Chapter 41

When I woke up, the sun had not yet risen. I washed my face as usual to wake myself up. I put some firewood into the wood stove and used fire magic to warm myself.

The two were still asleep, but Quinn seemed to sense that I had woken up and came over to me.

"Good morning, Quinn. It's even colder today, isn't it?"

Shiver!

Since it was even colder today, I thought about using magic to adjust the temperature in addition to the wood stove, but I decided to enjoy the winter chill with just the wood stove.

After petting Quinn for a while, I put Quinn on my head and started making breakfast.

Today's breakfast consists of barley porridge with egg miso flavor, simmered eggplant, charcoal-grilled Welbird, and vegetable soup.

When I say eggplant, it might be more accurate to call it an eggplant-like vegetable. The texture and taste are just like eggplant, so I call it eggplant.

As the good smell of the meal started to fill the room, the two woke up in a hurry and greeted me.

"Good morning, Master! I overslept!"

"Good morning, Master. I'll prepare the dishes."

See? Luna is always serious, and Yomi seems to have given up on waking up early and is helping with the preparations.

They might not be good slaves, but I like this atmosphere, so it's fine.

"Go wash your face. I've stored some warm water in the bucket, so use it."

While the two were washing their faces, I finished setting the table and played with Quinn.

Come on, it's breakfast time!

"Let's eat!"

While eating breakfast, we talk about what we'll do that day, which has become a recent routine.

"Master, what are your plans for today?"

"I'll ask you two to clean the house in the morning. Once the cleaning is done, you can do whatever you want. You can even go to the capital. Think of it as a half-day off. I have somewhere to go in the morning, but I'll be home in the afternoon."

"Understood!"

The two have the money they earned from the Stampede, so they apparently don't need pocket money.

I was surprised when they were given all the money earned from the Stampede, but I told them to use it.

It's a bit much to receive money that was earned at the risk of their lives.

"Alright, I'll be back in a bit!"

"Have a good day, Master!"

The first place I went to was the old man who sells skewers.

It's been a few days since I gave him the meat, and I also want to introduce him to charcoal grilling. I think the skewers would be incredibly delicious if grilled over charcoal with that exquisite sauce.

"Hey, old man! How are you doing?"

"Hey, kid! I've been waiting for you! I tried a few things, and the High Oak meat is really delicious! But the Thunder Eagle meat is even better! Kid, where did you get such good meat? I heard it's A-rank quality!"

"Well, it's good, isn't it? I'll keep supplying you with Thunder Eagle meat from time to time! Here, old man, take this."

I gave him 300 kg of additional High Oak meat and 50 kg of Thunder Eagle meat, and he gave me 10 gold coins in return.

To be honest, the price is far from enough, but it's not a problem.

"Sorry, kid, I can't give you more..."

"No, it's fine. By the way, old man, I have a favor to ask."

I took out a hibachi and some charcoal.

"What's this?"

"Old man, can I have a few uncooked skewers?"

"Two skewers of Thunder Eagle and High Oak, okay?"

I started grilling the skewers over the charcoal, and as they cooked, a good smell began to waft through the air. This is the main event.

"Old man, put your secret sauce on this!"

I brushed the sauce generously onto the skewers and grilled them over the charcoal. The smell that filled the air was incomparable to anything before.

People passing by started to look for the source of the smell, but I ignored them.

"Old man, it's ready! It's charcoal-grilled meat skewers!"

Swallow "This, this is seriously delicious!"

I took a bite of the High Oak skewer, and it was indeed delicious! I tried it at home yesterday, but the difference in taste is all in the sauce! The old man's sauce is the best!

"What is this?! The level of deliciousness has skyrocketed! The flavor lingers in your mouth even after you've finished eating, and the air you exhale is delicious too!"

... Do people in this world really have a talent for food reviews? I'm getting hungry just from the old man's words, even though I've already had breakfast.

The Thunder Eagle skewer was also incredibly delicious.

"Old man, try grilling some skewers with chopped onions between the meat pieces! It will definitely be delicious, especially with the Thunder Eagle meat!"

"What?! That sounds delicious. I'll give it a try! By the way, kid, can I borrow this hibachi and charcoal? I want to try a few things."

"Of course, you can! And it's not a hibachi, it's a shichirin, old man."

"Shichirin, got it. I saw how to use it, so I'll be fine."

"Be careful with fires."

"Sure thing! Still, this is incredibly delicious!! I must say, the sauce is doing a great job!"

