Cooking with Wild Game (LN) - Volume 12 - Chapter 2.1

Chapter 2: Reopening

1

It was now the following day, the 11th of the white month.

Just as we had planned, it was the day I once again started doing business in the stalls. And since Lefreya had me kidnapped on the fifth of the white month, it was my first time working them in six whole days.

I went ahead and left the giba burgers up to Reina Ruu’s group as I had up till now, while I took charge of the myamuu giba stall. Ultimately, both stalls prepared a hundred meals in total.

We settled on that number because it had worked for us last time we reopened for business. And from tomorrow on, we were going to adjust based on how things went.

“Man, things really do pick up when it’s been a while! I don’t think we’ve had this many customers since the days we closed down for the clan head meeting, right?” Lala Ruu questioned from beside me with a grin. For today, she was the one assisting over in my stall.

By the time the morning rush had passed, we had already sold forty myamuu giba. At this rate, we could be confident that there was no need to worry about having significant leftovers, which was a relief.

Since this was the first time in days we were selling myamuu giba, the customers from the south in particular seemed especially overjoyed. Just seeing their smiles alone was enough to fill my heart with glee, too.

It wasn’t like preparing food for the inns didn’t feel meaningful or anything, but there really was a special sort of fulfillment that only came from running the stalls and seeing my customers’ smiles up close and personal.

And it was with such satisfaction filling me up inside that I glanced over at Reina Ruu, who was currently taking a break in the neighboring stall.

“Reina Ruu, how did things go on your end?”

“Well, we sold around thirty or so meals, which is pretty much the same as yesterday.”

“It was twenty-eight, not thirty. Yesterday was thirty-four and the day before that was thirty-seven, so there definitely appears to have been an impact on sales,” Tsuvai chimed in using a provocative tone.

Reina Ruu, however, just stared down at the girl with a puzzled look.

“Tsuvai, you seem to have some sort of issue with Asuta, but you’re only able to do this job in the first place because you received his cooking lessons, right?”

“I know all that! And it’s not like I’m actually complaining or anything, you know!” Tsuvai shrilly objected. She really was the same as always.

Still, I was honestly rather fond of that girl with her unusually strong economic sense for a person of the forest’s edge, and I figured her level of twistedness was forgivable considering she was raised under the messed up environment of the main Suun house.

At any rate, she was now working with us too since Reina Ruu and the others had run both stalls while I was away.

Lala Ruu and I manned the myamuu giba stall. Meanwhile, Reina and Sheera Ruu plus Tsuvai were still running two giba burger stalls. And when the sun hit its peak, Reina Ruu and I would be leaving the stalls, so Li Sudra and Ama Min Rutim were set to come help out in our place.

The Rutim had previously been shorthanded on women and unable to spare any to help out with the stalls, but thanks to them welcoming Tsuvai and her mother Oura into their number, they gained a little bit of leeway to work with.

And officially, the only ones the Fa clan was actually employing were Lala Ruu and Li Sudra. The rest of the women were here to do business on behalf of the Ruu clan itself.

With their own judgment and skill, they formed a contract with Milano Mas, prepared their meals, and sold them. And Tsuvai didn’t need to worry, as all of the profits were the property of the Ruu clan. That meant the Fa clan’s income had decreased, but naturally neither I nor Ai Fa were upset by that fact.

“How does it feel, working again for the first time in a while, Asuta?” Ai Fa quietly asked as she stood on guard.

Shin Ruu, meanwhile, was stationed over by the giba burger stalls.

The six guards today also included Ludo Ruu. He and the other three were all hanging out in the thicket to the rear as they fulfilled their duty.

“Hmm, no surprise, but I’m really glad to be back. I just hope this incident can be wrapped up smoothly so we can keep on doing business here in the post town.”

As Ai Fa glanced over at my face, she broke out in a smile, unable to hold it back.

“You truly do seem happy...”

“Yeah, thanks.”

By the time we woke today, Ai Fa had fully returned to normal. Bartha’s presence definitely caused ripples in not only my heart, but Ai Fa’s too... Of course, Ai Fa wasn’t the sort to let that show in front of others. Still, her smile now was incredibly gentle, and I found it extremely heartening.

And Lala Ruu seemingly noticed, as she leaned in and whispered into my ear, “Hey, Ai Fa’s been showing a lot more emotion lately, hasn’t she? Every once in a while, she even gets into a shouting match with Ludo.”

