Re:START

Hey now, what do we have here?

It's been a hot minute since I've seen a book in such pristine condition.

Hmm...

It's tough to determine the value just by looking at it.

I'm sure there'll be some interested parties, though.

I may have just hit paydirt, hehe.

Miss Emilia, are you okay?

Miss Emilia, are you feeling okay?

Ram? Rem?

I... I'm fine.

Uh... do either of you know where we are?

Sorry, I have no memory of this place.

Me neither. And it's the first time I've seen buildings designed in such a way.

I'm also unsure as to where we are. Maybe somewhere outside the Lugunica?

Do you know what happened, Puck?

Hmm... I'm not entirely sure either.

And... I don't know why I'm feeling so tired. I'm sorry I can't be of help, Lia.

That's okay! You can just rest inside.

Miss Emilia, do you remember what you were doing last?

Yeah, Rem and I were having lunch and listening to Subaru, and then...

Uh...

Sorry, I don't really remember what happened after that.

My memory of that event is vague as well. We were enjoying Subaru's story, and then...

All right then, mystery solved.

You were having lunch and in the process of being bored stiff by Barusu's prattling, you passed out.

You then came to, and found yourselves in an unfamiliar place. Somehow along the way, I got caught up in all this as well.

We'll have to give Barusu a piece of our minds when we get back.

Come on, Ram, you don't even know for certain if this has anything to do with Subaru.

Miss Emilia is right, Sister. Besides, I thought Subaru's story was fantastical and engaging.

... You must be pulling my leg.

Forget about his story for now. Figuring out exactly what's going on here is our top priority.

Miss Emilia, Sister. I say we take a look around the surrounding area.

Sounds like a plan. The sooner we find out what this place is, the sooner we can get back to the mansion.

There you are.

Let me get straight to the point.

Do you remember the D-Wave?

Good,

then I'll keep this short.

We've detected further D-Wave activity caused by the special individual with the codename Gatekeeper.

I suppose you have been through a lot since the last occurrence.

Very well, I'll explain it again.

We previously discovered a unique entity called the Gatekeeper.

This individual emits energy waves that match living creatures' wavelength, known as D-Wave.

There were also disturbances occurring in the form of unwanted visitors: humans from other worlds.

Our research determined that these extraterrestrial visitors also emitted D-Wave frequencies.

We came to the conclusion that they shared a deep connection with the Gatekeeper.

Continued research on both the D-Wave and the Gatekeeper

allowed us to decipher the Gatekeeper's database.

Inside the database, there were records of all manner of objects. These ranged from what we've seen in our own world, like Raptures,

all the way to fantastical concepts like wizards, warriors, dragons, time-freezing devices, soul synthesizers, and interstellar ballistic missiles.

Things that you would only see in works of fiction.

However, we discovered that whatever was recorded in the Gatekeeper's database,

be it fantastical in nature or not,

could be manifested in our world.

More or less.

Another way to put it is that anything the Gatekeeper is familiar with can be replicated in our reality.

Those visitors who came from another world were also recorded in the Gatekeeper's database.

Our current hypothesis is that

the Gatekeeper brought them into our world.

We have spared no effort in researching whether the D-Wave can genuinely create a living creature from scratch.

It came to light that the frequency of the D-Wave is an identical match with sleep waves.

That leads us to believe that the D-Wave is a type of energy emitted by the Gatekeeper while it is asleep.

All of these organisms which have manifested,

be they living organisms, inorganic machines, fantastical or not,

have been conjured up from the Gatekeeper's dreams.

Right.

I'm glad you understand.

Hmm...

... Haven't we had this conversation before?

Never mind.

The important thing is that we've detected D-Wave activity.

That's right.

I would like the Counters to go up to the surface and investigate.

You're the only ones with any experience dealing with this phenomenon.

In the past two incidents, you encountered beings summoned by the Gatekeeper.

