Chapter 15: Taste of Home

The sound of hammering, sawing, and shouted orders filled the air.

The Dark Elf village, once shattered and broken, was now alive with the rhythm of rebuilding.

And at the center of it all… stood Ren.

“Alright, that log goes there! No, not there, you’re gonna tilt the whole wall! Put it on the right side, yes, yes. Perfect!”

Ren’s voice rang sharp and commanding, his finger stabbing the air as he directed a group of Dark Elf men twice his height and three times his weight.

“Shift it two paces left! Now brace it, no, not like that! You’ll ruin the balance. Listen, when I say brace it, I mean brace it like this!”

He grabbed a plank himself, showing them exactly how it should be done, his small frame dwarfed by the wood but his posture exuding confidence.

The Elves blinked, then mimicked him. And when the beam slotted perfectly into place, they exchanged glances of approval.

Ren puffed his chest with pride. “See? Easy. Now, onto the next.”

I stood a short distance away, leaning on Matsuri, my katana, watching the whole scene with a grin tugging at my lips.

My little brother, bossing around Dark Elves like a foreman on a worksite.

And the funniest part?

“Oi, Tengen-aniki!” Ren barked, pointing at me like a drill sergeant. “Quit standing there grinning. Grab that pile of timber and bring it over here!”

For a beat, silence fell over the construction site. The Dark Elves turned their heads, wide-eyed, as if waiting for me to blast the kid into the stratosphere for his audacity.

But instead, I shrugged. “Yes, boss!” with a salute.

I bent down, hefted the timber onto my shoulder, and hauled it exactly where he wanted.

The looks on their faces were priceless. Lireath herself, standing nearby nearly dropped her staff as her jaw twitched.

“Lord… Tengen…?” she whispered, bewildered.

I winked at her, then nodded at Ren. “Gotta respect the chain of command, Elder. Construction boss outranks Village Chief today.”

Ren grinned ear to ear, puffing himself up like he’d just conquered the world. “That’s right!”

Yoruha, who had been trying to carry two planks herself, immediately dropped them and rushed to my side. “Wait, wait! Tengen-sama, if you’re listening to him, then I want to listen to him too! Boss Ren, what’s my job!?”

Ren blinked, then smirked like a little devil. “You? …Go dig a ditch.”

“EH!? A ditch!?” Yoruha shrieked, stomping her foot. “I’m a warrior! Warriors don’t dig ditches!”

“Yes, they do when I say so.”

She puffed up like a pufferfish, then reluctantly grabbed a shovel. “F-Fine! But I’m digging the coolest ditch ever!”

Dravel walked past, shaking his head as he carried a bundle of lumber under one arm. “I fear for the future of this village…”

For the past weeks or so, a cluster of temporary shelters stood tall, roofs patched with fresh wood, walls reinforced, the air of despair slowly lifting.

And at the center of the clearing stood a newly built council hut, the beams polished and sturdy.

Ren dusted his hands off, surveying the work with a satisfied nod.

“Not bad,” he muttered. “Not bad at all.”

I dropped an arm around his shoulders, ruffling his hair until he squawked. “You’re something else, little brother. Remind me never to get on your bad side, your tyranny is terrifying.”

Ren tried to shove me off, his cheeks red, but I just laughed.

Away from the noise, inside one of the less-damaged huts, Sari was hard at work.

Well, “hard at failing” might’ve been more accurate.

“U-uhhh… is it supposed to fall apart like this?” one of the Dark Elf girls asked nervously, holding up what looked like a clump of rice vaguely shaped like a sad snowball.

Sari sighed, brushing her hair back with flour-dusted fingers. “No. It’s supposed to stay together. Like a triangle… a cute little triangle.”

Another Dark Elf, younger and even less experienced, piped up from the corner. “I think mine is more of a… square?”

They all turned to look. It was, in fact, not a square. It was an unidentifiable rice monster, leaking grains onto the table like it had given up on life.

The girls burst into giggles. Even Sari covered her mouth, trying not to laugh.

But when the laughter faded, her eyes softened again.

