Chapter 106:
– Haru –
I hustled back and forth behind the counter, serving up plate after plate of food—crispy bacon, sunny-side-up eggs, thick stacks of pancakes, golden waffles dripping with syrup, fresh-baked muffins, and even more dishes than I could count.
The kitchen smelled amazing, and the whole restaurant buzzed with the sound of people chatting and forks clinking. Whenever I had new customers, I always went a little overboard.
It was my way of showing off, I guess.
Vicky was floating a few feet above the floor, legs crossed like she was sitting in an invisible chair, her long blond hair drifting around her shoulders. She munched on a crispy strip of bacon with a big, smug grin, bits of crumb sticking to the corner of her mouth. Every few seconds she'd toss out a cheeky comment to anyone who'd listen—or even just herself.
Her sister, Amy, was over at one of the corner tables, sitting across from Alicia, one of the new French twins. Amy looked much more alert than usual as she chatted with Alicia. Was that a blush on her cheeks?
Meanwhile, the other French twin—Maelle, I was pretty sure—had claimed a seat at the bar, right next to Verso. Verso looked painfully awkward, stiff as a board as he picked at his breakfast. He kept sneaking nervous glances sideways at Maelle, like he was just waiting for her to try to kick him again.
Every time their eyes met, she just smirked and took another long sip from her orange juice.
I couldn't help but snort at the sight.
"You could make this easier if you just talked…" she said.
"I'm sorry, but I can't…" he replied.
At the main counter, Ranni was perched elegantly on a stool, her posture perfect, each movement slow and deliberate. For the first time ever, she was actually eating my food in person—her four graceful arms moving in harmony as she sampled every bite.
Her manners were impeccable, as expected of a princess turned witch turned goddess.
I thought back to all the times I'd left out plates for her before I knew what she really looked like. The food always vanished, so I'd just assumed she was the one eating it.
But if she only recently gave herself a flesh-and-blood body, that obviously hadn't been the case.
Curiosity got the better of me, so I leaned in and asked, "So… if you only just made yourself a body, who the hell's been eating all the food I left out for you this whole time?"
Ranni's blue cheeks instantly flushed a deeper purple, and she looked away, obviously embarrassed. "That… would be my mother," she admitted…
My fox ears perked up in surprise. "Your mother? What's she like?"
And was it rude I hadn't even considered the fact that she'd obviously have a family of her own?
Ranni hesitated, her four hands fidgeting with the edge of her plate. "She hath not been well in many years. Her mind drifts, her spirit unsettled. But as of late, she is improved. Much of it is thanks to thine cooking, my beloved. I have brought her the food thou prepared for me, and it hath brought her comfort and some clarity again..."
Ranni's mom had some kind of mental illness? She hadn't mentioned any of this on the Moon. She seemed a bit uncomfortable, though, so I dropped the topic for now. But if my cooking helped her mom, of course, I'd keep making more!
Kunou was sitting right next to Tanya, working her way through a mountain of scrambled eggs, toast, and sausage. All her fox tails swayed back and forth behind her.
I could tell by the way she kept glancing at the door, then back at her plate, that she was torn between savoring every bite of my food and rushing through breakfast so she could run off to whatever mischief she had planned next.
Tanya shot Kunou a withering pout, the kind only an exhausted teenager could manage, but of course Kunou just ignored her and kept shoveling food into her mouth. It took less than a minute before she started coughing and then flat-out choking, her face turning red as she pounded her little fist on the wooden counter so hard that the whole bar rattled and a hairline crack appeared in the finish. The thumping echoed through the restaurant and more than a few people stopped eating to stare.
Tanya groaned and started to stand, ready to help, but before she could even move, Ranni calmly intervened.
The witch gave Kunou a sharp look. "Choking and gobbling thy breakfast in such haste is hardly befitting a princess, little one." Ranni lifted one of her four hands and snapped her fingers.
Instantly, Kunou stopped choking, her airway magically cleared.
