LIGHTNOVELONLINE 046 – She, Who Followed and Trusted
"To make pizza, you need dough, toppings, and cheese.
It's just like how a girl is made up of sugar, different spices, and everything nice. No, wait, that's not quite right. Well, it's completely different, to be precise hehe~.
Jokes aside, the flour is made by the orcs, and the cheese is processed from the milk of the cows raised by the Torus tribe.
As for the toppings, it's simply tomato sauce and basil produced in Sutin.
Of course, there are no tomatoes or basil totally similar those on Earth... or maybe there are variations, who knows? If there are cows, there might be tomatoes if you look for them. But even without searching for tomatoes, there were vegetables similar to tomatoes being cultivated.
These plants don't just grow in the territories of the beastfolk; they were commonly eaten even before I got roasted—well, let's not dwell on that. Basil is just a herb after all, there are bound to be similar plants.
The main points are twofold:
Pizza is delicious. Hardly anyone has ever eaten pizza.
"This is...!"
Reacting as if she had just realized a serious issue, Lex Asuka stared intently at the pizza she had taken a bite of for just two seconds, then quickly devoured a whole slice.
"Hot, it's hot. This is hot."
It probably really was hot, but Lex's expression remained largely unchanged as she murmured while blowing on it. Does cats eats spicy foods, right?
"That's what I've been saying! Pizza is delicious!"
For some reason, Leaf Liza proudly asserted, but Lex seemed engrossed in eating pizza and didn't seem to hear.
Beside her, Nova, the attendant mountain cat beastfolk, was also silently stuffing her face with pizza. It's certainly delicious food, but when it's so surprising, there must be some sort of cultural gap.
After all, I don't know about the average diet of beastfolk.
"This is amazing, indeed. I knew about the method of grinding wheat into flour, adding milk or water from cows or goats, and kneading it to make dough, but to see it become like this... Do humans regularly consume such things?"
After finishing chewing on a slice of pizza, Lex, though her expression didn't change much, approached me with considerable curiosity.
"Well, I wonder. It's not like humans only eat pizza."
I wouldn't want that kind of life. Or rather, even when I was acting as a noblewoman in the Louisse Kingdom, I don't recall ever eating anything resembling pizza. I've seen tomato sauce, cheese, and bread, though.
"Our dietary habits are quite rough, so this is quite shocking."
Yeah, yeah, nodding to herself, Lex exchanged a glance with Nova. Nova, who seemed to have just finished her second slice, nodded back and requested another pizza from Katarina.
I forgot to mention, but we're at the site of the assembly hall.
In other words, we've set up a makeshift stone oven in a place where it's possible to hurl stones with a catapult and are holding a pizza party.
Well, I don't intend to hurl stones for now.
By the way, the method for making a "DIY stone oven" is simple. We got the large rocks cut by the demon race from the rocky mountains where the dwarves live. It's a very effective use of the guys who can cut rocks with swords and spears.
Assembling the cut rocks is done by orcs with an average height of about three meters. Lighting the fire in the stone oven is done by the demon race using magic. Simply put, they cast fire magic into the oven. Adjusting the output was quite difficult, but everyone desires delicious food.
Effort is made for what one desires.
That's how it is.
"By the way, Lex Asuka, there are a few things I want to ask."
Speaking to the busty lioness(?) woman as she chews on her second slice of pizza. She seems focused on the pizza, but I noticed her feline ears twitch.
Anyway, earlier she told us she was a forgotten daughter of Randall so it was quite shocking, I thought she was different.
Feels like I got hit by another car driven by a drunkard or something ridiculous.
"You mentioned wanting to kill the Lion King. Let's say you were able to get our cooperation. And let's say, hypothetically, you managed to kill King Randall. What do you plan to do afterward? Do you intend to become the queen?"
"No. Absolutely not. Even with my royal blood, I am not fit to be a queen."
Licking the tomato sauce off her fingers, Lex shrugged.
"Then what do you intend to do?"
"Randall has many children. Incompetent ones, profligate ones, diligent ones, talented ones... and those who may be fit to be king."
"So you plan to sit quietly in the successor's seat after killing your father?"
"I'm already on this side."
The lioness said it like it was nothing. Then, she glanced at the stone oven from time to time and started rubbing her stomach with her hand.
"Are you full?"
"I think this might be the first time I've felt envious of someone for being a light eater. Pizza... I see."
It seems like she might want to try making it herself when she gets back. But the more significant issue than Lex's pizza plans is still looming.
"Who is that person?"
"The 'heir to the throne,' you mean. Well... he's struggling to be righteous. Unlike Randall, he's far from being free-spirited. But I feel like he has the strongest blood of Randall."
