Chapter 12: Shinji-kun Can Be Recycled
The calendar slowly advanced one square.
[May 21, sunny.]
[Nine days left until the midterms.]
[When you woke up, the buff "Disaster With Women" had disappeared.]
[You quickly bid farewell to Morgan and Artoria, then returned to the Britain class.]
[When you arrived back, Oberon—the one you met last night—was already there to register.]
[He seemed very sociable, fitting in with classmates around him even on his very first day back.]
Morning, Britain class.
"In short, that's how it is."
The Fairy King wore a gentle, friendly smile, a blue butterfly resting on his finger as he spoke to the classmates gathered around him:
"Nice to meet you all, I look forward to your guidance from here on. Though I, Oberon, have no particularly outstanding talents, I can still lend a little help where needed."
As soon as Eikou entered, he heard this self-introduction.
He glanced at Oberon's flamboyant appearance, then sat back in his usual seat, greeting the two Round Table Knights behind him.
"I've missed you, Tristan, Gawain."
"Sir Eikou, did you notice? The missing headcount of our dorm—Oberon—has finally returned to school."
"I already knew about that, Tristan, honestly you never have any intel," Eikou replied.
"Haah… from now on we can't enjoy the privilege of three guys sharing a four-bed room anymore."
Beside him, Gawain, wearing a chef's hat, laughed:
"Haha, but more people makes it livelier. Honestly, I miss the warm feeling of squeezing in to sleep with my little brothers and sisters when I was young."
"Forget it, I don't want to cram together with a bunch of guys…"
Eikou casually retorted, then suddenly realized something odd.
He turned to look at Gawain.
"…Gawain, why are you suddenly wearing a chef's hat?"
"You noticed too, Sir Eikou."
Gawain puffed out his sturdy chest proudly, adjusting the chef's hat.
"I heard there will be a Home Economics test this morning, Emiya-sensei will be evaluating our cooking skills," he said.
"I want to look professional, to leave a good impression on him. Well? Do I look like a grand chef now?"
"Well, that's…"
Eikou wanted to say something, but Tristan beside him wore an expression that said, "Forget it, just let it go."
"…Good luck on the test, Gawain."
With that cursed mashed potatoes of yours…
At that moment, Oberon walked over, smiling as he greeted Eikou.
"We meet again, Mochizuki Eikou, along with my two new roommates."
"Welcome, Fairy King Oberon." Gawain smiled warmly.
"From now on we'll be roommates under one roof. If you need anything, just say so."
"Really? That's wonderful…"
Oberon beamed, then suddenly clasped his hands together, begging them:
"Today just happens to be my debt repayment day, could you lend me 500 QP? I promise to pay it back next month! Really, I beg you!"
"Well, that explains it, Your Majesty the King," Eikou said.
"You really do treat us like family."
[Unfortunately, the Round Table Knights were too busy preparing for their great "beach and motorcycles" plan, and had no spare money to support Oberon.]
[And the promised payment from Chaldea hadn't reached you yet either, leaving you in the toughest financial straits.]
[You handed Oberon 5 QP, so at least he wouldn't starve at lunch.]
[...]
[The morning classes passed quickly.]
[You focused on listening, and under Artoria-sensei's tutoring before, you'd managed to somewhat catch up with the lessons.]
[Your learning ability had slightly improved.]
[And during the third period, it was time for the Home Economics test.]
...
Morning, Home Economics classroom.
The proctor for the subject was Servant Emiya.
In the clean, bright Home Economics classroom, students tied on aprons, straightened chef hats, and placed their prepared ingredients on the tables.
"Time really flies, this semester is already halfway through."
Servant Emiya looked down at the students, speaking in a tone full of earnest instruction.
"I've taught you for many classes now, so it's time to test your cooking abilities. Even if Home Economics isn't as important as other subjects, the grades will still affect your credits, understood?"
Below, all the students nodded.
Servant Emiya, Archer, the Heroic Spirit from the future, gave others the first impression of a cold, calm, and charismatic man.
But once you got to know him, you realized Emiya was in fact a doting "motherly" figure with extreme skill in all domestic arts: from sewing to cooking, he excelled in every household task, and loved taking care of others.
No one was more suited to being a Home Economics teacher than him.
"The exam task this time is cooking. No restrictions on theme, you can cook alone or in groups. You may retry multiple times, but the final dish must be able to move the judges' hearts."
He pointed toward the long dining table nearby.
A row of Artorias sat there, neatly holding knives and forks, eyes sparkling, wiping away drool, eagerly waiting to eat.
"Each judge has their own preferences: Blue Artoria will eat almost anything, Black Artoria only eats snacks, Glasses Artoria likes sweets, and Arthur is stricter—his scores will carry more weight. You can choose dishes based on their tastes."
"…That's quite a wide coverage."
The students couldn't help murmuring.
"Also… if you fail or have leftovers, just give it to that."
Emiya pointed at the trash bin nearby.
"It can process all kitchen waste, no matter how dark the cuisine. Ah, and let me clarify, the manufacturer insists this design is not based on any specific person."
"Why the hell would you make that disgusting thing a kitchen trash can? And it's clearly based on someone!"
Eikou spat, pointing at it.
"…Ahem, ahem, the test officially begins now. You have 45 minutes. If the bell rings before you've served your dish to the judges, it counts as overtime and you're disqualified. Anyone who fails will have to attend Beni-enma's remedial class. And if any of you score the highest…"
"I'll award that excellent student a Craft Essence I always carry with me!"
With that, Emiya unexpectedly produced a blazing red ruby pendant.
Wait—that's Rin's Pendant, isn't it!?
[The Home Economics test by Emiya is about to begin.]
[The winner will receive the Craft Essence "Rin's Pendant," worth 5000 QP.]
...
(Note: I was confused for a moment because of the trash can, but then I read the chapter title again, lol.)