Chapter 73

When Bernardo heard about the Charity Steak Festival, he thought it might be an opportunity to change the atmosphere of the capital city.

Since the incident where the monsters attacked the capital, the vitality among the people had decreased, and they lived with anxiety about the future. There were several reasons for this, but the main one was the slow reconstruction of the capital.

Furthermore, the lack of a successor to the deceased prime minister was a source of unease. The prime minister was a capable person who cared for the common people. With his absence, the stagnation in administrative activities was felt by the citizens.

Ricardo relaxed at Bernardo's shop, enjoying a cup of tea. He had become familiar with everyone in the shop from frequent visits and could feel at ease without any reservations.

"To brighten the people's darkened moods, this festival should be held on a grand scale."

As a merchant, Bernardo spoke with a serious expression, as it was directly related to his business.

"But there's only enough giant dragon meat for about 2,000 people."

"For the steaks, we only need about 1,500 servings. The rest can be made into skewers or stews to make up the volume, providing a total of 3,000 servings of giant dragon meat dishes."

"Will that many people gather?"

"Sure, more than that will gather. The Milan Financial Group will also cooperate, so it might exceed 10,000 people."

"Wow, then there won't be enough meat at all."

Bernardo nodded.

"We won't be able to get more giant dragon meat, but we can prepare meat from other monsters."

"Is other monster meat okay?"

"Yes, in exchange, the dishes made from other monster meat will be free."

"That won't be a charity then."

"No, no, the support funds will be raised by selling the giant dragon steaks to the wealthy. The free meals will be provided to those who have lost their homes and are struggling due to the monster incident, or to those who were originally poor."

It seemed that he wanted to brighten people's spirits, even if only temporarily, by providing free meals.

"Then, I'll prepare the monster meat."

"Have you not just returned from the monster realm and are not tired?"

"I'm not tired. The container house was more comfortable than I thought."

"It's the new camping building you made, right? I'd like to see it sometime."

After discussing with Bernardo about what kind of monster meat would be good, Ricardo headed to the Magicians' Guild.

When he arrived at his room in the guild, Greta was waiting.

"Hey, isn't today not a study day?"

"Yes, I came to hear about the monster realm."

"Is that so?"

While they were talking, Patrick and Tania walked down the corridor.

"Hey, you're finally back."

"How was the monster realm?"

Ricardo began to tell them about the monster realm.

When Ricardo mentioned the new composite magic he had developed, Tania was interested.

"What kind of magic is it?"

"It's a composite magic of [Earth] and [Fire]."

When Ricardo explained the magic, Greta's eyes sparkled.

"That's amazing. I want to learn it too."

"Sure. If you learn intermediate magic that isn't composite, I might teach you."

Patrick and Tania were surprised. Ricardo had never taught anyone the magic he had developed, except for what he had written in papers.

"Really? If you're going to teach Greta, teach me too."

"Then, I want to learn it too."

Ricardo, without hesitation, said:

"I owe you both, so it's fine. But you're not allowed to teach it to others without permission."

"Why did you agree so easily?"

Tania looked puzzled. Ricardo smiled.

"When I developed [Thunder Vortex Steel Bullet], I thought it had low consumption magic and could be used by both of you."

"What do you mean? Did you plan to teach it from the beginning?"

"I've been thinking about thanking you both for all the help you've given me."

"Still, you can't beat Ricardo. You're a big person."

Patrick praised Ricardo and was pleased. Patrick works diligently in the Miscellaneous Affairs Bureau but apparently wants to work in the Monster Hunting Bureau.

To do that, he needs to improve his skills as a magician. But he was confused about how to improve his magical skills.

When he asked the seniors in the Miscellaneous Affairs Bureau, they said that joining the Royal Authority faction or the Elder faction would allow him to learn from members of the same faction.

"I don't want to join the Royal Authority or Elder factions, so I'll join the lazy faction."

Tania and Greta tilted their heads.

"What's this lazy faction?"

"Ricardo likes to spend time lazily in the sun."

"Hmm, but I've never seen Ricardo being lazy."

Tania looked at Ricardo.

