Were Lancer's files interesting?
At least, they were in Honest's eyes.
The man had appeared practically out of nowhere. Although he currently served the Empire, no one could find any trace of his 'hometown.' That left room for plenty of manipulation. If he could pin the blame on him later… hehe~!
Honest's face broke into a smile of pure malicious delight. Yet soon after, he eagerly flipped through other documents—perhaps he'd stumble across even more intriguing candidates.
...
Meanwhile, unaware that he was being schemed against while scheming himself, Lancer was strolling down the street with Leone. Well, to say "strolling" would be generous. It was more him making awkward suggestions and her nodding quietly.
Frankly, the afternoon was painfully tense. Lancer initially thought this outing could ease the tension between them. Unfortunately, once cracks appeared in a relationship, repairing them wasn't so simple. As far as Lancer was concerned, this afternoon had been a total bust.
But as they returned to the villa, they ran into Najenda, who'd just arrived home herself. The moment her eyes landed on Leone, collar around her neck, Najenda's usually composed expression turned ice-cold.
As an Imperial officer, Najenda wasn't unfamiliar with the practice of slavery. However, as a woman—and a strong-minded one at that—she instinctively found such things repulsive.
"Lieutenant Colonel Najenda, would you like to join us for dinner?"
Lancer's intent was to build some rapport with her. After all, this future leader of Night Raid was currently a prominent officer in the Imperial Army—someone worth cultivating a relationship with. The only issue was, Najenda clearly held some kind of grudge against him, and he couldn't pinpoint exactly why. Was it due to his infamous reputation?
If that was the case, he couldn't help it. The truth was undeniable: thousands had indeed died by his hand or under his command, no matter the circumstances.
Yet, to his surprise, Najenda glanced once at Leone, then gave a brief nod. Lancer was taken aback—but also curious.
Could Najenda already know Leone from before she invited her to Night Raid?
After issuing an 'order' for Leone to keep Najenda company in the living room, Lancer slipped into the kitchen alone. There, he took out a small horn-shaped whistle.
"Whoo~ Whoo~"
A low, resonant sound echoed softly. Suddenly, the bushes outside the kitchen window rustled, and an orange feline head popped out.
"Meow~!"
With a familiar cry, Tiger leaped gracefully through the window, landing right into Lancer's open arms.
"Sorry~ sorry~! I've been busy lately and haven't had time for you guys. But look! I prepared your favorite dried fish snacks in advance—they're made from special fish-type Danger Beasts unique to this world!"
Since arriving in this world, Lancer had rarely summoned his three Palicoes. Back when he'd been stationed with the border army, his primary enemies were foreign tribes. Palicoes would never participate in conflicts between humans, so he hadn't bothered summoning them at all. But today…
"Tiger, can I count on you for dinner?"
"Meow-meow?! Mew!!"
Tiger looked visibly offended by Lancer's lack of faith. He patted his fluffy chest with his paw, puffing up proudly.
Indeed, Lancer couldn't cook.
Or rather, his culinary expertise was limited strictly to 'instant noodles' and 'frozen dumplings.' Making a proper dinner to impress guests was completely out of the question.
Of course, Lancer often comforted himself:
It's definitely because of that [LANCER FATE EX] sucking away all my other talents. Otherwise, I could've had a shot at creating glowing… no, drugged dishes!
But no amount of self-deception changed the brutal truth: he was completely hopeless in the kitchen. In the end, all he could do was watch in awe as Tiger expertly wielded a spatula with practiced ease.
...
Meanwhile, Leone, despite being 'ordered' to accompany Najenda, felt utterly out of her depth. Najenda was clearly a high-ranking officer, and Leone had no idea how to properly 'entertain' her.
Yet Najenda mistook Leone's visible discomfort for fear.
"What's your name?"
"Leone!"
Although the two weren't far apart in age, their drastically different attitudes created an oddly uncomfortable atmosphere. The two involved didn't seem bothered, though. Instead, Najenda's expression softened considerably.
"No need to be nervous. I'm only here for dinner."
If Lancer's position in the army was the spearhead—always fighting on the frontline—then Najenda was the strategist. Not only did she possess exceptional intelligence, but she also had an innate talent for managing her troops' morale. Under her careful guidance, Leone quickly relaxed. Najenda even insisted that Leone drop the overly formal 'Miss Najenda' and call her "Big Sis Najenda" instead.
During their conversation, Najenda managed to glean some basic details about Leone—like her poverty-stricken upbringing and how she'd ended up a slave because Lancer arrested her through the Imperial Police…
Looking at Leone's face—which was undoubtedly more charming than the average girl—Najenda immediately imagined a certain someone setting up a scheme to capture Leone out of lust. But when Leone mentioned that Lancer hadn't actually done anything to her, Najenda grew puzzled. Just what kind of person was this man? Everything he did seemed to contradict itself.
Of course, if Najenda had voiced her suspicions out loud, Lancer would've gladly given her a thumbs-up for her sharp insight. He really was stuck in a state of extreme contradiction.
Though he'd remained single for more than two decades, lately he'd faced increasing temptation. Coupled with escalating pressures, it had driven him into an unstable mindset—which had nearly led him to cross a line with Leone earlier. Thankfully, he'd managed to hold onto the last thread of reason.
While Najenda quietly puzzled over Lancer's contradictions, the kitchen door swung open. Lancer emerged, carrying a massive platter nearly a meter wide.
If it had only been that, she'd have felt merely curious. But what stunned Najenda into disbelief was the cat wearing a chef's hat trailing behind Lancer, carefully balancing another platter.
A Danger Beast?
"Colonel Lancer, this is…?"
"My friend—and tonight's chef. Hey, don't give me that look! I'm not insane. Tiger's cooking is absolutely top-notch~!"
Initially, when Najenda saw Lancer leave, she'd assumed he went to supervise a human chef. She never imagined the 'chef' would turn out to be a cat. Could something like that even taste good?
---
T/N: TIGER!!! i love tiger, mmmm i want a palico