There's a high possibility of that occurring this time as well, so be prepared.

Extraterrestrial beings may not always be peace-loving.

That about covers it.

I'll send you the coordinates shortly.

Good luck out there.

We've reached our destination.

Okay, we're here, but...

surely I'm not the only one who can't see squat?

Hmm...

Hmmm...!

Nope. I just focused all my attention on my glasses, but I still can't see anything.

All you did was make a frowny face...

Negative. Considering that Alva particle concentration is 0%, I believe the D-Wave is to blame.

I'm sure it is. That's what happened the last two times, after all.

Everybody stay on your toes.

We don't know what might happen out here.

Yeah, whenever D-Wave is involved, weird happenings aren't far behind.

I wonder what'll come out this time?

I'm actually kinda excited.

Excited?

Master said it himself.

The Gatekeeper can summon anything registered in its database,

including interstellar ballistic missiles

and interstellar ballistic missiles

and interstellar ballistic missiles! When you've got that, who needs anything else?

I see you're awfully excited about this whole thing.

You bet! I wanna see firepower that can pierce the sky! Firepower! Firepower!

Call me crazy, but I'd much rather not see anything of that sort.

Wait a moment.

There's something there.

Hmm... I think it's getting closer.

...!

Unknown individuals approaching!

Commander, please step back.

Rapi?

There's no harm in being cautious.

I'm telling you, I heard a voice speaking in this direction!

Stay back, Miss Emilia.

These people are not civilians. They're armed. Rem.

Okay. Ram.

...

I believe we've found the beings summoned by the Gatekeeper.

They seem rather wary of us. What should we do, Commander?

Okay. I'll give it a shot.

Not now. We'll have to talk later.

Good grief. What timing...

Commander, a group of Raptures are approaching from the left. Permission to engage?

Roger.

Encounter!

Dang, this bunch is more persistent than usual.

Be careful, enemy reinforcements!

Anis, Neon. Secure your positions!

...

No, we cannot stand by and do nothing. Ram, Rem. We should help.

If they were bad people, they wouldn't have protected us by fighting those things.

I agree with Miss Emilia. I don't think those people intend to harm us.

Very well. However, we mustn't let our guard down.

I'll take the lead.

I'll go with you. Ram, you take the rear.

Okay. Rem, make sure you protect Miss Emilia.

You be careful as well, Ram.

All right, let's go.

All clear.

Thank you for helping. You're not hurt, are you?

...!

No, we're the ones who should be grateful.

Thanks to you, we can take a breath now.

That was some amazing firepower you've got!

Especially you with the blue hair.

Rem, was it?

You were amazing!

What was that crazy-looking weapon you had? It looks super sharp!

Every time you swung it, it blew the Raptures to smithereens! Wham! Pow!

Are you talking about this? It's just an iron ball for self-defense...

Can an iron ball really have that fantastic firepower!? Rem, you're really amazing!

You have a keen eye.

That's right. My sister is both cute and strong in equal measure.

On top of that, she excels in cleaning, doing laundry, cooking, and sewing.

You flatter me, Sister, but I have no hopes of ever competing with you.

Really?

Your sister's firepower is even more impressive?

Have any of you seen the Gatekeeper, by any chance?

Gatekeeper?

Anis, you might need to explain a few things first.

You think so?

So those mabeasts that we fought are called Ra...

Those things that ambushed us, what do you call them again?

Raptures.

So, one of these "Raptures" called the Gatekeeper is what brought us here?

Bingo. You got it.

So not only are we not in Lugunica, but we're in an entirely different world altogether. It's almost impossible to believe...

I get it, but considering our current situation, I'd say we don't have much choice but to accept it.

Back to our initial question.

Have any of you seen the Gatekeeper?

That was our first time ever seeing one of these Raptures. I don't recall ever seeing this Gatekeeper thing you're talking about.

How about where you ended up when you first arrived?

