kscans

1

Bard woke up feeling heavy-headed. His joints ached all over, and his throat was sore. Strangely enough, it seemed like he had caught a cold. And it was quite severe.

He heard a knock on the door. It was almost time for breakfast. He usually ate alone in his room, and his servant would bring it at the same time every day.

“Good morning, Mr. Bard Rowen.”

To his surprise, it was Kamler who brought the food on a wagon. Bard would usually finish his morning walk by this time. Kamler didn’t say anything about Bard still being in bed. He just silently placed the side table next to the bed and placed the food on it, removing the lid. The sweet aroma of heated milk immediately filled the air.

Stew? No, it’s soup?

“It’s a bit hot, so please take your time and enjoy it. In this pot, there’s water with fruit juice and a little salt added. Please eat it little by little while resting.”

As Bard responded with a nod, he couldn’t help but wonder. This dish was clearly tailored to his condition. The question was, how did Kamler know about it? No one knew that he had caught a cold. Bard himself only realized it this morning. And he hadn’t seen anyone since then. Who could it be? The mystery was quickly solved. As Kamler was leaving the room, he said, “Jurchaga won’t be back until tonight.” Bard thought, “That guy,” and then another question arose. How did Jurchaga know about Bard’s cold? He was still as cautious as ever. Bard put on his gown, sat on the bed, scooped up some of the food, and put it in his mouth.

“This is it!”

Surprisingly, it was rice porridge. Not barley porridge. It was rice porridge made with milk from Pran. Bard didn’t have much appetite, but his body accepted the porridge. He could clearly feel the porridge passing through his throat and settling in his organs. His exhausted organs from battling the cold were rejoicing at the unexpected arrival of this reinforcement. The warmth of the porridge seeped into every corner of his body.

“Aah…”

Delicious. That means it’s good for the body, Bard thought. The Pran was cooked just right, not overly mushy. And the milk wasn’t overly condensed, it was smooth. Although he intended to eat slowly, the dish was soon gone. He returned to bed and took a nap. His body warmed up. After a while, he woke up. He was sweating and thirsty, so he drank the fruit juice with saltwater. It was delicious.

“Damn it. Damn it. Kamler.”

Bard was puzzled. How could such an arrogant and rude man, who didn’t seem to think of others as human beings, show such consideration? In Bard’s opinion, someone with a bad personality wouldn’t be able to make truly delicious food. Maybe it was the opposite, he thought. Instead of thinking that such a man could make good food, maybe it was because he could make such good food that he was actually a good person. He quickly dismissed that thought. Kamler was Kamler. He couldn’t possibly be a good person.

He woke up occasionally to drink water. By nightfall, his condition had fully recovered.

2

The next day, Bard was taken by Senior Priest Barry Toad to visit a workshop. There was someone he wanted Bard to meet.

Engineer Auro.

That was the man’s name. The title “engineer” was given to those who were recognized for their exceptional knowledge in their respective fields. Above engineer was “great engineer,” and above that was “scholar engineer,” which was considered an authority in the field.

“Hel-hello.” (t/n: he stutter)

The person who greeted them was a small man with pale skin and messy hair, who appeared to be in his thirties. Bard wondered why he seemed so nervous.

“Hey! Auro! Is that how you speak to Knight-sama? I’ve told you many times. It’s because of things like this that you’re not recognized for your abilities. Lord Bard, please forgive him. He means no harm. In terms of knowledge and creativity, he surpasses most great engineers. His Majesty Wendelland has taken an interest in him and is supporting his research.” (t/n: Lord here is -dono, meaning not Lord as a noble status but respectful title below -sama).

“A-ah, um, excuse me. I’m sorry. So, um, about this crossbow here…”

“Hey! You’re talking about yourself again. Shouldn’t you ask Lord Bard about his business first?”

“It’s okay, Senior Priest-sama. Let’s listen to Auro first,” said Bard.

By the way Barry Toad was angry, one could tell he was worried about this man, and he didn’t feel bad about it. Also, with this type of person, it’s easier to talk to them if one dig deeper into what they’re interested in. And when he heard abotu the crossbow, he was intrigued.

He had a crossbow in Pakula, and Bard used to use it before. However, crossbow are inferiors to longbow in term of range and power, they’re heavy and difficult to handle, and their rate of fire is not worth mentioning. The only advantage is that it can be used even by low-skilled soldiers. Is there a new way to use crossbows in this large country, Parzam?

