The Man Who Remained — His Second Life Began with a Humble Bow of Apology.

A Glimpse of Everyday Life (Part Three).

“Welcome home. As I thought… you’ve brought them back with you,” Ellie said with a light, knowing laugh, her gaze falling on the four humanoid monsters who appeared alongside Cross.

“I’m back. And what’s with the ‘as I thought’?” Cross replied, feigning exasperation.

“Well, it is you, Cross,” she answered warmly, stepping closer to him before giving a polite bow to the four behind him.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Ellie, knight to Cross-sama. My master can be a bit forceful, but he will never do you harm, so please rest assured.”

Her words carried a teasing kindness, her laughter bright and unguarded.

Watching this, Laurent murmured under his breath, “…You’ve got to be kidding me…”

“Oh? What’s the matter? Something troubling you?” Ellie asked, tilting her head.

Her question was the very cause of his unease, yet Laurent answered with some difficulty.

“Well… you see, I’ve met you before, so… it feels as if you’re a completely different person.”

The Liber Knight that Laurent remembered never smiled—her face was always cold, looking down on others with an air of disdain. Her personality was unyieldingly severe, even cruel.

But this Ellie?

Aside from the golden hair, she was nothing like that. He could still picture her in armor, drenched in blood without so much as a twitch in expression… yet here she was in a brilliantly dyed crimson kimono, not from blood, but of a rich, elegant fabric. Her demeanor now was gentle, charming—like that of an ordinary young woman.

Frankly, Laurent would have found it easier to believe she was an imposter. And yet… her face was unmistakably that of the Liber Knight he knew.

“Oh, the clothes threw you off, didn’t they? How about this?” Ellie said lightly.

In an instant, her kimono shifted into gleaming silver armor. The golden-haired knight before him was, save for her softened demeanor, exactly as he remembered.

“No, I never doubted it was you. It’s just… you really have changed. Is this the sage’s influence?”

“Hmm… yes. I believe it is,” she replied with a quiet chuckle.

“Ellie, I need to cook for four more people. Give me a hand,” Cross called over.

“What!? You want me to help cook, Cross-sama!?”

“Relax. I’m not asking for anything dangerous. Just help with setting the tables and serving.”

She slumped, feigning hurt. “You didn’t have to call it dangerous… Fine, I’ll start preparing.”

“I’ll help too,” Heine offered.

Ellie smiled at her. “Thank you. I’m Ellie—what’s your name?”

“Heine.”

“All right, Heine, I’ll set up some folding tables. Please arrange the plates—better make it plenty; Cross tends to cook a lot.”

“My, I’m looking forward to it already.”

“You won’t be disappointed. Judging by lunch earlier, Cross’s Hourai cuisine is worth the anticipation.”

The two women chatted happily as they worked, while Laurent watched Heine’s cheerful demeanor with quiet distraction.

“Laurent. Hey, Laurent! What’s with you?”

“Huh? Ah, nothing. What is it?”

“Can you cook?”

“…I can, but I’m not very good at it. Which is probably why Heine’s so eager for this meal…”

“Perfect. Give me a hand, then. Don’t worry—it’ll be simple.”

“In that case, I’ll help enough to repay what I eat. Right?” Laurent looked back at the two behind him.

They both nodded.

“Good. Dice some onions and cut a few into wedges.”

Leaving those instructions, Cross moved over to Sourin, who was tending to a pot.

“Cross-dono, I believe the timing is about right.”

“I see, I see. That’s a big help. By the way… sorry to trouble you, but could I ask you for one more favor?”

“Anything.”

“We’ve got four more mouths to feed. And, well, among them there’s a very cute girl. Since she’s come all this way, I’d like her to enjoy something a little luxurious—something in the style of Hourai cuisine. You follow?”

“Hmm. I don’t, actually… but what is it you’d like me to do?”

