Just then, Yuto emerged from the kitchen, carrying a plate of freshly pan-fried octopus sausages and a homemade hamburger.
Both were simple dishes that even a novice could prepare.
When the octopus sausages were placed before Kaguya, her eyes lit up with joy.
However, she had to suppress this burst of enthusiasm to maintain her dignified "Young Lady" persona.
This internal struggle made Kaguya appear rather awkward.
Hayasaka thanked Yuto, took the hamburger, and took a delicate bite.
It was just a tiny nibble, as a maid of the Shinomiya family, she naturally paid close attention to etiquette.
"It's delicious."
"Thank you."
Hayasaka offered her praise, and Yuto responded with polite gratitude.
He turned his attention to Kaguya, who was hesitating to eat her octopus sausages, and felt a flicker of confusion.
"What's wrong? Is something not to your liking?" Yuto asked, a hint of concern in his voice.
She held her chopsticks but refused to pick up the food, making him worry that his octopus sausages had turned out poorly.
However, Kaguya's silent shake of her head dismissed that thought.
Since the problem wasn't his cooking, Yuto knew it would be inappropriate to press further.
What if it was a private matter she couldn't easily discuss?
Hayasaka glanced over at her Young Lady.
She raised an eyebrow slightly.
Based on her years of observing her mistress, she was certain that nothing was actually wrong.
Kaguya stared at the octopus sausages on her plate.
Each one was nearly the length of half a finger. The sausage meat had been cut into octopus legs, propping themselves up on the plate.
After being heated, the octopus sausages glowed with a rosy hue.
These tiny red octopuses possessed a unique, charming cuteness.
In Kaguya's eyes, it was as if she were looking at adorable little creatures.
To eat them... she couldn't bear to...
That's right—Kaguya was hesitating simply because the octopus sausages were too cute to eat!
If Yuto knew her true thoughts, he would burst out laughing.
On the surface, Kaguya appeared noble and aloof, but inwardly, she was prone to overthinking the smallest things.
This was the real Shinomiya Kaguya.
Under Yuto's puzzled gaze, Kaguya finally suppressed her reluctance to eat the octopus sausages.
She took a bite.
Her ruby-like eyes lit up with relief, delight, and a touch of surprise.
Yuto inwardly wanted to laugh.
He couldn't understand what was so alluring about a commoner's food like octopus sausages to a Young Lady like Kaguya.
That such a simple, ordinary dish could bring such a satisfied expression to the face of a noble Young Lady felt unbelievable.
'Perhaps octopus sausages really are something special to Kaguya,' Yuto concluded.
"Is it good?"
"Mm-hmm."
Kaguya chewed her food, the sound escaping through her nose as she nodded lightly. Yuto smiled faintly.
The joy of seeing a customer satisfied with his cooking was a feeling he would never tire of.
Splat—
"Boss, Boss, is Ainz here yet?"
Yuto looked at the slime that had bounced into the restaurant, feeling puzzled.
'What's with Rimuru and Ainz today? Everyone who comes in asks if the other has arrived. Is... something going on?'
After bouncing in, Rimuru was so focused on questioning Yuto that he didn't even glance around the restaurant.
Moreover, a slime's body is nothing like a human's—just a ball barely reaching a person's calf.
His field of view was even more limited.
Being on the floor, Rimuru was blocked by the counter and couldn't see Ainz's figure.
"Rimuru, great! You're finally here! I was just about to look for you!" Before Yuto could speak, Ainz stood up abruptly.
Yuto glanced at the two of them in surprise.
"Really?! Ainz, I also have a favor to ask you!"
Rimuru bounced over to Ainz's side.
He jumped onto the table. Then, the two of them began to talk.
Something about demon beast records... ruin exploration... pretending... acting...
The string of conversation keywords made Yuto realize something.
His suspicions from last night had been correct.
The two of them had spent the entire night playing games, completely neglecting their duties.
And they had both lied to their subordinates.
Sigh—
Yuto couldn't help but feel a pang of pity for the Guardians of the Great Tomb of Nazarick and the people of the Goblin Village.
'Stuck with such unreliable bosses...'
The thought made Yuto feel that he, by comparison, was a responsible and diligent boss!
It was just that his employee... Tohru, the cute dragon girl, was already over an hour late!
