𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟕𝟕: 𝐏𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐝
I pass through the library door and search for Orphemia-san. Then, a lovely voice comes from ahead.
“It’s Dairy-chan!”
It’s not Orphemia-san whom I was looking for, but Meti-chan. She waves her hands excitedly. Although we sometimes meet outside the backyard, it’s the first time we meet in the library. I wave back and walk towards her.
“It’s rare to meet in the library.”
“I came to borrow books with Ojii-chan. While Ojii-chan is on the upper floor, Meti chooses the next book to read.”
“What kind of book are you reading?”
“Lately, I’ve been reading picture books from the human realm. Orphemia-san bought them for me! This is today’s book.”
I recognize the picture book that Meti-chan extends towards me.
When I was in the village, there were storytelling sessions for children a few times a year, and this was one of the stories I heard back then.
Nostalgic, I softly overflow with emotions, and Meti-chan’s eyes sparkle.
“Do you know this, Dairy-chan?!”
“Yes, I’ve read it when I was a child.”
“Read it to Meti too!”
“Sure. Oh, but is it okay if we do it tomorrow? I have something I want to prepare.”
Just reading it is enjoyable, but there’s something I want to try.
I alone can’t execute it, but I wonder if Tyran-san will cooperate with me.
And since the book is about snacks, Demon King-sama is likely to be interested. I want to invite him as well.
“Also, I want to invite Demon King-sama. Is that okay?”
“Yes, that’s fine.”
“Then, I’ll come to get you tomorrow.”
“I’ll be waiting!”
I take Meti-chan’s book and she goes to search for other books. She will probably have Gweil-san read them.
“Oh, Snack-saintsan.”
Just after parting with Meti-chan, Orphemia-san comes down to me. I ask her to find the book I originally intended to get, and I leave the library.
I head straight to Tyran-san’s room.
When I brought a picture book and explained the situation, he nodded readily. It seems he had also read that picture book before. After making a promise for tomorrow, I head towards the kitchen this time.
“Weren’t you going to the library?”
“Did you forget something?”
Migi-san and Hidari-san tilt their heads as I return to the kitchen.
It’s natural for them to be surprised since I just finished making snacks and went to the library.
I tell them about meeting Meti-chan at the library and what I want to do next.
“So, there are books like this in the human realm.”
“Besides recipe books, there are books written about cooking…”
“That’s why I want to recreate this scene here.”
I point to a certain snack that appears towards the end of the story.
“This is…”
“I see, it sounds interesting.”
With a small smile, they cooperate with me to make three different flavors.
Although I say three flavors, we only use the same pot until halfway and then divide the seasoning. Since it needs time to set, we decided to do the storytelling not today but tomorrow.
“I hope they will be pleased.”
“They will be pleased.”
“Because this is…”
・・・
『”ᴀᴡᴇʙsᴛᴏʀɪᴇs.ᴄᴏᴍ” – ᴅɪsᴄᴏᴠᴇʀ ᴀ ᴄᴀᴘᴛɪᴠᴀᴛɪɴɢ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅ ᴏғ ʟᴏᴠᴇ, ᴘᴀssɪᴏɴ ᴀɴᴅ ᴀᴅᴠᴇɴᴛᴜʀᴇ, ᴡʜeʀᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴄᴀɴ ɪɴᴅᴜʟɢᴇ ɪɴ ᴀ ᴄᴏʟʟᴇᴄᴛɪᴏɴ ᴏғ ᴛʀᴀɴsʟᴀᴛᴇᴅ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟs ᴡɪᴛʜ “ᴅᴀɪʟʏ ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇs” ᴀɴᴅ ᴇxᴄʟᴜsɪᴠᴇ ᴀᴄᴄᴇss ᴛᴏ “ᴀᴅᴠᴀɴᴄᴇᴅ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs”.』
・・・
The next morning, the three of us taste the snacks and then transfer them into bags.
These are the gifts for Demon King-sama and Meti-chan. But we won’t give them directly. We entrust them to Tyran-san before going to call Demon King-sama and Meti-chan. He hides them in his pocket.
“Well, let’s go and call them.”
“Yes!”
I have already informed Demon King-sama through the communication device about the storytelling.
