After that, we prepared a temporary residence for Seira-chan.
She would be using a vacant house near the warehouse.
Everyone in town helped with the cleaning.
Of course, I didn’t use my God powers. I didn’t want to increase the “nose spaghetti” counter any further.
“Working made me hungry,” Lisia-chan said, holding her stomach.
“Shall we go to the mansion and have something made?”
I can’t exactly start handing out things I bought from KAMIZON, especially not in front of Seira.
“Heh heh. Leave it to me. This genius alchemist will whip up lunch in a flash!”
Seira says, puffing out her chest. We all move to the dining hall, which has a kitchen with magic stoves and other equipment.
“Shelljue! That thing!”
“As you wish, my lady.”
Shelljue, the handmaiden, produced a paper bag from thin air with a thud.
It seems this handmaiden has an Item Box.
“Seira, what’s in this paper bag?”
“It’s flour.”
Apparently, it’s just flour.
“Watch closely. I’ll put these ingredients, like flour, salt, and water, into the Alchemy Workshop!”
Shelljue took the materials out of her Item Box and put them into the box-shaped item floating in the air, the Alchemy Workshop.
“And then… ta-da! Isn’t it amazing!”
She reached into the box and pulled out a plate with…
“Wow…! It’s pasta!”
“S-Spaghetti…”
Seira-chan had somehow made spaghetti in an instant.
“Amazing, amazing! How did you do that?”
Lisia-chan praised her, and Seira-chan said with a very smug look on her face.
“It’s alchemy. Alchemy and cooking have such a close relationship that it’s said alchemy was born from the kitchen.”
So, in that they both combine materials to create something new, cooking and alchemy are similar.
Even so, being able to make a dish in an instant if you have the ingredients is just too convenient.
And Seira made the sauce in an instant too.
In no time at all, lunch was ready for everyone (including Grandpa and the others).
We laid out a rug, and it was time for everyone to eat lunch.
“The preparations are complete, Mika-sama?”
Luciel grinned.
Preparations…
In other words, she wants me to do the nose spaghetti trick!?
“There’s no way I can do that. What do you think I am?”
“Just kidding. I don’t think you can eat spaghetti with your nose.”
“Oh, it was a joke…”
“Of course, right? There’s no way a human can eat spaghetti with their nose…”
Luciel trailed off mid-sentence.
“…Though, saying it myself, Mika-sama isn’t human… I thought, maybe…”
“Huh? No way, no way! There’s no way I can eat spaghetti with my nose!”
“Absolutely?”
“Absolutely, absolutely! It’s impossible!”
Now then.
On the plate, there’s a delicious-looking pasta covered in tomato sauce.
“Mochi-mochi and delicious-desu~♡”
Lisia-chan munches on the pasta Seira made.
It seems to be fresh pasta.
“Seira-chan is amazing at alchemy and cooking. I admire you so much~♡”
“Fuffuffun! Right~? Eat up, eat up. There’s plenty for seconds!”
The villagers were also happily eating Seira’s pasta.
Luciel was eating with complete focus.
Amazing. A cooking girl. I admire her.
I can cook too, but it’s more like just grilling, boiling, or frying…
I can only do simple cooking.
I never imagined making pasta from scratch. Seira is quite the chef.
“Well then… shall I eat too?”
First, let’s start with the aroma.
I bring my face closer to the plate, close my eyes, and take a sniff.
Mmm, the lovely scent of tomatoes.
Now that I’ve enjoyed the aroma…
“Whaaaaaaaaaat!?”
The pasta that was supposed to be in front of me… it’s, it’s gone!?
“M-Mika-sama… the, the spaghetti… it’s gone…”
Luciel, who was eating next to me, was in shock.
“Mother, did you already eat it?”
Lisia-chan asks, tilting her head in confusion.
No, no, no!
I haven’t even eaten it yet!?
“I’ve only enjoyed the aroma so far…”
I was just smelling it, and it disappeared… like what!?
“No way… Mika-sama… did you really eat the spaghetti with your nose…”
“No, no, no, no! There’s no way! I can’t do that!”
“But Mika-sama can’t control her own power…”
Then…
Clunk… a single stone fell in front of me.
“What… is this stone…?”
It’s a palm-sized stone, a bit on the larger side.
It’s a smooth sphere, and its color is… gold.
“Th-th-that isssssssssssssssssssssssss!?”
Suddenly, Seira-chan shouts.
Then, she approaches and brings her face close to the object in my hand.
“No doubt about it…! That’s… the Philosopher’s Stone!?”
“Mika-sama! What in the world have you done?!”
“Why is it always me…”
“When something incomprehensible happens, it’s usually because you’ve done something!”
I can’t argue with that…!
When there’s something I don’t understand, the best thing to do is check with the Omniscient and Omnipotent (Internet).
～～～～～～
Reason why the Philosopher’s Stone appeared
→ Because an offering was made to God
～～～～～～
“An offering… to God…?”
Luciel and I tilted our heads in confusion.
God… that’s probably referring to me.
But what’s a tribute…?
“Mika-God… could it be, this lunch…?”
“This is the tribute!?”
“Yes. That’s the only explanation…”
～～～～～～
Offering:
→The act of offering a tribute to a God. Receiving blessings from God.
～～～～～～
This is it!
Huh, so… if they offer me a tribute, items like that will drop…?
“It’s a gacha! That’s what it is!”
“Huh…?” “Cha…?”
Lisia-chan and Luciel tilted their heads.
Meanwhile, Seira-chan looked perplexed.
“Why is the Philosopher’s Stone here…? Even I’ve never made one, how is a legendary object here…?”
Ah… well… yeah.
“It seems that it belongs to you.”
“Haaah!? What do you mean!?”
“I wonder what it means?”
“This makes no sense at allllllllllllllllllllllllll!”
Seira-chan screams while holding the Philosopher’s Stone.
“W-well, well. Isn’t it great? It’s the pinnacle of alchemy, right? You should be happy to receive it, right?”
“Even if it came out of nowhere, receiving something with an unknown origin isn’t something to be happy about, it’s just creepy!!!!!!”
Yeah, that’s true…
“Umm, umm…”
What should I do…
Then, Luciel clears her throat.
“Ahem. Seira-dono. That is… I believe it is a gift that our revered Nagano God has bestowed upon you.”
“Huh…? What’s this Nagano God?”
“It is the name of a God secretly worshipped in the Dead End. The God occasionally, on a whim, brings us misfortune… ahem, blessings. Isn’t that right, Mika-kami-dono?”
So that’s it… They’re trying to get through this by saying all these strange occurrences are the work of the Nagano God (a different person from me).
“Y-yes, yes. It’s because we made offerings to the Nagano God, you see. This is probably a thank you gift.”
Seira looked unconvinced.
“I suppose so. Gods do exist, after all. Like the Creator God Noir, or the Saint Goddess Kirielite.”
Good. This world has a worldview where Gods exist.
“I’m also a believer of the Alchemy God, Seyfert-sama. I see… so you believe in your own Gods here. And the Gods bestow blessings.”
“Y-yes, that’s right…”
“Hmm… a God who gives out Philosopher’s Stones, how generous!”
“Well, it’s not that much… ouch, ouch, ouch.”
Luciel pinched my side.
She said with a smile, “…Shalap,” in a small voice.
“I’m sorry.”
“……..”
Luciel held up three fingers.
“One was subtracted, and one was added.”
Is the nose-boop counter still going!?