Kunou's face lit up as she looked at Ranni, beaming with absolute joy. "Thank you, Nee-chan!" she said, her voice bright and sincere. "It's so good to see you again! I'm really happy you finally decided to visit the restaurant for real, Ranni-onee-chan!"
That jogged a memory—Ranni had actually shown up here once before, but that time, she'd made me leave the room first. It was annoying that my little sister got to see what Ranni looked like before me. And Kunou surprisingly kept her mouth shut this whole time about all the details.
Ranni smiled back at Kunou. "Dost thou like my new body, little one?"
Kunou tilted her head, a puzzled look on her face. "New body? You look the same to me, Ranni-onee-chan."
Ranni let out a soft giggle. "That is fair, but the last time we met, I was in the body of a puppet, not a real one."
Kunou nodded slowly, acting like she understood, but I could tell by the way her ears drooped a little that she probably didn't get it at all. Then Kunou blurted out, "So does that mean Ranni-nee-chan didn't have to poop before, but now she does…?"
The whole counter went quiet for a second, and I had to bite my lip to keep from cracking up.
Ranni fixed Kunou with a look that was half stern and half exasperated, her tone sharp but not truly angry. "Such vulgar questions are quite beneath a princess, little one!"
Kunou, completely unfazed, just grinned mischievously and fired right back, "But you didn't say no, Ranni-onee-chan!"
Before the little fox girl could dig herself a deeper hole, Tanya quickly wrapped her arms around Kunou from behind and clamped a hand firmly over her mouth. "Sorry, Lady Ranni!" Tanya said, bowing her head with a nervous smile. "She's got no filter in the mornings."
Kunou whined and squirmed, trying to break free, but Tanya wasn't having it. Ranni just waved it off, looking more amused than offended. "'Tis all right, young Tanya. Kunou is but a child, and the beloved little sister of my consort. I expect no less mischief from her...."
"Stop licking my hand! I'm not letting you go until you promise to be good and not upset any more powerful goddesses!" Tanya said as Kunou struggled.
Kunou's tails twitched and she finally stopped struggling. After a second, Tanya let her go, and Kunou mumbled, "Fine, I'll be good..." None of us really bought it for a second—her sly smirk and those swaying tails gave her away. But her face was too cute to stay mad at, and even Ranni gave her a gentle, forgiving smile.
Kunou hopped off her stool and skipped over toward Maelle and Verso, her fluffy tails bouncing behind her as she went. She tilted her head back to stare up at them with wide, curious eyes. "Hi, I'm Kunou!" she announced cheerfully.
Maelle shifted on her stool, looking slightly uncomfortable. "Um, yes, I know. You introduced yourself earlier," she reminded the little fox girl gently.
"Yeah, but I didn't get to talk to the guy you kicked in the nuts yet," Kunou replied bluntly, looking straight at Verso. "Hey old guy, what's your name?"
Was she calling him old because he had white streaks in his hair?
Verso's shoulders slumped a bit, and he mumbled sadly under his breath, "Old guy? Really? I'm not that old, you know. I'll have you know I'm only in my 70s."
The whole room seemed to go quiet for a second as everyone turned to stare at Verso in surprise.
Vicky floated closer, leaning forward eagerly. "No way! You're really in your 70s? What's your secret, dude? Do you have your own personal Amy to keep you young and good-looking, too?"
From the corner table, Amy let out a huff and rolled her eyes as Alicia giggled beside her.
"I am not your personal beauty spa, Vicky! Seriously, just because I can heal you doesn't mean you get free skincare whenever you want."
Vicky floated right up in front of her sister, her hands clasped together pleadingly. "Aw, come on, Ames! You totally are my personal beauty spa. Who else is gonna keep me looking this good forever?" She flipped her long blonde hair dramatically for effect, grinning at Amy's exasperation.
Amy rolled her eyes even harder, giving an exaggerated sigh. "Maybe someone who doesn't wake me up at three in the morning asking me to 'fix' a pimple that literally no one can even see!"
