“Are we putting pineapple… on it? I heard you correctly, right, Lord?”

“That’s right. Why are you so doubtful?”

“Yes, understood. After baking the pizza, I’ll put the pineapple on top as a topping…”

“No, it should be put on and baked together. Make sure to control the temperature so it doesn’t burn.”

“…?”

The chef looked at me as if to ask what kind of nonsense I was spouting. This guy? When I frowned slightly, his expression suddenly softened, and he turned away.

“I-I’ll try making it!”

With sweet sauce, cheese, bacon, and finally, grilled pineapple on top. It’s a catastrophic combination that would make anyone feel nauseous just imagining it.

But I’m not making this because I want to.

[Wow! The smell is so sweet and sour! I can’t wait!]

“…”

I’m only making it because Earth-Earthy insisted so much. I merely mentioned in passing that this kind of pizza exists. Earth-Earthy begged me that if I made a Hawaiian pizza, he would help with making wyvern traps, so I reluctantly agreed to the deal.

I have no responsibility for the menu selection.

'This is the Hawaiian pizza you wanted.'

As the chef tilted his head repeatedly while baking the pizza, soon a decent-smelling, freshly baked pizza emerged from the oven. It looked perfectly fine, except for the hideous pieces of pineapple on top.

[Wow! This is the ultimate pizza that humans have baked for me! Should I give it a try?]

With sparkling eyes, Earth-Earthy was glued to the pizza.

“Did you bake the pizza? What kind of pizza… ugh?!”

“What is that? Why are there fruits on the pizza…?”

“What sin has Earth-Earthy committed to eat that?!”

Charlotte and Yulia rushed over, unable to contain their curiosity at the smell, and their expressions turned to shock. If Earth-Earthy has committed any sin, it would be that his curiosity is too strong.

Earth-Earthy picked up a slice of pizza, the cheese stretching, and with his mouth wide open, he stuffed it in.

[Wow! This taste is…!?]

“Earth-Earthy… you don’t have to force yourself to eat that…”

“Don’t spit it out just because of that!”

[No way! With all sorts of flowery language, I could sing its praises! This tastes like heaven! Wow!]

“...?”

In a frenzy, Earth-Earthy started inhaling the entire pizza. Is it… really that delicious? In a moment of shock and horror, my thoughts froze as the second pizza came out of the oven.

“It looks a bit weird, but it seems tasty!”

“I’ll just have one bite…”

Eventually unable to hold back, Charlotte and Yulia reached for the pizza. I almost thought it might actually be delicious and was about to grab a slice myself.

“Ugh! The mushy pineapple! The texture is too….”

“A-Aslan… I feel so nauseous…”

“...”

[The evil god, ‘Kali,’ scolds you for what you’ve fed our necromancer and dark knight!]

Seeing Charlotte and Yulia’s reactions, I pulled my hand back. This was the normal response.

In the meantime, Earth-Earthy polished off one pizza completely and even devoured the second one.

It seemed that this strange dish suited the tastes of the spirit. If he can eat that well, maybe Earth-Earthy is just someone who can eat anything?

What if I made Earth-Earthy grow larger and use him as a trash disposal? Then I wouldn’t have to worry about food waste, which would be nice.

I even found myself seriously contemplating that.

“Sylvia, speaking of which, what’s going on with the Vermont Security? I heard you’ve made significant changes to the training program.”

“I haven’t been in the know lately since I’ve only been by your side, my lord... Would you like to go observe it?”

“Sure. Let’s go check it out.”

After all, Sylvia has been handling the management on her own now. She’s completely stepped away from being an instructor. Since she completely changed the training program, it’s time to check if things are running smoothly by leaving it to the veterans.

Having quickly finished preparing to go out, I was in a carriage heading toward the Arient territory when I noticed a large crowd gathering in the downtown area, so I stopped the carriage.

“Wait a moment. What’s going on over there? Today isn’t a market day, so why are there so many people?”

“I’ll go check it out.”

“Okay. Be careful.”

“...”

“...”

As Sylvia said she would go, she just sat there, staring at me silently. What’s gotten into her?

After being incredulous, I stayed silent, and Sylvia, like a puppy, began tugging at my sleeve.

“Why are you making sounds like a desperate puppy?”

“Um… if you don’t follow me, I can’t go… It’s definitely not because I’m afraid to go out without my sword; it’s because if anything happens to you, I don’t want to be late getting to you…”

“...”

