[Romani Oyama]
Beep! Beep! Beep...
Half-asleep, I raised my hand and slammed it down hard on the alarm clock, silencing its insistent chirping, desperate for one more second of peace.
Forcing my heavy eyelids open, I dragged myself out of bed while rubbing my eyes, which stubbornly refused to stay open. Every movement felt exhausting, as though my body were sinking into quicksand.
I had spent the entire night practically trying to refine the Minor Healing Potion over and over again, sleeping for a grand total of one single hour. Because of that, my body felt absolutely wretched, made even worse by the fact that my constitution amplified my problem with drowsiness.
At least I now had a few dozen Minor Healing Potions sitting in my garage... of course, that cost me several good liters of my precious crimson liquid.
I really need to find an ingredient to replace my blood.
I was probably a little anemic too, since the Minor Healing Potion couldn't regenerate lost blood. A sigh escaped my lips as the morning sunlight washed over my face, its rays piercing through the gaps in the curtains like golden lances.
"Tsk!" I couldn't help clicking my tongue, completely irritated, beginning to understand why vampires were racist toward the sun.
I don't think "racist" is quite the right word, but I was too lazy to think of anything else besides the soft mattress beneath my body...
Realizing I was surrendering to the pleasures of the flesh, I concluded I needed a quick shower to try to pull myself out of this sluggish state. With that in mind, I moved my body to get out of bed, only to end up crashing to the floor with a dull thud that echoed through the room.
"..."
Huh!? I can't...
Lying on the cold floor, its surface pressing against my cheek, my eyes landed on the bathroom a few meters away. Those few meters looked like kilometers at that moment, an insurmountable distance for someone in my condition.
I'd rather die than stand up...
My dramatic thoughts were abruptly cut short when a brilliant idea occurred to me.
If this were a cartoon, there would definitely be a golden lightbulb flickering on above my head right at this exact moment.
With a sluggish smile that barely managed to form at the corners of my lips, I raised my hand and summoned the ⟨Endless Codex⟩. The golden tome materialized in my palm, its familiar weight resting against my skin. The patterns engraved on its cover glowed softly.
"Answer my summons: Dark Magician Girl!"
The tome opened on its own, its pages turning rapidly until they stopped at the first gold-laminated page, revealing detailed information accompanied by a vivid image of Dark Magician Girl in all her glory. In the next instant, the entire book began to glow with a dark golden light, pulsing with magical energy that made the air around it vibrate gently.
"Ta! Ta!" Against the dark golden light, Dark Magician Girl appeared before me, swinging her staff and pressing her fingers over her eyes in a rather cute pose. Her pointed hat swayed slightly with the graceful movement, and a mischievous smile lit up her porcelain face, making her sapphire eyes sparkle with amusement.
"Just carry me to the bathroom..." As she stared at me, I raised my hand and pointed toward the bathroom.
"Mnn~!" She nodded with a smile, her expression showing a mix of amusement and concern. Grabbing the collar of my shirt with surprising delicacy, she carried me to the adjacent room as though I were a rag doll. It was a little humiliating, but better than using my own legs, which seemed to have been replaced with gelatin. Letting out a melodious laugh that echoed down the hallway, she threw the door open and set me under the shower with care.
Dark Magician Girl helped me out of my clothes, her innocent eyes fixed on me. After my familiar's assistance, I turned on the shower and let the water fall over my body, the initially icy liquid gradually warming up, massaging my muscles. Meanwhile, my adorable Dark Magician Girl was sitting in the bathtub in her completely soaked outfit, playing with a bar of soap for some reason, sending bubbles floating through the air as though they were the most fascinating things in the world.
...seeing her clothes clinging to her chest was quite a sight. I could even make out the outline of her nipples.
Oh my Satan, thank you for the gift of sight.
Having recovered a little of my willpower, I stepped out of the bathroom after a quick shower and put on the Kuoh uniform. Buttoning it up, I turned and looked at Dark Magician Girl, who was floating around me. She observed everything with her cerulean eyes gleaming as she twirled her staff, following her graceful movements through the air.
Since she was floating, I had a perfect view of her blue underwear, soaked through from the bathwater. Even so, I could clearly make out the contours of her intimate area. Unfortunately, I averted my gaze and met Dark Magician Girl's eyes, parting my lips.
"Thank you for the help."