The two sisters started bickering back and forth, their voices blending into the background noise of the restaurant.
With an amused smile, I turned my attention back toward Kunou and Maelle, curious to see how their interaction was unfolding.
Kunou hopped excitedly next to Maelle, practically bouncing on her toes as she asked, "Hey, Maelle-chan, are you done eating yet? It's supposed to be adventure time!"
Maelle blinked in confusion, carefully setting down her glass of orange juice. "Adventure time? You mentioned that before, but I still don't really know what you mean."
Kunou gave her a bright, toothy smile, waving her hands dramatically in the air. "We're gonna go out and explore this world, silly! We have to find cool stuff to bring back as presents for Myrcella-chan!"
Maelle tilted her head, clearly puzzled. "Myrcella-chan? Who's that?"
"Myrcella-chan is one of my best friends!" Kunou explained, bouncing lightly on her heels. "She's a real-life fairy tale princess—like, an actual princess with a castle and everything—but her mom is kinda crazy. Like, really, really crazy. Although she has been getting a bit better I suppose. But that doesn't matter, Myrcella-chan isn't very strong, so she usually can't come along when I wanna play in dangerous places with Tanya-chan!"
Tanya let out a loud, exaggerated sigh from nearby, rolling her eyes dramatically. "As your guard, Kunou-sama, my job is literally supposed to be keeping you away from dangerous places," she grumbled. "But at this point, I've just accepted that's completely impossible." Her head dipped down and rested on the cracked bar counter...
Kunou giggled mischievously, sticking her tongue out at Tanya. "You love it, Tanya-chan! Admit it—you have way more fun coming with me on adventures than standing around being boring!"
"That's debatable..." Tanya's voice was muffled with her face on the counter.
Verso, who had obviously been listening in, suddenly spoke up, his voice filled with shock and concern. "Wait—you absolutely cannot go to the continent, little fox girl! It's far too dangerous!"
Kunou tilted her head, looking up at him with wide, curious eyes. "Why not? What's wrong with it?"
I already knew exactly how this conversation was going to end, but clearly, Verso didn't.
He nodded seriously, oblivious to Kunou's growing excitement as he began to explain. "The continent is extremely dangerous," he said gravely, his expression stern. "It's filled with gigantic monsters that could swallow you whole, dangers around every corner, and strange, unpredictable magics. Countless powerful explorers have met their end there, and I promise you, it's no place for a little girl!"
With every word he spoke, Kunou's golden eyes grew wider and brighter. Her small body trembled—not from fear, but from barely contained excitement. Her fox ears twitched energetically atop her head, and her nine fluffy tails swung wildly behind her, like a puppy hearing the promise of treats and playtime.
"Giant monsters? Strange magics? Epic quests and danger?" she echoed breathlessly, practically bouncing with enthusiasm. "That sounds amazing! Tanya-chan, we definitely have to go now!"
Verso's expression shifted to confusion, realizing too late that his warnings had achieved the opposite effect. "Wait, no—that's not what I—"
"Too late!" Kunou said, sticking her tongue out. "You can't stop me—I mean us! I'm absolutely, definitely going now!" Kunou suddenly grabbed Maelle's hand, almost pulling her right off her stool. "Come on, let's go already! Adventure waits for no one!" she said, tugging insistently with an excited grin on her face.
Maelle stumbled a little, her eyes wide and surprised. "W-wait, little fox girl! I can't just leave Lumiere without the rest of the expedition. It wouldn't be right to go off on our own!"
Kunou frowned dramatically, sticking her bottom lip out in an exaggerated pout. "Expedition? I don't even know what that means, but it sounds super boring! Trust me, we'll be way better off just the three of us. Me, you, and Tanya-chan!"
From her seat at the counter, Tanya groaned loudly, her forehead still resting against the polished wood. "I was really hoping to at least finish my coffee, but I guess that's not happening." She sighed, pushing herself upright and stretching her arms over her head. "Fine, let's get this over with."
