18 Chapter 18: Results

*Gulp*

Seeing the pizza, french fries, and omurice both Tuli and Lacht prepared for them, Frieren and the other couldn't help but gulp in anticipation before looking at them with permission.

"Dig in!"

Immediately after both Lacht and Tuli permitted them to start eating, Frieren, Throd, and Eisen, quickly swiped a pre-cut slice of pepperoni pizza on the table before biting into it excitedly.

'!!!'

"Subarashi! The tomato sauce just melts in your mouth!"

"It's delicious! It's like I'm being cradled in the embrace of the goddess!"

"This flavor is quite new..." Frieren perked her ears up in pleasure before taking four more large slices of pizza onto her plate.

Seeing that his newly created pizza was a success, Lacht then immediately passed a slice of pizza towards Tuli who was grimly looking at the judges who willingly took her opponent's food first instead of her's.

'...'

"Tuli come on try it!"

Looking at Lacht pass on his prepared food with anticipation written on his face.

Tuli immediately took the piece of pizza in her hand and inspected it diligently.

'It looks like bread that is topped with tomato sauce, bacon, slices of sausage, and cheese?'

"Oh-oh?"

"If this doesn't meet my standards you will eat nothing for the one month!"

Putting the end of the pizza into her mouth and biting into it.

'!'

'It's good!'

After a minute of eating the pizza and french fries, both Tuli and the judges were exceptionally satisfied with Lacht's cooking.

*Sigh*

"It seems I already lost before the match even began..." Tuli then looked at her careful prepared omurice with regret before looking at Frieren, Throd, and Eisen who were too bloated from eating the large pizzas.

"Can I eat your Omurice Tuli?"

Looking at Lacht who was cleaning up the dirty plates and putting a lid on the remaining four slices of pizza, Tuli was surprised that he would rather eat her food than his creation.

"Sure, Kid I already lost anyways..."

Smiling cheek to cheek, Lacht looked at the three plates of omurice on the side of the table and quickly put each and everyone it onto a much bigger plate before taking a seat for himself.

*Clap*

"Thank you for the food!"

Using a silver spoon to cut open the egg, and seeing it drip into the beautifully cooked fried rice, Lacht couldn't help but swallow his saliva, before finally taking a bite.

'!'

'It tastes just like what Mom used to make...'

*Clink*

*Clank*

*Clink*

*Clank*

Seeing Lacht hastily eating her food with pleasure on his face, Tuli smiled happily until five minutes later Lacht was able to eat three full servings of omurice all by himself.

*Burp*

"Thank you for the food, Tuli!"

Seeing Lacht appreciate her food Tuli then grinned before asking Lacht.

"What is that good?"

"Yes!"

Lacht immediately nodded before holding his plate towards Tuli.

"Can I have more?"

*Sigh*

Seeing Lacht ask for seconds, Tuli then sighed to herself before looking at the now bloated Frieren, Eisen, and Throd.

"T-too... f-f-full can't e-eat any more f-food..."

"..."

"..."

Hearing Frieren speak like she was going to miss out of a once in a once-in-a-century delicacy, Tuli then scratched her hair in contemplation.

*Hais*

"Maybe later Lacht..."

"I will do the dishes for now..."

Seeing Tuli take the dirty plates on the table to the kitchen, Lacht then immediately nodded in understanding before looking at both Throd, Eisen, and Frieren who got sick from overeating.

*Sigh*

"Heal!"

A green glow started encasing itself unto each of the group's bodies until after five minutes their stomachs no longer felt bloated and they could feel like they hadn't eaten the large pizzas just moments ago.

"Wow! It feels like I haven't eaten!" Eisen patted his stomach with curiosity.

"Now that I think about it Eisen, my stomach doesn't feel bloated anymore..." Throd also patted his abdomen while longingly looking at the four remaining pizzas at the table.

Frieren on the other hand curiously looked at her stomach before looking at Lacht and then finally at the pizza's

'I can eat more!'

.

.

.

"If you want to live a healthy life I suggest you don't eat another slice of pizza..."

As both Throd and Frieren were able to swipe another slice Lacht immediately warned them of the dangers of eating too much junk food.

"But I'm an elf!" Frieren immediately dejected.

Lacht immediately glared at Frieren.

"That also applies to you! The amount of pizzas you ate is enough to feed twelve whole families!"

"Do you want to get fat?!"

Frieren immediately lowered her face at the table not daring to look at Lacht's face and before making a nervous derpy face before silently whispered to herself.