"If I were to be lazy in the Magicians' Guild grounds, I would be given work by Claretta from the Miscellaneous Affairs Bureau, so I only do it in my laboratory or outside the guild."

"Is that so?"

Greta suddenly raised her hand.

"I'll join the lazy faction."

Ricardo glared at Patrick.

"Greta took it seriously."

Tania chuckled and hugged Greta.

"Greta is so cute. Whether it's the lazy faction or anything else, let's form a faction, or rather a study group, with us and Councilor Isarco."

After that, Tania and Patrick learned [Thunder Vortex Steel Bullet], and when they found out that Ricardo was going to hunt monsters, they offered to go with him.

The most commonly eaten monster meat in the capital is that of the Headbutt Rabbit, followed by the Burrowing Boar or the Long-Horned Bull.

The Burrowing Boar is a pig about 150 cm long that is skilled at digging holes with its long tusks and distinctive hooves. Every year, monster hunters die from being impaled by its long tusks, making it a dangerous monster.

The Long-Horned Bull is a bovine monster that lives in the grasslands east of the capital, about two meters long with sharp, long horns. Despite its large size, it is quick, making it difficult to hunt.

Ricardo decided to hunt the Long-Horned Bull. The hunting ground would automatically be the eastern grasslands.

The next day, he prepared for the hunt and went to the Magicians' Guild.

Patrick and Tania were waiting, equipped and ready. They left through the eastern gate of the capital and walked east along the road. After about two hours, the view opened up, and they arrived at the edge of the grasslands.

"I want to test the power of [Thunder Vortex Steel Bullet], so let us handle this hunt."

"Sure, but are you okay with that?"

"I've mastered the magic. Patrick, are you okay?"

"Of course."

The three of them walked around the grasslands looking for the Long-Horned Bull and found their target at a small spring. Two Long-Horned Bulls were drinking water, their faces close to the surface.

They approached quietly to avoid being noticed, and Patrick and Tania simultaneously cast [Thunder Vortex Steel Bullet].

The two [Thunder Vortex Steel Bullet] projectiles flew towards the Long-Horned Bulls. One hit the head of a Long-Horned Bull, killing it instantly, and the other hit the hind leg of the other, tearing it to shreds.

"Great job."

Patrick approached the struggling Long-Horned Bull and finished it off with [Explosion Spear].

The Long-Horned Bull is known to be a formidable opponent, similar to the Burrowing Boar. However, Patrick and Tania easily took it down with [Thunder Vortex Steel Bullet].

[Thunder Vortex Steel Bullet] seemed to be well-suited to the Long-Horned Bull. The swirling steel particles pierced the Long-Horned Bull's body, delivering a fatal blow with sufficient power.

"This magic is amazing."

Patrick was delighted to have learned a powerful magic and exclaimed happily. However, compared to Ricardo's [Thunder Vortex Steel Bullet], the power was clearly lower.

Ricardo speculated that this was due to the tests he underwent in the monster realm's laboratory.

Ricardo and his companions drained the blood from the fallen prey and stored it in a storage crystal.

"Hey, how many Long-Horned Bulls do we need?"

Tania asked.

Initially, Ricardo thought they would need five or six, but the Long-Horned Bulls were larger than he had imagined.

"Four should be enough."

"Then, let's set up an ambush here."

This spring seemed to be a watering hole for monsters. If they set up an ambush, there was a good chance that more Long-Horned Bulls would come.

Ricardo and his companions set up an ambush in the nearby bushes and took down three more Long-Horned Bulls. With a total of five Long-Horned Bulls, Ricardo was satisfied.

While Ricardo and his companions were hunting, preparations for the festival were being rushed.

The Milan Financial Group gathered people to prepare the dishes and invited street performers and bards.

They also arranged for grills and tableware and gathered the necessary materials for the festival.

They set a date for the festival and informed the people of the capital. They also announced that the proceeds from the sale of the giant dragon meat dishes would support the capital's reconstruction, and that other dishes would be provided for free.

The news of the festival quickly spread throughout the capital, and many people became interested.

