Chapter 3: Dinner Party in the Castle Town

1

At last, the day had come.

It was the thirtieth of the white month, the date when the goodwill dinner party with the nobles of Genos would be held.

Our group of chefs and guards entered the Turan manor while the sun was high in the sky. Or, in the phrasing of the castle town, the later second hour. The dinner party would be in the early afternoon, just four and a half hours later.

We passed through the castle gates in the totos carriage prepared for us by the ducal guards, just as I had done half a month ago. For a number of people in our group it was their first time visiting the castle town, and so they were unable to hide their awe at the unfamiliar sights they could glimpse through the window.

“Ooh, amazing! The city of stone really is made out of stone!”

“It really is something... I had never thought in even my wildest dreams that I would someday set foot in the castle town.”

Unsurprisingly the hunters guarding us wore tense expressions, but even then the look in their eyes seemed a lot calmer compared to the other day.

Then when we actually arrived at the manor, I ended up shouting in excitement all on my own. The reason was, when the ducal guards led us inside with our luggage of leather bags filled with giba meat and poitan flour and the like, we were greeted by a gorgeous woman with purple eyes and curly hair the color of honey.

“Welcome, visitors from the forest’s edge... We have been awaiting you...”

“Chiffon Chel! So you stayed here in this manor?”

“Yes... It would prove rather difficult to move someone such as myself elsewhere. Citizens of Mahyudra are only present in the land of Genos here at the Turan manor, after all...” Chiffon Chel replied, smiling down at me with her five centimeters of additional height. “At present, I have been helping Lady Lefreya take care of herself. I truly am glad to find you doing well, Sir Asuta...”

“Yeah, right back at you.”

During those days of confinement, it was Diel and Chiffon Chel who brought me at least a little relief from my anguish... And I suppose I got fairly close to Roy as we spent more and more time together too.

And the only one of them whose fate I had a real reason to worry about was Chiffon Chel, due to her position. Because of that, it brought me even more joy and relief than I had expected seeing her safe and sound again.

“Well then, allow me to guide you. This way please...”

“Huh? You don’t need to take our blades?” Ludo Ruu asked while carefully observing Chiffon Chel’s graceful form.

But it was a member of the ducal guard who answered, “That is correct, since you cannot carry out your duty as guards without any blades. However, we ask that you only set foot where we guide you.”

“Got it,” Darmu Ruu replied. He was the second son of the main Ruu house, which apparently made him the head of the guard unit. The group consisted of Ai Fa, Darmu and Ludo Ruu, and Rau Lea. Though there were only four of them, it was hard to imagine a more reassuring lineup.

“Well then, this way...”

With that, we were guided down the brick hallway by Chiffon Chel and two of the soldiers. This time, though, we were led into the right wing rather than the left. In other words, the part of the building where I was once confined.

Just where exactly were Cyclaeus and Lefreya shut away? And though I hadn’t heard anyone mention them, just where had Diel and her father gone?

As I pondered such thoughts, we managed to make it to our first stop: A familiar door, the sight of which caused me to freeze in place.

“U-Um, Chiffon Chel, is this perhaps the bath hall?”

“Yes... You need to cleanse yourselves before entering the kitchen, after all...”

“So even though the owner of the manor has changed, you’re still following that custom?”

“Correct... Or at least, I was informed as such...”

When Chiffon Chel looked to one of the ducal guards, he gave a nod.

“Such steps are necessary when presenting food to such noble individuals. We members of the ducal guards will be guarding all possible entrances, so please be at ease.”

“Is that so...?”

Well, I was forced to go through this same custom every day while I was confined, so I wasn’t all that upset about it. But would everyone else be all right?

“Well then, shall I lead the ladies inside first...?”

At that, Chiffon Chel led Rimee, Reina, and Sheera Ruu through the door, with question marks floating above the girls’ heads.

It was then that Ludo Ruu called out, “Hold on a moment. What you’re saying is, that’s a place for bathing, right? Then take Ai Fa along with you too. If we take our eyes off of everyone, we’re not exactly being guards, now are we?”

“Right.”

And so, our group of men ended up just standing around aimlessly.

Actually, I was the only one standing aimlessly, as the hunters all seemed to be constantly keeping an eye on our surroundings, never letting their guards down.

Then just fifteen minutes or so later, the door swung open again... And the women all came back out, their hair damp and their cheeks lightly flushed.

Everyone looked quite comfortable somehow, and so I breathed a sigh of relief. However, Ai Fa alone seemed to have an even redder face...

As that thought ran through my head, Rimee Ruu excitedly leapt at my clan head’s chest and exclaimed, “That felt really nice, didn’t it?! I never knew you were so ticklish though, Ai Fa...”

“That simply isn’t true! I’m just not fond of others fumbling all about my body like that!”

“Huh? That’s what I thought, so I tried to help you out, but I wasn’t good either?”

“A-Ai Fa, you cleansed yourself too?” I interjected without thinking, only to earn me an indiscriminate glare.

“Rimee Ruu kept insisting, so I simply accompanied everyone else. So you had to go through this ritual every single day while being held at this manor...?”

“W-Well... Yeah, I did.”

“That certainly sounds like an ordeal...” she muttered, suddenly looking away in a huff. That movement caused a sweet aroma to waft into my nose. Apparently that steam that used something similar to mugwort wasn’t enough to wipe away the giba summoning fruit scent. In fact, the heat and dampness only seemed to cause it to overwhelm my sense of smell even more.

“Well then, Sir Asuta, it is your turn...”

“Ah, r-right...”

As I wondered what would be done in terms of guarding me now, I looked around, and my eyes met with Ludo Ruu’s.

“It’s a pain, but I’ll go with you. Darmu, you take care of that runt Rimee and everybody.”

“Right.”

As everybody else saw us off, Ludo Ruu and I walked up to the door. Chiffon Chel then moved to step through first, but in a fluster I called out, “Um...! I haven’t forgotten how to bathe myself here, so I don’t need your assistance.”

“Ah, yes... My apologies...” Chiffon Chel giggled.

On the day I was kidnapped and taken here to the Turan manor, I was cleaned head to toe by Chiffon Chel regardless of my protests. From the second day onward I adamantly refused, but the image of her graceful nude form amidst the steam still clung to the back of my mind.

And so as I secretly prayed she wouldn’t go saying anything unfortunate while I was away, I slipped through the antechamber along with Ludo Ruu and entered the steam-filled bath hall.

“Whoa, what’s going on?! It’s all white!”

“Yeah, I was really surprised at first too.”

At any rate, I wanted to be done with it as soon as possible, so I swiftly took off my clothes and placed them into a woven basket.

And then, I scrubbed every last bit of my body with something like a bamboo spatula. And it really did take some scrubbing to get clean, as unfortunately there weren’t any bathtubs here in this hall. And just as I started thinking how it’d be nice to really take my time soaking in a tub, Ludo Ruu chimed in, his clothing clinging to his chest with sweat.

“This sure is seeming like a real anticlimax, isn’t it? Looks like this lord of Genos doesn’t have any secret plots or anything. He really does just want to form ties with us people of the forest’s edge.”

“Yeah, but that’s a good thing, isn’t it?”

“Of course it is, but still... I mean, he just kept on feigning ignorance this whole time, only to pull this once Cyclaeus and Ciluel’s crimes got exposed. It just doesn’t feel right to me.”

That was probably down to how Marstein’s actions felt like a lizard sacrificing its own tail.

Ever since Cyclaeus’s downfall, Marstein had fully admitted the fault from his side and seemed to be striving as hard as he could to fix the situation. But the one who set the stage for all this was, of course, Kamyua Yoshu.

If that aloof bodyguard hadn’t located Bartha to act as a witness and pulled the ducal house of Banarm into the proceedings, who knows how things would’ve ended up. The people of the forest’s edge surely wouldn’t have been able to expose those crimes on their own... And that would have led to them turning their backs on Genos.

Just how exactly would Marstein have reacted to such a situation? Maybe he would have even cast aside the people of the forest’s edge instead. Such concerns were likely exactly why the leading clan heads couldn’t bring themselves to completely trust the duke.

He may always be wearing a big innocent smile, but I don’t think he’s someone quite so easy to figure out... I thought to myself as I scooped up some water from the bucket further in and used it to rinse off my freshly cleaned body. The water was a bit more tepid than skin temperature, but it felt quite pleasant on my body after all this time cooking away in the steam.

After that, I wiped myself dry with a large soft cloth like a bath towel, then put my clothing back on. And when we exited the bath hall, we found our comrades from the forest’s edge waiting there for us, looking just the same as before. Since I wasn’t receiving any especially chilly glares, I figured that meant Chiffon Chel hadn’t done any unfortunate reminiscing.

“Well then, allow me to lead you to the kitchen...”

From here on out, I already had a vague recollection of the path we had to take. After all, I had walked it every day until my confinement ended just twenty days ago. Of course, that was just a five-day period of extraordinary circumstances, but those bitter memories had been carved firmly into my mind. It would definitely take some time before I could look back on it and say something like, “Well, it actually wasn’t so bad, all things considered...”

“This way, please...” Chiffon Chel said, stopping before a familiar door.

And then, one of the guards spoke up again. “This door is the only entrance to this kitchen. After inspecting the room for yourselves, we invite you to keep guard alongside us outside of it.”

Darmu Ruu nodded, and then stepped inside along with Rau Lea. Then once they confirmed everything was safe, we were finally permitted to enter. And as soon as we did, Rimee Ruu let out another excited, “Ooh!”

For the first time in twenty days, I had returned to this kitchen in the Turan manor.

Even if it was just a small kitchen meant to prepare food for servants, it was truly impressive in terms of scale and how well-equipped it was. At the forest’s edge, or even in the post town, it was unthinkable to see a kitchen with such a collection of cookware, multiple workstations, and so many well-made stoves. Then there was the steel oven, the shelves packed tight, and tableware made from wood, clay, steel, and glass. Every last bit of it seemed the same as when I last laid eyes on it.

And when Reina Ruu entered the room following her little sister, the look in her eyes was that of a lovestruck young girl.

“This is amazing! This room... It’s like some sort of paradise for chefs!”

If I had been invited as a proper guest instead back then, I probably would have been just as overjoyed as they were. Still, if I could overwrite some of those bitter memories with happy ones today, I’d certainly be glad.

And then when I showed them the fully furnished pantry, Rimee Ruu exploded with an even more excited shout of, “Wowie! There’re so many vegetables I’ve never even seen! Hey, hey, what does this one taste like?”

“What is this herb? It seems to have a very bitter smell to it...”

As the two sisters carried on excitedly like children, Sheera Ruu gave an impressed sigh from beside them. The place really did seem equipped with pretty much the same abundance of ingredients as when I was forced to work here.

Cyclaeus had become a prisoner and pretty much all of his many servants were discharged, so there shouldn’t have been such a need for all this food any longer. And yet, it wasn’t possible to simply sever all the deals he had made with various merchants at the drop of a hat, so apparently there was still a heaping helping of ingredients delivered to the manor each and every day.

“On top of that, something has to be done with the restaurants under Cyclaeus’s control and the metalworkers from Jagar he had business deals with and all that, so that guardian sure has inherited a whole heap of trouble to deal with,” Kamyua Yoshu had said.

Duke Genos’s house would take over in managing the majority of that, but Cyclaeus had dipped his hands into dealings in a lot of different fields, so it would supposedly take quite a bit of time and effort to put an end to all of them.

But, well, we were leaving all that up to the nobles, while we had our own work to focus on.

“All right, shall we get started? First up is making the soup.”

After somehow managing to calm down the overly excited sisters, I issued instructions to bring out the required ingredients where we needed them.

Since we were cooking for thirteen guests plus providing for our group of chefs and guards too, we were talking quite a lot of food. We carried in aria, nenon, chatchi, gigo, tau oil, rock salt, and fuwano flour, but just as we were about to start cutting, there was a knock on the door from the outside.

“Asuta, the chefs from the castle town say they wish to greet you,” Ai Fa called out as the door swung open and a group of men in white outfits streamed into the kitchen.

When I spied a young, pale-skinned man with plenty of freckles I called out, “Ah, Roy! You’re participating in this dinner party too?”

“Yeah. Just as an assistant chef, though,” the young chef formerly from this manor replied, his expression a complex mix of anger and something else entirely. When Ai Fa and Polarth had come and rescued me, he had been there at the entrance to see me off, but it was in front of Cyclaeus and Lefreya, and there hadn’t been any time for a proper goodbye.

“He’s quite exceptionally skilled for such a young age, so I asked to have him assist me today,” a voice with a strangely nice tenor to it interjected. It had come from the oldest of the four men dressed in white, who politely bowed my way. “You are the chef from the forest’s edge, Sir Asuta of the Fa clan, correct? I am a chef from Selva’s Spear and the former assistant head chef of this manor, Timalo.”

In terms of age, he seemed to be a bit past his forties. Though he was skinny overall, his stomach alone jutted out a bit, and he had an overall gentle, calm feel about him. He had the skin color of a westerner, and his eyes and the hair spilling out from under his cylindrical hat were both a deep brown. His face was smooth with a good complexion, but for some reason he had a bit of white cloth over his mouth.

“Pleased to meet you. I’m Asuta of the Fa clan. Umm... Let’s both give tonight our all.”

“Yes. We shall both dedicate all of our skill to strengthening the bonds between Genos and the forest’s edge.”

It looked like underneath that cloth, Timalo was grinning broadly.

His actions really were perfectly composed and natural...aside from the fact that his eyes didn’t especially seem like they were smiling.

“From what I’ve heard, the four of you here will be carrying out today’s work. And so, I prepared the same number of personnel in turn.”

“Huh? You matched what we were doing?”

“Yes. And though our kitchen is stocked with a great many more ingredients, I promise here and now that we shall not lay a hand on anything not also available in this place.”

“Umm... What exactly are you talking about?”

The way he spoke left me unsettled, for some reason.

But even as that thought ran through my head, Timalo just stared at my face and smiled.

“There’s no need for you to worry. I simply wish to present dishes under the exact same conditions as you, Sir Asuta of the Fa clan. It is not as if using rare and unusual ingredients is enough to improve a dish in and of itself, and so I also wish to try making the greatest dishes possible from a limited stock.”

From my point of view, stuff like reten oil and panam honey already felt plenty unusual, but apparently even more kinds of ingredients filled their stores.

Now that I thought back on it, I was pretty sure Mikel had once told me Cyclaeus’s main pantry was essentially a treasure trove. At any rate, though, it didn’t seem like I’d be alleviating the unease whirling about in my chest anytime soon.

“Umm, today’s dinner party isn’t a taste competition, but a chance for Duke Genos and the leading clan heads to enjoy themselves, right?”

“Why, yes, of course! I’m simply overjoyed to once again be able to serve food to the same table as you, considering all the praise Lady Lefreya heaped upon your cooking, Sir Asuta. Let us work our hardest today, with our pride as chefs on the line.”

“Right. I look forward to working alongside you.”

Timalo nodded, and then like an actor from some play, he elegantly turned about face.

Before he could leave, though, Roy called out from behind.

“Timalo, is it all right if I take just a little bit more time here? I’m acquainted with him from back when we worked together in the same kitchen.”

“Yes, I don’t mind. If we’re aiming for identical conditions, though, it wouldn’t do to not spend the same amount of time on our dishes. As such, we’ll wait for you to return before starting.”

“Thank you. I’ll be back soon.”

With that, Timalo and the other two assistant chefs exited the kitchen, leaving just Roy behind.

Giving a little sigh, the young chef glared my way.

“Well, you can see how it is. Timalo intends to face you with everything he has, so you better not go slipping up, all right?”

It was a sudden statement, not taking any time to savor our reunion or the like. Well, that certainly was just like Roy, though.

“I mean, I definitely intend to give this job my all too. Though, it seems that Timalo man doesn’t like me very much, huh?”

“Of course he doesn’t. No matter what you two made, his dishes never came out on top, so he’s desperate to reclaim his pride as a chef. If I were in his position, I’d probably feel exactly the same way.”

As he talked, Roy’s brow seriously furrowed. He was blunt, and his tone was crude. Yup, just like Chiffon Chel, he didn’t seem to have changed a bit.

That made me a little happy, so I started to break out in a smile, only for Roy to question, “What’re you grinning about?” and shoot me an even scarier look. “Just so you know, Timalo’s specialty is karon dishes. Back then, Lady Lefreya insisted on nothing but kimyuus cooking. If you let your guard down thinking you’re facing the same opponent as before, you’ll have the carpet pulled out from under you.”

“You say all that, but I mean, I’m not looking at this like a taste competition...”

“Even so, you’d feel frustrated if the guests only praised Timalo’s cooking, right?”

“Ah, yeah, that could definitely be frustrating.”

“And you’ve got to use giba meat of all things too. Can you really make a proper dish with an ingredient like that?”

“That certainly won’t be an issue. Though with that said, I’ve only ever had karon torso meat when taste testing your cooking...”

It didn’t seem like it would be possible to use such an ingredient at the forest’s edge or in the post town, so I had disregarded the matter entirely.

