288 Welcome Banquet ① ~ Prepare below ~

The tenth day of the blue moon.

It is the day of the welcome feast.

That day, we left the woods just so we could reach the castle gate in Jomtien.

Today, we have to prepare as many as 23 dishes.

At the last dinner party of rapprochement it was for thirteen people, so it's an increment of ten.

In preparation for that, the number of people who were four was increased to seven.

but with more kamadoku turns, I will have to prepare my meal for it.

Combine up to four escorts for a total of 34.

Moreover, we will have to prepare even more extra when we consider it until we give the Vulcas a taste of it.

That's why we made it to Castle Town so early so we could work loosely.

"I've been waiting for you. This way, please."

Take the Totos car of Count Dalaim's house with the guidance of the martial officer who was waiting for you at the castle gate.

The luggage is really a whisper, as it's only about giva meat and poitan powder and then my cooking knife at best.

"Uhm! It's been three months since I've even stepped into Castle Town!

Dan-Rutim, the head of the escort, said so in a stupid, big voice if you want to get in the car.

I get kind of emotional about how many years have passed since the day of the meeting with Cycleus.

By the way, the last of the escorts comes along with Dari-Sauti, so there are ten current members.

Kamado numbers are me, Raina-Lu, Sheila-Lu, Limi-Luu, Tour-Din, Ama Min-Lutim, and Morn-Lutim.

The escorts are: Ai-Fa, Dan-Rutim and Dim-Rutim.

Only this boy named Dim-Rutim was the first face to face for me.

"What are you looking so hard at, Dim-Rutim? You don't have to worry so much because you're not going out to exchange knives with the nobles, do you?

and Dan-Rutim laughs lavishly toward that Dim-Rutim.

Dim-Rutim did seem eager to see what was going on around him with a hard eye.

"But they're nobles who don't even know what they're thinking. Aren't we supposed to be ready for everything?

"Exactly. That's why even if you're uptight like that, you have it. We just need to be able to stand up to whatever happens in nature."

"Yes," he nodded, but the boy's expression is still stiff.

He is only thirteen years old, a small boy. He's more idle than Rud-Lu, etc., and his face, etc., is really childish.

He apparently broke many ribs about a giva rampage about the full moon ago. He said he was finally able to move decently about six months ago and is currently in the midst of training to regain his power as a hunter.

Dan-Rutim is full of energy at Dan-Rutim, but as always, he can't let go of his wand. Does that mean that Dan-Rutim was deeper than Dim-Rutim that he dislocated his ankle and hurt his muscles?

"Thank you for waiting. This is Count Turan's residence."

Half an hour later, the car door opens from the outside.

For me, this is my fifth visit.

This huge brick building has also become much more familiar to my eyes.

"Welcome to Count Turan's mansion... I will show you to the bathroom first..."

Just like six months ago, Chiffon-Cher welcomes us.

Only the seven Kamadu numbers and Ai-Fa, dragged by Rimi-Lou again, purified themselves and moved to the cook.

In front of the cook, two martial arts officers are still standing today.

When that hand opened the door, the smell of hot air and vanilla engulfed us.

"Are the Vulcas already started cooking?

"Yes... Master Varcus was in the kitchen at the same time as dawn..."

Varcus apparently intends to spend the whole day preparing the dishes.

I step into the kitchen as I retighten my feelings.

Then I saw Varcus and two cooking assistants standing busy in the deepest part of the cook.

(Is there only three of them? That would take a while)

We put our bags on the front workbench, and first we say hello and get closer to you.

Having cleansed himself because of it, this time Ai-Fa was also to serve as an escort inside the cook. Dan-Rutim and Dim-Rutim remain outside the door.

"I'm sorry to keep you busy. Best regards, Varcus"

Varcus, who had boiled the pan in front of Kama, looked back at me with his eyes alone.

Long-sleeved white outfit today, with holes in the nose and mouth only.

Surprisingly, the two cooking assistants are the exact same costume.

However, one of them was as small as Raina-Lou and the other as long as the Sims, so I managed not to missee Varcus.

"Best wishes, Lord Asta.... That's a lot of people."

"Yes, there are three of you."

"No, the other one is watching the fire add and subtract in the smoking room....... tartumai, time?

"will be half an hour soon"

The long white mask answers with a strangely squeaky voice.

