Bonus Short Story

“O Friend From a Faraway Land...”

The birthday festival of Mia Luna Tearmoon, princess of the Tearmoon Empire, was a grand event that spanned five whole days. This year’s, thanks to the delightfully debaucherous spin she put on it, was especially lively. People reveled more than ever in celebration. Mia herself was no slouch, going on a visiting spree that took her through the domains of numerous nobles and their lavish welcomes. After crossing off the last location on her dizzying travel itinerary, Mia could finally breathe a sigh of relief. But only a single sigh, because that was all the time she had before being hauled off to the next series of events that required her attendance—the birthday parties hosted at each of the Four Dukes’ manors in the capital.

On day one, Mia went to the Bluemoon residence that Sapphias used to call home. Upon arrival, she found its party hall already filled with central nobility who were closely connected with the Bluemoons. These eminent nobles belonged to families that had served the emperor since the days of old. They had illustrious histories and their domains were situated close by on the outskirts of the capital. To these people, Mia’s reformist tendencies made her a thorn in their side.

“Ha ha ha, Mia,” her father chuckled, “you look great in that dress. I mean, you always look great, but you look even greater today!”

“Please, Your Majesty. Your flattery is embarrassing.”

“What flattery? There is no flattery here! And call me ‘dad’! I swear, how many times do I have to tell you...?”

She was, however, a thorn they would have to endure in silence. The presence of Matthias, the current emperor, made the prospect of raising grievance an act of lunacy. On top of that, it had only been a few days ago when they’d witnessed firsthand the sheer breadth of her connections—not only the two princes Sion and Abel but also the Holy Lady Rafina. As a result, the attitude with which everyone greeted her was extremely respectful if not a tad obsequious.

Except for one girl, who boldly walked right up to her with her head held high. Her hair flowed behind her in luxurious waves, and her steps were brisk and steady.

“Your Highness, it’s a wonderful pleasure to make your acquaintance for the first time. My name is Letizia Schubert, and I am Lord Sapphias’s fiancée.”

She smiled elegantly at Mia, her almond-shaped eyes forming endearing curls, and curtsied. Mia returned her an equally affable smile.

“My, so you’re the one... Your father is Marquess Schubert, yes?” Mia chuckled amiably. “I’ve heard so much about you from Sapphias. Maybe a little too much, if I’m allowed to be completely honest. He’s always going on and on about how his fiancée is such a marvelous lady.”

“Goodness... Is that really how he speaks of me?”

Mia’s icebreaking compliment proved effective, earning her a jovial laugh. But before Letizia could respond, a grimacing Sapphias waded in.

“Please, Your Highness. I’d appreciate it if you’d refrain from amusing yourself at the expense of my beloved.”

“If it was at anyone’s expense, Sapphias, it was at yours,” said Mia with a snarky grin, “considering I spoke nothing but the truth.”

Their banter quickly developed an organic rhythm as the conversation hopped from topic to topic, eventually reaching the events of Saint-Noel, which was unfamiliar territory for Letizia. And when Mia began talking about how she’d initially met Sion and Abel and their experiences during the Swordsmanship Tournament...there was a palpable change to the conversational atmosphere!

“Is that so? I had no idea Your Highness also dabbled in the art of cooking...” said Letizia, head lowered contemplatively.

“I certainly do. I made sandwiches before the Swordsmanship Tournament, you know? And they were fine sandwiches. Exemplary creations, truly,” said Mia, twisting facts with the casual ease of a serial hyperbolizer. “They were baked to perfection. Even came out in this brilliantly artistic shape, thanks to an idea I had. The boys absolutely loved them.”

Letizia nodded along, evidently fascinated. Slightly unsettled by the amount of interest his fiancée was showing in the topic, Sapphias moved to interrupt them, only to be interrupted himself.

“Sapphias, come here. There are guests I need you to greet with me.” Duke Bluemoon appeared and respectfully acknowledged Mia before turning back to his son. “It is good that you are entertaining Her Highness, but propriety is as important as courtesy. A gentleman knows when to leave ladies to their chatter. Besides, His Imperial Majesty is present today, as are many foreign nobles. We Bluemoons are the host of this gathering, and as the family’s eldest son, there is much for you to attend to. This is hardly the time to be engaging in casual banter.”