As we were talking, a passerby approached us.

"Hey, shopkeeper! Sell me some of that! I'll pay!"

"Me too! Sell me some!"

"Me too! I'll buy 10 skewers!"

People who found the source of the smell started to gather, but we weren't prepared at all.

"Kid, are you free now?"

"Huh? No, I'm not free."

"Come on! Please! I'll get my family to help from tomorrow, but just for today, please! Even for an hour!"

The number of customers was increasing, so I decided to help.

I went into a nearby alley and made a few larger shichirins. I used them to start a fire behind the old man's stall. He had a large metal grate, so we used that.

In the end, the customers kept coming, and we didn't finish until noon. The old man said he would close the shop for the day once the skewers were sold out.

"Thanks, kid! Here's a thank you for today. 10 skewers of Thunder Eagle and 10 of High Oak. Please try them."

"Thanks, old man! I'll leave the charcoal and shichirin here. Good luck!"

With 100 kg of charcoal and the shichirins we used, he should be fine for now. But at that rate, the charcoal will run out quickly, so I'll have to make more.

Next, I went to Lebrant's place.

"Oh, Owl, it's been a while. Has the messenger from the castle come yet?"

"Hello, Lebrant. No, they haven't come yet. I came to sell this today. And I brought 20 bags of feathers as well."

"Perfect timing! I was short on feathers for the rocking chairs, which are selling better than expected! ... These are red matsutake, right? Did you get them from the dungeon? So many?"

"Yes. Can I sell them?"

"Of course! These are worth 1 gold coin each!"

"Really? I probably have about 50."

"Let's see... 49 in total. Including the feathers, I'll give you 40 platinum coins and 50 gold coins as a bonus. I have the money on hand, so I'll pay you now."

"Thank you. I'll be on my way then."

"By the way, Owl! You'll probably be called to the castle soon. I've heard some suspicious rumors about some of the knights. You should be careful."

"What kind of rumors?"

"... Just between us, there are rumors that they're betraying the kingdom and selling information to other countries. You might become famous, so be cautious."

"Thanks for the information, Lebrant!"

The knights... I haven't met them yet, but I'll be careful.

I managed to get home around noon. Thanks to the two, the house was clean, and they were relaxing on the sofa.

"I'm back. I'm a bit late."

"Welcome back, Master."

"Have you had lunch?"

"No, not yet."

"We were waiting to eat with you."

Oops, that's my fault. Let's eat the skewers I brought back as a souvenir.

"I got some skewers grilled at the old man's place. Let's eat them together."

"They smell good!"

Shiver!!

Quinn also seems excited by the good smell. I'll give Quinn these skewers too.

Quinn usually eats raw meat, but it seems interested in the charcoal-grilled skewers.

After we all ate, they were indeed delicious. The two were obviously happy, and Quinn ate with joy.

Yeah... too cute. I decided to let Quinn have these skewers from time to time.

After finishing the skewers, I thought Luna and Yomi would go out, but they decided to stay home today.

While we were drinking tea and eating cookies as a dessert, there was a knock on the door.

"Yomi, can you get it?"

"Yes, I'll take care of it."

Yomi went out, but after 2-3 minutes, she didn't return. Did something happen?

"Yomi, did something happen?"

"Oh, Master. These are messengers from the castle."

Two knights in luxurious armor were visiting. They were probably from the knight corps. One was a man and one was a woman. The man looked to be around 25-28 years old, and the woman looked younger, possibly under 20.

"Sorry, I'm Owl, the owner of this house."

"I'm Lang Orentz of the 2nd Knight Corps. This is Sallard Ilria. We're here as messengers from the castle."

"Since this is a bit cramped, please come in."

"Thanks for letting us in."

"... I'll be in your way."

Ilria seemed to be a quiet person.

"Please, have a seat on the sofa. It's a bit cramped."

As the two knights sat down, Luna brought out tea. Her movements were perfect, and if you only saw this, she would be a perfect maid... if she didn't bring out cookies too.

Luna, your attention to detail is perfect, but bringing out cookies is not good...

"... Cookies?"

"Yes, I just happened to have some."

She's not lying. They were just made.

"... They're hard to come by, are you sure it's okay?"

"Yes, please."

Without saying a word, Ilria started eating the cookies silently. She was also savoring the tea, which she drank cold, making her look cute.

"So, would you like to hear the message from the castle?"

