...
To ensure a wonderful lifestyle experience during this training camp, Lucian had specially invited chefs skilled in local cuisines from the hometowns of each Uma Musume.
So when the Uma Musume arrived at the kitchen and saw the menu, they were all astonished.
"Wow—! I can't believe I can see dishes from my hometown here!" Tokai Teio's eyes sparkled, swallowing hard several times just from looking at the menu.
Lucian understood her—cherry blossoms from her hometown, right?
This was exactly his intention.
The "Rigil" apartment had Western cuisine and pastries, so he couldn't lose out. He couldn't let his Uma Musume envy others.
"These chefs specialize in your hometown dishes. They'll be in charge of your meals from now on, so I won't necessarily be cooking," Lucian introduced. "They were specially brought in from your hometowns."
"Trainer, you're so thoughtful…" Rice Shower said with her small mouth agape, marveling. Compared to joy and excitement, what she felt more after joining "Dream" was happiness.
"Trainer~ What if I want to eat food you made? Would you be willing to cook?"
As long as Seiun Sky was around, any time and any place seemed to turn into a battlefield without gunpowder.
"Sure, I'd be happy to cook when I have time."
But Lucian was no longer the inexperienced Lucian of the past. After saying this, he quickly added, "Suzuka, Urara, Spe-chan, Little Bailey… whenever you want to try my cooking, just let me know."
"You can all try each other's hometown flavors first. It'll take some time to taste them all."
"Take it slow. We have plenty of days ahead to spend together."
A Shura field? Nonexistent. He easily defused the crisis
Seiun Sky's face darkened, letting out a soft, cold humph.
Silence Suzuka nodded. That's more like it.
"So touching, Trainer-san!" Special Week expressed her gratitude, tears of emotion streaming from the corners of her mouth.
"It's about time for lunch. Everyone can start ordering," Lucian said, then politely addressed the chefs, "Thank you for your hard work."
...
For their first meal upon arriving, the Uma Musume unsurprisingly all chose flavors from their hometowns.
However, Lucian found himself in a bit of a dilemma. While everyone else's meals were served, he was still staring at the menu, unsure of what to choose.
Carrots? Nah, he'd already learned and tried countless preparations.
As for the other dishes, he hadn't tasted many, so he didn't have any particular favorites.
"Lucian-kun, still haven't decided? Why don't you try a dish from my hometown first and see if it suits your taste?" While the Uma Musume were busy digging into their food, Silence Suzuka extended her chopsticks with a piece of meat toward Lucian's mouth.
"Uh… thank you."
Lucian thought to himself, Is Silence Suzuka being this bold today? But then again, what did she have to be shy about with him anymore
Still, with so many people around…
It wasn't that he didn't want to take the chopsticks himself, but Silence Suzuka was clearly intent on feeding him.
"Suzuka, just put it down, I can pick it up myself."
Lucian reached for the chopsticks, but Silence Suzuka's voice interrupted him. "It's fine, I don't mind. Besides, Lucian-kun, as long as you're careful not to touch the chopsticks, it'll be okay."
"Or… does Lucian-kun mind me?"
Cough, cough. Lucian caught the implied threat in Silence Suzuka's words.
He didn't dare move. He really didn't dare move.
If he crossed her now, she'd definitely make him pay later.
But just as Lucian decided to give in, the other Uma Musume's attention was drawn to the scene.
Silence Suzuka fired the first shot, and the second shot came from Seiun Sky. "Trainer~ The lamb from my hometown is absolutely delicious."
The fragrant lamb was brought to Lucian's mouth, even tapping at his lips, leaving a glossy sheen on them.
Then came the third shot, from the innocent Haru Urara.
"Trainer, how about trying some ramen from Urara's hometown? Slurp it up, it's super tasty!" After saying this, Haru Urara demonstrated how she slurped her ramen.
Next was the fourth shot, from the slow-to-react "Specially Dull" Special Week, shy but unwilling to fall too far behind Urara.
"Trainer-san, you're used to carrots, right? There are other dishes from my hometown… would you like to try them?"
Finally, the fifth shot came from the messenger of "all punishments are rewards," Dextrous Bailey.
"Trainer! Try mine!" Dextrous Bailey stood up, slamming the table, and handed an entire plate of food to Lucian.
Rice Shower and Tokai Teio ate slowly, their eyes fixed on the scene.
What was going on here?
Lucian felt like he was Tom, surrounded by a multitude of steel pipes, unsure which one to blow into.
"Ha, haha… Everyone's so enthusiastic about recommending their hometown specialties. It's hard for me to choose," Lucian said, grabbing an empty bowl. "How about this? Put them all in here, and I'll try them all."
"Alright." Silence Suzuka released her chopsticks, but her gaze clashed with Seiun Sky's in the air, invisible sparks flying. "Lucian-kun, eat more of these too. Replenish your protein."
"Trainer~ You should try more of mine. Didn't you always say it's sweet?" Seiun Sky squinted, her chopsticks moving so fast to pile food into Lucian's bowl that they left afterimages.
Though, she was puzzled why Silence Suzuka emphasized "protein" at the end.
"Trainer, the ramen's best when it's soaked in broth." Haru Urara pulled back her hand, letting the noodles swim in the broth again before presenting them to Lucian. "Trainer, hurry up and eat! Urara's arm is getting tired, and the noodles will get cold."
"Alright, I'll try Urara's." Lucian couldn't easily refuse, so he opened his mouth to let Urara feed him.
"Hehe, how is it, Trainer?" Urara propped up her small face, waiting for Lucian to finish chewing.
"It's delicious."
"Yay~"
In the clash of the titans, it was Haru Urara who came out on top.
But neither Silence Suzuka nor Seiun Sky minded too much. What bad intentions could Urara have? She just genuinely wanted to feed Lucian.
Yet, in a corner they didn't notice, Urara stole a glance at the chopsticks in her hand.
So embarrassing.
The spot Trainer just touched…
...
Soon, Lucian's empty bowl was filled to the brim by everyone. Now he didn't have to worry about choosing anymore—just grab a bowl of rice and start eating.
"That's enough, no need to keep piling food on…" Lucian said, stopping them. "Rice Shower and Teio are almost done eating. There's a surprise later, and if you don't hurry up, I'll just take them with me."
Lucian's words finally brought the skirmish to a temporary halt.
But Seiun Sky couldn't understand—why had Silence Suzuka changed so much after her big injury?
She remembered Silence Suzuka used to be too shy to even serve Lucian food, but now she dared to feed him in front of everyone.
No way. The humiliation she suffered today, she'd definitely take back!
...