Chapter 331
Chapter 331: Resurrection
Chapter 331
The Cherry Blossom Party — Part 1
Editor(s): Speedphoenix
It was a boring afternoon . I was sitting on the throne, doing literally nothing . The other residents weren’t all that better off either . They were more or less idling about in the throne room and passing the time in their own various ways .
After some consideration, I eventually arrived at an idea that would help brighten up our days .
“Screw it . We’re throwing a cherry blossom party . ”
Though I had stood up abruptly and I raised my voice, the announcement’s response was underwhelming .
“It appears that our husband has once again begun speaking nonsense,” said Lefi, to the wolf girl beside her .
“Is somethin’ botherin’ you, Master? We can talk ‘bout it,” said Lyuu .
“Can we not treat me like I belong in an asylum or something? Thanks,” I grumbled . “Anyway, so as I was saying, the cherry trees I planted near the inn are in full bloom right now, so it’s basically the perfect time to throw a cherry blossom party . ”
“I know not the specifics of a ‘cherry blossom party’ to begin with,” said Lefi .
Oh right, they’re not Japanese . No wonder the reaction was so lukewarm .
“A cherry blossom party is more or less a kinda picnic . You sit under a tree that has really pretty pink flowers, and eat and drink ‘till you drop . ”
“I fail to see the reason for which you have refrained from referring to it as a picnic if that is what it is . What is the purpose in differentiating it?”
“You see, picnics are things you can have basically whenever . Cherry blossom parties are seasonal . They can only happen during the week or so that the cherry trees stay in bloom,” I explained . “Having the lovely pink petals flutter by while you’re chilling out with a cup of sake makes for one hell of a special mood . Though… I guess it’s a lot less seasonal as far as we’re concerned, seeing as how the dungeon doesn’t actually have seasons to begin with . ”
I could very well use the dungeon’s magic in order to force the cherry trees to bloom all year round . Wait… if it isn’t spring, then why are the trees next to the inn flowering right now anyway? Pretty sure that’s not how that’s supposed to work . Weird .
“We’re having a picnic!? I can’t wait!” cheered Illuna . “I’ll be in charge of making all the rice balls!”
“I’ll cut the let-tuce!” said Shii .
“Mnnn…” Enne tilted her head . “What do I do?”
The kids started getting excited the moment they heard the word picnic . All three were raring to go .
“If you’re not sure, then you can be in charge of chopping up the broccoli,” I said . “But make sure you don’t slice up the cutting board while you’re at it, ‘kay?”
As a sword herself, Enne was an expert at drawing out a weapon’s potential, which unfortunately meant it was easy for her to dissect the cutting board . Leila had done the same in the past, but only when equipped with one of the crazy sharp adamantite knives I’d made in my spare time . Enne could very easily do the same with your average, run of the mill, dollar store fruit knife .
Fortunately, we didn’t have many cutting board-related incidents . We’d shelved the adamantite kitchen knife in favour of something I happened to get from a random demon that passed through the dungeon . It was really nicely decorated, especially for a kitchen knife, and just sharp enough to get the job done without having to worry about accidentally destroying things . Hmmm… Enne’s passive boost or whatever it is will probably make that knife a bit too sharp for the kitchen… I better swap it out for something duller before she gets started .
“If you are all excited, then I see no reason to refuse and sour your moods . I have nothing against such an event, but I find it a shame that Nell will miss the opportunity to participate,” said Lefi . “Though it cannot be helped, I find myself feeling guilty that we will be holding such an event without her . ”
“It certainly is a shame she’s gotta miss it, ain’t it Master?” said Lyuu . “Can we try doin’ it a second time when she’s got a few days off?”
“I’m one step ahead of you there,” I flashed a toothy grin . “You see, I actually asked her about it, and she said that she’s totally down to drop by when it happens . ”
“But is she not too busy? Was that not why she returned with such haste?”
“Yeah, she is, which is why we’re going to be picking a day that lines up with her schedule . ”
She was incredibly interested, so we had e up with a plan to resolve any potential issues with her participation . The biggest concern was travel time . Fortunately, we had the Fluffrir Express . Our first class service wolf was several times faster than a horse-drawn carriage . bining his speed with the secret shortcut provided by the Alfyro-Wicked Forest teleporter allowed her to shrink the mute down to something that would take no more than half a day . You know, Nell’s actually started getting better at being assertive and stating her opinion when she wants something . Definitely a good thing .
“Nell’s working really hard, so I want her to have lots of tasty things to eat!”
“Well said, Private Illuna . That’s why we’re going to get the mission underway ASAP . I’m going to get some meat simmering in the slow cooker right away to make sure it ends up as soft, tender, and delicious as it possibly can be . ”
“Will we be making beef stew, My Lord?”
“You got it . ”
“I can hardly wait to get started,” she said with a smile . “I’ve been meaning to put some of my stewing skills to good use . ”
“If Leila’s passions have been ignited, then I have no doubt the result will be delectable . ”
“But Master, we’re havin’ a picnic, ain’t we? Luggin’ a whole pot o’ beef stew ‘round sounds real impractical for somethin’ like that . ”
“Heh . You’re only saying that ‘cause you don’t know jack . You see, Lyuu, as a demon lord, I’ve got more than my fair share of tri—”
“My Lord has recently procured a set of metal, tube-like containers capable of storing liquids and maintaining their temperatures . They’re really quite handy . ”
“Uhm… Leila? I was kinda in the middle of saying something . You didn’t have to cut me off, did you…?”
“Oh my, excuse me . I didn’t mean to,” she smiled impishly, as if to say that she wasn’t sorry at all . And that it’d been fully intentional .
Is it just me, or has she been a lot less reserved lately? It kinda seems like she’s been trolling me a lot . Sometimes, she just straight out throws my opinion out the window . I mean, it’s not a bad thing, I’m happy she’s letting her personality e out, but at the same time, I’m not really sure how to feel about having to play the part of the victim…
“It has been some time since I have hunted a monster from the forest’s depths . I shall do just that for this occasion . ”
“Thanks Lefi . Just make sure that whatever you end up dragging home is actually edible this time, alright?”
“T-that is not a mistake I will be making again . ”
Alright, so FYI, the story here is that, last time she tried this, she done goofed . The silly lizard grabbed something too poisonous to eat . I smiled as I recalled the memory . One could certainly argue that its meat was chock full of delicious magical energy, given that it was a monster that not even two of me could’ve taken down . But it wasn’t edible, nor even something that could’ve been remotely classified as an ingredient .
“I’ll be makin’ some tamagoyaki,” said Lyuu . “I’ve been gettin’ real good at makin’ them lately! And I might even try somethin’ else too, since I’m feelin’ so confident . ”
“You have? I can’t wait to try it then,” I said .
It wasn’t a lie . I really was excited to try her version of the dish . I knew that she was trying her best to learn the culinary arts from Leila .
“Just you wait, Master! I’ve been putin’ in plenty o’ work everyday to make sure I end up bein’ the kinda wife worthy of a demon lord . ”
She took a flashy, idol-like pose with one hand on her hips, and the other in front . The index and middle fingers on the raised hand were propped up to form a V for victory . How adorable .
And so, with our roles decided, we began getting ready for the party to e .