"Then I will also head out to the smoking room. Siri-Low, add or subtract fire here."

The white mask on the small one approaches this one silently.

Maybe this one is a woman because she's not only small but a lot more relaxed.

"I'm sorry, I beg your pardon.... Will Lord Asta use the workbench over there?

"Yes, I intend to"

"That would be nice. I also thought we should cook as far away from you as possible to avoid disturbing your fragrance."

Discarded as such, Vulcus walks away early enough.

It looks like a lot of things.

But I guess that means you're taking your work so seriously. We had a meeting with the cooking assistant we had set up before we decided to go back to our place of work.

"Then let's get ready. First, we need to secure the ingredients."

The necessary ingredients were communicated beforehand, so they were all taken away from the pantry.

Vegetables should also be chosen as fresh as possible and transported in groups of seven.

Once the ingredients are ready, cut the vegetables first.

The cooking procedure was, of course, neat in the last few days.

"I heard you talking, but you look really strange. Faceless people are creepy."

Ama Min-Rutim sneaks up on me as I carve Aria in charge.

She was the first castle town, but there's no fine dust to be afraid of.

"But aren't you very good at cooking? It's hard to tell if it's delicious or not, but it's intriguing."

Morn-Rutim, who was skinning Chatch on the other side of it, also spoke that way with his eyes shining.

Totos, when she was in the car, she was haunted with Rimi-Lou, too, a flattering smile as usual.

Either that or the Rayna-Luu, Sheila-Lu and Tour-Din, who once swayed their hearts with Varcus dishes, may have a harder look.

Rimi-Lou and others carve Nennon around his nose song while Ai-Fa watches him.

Both Raina-Lou and Rimi-Lou, who are not serious, are comforting to me.

I thought so myself, I could keep my hands on them as usual, while maintaining a lot of tension.

(Over there, you don't seem to be cooking weird for once either)

A small figure called Siri-Low is adding firewood to the kamado from time to time while stirring the iron pan left to Varcus.

The long-sleeved figure known as Turtumai keeps carving vegetables towards the workbench all the time.

And in the smoking room, are you smoking something? Or are you working on another task of using fire?

I'm looking forward to finishing now to see what dishes they will reveal.

◇

The kitchen door was knocked from the outside about an hour after the start of the work and it was time to start preparing to finally put a fire in the kamado.

"Asta, it looks like your daughter wants to see you! If you're free, show yourself here!

Dan-Rutim's shouts, not the martial arts officer, sound like crashing doors.

I entrusted Sheila-Lou with the preparation and headed to the door with Ai-Fa.

"Hey, Asta! I'm sorry I got in the way of your busy spot, huh?

"That, Dial? Why are you here?

It was the daughter of a merchant in the south, Dial.

As we once met in this mansion, he wraps a clear dress of blue land and wears ornaments for his short hair.

Behind him, Larvis, dressed as usual, also refrained.

"Eh heh. As a matter of fact, I'll be attending today's welcome feast. I mean, I worshipped that second son of Dareim so he could manage to invite me!

"Was it? I didn't even know Pol Earth for the last ten days."

"Yeah, it seems so, so I'm here to say hello. I can eat Asta's cooking, I can relate to Banaam's nobility, and I don't think I'm going to miss this opportunity."

With that said, Dial laughed without giving in.

As well as looking dressed, wearing hair decorations to reveal a little forehead is a real that makes you look exceptionally girly.

"The prospect of taking business with the bannermen?... but Dial doesn't like aristocracy either, does he?

The second half tells him in a whisper, Dial has also opened his ears and mouth of the martial officers.

"I hate it when you don't like it. But if I don't do my job right, I don't know what my dad's gonna say later."

"Oh well. Then I wish you success in your business. I'd love to hear what you think of cooking later."

"There you go. I hope so. Okay?

Laughing, Deal pokes me in the chest.

Then she turned her gaze toward Ai-Fa, who stood in my place.

"Uh, I didn't hit that one now, did I? Don't look at me like that."

"... that's about it, if you look at it"

That's what I'm saying, and I'm gonna look up to me on the sidelines.

Men and women without families are twice as tough as men to learn by the woods.

"You're a much better daughter. Are you the princess of Jagal or something?

And, at a good time, Dan-Rutim came with his mouth.