"What's his name?"
"Brandon. The son of the Lion King Randall, Brandon Kruger."
"I see. I'll remember that."
Working with the king's son and illegitimate daughter to plot regicide—a truly villainous scheme, yet neither Lex nor Leaf Liza nor Nova seemed to feel any sense of guilt. Nor did they seem to fervently believe in their righteousness.
It's just natural.
They think it's the right thing to do, so they're doing it.
Yeah, and I think to myself... what a wonderful world~
"Lady Euphemia."
And, somebody disturbs me, Jainos was standing next to me with our share of pizza. I accepted it gratefully and put a slightly cooled-down piece into my mouth. This guy sure knows the essence of bad timing eh?
Come to think of it, our own issues were also put on hold. The "Labyrinth" or "Dungeon" as some called it, that appeared in the rocky mountain area... that seems interesting in its own right.
Now then—what to do.
On our end, I told Lex Asuka that I wanted to discuss something, and along with Junos and Montego, we gathered at Montego's house for the time being.
Lex and the others were told to continue the pizza party and were instructed to use my house if they got sleepy. It's unnecessarily spacious, so accommodating the guards—apparently Nova's subordinates—should be fine.
Junos, Montego, Serena, Jainos, along with Maya, Katarina, and Kirina, and for some reason, new representatives from the kobold and the Torus tribe, Pookie and Sparky.
Pookie recently joined our group as a kobold, and Sparky is, well, that guy from the bull tribe who calls Junos his teacher.
"So, what about the 'Labyrinth'?"
Maya took the lead. She's a female demon with a spear. She's said to be Junos's childhood friend. It sounds lovely, and I envy it a lot. Childhood friends. It's something I've never had. Not even in my previous life.
What the heck are you talkin' about dude?
Well, even if I did, considering the current situation, my life would be a sad story if I thought more about it.
"I'm planning to leave that to Jainos," I said.
As expected, there were no surprised faces in response. Montego seemed a little uneasy, but that was it.
"But... even if you leave it to him, do you have a specific plan? If you have any intentions, Lady Euphemia, I'd like to hear them."
"Be careful. Do as you like. But don't get carried away. If someone gets hurt because you got carried away, I'll be very angry."
To my somewhat self-deprecating statement, Jainos nodded in satisfaction, as if he had been waiting for those words.
"Understood. I'll keep Lady Euphemia's intentions in mind."
"And what about you?"
Maya continued the conversation. She doesn't hesitate to humble herself or hold back, and I find her attitude rather pleasant and... stimulating.
Because everyone calls me 'Lady Euphemia', 'Miss Euphemia or in extreme cases, 'Euphemia The Great,' there's a bit of distance. Well, I understand why I'm treated that way, considering what I've done, but still.
This gal sure knows how to cook.
"Who are you planning to take with you?"
Before I could respond, Junos spoke up. I involuntarily raised an eyebrow, but perhaps Junos found it amusing because he smirked and continued.
"I overheard the conversation. You're interested in the Lion King's son, right? And while you're at it, you want to see the Lion King too. You want to know why Lex Asuka turned her back on the Lion King Randall, and what kind of person his son, who's trying to shoulder that burden, is. 'I want to see with my own eyes'... am I wrong?"
He's not wrong. But I was surprised that I had been completely figured out.
"...Honestly, it's amazing. That you can track the cutest Euphemia Grimwood's thoughts to that extent, Junos. Are you perhaps one of my devotees?"
"Hmph. I have no intention of blindly worshipping, but I do observe you closely. I may not worship, but I do believe."
"..."
"Don't forget. We are 'Grimoire.' We are the tribe you changed, the tribe you were changed by. We are with you, Lady Euphemia."
"..."
He said it with a serious expression, without embarrassment. Unable to say anything for a while, a chuckle escaped. Not mine. It was from the fox spirit, Serena.
"Kukuku... haha, ufufu... Is it so surprising that someone like Euphemia Grimwood has the trust of her comrades?"
"...It's not really that surprising."
"If it's about changing or being changed, then count me in too. And Kirina as well. So if you're going, we're going with you. We'll protect you as much as we can. And if we're going to kill the Lion King, there are things I want to ask him before he dies."
"Then Serena, you, and Pookie will go. Guarding and taking care of my needs. Understand? I can't do much."
Junos took charge without permission. So, somehow, I found myself looking at Montego. The three-meter-tall orc beastman nodded with a small smile.
"You should do as you wish, Lady Euphemia."
It was like telling the answer to a simple addition problem. Maybe it's a simple multiplication.
Either way, it's fine.
