278 To Castle Town ① ~ Unknown Ingredients ~

The 27th of the Black Moon.

After completing our business in Inn Town, we are headed to Castle Town as promised.

The purpose is to indulge in unknown ingredients that are overflowing the pantry of Count Turan's mansion.

It was also something to push too many people, so only four of the members accompanying them were Raina-Lou, Rimi-Lou, Tour-Din and Ai-Fa, who came down to town to escort them.

After we deposit our own luggage at the castle gate, we rendezvous with Polearth and switch to a box-shaped car. Of course, the passes were prepared by Polearth, the guide.

"All right, let's go then"

Together with the decree of Polearth, the Totos car began to move constantly.

To Tour-Din, who is alone in the face of nervousness, I said, "Are you okay? I'll call it."

"Yes, I'm fine. … but I could not imagine at all that I would step into Castle Town with my nobility"

He would have ripped off Pol Earth's ears on board, Tul-din whispering and returning words.

At the time of my last visit, Rayna-Lew said pretty much the same thing. Oh, and I'll give him a nod back in my nostalgia.

"I guess so. If you were a forest folk, you'd think that at first.... but I also asked Tour-Din for help at my discretion, wasn't that annoying?

"I can't believe it's annoying... you chose something like me out of all those large crowds of women, so it's never been such an honor. I am proud and full of breasts."

That being said, Tour-Din smiled happily at me.

We're taking on the task of preparing a welcome dish for the mission coming from Banaam next month on the Blue Moon. That's why I wanted the three of them to come with me today, when I was sure I would ask them to help me.

Are there ingredients in the Cycleus Secret Reservoir that could be instant warfare? It would be like having been forcibly pushed off by Pole Earth to accept a visit, but it would be a development that would be quite curious.

"I think the number of people attending the welcoming party will probably fit in at about two or thirty. Of course, I'm here to represent the Dalaim family!

And, again today, your mood Polearth threw a voice from the seat across the street.

"We need to carry out a more ambitious feast if we are supposed to, but at any rate, the mission will stay in Genos for the 10th and the half of the month, so that's in pursuit again. If you give up a castle and it's a feast, you'll have a hundred of them and 200 of them. Then Lord Asta will be overburdened."

"Right. Six different dishes for a hundred people, that just seems pretty tough"

"No, no, if it's a feast for that number of people, I don't eat exactly one dish in order, etc. Instead, you're going to need a lot more dishes with easy knockout side dishes."

Still, I'm sure it will look completely different from the feast by the woods.

My countrymen are smiling and eating Giva's food. Last night's feast scene in the Rutim family was still left behind in my brain.

"Well whatever, I look forward to welcoming the day! Plus, I'll do a little digging today. No matter how much you raise your expectations, I don't think Lord Asta will be disappointed.

"Yes, I'm looking forward to it"

When it was all shaken up like that for half an hour, Totos' car eventually stopped.

We arrived at Count Turan's residence.

"Wow, you're big whenever you look at it!

Rimi-Lou, who jumped out of the car first, says as he looks up at the huge brick mansion.

It was the second visit for Rimi-Lou and Raina-Lou, and the fourth visit for me and Ai-Fa.

The first time, as a prisoner and a savior to save it.

The second time, as the representative of the people by the woods facing Cycleus.

The third time, as well as today, as Kamadu number and escort.

I was secretly thinking that it was time for me and I-Fa to wipe away their bitter memories and step into this mansion in a flat mood.

"Welcome to Count Turan's residence... Lord Tolst awaits you..."

Going through both open doors, Chiffon-Cher greeted us again today.

She is a popular woman of the northern kingdom of Mahdra, with honey-colored curly hair and purple eyes, and white skin that falls out of it.

"You're officially staying at the Mansion as Princess Lefreia's squire, aren't you? Is that you, as usual, playing the guest's guide?

"Yes..." Chiffon-Cher smiled as Polearth inquired as he walked down the carpeted corridor.

