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The joy and anticipation shimmering in the goddess’s two eyes.

The reason for being invited to the divine realm of Isbide…

The situation just before the invitation.

When considering all three aspects together, what Skadi ultimately desired was but one thing.

Karem, with confidence, reached into his pocket. He politely pulled out a heavy pouch prepared as a sacrificial gift. Just as he was about to stand, Skadi stopped him.

[Just sit still.]

The pouch placed in his hands suddenly shot up into the sky and gracefully landed in Skadi’s hands like a bird alighting on a branch.

[Umm. Who would have thought I would smell this fragrance again…]

Her snow-white face, akin to a snowy landscape, was now tinged with a warm crimson glow.

The calm aura of a dignified lady transformed into a bubbling excitement like that of a giddy girl.

Karem suddenly couldn’t help but think how much the gods resembled humans, a rather rude thought even to himself.

‘No, one of them was human before ascending anyway.’

Excluding that, Skadi, now excited, was just as unrestrained as those housewives yelling at a soap opera plot twist, reminiscent of Tutatis’s reactions.

[So, is that the content of the pouch, the thing you’ve been yearning to consume again at every opportunity… the Amadeus, was it? I believe I heard it was a beverage—]

[I’ve told you countless times, it’s Amadeus!]

[What’s in a name? It’s only three letters off.]

[Warriors truly are something else.]

As Skadi cautiously opened the pouch, she shook her head, unable to contain her disbelief.

“Amadeus?”

Is that the name of the chocolate substitute (tentatively named)? Mozart’s title? No, given the context, it seemed more likely to be the name of the tree nurtured by Flora.

[Indeed. It’s a tree that only a Dryad enlightened by love can grow. Hmm, I thought it was only for drinking, but it can be made this way too.]

From the pouch, Skadi retrieved a brown, lumpy sphere coated with crushed nuts.

[This round cookie shape is a first for me.]

“I hear it was originally meant to be drunk?”

[Yes.]

Skadi, inspecting the chocolate in her hand, nodded with a smile.

[It was a beverage sweetened with whipped cream and honey.]

It was definitely a description of hot chocolate.

“Oh, I get what it feels like.”

[They say you had something like this in your past life?]

Tutatis, who had been annoyingly bored until now, suddenly perked up with interest.

[So you too have Dryads like that woman mentioned?]

“Uh, the past life’s ingredients were made by processing the seeds of tree fruits. The civilization that first discovered Amadeus consumed it as a beverage.”

As Skadi rolled the chocolate in her hands, curiosity sparked only to be followed by Karem’s next comment, which made her frown.

“They said they drank it like a tonic with pepper—”

[Good grief. Pepper in Amadeus? What kind of insulting recipe is that? Although I guess a tonic does have some similarities.]

Handing a piece of the new chocolate to Tutatis, Skadi began to entice his interest.

[It was also an aphrodisiac shared between lovers or couples before they made love.]

[Oh, this is surprisingly tasty?]

Tutatis, munching on the Rocher, suddenly froze in place.

Karem quickly grasped the reason.

Skadi stared at Tutatis like a predator eyeing its prey.

[Ahem. Well, I ate quite well. It reminded me of things I had forgotten. Let’s not linger here too long!]

The strong Tutatis, entirely at odds with his physique, fidgeted and bolted out of the Longhouse before anyone could respond.

[Honestly, who’s calling whom a clumsy fool?]

Skadi stifled a laugh, motioning to her mouth, before finally popping the chocolate she had rolled into her mouth.

Crunch—

[Hmm. How did you make this?]

“First, I wrapped finely ground hazelnuts mixed with Amadeus into a jam, coated it with a round cookie, and then rolled it in crushed almonds and more Amadeus to set.”

[So it’s solid food. It definitely feels new to chew on something I’ve only ever drunk.]

“I managed to recreate a famous high-quality Amadeus from my past life somewhat.”

It’s not exactly special; after all, it’s like the stuff you see in Ferrero Rocher.

Though not a perfect imitation, it was a similar rendition.

It was hard at times, but with divine power, it wasn’t that difficult.

Incorporating the rich hazelnut into a creamy, sticky spread, I found the optimal mixing ratio for all the ingredients, including Amadeus.

The crunchy cookie layer was finely crushed shortbread cookies mixed with a little butter, then set.

The outer shell was the easiest part.

“I wished to wrap it in thin gold foil.”

[Now that would definitely look unique and glamorous. But why?]

“If I had done that, Sir Atanitas or Mary would certainly notice.”

Given how she had been more observant than usual, peeking in and out of the greenhouse, Karem felt it was risky to draw more attention to himself here.

[Be careful when you gift it to your beloved.]

“Huh? What do you mean by that…?”

[Even a little consumption of Amadeus can sometimes lead some to become overly excited and hyper.]

Crisp. Skadi took a second Rocher, crunching into it as she lamented.

[Really, I wonder how a Dryad appeared in Alfred’s territory, son of Richard, but, how lucky we are.]

“How did she appear… A nameless traveler gifted the seeds—”

[Hmm? Seeds? What’s that about—]

“Yes?”

[Hmm?]

Something felt off in the rhythm of the conversation.

“Um, Skadi? Do you remember that holy relic?”

[Of course, I gifted it to you.]

“…That was a gift; it wasn’t a投]”gifted to me—”

“…Anyway, I believe it was given by that nameless traveler.”

Skadi blinked in disbelief as if the holy relic had somehow ended up in her hands.

