kscans

Chapter 236 - The Castle Party

As I left the castle’s rear entrance, I complained, "Honestly. That’s too unreasonable. What am I supposed to do?"

After all, being asked to come up with a new dish for a party happening tonight was just too much. What’s more, it was just past noon.

…There was overwhelmingly not enough time. Far, far too little.

As I held my head in my hands, Tina offered a solution. "There’s no need to think so seriously about it. You just have to serve a dish from your world. All of those dishes would be brand new in this world."

It was true. To me, they weren’t new at all, but here, they were. It was a blind spot.

"You’re right," I said. "Thanks, Tina. Alright, let’s go look for ingredients right away."

With that, we headed to the area where the city’s shops were concentrated.

When we arrived, it was packed with people.

Everyone walking around had a smile on their face, acting as if all their fears had vanished. To think that we were the ones who protected this sight… something welled up from deep within my chest.

"Hey, Tina?" I said, placing a hand on my chest. "Is this what it feels like for those who unknowingly help others? My chest feels strangely warm… It’s a feeling I’ve never had before."

"That’s because you’ve only had bad experiences back in your world, Shinsuke," Tina replied. "At first, anyone would feel that way no matter who, where, or what they did. But don’t get carried away. Once you’ve done what you needed to do, there’s no need to do more or keep it up. Sometimes, that kind of behavior is nothing but a nuisance to people."

She drove the point home.

…She was right. This time, the cause of their smiles was the resolution of a crisis. But a situation like this was rare. If I got drunk on this feeling and did something unnecessary, I’d become a target of criticism.

It’s a common pattern in manga and anime.

"Don’t worry. I’m a hunter. I’m not interested in anything but hunting," I said with a laugh. "Alright, time to switch gears. Let’s find some ingredients."

Seeing me laugh, Tina seemed relieved and smiled as well.

…Looking around the various shops, I saw all sorts of things.

Meats, herbs, spices, fish… a considerable variety was available. With this much, something was bound to come to mind.

With that in mind, I looked at the fish. Japanese cuisine is centered around fish dishes, producing countless masterpieces. As I was looking, a certain fish caught my eye.

"Is this… flounder?"

I took a closer look, but there was no mistake. It was flounder.

…Remembering the spices and herbs I’d seen earlier, I had a flash of inspiration. A flounder flash… The terrible dad joke I thought of sent a chill down my spine. I was glad I hadn’t said it out loud.

"Master, give me three of these fish," I said.

I bought three frozen flounders from the owner for three silver coins.

After that, I bought olive oil, soy sauce, pepper, and salt at a spice shop. At an herb shop, I bought tomatoes, mizuna greens, and onions.

With all my purchases gathered, I muttered, "It’s quite a sight to see so much available. It just goes to show how important diplomacy is." I felt a sense of gratitude for those who had worked hard on politics.

…I returned home and immediately started cooking.

First, I filled a pot with plenty of water and put it on the fire. I poured olive oil and soy sauce into a bowl, mixed them well by smell, and added pepper and salt to make a dressing. I chopped the mizuna, tomatoes, and onions into bite-sized pieces. To remove the bitterness from the onions, I sprinkled them with salt, rubbed it in well, and let them sit for about ten minutes. After that, I rinsed them with water to remove the salt and drained them thoroughly. I should have used a paper towel, but I didn’t have one here. After draining them well, I arranged them in a circle on a plate.

…I carefully scaled the frozen flounder, split it from the belly, and filleted it into three pieces, then cut it into bite-sized portions. As the water came to a boil, I dipped each piece in, one by one, like shabu-shabu, and pulled it out. I arranged about ten pieces on top of the onions, placed the mizuna in the center, and surrounded it with the tomatoes.

Done. Flounder carpaccio. Time to dig in.

…Mmm. The bitterness of the onions has been mostly removed. It’s not so much that it’s inedible. The texture is also crisp. With the addition of the flounder and dressing, the bitterness is almost unnoticeable. It’s also good eaten with the tomatoes and mizuna.

"This is quite good," Tina said. "However, the book says it’s supposed to be raw." She was reading a book as she spoke.

"Fish are said to have parasites," I explained while eating. "Boiling water will kill them. In my world, they’re thoroughly removed after being caught, during preparation, or before being sold. I don’t know the details, but no one gets food poisoning. They don’t have that level of technology here. But this is good in its own way."

It was another moment that made me realize how amazing Earth’s technology is. You can learn about convenience and safety in a place where there is none.

"The Emperor should be satisfied with this," Tina said. "Let’s head to the castle kitchen right away. As they say, strike while the iron is hot."

She used a Japanese proverb.

…She must have studied quite a bit. Seeing things like this makes me want to keep up. Maybe I should study again, too. There are a lot of things I know but can’t put into words. We immediately gathered the ingredients and left.