"Lord Tolst has not invited too many servants… I, the most ancient person, am the guide…"

"Hmm. Lord Tolst seems to be a covenant maker. They must have bought it there and left Princess Lifreia's guardian in charge."

It didn't feel sticky or sarcastic, Polearth said.

Chiffon-Cher looks at me with a well-behaved smile back at you.

"It's a hiccup," his eyes said.

So I tried to return the meeting with a silent smile on my face.

Eventually, at the penetration of the corridor, Chiffon-Cher stops his leg.

Tolst was in that office, protected by two soldiers.

"Oh, Lord Polearth, that sounds familiar.... and everyone by the woods."

When he was a pug dog, he was a small, old man with a cheeky face.

There is no aristocratic majesty, for better or worse, and he has a tired look on it at all times. Somehow, the trend seemed stronger than it had been when we met before.

That clerk's office, which is large but lacks decoration, also feels like it suits him perfectly like that. The black, big wooden table was filled with a bunch of paperwork like parchment that I'd seen for the first time in this world.

"Take a look at the cook and the pantry as you like. I've already arranged for the soldiers. … and Lord Asta"

"Yes, what is it?

"It was worth the effort of you and Lord Yang, and some ingredients overflowing from the pantry could not be converted into copper coins. I will never forget this torst, that you have joined forces for the evil cause Count Turan's house."

Tolst said so in a voice as if it consisted of sighs.

"I would like to ask you if there are any ingredients that are not even acceptable in the Inn Town in the pantry that you will see today. I can't stop looking at the pile of ingredients anymore."

Torsto seemed to be getting so weak that there was no AC.

Because Cycleus has lost his legs, he has lost the use of ingredients like mountains. And the finances that just keep it are also going bankrupt. He does his best every day to rebuild such a Count Turan house.

Originally a body of injustice that was excluded by Cycleus, he thus works powdering himself to the plight of the house. This person named Tolst may have been the kind of person who would connect me with the arrogant statue of nobility alongside Polearth.

And I don't need you to listen to me.

"Yeah, what is it?

"Your lord has offered to meet Lord Asta. If you don't like it, thank you."

I looked back at Polearth.

Polearths shrugs one round shoulder.

"With Lord Tolsto's forgiveness, anyone can see Princess Lifreia. Of course, it's under surveillance."

"Really?"

I was even wondering if maybe we would ever get another chance to face each other for the rest of our lives. Refraia.

If she wanted to, there was no difference between me.

"Then shall we say hello before we head to the cook? Is Lord Tolst still in the midst of his errand?

"Yes, I'm sure my work will never be finished until my life is exhausted"

Leaving a sad torst on the spot, we left the office.

"Initially, he was busily killed at the end of the previous emperor's life with ten or so treasurers and diplomats seconded from Castle Genos. I know it's a lot calmer than that, but I'm sorry to hear that."

"That was such a big fuss. I have no idea what it means to be an aristocrat."

"Even when it comes to clerkship, it's all about ingredients teasing. Cycleus was spreading his business hands wide enough to be shy, and since he was handling that on his own, he couldn't pack it when he was gone like this.... that Cycleus didn't trust anyone else that much, and he also had the ability to do the job alone, I guess."

Because of all that ability, Cycleus was treasured by Malstein as well - and was he to have extra ambition?

"Anything. At the prestigious restaurant in Castle Town, the ingredients were allocated once they passed under Cycleus. If Cycleus didn't have the edge, he would have to purchase his own and expensive ingredients, so every store was desperate to connect with Cycleus. Well, the restaurant was given the same ingredients as before, and the shops and people who had been cold-treated were given the ingredients, and surprisingly, the excess ingredients were still left at Count Turan's mansion."

"That's a huge story, isn't it? In short, that's all the ingredients were secured for Cycleus alone, right?

"Yeah, a lot of ingredients were used for the purpose of making delicious dishes. Besides, Cycleus had an exclusive appetite until he was paranoid, so he was just hoarding and corrupting the ingredients," he said.

