Chapter 27

"Milady Melfiera, I'm already enjoying mine!"

"Both the grain porridge from yesterday and the battered and fried food today are so delicious, I didn't expect to have such good meals on an expedition!"

"To be honest, I wasn't good with fish, but this is delicious!"

When I entered the large room, the knights were all sharing their impressions. Instead of a toast, they greeted me with smiles, raising their battered and fried food.

"Melfi, over here!"

I was wondering where to sit when His Grace called me over. Gratefully, I took the seat next to him, and the knights immediately placed plates of food in front of me. They even gave me a warm drink, so after a brief pause, I checked the table.

(Everyone seems to have a good appetite and is in high spirits this morning. That's good.)

The battered and fried Zanus was more than half gone. As expected, these are knights who rely on physical strength. It's satisfying to see them enjoy the food so much.

"You must be tired, Melfi. After this, we'll be flying again. We should arrive at the Garbreath territory by evening, but eat as much as you can."

"Yes, thank you!"

His Grace was eating Zanus wrapped in leafy vegetables. It looked very delicious, so I tried it the same way, wrapping it in the fresh leafy vegetables.

(This is to my liking!)

The greasiness of the battered and fried food was reduced, making it much easier to eat. After quickly eating a couple of pieces, I searched for the sour juice that Zeph had mentioned. There were also warm vegetables on the table, and fruits were prepared to be eaten with them, but the knights weren't touching the vegetables much. It's not good for health to eat only meat and not vegetables... When I was about to take some warm vegetables, Zeph came over with something.

"Milady Melfiera, this is the fruit called Cabo that produces the sour juice."

The dark green, round fruit was in season. Zeph handed me a half-cut one, and I squeezed it over the battered and fried Zanus and took a bite.

(The greasiness is nicely balanced by the refreshing sourness, making it easy to eat!)

This would be good when your stomach is tired or when you don't have much appetite. Zeph also ate it the same way, saying, "Ah, this sourness is irresistible!" and squeezed a lot of it over the regular battered and fried food. Watching this, His Grace looked interested and examined the battered and fried Zanus and the cut Cabo.

"Is this Cabo? They say here that they sprinkle Cabo juice and salt on vegetables."

"It's very good when you want to eat something greasy in a light way. Is sourness okay for you, His Grace?"

"It's fine, or rather, I usually have it with a drink."

"Let's give it a try. This part of the Zanus is very delicious, but the greasiness is a bit of a problem. The Cabo juice goes well with it."

I squeezed the Cabo juice over the battered and fried Zanus and offered it to His Grace. He swallowed hard and picked up one piece. His fingers were trembling, perhaps because he's not good with sourness?

His Grace closed his eyes tightly and put the Cabo-squeezed battered and fried Zanus in his mouth. He immediately shivered and then opened his eyes wide.

"Sour!"

It looked so sour that I offered him a drink, but he refused, chewed it thoroughly, and swallowed.

"Are you okay?"

"It's... amazing. It's like a wake-up call... The sourness isn't bad, but..."

"It seems to be a taste that some people like and some don't. Here, His Grace, this fruit looks sweet and delicious."

It seems even His Grace has things he doesn't like. He was putting the seasonal fruits in front of me into his mouth one after another. I'll try not to make the same mistake again. His Grace doesn't like sourness. Yes, I'll remember that.

After that, everyone ate as much as they wanted, and the leftovers were put between bread to carry. The Garbreath territory is still far away, so we'll eat them during breaks. By the way, the other half of the Zanus that wasn't battered and fried was salted and put on ice by Zeph and Ambry. Apparently, dragons also eat fish, but according to Zeph, "They just gobble it up without any appreciation, so it's a waste of good Zanus."

◇

"Thanks, Beigard."

After breakfast, we quickly finished the cleanup and packing and set off again for the Garbreath territory. As before, Milian greeted the representative of the Little Tower's knights. The other knights, including His Grace and me, were already on the Grissheld dragons, ready to take off. A knight with a grand feather on his helmet shook hands with Milian, as he did yesterday, so he must be the representative of the tower.

"Be careful. Your territory is the most dangerous this season."

"It's still okay with the defense line you have. We can shoot down anything that flies with magic."

"Indeed, the people of Garbreath are tough! See you, Milian. I wish you a safe journey."

"Thank you. If anything happens, please let us know!"