"But I never get fat..."

.

.

Feeling the atmosphere around the dining room change, Lacht then looked at Throd and Frieren who were now having a guilty face.

"Okay, fine! But you can only take one slice each!"

Rolling his eyes in defeat, Lacht then immediately permitted them to take another slice.

Eisen, Throd's, and Frieren's eyes sparkled in childish excitement before quickly taking one slice of pizza each, leaving only one slice of pizza remaining.

"I could eat this all day!"

"This a food blessed by the goddess!"

"I should make Lacht cook this Heiter..."

.

.

.

*Creak*

The wooden door of Tuli's house immediately opened revealing the long green-haired girl wearing a simple blue medieval tunic dress.

*Step*

Stepping inside of her mother's home, Greta was immediately able to smell something divine permeating in the dining room and quickly ran towards it.

*Step*

*Step*

*Step*

"What is that smell? I want it!"

Shouting as she entered the dining room, Greta was greeted by her uncles and elf grandma having a great time eating what seemed to be a thin slice of bread topped with cheese, tomatoes, and meat.

Hearing Greta's shout, Lacht then immediately looked behind him and lightly smiled before walking to the table and passing her the remaining slice of pizza on the white glass plate.

Seeing the food, Greta immediately looked at it with glee before quickly taking it and biting into it.

'!'

"It's delicious! What is this food called Lacht?!"

With her twinkling with curiosity, Greta immediately asked what the food she was eating was.

"It's called pizza, I learned it from a recipe book..."

Scratching his head in embarrassment Lacht then saw Greta immediately gorge on the pizza with pleasure written on her face.

"It's so good!"

After a minute of eating, the pizza in her hand disappeared without a trace making her instinctively want more.

"Give me more pizzas!"

'...'

'I should've made two more batches...'

"I'm sorry Greta, but you're a little late to the party... We're out of pizzas."

"No!"

Greta crouched down on the dining floor like her entire world was destroyed right before and immediately hit it with regret and tears on her face.

*Slam*

"My pizza's!"

Seeing the pitiful display right in front of him, Lacht couldn't help but regret participating in the makeshift food war.

*Sigh*

'Is my food an addictive drug or something? I should probably stop cooking for Frieren in the future...'

.

.

.

"Don't worry Greta I will cook Pizza's later..."

Hearing Lacht making a promise of making more pizzas, Eisen, Throd, and Fieren immediately eyed Greta like she was the second coming of the goddess.

'Good work! Greta!'

"Really?!"

"Yes..."

*Swoosh*

In a swift motion, Greta immediately hugged Lacht out of nowhere before shouting as she could.

"Be my husband!"

.

.

.

'...'

'...'

'...'

*Shatter*

'...'

Tuli who had just finished washing the plates immediately dropped them right behind Lacht and Greta who were currently hugging each other.

'...'

Lacht immediately looked behind him, to see Tuli's face contort into a series of emotions before finally ending into a light smile and looking at Greta who was currently hugging Lacht.

"Greta? What do you mean by that?"

Seeing her mother just behind Lacht, Greta immediately saw her mother's calm but angry face.

Greta immediately pushed Lacht away from her before explaining herself.

"Lacht is a great cook Mother! And didn't you say that I should marry a person with great potential?"

"Lacht is also very talented in magic!"

'...'

'I really shouldn't have said that...'

Tuli scratched her hair in regret before looking at Lacht who was now sitting on the floor.

"Lacht do you like Greta?"

'A trap question...'

Inwardly sighing to himself, Lacht then answered truthfully to Tuli.

"I like Greta but I only consider her as a younger sister, nothing more..."

Tuli then eyed Frieren and immediately saw her nodding in response.

"I see..."

Tuli then eyed her daughter Greta in regret.

*Sob*

"You don't love me Lacht?!"

Seeing Greta starting to cry, Lacht instinctively frowned before standing up from the floor and patting his pants.

*Sigh*

Walking towards Greta and immediately patting her head, Lacht then lightly smiled at her.

"I love you Greta, but like I said, I only see you as nothing more than a little sister."

"..."

Hearing the hurtful words coming from Lacht's mouth, Greta then silently looked at his kind and understanding face.

"I see..."

.

.

.

After a minute of silence Greta then immediately looked at Lacht with fire in her eyes.

"Then what will I have to do, to make you proud?"