“Ah, I am aware of that, of course. But uh...”

“Go on, Lord Sapphias. I shall keep Her Highness entertained. I do believe I informed you of this arrangement beforehand, yes?” said Letizia in a firm tone.

There was a confidence to her that bespoke an intimate understanding of how to navigate polite society...as well as, perhaps, the makings of a future duchess. Normally, Sapphias would place his unqualified trust in her ability to do so. As princess, Mia had also been educated on the rules and customs of such occasions. There was no reason for him to worry. His brain was sure of it. His gut, however, couldn’t rid itself of a vague sense of concern. Just then, another voice joined in.

“Go ahead and tend to your business, Lord Sapphias. Leave the rest to me,” said a languid-looking boy.

Letizia’s younger brother, Dario Schubert, approached them with the droopy-eyed expression of someone who’d just gotten out of bed.

“Ah, Dario. I suppose it’ll be fine if you’re here...”

Not sounding entirely convinced, Sapphias nevertheless left with his father, though not without much reluctance and under-his-breath mumbling.

With Sapphias having taken his leave, Mia’s bragging...continued unabated.

“So like I was saying, boys simply love it when you cook for them. I wouldn’t do it all the time, but every once in a while, you can show up with a little something. It’d make for a nice accent to your relationship.”

“Hm, hm. Fascinating,” said an eagerly-nodding Letizia. “I’ve thought about it before, but Lord Sapphias is so good at cooking that I rarely have a chance to try it myself.”

“My, that’s no good. Hmm... In that case, how about we try cooking together sometime?”

“Cooking together? But...”

Letizia hesitated at the offer, but Mia kept watching her expectantly. So engrossed was she by the prospects of her own idea that she failed to notice the sudden absence of Dario, who’d quietly slid away somewhere.

“Oh, and if we’re going to cook together, we might as well invite Esmeralda and Ruby. Rina— I mean, Citrina too. What do you think?”

“With all the Etoilines? I can’t possibly—”

“Of course you can. You’re the future wife of an Etoiler, aren’t you? Don’t you think now would be a good time to start getting acquainted with the rest of the Four Dukes and their families?”

In Mia’s mind, a plan was brewing.

If I ask Esmeralda, she’d probably say something like, “No noble worth their salt cooks their own food!” I bet Ruby’d be on board, though. I can already see her imagining how she’d cook a homemade meal for Sir Vanos, and it’s adorable. Rina’s good with compounding things, so she might be a pretty good cook too. It can’t be that hard to convince her to come, especially if I tell her Bel’s coming too. Then, as long as Anne and Nina show up as well, I think we’ll be good to go.

As she entertained this delightful fancy, Sapphias returned.

“H-Hello... My sweet...Letty... Still chatting...with Her Highness?” For some reason, he was breathing with his shoulders. Beside him stood Dario, also panting like he’d run a marathon.

“Goodness, Lord Sapphias. What’s the matter? You too, Dario. This is Her Highness’s birthday party, you know? It’s hardly appropriate to be rushing around like that.”

“Oh, I just, you know...suddenly missed you, my dear. Aha ha,” said a patently evasive Sapphias. “Speaking of which, you’re good at the organ, right? Why don’t you play a piece or two for Her Highness?”

“Hm? I certainly don’t mind, but why the sudden request?” asked Letizia.

“Well...because I’d like to show Her Highness how talented you are.” He turned to Mia. “Forgive me for bragging, but she really is very good. Do have a listen. I’m sure you’ll be impressed,” he said, hoping she’d take the bait.

She did not. She didn’t even notice him cast his lure, having folded her arms in thought.

“Hm... Tomorrow’s the Redmoon party, which means I can invite her there, and then...”

“Your Highness?”

“Hm? What was that? Oh, yes, the organ. That sounds lovely.”

She smiled at him. The gesture was in no way reassuring, and he could but gaze warily between the princess and his fiancée.

The next day, Mia attended the party at the Redmoon residence. Situated within Lunatear, it boasted the largest footprint of the Four Dukes’ manors, though this wasn’t to the credit of the building proper. Rather, it was the courtyard that was enormous. Soldiers from their private army could march through it in rank and file. It was even large enough to be used for cavalry training.

