Chapter 21

Littleford is a fortress of the royal domain, so the knights guarding it are said to be directly under the command of His Majesty the King. A tall knight wearing a helmet adorned with a plume bowed deeply to the Duke, performing the highest form of knightly salute. The Duke raised a hand in a casual response and gestured to Milan. I thought about greeting them too, but the Duke covered me with his cloak, subtly hiding me from the knights, so I couldn't see what was happening. Still, I could hear their voices.

"Night flying on a dragon, that's quite something. How many times this month, Milan?"

"Hey, Beigard. Is it your turn to be on duty tonight? I'm sorry for the trouble I keep causing."

"Not too often, I hope? Well, never mind, is the same place as last time okay?"

"Actually, the Duke's guest is with us."

"Hey, that guest looks like a woman, doesn't it?! Why isn't she going to town? Surely she's not staying here, right?"

"That's exactly it. We'll be using the entire west wing, so I'd appreciate your consideration."

"Even if you say that, there's nothing fancy here at all!"

Even though I don't need anything fancy, it seems I've made them feel uncomfortable. While Milan was greeting the fortress knights, the Duke entrusted the dragon to the remaining knights and helped me unpack my luggage, which he had already unloaded. I wasn't unpacking everything, just repacking my clothes and a few tools into a convenient-sized bag. Actually, I didn't bring any servants from Marshall Raid, so I had to do everything myself. Since I took over my mother's research, I've been doing things for myself, but I can't put on a proper dress by myself. What should I do about tomorrow's dress? If it's travel attire, I might be able to change by myself.

(Well, I'll figure something out. More importantly, I shouldn't forget to take out the salted meat.)

While rummaging through my luggage, I took out the salted meat wrapped in oil paper. This meat is salted thigh of a Loiaymoodler. Thanks to ten days of drying, it's in a perfect semi-raw state. As I was busily preparing, the Duke, holding a bag with dresses and other small daily necessities, spoke to me.

"Melphiel. Even now, we should go to the town. It was foolish of me to think of letting a woman stay at a border fortress like this without much thought."

The Duke seemed somewhat dejected, as if something had happened.

"I don't mind at all. The atmosphere of this fortress is somewhat similar to the research building, and besides... you are here, so there's nothing to be afraid of."

If a monster attacks, I'll be safe with the Duke and the Galbreath knights. There are also knights directly under the King. I know the Duke's strength well. He's completely different from the noble knights who are only knights in name. When I looked up at the Duke with trust, he averted his gaze.

"I'm glad you trust me so much... but even in peace, a fortress isn't a comfortable place for a woman."

"I'll be fine. I usually fall asleep on the floor anyway."

When I answered confidently, I heard the Duke mutter, "That's not normal, is it?" I wonder if it's that strange. When I get absorbed, I often find it a waste of time to return to my room, but apparently, that's not good.

"Your Excellency, everything is ready!"

"Ah, I'm coming."

At that moment, a Galbreath knight came to call us, so the Duke and I entrusted our luggage to the knight and headed to the west wing of the fortress. The stone walls were plain but very sturdy.

"The inside of the fortress is surprisingly spacious, Duke. And the walls are so thick."

"It's built to withstand a siege."

"It seems it could withstand a monster attack too."

I entered the room where I was to stay, and the Galbreath knights who had already started preparing for our stay were there. About half of them had already taken off their equipment, and a smell of food was coming from the back. Come to think of it, I'm getting hungry.

A knight who rushed over stood at attention in front of the Duke and reported the current situation.

"Your Excellency, we will split into two teams from now on."

"Is the Ambry team going to bed early?"

"Yes! We have already started cooking, so we will take a light meal and rest early."

"Understood. Report immediately if anything happens... Ah, wait, that's right. Tell the Littleford knights to catch a 'Zanas.'"

"Zanas, the magic fish Zanas?"

The knight seemed puzzled. Why would they want a magic fish that they would just gut and discard?

"That's the one. They should have traps set to prevent them from migrating upstream at this time of year. They'll probably let us have one."

"Understood, sir."

The knight, who saluted with a puzzled look, left the room to deliver the Duke's message to the Littleford knights. After watching him go, the Duke came over to me and helped me take off my cloak.

