The morning classes were over and it was lunchtime.
　We were walking through the streets of Gaillardite, looking for a place to eat.

　Various restaurants lined up on both sides of the street, and the smell of them was very appetizing.
　Since it was just lunchtime, all the restaurants seemed to be quite crowded.

It's a good idea to try the specialty of Gaillardite's grilled heroes. The last time we had an exchange program, it was a bit out of season, but now they are serving it in many different places.

　Eleonor leads us on while saying that.

''Brave roast.......that's a disgusting name.......''

　Sasha blurted out, and next to her Misha nodded her head.

'What do you want to grill?'

"....the meat of the brave....

　Zesia grasped her hands tightly and looked serious.
　Misha blinks her eyes.

'Giggle, it was a joke from Zesia.

'Zecia is........a joke, I like.......'

　Hmph, Zesia laughs.

''It was definitely Eleonor who taught you that...''

　Sasha looks at Eleonor in dismay.

'So what is it really about?'

　Misa asked, and Ray said.

It's called 'Yaki the Brave' because it's made with ingredients that require courage to get hold of," she said. The alpine herb that can only be obtained by climbing up steep cliffs, the lotus fruit that grows in poisonous swamps, and two thousand years ago, the meat of a dragon that could be obtained by killing it...?

　As expected, it is not customary to eat dragon meat in this era.
　When Ray turned to look at him, Eleonor said, ''It's beef now.

It's beef now," said Eleonor. We're going to hunt a beast called a bullhorn. Oh, and this restaurant is our destination. We have the best roast of the brave in Geiradite.

　Eleonor stopped in his tracks.
　In front of him was the rice shop 'Taste of Meat'.

'There's often a line, but today it's empty, so maybe we can eat right away. Let's go.

　Following Eleonor, Ray, Sasha and the others walked into the store.
　Just as I was about to enter, a familiar voice came flying on the wind.

''........already, why won't it open.......!

　I turned around and looked at her, and it was Emilia.
　She's sitting on a rock in an unpopular square, sending magic power to the can.

　It's probably a magic can.
　It's a mechanism for sending magic power to open it, but she seems to be struggling.

　She realized that she couldn't open it with her own magic power, so she finally started hitting the can with a gun to the rock. But the cans are sturdy, and Emilia's fine arms can't even force them open.

'Misha,'

　As I said this, Misha, who had just walked into the shop, popped up.

Can you order what I like at random?

　She nodded and looked once at Emilia.
　Then she looks at me again and smiles.

'Sweet.'

　Misha walks into the store.
　I didn't head into the store, but instead headed to Emilia in the square.

　She didn't even pretend to notice me and was desperately hitting the canned goods against the rocks.
　While doing so, she muttered something resentful like, "You're a can, you're so cocky.

You can lend it to me.

　When I called out to her, Emilia looked up curiously.

''Uh ... uh ... was it Anosh Porticolo-kun, as I recall?''

''That's right. That magic canned food doesn't respond to the magic wavelengths of the demon race. However, that judgment isn't very strict either. We just need to mimic the magic power a little bit to make it more human-like.

　I hold out my hand, and Emilia puts the can on it.
　Grabbing the top of the can, I pull it out by force.

''It wasn't a magical disguise, was it?

　Emilia sounded surprised.
　I offer her the cans with the lids off.

'I figured this one would be quicker,'

　Emilia says as she accepts the canned goods.

''Thank you....''

　Turning over, Emilia stared at the canned goods.
　Inside, there was salted meat.

"Is that all you're going to eat?

I got a lot of stuff for you.

　Emilia draws a magic circle and puts her hand inside.
　She takes out cans of food, cans of food, and cans of food.

It doesn't open all the way.

"Hahaha.

　I send my magic power to the magic can.

　Then the lid opens.
　It contains fish in oil, stockpiled bread and boiled beans.

"Do you like eating canned food?　There are plenty of places to eat, I'm sure.

'I don't like to make a fuss. It's all the same in my mouth.

　You're a funny guy.

"Who eats canned food outside when there are food carts?

'I used to buy from a stall until yesterday. But it's a pain in the ass to talk to people when you buy something. So I suddenly realized I had a year's supply of canned goods in stock.

Can't you open it?

　Emilia skewered the salted meat with a fork and threw it into her own mouth, as if she was being picky.
　She gagged and chewed on it as if she hated it.

　Hmm. Well, if you don't want to talk to people, then let it go.
　Without saying anything else, I decide to turn on my heel.

"Anosu-kun is--

　When I turned around, Emilia was staring at the boiled beans.

''You're good at magic too, aren't you?''

　So she mutters to herself.

''He's good at dice, he has the magic eye to see, he's powerful, and at his age, he's a real genius.

Hmm. There's no denying it, but natural ability is not something to be proud of.

"...I'm jealous...

　You're more honest than ever.
　Is it because we're dealing with a child?

..........

　When she looked up and stared at me, Emilia averted her gaze in shame.

'Sounds delicious,'

What?

Salted meat.

Oh.