“I’m about to rush into town and buy up ingredients, but for Hourai-style, it’s hard to get everything just from the markets. Which is why… could I ask you to go hunting? The target is—”

Without another word, Sourin stood, took up the blade he had placed at his side, and said:

“No further words are necessary. I’ll be back in five minutes.”

Pointing toward the dimming sky as he spoke, his tone carried more weight than anything he had said before.

Leaving the vegetable prep to Laurent and his companions, Cross headed into town with Ellie to gather what ingredients he could. Even so, Hourai cuisine used unique ingredients—many of which had no substitutes—and several could not be found at all.

By the time they returned with the closest possible approximations, Sourin had already returned and was waiting for Cross.

“You’re fast, Sourin. Are we ready?”

Sourin pointed toward the neatly prepared chicken laid out on the cutting board.

“You went so far as to bleed it, pluck it, and cut it up?”

“I took the liberty. I assumed it would be used immediately.”

“Thanks. That’s a huge help. Now, if I just had that one last thing, it’d be perfect…”

Before Cross could say more, Sourin handed him a bundle of long, thin wooden skewers.

“It’s crude handiwork, but I’ve prepared these as well.”

“…Perfect. You never disappoint.”

“I’m glad I could be of service.”

“…Actually, are you looking forward to this quite a bit yourself?”

Sourin tilted his head, thoughtful.

“…It seems so. I hadn’t realized until now, but it appears I’ve been rushing ahead out of impatience.”

Cross smiled gently.

“In that case, we’ll make sure you get the very first serving.”

Sourin bowed slightly in thanks, and Cross began his cooking.

Do not mistake it for “just grilled meat.”

This was easy to eat with one hand, served in small portions, and seasoned boldly—an irresistible temptation, particularly for young women. The flavor changed subtly depending on the cut of meat, keeping the eater hooked indefinitely.

Though complete in itself, it paired perfectly with other dishes—a versatility that made it, despite being considered a low-class and vulgar dish in Hourai, something everyone there had tasted at least once.

Its name was as straightforward as could be: yakitori.

For his first dish, Cross chose yakitori.

“For now, snack on these while I prepare the rest. Some dishes will take time, so keep a little room in your stomach. Oh, and if you can’t stay up late, don’t hesitate to head back early.”

With that, he set down a large platter before Laurent and the others.

Meanwhile, Sourin had already taken his own serving and slipped away into the shadows of a tent to enjoy it alone.

“Um, Cross… is it alright if I have some too?” Ellie asked timidly.

“Of course. Actually, Sourin brought back more chicken than I expected. I’m already grilling another batch, so don’t hold back.”

Ellie’s face lit up, and she reached past the hesitant Laurent and company, taking a skewer and biting into it with a blissful smile. Cross watched her with satisfaction before turning back to his work.

“Eating with your hands… I’m not sure that’s appropriate for Heine-sama…” Laurent muttered.

Heine, however, eagerly reached for a skewer. She hesitated only briefly before taking a small bite. After chewing quietly for a moment, a single tear slipped from one eye.

“W-what’s wrong? Was it too spicy? Not to your taste? Should I get you some water?” Laurent asked in a panic.

Heine shook her head.

“No… it was simply… so delicious. It could rival the cooking from my family’s home. After what I’ve been eating these past days of travel… this was a revelation.”

The words struck Laurent deeply, for he had been the party’s reluctant cook—simply because he was the least terrible at it.

Curious, he took a skewer for himself. The moment he tasted it, he understood exactly why Heine had cried.

“Sir Sage… I understand that knowledge is precious. I also know this is a selfish and shameless request, but… would you teach me how to make this?” Laurent asked, almost on the verge of tears.

“Sure—but drop the ‘Sir Sage’ part. I can only show you the salt-based recipe though; we can’t get soy sauce here. It’s the seasoning on the left half of that plate.”

“That will be more than enough. My gratitude. By the way… judging from its appearance, is this dish difficult—?”

“Nope. It’s simple, so don’t worry.”