[No, where on earth did he find the last Dryad’s seed to—]

“…Come to think of it, when the empire fell—”

Mary the brownie had said that Dryads became extinct too.

[Yes. Dryads were one of the most crucial races making up the fallen empire, Palatino.]

“Er…I can’t believe that cheerful servant would be so significant…”

Considering that the house fairy Mary excelled greatly in housework (though not entirely as there were fewer tasks nowadays), Dryads probably held similar strengths in their domains.

That Amadeus-like chocolate fruit tree had the capability to grow within a day.

[Sure, a third of the food the empire produced was due to the Dryad’s abilities. The problem is that the Demon King’s army knew this very well.]

“Then, the rumor that they went extinct due to the Demon King’s army is true—”

[It was a plot to disrupt the enemy’s food supply and provisions.]

Mew— a perplexing crow god suddenly approached.

Laina started to peck at the Rocher Skadi offered her.

[Well, still, your daughter Flora will have offspring, and although the capital may grow slowly, there’s no need to rush.]

“…I’ll make sure to attach a note when I serve food.”

For a moment, a tangled family tree popped into Karem’s mind, nearly distorting his face, but he somehow kept his composure.

Skadi lightly laughed, pointing it out.

[Don’t get too caught up in the concepts of your past life, Karem. You’re far from alone in this world, especially as a noble.]

“…I’ll do my best.”

It was challenging to reconcile a modern mentality with medieval sensitivities, but Karem decided to consider it seriously.

After all, Catherine was surprisingly much older than she appeared, having easily surpassed five times the age of her current life.

[Anyway, since I’ve received something beyond expectations, a gift should be in order.]

“Huh? You really mean that?”

[As a goddess, I received a treasure that exceeded my thoughts. If I don’t give an offering to my follower, it would seem excessively lacking in dignity, right?]

She gestured to search her bosom, tightening the entrance of the pouch full of Rochers.

[Above all, it’s unreasonable to exchange gifts between lovers with just snacks.]

“Eh? Gifts?”

[It’s nothing. It should remain as joy from that moment!]

The atmosphere was starting to shift to wrap up the gathering.

Karem slowly rose from his seat.

“But…how do I get back…?”

[Hmm? Get back? What do you mean?]

“Yes?”

Karem, caught off guard by Skadi’s reply, felt flustered.

[You have never left that spot.]

A fierce winter wind suddenly surged in.

The unexpected gust made Karem’s eyes close involuntarily.

Wait, it was indoors; why is there wind?

No time to think before the breeze abruptly ceased.

And in an instant, the surroundings transformed, just as they had when arriving at Isbide.

The crow deity, goddess, and the vintage New Longhouse’s intricate decor had vanished as if they were mere illusions.

Instead, participants of the coming-of-age ceremony, their guardians, Catherine and Mary, the Felwinter couple, Godwin, William, the campfire, and the searing heat radiating from it.

“…”

“Uh.”

No, the searing warmth was not just felt by his side.

“…Moments ago, the gust that surged?”

“Could it mean the winter queen has arrived?”

“Look down at your feet.”

In the chuckling crowd, Karem caught a voice that had slipped through.

He lowered his head.

The stone floor was blanketed with soft snow.

No, it wasn’t just snow; it was turned-up icicles, rather, ice stalagmites.

Clear crystalline ice was slowly melting under the heating glow of the campfire.

…Wait, this looks similar to what I saw in Isbide.

Skadi, Tutatis, Isbide.

The emptiness of the Rocher pouch, which felt as if it contained only air, proved to be all too real.

From his hollow chest, he felt something flat and round, resembling an alien coin.

No time to confirm, no focus to spare.

The murmuring grew louder.

[By the way, something similar happened during the coming-of-age ceremony years ago—]

“Old man, what do you mean by that?”

“You mean the goddess personally came because she was pleased with what Chef Karem offered her, right?”

Though his mind recovered, he stumbled with a headache for a different reason now.

People were indulging in their little conclusions without him.

What was ridiculous was that even Karem himself didn’t quite find fault with that line of thinking.

‘Ah, crap. Do I have to manage this now?’

How? As Karem thought about it, he decided to just give up.

Fine, whatever happens, happens.

“I really can’t believe such joyful events coincided this year.”

As Karem resolved to be magnanimous, Alfred suddenly strode forth, standing beside Karem as he turned to face the crowd.

“Last Wintersend, Tutatis personally came after being impressed by the skills of the blacksmith Hopain, who has now ventured on a journey he may never return from.”

Alfred’s remarks only amplified the ongoing murmurs.

“And this time, the king’s chef, Karem, received a personal visit from the god himself, who took the offering for himself. It’s rare to have the two gods of the Triune Religion grace us together in succession.”

Contrary to Karem’s hopes for the situation to calm, Alfred’s words continued to escalate the frenzy.

“Does the young man over there refer to the chef? I thought he was just a child.”

“What a rustic remark. It’s been ages since he was cursed to grow up.”

“You mean to say the master didn’t raise a child of his own preference?!”

“I’ve heard that too.”

Karem’s head started to throb with the crowd’s chatter.

Catherine seemed to be in a similar predicament, her expression before the crowd twisted into something almost unrecognizable.

“But the coming-of-age ceremony is still underway! Allow those ready to stand on their own in the world to calm their excitement!”

Alfred’s last words struck like a lightning bolt, cutting through the previously buzzing crowd.

However, Karem could feel it.

The warmth of gazes blazing upon him from either side and the back of his head.

After the gift and the reciprocation, the first course of action should be to make an escape.

 

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