“That doesn’t exactly give me confidence...” Roy grumbled. “I know your skills better than anyone. But giba meat has a reputation of being smelly, hard, and practically inedible, doesn’t it? Are you really going to be all right?”

“I’ll be fine. It would be nice if I could show you how delicious giba meat is too, though,” I replied, only for Roy’s eyes to slowly narrow.

“You really are confident, aren’t you...?”

“Yeah, at least when it comes to the taste of giba.”

Mikel and Yang had already acknowledged how delicious of an ingredient it was. And so, I trusted the tastiness of giba meat would get through to even folks from the castle town.

“In that case, go ahead and make a set of meals for the chefs. Actually, I guess you don’t need to make that much... There are four of us on each side, so we can each make half of the total meals we’ll eat and then share. I’ll try to convince Timalo to play along with that too.”

“Huh? But why do you need to do that?”

“The words of the guests alone may not be enough to satisfy Timalo. If a rumor started spreading around that the people of the forest’s edge took advantage of the nobles’ kindness to have them say your food was delicious when it really wasn’t, you wouldn’t exactly be happy about it, right?”

“Is that Timalo guy the sort to go making up rumors like that...?”

“Well, at the very least I’d say he’s the sort that won’t accept a loss until he’s confirmed it with his own tongue,” Roy said with an irritated snort. “And while he’s definitely a skilled chef, I can’t exactly vouch for his personality once he steps out of the kitchen. Just earlier, you saw him making a big show of covering his mouth, right? That’s a way of expressing that he doesn’t want to breathe the same air as lowly people like you. I guess he’s been infected by the nastier side of nobles by only ever dealing with them...”

“Ah, he sounds like a pain to deal with...”

However, I had no intention of bringing personal feelings into today’s work. And so I started thinking about how to best handle things, only to feel a tug on my T-shirt’s sleeve from the side.

“Asuta, I don’t care how such an unreasonable person looks at us, but, well, I’m very much curious about what types of food chefs from the castle town make,” Reina Ruu chimed in. There was indeed a strong look of pure curiosity and ambition shining in her eyes. “You’re the only one allowed to attend the dinner party, right? But if it’s at all possible, I would certainly like the chance to see cooking from the castle town with my own two eyes and confirm what it tastes like. Is that all right...?”

“Hmm, yeah... Well, I don’t really see any issue with each side tasting the other’s cooking.”

Even if nasty rumors spread throughout the castle town, I couldn’t see it having any noticeable impact on our business in the post town. But it was true that I found the idea of someone going after the reputation of food they hadn’t even eaten extremely unpleasant.

“Ah, but isn’t it against the customs of the forest’s edge to eat food prepared at another stove?” I asked, only for Reina Ruu to duck her head with a mischievous smile. It was a gesture that would perfectly fit a sound effect like “Teehee.”

“It’s ultimately just a taste test, so I’m sure even dad won’t be able to get angry with us over it.”

As I thought to myself, She’s kept such a charming look hidden all this time? I turned to Roy with a strained smile.

“All right. Then could you ask Timalo to...” I started, only to suddenly hold my tongue. Up until now, Roy had been wearing a real irritated look, but suddenly he was standing there with his mouth hanging wide open. And his eyes, opened wide with surprise, were looking right at Reina Ruu.

“Umm, is something the matter...?” Reina Ruu asked with a slightly troubled smile.

Roy shook his head so fast it looked like the hat would be flung from his head, and then he shot me a glare.

“W-Well, I guess that covers things. But if you go and serve up shabby dishes after all that big talk, you’ll have no excuses when I ridicule you for it.”

“Right. I’ll give it my all so that doesn’t happen.”

“Hmph...!” Roy snorted for seemingly no particular reason, and then after stealing one more glance at Reina Ruu, he exited the kitchen.

Ai Fa and Ludo Ruu had just silently watched over the whole exchange, and now they once again closed the door.

“He certainly was noisy, wasn’t he?” Reina Ruu said with a smile, apparently not understanding any of what just happened.

Just like when we did business in the post town, she currently had on a thin veil and shawl, which made her look quite adorable. Though she was on the small side, her face and body were very nicely proportioned. I figured it was quite rare to find such a thoroughly charming woman.

Still, I can’t imagine Donda Ruu would be fond of his daughters all marrying men from town... The whole thing with Vina Ruu and Shumiral alone probably has him at his limits already.

And as I stowed away that unasked-for commentary in the back of my mind, I stated, “All right then, how about we get to work?”

2

Soon time was flying by again as we steadily crossed off our tasks. We had already planned out our operational procedure in advance, so there were no issues on that front. The girls with me had spent a lot of time the last few days training to make these new dishes, and I couldn’t see any issues whatsoever with their performance.

It went without saying that Reina and Sheera Ruu had no problems, since they specialized in manning the stove, but Rimee Ruu was also showing astounding skill. I know they say you become good at what you like doing, but I got the feeling that the young girl’s cooking skills had grown to around the same level as her mother’s.

Now that I think about it, all the chefs I’ve seen from the castle town have been men.

From what I could recall, overwhelmingly more men worked as professional chefs than women back in my old world too.

Part of the reason was that cooking required more stamina than you might expect. When you were cutting up ingredients and heating them over a flame, and then you had to make enough for over a dozen people, it could definitely be called a battle of endurance.

But the women of the forest’s edge seemed to have bottomless stamina, and it was readily apparent how passionate the girls present were about cooking. And they had great palates on top of that, so I couldn’t think of better allies to have by my side.

Still... Just how much more skilled are they than the folks from the post town, I wonder?

There wasn’t anybody who called themselves a chef in the post town. The owners of the inns and their wives just saw the food they served as nothing but an extension of their home cooking.

The same was true for Reina Ruu and everyone, though. I had only given the women of the forest’s edge just a bit of instruction over the course of the past several months, but before that they had generally likely paid even less attention to manning the stove than the folks from the post town. And yet, now I believed their cooking would easily come out on top. If nothing else, they at least had the same powerful advantage that I did: giba meat.

In actuality, Nail and Naudis had both succeeded at making fairly successful dishes using giba meat. And they had their own advantages in the form of chitt seeds and tau oil, both imported ingredients. Thanks to that, they were currently thriving.

But lately, karon milk and milk fat had started circulating throughout the post town. And now that Cyclaeus had fallen, the ingredients he had been buying up could even start overflowing to the post town too after spreading throughout the castle town.

Overly expensive ingredients would of course be out of the question, but it seemed like it would be reasonable to expect to be able to buy stuff in the same price range as, say, tau oil. And if that happened, it would surely lead to an improvement in the cuisine on offer in the post town.

When that time came, just how far would Reina and Sheera Ruu’s skills take them? They certainly wouldn’t fall significantly short, but would they be able to stay on top? I couldn’t help but hope they would strive their hardest to do so.

“Ah, that’s a bell sound!” Rimee Ruu excitedly proclaimed while mincing up giba meat. “How neat! It rang four times, so does that mean it’s the fourth hour?”

“Yeah. So I suppose that means we have half of our scheduled time left.”

The dinner party would begin when the sun set during the sixth hour. That meant we had a little over two hours to go. And fortunately, everything was still progressing quite smoothly.

However, we were soon interrupted by another knock on the kitchen door.

“Asuta, Kamyua Yoshu is asking to see you,” Ai Fa called out, only for the aloof man’s long and narrow face to peek into the room.

“Hey there, Asuta. Sorry for bothering you while you’re working, but I’ve got some things I’d like to report. Is that all right?”

“Yeah, I don’t mind. Please, come on in.”

“Ah, no. I’ve been running all over so I’m coated in dirt and dust. I don’t want to make a mess in your kitchen, so could you step outside for a bit instead?”

“All right, I’m coming.”

After wiping down my hand with a cloth, I went ahead and walked over his way.

Kamyua Yoshu pulled his head back out, and I stepped outside right after him. In the hallway I found the two soldiers keeping watch, the four hunters guarding us, Kamyua Yoshu...and one more young fellow I recognized.

“Ah, you’re...”

“Yup. Sir Welhide of the ducal house of Banarm. I happened to run into him when I stopped by the castle, so I quickly brought him over as soon as I could.”

The young black-haired man’s pale, noble-looking face wore a fastidious expression as he silently nodded. I really had no clue how high-ranking he was as the sixth in line to inherit a ducal house in some other territory, but I certainly didn’t want to go making any careless blunders, so I went ahead and gave a bow at what seemed like a suitable-enough angle.

Kamyua Yoshu continued, “Though half a month has passed since that meeting, Ciluel is apparently continuing to feign ignorance. It really isn’t looking like we’ll be able to settle anything without a formal trial.”

“Oh, I see.”

“And as for Cyclaeus, he doesn’t have much strength to talk, and he certainly doesn’t seem to be trying to do so either. If things keep going like this and Cyclaeus succumbs to his illness and draws his last breath, it’ll leave us in a real troublesome situation.”

“Right. The leading clan heads have concerns about that too. So we really do need Cyclaeus’s testimony in order to pass proper judgment on Ciluel?”

“Yup, since it’s seeming pretty likely that if Cyclaeus passes away, Ciluel will try to shove all of the crimes on his dead brother. Thanks to the attack he tried to pull off at the meeting, he won’t be able to escape all of his crimes like that, but we want to fully adjudicate their past offenses too.”

“I wouldn’t be able to face my father if the truth was buried in the shadows for such a reason...” Welhide whispered, an intense look on his face. “Was it Cyclaeus or Ciluel who caused my father’s death? If we cannot at least determine that much, then I’ll be liable to be the one left dying in a fit of indignation.”

“Right. The boy in my care, Leito, is in much the same position as you are, so I can certainly understand that way of thinking,” Kamyua Yoshu agreed, trying to make as serious of an expression as he could with his usually aloof face. “So anyway, though I’m sure you’ve got some strong feelings of your own on the matter, I’d really like you to give your all to make something that can satisfy Cyclaeus, Asuta. No matter how hard we try appealing to his heart and mind, I can’t imagine us ever reforming him, though.”

“I don’t know about trying to appeal to him, but now that I’ve decided to cook, I want to make the best meal that I can.”

“Yup, I’m counting on you. And Cyclaeus’s meal will be delivered after the dinner party with the leading clan heads, right?”

“Yes. I have to attend the party, so it has to wait till that’s over.”

The biggest issue was the question of whether or not Cyclaeus would have the strength needed to even eat my cooking in his weakened state.

But all I could do was carry out the work in front of me. It was true that my feelings about all this were complicated, but regardless, I went ahead and gave Kamyua Yoshu a bow.

“Well then, I’ll be getting back to work. Excuse me.”

“Ah, hold on a moment! There’s still one more thing we need to discuss!”

“Huh? What is it?”

“Umm...” Kamyua Yoshu murmured, his tall, lanky frame squirming in a way that was quite unlike him. It probably went without saying, but he didn’t look cute in the least. “The thing is, I know it’s impolite to ask, but...well, would it be possible for me to have some of your cooking too?”

“Hmm? You mean the meal we’re preparing for everyone on guard and kitchen duty?”

“Yeah. Someone in my position could never hope to participate in the dinner party, after all. And so I was wondering if you could grant me just a bit of the food you’re preparing for everyone else... Is it too much to ask after all?”

“No, we brought along plenty of giba meat, so as long as we don’t have any sudden massive slip-ups, we can prepare as much as we need.”

As soon as I said that, Kamyua Yoshu’s eyes started to sparkle.

If I betrayed his expectations now, just how sad of a face would he make? I was a little tempted to find out, but I would never actually go and do something so mean.

“All right, we’ll go ahead and get it ready. The dinner for the chefs has to wait till after the party, though, so understand that it’ll be pretty late.”

“Of course! Thank you! I owe you one, Asuta!”

“Is giba meat cooking really that delicious...?” Welhide asked quizzically. “My apologies if this statement upsets you, but I have heard it said that giba meat isn’t something most can even eat. Obviously, rumors about how it will make you grow horns and the like are mere folk tales, but still, Genos is even more well off than Banarm, is it not?”

“Yup, sure is. I’ve been invited to some real unusual dinners by Duke Genos myself, but it’s a shock to hear him going with giba dishes... Ah, but nothing else out there compares to Asuta’s cooking.”

“Ah, er, please don’t go overboard with raising his expectations like that...”

“It’s fine! Your cooking’s deliciousness comes across to anyone who eats it, no matter their status! Whether noble or commoner, there doesn’t exist a single person alive who can deny your skill!”

I gave a deep, deep sigh.

And Welhide’s mouth was still hanging open with a suspicious look... In fact, it was like his expression had frozen in place for some reason.

“Um, Asuta, I’m terribly sorry to interrupt your conversation, but there’s a little something I’d like to ask you...” a voice called out timidly from behind. Turning to look, I found Reina Ruu peeking halfway out the door. “I opened a new bottle of fruit wine, but it’s really sour and doesn’t seem usable. Could we swap it out for another fruit wine?”

“Ah, no, that’s made from mamaria just like the fruit wine, but it’s actually something called vinegar. I believe there should still be some normal fruit wine left on the shelves, though.”

“Oh, I see! I’m sorry I jumped to a conclusion there...”

“You’ve got nothing to apologize for. It would be nice if we could start handling mamaria vinegar at the forest’s edge and in the post town too, though,” I replied as I slowly turned my gaze. Welhide’s eyes were still open wide in surprise, and naturally, they were looking right at Reina Ruu.

The second Ruu daughter also noticed that and asked with a troubled smile, “Um, is something the matter?” And just like Roy had done earlier, Welhide vigorously shook his head in response.

Umm... If I’m seeing what I think I’m seeing, do the people of the castle town and Banarm not have as strong a prejudice against the people of the forest’s edge, since they aren’t as intimately familiar with how terrifying giba are?

Knowing nothing of the thoughts running through my head, Kamyua Yoshu then brightly proclaimed, “Now then! I feel bad about interfering with your work, so I suppose it’s about time for us to head out. The second son of the house of Daleim will arrive soon, so why don’t I go ahead and introduce you to him, Lord Welhide?”

“A-Ah, yes... Please do so.”

At that, Kamyua Yoshu and Welhide departed.

With a tilted head, Reina Ruu returned to the kitchen, and having watched over the whole exchange, Rau Lea stroked his narrow chin and said, “Hmm... Well, it’s hard to ignore how she can be a bit childish at times, but I guess Reina Ruu is definitely quite the looker. Slender beauties like Ai Fa here are more my type, though.”

“What are you babbling about, all of a sudden...?” Ai Fa questioned, shooting Rau Lea a frightening glare.

“I mean, I’m just stating my true feelings. I told you before, didn’t I? That if you weren’t a hunter, I’d definitely want you for a bride.”

“Again, what are you—”

“I’m telling you, I’m talking about your looks, as a woman. We’re at the age where it’s about time for us to get serious about getting married, right, Darmu Ruu?”

Darmu Ruu seemed to have an aura of irritation about him like whirling black flames as he silently closed his eyes. And then, he quietly called out, “Asuta of the Fa clan.”

“Yes? What is it?!”

“If you’re done here, then get back to work...”

“Right, understood...”

Darmu Ruu had reached a point where he had withdrawn and stated he would no longer criticize Ai Fa’s way of life. Of course, Rau Lea wasn’t at fault as he knew nothing at all about that, but it still made for quite the nerve-wracking exchange.

Now that I think about it, I recall hearing Ratsu and Gaaz men have proposed to Ai Fa too.

Were those sorts of worries that occurred between men and women universal, no matter which world you were in?

At any rate, I somehow managed to get myself back on track, focusing once again on my work.

◇

From there, the hours ticked along, and by the time we started needing the light from the candles on the walls, we had managed to finish six different dishes.

With just the meat and fuwano, er, poitan dishes, we wanted to serve them up nice and hot, so they were currently sitting uncooked atop the work station.

“We get to eat once Papa Donda and everyone are done with dinner, right? Ugh, I’m starving,” Rimee Ruu complained.

“In that case, you should have stolen some nibbles here and there. Should I fry up just a bit of tatsuta age for you?”

“No! I’m gonna hold off and let the excitement build for later!”

As we were having that conversation, there was another knock on the door. This time, the one to appear was Chiffon Chel.

“The bells for the sixth hour will be ringing shortly... Sir Asuta, could I have you move to the dining hall...?”

“Got it. Is it all right to bring along the appetizer at this point?”

“Yes... Those on duty shall carry it...”

Following that statement, two of the pages dressed in yellow uniforms entered the kitchen. I had seen the pages frequently around the manor, but these boys seemed to be part of a different lineup.

They sat the big plate with the appetizer and the wooden plates for portioning it out atop a stylish wheeled cart. Then they placed a bowl-shaped lid over the plate, like a cloche or some sort of dust cover, hiding the food from view.

“Ah, right, do you not need to test it for poison?”

“I do not... The custom of testing for poison was only put in place by the previous lord of this house, I am told...”

“I see. So that’s how it was, huh?”

Kamyua Yoshu had said something about Cyclaeus’s father dying by poison. Though the truth of the matter still hadn’t been made clear, that was likely why he had implemented such a practice.

We still don’t know anywhere near enough about the nobles of this world.

