Grand Foreigner (Chapters 1- 200)

Chapter 49

Of all the things in the world, Archer didn't really like that much. Weapons, swords mainly, of course. Girls - this was understandable, given that his orientation was quite straight. And then lastly, cooking.

The Chaldea's cooks survived the explosion that took place a month and a half ago, but this did not stop Archer from invading the kitchen after one trial breakfast and making it practically his property, taking the place of all of Chaldea's cooks at once. It's not that the cooks themselves were so bad - it's just because Archer's standards on food were much higher than many people. Plus, he really enjoyed cooking.

Archer took a step toward one of the huge pots, which is currently on a large stove, and then poured the chopped vegetables. He, of course, had never before cooked in such volumes and for so many people at once, but the quality of his cooking was clearly not affected at all according to the testimonies of numerous people who now praised Archer's food every day. Some of the Chaldea's people were even glad that Archer did not go to Singularity with Ainz, as this would obviously mean several weeks without Archer's food.

Archer slightly reduced the fire on the stove, and then looked at the frying pan next to it. The pan's size was smaller than the pot, much smaller, but it still contained enough food for a whole family's daily ration. But Archer knew that this was not even enough for the one to whom Archer was preparing food for.

As if to affirm his thoughts, a second later, there was a loud knock at the kitchen door - although it was not quite right to even call it a knock. Rather, someone just punched the door, causing it to bang and rang across half of Chaldea.

"She is here," Archer sighed, after which he shouted, without a pause from slicing vegetables, "Come in!"

A second later, the door to the kitchen opened, after which a black spot appeared in the small snow-white room, a spot that had no place in this kitchen... Yes, and, perhaps, in Chaldea at all.

"Arthuria," Archer greeted the girl with a nod of his head, distracted for a few seconds, "Come on in. Your portion is not ready yet, but it will be soon."

To this, Arthuria, a girl and the black spot, only silently took a step inside, after which, looking around, she sat in the nearest empty chair, forcing her armor to make a mournful creak.

'I still don't understand why she won't take off her armor,' Archer sighed. Of course, he himself was in his "combat" uniform, a red cloak lay on his shoulders - however, these were still not the kind of armor that would interfere with movement and normal everyday activity. The clothes that the rest of the Servants remaining in Chaldea wore were also not armor - and from what he saw, the only girl who usually wear armor during her stay in Chaldea, Mashu, replaced it with a casual T-shirt, pants and a big hoodie draped over her shoulders. In this regard, Arthuria stood out among the rest of the Servants.

'Among many other things,' Archer glanced at the girl again.

"Do you need something?" Noticing Archer's gaze, the girl only cast a cold glance at him.

"No, nothing," Archer sighed, and then turned back to the stove.

Arthuria. Or, as Archer once knew her, in a distant life, which might seem like a dream... Artoria Pendragon Alter.

In the end, not all the stories about heroes end in victory. "Happily Ever After" is a very loose concept. For the hero of a story about adventure spanning a week or two long, "ever after" can only mean a couple of months. For the hero of a story about their battle with a great evil, waiting in the wings, about their loss of those who were near and their dear ones, about suffering and endless pain "happily ever after" can only mean the absence of these features. In the end, the story of how a hero loses everything in his life and sinks to the bottom of their life is what remains beyond the "happy ending". No one wants to know that their beloved hero, having conquered the heart of the beautiful princess, would in the end finally saw the princess die before her lover and how their hero would be left with nothing. But such is life.