
โNora, wonโt that be too little for you?โ
โHeheโฆ Unlike you gentlemen, this is just the right amount for a lady.โ
She said that with a smile, but for some reason, I sensed an undeniable pressure in that smile.
This was definitely not the kind of situation where I should say something like, โYou really should eat more.โ
ใโ
โGerald, listen to me~โ
Once everyoneโs food was ready and weโd sat down at the table, Twina brought it up with a weary look on her face.
Lately, the guardian deity of our household seems to have mistaken me for some kind of blue tanuki that grants any wish.
Unfortunately, my pants pockets are empty except for a few lint balls.
I mean, technically, youโre the one whoโs supposed to be the blue tanuki, right?
Anyway, moving on.
โSounds like your first day of classes was rough.โ
I cut into the perfectly roasted chicken thigh with my fork and knife, bringing a piece to my mouth as I encouraged her to continue.
I canโt pull the item she wants out of my pocket, but I can at least listen to her vent.
Twina deftly pushes aside the green beans garnishing her hamburger steak plate as she continues her story.
โIt was really tough. For some reason, human girls swarm around me whenever they spot me. Because of that, I ended up having to run away every time class ended.โ
โAhโฆโ
Seeing Twina, whose eyes seem to have lost their sparkle and whose hair is a mess, I feel a little sympathy for her.
After homeroom, we had our regular classes.
Since some of them were combined with the upperclassmen, I knew full well how hard it was for Twina.
During break time, sheโd get swarmed by girls and jostled around.
Whenever she spotted us, sheโd shake them off and come running to us for help, but it was like that every single time class ended.
To be honest, Twina is popular with the girls.
Sheโs incredibly popular with the girls.
Well, I can understand why.
When sheโs quiet, sheโs the picture of a perfect, flawless beauty.
Silk-like silver hair, cool and refined features, and a slender figure.
Sheโs practically a goddess.
Well, she is the goddess of our household, after allโฆ Regardless of whatโs inside, thereโs no doubt she exudes that god-like aura.
That said, a god is only worth something if sheโs worshipped.
I suppose thereโs nothing to be done about that.
For now, Iโll refrain from pondering whether being cuddled counts as worship.
As an aside, compared to the girls who shower her with relentless cuddles, the boys are somewhat more restrained.
Theyโre probably intimidated by Twinaโs godlike beauty.
โAnyway, if I show any weakness when you or Nora arenโt around, the girls will pounce on me. Iโve got to do something about this.โ
Twinaโs expression was utterly serious.
This time, she pushed aside the glazed carrots on her plate and let out a deep, heavy sigh.
But I couldnโt think of a solution.
โThereโs nothing we can do. Just give up.โ
โUghโฆโ
โExcuse me, Lady Twina, itโs fine to vent, but taking advantage of the chaos to leave your carrots uneaten isnโt very impressive, is it?โ
At that, Nora finally called out Twina for her picky eating habits.
Sheโs surprisingly strict about leaving food on your plate.
The Lebron family owns several farms in their territory, so thatโs probably why.
As a noble, sheโs strict with those who disparage (?) the local produce of her subjects.
โHmphโฆ Noraโs just as strict as ever. Gerald, you hop around like a rabbit, so you must love carrots, right? Iโll give you all of them.โ
But Twina was no slouch either; she spared no effort to avoid eating foods she disliked.
In other words, she used lightning-fast reflexes to dunk a carrot right onto my chicken steak plate.
But Iโm confident in my hand-eye coordination, too.
I blocked her carrot with my forkโclack!!โthen snatched it away and shoved it into Twainaโs mouth with the same fork.
โGulp!โ
โYou left yourself open! Donโt be a picky eater.โ
Hahaha! Youโre a hundred years too early to think you can beat me at forkwork!
Twina, with the carrot shoved into her mouth, rolled her eyes, butโperhaps because she was scared of Noraโs narrowed eyesโshe didnโt dare spit it out.
โUghโฆ itโs sickly sweet and earthyโฆโ
โOh my! This cafeteriaโs glazed carrots are top-notch, you know.โ
โRight! Nora, weโre on the same page.โ
Nora and I nod to each other.
Twina is eating with a face that looks like sheโs about to cry, but the cafeteriaโs glazed carrots really are top-notch.
Of course, thereโs some on my plate too. I absolutely love these.
Carefully trimmed and simmered in butter and sugar, the glazed carrots gleam with a glossy sheen, looking just like orange jewels.
Once you pop one of these into your mouth, the rich aroma of butter and gentle sweetness fill your mouth; with just a light bite, the flesh crumbles away, and the savory flavor of the carrot bursts out from within.
What on earth is there to dislike about this โedible gemโ?
I just donโt get it.
Wellโฆ kids tend to hate carrots, after all.
And Twina hasnโt even been on the surface for five years yet.
In short, sheโs still got a childโs palate.
โWell, once you grow up, youโll understand just how delicious this is.โ
โWhat!? Iโm way older than you!โ
โHmm, compared to the meager fare at the church, the food here is all quite delicious, isnโt it?โ
โItโs not about how long youโve been alive. Itโs about your mental age.โ
โHmm, hmm. Growing children should eat plenty of everything, shouldnโt they?โ
โmy palate is childishโฆ Gerald, who is this child?โ
With that, Twina looked over at my side with a puzzled expression.
Iโd noticed something red flickering at the edge of my vision for a while now.
Before I knew it, a little girl stuffing her face with spaghetti Bolognese had taken up a spot at the corner of the table.
I only know one classmate whoโs a little girl around ten years old with long red hair tied back and a mean look in her eyes.
Which meansโฆ
โUgh, Eliza Lindewโฆ!?โ
โSaying โUghโ to a classmate isnโt exactly a proper greeting, is it?โ
Hearing the cry of my soul escape my lips, Eliza glared at me with a cold stare.
Thatโs right.
The one who, for some reason, had taken over a corner of our table wasโฆ
Eliza Lindewโthe โLittle Girl of the Yearโ Iโd least want to be friends with in this worldโalso known as the โBishop of Slaughterโ herself.