Dial looks back at you and grins with a grin.

"I'm not such a big deal. He's the daughter of Granal, an iron hardware store in Jagal, and he's called Deal. You're a hunter by the woods, big guy."

"Mm-hmm. I'm a forest folk, a family member of Rutim's main house named Dan-Rutim. I heard that the people of Jagal were as repellent of the forest as the people of the town."

"Uh, until I got to know Asta, too, I didn't have such a good impression on the people by the woods. But it's been eighty years since you abandoned Jagal, and now it's weird to say that because of that."

"I see. Well, I used to say a lot of nasty things about Asta's cooking until I said something like that."

It has always been strange for me for both of them to talk so comfortably.

But they both have a bright and straight temper, so it doesn't seem surprisingly incompatible.

"By the way, how did Dial get here so early? Still enough to cross two moments, huh?

"Mm, oh, sort of. I thought I'd say hello to Refraia."

And, Deal wears a small nose head at first sight.

"You could apologize to Asta, so you can't get through without apologizing to Refraia, too, can you? You're right, there was a part of me that put my shoulder in Asta... and it was like I was unfaithful to both of you."

"Were you still worried about that? You're a daughter-in-law."

A lot of the expression again, I = fa responded that way.

"You've only added strength to the accusations of sinners. If you're ashamed to have overlooked your sins, you still don't understand your desire to offer an apology to the sinner."

"Shut up. There are a lot of things going on here."

Dial once stated that he couldn't really dislike Refraia.

I guess there's a lot of emotions that can't fit in because I'm dressed to cheat and trick Refraia like that.

"Ma, no. It's on my own, so leave me alone. [M] Bye, Asta. Because I'm looking forward to dinner!

"Yeah, thanks for taking the time"

Together with guiding role Chiffon-Cher, Deal and Larvis walked away.

"Hmm," Dan-Rutim strokes his jawbeard as he drops off those backs.

"Totally right now, but it's quite emotional that your daughter, who looked so beautiful, isn't afraid of the hunters by the woods."

"Really? Well, she's got a lot on her face with Ai-Fa and Rudd-Lou."

"Right. I haven't spoken to anyone in town in years, so it feels really fresh. So when the women asked me how much the town had changed, I couldn't really feel one thing right now."

The hunters by the woods try not to frighten the people of the town, but to go down to the town as little as is necessary.

Still, the Rudd-Lou's and others were frequently out as escorts, but I guess Dan-Lutim only had a chance to get down to town about the day of his meeting with Cycleus.

(So the majority of the men, just like Dan-Rutim, are just asking about the lodging town. What is it? Then it would be even harder to really understand each other)

That has been one of the concerns that has been stuck in my chest for a long time.

But not if you're worried about that now.

Me and I-Fa said goodbye to Dan Rutim and returned to the cook.

"It was a long time ago. Hey, Asta? I can't wait, so I started making juice dishes, right?

"Oh, I'm sorry. Is the stock better?

"Yeah, the Raina sisters did it -"

Vegetables, mushrooms and giva meat thrown in an iron pan are simmered together in dried fish stock.

If Raina-Lou and the others were partitioning for me, there wouldn't be a problem.

"Then while you're simmering him, it's a Poitan dish. The fire is at Limi-Luu and Ama Min-Rutim, please."

"Yes!"

"Yes."

Today's Poitan dishes take a lot of work.

In front of the Poitan powder I brought, the fuwano powder I sourced from the pantry, and the eggs of the mountainous Kimmus, I take up a cup for weighing.

"All this food has been feathered to feed my family every day for your sake, but how about a reputation at the Lew family?

"Yes. This was interesting enough to divide your opinions. One way or another, I think the men hated a lot of people, and the women seemed to like a lot of people."

Rayna-Lew answered me that way, breaking Kimus' eggs.

"Among other things, Rudd seemed to like it a lot, and Mother Meer Ray seemed to prefer a regular baked Poitan. Oh, and Satie Ray was a lot happier, too."

"Is that Sati Ray-Lu? She liked okonomiyaki, too."

"Yes. I'm sure Sati Ray likes Poitan himself. Except for boiled and melted potatons."

So Rayna-Lew gave me her first smile of the day.

"So over the past few nights at dinner, I also prepared a normally baked poiton.

