Cooking with Wild Game (LN) Volume 13 - Ch 4

And finally, the day has co.

The 30th of the White Month the goodwill banquet with the Genos nobles.

The chef and escorts set off for the Count Turan manor in the morning. According to the city, it was the second watch after noon. There was still 4 and a half hours before the banquet.

I went in through the city gates again after half a month on the Totos carriage prepared by the castle guards. Rie Wu and the others visiting the city for the first ti looked out the windows in awe.

Amazing! Amazing! Rock city is really made completely from rocks!

This is incredible I never thought that I will enter the city.

The hunters on guard duty didnt relax at all, but their eyes were calr compared to a few days ago.

When we reached the manor, I was the one gasping in surprise this ti. We carried sacks of kiba at and poitan, and was ushered into the mansion by the guards. A beautiful woman with curled honey hair and purple eyes welcod us.

Welco, guests from the Forests Edge Im pleased to et you

Chiffon Chel! You are still staying in this manor?

Yes Because I had nowhere to go Only this manor and the Turan orchards have Mahildra people

Chiffon Chel who was 5 cm taller than smiled brightly:

Now, Im tending to Lady Lifurias daily life Im glad to see that Sir Asuta is doing well

Yes, Im happy to see you are fine too

During my depressing confinent, the ones who gave comfort were Chiffon Chel, Dell and Roy, who I had slowly understood with the passage of ti.

I worried about Chiffon Chel the most because of her low status. eting Chiffon Chel again gave unexpected joy and relief.

Well then, allow to lead the way This way please

Hmm? You dont need to safekeep our blades?

Ludo Wu asked the frail Chiffon Chel, and the castle guards answered: No need.

You cant perform your duties without blades. Please refrain from going anywhere else without permission.

Alright

The one who answered was Darum Wu. He was the second son of the tribal chief Wu clan, so he was appointed as the leader of the escorts. Ai Fa, Darum Wu, Ludo Wu and Rau Lei this powerful but small team were our guards.

This way please

Chiffon Chel and two guards led us down the tiled corridor, and instead of the left wing, we entered the right wing of the manor this ti.

I wonder where Pyschkurewuss and Shileru were held captive. And where were Dell and her father lodging in now? I thought about these questions and soon reached our first destination.

I stood outside a familiar door.

E-Erm, Chiffon Chel, isnt this the bath house?

Yes Before you go into the kitchen, you need to cleanse your body

The rules are still the sa after the house head changed?

Thats right We have been instructed to do this

Chiffon Chel gestured, and the castle guards nodded.

As you will be cooking for highly esteed guests, so this is a necessary step. All the entry points are guarded, so please dont worry.

Alright then

I had to bathe here everyday when I was imprisoned here, so I wasnt too resistant about this. But what about the others?

Well then, ladies first...

Chiffon Chel led the puzzled Rie Wu, Leina Wu and Shela Wu into the door, when Ludo Wu suddenly shouted: Wait.

They are going to bathe, right? Then Ai Fa should go with them. We will need soone to stay on guard outside when the n go in later.

Yes.

And so, the n just stood outside for the ti being. As I just stood around, Ludo Wu and the others remained vigilant of the surroundings.

After about 15 minutes, when the door opened again all the girls returned with wet hair and rosy cheeks.

I exhaled in relief when I saw everyone look happy. However, Ai Fa was the only one who looked completely blushed Rie Wu was clinging onto Ai Fas chest as usual.

That felt great! But I didnt know Ai Fa is so ticklish.

Im not! I just dont like people touching !

Hmm? Rie just wants to help Ai Fa bathe, isnt that fine?

A-Ai Fa bathed too?

I blurted out unwittingly, and was glared by her grudgingly.

Rie Wu was very clingy, so I bathed with her. When you were confined here, you have to follow this rule everyday too, correct?

Yes, I have to bathe everyday.

That must be hard on you.

She averted her face, and a sweet scent entered my nose cavity. It reminded of the fruit that attracts kiba that even the Mugwort herbal soup couldnt conceal. Or rather, the scent was enhanced by the steam, making it more prominent.

Well then, Sir Asuta

Ah, yes, okay.

I was wondering about my escorts, and scanned my eyes around before locking gaze with Ludo Wu.

This is a pain, I will go in with you. Darum-nii I will leave Rie and the others to you.

Alright.

Under the watchful gaze of Darum Wu, Ludo Wu and I walked towards the door. Chiffon Chel walked in before us, and I shouted in panic:

Ahh! I rember how to cleanse myself, so you dont have to teach .

Oh, you are right Excuse

Chiffon Chel chuckled.

On the first day I was abducted to the Count Turan House, Chiffon Chel bathed without any warning. I declined her help on the second day, but Chiffon Chels naked body was still fresh on my mind.

I pleaded with her not to leak that secret in my absence as Ludo Wu and I walked through the changing room and into the steamy bath hall.

Uwah What is this place!? Its completely white!

Yes, I was shocked when I first ca here too.

Anyway, I took off my clothes and tossed it into the basket, wanting to get it over with quickly.

I then scrubbed myself with a bamboo like scrub. I scrubbed myself completely down.

Regrettably, there wasnt any bath pool in the hall. I was thinking that I might as well take a dip since I was bathing anyway. Ludo Wu who looked really hot as he was still dressed fanned himself as he said:

Hey, dont let your guard down. The big wigs in Genos wont try to get on the good side of the Forests Edge denizens without any reason.

Thats true, but isnt that a good thing?

That might be so But they pretended to not know anything at all, but changed tack once Pyschkurewuss cris were exposed. All this feels a little pretentious.

He probably felt that Marstein was cutting off Psychurewuss like a gecko losing its tail. After Pyschkurewuss fell from grace, Marstein admitted his negligence completely, and did everything in his powers to make up for it. But the one who did all the legwork was still Kamyua Yost.

If Kamyua Yost didnt find the witness Barcia and dragged the Banam Marquis house in, there was no telling how all this would have ended. Just the Forests Edge denizens alone wouldnt be enough to uncover these cris and we might even be forced to leave our hos.

If it cos to that, who knows what Marstein would do. Would he abandon the Forests Edge? There was no way to tell what would happen, thats why Donda Wu decided to give Marstein the benefit of doubt and trust him.

He had an innocent smile on his face, but he definitely isnt soone simple.

I thought as I used the bucket to wash myself clean. The water that was warr than my body temperature, and was very suitable to cleanse my steam covered body.

I then used a large towel-like cloth to dry my body, and put on the clothes I took off earlier. When I left the bath hall, my Forests Edge tribe mates were waiting patiently for us. No one cast cold gazes towards us, so Chiffon Chel definitely didnt say anything unnecessary.

Well then, I will lead you to the kitchen

I had a faint idea on how to get to the kitchen. Twenty days ago, I took this route everyday. It was just five days that differed from my usual routine, but it caused great pain to . Im glad that was over It was a long ti before I thought about it that way.

This way please

Chiffon stood before a familiar door. At this mont, one of the guards said:

Aside from this door, there are no other entrances into this kitchen. After you have inspected the room, please stand guard outside together with us.

Darum Wu nodded, and entered the room with Rau Lei. When they finished their inspection, we were permitted to enter the kitchen.

Rie Wu squealed happily again. As for , this was the first ti I stepped into the Count Turan kitchen after twenty days.

It was just a small kitchen to prepare als for the servants, but the scale and completeness of the facilities were impeccable. Never mind the Forests Edge settlent, even Post Station Town doesnt have such a variety of cooking tools, clean stoves, counters, steel oven and a cabinet of wooden, porcelain, steel and glass utensils. Everything was just as I rembered it.

Leina Wu and the others who ca in after Rie Wu all had the looks of lovestruck girls.

Amazing! This is just like a paradise for chefs!

If I was invited in as a guest back then, I would definitely feel as elated as them. Fortunately, I could wipe away the painful mories today with this happy experience.

After I gave her a tour of the food store, Rie Wu cheered again: Uwah!

There are so many vegetables I have never seen before! Hey, what does this taste like?

What kind of herb is this? It slls bitter.

Shela Wu was in awe as she stood beside the two sisters who were behaving like children. There was still a huge stock of food here, like how it was during my ti here.

Pyschkurewuss was in custody, and his hordes of servants were dismissed, so they wouldnt need so much food anymore. However, they couldnt break off the contract so suddenly, so large quantities of food were still sent to this manor every day.

Kamyua Yost told us before: We couldnt break the contract Pyschkurewuss made for the supply of food and with the Jaguar steel rchants, you can imagine how difficult things are for the guardian.

Most of the contracts had been transferred to the Marquis house, but Pyschkurewuss had business in a wide variety of industries, so settling all of them required a lot of ti and effort.

In any case, the nobles would take care of all that, so we just need to focus on our own work.

Lets get to work then. First is the vegetable soup.

I tried to calm down the ecstatic Rie Wu and company, instructing them to bring all the ingredients we need to the working counter.

Thirteen portions of food, and dinner for the chefs and escorts was a large amount. After bringing in the aria, neenon, chachi, gigo, tau sauce, rock salt and fuwano powder I picked up a knife when soone knocked on the closed door.

Asuta, the chef from the city is here to greet you.

I heard Ai Fas voice, and the door opened at the sa ti. A group of n in white entered the kitchen. I yelped at the sight of an ivory skinned young man with a freckled face:

Roy! You are taking part in tonights banquet too?

Yes, but Im just a helper.