After taking in the sheer breadth of the courtyard, Mia turned toward the party hall. Unlike the outside, where frigid winds howled, warm air permeated the interior of the residence. Today’s guests bore little resemblance to those of Bluemoon. Here, it was mostly higher-ups from the Ebony Moon Ministry and military officers, as evidenced by the abundance of sturdy frames and pronounced physiques. Amidst this slightly intimidating air was a leaner form who glided through the crowd to welcome Mia.

Wearing a beautiful crimson dress, Ruby Etoile Redmoon gracefully held the fabric in her fingers and performed a perfect curtsy. After this exemplary display of noble custom, she flashed a far more casual grin.

“Happy birthday, Your Highness.”

“Thank you, Ruby. Wait... Is it just me, or is your makeup a little different than usual? You look...cuter.”

Ruby froze, apparently caught off guard by the comment. “Huh? I do? I don’t remember doing anything special...”

“Ha ha ha. I’ve noticed that lately, my daughter has been enjoying her work more than ever. Maybe that’s why.”

A middle-aged man appeared behind Ruby. It was none other than her father. Duke Manzana Etoile Redmoon regarded Mia with a calm but friendly expression.

“Ah, Lord Redmoon. It’s a pleasure to see you.”

They traded a round of polite smiles and quick greetings.

“I’m glad to hear that Ruby finds her work to be enjoyable.”

“All thanks to Your Highness, of course,” said Manzana as he bowed his head. “Please accept my gratitude for entrusting her with a duty that affords her both esteem and fulfillment.”

“No, no, if anyone should be grateful, it is me,” replied Mia. “Thank you for allowing your daughter to join my guard. She is a great boon and an absolutely inspiring presence.”

Mia meant what she said. When Ruby joined the Princess Guard, she also brought a number of her own soldiers, resulting in a slight shift in its gender makeup. Having more women in the Guard made it easier to keep Mia protected at all times—her male guards weren’t suitable for all occasions. This was something she appreciated immensely.

When it comes to swinging swords around, Dion’s men are the cream of the crop, but they’re just so intimidating. If I take them with me to Saint Mia Academy, they might scare all the children.

Strength came in a multitude of flavors, and Mia wanted as many as possible in the Princess Guard.

“Your Highness certainly has a way with words...” Manzana grimaced, but it was an amused grimace devoid of bitterness.

It should be noted that for him to display such an expression was no simple feat. A great deal of deliberation, acceptance, and ultimately time had been necessary for him to adopt the necessary perspective. Ruby, after all, was not his only child. He also had sons, all of whom technically had a chance to inherit the throne. If Mia became empress, it would deprive them of that opportunity. That was not an easy pill to swallow. At the same time though, he also knew that deep down, none of his sons were emperor material. Ruby was the only child who displayed the character and caliber necessary to fill that lofty seat. He’d considered the possibility of pushing for Ruby as empress, and if the opportunity were to present itself, he’d be more than willing to throw his full weight behind her in the ensuing power struggle. Cleaving a path to the throne for his daughter should prove a gratifying pursuit.

Mia was about to squash that possibility too. By making the bid herself, at that.

At the same time, however, she persuaded Ruby to join the Princess Guard, opening up an entirely new avenue of advancement for her. It was a path that, after careful consideration, Manzana realized was perfectly suited to the Redmoons.

Should Mia become empress, she would have a private army to her name, and the most prestigious positions doubtlessly belonged to the imperial guards that ensured her safety. Ruby would be their vice-captain. She’d be commanding Empress Mia’s personal guard. Not only would the station afford immense glory, it was also a job whose duties suited Ruby’s personality far better than the tedium of the crown.

After seeing the joy on his daughter’s face, it didn’t take long for Manzana to abandon all interest in fighting for the throne. His attention was now focused elsewhere.

Specifically, he now occupied himself with maximizing his daughter’s future clout. Ruby would be the vice-captain of Mia’s personal guard, but whether they’d be the Princess Guard or the Empress Guard was still up in the air...and there was a big difference between the two.

If he wanted the greatest advancement for his daughter, having Mia become empress would be the most efficient there. That was the conclusion that gave way to his barbless grimace, and also made clear the path that the Redmoons should take.