Verso suddenly stood up, his chair scraping sharply against the floor, drawing everyone's attention. His face was serious and tense. "Wait—Kunou...right? You can't take Maelle with you—it's too dangerous on the continent right now, especially for my sister!"
Maelle's eyes flew open, her mouth dropping slightly. She turned sharply toward Verso, confusion clear on her face. "Wait—what? What do you mean, your sister!?" she demanded. "Is that true!?"
Verso stuttered, clearly not meaning to let that slip. His face turned bright red, and he opened his mouth a few times like a fish out of water, searching for words.
I leaned my elbows comfortably on the counter. My restaurant always had the best drama. Who needed TV when I had all this?
Maelle stared at Verso intently, her eyes sharp and full of questions, clearly expecting him to give her some kind of explanation right away.
"I... uh, well, you see—" Verso tried to say, his voice strained and nervous. But before he could get anything else out, Maelle suddenly let out a startled yelp!
Kunou, who apparently had zero patience for family drama, had literally picked Maelle up like she was nothing more than a sack of potatoes and flung her over her shoulder. Maelle kicked her legs wildly and beat her fists against Kunou's back, shrieking loudly, "Hey! Put me down right now, you little monster!"
Kunou ignored her completely, her fluffy tails swaying behind her excitedly as she sprinted towards the restaurant's front door. "Sorry, but family drama's boring! Adventure time comes first!"
The door slammed behind her.
Tanya shot me a serious look. "Don't worry, Haru-niisan. I'll keep Kunou-hime safe," she assured me.
I gave Tanya a warm smile. She never failed to get the job done, no matter how difficult Kunou made things. At this point, Tanya was basically my second little sister.
She smacked my hand away when I ruffled her hair, telling them to be safe and call me if something went wrong.
What did surprise me, though, was Ranni gracefully rising from her stool. She adjusted her robes before calmly stating, "I shall accompany them as well, just to ensure my sister-in-law's safety. Though this world now lies beneath the gentle light of my moon, the old man speaketh truth—it remains perilous still."
Verso grumbled under his breath at her comment, his cheeks still flushed with embarrassment. "I am not old!" he muttered irritably, crossing his arms. He narrowed his eyes at Ranni curiously and asked, "And exactly how old are you supposed to be, anyway, goddess or not?"
I winced slightly at his question. Someone clearly never taught him the universal rule: never, under any circumstances, ask a woman her age—especially a witch goddess.
"Wait—that came out wrong!" Verso seemed to realize the danger he was in only after the words left his mouth. His eyes went wide, and he actually started to flinch backward, but it was already too late. Even Alicia, who was sitting at the table with Amy and Vicky, gave him a pitying look. Amy let out a soft whistle, and Vicky winced as if she could already feel the secondhand pain.
A couple of other customers, still hunched over their breakfasts, glanced up from their plates and grimaced in sympathy.
Verso stammered, raising his hands defensively. "M-my apologies, my lady, I just—"
He didn't even get to finish. Ranni moved faster than I'd ever seen anyone move—even Milim! She blurred and then delivered a sharp, precise kick right between Verso's legs.
He let out a high, choked squeak, his eyes bulging as he doubled over and dropped to his knees. "Why my balls again..." he groaned, his voice cracking with pain.
I hopped over the counter, landing with a soft thud next to Verso, who was still curled up and groaning. I gave his shoulder a couple of sympathetic pats. Up close, Verso was a weird mix—he looked both old and young at the same time.
Or maybe it was just all the scars and the TIRED look he had in his eyes...
He managed to squint up at me through the pain and asked, "Is your restaurant always this rowdy? Or is it just my bad luck? And why does getting hit here hurt MORE than getting cut in half?"
I scratched my cheek, thinking about it, my golden eyes narrowing. I had to be honest. "Kind of... Yeah. This is pretty normal, actually."
Right then, as if the universe was out to prove my point, the front door flew open with a bang.