Relieved, Laurent murmured, “Then even I could…”

But Sourin appeared behind him, whispering:

“Indeed, yakitori is among the simpler dishes—cut the meat, season it, skewer it. But to match Cross’s skill is another matter. If you think you can eat this quality any time you wish, you’ll only set yourself up for disappointment later.”

And with that, Sourin took several skewers for himself and vanished again.

Moments later, Laurent noticed the once-full platter was now empty.

“I only had one…”

“First come, first served,” Heine said cheerfully, leaving Laurent with a bitter sense of defeat.

When Cross brought out the next batch of yakitori, he also served meat-and-potato stew, rice, and miso soup. Though all were enjoyed, yakitori remained the favorite.

It was then that one of Laurent’s usually silent companions muttered between bites, “This’d go great with beer or ale.”

Moments later, the two unnamed men were already drinking, joined quickly by other adventurers drawn by the smell.

‘We’ll pay—give us some too,’ they insisted.

Sourin, without a word, rose with his blade, and within minutes more dressed chicken arrived at Cross’s side.

What followed was a cycle: Cross grilled, more adventurers joined, Sourin ate, then butchered more chicken when supplies ran low, only to eat more yakitori himself. Ingredients, seasonings, and skewers seemed to appear from nowhere, until the camp had somehow transformed into a massive banquet.

By the time the revelry ended, it had gone on for hours. Even strangers were laughing together like lifelong friends.

Laurent, returning to the tent with Cross seeing them off, said apologetically, “I… I’m sorry.”

“Huh? For what? I invited you for dinner.”

“For making you cook nonstop for… what, six hours? That was terribly rude.”

“Don’t worry about it. I enjoyed myself.”

“…To still find joy in cooking after all that… that’s truly admirable,” Laurent thought.

Cross scratched his head. “Hey, can I ask you something?”

Heine nodded. “Of course. I imagine it’s about us—about me?”

“Well… yeah. The way you’re pretending to be adventurers is… not exactly subtle.”

“I suspected this day might come. In truth, I find Heine’s disguise rather obvious too,” Laurent admitted.

Cross chuckled. “Honestly, you were easier to figure out than she was.”

Laurent’s face twisted in disbelief.

“Well, in any case, I don’t need your life story. All I care about is this—if you’re in trouble, tell me. Helping cute girls is my life’s calling, whether or not they’re mine.”

He winked at Heine.

“…Cross…” she murmured, almost sadly.

“…If you ask not out of curiosity, but to help, then… very well. Agreed, my lady?” Laurent asked.

Heine nodded.

“Then… I’ll keep the details to myself, if that’s acceptable?”

“Fine. Just tell me what the problem is, and what you’d like me to do.”

“In that case… you may have guessed our names are false. I hope you’ll forgive that. Still, I have the feeling we’ll meet again in a formal setting one day. If that happens… please pretend not to know me.”

“Sure. Tell me your real name then.”

“Thank you. Now, I must state clearly—I am my lady’s bodyguard, not her husband. For her honor’s sake. The same goes for the other two.”

“Figured as much.”

“Good. As for our purpose here…” Laurent glanced at Heine, then lowered his gaze.

“…My lady often throws tantrums about wanting to travel. That’s all.”

“…Come again?”

“I’ve told you the truth—there is nothing you need to help with. If anything, our greatest happiness would be if you could convince her to stay put for once.”

His expression was dead serious.

“But staying cooped up at home is boring!” Heine protested, puffing her cheeks.

There was a moment of silence, and then Cross burst out laughing.

“So all this time, I thought there was some dangerous situation—but it’s just that?”

“At least for my lady, yes. For us, she is the dangerous situation.”

Cross laughed even harder.

“Alright, alright. Sounds like you’re happy enough. And for the record, I’m on the cute girl’s side—I won’t stop her.”

“As expected of a fellow wanderer,” Heine said.

“Of course. High five!”

“High five!”

The two slapped hands cheerfully.

“Well, Heine-chan, good luck. You’ll need it. Man, I really can’t keep a straight face without it backfiring…”