On the day of the festival, the weather was favorable, and a large number of people gathered in the central square of the capital.

Serge and Pamela, accompanied by Antonio, arrived at the central square a little before noon. The square was filled with tents of various sizes, and under them, various dishes were being prepared.

The delicious smell attracted a large crowd. The number of people was so great that even Antonio was surprised, wondering if there were so many people in the capital.

"There are so many people."

Pamela's eyes widened at the sight of the crowd.

"It's a festival."

"Hmm, festivals are amazing."

Antonio led Serge and Pamela to start enjoying the festival.

First, they went to where Antonio's mother was working. The housewives selling Chinese buns were helping with the festival at Bernardo's request.

Julia and her friends were selling skewers made from giant dragon meat and vegetables. To avoid running out of meat, they used thinly sliced meat to wrap the vegetables and skewered them.

This idea came from Ricardo, but they found it difficult to slice the meat. After trying various methods, they discovered that using a frozen storage crystal to partially freeze the meat made it easy to slice.

The seasoning was just salt and pepper, but the fat from the giant dragon meat seeped into the vegetables when grilled over charcoal, making it incredibly delicious.

When Antonio and the others arrived, they saw a line of people waiting to buy the skewers, attracted by the smell of the grilled giant dragon meat.

People who bought the skewers sat on nearby benches, enjoying the food and chatting with bright faces.

"This is delicious."

"I've never tasted giant dragon meat before, but it's really good."

The reviews were excellent.

"This giant dragon meat is from the donation by the Crown Prince. He may look scary, but he's a kind person."

"He's still fighting monsters at the monster realm gate. He's a great person."

"It would have been perfect if the giant dragon meat dishes were free too."

"Don't be silly. The proceeds go to the support fund."

By only mentioning the Crown Prince's name in connection with the giant dragon meat, his reputation improved.

This was a decision made by Ricardo and Bernardo to raise the Crown Prince's reputation and help him return to the capital.

"Isn't that Pamela and Serge?"

When their mother, Julia, appeared, Pamela and Serge ran to her.

"Where's Ricardo?"

Serge asked Julia.

"He's in the largest tent, talking with Bernardo."

Julia told the children to go eat and headed to the tent where giant dragon steaks were being served.

Meanwhile, Ricardo was in the large tent where the giant dragon steaks were being served, checking the reviews.

Inside the tent, wealthy merchant families and nobles were enjoying the giant dragon steaks, with smiles on their faces.

A nobleman in his fifties was talking to a friend.

"I had the opportunity to eat giant dragon meat only once in my twenties, and this is exactly the taste. I never thought I would have the chance to eat it again."

"I was skeptical until I tried it, but it's wonderful. I can brag to those who couldn't come to the festival."

When Ricardo ate it in the monster realm, it was just grilled with salt, but it was so delicious that it was moving. The professional chefs had prepared the giant dragon meat, making it even more delicious.

The taste was so good that it made you want to brag to others.

The free dishes were also well-received.

Especially the stew made with the Long-Horned Bull meat, which was praised by many as delicious.

People with full stomachs listened to the street performers and bards in the center of the square, drank ale and wine, and enjoyed themselves.

The festival continued until the evening, ending when the ingredients ran out.

More than 10,000 people gathered, and the festival was a great success. The Crown Prince's reputation improved, and the Milan Financial Group, which helped organize the festival, also gained a good name.

The next day, when Bernardo went to the Milan Financial Group's main house to pay his respects, the head, Igor, said:

"Uncle, thanks to you, the Milan Financial Group's reputation has improved. I appreciate it."

During the festival, Igor was envied by merchants he knew, who thought the Milan Financial Group was relied upon by the Crown Prince.

"Could you introduce me to the person named Ricardo who proposed this festival?"

"That's fine, but don't try to recruit him into the financial group. He's a magician by profession."

"But isn't it a waste to keep him as just a magician?"

Igor seemed to want to recruit talented people into the Milan Financial Group.

"No, it's better to maintain a good relationship with such people from a distance. If you try to recruit them forcefully, they will resist."

Bernardo understood Ricardo's character well.