The tenth month of the year 486 in the monarchy calendar. In the dawn, when the eastern sky starts blanching, The royal chefs wake up to the crows of roosters raised by the side of the official residence.
Everyone rises at the same time and head to the bath near the residence. It"s a bath reserved only to the officials living in the royal court. It has the same size as a public bath in j.a.pan and is composed of a large hot bathing room like a sauna, a cold one and a rest area that works as a dressing room as well.
It was an ordinary custom in this country to have a bath in groups. The frequency of bathing for people in Asilia was one bath every three days while here, in the capital, it was one time every two days due to the abundance of water. Taking a bath each day in the city is seemingly a status for the rich. Inside the royal court, only the royal family who have a personal bathroom, and officials such as chefs and doctors whose jobs require them to be clean have the privilege of bathing every day.
I dressed myself after getting off the bath. I pinned my hair that grew to reach my shoulders using a white hairpin, matching the color of my uniform. Finishing with the dressing, I headed to the royal kitchen right after the morning bell resounded in the city.
The royal kitchen is composed of 8 sub kitchens in total. Each one managed by a leader and 200 chefs while the head of the kitchen department supervises all the eight of them. My position there was to work in an exclusive small kitchen, alone.
I started my work by checking the ingredients. Today I will be using Shilda melons. A product from Shilda, a town in the east, noted for their sweetness and their hard edible skin. Although, the skin needs to be dried under the sun and preserved in salt until it becomes soft before eaten, or else it will taste like gra.s.s. I often see it being sold in the market by packets of 10 skins. It"s usually served as a snack with tea or alcohol and could be fried with meat and fish as well.
I cut the melon skin into long narrow parts while maintaining their thickness. I then boiled them in a fish sauce until completely cooked and added some cheese and unmatured blue melons in the sauce as a dressing.

“Good morning, Kay.”
“Hey, good morning.”

As soon as I was done making breakfast, Aisa peeked from the entrance door. It has been almost a year now since I"ve started making breakfast for Aisa every morning. She used to wait for me to bring it to her room at first, but as time pa.s.sed, she started visiting the kitchen by herself to take it from me, until eventually eating it together here became a daily routine when she wakes up early.

“Itadakimasu.”
“Itadakimasu.”

Placing the plates on the kitchen table, we sat facing each other and recited a few words in j.a.panese. Since the day she watched me saying it back in Asilia, Aisa started imitating me and reciting it as well. She totally loved it when I told her about how we express grat.i.tude for food by using that word. She never had a single meal since then without saying ‘Itadakimasu."
She would recite it more wholeheartedly than I did. Expressing one"s grat.i.tude for food is a common moral among people; however, for me, it felt somewhat deceptive too. Leaving aside the fact that it ignores everyone related to cooking or bringing that food to the table, it felt too convenient against the animals and plants which don"t hold the words to express themselves, to begin with. That is why every time I saw Aisa honestly using it, I contemplating to stop saying it before my meals if I wasn"t convinced.
I handled the chopsticks I made from wood to take a bite from the melon skin ramen. Next, I moved to sip from the soup. My body absorbed the several life remains composing the food on the table.

“It"s embarra.s.sing if you stare at me that much.”
“My bad.”

I averted my eyes and continued pondering. The buffet funeral culture of the country, and most importantly, the fact that Aisa, herself, is expressing her grat.i.tude for food makes the word ‘Itadakimasu" sounds more controversial than ever.

“Thanks for the meal.”

As usual, Aisa recited the matching words for ‘Itadakimasu" before she placed down her chopsticks.
It is told that in the year 39 of the monarchy calendar, a boy who tasted better than anything else in this world appeared in Asilia. Since that incident, similar children were born there every now and then, until eventually, they were t.i.tled as Sakla which is an obsolete word for flavor and considered as gifts from G.o.d.
Aisa is the 330th Sakla in history. She was born 30 years after the previous Sakla, Yuan. She is fated to get dismembered once she ‘ripens" and lined on tables as food. Her wish was for me to accept the role of cooking her ripened body when the time arrives. Certainly, I still didn"t give her a proper answer until today. She has been trying to convince me for almost a year now.

***

“You want me… to cook you…?”
“that"s right.”

Back to my celebration banquet when I lost my composure after being taught the obscure meaning of a Sakla, Aisa continued with a broad smile.

“I want you to become my Sakla chef when I ripen.”
“What the h.e.l.l do you… rather, when will you ripen. could it be that you already――”

Aisa shook her head left and right.

“We check the flavor of their blood at every fixed interval. Most of the past Saklas have ripened at the age of 16… Aissama still has around three more years.”

Hagan explained.
I realized that Aisa still had some time to live, but that didn"t make me feel any better of the situation.

“That means, she will die… no?”

Aisa nodded to the obvious question I posed.

“But it"s a very n.o.ble death. I will have everyone eat me and enjoy my taste and then visit G.o.d"s place.”
“A sakla is a grace bestowed from the heavens. savoring its excellent taste is an expression of grat.i.tude towards G.o.d.”

Hagan"s explanation resembled that of a sacrifice. Although, the concept is quite the opposite, as they receive a gift from their G.o.d instead of offering it. He could glorify this act as much as he likes since he is not the one to be sacrificed.

“I had this idea from the day I tasted Kay"s cooking. I admit that Hagan-san"s cooking is delicious, but I think that there isn"t anyone who is suited to be my chef better than Kay.”

The person who is decided to be sacrificed, Aisa, gazed at me with her eyes br.i.m.m.i.n.g with hope and expectations. She didn"t look to be fearing her death at all.

“There is nothing I can do if you returned to your world before I ripen, but I"m sure that you will stay with me until then――”
“What the h.e.l.l are you saying!!”

I inadvertently shouted. A wave of silence sunk the entire hall. Aisa and the princess looked astounded while the king and Hagan glared at me with grim faces.

“Kay? You don"t want to cook me?”
“that"s not the problem here, is it?!”

I seized Aisa"s thin shoulders, violently, and continued with a furious voice.

“You"re going to die at the age of 16. You know that, right!?”
“But… I will be eaten for the sake of G.o.d―”
“Then why wouldn"t that be until you become an old woman and die by age!”
“I can"t do that. I need to be eaten as soon as I ripen. It will be a waste if my taste drops as I age.”

My arguments didn"t seem to reach her mind in any meaning.

“You"re being rude! How dare you insult a sakla?!”

Isela, the princess, screamed. Her first words directed at me were full of hostility and scorn.

“I"m being rude? You think this is the time for such nonsense!?”

I returned the same amount of hostility in my reply and glared back at her.

“Are you people satisfied from killing and eating this little girl for the sake of your said G.o.d!? She"s not an animal d.a.m.n it!! what kind of custom is th――”
“Watch your mouth! Clear!”
“Kay!”

