Tomoe Joins For Lunch

As Clement went over, my attention was drawn to the food in the center aisle. Even though I had already had my fill from the picnic earlier, the feast before me made my stomach rumble. As Bryan gave out square pieces of pale orange bread, Clement began explaining the dishes to us.

"Alrighty! I understand you might be asking why I've made lunch slightly later today but rest assured, nothing happened to the Orphanage or me today. Now then, with that out of the way, let's get onto this afternoon's dishes. We've got a few more guests joining, so food is quite a lot."

"Slayer Verna had been passing down some pieces of bread. Those are the Focaccias with sun-dried olives mixed into them. Then, by its side, Dukkah Spice and Olive Oil. There are a total of three starters, little bites to open up your tongues, and four main courses. Everyone okay?"

The chef was smiling. Everyone nodded, and before Clement could get on with the dishes, the front door swung open to reveal a very late Kitsune. My jaw dropped at the sight of the person standing at the door. No doubt about it; he is the infamous Tomoe I've heard about from Raiyen and Z.

"I sincerely apologize for my tardiness... I was backed up by the sudden rush of problems in Briton. I told the Duchess I did not have enough people to sustain the Major Mission she wanted me to go on. Neither do I have the permission from the High Queen as of yet..." said a very tired fox, panting.

Before anyone could open their mouth, the dining table started shaking violently as it enlarged itself. Then, finally, a new dining ware set appeared between Mavislin and the Headmaster. The Kitsune waved to me as he sat down while Bryan passed me a piece of Foccacia.

"Hey there," greeted the fox as he smiled at me.

"Don't you dare start anything with the new girl, Tomoe," warned Raiyen, rolling his eyes at the Kitsune.

"What? Can't I say a simple greeting?" asked Tomoe, pouting at his master.

"Please, we all know that you've got a thing for young ladies like Lady Elizabeth. Thus, Ma'am, please don't let this fox fool you. He is a nasty one," warned the Time Mage, looking at me.

"Not as nasty the person who greeted me by trying to slice me up like some meat on a platter," I retorted, shaking my head.

Mavislin had her eyes wide open as Raiyen choked on his drink.

"I like this one... She's good," smiled Tomoe.

"She's in my Ark!" yelled Mavislin, hugging my arm.

"That makes it even better!" exclaimed Tomoe.

"As I was saying, we've got some Burrata Cheese served with Braised Vegetable Stock Leeks, Sourdough Crumbs, and those green things are Wild Fennel. There's a Hazelnut Paste made from Parmesan, Garlic, Olive Oil, and Thyme. The whole thing is drizzled with Orange Oil."

"Next, we have a couple of Quinoa Falafel, a total of eleven. The whole dish consists of the Falafel, Hummus, and some Pomegranate. Finally, some White Cabbage Slaw is mixed with Mint, Black Seasame, and Lemon Juice. It's spicy, but it shouldn't be too strong for you lot."

"After all, it's only one ball per person. It consists of Tofu, Coriander, Parsley, Onion, and Garlic. The balls are battered with Chickpea flour. The Jalapeno inside makes it spicy, and overall, the dish has something called a Za'atar, a spice hailing from the Middle East."

"Lastly, we've got the Octopus and 'Nduja Pork Sausage served with Tomato Casserole and Stracciatella, topped with Basil. This dish is also spicy, and Mav might want to wait for the mains instead of trying this dish out," warned Clement, looking at the drooling Valkyrie.

Mavislin pouted as she heard the dishes' description, and I gave a gentle head pat. The Valkyrie gave a sweet little smile with tears at the corner of her eyes. Ah, it looks like Mavislin returned to her child form and sat on a high chair. Her dining ware did not change.

"The 'Nduja Pork is particularly spicy meat from Southern part of the Campania Domain. Please don't ask me how I got it. I've got many friends across the globe. The Casserole is made from the same Pork, Eggplant, Garlic, and more Chilli."

"Stracciatella is pulled Mozzarella Curds mixed with Heavy Cream. I'm hoping I can win Raiyen back with this dish since the burned Breakfast from yesterday."

"I'm hoping too. My Bacon and Ham were so blackened that I swear I can hear my ancestors crying. The whole Breakfast, since I was last to be on the table, was overcooked and badly burnt that it looked like they went through the Chernobyl Nuclear Fallout," replied Raiyen, shaking his head.