568 - - 566 units. - Reconnaissance results.

I asked Mr. Toruku to develop ramen noodles, and I spent my free time before the blacksmithing competition studying them. The noodles are not going well, but I'm feeling good about them, and I have Sylphy and Nomos scouting for the competition, so I'm sure we'll be able to make it.

"So.... Belle tachi was great!"

The belles show off their smug faces. Smug faces of adults are often a bit on the nose, but those of pure little kids like Belle and the others are very cute.

"I see. You guys are amazing!"

At any rate, I'd like to praise Bell and his team, but to be honest, I don't really understand what's so great about them.

Originally, they had been visiting the labyrinth city regularly, and their hobby of exploring food stalls had become less and less new.

Still, since the labyrinth city has started to focus on food, there were some discoveries that satisfied Bell and his friends to a certain extent, but this time they stayed a little too long and ran out of food stalls that could satisfy their needs.

With their free time, Belle and her friends begin to play with the spirits in the labyrinth city.　

When they returned home and ate their meals, they tried their best to explain the day's events to us, but it was a play of the little spirits' imagination, and their stories jumped all over the place, making it difficult to understand them.

So I praise them when they are happy and console them when they are frustrated, but sometimes I wonder if this is the right thing to do.

Once I boldly talked to Sylphy about it, but she was astonished that spirits do not need to worry about such things, unlike human children.

In fact, Belle and her friends are enjoying their everyday life to the fullest, so I guess Sylphy is right.

But I've known a spirit that has been dyed in the kitchen and turned into a pure white raven in the process of evolution.

If Belle and the others are dyed in the kitchen, will I be able to guide them to the right path?

I am very anxious about this, because I have a history of being dyed in the same way.

Especially Flare who admires the coolness of ifs should be careful. We must do everything we can to stop her from letting her admiration go out of control and going in a strange direction.

"I'm back!"

As I was stroking Belle and the others, praising them despite my worries, Sylphy and Nomos, who had been out scouting for the blacksmiths participating in the competition, returned.

"Sylphy, Nomos, welcome back. You're back a little late, what's up?"

It is strange that it seems to have taken so long considering Sylphy's power, even though less than half a day has passed.

I should have asked Sylphy the question, but Nomos came forward and stared at my face silently.

The eyes of Nomos, are you going to accept information without any compensation?　I feel as if he is saying to me.

I wonder what the spirit contract is, and if my magic power is the price.　I don't think so, but I don't think it's right to ask him to cooperate with me with his magical power, which is wasting the power of the Great Spirit, so I silently offer him a keg of sake and a glass.

"Well, some of them are as good as Mel, but if you include Damascus in your evaluation, there should be no problem.

Nomos' mouth starts moving smoothly as soon as he sees the barrel. I am very thankful for this clear response.

Come to think of it, it is much more difficult to read the words of Bell and the others.

"It took you long enough for it not to be a problem. Wasn't there a blacksmith?"

Even though the competition is just around the corner, they are not smithing at all hours of the day, so it may have taken them some time to check.

"I found all the blacksmiths right away, but I found some extras at the same time. It took me a little bit of time to check them out."

Sylphy, who has emptied her first glass neatly, tells me with a slight air of exasperation.

"Extra?"

I felt a hint of trouble in her mood, and I wanted to let it pass, but I couldn't help but ask.

"There are two things. One is a blacksmith who wants the workshop so badly that he's looking for judges and trying to bribe them. He's already paid off a couple of them."

Bribe. Isn't it a bit unbelievably brilliant to bribe two people at a hurriedly organized tournament with so little time to prepare?

I have a feeling I'd make a good merchant. I'm afraid I'm going to destroy myself in the end. .......

"Should I take action?"

Even though it is a secret screening, it would be possible to control the judging by showing your work first.

In the meantime, why don't we find out who the bribed judges are, and tip off the Blacksmith's Guild?

"Hmm. I've seen your work, but it's not much. If there was no difference, it might have been effective, but that would not have helped the judges who received the money."

Not so good at blacksmithing, are you? Then I guess we don't have to worry about what Nomos says.

I wouldn't be so stupid as to recommend a sword of Damascus made by an acquirer when there is a sword of Damascus, albeit a degraded version, made by Mel, who is a very competent smith.　

It makes me doubt my own eyesight.

But I'll check it out and tip him off. I'm the organizer, so it's not like I'm letting it go unchecked, right?

"What's the other one?"

"There was a blacksmith who was planning to attack Goldens. He was smiling broadly, saying that as long as Goldens were destroyed, the workshop would be mine."

I don't care if it hurts the ...... annoying Goldens, but we can't just leave them ...... alone.

They won't be happy if they get attacked and miss the tournament, and they might say that I planned the attack.

It's very ...... regrettable that I'm protecting Goldens, but I'll look into this too and report it to the Blacksmith's Guild.

By the way, Goldens must be recognized by other blacksmiths as a potential winner.