Hagan"s angry voice overlapped with Aisa"s quiet scream.
Turning to her by reflex, I heard a dry sound resounding inside the silent hall.
I felt a slight impact on my cheek. Aisa"s palm was faintly shivering. A few seconds later, I realized that I was slapped.

“Aisa..”

Aisa stared at my dumbfounded face with tears and hatred running from her eyes.

“Why do you say things like that?”
“That"s because… Aisa, you will die――”
“Why won"t understand that I have something more important than my life? Are you making fun of G.o.d and everyone here…? I don"t mind if you refuse cooking me, but this is just…”

I couldn"t come up with further words to throw back when I watched her scolding me with those teary eyes. My seething anger controlling my mind cooled down by her slap.

“That"s it. I"m leaving…”

Casting those words, She turned her back at us and left the hall.

“Aisa!”
“Stop it, would you? Clear.”

The king blocked me from following her by his calm words. I only realized that I acted too far after hearing his voice.
This is bad. What am I doing?
I wonder how I managed to act this haughty in front of the person that made me bite my tongue countless times from nervousness when we first met.

“You have nothing to say if you follow her, do you?”

With cold sweats running my entire body, I met my eyes with the king"s to get confronted by a terribly gentle expression.

“The mistake is from our side as well. I apologize.”

His words didn"t feel hostile or blaming at any point. All he did was convincing me to calm down and apologize. His att.i.tude was so astonishing that I lost all words in that moment.

***

“Aissama stated that she wouldn"t meet you even if you come to her room.”
“… I understand.”

I came to Aisa"s room to apologize for the mess I did earlier, but the maid standing before the door refused me. I had no other choice but to try another place.
Now that I cooled down, I became aware of the severity of my rash acts and contemplated how to make up for it while rubbing my slapped cheek.

“Why won"t understand that I have something more important than my life? Are you making fun of G.o.d and everyone else in this place…?”

What she said was on point. She"s finding the fact that she will be eaten as an utmost blessing and I came rashly and arbitrary denying and criticizing her beliefs.
I learned or rather, a.s.sumed that I understood from my long trip back in Earth that forcing my proper values into another person is a taboo, and that I should never criticize another person"s values just because I don"t agree with them. However, it turned out that I was still the same narrow-minded person I have always been since a long time ago.
As a result, I ended up hurting Aisa. I ended up making her cry. I am the worst.
Nevertheless, that being said, I was still unsure of how I should react to all this Sakla custom.
If a similar thing happened to me in Earth, I would respect it and act in a way to not hurt the other party even if I personally didn"t agree. In this world as well, I intended to take the same strategy from now on.
But in that case, I became uncertain about how I should see Aisa"s death. I walked to the official residence with heavy strides as I contemplated that matter.
Knock, knock… on my way walking in the corridor, I heard the sounds of knocking on a door. Someone was standing before the door of my room.
That person was carrying a torch in one hand that dimly illuminated her innocent beauty, slender limbs within the dark, and the red hair she inherited from her father.

“Princess…”
“Clear Kay…”

As soon as she noticed me, Isela made an uncomfortable expression and glared at me with her inimical eyes.

***

Along with her two maids, Isela and I went to the rooftop of the official residence.
The scenery of the night capital basking under the moonlight was quite brilliant. The rampart was close to the rooftop, making it a suitable place for surveying the entire city or for watching the stars while drinking some wine. It was one of my favorite places in this palace, but now it felt suffocating with a tense ambiance.

“Isersama, I apologize for what I did earlier――”
“You should be. If it were me instead of my father, I would have at least imprisoned you.”

The princess interrupted my apology and talked without even looking in my direction. She was right. I displayed a rude att.i.tude towards a national treasure and a member of the royal family. It"s a miracle that I"m still unharmed until now.
My heart almost stopped beating when I saw the shadow of three persons standing in front of my room door, earlier. I thought that they were soldiers who came to apprehend me. Judging from the way Isela was talking, I a.s.sumed that nothing of such had happened and felt relieved like a piece of sc.u.m.

“Aisa came to my room.”
“What?”

I heard an unexpected truth from the princess.

“She was tired from crying and is sleeping now in my place. I came here after I put her to sleep.”

So Aisa was already in Isela"s room when I visited her earlier.

“She was… she was crying all the time since she left the dinner table because of you.”

Isela turned my way and continued with a glare.

“Why did you do that? How come you made the girl who aspired you all this time cry? She even… saved your life and gave you her blood!”

All of her remarks were on the mark. I had no right for excuses or objections.

“It was my fault for taking that att.i.tude against her. I shouldn"t have denied her reason for living in that cruel manner.”
“That"s right.”
“However… there is one thing I can"t take back.”

Isela frowned for a second when I continued.

“Right now, I personally still can"t accept the fact of Aisa getting eaten. I am sure there is a better and blessed path for her to take in life. My true feelings currently desire for her to walk that path.”

I felt that I had to clear away my personal view on the subject even if it could imply that I didn"t reflect on my earlier actions.
I can"t accept and neither respect Aisa"s death as a sakla.
A short period of silence dominated the rooftop. The next words to leave Isela"s mouth came after a gentle draft of the sea breeze.

“So you still insist on denying a sakla"s reason of existence. You still deny Aisa"s existence, is that it?”
“… That might be the case regarding the life of a Sakla. However, I believe that Aisa, as a person, deserves to live a normal life.”

The repelled expression on Isela"s face grew stronger.

“Just why did Aisa and my father accept this man.”

Leaving those words as if she spat them out, Isela averted her eyes and pa.s.sed by my side with her two maids to walk down the stairs.

“Iselsama…”
“My father is not going to relieve you from your duty as a royal chef.”
“How is―”
“Nevertheless, he will take down your nomination as a Sakla chef for the time being. He sent me to tell you that he wants everything to continue as planned from the beginning.”

Feelings of bewilderment surpa.s.sed my surprise. I wonder how much the king is expecting from me; or rather how much he is expecting from my world"s food culture. It appears that my position was saved due to my origin as a foreigner for this world. Because of that, I felt a vague baseless fear.

“Do you have any objections, Clear Kay? Or do you accept the king"s request to continue working under the customs you criticized?”
She was clearly provoking me. Perhaps she wants me to refuse the duty and leave the palace. My answer was already settled in any case.

“Yes, I humbly accept that duty. Please tell the king that I am grateful to his tolerant measures.”
“… I understand.”

Isela didn"t look surprised by my answer and nodded with an awfully displeased face.

“I don"t mind conveying the message to my father, but you need to go apologize for Aisa personally.”
“That is my intention..”

That was the last conversation we had at that night. Isela left the rooftop with her maids.
I knew this all along, but that night, I became convinced that she hated me. She always did since the day we met in the king"s hall. I wonder what was the trigger that made her see me in that way.

***

“… I"m sorry for last night, Aisa.”