Cyclaeus was a wicked man who derided the people of the forest’s edge, calling them barbarians.

That seemed to go even more so for Ciluel.

As for Lefreya, her sense of ethics seemed to be missing a few pieces.

But Polarth felt like a cheerful, carefree sort of guy.

And Melfried was the complete opposite, stern to a fault.

That old legal official, Zylus, had come from a branch of the Saturas house, and, well, he seemed solemn and trustworthy.

Welhide seemed like a really earnest young man.

And finally there was Marstein, who I still couldn’t completely pin down.

Still, I had only spent a very short amount of time around any of those nobles, not just Marstein. Exactly what sort of institution was the aristocracy of the Western Kingdom of Selva? And were they at all compatible with the people of the forest’s edge? Today’s dinner party would be a litmus test for those questions.

“Asuta, please take care,” Reina Ruu called out.

“Yeah, same for all of you.”

With that, I exited the kitchen alongside the page boys. Darmu Ruu and Rau Lea remained behind, while Ai Fa and Ludo Ruu followed along as guards.

Under Chiffon Chel’s guidance, we walked down the labyrinth of hallways. And unsurprisingly, what appeared before us at the end of it all was an imposing set of double doors.

This was the room that Lefreya had summoned me to in days past. Back then, not only had Lefreya and Diel been present, but later also Polarth and Ai Fa...when I was finally released from my five days of imprisonment.

“We have brought the chef from the forest’s edge, Sir Asuta of the Fa clan!” one of the page boys announced in a soprano voice.

As the soldiers opened the doors, the hall for the dinner party came into view, complete with the nobles of Genos and leading clan heads of the forest’s edge seated there.

“Ah, Asuta of the Fa clan. My apologies for troubling you so much today,” a male voice cheerfully called out. It had come from Marstein, seated at the head of the massive table. And next to him sat Welhide, who was here as the witness to this event.

The chandelier giving off a dazzling white light, the half-human half-beast stone statues guarding the four corners of the room, the velvet tapestry covering the brick walls, and the long-piled dark purple carpet... Everything was just as I remembered it. And though there had been plenty of room to spare at the massive table back then, today it was filled with guests.

On the right-hand side was the group from the forest’s edge: Donda Ruu, Gulaf Zaza, Dari Sauti, Gazraan Rutim, and the Beim and Fou clan heads.

To the left were the nobles of Genos: Lefreya, the upper-middle-aged man who was apparently her new guardian, Melfried, Polarth, and a slim young man who was apparently the representative for the house of Saturas.

It really was a distinguished group of thirteen. On top of that, on either side of Marstein and Welhide there were two ducal guards in white and a young female attendant.

And along the wall on the noble side, Timalo was standing up straight, accompanied by two pages just as I had been. Naturally, he wasn’t hiding his mouth in any way at present. Instead, he simply wore a polite, composed expression.

“Asuta of the Fa clan, you should wait there alongside the leading clan heads. Once the bell for the sixth hour rings, the dinner party will begin.”

“Right,” I nodded as I moved into position as I was told. Ai Fa and Ludo Ruu, meanwhile, remained in front of the now closed doors, their piercing gazes scanning the room.

It seemed everyone in the group from the forest’s edge had handed over their blades, which meant the only ones armed in this place were the four soldiers at the head of the table, as well as Ai Fa and Ludo Ruu.

Of course, the antechamber was likely packed with ducal guards on standby, but considering the capabilities possessed by hunters of the forest’s edge, they could surely take control of the room at a moment’s notice. And so, this overly lax guard setup was undoubtedly a show of Marstein’s trust.

“I believe this is your first time meeting each other, Asuta of the Fa clan. This is the man who will be Lady Lefreya’s guardian from now on, Torst, and the first son of Count Saturas, Leeheim.”

I had trouble remembering so many names thrown out one after another, but at any rate I gave them each a bow.

Torst was a little man with a smushed face like a pug’s who was heading into his twilight years, while Leeheim was a skinny young man with oily dark brown hair. The former had on a milky white frock very similar to the one worn by Polarth, while the latter wore a Jagar-style collared outfit much like Marstein. It seemed that nobles had a fondness for wearing attire in the style of Jagar.

What grabbed my attention even more so, though, was Lefreya.

Her crudely-chopped chestnut brown hair had been styled into an adorable short bob, but any expression whatsoever had been wiped clean from her face.

There was a tiara sitting atop her head, and her small body was clad in a white dress coated in frills and ribbons. Her skin looked utterly untouched by the sun, and overall she had a cute appearance like a French doll... But by the same token, she really did feel like some delicate object, not showing any signs of human emotion.

Of course, considering her current standing, she couldn’t exactly go about being all haughty. But still, she really was acting utterly unlike her usual little tyrant self.

“Well then, how about I give you all a little greeting before the dinner party begins?” Marstein proposed in his usual relaxed tone.

His long dark brown hair was tied together loosely behind his neck, and the collar of his white formal cloak was loose as well. He had a very youthful visage, and his tawny eyes had a bright yet firm shine to them, while underneath his neatly-trimmed mustache he wore a cheerful smile. If nothing else, he really didn’t seem to be cut from the same cloth as his son Melfried.

“As I’ve already announced, this dinner party is an event meant to foster goodwill and reforge the bonds between our land of Genos and the people of the forest’s edge. Up until now, the former head of the house of Turan, Cyclaeus, has been in charge of such mediation. However, he is suspected of conspiring along with the leading clan head who ruled before the previous one and bringing calamity to the western kingdom. And we find that a grave, unprecedented matter.”

None of the leading clan heads or nobles interjected so much as a single word.

Even Lefreya just silently stared off into the distance.

“As the one who rules over Genos, I must atone for these crimes alongside the people of the forest’s edge. And to this end, I believe it necessary to join together and understand one another. As part of our efforts, Lady Lefreya has officially become the next Countess Turan, while Torst has become her guardian. And I will also announce here and now that my first son Melfried, head of the ducal guard, has been appointed to act as mediator with the people of the forest’s edge.”

I quietly gasped.

We had already known about Lefreya and her guardian, but this was my first time hearing about Melfried’s new post.

It certainly was true that Marstein couldn’t have chosen anyone closer to him for the part, though.

“That’s all from me. I’ve set aside time for a meeting after dinner to discuss all the troublesome details, so for now let’s enjoy the meal kindly prepared by Timalo and Asuta of the Fa clan and deepen the friendship between us.”

Marstein slowly looked over everyone present.

Nobody seemed to be showing any real emotion in response, Lefreya foremost among them. Though, I did spy Polarth stealing timid glances at the hunters, and next to him Leeheim was somewhat sulkily casting his gaze downward. Perhaps that was down to the power difference between the houses of counts and dukes, as they didn’t seem to be able to act as resolutely as the younger Welhide.

Still, this sure is a crazy sight.

On the right were the strong, dauntless, and frank dark-skinned hunters of the forest’s edge, clad in their giba cloaks and brimming with the energy of wild beasts. And to the left were the sophisticated and refined nobles of the city of stone, clad in white frocks reminiscent of characters from Greek myth, or collared uniforms in what I’d have called a western style back in my old world. The two sides of the huge table looked as if they had come from different worlds entirely as they sat there facing one another.

Up until now, the nobles and the people of the forest’s edge had essentially no interaction whatsoever. Just how much of the gap between them that had been growing for eighty years could be filled in tonight...? I had absolutely no way of knowing at this point.

But at any rate, from his position right in the middle, Marstein alone gave a composed smile and a satisfied nod.

It was then that a bell solemnly rang out from somewhere.

“It’s now the sixth hour. So, how about we get this dinner party started...?”

3

“This is the appetizer that I have prepared,” Timalo stated, presenting his dish first.

As he removed the lid on the large metal pot, a truly complex aroma started wafting throughout the room.

“It is totos egg dressed with ramanpa nut dip.”

This was my first time hearing of ramanpa nuts. And though he had claimed he would only use ingredients also available in our kitchen, I had no way of knowing which one they were.

At any rate, the pages went ahead and started portioning out the dish atop clay plates. From a distance, all I could make out was what looked to be a gleaming, slightly yellowish dip.

The Fou clan head was seated lowest on the forest’s edge’s side, which placed him right next to me, and when his plate was delivered I stole a glance. And sure enough, it seemed to be a dish dressed with a dip.

The yellowish color had come from the egg yolk, while the shine looked to be from some sort of oil. And since the white of a totos egg didn’t actually take on a white color when heated, it had become a translucent dip, which was shining in the light from the chandelier.

Mixed inside that translucent dip I could see a number of carrot-like nenon, potato-esque chatchi, and other such vegetables diced into little cubes. And in overwhelmingly greater quantity was a heaping helping of what looked like finely-chopped walnuts.

“The ramanpa nuts were smoked with pepetto herbs, and the various vegetables were pickled in reten oil. By kneading them together with the totos egg, you get this dish.”

“This certainly is an elaborate appetizer to start with,” Marstein proclaimed in amusement, and Timalo smiled back.

Then, the duke’s gaze slowly turned my way.

“Sir Asuta, please proceed with your preparations.”

“Right, well then...”

Mine isn’t elaborate at all, though, I thought to myself as I lifted the lid off the dish.

Atop the somewhat large and deep wooden plate was a nice pile of gigo cut into rectangular slices. As I separated that out, I placed a dried kiki dip made with a light bit of tau oil and soup stock on top. That was the entirety of the preparations needed for my appetizer.

I went with this as it felt like a proper appetizer to me, but is it too simple?

After chopping up the yam-like gigo into rectangular slices, I garnished it with a dip made using the plum-esque dried kiki. Then I mixed in the tau oil and soup stock to replace the dashi, soy sauce, mirin, and sugar mix.

“That seems to be quite a simple dish,” Marstein stated, causing Timalo to shoot me a grin. “But I would say it’s a wonderful dish for displaying the honest and simple lifestyles held by the people of the forest’s edge.”

“Ah, thank you.”

I had no idea how much I needed to humble myself at such a formal event, so I ultimately kept my words to a minimum. Still, I felt more than a little awkward, considering the dish was prepared in the style of the Tsurumi Restaurant rather than the forest’s edge.

Yam with pickled plum dip... Our customers who were heavy drinkers loved it, and so did my old man, but how will it be received here?

As we portioned out our dishes for the guests, the attendants filled their cups with fruit wine. And even when faced with the intimidating gazes of the hunters, the women remained courteous and expressionless. They certainly seemed to have more guts than Polarth or the young lord from the house of Saturas.

At any rate, by the time everyone’s cups were filled, my dish and Timalo’s had made it all the way around.

“Well then, let us eat.”

Apparently, the noble side didn’t have any pre-meal rituals. And so, as the hunters of the forest’s edge recited their words of gratitude, the other side grabbed hold of their metal spoons.

“Ah, what a wonderful flavor,” Marstein praised as he started with Timalo’s appetizer. “The taste from the ramanpa is truly superb. Their aromatic nature pairs exquisitely with the totos eggs.”

“I’m honored to hear that it is to your tastes,” Timalo replied with a truly satisfied looking grin.

Almost all the nobles seemed to start with Timalo’s dish.

The one exception was Lefreya, who took hold of the plate with my cooking and quietly stated, “Asuta of the Fa clan. This dish seems somehow slippery, like it will slide from everyone’s spoons.”

“Ah, my apologies. I believe it would be easier to eat with wooden spoons than metal ones, or perhaps forked metal skewers,” I replied, figuring I needed to watch my tone considering the current circumstances.

“I see,” Lefreya quietly murmured, picking up a wooden spoon from atop the table. Even as she brought my cooking to her lips that were the color of budding cherry blossoms, her expression still didn’t shift.

“Hmm... This is my first time eating gigo that hasn’t been heated through. Is this what’s customary at the forest’s edge? Or does it come from your homeland, Asuta...?” Marstein asked with a smile.

“It’s a dish from my home country,” I replied.

“I see,” Marstein stated as he took a bite of the gigo and dried kiki dip. “This certainly is a novel taste. The sourness of the dried kiki wipes away the earthiness of the gigo, so it isn’t hard to get down in the least. In fact, I’d say it’s rather pleasant.”

“I’m honored...”

Meanwhile, the people of the forest’s edge kept silently chewing away at my dish. They had little interest in cooking that didn’t use giba meat to begin with, so their reactions were unsurprisingly restrained.

However, I heard the Fou clan head, who was seated closest to me, whisper, “This is what raw gigo tastes like...? In the Fou clan, we only ever use it to mix in with poitan. What a mysterious flavor...”

“Oh, is it to your liking?”

“Well, I certainly can’t say I dislike it. Though actually, it seems to make me feel even hungrier somehow...”

“Right. That’s actually the main purpose of this dish.”

I wasn’t well acquainted with cooking full course meals, so all I could figure out for an appetizer was that it should stir up the appetite. I had chosen this dish in order to get the stomach moving and increase expectations for what would come next, but how was it working out? At least for now, I sadly didn’t have anyone else giving concrete impressions.

But at any rate, the pages had left with the carts in the meantime, no doubt to go get the soup dishes that would come next.

“Hmm, this is a peculiar taste,” Dari Sauti suddenly said quite loudly. When I turned to look, I saw he was holding a plate with Timalo’s appetizer.

“Sir Dari Sauti, is it not to your tastes?” Marstein calmly asked, only for the leading clan head to roughly scratch his head with his thick fingers.

“I don’t know about that, it’s just... I just find this slimy texture more than a little unpleasant.”

That certainly was frank. However, Timalo just shot him a perfectly calm smile.

“That is assuredly the feel added from kneading the reten oil into the dip. It could be a touch difficult to accustom yourself to if it is your first time eating it.”

“Hmm. Asuta’s dish is slimy too, but this is a bit... Hrmm, could I get some fruit wine too?”

Meanwhile, Donda Ruu and Gulaf Zaza had swiftly finished off both appetizers and were chugging down fruit wine. The silver cups were no bigger than a small mug, so for the leading clan heads, they only amounted to a single gulp. It seemed like it must be pretty irritating for them, having to wait for an attendant to fill it back up each time.

Still, as long as nothing too unbearable occurred, the plan for today was to abide by the customs of the castle town. That was the decision the group from the forest’s edge had come to, so that they could see what the nobles were thinking and feeling, as well as how those elites of the castle town would treat them.

“Yes, I’m quite taken by Sir Asuta’s cooking as well,” Polarth chimed in, a truly carefree grin on his charmingly round face. “Sir Timalo’s dish is quite elaborate, and I certainly look forward to seeing what he will serve up from here on out, but Sir Asuta’s leaves me in a state where my stomach is pestering me, begging for the next morsel. I would say that both make for wonderful appetizers.”

“Thank you,” Timalo and I stated in unison.

I was personally relieved to hear such an impression perfectly matching up with what I was aiming for, but Timalo had a seriously displeased look in his eyes. He must have been thinking something like, “Don’t go lumping my cooking in with such a crude dish.”

At any rate, as soon as everyone had set down their spoons and caught their breath, the next dishes had appeared: the soups.

“Ah, what a lovely smell!” Polarth stated, his nose twitching. He was referring to the milk fat aroma wafting from Timalo’s pot.

Roy did the same thing, so is it the custom in the castle town to use plenty of milk fat in soups?

When Timalo removed the lid, even more of that sweet scent filled the room.

“This soup dish was made using karon milk fat and three varieties of herbs.”

One of those herbs seemed to be the same as the one Yang used in the post town, since there was a cinnamon-like aroma accompanying the smell of the milk fat.

“My soup dish was made with giba meat and tau oil.”

I had gone with the straightforward approach of a giba soup prepared with tau oil. To make for a lavish feast, I used giba thigh and rib meat, aria, chatchi, gigo, nenon, and pula for the ingredients. And this was a version that involved even more effort than usual, so out of everyone present, only Donda Ruu had tasted it before, when we were testing it out at the Ruu settlement.

More than anything, though, the word “giba” had caused tension to spread through the air, as if to say, “So it’s finally time?”

Lefreya and Melfried remained expressionless, but between them Torst gave a deep sigh, Polarth was averting his gaze, and Leeheim was openly frowning.

Eighty years ago, giba were seen as a symbol of calamity, and even now, they were viewed as something only eaten by the barbaric people of the forest’s edge. Even if they had heard the whispers that giba meat had become a topic of discussion in the post town, that still wouldn’t prove any comfort to these residents of the castle town. Some seemed to have resigned themselves as martyrs atoning for Cyclaeus’s crimes, while the rest were apparently unable to hide their indignation, clearly wondering why they had to suffer such a fate.

In the midst of all that, the dishes were silently distributed. Unsurprisingly, the nobles began with Timalo’s dish, while the folks from the forest’s edge went with mine first.

“Ah, this is nicely done too. The sweetness of the milk fat certainly is prominent,” Marstein stated, taking the initiative again when it came to doling out praise. “And what exactly is this soft meat? It doesn’t seem to be kimyuus skin...”

“That is karon stomach.”

“Ooh, karon stomach, is it? How unusual.”

I ended up letting out a silent sigh of admiration in my head too. So they cooked with organs in Genos too, huh? I certainly looked forward to the thought of figuring out just what sort of ingredient karon stomach was and experimenting with it after this dinner party.

