"I'll Catch Up Later, So Go On Ahead!" I Said, and Stayed Behind in the Dungeon for Five Years. When I Returned to the Royal Capital, for Some Reason, I Had Become a Great Criminal, So I Decided to Retire. But Outstanding People Keep Gathering Around Me Though... - Episode 26: The Shape of a Soul

Episode 26: The Shape of a Soul

Talking about Lisel’s new work, both my and the boss’s faces grew dark. Surely, another incredible creation would come out again, but… the truth must be told.

“Boss. Shouldn’t we tell Lisel the truth?”

“…But”

“It won’t do Lisel any good. If she doesn’t know the reason she keeps failing, she’ll start to get suspicious.”

“If we tell her the truth, Lisel will be hurt. But, you’re right… It’s not good to just keep things as they are.”

“By the way, how long has she been like that?”

“Since childhood. She never showed interest in the cute toys normal kids wanted. Even back then, Lisel was always drawn to strange things. That was… something I couldn’t do anything about…”

“Boss…”

The boss looked completely dejected. It was as if he was saying it was all his fault. I’d never seen him look this down before. I’ve truly been taken care of at this shop, and I strongly want to be of help here.

“Boss. Please leave this to me. I’ll tell Lisel myself.”

“…Alright. It’s something she has to face eventually. It pains me to leave it to you, Haru. But if it’s you, I can trust you. I’m counting on you.”

“Yes, sir!”

—

The next day. A day filled with tension arrived. The boss and I were sitting at the living room table. We were waiting for the bread Lisel was baking. Neither of us spoke. And the silence in the room was tight and tense.

“It’s ready! I’m really confident today!”

“O-oh…”

“I-I see…”

The bread was placed in front of us. On the plate sat something indescribable. The dough was an overly bright lemon yellow. It had bl00d-red streaks flowing irregularly through it. At first glance, it looked like a festival prop modeled after a poisonous mushroom—or maybe the egg of a magical beast. It had an eerie appearance.

“L-let’s eat.”

“Let’s eat…”

Putting it in my mouth—just as expected—the taste wasn’t bad. The outside was crispy and fragrant, the inside soft and chewy. It had a faint sweetness. And the aroma of butter tickled the nose. The red sauce that melted out was not chili, but a spicy-sweet sauce made by simmering berries and various spices. It was stimulating, yet addictively delicious. And I couldn’t help reaching for another bite.

The boss and I quickly finished our portions since the flavor was fine. But the appearance… that was the only problem…

“So…? It’s good, right!”

“Lisel. It’s no good.”

“Eh…!? Wh-why? Dad, was it not tasty?”

“From here on, I’ll leave it to Haru. You two talk.”

“Eh…? Why is Haru-san…？”

“Haru. I’m sorry, but I’m counting on you.”

“Got it.”

Saying that, the boss left the room. As he walked out, he exchanged glances with me. And I gave a small nod. Leave it to me. I’ll be the one to say it here. Besides, I already had an idea in mind.

“Lisel. Please sit down.”

“Y-yes.”

Lisel and I sat facing each other. Then I slowly began to tell her the truth. Maybe because she was nervous, her eyes darted around. And she fidgeted with her hair. Her face looked a bit red, too.

“Ha… Haru-san… is this something important?”

“Yeah.”

“Th-that means…!”

Her eyes held a hint of expectation—but I brought her back to reality.

“Lisel. Both the boss and I think the taste of your bread is just fine.”

“…? Then, doesn’t that mean it passes?”

“Lisel. I’ll be honest. About the appearance—what do *you* think of it?”

“Eh. It’s super cute, right!? The colors and the shape—I think it’s perfect! I even worked really hard on shaping this time! Look at this!”

Lisel showed me a notebook she had nearby. Inside were—countless bizarre figures. Wh-what is this… They looked like the same creatures from Abyss Sanctum, or maybe even worse. The illustrations were so detailed, so vivid, that they looked almost alive.

“That’s amazing…”

“Ehehe. I’m good at drawing! I always make diagrams and shape plans, you know.”

Ah—God.

Why didn’t you give Lisel a normal human sense of aesthetics?

Even though she has such incredible talent, Lisel isn’t lacking in technique—her sense of style is just too far removed from the norm. Is this fate, too…?

“Lisel. I’ll say it plainly. Why your bread doesn’t pass.”

“Yes! Please tell me!”

“The appearance—is just way too scary.”

“Eh…?”

“First, you should stop using warning colors. If it’s too vivid, it gives off fear. And last time, you put a ton of legs on it, right? That looked like a monster. If you put that on display, it’d probably make customers cry. This time, it’s round—but the colors are just bad.”

“Ah… uuh…”

“Lisel. I’m sorry. But I thought I should be honest.”

Lisel’s face began to contort. And she held back tears.

“I see… so that’s how it is. Thank you for being honest, Haru-san. Actually… I’ve always felt like I was different from everyone else.”

Lisel began to talk, as if reflecting on her whole life.

“When the other girls said something was cute, I couldn’t really feel the same. Instead, I liked the things everyone else avoided. Even with bread-making, I put everything I love into it. Because my soul tells me to—demands it. For me, making bread is an art. And I believe that art is the expression of one’s soul. It’s too late to change the shape of my soul…”

I see. Apparently, Lisel is a pure artist at heart. She doesn’t conform to the masses. But she prioritizes her artistic sense. That’s definitely an important trait. To Lisel, bread isn’t a crafted product—it’s art itself.

“Haru-san… I don’t think I can make any other kind of bread… If the taste isn’t the problem, then maybe I could just make normal bread. But to give life to the ones I envisioned—that is my mission…!”

The bizarre illustrations in the notebook. To us, they’re strange, even grotesque—but to Lisel, they’re important creations. So I had no intention of outright denying her sense of beauty.

“Lisel. I have a suggestion.”

I didn’t come to Lisel just to tell her the truth without a solution. If we tried to sell her bread as-is, no one would buy it. Then—she just needs to go where her creations *can* be properly evaluated.

“Yes. What is it?”

“Actually—”

And then, I presented that solution to Lisel.