Even though there are many people who don't like it, if the baked potatoes were prepared separately, they wouldn't seem dissatisfied with it. "

"Oh, because it's a dish that's completely different from baked Poitan. I know what it's like to miss both of them."

"Right.... Besides, the Ziva lady was very happy with this dish. It's more delicious than a baked Poitan with juice."

That was, above all, good news.

But it's true, it's a lot softer dish than baked Poitan, so with a little hands on it, I guess it would also be a dish for Grandma Ziva.

"It was worth the effort. This guy's about to show off in boarding town."

"Yep. This dish may get as much surprise as it does a gibberish. At least that's how amazing I was."

We exchange words that way, while we prepare ourselves steadily.

of the Vulkas faction, it seemed similar.

But there, it seems, the only assistant really is the assistant. He seems to be asking for Vulcan's instructions to do anything, and Vulcan is running around more than double his assistant.

And my third assistant and I don't come back from the smoking room this way. Varcus looked frequently at his feet, too.

About four hours after we started working on it, the cook's door was knocked out again.

When I went out in response to Dan-Rutim's call, it was Polearth and Arishna who were waiting for me there.

"Hey, good job, Lord Asta. Is cooking better?

"Yes. No problem at the moment. I'll finish it by the promised deadline."

"Right, well, that's more than anything.... I just have a problem with this one. Thank you. The banners are going to be very late."

"Oh, really?

"Yeah. He's been attacked by a bunch of poisonous bugs on the way to anything, and he's lost a few tototosses. It's like there was no human damage, but if Totos isn't enough, he can't even pull the load."

Even a shorter itinerary of two days in Totos can create such an incident?

Sooner or later, it was a story we wouldn't listen to as we planned to go over to Doug.

"No, they should have been properly prepared for poisonous bugs, too, so this guy was so unlucky. Poisonous bugs don't come out that way during the day.... So long. It seems that some of his squire turned back to the town in front of him to procure a new toss, but he was to crush nearly half a day with it. I would have arrived in Jomtien today, but it's going to be sunset."

"Really? That's a tough story."

"Yeah. That's why I want you to decide that dinner is a minute after sunset, taking into account time to unpack, etc. Sorry to interrupt, but the messenger just contacted me."

"Yeah, this one's fine.... but how do I gauge a moment's time after sunset?

"Yeah? Oh, Lord Asta and the others only had a day clock. When this happens, you use an hourglass. Lord Varcus, I wonder if you're prepared for cooking."

I see. Speaking of which, I don't even feel like there was some kind of unrecognizable appliance on that workbench.

If an hourglass existed, I would definitely buy it as a kitchen timer.

"So, I'm sorry, but could you tell Lord Varcus about this, too? He has a reputation for bending his navel when he tries to call outside the cook in the middle of cooking."

"Accepted. I'll tell him."

"Later, Lord Alishna wants to tell you something."

I moved my gaze over Pole Earth.

Slowly pay off the hood he wore deep and Alishna reveals the black side.

"Hi, I'm hissing. What the hell can I do for you?

Alishna stared back at my face with her emotionally unreadable eyes.

He still seems a little less tall than me. It could be just as good as I-Fa.

"... I'm here to apologize and say"

"Apologize? To me?

"Yes.... I, even though I haven't been wished for, have spoken of the stars. It was a detour, I think."

While stating so, Alishna's face is completely indissoluble and faceless.

Even from that low, clear voice, it's unlikely you can read emotions.

"I was banished Sim because I deciphered the stars of my grandfather, the lord. For people, knowing their destiny, it's horrible.... I, I didn't decipher the stars, but I told you about your very special existence. It was very far-fetched, I think"

"Oh, is that what you mean?... No, don't worry so much. I'm just a little surprised, 'cause I'm not feeling weird about you."

Instead of me, I have Ai-Fa. So I asked him to answer that in a bright voice.

But Alishna's faceless expression makes no difference.

"... I, don't you hate me?

"It's outrageous to hate! I've just been impressed by the power of star reading."

"... you're so hurt, but you don't blame me"

And Alishna lays her eyes down with no expression.

"I feel extra bitter about my breadth. My sincere apologies."

"So, don't worry about that. Because it's really okay."

"Well, there was also one case of your grandfather, so I guess you couldn't care less if you tried it on Lord Alishna. I'm glad you're a tolerant man, Lord Asta."