Was there anything that could potentially be a clue leading to the Gatekeeper?

When we woke up, there was nothing around us.

No noticeable traces left behind by anything, either.

Sorry, we know that's not of much help...

...

Don't worry,

this isn't the first time we've gone through something like this.

If anything, it'd be weird if it all went smoothly.

I don't think we'll be getting much more information here, Commander.

I suggest returning to the Ark for now.

So you've spoken with our interdimensional visitors,

but they haven't had any interactions with the Gatekeeper.

How was their demeanor?

I'm glad.

So our only problem lies with the Gatekeeper...

I was actually going to tell you about that.

We're detecting the waves from a different location this time around.

Hmm...

When I first called you,

I thought we could solve this problem

by finding the Gatekeeper on the surface and waking it up from its sleep.

However.

This time, something strange has happened.

We're detecting D-Wave inside the Ark,

and in very strong concentrations.

To be precise, we're picking up signals from a mansion located on Royal Road.

The owner is a food connoisseur who writes for the food magazine Perfect Cooking.

He's also known for purchasing abandoned items collected from up on the surface for a hefty price.

The Central Government speculates that one of the items he recently purchased

may have been something conjured up from the Gatekeeper's dream.

Another thing to note is that

the D-Wave emanating from that location is pointing in a specific direction.

If we want to get to the bottom of this, we need to do some digging.

And in order to do that, we need to get our hands on that item.

If it were up to me, that's precisely what we'd do. But there's only one problem.

This connoisseur has been making substantial donations to medical organizations for some time,

and he's acquired no small amount of influence within the Ark.

If the Central Government were to intervene prematurely,

we could end up accidentally leaking the existence of D-Wave to the outside world.

And that is something we should avoid.

So, with that being said,

I am hoping that you can go retrieve the item for us.

Not at all.

If security over there was that lax, we would have pilfered it long ago.

The man regularly holds cooking competitions at his mansion.

During these competitions, he awards one of the items he has collected as a prize to the winner.

each team will consist of three people.

Win the competition, and bring back the item that triggers D-Wave as a prize.

It's the only way to obtain the item without raising suspicion from the outside world.

I've already arranged for a spot in the competition.

Each team will consist of three people.

Once you get back, pick out your team and submit your application.

If it's you and the Counters, I'm sure you will be able to succeed.

I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to leave. I have an important meeting soon.

Ah.

You've got this.

Looking forward to hearing good news from you.

So in order to find a way back to Lugunica, we have to obtain a special item from that mansion.

Have we seen that item before?

Very likely. To get that item, we have to win the cooking contest.

We have to win the cooking contest to get back to Roswaal... What a weird situation.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who finds this all cuckoo bananas.

How in the world are we supposed to win a cooking competition?

I have a hard time just boiling water.

What about you, Neon?

I haven't delved much into it myself, but I've got a trick up my sleeve.

Everyone knows fire is a vital part of cooking,

so with my powerful firepower...

In other words, you haven't cooked either.

And you, Rapi?

...

To be perfectly honest, Commander,

I don't think we stand much of a chance of winning this competition.

Yeah, it'd be easier to just break through security and steal the thing.

Or...

What if we go to the Observatory and try and ascertain the origin of the waves?

We might be able to pinpoint the Gatekeeper's location like we did before.

In other words, we've got no choice but to retrieve whatever the item is from the mansion.

*Sigh* Why'd it have to be cooking?

When is the competition anyway?

I think this will be a challenging task.

Don't worry about it! Being put out by others is kind of our thing.

Yeah... this is our job.

Anyway, when is the competition?

Looks like we apply here.

What's this?

They're talking about the cooking competition.

So when is it?

Let's see...

According to this, the date is...

Next week?!

Neon, get ready. We're infiltrating the mansion straight away.

You got it! We'll use our firepower to bust through their defenses!

You guys can help too.

It's time for you and I to use our firepower again, Rem!

