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The unplanned reward proposed by Chancellor Zephanell was permission to attend Prince Ark Kurtmerga’s birthday banquet as Ashley’s escort. The sudden proposal took me by surprise, but first I decided to listen in detail. At this event, Honorary Chancellor Zephanel will make an appearance in public for the first time in decades.
And Ashley attending the banquet can also serve to make herself known as the next lord of the house. However, the protagonist of this banquet is Prince Ark, who will be accompanied by Lapitirica Barga, the leading bride candidate.
And――not only the Prince, but every attendee will also come in pairs.
Chancellor Zeparnell is likely to be accompanied by Sharle-san, who will be dressed as a man. However, Ashley currently has no specific partner. The Zephanell family is one of the most important families for Kurtmerga Royal Family,.though their influence does not really stretch to the other nobles.
However, as long as the immortal Chancellor Zephanell is alive, there is no doubt that theirs is the only family that has the biggest influence on the Royal family. By marrying Ashley and becoming a member of the Zephanell family, it is synonymous with having the power to influence the Royal family. It is not impossible to reach the top beyond all the noble titles of other aristocrats.
If Ashley is accompanied by a young noble at this banquet, the envy and anticipation for that person would probably prevent people from celebrating Prince Ark’s birthday properly. The sweet juice that her companion will get――it’s like a huge elephant in the room that will attract all kinds of insects.
The attendance of Chancellor Zephanell herself will most definitely turn the eyes of the banquet participants. If the next lord of the house’s spouse is introduced there, the protagonist of the banquet will be completely taken away from the royal family.
Naturally, Chancellor Zephanell, who puts serving the Royal family as her first priority, would like to avoid that.
Then why not go without a companion? I thought for a moment, but then it’s like declaring Ashley is free. Unmarried aristocratic boys from all over the country will raise their hands to become the candidate for son-in-law, causing further confusion.
That’s why I was offered the position.
Daikokuya, as a subsidiary of the Great Ravensburg Trading Society, has its own shop in the Royal Capital. In addition to that, the shop had several important people in national affairs as customers on the opening day. It is said that other companies are thinking that the shop will bite the dust because the products they handle are not available at other companies, not to mention that the place of production and the manufacturing method are unknown. And Schwartz, who is the only merchant of the company, opened a shop in the royal capital, even though he has not been an apprentice or a subordinate at any company in the past. Some companies have of course already investigated his true identity.
One is “D-rank Adventurer Schwartz” and the other is “Map shop Schwartz”.
Other than that, not much else is known about him.
What if the mysterious merchant accompanies Ashley at a banquet? The eyes of the young aristocratic men who participate in the banquet will be turned to the suddenly appearing candidate. The Royal Capital’s influential people and merchants invited to the banquet will be amazed at the appearance of the mysterious merchant.
As a result, the attention to the Zephanell family should disperse a little thus making it possible to avoid taking the leading role in the banquet――but wouldn’t that make me end up in the spotlight?
“Then, I will instead call the second son of the Guard Knight Captain to accompany A-cha-”
“Thank you for this reward.”
Having said that out of reflex――I could hear Chancellor Bergman’s muttering.
“… the Guard Knight Captain doesn’t even have a second son, you lucky magicless.”
Unable to change my answer――I say nothing, while Chancellor Bergman sits back in his chair in dismay, and Chancellor Zephanell grinned.
“If so, then it has been decided! On the day of the dinner party, you should come to the venue early. To enter, just introduce yourself to the guards as the owner of Daikokuya. They will lead you to the waiting area this One is occupying.”
“Wear some nice attire. Also, it’s customary for men to bring gifts at birthday celebrations, so be prepared.”
“What needs to be prepared?”
The voice belonged to Ashley who came by pulling the serving table.
Ashley, who came into the drawing room, wore the same white kappogi and a white hood as Sharle-san. The ruby choker I gave her was shining around her neck.
Since I gave it as a gift at the harvest festival after subduing the Green Demon Labyrinth, I often saw her wearing it so I suppose she really likes it.
“Oh, it looks like dinner is ready. This One is famished.”
“It’s for Prince Ark’s banquet.”
“Eh? Will Schwartz also attend the banquet?”
“That’s what happened. Originally I was planning to go to the venue to deliver fruit liquor.”
“He will be there as an attendant to A-chan.”
“Eeh?!”
“Eeeee…. !!”
Following Ashley’s surprised voice was Sharle, who placed a large clay pot carried from the serving table on the table in the drawing room.
“Charlotte, what do we have for tonight?”
Chancellor Bergman asked with a worried look on his face.
“I made it with my sister this time――it’s okay!”
“It’s a hot pot dish. This time, she didn’t make a mistake in adding seasonings or overcooking the meat.”
Tonight――or if this is――does that mean she botched a hot pot dish before?
Looking toward Ashley, I saw her open the lid of the clay pot while turning her flustered face, and silently separate it into a number of bowls with a wooden ladle.
“M, more importantly! Do you really want Schwartz to accompany you ?! That’s what my sister――that … that … is that?!”
“Sharle, I’ll ask the predecessor slowly later, so help me divide the food first.”
“Hmm! I’ll be there with you at that time!”
The two Chancellors laughed, watching the exchange between Ashley and Sharle-san. My cheeks also loosened into a smile, but more because the three members of the Zephanell family, even Chancellor Bergman, sat around the table like a family. Chancellor Bergman seems to have eaten here many times, and he probably has a fairly close relationship with the Zephanell family.