As promised with Isela, I visited Aisa in her room and apologized while bowing down. I didn"t expect the maid to let me in the next day as if nothing happened.

“I won"t get baited by your food if that was your intention.”

Aisa raised her eyes and declared as soon as she saw the tray behind me. Today, I asked Hagan to let me make her lunch. She didn"t seem mad like last night, but her eyes were still red and swelling, striking my heart with guilt.

“No, I just had Hagan to let me make your lunch.”
“That"s… the work of a sakla chef. You don"t want to be my chef, Kay, do you?”
“… That"s right.”

I noticed her slim body shivering for an instant when I nodded to her question.

“I don"t want you to die, Aisa. I don"t want you to be put down in order to get cooked and eaten by people.”

It was as Isela said. I am a narrow-minded person. I can"t accept the fact of Aisa"s death as a Sakla. I can"t stand to see her murdered and devoured by foreign people even if that was a given in this world.

“Then why did you make me lunch?”
“I know I"m not in a position to say this, but… I want to think about it. Until you ripen… I will contemplate accepting the duty of a Sakla chef. I Implored Hagan and the king to let me make your meals until then and get to talk to you like this every day. I hope you don"t mind it.”

It was a self-convenient request to ask for. However, Hagan and Shade accepted it with a few conditions. They were way too friendly with someone who caused a fuss last night.

“Aisa… I won"t ask you to forgive me. But, at least, can you eat this lunch I made for you today?”

I was aware that I"ve been asking for too much recently.
Aisa remained quiet for a few seconds as she stared at my eyes.

“Kay, I also――”
“Grrrr”

When she finally opened her mouth to speak, a sound coming from her belly interrupted the conversation. Aisa"s face crimsoned from embarra.s.sment.

“What did you say, Aisa?”
“… nothing. I will have lunch.”

She turned away and muttered with a low voice that barely reached my ears. I carried the tray of food to her side. Today"s lunch was white bread with striped greens and a bowl of soup as a side dish.

“What is this soup? I never saw it.”

Aisa peeked at the bowl and asked. Her eyes were filled with sheer curiosity.

“It"s called curry, a recipe of my world made by mixing different types of spices. I cooked it using the spices I could find in the capital.”

It was a bowl of soup curry that goes well with bread. The soup was composed of different ingredients of various colors; the red of ruby melons, the blue skin of a unique type of potatoes, the green of mushrooms, the white and the yellow of eggs. Enriching them all was a bone of dendel. Aisa hesitatingly scooped a spoon from the bowl of my first try in this curry.

“How is it?”
“It"s so delicious!”
“really?”

I let out a sigh of relief. I made quite the effort to restrain myself from putting too much spice, after all. I didn"t want her to find it too spicy.

“So, you will keep cooking dishes of your world for me, Kay?”
“Yeah, sure thing.”

The only option I had as the foreigner, Clear Kay, was to contemplate accepting the duty of being her chef for the next two or three years.

“It would be wonderful if you made this curry when you cook me too.”
“Yeah, if I cook you, that is…”

***

The first month of the year 486 in the monarchy calendar. It was about time to embark the first step of the duty I received from the king.

“How is it? Does it not look bad?”

Before heading out, Aisa took a posture in front of me and asked about how she looked in her dressing.
She was wearing a one piece composed of a bright green lower part that looked like a skirt and a thin shawl, similar to a poncho. As for her feet, she wore a sandal knitted from bark. I wasn"t able to make different between stylish and lame clothes at that time, but Aisa had a lovely reflection in my eyes.

“You look just fine like that.”
“Yes, the clothes suit you very well, Aissama.”

A girl next to me wearing the uniform of the royal court extolled Aisa. She looked almost impa.s.sive, but her voice exhibited her emotions. Her name is Atema. She was a maid and a friend of Aisa of the same age. Her gender-neutral face and short haircut made it easy to mistake her for a boy, but her knowledge in fashion and everything related to clothes inherited from her life in the capital was not to be underestimated. She was the person to choose Aisa"s fashionable dress, after all.

“Ehehe. Shall we go out then, Kay, Atema.”

Leaving the royal court, we pa.s.sed through the eastern gate―― or the White Serpent gate―― to come across the main street leading to the court and giant blocks of buildings laying in both sides. Aisa let out a yell of admiration the moment she saw that scenery.
The streets were clean and well maintained since we were in the heart of the capital. The reason Aisa was overexcited, was not because of that, though.
There was a motive behind us going out together today. It was the conversation we had last night at the dining table.

“I will go to the market tomorrow to buy a few ingredients.”

I declared last night before requesting from Hagan to make today"s lunch for Aisa my absence. Though, before I was able to ask him, Aisa unexpectedly suggested going with me.
I thought that she had something to buy from the market as well, but it turned out that she just wanted to go out.
Aisa"s life in the palace could be described as confined. Although that is not really the case, she usually wanders only inside the royal court. She is free to walk in the garden, playground, the library, and many more other facilities that would make me think she would never get bored. I guess it"s for that reason she wants to see the outside.
Getting permission from the head of servants, it was decided that Aisa will go out with me tomorrow, as well as Atema for the sake of safety. Aisa was in a pleasant mood since the next morning.
While humming, she walked with light steps. The dress she was wearing today was different from all the clothing she wore in Asilia or banquets. This one felt to be reflecting her cheerful inmost heart.
We continued walking the street until Aisa halted her steps and stopped humming. She moved her sight to a certain direction with her mouth half agape. A couple of a man and woman were walking in that way.

“Aisa――”
“We need to turn left, Clear-sama.”
“Hn, okay.”

Informed by Atema, I checked the map I was carrying with me.
We would reach the market faster if we continued walking straight, but since that means we will cross an unsafe area, the head servant ordered us to take a different path.
We turned to the left and walked for ten more minutes to reach the entrance gate. It was an old dome-shaped gate with an impressive structure, welcoming the shoppers.
The capital is divided into seven grand blocks. Each block has its proper market. This one here was established by the former king, Ahide, and has the longest history among them all.

“Laud the land, sky, and sea.”

Those words left by Ahide were carved in the gate. They withstood hundreds of years of rain and wind, making them hard to read.
We pa.s.sed the gate and stepped from soil into a brick-paved path.

“Shilda melon with one Akache!” “30 Akache for a catfish! what do you say, ma"am!” “Fried red lizard! get you some fired lizard!”

The s.p.a.cious street was br.i.m.m.i.n.g with shoppers while the merchants shouted the price of their merch all over the place.
This market established in crossroads was divided into four mains sectors. The two sectors we"re visiting which cover everything related to consumables were lining in a straight line of one nearly one kilometer and crossing the entire market. Various stores of different purposes laid on both sides.