“What is this?!” Dari Sauti suddenly shouted out in wonder. It seemed he had tasted the little trick I had added.

“That’s what’s known as a wonton. To make it, you coat ground giba meat in fuwano batter, then boil it.”

Thanks to the competition between me and Reina Ruu, the taste of the giba soup prepared with tau oil had been more or less perfected. I figured there was still some wiggle room to play around in though, which was how I arrived at the idea of wontons.

There was nothing tricky about making them, as the method was just as I had explained to Dari Sauti. After adding water to fuwano flour, you rolled it out flat, then wrapped it around ground meat flavored with salt, pico leaves, and tau oil. Then you just had to seal them up like gyoza and let them cook together with the soup, and that was it.

The delicious flavor of the ground giba meat had been sealed properly in the jiggling boiled fuwano dough, and I felt they had turned out pretty well. At least when we gave them a try in the Ruu kitchen, the women all gave them rave reviews.

“Hrmm, this is delicious! It’s tasty, and it somehow causes the inside of my mouth to feel pleasant. Don’t you agree, Gazraan Rutim?”

“Yes, it really is delicious.”

Gazraan Rutim was being a lot quieter than usual today. I figured in all likelihood he was busy silently observing the nobles.

As for those nobles in question, the first one to work up the nerve and grab his spoon was Polarth. His already round frame slouched into an even rounder shape as he peered intently into the dish. Then he slowly lifted the spoon, timidly brought it to his mouth... and his expression exploded with surprise.

“Oh my...” Polarth uttered, restlessly scooping up soup and slurping it down, again and again. And when he slurped up a white wonton, he shouted joyfully, “Delicious! So this is giba meat?! Sir Asuta, this is incredibly tasty! Yes, this taste is truly every bit the equal of karon breast!”

“Thank you. I’m honored to hear that.”

At that I heard a strange sort of chuckle, and when I turned to look I found Timalo’s face turned away with a strained smile. Had he let a bit of scornful laughter slip out?

However, it wasn’t long before that faint smile suddenly froze in place.

“Yes, this is certainly tasty,” Marstein agreed. “I see. I had heard giba cooking had earned quite a reputation in the post town, and now I can understand why.”

“Yes, it definitely is delicious,” Welhide said from beside him with a big nod. “Sir Asuta of the Fa clan, I am truly sorry for the rude comment I made earlier. It seems the tales of giba meat being hard and smelling bad really were just rumors.”

“Ah, I truly am honored to hear you say that,” I replied, the tension finally draining from my shoulders.

It was then that Lefreya called out, “Asuta, this dish is quite tasty.”

“Thanks. Er, um, thank you.”

At that point, I noticed Torst and Leeheim also passionately slurping down the soup. I had been worried the powerful aroma of Timalo’s dish would completely overwhelm it, but now I saw those fears were unfounded.

Meanwhile, none of the people of the forest’s edge who had tried that milk fat soup dish had shown any positive reactions.

“This one’s slimy too. Do the people of the castle town enjoy slimy cooking?”

“I believe that is the texture from the karon milk fat... Are the people of the forest’s edge not fond of oils, perhaps?”

“Hmm, but I’ve got no problem eating plenty of giba fat,” Dari Sauti grumbled as he brought the wooden spoon to his mouth.

The Fou and Beim clan heads were wearing expressions a bit reminiscent of ascetic monks. Was Timalo’s cooking really that unsuited to their tastes, considering the people of the forest’s edge used to slurp down poitan stew with that atrocious taste and texture?

Well, I had also taste tested a dish using plenty of milk fat and herbs that Roy had made. I didn’t especially have a problem with it, but I could see the people of the forest’s edge not welcoming such a complex flavor.

Then by the time everyone managed to finish their soups one way or another, the next dishes were brought out. Timalo’s was a fuwano dish, while mine was made with poitan.

“My dish is a gyama dried milk hat bake.”

“This dish is called okonomiyaki, made using poitan.”

I had never heard of a hat bake before, but at a glance it looked something like a gratin or pie. It sat atop a large clay plate, and was covered in nicely browned dried milk like a lid. Yes, this was a dish that needed the sort of oven only present in the castle town, and the appearance and aroma sure were tantalizing.

Then, there was my okonomiyaki. Since we didn’t have such a custom of eating each dish one by one back home or in the settlement at the forest’s edge, I really ended up racking my brain over how to prepare the poitan, and this was the solution I arrived at.

I mixed together roughly-sliced tino and giba rib meat with grated gigo and poitan dissolved in water, then grilled it up. For flavoring, I used a pseudo-Worcestershire sauce made with tau oil, as well as Genos-style mayonnaise made from kimyuus egg, mamaria vinegar, and reten oil.

Still, I couldn’t find any substitutes for dried bonito slices or green dried seaweed, so it felt a little lacking. As a last resort, I went ahead and washed the salt off some pickled maru and dry roasted them to place on top.

Maru was some sort of shelled creature like a little shrimp or krill that Nail used when making pickled chitt. Even though there was plenty of water around, for whatever reason Genos saw virtually no distribution of fish or shellfish. And so, I decided to use some maru to accent the dish, as a bit of valuable seafood.

By the way, I was told I should remain in the dining hall except for when it came to finishing up the main dish, so it was Reina Ruu’s group who actually grilled these up. They had gotten in plenty of practice in advance for today, and so there were naturally no issues with how they turned out.

The maru might not have been a proper substitute for bonito, but I figured it would help mitigate what was lacking at least a bit. And besides, I was the only one who knew what proper okonomiyaki were like to begin with, so there was no reason for anyone else to feel something was out of place.

“How should we split these up?” one of the pages asked, looking troubled at the six round shapes sitting before him.

“I’ll cut them up, so please hand out a slice to each person.”

With that I cut the six okonomiyaki into four parts each, making for twenty four slices in total. Lefreya would probably be just fine with one, while I could see Donda Ruu or Gulaf Zaza needing three or four.

“What a truly unusual dish. I suppose that’s just what one should expect of a visitor from overseas.”

For a while Timalo had managed to restrain himself, but a thin grin slipped out as he portioned out his own dish. And as I watched, I went, Hmm? in my head.

When that fragrant lid of dried milk was ruptured, what spilled out was a gooey substance that looked similar to oatmeal. Had he finely minced baked fuwano and soaked it in karon milk or something to make it? At any rate, I smelled a rich blend of milk and the dried milk.

And as I took in a deeper whiff, beyond that I picked up the sharp smell of herbs too. Looking closely, I noticed long, thin herbs like light brown leaves sprinkled here and there throughout. They weren’t chitt seeds, but it seemed they were being used to add a sharp flavor to the dish. The thought of that sharpness alongside the sweetness of milk and dried milk seemed like a bit of a mismatch to me.

Is this going to be unpopular with the people of the forest’s edge again?

Still, all I could do now was worry about my own dish.

“Ah, hat bake is a favorite of mine,” Polarth excitedly stated as the dishes were handed out. Apparently that mix of sweet dairy products and ethnic herbs was popular here in Genos.

And then, there was a strange “guh” sound.

The Beim clan head had apparently bitten into the okonomiyaki, and was now making a really troubled face. Seeing that, the Fou clan head quietly asked, “What’s the matter?” as he struggled to break off a bit of the same dish with his wooden spoon.

“It’s nothing...”

“Was this dish to your liking, clan head of the Beim?”

“I didn’t say a single word of the sort...”

“What’s the matter with that? Objecting to Asuta’s business and finding his cooking delicious are separate matters, aren’t they?”

The Beim clan head attended meetings such as this one to represent the clans opposed to our doing business in the post town. But at this moment, even with a sour look on his face, he swiftly finished off the okonomiyaki.

Polarth was sitting right across from him, so he must have overheard the conversation they just had. And so, he set aside the plate of hat bake and sliced off a bit of okonomiyaki with a silver spoon while wearing a look of great curiosity.

And then, he exploded with another outburst of, “Delicious! This truly is tasty. It’s every bit as good as that soup dish from a moment ago! Sir Asuta, this was made using poitan rather than fuwano, correct?”

“Yes. This dish is more suited to poitan, so that’s what I went with.”

“This really is amazingly delicious! If you can make a dish this good using poitan, then why not sell it in the post town?”

“This dish is difficult to eat with your hands, so it’s not well suited to a snack stall. However, I have thought about offering it at the inns if possible,” I replied, then decided to add a bit more explanation. “On top of that, I cannot make the condiment I added on top without reten oil and mamaria vinegar. That makes selling it in the post town a bit troublesome.”

If I was lacking not just the dried bonito slices and green dried seaweed but also mayonnaise, that would just be too sad of a dish. But if I could easily get a hold of reten oil and mamaria vinegar, I’d have no reason not to try selling them in the post town.

The dish had also been a big hit with the Ruu clan. All it involved was mixing the ingredients into the poitan batter, but everyone happily agreed during the taste testing that it was delicious in a whole different way compared to grilling each component separately. And the one who was most taken with the dish was Sati Lea Ruu, who was incredibly fond of baked poitan to begin with.

“I see. Still, this tau oil is an unusual flavor too. It has an unusual thickness to it, and a sourness that’s different than that of mamaria vinegar.”

“That’s from the tarapa. I boiled down some tarapa and aria and mixed it into the tau oil. And the thickness is because I added fuwano flour.”

“Ooh, I’m impressed! What do you think, Sir Leeheim...? This is what Sir Asuta can make using poitan!” Polarth asked, still all worked up as he turned to the frowning Leeheim.

“Even setting aside the matter of the poitan, it’s all been perfectly delicious. Was this dish truly made using giba, Asuta of the Fa clan?”

“Yes. This dish uses giba chest meat, while the previous one used chest and thigh meat.”

“Still, what I cannot help but find the greatest surprise of all is how it uses poitan rather than fuwano...” the older man Torst sitting beside Lefreya sighed. “If you can make dishes like this using poitan, then the people of the post town will not so much as glance at fuwano any longer... Duke Genos, I have only just taken charge of the house of Turan and intend to give my all to restoring it to its proper place, but at this rate, its fortune may well be exhausted before the year is out.”

“There’s no need to be filled with such grief. You just need to dissolve the various business deals Cyclaeus made everywhere one by one. Simply pulling back from recklessly purchasing such a plethora of ingredients should regain you a good bit of fortune, correct?”

“But canceling those business deals shall take an incredible amount of time and effort. After all, the previous head of the house made an enormous number of them even with people of Sym and Jagar. And if we cancel them solely at our own convenience, not only the house of Turan but Genos itself could lose the trust of both nations.”

“And so I will lend you whatever aid I can. If we distribute those ingredients to restaurants with no ties to the house of Turan, perhaps even ones in the post town, then the ingredients that are delivered will not have to go to waste. Up until now, Cyclaeus monopolized such ingredients, so such distribution had been sealed off. Wouldn’t you imagine a great number of folks would be glad to hear they could purchase as much as they please of ingredients that were difficult to get up until now?” Marstein calmly replied, wetting his lips with fruit wine. “But, well, for now let’s forget all those odds and ends and just enjoy the food. Asuta of the Fa clan, your dishes have all been exquisite. It truly is astounding that you are able to cook such things at such a young age.”

“I’m greatly honored by such undeserved praise...”

As I offered that reply, I couldn’t help but think about how Lefreya was feeling. Every time Cyclaeus’s name was mentioned, I could feel myself getting anxious.

And yet Lefreya just kept on eating the okonomiyaki, expressionless like some sort of doll.

“Asuta of the Fa clan, is there more left of your dish?” Donda Ruu suddenly called out from far away.

“Yes. There are still eleven slices left.”

“Give me three. This little portion just made me feel hungrier.”

“Ah, could I get one more too?” Polarth chimed in, jumping on board. “This is still just the third dish, so I want to leave plenty of room in my stomach, but I just can’t stand it! Aah, if I had known giba meat was this tasty, I certainly would have bought some of what you sell in the post town! I hope that those ruffians are captured as soon as possible so that you can resume your business, Sir Asuta!”

After that, all the members of the group from the forest’s edge asked for seconds along with Welhide and Leeheim, which swiftly took care of the extras.

Meanwhile, only Marstein and Polarth asked for another serving of Timalo’s dish, which resulted in a good bit left over. Though the chef seemed to have finally regained his composure, his grin was now freezing up again.

“It isn’t our custom to leave any food left over, but still...” the Fou clan head whispered so quietly that only I could hear it. “It was all I could do to force down the portion of this dish that was served to me. For some reason, my chest feels heavy... If the nobles hadn’t eaten it too, I would think I had been poisoned.”

“I see...”

It was an onslaught of dairy in the form of milk fat, dried milk, and karon milk, which was apparently a harsh blow for the people of the forest’s edge. I firmly etched it in the back of my mind to pay attention to that when I was preparing dinner for them.

“Timalo and Asuta’s dishes were both wonderful. I’m certainly looking forward to seeing what comes next,” Marstein said with levity as he looked over the crowd of guests, and all the varying emotions they now displayed.

4

“This is the vegetable dish I have prepared,” Timalo proclaimed as it was brought in, and instantly there was a stir among the nobles. Atop the plate wheeled in on the cart was a massive tarapa.

Tarapas were shaped like pumpkins but had the color of tomatoes. And this one was especially huge, so much so that you could carve it like a jack-o’-lantern and wear it on your head.

“To think that one could grow such a large tarapa. It certainly is a shock,” the Turan guardian Torst uttered in admiration.

But then, Polarth chimed in suspiciously. “When you leave tarapa be, they grow to about this size. However, as they get bigger they also grow more hard and sour, as well as less sweet.”

“Ah, right, tarapa are grown in the Daleim plantations.”

“Yes. At any rate, once they grow that large they require greater time and effort to raise further, at which point they shrink and wrinkle, packing in dense sweetness and acidity for a sublime flavor. But cultivating them for so long more than doubles the prices. As such, the sour tarapa that have grown to a reasonable medium are sold to the post town and farms, while the small and sweet ones are sold in the castle town. But normally when they are this size they’re so sour as to prove inedible,” Polarth stated, his eyes sparkling with great interest as he revealed that unexpected knowledge. “Of course, I can’t imagine a chef as renowned as Sir Timalo would serve us such defective tarapa.”

“No, of course not.” With the main meat course so close at hand, Timalo seemed to be fired up to recover lost ground. And with fingers that were surprisingly supple for a man his age, he gently grasped the tarapa’s stem.

“This is a unique tarapa dish that I personally devised. It will be the first time it is presented to anyone outside of the house of Turan.” With that, Timalo pulled up on the stem, and the top of the tarapa came off like a lid. Inside there was a pure-red vegetable stew. He must have scooped out the tarapa’s insides, filled it with all the ingredients, and then carefully heated the whole thing over a low flame so it wouldn’t boil down. Currently, the aroma of various herbs, vegetables, and boiled meat wafted into my nostrils.

Seems like he’s real confident in that one.

Making a gourd into a bowl like that was certainly an interesting idea.

On my end, though, I had gone with yet another simple dish.

“This dish is made with boiled giba rib meat and vegetables.”

If I had to give it a name, I suppose it would be cold giba shabu-shabu and heated vegetable salad.

For this dish, I went with giba rib meat. After boiling it until it grew soft, I washed it in water to remove the excess fat, making for a cold shabu-shabu.

As for the vegetables, I boiled tino, nenon, and aria until they softened, then for a bit of extra embellishment I added some of those fresh small tarapa packed with sweetness and acidity that Polarth had just mentioned.

For flavoring, I squeezed some lemon-like sheel juice and added it to tau oil, then sprinkled in some soup stock. In other words, I was trying to make something like ponzu.

I really did want to get the people of the forest’s edge eating lots more vegetables, which was how I came up with this dish. With it, I kept the amount of rib meat low while really loading up on veggies. And during the taste testing, Vina Ruu and Granny Tito Min seemed to take a shine to it the most out of the members of the main Ruu house.

“Hmm, they both look delicious,” Polarth cheerfully stated. Welhide and Leeheim looked troubled as to which dish to start with too.

In the meantime, the group from the forest’s edge quietly ate my dish. If Dan Rutim were present, things would probably be a lot more lively, but on the other hand that would probably cause some serious trouble if he didn’t like Timalo’s dishes.

“Delicious! Both Sir Asuta’s and Sir Timalo’s!” Polarth exclaimed before anyone else, ultimately having decided to alternate between the two dishes. “Sir Timalo, the herbs in your dish are sublime! And is this karon short loin? At any rate, the meat is delicious, and so are the vegetables! The acidity from the tarapa is wonderful too!”

“I am glad to hear it’s to your tastes... Normally there would be no use for such sour tarapa, but by using it as a container to wrap around ingredients like this, it creates a unique flavor by allowing the acidity to seep in.”

“I see, I see. Still, the tarapa used on the inside is the sort that was only raised to medium size, correct?”

“Yes. I believe the pairing of those two types of tarapa works best.”

“In that case, you must have discarded the insides of the tarapa you scooped out. That certainly is extravagant.”

