Chapter 89

"Closing the Parivan Forest Park... and so on."

Amid the sound of flipping through the report, a monotone voice can be heard. It is not a question, so no one is allowed to interject until given permission. The stern-looking reporter simply bows his head and waits for the esteemed person to finish reading.

"Three Backhorns, eight Yakuls, multiple Garoyds, and one Lagradragon."

The Lagradragon is a migratory wyvern that spends the winter on southern islands raising its young, and flies to the Kingdom of Langdias at the beginning of summer. It has yellow-green scales, and during the mating season, its wing membranes turn crimson. As its name suggests, it is fierce and agile. For it to still be here at this time of year, it must either be injured and unable to fly or on the verge of death.

"The Lagradragon is no ordinary creature. May I ask, Captain Bayleu?"

"Of course, what is it?"

The captain, whose name was called, stiffened and replied. The esteemed person chuckled.

"Relax, make it easy. And could you please raise your head a bit? I don't like being overly fawned upon."

"However..."

Captain Bayleu glanced at me. The silver armor and deep blue cloak he wore were the marks of a member of the Royal Knights' Central Knights. As the captain, he has the highest position, and there is no problem with him entering this room.

(Well, that's true.)

I agreed with Captain Bayleu, who seemed to be warning me off. I am the one who is out of place here. However, I am not here because I want to be. When Captain Bayleu entered the room, I was told directly by the owner of the room that I did not need to leave. There was nothing I could do about it. I was trying to blend into the background and avoid getting involved in any trouble.

"Ah, Captain Bayleu. There's no need to worry about him. In fact, it would save time if he could listen in."

I have a bad feeling about this. I raised my head without making eye contact and swallowed hard. I could feel the intense gaze, so I stood up to face the esteemed person.

"Hey, Chaos. How many people do you think are needed to take down a maddened Lagradragon?"

"What, why are you asking such a person?"

Captain Bayleu glared at me with a gaze that could almost be heard. His stern face looked like that of a demon. I dodged the gaze, which seemed to be filled with murderous intent, and thought.

(A maddened Lagradragon, though weak against the cold. Even if we deploy our elite forces to form a hunting party...)

The presence or absence of the esteemed person makes a huge difference in both manpower and strategy. I realized why the esteemed person had specifically asked me, despite Captain Bayleu being present.

"…If I may, does that include our lord?"

If my reading is correct, this should be the right answer.

"Of course, Chaos. I think I'm starting to really like you."

The esteemed person, who had completely changed the atmosphere, smiled and beckoned me. Captain Bayleu's face became even more sour, and I desperately wanted to leave.

"Trying to take down a maddened Lagradragon without him would only increase unnecessary casualties. Captain Bayleu, please send an urgent request for a hunting party to Duke Galbreath as soon as possible."

"Ha? Duke Galbreath?"

"Yes, Duke Galbreath. Can you send the request within three hours? Oh, and there's no need to send a messenger. Chaos here will take the letter back. He is the Duke's aide."

Captain Bayleu looked at me with a surprised expression. I nodded back, but the thought of the imminent emergency request gave me a headache. We would need at least twenty knights, including the esteemed person, and the inner part of the Parivan Forest Park is vast and deep. Additionally, it being winter, the support team would also need to be large.

The esteemed person approached me as I was calculating.

"I'm sorry to ask this in the middle of winter. And I believe the Duke just got engaged? As an apology, you could bring his fiancée along. She was supposed to be my sister-in-law."

Captain Bayleu exclaimed, "Fiancée?" The news of Duke Galbreath's engagement, which was only known to a few, would spread quickly. And to call Lady Melfiera as well.

"King Maximus, is this an order?"

"It will be if you refuse."

The noble person, who had a somewhat suspicious smile, placed a hand on my shoulder. When the Duke and the Marashalraid Earl's engagement was approved, the esteemed person had been told, "Report once a month on how the relationship between the two families is progressing." Of course, the esteemed person had brushed it off, but as a Duke, it couldn't be ignored. Thus, I was tasked with delivering the personal letter.

(I've always been uncomfortable with this person.)

The twenty-ninth King of Langdias, Maximus, with his beautiful clear purple eyes sparkling, had involved me in this troublesome situation.

◇ ◇ ◇

"Lord Aristide, your meal has arrived. It's a good time to take a break."

The servant brought us the lunch we had missed. We had said we would go to the dining room, but we hadn't come down, so they brought it to us. It was two o'clock in the afternoon. I took a warm soup from the serving tray and offered it to Lord Aristide.

"Lord Aristide, I'm hungry."