“I didn"t know there is a market this big…”

Aisa reacted in the same astonished way I did when I visited the market for the first time.
I used to follow Aisa who would guide me inside the market back in Asilia. This is most likely the reason I played the senior role in this place that"s several times larger, even though I"m the outsider among us.

“It"s my turn to guide you this time. Well, I"m not that knowledgeable about the place either, anyway.”
“Okay.”

In a delighted att.i.tude, Aisa held back my hand that I offered, and the three of us disappeared inside the jammed traffic of the market.
Agriculture products, seafood, meat, dairy products, dendel, and cow milk, spices, seasonings, steamy cooked dishes, snacks, alcohol, luxury goods… I watched Aisa"s cheerful reactions and realized that the joy of roaming a market full of merchandise surrounding us doesn"t change wherever we go.
When we pa.s.sed near a store of marine products, Aisa approached its counter and peeked at the face of fresh fish with an intrigued look. It was her first time visiting one.
An octopus, one of her favorite dishes, attracted her attention as she hesitatingly attempted to touch its winded legs and its big head with shuddering fingers―― I would have waited for her until she touched it if I managed to resist the dubious glare of the merchant, but since I couldn"t do that, I just held her hand and moved to another place.

“What did you come to buy, Kay?”
“I came to replenish the stock of kitchen by getting some more ingredients.”
“Do you always come here alone to replenish the stock?”
“Not really.”

The royal kitchen has a contract with various hosts that directly supply it with the required ingredients. There are some cases where a chef has to go to the market to make a new contract, but that"s not the job of a regular chef like me.

“I came to get something only I can buy today.”
“Something only you can buy…? Ah, could it be the spices for curry?”
“Well, you just reminded me of that, too… but today…”

I halted my steps in front of a grain shop handling beans. The barrels placed outside the store were filled with colorful types of beans. This store has every kind of beans I want. Starting from raw and dry beans collected from nearest farms to even brewed beans and seasoned beans.
I was told by Hagan that the royal kitchen has contracted with them and that they are the best beans shop in the capital. The store was indeed loaded with various types of goods that I"ve never seen in the palace.
I left Aisa who was gazing at the inside of the store and went to check on the different bags of beans. I stopped next to a particular bag and called the salesboy.

“Can I check the inside of this bag?”
“The east vine beans? Sure thing!”

I waited for the salesboy to fill a small bag with the east vine beans, received it then checked its quality. The beans were small and round; they had the subtle texture of tree bark. I checked its smell as well, but I restrained from biting it.

“It"s similar… I"m lucky.”
“It"s similar to what? Tell me already.”

a bitter smile reached my face as I watched Aisa running out of patience.

“They are similar to soybeans, a type of beans in my world. I came here looking for them.”
“Soybeans…”

In order to accomplish the order, I got from Shades, which was to share the food culture of Earth in this world, finding soybeans was an important step to make.
I bought the entire bag by paying 70 akache. A hundred Akache makes for a tupa, and a thousand tupa is the average sum a person needs to live a year in the capital. Seventy akache seemed to be a low price for 15 kilograms of soybeans. Although it only seemed like that for me and not for Hagan who scolded me harshly when I reported him the price.

“What are you going to cook with those beans?”
“I can use them to make bean dish, but I"m more interested in using them to make seasoning. You will find out later; Just look forward to it.”

Achieving the primary purpose of visiting the market, we spent the rest of the time strolling around. Aisa had fun looking around the several shops we pa.s.sed by. When we pa.s.s by a shop for spices, she would definitely ask me if there was something there we could use for curry. And when we pa.s.sed by a store for imported tea leaves, she would consider buying some leaves as a present for the princess.
After walking for a good amount of time while I carried the heavy bag of beans, we decided to take a short break. We stopped at the crossroads in the center of the market, which for our convenience, was made as a little park. The park was filled with stalls and walking merchants that sold snacks and food for pedestrians like us. We chose to eat in a sweets stall.
We sat surrounding a round table and put our orders.

“I mustn"t make an order. I do have Aissama"s charge, However.”
“It"s fine. Let"s keep it a secret from the head servant.”

I convinced Atema who reservedly suggested paying for Aisa and paid 14 akache for the three of us. We ordered a sweet made from Shilda melons. It was more like brown noodles dyed with a strong, deep sauce extracted from boiled then cooled melons. It reminded me of the dessert pasta that I used to eat on Earth.

“There is only Shelda melons there. it tastes much better that way, doesn"t it?”

The kind auntie managing the stall stated as she placed the plates on the table with a loving smile. I almost pointed out that she shouldn"t pickle the melon skin, but judged that it would be kind of rude.
The texture of the strong sweet sauce and slightly salty taste combined and made up an excellent flavor. The brewed and minced seed on the top left a bitter, but great accent as well.

“Delicious! Have you ever tasted something like this, Aty?”
“This is my first time tasting this too.”
“My husband came up with this recipe recently. Come try it again if you liked it.”

The aunt manager laughed while boasting. I felt that I made the right choice by coming to this store when I looked at Aisa and Atema"s pleased face.
On our way back, Aisa went to a toilet and left the two of us standing and waiting for her.

“Thanks about everything today.”
“What do you mean?”

I expressed my thanks to Atema who then widened her eyes and looked at me, confused.

“All I did was following you and Aissama… You even treated me for sweets. I"ve done nothing to be thanked for.”
“I don"t think Aisa would have enjoyed herself today like this if you didn"t come together with her. It"s thanks to you.”

The highest profit I earned today was seeing Aisa"s pleased expression which she used to show back when we were living in Asilia.

“I mean, you know… after all what I did to her that night.”

The maid who refused to let me in Aisa"s room the night when I made that commotion was Atema. At that time she didn"t blame me as Isela did, but since she always looked impa.s.sive, I felt that her gaze was unusually cold.

“My first priority is Aissama"s happiness… And besides…”

She stayed quiet for a moment, then continued with a surprising statement.

“I kind of understand how you felt that night, Clear-sama.”
“… You, did?”
“Yes.”

The feeling of strong denial towards approaching Aisa as a sakla―― This was the first time since I came to this world when someone said stated that they related to my feeling.

“I was born in the neighbor country and did not come to the monarchy until I was eight years old. I moved to the royal court and started working there as a maid because of my fathers work. I"ve never attended a ganazar since all my acquaintances are fortunately still alive.”

The truth of Atema being foreign to this country was a blind spot for my attention. Now that I thought about it, it wouldn"t be weird for a foreigner to feel appalled by the ganazar culture of the monarchy. The problem is…

“Aissama demanded from me to eat her when she ripens… So when that day comes, I will surely…”

Atema did not tell me anything of convenient for my stance against the sakla custom. Her words even made me feel afraid of her due to our diverging decisions based on the same sense of unfamiliarity.

“Seeing Aissama enjoying her time like this made me very happy too.”
“That"s good.”