Dark Magician Girl let out a melodious little laugh, dangling her legs in the air as if she were sitting on an invisible chair. She seemed thoroughly pleased with herself for having helped me, her expression radiating pride.
Resisting the urge to pat her head and call her a good girl, I moved my hand to summon the tome again so she could return to the ⟨Endless Codex⟩, watching as Dark Magician Girl dissolved into a spectacle of light. She waved cheerfully, her fingers fluttering softly before dissolving into particles of golden light. The shimmering fragments danced through the air before being absorbed back into the tome's pages, which vanished with a soft glow.
Heading downstairs with slow steps, I moved to the kitchen and put together breakfast. I opened the fridge and grabbed a few eggs, their smooth white shells cold to the touch, a slice of pink ham, and some pale yellow cheese. I didn't usually make anything elaborate, just something functional to keep my body running. I turned on the stove and set a pan over the heat, watching it warm up gradually, tiny droplets of water evaporating on its surface with subtle hisses. I cracked the eggs on the rim of the pan and dropped them straight in. The familiar sizzling filled the quiet kitchen as the whites began to set, their edges bubbling slightly and turning golden. I added the ham and cheese, creating a simple but satisfying omelet whose aroma began to fill the room.
Although I wasn't the best at the culinary arts, thanks to ⟨Alchemy⟩ being closely related to cooking, I could hold my own in the kitchen. The connection between the two lies in transforming basic ingredients into something new, precise temperature control, proper timing, and correct proportions.
Actually, judging by the smell, my skill in the culinary arts seemed to have reached a whole new level.
Well, after finishing my breakfast, I turned off the stove and slid the omelet onto a white plate, sat down at the table, and ate in silence. The flavor was remarkably good for a simple omelet, definitely something a cut above the ordinary.
If I keep improving my cooking, I think I'll become a monster capable of ensnaring any living being through their stomach.
In any case, finishing my meal and washing the plate under warm water, I left my house for another day at Kuoh Academy. But when I opened the door, I came face to face with a woman I honestly had not expected to find standing right outside.
"Rias..."
The Gremory heiress was standing at my door, her crimson hair gleaming in the morning light, gazing at me with her blue eyes serenely, though there was a trace of amusement at the corner of her lips.
Waking up to a beautiful girl first thing in the morning was definitely a nice sight.
"Good morning, Romani-kun~!" Maintaining the slight smile that made her graceful features look even more enchanting, she tilted her head lightly, greeting me with elegance. "I hope I'm not intruding."
"You're not intruding." I blinked a few times, still processing the scene before me. Rias being at my door first thing in the morning was definitely not a canonical event. "But what are you doing standing at my front door?"
Closing the door behind me, I raised my hand and rubbed my drowsy face.
"What are you talking about? I simply came to pick you up so we could walk to school together today." She crossed her arms over her chest and let a light laugh escape her lips. The movement made the fabric of her school uniform blouse press even more snugly against her body.
"I see..." I was a little confused, unable to work out why my king and one of the most beautiful girls in school would want to walk to school with me. As if reading my thoughts, Rias Gremory raised her slender hand and pressed it to her rosy lips.
"I don't think I need a reason to want to walk my adorable servant to school, do I!?" She raised a finger and pointed in my direction, her blue eyes shining with amusement.
Being called adorable was certainly a new experience.
"Fair enough. It's not like I'm going to complain about walking next to a pretty girl." At my words, her face flushed a light shade of red that spread from her cheeks all the way to the tips of her ears. But the blush quickly vanished as she closed the distance between us with a few steps.
"I see... so you won't mind if I do this, right!?"
To my surprise, she grabbed my arm with fingers that were delicate yet firm, threading it through hers, causing her generous bust to press against it with a softness that was impossible to ignore.
If I ever found myself minding a pretty girl pressing her chest against me, I might as well tear up my man card and burn the pieces.
We walked side by side down the quiet neighborhood street, the morning coolness still hanging in the air with a light touch of humidity that made the slightly damp hair from my shower stand on end. Sparrows chirped in the branches of the trees lining the sidewalk, oblivious to the fact that I was in a situation any man in his right mind would call enviable.
Rias Gremory had taken hold of my arm and had given absolutely no sign that she intended to let go anytime soon.
This is truly a glorious morning.
Author's Note: Romani's cooking has the power to make people's clothes explode, causing a foodgasm. But you'll have to wait for his first victim.