By now, Yuto wasn't worried.
Although he hadn't known the dragon girl for long, he had a good grasp of Tohru's personality.
She wasn't an unreliable person.
Yesterday, she was late because she had flown off to visit a friend. Today's tardiness was likely due to some other matter that had come up.
'I hope it's nothing troublesome,' Yuto thought to himself.
...
Meanwhile, Rimuru and Ainz had turned their attention to him.
"Kamisaka, Rimuru and I need to travel to each other's worlds later. We'll need your permission for that."
To travel to another world, they required Yuto's approval.
That's why Ainz addressed him so formally. Beside him, Rimuru looked at Yuto with a pleading expression.
"Alright." Yuto agreed.
After all, crossing worlds seemed like no big deal to him anymore.
Besides, he had faith in Ainz and Rimuru. The two had visited each other's worlds before, so they knew what they were doing.
"Thank you, Boss~~~"
Ainz and Rimuru thanked Yuto in unison, letting out a collective sigh of relief.
"So, when are you two heading out?" Yuto asked.
Ainz waved a bony hand. "No rush. Let's play for a bit first."
Rimuru bounced his slime body in agreement.
With that, both of them pulled out their game consoles.
"I can never find anyone to play games with in Nazarick," Ainz lamented.
"Yeah, I know, right?"
"Games are only fun when you play them together."
"Yeah, I know, right?"
The slime and the skeleton launched into a game together. Yuto watched the entire scene, speechless.
His sympathy for Ainz and Rimuru's subordinates deepened even further.
At the same time, a pang of guilt struck him.
'Maybe buying them those game consoles was a mistake after all...' Yuto suspected the two would once again get addicted to their games and completely forget their responsibilities.
As he sighed softly, he failed to notice the astonished gazes from Yakumo Yukari, Kazami Yuuka, and the other youkai, as well as Kaguya and Hayasaka.
"Kamisaka-kun," Yakumo Yukari said, having appeared at the bar counter at some point.
The Sage of Youkai watched him with a smile that blended surprise and delight.
"Were you just discussing crossing worlds?"
As she spoke, Kazami Yuuka, standing behind Yuto, furrowed her brow slightly.
Her attention was also fixed on him.
Reimu and Marisa, being younger, were far less composed. Their faces lit up with excitement and anticipation.
"Boss, Boss! Can we really travel to other worlds?"
"Whoa! I really wanna go to another world and unleash some serious firepower! DAZE!"
The reporter girl, pinned down by Reimu and Marisa, stared at Yuto with intense anticipation.
Even the oni girl, who had been drinking nonstop since she entered the restaurant, lowered her sake gourd, her face flushed, and fixed her gaze on him.
In contrast, Hestia, Sakura, and Saitama—who had experienced interdimensional travel just last night—remained calm.
Surrounded by the eager crowd, Yuto looked flustered.
"One at a time, please," he said, a hint of resignation in his voice.
"I'll go first!"
"No! Me!"
"I have a question too!"
The clamoring Gensokyo girls made the corners of Yuto's mouth twitch into a weary smile.
"Quiet."
Just as he was about to calm them down, Kazami Yuuka spoke in a low even tone.
The moment she spoke, the girls fell silent.
Yuto turned to her. "Thanks, Yuuka."
"It's nothing." Yuuka's expression remained serene, as if she had just handled a trivial matter.
From the other side of the bar, Yukari watched the composed Yuuka, a flicker of amusement crossing her beautiful eyes.
She then turned her gaze to Yuto.
"Allow me to ask."
When it came to composure (and age), Yukari was the most mature person present.
No one objected when she spoke.
"Go ahead," Yuto nodded.
The two discussed the details of traveling to other worlds through the restaurant.
As the information was confirmed, the expressions of the onlookers shifted.
Even the calm Yuuka's eyes glinted with an inexplicable light.
"Boss, I want to go play in another world!" Marisa declared after the explanation.
Her words threatened to reignite the commotion.
Fortunately, another sharp glance from Kazami Yuuka quelled the rising excitement.
Yuto chuckled.
Among all his customers, the Gensokyo girls were by far the most lively and energetic.
He didn't mind their boisterous, cheerful nature at all.
Yuto had never intended to hide the fact that they could travel between worlds.
However, it was time to establish some rules.