Prologue: It Begins with Mushroom Stew...

“Ooh... Ooooh...”

The sound of a simmering pot. The slow melting of softened veggies. The tantalizing aroma of well-boiled chicken. The ambermoon tomato soup serving as a base. All of these were marvelous, yet they all paled in comparison to the lovely little caps poking out of the stew’s center—mushrooms, many different varieties of mushrooms.

There were black, frilly ones. White ones with caps the size of a small dish. Small clustered ones that grew in clumps. There were mushrooms upon mushrooms. It was mushrooms galore!

None of them were anything special—no, they weren’t “premium” mushrooms that could lure an unsuspecting nose from half the room away with their irresistible aroma. These were the mundane, everyday strains cherished by forest hunters for dinner stews. Perfect for Mia, in fact, because she very much preferred the flavor of these homelier varieties!

Now, Mia was no bigot. She understood that all mushrooms were equal. There were no mycological castes, no intrinsic superiority that any one fungus possessed over another. Premium mushrooms were delicious in their own premium way, and she very much recognized that. However, there were other mushrooms that just made for better stew.

Ever since she tasted the hare stew, Mia’s food hierarchy had experienced a seismic shift in which stews were elevated to the uppermost tier. In other words, what lay before her wasn’t a stew of plebeian mushrooms—it was culinary heaven! She loved it to bits!

As an aside, in the process of honing her survival skills, she’d become familiar with edible mountain plants too, which meant her palate was steadily progressing toward that of...old grandmas living in the countryside. Make of that what you will.

“Oh... Ooooh... Ooooooooh...”

Her hand trembled with emotion as she brought her fork over one of the simmering delicacies. With a gulp, she poked at it with a prong. The white shape undulated in the stew. So tantalizing was the motion that she nearly began drooling. Her eyes locked on the Belluga mushroom, she plunged the fork into its ivory flesh and lifted it up. It quivered. Slowly, she brought it to her mouth...and devoured the whole thing in one bite.

“Mmm... Mmmmmph...”

Belluga mushrooms were known for their exquisite flavor, which now crept across her tongue. She rolled it around in her mouth, blowing out hot breaths as she did. The harmonious blend of soup and juice was nothing short of bliss for her taste buds.

As it cooled, she bit into it. There was a chewiness that allowed for some munching. It added to the experience. A profound sense of fulfillment filled her chest as she savored the wonderful texture.

“Ah, it’s so good... So this is what mushroom stew tastes like. Simply sublime!”

That’s right. At the dawn of a new year, Mia had finally gotten the chance to enjoy the mushroom stew party she’d been waiting to throw for so long. It was hosted at Anne’s former home, where her family currently lived. Bel, the shrewd little thing, had tagged along for the trip and now sat beside Mia with the same expression on her face and the very same bulge in her cheeks.

In truth, Mia had wanted to throw the party with the student council members, but they were all busy people. Sion, Abel, and Rafina had all returned to their respective homes.

“It’s a shame, really... We couldn’t have a party during the Holy Eve Festival, so I was looking forward to making up for it with this one...”

The mushroom stew was still tasty, of course. That didn’t change because of missing party-goers. Her enjoyment, however, did.

Not that the party today was boring though. Anne’s family and Miabel were there. Tiona and Lynsha too, the latter of whom still had bandages around her head. Coincidentally, Chloe happened to be in town, adding another member to the list. The party itself had no shortage of liveliness.

Chloe’s father, Marco Forkroad, who’d come to the capital to handle some wheat deals, caught wind of Mia’s love for mushrooms, so he sent Chloe with an assorted mushroom basket as a gift, leading to the current mushroom stew party.

“My! Nothing beats a mushroom with some texture. It’s just the right amount of toughness.”

“It really is, isn’t it, Gran— I mean Miss Mia!” said Bel, emulating Mia’s one-bite-hot-breath technique as she savored her own mouthful of mushroom.

Mia gazed at the blissful faces encircling the pot and nodded with satisfaction.

“This is what mushroom stew is all about.” Mushroom stew wasn’t just about the stew. It needed the laughter, the chitchat—and glee was the final seasoning. She smiled and turned toward Chloe. “Thank you, Chloe. And thank your father for me too. We all owe him a great deal for this wonderful gift.”

“Oh, no need to thank us! It’s our pleasure!” said Chloe, hands held up diffidently.

Mia shook her head. “Chloe, I am of the belief that gratitude should beget grateful action. Your father did us a great favor, so I’d like to repay him appropriately.”

“By that logic, I owe you a ton too, so my father’s gift should be considered us paying you back. We’re square now, so don’t worry about it,” she smilingly argued. “Besides, I received such a warm welcome here at the capital, and had the chance to talk so much about my favorite books. And...” She paused for a moment to glance at Elise. “I got to know your court author. My hands are still shaking. What an amazing experience.”

Mia giggled. “My, you must have had quite the chat with Elise. I’m glad you found a new book buddy.”

As a fellow book lover, Mia knew how Chloe felt. Hearing Elise talk about novels was delightful. It mattered not whether she had them written out; her ideas alone were plenty riveting. Well, most of them. Mia had admittedly done a double take when she’d come across a section in a past romance novel by Elise that involved an “Operation Handkerchief Drop” to get the attention of a boy. She still wasn’t quite sure how to feel about that. But that was a special case. For books lovers, meeting an author was, as a rule, a priceless occasion befitting squeals of glee.

“Yes, I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself,” continued Mia. “But still, gratitude should be shown where gratitude is due. At the very least, do tell Sir Marco that he’s welcome to consult me if he ever runs into any trouble. I’d be more than happy to help.”

After all, the wheat distribution channels controlled by Forkroad & Co. were literal lifelines for Mia. If there was any trouble concerning them, she definitely wanted to hear about it as soon as possible. Truthfully, such political considerations were supplementary at best. She mostly wanted to thank him because she was thrilled to receive his mushroom basket, and it had put her in an extra generous mood.

“Princess Mia...” said Chloe, moved by Mia’s words. “All right. I’ll tell him.”

Just then...

“Uh, excuse me, Princess Mia,” Lynsha said, interrupting. “Do you have a moment? There’s something I’d like to discuss with you.”

“My, Lynsha. Certainly. But I must say...” Mia chuckled a little at Lynsha’s stiff expression. “Having you act so formally around me is going to take some getting used to.”

“Oh, stop it already, Princess Mia.” Lynsha sighed, releasing some tension with the breath. She lowered her voice to barely above a whisper. “It’s about milady Bel.”