第８１３堀：田舎発展物語 準備 (Part2)
With that, we stepped out of the bath and into the hallway, only to be met with...
"I’m telling you, coffee milk is the undisputed king!"
"Don't be ridiculous. Plain milk is the only way to go."
"...I, um, I like plain milk too."
Mikos and the others were making quite a racket.
"What are they so worked up about? Well, I suppose I don't need to ask."
"Indeed. It’s a classic, fruitless debate."
What is the best drink to have after a bath? It is an eternal mystery of mankind, a divide as deep and unbridgeable as the war between mushroom and bamboo-shoot snacks. And yet, it is precisely these kinds of petty squabbles that push humanity toward its next stage of evolution.
As I stood there pondering this, Enora approached us.
"...You both look awfully philosophical. Yuki, Taiki. Did you have these kinds of arguments back in Japan, too?"
"All the time. Milk, coffee milk, fruit milk—sometimes even cola."
"Well, cola is a bit of an outlier, but the post-bath milk debate was definitely a source of many heated arguments."
"Lately, people have been pushing yogurt-based drinks for the health benefits, too."
"Exactly. It just goes to show that humanity is evolving every day."
"...Where exactly are you finding evidence of human evolution in that...?"
Enora looked at me with utter disbelief, but...
"It’s better to argue over things like this. I’d much rather have this than people killing each other."
"Exactly. As long as we're just bickering over which drink is best, the world is at peace, right?"
"...I suppose you have a point."
"So, Enora, which one do you prefer?"
"Let’s see... I think I’m a fruit milk person."
I see. Enora chose the newcomer of the three. Perhaps that answer reached the ears of the three combatants, because...
"Hey!! Enora, surely you mean Mikos-chan’s coffee milk!?"
"No way! It’s obviously the plain milk that Solo and I prefer!"
"That’s right. Plain milk is simple and the most delicious!"
The three of them closed in on her, and naturally, Enora took a step back.
"What do you think? Watching this kind of conflict from the sidelines?"
"Honestly? It looks pathetic."
"Exactly. That’s how we learn the futility of war."
Well, these kinds of arguments never last long, anyway...
"If you're out of the bath, stop making so much noise!"
*Thwack! Thud! Bam!*
Deryu, having just emerged from the bath, delivered a swift knuckle to the heads of all three. I won't mention that the different sounds of the impacts made me wonder about the varying density of their brains.
"Owwwww!?"
"Honestly, what are you playing at? And Yuki, don't just stand there watching—stop them."
"You say that, but you’ve been down this road yourself, Deryu. I just thought this was part of the human growth process."
"Oh, stop with the pseudo-philosophical nonsense. You’re just enjoying the show, aren't you? Don't go sowing new seeds of discord just for your own amusement. More importantly, have you finished checking the supplies?"
"Yeah, that’s all done. All that’s left is the cooking and the venue setup, which is up to Kirue and the others..."
"Do not worry. Everything is proceeding without a hitch."
"Right this way, everyone!"
Before I could even finish, Kirue and Sasari appeared, reporting that everything was already handled. They truly are super-maids, but...
"Kirue, Sasari—you two could have taken a relaxing bath with us, you know."
I felt guilty that we were lounging around while leaving the most demanding tasks to them. Just because they’re maids doesn’t mean I should be overworking them. However, being super-maids...
"No, we have preparations for tomorrow to attend to, so we are fine for later."
"Yuki-sama is kind, but the way Weed is perceived depends entirely on tomorrow’s hospitality. As maids representing Weed, we cannot afford to cut corners."
"Sasari is right, Yuki-sama. This is our chance to show the New Continent the true capability of Weed. Even if it is a rural town, it is Mikos-sama’s home. To cut corners would be disrespectful to her and Baron Jarna, and would only cause him unnecessary anxiety."
"...Kirue, Sasari is right. But don't push yourselves too hard, alright?"
"Yes."
"We’ll be fine. We’ll take our time when the work is done. Oh, and there is one thing we need your help with."
"What is it?"
"We were hoping you could ask Mikos-sama to teach us some local dishes."
"Even though we are greeting them with Weed’s hospitality, it is important to have dishes they are familiar with, just in case our food doesn't suit their palate."
That request made perfect sense, so without hesitation...
"Mikos, would you mind teaching us some local recipes?"
"Ouch... wait, what? Cooking?"
"Yeah, we thought it would be safer to have some local dishes on hand, just in case."
"I doubt that will be necessary, but very well."
And so, the preparations for tomorrow continued to move forward steadily.