None of this, however, had crossed the minds of the two girls before him, who bantered about topics far less cerebral...

“That reminds me, Ruby. There’s something I’ve been thinking about, and I was wondering if you could give me some advice.”

“Some advice? Sure. What’s the problem?”

“Oh, don’t frown like that. It’s not that serious. I was just talking to Marquess Schubert’s daughter. She’s Sapphias’s fiancée, and...”

...Far less cerebral, but possibly far more headache-inducing.

“Lady Ruby, a moment please?”

As the party began to wrap up, Ruby heard someone call her name. She turned toward the direction of the voice and frowned in surprise.

“Huh. Now there’s a rare face. Didn’t think I’d see the scion of the Blues at one of our parties. To whom do I owe this great fortune?”

“To propriety, I suppose. It’d be rude to keep missing your parties year after year. Also, this year’s a little special, right?” answered Sapphias, recalling the Clair de Lune meeting.

“Fair enough,” said Ruby. “What’s the matter then?”

Sapphias didn’t answer immediately, instead scrunching up his face in an expression that screamed “How do I explain this?”

There was a crisis to be averted, and he needed to figure out how. After considering his options and settling on an approach, he prepared to put it to words. Right at that moment, however, he noticed something that gave him pause. Ruby was wearing an expression he recognized—that of a girl hopelessly in love!

“...I wonder what he likes to eat?” she mumbled.

Oh moons... This isn’t going to work.

Sapphias immediately knew that the battle was lost. He was not going to be able to make an ally of Ruby. She was already eagerly imagining herself cooking for the man of her dreams. He pressed at his temples in a vain attempt to quell the emerging headache.

“Say, Sapphias of the Blues, would you happen to know what kind of foods men prefer? Big, sturdy men in particular. Ones with lots of muscle.”

“I can’t say I do...though I do feel there are more of these men around you than me,” said Sapphias, struggling to keep his smile from twitching into a grimace. He shuddered in both fear and awe.

Her Highness’s influence truly knows no bounds.

The day after that...

“Wow...”

The minute Mia stepped into Yellowmoon’s party hall, she let out a sigh of awe.

“What a magnificent display this is...”

Countless confections of kaleidoscopic colors were laid out in a ring on tables. At the center of this circle of delicacies was a massive cake that rose above them all like an empress of sweets. Dressed in a coating of pure white cream, the ivory spire was truly a breathtaking sight to behold. Mia felt herself tremble, not only out of awe but also excitement, for the cake also represented a challenge.

This was, after all, a party held to celebrate her birthday. In other words, she was the star. This was her day. She could eat as much as she wanted, and nobody could fault her for it. Her heart pounded at the thrill of letting herself loose in an environment created specifically to gratify her.

Granted, if she ate way too much, then she’d still earn herself a scolding from Anne. She was aware of this, but in the moment, she chose to throw caution to the winds. Sometimes, a girl just had to listen to her heart, and her heart demanded that she start things off by devouring those delicious-looking cookies. Just as she began to chow down...

“Thank you for attending our party, Your Highness. Happy birthday.”

Citrina quickly walked up and curtsied. Behind her stood Duke Lorenz Yellowmoon.

“Ah, greetings to you, Rina. And you too, Lord Yellowmoon.”

Mia smiled at them, the delightful rush of sugar causing her lips to spread a little wider than she’d intended.

“We Yellowmoons did everything in our power to present Your Highness with the finest selection of desserts. What do you think?” asked Lorenz.

“It’s excellent. Excellent, I say. They’re all amazing. You’ve left me speechless. I’m having trouble deciding what to try next.” She let out a sigh of deep gratification before a thought made her frown. “There is one thing I find a little odd, though... I’ve been attending Yellowmoon’s parties every year, but I’ve never seen you provide such a jaw-dropping selection of sweets.”

“Ha ha ha, but of course. Our goal was always to host the least interesting party possible. A jaw-dropping selection of sweets would be the exact opposite of inconspicuous. The yellows are the weakest of all, remember? We had to keep up our image.”

“I see... In other words, this wealth of desserts is proof that the Yellowmoons are finally free.”