"Ilria, sorry. We'd like you to come to the castle at noon, five days from today. Show this invitation to the gatekeeper, and they will guide you inside. As for your attire, just wear what you usually wear. It shouldn't be too dirty, but it doesn't have to be formal. When you arrive, someone will instruct you on proper etiquette. You can't bring weapons, so be careful. You're being called as the key figure in this incident, so be prepared for that. Also, bring the maid girls and anyone who helped in the Stampede."

I see, just as Barracks said.

"Is there anything you want to ask?"

"Then, one question. ... How much does the kingdom know about this incident?"

I asked indirectly if there might be a different truth to this incident. I wonder what answer I'll get.

"Hmm... To be honest, we don't fully understand it yet. The castle is in a bit of a mess right now, which is why we're a bit late."

"I see..."

The "mess" might be related to the knight corps that Lebrant mentioned... but they won't tell me.

"Can I ask one thing?"

"What is it?"

"How did you defeat the Horn Chimera? ... Or did you really defeat it?"

Suddenly, Orentz emitted a killing aura and pressure. But the ones who reacted instantly were not me, but Luna and Yomi. Yomi put a dagger to Orentz's neck, and Luna immediately cast Aqua Lance without incantation.

"Wow... These maids are quite skilled. The magic was cast without incantation, and I'm quite impressed. However, the problem is you. Not reacting to my killing aura and pressure, who are you?"

What should I answer? I could say I'm from a poor farming family, but they wouldn't believe me... Well, in times like these, a smile is the best!

Smile

...

Huh.

"Haha, can't reveal my true identity? Well, it's fine. I lost my interest. I'll be on my way. Let's go, Il."

"... Yeah... The tea and cookies were delicious... Thank you..."

Orentz and Ilria left, but I wonder why Ilria came.

Still, in five days. I have more time than I thought, so I'll do some experiments! I might also try some cooking. I want to make more charcoal too.

But for now, let's relax!

... Ah, rocking chairs are really wonderful.

---

SIDE: 2nd Knight Corps Commander Orentz

I'm on my way back from the kid's house who supposedly defeated the Horn Chimera.

The young woman walking next to me is quiet, but she's the deputy commander of the 2nd Knight Corps.

I tried to gauge the kid without revealing everything, but it didn't work.

"So? What did you think of that kid, Owl? What did you see?"

"... Hard to describe... But... I don't think he's a bad person."

"Really? You seem unusually uncertain. Did you see something?"

"... He's... unfathomable... But, he's interesting... The cookies were also very, very delicious..."

I'm surprised. Even Il can't fully judge him, and she liked him at first sight. Whether it's good luck or bad, I need to report this to the king.

"... Hey, Orentz."

"What?"

"... Would you... die... for the cookies?"

"That's sudden and dangerous! No way! And how did we get to this point?!"

"... Tch"

Il is scary!

Ah, I didn't even eat the cookies...

---

SIDE: 2nd Knight Corps Deputy Commander Ilria

I finally got to eat cookies. They were truly wonderful. If I weren't so quiet, I would have talked about their wonderfulness for a long time.

The boy, Owl, is also intriguing. Even with my ability to see through illusions, I couldn't see through him.

Would Elly's discerning eye have seen through him? I'm curious.

I should go to Elly and brag about the cookies I ate. The cookies I ate today were much better than the ones I bought before. Could Elly have been talking about Owl when she mentioned the miraculous cook? Can I eat them again if I go back?

Would it be too forward? No, it should be fine. Owl seemed kind, and the maid girls were incredibly cute. Do they eat cookies every day? Could I eat cookies if I became a maid?

But Orentz wouldn't allow it...

I might need to eliminate Orentz for the cookies. Then, the path to becoming Owl's maid might open up.

"... Hey, Orentz."

"What?"

"... Would you... die... for the cookies?"

"That's sudden and dangerous! No way! And how did we get to this point?!"

"... Tch"

Orentz is an idiot.

Wait for me, Owl. Someday, I'll...

---

SIDE: Owl

Shiver!

"What's wrong!?"

"Master, what happened?"

"I suddenly felt a chill?"

"Hehe, do you have a cold? I'll warm you up!"

Although I couldn't see through his true identity, the fact that I didn't react to the commander's killing aura and pressure made both the commander and the king take notice of me.

Moreover, Ilria took notice of me in a different way.

Owl's principle is not to bow to unjust authority, but he will be drawn into more and more troublesome situations regardless.

I'll update a bit at a time.

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