Knowing she was spouting nonsense, Sylvia avoided my gaze, mumbling in a tiny voice. It was possible to keep her separate from the mansion, but it seems she has difficulty calming her anxiety outside.

I wanted to be strict with her, but seeing the trembling in her eyes made it hard to do so. Perhaps it was the lingering guilt from the brand left on Sylvia’s neck.

“Sylvia.”

“Yes, my lord.”

“Your fear of going without your sword... does it have anything to do with the professors at the Imperial Magic Academy?”

“...!”

Sylvia trembled in shock, as if I had figured it out. She probably hasn’t even mentioned it to Aslan before he was reincarnated. In truth, she would have told no one and wouldn’t have planned to do so.

Sylvia is much more accustomed to hiding her painful memories without revealing them.

Having played through Chapter 1, I understood. From Yuri’s perspective, Sylvia is a strong, flawless mentor guiding children down the right path. All of Sylvia’s weaknesses were things I only learned after coming here.

'I think I roughly understand the situation.'

Sylvia’s time as a candidate for the hero was roughly ten years ago. From the moment she was selected as a hero candidate, she lived on the battlefield until she was injured by Vermont and forced to retire.

This means that Sylvia had to engage in life-or-death battles from a young age.

It wouldn’t be normal for a young girl to be thrown onto the battlefield, especially not during a time when the Empire faced the threat of destruction in a great war.

The “unit” Sylvia was part of was a group that was beyond the bounds of normalcy and had succumbed to madness.

I wondered if she came out of that ordeal unscathed. Could she have completed her service without any injuries?

At least, regarding physical wounds, perhaps she could have. But if we include mental wounds as well, it’s certain that Sylvia has sustained grievous injuries that aren’t easily healed.

'Sylvia never talks about that time. Just recalling those memories must be painful for her...'

It was a simple deduction. Sylvia’s anxiety and dependence on her sword stemmed not from Vermont, who shattered her heart, but from the individuals who destroyed her spirit.

“Some of the people who trained me are said to be at the Imperial Magic Academy…”

Although contextually, Sylvia was definitely referring to her sworn enemies, her pupils were trembling, and her voice was shaky while she used honorifics. It seems she hasn’t escaped her fear even after all this time.

They’re detestable people.

I want to spend time alone with Charlotte and Yulia, away from Sylvia. But thinking about those who caused this annoyance, anger boiled up inside me.

“Who are they? Name them, Sylvia.”

“Th-that’s…”

“Don’t worry. There will be no backlash for you, so relax and tell me. I need to know.”

“Um… actually, I don’t know their names… I only heard rumors that they were appointed as professors at the Imperial Magic Academy when the unit was disbanded…”

“Would you recognize them if you saw their faces?”

“Yes, I think so. But….”

“You don’t want to run into them?”

“Yes… that’s correct…”

“Ah.”

Sylvia seems to have developed a habit of gripping her sword hilt incredibly tightly.

“Lord, there are many people around. Please stay close behind me.”

With a bit more confidence, Sylvia and I plunged into the crowd of people. At first, I wondered if there was some commotion happening inside, but looking closely, I noticed that the gathered crowd wasn’t made up of the residents of the Vermont territory; they were outsiders.

Is there a tourist attraction nearby? As I pondered this and pushed further in, I stumbled upon a familiar store.

“What on earth is going on, Jacob?”

“I’d like to ask that too! We’re in a state of emergency! We’ve been getting orders by the hundreds every day, and the line just keeps growing longer and longer, which is why it’s like this…!”

Jacob rushed out to greet me, looking pale as if he hadn’t slept at all. So, the crowd filling the streets is made up entirely of customers who’ve come to make reservations at the forge…?

The forge has finally hit it big—no, it’s gone supernova.

“Okay. Keep working hard. If you run out of materials, contact me anytime. I can help with the procurement.”

“L-Lord! Isn’t this a bit wrong? I never imagined the order volume would be this high. So I was thinking of closing temporarily to regroup…”

“Hmmm. What does the contract say? It states that production should not cease without a good reason, right? You’re not planning on violating the contract, are you…?”

“I-I’ll work hard!!!”

Tears streaming down his face, Jacob bowed deeply before me.

I’m glad to see he’s so full of energy. It seems he’s shedding tears of joy at the thought of making a fortune.