One of the chefs working in Count Turans manor, Roy answered with a complicated face. When I left the manor with the help of Ai Fa and Polarse, he sent off at the entrance, as we didnt even have ti to say good bye in front of Pyschkurewuss and Lifuria.

He had excellent culinary skills despite his young age, so I invited him to assist for today.

An even mannered voice interjected into our conversation. The oldest of the four n in white lowered his head respectfully.

You must be the chef from the Forests Edge, Sir Asuta of the Fa house. Im the head chef of the Selva Lance Inn, and forr vice head chef in the Count Turan manor, Timaro.

He looked to be in his mid forties. His body was thin, but his belly bulged out, and was a gentle and calm person. His skin was yellowish brown, and his hair under his conical hat and his eyes were a dark shade of brown. He had a sharp look on his face, and had a white piece of cloth around his mouth.

Pleased to et you, Im Asuta of the Fa house. Well I will be in your care tonight.

Yes, I will do my best to deepen the friendship between Genos and the Forests Edge.

Timaro smiled behind the white cloth covering his mouth.

His every move looked relaxed and at ease, but his eyes didnt seem happy at all.

From what I know your side is a four mber team. To match you We had the sa number of people.

What? Match us?

Correct. Our kitchen has all sorts of ingredients, but I promise you that we wont use anything that isnt available here.

Hmm, whats going on here?

His words were a little dangerous.

Timaro smiled again after noticing the change in my facial expression:

Dont worry, I just want to cook under the sa condition as Asuta of the Fa house. Using higher class ingredients doesnt guarantee that the dish will be great in quality, so I decided to make the highest grade cooking possible with the limited ingredients.

For , reten oil and Banam honey were rare ingredients, but the food store in their kitchen seed to have an even bigger assortnts of ingredients.

Speaking of which, Michael also ntioned that the food store in the main kitchen was like a treasure trove to Pyschkurewuss. Anyway, that didnt ease my worries at all.

Well, todays goal isnt to have a competition, but to cook a sumptuous al for Marquis Genos and the tribal chiefs, correct?

Yes, of course! Im just happy to have the chance to cook alongside Sir Asuta who had earned so many rave reviews from Lady Lifuria. Let us do our best with our pride as chefs on the line.

Alright, that will be my honor.

Timaro nodded, then turned and left gracefully like a stage actor.

Roy spoke towards his back:

Timaro, can you give so ti? I worked with him in the sa kitchen before.

Yes, please go ahead. The conditions are the sa, but we dont have to start at the sa ti. We will begin after you return to the kitchen.

Thank you very much, I will be right back.

Timaro left with his two assistants, leaving just Roy behind.

Roy sighed in relief, then glared at with scary eyes:

Thats how it is. Timaro wants to have an all out competition with you, so dont make the excuse that you arent aware.

He didnt sound happy about seeing again, and felt anxious. But that was just like Roy anyway.

Yes, I planned to give my best for this job in the first place Does Timaro dislike ?

Of course. He couldnt beat you no matter how hard he tried, thats why he is trying to reclaim his pride as a chef. I would think the sa if I was him..

Roy said with a frown. He was a straight shooter with a crude attitude. Like Chiffon Chel, he didnt change at all.

I felt a little happy and smiled, and Roy asked with a scary expression: Why are you smiling!?

Let say this first, Timaros specialty is karon dishes. Back then, he could only cook kimyusu dishes as requested by Lady Lifuria. If you still think he is the sa as back then, you will lose terribly?

No, Im not here to compete in the first place

But if the guests keep praising Timaros cooking, you will feel frustrated too, right?

Yes, I will definitely feel frustrated.

And you have to use kiba at too. Can you even make anything decent with it?

Of course I can. By the way The only karon torso at I ever tried was cooked by Roy.

No one would sell karon torso at in Forests Edge and Post Station Town, so I didnt really pay any attention to that.

Roy muttered: How unreliable.

I know how capable you are, but everyone says the kiba at is stinky and tough. Will you be fine?

I will be alright. It will be great if Roy knows how delicious kiba at is.

When he heard what I said, Roy narrowed his eyes.

Why are you so confident?

Im confident in the kiba at.

Michael also acknowledged the tastiness of kiba. I was certain that the people in the city would grow to love kiba at too.

Make more food for the staff al too. Wait Dont make too much either. Both sides have four people, so we just need to exchange half of our dishes. I will inform Timaro.

Huh? Why do we have to do that?

Just the complints from the guests arent enough to convince Timaro. The Forests Edge denizens might complint the dishes they dont like for the sake of currying favor with the nobles. You wont be convinced if that happens, correct?

Is Timaro soone who will say that?

At the very least, he wont admit his loss unless he taste your food with his own tongue.

Roy then snorts anxiously:

And he has the skills to back his talk. I cant be sure he will still be so friendly when he leaves the kitchen. Didnt he bragged a lot just now? He was trying to say that he doesnt want to associate with low class peasants. People who mingle with nobles all the ti will be infected with this bad habit of nobles.

Ehh, he sure is a troubling man.

That might be so, but I prefer not to bring in personal feelings into the job this ti. As I was wondering what I should do, soone tugged the sleeve of my T-shirt:

Asuta will be the only one attending the banquet, right? If possible, I want to see the dishes in the city and taste them What do you think?

Thats true. There isnt any problem with tasting their dishes anyway.

Even if the people in the city thought badly of my cooking, it wouldnt affect my business in Post Station Town. However, disparaging my dishes without even trying them still felt unpleasant.

Ah, will it be against the custom of the Forests Edge if we eat dinner cooked in the hearth of soone elses house?

When she heard what I said, Leina Wu smiled deviously:

If we are just trying out the taste, Papa Donda wont get mad.

Smiling cheekily like a cat would be an apt description of her face. I never imagined that she had such a charming face. I turned to Roy with a wry smile and told him:

Alright. Roy, please take care of Timaros side

I stopped mid sentence. Roy who had an irate face just now was looking at Leina Wu slacked jaw with a shocked face.

Erm, whats the matter?

Leina Wu smiled puzzledly.

Roy shook his head so hard his hat almost fell off, then glared at :

Its settled then. After saying all that, you better serve a presentable al, or we will laugh at you.

Yes, I will work hard to not get mocked by you.

Hmmp!

Roy grunted aninglessly, then glances Leina Wus way before leaving the kitchen.

Ai Fa and Ludo Wu who were watching us quietly all this ti closed the door again.

What a noisy man.

The unaware Leina Wu smiled brightly.

Her face was covered in a thin veil just like how she was in Post Station Town, and looked adorable. Her features were delicate, her face round and petite, and her body was thicc. A girl as charming as her was a rare find.

I see why Donda Wu doesnt want people from town to take his daughter in marriage. Just that matter between Vena Wu and Shumimaru is enough of a headache.

I said to myself quietly and said : Lets get to work.

2

Ti passed slowly but surely, and our work progressed steadily.

We decided on the workflow ahead of ti, and nothing untowards happened. Leina Wu and the others had hands on training during the past few days, and their work was flawless.

Aside from Leina Wu and Shela Wu who were the stars of the kitchen, Rie Wu was also exceptionally skilled. It was said that one could only master sothing they really like, and I felt Rie Wu was already on par with Mama Mia Lei in terms of cooking.

Speaking of which, all the chefs in the city are n.

In my previous world, n were the majority too.

Cooking required a lot of stamina. If the quantity was big, cutting and cooking would be just like a marathon.

However, the won of Forests Edge had extraordinary endurance, and my companions were incredibly passionate about cooking too. Their outstanding sense of taste made them very reliable companions.

But Compared to the people in Post Station Town, are their standards high or low?

There were no professional chef in Post Station Town. The innkeepers there were rely selling their ho cooking.

However, that wasnt so for Leina Wu and the others who only started learning from , and before that, the Forests Edge denizens thought lesser of cooking than the people in Post Station Town. And now, they could serve dishes far better than those found in Post Station Town because of the overwhelming advantage of having access to kiba at.

Neil and Naudiz could now cook kiba dishes by themselves now. They also possess exotic ingredients like chitto and tau sauce, which gave them an edge too. One thing leading to another resulted in the flourishing of delicious dishes in town today.

On top of that, karon milk and nyuushi had started spreading in Post Station Town. After Pyschkurewuss fall from grace, the ingredients monopolized by him would gradually flow into Post Station Town too.

The townsfolk probably wouldnt consider ingredients that were too expensive, but things like tau sauce were still within their budget. And so, the people in Post Station Town could enjoy a wider array of food.

When that happens, there was no telling if Leina Wu and the others could continue to improve their culinary skills. Their skills probably wouldnt degrade, but I hope that they could better themselves even more.

Ah, the bell!

Rie Wu who was mincing the at shouted happily:

Thats so fun. It rang four tis, so its the fourth watch?

Yes. Half the ti has passed.

The banquet would start at the sixth watch, when the sun had set. There were more than 2 hours left. The work was proceeding smoothly.

Right after that soone knocked the door:

Asuta. Kamyua Yost wants to see you.

I heard Ai Fas voice as the door opened. Kamyua Yost poked his long face inside the room.

Yo, Asuta. Sorry for disturbing, just want to report a few matters to you. Do you have ti?

Yes, its fine. Please co in.

No, I had been running around today and covered in dust. I cant go into the kitchen, so can you co out for a while?

Alright, I will be right out.

I wiped my hands with a cloth and headed to the door.

