Chapter 26: The Cooking Maiden
A series of notifications suddenly bloomed in Rovel's vision, each one more stunning than the last.
[Requirement Met: Raiden Mei's trust has reached 99%.]
[Title Effect: Raiden Mei will protect you with her life!]
[Title Description: You... are more important than the world!]
In that single, stunning instant, Rovel watched as Raiden Mei's trust meter, which had been hovering at a solid 80%, leaped directly to 100%.
The moment it maxed out, the entire interface shimmered. The vibrant green bar, once a symbol of trust, dissolved and reformed into a soft, blushing pink. The label itself changed, the word 'Trust' replaced by another.
[Raiden Mei | Affection: 0]
'So, when trust hits its peak, it converts into affection...'Rovel thought, a corner of his mouth twitching.'Is this secretly a dating sim?'A new, tantalizing question immediately followed.'Then what happens if affection reaches 100%?'
Raiden Mei reached out, her slender fingers closing around the towel he offered. She looked up at him, her violet eyes swimming with unshed tears, and offered a smile. It was a heart-wrenching sight—a genuine, beautiful smile blooming on a face streaked with sorrow.
"Thank you... Rovel, thank you..." she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. She clutched the simple towel to her chest as if it were the most precious treasure in the world.
"You should dry yourself off first," Rovel said, slightly taken aback by the sudden, raw display of emotion. "Then you can change into a spare Kendo Club uniform for now."
He wasn't entirely sure what ordeal Raiden Mei had endured this morning, but it was clear his simple act of kindness had become the final crack in a dam of pent-up feelings, allowing everything to pour out.
Turning his head, Rovel's gaze found another club member. "Sugi Mikado," he called out, his voice calm but firm.
"Present! What are your orders, Second Seat?" Sugi Mikado immediately straightened up and jogged over, his posture ramrod straight.
"If anyone dares to come to the Kendo Club looking for trouble," Rovel began, his tone deceptively casual, "I want you to take a picture of them. Get a good look at their faces. I'll personally go and have a... 'friendly exchange' with them later."
He gave Sugi Mikado's shoulder a firm, meaningful pat, entrusting him with this glorious and arduous task.
Sugi Mikado's eyes lit up with understanding. With that single order, any worries about the Kendo Club getting dragged into Raiden Mei's troubles vanished. Raiden Mei herself, bound by her own principles, might not retaliate against the school's bullies.
Rovel, however, was a different story entirely.
The news of him single-handedly dismantling the six major departments had already become the stuff of legend at Chiba Academy. This was a man who didn't even flinch when hitting girls during a sanctioned fight. There was absolutely no one he would hesitate to put in their place.
"Mission guaranteed!" Sugi Mikado declared, his voice ringing with absolute confidence.
A short while later, Raiden Mei emerged from the changing room dressed in the Kendo Club's uniform. Her long, dark hair was still soaking wet, dripping onto her shoulders; with no hair dryers available, there was no quick way to fix it.
"President..." a few of the Kendo Club members mumbled, offering her quiet, hesitant greetings.
They didn't dare to act overly familiar with her. They weren't Rovel. His social circle within Chiba Academy was almost exclusively limited to the Kendo Club—or, to be more precise, limited to Raiden Mei herself. Besides, the only person in the entire academy who could definitively defeat him in a fight was Raiden Mei. Rovel had nothing and no one to fear.
They, on the other hand, were different. If they were perceived as being part of Raiden Mei's clique, their school lives would be effectively over.
Raiden Mei could see their apprehension clearly in their averted gazes and stiff postures. She simply offered a faint, understanding nod in response.
But when her eyes landed on Rovel, the quiet melancholy on her face instantly dissolved, replaced by a warm, radiant smile.
"Rovel, have you had lunch yet? Would you like to join me?"
Her gentle words hung in the air, leaving the surrounding club members utterly stunned. They could hardly believe their ears. The indomitable Thunder Queen, speaking to someone in such a soft, inviting tone—and to a boy, no less!