　Emilia looked at the can she was holding and held it out to me without fear.

'Would you like some?'

Let's get it.

　He grabbed a can and picked at the salted meat.
　He brought it to his mouth and munched on it, munching on it.

'What are you doing?　You can't grab them by the hand.

Unfortunately, they don't have any forks or anything.

It's not an animal. Come here for a minute.

　I sit there as Emilia taps the rock I'm sitting on.
　She took out a handkerchief and wiped my fingers. Then she let me hold the fork.

　I skewer the salted meat with it and bring it to my mouth.
　It's a little salty, but it blends with the flavor of the meat, and the more you bite into it, the more flavor you get.

'Kids are good. They don't seem to have any worries.

Is Emilia in trouble?

This is Dr. Emilia.

　With a snap, Emilia sighed.

'Anosh, you might want to reword your words.

Why?

You sound just like the most obnoxious man in the world.

　That's a refreshingly prejudiced reason alone.

　Emilia put the boiled beans in her mouth and munched on them.
　Her gaze gazed blankly into the air.

''.........Anosh-kun, you're the royal family, right?''

Looks like it.

You used to be a member of the royal family, sir.

　With a sad expression on her face, she mutters.

'Ho.'

'You won't believe this, but a bad wizard made me a half-breed demon. The teacher was proud to be an imperial family. He had lived happily all his life. But when it was taken away from him, everything changed.

　I listen to Emilia's words as I munch on the mangled, salted meat.

Everyone I meet looks down on me. I've lost my job, I'm ashamed, I can't see my family anymore. I've lost my job, and I'm so ashamed of myself that I can't even see my family anymore. Even if I tried to work, I could only teach, and no one but the royal family would allow me to be a teacher.

　I reach for a canned stockpile of bread and bring it to my mouth.
　It's hard, no moisture, and quite filling.

　Well, two thousand years ago, I would have eaten bread as hard as a brick.
　My teeth can't compete with this level of hardness, but I can't say it's very good.

"...I was miserable. I felt like I worked to earn money, but was soon turned against me for being a half-breed, and then we got into fights, and I got only a pittance of money, and the food I ate was poor, and I felt like I was in a filthy place, and I didn't know what I was living for, and I was desperately trying to just breathe... ...

But you're a teacher now, aren't you?

''Well yes....''

　Emilia says, with her eyes down.

'But it doesn't bring back happiness.

　I'm sure you're right.

　If you think you can talk to your kids, let them vent it all out.
　Maybe it'll make it easier.

"Hmm. Why?

"Well I've learned something when I came here...

　In a dark voice, she says.

The ordinary people who don't have the magical eye only think of me as a human being, but the way they treat ordinary humans is the same as the demons in Dillhade who treated me.... But the way they treat ordinary humans is the same as the demons in Dillhade treated me...

　Emilia realized that this was the same as when she thought normal human interaction was looked down upon as miscegenation.

　It was not that she didn't know what that meant.
　Squeezing in place, she buried her face in her lap and said.

''........That gaze I thought was looking down on me was the gaze I used to give to the half-breed.......''

　As if that explanation didn't make sense, Emilia added a few more words to supplement it.

'I was the one who looked down on me... I was just selfishly scared that I was being looked down on... I didn't look down on anyone... I didn't look down on anyone...'

　A slight, giggling voice can be heard.

'So what do you want me to do...!　The fact that I'm an a**h*le, an ugly, scum, and a useless person just confronts me about it... nothing has changed...

　As she hugged herself, Emilia made herself even smaller.

''Well you saw it, Anosh-kun, didn't you?　I am nothing but a teacher. I've only been here for a short period of time, but the students make fun of me so much that they don't even call me a teacher...

　A faint tear comes to Emilia's eyes as she looks up slightly.

''Come to think of it, this is the curse given by that evil wizard........ I was nothing more than a member of the royal family in name only........ I wasn't even a teacher........ I was a tiny little girl with no power........I was just a fool who was always irritated and looked down on people.......

　She let out her pain, yes.

''I'm not like Eldmead-sensei or Shin-sensei........ I'm not an honorable demon race that can teach people things........

　Biting her lip, Emilia said in a faint voice, as if squeezing out the words.

''But even though I know, I can't become respectable now...''

　She hugs herself tightly.



I don't know the hard way.

　When I said that, Emilia looked at me with a pout.

''That's right........''

More importantly, this meat is a little too spicy for me.

"...you're an idiot. We eat these with bread.

That bread is hard.

That's why I use this oil.

　Emilia dips the bread into the fish in oil.
　Emilia throws the bread into my mouth as I munch on the salted meat.

'How do you like it?'

'Delicious. The bread is tender and the meat is just the right amount of salt.

I know.

　Just a little bit, Emilia's expression softened.

'One thing I learned,'

Everyone knows about this.

I didn't know that.

　For a moment, Emilia froze.
　She stared into my eyes.

'A year's worth of canned food means there must be a lot of different ways to eat it.

　Laughing dismissively, Emilia said.

'If you don't mind that kind of nonsense, I'll tell you again.