"Melphiel, you must be tired."

"No, the flight was comfortable thanks to your magic, Duke."

"You'll be flying the same distance tomorrow, so rest. I'll bring you a light meal soon. Take your time to sit down. I'll have someone bring you a foot bath."

Although I appreciate the Duke's consideration, I was more concerned about the light meal. The room was filled with a somewhat floury smell. What are they making?

"Um, I have something I'm more concerned about than the foot bath."

"What is it? A bath is fine too. Don't hesitate to say what you need."

The Duke smiled softly and twirled a strand of my hair. A bath isn't necessary, but maybe I should tidy my hair. The Duke said he likes fluffy hair, so what should I use to make it fluffy... No, that would be a waste of time. Since the Duke said I could speak freely, I decided to be honest.

"Can I go to the kitchen? I'll help with the cooking. I brought something from the Marshall Raid territory."

"From your territory?"

"There's enough for everyone. Duke, is it okay?"

I showed the Duke the meat wrapped in oil paper. His face brightened.

"Alright. But don't overdo it."

"Yes, Duke. I'll go help now."

With the Duke's permission, I eagerly peeked into the kitchen. There, a knight was boiling water, and another was mixing something powdery in a large wooden bowl. The knight boiling water was Milan. I approached quietly and stood next to the knight who was struggling with the large bowl.

"Um, is that a grain porridge?"

"Y-You, Miss Marshall Raid. You shouldn't be in here."

"I have the Duke's permission. Besides, that grain porridge doesn't seem very filling."

Grain porridge, made by mixing various ground grains with hot water and kneading, is nutritious but bland. It's more like a sick person's food, and I don't think it will sustain the knights who are on night duty. It's a good portable food, but if possible, I'd like to make it more delicious. I showed the puzzled knight the item I had.

"How about this?"

When I took out the salted Loiaymoodler meat, Milan, who had tasted the skewers with me before, exclaimed happily.

"Is it okay, Miss Marshall Raid?"

"Please call me Melphiel. This salted meat is very well-made, and I think it will make the grain porridge delicious."

"That's a great idea!"

Milan raised both hands in joy. The other knight, whom I was meeting for the first time, looked at the excited Milan with a puzzled expression. He hadn't tasted the exquisite Loiaymoodler skewers, so he didn't know how delicious the meat was. Hmm, I should let this knight taste the salted meat first.

"Don't look at me like that, Zef. This is Miss... ah, Melphiel's special treat?"

"Hey, is that the golden-haired meat? Chaos and Ambry, and now you... are you sure it's okay?"

"Of course it's okay! You'll understand once you taste it. Eat it, kneel and eat it now."

Milan and Zef started arguing. People who hear about monster meat for the first time always react like Zef, so the only way is to let them taste it and be convinced. No matter how much I explain, they won't understand.

I borrowed a knife and thinly sliced the salted meat. I then skewered the meat and lightly grilled it. Ideally, I should have removed some of the salt, but since it was thinly sliced, it wouldn't be too salty. The fat sizzled and melted, and soon a fragrant aroma rose. When the grilled meat shrank and a slight char appeared at the edges, I handed the skewer to Zef.

"This is the salted Loiaymoodler meat that the Duke hunted for me. The magic has been completely removed, so it's safe to eat."

"Melphiel, I want to try it first!"

"Then, let Milan taste it too."

After slicing a few more pieces, Milan started grilling the meat himself. The fat sizzled and made a pleasant sound.

"O-Oh, are you really going to eat it?"

"Of course. Life is a loss if you refuse to try something. Besides, if Melphiel has removed the magic, it won't upset your stomach."

Ignoring the hesitant Zef, Milan quickly put the thin slice of meat in his mouth. His eyes narrowed, and he chewed and swallowed with a blissful expression. Good, Milan seems to like the Loiaymoodler meat.

"This salt level is perfect for a tired body! It's the best, Melphiel. The fresh meat was delicious, but this aged version is also a hard-to-resist flavor!"

"Wow, that's great, Milan."

Suddenly, a low, ground-hugging voice came from the kitchen entrance, and we all turned to look.

"Can't you give me a taste too, Melphiel?"

There, the Duke stood with a very disappointed look, his back radiating dark magic.