Kamyua Yost pulled his head away, and I followed him outside. In the corridor were two guards, the four hunters, Kamyua Yost and a familiar looking young man.

Ah, this is

Yes, Sir Wellhyde from the Marquis Banam house. Since he is visiting Genos City, I asked him to make a short detour and brought him here.

The black haired youth had a displeased expression on his pale face, and he acknowledged with a gaze in silence. I had no idea how esteed the sixth in line to the Marquis house was, but I didnt want to risk being rude and bowed a little towards him.

The conference was half a month ago, and Shileru is still keeping his peace. As I suspected, this matter wont be resolved before the official trial begins.

Is that so?

Furthermore, Pyschkurewuss is too frial to speak, so we couldnt get anything out of either suspects. If Pyschkurewuss is to die from illness, things will get even trickier.

I agree, the tribal chiefs are worried about that too. In order to sentence Shileru through a fair trial, Pyschkurewuss testimony will be necessary, correct?

Yes. If Pyschkurewuss dies, Shileru might push all the bla to him. Shileru cant get away from his shenanigans at the conference venue, but I still hope he will be put through a fair trial.

If the truth gets buried into the darkness, I wont be able to face my father.

Wellhyde broke his silence and said to seriously:

Is the one behind my fathers murder Pyschkurewuss or Shileru? If I cant uncover this truth, the rage and frustration might just kill .

Yes, Leito who has taken care of us is in the sa position as you, so I understand how you feel.

Kamyua Yost tried his best to look serious and said:

Thats right, Asuta has his own considerations too, but I still hope he can give his best effort to serve a al that will satisfy Pyschkurewuss. Although I think all that effort will be in vain since Pyschkurewuss will probably never turn over a new leaf.

I dont know if you really intend to give your best efforts, but I think you should make the most delicious dish you can.

I agree, Asuta will definitely do just that. Serving dinner to Pyschkurewuss will happen after the banquet with the tribal chiefs, correct?

Thats right. I have to attend the banquet, so I will only cook for him after the banquet.

The problem was, would the bedridden Pyschkurewuss have the strength to taste my food?

Regardless, I could only focus on doing my job. I bowed towards Kamyua Yost with complicated feelings in my heart:

Pardon , but I have to get back to work.

Ah, wait! Theres one more thing!

Hmm? What is it?

Well

It was rare seeing Kamyua Yost fidgeting about. And of course, it wasnt cute at all.

Actually, I have a request Erm, can you let eat your cooking too?

What? Do you an eating the staff al together with the escorts and chefs?

Correct, soone of my standing cant attend the banquet, so can you share so of the food you prepared for Ai Fa and the others Is that too presumptuous of ?

Its fine, I brought plenty of kiba at with , unless so serious accident happens, I can prepare as much as you want.

When he heard what I said, Kamyua Yosts eyes started to shine.

I wonder how sad he would look if I couldnt comply with his wishes. I was curious about that, but I wasnt that evil.

I will prepare your portion too then. The chefs will only eat after the banquet ends, so please bear with as your dinner might be served really late.

Thats fine! Thank you! I wont forget your kindness, Asuta!

Are kiba dishes that delicious?

Wellhyde asked in surprise.

Sorry if I offended you, but I heard that kiba at isnt fit for human consumption. People growing horns after eating kiba are probably rumours, but Genos possess a lot of other ingredients to choose from, correct?

Thats true. Marquis Genos treated to a lavish dinner before too, but kiba dishes or rather, Asutas dishes are incredible.

Erm, please dont hold your expectations too high, its troubling

It will be fine! Be it plebeians or aristocrats, everyone in the world will be pleased by Asutas cookings!

I sighed deeply.

Wellhyde half opened his mouth in doubt but for so reason, his expression suddenly turned stiff.

Erm, Asuta, sorry for intruding, I want to ask sothing

I heard a timid voice from behind . I turned back and saw Leina Wu leaning out of the door.

I opened a new bottle of fruit wine, but it had completely turned sour. Can you get so more fruit wine?

Oh, thats not fruit wine, but a seasoning called vinegar. Like fruit wine, it is made from mamaria. There should be more fruit wine in the cabinet.

Ah, I see! I understand now, Im very sorry

No need to apologize, it will be great if mamaria vinegar is available in the Forests Edge and Post Station Town.

I turned back as I answered, and found Wellhyde staring at Leina Wu wide eyed.

Leina Wu noticed too, and said with a troubled smile: Erm, how may I help you?

Wellhyde shook his head like Roy did earlier.

Well The people in the city and in Banam didnt really know how fearso kiba is, and didnt have any bias view towards the people of Forests Edge.

Maybe Kamyua Yost noticed what I was thinking, and said cheerfully: Alright then!

Sorry for holding you back for so long, we should be going now. The second son of the Count Taliem house should be here soon, lets go receive him, Sir Wellhyde.

Ah, yes, right Please lead the way.

Wellhyde turned and followed Kamyua Yost.

Leina Wu tilted her head, then went back to the kitchen. Rau Lei stroked his thin chin with a grunt and said:

I have reservations about her innocent and childish face, but Leina Wu is quite charming. But I prefer lean beauties like Ai Fa.

What are you saying out of the blue?

Ai Fa glared at Rau Lei with a scary face.

No, Im just sharing what I really think. I already told you, didnt I? If you werent a hunter, I will want to marry you.

Im asking you, what do you an by that

Like I said, Im talking about the looks of the won. We are at a marriageable age too, isnt that right, Darum Wu?

Darum Wu entire body seed to be covered by a black fla of irritability. He closed his eyes quietly and said: Asuta of the Fa house.

Yes, what is it?

If you are done then get back to work.

Yes, certainly

Darum Wu already declared that he had no rights to criticize Ai Fas way of life. It wasnt Rau Leis fault since he didnt know that, back then that scene still sends a chill down my back.

Speaking of which, the n from the Latzu and Gazu house proposed marriage to Ai Fa before.

It seed that complicated relationships between n and won were the sa in all worlds.

I switched up mindset and focused on my work.

Ti passed slowly by, and when the candles on the walls were lit, we completed the six dishes.

The at dish and non-fuwano dish made with poitan were still sitting on the counter as I wished for the guests to eat it while it was hot.

Rie can only eat after Papa Donda and the others finished? Ugghh, Im famished.

Then eat a little. You want so Tatsuta-age?

No! I want to leave that for last!

As they were chatting, soone knocked on the door. Chiffon Chel then appeared shortly after.

The bell for the sixth watch will be rang soon Sir Asuta, could you go to the dining hall?

Alright. Can I bring the entre over?

Of course the staff on duty will bring it for you

After Chiffon Chel said that, two servant boy in yellow entered the kitchen. I saw many servant boys in the Count Manor before, but the two of them were probably not part of the previous staff.

They placed the entre on the presentation plate and the serving plates onto the beautiful trolley. A cloche was placed over the dish, so others couldnt see what was inside.

Ah, by the way, dont you need to test for poison?

Yes Poison testing was just a rule set by the previous master of the house

I see.

Kamyua Yost said that Pyschkurewuss father was murdered by poisoning. I wasnt sure if this was true, but poison testing was probably set because of this.

I know too little about the nobles of this world.

Pyschkurewuss was an unscrupulous man who treats the Forests Edge denizens like barbarians.

Shileru was in cahoots with him.

Lifuria felt like she lacked a sense of morality.

However, Polarse was cheerful and ntally strong.

While Malfreed was the opposite, being overly stringent.

The relative of the Count Satolas house, Chief Justice Xylas seed serious and reliable.

Wellhyde was a righteous young man.

Marstein was unfathomable.

Not just Marstein, I only spent a short amount of ti with the other nobles too. What kind of people were the nobles of the Western Kingdom Selva? Could they live in harmony with the denizens of Forests Edge? Tonights banquet would be a testing ground for this.

Be careful, Asuta.

Yes, be on your guard too, Leina Wu.

I followed the servant boy out of the kitchen. Darum Wu and Rau Lei stayed behind, while Ai Fa and Ludo Wu escorted .

Chiffon Chel led the way as we walked down the maze-like corridor. The familiar and extravagant door appeared before us again.

I was summoned here by Lifuria before. Back then, not just Lifuria and Dell, even Polarse and Ai Fa were here. I was then liberated from my five days of confinent.

Presenting the Chef from Forests Edge, Asuta of the Fa house.

The servant announced in the high pitch tone of a boy.

The guards then opened the doors. A bright scene appeared before ; the nobles of Genos and the tribal chiefs of Forests Edge sitting together at a table.

Ohh, Asuta of the Fa house. Thank you for your hard work today.

A cheerful voice greeted . It was Marstein who was in the seat of honor of this giant table. Beside him was Wellhyde who was serving as the witness.

A chandelier cast bright white light over the table and the four corners of the room were guarded by statues that were half man and half beast. Drapes with fine embroidery covered the brick walls, and purple colored rugs covered the ground the dining hall looked just like I rembered. The exceptionally large dining table were surrounded with guests today.

On my right were the Forests Edge tribal chiefs delegates Donda Wu, Graff Zaza, Dali Sauti, Kaslan Lutim, and the heads of the Bemu and Fou house.

On my left were the Genos nobles Lifuria, an elderly man who appeared to be her guardian, Malfreed, Polarse and a thin youth representing the Count Satolas house.

There were thirteen seated guests, castle guards in white armor standing to the side of Marstein and Wellhyde, and young girls ready to tend to their needs.