Devouring them all, then, would be the best way to honor their liberation. Holding back would actually be rude. Realizing this, she exhaled, preparing herself to go on an all-out eating spree.

...Not that she ever intended to do otherwise, mind you, but she had just cause now. That was worth a bit of preparatory posturing.

She worked her way through the ring of sweets until she reached the center. Right when she was about to lay siege to the ivory cake spire, a thought suddenly occurred to her, and she spun toward Citrina.

“Oh, by the way, Rina, I’m planning a cooking party with the other members of the Four Houses. Would you care to join us?”

“Um, will Bel be attending?” asked Citrina with a quizzical head tilt.

“Hm...”

Mia pondered for a second before deciding that there was no harm to having Bel make some more connections.

“Yes, I can certainly invite Bel—”

“In that case, sure.”

Mia had barely finished her sentence before getting her answer. The sheer brazenness of Citrina’s decision-making astounded her, who stared at the beaming girl in disbelief.

“Ooh, I can’t wait,” Citrina said to herself excitedly. “I need to practice in advance... I wonder if I can use the things I have in the house... It can’t be that different from compounding...”

Mia shook her head, then returned to her siege of the massive cake.

Meanwhile, Sapphias, after failing to escape the clutches of a group of nobles opposed to Mia becoming empress, spent the day stuck with them in a secret meeting. This frustrated him to no end, as he had far more pressing concerns than succession debates to attend to. His very well-being was currently at stake! Afterward, he’d pass the names of all the nobles in the meeting to Mia, figuring it was fair payback for literally endangering his life.

This was no laughing matter!

The day after that, it was time for the last of the birthday parties, hosted by the Greenmoons.

“Hmm... I’m pretty sure Esmeralda will be against the idea. How should I approach this...?” Mia muttered.

Ideally, her cooking party would be a “Mia and the Ladies of the Four Houses” affair (Schubert would be representing the Bluemoons, but that was a mere technicality), but that would require Esmeralda to participate. How could she convince her?

“She’s going to say something about how prominent noble ladies don’t cook for themselves. I just know it. But if I don’t invite her, she’ll probably make a fuss about that too. Hrrrngh... What do I do...?”

As she walked into the hall, she found Esmeralda waiting for her.

“Greetings, Esmeralda.”

Immediately upon seeing her face, however, she noticed something was wrong.

“Greetings, Miss Mia. Welcome to the Greenmoon manor.”

Esmeralda smiled, but there was something stiff about the expression.

“Hm? Is something the matter?” Mia asked. “You don’t seem yourself...”

That sent Esmeralda into a fit of nervous fidgeting. The whole time, she kept her arms behind her back.

“U-Um, Miss Mia, I uh...have a present for you... You know how you said before that you prefer handmade, original items, even if they don’t cost much? You probably forgot, but...”

“Uh... Of course I said that. I didn’t forget. How could I?”

Mia had definitely forgotten.

The event in question had happened on Saint-Noel Island when, on one of her days off, Mia had been walking around town and ran into Esmeralda who was in the middle of shopping. Specifically, she was looking for a birthday present for Mia. Seeing that she was on the verge of buying a ridiculously expensive gem, Mia immediately stopped her and asked her to look instead for smaller, cheaper gems that could be used in handmade accessories, saying “I don’t mind if it’s cheap, but I’d prefer a handmade present that’s one of a kind.”

“Did you...actually make one?”

Esmeralda nodded wordlessly. Her reddened cheeks betrayed her embarrassment.

Mia, for her part, had not seen this coming at all. Never in her wildest dreams would she have expected Esmeralda to take such advice to heart. After the initial shock wore off, however, she began to feel warm and fuzzy inside. Not only Esmeralda had remembered her request, she actually complied. What did she make?

“May I...see it?” asked Mia, her anticipation growing.

Esmeralda fidgeted even more nervously.

“Um... Sure, but don’t get your hopes up, okay? I’m...not very good at this...” Esmeralda said sheepishly as she held out a small wooden box.

Mia took it and, with an almost reverent amount of care, opened it. Inside was a brooch. It was slightly larger than most, about the size of her palm, and a number of tiny gemstones were arranged somewhat clumsily along it. She could all but envision Esmeralda fumbling her way through the process, trying her best to set the gems. The thought struck a chord with her, and she couldn’t help but laugh. As she did, she pinned it to her dress at her chest.