It seems he has prepared chairs and a table in the king’s chamber. So, we go to call Meti-chan. When we arrive at the backyard, Meti-chan is waiting near the entrance.
“Meti-chan, I’ve come to invite you.”
“Yay! Ojii-chan, I’ll be back soon.”
“Ah, enjoy yourself.”
“Yes!”
Holding hands with Meti-chan, we head towards the king’s chamber.
Demon King-sama is already seated in a chair, eagerly waiting. Meti-chan and Tyran-san also take their seats, and I sit in a chair facing them. I hold the book next to my shoulder and read the title aloud.
“[The Wizard and the Sweet Shop].”
It’s a story about an elderly couple who run a sweet shop and a wizard.
The only sweet shop in town is always full of customers. Both adults and children love the sweets made by the elderly couple. But what everyone loves is not just the sweets, but also the elderly couple themselves.
They were very kind and would make sweets for the children who couldn’t come to the candy shop at the end of the month. In the past, they used to distribute them, but since they became elderly and had difficulty walking, the wizard would use magic to deliver snacks to the children instead of the elderly couple.
One particular end of the month…
The elderly couple both caught a cold.
They tried to prepare sweets for the children, but the wizard insisted that they shouldn’t push themselves and pushed them back into bed.
And then, the wizard declared,
[This month, I will make the sweets. I have been watching the old couple make sweets all this time, so I can do it too.]
However, although the wizard could use magic, he had only made sweets once before.
Those sweets were the ones the wizard, who used to be a child, received from the old couple. Even though it was only once, he remembered the recipe well. He couldn’t forget the taste and warmth he felt at that time. He, too, was a child who couldn’t come to the shop when he was young.
So, after growing up and being able to use magic, he helped with the delivery as a way of repaying the favor.
The reward he received every month was caramel.
It was the wizard’s favorite sweet, and it was also the sweet he was about to make. He wanted to deliver what he loved to the children.
He borrowed the apron next to the kitchen and immediately started making caramel.
In addition to the basic caramel, the wizard made salted caramel and tea-flavored caramel—these three were the wizard’s favorites. He wanted to deliver what he loved to the children.
He packed the finished caramels into bags for each person.
Then, he held the basket containing them and flew high into the sky.
[Deliver them to the children.]
As I read that scene aloud, Tyran-san nodded his head.
Then, the same bags as the ones depicted in the picture book fell onto the laps of Demon King-sama and Meti-chan, who were looking straight at the picture book.
“It’s just like the book!”
“Snacks have arrived for Meti too!”
It was Tyran-san’s teleportation magic.
Comparing the illustration of the snacks delivered to the children with the bag that fell into their laps, both of them were overjoyed.
[The wizard who delivered snacks to the children returned to the house where the elderly couple were waiting. The children who received the snacks and the elderly couple all enjoyed the caramel that the wizard worked hard to make. They all welcomed tomorrow, enveloped in a happiness that warmed their hearts.]
The story ends here.
Demon King-sama and Meti-chan clapped their small hands desperately, sending a big round of applause.
“That was a good story.”
“Yeah! Wizard-san was kind enough to give it to Meti and us!”
“But Tyran doesn’t have any… Maybe the wizard forgot to prepare Tyran’s portion because he’s not a child.”
Demon King-sama looked at the bag in his hand and drooped his shoulders sadly.
Meti-chan spread open the bag and took out a caramel, saying, “I’ll share mine with Tyran!” But it was within expectations that the kind-hearted two would worry about Tyran-san. I had prepared it properly. I took out the caramel bag that I had prepared.
“It’s alright. I have prepared Tyran-san’s portion, so here you go.”
“I’m sorry.”
“No, no. It’s because everyone can feel happy. Meti-chan, please give this to Gweil-san too.”
“Wow, thank you!”
By the way, I also made caramel bags for Ciel-san and Orphemia-san.
Of course, I plan to distribute the other two’s portions myself.
“Hey, Dairy-chan, let’s read another book.”
“Yeah, that’s fine.”
“That’s not fair, Metitour! I want you to read to me too!”
“Shall we go choose a book later?”
“Yes!”
And so, the first storytelling session ended with great success.