"That's why you can eat first... Melfi?"

"I can't enjoy it alone. I want to eat with Lord Aristide."

The soup was rich and fragrant, made with plenty of dried centipede crabs.

"Since Reina prepared it so well, let's enjoy it while it's hot?"

The servant set the meal on the coffee table, and I placed the soup bowl and waited for Lord Aristide. He got up, pressing his stomach, with a slightly embarrassed look.

"I was trying to finish before Chaos returned. Well, eating hot food while it's hot is a sign of peace. Let's eat."

There was a reason our lunch was late. After returning from the centipede crab hunt, we had to deal with various reports and requests. Although there were no urgent documents (Chaos had taken care of them), there were a few that required investigation, such as flood control and fort reinforcement. For those that required Lord Aristide's personal inspection, I accompanied him as a guide. While summarizing the results, the time slipped away.

Sitting across from Lord Aristide, I finally got to have lunch. The dried centipede crab soup, freshly baked bread, and Balalas, a dish made with Monigal yams and pork, were all delicious.

"Wow! The centipede crab becomes so flavorful when dried... I must reward the cooks!"

Lord Aristide, who had been drinking the soup, was completely absorbed in it. After the hunt, the centipede crabs, which were still plentiful even after everyone had eaten their fill, were preserved by Reina. The centipede crabs, which only last three days when kept fresh, were transformed into dried crabs by being steamed and then dried using the wind from the Galbres Mountains. Chaos, who is skilled at reading and controlling the wind, had generously used his secret techniques.

"The white root-like ingredient in the soup is the core of the magic plant Finero, which Milan, Ambry, and Zeph collected the other day. It has an interesting texture, doesn't it?"

"Is that the wiggly Finero? It's well-seasoned in the soup, but I'm surprised you could eat it with that appearance."

The magic plant Finero has long, thin leaves that wiggle as if they have a will of their own. It has a thick, short stem in the middle. It mainly dissolves insects into nutrients using a sticky dissolving liquid that drips from its leaves. According to Milan, the inside of the stem looked delicious, so they brought it back.

The core, when cooked, loses its stickiness and becomes crunchy. It has a mild, bland taste, making it perfect for soups or as a side dish with strong-flavored dishes.

"Vegetables that can be harvested in winter are precious. Since Finero grows in clusters, it could be a candidate for regular collection."

"I don't think it's a bad idea. Even though there are many vegetable haters, fresh produce is still desired during the winter."

"Speaking of which, even though Galbreath is south of Marashalraid, it's still cold in winter. The wind is especially cold."

"The cold wind from the Galbres Mountains is tough even for me. I'll tell them to keep the fireplace burning."

"Thank you."

Indeed, even though I grew up in the north, I found the winter in Galbreath to be cold. However, when I went to Azaro Fort for the fort reinforcement investigation, I was surprised by the vibrant activity despite the deep winter. Since the plains rarely get snow, the people often work outside. In the snow-covered Marashalraid, people stay indoors and rarely go out (or can't go out due to the snow). Indoors, it's always warm. I hadn't had many opportunities to go outside and be active, so I was secretly feeling a bit under the weather, which I hadn't told Lord Aristide.

"Melphi, aren't you going to make Marashalraid cuisine?"

As I was eating the Balalas, Lord Aristide asked me.

"Marashalraid cuisine? If you want to eat it, I can teach the cooks how to make it."

In Marashalraid, winter cuisine is mostly about preserving food and making stews. Bread is also baked at home. Unlike Galbreath, where various shops are open even in winter, in Marashalraid, everyone works together to make a large amount of preserved food during the short autumn. I know how to make it.

"No... I was wondering if you were missing Marashalraid cuisine."

I was surprised by Lord Aristide's hesitation.

"I find Galbreath cuisine to be very palatable. I enjoy it every day."

"Umm, that's good, but..."

I tried to figure out what Lord Aristide really wanted to say, given his hesitant manner.

(Could he have found out that I'm feeling a bit under the weather? But my appetite is normal...)

To prove that I was fine, I ate the Balalas and drank the remaining soup. I wasn't forcing myself; Reina's creations using monster ingredients were truly delicious, and there were still many monsters I wanted to try.

"I want to enjoy Galbreath spices, but I think there are monsters that can be used in Marashalraid cuisine, so I'll think about it."

"That's not what I meant... But I'm glad you like it."

"Yes! Every day is a joy. It's a happiness to be able to eat like this."

Lord Aristide, who murmured, "Happiness," sipped his spiced tea and narrowed his amber eyes. Seeing his happy face, I smiled back at him.