The Roxfall family doesnโt have a dedicated cook. Sarah , the maid, prepares the meals, her granddaughter Lara helps her, and Johnson, the butler, serves the dishes.
Lord Roxfall sits at the head of the table, while my mother and I sit across from each other, with him between us.
โIt may not compare to the meals of the Lightstar family, but Iโll do my best to make you feel welcome. Welcome to Ashwood.โ
The dishes on the table are simple, but that suits me just fine.
At the Lightstar family, even the detached house had a cook to prepare meals. But those meals often felt like French cuisine, with strict etiquette that made dining tense.
โNo, weโre grateful just to have a place to live and food to eat.โ
โThank you very much.โ
For my mother, who had endured harsh conditions as a former slave, just having a large home and proper meals must feel like a blessing.
Thinking back to my earliest memories, this is a world apart from those times, so I have no complaints.
โWe havenโt formalized it yet, but the two of you are part of my family now. No need for such formal language; please feel free to be more casual with me.โ
โโฆUnderstood. Iโll try to act as a wife from now on. But I may need some time to adjust my speech, so please bear with me.โ
โOf course. And as for you, Thomasโno, letโs just say that youโre my son now. Donโt call me Lord Roxfall. Please, call me Father.โ
Calling him โFatherโ right away feels a bit difficultโฆ
โโฆMay I address you as โFatherโ instead?โ
โFair enough. Someday, though, I hope youโll call me Father.โ
โIโll try my best.โ
โAlright then, letโs eat! In gratitude to the goddess of harvest, Nyrgnede.โ
โIn gratitude to the goddess of harvest, Nyrgnede.โ
Nyrgnede is the goddess of harvest and the principal deity. In this kingdom of Kuldia, the polytheistic Nyrgnede faith is widely practiced, and Lord Roxfall is a follower as well.
For me, the only god I recognize in this world is โThe One Whose Name Was Taken and Forgotten.โ I consider the other gods accomplices of that wretched being. So, I donโt say words of gratitude to Nyrgnede.
โItadakimasu.โ
This is the only phrase I say aloud. Even if I donโt offer thanks to Nyrgnede, I am grateful to those who cultivated or hunted the food, and to the ingredients that now nourish me.
Johnson, the butler, carves a roast bird for us. Itโs seasoned simply with salt and herbs to remove any gamey odor, but itโs delicious.
โThis meat is amazing.โ
โItโs from a magical bird called a Lightning Bird.โ
โWait, magical bird meat?โ
โI take it the Lightstar marquess family didnโt serve monster meat. Here, however, itโs quite common, so I hope youโll get used to it.โ
โHonestly, itโs much tastier than the meat we ate in that mansion.โ
โIโm glad to hear that! Go ahead, eat as much as you like.โ
The meat is firm and has a great chewiness, but the more I chew, the more juices come out. And that sweetness in the juice harmonizes perfectly with the salt.
โTomorrow, weโll go to the temple to formally complete the marriage and adoption processes. Be prepared.โ
โUnderstood. Thank you very much.โ
โYes.โ
Lord Roxfallโฆno, Father, truly seems like a kind person. Iโm sure heโll make Mother happy. Iโm so glad.
The next day, we headed to the temple.
Though it was a small building in a small village, it was well-kept. The garden was weeded, showing the villagersโ devotion.
The temple was a stone building, but it reminded me of a Japanese shrine. Maybe it was the atmosphere.
Inside, there were statues of the godsโthirteen in total. Aside from the chief deity Nyrgnede, there were eleven great gods. But why are there thirteen statues?
โAliusha and I will handle the paperwork. Thomas, would you like to come with us?โ
โIโll wait here.โ
Father and Mother went with the priest into the back room.
There were four villagers praying. They briefly nodded to Father before returning to their prayers. I took this time to examine each statue.
โTch.โ
The space god Tiraia. Heโs also one of the great gods. I knew of him from the books at the Lightstar marquess family, but seeing his statue stirs anger within me. This statue looks eerily like that despicable person. Hatred wells up from deep within me.
โJust wait. Iโll defeat you one day.โ
I muttered a curse-filled whisper, ensuring no one could hear me.
Looking at the other statues, I noticed the thirteenth statue had no face. There should only be statues of the chief deity and the great gods, yet there were thirteen. The thirteenth statue was faceless, and the pedestal where the godโs name should be carved was scratched away.
I realized this must be the statue of โThe One Whose Name Was Taken and Forgotten.โ Iโm not sure why, but I just knew.
My level isnโt yet at a hundred. But kneeling before this statue, I offered a prayer.
Just relying on my abilities doesnโt raise my level easily anymore. But reaching level one hundred is only a stepping stone. After seeing Fatherโs level of three hundred and twenty, I canโt help but feel that way.
โThomas, weโre heading home.โ
โYes.โ
This was just to introduce myself. When I reach level one hundred, Iโll come again.