We ourselves think that one of these three will win the competition!　He seemed confident, but he was not just conceited.

"Do you know what the plan is?"

"You said that you were going to pay a ragamuffin to attack me on the day of the competition and take my artwork too. He also said that he had a lot of people in between so he didn't have to worry about them finding out about it."

You're planning to attack on the day of the tournament. If he failed, it would be difficult to follow up, but I wonder if he was wary that he would recover from his injury and exhibit another piece?

It is not an unknowable precaution, since it is not likely that they would have only the main work even if they did not have time to re-strike it.

It is a little troublesome to have so many people in between, but let's ask Sylphy to investigate and catch them like a sack of potatoes.

It's a real hassle.

Let's put out an extra keg of sake for now.

****

"Yuta, I'd like to start soon, are you busy?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. I'm not busy, but I lost track of time. I'm on my way!

In the meeting to destroy the blacksmiths who were up to no good, I had completely forgotten about my appointment with Mr. Toruku.

I apologize to Mr. Toruku once again, and we head for his kitchen together.

"Anyway, I'm going to boil the noodles I prepared the day before, so please give me a taste."

As soon as he arrived at the kitchen, Mr. Toruku put the noodles into the water that had been pre-boiled. He does not want to waste even a second of his time, since Martha has limited it.

I feel really sorry that I forgot our appointment.

"First things first."

Just boiled noodles on a small plate. I've tasted them so many times that I've gotten used to them, but I'm afraid that by the time the ramen is finished, I'm going to hate them.

"Well, the firmness is good enough, but there is still a strong peculiar smell.

"Yes, it is. The soup will counteract it to some extent, but the smell will still be stronger. Let's boil the next one.

After slurping a mouthful of noodles, Mr. Toruku shared the same opinion.

At first he couldn't even slurp the noodles well, but now he slurps them without feeling any discomfort, and after checking, he quickly starts to boil the next batch of noodles.

I didn't know it until we started studying ramen together, but Toruku is a very data-oriented person and makes many batches of noodles, adjusting the amounts in detail.

Therefore, every time he repeats a trial, he gets closer to perfection, but because there are so many small adjustments, the number of tastings inevitably increases.

And the biggest problem is that I can hardly taste the difference in taste that changes with each fine adjustment.

At the moment, I can formulate an opinion based on the method of letting the noodles rest overnight, which I remembered from my knowledge of manga, and on the differences in taste between Japanese noodles and the noodles of other countries, but the more my research progresses, the less useful it will become.

You should also consider the time when you will withdraw from the research. If possible, I would like to leave before I start to dislike noodles.　

"Yuta, you have a visitor.

"At this hour?　I mean, who are you?"

While I was studying the noodles, Martha came to call me with a puzzled look on her face, but I was more puzzled.

I was puzzled by the time, but sadly only a few people, such as Ms. Marie, came to visit me. And Marie and the others, Martha would not have a puzzled look on her face.

"That's what knights are for, isn't it? Yuta, did you do something?"

I can't say that I didn't do anything, but I'm sure I didn't do anything to get caught, and I can't imagine why a knight would come to visit me at this hour.

It is possible that he was sent by his country for a degraded version of Damascus, but if that were the case, he wouldn't have come at this time of night, would he?

"...... I'll see you anyway."

"They're waiting for me in the lobby, should I go with them?"

No, I'm fine.

Martha's presence is reassuring, but I don't want to get involved if things get messy.

"You look like you have a visitor."

As I headed for the lobby, I tried to summon Sylphy just in case, but she joined me before I could summon her.

I was glad that she could sense when I was having a drink with Nomos, but I was also glad that she could sense when I was having a drink with Nomos and rush over to me.

"Yuta-dono, I am sorry for coming so late at night."

When I arrive at the lobby, two knights stand up to greet me.

They seem to know my face and I have seen their faces somewhere before, so I guess they are probably knights working in the castle.

From the look on their faces, it seems that they are not here to catch me.

"No, that's fine, is there something wrong?"

"...... that, Lord Dolgem has disappeared."

The knight tells me apologetically, but who is Dorgem?　It sounds familiar, but I don't know who it is.

............ knights come, they must be from the country.

...... Oh, I remember now. The chief blacksmith of the court was named Dorgem. I see... Mr. Dolgem who clung to Mel and asked to be his apprentice is gone.

"...... He's coming this way, isn't he?"

"I'm almost certain he'll be here."

"Of course..."

I'm just a bunch of blacksmiths from the labyrinthine city who look down on Mel and make fun of him.

I just want to see Goldens in particular < when they find out what Mel is capable of, but why does it have to be such a hassle?

......In the meantime, let's have Sylphy catch him and dump him at the castle. Then he'll go straight to jail again.

I don't want a life as eventful and tumultuous as some hero's, and I don't want to respond to the passion of a craftsman with whom I have little relationship, so please give it up.