"I'm really sorry Kirito-kun!"
We invited Asuna to our home and asked her to cook, but there we encountered a surprising thing. Asuna's cooking proficiency has reached its maximum, reaching the max.
Skill proficiency is designed to increase bit by bit each time a skill is used, and requires a large amount of skill specs and time to reach the highest level. Since it's Asuna, I thought her skills had not improved except for combat, but I didn't expect that she was also frantically improving her cooking skill proficiency, reaching the maximum.
Even my one-handed sword skills, enemy search skills, and weapon defense skills are all full, and more than 700 stealth skills are also pouring in. I almost thought I was stupid, but somehow I swallowed my words and remained silent.
And I think I understand why Asuna chose to cook to thank you for being with Lilan. If it's cooking, Lilan, Shino, and I can all enjoy it, so it's a good choice.
Not long after, we invited Asuna into the cabin and took her to the kitchen. Asuna showed us the dishes she could cook in the window.
Asuna, who has the best cooking skills, has a variety of dishes ranging from home-cooked dishes such as curry and stew, to Mexican dishes such as burritos, to German dishes using sausages, to French aristocratic dishes using various ingredients. The repertoire is so broad that I thought it would be a good idea to open a multi-purpose restaurant.
Shino has been wondering if Asuna can improve her cooking skills.
Shino, Riran, and I listened to Asuna's menu with wide eyes, and ordered her to try making Japanese food for the time being. Asuna agreed, temporarily occupying the kitchen that Shino usually used, and started cooking with very familiar hands.
Less than 20 minutes later, Asuna came to us at the table with two familiar Japanese dishes.
Sashimi of three types of fish, wasabi soy sauce, tofu miso soup, scallions and Japanese wakame seaweed, white rice, kimchi and a golden omelette. The menu, which can be said to be a symbol of the long-standing Japanese food culture, sparkled in my eyes, and a feeling of nostalgia and excitement came to my heart.
Since being trapped in this world, I’ve only eaten brown bread, stew, curry rice, and brown meat.
Next to him, "Why are your eyes so bright?" Shino, who had just joined SAO, half-opened her eyes, but even so, I didn't care. I was impressed by his appearance. Only someone who has stayed away from Japanese food for a long time can understand this impression.
--I would love this. After chanting with his hands clasped together, he placed the sashimi in Asuna's Japanese dish that SAO had made for the first time, dipped it in soy sauce and wasabi, and put it in his mouth.
The pungent aroma of mustard, fish oil, and sweetness of soy sauce penetrated my tongue and nose. The nostalgic aroma and taste made me want to cry. The taste sensor, which until now could only detect the taste of Western food, began to tremble as soon as it sensed the nostalgic taste of Japanese food.
I heard that cooking Japanese food is difficult because this game is basically Western food. No, it was Sinon who said it, but according to Sinon, seasonings for cooking can be made by mixing ingredients, but no matter how much I try, they seem to be just seasonings for Western food.
Therefore, he said it would be impossible to create seasonings such as soy sauce and wasabi used in Japanese cuisine, but Asuna even recreated them.
When I asked if this was only possible for players with maxed-out cooking proficiency, Asuna replied. This soy sauce and wasabi-flavored dressing appears to have been created by accident in the process of continually mixing various ingredients to make the seasoning. He himself also missed the taste of soy sauce and mustard. Due to his madness and constant blending, he was deeply moved by the taste of soy sauce and mustard.
In addition, he successfully developed seasonings such as mayonnaise and Worcestershire sauce that can be used in Japanese and Western dishes, and successfully reproduced dishes using them.
I heard this story while eating Japanese food, and Shino asked me to teach him how to make seasonings. Asuna readily agreed and handed Shino a memorandum containing the preparation methods for various seasonings.
"Now you can eat Japanese food again." Shino said, and my heart skipped a beat. But what surprised me even more than that was that Asuna, who had a stiff face, showed kindness to me.
"The previous Asuna probably wouldn't have done this, nor would she have agreed to Shino's request. "After all, I know very well that Flash Asuna died in Lilan and became the original Asuna.
Then, while I was finishing my nostalgic Japanese meal, Asuna suddenly bowed to me.
"I'm really sorry Kirito-kun!"
"Why is it sudden?"
"I want you to completely ignore your and Lilan's feelings when you fight with them."