At that, the Fou clan head’s eyebrows twitched. Currently, he was staring intently at the portion of deep red stew sitting on the clay plate in front of him. I was just about to ask him what was wrong, but then for the first time in a while Gazraan Rutim chimed in from the other side of the Beim clan head.

“This is certainly tasty. The aroma of the herbs seems a bit strong, but it’s a very rich flavor, I’d say.”

As far as I could recall, that was the first bit of praise anyone from the forest’s edge had given Timalo’s cooking.

I figured that would be just the thing to finally get Timalo fired up...but he just replied, “My thanks,” with a flat expression.

Does he just not care what the people of the forest’s edge think...?

If that was the case, then that really felt like an inappropriate attitude to have, but at the same time, perhaps that was better for the sake of his pride.

Still, this was a dinner party meant to foster goodwill. Guys like Gazraan Rutim and Dari Sauti would understand that praising the other side’s cooking was a good way to support that goal. However, the people of the forest’s edge strongly opposed the idea of lying. They just weren’t equipped to offer up flattery when they didn’t mean it. That was precisely why everyone had remained so firmly silent up till now.

And yet Gazraan Rutim said it was tasty, so he must have truly felt that way. If it were me, I would have been so overjoyed I’d get a lump in my throat.

Well, Timalo wouldn’t know anything about the people of the forest’s edge though, so it made sense that he wouldn’t be so moved. And as I stole a glance over at Gazraan Rutim, I found him shooting me back a very warm smile.

“Of course, your cooking was delicious too, Asuta.”

It felt like he had seen right into my mind, so I couldn’t help but feel a bit embarrassed.

I could already easily see that everyone from the forest’s edge was enjoying my cooking by the way that they dug into it. Donda Ruu and Gulaf Zaza weren’t exactly big talkers to begin with, but Gazraan Rutim and Dari Sauti must have realized it would be awkward to just keep praising my dishes, so they had kept quiet.

“Yes, your dish is quite tasty too, Sir Asuta! It is quite simple, yet the taste is simply fantastic. And the giba meat in particular is delicious! It has certainly left me anxiously awaiting the main dish.”

Now that I looked, I saw that Polarth had completely cleaned both plates. In that case, it was indeed finally time to get the main dish ready.

“Well then, please excuse me for just a short while.”

With that, Timalo left along with the pages, and I hurriedly followed after. We head chefs were supposed to put the finishing touches on our main dishes personally.

It seemed as if Timalo was trying to avoid talking to me, as he disappeared down the end of the hallway in a flash.

“I don’t sense any animosity from the nobles, but that chef alone is burning bright with it,” Ai Fa whispered to me as we walked. I couldn’t exactly go and speak carelessly in front of the pages who were guiding us, though.

“Ah, Asuta, were there any issues with how the okonomiyaki turned out?” Reina Ruu asked, running up to me as soon as I stepped into the kitchen. Her blue eyes were filled with a mix of unease and anticipation.

“They were perfect,” I replied, and a beautiful smile bloomed on her face.

“I’m glad to hear it. So, it’s finally time for the meat dish, isn’t it?”

“Yeah. I’m counting on all of you.”

Dividing up the labor, Reina Ruu, Sheera Ruu, and I each lit up a stove. From a slight distance away, Rimee Ruu cheered, “Give it your all!”

“How’s the dinner party going?”

“Hmm, there’s definitely some awkwardness here and there. Donda Ruu and the others aren’t exactly used to idle chatter during dinner to begin with,” I said with a shrug of my shoulders as I watched over the melting of the transparent lard. “But, well, my cooking seems to be earning a fairly favorable reception, so let’s firmly seal the deal with the last two dishes.”

I would give us a passing grade if we could at least end the day without any trouble. Marstein was acting so friendly that it actually made it hard to grasp just what he was really thinking, but I got the impression that Polarth, Welhide, Torst, and Leeheim really were taken with giba meat cooking. Now I just needed to pray I wouldn’t disappoint anyone with the main dish or dessert.

“All right, I’m off.”

After serving up the finished dish on a plate, I headed resolutely back toward the dining hall. For better or worse, the end of the dinner party was finally in sight.

When I arrived at the dining hall, I found Timalo already there standing by. And as I took my prescribed position, the other chef lifted the lid off his dish.

“My dish is karon cooked in a covered pan.”

Another, “Ooh,” resounded from the noble side.

There was a massive chunk of meat lying there imposingly atop the biggest plate yet. It must have been around sixty centimeters long, thirty centimeters wide, and ten centimeters thick. The cut narrowed slightly toward one end, and the impression I got was that he had used half of the entire torso of some smallish four-legged animal.

The surface didn’t seem to be grilled but rather had an ivory-white steamed surface, and was thoroughly coated in an orangish sauce. Around it were shriveled little tarapa, chatchi, nenon, and numerous other vegetables I didn’t even know the name of, with a variety of herbs on top. It really did make for quite the extravagant display.

“I used half of a young karon’s torso. Allow me to start from the outer short loin,” Timalo stated as he picked up a huge carving knife. The block of meat didn’t seem to offer any resistance at all as he cut into it, and he was able to slice right through as if it were tofu or butter.

The cross-section of the meat revealed was a deep pink, and had a sort of viscous shine. Had he not removed any moisture from it? At any rate, it sure did look tasty.

“This dish is made by coating giba short loin in chatchi starch and frying it in giba fat.”

Still, I wasn’t about to admit defeat. To start with, I portioned out a fresh salad of finely shredded tino, aria, and nenon, then poured on a dressing with a sheel fruit and reten oil base. And then, I laid out the giba tatsuta age.

This dish was once again new to everyone but Donda Ruu. Ultimately I decided on using short loin for my cut, and prepared them slightly thick so they could be eaten in around two bites. I had chosen this one out of the numerous meat dishes I had on offer, but just how would it be received...? This was a real moment of truth for me, regardless of what Timalo presented.

With the presentation finished, the pages started handing out both of our dishes. Until they were done, everyone remained politely still.

“Ah, I’m once again at a loss as to which to start with. After all, the fried dish Sir Asuta made with kimyuus was already unmatched...”

Grabbing hold of a small dinner knife and a two-pronged metal skewer, Polarth looked back and forth between the two dishes.

“This meat...” Dari Sauti said, similarly holding a metal skewer as he lightly furrowed his brow. “It seems to be only half cooked. Is it really all right to eat?”

“Yes. It has been sufficiently heated through, and besides, karon meat can even be eaten raw. There is no need to worry about such matters as you enjoy.”

Aside from the oddly wet and glistening shine, it looked very much like roast beef. And I had to figure such a direct use of meat would play perfectly with the people of the forest’s edge.

Now that I think about it, I heard Donda Ruu loved roast giba meat.

This wasn’t a cooking contest with Timalo. But still, if Donda Ruu were to happen to say Timalo’s dish was tastier, that would make my pride sting quite a bit... So though it was late in the game, I suddenly felt my heartbeat picking up the pace.

“Well then, let us eat.”

Marstein started off by stabbing his skewer into the karon meat.

With a thickness of two or three centimeters, it was quite a substantial chunk. Supporting it with the side of his knife, the noble lord carefully brought it to his mouth so the orange sauce wouldn’t slide off...and his eyes narrowed with satisfaction.

“This is...shockingly tender. It’s as if it’s dissolving in my mouth.”

You could make meat that tender by steaming it instead of grilling it? As I gulped a little, Timalo gave a graceful bow.

“I chose a young karon with especially high-quality meat, and put in plentiful time and effort preparing it in advance. Then I simply needed to take care with the heat of the flames, and I was able to create a dish so soft it can even be eaten by those without teeth.”

“Hmm... Still, there cannot be many who can make a dish on this level even here in Genos. I’d certainly like to have you man the kitchen in the castle at some point.”

“I am truly grateful for your kind words.”

At that, Timalo shot me a triumphant look.

As Polarth and Torst also tried the karon dish, they let out similar sounds of admiration.

And then there was the group from the forest’s edge. Dari Sauti had grown rather silent over the course of the last several dishes, but seemingly unable to hold back any longer, he let slip a “Hrmm...” and said, “Asuta, I found it strange that you didn’t make your giba cutlets for this event... But your skill truly is something else. I never would have dreamed you were still hiding away a dish that is every bit their equal.”

“Ah, so it’s to your liking?”

“Yes. Though my stomach already felt like it was about to start bulging out, I can eat as much of this as you can offer,” Dari Sauti answered with a gentle smile.

“I am the same,” Gazraan Rutim agreed from beside him. “My father Dan is sure to complain again when he hears I ate a dish such as this. Asuta, would it be possible to have you man the Rutim stove again in the near future?”

“Yes, of course.”

Since they weren’t the sorts to make overblown statements, their words left a deep impression on me.

As for the other four people of the forest’s edge present, they all remained silent, but shoveled down my dish at an impressive speed.

Apparently, everyone on the noble side had begun with Timalo’s dish, while everyone from the forest’s edge started with my dish. The modest amount I served up to start with disappeared in no time at all, finally bringing us to the next step.

As they grabbed the dishes from the other side, the nobles generally looked full of anticipation, while the hunters of the forest’s edge didn’t show much emotion at all. And then, the nobles bit into the giba meat, while our side did the same with the karon. Personally, I couldn’t help but feel more than a little nervous as I watched over the sight.

The meat I had used up till this point was either thinly sliced or minced. I had taken care to stay light on the amount of meat I used in the okonomiyaki and cold shabu-shabu so that it didn’t overwhelm the other ingredients.

That was precisely why this one would be a true, full-fledged giba dish. If it were poorly received, that would be like a denial of giba cooking itself.

As I stood there with bated breath, I heard a surprised shout of, “Ooh...!”

I looked in the direction it had come from, and found Polarth’s round face overtaken with indescribable delight.

“Delicious! Simply delicious! Sir Asuta, your skill is...” he started praising, but suddenly returned to chewing.

Even so, that was enough for me to breathe a sigh of relief. He wanted to keep eating my dish so much that he couldn’t even find the time to spare to applaud it. That alone was more than enough for me.

“This certainly is a surprise... Sir Asuta of the Fa clan, I have heard tell that you come from overseas, but still, just what sort of background do you have...?” Torst asked after taking his time to swallow down his first bite of tatsuta age.

“I was born in an island nation called Japan, where my father ran a small restaurant. He taught me how to cook from a young age.”

“Is that true? I thought for certain you must be a chef from some palace in the nation of the dragon god...”

“Definitely not! I’m nowhere near that important.”

“Hmm... Still, it is certainly quite unusual for someone so young to possess skills that can compete with Sir Timalo’s.”

Naturally, Timalo’s cheeks twitched at that statement.

Noticing that out of the corner of his eye, Leeheim broke out in a somewhat mischievous grin. “Sir Torst, I believe you go too far in stating his skills can compete. I believe we are bewitched by the novelty of the foreign cooking techniques employed by this Asuta chef.”

“Oh? Sir Leeheim, are you not impressed, then?”

“No, I have also firmly fallen under his spell. To be perfectly honest, I find this Asuta’s cooking to be remarkably delicious.”

Apparently this young noble lord wasn’t very honest with his feelings. Before Leeheim could continue on, though, someone else cut him off.

“Still, this meat dish is delicious, and I have no complaints about it. Nobody disagrees with that fact, correct?” Melfried chimed in, having remained firmly silent up till now.

Leeheim looked startled into silence, while Marstein smiled and said, “Oh? Well this is certainly a surprise. You never so much as twitch an eyebrow no matter what you eat, so I never expected such a statement from you. I believe this may just be the first time I’ve ever heard you give impressions on a dish, Melfried.”

“I do not care about the taste of food, be it good or bad...” Melfried replied, his eyes chilly like glass spheres. “Still, even if I do not care one way or the other, I can still tell the difference. This dish is delicious.”

“Yes, it is. Timalo’s dish is also first rate, but if I had to compare the tastes I would have difficulty determining a victor.”

With those words, Timalo finally froze in place, aghast. The color had drained from his face, and his slender shoulders had begun trembling. Marstein must have noticed that, but he still cheerfully continued on.

“At any rate, let’s continue pleasing our tongues. Asuta, Timalo, could you portion out what’s left of your dishes?”

“Of course.”

There was roughly half of each dish left, so it would be possible to dole them out equally to everyone. However, Donda Ruu then spoke up for the first time in a while in a solemn tone.

“Duke Marstein Genos... I’m grateful for your consideration, but I would like to refrain from eating any more of that dish.”

At that, Marstein turned his way and said, “Oh my. Sir Donda Ruu, is this karon dish not to your liking?”

“That’s right. If the customs of Genos say I must eat another portion then I suppose I have no choice, but otherwise, I’d prefer not to.”

With that, Gulaf Zaza and the Beim and Fou clan heads chimed in that they were of the same opinion. Timalo’s face was still quite pale, but he affected an unconcerned expression as he sliced away at the meat.

“Oh-ho, so four out of your party of six weren’t pleased with it? My apologies for asking, but would you mind telling me exactly what it is that dissatisfies you with the dish...?”

“I just don’t like eating soppy meat when it’s not in a stew,” Donda Ruu replied, looking like he found the whole thing a pain. “That won’t change regardless of who cooks it. In fact, the first time Asuta of the Fa clan there manned our stove, I couldn’t think of his cooking as anything but poison.”

“I see. If you’re simply not fond of tender meat, then I suppose there’s no helping that. So, what about everyone else?”

“The toughness of the meat has nothing to do with it. I just get an unpleasant feeling in my chest when I eat this,” Gulaf Zaza shot back, sounding even more annoyed than Donda Ruu. And with a surly look on his face, the Beim clan head gave a big nod.

“I feel the same as Gulaf Zaza. Something felt wrong with the dishes I’ve eaten up till now too. It’s like there’s a hot, throbbing sensation running from my stomach to my chest.”

“Hmm... Is it some sort of ingredient that doesn’t agree with you, perhaps? And what about you?” Marstein asked with a smile, only for the Fou clan head to give a slow shake of his head.

“Neither of those reasons apply to me. I’m just not fond of the idea of eating meat on its own, without stew or vegetables or poitan.” And then, his eyes turned toward Timalo with a surprisingly sharp glare. “Chef of the castle town... You have all sorts of vegetables lined up on that plate there, so why didn’t you distribute them?”

Timalo still didn’t seem like he had recovered from Marstein’s evaluation, and now he turned and shot the Fou clan head a suspicious look.

“These vegetables and herbs are here to bring additional flavor to the karon meat. They’re placed out to lend a bit of garnish, but they’re something akin to cast-off husks and aren’t worth eating.”

“I knew it... In that case, that’s even more reason I don’t feel like eating it. Leave it for those who want it,” the Fou clan head stated, then his gaze fell listlessly. “I went too far there. My apologies for my impoliteness.”

Marstein’s eyes narrowed even further with curiosity. “You have nothing to apologize for. But I would be grateful if you could tell me exactly why you feel that way.”

The Fou clan head didn’t meet his gaze, though, and again shook his head. “It’s nothing worth discussing. And I don’t believe it’s something that should be said in a place like this either.”

“This place was prepared so that we might be open and deepen our understanding of one another. Our lifestyles differ greatly, and as a result our customs can sometimes vary as well. Would you not agree that it is crucial we communicate with each other about such matters as well, rather than fearing misunderstandings?”

After a bit more staring straight down at the table, the Fou clan head replied, “It’s just... I can’t stand the thought of wasting ingredients in order to make a delicious meal. No matter how tasty it may be, I wouldn’t want to eat something like that.”

“Hmm. So it isn’t to your liking the way that the vegetables are used up to add delicious flavor to the dish, only to then be thrown away? Timalo, what are your thoughts on what Baadu Fou has to say?”

I was pretty surprised to hear Marstein say the Fou clan head’s full name there, considering I hadn’t even known it myself. And as Timalo handed off the slices of meat to the pages, he gave a bitter shake of his head.

“I suppose it can be summed up as a difference in thinking. With this dish in particular, a great deal of ingredients are needed to make the stock. And once the delicious flavors have been drained from them, the only thing left to do is discard them.”

“Hmm. And what do you think, Asuta? You were a foreign chef to begin with, correct?”

“I, well... Ever since coming to live at the forest’s edge, I’ve tried my hardest not to waste ingredients. After all, it didn’t take long for me to learn that was the custom.”

For example, with the chatchi I squeezed to extract the starch, I fried it or boiled it to use in a different dish. Even with that strained, dry leftover chatchi, there was still a way to cook it up.

Ever since my first few days living with Ai Fa where I wasted multiple meals worth of poitan, it had been driven deep into my mind not to squander even the slightest bit of what was bought with the giba tusks and horns that she risked her life for. And even though I had started earning coins too, that core principle hadn’t changed.

“I see. That custom certainly does seem to differ between the castle town and the forest’s edge,” Marstein stated, only for a rather awkward silence to fall over the dining hall.

In the midst of all that, the remaining meat had been doled out bit by bit, and then eventually the pages left through the doors. We were finished with the main dishes, so at last it was time for the finale: the desserts.

“Lady Lefreya, if I recall correctly, you tend to prefer sweets over ordinary meals,” Marstein stated, looking straight at the girl for the first time.

Still staring off into the distance, Lefreya nodded. “Yes.”