As in, Polearths scratches his mouth.

"I, too, am an oblivious touche to the kind of proclamation. I'm sorry, but I don't think I'm going to let anyone else decipher my end of the line. I think you should show it to the man who wants it, Lord Alishna."

"Yes, reflecting, deepening"

"Then this is hand-held! No, I'm glad I didn't take care of you because I'm the only one who brought you together."

After smiling and saying it that way, Polearth turned his gaze all the way across.

When I was followed and looked at you, Dan-Rutim watched our interaction with a really interesting eye.

"Uh, what can I do for you, a guest by the woods?

"No, I was just impressed that some aristocrats talk a lot cheaper.... Are you a nobleman?

"Yeah, I'm the second son of Count Dalaim's family, and it's called Polearth."

"Oh, you're Polearth! Then it's nobility that you played a part in saving Asta!

Speaking out loud, Dan-Rutim broke his face.

"I'm Dan-Rutim from the Rutim family. Asta is an irreplaceable friend to me. I was hoping to thank you one day, Polearth."

"It's, it's fear. But it is the sin of all the noblemen of Genos that made the former lord of the Earl of Turan's house flatter. Don't be thankful."

What an encounter this time it was between Dan-Rutim and Polearth.

Both have rounded statures, but are some of the best hunters by the woods, and the noblemen of Genos. I don't see anything in common anywhere but the stomach I slipped out.

But those two smiling innocently at each other had the effect of softening the minds of the beholder.

Well, I don't know about other humans, but at least I personally felt that way.

"Now if you'll excuse me, Lord Asta.... Oh, and because Jan also hears about the example dish! I'll be leaving again with Lord Arishna for Inn Town soon, so thank you for that verse?

"Roger that. Best regards,"

Polearth walked away, along with Alishna, who put the hood back on.

Breathe at me, then look back at Ai-Fa.

"... that's the astrologer's daughter."

Ai-Fa had closed her eyelids half way and even sharply glimpsed the vanishing direction of the Arishnas.

"I'm not sure I'm a bad person... but I can't find meaning or value in things like star reading"

"Oh, speaking of which, I-Fa said something about 'cat stars' to his buddies in Schmiral. Well, fortune tells you only what's convenient for you."

"I don't care about such stories. Destiny is what opens itself."

Ey-fa abandons him in a grumpy manner.

Then Dan-Rutim laughed gahaha.

"The people of the east are hard to read the mood, but didn't that daughter look sincerely sorry? I don't know what they said, but I think you can forgive me."

"Yes, I never felt like blaming her, either, from the beginning."

Somehow, it was a lot of pleasure for me to have Dan-Rutim say that.

Both the cheerful Jagals and the oligarchy Sims tend to feel the air somewhere similar to the folks by the woods and have a generally favourable impression. It wasn't the exception to that with Alishna, even though we met in a strange way.

"I thought it was just a boring job standing in front of the door, but I could see something quite interesting. If you do this, it looks like there's a lot to see outside the woods."

"I think that's really true. I'm having so much fun doing my daily work."

"Yeah! I got my parents' seat, too, and I thought I'd take it for a buyout job at the women's place for about the rest of the day."

It never occurred to me that that was a great change of heart.

Until now, only about Rudd-Lou has ever seen a man interested in the town of accommodation. Could this cheerful and unholy Dan-Lutim also be like a bridge connecting the town to the woodland?

With that in mind, I came back to the cook again.

Varcus also just showed up through the door leading to the smoking room.

"Oh Varcus, may I have a word?

Telling a message from Polearth, Vulcus narrowed his green eyes as he answered in a cuddly voice, "Really?"

"But at the feast a moment after sunset, it's also going to be a much slower carving limit for us to be liberated. … so shouldn't we finish our meals first while we're over? With that much time, it's also possible to taste your dishes."

"Oh, that's good. It's hard to watch your Guests eat hungry."

"Okay, so"

That's all I'm saying, Varcus just goes back to cooking.

But the last look I showed - although I wasn't sure because of the mask - also seemed to me to smile with pleasure.

Is Varcus looking forward to my food, too?

As far as I'm concerned, I was looking forward to Valkas' assessment of the same or more than the customers' perceptions.

Even so, we were able to successfully complete six dishes before sunset.