“I-I thought it would be better to see the situation first. Can you, um, try shooting this crossbow?”

There was a flat target set up in the courtyard of the workshop. Bard lifted the crossbow.

“It’s heavy! What is this weight?”

To his surprise, many parts of the crossbow were made of metal. The base, the fasteners, the trigger, and even the central part of the bow were all made of metal.

Did they make the bow by connecting metal and wood? But wouldn’t the joints be prone to breaking?

“It’s, it’s fine. There’s a flexible metal embedded deep inside the wooden parts.”

He decided to give it a shot anyway. It’s a wind-up mechanism. He attach the bolt, wind up the string with the fastener, and place the handles on both sides of the base. It’s a very thick arrow. Since it’s a heavy crossbow, he flexed his hips to stabilize it and pulled the trigger. The arrow flew out with much more force than Bard expected, piercing through a thick wooden board and shattering against the stone wall.

Bard was stunned by its power.

“Wo-Wow! That’s amazing, Bard-san!”

Auro praised him, but Bard thought that it was the crossbow that was amazing. With this crossbow, anyone could achieve this level of power. But when Bard said that, Auro replied, “N-No, that’s not it. I can’t p-pull it with that much force. If I pull too hard, the string will break and the bow will snap. It’s da-dangerous.”

He should have mentioned that earlier. Bard calmed himself and asked about something that caught his attention. Why did they use so much metal?

“In th-this country, good quality wood is scarce. With metal, there are var-various types available. Recently, research has been progressing in various workshops, and we have developed metals with flexibility and the ability to re-return to their original shape.”

Auro answered. Then, Barry Toad pointed out, “But if it’s so heavy, can it be used in actual combat?”

Auro replied, “Y-You’re thinking about it like a regular b-bow. You need to ch-change your perspective. You can even ride and move the ba-base and shoot from there. You can m-make it even heavier and increase its power. You can even make the arrow out of steel and attach a Holy Hard Silver tip. Th-then, it becomes a weapon that can penetrate full plate armor fifty paces away. It c-can even break through shields.”

Bard was amazed. This crossbow indeed had that potential. If they had a hundred of these, it would completely change the way wars were fought.

But it would be a cruel weapon. It wouldn’t fit with knight’s way of waging war, which involved capturing hostages and demanding ransom without killing. Or perhaps the wars in the Central Plains were completely different from what he knew in frontier.

“You fool! Making disposable tips out of Holy Hard Silver! Even the wealthiest knight would go bankrupt after one battle.”

“Ouch! Senior Priest-sama, p-please don’t hit me. It’s just a hy-hypothetical situation. But wh-what do you think, Bard-san? Ah, no. Bard-sama. The mechanism is a-almost complete. The problem is that the bow’s strength is not ss-stable. And the string… I tried various things and settled on the thread of a Ch-Chatra spider. It’s prone to f-fraying. A-and it needs a bit more elasticity. Since Ba-Bard-sama is a master archer, I was wondering if you could t-teach me something.”

Who said he was a master archer? It was Julelan. Bard thought it was just adding unnecessary work, but he couldn’t say it out loud.

After talking for a while, Bard advised that while metal had potential as a material for bows, it would be better to experiment with various types of wood for now.

“It is said that a bow made from a hundred-year-old tree will last a hundred years, and a thousand-year-old tree will last a thousand years. It is also better to use the central part of the tree instead of the outer part. A tree that has aged for a certain time and that has been cut down and left to rest for a long time is good.　The quality is not stable and it is easy to break because the young trees are forced to work hard without draining the water.”

He added that the majority of excellent wood for bows was difficult to obtain here. As they were talking, he had an idea. The frontier had a family that had a large supply of wood perfect for bows. The Gwendell family. The timber from their territory was top-notch. The Gwendell family was supposed to repay the stolen gold to the Parzam Kingdom every year. If they told them that part of the repayment would be in wood, wouldn’t they gladly jump on it. They could specify the size and have them cut out the core part of the excellent wood and have it transported here through the Count of Linz. The expenses would be covered by them. Barry Toad was delighted with the idea.

