Four Ikemen Extra Part 2

A Picnic with Everyone! Part 2

 

 

I spontaneously opened my eyes with a snap. It’s still dim outside. It’s been a while since I woke up this early.

 

I’m so excited about our outing and so impatient it feels like I’m back to my old elementary school student self, I slip through Alf and Ragna’s embracing arms and jump off the bed while being careful not to step on Ciel who is hugging the blanket like a body pillow at the edge.

 

Oh, the bed became big enough to fit 5 people out of the blue. Ragna said it was hard to sleep on so he got it from somewhere.

 

The separate room is small so just having the bed makes it filled. But it makes me feel everyone’s body temperature so, well, I don’t hate it.

 

 

I take the smoked meat out of the preservation room after getting changed and visit the field to harvest some leafy vegetables. I also harvested a pink, tomato-like vegetable.

Taking out some bread and eggs from the magic space, I slice the bread.

 

I cut the meat and vegetables into appropriate sizes, efficiently sandwich the ingredients into the nicely buttered bread, made the eggs into thick omelets, and also inserted that into the bread.

I packed the finished products into a lunch box made of wood.

 

There isn’t really a problem even if I just throw in the lunch I made directly into the Dark magical space but, look, it will give a more picnic-ish feeling if it’s inside the lunch box, won’t it?

 

I delightfully looked at the finished boxed lunch. It has a nice color and it looks delicious, I’m looking forward to eating it.

 

I will prepare breakfast next. Won’t I get tired if I make this much, you ask?

Well, it appears that I unexpectedly like cooking, and perhaps because I know that there are people who will deliciously eat it, I can make food without getting stressed. I enjoy it instead.

 

While I was busying myself in that manner, Alf woke up and came out of the room. Maybe he was lured by the smell, Ragna also comes along.

 

[Good morning, Rei.]

[Good morning, Alf and Ragna, too.]

[Yeah. What are you making?]

[Sunny-side-up eggs, bacon, and also the left-over soup from yesterday that I’m warming up. It will be done soon so take a seat.]

 

I served a lot of meat to Ragna and a lot of vegetables for Ciel as usual, and then I put the finished food on the plate and carried it to the table.

 

[Here you go, just eat first. I’ll go wake Ciel up.]

 

I head towards the bedroom to wake Ciel who is as bad as ever at waking up. Actually, this job isn’t a hassle, but instead, I even look forward to it.

That’s because the newly awakened Ciel would yawn and look absolutely adorable.

 

[Hey~ Ciel~, it’s morning~]

 

Ciel’s angelic sleeping face was exposed as he defenselessly breathes amidst the morning light passing through the window.

His golden hair and white skin are shining in the light, and he looks so beautiful it was almost illusory and picturesque that it made me wonder if he descended from heaven just now.

 

When I grabbed his shoulder and shook him, his well-defined eyebrows drew near each other. And when his slightly opened green eyes recognized me, a languid and flower-like smile spread on Ciel’s entire face.

 

[Rei, good morning.]

 

He stroked my face and gave me a light kiss on my forehead. When I twisted away to evade the ticklish, seemingly unending light kisses, he discontentedly pouted his lips with a “mu”. (TN: Cute. XD)

 

[Why are you running away? Rei, come here.]

 

Ciel hugs me over and gives a kiss on the tip of my nose this time. He was giving me kisses on my cheeks, lips, and neck continuously and I sighed.

This flow is heading in a bad direction, if I get carried away with it then I will be pulled in bed.

 

I strongly pinched both of his cheeks.

 

[Stop being half-asleep and quickly wake up! Things like… like this should be done in the evening after we get back!!]

 

I distanced myself from Ciel’s partly-open lips and fled from the room.

I, I am definitely not thinking that getting carried away with the flow wouldn’t have been so bad, okay! I’m absolutely going on a picnic with everyone today!!

 

 

And just like that, we’re done eating our breakfast, we pack all the stuff we need into the magic space and we’re ready to go. The air outside is fresh in the morning, it feels cool and refreshing.

 

[Rei, you didn’t forget anything?]

[I’ve even brought things like tents and rain gears in case we get lost, I’m fully geared up.]

 

Seeing Alf in travel clothes after a long time, I look up and answer him in a refreshed mood.

 

[I see, shall we depart then?]

Do you know the exact place? We may not be able to reach the place with just the rumors.]

