Lord of Avalon : Lost in Another World

A Sudden Realization

As Ardi and Yui walked back to Minori Village, the morning sun cast a golden hue over the quiet fields. Birds chirped, the wind carried the scent of fresh earth, and everything seemed peaceful. But deep down, Ardi had an unsettling feeling—like he had forgotten something important.

"Did I forget something…?" Ardi muttered, rubbing his chin.

Yui, floating beside him in her fairy form, grinned mischievously. "Did you forget about something, Master?"

"Meh, if it's important, I'll remember later," he muttered, shaking his head. Then, he glanced at Yui with a smirk. "Anyway, where were we? Ah, right—how about you reward me with a kiss for bringing you on such an exciting adventure?"

Yui, who had been floating lazily beside him, rolled her eyes dramatically. "Hah? You were the one who dragged me into that whole mess with the kappa and the wolf-kin! And now you want a reward?"

"Exactly!" Ardi grinned. "For all my hard work!"

Yui crossed her arms, pretending to think. "Mmm… Nope~."

"Stingy." Ardi sighed in mock disappointment, but before he could push his teasing further—

They arrived at the entrance of Daimyo Manor. The moment Ardi stepped through the gate, his instincts screamed at him—danger!

His body tensed. A dangerous presence was near.

Then he saw her.

Megumi.

Standing just outside, wrapped in an ominous aura. Her warm brown eyes, usually gentle and kind, burned with fury.

Oh… crap.

Then, like a sudden lightning strike—

It hit him.

He forgot to return home last night.

He didn't eat dinner.

And worst of all—

He didn't inform Megumi about his whereabouts.

"Anata," Yui whispered, trying to contain her laughter. "I think this might be the end for you."

Before Ardi could formulate an escape plan, Megumi stormed forward, grabbed his ear, and yanked him inside the manor.

"Ow, ow, ow—Megumi! Let's talk about this!" Ardi pleaded, wincing at her firm grip.

"Talk? Oh, we will talk," Megumi hissed through gritted teeth. "Inside. NOW."

Yui, floating just behind them, clutched her stomach, barely holding back her laughter. "Oh, this is going to be fun to watch!"

"Yui! HELP ME!"

"Mm, no~. This is more entertaining."

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The Wrath of a Worried Chef

Inside the Lord's Office, Megumi finally released her grip, forcing Ardi into a strict seiza position.

For a moment, silence filled the room.

Then—

"You… irresponsible… IDIOT!"

Megumi's voice echoed as she pointed an accusatory finger at him.

"Do you have ANY idea how worried I was?!" she snapped. "You vanished without a single word, didn't return home, and—AND you skipped dinner!"

Ardi winced.

He had no excuse.

Megumi exhaled sharply, pacing before stopping in front of him. Her fists clenched at her sides, her voice softer now—yet filled with unspoken concern.

"I made food for you," she murmured, looking away. "And I waited. But you never came back. I know you're our Lord, and you can do whatever you want, but at least… at least let me know if you won't be home."

Her fingers tightened slightly around her sleeves.

Ardi's guilt doubled.

He had never seen Megumi like this before—a mix of frustrationand concern.

Lowering his head slightly, he sighed. "You're right. I'm sorry, Megumi. I should've sent a message through the shinobi. I won't make that mistake again."

Megumi crossed her arms, turning away slightly. "You always act so carefree, but… you're the Lord, Ardi. If something happened to you…"

Ardi looked at her, realizing that behind her anger was genuine concern.

"…I promise I won't make you worry like that again," he said softly.

Megumi huffed, clearly not satisfied but reluctantly accepting his apology.

A small smile formed on her lips before she quickly turned away.

Yui, watching from the side, pouted slightly.

She wouldn't say it out loud, but seeing another girl care that much about Ardi sparked a tiny bit of jealousy in her.

Still, she shook it off.

"Master, you're collecting women without even trying," Yui mumbled under her breath.

"Hm?" Ardi blinked. "Did you say something?"

"…Nothing," Yui huffed, looking away.

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Unwanted Spectators

As the conversation wrapped up, Megumi placed a tray of fresh tea and snacks in front of Ardi.

"Eat first. Then go save the world," she said firmly.

Ardi smiled and took a bite. "Thanks, Megumi. This is great."

Megumi turned away, pretending not to hear. But the light dusting of pink on her cheeks said otherwise.

Yui grinned. "Ohhh, someone's blushing~"

"Lady Yui, please stop!" Megumi groaned.