“Oh my, oh my. This is amazing! As a matter of fact, we received a letter requesting a delay in this year’s repayment because they couldn’t come up with the funds. I am in a position to consult on this matter. Hehehehe. If I tell the Minister of Finance about this wonderful idea, I’m sure they will be grateful. Of course, all the timber will be stored in the royal palace, but there’s no problem with allocating a portion to this workshop.” (t/n: originally Balitodo laugh Fu fu fu fu, but doesn’t sound right)

Nevertheless, Barry Toad turned to Auro.

“I must have told you this many times. Instead of just creating things from your own imagination, learn from nature. Has Lord Bard’s teachings opened your eyes? Stop obsessing over metal. Learn and utilize the excellent qualities of natural wood.”

“Ye-yes, Senior Priest-sama. Nature is wonderful. Wood is amazing. But, Senior Priest-sama, we can’t produce the exact wood we want. But even if it’s impossible now, I feel like someday we will be able to create exactly what we want with metal. That’s how i feel. I believe that someday we will be able to create metal that is lighter than water and harder than Holy Hard Silver. Metal that is thinner and more flexible than thread and can’t be cut even by a magic sword. That’s also nature. Everything in this world is natural.” (t/n: yeap, no stutter in this paragraph)

Bard listened to Auro’s passionate speech, thinking that he could speak normally when he was excited.

3

“Auro, do you need something?”

The person who entered the room while saying that was a dark-skinned man who appeared to be in his fifties. His eyes were wide, and his hair was tightly curled. His lips appeared pale due to his extremely dark skin.

“Ah, Mr. Nitei. We-welcome. Bard-sama, th-this is Mr. Nitei, a leather armor craftsman. He’s a bit of an e-eccentric person, but his skills are a-amazing. I heard that he was com-commissioned to repair the leather armor.”

Bard took out the leather armor from the bag. It had some scratches and frayed parts from rough use. It was a sturdy armor, but it was better to repair it while the damage was still small. When Bard consulted Barry Toad about it, he was brought here today. As soon as Nitei saw the armor, his expression changed.

“This… There’s no mistake. It’s a Riverbear demonic beast leather armor. What a bold design. I can’t believe it. Are you using demonic beast bones for this? Wow! What an exquisite combination. It’s incredible. It’s unbelievably incredible. And the stitching is so beautiful.”

Nitei examined the armor all over while exclaiming. Eventually, he said, “Master, this leather itself is amazing, but the craftsmanship is incredible. It’s a masterpiece of skill and ingenuity. There’s no craftsman in this country, or perhaps even among the nobles, who can make something like this. It’s frustrating, but he’s several levels above me. Can you tell me the name of the person who did this job?”

Bard explained that it was done by a craftsman named Polpo from the town of Krausk. He also mentioned that he received some leftover thread for repairs.

“Oh, I see. I thought so, but it’s Chatra spider thread, huh? It’s perfectly sewn together. How come there are no frays? And this color, this scent…”

“It’s Chatra thread!? And there are no frays!?”

Auro exclaimed loudly. He rushed over and snatched the thread from Nitei, staring at it intently.

“It’s true. There are no frays at all. Even if you pull it, it doesn’t unravel. It can’t be cut with a steel knife. Even though it’s sewn together so tightly, it’s very flexible. How did you process it?”

It seemed that he could speak normally when he was excited. Bard explained that they soaked the demonic beast’s fur in a certain solution and then soaked the Chatra spider thread in that solution. Auro’s eyes widened, and he listened intently. Bard further explained that they let it soak for a few days, dried it, and then applied wax.

“De-demonic beast fur solution. I see. That’s an interesting i-idea. I’d like to try ek-experimenting with it. But how can I obtain demonic beast fur ex-extract?”

“It’s here.”

That was Nitei’s answer.

“Didn’t I mention it before? I had a job to make armor out of demonic beast fur from a certain place. They brought in freshly harvested, complete fur from two long-eared wolves. They asked me to make armor for one person, and it had to be lightweight and not too bulky. It was quite a generous request. Even for someone like me, it was the first time working with brand new magical beast fur. I took out Grandpa’s notes, mixed some chemicals, and soaked the fur in it. I crafted it according to the measurements and sent it off. I got paid handsomely for my efforts, but, ugh…”

Before the words had fully reached him, Auro lunged towards Nitei and began choking him.