From there, there was no talk of the Devil’s Mountains or the banquet. It felt like a very ordinary dinner. The clay pot dishes brought by Ashley and Sharle were similar to the mizutaki from my original world. There are plenty of vegetables, mushrooms, and chicken-like meat that I have never seen. The light but elegant and clear scent of soup stock stimulates the stomach.
Next, the white rice that was taken out from the ohitsu was lined up. There is rice in this world as well. But most people only know to cook it into porridge. Maybe it’s more convenient for adventurers and explorers as it can be eaten with vegetables and meat.
However, the white rice in the bowl placed in front of me is different.
The sweet and mellow scent of rice drifted along with the warm white steam. Each white grain gives off a brilliance, which is comparable to the labyrinth core. And a sweet moment begins. I could see that Chancellors Zephanell was as impressed with how the rice is cooked as I am. Shall eloquently told us the story of how she prepared tonight’s dinner, but was soon spoiled by Chancellor Bergman, who laughed at it.
Ashley was the least talkative during meals. Every time she ate a bite, her facial expression would change to a smile. I can only guess that she’s satisfied with the quality of the dish.
I also held up the bowl in my hand and took the first bite of the freshly cooked white rice――.
“… Delicious.”
It’s a simple word, but there are no other words. There’s no better word to describe this impression―― The heat passes well to the core of each grain of rice, but it is not too hot and not too slimy, and even the water vapor exhaled from the mouth gives off a scent that tickles the nasal cavity.
The rice that went into my mouth was smooth, with moderate hardness and was not watery. A slightly sweet taste spread with every bite. I want to chew it all the time, but swallow it――it feels good to be warmed from the core of my body as it passes through my throat and falls into my stomach.
This rice tastes better than the rice cooked in the rice cookers in my original world. If it was cooked in the kitchen of this samurai-styled residence, could it be cooked in a clay pot? In the previous world, I don’t remember ever eating rice cooked in a clay pot. Is this the true taste of rice … I never thought I would eat real rice in a different world.
Next, I tried the hot pot dish. First, I had a little sip of the soup――the richly tasted soup reminds me of kelp soup stock. I wrapped a large cutlet of white meat in leafy vegetables and carried it to my mouth――the gravy spilled out of leafy vegetables as I chewed.
“This is also delicious.”
The ingredients look a little different from the previous world, but the taste――it’s similar.
“Isn’t there any sauce for this hot pot dish?”
“Is the seasoning too light?”
“No, it’s very delicious. Because it’s delicious, I want to enjoy this dish with more types of seasonings.”
“For example, what do you want? Waterfowl pots are generally cooked with seaweed soup stock.”
Chancellor Zephanel taught me the general seasoning. This waterfowl hot pot――it looks like a mizutaki. I wanted to eat ponzu and sesame seeds in this world, but it seems that those are not so common here.
“Well, for example, this.”
While saying that, I put my hand in the cloth bag I brought from which I took out the labyrinth core, and summoned some seasonings from the food gift BOX, acting as if it was inside from the beginning. Looking at the small bottles lined up on the table one after another, Sharle-san picked it up with interest, opened the lid, and smelled it.
Chancellor Bergman was more interested in the screw caps and hinge caps than the contents, and Chancellor Zephanel and Ashley dropped a little sauce on a small plate to confirm the taste.
“Schwartz, what is this?!”
Many of the seasonings I put on the table were stored in the Continental kitchen space.
At first, there was a label with unreadable characters printed on it, but I took it out and immediately peeled it off and threw it away. Even if there is no label, the contents can be easily identified by the color and scent. All the seasonings lined up are suitable for hot pot dishes, and ponzu vinegar with yuzu, grated, salt, ginger, etc. Other than that, there was also sesame sauce, spicy sauce, etc.
“How much seasoning do you carry with you…”
“Eh? Eh, eh… I don’t have cooking skill, so it’s useful for these small bottles that I can carry around to add various flavors.”
The waterfowl pot is certainly delicious as it is――but in terms of seasoning, it has a light taste. Delicious rice, delicious hot pot, and various sauces lined up on small plates. I know the breadth of flavors because I know various seasonings and dishes in my previous world.
However, the people of this world are not yet aware of it.
The food I ate at banquets in the royal castle and the entertainment city of Veneer was excellent. However, it is not only because of the ingredients and cooking techniques; the existence of the skill《Cooking》also improves the taste of the food――that is just how it is in this world.
Because the existence of these skills is widely recognized, the culture of carrying boxed food or small bottles of seasonings has not developed.
This may be one of the reasons why the culture of bento is still underdeveloped. If a cook with excellent《Cooking》makes a bento, you can enjoy delicious meals wherever and whenever you eat.
However, the skill《Cooking》is personal. It is not possible to mass-produce mechanically uniform dishes. Delicious food is exclusive, and it was common for people with excellent skills to get paid handsomely for it.
On the other hand, the product called the bento that I promoted with Marida company is cooked by adventurers and explorers with above average《Cooking》skill proficiency, instead of a cook with excellent skill. Providing easy and delicious meals to people, travelers and workers――that’s where the value lies.
And what about the wines and seasonings I brought out of Continental?
The wines that are always available in Continental are also of the highest quality――and as for the seasonings in the kitchen――.
“Delicious……
“This scent, is it sesame? It’s an appetite-inducing scent.”
“This is a bit spicy――but it’s a taste I can get used to!”
“This one has a citrus scent, so just adding it a little will make the taste so colorful…”
The seasonings are, of course, also of the highest quality. Delicious rice cooked in clay pots, which I didn’t have a chance to taste in the previous world. A simple but full-bodied waterfowl pot made from the ingredients of this world. And a lot of the finest seasonings I prepared. The dinner with a familial atmosphere, which turned into a seasoning test halfway, continued until late at night.