"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 33: A Sense of Discomfort

Episode 33: A Sense of Discomfort

“Mmm. Smells delicious.”

“Yeah, it does.”

Luster said that, and it’s true—the smell and taste are perfectly fine. Ever since then, Lisel’s bread has gotten even better, more refined, and more creative. Her artistry is the real deal. She might seriously become super famous someday.

As I was thinking that, the shop’s bell rang. Who could it be? Lisel is busy baking bread right now. So I guess I’ll handle it. With that in mind, I headed to the front door and opened it—

It was Sharo.

“I knew it. You were here, Sensei.”

“You figured it out well.”

“Well, you weren’t home. So I figured you’d be at the bakery.”

“I see. You coming in too, Sharo?”

“Yeah. But I wanted you to teach me magic.”

“Alright, I’ll teach you later then.”

“Yay! Awesome!”

Sharo smiled innocently. That part of her hasn’t changed—she still doesn’t show her age through that childlike charm.

“Oh, Luster, you’re here too?”

“Mhm. Eating bread.”

“Huh. Wait… is Lisel the one baking now?”

“Yeah.”

“…Well, as long as the taste is fine, I guess it’s okay.”

Sharo muttered quietly. And after a bit, Lisel finally brought the bread out and placed it in front of us.

“This is my latest creation!”

“Th-This is—”

The golden-brown dough twisted and curled like intricately shaped plants. It was spiraling toward the center. A glossy syrup lightly coated the surface. It reflected light like jewels. Between the flower petal-like folds of dough were pale purple berry cream and sugar-glazed shell ginger petals that sparkled silver-white.

But… why is it slightly moving?

This technique… it’s actually incredible. Though—yeah—the tentacle-like movement still looks seriously creepy…

“This time, I went with a flower theme!”

“Looks tasty.”

“O-oh…”

“The design and colors are as stunning as ever…”

Sharo and I had similar reactions. But Luster always says it looks delicious. That’s just a difference in how we perceive things, I guess. Still, I just couldn’t bring myself to find it appetizing based on looks alone.

Then Lisel carefully sliced the bread, and we each took a bite.

“Mmm. Delicious. Perfect, again.”

“Yeah, it’s really good…”

“Mmhmm. Very tasty…”

A gentle sourness and fragrance spread in my mouth. A touch of salt balanced the flavors unexpectedly well.

Seriously, this is amazing.

It’s not something you could put on display as-is. But if you cut it into portions and sold those… no one would know, right?

A bit of a devilish thought, but I kept it to myself.

Still, maybe I could ask the boss. I’ll keep it in mind.

Later, I went to teach Sharo magic. But Lisel and Luster came along, too. It’s not a problem if they watch, but… are they really okay with just observing?

“Lisel. Luster. You’ll probably be bored just watching.”

“No, not at all.”

“Yes! I can’t use magic, but I think it could be a great source of inspiration!”

“Alright, then…”

Well, if that’s how they feel, I guess it’s fine.

“Sharo.”

“Yes, Sensei!”

“Honestly, your magic has improved a lot over these five years. It’s easy to see how hard you’ve been working. Honestly, I don’t think there’s much more I can teach you…”

“I want you to teach me about that magic. The principle behind it.”

“Ah… But that one’s totally original. I don’t think anyone else could replicate it.”

“That’s okay.”

“Alright… Then I’ll explain the theory first.”

I began explaining the magical theory I developed in the Abyss Sanctum—a combination of anchor points and phases.

First, multiple anchor points are generated. Then, by linking them, additional magic formulas are executed.

It’s basically a more detailed form of normal magic, which usually uses a single formula. By breaking it down, then combining those fragments, it becomes a single, complex magic formula.

To be honest, I wouldn’t have been able to learn this kind of magic without the extreme conditions of the Abyss Sanctum.

Now that I’m putting it into words, I realize even Sharo might not be able to master this.

“…That’s the gist. Did you get it?”

“Yes. I really understand now just how amazing you are… No, calling it amazing doesn’t even do it justice. Sensei, you’re standing at the pinnacle of magic.”

Sharo’s expression was deeply serious.

“Isn’t that kind of an exaggeration?”

“No. Honestly, I think I’m one of the top three in the world when it comes to magic. The other two, including me, are evenly matched. But you… you’re far above me. That much is crystal clear. To even construct such a magic formula is impossible. Maybe I could do it with enough time. But my mana would run out. To instantly generate and cast that repeatedly—it’s nothing short of divine.”

It was kind of embarrassing.

Sharo was usually a bit prickly. She was now praising my magic non-stop and speaking rapidly.

When it comes to magic, Sharo is incredibly sincere.

After that, I watched how she cast magic. I also gave her some advice on mana control.

It didn’t change things dramatically. But I think Sharo’s developing her own path to improvement.

“──Thank you so much for today, Sensei. I learned so, so much.”

“And I learned a lot from teaching, too. Thanks, Sharo.”

Just like I used to, I ended up patting her head. Normally, Sharo would push me away. But today, for some reason, she just accepted it naturally.

“Hmm.”

“Heh.”

At that moment, I noticed Luster and Lisel staring at us blankly, half-lidded.

“Ah, uh… just an old habit.”

“We didn’t say anything.”

“Yes. We just thought you two seem close~”

“W-we’re not like that, okay!?”

And with that exchange, we called it a day.

As we left, I looked at Luster and Sharo walking side-by-side.

It was just an ordinary day.

Luster came to eat bread, and Sharo came to learn magic—something we’d planned for a while.

That’s all it was, and yet…

“Haru-san. Is something wrong?”

“No… it’s nothing. Let’s go home.”

“Okay!”

But for some reason, their backs looked like they were carrying some kind of strong resolve…

—

The next day.

I’ve got two days off this week.

The boss told me I’ve been working way too much. So he insisted I take a break.

Still, besides baking bread, I don’t have much else to do…

As I wondered what to do, the doorbell rang.

When I answered it—

It was Felina.

“──Good morning, Senpai.”

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[Afterword]

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