“Why! Why didn’t you call me! Whyyyyyyy!”

“Sto……p……ki……ll……meee.”

Seeing Auro squeezing so mercilessly, Bard got worried and pulled him off. After catching his breath, Nitei continued speaking.

“I returned all the leftover leather, bones, and everything else as per the agreement. I also included scraps for maintenance and instructions. That was the deal. But the potion with all those extracts is still there. I thought I could have the leftover fur and wanted to try various things with the extract. But Chatra thread… I didn’t think of that. That’s a great idea.”

It seemed like Auro’s second problem was resolved for now. When Bard mentioned that the client was Count Simon Epivares of the Linz Family, Nitei’s eyes widened in surprise. Bard himself had given the fur to Simon for the purpose of making armor. For his son, Karz Rowen. Upon hearing this, Nitei’s eyes opened even wider.

Bard entrusted the leather armor to Nitei. Nitei said he wanted to take three days to repair it properly, but Bard insisted on one day. A knight couldn’t afford to be unable to fight when it mattered. It wasn’t because he was worried about Auro, who was staring at the armor with shining eyes.

4

The message about when it would happen still hadn’t arrived. It was understandable that the king would be busy, but meeting Bard should only take a short amount of time. Bard was starting to feel a bit skeptical. It was strange that they didn’t invite a person they called a guest of the king into the palace and entrusted them to their subjects. Thanks to that, Bard could freely roam the city and enjoy the excellent meals. But there must be some reason why they didn’t want to let people into the palace. The reason became clear on this night.

The dinner that night was also splendid. Except for the lunchbox they had during their ten-day stay at the Tobakuni hot springs, they never had the same dish for dinner. The meat and vegetables were delicious. But what stuck in Bard’s memory the most was the dessert. It seemed that in this house, or perhaps among the nobles in this country, it was customary to have a sweet at the end of the meal.

Today, Bard had the opportunity to dine with the head of the household. They had dinner in the main dining room of the main house, not the guest house. The lady of the house, the children, and prominent knights were also present. Barry Toad and Karz were also there. Jurchaga had gone out to buy some food and was probably having his meal in the servant’s quarters. Bard would have to taste it later.

After the meal, Bard wondered what the dessert would be for today when Kamler entered with a wagon. Bard was surprised when he saw what was on the wagon.

Green flame stones. They were burning sufficiently. Why would fire be necessary to serve dessert?

Then, an assistant entered with a flat pan. The assistant placed the pan on top of the burning green flame stones. Kamler signaled with his finger, and the assistant removed the lid from the pan. Suddenly, a sweet and elegant aroma filled the air. It wasn’t just a sweet aroma. It had a strong and tangy scent. Kamler explained as he adjusted the contents of the pan with a large spoon.

“The pan contains a thin dough made from wheat flour stretched with eggs and cow’s milk, lightly grilled and folded. The sauce is made by adding the juice of seven different fruits to distilled Eibo liquor. Eibo liquor itself is not very flavorful, but when heated, it develops an elegant sweetness. And…”

Kamler used small tongs to pick up the burning green flame stone and held it over the pan. The sauce in the pan immediately burst into flames and emitted a purple flame. “Wow!” exclaimed everyone. The flames, which ignited in the dimly lit room, illuminated the faces of the chef and the diners with a mystical beauty.

“In this way, when we burn it, a very pleasant aroma is released. Now, let’s decorate the dish with the fragrance, just like a bouquet adorns a lady.”

As Kamler said this, he scooped up the sauce with a large spoon and poured it over the dish. The flames quickly subsided, but everyone’s gaze was fixed on the dish. The assistant held out a plate, and Kamler carefully transferred the contents of the pan onto it. The assistant stood next to Kamler and scooped something from a jar onto the dish. The assistant walked slowly and delivered the dish to the head of the table. The head of the table tasted it and nodded in approval. Finally, the dish was brought to Bard, the guest of honor.

“Don’t wait, please eat it right away.”

Kamler said to the head of the table, who then said to Bard. Bard took a bite of the dish. Ah, it was a blissful aroma. It was sweet, sour, and plump. The fish and meat tonight had wonderful aromas, but now he realized that there was still a part of his nose that hadn’t been fully stimulated. This sweet aroma filled the missing part and gave him an indescribable sense of happiness. The dough was perfectly baked and had a satisfying texture. It absorbed plenty of sauce, making it soft. It was a texture and taste that Bard had never experienced before.