Rimuru strolled in, followed by Milim. That was sort of new. Those two were from the same world, but I didn't know they really hung out.
Milim spotted me immediately and bounced over with a giant grin. "Haru! My bestie and future husband! I'm here for food!" she yelled, way too loud for this early in the morning.
But then Milim froze, every muscle tensing up as her eyes locked with Ranni's own eyes. For a second, it felt like the whole room was holding its breath, waiting to see who would make the first move.
"Wha—?" Milim was about to say.
"Hmph!" Ranni just lifted her chin and walked right past Milim and Rimuru. She walked out the front door to follow after my little sisters and Maelle—who they had kidnapped to play with them I guess?
Milim stomped over to me, each step heavy enough to make the dishes on nearby tables wobble slightly. Rimuru trailed behind her, already reverted into his slime form, his jelly-like body quivering nervously as if sensing the tension radiating off Milim.
"Haru!" Milim demanded loudly, puffing her cheeks out in a pout. Her eyes glistened fiercely with both curiosity and frustration. "Who the heck was that scary, blue, four-armed lady!? She made me feel... weird! Like my dad used to make me feel before he died—like I was in trouble or danger or something!"
Rimuru's slime body rippled dramatically, his eyes widening in alarm. "Eeeeeehhh!? But wasn't your dad supposed to be—" He quickly snapped his non-existent mouth shut, clearly deciding that finishing that thought was not worth the risk.
I smiled, running my hand through my messy blonde hair as I tried to calm things down. "That's Ranni..."
"Oh? Why are you smiling just mentioning her name?" Rimuru asked teasingly before slinking away a bit as Milim turned her glare towards him.
"She's the one who made it possible for my restaurant to reach out to all these different worlds. Without her, none of this would have ever happened..." I explained.
Milim frowned deeply, clearly weighing my words in her mind. Sometimes she could be childish but other times she was very smart. "Fine," she finally huffed, her voice reluctantly softening. "I guess I can try to be nice because I got to meet you, but she's still really scary!"
Rimuru nodded eagerly, his slime body wobbling in agreement. "Great Sage told me that if I teamed up with Milim to fight her, we'd both die..."
"That's not true! I would totally win!" Milim huffed. She then averted her gaze from us slightly because she was not a great liar.
"...Hey everyone, what's going on?" My girlfriend, Naruko, called out sleepily as she emerged from the back door that led down the hallway towards my small apartment. She rubbed her eyes and yawned, stretching her arms high above her head, making her loose-fitting pajamas shift and reveal a bit of her toned stomach. Her beautiful red hair was tousled into an adorable mess, strands sticking out in every direction—classic bedhead.
Her fluffy red foxtails dragged lazily across the polished wooden floor behind her, barely lifting as she slowly walked toward us, clearly still exhausted. Her purple eyes were half-open, still glazed with sleep, but a warm smile spread across her lips when our eyes met.
I couldn't help but grin back, feeling just a little proud of myself. I'd definitely worn her out last night.
A sudden popping noise distracted me as Rimuru switched back into his human-looking form. He flashed me a mischievous grin and a thumbs-up, obviously knowing exactly why Naruko looked so tired.
I rolled my eyes but chuckled lightly.
"Why do you look so tired, Naruko-chan? Did you not sleep well or something?" Milim asked, although from the glint in her eyes, she definitely knew what happened as well. I'd almost forgotten that Milim had been given the talk…
Naruko's cheeks flushed slightly, matching the fiery hue of her hair. She cleared her throat, looking away awkwardly for a moment. "Um, yeah, something like that," she replied sheepishly, glancing toward me with a playful accusation in her eyes that made me grin even wider. And then she once again asked what we were discussing and "why is there a guy on the ground holding his nuts?"
