I Wanted a Cute Girl to Cast Healing Magic on Me, So I Kept Protecting My Allies—and Ended Up with an Overprotective Party - 20

Chapter 20: Winning Someone’s Heart Through the Stomach

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“How about we start recruiting new members soon?”

Karinka-san proposed that as we each sat on chairs in the living room of the mansion we had just rented.

“Recruiting a new member, huh? That might actually be a good idea.”

“We’re going to welcome someone new? I’m so excited. I wonder what kind of person we’ll meet—?”

“Emil, you look really happy.”

“Yes! I love talking to all sorts of people.”

Emil had a reserved side, but at her core, she was a bright and cheerful girl. And above all, she was honest. If everyone in the world were like Emil, there’d never be any conflicts.

“So, Karinka-san, how many people are we recruiting?”

“For now, I’m thinking of just one.”

“So that means we’ll be a four-person party. I’ve always wondered, why are parties usually made up of four people?”

“My guess is because it’s well-balanced.”

According to Karinka-san, the standard party setup consisted of four roles: front-line attacker, rear guard, support, and healer. And depending on the situation, it wasn’t uncommon to increase the number of members as needed.

“But if you have more than four people, a lot of problems tend to pop up.”

“Like what?”

“The most common issue in parties is how to split the rewards. Sometimes the front-liners or rear guards suddenly say that it’s only fair they get more since they’re the ones directly fighting monsters. Or people might complain that it’s weird for everyone to get an equal share when the support is just standing safely in the back and not attacking.”

That was something I had seen in those ‘kicked from the party’ stories. So it really happened in this world, huh…

“Well, I think everyone in a party has their own role. Just because someone isn’t fighting directly doesn’t mean the support role is slacking off.”

“Rikuto, you always have such a solid perspective. I really like that about you.”

“Thank you.”

I managed to keep a calm face, but…  She just casually said she liked me… And from a beautiful blonde older woman, no less. But I knew. Even I understood that that “like” wasn’t that kind of “like.”

Karinka-san was the first woman I ever slept in the same room with, and also the first to tell me she liked me. 

What am I going to do? She’s taking all of my firsts…

“Anyway, back to the topic. With Karinka-san and me as the front-liners, and Emil as the healer, we’re recruiting for a support role, right?”

“That’s right. If you two agree, that is.”

“I have no objections.”

“I’m all for it!”

“Great! Then let’s head to the guild tomorrow and post our recruitment notice on the member recruitment board.”

“Got it. So, what kind of abilities are we looking for, specifically? Like scouting? Or long-range attacks?”

“We’re looking for someone with…Ccooking skills!”

“…Huh?”

“Rikuto. You’re giving me a weird look, aren’t you?”

“No, no, not at all. It’s just  so unexpected, I was surprised.”

“Cooking, huh? It is something we do every day, so it’d be nice to eat tasty food!”

Surprisingly, Emil seemed convinced.

“Rikuto. This place is our home now, right? That means we’re going to have to handle the household chores ourselves. This living room still needs more cleaning, and we’re short on both materials and manpower. Besides, doesn’t the idea of customizing the house to our liking sound exciting?”

“Well, yeah, that’s true. By the way, can I ask something? How good are you and Emil at cooking?”

“You don’t want to eat out every day, do you, Rikuto?”

Wait, what happened to my question? Why didn’t she answer my question?

“This kitchen is so nice, it’d be a waste not to use it, right?”

My question had already gone missing somewhere, and now Karinka-san was firing back with her own, as if daring me to disagree. I looked to Emil for help.

“I want to eat delicious food every day too…”

see. So now air isn’t just something you breathe—it’s something you read. Then the answer I need to give is probably…

“Let’s add ‘able to cook’ to the recruitment conditions.”

Yeah, well, I can’t cook either, so it’s not like I have much of a choice.

And so, despite being an adventurer recruitment, we ended up with the bizarre condition that ‘cooking skills required’ must be included on the notice.

The next day, we went to the guild and posted our recruitment notice on the board. And believe it or not, someone applied the very same day, so we arranged for an interview at our party base.

Our party was ranked E, so the application hurdle wasn’t too high, apparently. If this had been a recruitment from an A-rank party, only people with serious confidence in their skills would even consider applying.

So in the living room of the house, we prepared to interview the applicant. The three of us sat side by side, facing the applicant who sat alone across from us. f I hadn’t been reincarnated, I probably would’ve had to go through interviews like this too. Yeah, no thanks, not for me.

The applicant was a girl with medium-length light blue hair and eyes of a similar color. Her facial features were well-defined, and she was beautiful—enough to stand beside Emil and Karinka-san without being outshined. My first impression was that she seemed quiet. She looked to be around the same age as sixteen-year-old Emil.

Once Karinka-san, seated in the middle, introduced us, she asked the first question.

“First, could you tell us why you applied to our party?”

“Yes. I just became an adventurer and still don’t know my way around. So I’m afraid to work solo…”

Her voice grew smaller toward the end of her sentence.

“But I’m also shy, so I couldn’t imagine leading a party myself. That’s why I’ve been looking for a party that would take me in.”

“I see. Rikuto and Emil here are also E-rank, so they’re still beginners in many ways. I’m sure you’ll be able to grow alongside them.”

“R-Really…!? Does that mean I passed!?”

The girl shot up from her chair with a clatter. 

That’s a bit hasty, don’t you think?

“As much as I’d like to say yes right away, we still have a few more questions.”

“O-Of course! Go ahead!”

“Do you have something you absolutely won’t lose at? In other words, what would you say is your greatest strength?”

“Yes! Once I set my mind on something, I never give up! No matter what it takes, I’ll see it through!”

She seemed shy at first, but suddenly showed this intense determination. I couldn’t get a read on her at all.

No matter what it takes, huh. Well, I guess you do need that level of resolve to be an adventurer.

“A never-give-up attitude is wonderful. It’s definitely essential for adventurers. When you run into a strong enemy you can’t possibly defeat, if you give up, it’s over. But if you still try your hardest to survive, by whatever means necessary, that’s what really counts.”

“Then does that mean I passed!?”

She leaned forward again. 

Are we sure she’s shy?

“No, we still have more questions. Do you have any adventuring skills or specialties?”

“Yes, I’m good at sensing presence!”

“That’s reassuring. There are times when monsters launch surprise attacks, after all.”

“Did I pass!?”

“No, now we’d like to see your cooking skills. We’ve prepared some ingredients. Please use them to make something for us.”

How is Karinka-san so calm about all of this?

“Understood!”

The girl said that and headed to the kitchen. Soon, we heard the sizzling sound of something being cooked. Judging by her smooth and confident movements, she seemed quite experienced. Before long, a delicious aroma filled the living room, making my stomach growl. We waited a little longer.

“Thanks for waiting!”

She brought a dish to the table—steak, made from a common type of meat in this world. The savory smell and perfect char on the surface instantly whetted the appetite. And when I took a bite, juice burst from the meat with every chew. The doneness was just right, and I felt a deep sense of satisfaction from the meal. Before I knew it, my plate was empty and my stomach full.

“Amazing… It’s so delicious…!”

“You have excellent skills. Thank you for the meal.”

Both Emil and Karinka-san responded with praise. It felt like all of us had our stomachs completely captured by her.

“With that, the interview is over. We’ll let you know the result tomorrow. Can you come back then?”

“Of course!”

So much for being shy. And with that, the beautiful girl left after the interview. That night, the three of us discussed it and decided to add her to the party.

And so, another beautiful girl joined our group. Though… I couldn’t help but think she was just a little bit hard to gauge.

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