As usual, her face was expressionless, but her voice exhibited her elated emotions. I felt slightly relieved to have agreed with her at this point at least.

“The both of you look like the father of the country and his lover in the folklore.”
“… I can"t agree with you in that…”

Again, she said something I couldn"t agree with and made me fl.u.s.ter in a different form this time. The age gap between Aisa and me is too wide for us to consider any relationship of such type. Maybe she doesn"t want me to treat her and Aisa as children.
Aisa came back and interrupted my series of thoughts. Our stroll in the market continued.

“Are you okay, Kay? You"re staring at me too much.”
“Ah, No… My bad.”

My earlier conversation with Atema made me a bit awkward and self-conscious. I wonder how did the traveler in the folklore fall in love with the daughter of the first king. Did he make her happy when the both of them returned to his world?
Perhaps if I was able to take Aisa with me to Earth―― What the heck am I thinking about?
A stupid idea flashed in my mind for an instant then disappeared.
I wonder if the day when I will accept the fate of a sakla as Atema would come. If such a day doesn"t arrive before Aisa ripens, just how am I going to act?
Several ideas whirled in my mind, driving me to spend the rest of the time absent-minded. As a result, I ended up making Aisa mad at me again that evening.

***

Inside my personal kitchen in the palace, two days after returning from the market.

“… Are these the vine beans you bought from the market that day?”
“Yeah.”

I answered Aisa while adjusting the fire on the furnace.
Several trays were placed all around the floor, filled with soaked beans. I washed them thoroughly yesterday and left them soaked in water. Aisa picked a bean from the closest tray and stared at it.

“It feels like they got swelled up; they"re also very soft now.”
“That"s because they"ve been absorbing water since last night… try splitting that bean in half and check if there is any cavity within it.”
“Okay.”

Following my instructions, Aisa split the bean and approached it to her face to take a closer look.

“How does it look?”
“It"s tightly packed in the inside, I think.”
“Good. It"s time we begin then. The fire is well adjusted too.”

Ascertaining that the trays, cauldron, and steamer were all set, I declared.

“We can now the miso from the beans?”
“That"s right.”

This personal cuisine was not only given to me in order to cook Aisa"s meals; It was also a sort of laboratory with the goal of sharing my food culture in this country.
My plan for the beans was to wash them wholly, leave them soaked in a triple amount of water for 24 hours, and then boil them; Or rather steam them.
Yesterday, I took three chefs with me and went to the same store of beans to purchase a few more dozens of kilograms. I had to ask for their help since there was no possible way I could carry that amount alone. I also exploited this opportunity to teach them the way I make miso soup.
I made them stand before the furnace alternately and adjust the fire and the volume of water by stirring up the beans every now and then.

“Aisa, isn"t hot for you?”

I called Aisa who was stirring up the cauldron using a wooden spatula.
“I will be preparing the miso soup of my world using the beans we bought that day.”―― As soon as I said that Aisa jumped and suggested to help me in making it. I knew she would propose to help.
Today"s process wasn"t a difficult one. I was familiar with Aisa"s cooking back in Asilia, so I didn"t mind temporarily entrusting it to her. Although, standing near a furnace emitting intense vapor and heat is quite a difficult task even for us, trained chefs. Aisa"s neck and arms peeking from her rolled up sleeves turned red and sweaty from the flames.

“I can do it for you… rather, you don"t have to do it really you know.”
“He"s right, Aissama.”

The three other chefs followed my remark. One of them stepped forth and suggested to switch with her only to get rejected and step back to his place.

“I"m fine. I spent most of the time here served by others. I should at least help in this much.”

I admit that Aisa was a hard worker when we were living in Asilia. Feeling impressed by the broad smile she revealed, I was made to realize the same truth for the second time. Aisa doesn"t seem to have the least objection against her lifestyle as a Sakla.

“Fine. Just tell me when you feel tired.”
“Okay.”
“Don"t forget to wipe your sweat so it won"t fall inside the cauldron.”

I put a clean towel on top of her neck and left the kitchen, leaving her with the other chefs.
My next destination was the bath. Not the bath reserved for royal chefs, but a single unused bathroom given to me for a reasonable purpose that is obviously not bathing.
Opening the gla.s.s door, a sweet fragrance resembling that of alcohol leaked out with the steam. The floor was cramped with wooden boxes inside which white flowers were blooming. It was mold. It was koji.
Koji is an ingredient raised from grains covered with yeast plants. It"s an indispensable element in making miso, soy sauce, vinegar as well as in brewing alcohol. I spent a considerable amount of time preparing koji since the day I started my training in the palace.
The first thing I did was asking around merchants, cooks, scientists about its existence in this world. Unlike Earth, where the culture of koji has extensive roots in j.a.pan, Thailand, Vietnam, and entire East Asia, the chances that it didn"t exist in this country was undeniable. Personally, I doubted that fact since I was aware of the existence of yogurt, cheese, and fermented consumables. They may as well have koji too.
I had trouble to explain the word koji in the country"s language, but I thought it was all worth it after I received some good news after one month. We found out that the south-eastern island country was using a similar material called ‘Karukk" in brewing their alcohol. It has a white and fuzzy shape, and it grows on rice.
I dealt with a merchant to bring them to me along with the seeds used to grow them.
Apparently, the yeast plants of this world have many types and give varying flavors to the brewed alcohol depending on the grains they cover. I ordered as many types of koji I could.
In my world, yeast plants grow in warm and dampened environments. That is why I thought that raising them in the capital which is warm and close to the sea could work. I steamed rice, wheat, beans, and several other grains, neglected them in a dampened place with high temperature for a while and waited until eventually, white flowers started growing from the rice.
Next, I moved them to this bathroom equipped with a floor heater and continued observing their development throughout the days. It is needless to say that my monitoring of the temperature, humidity and amount of bacteria was as fuzzy as ever compared to when I used to entrust everything to technology back in Earth.
My days observing the growing koji continued along with my increasing grat.i.tude to science until finally, I was able to collect a sufficient amount of "Karukk."
Returning to the kitchen when the sun started setting, I confirmed the quality of the beans cooked by Aisa and the chefs and moved to the next process. Around that time, an unexpected member joined us.

“Is something the matter, Iselsama?”
“What, am I a bother?”
“No, not at all…”

I was confused to see her standing there when I came back from the toilet. I was sure that she would never go near me again, leave aside to come to help me with what I do.

“I invited her to help us.”

Aisa explained the situation while Isela looked in my direction with a bitter face and nodded.

“She couldn"t come earlier because she was busy with her work.”
“I finished in a hurry to come and play with you, Aisa.”

Aisa tightly held Isela"s arms while Isela, herself, was showing an embarra.s.sed expression. I unintentionally smiled by watching her making such a face to Aisa.

“What are you smiling?”
“Ah, I apologize about that.”