Similar to , Timaro was flanked by two servant boys. He stood up straight and stood by the wall behind the nobles. He didnt cover his mouth this ti, and had a prim expression on his face.

Asuta of the Fa house, please stand behind the tribal chiefs. When the bell for the sixth watch rings, the banquet will begin.

Understood.

I nodded and walked to the tribal chiefs side of the room. Ai Fa and Ludo Wu stood in front of the tightly shut door and scanned the hall with sharp gazes.

The tribal chiefs delegates seed to have surrendered their blades for safekeeping. The only ard personnel in the venue were the four guards, Ai Fa and Ludo Wu.

And of course, there were definitely more ard guards in the other rooms, but considering the physical abilities of the Forests Edge denizens, suppressing them wouldnt be difficult. This minimal security was probably arranged by Marstein as a show of his trust.

This is my first ti eting Asuta of the Fa house. Im Tolst, the appointed guardian for Lifuria. This is the eldest son of the Count Satolas house, Reheim.

I was bad at rembering nas, but I still bowed towards them first.

Tolst was an elderly man with a face similar to an exhausted pug; Reheim was a thin young man with oily brown hair.

Tolst wore a beige shirt similar to Polarse, while Reheims attire was a collared Jaguar styled shirt, just like Marstein. It seed that so aristocrats prefer Jaguar fashion.

But the one who surprised the most was Lifuria.

Her ssily cut chestnut hair had been trimd to a cute bob cut, but her face was devoid of any expression.

A lone crown shaped accessory sat on top of her head, and her small body was covered by a white dress filled with ribbons. Her pale skin untouched by the elents made her look as cute as a french doll but at the sa ti, this artificial aesthetic lacked human emotion.

Her position made it impossible for her to act wantonly, and her dressing made it hard to imagine what a tyrant she had been.

Marstein acted as he always had, and said in a casual tone: Well then, allow to say a word before dinner.

He tied his long brown hair behind his head, and wore a ceremonial white cape on his shoulders. His brown eyes were bright and strong, and his mouth with a tidy beard showed a cheery smile. In short, he was completely different from his son Malfreed.

As I have communicated to everyone before hand, this banquet is held in order to better the relationships between Genos and the Forests Edge. The forr head of the Count Turan House, Pyschkurewuss, was previously fully authorized as the liaison between Genos and the Forests Edge. However, he is suspected of colluding with the twice removed forr Forests Edge tribal chief Zattsu Tsun, and bringing calamity to the western kingdom. For us This is an unprecedented issue of grave importance.

Neither the tribal chiefs nor the nobles interjected.

Lifuria was also silent with hollow gazes.

As the rulers of Genos, we have to redeem ourselves alongside the denizens of the Forests Edge. To achieve this, we have to work hand in hand with the Forests Edge denizens. And as part of this effort Lifuria will inherit the Count Turan House with Tolst formally appointed as her guardian. On top of that, the eldest son of the Marquis Genos house, Captain of the Castle Guards Malfreed will be the liaison between Genos and Forests Edge.

I held my breath.

I already knew about Lifuria and her guardian, but this was the first ti I learned about Malfreed being the liaison for Forests Edge.

And it would be hard pressed to find soone more closely related to Marstein than him.

That concludes my opening speech. I will arrange so ti after diner for everyone to discuss the specifics. Please enjoy the cookings by Timaro and Asuta of the Fa house as we deepen our friendship.

Marstein scanned the room.

Other than Lifuria, the others didnt show much emotions either. I had not seen Polarse in a while, and he was peeking at the Forests Edge timidly, while Reheim beside him hung his head as if he was throwing a tantrum. This was probably the difference between a Count house and Marquis house, they couldnt conceal their emotions as well as the young Wellhyde.

But what a scene this is.

On my right were the ferocious, brave and dark skinned Forests Edge hunters dressed in animal hide. On my left were the nobles from Rock city wearing elegant attire found in greek stories. As if people from two different worlds were seated opposite each other.

The aristocrats and the Forests Edge denizens had never crossed path before. Can they fill in the eight decades of emptiness tonight no one could be certain yet.

Marstein had an easy smile from his seat where he could easily see everyone. He nodded satisfactory.

At this mont, a dull bell rang from sowhere.

It is the sixth watch. Well then let the banquet begin.

3

This is the entre I prepared.

Timaro declared proudly.

The steel cloche was removed, and a complicated fragrance spread throughout the hall.

Totos and Ramanba fruit salad.

This was the first ti I heard of Ramanba fruit. He said that he would only use ingredients found in my kitchen, but I couldnt tell what was a Ramanba fruit.

The servant boys distributed the dish into porcelain plates on Timaros instructions. From where I was, I could only see sothing gooey with a yellowish luster.

When the servant boy served the plate to the head of the Fou house who was seated at the end of the table, I stole a peek and it was a salad just like he said.

The yellowish hue probably ca from the yolk, while the luster ca from oil. The egg white of the Totos remained translucent after heating, and shimred under the light of the chandelier.

Within the translucent gooey substance were diced vegetables like neenon that resembles carrot, chachi that was like potato, and many others. There were lots of crushed walnut-like thing, more than all the vegetables combined.

The Ramanba fruit were smoked by pepeb herbs, and marinated together with the other vegetables in reten oil. Totos egg is then mixed in to complete this dish.

To think that just the entre entails so much work.

Timaro smiled brightly at Marsteins cheerful voice, and slowly cast his gaze onto .

Sir Asuta, if you will.

Understood. So

I thought about my relatively lack of effort in my entre and removed the cloche.

I large and deep wooden plate was filled with raw gigo cut into stripes. I distribute them into wooden plates, pour tau sauce and dry kiki paste boiled in stock. That was my entre.

I chose this dish because I want the entre to be less flashy. But now, it looked too plain.

Cutting the yam-like gigo into stripes and covering it with the plum-like dry kiki paste. I boiled the kiki in tau sauce and stock as a replacent of Japanese style noodle sauce.

What a simple looking dish.

Timaro said with a smile.

I think this is an outstanding dish that showcase the honesty and forthrightness of the Forests Edge.

I wasnt sure how humble I should be, and decided to answer plainly. But this being a Tsurumiya style dish instead of a Forests Edge dish made a little uneasy.

Yam cooked with plum paste. Well received by drinking custors and my fathers favourite dish. I wonder what they think about this.

While I was distributing the food, the servant boys had already filled the glasses of the guests with fruit wine. The servant girls treated the buffed Donda Wu and company with courtesy. They were braver than Polarse and the young man from the Count Satolas house.

When all the glasses were filled, the dishes prepared by Timaro and were presented before everyone.

Everyone, please enjoy the al.

The nobles didnt have the habit of saying grace before a al, and picked up their tal cutleries while the Forests Edge denizens were still saying their thanks.

Ohh, the taste is splendid.

The Ramanba fruit taste really exquisite. Its fragrance shes splendidly with the Totos egg.

Im honored that you find it to your liking.

Timaro smiled happily.

All the nobles tried Timaros dish first. Only Lifuria started with my entre that was served in a wooden plate.

Asuta of the Fa house, this dish is slippery, I cant scoop it up with a spoon.

Ah, my apologies. It might be more convenient to use a non tallic-spoon or two skewers to eat it.

After saying that, I realized that I should be more formal with my speech in this venue.

Lifuria muttered softly: Is that so then picked up the wooden spoon. She then scooped up my dish and stuffed it into her small mouth, but she remained expressionless.

Hmm, this is the first ti Im eating uncooked gigo. Is this a dish from the Forests Edge? Or sothing from Asutas hotown?

Marstein asked with a smile.

I answered: This is from my hotown. Marstein answered: I see and took a bite of the gigo in dry kiki paste.

This is a refreshing taste. The sourness of the dry kiki neutralized the stench of the gigo, making it very palatable. What an interesting idea.

Thank you for your complint.

The Forests Edge denizens ate my dish in silence.

They werent interested in non-kiba dishes, and didnt react much. Only the head of the Fou house seated closest to comnted: So thats how raw gigo taste like.

The Fou house would only mix the gigo into poitan This is a surprising taste.

Yes, is it to your liking?

Well, I dont hate this taste. By the way I feel hungrier after eating that.

I didnt have much experience with full course als, so my knowledge regarding entre was limited to it being an appetizer.

So I chose a dish that would stimulate their stomach, so they would look forward to the next dishes. I wonder what the other guests thought about this. In any case, the other guest had not given any feedback.

At this mont, the servant boys left the dining hall with the trolley. They went off to fetch the next dish.

Dali Sauti suddenly said loudly: Hmm, this dish is really unique.

He was holding the plate with Timaros entre.

Sir Dali Sauti, is it to your liking?

In response to Marsteins question, Dali Sauti scratched his head with his thick fingers:

Its not a matter of the taste the slittery sensation feels a little revolting.

He was straight to the point, but Timaro just smiled with ease:

That must be the sensation of the reten oil. Those trying it for the first ti might not be used to it.

Well, Asutas dish can be slittery at tis too, but I will have so fruit wine.

By the way, Donda Wu and Graff Zaza already finished both entre, and started gulping down the fruit wine. The fruit wine in a silver glass which was smaller than a beer mug was just one swig to them. They will probably grow impatient if they waited for the servant girls to them one glass at a ti.

However, if nothing extre happens, they have every intention of following the customs of the city. What were the nobles planning, and how they would treat them they attended this banquet in order to figure this out.

Yes, Sir Asutas cooking is delightful.