“Ah... Ha ha, yes, it’s laughably bad, isn’t it? Um, you don’t have to put it on—”

“Thank you, Esmeralda. This...just made my day.” Mia looked Esmeralda in the face and smiled. “I’ll cherish it like the treasure it is.”

It took a few seconds before Esmeralda remembered how to pick her jaw back up. Then...

“Oh! Well, do take good care of it then!”

She beamed.

Mia observed her for a moment.

You know what... I think this might be easier than I thought.

“Say, Esmeralda,” she said, sensing a certain receptiveness in her friend, “I’m organizing something, you see...”

Before long, Esmeralda had signed up for her cooking party.

Now, while Mia and Esmeralda were putting on their moving display of friendship, something else was happening behind the scenes.

Nina, Esmeralda’s maid, was busy with tasks that took her in and out of the party hall. During one of her trips, she felt a sudden tug on her arm.

“Who’s— Lord Sapphias? Is something the matter?”

He pulled her toward a secluded corner of the hallway, whereupon her normally stolid face was forced to adopt an expression of surprise by the sheer oddness of his behavior.

“Yes, actually,” he whispered. “There’s a tiny little emergency I’m dealing with...”

“A tiny little...emergency?”

Nina arched her eyebrow at the oxymoronic phrase. Sapphias probably intended to smile, but his twitching cheeks made it seem more like a desperate plea for help.

“Listen. Something terrible is about to happen, and I’d like your help to stop it. No, I need your help. You’re the only one I have left...”

Thus, it was decided that the Four-Etoiline (technically three plus one future duchess) Cooking Party feat. Mia would proceed. As for how the event unfolded... That would have to be a story for a different time.

All that can be said right now is that by the time it finished, there wasn’t much left of Sapphias aside from an empty husk of a man, so thoroughly burnt out that he on the verge of turning to dust.

“Aaah, Keithwood. I wonder how the man is doing... One of these days, we need to get a drink again...”

Lying in a pool of his own exhaustion, Sapphias would fondly recall the name of a friend from a faraway land.

He lived. Maybe not happily ever after, but he lived.

Mia’s Fine Foods Travel Diary —Eat Till You Drop in Perujin—

Going to Perujin is a pretty special occasion, so I decided to change things up by buying a new diary. From today on, I’m going to start writing entries here. One entry a day. No slacking off. Also, they’ll be proper entries. Not just a list of things I ate.

Perujin Trip Day One

Today, I crossed the border between the empire and Perujin. It was still bright out when I arrived at the village. There, I experienced for the first time the wonders of this rare fruit known as rubyfruit. It has this refreshing sweetness, and it’s really juicy. It’s great and I love it!

I’m now convinced that there are few things in life more luxurious than eating freshly picked rubyfruits on the spot. They’re soft and fragile, so transporting them is apparently a headache, making it very difficult to find any in the empire. It’s such a terrible shame. I want to do something about this, but I don’t know how. Can improvements be made to the horse carts? To make them shake less, for example? Or maybe they can put some soft cloth inside the boxes that hold the fruits? I wonder if anything can be done...

*I checked out non-food things too. I’m doing pretty good so far, so I hope to keep it up.

Perujin Trip Day Three

I arrived at the second village.

Today, I helped with harvesting these things called Perujin berries and had a taste-testing session on the spot. They’re little black beads that look like early harvest grapes, but not as soft. Biting into them, I was surprised that they were more sweet than sour. I’m pretty sure I could have spent all day eating them if Anne didn’t stop me.

When I asked the villagers, they told me that these things make for a delicious jam too. You spread it over tahkoes, and it tastes great. I think I’ll try some tomorrow morning. I must say though, getting to compare freshly-picked ones with jam is quite the luxury. What a wonderful experience that will be.

Apparently, they’re great for pies too. What a versatile ingredient! I want to bring some back with me to the empire.

Today’s entry was also about food, but it involved some thinking about how to make use of their culinary properties in the empire, so it’s fine. It’s not good to be too strict about these things.

*I had nothing to write about yesterday, so I skipped an entry. It wasn’t my fault. I just had nothing to write about.