I moved the beans from water to their trays and crushed them to tiny pellets before mixing them with an adequate amount of salt and koji. Mixing ingredients in a cooking process is always a fun task. Next to Aisa who was sparkling her eyes, the princess who wasn"t used to the sensation of mixed beans and koji seemed pretty nervous at the start, but soon enough she became engrossed in making the mixture.
After mixing them to a decent level, we rolled the mixture into hand sized dumplings and placed them inside a wooden bucket with a stone weight. Now all that"s left is to wait for the yeast plants to convert the starch of the beans into sugar and hopefully lead to their fermentation to eventually get well flavored and nourished miso at the end.
We concluded the task by carrying everything to the warehouse. It was already late in the night by the time we finished the work.
For a little celebration, I treated everyone to the sweet alcohol and koji-pickled sashimi I made beforehand. Both of them got a favorable reaction making feel a bit glad to have advanced a little bit in my mission sharing the culture of my world"s food.
I had no idea on how will the miso turn out half a year later, whatsoever.

“Half a year?!”
“Yeah.”

Aisa who just found out about it opened her eyes wide. She was a.s.suming it was a matter of a few days.

“Why does it take that long?”
“Well, it needs three months to acquire its flavor and three further months for the flavor to ripen.”
“three months.”

I could tell that the period of half a year was down to three months in her schedule, but she still looked disappointed.

“We just have to be patient and wait for it as we wait for a flower to bloom… I mean, there"s an undeniable chance that it will fail in the first place so…”
“It"s that hard to make, isn"t it…”

Casting down her sight in dejection, she uttered with a heavy voice. It didn"t take a long time for her to switch to her positive mindset, though.

“But… Promise me to make the best miso in the world before two the next two years!”
“The next two years…?”

Contemplating her words, I immediately understood what she meant. She wants me to ripen the miso before she does as a sakla.

“I"m sure you will make the best curry and miso, Kay. I am always looking forward to it.”

She was obviously talking about the time when she will be eaten. I couldn"t come up with words to reply to her innocent and cheerful smile.
The same question I asked myself many times flashed in my head once again. Will I be able to cook Aisa when the time comes? Will I be able to eat her?
In either case, I will have to face the challenge of eating human flesh sooner or later, regardless of the time she will ripen. That time was waiting for me in one month and a few days later.

***

“I refuse the position of a sakla chef as of the time being. However, I"d like to be able to cook her meals from today onward.”

The next morning after the celebration night, I requested the king and Hagan. It was quite the self-convenient request to make, but both of them readily agreed.

“I shall take down your responsibility then and place Hagan as the official sakla chef. You will have to endeavor as her personal cook.”

In a composed manner, he shifted my responsibility making me doubt his decision instead of feeling happy about it. His decision was too tolerant considering the confusion I caused in the last night.

“In return, I will have you share the knowledge of your culinary arts with us. Our Sakla has chosen you. It would be churlish not to listen to this much of your needs.”

The king explained as if to respond to my doubts while Hagan who was standing behind him waited for the opportunity and added.

“I have no objection as long as his majesty had forgiven you. But, putting your off your duty as a sakla chef might be temporary. Thus I will have you work with me.”

***

The middle of the second month; Year 486 in the monarchy calendar. The warm capital was starting to get chilly, declaring the fast approaching winter.
In one morning, I ate breakfast with Aisa, like usual, and left the royal court by riding a carriage with Hagan, as told. We crossed the main street laying behind the northern gate.
The inside of the carriage was ruled by silence. Both of us were wearing a different uniform and sitting, quietly. My heart was heavily beating to an uncontrollable point.
Nervousness was never an uncommon reaction I had in my career as a chef for the recent ten years.
I"ve gone through several nervous situations in the past like the time when I was entrusted to make a main dish for the first time. Another time when we had VIP clients in the restaurant or even the recent day when I presented my cuisine to the king in a banquet.
My current situation, however, was a far cry from the others. It was the first time in my life I got overwhelmed by nervousness… or by fear, rather.
Today, I was going to cook human flesh for the first time in my life.
The most important skill a sakla chef must harbor is mastering the human-cuisine. It is needless to say that I obviously lacked that skill.
Hagan"s condition for me to continue being Aisa"s chef until she ripens was to attend funerals with him and acquire experience by cooking the deceased.
Our destination was a ganazar-specialized kitchen where a certain family sent the corpse of their dead―― A kitchen was handling corpses as its main ingredient.
Working inside such a place was unthinkable for me when I first knew about its existence. Sadly, I had no other choice but to accept Hagan"s condition and follow his instructions. This fate was waiting for me sooner or later anyway, as I"d have to go through it when I retrieve my position as a sakla chef later. Instead, I had the impression of the king being too soft when he let me off with only two conditions.
Arriving at the ganazar kitchen, we got welcomed by a middle-aged married couple. The husband who noticed our arrival gasped.

“Did you come from the royal palace…?”
“That is right. My name is Hagan, and this is my subordinate, Clear. Please allow us to prepare your daughter.”

Listening to Hagan"s reply, the couple seized our hands with teary eyes. Hagan gripped his wrinkled hand in return as if to respond to their feelings.

“Thank you very much… Please take care of my daughter.”
“Make the finest delicacies out of her, I beg you.”

Nodding to their requests, we stepped into the kitchen.

“She"s a girl…”
“She was 16 years old when she pa.s.sed out in an accident two days earlier.”

I held my breath. A sakla ripens when it reaches 16 years too.
Typically, a funeral in the palace is directed by royal chefs while those outside are directed by local chefs in which quite a few are specialized in human-cuisine.
The reason Hagan went looking for a funeral outside the palace was for the sake of my training. He deliberately chose a young girl so that I relate her to Aisa.

“The corpse has been placed inside a cooler for a day. The flesh must be ripened by now.”

I couldn"t help sensing some sort of implications in his words treating the deceased girl as a consumable ingredient. I felt as if he was telling me that Aisa will eventually end up the same.
The kitchen wasn"t as s.p.a.cious as that of the palace, but it was sufficiently broad. The first thing entering my vision when I opened the door was something placed on a table and covered with a white tissue.
Hagan grabbed the tissue, revealing what was inside of it―― The dismembered limbs and parts of the girl. Bones were extracted from the flesh that was already separated by component while the entrails were well washed and processed, ready for use.
I"ve seen the process of cutting animals apart many times. I am even used to doing it myself when it comes to fish, birds, and small animals. The disa.s.sembled creature in front of me now whatsoever was clearly a new type. I mean, it was a human being that was alive and kicking only two days ago. I felt like throwing up by having that scenery before my eyes, realizing the depth of this cannibalistic culture.
I wonder what I would have done if I saw the body in its original form. I would have surely bolted away from this place.
“It is indeed a misery for the girl to have pa.s.sed away from an accident. However, this is a good thing when it comes to funerals. In cases of sickness or poison death, we would have had to remove many parts from the body. In this regard, the fact that she conserved her pretty and clean shape after death is a fortune.”
Unlike me, frowning and resisting the urge of vomiting, Hagan gazed at the girl"s body with serene eyes.