"...I haven't eaten, no. I didn't bring anything, so I was just about to head home," Rovel answered honestly. His plan had been to log off and grab a bite in the real world.
"I made a bento," Raiden Mei said, her eyes shining with hopeful expectation. "If you don't mind, Rovel..."
'Can a Descender even feel full from eating food in this world?' Rovel wondered.
Still, faced with such a sincere invitation, he found it impossible to refuse her kindness. Besides, his gaming pod was still stocked with nutrient solution, so it wasn't as if he would actually starve.
"Then I shall humbly accept," Rovel replied with a nod.
The two of them sat down in a corner of the dojo, beginning their lunch as if they were the only two people in the room. This wasn't entirely unusual, as many students ate in their club rooms. It was just... no one ever expected to see Raiden Mei doing so, let alone sharing her meal.
Raiden Mei carefully opened the bento box, revealing a colorful and carefully arranged meal. She used one of the empty containers as a makeshift bowl for Rovel and handed him a spare pair of chopsticks.
"Please, try my cooking," she said with a light, almost shy laugh. "You're the first person to ever taste a bento I've made myself."
"In that case, this is truly a moment worth commemorating," Rovel replied, genuinely surprised.
He picked up a piece of golden-brown tempura, brought it to his lips, and began to chew slowly. He adopted the solemn, grave expression of a world-class food critic, a playful act that made Raiden Mei watch him with a hint of nervous anticipation.
Just as the flavor exploded on his tongue, a system prompt appeared.
[Consumed 'Raiden Mei's Specially Prepared Bento'. All stats +1!]
"?" Rovel froze, his mind slowly processing the notification.
'There's this kind of unexpected bonus?'
He looked down at the bento box in his hands, and a detailed description materialized in his view.
[Raiden Mei's Specially Prepared Bento: After consumption, all stats +1. Limited to once per day. Stat increase effect ceases once base values reach 150 points.]
'This... so this is the real benefit of sticking with the main cast?'
All stats +1, every single day. By his calculations, that was equivalent to gaining two full levels every three days, just from eating lunch!
This... while it couldn't compare to the single, massive fifty-point boost from Mobius's potion, the long-term potential was immense! Given the current cap, he could gain dozens of extra levels' worth of stats just by having lunch with her!
"Rovel... is it not to your taste?" Raiden Mei asked cautiously, her voice laced with worry. Seeing him freeze after just one bite, she feared she had made a mistake in her cooking.
"No, not at all! This is incredible!" Rovel snapped out of his daze, his expression shifting to one of genuine delight. "I just never expected your cooking to be this good, Mei."
"Just what kind of image did you have of me before?" Raiden Mei retorted, a hint of playful dissatisfaction in her tone. A small, pleased smile played at the corner of her lips, however, betraying her happiness at his praise.
Although her family's former housekeeper had always prepared her meals, it didn't mean she was incapable in the kitchen. On the contrary, Raiden Mei had a passion for cooking and often studied new recipes on her own.
Soon, the bento box was polished off, every last grain of rice gone.
"Delicious," Rovel murmured, leaning back with a satisfied sigh. "It would be amazing if I could eat a bento like this every day."
It wasn't just about the taste; he was already craving tomorrow's +1 to all stats.
A bright, beautiful smile bloomed on Raiden Mei's face.
"If you like it, Rovel, I can make it for you every day."
'Ah!'Rovel thought, his heart skipping a beat.'The legendary gentle housewife trope, winning you over through your stomach! She's fragrant, she's sweet, and she cooks!'
[Inorin's Note:
Enjoying the story? Dropping a quick review, comment, or Power Stone means the world to me and keeps these daily updates flowing!
Want to read 50 chapters ahead or just want to help keep a shameless translator alive? (My livelihood actually depends on this, haha 😭). You can support me directly here:
(P.S. Just remove the brackets and replace the [.] with a regular dot . to use the links!)
✨ Patreon (50 Advanced Chapters): patreon[.]com/InorinTL
☕ Ko-fi (Support / Sponsor): ko-fi[.]com/InorinTL
Thank you so much for reading and keeping this project alive!]