The castle kitchen.

It was a battlefield. Chefs were rushing around in a panic. It was likely preparation for tonight’s meal. If they didn’t start early, they wouldn’t make it in time.

As a chef, deliciousness is important, but so is not keeping the guests waiting. And tonight was an important banquet.

They absolutely could not make a mistake.

As we stood there, frozen by the sight, an elderly chef approached. "Ah, it’s you. I’ve heard from His Majesty the Emperor. I am the head chef here. I was told you would be providing a new dish. Does your presence here mean it’s already finished?"

At his words, all the chefs stopped what they were doing at once.

…All eyes were on us. I’m not good at this sort of thing.

"Well, I’ve brought a dish that I came up with," I said, showing him the ingredients. "Please, give it a try."

The head chef’s eyes were slightly doubtful. "With just these? Well then, I’d like you to prepare it at once."

…It was understandable. Looking at the kitchen, there were countless seasonings and several sauces made from mixing them. It was natural for him to wonder what could be made with just these.

However, my cooking is Japanese cuisine. Many of the dishes are designed to bring out the natural flavors of the ingredients.

It’s simple, but I could expect it to be effective. The dish was completed, and the head chef and several other chefs tasted it.

…A moment of silence. The tension was palpable.

The head chef put down his fork. "Tell me the detailed recipe for this." He asked with a serious expression.

"Of course," I said. "It’s not difficult."

And so I explained how to make the dish.

Nighttime.

The hall.

A glittering space illuminated by blazing fires. A large number of nobles were present, each enjoying themselves gracefully. The tables were lined with countless dishes and the finest liquor. At first glance, it seemed like they were having a good time, but the reality was dark.

…Reconstruction and support after this battle, as well as building bridges with other nations. By accomplishing these feats, they hoped to get on the Emperor’s good side.

A year ago, they had to give up because of the coronation and the presence of royalty from other nations. But according to information, other countries had also suffered considerable damage.

…It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. They weren’t stupid enough to miss it. Though I wished they were.

In the midst of these swirling conspiracies, there were few nobles who genuinely cared for the country. Tina and I were being made to watch this scene from the side of the wall.

"I feel like I’ve been set up," I said.

As I stood there, dumbfounded, Tina replied, "It’s understandable that you’d think so. After all, we thought we were just submitting a dish, and now we’re on guard duty for the party. What is His Majesty the Emperor trying to show us?"

It was a mystery.

After we presented the dish, we were planning to go home, but a soldier stopped us. "My apologies. As this is a party for the nobles, we would like to request that you serve as guards in case of an emergency."

He had bowed his head.

What else could this be but a setup?

In the midst of this, the Captain of the Knights entered. "His Majesty, Emperor Yorune, has arrived."

At his words, the nobles focused their attention on the Captain.

Emperor Yorune appeared, dressed in magnificent clothes. The nobles wanted to make their suggestions immediately, but first, they had to hear the Emperor’s words. They had to be patient.

"Everyone," the Emperor began. "Thank you for gathering here today. This battle has resulted in immense damage. There are those who fought bravely and fell. However, there are also those who deserted to save their own lives. The Guild Master of the Adventurer’s Guild is a prime example. His body was not found, only his belongings."

At this statement, the nobles began to whisper and laugh.

"The Guild Master was said to be a former A-rank powerhouse, but in the end, he’s just an adventurer. Saving his own skin, I see."

"Indeed. While the knights were risking their lives in battle."

"A disgrace to the Empire."

"And what about you guys?" I muttered.

…Tina jabbed me with her right elbow. Was that a sign that my comment was dangerous? I knew that. My opponents were powerful people.

They were a bunch of daydreamers who thought everything would go their way.

"Therefore," the Emperor continued, "I hereby appoint Captain Magnes, who is present here, to handle all negotiations related to this war. Furthermore, I declare that I will hire adventurers to serve as his escort."

At this announcement, a noble cried out, "Wait, Your Majesty! Why would you do such a thing?! I understand Captain Magnes, but why adventurers?!" The same shock rippled through the others.

"Of course, the adventurers also played an active role in this war," the Emperor explained. "However, due to the Guild Master’s misconduct, their reputation has fallen. I am giving them a chance to restore their honor. That is all."

"But… will adventurers be able to guard Captain Magnes?" another noble protested. "Captain Magnes is clearly the stronger one."

The other nobles agreed.

"There is no problem," the Emperor said, glancing in our direction. "For this escort, I will appoint the A-rank adventurers, ‘Red Lightning.’ The skill of those two was proven not only a year ago, but also in this war. There are no issues."

"So that’s why he called us here," I muttered. "To make sure we didn’t go off on another quest."

"Let’s just accept it," Tina sighed. "After hearing this, we can’t pretend we don’t know."