“You must never show contempt for life, Clear.”
“… contempt.”

It sounds idealistic coming out of his mouth. How could dismembering a person"s body like this not be contempt for their life? How is it considered reverent to cook each and every part of the body, flavor it, put it in plates as nourishment and have it eaten by people to ultimately squeeze it out and excrete it?

“Well then, let us begin.”

This is what this country is about, after all.

“Extol lost lives, praise blooming life and embrace the cycle of life and death.”

A pa.s.sage for the hymn of nourishment recited by Hagan resounded in the kitchen, interrupting my chain of thoughts.
Hagan, the head of the kitchen department in the royal court had attended several funerals since the era of the former king. He exhibited his professional culinary skills and cooked the previous sakla, Yuan. He was also arranged to cook Aisa as well before I came to this world.
With all that experience, he displayed many of his techniques as I worked under him.
Using three different knives, he easily chopped the meat from the bones, crushed it, and changed its shape.
I read a guide about human-cuisine and was taught about the dishes we were going to make today beforehand, but when I came to put my knowledge into action, nothing went as I wanted.
I wasn"t surprised, nevertheless. It was my first time dealing with human flesh, after all. I couldn"t control my bewilderment towards the peculiar elasticity and stickiness of the meat.
Well, I might have been taking my ‘unfamiliarity" with the flesh as an excuse. What disturbed me the most was the truth that I was preparing a human for people to eat. The smell, the sensation of the flesh, everything drove me to become less capable of what I was doing.

“What are you slacking? Move your hands.”
“… But.”
“You accepted my condition that day. You did it by your own will to stay by Aissama"s side. Take responsibility.”
“That"s…”

He was totally right. I was the one at fault for hesitating at this point.
This girl pa.s.sed away from an accident. She was different from a sakla who"s deliberately killed. What I was doing was nothing but a part of the funeral"s custom. There was nothing to feel guilty about. Rather, I should feel glad about being able to help out her family.
I tried convincing myself but failed, losing to the inherent fear of touching another human"s raw flesh.
I couldn"t suppress my reluctance despite knowing well that I wasn"t doing anything wrong in this world"s values.
I just couldn"t continue―― My philosophy, my mind refused to conduct this act that seemed to deny the life of this poor girl.

“Clear.”

I heard the voice of my instructor, this time sounding kinder.

“You said that you are burying your deceased in your world. There are many countries here as well that does the same thing… My homeland included.”
“… your homeland too?”
“Yes… Aisa"s personal maid is also a foreigner if I am not mistaken. The monarchy is open to all of the world. There are plenty of foreigners working in the palace too.”

This means Hagan as well, had his period of culture shock when he came to this country. I kept listening to his speech, quietly, as he continued while rubbing the smashed flesh in the spice.

“Even my parents and my siblings have been buried underground, sadly. Now that I"m old, I"d prefer to disappear instead of rotting under the earth, alone, after my death. I still remember the forlorn death of Iselsama"s mother very well. She pa.s.sed away by a sickness that prevented us from holding a ganazar for her. It was such a sorrowful time.”

His words recounting the death of the queen sounded wistful and at the same time, somewhat enthusiastic. I recalled a particular girl who said a similar thing the other day.

“Our job is an important one, Clear. We connect the spirit of this poor girl with her family through the medium of food… And I think that it is a very n.o.ble duty.”

His words were like silent fire.

“Spirit…”

Is there even something as spirit or afterlife?
I wasn"t particularly a materialist, but I didn"t believe in such things either.
I gazed down at the flesh on the table before me. It was the shin composed mostly of lean, probably because the girl was thin. She was using this leg to support her weight and walk only two days ago, I thought.
Her relatives, according to Hagan, were all waiting for this part to be cooked, like others so that they can eat it. So they, the living, can eat a part of a once living human, just like them.

“I understand that your world was different, but… Can"t you help in supporting this country"s culture as well?”

His speech ended there. Only the sound of his knife reverberated in the kitchen.
I remained to gaze at the shin flesh. I came here, well aware that gazar is a n.o.ble custom for this country"s religion and that I had to do what has to be done. But still, in reasonable regards, there was no worth in doing it.
Pa.s.sing my finger over the flesh, I felt absorbed by the elasticity of the muscles― the girl"s feeble remnants of life. I knew nothing about her. All I knew was that she was once alive, nothing more.
Unlike my life that got coincidentally rescued by Aisa, this girl wasn"t lucky enough to survive. She was left to either return to soil or become a temporary part of her relatives―― This country"s custom made that choice for her by picking the latter.
In the end, I expressed my grat.i.tude to the flesh and held my knife.
This was the first time in my life I had paid grat.i.tude to an ingredient from the bottom of my heart by reciting the word ‘itadakimasu."

***

Bonfire faintly illuminated the dark ceremony site near the ganazar kitchen.
The married couple and many of their relatives a.s.sembled together for the banquet funeral of the girl. The table of the site was filled with a variate course of human flesh and entrails made by our hands.
Stuffed and fried meat cooked with a stew until almost melted, grilled, pickled meat wrapped in lettuce. The girl shifted her shape into diverse dishes presented to the attendants of the ceremony.
Hagan and I stood in the corner of the site, gazing at that scenery after entrusting the rest of the work to the waiters.

“How does it look, Clear…?”

I didn"t respond to Hagan"s question and remained to stare at the view of people enjoying the girl"s flesh.
Some of them were stuffing their cheeks while crying. Others were literally savoring each mouthful of the plate with their eyes closed. There was also an old man sipping from a bowl of noodles with a cheerful face, but his eyes red and swelling.

“Delicious, you"re so delicious, Yugl.”
“Thank you, Yugl.”

Everyone in the table p.r.o.nounced that name as they enjoyed the food. Apparently, the girl"s name was Yugl.

“Uun… Yugl… you taste great… you taste the best… Yugl…”

A boy, seeming to be the same age as the deceased girl cried and yelled more than anyone else in the funeral. I could only imagine his past relationship with her.

“Hey, uncle.”
“Hm?”

Realizing that the word ‘uncle" was referring to me, I looked downwards and met the eyes of a little girl.

“Did you call me?”
“Un.”

The little girl nodded with a cheerful, innocent smile… I"m an uncle now, I see.

“Was it you who cooked my sister, uncle?”
“Yeah, that"s right. Is something the matter.”

The girl who seemed to be the little sister of Yugl handed me the thing that was in her hand instead of answering. That thing was a large skewer of grilled meat. Yugl"s grilled meat, evidently.

“I…”
“I grilled it. Kayk grilled it.”