[You can just leave that part to me.]

 

Dy silently appeared beside Ragna and Ciel who were talking. Dy, who looked somewhat sleepy, rubbed his eyelids and pointed to a speck of Zohana Mountain.

 

[The light is, there’s a place that looks like a cliff that’s slightly protruding, right? It should be coming out from atop around that place. First, we will approach the mountain along the lake, and then, there should be a road there so we will try to climb up that road.]

 

 

Dy only said what he wanted to say and returned back inside the darkness. Since he’s weak in the morning, and he’ll probably come out just past noon even if I don’t call him, we will proceed towards the sideroad by ourselves until then.

 

[Now then, let’s go!!]

 

I walk with a shout of encouragement. Alf and Ciel walked beside me and Ragna slowly followed us from behind.

 

As we were walking towards the mountain by the lakeside, we encountered the appearance of a fox squirrel that came to drink some water hurriedly ran away back to the forest, a cry of a bird that we couldn’t see, as well as a water bird that was about to eat a fish, etc.

 

It’s a scene I usually see, but it’s more fun to look at them because everybody is here today.

The monsters are also being controlled by Dy so they don’t show up, this is the most comfortable journey.

 

We reached the foot of the mountain before we knew it as we talked about the state of the city that Alf saw recently, the contents of Ciel’s research, and the various missions that Ragna took.

 

[Hmm, which way should we climb from?]

[Let me take a look.]

 

Ragna lightly flew up using his wings, and after confirming the way from the sky, he descended there. Since he’s waving his hand at us, we hurriedly run towards him.

 

[It looks like it continues all the way to the top, this is probably the correct path.]

[Thanks, Ragna. Well then, let’s check it out.]

 

We can also use magic to fly, but as it’s the long-awaited picnic, after all, I would like to walk towards our destination.

 

I also still have plenty of strength and energy, and Alf and the guys look like they’re having fun as well. Let’s just keep up the pace as is.

 

Unexpectedly, the road had traces of being arranged. Well-arranged in the past tense, as one might deduce. It gave the impression of once being paved with stone, and perhaps there were even stairs built.

 

Even though there are no longer people stepping into it now and grasses are growing wildly, nevertheless, how I understood that this road was pavement was because flat stone fragments were scattered about.

 

Ciel curiously examines a lump of stone half-buried in the ground.

Even if he doesn’t wear his trademark white coat, the things he does are still the same. That’s the nature of a researcher’s character, isn’t it?

 

[The deterioration is quite intense, but I wonder which era this was……. A pattern I have never seen before is engraved in it.]

[You’re right, it looks like some kind of character…….]

 

It’s deteriorated so badly that I can’t read it well, I feel that it resembles the old Daebuldoir’s language.

 

Dy also appears to know what is up ahead, could it be that the ancient kingdom’s ruins are there?

That sounds romantic, having a picnic is nice but exploring ruins also sounds interesting.

 

The mountain road wasn’t so steep and I could easily climb it while talking. It could possibly be that I have gained some endurance with my countryside lifestyle. I’d be happy if that’s the case.

 

When we were soon by the fifth seam, we found an appropriately open space. There are also some fallen trees that we can use as chairs and some tree shades.

It was just right so although it’s a bit early, we’ve decided to have lunch here.

 

After laying out the mantle on top of a tree and making our improvised table, I placed the lunch box on top of it.

 

[I was wondering what you have been busy with so early in the morning, so you were making our lunch.]

[That’s right. Well then, I’m opening it.]

 

Since the lunch box was stored inside the time-unaffected space, it remained in its perfect, freshly made state.

 

Upon seeing its contents, Alf cheered. 

 

[That looks very delicious. Rei, can I have one?]

[There’s a lot so you can just eat as much as you want. Don’t hold yourself back and eat, too, Ragna. These here have more meat and over here have more vegetables, ok?]

[Smoked meat, huh. Smells good.]

[The vegetables are also fresh, I’ll eat one then.]

 

The sandwiches were very popular. Even Dy who usually only drinks milk came over to me, ‘That looks delicious.’, and bit a mouthful from my egg sandwich.

Dy, so you can also eat food, I had no idea.

 

The lunch box that I made quite a lot of was safely sold out. Ragna especially has a hood appetite and heartily ate. Having the food I made deliciously eaten really makes me happy.

 

After a short break, we resumed climbing the mountain.