Just as the atmosphere started to settle, the door to the office creaked open.

Two small fairy figures floated inside—Vivian and Amanda.

"Lady Yui!" Vivian flew straight toward Yui, her tiny wings fluttering rapidly. "Where were you yesterday?!"

Amanda, standing more composed, crossed her arms. "We've been looking for you since morning."

Yui tilted her head. "Oh? Did something happen?"

Vivian huffed. "Not really, We didn't know where you were, and we wanted to check on you!"

Amanda glanced at Ardi, then back at Yui. "You two were gone all day. Did something important happen?"

Yui grinned, leaning back as she dramatically recounted their entire adventure.

"Well~, we went fishing, met some Kappa, got rejected by the Kappa, then Ardi got bitten by a baby wolf, then we met the wolf-kin, got rejected again, had a feast, Ardi embarrassed himself multiple times, and then we came back home!"

Vivian and Amanda blinked, speechless.

Ardi, who was sipping his tea, nearly choked. "Oi! You don't have to make me sound so pathetic!"

Vivian tilted her head. "So… Lord Ardi is terrible at recruiting people?"

"Terrible is an understatement," Yui smirked.

Ardi sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Megumi, who had been silently listening, stifled a laugh behind her sleeve.

Amanda, ignoring Yui's teasing, gave Ardi a curious look. "But you really are gathering different races into your village, aren't you?"

Ardi set down his tea, his expression turning serious. "Yeah. I want Minori Village to be a place where different races can live together. Not just humans."

Amanda studied him for a moment before giving a small nod. "That is… an unusual dream for a Hyuma Lord."

Ardi smiled slightly, but he didn't say anything.

Megumi, glancing at him, found herself staring a second too long.

She quickly looked away.

What kind of Lord was this?

She had never met someone like Ardi before—and it was frustrating.

Yet… somehow comforting.

Yui noticed Megumi's expression and smirked knowingly.

"Ne, Megumi~," Yui purred. "Could it be that you're starting to like our dear Lord?"

Megumi choked on air. "W-What?! That's ridiculous!"

Ardi, now caught in the middle, turned red. "Oi, don't start weird rumors!"

Yui just giggled, completely entertained.

Vivian leaned toward Amanda. "I feel like we're watching a play…"

Amanda sighed. "Indeed. And it's somehow more amusing than expected."

To restore his self-esteem and to complete his daily quest. Ardi invites Yui and Megumi to cook lunch together. Ardi then invited the two fairies Vivian and Amanda to see the cooking process and have lunch together.

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Under New Supervision

Morning sunlight streamed through the windows of Daimyo Manor's kitchen, casting a warm glow over the wooden floors. Ardi stood by the counter, rubbing the back of his head as Megumi crossed her arms, staring at him with a knowing smirk.

"…So, let me get this straight," Ardi said slowly. "Because I forgot to check in last night, I'm now under direct supervision?"

"Exactly," Megumi nodded, her voice calm but firm. "From now on, I'll personally keep an eye on you. That way, you won't run off doing whatever reckless things you feel like."

Yui, floating beside Ardi, let out an exaggerated sigh. "Ughhh, great. Now I have to share my precious Ardi-time with you?"

Megumi tilted her head slightly, a playful smile tugging at her lips. Then, with a mischievous glint in her eyes, she leaned in and whispered something into Yui's ear.

Yui froze.

Then—her eyes widened slightly before a sly smirk appeared on her face.

Ardi, watching the exchange, immediately felt left out. "Hey, what are you two whispering about?"

Both girls turned to him with innocent smiles.

"Nothing," Megumi said sweetly.

"Yep, nothing at all," Yui added, her tone suspiciously cheerful.

Ardi narrowed his eyes. "You're both plotting something, aren't you?"

"Paranoia doesn't suit you, Ardi." Yui patted his shoulder, grinning.

"Yeah, My Lord. You should trust us more." Megumi giggled lightly before turning away, hiding her expression.

Ardi sighed in defeat. "Great. My personal assistant and my personal chef have teamed up against me. I feel so safe."

Yui chuckled, floating onto his shoulder. "You should. We're looking out for you, Anata."

Megumi's cheeks tinted slightly pink, but she quickly composed herself. "That's right. You may be the Lord, but someone has to make sure you don't starve or do something dumb."

Ardi rolled his eyes, muttering, "I'm not that bad…"

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Cooking with Ardi

Amanda and Vivian—who had been watching from the entrance—lingered curiously.

"Alright," Ardi clapped his hands. "We'll be making lunch together. Megumi, Yui, we're going for a simple balanced meal."