She could still see Tengen’s face from earlier, his forced smile, the heaviness in his eyes. He’d tried to be his usual cocky self, but Sari knew better. He was hurting inside. And she hated it.

That was why she wanted to do this. Why she had to do this.

“…Alright,” she said firmly, clapping her hands. “One more time. We’ll get it right this time!”

The Dark Elf girls nodded, determination lighting their faces.

They washed the rice properly this time, taking care not to leave it too wet. They salted their hands like Sari showed them, pressing gently, shaping with patience instead of force.

“Not too hard,” Sari reminded, demonstrating with her small hands. “Like this, press, turn, press… see? A triangle.”

The others copied her movements. For a while there was only silence, broken by the soft pat of rice being shaped.

Finally, one of the girls gasped. “It… it worked! Look!”

In her hands sat something that actually resembled an onigiri. Lopsided, sure. But recognizable.

Sari’s heart leapt. “Yes! That’s it!”

Excitement spread through the hut as one by one, rice clumps transformed into wobbly but passable onigiri.

At last, Sari looked down at her own creation. A neat little triangle, sprinkled with bits of seaweed Lireath had miraculously procured. She held it in her palms like a precious jewel.

Her lips curved into a small smile.

“…Just wait, Tengen-nii,” she whispered to herself. “I’ll make you smile for real.”

I sat outside beneath the half-broken canopy of a tree, Matsuri leaning against my shoulder, Yoruha yammering into my ear as if she had made it her life’s mission to fill every second of silence with noise.

“And then, Tengen-sama, you should’ve seen me! I was this close, this close, to cutting that Ogre’s head clean off! But nooo, Dravel had to show up all dramatic like always, spinning those stupid daggers around—honestly, what kind of man shows off with daggers? Daggers! Not even a proper sword!—”

I pinched the bridge of my nose, staring out at the half-rebuilt village, listening to the distant sounds of construction. I had learned something very valuable today: despair was bad, but Yoruha talking non-stop was worse.

“…and then I told him straight to his face, ‘Hey, don’t underestimate me just because I’m cute!’—Tengen-sama? Are you listening?”

“Unfortunately.”

She beamed, taking it as a compliment.

I was about to tell her to go bother Dravel instead when something caught my eye: Sari, approaching from the village path. Behind her trailed five Dark Elf girls, each carrying something in their arms, their faces a mixture of pride, nervousness, and determination.

For the first time all day, I smiled. Not because I knew what was coming, but because Sari’s presence meant salvation from Yoruha’s endless noise.

“Oh thank God,” I muttered under my breath.

But before I could excuse myself or escape, Sari walked straight up to me with a bright smile.

“Tengen-nii,” she said, her voice clear, “we made this for you.”

“…Eh?”

I blinked, staring at the small wrapped package she pushed into my hands. The five Dark Elf girls behind her puffed out their chests, standing proudly like soldiers presenting their general with a sacred relic.

Yoruha leaned in close, eyes wide. “Ooooh, what is it? What is it? Is it a present? A love letter? Wait, is this a confession scene!?”

“Shut up,” I hissed.

My hands shook slightly as I pulled at the wrapping, unfolding the package. And then I saw it.

My breath caught.

It couldn’t be.

It was impossible.

“…No way,” I whispered. “Is this… is this really what I think it is?”

Sari’s cheeks pinkened, but she nodded. “Onigiri.”

The Dark Elf girls behind her puffed their chests even more. “We worked together to make it, Tengen-sama! Please, try it!”

I stared down at the rice triangle sitting neatly in my palm, sprinkled with seaweed, its edges just slightly uneven. But I didn’t care.

My chest tightened. My throat felt dry.

Onigiri. From home.

Yoruha leaned closer, practically drooling on my shoulder. “Well? Are you gonna eat it or what!?”

I inhaled sharply, putting on my “food judge” face, masking the turmoil swirling inside me. “Alright. But listen carefully. If this isn’t good, I won’t let you down easy. I’ll roast you alive with my critique.”

The Dark Elf girls paled. One audibly gulped. Sari fidgeted, her hands tightening at her skirt, but she nodded firmly.