“You seemed to have an unusually strong interest in Asuta of the Fa clan, so I am certain he must be well-versed in making sweets as well.”

Marstein’s tone was entirely nonchalant, despite how close he was brushing up to the touchy subject of Lefreya’s previous crimes. In response to his words, Gulaf Zaza shot the girl an intense glare, while Dari Sauti seriously furrowed his brow.

However, Lefreya just calmly replied, “Indeed.”

“From what I am told, making sweets requires entirely different skills and knowledge than ordinary cooking. You truly are incredibly skilled for someone your age, Asuta.”

“Not at all. To be honest, I’m not well-versed when it comes to making sweets. Both the other day and today, I ultimately had to rely on vague recollections to timidly throw something together.”

“Oh? And yet if you managed to satisfy Lady Lefreya in spite of that fact, that certainly is a surprise.”

I couldn’t exactly go and add, “And then because Lefreya liked it, she kept on holding me prisoner,” in response. There was something I did want to add, though.

“However, I’ve prepared a different sort of sweet today than what I presented to Lady Lefreya. I hope that it will be to everyone’s liking, but still...”

“As you are not a vassal of the house of Turan or anything of the sort, Asuta, there is no need for you to attach such a title to my name,” Lefreya replied, a fittingly haughty look shining in her reddish-brown eyes for just the merest of moments. “I do not recall you properly referring to me by name in the past to begin with, however I ask that you simply call me Lefreya if possible, Asuta.”

“My sincerest apologies, Lefreya...” I replied, just in time for the pages to return.

“I apologize for the wait. This is a baked fuwano sweet using minmi,” Timalo stated as he lifted the silver cloche, his voice sounding steadily more exhausted. Beneath it was something that looked like a large square pancake.

It looked somehow moist and had bits of pink minmi fruit throughout... Chunks of the same sort of peach-like fruit I had once used when baking for Lefreya. As Timalo sliced up his dish, a truly sweet aroma filled the air.

What an unusual smell. There’s the aroma of baked fuwano, minmi, panam honey...and other ingredients I don’t even recognize, I thought to myself as I pulled off my own silver cloche.

“This sweet, it’s called, um...chatchi mochi.”

“Chatchi? You can make sweets using chatchi?” Polarth loudly questioned, clearly taken aback.

As I wondered if it ultimately looked like I was just trying to be eccentric, I nodded back, “Yes.”

What I had prepared was a chatchi mochi using chatchi starch. First I boiled Jagar-produced sugar and chatchi starch together in water, and once it coagulated and grew transparent, I tossed it into water as cold as possible to cause it to solidify further, then chopped it up to suitable-sized bits. It was like a simplified version of a warabi mochi recipe.

As for flavoring, I naturally went with a sort of pseudo-mitarashi dango glaze made from chatchi starch, sugar, and tau oil. I regulated the amount of sugar in both parts, and ended up with a sweet that emphasized its squishy, jiggly nature. Though my old friend Reina was an expert in making sweets, the idea for this recipe actually came from the ones I recalled my mother making when I was little.

“My, it’s all transparent like a totos egg! Is this really chatchi? I cannot help but wonder what in the world you did to it to get it in such a form...”

“I squeezed the juices out of the chatchi and then dried them to make a starch. Once it’s in that state, it can be used like fuwano flour. You could also use it in baked goods, but I decided to go with this dish for tonight instead.”

Around when I decided on the giba tatsuta age for the main dish and also figured the giba soup prepared with tau oil could also fit, I hit on the idea of unifying everything together in the theme of Japanese-style cooking. That fixation wouldn’t exactly mean anything to the people of this world, but it just wouldn’t feel right to me personally, serving okonomiyaki, cold shabu-shabu and salad, and tatsuta age only to top things off with donuts or hotcakes.

On top of that, I just had trouble picturing the hunters of the forest’s edge wanting sugary sweets, so I figured I could at least give them a texture they could hopefully enjoy. And this was ultimately just me pushing my own preconceptions on them, but still, I felt like Japanese sweets were a better fit than western style ones for tough hunters like Donda Ruu and Gulaf Zaza.

“Hmm... This certainly is a mysterious flavor,” Marstein stated with great amusement, having gone straight for my dessert first. “All of your dishes have been made using unusual techniques, but this sweet in particular seems to surpass them all. This truly feels like the taste of a dish from a foreign nation.”

Well, it’s from another world entirely, rather than just another country... I thought to myself, but ultimately I just bowed my head and said, “I’m grateful for such praise.”

After that exchange, the clearly bewildered Beim clan head questioned, “What is this dish? It was made using chatchi? It’s as if... No, I can’t even think of anything to compare the flavor to.”

“Right. To start with, there isn’t any pure sugar at the forest’s edge or in the post town, so the people of the forest’s edge not only have no custom of eating sweets, you didn’t even know that food like this existed in the first place. Because of that, this is the one dish I’m not really confident all of you will like, but still... What do you think?”

“Hmm...”

“Back in my home country, sweet desserts were especially enjoyed by women and children.”

Since there wasn’t any sugar to be had at the forest’s edge, I wasn’t able to make any test samples in advance. Still, Rimee Ruu seemed amused by the texture when the chatchi mochi were completed for the first time, and when she tasted them, she was so moved it seemed like she would be bowled right over.

Thanks to that, I got the impression that maybe it held true in this world too that women and children tended to be fond of sweets. At least, that was what I was thinking as the Beim clan head gave a displeased frown.

“This dish is liked by women and children...?”

“Well, that was the case back in my home country at least. Of course, there were still plenty of men and old folks who liked sweets too, though.”

“So there’s nothing shameful about a man liking it...?”

“Shameful...? No, of course not.”

“I see...” the Beim clan head responded, shoveling down the remaining portion left atop his plate.

Taking note of that, Baadu Fou stopped silently eating his own portion and turned to face the clan head beside him. “Ah, so you’re also taken with this dish, clan head of the Beim?”

“I didn’t say so much as a single word of the sort...”

Baadu Fou broke out in a very gentle smile. And I felt somehow warm inside as I compared that with the sour look on the Beim clan head’s face.

In the meantime, the noble side had started discussing my dish as well. I heard stuff like, “How mysterious,” and, “What an unusual taste,” so needless to say, they also seemed surprised.

And then something occurred that instantly silenced that lively discussion.

Gulaf Zaza wrung out in a bitter tone, “Lord Genos... I don’t have any real doubts as to your statement that you wish to reform the bonds between our people, and I agree that’s the right path to take. With that in mind, there’s just one thing I’d like to have your understanding on...”

“And what is that, Gulaf Zaza? I have no question as to the sincerity of your people.”

“In that case, could I have your pardon? I don’t believe I can eat any more of this dish,” Gulaf Zaza said in a grumbling tone, pushing the clay plate with the beautiful swirling pattern on it away from him. On top of it sat Timalo’s baked sweet, only a single bite taken from it. “This dish causes an even worse feeling in my chest than anything yet. What I ate feels as if it’s squirming around in my guts like some sort of living creature. It’s as if I gulped down some sort of poisonous insect.”

“Hmm... This baked sweet seems to use a significant amount of panam honey. Perhaps that sweetness is a touch too strong for you, Sir Gulaf Zaza,” Marstein calmly replied as he suddenly stood and pulled the Zaza clan head’s plate his way. Then he elegantly cut off a slice, and tossed it into his mouth without the slightest hesitation. “As you can see, it most certainly isn’t poisoned. It’s simply a flavor that is quite unsuitable for you. And we do not see it as rude to leave food uneaten, so there’s nothing for you to worry yourself over, Sir Gulaf Zaza.”

“It is seen as a crime at the forest’s edge for leftover food from a dinner to go to waste...”

“In that case, allow me to handle that matter,” Marstein stated, putting his hands and mouth to further work and swiftly finishing off the rest of the baked sweet.

Reina Ruu had said one should refrain from eating from the same plate as someone who isn’t even family, but naturally Gulaf Zaza raised no such complaints.

“Now then, it seems that more or less takes care of all the dishes. Personally, I found this to be a rather worthwhile dinner party. And I certainly hope it was the same for all of you as well,” Marstein said as he wiped away the panam honey from his mustache with a white napkin-like cloth. “I would like to express special gratitude to Timalo and Asuta of the Fa clan for providing tonight’s feast. The dishes both of them prepared were all splendid. Though Genos Castle employs a great many skilled chefs, I can’t imagine either of you falling short of any of them in terms of skill.”

“Thank you,” Timalo and I replied, bowing our heads in sync.

And as he looked over the two of us, Marstein’s gaze ultimately fixated on Timalo.

“Timalo, your cooking was exquisite. At the very least, I cannot imagine anyone from the castle town of Genos questioning your skills. Though you did not receive such praise from our guests from the forest’s edge, that is down to differences in lifestyles and environment, and is nothing to be ashamed of.”

“Quite so...”

“However, if you had intended to welcome our guests from the forest’s edge, the results might have been different. I could sense that Asuta of the Fa clan wished to bring joy to both his comrades from the forest’s edge and we nobles with his cooking, but I could not sense such a spirit from you.”

Timalo listened in silence.

“You are an outstanding chef, even among those here in Genos. I realize I’m repeating myself, but on that point alone I have no doubts. I have even thought I would like to someday place you in charge of a banquet at the castle.” And then, Marstein continued on in a bright yet firm tone, “However, you were unsuited for handling the kitchen for this dinner party. There is no need for you to feel shame, but I feel a great deal of responsibility for my own foolishness in accepting your request and handing you the role... Well then, you shall receive your payment later, so could you leave this place now?”

With that harsh criticism from Marstein, the dinner party came to a close.

5

“Yummy! Your tatsuta age really is the best, Asuta!” Rimee Ruu excitedly proclaimed as she stabbed some of the dish with a metal skewer.

It was now half an hour after the dinner party, and we were in a small room next to the kitchen.

The nobles and the leading clan heads had stayed behind in the dining hall to continue their discussion. But since our role as chefs was over, we were finally able to have our late dinner along with the hunters who had been guarding us.

“I’m quite fond of this salad dish too. Eating boiled meat after cooling it in water makes for such a novel taste.”

“Yes, I agree. But I think the sheel juice plays a huge role in making this so delicious. If you just boiled the meat and vegetables alone, it would feel lacking.”

Perhaps due to the sense of satisfaction that came from completing such a big job, Sheera and Reina Ruu were both wearing even brighter smiles than usual.

All of the various dishes presented to the nobles were laid out atop the table. It seemed that being able to enjoy everything all at once really was more the style of the people of the forest’s edge.

“Ah, don’t just eat nothing but tatsuta age! I want to have more too!” Rimee Ruu complained at her brother.

“Quiet, you. There’s still a whole ton left. Besides, if you eat too much you’ll get all round like Mida.”

“I won’t eat that much. Stupid shorty Ludo!”

All of the members of the guard group were present. And since it was possible to bolt this room’s door from the inside, they were able to take a break too.

Those young men and women of the forest’s edge were gathered around the table enjoying a meal, sitting in chairs despite not being used to doing so. It was a pretty unusual sight, but also a heartwarming one.

At some point, Sheera Ruu used a break in her culinary discussion with Reina Ruu to put some okonomiyaki on a plate and offer it to Darmu Ruu.

“Hn,” the young hunter awkwardly replied as he accepted the dish and bit into it. As Sheera Ruu watched over him, her expression looked both happy and pained at the same time.

“Not that it matters to me, but there seems to be an awful lot of your dishes...” a reserved yet displeased-sounding voice chimed in. It had come from an unusual guest, Roy. Right around now, Timalo’s group must have also been eating dinner in another room, but he alone had asked to eat with us.

“It’ll be like a funeral over there, so I wouldn’t be able to properly taste anything I eat,” Roy had said. He had also been stealing glances here and there at Reina Ruu as we ate, but, well, I decided not to question that.

“You still have this much left after handing half over to Timalo’s group? Are you still going to have room for our dishes with that much of your food?”

“That’s because we only offered up half of what we prepared for the chefs alone. The men of the forest’s edge are big eaters, so we needed to make this much.”

“I can tell that just by looking, but still... Also, what’s the deal with that guy making the strange faces?” Roy asked the second half quietly.

As for where he was looking, it was at our other guest, Kamyua Yoshu. The man was shoveling down giba meat just as swiftly as the hunters from the forest’s edge, and seeming like he was about to cry as he did so.

It had been so long that I had completely forgotten, but Kamyua Yoshu was the sort of unfathomable guy who could become as eerily expressionless as the Grim Reaper when worked up, while at other times he could look so emotional that he appeared to be on the verge of tears.

“Just when I thought Asuta’s cooking couldn’t surprise me again, every last one of these dishes just about knocks me out with how good they are,” Kamyua Yoshu said as he slurped down giba soup.

The people of the forest’s edge tended to be unsociable toward anyone but their comrades, but they were hardly shy, so having outsiders around didn’t bother them, and the harmony of the dinner table wouldn’t be disturbed by having Kamyua Yoshu and Roy present.

For Rau Lea, he was seeing virtually all of these dishes for the first time, and whenever he took a bite he shouted out in surprise. Ai Fa and Darmu Ruu remained expressionless and silent, but they also ate faster than anyone. On the other hand, Rimee, Ludo, and Reina Ruu were excitedly chatting away with brilliant smiles, lending some liveliness to the proceedings.

There really was a much friendlier feel in the air compared to the dinner party. If his goal was to deepen friendship with the people of the forest’s edge, Marstein really should have allowed women and young folks to attend too.

“So, what do you think of the taste of giba meat?” I asked after Roy finished giving each of the dishes a taste test, only for him to scratch his head with a sour look.

“It’s definitely quirky, but it’s not bad at all. I had expected something more like the taste of mountain-raised gyama meat.”

“Huh? Gyama are animals from the eastern kingdom, aren’t they? Do they have a really quirky taste when they’re raised out in the mountains?”

“The meat just plain stinks. That’s why people from Sym use powerful spices like chitt seeds to cover it up. When it comes to gyama meat and dried milk, the only stuff that can be sold in the west is what’s been raised on the plains.”

So apparently, the grass they ate on the mountains and plains differed and had an impact on the flavor of their meat and milk. The dried milk I was familiar with didn’t stink at all, so it must have been made with the milk from gyama raised on the plains.

“This fried dish is even tastier than the one you made before with kimyuus... No doubt it’s left Timalo at a loss for words.”

“I’m sure Timalo’s cooking is really something else too, though,” I said, turning to face the small table off to the side. That was where Timalo’s dishes that Roy and the pages had brought along were sitting, waiting their turn.

“All right, I guess it’s time for us to give his cooking a try too. It’s cuisine from the castle town, just like you’ve been waiting for, Reina Ruu.”

“Ah, right!”

With that, she excitedly rose to her feet and hurried on over to the little table. Roy’s gaze immediately moved to follow, but he somehow forced himself to look away.

“But the guests from the forest’s edge didn’t like the dishes, right? And the duke gave him a pretty harsh scolding, so Timalo ended up pale as a corpse.”

“Yeah, pretty much anyone would be hurt hearing something like that. It was enough that I couldn’t help but wonder if he purposefully chose Timalo for the role to bring him down.”

“Oh right, you were there, huh? Still, I’d say that’s off the mark. Timalo didn’t do anything but try to make the best dishes that he could. I can’t even imagine what anyone didn’t like about them,” Roy replied with a sour look, his arms crossed.

By now, Sheera Ruu had also walked over to the other food table, while Rimee Ruu shouted, “You better not eat all of it!” and took off running.

“Hmm, they all smell kinda weird, don’t they!”

“Yeah. To start with, we don’t use so many herbs at the forest’s edge.”

We four chefs all seated ourselves around the small table. The hunters hadn’t shown any interest whatsoever in food from the castle town, so it was a taste test just for us.

However, the result was truly regrettable.

“Gross!” Rimee Ruu shouted at full volume.

What she had eaten was the fuwano dish, which was like some kind of oatmeal with cheese and herbs mixed in.

Just like the smell implied, it used a large amount of karon milk and plenty of herbs, and if I had to try to relate it to something, it was like chunks of torn up bread were soaked in milk and then boiled with cumin and lemongrass. Then the Camembert cheese-like gyama dried milk was tossed in alongside bits of meat similar to beef sirloin. It was sweet, and yet also had a significant bite to it. Ultimately, it made for a real complicated flavor that was like some sort of hybrid between Thai and Italian cooking.

“Hmm... I can certainly see how this would give you a bad feeling in your chest if you ate too much...” Reina Ruu said. Her eyes had been shining with anticipation before, but now her eyebrows were clearly drooping.

The dish Reina Ruu had eaten was the soup dish that smelled of milk fat and herbs. On top of the butter-like milk fat, this dish also employed herbs akin to cinnamon, rosemary, and garlic chives. And Timalo likely also added plenty of those bouillon cube-looking things that were here in this kitchen. The smell and taste of the dish were both rich and intense.

The karon stomach used in it was white and slippery, but, well, it didn’t seem like a bad ingredient as long as you didn’t have an issue with entrails. Still, the flavoring of the soup overall was once again complicated and difficult to accustom your tongue to.