– The Curator –
(Big game spoilers here…)
It had failed…
Renoir Dessendre didn't know what had happened. It had been so many long, lonely years trapped inside this painting, a beautifully crafted prison his own son had imagined. His heart ached each day, desperately trying to reach through to his wife, hoping she would finally listen and understand that none of this was real. That their true family, their daughters, waited for them outside this colorful but cruel canvas.
For so many years, it had become routine: battling her stubbornness, trying to break her illusion by slowly erasing the false inhabitants of this painted world. Each time he summoned his power, the sky would darken and the air trembled, and he watched as the 'fake' inhabitants of Lumiere vanished, one year at a time.
Yet his wife always resisted, her will strong enough to sustain this world despite my best efforts.
But calling these people 'fake' wasn't completely accurate, he had to admit. The people, animals, and even the gestrels—strange, gentle creatures his son had created—were real enough in their emotions, hopes, and fears.
Renoir saw their joy and sorrow clearly each year they came with their expeditions to defeat his wife.
And yet, none of these people possessed souls like those in the real world. They weren't meant to last, they were meant to be temporary. Just beautiful illusions crafted from paint and dreams.
Or at least, that's how it had always been—until now.
Something had changed. A force he couldn't understand had blocked his powers completely!
His annual attempt to erase more of these painting-born beings had failed utterly! And it wasn't his wife's doing either!
The Curator slowly left his painted mansion, stopping at the doorway. It always hurt him to leave, because even though the mansion looked nice with bright colors and familiar rooms, it reminded him of the life he missed so badly. Every room, every painted detail, made him wish for something real again.
Taking a deep breath, he stepped outside onto the painted land. He immediately froze, feeling confused. Right in front of him, a small rabbit hopped gently across the grass. Its fur shined beautifully, and it moved so naturally that he almost forgot it was painted. But that wasn't the surprising part—it was the small, gentle glow of a soul inside the rabbit that shocked him.
"That…that can't be," Renoir murmured in disbelief, his voice trembling slightly. The rabbit paused, looking curiously back at him before scampering away into the painted brush.
His mind spun wildly, trying to comprehend how such a thing was possible?
Then Renoir heard loud, joyful shouts echoing above him, snapping him out of his confusion. He tilted his head up and stared, eyes wide with disbelief. High above, racing across the bright, painted sky, was an enormous fox—a creature he had never seen in this world before. Its body stretched at least thirty feet, shimmering golden fur glowing brilliantly in the sun. Nine magnificent tails trailed behind it, each blazing brightly with intense blue flames that crackled and sparked, leaving a glowing trail in the air.
His breath caught in his throat when he sensed the overwhelming strength of the fox's soul, impossibly powerful and so vivid! Like a raging blue flamed bonfire that could never be extinguished.
But even more shocking was who was riding on top of the enormous beast: his daughter. His real one, he was sure. Beside her sat another girl, clearly also a real human.
"My daughter? A real human girl? Here? How... what the hell is going on?!"
Renoir knew he needed answers, and quickly. His mind raced, filled with confusion and worry. How had Alicia found her way into this painting? And if she was here, how were other humans—and even creatures he'd never imagined—managing to enter as well? The rules he had relied on for so long seemed to be breaking apart in front of his eyes.
Even worse, he thought anxiously, what would happen now that every creature and person inside this canvas seemed to have a soul? He had spent years using his painter's powers to erase these inhabitants, believing they were nothing more than illusions. But now he couldn't bring himself to destroy anything—or rather, he literally couldn't.
His powers of erasure only worked on things that weren't real, things without souls. And clearly, that rule no longer applied. If he was going to destroy this world now, he would have to do it... manually.
But first, he had other worries.
He knew he needed more time to understand all these changes to the painting, but time was something he didn't have—not when a gigantic, flying fox creature was currently soaring through the sky with his daughter riding on its back.
Protecting her was more important at the moment. Perhaps she or the girl next to her riding the fox monster would have the answers he sought. Although, did he want to risk revealing his real identity so soon?
Little did he know that as he was secretly following his daughter, something else far more powerful had noticed his existence and was following him…
XXX
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