“Yeah. I’d say she’s been opening up to everyone, in her own unique way,” I replied in a whisper, thinking all the while that Ai Fa had shown me so much more of herself than what you could see on her face now.

At that, Lala Ruu broke out in a cheery grin.

“It isn’t rare to see men who are all untalkative like Ai Fa. Thinking about it that way, it just means she’s more like a hunter, not that she’s particularly unfriendly or anything.”

“That’s kinda mean. You seriously thought of Ai Fa like that, Lala Ruu?”

“Hmph! I mean, she really did act all coldly toward us, so I can’t see any reason for you to go complaining, especially when you two are so showy about how close you are.”

“Calling us ‘showy’ is pretty mean, too...”

It was then that Ai Fa called out, “Asuta,” again.

I shrugged my shoulders, figuring she had overheard my secret conversation there with Lala Ruu, but apparently that wasn’t the case. Instead, it turned out there was a familiar figure approaching from the north.

The westerner was well into middle age with gray streaks in his hair, and his firm build was wrapped in shabby clothing coated in soot. In other words, it was Mikel of Turan.

“Ah, Mikel...”

I called out to the older man, only to get cut off by a blunt, “So you really did make it back after all. That takes some impressive dumb luck, escaping after being captured by a noble like that. And with the way you’ve started doing business again without a care in the world, you must be seriously nuts.”

The man seemed to be just as obstinate and grouchy as always. And his face that looked like it was carved into an oak was no different, either. Still, it made me really glad to see how he hadn’t changed in the least.

“Sorry, I know I caused a lot of trouble...”

“That’s for sure. This is what happens when you ignore people’s warnings, kid. Now, luck might have saved you this time around, but you won’t get off lightly if you go around making enemies of nobles.”

It was then that Ai Fa stepped forwards and greeted him, “Mikel of Turan.”

I suddenly felt dread for a moment, but contrary to my expectations, Ai Fa was just nodding Mikel’s way.

“It is in part thanks to your efforts that Asuta returned to us safely. As the clan head of the Fa, I wish to give you my thanks.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about... All that happened was some unfamiliar red-headed kid asked me where Count Turan’s manor was, and I told him.”

“And that saved Asuta. Even after warning him again and again not to get involved with nobles, you still lent him your aid, which we will never forget.”

At that, Mikel fell sullenly silent.

And after giving one more nod, Ai Fa withdrew.

“At any rate, I’ve got no interest in getting involved in any quarrels with nobles. I just came here to buy a snack because I was feeling hungry,” Mikel said, slapping down his red coins.

“Right, thanks for your continued business. Um... Jeeda hasn’t shown himself to you since then, has he?”

“Of course he hasn’t. That kid’s a criminal wanted throughout the post town, right? I’ve got no business with criminals, either.”

I wanted to offer an explanation on Jeeda’s behalf, but it wasn’t the sort of thing to be discussed with so many people around, so I just prepared the myamuu giba instead.

When Mikel bit into it, I saw his eyes clearly sparkle from underneath his prominent eyebrows.

“This tastes different... Did you use tau oil?”

“Yes. There’s no fooling your tongue, is there?”

I had been eager to try adding tau oil to the marinade for the myamuu giba for a while now. But I didn’t want to go thoughtlessly changing up a popular recipe, so I was waiting for a good opportunity to try it out, and now that I was coming back from a five-day break, this seemed like the perfect chance.

I had only used a small amount so that it wouldn’t have a significant impact on the ingredient costs, but I still believed it had improved the flavor. The initial idea for my myamuu giba dish came from pork fried with ginger, so if it were possible I would have even liked to have tau oil form the base of the flavor.

“You can get a hold of such first-rate seasoning out here in the post town, too? It’s only natural that’d improve the dish’s taste.”

“Right. Apparently anyone with ties to Jagar can buy some, even here. Of course it costs a fair bit, so I can’t go using it haphazardly.”

“Hmph...” Mikel snorted as he slowly worked away at his myamuu giba.

As I watched him, I went ahead and threw out the question that came to mind.

“Umm, do you know someone named Roy, Mikel?”

“Roy? Never heard of him.”

“I see. He’s a chef employed at the manor where I was being held. And he acted as if he knew you.”

Perhaps I shouldn’t have been touching on his personal history so much, but Mikel didn’t seem especially annoyed... Or it might be more accurate to say his mouth had been twitching and grimacing in annoyance from the get go.

