Reincarnated in a Shounen Manga

Chapter 196: Secret Spaghetti Recipe

Thousands of thoughts raced through my mind in quick succession.

What if Tamae No Mae had manipulated me, gaslighting me into believing she was after Agon and Sei while she actually needed me to stay away? Perhaps she was truly involved in the royal battle? Maybe there was something I could have missed?

"Carpy, hide underground and prepare for anything," I commanded, leaping off his back unhesitantly. The drop exceeded a hundred meters, and the force cracked the ground upon landing.

I sprinted towards the city, while Carpy returned to the sea. Leaping over the wall, I scanned my surroundings for anomalies or peculiarities. Yet, there was nothing unusual to note, with people strolling about without a care in the world. Despite this, an eerie sense of disquietude gripped my heart, my instincts and reflexes honed and taut.

Since nothing seemed out of place within the city, the abnormality had to originate from outside its borders. I bolted out of the city and approached my humble cabin. As I entered the yard, I heard the bubbling of boiling water emanating from inside. Normally, I would have overlooked such a minute detail, but my senses were operating at their peak.

I signaled for Carpy to remain alert, prepared for any scenario. Even if the enemy somehow turned out to be an ultimate-class demon, Carpy could burst through the ground, ready for us to merge into one.

Without knocking, I barged inside, my other hand gripping the handle of my cursed sword. However, what awaited me within my hut surpassed any imaginable scenario.

There, in the living room of my cabin, sat the princess, bear, lazy guy, Yara, Miku, and another woman who bore an uncanny resemblance to lazy guy Pan. They fidgeted nervously on my couches, their eyes filled with relief upon seeing me.

Yet, this was not the aspect that bewildered me. No, the peculiar sight involved a tall, slender man with long dark hair, donning a white apron as he cooked pasta.

The Demonic Exorcist turned towards me, grinning. "You're finally here, just in time for the meal. I've whipped up some killer spaghetti for my favorite exorcist."

My brain momentarily short-circuited. What on earth was this man doing here? Why was he present? What were his intentions?

"Come in, have a seat. I've prepared enough for everyone, so don't hesitate to ask for seconds or even thirds," he declared, placing the plates on my dining table and pulling in chairs. "It might be a bit cramped around a table like this, but we're like family here. No need to feel self-conscious."josei

Family? What the fuck was he even talking about?

No matter how hard I racked my brain, I couldn't find a reasonable explanation for his behavior. Attempting to understand the thought process behind a madman like him was an exercise in futility.

I was certain the lunatic hadn't poisoned the food; it just wasn't his style. With that in mind, I confidently took a seat. "Well, this is certainly a pleasant surprise. I've built up quite the appetite; I haven't eaten anything all day."

Though I didn't turn to look, I could feel the others giving me strange looks across from me. The Demonic Exorcist glanced at them, causing them to nervously huddle against the table. He placed a plate filled with a generous serving of spaghetti in front of me, and I was the first to take a bite.

{Perfect Me}

'Order: discern poison in food.'

Despite believing that the food was safe, I still made sure to take precautions. The temporary modification of my taste buds by Perfect Me made the taste momentarily repulsive, like biting into raw tuna.

Once the vile sensation subsided and my sense of taste returned to normal, I was pleasantly surprised by the flavors. The spaghetti had small amounts of tuna and melted cheese, creating a delightful combination.

"So, how does it taste?" asked the Demonic Exorcist, taking a seat across from me.

"It is pretty good, although I would have preferred a spicier sauce," I replied. I had no intention of admitting to a madman that he made excellent spaghetti. I had my own petty ways.

He frowned momentarily but then nodded, taking my criticism gracefully. "I'll keep that in mind for next time."

Next time?! There won't be a next time!

"So, how has life been treating you? I heard you guys had a war," he sighed. "I wish I could have been there, but I had other matters to attend to."

Yeah, like killing the Red Tails. "I lost one of my friends in the war—Bets, the muscular guy—if you know him."

"My deepest sympathies," the Demonic Exorcist said, nodding slightly as he looked me in the eyes. "I know the pain of losing someone close. I also offer my condolences for the clan head. I didn't know much about him, except that I once killed his betrothed as a test of my human control ability."

I raised an eyebrow in question, and the Demonic Exorcist explained sheepishly, "I just wanted to see if my ability was powerful enough to make someone take their own life, that’s all."