Yoruha was bouncing up and down beside me, her hands clasped. “Eat it! Eat it already! My mouth’s watering!”

I lifted the onigiri slowly, deliberately, as though about to perform some sacred ritual.

I bit into it.

The taste hit me instantly—simple rice, slightly salted, with a faint crunch of seaweed. It wasn’t perfect; the texture was off in places, the rice not quite balanced. But none of that mattered.

Because the moment the flavor touched my tongue, memories slammed into me like a tidal wave.

Tokyo. Convenience stores at midnight. Warm rice balls wrapped in plastic, eaten on rooftops with the city lights glowing below. Days long gone. A life I had thought I’d never taste again.

Before I realized it, tears were running down my face.

Yoruha gasped. “T-T-Tengen-sama!? Why are you crying!? Did they poison it!?”

The Dark Elf girls panicked, fluttering around like startled birds. “W-Was it bad? Did we mess it up!?”

Sari’s face crumpled, her eyes wide with horror. “I—I’m sorry, Tengen-nii! I thought—if it’s bad, I—”

I swallowed, stood up, and pulled her into a hug.

She froze against me, blinking rapidly.

Then I turned and hugged each of the Dark Elf girls in turn. Their faces went beet red, their ears twitching furiously as their lord wrapped his arms around them one by one.

“W-W-Waaahhh!” one squeaked.

“My lord, please—!” another stammered, her knees buckling.

“You idiot, don’t faint!” her friend hissed, catching her by the shoulders.

Even Lireath, watching from afar, almost dropped her staff in shock.

Finally, I returned to my seat beside Yoruha, wiping my eyes with the back of my hand.

“This…” I said softly, holding up the half-eaten onigiri, “is the most satisfying thing I’ve eaten since I came to this world. It reminded me of home.”

Sari’s lip trembled, then broke into the brightest smile I’d ever seen.

The Dark Elf girls all clapped their hands together, cheering and congratulating each other. “We did it!” “I told you the seaweed was a good idea!” “No, it was my triangle-shaping technique!”

I chuckled, warmth easing the ache in my chest for the first time since I saw the ruined village.

And then, of course, Yoruha ruined the moment.

“Alright, alright, enough celebration! Where’s my portion!?” She stomped over, hands on hips, glaring down at Sari like a child denied candy.

Sari blinked at her, then smiled mischievously. She gave a small nod, and one of the Dark Elf girls stepped forward, handing Yoruha a carefully wrapped package.

“Lady Yoruha,” Sari said sweetly, “your stuff.”

The exchange was so shady, so deliberate, it looked like a drug deal in a back alley.

Yoruha glanced left and right dramatically, then snatched the package, tucking it into her sleeve like contraband. “Heh. Good work, rookie.”

She tore it open a second later and stuffed the rice ball in her mouth. Her cheeks puffed out, tears welling up as she chewed furiously.

“Mmmhhh! S-So good! It’s amazing! It’s like heaven in my mouth!” she wailed between bites, rice spraying dangerously close to my coat.

I sighed, but a smile tugged at my lips anyway.

Morning in the Dark Elf village was usually peaceful. The air carried the scent of fresh timber from the still-unfinished buildings, mingling with the sweetness of blooming flowers in the forest. Birds chirped from branches above, squirrels darted along rooftops, and Dark Elves bustled about, carrying tools or buckets of water.
For once, things were calm.

Tengen stretched lazily as he wandered down a narrow path just beyond the village’s perimeter, hands behind his head, eyes half-lidded.
“Ahhh… morning walks,” he muttered to himself. “The only time of day when nobody’s begging me to decide something important. I should make this a habit. Walk, breathe, do nothing productive. Yep. Peak leadership.”

He grinned to himself, proud of his logic, when a rustling in the bushes caught his attention.
“Huh?”

The rustle grew louder, heavier, until something staggered out from the foliage.
A tiger.

Not just any tiger, but a massive striped beast easily taller than Tengen at the shoulder, its fur matted with blood, one eye half-closed, deep claw marks slashed across its side. It limped forward, its breathing ragged, but when it saw Tengen, it bared its teeth and let out a low, warning growl.