That's what Polearth said as he walked in on it.

"So if we can properly replace too many ingredients with copper coins without allowing that kind of waste, that means we can all be happy. Even ingredients would be happier in a human stomach as a delicious dish than being thrown away without being used."

"That's true. I wholeheartedly agree with that."

"So I expect good food, Lord Asta? It would be a lot lighter for Lord Tolst to use those ingredients not only at the welcoming party, but also in the lodging town."

While we were talking about that, we were led upstairs in the mansion.

There are also two soldiers standing here. One of them nodded and knocked on the door when the guide, Chiffon-Cher, informed Polearth of his visit.

"Dear Refraia, a guest has arrived"

The door opens from the inside.

Standing there was - a young man with dark skin, wrapped in a thin yellow coat that seemed simple but of good quality.

"Welcome. Asta, I am delighted to hear your wish."

"Sanjula... thank you for hitting on me."

In a really complicated mood, I try to keep my head down lightly.

Sanjula smiled calmly as before.

He is a mixed young man with long chestnut-colored hair and long, sliced eyes, slender, skinny, eastern kingdom.

Same goes for Schmiral, but without wrapping his long cape around, his impressions look a lot different. Besides, what Sanjula is haunting is not Sim's ethnic outfit, but the outfit of the Kingdom of the West.

Seeing a dagger lowered on its hips, Ai-Fa trivially advances to my side.

Sanjula smiled and offered her arms indoors.

"Refraia, I'll be waiting for you. Please, come in."

Beyond the door was between refrains, so I left the Raina-Lou's there, and only me, Ai-Fa and Polearth, and one of the soldiers, stepped further into the back.

"Oh, hiccup, Asta. Looking good. Best of all."

Standing in the center of the room, Refraia pinches the hem of the skirt with a distracted trick.

It is a pure white, frilly, dressy outfit.

Well, for the aristocratic princess, it's natural to wear a room as gorgeous as this. Still, I don't wear so many ornaments that I don't have the impression of being as luxurious as I used to be.

"It's not like I had anything to do with it. If it wasn't for this opportunity, we wouldn't be face-to-face, so I thought I'd say hi."

Leflaia was also Leflaia, as I recall.

She's a little, beautiful girl who feels like she's stuck just talking normally. The chestnut hair cut off from the mistletoe was also only longer for two months and may have been a bit taller. She is only ten years old or a young girl there.

"That's a hiccup. You look fine, too, above all."

Refraia, who has now become the head of Count Turan's family, but he remembers his hard words before, so I asked him to answer as such.

And I'm, out of my mind, relieved.

Because Leflaia was the original Leflaia.

I was showing it at the dinner party, that doll-like expression - I'm sure I would have felt like I couldn't resist if I was supposed to be greeted like that.

"You've been offered a dinner party cooking number again. Right. Well, maybe if I had as much skill as you, it would be natural."

"Yeah. Will you be at that dinner party, too?

"Yep. Since Turan's Fuwano and Mammalia are indispensable to connect Banaam to the trade, isn't it natural for me, the Lord, to be pulled out? … well, if I can eat your food, I don't have any complaints."

Saying, Lifreia softened her jaw.

"By the way, I just want to give you one piece of advice, can you listen to me?

"Advice? What the hell is it?

"It's not a big deal. Maybe it's just a big favor to you. … However, this time, it would be more pleasing for the banners to prepare dishes that are a little aristocratic. I wanted to tell you that."

"An aristocratic dish?... Can I ask you a few more details?

"Nothing more, nothing more. That's all I'm saying. Your last dish was so delicious that Timaro couldn't beat it, but I didn't really think it was the dish the aristocrats deserved. In that sense, I wonder if some human beings were inwardly invisible?

I looked back at Polearth.

"Hmm," Polearth strokes his fleshy mandible.