But then, his jaw suddenly stopped.

“Now that I think about it... Back when I worked at The Maiden in White, I think there was some kid apprenticing there with a name like that...”

“Ah, he mentioned that shop, too. His hair was dark brown and kinda curly, and he was about my height. And I believe he said he was nineteen.”

“Ooh, so that kid got invited to that manor so young? That sure is something.” Mikel didn’t seem all that interested though, as he soon resumed eating. “Still, once you’re summoned to that place, you either have to spend your whole life cooking for the master of the manor, or have all honor stripped from you as you’re driven out. And the chefs who get thrown out of there can never work in the castle town again, so that really is a fatal blow.”

“What sort of ridiculous rule is that...? It’s just plain awful.”

“If you’ve got a problem with that, then you can get on out of Genos. The nobles are the ones who make the laws for this town, so commoners trying to oppose them are only making fools of themselves.”

“Then why...” I started, meaning to ask, “Why didn’t you leave Genos?” but I stopped myself. I figured it wasn’t right to get all nosy and pry any further into Mikel’s painful past than I already had.

However, Mikel firmly glared at me and said, “It was because I had family here, too. And until they could live on their own, I couldn’t go running away or dying or anything. You can’t leave Genos either because you’ve got something tying you to this place, right?”

“Yes...”

“In that case, you should learn some restraint so you don’t go about causing trouble for your family,” Mikel stated, then he suddenly leaned in. “More importantly, did the owner of that manor eat your cooking? Around town, they’re saying his daughter was the culprit, but still...”

“I don’t believe her father had so much as a bite.”

“I see. In that case, don’t go forgetting my warning. If he learns of your skills, you’ll never make it back outside those stone walls.”

He would do whatever it took to take control of chefs he favored, and if they refused he would make certain they had no future cooking. On top of that, any chefs who didn’t meet his expectations were driven from the castle town... Those methods were completely and utterly beyond reason.

“Why is that man so obsessed with delicious food, anyway? From what you’ve said, his fixation is way beyond what anyone could call normal.”

“Hmph... Everyone’s scared of dying, so it shouldn’t be any surprise to find out how brightly someone’s passions burn. And when that someone is as rich as he is, that just makes them all the more fixated on ruling here in this life as long as possible.”

I really didn’t get what he was saying at all.

But as I tried to process that comment, Mikel glared right at me again.

“Didn’t you see him face to face? The man is riddled with disease. It’s the sort of illness of the organs only suffered by nobles living lives of luxury. His elaborate dining caused that sickness in the first place, but he’s trying to overcome it with even more luxurious cuisine...”

I was at a loss for words.

I had thought Cyclaeus’s complexion made him look ill, but he really was sick...

Then with how pale his face was... Could it be his kidneys? Or maybe his liver?

Either way, it would be difficult to recover once those organs were ailing.

“They had you working the kitchen in that manor, right...? Then you must have seen a mountain of herbs ordered from Sym and dried gyama entrails and the like used for medicinal cooking, right?”

“N-No, I only worked in a small kitchen meant for preparing meals for the servants. There were a lot of unusual ingredients like sugar, honey, and oil, but I don’t believe there was anything quite that specialized.”

“Hmph. That man values his kitchen as much as his treasure vault, so I guess it makes sense you wouldn’t be allowed to set foot in there. And honestly, you’re lucky you weren’t.” Mikel half closed his eyes as he stared off into space. “His illness was caused by luxurious dining, so it would be wisest to just cut all that out. But that man with his excess of wealth went and chose the opposite. He started gathering all sorts of ingredients from the whole continent, trying to find some sort of meal that would cure him. I’m sure that’s because he couldn’t stand the thought of having to spend the rest of his life sipping down nothing but bitter broth made from medicinal herbs.”

“B-But in that case, he shouldn’t have any need for stuff like tau oil, sugar, and milk fat, right? I don’t know exactly what sort of illness he has, but if luxurious dining was the cause, then he really should be refraining when it comes to things like salt, sugar, and oils.”

“The fact that he can’t accept that thought is exactly why he’s taken to having herbs and the like to counteract all the junk incorporated into his meals. Because he couldn’t discard his desire to eat delicious food, even when suffering from illness.” With a firm shake of his head, Mikel grabbed the fingers on his right hand with his left. Because he had turned down one of Cyclaeus’s requests, the tendons in his arm had been severed, leaving him unable to move them properly.

