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Saturday arrived, and Alfe and I found ourselves in the dormitory kitchen, baking cookies from the morning.

“Oh, they’re starting to rise a little! So cute!”

Alfe, who had been intently watching the cut-out cookies in the magic oven, waved me over excitedly. Sure enough, the Creeper powder was doing its job as a leavening agent.

“I thought they might puff up like cakes, but they still look like cookies.”
“I was worried they might, but it seems to be working perfectly,” I replied.

Since it was my first time using the ingredient, I had estimated about 10 grams of Creeper powder for every 200 grams of flour. So far, it seemed I had judged correctly. I couldn’t wait to see how they would turn out once baked. If my calculations were right, they should have a light, crisp texture with a delicate airiness.

As Alfe and I stood by the oven window, a delightful aroma began to fill the kitchen. The sweet scent of melting butter and sugar brought a nostalgic warmth—it had been a long time since I had experienced it this closely.

“It smells amazing in here. Like happiness,” Alfe murmured, leaning against me with a cheerful smile.
“It really does,” I agreed, finding myself thinking that moments like this were indeed a kind of happiness.

These peaceful, uneventful days felt all the more precious. Ever since arriving at Canalford Academy, such moments had been rare. Before that, the weight of my mother’s Black Stone Disease had kept me tense and focused.

Thankfully, the latest letter from Director Ludsef at the Black Dragon Lantern Clinic reported that my mother was responding well to demi-nectar. She seemed healthy enough to go about her daily life without any visible issues. However, the disease was unpredictable, and there was no telling when it might progress again. I couldn’t let my guard down.

I made a mental note to write letters soon to my parents and Director Ludsef. With elective classes for the engineering course starting soon, new challenges would surely arise. It was hard to predict what might come next. Still, knowing that a student, Melua, already held Special-Class Alchemist certifications reminded me that I didn’t need to hide my abilities anymore—a welcome relief.

“…Leafa, do you think they’re ready?”

The rich, toasty aroma of baking cookies filled the air as I drifted in thought. Alfe’s voice snapped me back to reality.

The surface of the cookies had turned a golden brown, contrasting beautifully with the soft, wheat-colored dough beneath. I carefully took them out of the oven using mitts. Just as I was placing the tray on the counter, the sound of loud, chaotic footsteps echoed from outside the kitchen.

“Ah, this must be it! Over here!”
“Belle~ don’t just barge in like that~”

It sounded like Vannabelle and Numelin.

“Do you think they followed the scent here?”
“Maybe.”

Alfe and I exchanged amused glances and chuckled.

“Let’s have them taste-test a few. The flavor will settle better once they cool, but they should still be good warm.”
“Yay! I wanna try them fresh from the oven, too!”

I transferred the freshly baked cookies to a cooling rack and slid the next batch of pre-cut dough into the oven. Alfe eagerly eyed the warm cookies, snatching a bite-sized edge piece I had set aside for testing.

“Mmm, so good! It’s light and just melts in your mouth!”
“I’m glad to hear that.”

If Alfe’s reaction was any indication, the cookies had turned out as intended, both in taste and texture. Once they cooled, the texture should firm up into that perfect crispness I was aiming for.

“Let go, Nume! It’s communal equipment—no one can stop us from heading in!”

Vanabelle and Nume’s voices drifted in through the door as they continued their noisy argument. The cookies should be cool enough by now; I figured it was time to invite them in for a taste.

“But what if it’s seniors inside~? They might be mad at us~!”
“I’m telling you, just act like you belong there! Whoa!”

As I opened the door, Vannabelle, who had been leaning forward to peek inside, stumbled and nearly toppled into the room.

“Oh, it’s you two, Vannabelle and Numelin,” I greeted casually, pretending I hadn’t overheard their little spat.
“Leafa and Alfe!? What are you two doing here?”
“We’re baking Leafa’s special cookies,” Alfe replied cheerfully, gesturing proudly at the tray of golden treats.

Vannabelle’s eyes lit up, and she surged toward Alfe—or more accurately, toward the cookies—with an almost predatory enthusiasm. Then she turned to me, her excitement practically vibrating off her.

“Whoa! Did you really make these? Damn, they look incredible! Hey, let us have a taste, will you?”
“Of course.”

I’d already intended to share ever since I noticed them, so I handed the cookies over without hesitation. Vannabelle and Numelin eagerly helped themselves in happiness, devouring half of the first batch in no time.

“This is amazing! You should totally set up a booth at the school festival with these!”

Oh, right—the school festival. I had nearly forgotten about it. It wasn’t just a simple celebration, but I wanted to make it a bit more fun if I could. As class representative, I’d probably be given some responsibilities for it. Perhaps it was time to start planning ahead.

“I’m glad you like them, but we can’t decide something like that on our own,” I replied.
“No, seriously, these will sell like crazy!”
“Then I’ll buy some~!” Numelin chimed in, though her gaze lingered wistfully on the remaining cookies, perhaps feeling a little guilty for eating so many already.

“If I feel like it, I’ll make more,” I assured her.
“Awesome! In that case, we’ll bring the ingredients next time, right, Nume?”
“You can count on me~!”

Judging by how much both Vannabelle and Numelin loved them, the cookies seemed to be a big success. Perhaps it was time for me to try one myself.

“Alfe, could I have one, too?”
“Of course! Here, say ‘ahhh’ ♡”

Alfe held out a heart-shaped cookie toward me. I opened my mouth to take it, but just as I was about to bite down—

““O Alfe, What is that?””

From either side of the kitchen’s open doorway, Lili-Lulu peeked in, their synchronized voices catching me off guard. I hurriedly grabbed the cookie with my lips and ate it. I couldn’t quite register the flavor due to that, but the texture was perfectly crisp, just as I’d hoped. It was probably delicious.

“These are cookies made by Leafa, Lili-Lulu,” Alfe responded with a smile, showing no particular sign of being unsettled.
““Is this how good city sweets smell like…?””

Lili-Lulu entered the kitchen, sniffing the air hungrily. Just as the dough in the magic oven finished baking, Alfe took it out and, as before, began placing the cookies on a rack to cool.

““So these are ‘cookies’…””

Lili-Lulu stared intently at the freshly baked cookies. The warm steam mixing with the scent of butter and sugar made their mouth slacken slightly, as though they were on the verge of drooling. They clearly wanted to eat them quite badly.

“Could it be… you’ve never seen a cookie before?”
““The forest where Lili-Lulu live is isolated… Far from the city.””
“Is that so… Well then, I’ll give you some too, Lili-Lulu.”

Alfe offered cookies from the previous batch to Lili-Lulu.

““Thank you, o kind Alfe!””

Lili-Lulu nearly jumped for joy, taking the cookies eagerly and munching them happily while dancing.

““It is delicious!!””

Though Lili-Lulu usually dressed in a more mature fashion, their eyes sparkled with joy as they savored the cookies, completely resembling innocent children. I had a sense that I was seeing an unexpected side of Lili-Lulu, who usually looked so grown-up when silent.

“…By the way, are the meals in the cafeteria all that rare for you, too? You seem to eat so quietly.”

Once things had settled down a bit, I asked Lili-Lulu while tasting a cookie. Lili-Lulu, their eyes wide with delight, carefully chewed the cookies before replying seriously.

““Lili-Lulu are busy eating. We cannot lose in the battle for seconds¹.””

Ah, I see now. So the reason they were eating so quietly was because of that.

1. Robinxen: I love these two.

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