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As dusk fell upon the streets of the imperial capital, Cilento, only a faint magical light illuminated the main thoroughfare cast by the moonlight with lamps spilling from the windows of houses and the occasional street lamp lining the corners. However, once you stepped off the main street and onto a side road, thick curtains of darkness enveloped you, making it impossible to see even if you pinched your nose.

Therefore, as soon as the sun set, despite being the imperial capital, people promptly headed home. By the time the stars began to twinkle, most of the city had already retired to sleep, with only a few taverns, inns, and the pleasure district remaining open. It was customary for shops to close their doors, except for those engaged in the nightlife.

There was no such thing as late-night business. Thus, the Letindüte III naturally closed its doors, and sturdy armored shutters were drawn over the windows. However, the service industry never truly stops there. Even after closing time, the kitchen fires burned brightly, and under the dazzling light of magic, many men and women bustled about, cleaning the interior and preparing for the next day.

The closed shop was occupied by the employees who had finished cleaning up the interior and were busy making preparations for tomorrow… as well as my associates who claimed a corner of the shop for themselves.

“—What’s his deal?! I don’t care if he’s a bishop or a genius or whatever, he definitely doesn’t have any friends, that’s for sure!”

Bruno let out a raging outburst. Accompanying him was Lynn, who had come to the counter to carry the dishes to the table. She shrank down apologetically, bowing her head and saying, “I’m sorry for causing a disturbance.”

“It’s okay, that idiot has been making a racket like that forever. You shouldn’t apologize in his place, Lynn. ―But seriously, shut up! You’re a man, act like it, and stop whining about things already done!”

After a sigh, Eren, who had initially comforted Lynn, now scolded Bruno, who remained seated at the table.

“And how long do you plan on sitting there? You think you’re the king or something? Lady Jill handles the cooking, and I’m assisting her. Even Lynn, Pryui, and Ashimi are all helping too, so why don’t you get off your butt and at least get us drinks?!”

That was such a familiar tone and attitude that Bruno found himself speechless. On the other hand, Lynn watched how easily Eren manipulated Bruno and found herself impressed and a little bit envious¹ .

“It’s only natural to handle my affairs. I’m not all bark and no bite like that bratty bean,” Ashimi remarked casually as he carried his plate with surprisingly adept movements.

“Hm. Besides, this so-called bishop probably just spoke his mind, right? Honesty is a virtue, you know,” Pryui added in her piece.

Wincing as if he had a wound reopened, Bruno got up from his chair and dragged his feet to the counter.

“Here, the tomato genovese and mushroom carbonara² are ready. Bruno, could you carry the pizza marinara over? Be careful, it’s hot,” I instructed, considering the elves and opting for dishes that don’t include meat.

Following my instructions, everyone began to carry dishes and drinks to the empty table. This was supposed to be a meal for bonding between Bruno’s group, who rolled in after work while saying “I’m hangry! Jill, please feed me something!” and Luke, who had ended up staying over for a while. However, one of the two was still staring at the marbled egg with a troubled expression.

“…I don’t think it will hatch any faster even if you fret so much about it. It took about one lunar cycle even for Vier, and the peddler who gave the egg to me said it usually takes about ten days to two lunar cycles,” I said to Luke, who was holding the mysterious egg, seemingly oblivious to the surrounding exchanges.

“…I understand, but I just can’t grasp the sensation of infusing it with mana, and it’s frustrating.”
“There’s no use rushing it. Besides, according to Chaton, it’s primarily a matter of compatibility. I don’t think getting too worked up about it will be any help.”
“Maybe that’s why I’m feeling even more impatient. Knowing that a wyvern will hatch from this egg, I can’t help but feel restless.”

With a face mixed with excitement and anticipation, Luke carefully stroked the surface of the egg he was holding, but the reactions of the people around him were lukewarm… or rather, there was a skeptical vibe like, “Is that really a wyvern egg?” and “Is he being scammed?”

“Anyway, shall we start our meal? Everything’s ready,” I said as I quickly arranged the delivered dishes on the table and placed small plates in front of each person. This time, I’ve gone with an Italian theme, so we have three types of pasta: Genovese, Carbonara, and Aglio e Olio, along with three types of salad: potato and pumpkin, seafood, and a simple pizza alla marinara made with herbs and garlic³ . Additionally, we have lasagna made with tofu and tomato sauce on the menu.

“You’re…right. Yes, it looks delicious!” Luke forced a bright smile and moved towards the table where everyone was waiting.

““““““Bon appétit””””””

With proper manners, everyone cheerfully began their dinner.

1. Lio: Lynn’s gonna become more assertive? Character arc for a side character that isn’t a love interest? Please author I beg you don’t make this a recurring thing where Lynn never takes a step forward and Bruno continues to be an idiot.
2. Mab: I know I’m just being fussy, but I’m starting to doubt that the author has ever cooked…
   Like, how do you even make tomato genovese sauce??? First of all, tomato being cooked so slowly like that will become a soggy mess as genovese sauce typically takes 2 to 10 hours of slow cooking, and second of all, you want the fat of the meat to tenderize and sweeten the soffrito, which cannot be substituted with the acidic tomato juice.

   Also, I know there’s vegan option for carbonara, but… carbonara is typically made with raw egg yolk, cheese, and fatty pork (bacon). With all due respect, you’re making a completely different dish at this point.

   These two dishes are the least vegan option you can go with… but, okay, maybe the elves just eat Pizza Marinara. I don’t know.

   Weird option to go with for something that’s supposed to be whipped quickly though.

3. Mab: It’s just tomato sauce, olive oil, oregano, and garlic. It can’t get any simpler.