"That's true, Lord Asta is more wrong to hope for, for example, aristocratic devotion, because the only way to cook is by the woods and in his hometown practices. Besides, the main thrust of the last time was to deepen rapport by savoring a lot of meals from Castle Town and Forestside. In that sense, I think Lord Asta was perfectly right about the dishes he prepared.

"Yes. But is this a welcome party to welcome Banaam's mission? Is it the right way to roughen up and serve wild woodland meals?

"I don't know. Of course, there will be no complaints from anywhere... but there may be aspects to Lord Wellhide's intention to show the people of Banaam the skill of Lord Asta"

Somehow I've figured out what it means.

At the dinner party that night, there were no great expectations of Giva cooking or anything else, so my reputation was sweet.

Besides, it must have been a place of reconciliation between Moribe and the ruling class of Genos, so there must have been an awareness on the part of the aristocrats that whatever dish was served was to be praised.

But this mission is a neutral guest.

No, I might rather be stronger on the side of asking about my reputation from Wellhide and hoping how much food will come out.

"At that dinner party, Marquis Genos said it was about reciprocal with Timaro even when comparing flavors, but I wonder if you're getting it on par, Asta?

"No. I'm not even sorry, but I'm sure he put up the face of the people by the woods."

"That's a special triumph. I just wanted to see your sorry face."

Refraia shrugs her casual shoulders, saying bad things about people.

"But well, all your food was delicious. Comparing the flavors of each dish, I probably would have beaten you with all the dishes. If I were to get lost, it would be too simple an appetizer."

"Thanks for that. It's an honor."

"But as for the completeness of the six dishes, I think it was somewhere chigu. I didn't really care because I was eating Timaro's dishes and in order, but if I'd just kept eating Asta's dishes up, I might have been more unhappy with that chisel."

"You know that. In my hometown and by the woods, eating one dish at a time is not very mainstream."

I was convinced, and I could laugh.

"Thanks for the unexpected advice. I may not be able to cook the dishes that nobles deserve, but I think I'll come up with a little more unifying dedication next supper."

"Yes, I don't care what the bannermen think, though I wish I could make whatever you want."

After saying so, Refraia looked a little odd.

You look like you're anxious about something, or even stung a small bone in your throat.

"It's just... will Varcus be serving food that day, too? I wonder if serving too much dishes out of the castle town routine would make that bigotry unscrupulous."

I remember Lord Varcus as a gentle and courteous man.

Interestingly, Polearth said, Refraia shrugged her shoulders again.

"People change in places where food is involved. Isn't that guy coming out to this mansion today, too?

"Yeah. I want you to meet Lord Asta face-to-face, and I'm calling on you."

"Then you should check with those eyes. So I hope Asta doesn't lose her temper to cook at the welcome party."

Refraia's staring at me.

I made you laugh again.

"This is a promise that was exchanged between the Marquis of Genos and the chiefs by the woods. You can't quit on my own."

"Yeah. Then you don't care what that bigot tells you. I was still keeping the cook of this mansion with me, and Timaro was making me do it every day."

Maybe a person named Varcus is a stubborn artisanal temperament like Michele?

That's where I look forward to seeing you face to face.

"Then it's time to head to the cook. Lord Asta has to go back to the woods before sundown."

Polearths graciously leaves the room.

Refraia called out as if she wanted to stop me "ah".

But it keeps pointing at me like that.

"It's nothing. Bye, Asta."

"Yeah. See you at the welcome party"

Neither me nor Leflaia ever mentioned Cycleus.

But that would have been the only thing.

We weren't strong enough to tell each other that - because we weren't that grown up or that human.

"Thank you so much, Asta. Refraia, I'm so happy to see Asta."

That's why I couldn't respond well to Sanjula's words.

"Come on, then, it's the cook and the pantry! Lord Asta, I'll see you later!

"Huh? Will Polearths go somewhere?

"Yeah? You'd have to clean yourself up before you could go in the cook, wouldn't you? I'll let you step into the kitchen today!

Speaking of which, I was waiting for such a ritual.