C-calm down please! Is there really no other way we can get that item?

...

I never thought I'd say this, but I actually agree with them.

Hey, Rapi.

If we want to find a way back to Lugunica, we've got to win this cooking competition?

That's right.

But you all don't seem to be good at cooking.

Then why don't we enter the contest instead?

I know how to cook.

Rem is also in charge of cooking back at the mansion. The food she prepares is always delicious!

It's not that impressive...

And Ram?

Don't be silly.

Cooking is Rem's job. I'm in charge of taste testing.

... Uh-huh.

Well, they are maids, after all, so they've at least got to be better than us.

What do you guys think?

I feel bad for throwing this all in their lap,

but I think it's our only real shot of winning the competition.

Yeah...

Yeah...

All right, then if you all don't mind, I'll write down your names on the application.

Got it.

It's also to our own benefit to win this thing, so we'll try our best.

Great! That's the spirit.

We trust that you'll win.

Now we just have to wait until the day of the competition.

May I ask where the kitchen is?

May I use it for a moment?

You've done so much to help us, and so I want to make you something to thank you.

I also want to do some practice before the competition, so...

Oooh! Extraterrestrial cuisine!

This is a one-of-a-kind opportunity, Master.

We barely use the kitchen anyway, so we might as well let them borrow it.

It won't hurt anything.

Thanks, I'll see what I can whip up. My food is gonna be so good, it'll make you see stars.

You stay right here!

Go knock 'em dead, Rem.

Okay. Ram.

I'm going to help Miss Emilia then.

Hmm.

Hmm.

!!

Miss Emilia, I don't mean to cause offense, but what did you just put in there?

Haha, Rem, didn't you know? Doing it this way allows us to cook a lot of ingredients at once.

But what about the taste...?

No, Miss Emilia! You should add the seasoning bit by bit while tasting it along the way...

No worries, I'll just counteract it with some more of this...

Er...!

Now all we've got to do is boil it. Should I use this to adjust the heat? Hyah!!

Is everything okay in there?

Rem's in there, so it should be fine.

At the very least, it should be edible.

??

Finito! Enjoy it!

I wasn't sure what everyone's preferences were, so I made a bit of this and that.

I hope you enjoy it.

I... don't even know what to say.

Right off the jump, I've gotta ask: what's up with this purple stuff?

I didn't even know it was possible to make a soup this color.

Did I... make too much?

It's not quantity that's the issue... Well, there is a bit of a problem in quantity too...

Usually the only stuff we see that looks like this is Emma's cooking.

Who's Emma?

Anyway, this is my own special creation, so dig in!

Like I said before, you've done so much for us Commander,

so I'll give you the honor of trying it out first.

Yeah... what she said.

...

Yeah, too sweet. I can feel myself forming cavities as I eat it.

I feel like my head's spinning...

Hmm?

Rem and I were looking through the ingredients in the kitchen,

and I thought the purple fruit had such a pretty color to it, and tasted sweet, so I put a lot in.

May I ask how much you put in?

There was quite a lot...

A healthy amount?

I tossed in all that was available.

I figured the more tasty things you put in, the better the soup will be.

You put in every last one you found? No wonder the soup came out this color.

In addition to that, I used a whole bunch of other ingredients.

so there should be plenty of nutrients in there.

There are all sorts of goodies in there, so eat up!

Why did you make so much?!

And where did you get all those bowls anyway?

I believe none of you have had a meal yet, right?

Don't worry about not having enough bowls, I've made a lot of ice bowls as backup.

You what? How?

It's wonderful.

This pie is to die for!

Hmm...

Naturally. Rem made it, after all.

I brewed some tea meant to go with Rem's cookies. Enjoy.

Commander, may I have a word?

I think we need to find another way to retrieve the item.

If we go the cooking route, I don't think our chances of success are all that high.

The taste isn't the only thing that the judges will be critiquing.

