Chapter 192: The Bear Departs from the Palace with the Head Chef

Chapter 192:
The Bear Departs from the Palace with the Head Chef

 

I FINISHED PUTTING the ingredients Zelef prepared into my bear storage. We were taking a lot, but like we talked about earlier, going overboard was better than not having enough. Besides, it wasn’t like it’d be any heavier to carry.

“May we go to the wine cellar as our last stop? I think we will require wine for a party.”

Alcohol? I guess you did need that stuff at a party. In fact, that always showed up in stories about the fancy parties of nobility. I always imagined them sipping from fine wine glasses…

We went to the wine cellar, and I put the wines Zelef selected into bear storage. Hmm…since I didn’t drink, I didn’t know whether these were good wines. Not that I’d be able to tell if I tried them.

“Is that everything?” I’d just stored away the final bottle.

“Yes. After this, I shall return to my kitchen to pick up seasoning.”

We headed back to the kitchen and Zelef started packing away seasonings. He had a lot of them. Probably even some I could use. Maybe I’d ask him to show them to me next time I had the chance.

“Master Yuna, I am finished with the preparations.”

“Cool. Can we head out now?” I thought we’d still make it in time, but I was still worried about Fina and the others. Better too much than too little, and better sooner than later…

“Yes. Anytime is fine with me.”

“And you haven’t forgotten anything? We won’t be able to come back for anything.” I did have the bear transport gate, but I wasn’t so sure about letting Zelef use it.

“That’s all right. But—actually, just a moment,” he said, and jogged back into the depths of the kitchen. “I nearly forgot my kitchen knife. I could use theirs, but I would much rather use ones I am familiar with.”

Good, that was the last thing. Zelef was still in his chef clothes though. Since we couldn’t head out with him like that, I had him change.

With everything prepared, we found a carriage that was prepped to take us from the capital. Ellelaura was the one to set us up with that.

Ellelaura’s attention to detail never failed to impress me. Walking out of the capital would take time, and we would have drawn attention if we shared a carriage with others—or I would’ve, anyway.

As the carriage headed to the gate, I muttered a thank you to Ellelaura. Any time saved was fantastic right now. After we were outside the capital, I summoned Kumayuru and Kumakyu.

“Oh, they came from your hands!” Zelef was really excited. “And they’re so large!” I guess Zelef had only ever seen them in their cub form. “Well, Master Yuna, which bear shall I ride?” He happily looked back and forth between Kumayuru and Kumakyu.

“You’re not afraid of them, Zelef?”

“I saw them before when they were small, and I watched as Princess Flora played with them. I’m not frightened of such creatures.”

“But they were small back then. Right now, they’re huge.”

“Ah, true, but for all the fur and bulk, their faces are the same. I do not find those faces frightening in the slightest.”

I was happy to hear that. I would have felt bad for my bears if he was scared while riding them. “All right then, Zelef, can you ride Kumakyu?”

“Certainly. Master Kumakyu is the white one?” Zelef stood in front of Kumakyu. “Good Master Kumakyu, allow me to inform your bearishness beforehand in regards to my weight. I do hope this shan’t be a problem.”

Zelef bowed his head to Kumakyu in greeting. Kumakyu nodded in response, did a half turn and lowered to make it easier for Zelef to climb on.

“Many thanks to you, good Master Kumakyu.” With that, the plump Zelef clambered aboard Kumakyu. Once Kumakyu was certain Zelef was mounted, my bear slowly stood up.

Yeah, it was nothin’. Even if Zelef was a tad overweight, this was nothing to Kumakyu.

I jumped up onto Kumayuru. “Then we’re off. We’re starting off slowly, but we’ll gradually speed up.”

“Go easy on me, would you?”

The four of us departed to the town of Sheelin. Our mounts Kumayuru and Kumakyu nimbly dashed down the highway.

“Why, this is more comfortable than a horse.”

“You can—err, you ride horses, Zelef?”

Not to be mean, but he didn’t quite…look like the horse-riding type.

“I generally do not. However, during certain times of palace emergency, such a skill may be needed. As such, I have been given the minimum level of mandated instruction on it…” He paused, and mumbled, as if he didn’t quite want me to hear it, “…though I’m not very good at it.”

Since he said he needed to know for emergencies, did that mean they might dispatch Zelef as a cook for something?

“I doubt I will have need of a horse any time soon.”

Yeah, I doubted we’d have a cavalry battle like that anytime soon. I guess if we did ever send out troops, it’d be to fight monsters that were really far away? Probably not one of Zelef’s talents either, fighting monsters. If Zelef did have to take part in a war, that meant the royal family themselves would be involved. And that would be a real emergency.

Once Zelef got used to riding my bears, we increased our speed as we hurried to Sheelin.

 

After several hours, we took a break and allowed Kumayuru and Kumakyu to rest. Even though they were summoned beasts, I couldn’t force them to run without a break.

“It was so easy to ride Master Kumakyu. Perhaps my knack for riding is more ursine than equestrian?” No, Kumakyu was just easy to ride—otherwise, Zelef would probably be tuckered out.

After our break, Zelef approached Kumakyu. I stopped him. “Zelef, can you ride Kumayuru next?”