By Reina Ruu’s side, Sheera Ruu went, “Hmm...” with a complex expression on her face. She had the karon meat dish that was the main course atop her plate.

Originally, the dish wasn’t supposed to be part of the meals for the chefs, but since there were leftovers from the dinner party, it was delivered here. Once it was heated back up, the glossy karon meat gave off a delicious aroma. Ludo Ruu was the only one out of the hunters who seemed curious, and he jumped out of his chair and approached.

“I’m not interested in anything else, but that meat seems tasty. Cut me off a slice, Asuta.”

“Yeah, all right.”

Cutting into the hunk of meat that was as soft as butter, I sliced off a bit for both me and Ludo Ruu.

And when I took a bite...the karon meat really did break down easily in my mouth, as if it was melting away. However, it was more than just soft. Unexpectedly, there was an explosion of oily content in my mouth, taking me aback.

“Gah, what the heck is this?! It’s just a sack of fat!” Ludo Ruu shouted, swiftly hurrying back to the large table and slurping down giba soup as a palate cleanser.

“Roy, could it be... Did you add extra fat to this meat afterwards?”

“Ah, I’m surprised you figured it out. We used these thin hair-like needles to poke a ton of holes in the meat, then soaked it in karon fat and steamed it together with herbs and vegetables,” Roy carelessly answered. “We never would have been able to get that level of tenderness and flavor otherwise. It took the longest amount of time to prepare as a result.”

“What point is there in getting the meat that soft? I’d say the karon meat in that fuwano dish was already plenty tender and delicious.”

“That’s because the karon bought from Dabagg is high quality. This is an effective method for making it even better than what you’d typically get. Honestly, I thought it was an amazing idea.”

The sliced karon meat gave off a gleaming deep-pink shine. It had the flavor of a delicious high-class beef, and the citrusy sauce drizzled on top wasn’t half bad either. Even though it was a roast, it was so tender it seemed to melt on your tongue. And the many herbs and vegetables used lent plenty of flavor to the meat.

However, I couldn’t help but feel that it had crossed some sort of line. I didn’t have much issue with any sort of junk food, but my stomach was protesting, shouting out that something was wrong and twisted. Just as Ludo Ruu had said, it was like gulping down a mass of fat.

“Do the people of the castle town usually eat such a high amount of fat? I can’t help but feel that taking in this much is going to be bad for your health...”

“Hmm? That’s because the count...er, former count had his chefs and restaurants use as much milk fat, reten oil, and karon fat as they pleased. Only nobles can possibly request a dish as extravagant as this, though.”

Had Cyclaeus made himself sick by only ever eating stuff like this? There was just so much oil and salt in the dish that I couldn’t help but think that.

“Ah, this dish isn’t bad,” Reina Ruu chimed in as if to smooth things over.

It was the deep-red boiled vegetable dish consisting primarily of tarapa. It must have been portioned out of that massive tarapa that served as a container. Currently, a very small amount of it was sitting there in an ordinary metal bowl.

I went ahead and gave it a taste test too, and sure enough it was pretty darn good. The stock was made carefully from a variety of vegetables, and though the aroma of the coriander-like herb was a bit strong, the taste seemed fairly close to that of minestrone.

Personally, I would have gone just a bit lighter on the salt, and I wouldn’t use that herb either. Other than that, though, I had no complaints.

“There’s panam honey and sugar in that dish too. Apparently he was extra careful with the amounts so as not to ruin the flavor,” Roy stated in a stiff tone.

“I see,” Reina Ruu replied, clapping her hands together. “I thought there was some sort of flavor I didn’t recognize besides the herbs in there. Panam honey and sugar are those ingredients used when making sweets, aren’t they?”

With Reina Ruu looking straight at him like that, Roy was thrown off balance for just a moment.

“That’s right! Do you have some sort of problem with that?!” He snapped.

“That wasn’t what I was trying to say... If I hurt your feelings, then I’m sorry,” Reina Ruu said with a bow of her head, moving on to the next dish. I also noticed that Roy looked to be at his wits’ end, but I ultimately refrained from talking to him about it.

“Asuta...” a voice called out, accompanied by a tug on the sleeve of my T-shirt. It was Rimee Ruu, looking up at me with tears in her eyes. Atop her plate sat that baked fuwano sweet that was cut into a square. “This...’s gross...”

“Huh? It took you down too, Rimee Ruu?”

Gulaf Zaza was one thing, but nobody could match how Rimee Ruu just exploded with joy when I brought out the sugar back in the kitchen. It was definitely something of a shock for her to show such resistance to the dessert.

In terms of appearance, it looked like a mille-feuille or something, with numerous thin layers of fuwano, and didn’t seem gross in the least. It appeared to have a really moist texture, and the pink color from the minmi fruit was adorable. Honestly, it wouldn’t look out of place at all if it was on display in a pastry shop in my old world.

“It certainly looks delicious though... Well then, guess I’ll dispose of the rest. Ah, but is it all right for me to eat your leftovers when we’re not family?”

“That’s only the custom for when one is over ten and no longer a child.”

“Whoa, you scared me there! What’s up, Ai Fa?”

“I’m done with dinner. All of the dishes were delicious.”

As she stood there behind me, Ai Fa stared suspiciously at the baked sweet atop the plate. From what I could tell, she had finished up before everyone else, while the other hunters’ hearty appetites were still raging.

“That’s certainly an odd dish. It doesn’t smell bad, though.”

“Yeah, and it looks pretty tasty. Do you want to give it a try too, Ai Fa...?”

“I have no intention of eating food made by such an impolite man.”

“I see. Well then, looks like it’s up to me to finish it off after all.”

As I patted the still-crying Rimee Ruu on the head, I took the wooden plate from her. And when I tossed a bit of it in my mouth...I immediately understood why the young girl hadn’t liked it. There was the flavor of some sort of liquor in the dish, a kind of brandy or something.

It might possibly have been the same stuff as that high-class fruit wine that Balan had given me. There were then numerous herbs and fruit juices blended into the dough, so it was a bit difficult to say for certain, but at any rate it definitely had an alcoholic base.

Each and every one of the thin fuwano layers had absorbed plenty of panam honey and karon milk. That made it extraordinarily rich and sweet, and then it had the fruit wine scent about it on top of that, giving the taste much more of a punch than you would expect from looking at it.

“Hmm, well...I’d definitely say you’d need some perseverance to get it all down.”

“You sure are harsh. So much so that I’d call you crazy if I hadn’t tasted your cooking,” Roy chimed in, apparently having recovered from his previous self-inflicted damage. “It’s true that the dishes you made definitely wouldn’t lose to Timalo’s. That certainly is amazing, but I really don’t think that Timalo’s dishes fall that far short... You used light seasonings and hardly any herbs in your cooking, and there are plenty of folks in the castle town who would be dissatisfied with that.”

“Right. That’s why Duke Genos said neither my cooking nor Timalo’s was better or worse. And I don’t have any objections to that evaluation. But...”

“‘But’ what?”

“But in the castle town...or rather, in your cooking and Timalo’s, I’d say you’re going overboard on the seasonings. It feels like your main focus is on how many herbs and oils and dairy products you can pack in without ruining the flavor... Am I mistaken, though?”

“Hrmm... I wouldn’t say that’s particularly wrong, no. Actually, I’d say that’s pretty much what cooking is all about, right?”

“That isn’t how my father taught me. I was taught to use seasonings efficiently to bring out the best in the ingredients.”

“That’s...” Roy started to retort, but then he held his tongue, a troubled look on his freckled face. “I’m only nineteen, but I was invited here to the Turan manor after working at three different restaurants. Each time I moved to a grander workplace, the amount of ingredients and seasonings on offer grew... And it was driven into me that a chef’s skills came from how well they could use them.”

“Right, I can understand that much.”

“Then what is it you can’t understand? In a dinky shop, you can only use a dinky variety of ingredients. And in a first rate restaurant, you have plenty of first rate ingredients to make first rate meals, as a first rate chef. That’s what I’ve been taught...”

“Hmm... That certainly is a different way of thinking compared to back where I come from. If you have some high-class meat, then I figure the tastiest way to eat it may just be simply grilling it up.”

“Then why do you bother frying or boiling giba meat? You’re confident in its flavor, aren’t you?” Roy shot back, making a face like a sulking child.

As I scratched my head, I offered him a grin.

“Why is that, I wonder? Giba meat is delicious, so I think it’s at its tastiest just by rubbing in salt and pico leaves and grilling it. So I may just be wasting my time racking my brain, trying to come up with something that can match that flavor.”

“As if that could ever be true,” Ai Fa interjected, jabbing me in my side. “There’s no need for such pointless concerns. It will make me quite angry if you start doing nothing but grilling meat for dinner.”

“I’m not exactly concerned about it. I intend to keep on straining my brain every day from here on out, so go ahead and look forward to what I come up with.”

“Hmph,” Ai Fa snorted, just in time for a knock on the door.

“Coming,” Kamyua Yoshu replied for some reason, hurrying on over. After removing the bolt, slightly opening the door, and exchanging a few words with the person outside, the aloof bodyguard turned my way. “Asuta, it seems Cyclaeus is finally awake. If we let this chance slip by, he likely won’t wake till tomorrow morning, so could I have you get to work preparing his dinner?”

“Yeah, that’s fine.” At last, it was time for my final task. “Well then, Reina Ruu, I leave the rest to you. You don’t have to force yourself to finish all of Timalo’s cooking though, all right...?”

“Right. Take care, Asuta.”

Ai Fa ended up being the only one to accompany me, after stopping the others when they moved to stand.

The first step needed to be reheating the food in the kitchen. With that in mind, I exited the room along with Ai Fa...and found an incredibly unexpected crowd standing there.

“Hey there. Sorry for the hassle, Asuta.”

The sight of the person standing at the head of the group left me at a loss for words. Of all people, it was Duke Marstein Genos himself who had been speaking with Kamyua Yoshu from the other side of the door.

Behind him were Melfried, Donda Ruu, and Lefreya, as well as Sanjura sandwiched between two ducal guards.

“Sir Donda Ruu will be accompanying us to act as a witness. Once this task is finished, all of today’s work will be complete. I’m counting on you, Asuta.”

“Understood...”

And so I faced my final task, fists clenched tight.

6

Cyclaeus was being confined on the highest floor of the central building. Apparently, that place had been the bedroom of the former head of the house to begin with.

After passing through the door watched over by ducal guards, we first stepped into an empty antechamber. When it was later at night, the guards would take turns resting in here and keeping watch. And it was here that Marstein once again turned our way.

“Asuta and Lady Lefreya will deliver the food. We will also enter the room, but if a crowd of this size were to appear before him at once it would put Cyclaeus on edge. Instead we will lie in wait behind the partitioning screen or the like.”

The group present consisted of me and Ai Fa, Marstein and Melfried, Donda Ruu and Kamyua Yoshu, Lefreya and Sanjura, and two soldiers, for a total of ten. Perhaps as an extra precaution, Sanjura’s arms were bound, and the leather strap attached to the bindings was held by one of the soldiers. As he stood there bound, Marstein’s gentle gaze turned his way.

“This is likely the last meeting you will be allowed before the trial... Sanjura, do you still not have any new statements you wish to make, even at this point?”

“That is correct,” Sanjura replied, staring back at Marstein with an equally gentle look.

“In that case, why did you ask to accompany us to this place, even knowing it would require such treatment? Perhaps you desire to offer a final farewell...?”

“No. I simply wish to stay, by Lefreya’s side.”

“Is there not a different way entirely that you could shoulder Lady Lefreya’s pain and suffering?”

“No. There is no evidence, regarding that matter. But if there were proof, perhaps I would have chosen, that path.”

“Do you refer to that idle gossip that Sanjura is my older brother...?” Lefreya interjected, her voice incredibly quiet. “Where did such a wild rumor even come from, I wonder. Sanjura is simply an attendant my father hired, paying him for his services.”

“Sanjura himself confessed it to the people of the forest’s edge. After that, we investigated, and were able to determine that your father was housing a woman from Sym in Dabagg up until just four years ago.”

Lefreya shot Sanjura a suspicious look. However, he just wore his incredibly familiar gentle smile in response.

“My mother did not speak of the matter, before she died, and so I do not, know the details. However, I was raised to swear, my loyalty to Cyclaeus.”

“Hmph... But at some point, you decided to swear loyalty to me rather than my father.”

“Yes. I now offer myself, in your service, Lefreya.”

“Then none of this matters either way. However, I have no intention of calling a man ‘big brother’ after having him as an attendant for years, you know.”

“Of course. I am your humble servant, Lefreya.”

At that, Lefreya faced away, her short chestnut colored hair swaying along.

And after watching over that exchange along with everyone else, Ai Fa called out, “Duke Genos. It may be presumptuous for me to make such a request, but would you allow me to stay by Asuta’s side in order to protect him?”

“Hmm? If I recall correctly, you are Asuta’s clan head Ai Fa, aren’t you? You needn’t worry, since there are two ducal guards watching over Cyclaeus already. He may not even have the strength left to stand anymore, but we can’t let him harm himself.”

“But even though his illness was surely more severe than Cyclaeus’s, Zattsu Suun bit and tore through the throat of a Jeen man, set fire to the Dom settlement, and used giba summoning fruit to launch an assault on Kamyua Yoshu’s group. No matter who you are up against, I feel it’s best to never let your guard down.”

“Don’t worry. Melfried trained the ducal guards to always remain vigilant.”

Ai Fa looked a bit pained and bit her lip. And when he saw that, Marstein once again smiled.

“You’re that concerned for your family member? Very well. I’m certain Cyclaeus won’t be driven mad by the addition of a beautiful woman such as yourself. You may protect Asuta alongside the ducal guards.”

“I’m truly obliged...” Ai Fa said with a little bow of her head. All the while, Donda Ruu remained silent.

“Well then, shall we enter? Cyclaeus is quite weakened, so take care not to get him unnecessarily worked up.”

With that, Marstein shot one of the soldiers a look, and the man reached out for the door.

At their direction, we passed from the dim lighting of the antechamber into an even gloomier bedroom.

Though it was a rather large room, the only candles lit were the ones on the inner wall. And then on top of that there was a massive partitioning screen, so the majority of their light was obstructed too.

Marstein’s elegant finger pointed, indicating the other side of the partitioning screen. With a nod, I pushed the cart carrying the meal further into the room. Ai Fa, Lefreya, and I continued on into the darkness, and eventually we reached a large bed.

To either side of the bed was a ducal guard in white armor, standing still as a statue. And lying atop it was a small man.

There was a thin blanket pulled up to his chest, and he was half buried in the soft down bedding. It was the former owner of this manor, Cyclaeus.

His face had a sickly, bruised look to it, and was coated in cold sweat. His arms hanging over the blanket were frighteningly thin. It had only been half a month, but Cyclaeus had shriveled up like a monkey’s mummy or something.

“Lefreya...is it...?” his dry, scratchy voice wrung out from his deathly pale lips. “If he sent you...then that accursed Marstein has finally made up his mind to execute me, eh...?”

“You will surely have a trial before any execution. That is the law of Genos, is it not?” Lefreya quietly replied, now standing beside the bed. “I simply came to bring you your meal... For today, I had your dinner specially prepared by Asuta of the Fa clan, the visitor from overseas living as a person of the forest’s edge.”

Cyclaeus’s nearly closed eyes then vacantly turned my way.

That venomous shine in his gaze had now completely vanished into the shadows. Instead, there was a faint light gleaming at me, like the bioluminescent shine of fading sea sparkle out on the nighttime ocean.

“Asuta of the Fa clan...? What sort of plot is this, exactly...?”

“It’s no plot at all. I just made dinner for you at Lefreya’s request.”

Marstein surely had some sort of motive of his own here. But I didn’t know the truth of that, and I got the feeling that it didn’t really have anything to do with the essence of my job here.

“Lefreya asked me to feed you my cooking before you’re imprisoned. Do you have the strength left needed to eat it, Cyclaeus?”

“My body will no longer accept any food whatsoever... At last, my illness of many years has bared its fangs... No matter how I may struggle, my life is surely at its end...”

“How gutless of you, father. Where is the man who lived a greedier life than anyone?” Lefreya asked, her voice having regained an ever so slight tinge of emotion. “From what I am told, you have committed a great many crimes. You coveted power and influence badly enough to push aside countless others, did you not? If you give up on everything at the very end, then just what sort of life did you even live?”

“Who can say... I simply grabbed hold of whatever strength I could... And with my death, I part with all of it... That is ultimately all a man’s life amounts to...”

“And what purpose was there to the authority you gained, at the cost of leaving mother and myself isolated and alone? Why did mother have to die such a lonely death?” More and more of the haughtiness Lefreya bore in her voice and the look in her eyes was bubbling forth. “I only ever had mother, and mother only had me. And so when mother died, I was left all alone. You neglected mother and me, used underhanded methods to amass a fortune, and gathered up more ingredients than you could ever possibly eat, but did that bring you happiness, father? I...I was not happy in the least...”

Cyclaeus offered no response.