They'll also be considering the appearance,

texture, and aroma.

In that regard, Emilia's cooking leaves a bit to be desired.

If you insist...

Ooh! Our application got accepted.

... Apparently we can't make any changes to it once we submit it.

Uh oh. Commander, did you read the fine print on this application?

There's a bunch of it at the very bottom of the page.

"This contest will assume a time-based format wherein each individual on a team will take turns before submitting a final dish."

"Please note that the order in which the contestants will cook be determined based on the order their names were written on the application."

...

Anis, Neon, get ready.

We're infiltrating the mansion.

Are you saying there's another way?

What's wrong?

The contest is carried out in a very specific manner.

I've never cooked in this way... will it be okay?

I've shared cooking duties with Sister before, but this taking turns thing is a first for me as well.

This could be a bit of a challenge.

Practice cooking, you mean?

Welcome, Mas... Gah!

I was wondering when you'd come again, Master.

Hello, Master.

Would you like to order something?

Oh? Do you perhaps have something to discuss then?

Me?

You mean the competition at the connoisseur's mansion?

I heard about it by chance.

Oh yes. Anyone who has even a passing interest in cooking will have heard about it.

Hmm...

I am a bit preoccupied with helping Cocoa and Soda craft up a new menu for the cafe...

If your friends wanted to join us, I don't think it'd be a problem.

Very well.

I'm not sure how much help I'll be, but I'll do my best.

Haha, don't mention it. I'm just glad I can repay you in some way for all the help you've given me.

I have a few things I've got to take care of, but I'll be right with you when I'm done.

That's how I came to be your teacher today.

My name is Emilia. I look forward to working with you.

Likewise.

I'm Rem.

And I'm Ram.

...

...

Um... is there anything we can help you with?

I don't think so.

Cocoa, Soda, you should know better than to stare. You two are bad enough to make anyone feel self-conscious.

Oh, sorry! It's just been a while since we've seen another maid...

I've never seen twin maids! So cool!

And that pink hair... it's the telltale sign of a professional maid!

Everyone knows that Sister is the best, but what was that you're saying about a "telltale sign"?

You look like a maid yourself.

Let's continue with the introductions, shall we?

Hello, I'm Soda, and this is...

Cocoa, the head maid of Maid For You!

Nice to meet you all.

You must be quite skilled to have become a head maid at such a young age.

That's 'cause I'm a professional!

This is gonna be fun!

I think that about covers the greetings. Let's get started cooking, shall we?

Just a moment, Ade. I have something to say.

Ahem...

The culinary path is harsh and treacherous.

Even I, a professional maid, have found it taxing.

Are you ready to take on this challenge?

Yes! I'm ready.

She's been like that ever since she had that soup she made.

I think she doesn't want to be the reason we lose the competition.

I think she's also butthurt about how sweet her soup was.

I won't pretend that I'm perfect, but I'll do my best to help you where I can.

I look forward to working with you.

Now, what ingredients do we have here...

Actually, I used up all the ingredients.

??

I made more than enough soup just now...

I see...

...

Hmm...

Emilia, we're not joking when we tell you the culinary path is an arduous one.

You must steel yourself for what's ahead.

Okay! I'll try my best!

The dish we are going to be making is curry rice.

Curry Rice?

What an invaluable experience, being able to learn about another area's cuisine.

I'll pay close attention so I can make it for Subaru.

... Right. Right.

When it comes to becoming a skilled cook, it's all about technique and mastering the basics.

Technique?

So I'm taking this opportunity to teach you all precisely that.

I'm not entirely sure what you mean by technique, but I'll put my best foot forward.

Good.

In this competition, you're all responsible for collaborating on one final dish, correct?

That means it's more important than ever to coordinate with one another.

To that end, let's practice cooking with a partner today. How does that sound?

No disagreements here.

All right then, first things first:

Let's go buy the ingredients we need for a solid curry.