Polarse spoke at this mont. A carefree smile appeared on his round face.

Sir Timaros cooking are very exquisite, Im looking forward to the rest of his cuisine. Sir Asutas dishes are very appetizing, and makes crave for the next course. Both entre are very well done.

Thank you for your kind complints.

Timaro and I answered at the sa ti.

Getting the comnt I expected made sigh in relief, while Timaro looked a little flustered. He probably felt slighted that his cooking was placed on par with my crude dishes.

Anyway, everyone had put down their spoons to rest, so it was ti to serve the next soup dish.

Ara, what a nice fragrance.

Polarse sniffed the air and said. He was talking about the fragrance of the Nyuushi from Timaros pot.

I wonder if adding generous amount of nyuushi into the soup is the common way of eating in the city. Roy did the sa thing.

Timaro removed the cloche, and a sweet fragrance perated the entire hall.

This is the soup made with karon nyuushi and three types of herbs.

One of these herbs was similar to the spice used by Yang in Post Station Town. There was a cinnamon-like scent that enhances the fragrance of the nyuushi.

This is a soup made with kiba at and tau sauce.

I served the orthodox tau sauce kiba soup.

I used the kiba thigh and belly at, aria, chachi, gigo, neenon and pula. Varied and luxurious ingredients were used, and it was cooked with more care and attention. Aside from the Wu clan, this was the first ti anyone else saw this.

However, the word kiba imdiately filled the hall with tension.

Its finally ti the air was tensed. Lifuria and Malfreed were emotionless, while Tolst gave a deep sigh. Polarse looked all around him while Reheim pursed his lips.

Eight decades ago, kiba was seen as a symbol of catastrophe, and even now, it was viewed as beasts that only the barbaric Forests Edge tribe would eat. Even if the people from the city hear rave reviews of the kiba dish in Post Station Town, they wont give it a second look. In order to atone for Pyschkurewuss cris matryr-like expressions and lanting their cruel fate I could gleam such grudges from their faces.

At the sa ti, the dishes were laid out onto the dining table. As expected, the nobles started with Timaros soup, while the Forests Edge sampled my dish first.

Ah, this is really well done. The sweetness and texture of the nyuushi is really thick.

Marstein was the first to give his complints.

And what is this tender at? Could it be kimyusu skin?

Thats the stomach of a karon.

Hmm, thats a rare sight.

I felt pleasantly surprised. So Genos has the culture of eating offals too. I wonder what kind of ingredient was the stomach of a karon. I couldnt wait for the taste test after the banquet.

At this mont, Dali Sauti cried in shock: What is this!

He seed to have notice the fruits of my efforts.

This is called wonton. The kiba at is covered in fuwano coating, and boiled in water.

Tau sauce kiba soup was more or less fixed in form after much research by Leina Wu and I. While I was thinking about ways to improve this dish, I thought about wonton.

It wasnt difficult to make at all. Like I explained to Dali Sauti, fuwano was mixed with water to create dough. The dough was then flattened, then ingredients like salt, pico leaves, tau sauce and minced at added in. I then wrapped them up like dumplings, and heated them in hot soup.

The delicious taste of the minced kiba at was locked into the soft fuwano, and I felt this was one of my best works. The won who tried this in the Wu clan kitchen had nothing but praise for it.

Yes, this is delicious! It taste good, and feels soothing in the mouth. Dont you think so, Kaslan Lutim?

Yes, its very tasty.

Kaslan Lutim was more quiet and reserved than usual. He was probably observing the nobles carefully.

Under Kaslan Lutims watchful gaze, Polarse made up his mind and was the first noble to pick up his spoon. He stared at the soup in his bowl, slowly moved his spoon, then timidly tasted the soup his face then twisted in shock:

This

He then drank a few more spoonful at an even pace. After he bit into a white wonton, Polarse shouted cheerfully: Delicious!

So this is kiba! Sir Asuta, this is amazing! Hmm this texture is just as good as karon breast at!

Thank you for your complint, its an honor.

I heard a snort and looked back. Timaro had his head turned to the side with a wry smile. He must have snorted accidentally.

But his smile froze imdiately.

Yes, this is wonderful.

Marstein concurred.

I see, I already heard that kiba is well received in Post Station Town. I finally understand why.

Yes, its very delicious.

Wellhyde besides him also nodded firmly:

Sir Asuta of the Fa house, please forgive my ignorant words earlier. Kiba being tough and stinky appears to just be a rumour.

No, Im flattered by your praise.

I finally sighed in relief.

Lifuria then called out to :

This dish is very tasty.

Thanks. Ah, no Im very grateful for your kind words.

Before I realized it, Tolst and Reheim had also started drinking the soup. I was a bit worried about Timaros fragrant soup stealing my thunder, but that worry seed to be unfounded.

The Forests Edge denizens who tried the nyuushi soup had lukewarm reactions.

This is slimy too. Do the people in the city all prefer greasy dishes?

That should be the texture of the karon nyuushi. It seems that the Forests Edge denizens find the oily texture disagreeable.

Yes. Im fine with the fats from kiba though.

Dali Sauti grumbled as he drank the soup with a wooden spoon. The Fou and Bemu house heads made faces as if they were undergoing an arduous trial. The Forests Edge denizens who could eat the nasty tasting poitan soup in the past actually disliked Timaros dish so much.

I also tried the soup made by Roy that had generous amount of nyuushi and herbs. I didnt find it unpleasant, but the Forests Edge denizen probably wouldnt like such a complicated taste.

Everyone then finished the food on their plates, and the next course was served. Timaro presented a fuwano dish, while mine was poitan.

Grilled Gyoma curd hat.

This is a dish made from poitan, called okonomiyaki.

This was the first ti I heard of this grilled hat, and at a glance, it seed to be like gratin or pie. On the large and flat porcelain plate was a golden colored cheese covered dish. It had the alluring fragrance only possible in a the city with an oven.

What I presented was an okonomiyaki. Neither my hotown nor the Forests Edge had the custom of serving full course als, and this was my answer after troubling over which dish to serve.

I mixed chopped tino and minced kiba abdon at together with the batter made from water, dried poitan and crushed gigo, then grilled the entire mixture. The seasoning was the worchester sauce made from tau sauce, and Genos-style mayonnaise made from totos egg, mamaria vinegar and reten oil.

Pickled maru was small shelled fishes Neil used to make pickled chitto. Despite having plenty of water resources, Genos had almost no seafood to speak of, so the pickled maru was a precious ingredient to .

It wasnt an ideal replacent for bonito, but was good enough as a stand-in. I was the only one who knew what a proper okonomiyaki was like anyway, so others wouldnt notice the imperfection.

By the way, I had to bring all the dishes except for the main course to the dining hall, so this okonomiyaki was actually made by Leina Wu and the others. They practiced their culinary skills everyday for the sake of this banquet, and the final product looked flawless.

How should we distribute this?

The servant boys asked as they looked baffedly at the six round pancakes.

I will cut it, please serve the cut portions.

I divide the six pancakes into quarters, so there would be 24 portions. Lifuria will just need one, while Donda Wu and Graff Zaza would probably eat three.

As expected of a Migrant, this is an intriguing dish.

Timaro who recovered his self control after a while smiled as he distributed his own dish. When I looked his way, a question ford in my heart.

After the fragrant cheese cover was broke open, the inside was gooey like oatal. This was probably a dish made by crushing grilled fuwano and heating it with karon milk like ingredients. The fragrance of the curd and the thick aroma of milk were mixed together.

I sniffed again, and detected a stinging sll of herbs. At closer inspection, I saw a withered-brown colored long strands of grass inside. It wasnt as potent as chitto, but was still a strong spice. The stinging sll didnt match the sweetness of the curd too well.

This probably wont be well received by the denizens of Forests Edge.

But I should worry about my own dish first.

Yes, I love grilled hats.

When the dish had been served to everyone, Polarse was the first to give his comnt. As I suspected, the combination of sweet dairy and spice was popular in the Genos City.

At this mont, I heard a strange kuku sound.

The Bemu house head looked troubled after taking a bite of the okonomiyaki. The head of the Fou house who was tearing the pancake with his wooden spoke asked him quietly: What is it?

Nothing.

Bemu house head, is this dish to your liking?

I didnt say that.

It taste great. Theres no contradiction in opposing Asutas business and finding his cooking delicious, right?

The head of the Bemu house was attending this banquet as the representatives of the denizens who oppose us doing business in Post Station Town. He finished the okonomiyaki swiftly with a sour face.

Polarse who was seated opposite them must have heard their conversation. He push his plate of grilled hat aside and started tearing the okonomiyaki with his silver spoon.

Delicious!

He exclaid right after that.

This is wonderful, and easily rival the soup earlier! Sir Asuta, this is made from poitan, not fuwano, correct?

Correct, poitan is more suitable for this dish, so I opted to use it.

The taste is excellent! If you can make such delicious food with poitan, why arent you selling this in Post Station Town?

This dish cant be eaten easily with your hands, so it isnt suited to be sold at a stall. Im thinking about selling this dish at the inns.

I answered with a simple explanation.

And I couldnt make the sauce without reten oil and mamaria vinegar, which is another reason why it isnt suited to be sold in Post Station Town.

There wasnt any bonito and seaweed, and if you take away mayonnaise, that would be too pitiful. If reten oil and mamaria vinegar was readily available in Post Station Town, I wouldnt object to this dish being sold in Post Station Town.