Milian gave a sharp salute, and the knights of the Little Tower returned it. When Milian turned and mounted the dragon, His Grace raised his hand, and the dragons slowly started to flap their wings.

His Grace put his arm around my waist in a familiar gesture, just like yesterday. I, too, had gotten used to it and naturally leaned on him. His Grace was wearing armor today, which felt a bit hard.

"Melfi, if you get tired, let me know immediately."

"I've rested well, so I'm fine. You didn't sleep at all last night, did you... I wish I could control the dragon, but I'm sorry."

"Don't worry. I have this."

His Grace took out the Cabo from his pocket this morning.

"Wait, I thought you didn't like it."

"I don't dislike it. It's a good wake-up call."

"No, no, please take a proper rest! If I need to, I can ride with Milian or Zeph."

"That's not an option. I was just joking about the wake-up call. I brought a few because you liked it."

His Grace turned his head away and gave me three Cabos. I put them in the bag on my waist and decided to enjoy His Grace's kindness.

What kind of life does His Grace lead in the Garbreath territory? A body that doesn't need sleep and has more magic than others, and sword skills that ordinary knights can't master. I've met about twenty Garbreath knights, and all of them admire and respect His Grace. It felt like a large, warm family centered around His Grace, and I became very interested in the people living in the duchy.

"His Grace, what kind of towns and villages are there in the Garbreath territory?"

"There used to be about thirty towns and villages of various sizes, but they started to decrease seventeen years ago, and now there are only twelve left."

"The great drought and famine, right?"

Even in the sparsely populated Marashalraid territory, it was a difficult time. The Garbreath territory, which had thirty towns and villages, suffered a great loss, losing more than half of its towns and villages. His Grace's face became sad, and he started stroking my hair.

"In the Garbreath territory, that event is called the 'Calamity.' The previous Duke of Garbreath passed away suddenly due to the Calamity, and I was chosen as the next Duke."

"The 'Calamity' wasn't just the great drought and famine, was it?"

Could the previous Duke have died from starvation? It seemed impossible unless it was due to illness or an accident. I couldn't help but want to know and placed my hand on top of His Grace's.

"The monsters from the Elzenyie Great Forest appeared in unprecedented numbers. We couldn't keep up with the extermination, and a large number of monsters condensed their magic... Finally, the monsters, infected with magic poison, went mad and attacked the Garbreath territory."

"Such a thing... I didn't know that happened."

"Of course, the previous Duke fulfilled his mission. Many of the Garbreath knights were lost, but thanks to their efforts, the Elzenyie Great Forest's monsters did not cause damage to other territories."

"What about the knights from other territories? Didn't you request reinforcements from the king?"

"The Duke of Garbreath and his knights are bound by a pledge to the country. Someone had to do it, and I accepted it. The knights who admire me are also a bit eccentric."

I was speechless at the weight of the responsibility His Grace carries. Does that mean His Grace is always prepared to die? Does he accept it as a matter of course?

"That is the king's command, the destiny and fate of those who inherit the name of Garbreath. To fight monsters with our lives and protect the Kingdom of Langdias. I swear on the lives of the knights who fell that we will never let the Calamity happen again."

His Grace tried to hold my hand but ended up clenching his fist. When I looked up, he was smiling. It seemed like he had accepted an inevitable fate, so I placed my hand on top of his again.

"I don't like it, His Grace."

"Melfi?"

"Don't say that with a smile, as if you're willing to risk your life!"

His Grace's amber eyes looked straight at me.

"My mother also died as if she had accepted her fate, just like His Grace. I don't like that. That's why I do research, to ensure that no one, including me, has to suffer. At first, it was to save the people from hunger. Then, to make it safe for the people to eat monster meat. I have completed a magic circle that can extract magic from objects. My next research is to extract... no, to extract magic poison from living beings."

"Melfi, I'm sorry. I'm not taking my life lightly."

"I don't intend to blame you, His Grace... No, Aristide. I'm here. If it's the same fate, I want to call meeting you my fate."

I lifted His Grace's fist and kissed the back of his hand. I'm not a knight, so it might not be a binding oath, but I want to swear to His Grace.

"My research, that magic circle, will surely be of help. I have a new research project that I just started. To ensure that you and the knights don't get hurt, I will work hard to produce results."

So, Aristide. Will you consider living with me?