If you head down the stairs and go straight ahead, you'll see the store where we usually buy ingredients.

There is also an umbrella store that I like. Can you see it, Ram?

Ram, there's the ketchup store that I like.

And over there...

... She acts like a child. To be fair, she does look like one as well.

Ram, Cocoa is being kind enough to teach you all sorts of things. You should respond to her.

I've never seen buildings like this before.

They're so shiny... and all of these shops as well!

This is the Ark's main street.

This is the center of the Ark.

It definitely looks like the center as it's bustling with people... wait a minute...

Miss Emila, do you see that square-shaped area over there? Those people milling about seem to be trapped in it!

What do you reckon it's made of?

Meta-what? And you say people are trapped? Where?

From here, let's split up and each gets the ingredients we want to put in the curry.

I've already prepared the essential components, so you don't have to worry about that.

Okay.

Hey, Ram, there are some special ingredients over there that only I know about.

Follow me and I'll show you!

If it were Miss Emilia, who knows, but for me, simple ingredients are enough.

That's because she's perfect! It's only natural.

Rem, we can go this way. There are plenty of fresh ingredients over there.

Unknown ingredient... interesting.

I've got a whole bunch of questions. Is that okay?

Er, sure. I just hope you're satisfied with my answers.

Rem and Ram are both working so hard! I can't fall behind.

I'll tell you what to watch out for when choosing ingredients, Emilia.

Great! Rem is always stressing how important it is to select the right ingredients.

Let's begin.

Here it is.

Yay, I managed to snag my secret ingredients!

I didn't realize you would be so... enthusiastic.

I'm officially exhausted. Rem, I'll leave the rest to you.

I told her that sometimes, in order to gain something, you have to lose something.

How'd you fare, Rem?

I learned a lot.

I asked about how food in the Ark was made. It was all brand-new knowledge, which of course was quite intriguing.

It was fascinating getting to see all of those new ingredients.

Ade's explanations were so riveting, I had no idea so much time had passed.

Haha, I'm glad you enjoyed it.

Now that we're done shopping, should we be getting back?

Hmm? What's that over there?

!!

...

Emilia! You scared us taking off like that.

Sorry, but I saw this little girl all alone, and I was worried...

Looks like she got lost.

Hello. I'm Emilia. What's your name?

C-Clara.

Clara. That's a cute name.

My daddy gave it to me... *Cough*

Where is your dad?

He came here with me, but I can't find him...

Would you like a chocolate,

Clara?

Thank you...

Would you all like to go ahead without me?

What?

I'm going to help Clara find her dad.

I don't feel comfortable leaving her alone.

But Miss Emilia...

Yes?

You're not exactly familiar with this place either.

If it's just you who stays back, the two of you are sure to get lost.

But I can't just leave her alone...

And what would that be?

There's no need to be sorry, Master.

Cocoa, Soda, let's head back.

Rem, you should go back with them.

I'll stay here with Miss Emilia.

Okay. Ade, you can share some of the bags with me.

Where should we start looking?

True...

Excuse me?

Police?

Hmm... Do you mean guards? Or knights?

Did you say knights?

I know about knights! Daddy told me all about them.

He says that the knights are heros who saved the princess from Raptures.

Wow, what an impressive knight.

Yeah! A long long time ago, there was a princess living in a castle...

The knight rushed in with a huge spear,

and the Raptures guarding the castle all exploded like BOOM! Boom!

Just when the knight was about to be killed, my Dad appeared in the nick of time and saved him!

It's clearly a fairytale, but I hope Clara believes it to be true.

Is this A.C.P.U. close by? If we're taking Clara there, now would be the perfect time since she stopped crying.

Thanks to my dad, the adventure ended safely!

Pretty cool, right?

Yeah! Clara's dad must be really strong.

I got wrapped up in the stories.

They're certainly more interesting than the stories Barusu comes up with.

