Volume 6, Chapter 24 – The Night at De Madura (3)

“Excuse me. I have brought today’s main dish. This is the lemon sauté of skin-on Potopoto Bird thigh.”

They brought out the meat of some bird with a strange name.

Huh? But I feel like I’ve heard that somewhere before?

“My, so this is the Potopoto Bird? I am looking forward to it.”

“Char, do you know it?”

“Y-yes. It is my first time eating it, however. I have simply heard rumors about it.”

“As expected of you.”

“Naturally.”

Huh? She’s not turning bright red like she usually does.

Curious, I cut off a small piece of the Potopoto Bird with my knife and brought it to my mouth.

The moment it entered, a rich, concentrated juices burst across my mouth.

It was incredibly rich, yet not heavy at all; rather, it was a strange sensation, but for some reason, it felt refreshing.

The seasoning was quite simple—just salt, pepper, and a squeeze of lemon juice.

But I think this meat is best exactly as it is. There wasn’t a hint of gaminess; if herbs or garlic had been added, it would have killed the flavor of the ingredients.

I couldn’t resist taking another bite.

Amazing! People always say your cheeks will fall off when you eat something delicious, and this is exactly what they mean!

Despite having the skin on, I didn’t feel any greasiness; this really might be miracle meat.

Char said it was her first time eating it too, so it must be a very rare bird.

Wait… but I feel like I’ve eaten this somewhere before?

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“Char, this is absolutely delicious.”

“…Y-yes. I did not expect it to be this good. To think such meat actually existed…”

Char seemed to be at a loss for words from how moved she was.

“Char, thank you for bringing me to such a wonderful restaurant.”

“Eh? O-oh, yes. That is right, isn’t it. It is my regular haunt. This much is only natural.”

“Hehe. Please tell me about other recommended restaurants too, okay?”

“Hmph. I suppose I have no choice. If it is Fiene’s earnest request, I shall tell you. But that will be for another time.”

“Yes. I suppose so…”

Char must depart tomorrow, and I the day after. Char to the battlefield, and I to the forest overflowing with monsters; though our destinations differ, we are both fighting to protect people from monsters.

“Fiene, why are you becoming so gloomy? I have Hugues-sama with me, and you have Christina. There is nothing to worry about, is there?”

Char said this with her usual confident, radiant smile.

“Yes. You’re right.”

As we were talking, having quickly polished off the Potopoto Bird, there was a knock at the door and the waiter entered.

“I shall remove the empty plates. May I bring the dessert?”

“Yes.”

Char gave a short reply, and the waiter withdrew with the plates. After a short while, there was another knock at the door.

*Click.*

The moment the door opened, the lights in the room were suddenly dimmed. A waiter entered carrying a whole cake, and atop that cake were lit candles.

“””Happy Birthday to You~♪”””

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Following behind the waiter, Chris-san, Lu-chan, Shizuku-san, and Hugues-sama came in singing.

Looking closely, I saw that Char, sitting right in front of me, was singing too!

“””Happy Birthday, dear Fiene~♪”””

The waiter placed the cake before me.

“””Happy Birthday to You~♪”””

Once the birthday song ended, I blew out the fifteen lit candles.

Everyone applauded, and they each offered words of celebration.

Oh no… my vision’s starting to blur.

“Fiene, you really are a crybaby. You mustn’t cry over something like this, you know? Now, here, this is a present from me.”

With that, Char handed me a wrapped package.

“May I open it?”

“Of course.”

When I opened it, there was a beautiful hand mirror with intricate gold detailing.

One look was enough to tell it was exquisite… and probably incredibly expensive.

“That is a one-of-a-kind masterpiece, crafted by the artisan who made my own favorite hand mirror. You have reached an age where you can now be betrothed. You ought to own a hand mirror or two.”

“Th-thank you very much.”

When I said that, Char gave a beaming smile.

“Lady Fiene, this is from me. They are baked sweets, so please have them during tea time.”

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“Yes. Hugues-san, thank you.”

Looks like they’re cookies. Most of them will probably end up in Lu-chan’s stomach.

“Fiene-sama, happy birthday. I shall present you with this.”

“A… knife?”

Chris-san gave me a knife with glittering decorations.

“Yes. It has been two years since I began serving you, and Fiene-sama has finally turned fifteen. To me, it has felt both long and short, but from here on, Fiene-sama will enter adulthood. In the Faren Peninsula region of our country, there is a custom of giving swords to boys and knives to girls who reach adulthood, as a wish for them to carve out their own path in life and as a charm to ward off evil.”

So… that’s the kind of gift parents give their children, isn’t it?

But I don’t have parents, so…

“Ugh… Chris-san, thank you so much.”

My vision blurred with tears again.

“Onee-sama! Happy Birthday!”

“Fiene-dono, congratulations on your fifteenth birthday.”

Lastly came Lu-chan and Shizuku-san.

I wondered what they’d give me, but… huh? Empty-handed?

“Hehe, Onee-sama, how was it? That Potopoto Bird you just ate—Shizuku-san and I caught it today!”

“We cannot repay you with material goods. Um, did you like it?”

“Yes, yes, I did! Yes! It was delicious! Thank you! Lu-chan, Shizuku-san, I think that’s the most delicious bird meat I’ve ever eaten.”

At that, Lu-chan gave me a deadpan look.

“Ehh, Onee-sama, you already ate one I caught after that weird hunting competition!”

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…

…

…

“Ah!”

Embarrassed, I scratched my cheek.

◇ ◇ ◇

As a side note, the kitchens of De Madura were thrown into an uproar due to the Potopoto Bird brought in by Shizuku and Lumia.

“Whoa! What is this bird meat!?”

“This is incredible. Once you eat this, you can’t go back to normal chicken.”

“Where did you get this from?”

“Saint Charlotte-sama from Duke Gatilue’s household brought it in. Apparently, it’s a legendary bird that can’t be caught without the help of an Elf.”

“…Come to think of it, the Princess Consort of the King’s Brother is visiting today, right?”

“Now that you mention it, yes. I believe it’s an important luncheon for the Gourmet Ladies’ Association.”

“Alright, we’ve been told we can do whatever we want with the remaining meat, so let’s serve it there.”

“Seriously!?”

Thus, the Potopoto Bird that found its way into the mouths of the White Moon Kingdom’s Princess Consort and the Gourmet Ladies’ Association became a secret topic of conversation among a portion of the wealthy as a phantom, ultra-high-end meat that only Elves can hunt—but that is a story for another time.

Translator Note

Happy birthday, Fiene~