Perujin Trip Day Five

I arrived at the third village.

I’ve been waiting for this. It’s time to pick grapes. I’ve been itching to do this ever since there was talk about a trip to Perujin.

This village plants a number of grape varieties, so there’s not just the regular purple ones but also yellow ones called mooncat grapes, as well as red ones that can be eaten with the skin called sun grapes.

For the picking session, I got to pick sun grapes. I ate a few on the spot, and words cannot describe how good they were. This occurred to me when I had rubyfruits and Perujin berries too, but eating fruits when they’ve just been picked is truly a wonderful experience.

Apparently, in addition to eating them as is, grapes can also be made into juice. I tried some. It didn’t have the alcoholic taste of wine, but the flavor is fresh and striking. Perfect for quenching thirst after a good picking. With that said, the fact that the grapes were so fresh did make it seem a bit of a waste to mash them into juice.

Quality fruits really are best eaten as is.

Perujin Trip Day... Something

I’m at the capital, Auro Ardea, which they call the skyward village of gold. I brought a brand new diary for the Perujin trip, but somehow, the entries all turned into my usual food reviews again. It simply defies explanation.

More importantly, something wonderful happened today. Anne made a castilla for me. Apparently, she asked Rania for help, and they figured out a special recipe that’s not the normal way to make it. According to her, they didn’t use wheat flour or sugar...but it still tasted sweet. It was very mild, but it was just the right amount of sweetness. I could also taste just enough of the fullmoon corn to make the whole flavor pop. Honestly, I think it might be even better than regular castillas.

It’s so good that I need to get Father to try this. Abel too, and also the rest of the student council. I think I’ll practice the recipe until I’m used to it so I can make it together with Anne next time.

I do wonder what motivated her to try making it without wheat flour or sugar, though. It’s almost as if she remembers what happened back then. I mean, it’s certainly true that there was no way we could find any flour or sugar in that world...but she can’t possibly have any memories of that time.

Then again, Anne didn’t seem quite herself today. Something about her was strangely reminiscent of the other Anne. Maybe she somehow remembered...

No, that’s not it. The person who made the castilla today was undoubtedly this Anne. She made it for me. I still have to thank her properly. I should also go say hi to Rania. I wonder what would make a good gift for her...

That reminds me, the last time we talked, she was worrying about her country’s future. What was it again? I think she was trying to come up with some sort of new and innovative way to bring in foreign money. It’d be nice if I could give her some good ideas. That’d be a good way to thank her.

I’d say it all comes down to Perujin’s strengths, which are food and agriculture. The only problem is that I don’t know nearly enough to be commenting on how to grow crops, much less coming up with innovative ideas.

There must be something I can do though. If I can make use of this experience I just had... Build a town with food as its theme, maybe? After all, there are towns with schools as its theme, like academy cities, so I don’t see why they can’t have a town with food as a theme.

For example, they can have lots of fields around the town and make it so people can go fruit-picking there. As long as they make sure there are delicious fruits available, they can probably convince nobles to go there on pleasure trips.

Wait... Is it just me, or does this actually sound like a pretty good idea? This way, I’ll be able to come every summer. I’d love to go fruit-picking with Abel.

What an excellent idea, if I do say so myself. I’d better write this down so I don’t forget.

Any other feasible ideas? Hm... A mushroom-shaped house? A tree that’s actually candy? Both sound pretty interesting. Maybe they can make another castle out of cake. Oh, they can also get everyone to wear mushroom costumes. That sounds like a lot of fun too. Finally, they can fill the streets with delicious Perujin cuisine.

If they build a town like that, I feel like it’ll motivate Anne to practice cooking again. I can also bring the head chef and have him learn all the recipes so he can expand his repertoire.

Learning recipes, huh... You know what? We should set up a course in my academy where people learn how to cook. I’ll hire a lecturer from Perujin who’s good at cooking... Wait, there’s no need to limit it to Perujin. I should make it so students can learn to cook things from other kingdoms too.

Sunkland food... Equestrian Kingdom food... Those both sound pretty promising. Belluga and Remno too. I wonder what food from Abel’s home town tastes like...

As soon as I get back, I need to have a chat with Headmaster Galv. That’s something to look forward to.