“Even so, you are still my father... And even if you did not care about me in the least, I am your daughter. That is why I have arranged this final parting meal for you,” Lefreya stated, suddenly shooting me a glare. “Now then, I shall have you eat Asuta’s cooking, father. I can portion off the contents of this pot onto a wooden plate, correct?”

“Yeah,” I replied, removing the lid.

Instantly, the stagnant air in the room filled with the aroma of giba soup.

Gripping a ladle, Lefreya awkwardly scooped some onto a plate.

“What sort of farce is this...?” I could spy a gloomy flame flickering in Cyclaeus’s eye, through the gap between his eyelids as thin as a cut from a knife. “Dragging out not only my daughter, but even Asuta of the Fa clan... Just what is that damn crafty Marstein thinking...?”

“I told you, Duke Genos has nothing to do with it! I asked Asuta for this favor tonight of my own volition! Even if Duke Genos is plotting anything beyond that, it has nothing whatsoever to do with me!” Lefreya finally exploded with emotion. Still holding the plate, she bent over and glared right into her father’s face from up close. “Why not at least look at me now, in our final moment together? We’ll surely never be able to meet again, you know. You will be locked up in a prison, while I will be confined to this manor!”

Again, Cyclaeus was silent.

“Asuta, my apologies, but could I have you sit father up?”

“Ah, yeah. Got it.”

Slipping by the ducal guard, I approached, then slid my arm between Cyclaeus’s body and the bed. Ai Fa lent me a hand like it was only natural, but his body was so light that wasn’t even necessary. As I supported his body that practically felt like a cast-off husk, I slid in a pillow behind his back, sitting him up against the headboard. With that, I stepped back, while Lefreya moved in close with the plate and a wooden spoon in hand.

“Now then, even if you have grown weak, you should still at least be able to swallow soup, correct? If nothing else, it should certainly be less agonizing than drinking down those pungent, bitter medicinal herbs. As a final parting gift, eat the cooking prepared by this man from overseas, Asuta.”

She scooped up a bit of cloudy soup and thrust it toward Cyclaeus’s mouth. After staring at Lefreya’s angry expression for a bit, the man slowly parted his lips. And then, the end of the spoon disappeared into that dark abyss.

“It is delicious, is it not? There is simply no way that Asuta’s cooking could be anything but. After all, the food he prepares exceeds even that of Timalo, who was the former assistant head chef at the Turan manor,” she murmured, seemingly urging him on as she brought another spoonful of soup to her father’s mouth. And then, she shot me another frightening glare. “Asuta, this dish is all broth, and there doesn’t seem to be anything else in it at all.”

“That’s because you just scooped from the top without stirring it at all. You need to whip it around first and then serve it onto the plate.” I took the plate from Lefreya and demonstrated.

“You should say such things to begin with,” she shot back, puffing her cheeks as she snatched the plate back and scooped up a spoonful of ingredients. That included a chunk of ivory-white boiled giba meat, as well as some bits of transparent aria.

After she put it in Cyclaeus’s mouth he listlessly chewed...and then started trembling.

“What...What is this dish...?”

“This is a soup made using giba meat. I thoroughly boiled the giba thigh meat and aria together, then simply adjusted the flavor using rock salt and pico leaves,” I calmly responded. “It’s tasty, right? This was the first dish I made after being entrusted with the Fa house’s stove. Giba is a high-quality meat, so just boiling it is enough to get this much of a broth.”

“Giba meat...? Of all things, you fed me giba meat...?”

“Is it in any way inferior to karon or kimyuus? I certainly don’t think so. Tastes may vary from person to person of course, but I don’t feel it comes up short as an ingredient.” It wasn’t as if I was especially trying to reform Cyclaeus or anything. I was simply saying what I wanted. “Even with so few ingredients, you can still make a meal this delicious. And I believe what you needed wasn’t luxurious gourmet dishes, but rather meals like this one filled with plenty of nourishment.”

“What are you...?”

“Pretty much everyone the whole world over may have an interest in eating tasty food, but that’s exactly why I don’t agree with the idea of meals that will ruin someone’s body. And considering you’re suffering from an illness of the internal organs, I believe you should have thought even harder about what sort of meals you needed.”

I was fully aware that nothing would come of me saying this now. Even so, I couldn’t leave it unsaid.

A man only interested in fine dining had gone so far as to commit crimes in order to gather wealth and power, using that to purchase expensive ingredients to harm himself further... What sort of happiness was there to be had from such a destructive lifestyle?

While spreading unhappiness to others, he had also plunged forward toward his own ruin. It really was utterly ridiculous. That went for Cyclaeus...and Zattsu Suun too.

“You seem to be under some sort of misconception, Asuta of the Fa clan...” Cyclaeus replied as he looked at me, his eyes like a will-o’-wisp on the verge of flickering out. “I found pleasure in gourmet dishes alone... And there is no point to a life without pleasure, so I...”

“I don’t care about what brought you pleasure or the like, since it doesn’t change what I’m saying. Is my cooking not to your tastes, Cyclaeus...? You don’t need a fortune to make a good meal. With just meat, aria, and a pinch of salt, you can make a dish on this level. And what could be happier than sharing that with your precious family, gathered at the same dinner table?”

Cyclaeus didn’t answer.

“You look down on the people of the forest’s edge as barbarians, but I can tell that they’re living happy lives. Maybe these words won’t mean anything to someone born into nobility like you, but still...I don’t believe delicious food is something you can obtain just by paying money.”

Cyclaeus’s mouth firmly shut.

In irritation, Lefreya gave a single stamp of her feet.

“Never mind all that. No matter what you say at this point, everything is already over and done with. Just let my father journey to Selva believing until the bitter end that he was correct.”

“Yes... Everything is indeed over... But my soul is dripping in vice, so it will surely be shattered to bits before Selva...” Cyclaeus’s lips weakly trembled as they formed a mysterious grin. “I have no intention of concealing anything at this point... And I do not care to try laying the blame wholly on Ciluel either... I committed countless crimes alongside my brother... The number of lives lost to our plotting surely eclipses a hundred...”

“That’s not what I want to hear, father.”

“No, but listen, Lefreya... And Marstein too... I am sure you are listening to me from somewhere nearby, are you not, Duke Genos...? I no longer have the strength needed to raise my voice, though, so I am sure it must be difficult picking up what I am saying from a distance...”

At that, a number of figures appeared in the darkness. And the slender man at the head of the group then jauntily strode over to the bed.

“I had no intention of intruding on this father-daughter chat, you know. Do you have something to discuss with me though, Cyclaeus?”

“I do... But before that, there is something I wish to ask... Now that Ciluel is being held, who is the militia being entrusted to...?”

“The second battalion leader is currently serving as the acting head of the militia. It is a rather unprecedented assignment, but we could not entrust future affairs to the vice militia leader or the head of the first battalion as they had ties to the house of Turan, albeit distant.”

“That was some keen insight, but it still is not enough... If you do not dismiss the vice militia leader and heads of the first and fourth battalions, there will still be the potential for more trouble to arise... Those three shared in our crimes, after all... If you leave them be, they could cause problems down the line...”

“Half of the heads of the militia were complicit in your wickedness? Were you all plotting to eventually use force to compel the ducal house of Genos to surrender to you?” Marstein asked in a perfectly calm voice.

“Who can say...” Cyclaeus replied, still wearing that same mysterious grin.

“Then, the ones who dressed in the attire of the forest’s edge and pillaged the Daleim plantations like bandits were members of the militia? I certainly pray that wasn’t the case.”

“Of course they were not... No matter how much Ciluel may order it, the vice leader and battalion heads would not sully their own hands so blatantly after climbing the ranks... No, that was the work of ruffians currently in hiding in the town of Behett...”

“Oh? So you really did hire ruffians then?”

“We did indeed pay them coins... However, that was not all... They are all criminals who escaped execution...”

“Criminals who escaped execution, you say?”

“Five years ago, the militia captured a bandit group known as the Winds of Black Death... Though they were handed death sentences, Ciluel used his influence to free them, at which point they became a group we entrusted with covert operations...”

“So your crimes went that far? Granting freedom to criminals set for execution is utterly unforgivable,” Melfried harshly stated from beside Marstein. “Still, if they were handed death sentences through a trial, that punishment should have been properly carried out. I cannot see how it would be possible to allow them to escape without the prison officers noticing.”

“Then I would assume those prison officers were also paid off... If you wish to know the details, you would have to ask Ciluel...”

“I see. I will most certainly do so.”

At that, Melfried held his tongue, but there was a chilly light shining away in his grey eyes.

“Goodness...” Marstein muttered with a shrug of his shoulders. “The former head of the house of Turan, the militia leader, vice leader, and two battalion heads, and then prison officers and criminals who should have been executed. To think I would be saddled with so many criminals all at once... This can all be placed firmly at my own feet, though.”

“That is certainly true... Still, the first of these crimes began thirty years ago... So perhaps the blame lies with my father for failing to sever the accursed Turan bloodline...”

“Oh? You go so far as to acknowledge the murder of the first son and head of the house of Turan before you?”

“I do... However, there is just one thing I wish to say on that matter...” Cyclaeus replied, an intense blaze now shining in his eyes despite the fact that he was still seated listlessly in the same position. “The one to murder my father and older brother was Ciluel... He and I should be judged equally for all our countless crimes after those... But as far as those abominable crimes from thirty years ago, Ciluel plotted them out and did the deeds all on his own... I beg that you believe me on that one point alone if nothing else...”

“Hmm? But when your father and brother were returned to Selva, you became the head of the house, Cyclaeus. If it was Ciluel’s plot, would he not have also murdered you as the second son?”

“Ciluel... While he was born into the house of a count, he lamented his position as one doomed to live a life in the shadows, and hated my father and brother due to his desire for power... As I was also set to live a life of obscurity, he did not have such feelings toward me...”

Cyclaeus’s pale eyes were now flaming intensely. They used to have a venomous look in them, and just a little while ago they seemed on the verge of flickering out, but now the look in them was as fierce as that of the hunters of the forest’s edge.

“On that night...a year after my elder brother lost his life when falling from a totos, my father passed from an unidentified illness... And then, with the smile of a madman, Ciluel told me that the fortune and authority of the house of Turan was now ours... Even without that implication from Kamyua Yoshu, I knew full well... The one who murdered my father and older brother was the youngest son of the accursed Turan bloodline...”

“And then with that younger brother of yours, you committed countless wicked deeds in search of even greater fortune and power, Cyclaeus? Could it be... Are you saying if you had not become his ally, you worried you would suffer the same fate as your father and brother?”

“Even if that were the case, it does nothing to change how much I have dirtied my own hands... Genos’s laws do not permit taking the lives of others in order to protect yourself, correct...?”

“Hmm, that certainly is true... Still, why bring up that matter from thirty years ago now? No matter how severe those crimes may be, it wouldn’t be possible to find any evidence at this point, so I cannot see any real purpose to discussing the matter.”

“There is no proof... That is precisely why I can only ask that you believe me... Even though I have committed numerous crimes, I did not commit the vile deeds of murdering my own father and brother...”

Cyclaeus’s eyes slowly moved. Still blazing bright, they stopped when they reached his daughter.

“Lefreya... My daughter... The cursed blood of the house of Turan flows through your veins... Your father and uncle were unforgivable criminals, while your other uncle and grandfather were helpless fools... Perhaps that accursed blood is what led you to committing the crime of kidnapping at so young an age...”

“My blood has nothing to do with it. I—”

“Listen well... Despite all that, you mustn’t cast away that blood flowing in your veins... You must keep on living for a long, long time, as the daughter of a criminal...” Cyclaeus practically groaned, reaching out his arm. His terribly thin fingers grabbed hold of Lefreya’s hand, causing the spoon she was gripping to fall onto the bed. “However...the house of Turan will surely lose its fortune and authority... But perhaps that misfortune will in turn grant freedom to your soul... One without a sword cannot cut anyone, after all... I celebrate you losing that blade... Thanks to that...”

Cyclaeus stole an ever so brief glance my way.

“Thanks to that...perhaps you shall become the sort of person who can find happiness from just a pinch of salt...”

“I cannot say I truly understand. After all, I was an insignificant, tiny person to begin with,” Lefreya stated with an angry look, wrenching free of her father’s grasp.

Then, she picked up the fallen spoon and slurped down a mouthful of giba soup.

“It may be lacking and plain, but it is perfectly delicious... If you cannot find happiness in such a meal, then you truly are an unfortunate man, father.”

“Yes... Your father was a truly unfortunate, terribly foolish man...”

Biting her lip, Lefreya glared at her father for a while, then said, “Duke Genos, there is still quite a bit of food left. Could you allow me to be alone with my father until this meal is finished?”

“I don’t mind. I’ll have the ducal guards on watch step back to the door.”

With that, Marstein turned around, and Melfried and Donda Ruu followed after him.

Nodding to Ai Fa, I also went to move away from the bed, only for Lefreya to quietly call out from behind, “Asuta?”

“Yeah?”

“Thank you...”

“Right.”

After one last look at the small girl nestling close atop the bed, I exited the room.

It was a near certainty that I would never see Cyclaeus again.

I was certainly in no position to even consider forgiving the man. After all, crimes such as causing the death of Leito’s father and Milano Mas’s brother-in-law and driving Zattsu Suun to madness were utterly unforgivable.

But still, even so, I couldn’t help but feel glad to have spoken to him on this night.

“Well then, go ahead and proceed as such...”

“At once.”

In the antechamber, Marstein and Melfried were quietly having some sort of conversation.

Melfried then swiftly exited the room, and Marstein turned toward Donda Ruu.

“We are moving to immediately detain the vice leader of the militia and the battalion heads, as well as dispatching soldiers for Behett. There’s a chance those criminals once set for execution have already fled to some other land, but we should at least be able to find some traces to follow up on. And if we can clear away all the traitors in one fell swoop, that should help everyone sleep at least a little easier.”

“Let’s pray that’s the case...”

“Right. As the ruler of Genos, I promise to spare no effort in fulfilling this task. Well then, it’s about time for me to get going...but since it seems like a good opportunity, allow me to add just one more comment,” Marstein stated with a cheerful smile, staring up at Donda Ruu, who was around half a head taller. “I have a fondness for strong people. Perhaps it is only fate that Cyclaeus attempted to force the people of the forest’s edge to yield and threaten my standing. Despite being born the mere second son of the small Turan house, he managed to climb as far as he did on talent alone, with no concern for appearances. And if nothing else, that’s certainly something.”

Donda Ruu just silently listened.

“And yet, he ultimately fell before your people and Kamyua Yoshu. I’m quite fond of you all, Donda Ruu. You people of the forest’s edge are extraordinarily strong. And it makes me proud being able to call folks so brimming with strength my comrades.”

Even still, the leading clan head didn’t chime in.

“To be perfectly honest, I didn’t have any interest whatsoever in the people of the forest’s edge until this incident came to light. You obediently followed the unjust orders placed upon you by the lord of Genos eighty years ago, and Cyclaeus ended up holding the reins to do as he wished with you. Though you had the strength to hunt giba, you seemed cowardly when dealing with other human beings... That’s what I thought.”

Though Marstein was grinning away, Donda Ruu remained expressionless.

“But ultimately, it seems that your people are strong and proud. And I would certainly like to have you all continue to wield that strength as citizens of Genos from here on out. I hesitate to be so open about my feelings in front of my son or vassals, so I’d like you to go ahead and convey that to the other leading clan heads too. And Asuta of the Fa clan...” Marstein stated, turning my way. “I caused you quite a bit of trouble as well. Though the head priests may frown on it, regardless of what your background may be, I would like to welcome you as a citizen of Genos. I hope that you will continue living in this land as a person of the forest’s edge.”

“R-Right. Thank you.”

“And your cooking truly was delicious. I realize I can’t go constantly summoning you to the castle town, but I would love to have you use your skills for me every now and again. At any rate, though, take care.”

With one last look at my face, Marstein shot me a big smile and then took off after his son.

Kamyua Yoshu then added a wink and followed after, leaving just me, Ai Fa, Donda Ruu, and Sanjura plus the two guards who restrained him.

“What a ridiculous ruler...” Donda Ruu grumbled, finally grinning. It was the daring smile of a hunter. “But if his words meant that we should grab hold of happiness through our own strength, then that’s just fine. We’ll see it through in our own way.”

That grin seemed to say he thought of Marstein more as a worthy opponent than a ruler.

But at any rate, Sanjura then stepped in front of me.

“Asuta, I would also like to, give you my thanks. You saved, Lefreya.”

“Ah, I didn’t do anything worth thanking me over.”

“No, your presence saved, Lefreya...and perhaps even Cyclaeus, as well.”

There’s no way that’s true, I thought to myself.

If Cyclaeus was saved by anything, it was by finally starting to walk a path that had always been there.

And though our paths were completely and utterly different, we met for just a brief moment, only to grow distant again. That was surely all it was.

“Well then, how about we start heading back too...?” Donda Ruu said, moving toward the room’s exit with a swish of his hunter’s cloak.

Though she had remained silent the whole time, Ai Fa now turned to me and said, “Good work, Asuta.”

“Yeah, you too, Ai Fa.”

With that, we left behind the city of stone and returned to the settlement at the forest’s edge.