Megumi raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure? You're the Lord. Shouldn't I be the one cooking?"

"You're already a great cook, Megumi. But I figured you might learn a few new tricks from my world," Ardi said with a grin. "Plus, it's more fun when we cook together."

Megumi blinked.

Then, after a brief moment of silence, she smiled softly, turning away to hide the slight warmth in her cheeks. "Fine. But don't complain if I outshine you."

Yui huffed, placing her hands on her hips. "Well, in that case, I'll supervise! With all the knowledge in Ardi's memories, I might as well be the best cook here."

"…You don't even have a physical body most of the time," Ardi deadpanned.

As the three of them began their cooking lesson, Amanda and Vivian watched in amusement.

"This is oddly entertaining," Amanda murmured.

Vivian nodded. "I feel like we're watching a family."

Amanda glanced at Ardi. "A very strange family."

Vivian giggled. "But a fun one."

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Prepping the Ingredients

The three of them got to work.

The meal consisted of:

Steamed Rice – A fluffy, fragrant base for the meal.Miso Soup – A light broth with seaweed, tofu, and green onions.Grilled Fish – Fresh-caught fish, lightly seasoned and grilled.Tamago Yaki – A Japanese-style rolled omelet.Simmered Vegetables – A mix of wild greens and roots, slow-cooked in broth.Seared Meat Strips – Thinly sliced meat, pan-seared with soy sauce and herbs.

Ardi took the lead, showing them modern cutting techniques and proper handling of ingredients.

"First things first, let's wash and cut the vegetables." Ardi handed a knife to Megumi while demonstrating the proper slicing technique.

Megumi, ever the professional, easily matched his precision.

"Hmph, basic knife skills," she muttered, smirking as she expertly diced the vegetables.

"…Why do I feel like she's subtly flexing on me?" Ardi mumbled.

Meanwhile, Yui, hovering above them, cheerfully gave instructions based on Ardi's memories. "Megumi, be sure to cut the root vegetables slightly thinner than the leafy ones! That way, they cook evenly."

Megumi nodded, surprisingly taking Yui's advice seriously.

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Cooking the Main Dishes

"Alright, let's start the grill for the fish," Ardi said.

They placed the cleaned fish on a heated iron plate, brushing it with a light soy sauce glaze. The sizzle of the fresh fish hitting the grill filled the kitchen, and soon, a delicious smoky aroma filled the air.

Next was the Tamago Yaki.

"Now, this is tricky," Ardi said, pouring the egg mixture into a rectangular pan. He waited a few seconds, then rolled the thin layer of egg carefully.

Megumi watched intently, then took her turn. Her movements were smooth, and she rolled the omelet almost perfectly.

"Tch." Ardi clicked his tongue.

Megumi tilted her head. "Something wrong?"

"…You're picking this up too fast."

Megumi smirked. "Oh? Did I outshine you already?"

Ardi huffed, crossing his arms. "I demand a rematch next time."

"Anytime, My Lord."

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Final Touches

While Megumi focused on finishing the side dishes, Ardi seared the thin meat strips in a pan, letting them soak up the rich soy-based sauce.

The scent of sizzling meat mixed with the aroma of fresh rice, making even Yui—who technically didn't need to eat—hover closer in anticipation.

Vivian and Amanda, who had been silently watching the entire process, leaned in with curiosity.

"…Hyuma cooking seems more structured than ours," Vivian murmured.

Amanda nodded thoughtfully. "They consider balance, preparation, and technique. I see why Minori Village is thriving."

Once the meal was ready, they set everything neatly on the table.

Ardi clapped his hands together. "Alright—itadakimasu!"

Megumi and Yui followed suit, while Vivian and Amanda watched in fascination.

The moment Megumi took her first bite, her eyes widened slightly.

"…It's good," she admitted, glancing at Ardi.

Ardi grinned. "Told you."

Yui hovered beside him, chewing happily. "Mmm~ I approve! Anata, you might actually be useful in the kitchen."

Ardi snorted. "Gee, thanks."

Amanda, ever the composed fairy, nodded approvingly. "A meal crafted with such care… I can see why your people trust you, Lord Ardi."

Ardi smiled, rubbing the back of his head. "Well, I wouldn't say I'm great, but… cooking is a way of bringing people together."

Megumi glanced at him, her expression softening for a brief second—but then she quickly turned away, focusing on her meal.

Yui grinned knowingly.

Megumi was warming up to Ardi more than she realized.