After thinking for a moment, Lacht then eyes Tuli behind him before lightly smiling at Greta and silently handing her a palm-sized dual-sided axe in his pocket.

"Be the greatest warrior in all of human history"

Seeing the miniature double-sided axe now on her right palm, Greta couldn't help but curiously look at it before all of a sudden it grew to fit her size.

'!!!'

"Wow!"

Seeing the axe suddenly grow big, Greta was then amazed at the mystical weapon she was currently holding in her hands.

"Is that an enchanted axe Lacht?"

The moment Tuli who was able to see the axe, was able to notice the aura the axe was giving just a few meters away from her.

'That Axe is as great as the weapons made by the dwarves... No, it is actually on par with the hero's sword...'

'...'

Looking behind him, Lacht then eyed Tuli who was being a little jealous of her daughter, before smiling mischievously.

"Do you want one?"

Hearing Lacht's suggestion, Tuli's face shined in excitement, before looking at Greta who was currently holding the axe like it was a treasure no one could have.

"Of course!"

*Sigh*

"Okay, just a moment..."

Walking towards Greta, Lacht then asked to borrow the axe for a moment

"Greta, can I borrow the axe for a moment?"

Greta nodded kindly before handing him the axe and curiously looked at what he was going to do.

"Mana manipulation: Matter Creation"

In a flash of bluish light, they blinded the entire room, causing Tuli and the group to instinctively close theirs before finally the light died down and a new set of identical double-sided axes appeared on Lacht's left hand.

'!!!'

Frieren and Throd made a surprised face at Lacht's profound spell before immediately standing up from their table and walking towards Lacht who was now holding two identical enchanted axes.

"How did you make that spell?"

Throd and Frieren immediately asked Lacht how he was able to suddenly make something out of nothing.

Seeing Throd's and Frieren's academic glare, Lacht started sweating profusely before pleading at Tuli and Greta who were currently looking at the set of axes instead of him.

"Ahh... I made it using my imagination! Yes! I used it using my imagination I thought that since mana can be manipulated to turn into things like fire and water, then why can't I just make materials using mana instead?"

Seeing the overly simple explanation coming from Lacht's mouth, Throd and Frieren nodded in silence before looking at each other.

'Lacht has a terrifying amount of creative imagination, and in the world of magic, visual imagination is key to the foundation of every mage...'

*Sigh*

Throd looked at Lacht proudly before looking at Frieren.

"Even as the mage of the hero party, there something that even you are surprised about Frieren?"

Hearing that someone recognized her, Frieren then immediately looked back at Throd in amazement.

"How did you know that I was part of the hero's party?"

"Frieren, there isn't a single image in this generation who hasn't heard your name..."

"Oh..."

Looking back at Lacht who was currently handing the two axes back to Tuli and Greta with a smile on his face, Frieren then immediately asked for Throd and the other's permission.

"Can I borrow Lacht to go see a friend?"

Looking at Tuli, Eisen, and Greta immediately looked at Frieren before looking at Lacht who was currently cleaning the broken plates on the floor and then fixing them on the table.

"Huh?"

Lacht then looked at the group of people who were currently looking at him like he was the most valuable person in the entire universe.

"Where are you taking him?" Throd curiously asked with a hint of anxiety and relief.

"We're just going to the the holy city Strahl and maybe the northlands""

"I see..."

Throd then looked Lacht in the eye, who was currently done fixing the broken white plates, and neatly placed them on the kitchen table.

"Lacht do you want to go to Starhl?"

Hearing the question Lacht then smiled and answered honestly.

"Of course! I want to see what the world has to offer and now that I can shape-shift into a human, no one would suspect me of being a demon!"

Walking towards Lacht and patting his head in kindness and care.

"Silly boy, you were always a human, even if you have horns or not..."

"..."

"Thank you Throd..."

Removing his hand on his head, Throd then went into the living room and moved a set of bookshelves to the side revealing a small door just big enough to fit a handful of grimoires, three small sacks, and a homemade hide bag.

Taking the hide bag from the secret storage, Throd immediately gave Lacht his old bag back after seven months of living with them.

"This is my old bag..."

Quickly opening his bag for the first time in months, Lacht was able to see his notebook and the grimoires that he got when he was living alone in the forest.

'Sadly, Eisen already pocketed my money pouch'

*Sigh*

Remembering the past year he has been living alone in fear and worry, Lacht silently put his hide bag onto the table and then looked at Eisen, Tuli, and Throd with appreciation.

"Thank you for giving me a chance"