LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 122.2
Special Pudding À La Mode For The Grumpy One
Jake absentmindedly adds fuel to the fire, while Ali yells and smacks him on the head. Licht, holding Jake under his arm and almost losing his balance, desperately tries to plead. The lively trio catches the attention of the Scarlet Lynx crew, who had heard Ali’s earlier “All hands, evacuate!” warning and sensed the murderous aura radiating from Brook. Without hesitation, they all quickly turned on their heels and left. Having comrades is truly wonderful.
Brook, meanwhile, had already stopped paying attention to their lively chatter. Step by step, he approached the swarm of monsters. When the others tried to stop him, Ali, surprisingly, held them back and urged a retreat. Brook seemed oblivious to all of this as he continued forward. …Incidentally, since monsters are highly instinctual beings, they sensed the wrath of an enraged Bahamun dragonkin and began inching away. However, Brook had no intention of letting them escape.
Thus, the sudden stampede was annihilated by one furious swordsman alone. And thanks to this, casualties were minimal, leading to an increased reward. A happy ending?
“That’s how it went. Brook was super scary.”
“Oh, so that’s why Ali-san insisted on making some sweets for a snack?”
“Exactly. He’s still in a really bad mood.”
“Think sweets will cheer him up?”
“Probably. Brook loves your snacks, after all.”
Cutting fruit into bite-sized pieces, Yuuri listens to the laid-back Kurresh, who leans over the kitchen counter as he recounts the morning’s stampede. Yuuri had stayed behind and wasn’t told much about why everyone armed themselves and headed out.
A stampede, huh, Yuuri thought, recalling scenes from light novels and anime. Weren’t those supposed to be really dangerous, with monsters charging en masse? But since everyone came back safe, it must have worked out somehow. When Ali led them out, it had only seemed like a quick errand.
The reason? They had a backup plan: leave everything to Brook if things got dangerous. The ultimate weapon—cool swordsman. Though this time, he had snapped and gone rogue on his own.
“Yuuri, how much more should I mix this?”
“Ah, lift the whisk, and if it forms peaks, you’re good. Just a little more, please.”
“Got it.”
“Sorry for making you help.”
“Thanks, Licht! Normally, I’d ask Lelei, but she’s not here.”
“It’s fine. …The sooner Brook’s mood improves, the better. So I’ll help.”
Mixing the cream in silence, Licht mutters with a hint of melancholy. Clearly, Brook’s foul mood was stressing him out. Being a frontliner, Licht is highly attuned to things like hostility. And despite his sturdy, muscular build, he has a sensitive side, leaving him with a stomachache from Brook’s oppressive aura. Not that any of this was Licht’s fault.
As for why Licht was whipping the cream, Kurresh had given up—his wrist was about to die. Despite this being a world full of convenient magic tools, a hand mixer wasn’t among them. Yuuri resolved to ask someone to make one someday. Usually, this task fell to Urgus, but he was busy studying and unavailable today.
Yuuri was making pudding à la mode. That morning, he’d decided on pudding as the snack and used small molds so everyone could have their own. For Brook, Yuuri planned to give a special version. Naturally, knowing others would get jealous, he had prepared extra fruit and cream. For those who preferred plain pudding, that was fine too. But for anyone who wanted decorations, they could customize their pudding with various toppings. With all the fruit options laid out, it was shaping up to be an extravagant pudding à la mode.
“Kurresh, do you want decorations?”
“Nah, plain is fine for me.”
“Got it. Licht, how about you?”
“Since I whipped the cream, I’ll have a little.”
“Understood.”
As expected, the two men weren’t big on sweets. Still, the trio figured the women would definitely go all out with their decorations, and Brook, the resident sweet tooth, would be thrilled by an elaborate presentation. Probably not a wrong assumption.
Pudding à la mode in hand, Yuuri headed to the living room. There, Brook sat alone on the sofa, reading. While his expressionless face seemed as usual, the aura around him was different. The oppressive vibe made Kurresh and Licht stay back at the doorway, watching Yuuri from a distance. Yuuri, oblivious to such things, only sensed a slight grumpiness. Ignorance of hostility is a strength.
“Brook-san, want some snacks?”
“…It’s that time already?”
“Yep! I made pudding today, but I dressed it up a bit. It’s a deluxe version!”
“…That’s quite an elaborate pudding.”
“I heard you all had a tough day, so I thought I’d go all out.”
Smiling as always, Yuuri offered the glass dish. Brook’s eyes widened slightly at the sight. At the center was a handmade pudding, beautifully garnished with the whipped cream Licht had worked hard on and various fruits. The colorful arrangement was striking.
Brook quietly accepted the dish, along with a spoon. The fruit was all cut into bite-sized pieces for easy eating. Unsure where to start, Brook opted to scoop some cream and pudding together.
The cream was only lightly sweetened, with the milk flavor taking prominence. The pudding itself was also mildly sweet. This simplicity allowed the natural flavors of the ingredients to shine. The homemade caramel sauce complemented the taste perfectly.
“It’s delicious.”
“Does it suit your taste?”
“Yeah. Thanks as always.”
“No problem. You’ve earned it.”
“……”
Seeing Yuuri’s usual cheerful smile, Brook blinked and then gave a slightly troubled smile of his own. He must have realized whose idea the fancy pudding was. Setting the dish on the table, he patted Yuuri’s head gently.
“Sorry. Seems I still have a lot to learn.”
“Not at all. Feeling better now?”
“Yeah. Can’t have you going out of your way because of me.”
Apologizing for his immaturity, Brook received a relaxed grin from Yuuri. In truth, Yuuri didn’t feel inconvenienced. Everyone has their off days, right? Not sensing hostility really is a strength.
From the doorway, Kurresh and Licht watched Brook’s oppressive aura fade, finally letting out relieved sighs. With peace restored, they felt life would return to normal. Just average, good-hearted citizens wanting to avoid nearby explosions.
Meanwhile, despite orchestrating the snack plan, Ali muttered in exasperation at how easily Brook’s mood was fixed by a dessert.