The dish was well received in the Wu clan too. They were all pleased and surprised that just adding so ingredients on top of the poitan batter would change the taste so much. By the way, Sati Lei Wu likes this dish the most.

I understand. But this tau sauce has a unique flavor. It had a thickness that is different from mamaria vinegar.

Thats the sourness of the Tarapa. I added cooked Tarapa and aria inside, and the thickness is probably because I added fuwano powder.

Oh, Im impressed! Sir Reheim, what do you think? This is a poitan dish made by Asuta!

After hearing what Polarse who couldnt hold back his excitent said, Reheim turned to him and said:

Leaving the part about poitan aside, this dish is impeccable. It is very tasty. Asuta of the Fa house, is this really made with kiba at?

Thats right. This dish uses the breast at of a kiba. The previous dish was made with breast at and thigh at.

The most surprising thing for , is that this dish uses poitan instead of fuwano.

The elderly Tolst beside Lifuria sighed in awe.

If such a delicious dish can be made with poitan, fuwano sales will plumt in Post Station Town. Marquis Genos I wish to carry out my assigned duty of revitalizing the Count Turan House to my best abilities, but at the current state, our coffers will run dry in less than a year.

Dont need to despair. You just need to undo the contract Pyschkurewuss made with the other parties. You should be able to retain enough wealth by breaking the contracts for unnecessary ingredients, correct?

It will take a long ti to stop these trades. The forr master of the house made a large amount of contracts with Semu and Jaguar. If we cancel these deals one sided, the reputation of both Genos and the Count Turan House would suffer in these two nations.

Thats why Im thinking of ways to aid you. If you sell the ingredients to restaurants not affiliated with the Count Turan House or to Post Station Town, these ingredients wont go to waste. All this while Pyschkurewuss has been monopolizing the ingredient trade, and he had blocked all of its supplies. If the ingredients that used to be difficult to obtain suddenly beca readily available, many will see it as good news, correct?

Marstein took a sip of fruit wine unhurriedly:

Anyway, forget about your worries for now, and enjoy the cuisine. Asuta of the Fa house, your dishes are exemplary. Words fail in describing how shocked I am to see such a level of cooking from soone as young as you.

Im flattered

I answered as I thought about Lifuria again. Whenever I hear Pyschkurewuss na, I would break out in cold sweat.

However, Lifuria continued eating her okonomiyaki slowly expressionlessly like a doll.

Asuta of the Fa house, do you have more of this dish?

Donda Wu suddenly asked from afar.

Yes, there should be 11 pieces left.

Give three then. Just eating this much made hungrier.

Polarse used this chance to add: Then, can I have one more?

I wanted to save so space in my stomach since this is just the third dish, but I cant stand it anymore! Ahh, to think kiba taste this good. If I knew, I would have bought from the stall in Post Station Town! I really want to apprehend the criminals and let you reopen your stall soon, Sir Asuta!

After that, everyone from Forests Edge, Wellhyde and Reheim made the sa request, so the additional pieces were all given out.

On the other hand, only Marstein and Polarse requested for another portion of Timaros dishes, so he had quite a number left over. Timaro who had just started to cheered up had a stiff smile again.

Leaving leftover food isnt my style

The head of the Fou house whispered in a voice only I could hear:

Just eating my share of this is more than enough. Hearing him say that makes my mood heavy. If the nobles werent eating the sa thing, I will suspect that Im being poisoned.

Is that so

The relentless assualt of nyuushi, curd and karon milk products delivered a painful blow to the denizens of Forests Edge. This was a reminder to myself; I need to pay more attention when making dinner in the Forests Edge.

Marstein looked intriguingly at the people with differing thoughts, and said:

Both Timaro and Asutas cooking are splendid. Im looking forward to the next course.

4

This is my salad course.

The dishes were served while Timaro announced that, and the nobles all cried out loudly. On the trolley was a gigantic Tarapa.

Tarapa was a pumpkin shaped tomato-like vegetable. His Tarapa was big enough to be worn over the head like a halloween decoration..

That is a surprisingly large Tarapa.

Tolst, the guardian of the Count Turan House comnted in awe, and Polarses shocked voice drowned him out:

Tarapa will grow larger if you leave them be, but it becos tougher, more sour and less sweet as it grows in size.

Ah, Tarapa are grown in the Taliem houses farms.

Thats right. If you continue to nurture Tarapa of this size, it will shrivel and produce a dense and exquisite taste of sweet and sourness. However doing so will increase its price by several folds. Hence, the ones sold in Post Station Town and farms are the sour Tarapa, while those sold in the city are smaller and sweeter Normally, Tarapa of this size is too sour to eat.

Polarse shared his niche knowledge as he watched with curious eyes.

And of course, the renowned chef Sir Timaro wont serve us such unpalatable Tarapa.

Yes, of course.

Timaro renewed his fighting spirit as he stood before his dish. He placed his fingers that look slender for a man in his pri onto the Tarapas stalk.

This is the Tarapa dish I developed myself. Aside from dinner in the Count Turan House, this is the first ti Im presenting this to others.

After saying that, Timaro grabbed the stalk and the top half of the Tarapa lifted up like a lid of a pot. Inside it was bright red vegetable stew.

He probably scooped out the Tarapa, added in various ingredients, and cooked it over a slow fire in order to not damage the exterior of the Tarapa. The fragrance of various vegetables, herbs and at stew entered my nasal cavity.

This appears to be his magnum opus.

Using the vegetable as a container was an interesting idea.

As usual, what I presented was plain as usual.

This is vegetable stew and kiba.

It can also be called cold kiba shabu shabu and cooked vegetable salad. I cooked the kiba abdon at until it turned tender, removed the excess fats with water and serve it as a cold shabu shabu.

The vegetable I chose were tino, neenon and aria, which were cooked until it turned completely soft. The small Tarapa that condenses both the sour and sweet taste that Polarse ntioned were placed on top as part of the presentation.

The lemon-like shiru fruit were cooked with tau sauce, and mixed with stock to season the dish. This seasoning reminded of Ponzu shyu.

I hope the Forests Edge denizens could consu more vegetables, and this dish represents my intentions. I controlled the quantity of belly at and added a large quantity of vegetables. When the prototype was made, Vena Wu and Ditto Min Wu both loved this dish.

Both dishes look wonderful.

Polarse was overjoyed. Wellhyde, Reheim and the others seed to be hesitant about which dish to start with.

The Forests Edge denizens ate my dish quietly. If Dan Lutim was here, the banquet would be cheerful and rowdy, but I doubt Timaros dishes would suit his palette.

Yes, it taste great! Both of your cooking are exquisite, Sir Asuta and Sir Timaro!

After taking bites from both plates, Polarse was the first to express his views:

The herbs from Timaros dishes gives off a strong aroma! This is the karons loin at, right? Both the at and vegetables are amazing! And the sourness of the Tarapa is just right!

Im honored that the taste is to your liking. Normally the Tarapa would be too sour to eat, but the sourness will be just right if it is used as a container to serve another dish like this.

I see, I see. But the Tarapa inside looked a little better?

Thats right. The proportion of the two Tarapa is the key of this dish.

So you scooped out the inside of the Tarapa, and threw it away? What an extravagant way of eating.

The head of the Fou house frowned when he learned that fact.

He then stared at the bright red vegetables on his small porcelain plate. I wanted to ask him whats wrong when Kaslan Lutim who was sitting silently beside the Bemu house head spoke:

This is very delicious. The herbs and aroma might be a little too strong, but it has a good texture.

This was probably the first praise offered by the Forests Edge camp towards Timaro.

I thought Timaros mood would improve with that complint but Timaro just answered with a straight face: Thank you for your kind words.

Could it be He thought nothing about the complints by the Forests Edge denizens?

Then his misunderstanding of the situation was really deep. For the sake of his ego, it would serve him well to pay more attention to the opinions of the Forests Edge denizens.

The goal of this banquet was to make ands and build the relationship between both parties. I could understand the complints by Kaslan Lutim and Dali Sauti was for the sake of erecting a bridge of friendship. However, Forests Edge considered lies immoral, so they wouldnt praise others against their conscientiousness. That was why they had been stubbornly quiet.

Since Kaslan Lutim said it tastes good, it must be a sincere complint. If he told that, I would be jumping for joy.

Timaro who didnt understand the Forests Edge denizens probably didnt feel this way. I stole a glance at Kaslan Lutim, and he acknowledged with a gentle smile:

Asutas cooking is amazing too.

It was as if he had seen through , which made bashful.

I could tell from the way the Forests Edge denizens were eating that they enjoyed my cooking. However, leaving the stoic Donda Wu and Graff Zaza aside, the others felt awkward hearing Kaslan Lutim and Dali Sauti only praising my cooking, and kept quiet.

Yes, Asutas cooking is marvelous! Its such a simple dish, but it taste so good. The kiba at is delicious! I cant wait for the main course.

Polarse had almost finished the food on both plates.

And so, it was almost ti for the main course.

Alright then, I beg your leave.

Timaro left the hall with the servant boys, and I followed quickly after. According to the rules, the head chef has to personally do the finishing touches to the main course.

Timaro went down the end of the corridor, as if he didnt want to speak to .

I dont think the nobles are hostile at all. Instead, that chef is the hostile one.

Ai Fa said as she walked beside . The servant boy was still leading us along, so I took care not to say anything untowards.

Ah, Asuta. Is there any problem with the Okonomiyaki?

Back at the kitchen, Leina Wu was the first to co to . Her blue eyes were shimring with expectations and unease.