"She was probably talking about the first time she met Lilan." Well, at that time, Asuna was tied to various fences and had no way out. Even if I say that, it may not be unreasonable.
"It's okay. It's like we skipped a strategy."
"That's not true. Kirito knew very well that Lilan had intentions, and he tried not to force Lilan.
Shino put her elbows on the table.
"Well, Asuna's words and deeds at that time are indeed not worthy of praise. However, the reason for Asuna's anger is all outside. It's like you are being manipulated by the people around you. That's not the case."
Asuna's eyes widened and she looked at me and Shino alternately.
"Hey, Kirito-kun and the others also heard about that time?"
"The two of us were involuntarily startled." By the way, at that time I was using the stealth skill to eavesdrop on Asuna and didn't know what we were eavesdropping on.
"I'm sorry, Asuna. Actually, we were listening to Asuna and Raylan's conversation at the time."
"What, what? There was no one around at the time, and I didn't feel any signs except running again."
"That's when I discovered Asuna's mistake." Asuna improved her combat-related skills and cooking skills, but in exchange, she did not improve her enemy-searching skills and concealment skills. As a result, Asuna couldn't find us who used the stealth skill at that time.
“I used invisibility to hide.
Shino's wry smile made Asuna's face turn red.
"No, you are so cunning-!"
"But I'm glad to hear your true feelings. Why you used our powers, and why you tended to act that way. Asuna had a hard time, too. You did."
After Asuna looked confused, she lowered her head.
"I was told that this game is a death game. If I don't go home, I will fail my parents' expectations of me. I don't want to go back to my parents." So many things have happened, and things have become chaotic without knowing it, because they want to catch , can’t think of anything except grabbing. "
Lilan jumped on my shoulders and turned to look at Asuna.
"I told you, you no longer need to respond unnecessarily to your parents' expectations. Your parents are not disappointed in you, they are disappointed in the loss of reputation. So, as long as you can improve your visibility, a person who is older than you Just get an identical female robot. There is no need to obey such parents.
Asuna shook her head.
"No, no, no, Lilan. Dad is not like that."
I tilted my head unconsciously. Isn't that your father?
"what is that?"
“My dad told me I didn’t have to be elite.”
Shino's face darkened.
"In other words, it was your mother who made you like that and made you confused. Listen to me, I think that's the case."
"But your mother seems to have suffered a lot. She is a scientist, a farmer and relatives gather together, and she is looked down upon and ridiculed by others."
To my surprise, Asuna started talking about her mother's background. It is not allowed to talk about family matters here in Aincrad, but Asuna must have always kept it in mind and been looking for someone to talk to. Don't say that it's NG to talk about your origin or family here. Listen honestly.
"In other words, your mother made you an elite just to take revenge on those people?"
"I think so. If Asuna becomes as famous as Asuna's mother, Asuna's mother, who raised Asuna, will be re-evaluated. As a genius who gave birth to a genius, she will no longer be looked down upon and Ridicule. It will also disappear. I don’t know if you think so.”
Asuna replied, "Maybe."
"After all, Asuna's mother is suffering too, just like Asuna in The Flash. "I don't like being belittled or laughed at, so I want to make Asuna an elite and shut up those people. Completely ignoring Asuna's rights and feelings.
"Nonsense. Asuna is Asuna, not a tool to increase her mother's reputation.
"You definitely can't see that kind of thing. Just like Asuna, she didn't see the world clearly until not long ago."
"Children are children, and parents are parents."
Asuna raised her head and called Ruilun with a worried look on her face.
"Hey, Lilan. I don't know what I can do about this situation. I don't want to see my mother suffer, but I really don't want to continue being an elite."
"I know you don't like to be an elite. Besides, if you say you want to be an elite, that's your damn self-righteousness. Self-righteousness will destroy you one day.
Thoughts swirled in my head. Asuna's mother should be in the same state as Asuna in the flash. Not wanting to be ridiculed or ridiculed, she desperately wanted Asuna to become an elite, to the point where she would never see her daughter by her side again. Asuna looked at that reluctant look, she really hated being an elite, not to mention, if this continued, Asuna's heart would be broken again.
Not only that, even Asuna's mother would feel heartbroken thinking about this kind of thing. If you don't stop it somehow, the day will come when neither of them will have it.
“We have to find a way to stop Asuna’s mother.
"Of course, mom may be stubborn and won't listen to other people's stories."
Sinon turned to look at Lilan with a distressed look on her face.