Come now, Ram. Subaru's stories may be eccentric, but they're still quite fun.

And they're true! Every story my dad tells is real, and I've got proof! *Cough*

Once I get better, my dad and I are gonna go on adventures up on the surface.

Yes. I hope you get better soon.

I will! Dad promised.

And when we do, I'll be able to tell you more stories!

I'll look forward to that.

Huh?

The Commander is right. It's time to say goodbye.

Ah, so you're Aceepoo.

Would it be okay to take Clara now?

Don't worry. We already received a missing person report earlier. I'm willing to bet that will be Clara's dad.

All right then, let's say goodbye. You two really bonded in a short amount of time.

Thanks for listening to my stories, Emilia.

Will I get to see you again?

Yes, we can play again next time.

Next time you can tell me all about your adventure.

You bet!

May the spirits bless you, Clara.

Huh?

It's just something we say when saying goodbye. It means we hope that you'll be well until we meet again.

Hehe! See you guys later.

See you around, kiddo.

I'm back.

How's Clara doing?

That's music to my ears.

Since Emilia is back safe, we can start cooking.

Everyone, please wash your hands and gather in the kitchen.

We're going to be making curry rice.

We'll quickly go over the recipe, and then break off into pairs to give it a spin.

Once we've made our curry, we can serve it to the members of the Counters.

To thank them for cleaning the kitchen while we were out shopping.

I'm sorry for leaving the kitchen such a mess.

Thank you everyone. I'll repay you with some delicious cooking.

All right then, as for who will pair up with who...

I already know who I want to partner up with.

Pink goes with pink. Everybody knows that.

All right, Coco and Ram will be a pair, and then...

Let's just have everyone pair up with whoever their shopping partner was.

Looks like you and I are going to be a team, Soda.

All right! I'll try not to drag you down too much.

I guess I'm with you, Ade.

That's right. I'll guide you through the basics.

Now that we've partnered up, let me go over the recipe.

The main advantage of curry is that it's highly customizable, and you can add all manner of different ingredients to it.

Seems simple enough! I think I can do this!

Looks like everyone is ready to go.

Let's start cooking!

Watch out, Master, it's dangero...

Eeeeeeep!

!!

You did a good job preparing the ingredients. Thank you.

I-I should be the one thanking you...

Uh oh... the curry looks a little burnt.

It appears it wasn't stirred sufficiently. If we remove the bottom part and add more water, there won't be an issue.

Gah!

If it looks like it's about to overflow, just reduce the heat.

Oh no!

If it's too spicy, put in more milk.

I knew the secret ingredient would be perfect for this.

I wouldn't ask questions when you're scared of the answer.

I'm making my specialty.

Steamed potatoes, of course.

What are you talking about?!

This curry is going to come out perfect. Don't you worry.

You're gonna love it, Master!

You're pretty good at this, Emilia.

When I was living along with Puck, I prepared all the meals.

Have you ever cooked for anyone else than Puck?

Well... Rem never lets me help in the kitchen.

... I see.

Well, I think we're all set with the ingredients. Let's move onto the sauce.

Toss in some butter and garlic, and then stir-fry everything in it.

Okay!

Emilia, the flames don't need to be that strong.

Neon mentioned before how firepower is important for cooking.

Of course it is,

but even more important is knowing the right heat to use.

It's the same as with anything else.

Whether it's the taste, or the quantity that you make,

it's all about balance.

It shouldn't be too extreme one way or the other.

Not too much, not too little...

Based on what I've seen so far, it's clear to me that you've got a knack for cooking.

As long as you focus on exercising moderation,

I have no doubt you'll be able to make all kinds of delicious food.

Okay, I will try my best! Thank you, Ade.

Gah!

Phew...

Pink curry, complete.

Mic test, mic test.

Can you hear me, Rapi?

... You're sitting right next to me.

All right then, let's proceed with the inaugural Outpost Cooking Competition!

