kscans

Chapter 255 - Episode 3: The Souvenir

"Thank you for coming all this way. It is an honor, Dalgan-sama."

"…Old man Malto. Cut it out with the 'Dalgan-sama'."

Dalgan, stepping down from the carriage, scratched his head at the rancher's greeting. This ranch was a rare thing in the kingdom, a place rich in agriculture, as it was run almost exclusively for livestock.

Though the terrain was arid with little rain, his ancestors had seen its potential, being so close to the great consumer market of the Royal Capital. They had expanded it alongside the Malto family. The sprawling pastures, the scattered ponds, and the forest, wide for the kingdom, were more than half the result of human effort.

Because of these ties, the two families were relatively close for a relationship between merchant and producer.

"What are you saying. The Dalgan Company's influence in the Royal Capital is a sight to behold. You are now a grand Gold Company. And that is not all. Every time I visit your main office, the chairman tells me all about Forum. That a hero came from our home."

Malto grinned as he flattered Dalgan.

"That's why I'm asking you to stop. We were just helping out behind the lines. Even my old man said back then, what's a butcher doing playing soldier."

Just thinking of the relief sculpture in the Royal Capital's Forum made Dalgan's back itch.

"He's right about that. Willingly charging into a horde of monsters. That's not sane for a man of business."

A young woman standing next to Malto spoke in a sharp voice.

"Sheela. That's a rude thing to say before even a greeting… and what is this, you're covered in straw. Did I not tell you to change."

She was a freckle-faced girl with chestnut hair in a braid, a full head shorter than Dalgan. Dressed in her work clothes and covered in bits of straw, she looked as though she had just come from the stables.

She must be almost twenty by now. Dalgan had been sent here many times under his father's policy of learning the trade on site. He remembered Sheela, who, despite being younger, had "instructed" him with an air of great importance. They had barely seen each other since he had enrolled in the academy.

"Ah, what, Sheela's the same as always."

Dalgan replied, a little flustered by how much more mature she looked.

"Unlike a great hero who associates with nobles, my job is to make sure the cows have grass to eat."

Sheela placed her hands on her hips and glared at Dalgan. The sight reminded him of the old days, and he nearly broke into a smile. Malto, however, grew flustered at his beloved daughter's words.

"My apologies, my daughter is just worried… You see, Dalgan-sama has received words of praise not just from nobles, but from His Highness the Crown Prince himself, who took the trouble to come all the way here… Sheela, you were as happy as if it had happened to you back then, were you not."

"Ah, you helped us out then."

Dalgan hurriedly changed the subject. In the past, Craig's visit to this ranch had been officially to thank Dalgan for his cooperation in slaying the dragon, but in reality, he had come to experiment with the pollen poison.

That experiment had involved gathering livestock and every wild animal they could get their hands on. It was not a pleasant memory, but he later heard it had become the trump card used to defeat the Empire's horse-dragon unit. By a twist of fate, he had ended up helping the hero prince defeat two different kinds of dragons.

Because of this history, the relief carved in the Royal Capital depicted Dalgan standing face to face with Ricardo. And compared to the average-sized Ricardo, the brawny Dalgan was, in some ways, the most conspicuous figure.

"More importantly. I'm working on a big job related to His Highness. That's why I came today."

Dalgan stated his business.

"So I heard, the honor of presenting the meat to be served at His Highness the Crown Prince's coronation. Of course, we are making preparations to deliver only the finest, but…"

The rancher's face grew anxious. It was only natural. To have supplied the meat for a new king's coronation would make one a purveyor to the royal family in both name and reality. They would be seen as special even among that group. The responsibility that came with it was immense.

"No, I have no complaints about the product. Well, let's talk inside. Sorry, but could you help me unload that."

Dalgan pointed to the carriage he had arrived in. A rectangular box was tied securely to the cargo bed with heavy ropes.

◇◇

"Well now, this is meat from two weeks ago. I can hardly believe it."

Once they had settled inside, Dalgan took the meat he had brought from the bottom compartment of the refrigerator they had carried in. Malto put a piece of the cut raw meat directly into his mouth. Sheela, doing the same, widened her eyes in amazement.

"Yeah, this thing itself is incredible. It's going to completely revolutionize meat distribution. But we'll talk about that later."

"...Understood. First, please have this."

A plate of red meat was placed before Dalgan. Following their example, he put the uncooked raw meat into his mouth.

"It's more tender."

"We mixed grain into their feed as you instructed. We have been feeding them for longer than the last batch we delivered."

Listening to the rancher's explanation, Dalgan chewed. It was the taste of fresh, unaged meat. A slightly younger cow, perhaps…

"Isn't it beneath the dignity of a young master from a fancy Gold Company to be eating raw meat."

"Hey, Sheela."

Her father admonished her, but Sheela just turned away with a huff. Her blunt tone and attitude brought back a fond nostalgia.

"Ah, no, it's fine. I'm the one making the difficult requests… Right, I have a little souvenir for you two."

Dalgan opened the top section of the refrigerator and took out a ceramic container. When he untied the string holding the lid, a surface of intermingled white and brown appeared. Dalgan carefully scooped it out with a spoon, served it on plates, and placed them before the two.

"What is this?"

"It's a sweet made from cow's milk, sugar, and, I think, a chestnut paste, all mixed and frozen. It's called ice cream. It melts fast, so go on and eat."

"Not fancy, you say, but it's a sweet made with sugar. And it's cold in this hot weather…………"

Sheela started to make a sarcastic remark, but her eyes fell on the slightly melting surface of the ice cream, and she gulped.

"Ho ho, what is this. It is a taste fit for royalty and nobility. Plural's confections have quite the reputation in the Royal Capital."

Malto exclaimed in admiration, the spoon still in his mouth. Dalgan remembered that he did not dislike sweets. But the main reason he had gone out of his way to stop at Plural before leaving was for the other person.

When he told Plural its purpose, she had tried to teach him everything from how to present it to what fruits to serve with it. He listened to the plating instructions, at least, but ignored the part about the fruit. This was not that kind of place.

"...You eat things like this all the time."

The moment a spoonful entered her mouth, Sheela was stunned, then she hastily devoured the rest. A dreamy expression graced her face as she savored the aftertaste. But when she noticed Dalgan's gaze, she suddenly bit her lip.

"Not all the time. I can't eat something this sweet that often. Well, I thought you might like it, Sheela."

"Oh, so this was specifically for my daughter."

"Ah, no, it's related to my work, too. The dessert after my meat course at the coronation banquet is from Plural. It should be at least as good as this."

"I see, that is quite…"

Malto's expression tightened.

"Well, let me see the ranch for a bit. It's been a while."

Dalgan said. It was an action born from an instinctual sense of alarm at having been away from the action for so long. He had not come here with a firm plan in mind.

"Sheela, you can have more. Think of it as a little something for all the trouble you'll be taking for me starting tomorrow."

Dalgan said to Sheela, who for some reason was looking down.

"…It's really… so different now…"

But Sheela did not react to his words, her gaze fixed on the empty plate and spoon.