--The next morning.


    Yesterday I was nervous and had a hard time sleeping, but I managed to sleep.


    The morning of the Order is early, and if we don''t go to the dining hall at six o''clock to eat breakfast, we''ll be late for training and other things.


    Yulina-san also seemed to have woken up a little later than usual, and she was hurrying to prepare it.


    Since she was trying to hurry, I was surprised when she took off her clothes and other things in front of me. I hurriedly turned my face away so I wouldn''t see her.


    She noticed immediately and ran to the changing room with the clothes and other things she had prepared, her face turning bright red.


    A few minutes later, she came out in comfortable clothes, but her face was still bright red.


    From the way he was dressed the salash must be wrapped up again, yes. The less said about how I knew, the better.


    I went with him to the cafeteria and was just about to go get breakfast when I heard him call me again.


    ''Eric!　Good morning!　Good morning to you too, Yulina!


    Tina approached with a smile, her voice sounding cheerful from the morning.


    ''Oh, good morning,''


    ''Good morning, Tina''s looking good this morning. Hmm?　What''s that in your hand?


    Yulina asks that.


    Come to think of it, Tina has something.


    ''Here''s breakfast for Eric!　I made it!


    ''What ... did you really make that for me?''


    When I decided to join the Order, Tina had said she would make me breakfast, but I thought it was something I could say since I didn''t know I would be getting up this early in the morning.


    But when could I get up to make and bring her breakfast at this hour....


    ''Thanks, Tina,''


    ''Yes!　You''re welcome!


    Her smile, which shows no signs of sleep deprivation, cheers me up in the morning, too.


    Tina seemed to have made her own, and the three of us sat down after Yulina got breakfast.


    When I opened the lid of my lunch box, there was the same kind of food I always had at home.


    Tina and I ate breakfast together quite often when we were in the village, so she must have known the menu.


    I took a quick bite.


    It was delicious, and it was the kind of breakfast where you could taste both your mother''s and Tina''s flavors at the same time.


    ''Yeah, it''s good,''


    "Heh, good for you!


    Tina, who is eating next to me, is looking into my face and I give her a firm impression.


    Tina''s face turns a little red and she''s happy.


    ''''I''m sure the training for the magic knights and such will start now, so if you''re busy or tired, don''t force yourself to make it, okay?　It''s really good, but Tina''s body is more important to me.


    ''Yeah, okay!　I''ll make as much as I can!


    I don''t think I would be homesick for this meal every day if I could eat it, but I''ll tell her that just in case because I think it''s definitely hard to make it every day.


    Tina is also firm about that, so I''m sure she''ll be fine.


    ''''Looks good ... Tina''s a good cook, isn''t she?


    Yulina-san, who is eating the breakfast that was handed out in front of her, mutters as she looks at Tina''s food.


    ''''Would you like to eat if you want?''''


    Tina pointed to breakfast on her end and said.


    ''Are you sure?''


    Yes, please!


    I''m sorry, that was a bit of a stubborn bite.


    No, no, I''m fine.


    Yulina-san gets a bite from Tina''s place and eats it.


    ''''Hmm, delicious........!　Did Tina really do this?


    Thank you!


    ''It''s really good it''s better than what my parents'' cooks used to make at home.


    ''Really?　I''m so happy for you!


    ''''Tina''s eighteen years old too?　Then you don''t have to be respectful.


    Really?　Well, nice to meet you then, Yulina!


    ''Yeah, nice to meet you. Hmm, two friends right after joining the Order...!


    I heard Yulina-san muttering that in a small voice.


    It sounds like she didn''t have any friends when she was an apprentice of the Order.......


    ''''You don''t have any friends, Yulina?''''


    Tina asked without hesitation at all...................great.


    ''''Ugh it''s embarrassing, but yes. I was an apprentice of the Order for two years and there was no one stronger than me, not even a man, not a single woman but me.


    Are there not many women in the Order?


    ''For some reason, it''s said that women have more magical qualities than men. The Knights of the Order are predominantly male and the Magical Order is predominantly female.


    Oh, really?　Are women more predisposed to magic than men?


    Is that why I''m worse at magic than Tina...?


    Come to think of it, Irene was also better at magic than me... no, that was a previous life, so it''s because I didn''t really do any real magic.


    But in this life, I''ve always been serious about magic, but I don''t feel like I''m better than Irene at all, you know?


    ''Well, I''m sure there are a few women like me who have chosen to join the Order, or even men who are in the Order of Magic.


    That''s right.


    ''That''s why I didn''t have any friends, you know, I couldn''t make them. I didn''t even think much about making them when I was an apprentice but I also wondered if it was going to stay that way forever.


    ''Yulina it''s okay!　Because me and Eric are now friends!　Hey, Eric!


    ''Oh, yes. I look forward to working with you in the future, Eulina.


    "Tina...!　Eric....!


    He looks at us in turn, a little teary-eyed.


    ''Yeah, nice to meet you!''


    ''Yes!　I''m going to make breakfast for Yulina tomorrow!


    You sure you want to do this?


    Yeah, because we''re friends!


    Oh, thank you, Tina!


    Yulina is bowing her head as if impressed.


    Or rather, I feel that Tina is good at making friends.


    I was the only person my age in the village until now.


    Well, I was close with everyone in the village and I guess that kind of ability was high from the beginning.


    ''But you know what, Yulina?


    Hmm?　What is it?


    Tina lowered her voice a little.


    Eric and I shouldn''t be more than friends, you know...?　If that happens, we might not even be friends anymore, right?


    A black smile told me that.


    It seems like Tina has been saying more and more of these scary things lately.


    ''''Wow, okay I''ll keep that in mind.


    Yulina also said this while pulling a face.


    In the meantime, they finished their breakfast and soon it would be time for training.


    The Knights and the Magical Knights have different training locations, so this is where I''ll be separating from Tina.


    ''''Bye, Eric, Yulina!　Let''s keep each other on our toes!


    Tina said with a pretty smile, unlike earlier.


    ''Training is tough, you know. Don''t get uprooted too soon, Tina.


    Yes, thank you for your concern, Eulina.


    "Make a strong case for your induction into the Order of Magic.


    Yeah, I''ll try!


    Then Tina and I parted ways, and me and Yulina-san headed to the Knights'' training grounds.


    ''''Since this is your first training, I''ll be there to teach you.


    Thank you.


    I''m going to have to get my shit together to keep up with Tina and Yulina!