Its perfect.

When she heard my answer, her smile blood:

Thats great. Its finally ti for the main course.

Yes. Im counting on everyone.

Leina Wu, Shela Wu and I went to our post and lit our stoves. Rie Wu stood so distance away and cheered for us: Work hard!

Hows the banquet?

Well, the atmosphere is a little awkward. Donda Wu and the others arent used to chatting during dinner.

I looked at the kiba fats lting into a clear liquid and shrugged:

However, my cooking is rather well received. Lets finish things up with the last two dishes.

Anyway, this day will probably end peacefully. Marstein was too expressive, making it hard to figure out what he was thinking, but I could sense that Polarse, Wellhyde, Tolst and Reheim had grown to love kiba dishes.

Alright, Im going then.

We shift the completed cookings onto the plates, and I left for the dining hall energetically. No matter how well the dishes would be received, the banquet was heading towards its conclusion.

This is stead karon at.

The nobles were in an uproar over this.

On the biggest plate that I had seen today was an enormous piece of at. It was about 60 cm long, 30 cm wide and 15 cm thick.One end was bigger than the other, so this was probably from the torso of a four legged critter.

The skin didnt seem to be grilled, and the skin that turned ivory after steaming had a layer of yellowish sauce. There was small pieces of Tarapa, chachi, neenon and other herbs and vegetables around it, making it look incredibly luxurious.

This dish used half of a karon youngling. Please start eating from the loin at on the outside.

Timaro personally cut the at with a large at cutting knife. It sunk into the at without resistance, and the at was sliced like a hot knife through butter.

The at from the cut section was light pink, and had an oily texture. It looked really juicy and delicious.

This dish is made by coating kiba loin at with chachi powder, and deep frying it in kiba oil.

I couldnt lose to him. I scooped the shredded tino, aria and neenon into small plates, poured a mixture of shiru and reten oil over it, and used this salad to complent the Tatsuta-age kiba.

Aside from Donda Wu, this was the first ti the others saw this dish. In the end, I decided to use loin at sliced thinly enough to be eaten in just two bites. I chose this main course out of all possibilities, what would the others think about my judgnt This had nothing to do with Timaro, and was a battle with myself.

The servant boys served Timaro and my dishes to everyone. All the guests waited politely for the boys to serve all the plates.

Ara, I dont know where to start. The kimyusu cutlet Sir Asuta made was exquisite after all.

Polarse had a knife and fork in each hand as he sized up both dishes.

Dali Sauti who was also holding a fork frowned a little: This is

This at doesnt seem to be fully cooked. Is this really edible?

Yes, the at is completely cooked, and raw karon at is edible in any case. Please dont worry and enjoy the dish.

The at looked glossy and looked like a well done steak. The Forests Edge denizens must love such a forthright dish.

Speaking of which, Donda Wu likes grilled kiba.

I wasnt trying to compete with Timaro, but if Donda Wu prefers Timaros cooking over mine that will be a big shock to . My heart started to race.

Alright then, please help yourselves to the feast.

Marstein picked up the karon at with his fork.

The slices of at were 2 to 3 cm thick. He put his knife under the at to catch the dripping sauce, and sent it to his mouth Marstein then narrowed his eyes with pleasure.

This is unbelievably tender. It lts right in my mouth.

Could a stead dish create such a tender texture? Timaro stood in front of as I held my breath, and bowed graciously.

I used the tender at of a karon youngling, and just the preparation took a lot of effort and ti. By adjusting the strength of the fire carefully, it is possible to make a food so tender that even those with weak gums could eat it easily.

I see. Only a select few in Genos can make such a dish. How I wish I could employ them all to work in the Genos castle.

Im honored by your complints.

Timaro looked at as if he was showing off.

Polarse, Tolst and the others were also in awe after trying the karon at dish.

What about the Forests Edge denizens? Dali Sauti who turned quiet after trying the last few dishes was at his limits:

Asuta, I dont understand why you didnt make kiba cutlet here And your culinary skills astound again. I never dread that you had a dish tastier than kiba cutlets.

Is it to your liking?

Yes. Im almost done with my share, but I can eat however much there is.

Beside the gently smiling Dali Sauti, Kaslan Lutim also said in agreent: Thats right.

If I told my father Dan about the delicious al I had, he will definitely nag at . Asuta, can you cook for the Lutim house in a few days ti?

Yes, I will be happy to.

The words of the two quiet n left a deep impression in my heart.

The other four Forests Edge denizens were silent, and wiped out my dish in quick succession.

It seems that the nobles all started with Timaros dishes, while the Forests Edge denizen ate my food first. The food served in the small dishes were cleaned out in no ti, and it was ti for the second round.

The aristocrats all had faces of anticipation, while the Forests Edge denizens had cold faces as they picked up their other plate. The nobles digged into the kiba at while the Forests Edge denizens ate the karon at. I grew tense as I watched this scene.

For the previous dishes, I either used thin slices or minced at. For the okonomiyaki and salad, I intentionally controlled the amount of kiba at.

Hence, this main course was the actual kiba at dish. If this dish wasnt acceptable to them, it ant they were refuting all the kiba at dishes.

As I watched them with bated breath, a voice reached my ears: Ohh

I searched for the origin of that voice, and found Polarse showing indescribable joy as he looked at and said:

This is delicious! Sir Asuta, your culinary skills

He started chewing mid sentence.

I felt relieved. He was so imrsed in my cooking, and couldnt even spare the ti to complint . To , that was good enough.

What a surprise Sir Asuta of the Fa house, I heard you ca from overseas Who exactly are you?

I ca from an island nation called Japan, Im the son of a small eatery. I have been learning to cook from my father since I was young.

Is that true? Are you a chef from the palace of the Dragon Deity?

No! Im not soone with such a prestigious standing!

Hmm. But you have the skills to match Timaro at such a young age, so this is highly unusual.

Timaros face twitched.

Reheim glanced at him from the corner of his eyes, and smiled deviously:

Sir Tolst, its inappropriate to say that in front of the subjects themselves. I think Asuta is just cooking with the thods from a foreign land, and we are just srized by the novelty of it all.

Oh. Sir Reheim, you dont have any special thoughts about all this?

Thats not true either, I just think the novelty plays a bigger part than what we might think. To be honest, I find Asutas cooking to be absolutely delightful.

It seed that this young man wasnt as forthright as he looked. After Reheim tried to joke, Malfreed reined him in.

This main course is perfect. I have no complains at all.

Malfreed who had kept quiet all this ti had spoken. Reheim was dumbstruck from surprise, and Marstein smiled:

What a surprise, to think soone who wont even move a brow no matter how delicious the food would give his comnt. This is the first ti I heard your feedback on how you find your food, Malfreed.

Malfreed who was as cool as a cucumber said coldly:

I dont really care about the taste of food, but I still know when sothing is delicious. And this dish, is very delicious.

Yes, its exquisite. Timaros dish is also amazing, but I cant tell which is better.

When he heard that, the blood drained from Timaros face, and his slender shoulders started to shake. Marstein noticed that, and said in a cheerful tone:

Then lets continue to lavish our taste buds. Asuta, Timaro, can you distribute the rest of the food to everyone?

Yes, my liege.

There were still around half of each of our food left, and there were enough for everyone. At this mont, Donda Wu spoke in a deep voice after being quiet all this while:

Genos landlord Marstein. Im sorry to trouble you, but I cant eat this dish anymore.

Marstein turned his head towards him with an ara.

Sir Donda Wu, is this karon dish not to your liking?

Yes. If eating another piece is the proper manners in Genos, I will follow through. If not, allow to turn this down.

After that, three other Forests Edge denizens concurred with him. They were Graff Zaza and the heads of the Bemu and Fou houses. Timaros face turned green as he continued slicing his at.

Ohh, so four of our six guests dont like this dish. Im sorry, but can you tell what is it about this dish that displeases you?

I dont like at that is mushy, unless it is part of a soup.

Donda Wu then added irately:

This has nothing to do with who cooked the al. When Asuta cooked in my house for the first ti, I thought his food was poison too.

I see. It cant be helped if you find the tender karon at disagreeable. Then Do the others feel the sa too?

It has nothing to do with the tenderness of the at. It feels disgusting when I bite into this at.

Graff Zazas tone was harsher than Donda Wu. The head of the Bemu house nodded with a grim face.

I feel the sa as Graff Zaza. So of the previous dishes also made nauseous. My stomach and chest hurts and is hot.

I see. Maybe you are allergic to so of the ingredient, or is there so other reason?

Marstein looked at the head of the Fou house with a smile, who in turn shook his head slowly:

I feel fine, but just eating at without any soup and poitan feels a little too greasy.

He then cast an unexpectedly sharp look at Timaro:

Chef from the city, there are so much vegetables in your tray, why arent you distributing them into the plates?

Timaro who had not recovered from Marsteins criticism looked back at the head of the Fou house:

These are herbs and vegetables used to enhance the flavor of the karon at. I placed them here to improve the dishs presentation. They are like an empty shell, and not ant for the guests consumption.

As I suspected. Then Im even less inclined to eat this dish. Everyone else can take my share if they wish to.

The head of the Fou house cast his gaze now weakly.

I said too much, I apologize if I offended anyone.

Theres no need for that. Can you share with why do you think this way?

Marstein narrowed his eyes curiously. The Fou house head shook his head without even looking Marsteins way.

Its not worth talking about. I think this isnt sothing that should be said here.