But what is this? Placed delicately on top of the dough, what is this? Surely not.

Bard scooped up the hemisphere-shaped object with a spoon and put it in his mouth. Just as he suspected. Bard was astonished. It was an ice confection. He took another spoonful and brought it to his mouth.

No doubt about it. This was an ice confection made from Eibo fruit. It was placed on top of a warm sweet made with Eibo distilled liquor. Bard brought the dough and ice confection together into his mouth.

Warm. Warm yet cold. Cold yet warm. It was a wonderfully mysterious and delicious taste.

Damn it. Damn it. Kamler. What a luxurious treat.

“Eating a feast is not only about enjoying it with your taste buds, but also with sound, color, and fragrance. Please savor our post-meal sweet to your heart’s content,” Kamler concluded his explanation. Once again, Kamler emerged victorious today.

5

After finishing their meal, Barry Toad urged Bard and the others to move to the guest building. They then dismissed the staff. Now, the only ones in the room were Barry Toad, Bard, Karz, and Jurchaga.

“Bard-sama, please keep this matter strictly confidential. The truth is, King Wendelland is ill. His condition has worsened significantly over the past month, to the point where he can no longer attend to his political duties. Tomorrow, we will hold a hasty ceremony to appoint the crown prince under Julelan-sama’s supervision. It will be a very private ceremony, attended only by high-ranking nobles and officials. We will immediately notify the cities and other countries of the appointment, but we will not hold a formal ceremony. There are also other issues arising at the moment, but this is all I can disclose. And one more thing. Julelan-sama will visit this mansion tomorrow night. Please refrain from going out in the afternoon,” Kamler concluded.

Then, the four of them drank. When noble families invite guests for dinner, it usually starts in the evening and continues until late at night or early morning, so it was not yet a late hour. The snacks were food that Jurchaga had bought from a food stall.

“What is this skewer?”

“It’s beef tongue.”

“Oh, I see. But this tastes a bit different from the beef tongue I usually eat.”

“It’s been aged.”

“I see. It does have a distinct smell. And that smell is what makes it good.”

“Oh, wait. Save some for me. Father, you’re eating too much. You might put some numbing medicine in it again.”

For some reason, Senior Priest Barry Toad and Jurchaga had become friendly. During their conversation, the priest suddenly muttered that he wished Zenos was here at a time like this. Bard asked who that was.

“Oh, he’s an old friend. A commoner who became a highly knowledgeable medical expert. Even after he rose to the royal palace, he still dedicated his time to treating lower-class commoners. If that man were here, he might be able to cure the king’s illness.”

Bard thought that person had died, but that was not the case. He had been exiled for committing a crime. In this country, it was a serious offense to harm a dead body. He had violated that prohibition. Bard asked if he was such a hated person, but that was not the case.

“It was his wife and daughter. They died from an epidemic. That man always said that if the inside of the human body could be understood more clearly, medical treatment would advance greatly. He had dissected birds and animals quite extensively, but humans are different. So the two of them left a will, asking to have their bodies cut open and examined after they died. That man honored their request. And he was reported by his assistant.”

Originally, he should have been sentenced to death, but the man named Zenos had made significant contributions. Furthermore, there were strong voices from both commoners and nobles pleading for mercy. So he was exiled from the country. Afterward, a general amnesty was issued following the death of the previous king. In other words, the exile had been revoked.

“Zenos Pinen was a simple-minded man who devoted himself to medicine. He wasn’t a bad guy. Oh, but he had one peculiar hobby. Cooking, you see. He even studied how to cook Nora dishes. I’ve been forced to eat some terrible things many times. No, no. No matter how you cook Nora, it’s still Nora.”

Zenos Pinen. Nora cuisine.

Bard remembered an old man. It was around May of last year, when he went to a village in the far eastern part of the Egzera Feudal Lord’s territory with Godon Zarkos. There, he ate Nora cuisine made by an old man named Pinen. The non-human residents of the village called him “that old man.” He was old, but still lively.

Bard told the priest about this. The high-ranking advisor, a clergyman holding a crucial position in the country, hugged Bard in joy and immediately said he would send a messenger to fetch him.