Chapter 170

Chapter Sixty-Four: The Value of Promises

Ash discovered that he was indeed tasting something when chewing what was originally supposed to be tasteless gum.

“Spicy…?”

“Mm-hm! I inquired from Rikka about Mr. Ash’s actual tastes at the beginning. Combined with seeing you randomly add condiments last time, I guessed it!”

“You’re not unusual in taste, Mr. Ash. You simply have overly bland taste buds.”

“…”

For a moment, Ash remained silent, tacitly acknowledging.

“Therefore, I made spicy dishes. The spiciness isn’t a taste but a sensation of pain. How do you find it, Mr. Ash?”

So, this is a dish specially made for me?

On past journeys, people had specially cooked such tailored dishes for him.

Like that chef from the universe’s first culinary ranking. He sourced some legendary ingredients possibly from a distant planet to prepare a dish that, even Ash enjoyed immensely to the point of nearly biting off his tongue.

Aida’s cooking might be lacking compared to those maestros, yet its normalcy brought comfort akin to homemade meals.

Though not enough to bring tears,

“Make it spicier next time.”

“Yeah, if you want it more, come to Pigtail Inn anytime, I’ll cook it for you every time!”

It was certainly delectable, genuinely so.

“Pretty Cure, it’s your win this time.”

Seeing the girls cheer together, Ash swallowed his last bite of spicy food.

At least I don’t need to say this deceitfully now.

“Ha—We lost?!”

Just regaining consciousness, Regina immediately faced a blow, bewildered by their loss, looking to Ash as he had just assured her!

“Princess, sorry, but that’s the truth. Sometimes things happen beyond our control.”

Ash shrugged innocently, giving no sign of responsibility.

Even if things were out of your control, they remained in mine. Thus, everything proceeded as expected. What do you think of this explanation, Princess?

Of course, the latter couldn’t be voiced.

“Alright, Regina, we won. Time to return the Royal Gem?”

“But…”

Listening to Mana, Regina felt obligated to comply despite the reluctance and heartache seeing the gem caused.

“I really want it…”

She instinctively sensed the importance of this, unwilling to part with it. But facing her hesitation, the others could not tolerate it.

“We knew your matches were full of traps, yet still believed in you and competed!”

“Do you wish to betray our trust?”

“No…”

Similarly awakening from unconsciousness with lost memories, Ira, feeling uneasy upon seeing Ash, seized on Regina’s wavering expression to instigate.

“Promises can be broken if not kept, right?”

“Can they?”

“Just seize what you desire; eliminate obstacles! After all, you are the daughter of the Selfish King.”

Yes, I’m Princess Regina of the Selfish Organization. If it’s something I desire, why should I care about others!

“Indeed, teaching like that, the novelist would be infuriated!”

As Regina’s thoughts shifted, Ash silently revealed his card holder from his pocket.

“Regina, do you truly believe promises can be broken at will?”

“How so?”

“By doing so, you would completely betray their trust, causing them grief. Furthermore, Princess, weren’t you recently wanting to be friends with them? Isn’t that strange, since you’re the daughter of the world-conquering Selfish King?”

“Hah, the son of a murderer must be one too—a rule who decides this?!” Ash spread his arms wide then pointed elsewhere. “Regardless, friendship can be formed between any—across species, planets, worlds!”

“Exactly, Regina, revert to your original self!”

Hearing Aida call out, Regina’s indecisive heart now trembled fiercely.

“One’s path should be determined by oneself. Most importantly, Regina, how do you feel inside?”

I… want to be friends with Mana and the others!

Seeing Regina’s obvious hesitation, Ash smiled in satisfaction.

Some people enjoyed watching, even guiding others, leading once-pure spirits down darker paths, calling it ‘appreciation.’ Ash scoffed at such notions, favoring the opposite approach.

Hah, experiencing such guidance to enlightenment, he found it endlessly delightful!

“Stay out of this, outsider—”

“Did I give you permission to speak?”

Ira’s retort was cut short; a hand on his shoulder squeezed tightly, making his bones creak, cold sweat dripping.

“The value of promises varies per person—light as feathers or heavy as mountains, Regina, what’s your promise worth?”

“I… I don’t know…”

Noticing Regina’s hesitant gaze, Ash decided to press his advantage.

He threw his card holder without hesitation.

“Grab that.”

Under everyone’s eyes, the black card holder flew through the air, landing in Mana’s eager hands. She cried out in surprise.

“Mr.—Mr. Ash?!”

Ordinarily mundane, the black card holder seemed to glow warmly in Aida’s hands. Cradling it gently, she looked up at Ash in disbelief.