“Ritsuka-san.” “Ritsuka-san!” The calls beside his ear made Fujimaru Ritsuka open his eyes.
The dazzling sunlight forced him to raise a hand and shield his face.
“It’s morning already?” “Ritsuka-san, are you awake?” The question came through the bedroom door again, prompting Ritsuka to quickly climb out of bed.
“Yeah, I’m up.” He opened the door and found Ryuu standing outside in her waitress uniform.
Ritsuka helplessly pursed his lips.
“Noel-san, aren’t you here a little too early?” Ryuu rolled her eyes at him.
“The sun has been up for quite a while.
You’re the one who slept this late.” “Don’t you intend to make the Astraea Familia great again?
You’ve only been here for one day, yet you’re already sleeping in.
You should wake up early and train!” Ritsuka looked utterly helpless beneath her lecture.
“Making the Astraea Familia great again and sleeping in aren’t mutually exclusive.” “I don’t know whether every hardworking person succeeds, but lazy people certainly won’t!” “Yesterday, you said you would quickly earn enough merit for your senior to return.
Is this how you plan to bring her back?” “All right.
This is my fault.” Ritsuka scratched his messy hair helplessly.
‘It’s only the first day, and my senior is already pressuring me to work harder.
This is ridiculous.’ Yesterday, he had found the senior lying about her identity adorable.
Today, she already seemed like an overly fussy mother.
Not allowing an otaku from 2026 to sleep late was simply cruel.
‘Even Astraea-sama never made me wake up early.jpg’ Still, Ritsuka understood how Ryuu felt.
As the former sole survivor of the Familia, she was naturally excited to see it return and begin rising again.
More importantly, she finally had hope of freely rejoining the Familia one day.
That had likely become her greatest wish for the future.
“I’ll wait downstairs.
Get ready and come eat breakfast.” Satisfied that Ritsuka had admitted his mistake, Ryuu left those words behind and went downstairs.
Ritsuka sighed, changed his clothes, and headed to the dining room on the first floor.
A meal box was already waiting on the table, while Ryuu organized utensils and ingredients in the nearby kitchen.
She located every item with perfect accuracy, clearly showing how familiar she was with the place.
That was only natural.
This building was the Astraea Familia’s former home in Orario—Stardust Garden.
Before Ritsuka departed for Orario, Astraea-sama had given him the key to Stardust Garden.
Since he intended to represent the Astraea Familia in Orario, it was only natural for him to live at his Familia’s home.
Thus, the long-sealed Stardust Garden had finally reopened.
After finishing dinner at the Hostess of Fertility the previous night, Ritsuka prepared to search for the residence.
Unlike the Hostess of Fertility, he genuinely had no idea where Stardust Garden was located.
Therefore, he asked Ryuu.
After all, no one understood the place better than his senior.
Ryuu immediately led him to the home where she had once lived.
Although the Astraea Familia had disappeared several years ago, its excellent reputation ensured that the residence remained untouched.
Stardust Garden also stood in Orario’s southwestern district, an affluent residential area occupied by wealthy citizens and Familias.
Public safety there was considerably better than in other districts.
Furthermore, Ryuu had occasionally climbed over the walls and secretly cleaned the building throughout the years.
Thanks to her efforts, Stardust Garden could immediately be used again.
The moment Ritsuka unlocked the door, Noel insisted that such a large residence was impossible for him to maintain alone.
She declared she would visit regularly to clean and cook, then promptly seized control of the Familia home from him.
Ritsuka had desperately wanted to ask, ‘Are you also some purple-haired background character?’ That was how Ryuu ended up knocking on his door early this morning.
Before waking him, she had even purchased ingredients, stocked the kitchen, and prepared breakfast.
Hearing her quietly humming inside the kitchen, Ritsuka could tell she was in an excellent mood.
Ryuu could openly return to her Familia’s home and care for her new junior.
Naturally, she was delighted.
Ritsuka, however, was not nearly as happy.
The contents of the meal box in front of him were completely inedible!
‘I was so happy about waking up to breakfast that I forgot the food itself might not be safe to eat.’ As an Elf, Ryuu possessed extraordinary talent in battle.
She had once been considered one of Orario’s two greatest prodigies alongside Ais of the Loki Familia.
Outside combat, however, her abilities were far less impressive.
Cooking was a perfect example.
Ryuu’s culinary skills were disastrous, and almost everything she prepared qualified as a lethal dish.
The charcoal-grilled sandwich before Ritsuka was black, hard, and resembled an unidentifiable lump.
Without its visible layers and the few parts that had not completely carbonized, he could never have recognized it as a sandwich.
‘Senior, do you seriously never check the heat while cooking?’ Ritsuka could only close the meal box again.
“Hm?
Have you finished eating?” After organizing the utensils, Ryuu heard the noise and emerged from the kitchen.
“No, I haven’t eaten yet.” “Does it not suit your tastes?” “Hmm…
This isn’t really a matter of taste.” “Then what’s wrong?” “Well…” Ritsuka had no idea how to answer.
He could hardly tell her that humans did not eat charcoal.
Ryuu curiously approached and opened the meal box.
She froze on the spot, and her pale face visibly turned red.
Snap!
She immediately slammed the lid shut.
“I…
This is my fault!” Ryuu’s voice rose several octaves as she lowered her head, her entire face burning red.
“I’ll dispose of it immediately and make you another one!” Without waiting for Ritsuka to respond, she grabbed the meal box and fled into the kitchen.
A violent series of clattering sounds soon erupted from inside.
Anyone unaware of the situation might have thought a battle had begun.
Ritsuka’s mouth twitched.
‘So you really didn’t look at it even once while cooking?’ He helplessly stood and followed her into the kitchen.
Unless he cooked for himself, there was a good chance he would not get breakfast today.
After all, the evidence proved that Ryuu was not some purple-haired background character.
Following some chaotic preparation, Ritsuka fried eggs and bacon, added slices of bread, and made two perfectly ordinary sandwiches.
Throughout breakfast, Ryuu kept her head lowered and said nothing, her face still red.
She felt utterly ashamed.
Her junior’s first breakfast in Orario had been a disaster, forcing him to cook it himself.
What kind of useless senior was she?
Fortunately, she seized the dishes after they finished and washed everything herself.
That restored some of her confidence.
She might have been hopeless at cooking, but at least she was excellent at washing plates!
Once Ryuu finished cleaning, she and Ritsuka locked the doors and left the Familia residence together.
The reborn Astraea Familia’s first true day in Orario had officially begun!