The little girl, Kayk, stated while pointing at the bonfire. I wasn"t surprised at that fact since I was the one who seasoned that raw meat to be presented on the table for the attendants to grill it with their proper hands. What startled me was the meaning behind her gesture.

“Why are you giving me that…?”
“It is a common costume for the chef of a ganazar to eat food shared with him by the family. Accepting it is not a duty, nonetheless.”

I turned around and saw Hagan eating a similar skewer, too. He didn"t seem reluctant at all.

“It"s a chef"s honor to accept it, I must say.”
“I-I see.”

I reverted my gaze to Kayk who was still holding the second skewer.

“Eat it.”

She made an effort to stand on her tiptoes and approach the skewer to my face. She genuinely believed that I would accept it, eat it, and hence connect with her elder sister"s spirit.

“Did you eat already?”
“No, um…”

I didn"t know how to answer her as she looked at me with her head tilted.
Just like the time when I discovered Aisa"s fate; The time when I saw human flesh in the kitchen, this world keeps on thrusting its twisted Disparity on me. I managed to overcome my anxiety and cooked the flesh, though, that doesn"t mean I didn"t mind eating it.

“You don"t wanna?”
“That"s…”

Kayk hung down her eyebrows, noticing my hesitant att.i.tude. In her beliefs, refusing to eat her sister was equivalent to denying and disrespecting the precious life she lived.
Since it wasn"t necessarily a duty, Hagan did not interrupt. He only watched over the two of us, waiting for my decision.

“Can"t you help in supporting this country"s culture as well?”

The earlier question flashed in my head.

“Yugl is delicious you know.”

Delicious. I started seeing this word as one of the devils. It was a word that crossed morals in this context of cannibalism; especially for me, after barely undergoing the experience of cooking the girl.
The boy who was yelling earlier entered the corner of vision field. A few moments later――

“Yay!”

Kayk revealed a delightful smile. I bit into the meat and stuffed the first piece on the top in my cheek.
This is human flesh. The taste and fragrance spread within my mouth. Salt, seasonings, the accent added by charcoal, and most importantly, the flavor of the flesh itself.

“See, I told you it"s delicious.”

I don"t remember how I replied to Kayk"s innocent, harmless remark.

***

“I"m sorry for not making your lunch and dinner today.”
“It"s fine. It was an important job, after all.”

Returning to the palace, I visited Aisa"s room to pour her some tea. It was the same brand of tea I tasted the first time when I met the king. Her room was decorated with her face portrait, dolls, and a shelf containing tea utensils leave bags.

“Hey, Kay.”
“Hm?”

Aisa called my name as she sat, embracing her cushion.

“You worked in a funeral, didn"t you?”

The hand I was using to pour the tea shivered for an instant. I only told her that I was going to work, but I knew that she would somehow find out that I went to a funeral. Yet, I couldn"t hide my wavering once I heard that question.

“… Yeah… I accompanied Hagan.”

No need for lies. I honestly affirmed while pouring the tea in the cup.
I placed the container and handed her the teacup which she received without averting her eyes. She kept gazing right at me.

“It was the funeral of a girl who pa.s.sed away in an accident in the seventh block…”

Urged by her quiet and lucid gaze, I continued talking about my first experience in cooking a human body. The feeling of guilt tormenting my heart pulled back a little as I recounted.
Aisa kept listening until the end without taking a single sip from her teacup. She finally drank a mouthful when she judged I finished my speech.

“I think that you made a splendid work. I agree with Hagan-san; you did a very n.o.ble job.”
“… thanks.”

I got praised by Aisa. My strong denial was still the same, but I felt somewhat glad and thanked her.
A few minutes pa.s.sed with the two of us quiet, listening to the sound of clock resounding in the room. Aisa placed down her empty teacup on the table and said.

“But… I"m a wee bit jealous. You know that?”
“What?”

I shifted my gaze from my cup to Aisa who stated something unforeseen.

“jealous of who?”
“The pa.s.sed girl.”

I was taken aback for a moment. Aisa continued, interrupting my chance to catch up with what she said.

“I understand that you partic.i.p.ated in the funeral for the sake of the girl and also for me. But still, I"m feeling just a bit jealous to see you cooking and eating people before my turn comes. I"m being weird, aren"t I?”

Weird? I wonder if anyone else in this world could answer such a question.
I"ve been aware of this fact for so long now. Aisa desires to be eaten. She yearns to die.

“At least become a great sakla chef by partic.i.p.ating in as many funerals as you could.”
“… Why?”
“That"s a silly question, Kay. You are the person who will cook me in the future. It would be troubling if you couldn"t make me utterly delicious. I have been born to be eaten, after all.”

She declared while puffing her chest and unconsciously swinging her ashy hair. As I thought, neither her voice nor her face showed a sign of fear or regret.

“I"ve been born with the best and most delicious body in the world.”
“The most delicious in the world.”
“Yes, the entire world.”

“A divine taste.” “A flavor that descends heavens to your mouth.”
I recalled Hagan"s explanation of a Sakla"s taste. “It is almost a blasphemy to compare a sakla with the flesh of a mere human.” He once said.
The taste of Aisa"s blood when she revived me was still engraved in my memories. The word ‘delicious" is evil. So evil that it drove me to think of conducting the most forbidden taboos in existence.
“I wanna eat her.”―― The moment that thought crossed my mind, I felt something gush out of my chest.

“Bhue!! Bha!”
“Kay?”

Failing to resist my second urge to vomit today, I threw up the inside of my stomach in Aisa"s room. Undigested food violently soiled the grid-patterned carpet beneath us. I saw the remaining of the flesh I ate earlier in the funeral scattering there.

“Are you okay?”

Aisa kneeled down with me and caressed my back. Lifting my head, I met her worried eyes.

“Ah… Y-Yeah!”

I managed to endure the third time and placed my hands on top of the stained carpet, breathing roughly.

“Should I… Should I call a doctor?”
“N-No, I"m fine… Sorry for dirtying the carpet. I will go out for some fresh air.”

Avoiding to look at her directly, I stood up and left the room.

“Are you going to be okay alone?”
“Yeah…”

Breathing the fresh night air made me feel much better. I was able to calm down and forget about the vomiting sensation.
Nevertheless, I couldn"t forget about the single thought that crossed my mind earlier. It left me disturbed and frustrated.

“What… Just what the h.e.l.l was I thinking about.”

I asked myself while staring at the night sky. I definitely knew the answer, but didn"t want to think about it.
The constellation of this world"s sky was no longer unfamiliar. A new world isn"t new forever. It"s only natural to adapt to a new environment by spending some time captured within it. Breathing the same air and eating the same food as its citizens.
The day when I will no longer be a foreigner to this world will inevitably arrive too. The question is which one will be first; That day or Aisa"s ripening time.
The answer to this question was more frightening than my doubt about returning to Earth.