And there seems to be something in the aristocracy called a bathhouse dedicated to aristocracy. Polearth walked away with his lowest surname, which appeared out of nowhere, and we were to be led to the bathroom where he had taken care of us last time.

"Wow, that's crackling! I've always been looking forward to this one."

…………

It is an eye-fa dragged by Rimi-Lou, with a very unwilling-looking face.

After the women, I also cleansed myself, rendezvous with the upbeat face Polearths, and now it is time to go to a true destination.

It is the pride of Count Turan's mansion, a kitchen and pantry for the nobles.

"It's hard to tell because it's connected by a passage with walls and ceilings, but the cook and the pantry are built individually on the back of the mansion. The size of the property is no less than that of the cook and pantry at Castel Genos."

Stand in front of the door listening to such a description of Polearth.

It's a huge door with two openings, no big difference from the front door.

The soldiers, who had refrained there, open the door with a gratuity.

"Wow, come on!

Of course it was Rimi-Lou who gave her a shaky voice.

Raina-Lou shines his eyes, and Tour-din and others are getting pompous.

It is a giant cook.

The quality of the equipment itself is not significantly different from the cooking for servants previously loaned. It's just that its size was so boring.

I wonder how many workbenches are provided. Lightly two keta is crap. On one wall, a brickwork kamado and an iron oven are installed sloppily, and on the other wall, pot and cook knife and knife utensils are arranged sloppily on the shelf again.

The site area was likely to be about two school classrooms punctured.

The ceiling is high, so maybe it looks nice and wide.

The walls and floors are bricklayed, and small windows for ventilation are empty everywhere.

"Wonderful equipment, isn't it? There used to be more than ten cooks and dozens of squires stuffed here to encourage training for our Lord every day."

If it is true that this is the equipment prepared for Cycleus alone, I had to call it a ridiculous waste.

"It's a shame we're wasting all this equipment, so we're talking about converting this mansion into a hotel."

"Huh? What would happen to Refraia or Tolsto if I did?

"The Turans have separate mansions everywhere else here, so I guess they'll move somewhere in there. If this is a large mansion, guards and squire personnel will be unusual."

Will Refraia also be separated from the mansion where she was finally born and raised?

I call on Polearths to make me feel damp all the time.

"So, which is in the pantry?

"This way. You're finally facing the mountain of treasure!

At the head of Pole Earth, he is invited to the back of the chef.

There were three doors on the wall per penetration, and one door on the left and right walls.

"The three on the front are the vegetable room, the seasoning room and the vanilla room in turn from the right. The door on the right hand side is the meat storage room, which leads to the smoking room and the Karon and Kimmus breeding cabins, but it's empty now, so I don't have any business."

"Heh. Were even living carons and kimus raised here?"

"Yeah. But the feed bill doesn't make a fool of me, so we were all made meat and sold out, and I was prevented from buying out new carons and kimus. Yet all recent meals are made in the smaller chef, so the meat storage bin should be empty."

Saying, Polearth points to the door on the other side.

It's the door on the left hand side, not yet explained.

"So why don't you check it out here first? Vegetables and seasonings are interesting too, but this room is rolling anyway. It can be called the crystal of Cycleus' obsession with gastronomy. I've just lost my temper at first glance."

"Really?"

I couldn't imagine living carons and ingredients that surpassed Kimmus.

Stand in front of the door with Raina-Lou and the others who shine their eyes in curiosity.

Then, "I'll open it," Ai-Fa advanced.

The hand opened the door carefully - once Rimi-Lou said, "Wow!" He raised his voice.

"What's this! Something smells weird!

Ai-Fa is also frowning.

But I had a hunch I was getting my heart out of my way.

Sure, it stinks.

Even for me, it's never a pleasant scent.

But it wasn't a smell I didn't know about.

"No way, this guy..."

I took the initiative and stepped into the room.

And I lost my word.

The crystal of Cycleus' obsession was left there.

They say it's indoors, but there are brick walls stretched around my chest about the height.

Swimming in the walls were the first colorful fish I saw in Genos.