The Rabbit Was So Cute...

"Put me down!"

Jelka, slung over Ul's shoulder, flushed bright red. Her position made her feel strangely embarrassed, and she squirmed restlessly.

Ul ignored her completely.

He raced off with Jelka over his shoulder, quickly putting distance between them and Moya City.

......

Half an hour later!

Ul finally slowed to a stop when his arms and shoulders could barely support her any longer. He casually dropped Jelka onto the ground, where she landed with a dull thud!

Rolling his sore shoulders, Ul glanced down at Jelka and frowned. "You should lose some weight!"

Jelka: "......"

[(#｀皿′)!!!]

Jelka had already been tossed to the ground and was grimacing in pain. Before she could even find a chance to settle the score with Ul, she heard his remark and nearly leaped up to fight him.

She swore that the bastard in front of her definitely didn't have a girlfriend.

If someone like him could find a girlfriend, the girl must be blind.

......

......

Ul looked back toward Moya City.

Half an hour.

For someone as fit as Ul, carrying another person that far wasn't a short run, but it wasn't an especially long one, either.

They could still make out Moya City from where they were, but they were already well within a safe area.

The fighting in Moya City still hadn't ended!

They could just barely see the strange phenomenon hanging over the city, caused by the battle between the two guild masters......

"Wait here for a bit!"

Ul called out to Jelka, then quickly left without paying any heed to her cries from behind.

A moment later!

Ul returned carrying two plump gray rabbits.

At the sight of the rabbits in his hands, Jelka's eyes lit up.

"Where did you catch those rabbits? They're so cu—"

"Crack!"

Ul put a little pressure on his hands and snapped both rabbits' necks.

Only after dispatching the rabbits did Ul seem to hear Jelka. He looked up at her, slightly confused. "What were you saying just now?"

"Wuu~~~"

Jelka's expression froze as she stared at the rabbits with their necks broken in Ul's hands.

Then, under Ul's gaze, her eyes quickly filled with tears. She bit down hard on her lower lip and made strange little sounds, looking as if she were about to burst into tears. She seemed utterly pitiful......

Ul: "???"

Was this woman made of water or something?

Why was she always crying?

Did tears grow on trees?

Watching Jelka change expressions faster than the pages of a book, Ul scratched his head in bewilderment, then started preparing the rabbits on his own, his movements remarkably practiced......

Before long!

A campfire was burning.

The two rabbits were set beside it. As time passed, their skins gradually turned golden, and the savory smell of meat drifted through the air......

Jelka had been "crying silently," but when she caught the aroma, her delicate nose twitched a few times despite herself.

Just then!

Ul pulled a small glass bottle from his clothes. When he sprinkled the spices inside over the rabbit meat, the aroma from the two rabbits suddenly intensified several times over!

The original scent had still been weak enough for Jelka to maintain her last shred of resolve.

But once this rich aroma filled the air, Jelka's brain could no longer control her stomach or her body.

"(╯▽╰) It smells so good~~!"

Jelka exclaimed involuntarily.

As soon as she opened her mouth, a string of drool trickled from the corner of her lips.

Ul: "......"

Ul was instantly speechless as he watched Jelka stare fixedly at the roast rabbits.

Are there no proper goddesses in this world?

Looking at the "fake goddess" in front of him, whose gluttonous side had been laid bare by a single roast rabbit, Ul felt rather helpless.

Come to think of it!

There were actually quite a few people in this world who could be called "goddesses" based on their looks alone.

For example, Erza and Mirajane.

But Erza and Mirajane only looked the part.

Take Erza, for instance. She seemed very serious on the outside, but deep down, she was actually the adorably airheaded type!

And the future Mirajane might look gentle and ladylike, but she was really a schemer!

Women, huh!

They really were born to be actors!

......

"Here, this is yours......"

Once the rabbits were cooked, Ul held one out to Jelka. Before he could finish speaking, the rabbit in his hand vanished in an instant. Jelka, sitting nearby, had completely abandoned her goddess-like image and was gobbling it down.

As she ate, she kept exclaiming, "So delicious! You're an amazing cook. I've never had anything this good before......"

"This isn't my cooking!" Ul took a bite of rabbit and shook his head slightly.

Ul knew his own abilities. At best, he could make sure the rabbit didn't get completely burnt or stay raw. Anything beyond that was outside his skill set.

The reason this rabbit smelled so good was entirely thanks to the secret spice Granny Is had prepared especially for him.

Even so.

The rabbit was only ordinary food at best. Surely it wasn't so good that she'd never tasted anything like it before!

"What do you usually eat?" Ul asked suddenly, looking at Jelka, whose face was smeared with grease as she gnawed on the rabbit.

"Mm......" Jelka took several more bites before looking up to answer. "Fruit, wild vegetables, and monster meat......"

Ul: "......"

All right!

I guess I was just ignorant!

It seemed the standard of living in the Kingdom of Fiore was pretty good......

......

......

After finishing the rabbit, Ul stood up to leave.

He had no intention of sticking around with Jelka. It was one thing while she hadn't recovered her magic power, but what if she got it back and tried to take his spoils?

"Where are you going now?" Jelka asked instinctively when she saw Ul get up.

"Leaving," Ul replied tersely.

"Then I'll come with you!" After hearing Ul's answer, Jelka was about to get up and follow him.

But Ul suddenly pointed toward Moya City in the distance. "Are you sure you don't want to go back to your guild? The war's almost over!"