No, this is the place for us to put aside our differences and deepen our understanding of each other. Because of our drastic difference in lifestyle, our customs might be different too. Shouldnt we clear any misunderstanding and share our views?

The head of the Fou house stared at the table for a while before speaking:

I just cant accept the way the food is wasted for the sake of making delicious als. No matter how tasty it might be, I dont want to eat it.

Oh, so wasting the vegetables to improve the texture of the at goes against your principles, huh. Timaro what do you think about Sir Bardocks comnt?

I was shocked when I heard Marstein saying the na of the Fou house head that I never learned before. Timaro let the servant boy served the at onto the table as he shook his head troublingly:

Its hard to push this onto the difference in culture. Not just this dish, just making stock requires a large amount of ingredients. After extracting the essence from these ingredients, the remnants had to be discarded.

Hmm, pray share your perspective, Asuta. You are a chef from a foreign land, correct?

As for Its true, ever since I started living in Forests Edge, I had been taking care not to waste food. I quickly learned that this is the custom of the Forests Edge.

For example, after extracting starch from the chachi, I will use the remnants in other dishes. Even the dried up chachi had its uses.

I couldnt waste any of the ingredients traded from the kiba tusks and horns that Ai Fa risked her life to hunt After living together with Ai Fa and wasting a few poitan in the first few days, I learned this lesson. Even though I could earn copper plates myself now, my principle on this remained the sa.

I see. The custom in the city is very different from the Forests Edge.

After Marstein said that, an awkward silence engulfed the dining hall.

In the anwhile, the food distributed to the dishes beca lesser over ti, and the servant boys all disappeared behind the doors. It was finally ti for the last course of the day to co.

Lifuria, compared to the main courses, you seem to prefer the dessert.

Marstein looked and spoke to Lifuria for the first ti.

Lifuria nodded with hollow eyes: Yes.

Given how obsessed you were with Asuta of the Fa house, that must an that Asuta is proficient in making desserts too, right.

He spoke casually, but the content touched on Lifurias past cris, and was a dangerous topic. Graff Zaza stared at Lifuria, and Dali Sauti frowned.

But Lifuria just answered quietly: Yes.

I heard making desserts requires skills and knowledge different from the main courses. Asuta, you have an ability beyond your age.

That isnt true. To be honest, Im clueless about desserts. The desserts I made today and previously were all done haphazardly based on my vague mories.

Oh, but despite of that, you still made desserts that Lifuria is fond of, thats impressive.

And because I made desserts that Lifuria likes, she didnt let go. It was hard for to comnt on this, but I still wanted to clarify one thing:

However, todays dessert is sothing Lady Lifuria has never tasted before. I hope you will like it

Asuta, you are not a vassal of the Count Turan House, so you dont need to use honorifics with .

For that instant just a short mont, Lifurias reddish brown eyes shone in her usual arrogant manner.

And I think you have never called by my na before. Asuta, I hope you will address as Lifuria.

Pardon , Lifuria.

The mont I answered, the servants returned.

Everyone, sorry for the wait. This is a fuwano dessert with Minmi dressing.

Timaro sounded tired as he removed the silver cloche. Under it was a large squarish cake.

It looked really dense and was covered in pink Minmi fruit which reminded of the peach-like fruit I used when I made dessert for Lifuria. Timaro cut the dessert open, and a sweet fragrance imdiately perate the entire hall.

It has an unfathomable fragrance. Grilled fuwano, Minmi, banam honey and so other ingredients I didnt know of.

I thought as I uncovered the silver cloche.

As for Erm, this is chachi mochi made from chachi.

Chachi? You can make dessert from Chachi?

Polarse said loudly in surprise. I nodded as if I was praising myself.

What I presented was chachi mochi made from starch. I boiled chachi powder with jaguar sugar in water, and when it cools down into a gooey state, I hasten the solidifying process with cold water, then cut it into appropriate sizes. A simplified version of Warabimochi.

The seasoning was done by using a mixture of chachi powder, sugar and tau sauce to produce sothing akin to Mitarashi dango paste. It had low sugar content, and its selling point was the chewy texture. I didnt use Reina who was great at making dessert as reference, but took inspiration from my mother who made dessert for when I was still young.

Uwah, its as clear as Totos egg! Is this really chachi? How did you turn Chachi into this state

I removed the moisture from the chachi and dried it into powder form. The chachi powder is similar to the fuwano powder, and can be used to create desserts. Thats why I chose to make this dish.

Since the main course was Tatsuta-age kiba and the soup was tau sauce kiba soup, a thought ca to my mind. How about standardizing the style of all the dishes? The people of this world might not understand this concept, but since the guests would be eating okonomiyaki, cold shabu shabu, Tatsuta-age, I wouldnt want them to eat donuts and crepes.

And I felt that the hunters of Forests Edge wouldnt like sweet desserts, so I thought about what kind of texture they could enjoy. This might be my one-sided thinking but I felt that Japanese styled desserts suited fierce hunters like Donda Wu and Graff Zaza more than western desserts did.

Hmm, This has an incredible taste.

Marstein who tried my dessert Mitarashi paste chachi mochi first gave his cheerful feedback.

Asutas cooking style is very unique, even more so for this dessert. This is truly an exotic dish from a foreign land.

I retorted in my heart Its not a foreign land, but a foreign world, then bowed my heart: Thank you for your gracious complints.

The head of the Bemu house rolled his eyes: Whats with this dish?

Is this really made from chachi? This feels no, I dont know how to describe it.

Its true. Forests Edge and Post Station Town dont have access to sugar. The Forests Edge denizens dont even know about the existence of this ingredient, much less desserts. So Im not confident if it suits your taste what do you think?

Hmm

In my hotown, won and children love sweet desserts.

I only tried making it with sugar in Forests Edge once before. Rie Wu and the others just thought that the chewy texture was interesting. After they tasted the finished chachi mochi for the first ti today, they shed tears of joy.

So the won and children of this world probably love sweet desserts too. As I was thinking about that, the head of the Bemu house pouted his lips impatiently.

This is a dish adored by won and children?

Yes, thats the case for my hotown. And of course, there are many n and elderly who like them too.

Which ans, there is no sha in n liking this dish?

Sha? No, theres no sha in that.

Is that so

The head of the Bemu house tossed the rest of the dessert into his mouth. The head of the Fou house who ate quietly Bardock suddenly turned his head and said to him:

Ara, so the head of the Bemu house likes this too?

I said no such thing.

Bardock had a gentle smile on his face. The sight of him and the sour faced Bemu house head sent a warm feeling into my heart.

At this ti, the nobles started discussing the dessert I made too. I heard them saying in amazent: This is incredible! What a strange taste.

After that sothing unexpected caused these rowdy bunch to quiet down. Graff Zaza suddenly said in a pained voice: Genos landlord

We have no doubts that you are sincere about making ands with us. I think this is the right path too. But I have a favor to ask

How may I help, Sir Graff Zaza? I have complete faith in your sincerity too.

Can you forgive for not partaking further in this dish?

Graff Zaza said in a hoarse voice as he pushed away the porcelain plate with spiral patterns. On it was the dessert made by Timaro that had one bite taken off it.

This dish feels really disgusting to , even worse than the previous one. Just one bite, and it felt like so living thing is churning in my stomach. As if I just swallowed a poisonous bug.

Yes, there seed to be banam honey in this dessert. This might be too sweet for Sir Graff Zaza.

Marstein stood up unhurriedly, and pulled Graff Zazas plate towards him. He then gracefully cut the dessert into smaller pieces, and sent them into his mouth without any hesitation.

As you can see, its not poisoned. Sir Graff Zaza, you just dont find the taste agreeable. Also to us, having leftovers isnt impolite, so you dont have to worry, Sir Graff Zaza.

Not finishing dinner and wasting food is a sin in Forests Edge.

Then allow to redeem your sin.

With that, Marstein started moving his hands and mouth, finishing off the leftover dessert in Graff Zazas plate.

Leina Wu said that non family mbers shouldnt share their food on the sa plate, but Graff Zaza didnt protest Marsteins actions.

Well then, everyone has more or less finished. This is a very aningful banquet for , and I hope everyone also thinks the sa.

Marstein wiped away the banam honey on his beard with his napkin, and continued:

This banquet is more lavish thanks to the efforts of Timaro and Asuta of the Fa house, I wish to offer them my heartfelt thanks. Their dishes are delicious, and Im certain that their culinary skills can match any of the outstanding chefs within Genos City.

Thank you.

Timaro and I bowed at the sa ti.

Marstein looked at the both of us, then rest his gaze on Timaro:

Timaro, your cooking has a strong unique flair. In Genos City, your culinary skill is top notch. The guests from Forests Edge didnt complint your cooking because our lifestyle and environnt is too different, so you dont need to be feel ashad about this.

I understand

However, if you are sincere about serving our Forests Edge guest, the result might be different. Asuta of the Fa house, I could subtly feel your hope for the Forests Edge denizens to enjoy dinner together with us, but you seem hesitant to put that thought into action.

You are an outstanding chef in Genos. I will say this again, there is no doubt that both of you are exceptional chef capable of serving a banquet in Genos.

Marstein continued in a firm tone:

However, neither of you are suited for tonights banquet. You dont need to be ashad about this, the fault lies with for pushing this task to you without fully understanding your thoughts. Well then I will disburse your remuneration to you at a later date, you may leave.

Marstein concluded the banquet with his harsh remarks.