Drum roll, please!

We've got our panel of judges here with us: Rapi and the Commander.

Drum roll, please!

Huh? We're supposed to be judging?

Commander, this is all meant to build up to the actual competition. We oughta take this seriously.

There's no fun... I mean, no meaning in just eating.

Yeah, that's right!

...

Winning the competition might be a shortcut to resolving the current D-Wave incident.

You and I can consider this part of our mission,

and so we should treat it with the appropriate level of respect.

Welcome to the inaugural Outpost Cooking Competition with soda from the Ark!

Let's begin!

Up first...

Drum roll, please!

Soda and Rem!

Uh... is that my cue?

Yes, you can come out now.

!!

Please enjoy your meal.

Er, Rem... am I imagining things, or were you just rocking a horn a moment ago?

Additional points for the stylistic flourish.

Wow! It looks delicious!

Let's give it a try.

It's wonderful.

The tempura is super crispy soo.

Hmm...

It would appear our first team has set the bar quite high!

Onto the second team!

Drum roll, please!

The pink duo, Cocoa and Ram!

...

Like I said before, you've done so much for us Commander,

so I'll give you the honor of trying it out first.

Yeah... what she said.

...

Let me add a bit of ketchup.

All ready! Enjoy.

Hmm... you're right.

Do you remember what I said before?

Well, sure, that and how my speciality is steamed potatoes.

Woohoo!

Huzzah!

Now, for the final team...

Ah, screw this. I'm getting tired of this whole act.

Yeah, me too.

Ade, Emilia. Get out here.

Phew...

This time, it's my own creation! I hope you enjoy it.

Phew...

This time, it's my own creation! I hope you enjoy it.

!!

How is it?

Really?

*Chomp*

It's delicious.

Oh, er... did you want a more detailed critique?

Nah, judging the food we've made for ourselves feels kinda awkward, don't you think?

Totally. Let's just sit down and enjoy it.

...

There must be a reason the curry Sister made was pink...

Wow, it's the same color as Sister's hair! Amazing.

It almost seems inappropriate to eat something so majestic, but we should eat it while it's hot.

I knew Rem would knock it out of the park.

*Chomp*

Hehe, it turned out well. It's thanks to you, Ade.

It's getting late, so we should wrap things up here.

All of you did really well.

...

Before we leave, however, I have one final thing to ask.

Emilia, what is your reason for wanting to make delicious food?

Is it just to win the competition?

Of course I really want to win the competition, but...

when we first got here, we were so discombobulated, and you all were so nice to us.

I realize this is hardly enough to repay you, but nevertheless, I wanted to make it as delicious as possible.

!!

I wanted to take first place so I could head back to Lugunica and also repay you all for your kindness, all using the very same delicious dish. Perhaps I was overreaching...

Ha, don't worry.

Emilia, this is my final piece of advice.

When you're cooking, you need to think about various factors.

It's especially important to think of who will be eating your food.

If you think of that person and put your heart and soul into it as you're cooking, you'll end up with a delicious meal every single time.

Put your heart and soul into it...

I think I know what you mean.

And for Rem and Ram.

When you're cooking together with someone, it's important to cover each other and make up for each other's faults.

Although I must say, from watching you both today, I think you two are already well aware of this.

I'll keep that in mind.

I just hope you all do well in the competition.

Not too much, not too little...

Just right...

Put your heart and soul into it...

There you are.

Yeah, I wanted to practice a bit more.

Miss Emilia, don't push yourself too hard.

Preparing and practicing for the competition is important, but in the event we...

Hmm?

Nothing. It should be fine.

They all have helped us immensely.

that the least I can do is do what I can to help.

... I see.

There's still a bit of peel left. The trick is to hold the knife still and turn the ingredient that you're peeling.

Here, I'll help. Also, Miss Emilia, it's important to adjust the heat based on the stage of cooking.

...

Thank you. Both of you.