Tengen froze. “…Okay. Is forest is trolling me again?”

The tiger’s muscles tensed as it tried to stand tall, ready to fight, but its legs shook, and it collapsed to one knee.
“Whoa, whoa, easy there.” Tengen raised both hands in mock surrender. “I don’t even have barbecue sauce on me. No reason to eat me.”

The tiger growled again, more defiant than threatening, trying to force itself upright. It was clear: even half-dead, it wasn’t about to bow to some stranger.
Tengen sighed, scratching his cheek. “Seriously… why do I keep finding strays? First kids, now tigers.”

Tengen stepped closer, ignoring the tiger’s weak attempts to snarl. “Relax. If I wanted to kill you, you’d already be an accessory rug in Lireath’s house.”
He crouched beside it and placed a hand against its wounded flank. The tiger flinched, but couldn’t muster the strength to pull away.

A faint glow spread from Tengen’s palm, seeping into the gashes.
Flesh began to knit together, blood flow slowed, and bruises lightened.

“…Healing magic?” the tiger wheezed, its voice a rumble.
“Don’t ask,” Tengen muttered. “Even I don’t know why a demon can use this. I just… can. So shut up and let it happen.”

The magic intensified, and within moments the worst of the wounds closed. The tiger’s breathing steadied, its strength visibly returning.

When the glow faded, Tengen sat back on his heels, wiping imaginary sweat from his forehead. “There. Good as new. Well, mostly. Don’t test me for refunds.”

The tiger blinked slowly, then, to Tengen’s shock, it leaned forward and brushed its massive head against his shoulder in a surprisingly gentle gesture.
Tengen stiffened. “Whoa, personal space, big guy!”

The tiger rumbled approvingly… and then it spoke. “Thank you.”

Tengen jumped three feet back. “W-WHAT THE HELL?!” His voice cracked embarrassingly. “The giant murder cat can talk?! Since when is that a thing?!”

The tiger tilted its head. “Since always.”
“Don’t you dare act like I’m the weird one here!” Tengen snapped, pointing accusingly. “You’re a talking tiger! Do you realize how insane that is?!”

“Most forest beasts speak,” the tiger said calmly. “You are simply ignorant.”
Tengen threw his hands in the air. “Great! Just great! First elves, then ogres, now a talking zoo.”

The tiger, seemingly unbothered by Tengen’s meltdown, lowered itself onto its haunches. “I am leader of a Tiger pack. We fought against the Wolves, proud rivals of the forest. It was a fierce battle. We were losing. So I ordered my kin to flee while I held the Wolves at bay.”

“I really don’t care..” Tengen narrowed his eyes. “Wait, wait, wait. Wolves? Like… big scary wolves? Or just regular wolves?”
“Wolves,” the tiger repeated gravely. “Monsters that bow to no one.”

Tengen groaned. “Of course. Of course they’re special. Why wouldn’t they be?”

The tiger continued, ignoring him. “I managed to fend them off, barely. But I was separated from my kin. My strength nearly failed me before you appeared.”

There was a pause. The tiger’s golden eyes softened. “You saved my life. For that, I owe you more than gratitude.”
Tengen pinched the bridge of his nose. “Don’t… don’t say ominous things like that. It makes me nervous.”

The tiger’s whiskers twitched in something almost like a smirk. “I will find you again.”
“…Find me?” Tengen blinked.

“Why would you, hey, wait!”

But before he could press further, the tiger stood, its strength mostly restored, and padded silently back into the trees. Within seconds, it was gone, swallowed by the forest.

Tengen stood in stunned silence for a long moment. Then he threw his hands up.
“WHAT THE HELL JUST HAPPENED?!”

Birds scattered from nearby trees at his shout.
“Talking tigers! Wolf wars! Packs and leaders and, ugh, this world needs a manual!” He dragged his hands down his face. “I just wanted a walk…”

Groaning dramatically, he trudged back toward the village, muttering to himself. “I should’ve stayed in bed. Nothing bad ever happens in bed.”