The moment the break ended and Zelef approached Kumakyu, I saw that the bear looked really sad. It wasn’t that my bear didn’t like Zelef; Kumakyu just wanted me to ride it.

“You mean Master Kumayuru? I don’t mind, but may I ask why?”

“If I only ride one of them, the other one sulks,” I explained. “So I alternate.”

“I see. In that case, I just need to ride Kumayuru next. Yes, yes!” Zelef understood immediately and approached Kumayuru. He greeted the bear in the same way he had Kumakyu. “Master Kumayuru, I put myself in your care.”

Kumayuru let out a kwoom in response. I went up to Kumakyu, who happily approached me. I gave my bear a head pat, then hopped on and we headed out.

We didn’t encounter any monsters, and things were going swimmingly. Even if monsters did appear, they were weak and easily escapable. Kumayuru and Kumakyu just sped up even more.

 

A few hours after I switched to Kumakyu, the sun began to set and our surroundings grew dark. I could have had my bears keep marching along, but I didn’t want to push them. The party was in two days, and we would arrive the next day around noon, leaving us time to prep.

I called out to Zelef and let him know that we would be making camp.

Zelef dismounted from Kumayuru and pet the bear. “Master Kumayuru, thank you very much.”

Kumayuru faced him and crooned in response. I pulled firewood out of my bear storage and made a fire, then pulled out two chairs around it. I refrained from bringing out the bear house, of course. “Okay, I’m going to get a meal prepped right away.”

“In that case, I could...” Zelef offered, but I wasn’t actually cooking. I pulled out some of Morin’s bread and Anz’s soup. “I suppose you didn’t need me.”

“You’ll be doing plenty once we arrive.”

“Then I shall be sure to live up to your expectations. Thank you for letting me do my best.” Zelef accepted the bread and soup, savoring both. “Did you make this bread and soup, Master Yuna?”

“No, they’re sold in shops in Crimonia.”

“They’re both delicious and delightful.”

“I’ll let them know that the head chef of the royal palace complimented them,” I said, grinning.

“It’s not just flattery. It really is delicious. They’ve mastered the essentials of the craft; it is no wonder that the food has turned out so fine.” Before long, Zelef finished the bread and soup. “Yes, I would certainly like to visit Crimonia someday.”

“It’s not my town, but you’re welcome any time.”

“I look forward to it.”

After our meal, we didn’t have anything particular to do, so I brushed Kumayuru and Kumakyu. Zelef talked to me as he watched.

“It seems Masters Kumayuru and Kumakyu are not worn out, even after carrying someone of my, ah, countenance.” Zelef looked down at the bears, patting his swollen belly and beaming.

“Zelef, don’t you think you might be eating a little too much?” I heard it was easy for chefs to put on weight since they needed to taste test their food.

“Ah, such words pain me to hear. And yet it is the duty of the head chef to eat the dishes their subordinates make. I must sample everything and point out where they went wrong.”

“Wow, so you’re really teaching them? You don’t tell them to just learn by watching you?”

“Certainly, such is the technique of some chefs, but it’s not for me. In addition, the chefs at the palace know all the essential arts. Thus, learning a recipe once is enough for them to memorize the entire process.”

Well, they did all work at the palace. I guess even rookie chefs needed to know their stuff to get that far.

“Master Yuna, how were you taught to make food the way you do?”

That was a toughie. I wasn’t taught by a person. I was mainly self-taught from the internet and books, so I couldn’t really point to a mentor or anything. It wasn’t like I could tell him that, though.

“I apologize,” said Zelef, lowering his head. “If you cannot answer, you do not need to. It’s just that I have so many questions about the way you make your dishes….” I guess he was concerned when I went silent.

“No, it’s fine. I was just thinking about how to answer since, uh, no one taught me how to cook.”

“And yet you still thought up all those marvelous dishes?”

I shook my head. “They’re staples in my hometown, in a faraway land.”

“In your hometown?”

“Yeah, so I didn’t invent them.”

“Is that right? The world is such a vast place.”

Yep—and there was more than one world, to boot. I could never have imagined that a whole other world could exist in the universe. We lived in a very big world, indeed.

“I would like to visit your hometown sometime,” said Zelef.

He said it so casually, and yet I didn’t have a reply for him. Only silence flowed between us. I guess Zelef realized something was off, since he didn’t pry any further. “How about we turn in soon?” I asked.

“I suppose we should. But what should be do about keeping watch? This is nothing to brag about, but the night…the night troubles me, I would say.”

That definitely wasn’t something to brag about. “It’s all right. We have Kumayuru and Kumakyu. They’ll wake us up right away if we’re in danger.”

He looked at my bears, sitting beside us. “Is that so? They can even keep watch.”

“Mmhm. You can sleep without having to worry. If anyone attacks me or you in the night, my bear attacks them right back. That goes for anyone, by the way. You included,” I warned him with a smile.

“A truly terrifying thought. I have no death wish, so I think I will refrain from doing any such thing. I also do not want to do anything that would make you or your bears dislike me, Master Yuna.”

Zelef smiled as he wrapped himself in a blanket to lie down. As for me, I snuggled in between Kumayuru and Kumakyu and fell asleep.