Since the girl he had mentioned had died at a young age, she probably wasn't Delia's mother. I simply shrugged. Not that I didn’t feel bad for her, but this was the Demonic Exorcist—I expected this kind of crazy psycho shit from him.

Then the Demonic Exorcist turned his attention to Pan, who was tall and lanky, and the girl who bore a strong resemblance to him, albeit shorter and pale, almost like a vampire.

"Interesting—twins, one alive and one deceased," the Demonic Exorcist commented thoughtfully. "It seems like his special ability allows him to maintain her in his body, sharing his vital energy. He probably has to spend most of his day conserving energy to allow his sister to manifest outside of his body more often. You always manage to get the most intriguing people around you."

Miku clenched her fist, Ord flaring slightly as she looked ready to attack. No doubt the Demonic Exorcist also sensed this, but he didn't react. I gave her a look that told her this wasn't the time or place. Our eyes met, and she reluctantly conceded.

The more time Carpy had to prepare, the more would the fight play to my advantage.

The Demonic Exorcist's attention was still on Pan and his sister, and the madman sighed. "A truly tragic story, his sister dying in his arms, revived by some mediocre exorcist who would have never even become an Expert Exorcist. He isn't even a Master, but he managed to utilize a lot of Master-like concepts to revive his sister. Amazing—the more I learn about Ord, the more questions I have."

My guess was that Pan accidentally used his sister's affinity, as that could happen between twins. In a way, Ord saw twins as one person, but at the same time, they were two different people. Though not all twins had this effect, and some were normal.

We ate in silence, and I was the first to finish my plate. I raised my hand. "Seconds, please."

The Demonic Exorcist stood up and went to get me seconds. That was when I asked him. "By the way, out of curiosity, how did you manage to block my demon’s senses?"

"Oh, that was simple, I just used a barrier that diffused our life energy signal, dispersing it so that it could be mistaken for something weak like grass. Though, it wouldn't really work in an urban environment or a desert; sensing grass in those places would be weird," he explained without even missing a beat. He knew I would develop a countermeasure against this but he didn't care.

In his eyes, this was probably just a game of cat and mouse. I create a countermeasure against his barriers, then he would have to come up with a new barrier, and then I would have to develop something that worked against that also. In the end, we would be pushing each other constantly to get better.

Though his answer also hinted at something else; the Demonic Exorcist was many things, but a barrier master he was not. However, he had stolen the power of Tamae No Mae, and while I doubt he would get full access to her special ability, even partial access was dangerous for someone like him. He might even be able to read every book on this side of the great barrier.

Him having access to that power would also explain how he found me, as I had taken quite a bit of countermeasure against his hunting dogs. Some guy in the mission report probably wrote down my real name and address somewhere.

The Demonic Exorcist put down my second plate and continued conversing. "By the way, now that we're talking about lifespan. Do be careful with it—don't think that I didn't notice how you had aged yourself up. It would be a shame if, by the time you were really twenty, you had an eighty-year-old body."

I dismissed his worries with a wave of my hand. "I'm not dumb enough to do something like that. Ideally, I won't use it at all unless I'm on the brink of death."

"You jinxed it," he sighed.

"Do you believe in jinxes?" I locked eyes with him while eating, and he shook his head.

"No, but when you've already made up your mind—if it comes down to it, you won't hesitate. That can be beneficial in many ways but... just don't let me down," he sighed, like a disappointed father who had just learned that his son was emo.

Well, screw you too, you murder hobo.

...

The rest of the meal was solemn, and the only ones who spoke were the crazy guy and me. In the end, Bear did the dishes, while the Demonic Exorcist kept staring at me, narrowing his eyes.

I met his gaze and remained silent until I couldn't hold back any longer. "So, are you going to fight me to the death or what?"

"I don't know. I'm contemplating it as I let my food settle," he replied. "That spaghetti turned out better than I expected, and I ended up eating way too much."

Spending time with this guy felt like a surreal experience. Don't get me wrong, I was relieved that he spared the others—an unexpected outcome when he was involved.

But what the fuck was wrong with him? He cooked me spaghetti for no reason? We were trying our best to kill each other the last time we met!

I leaned back in my chair, mirroring him, and waiting for his answer.