“There was no way he could ever overcome his illness like that. And I had no interest in spending my life continuing to cook food that would wreck a man’s body. Well... I guess his life would’ve run out before mine in that case, though.” With that, Mikel returned to his usual displeased expression and glared at me again. “I’ve been running my mouth way too much... At any rate, if you want to live as a proper chef, you shouldn’t have anything to do with that guy.”

“Right,” I nodded as Roy suddenly came to mind.

Had that young chef known the truth? If he did and was continuing to experiment with cooking techniques, well, in that case I would have to say it was not my problem... But if he didn’t, he had a dangerous fate ahead of him.

“So you’re saying that noble won’t have long left even if we simply leave him be...?” Ai Fa suddenly interjected.

Mikel glared her way out of the corner of his eye.

“There’s no way I could tell. If the medicine in his meals works more than the stuff poisoning him, then maybe he could make it five or even ten years... Besides, it seems that man’s convictions have been firmly inherited by his daughter, right?” Mikel replied as he looked over me and Ai Fa. “Even if that man does up and die, his daughter will take over as the next head of his house. And when that happens, you may just end up with another troublesome enemy on your hands again.”

Cyclaeus’s daughter, Lefreya. Was that girl also utterly obsessed with delicious food?

I had been told so many things at once that I was having trouble getting my thoughts and feelings straight.

“If you can, then you should leave this town. But, well, if you can’t, then I’ll keep coming to buy your cooking till you end up abducted behind those stone walls again...”

With those words, Mikel promptly departed.

◇

The sun had hit its peak.

After handing off the stall work to Li Sudra and Ama Min Rutim, Reina Ruu and I headed off for The Sledgehammer with our group of six bodyguards, including Ai Fa.

But ultimately, Reina Ruu was the one in charge for today. I was just taking over the cooking assistant position previously held by Vina and Lala Ruu.

It would be possible for me to resume my work there as soon as tomorrow, but I still didn’t know what would happen after the 15th of the white month. And so I had come along today in order to explain those complicated circumstances.

“But if you do end up working with the inns again, who exactly will assist you? Currently, only Lala and Li Sudra are helping out the Fa clan, right?” Reina Ruu asked, causing me to think for a moment.

“In that case... I guess I’ll have to have Lala Ruu come around to the inns with me, and have Ama Min Rutim work for the Fa clan.”

“I see. So you plan to have Lala accompany you instead of me or Sheera Ruu...”

“Yeah, since you two are in charge of the Ruu clan’s stalls now. I can’t go treating you two like assistants anymore, now can I?”

With that, Reina Ruu’s face took on a clearly saddened expression.

“Huh? Is there some sort of issue with that?”

“Yes. Sheera Ruu and I both still need your instruction. As things stand, it will be difficult for us to improve on dishes other than giba burgers and soup... I’d really like you to consider taking one of us with you on days when you’re working at the inns, instead of Lala...”

“Ah, I see. If that’s how you two feel, then I’ll try not to be too fixated on who’s in charge of what.”

By the way, for today after I slipped out, Lala and Sheera Ruu swapped positions. That was because Sheera Ruu and I were the only ones capable of properly cooking up myamuu giba at present.

On days like this where I left the stalls, I had no choice but to rely on Sheera Ruu, so I had figured it wouldn’t be right to take away Reina Ruu as a cooking assistant when she was the other one in charge... But to be honest, I wanted to let both of them build up a lot more experience.

“Hmm, right... I think pretty soon Li Sudra will be at the point where we can leave the myamuu giba entirely up to her. In that case, I guess it would be possible to have Sheera Ruu come around to the inns, too.”

“Right... I still haven’t learned how to prepare that dish, though, so I find it a bit frustrating.”

Reina Ruu still hadn’t mastered how exactly to cook the myamuu giba recipe we sold, which used somewhat heavier seasoning. But she hadn’t worked the stalls for that long yet and specialized in taking charge of the giba burgers, plus she had taken on the work of heading around to the inns after the sun hit its peak. So really, there was no helping that.

“In that case, I’d like to have you practice creating myamuu giba with the proper flavor. And then, if Sheera Ruu can also make giba soup for the inns, I figure that would give us quite a bit more flexibility.” With Reina and Sheera Ruu, they would probably be able to pick up the recipes within just a couple of days. “Also, I’d like to head to The Kimyuus’s Tail each day. If I’m always around for business with the inns and either you or Sheera Ruu work with me in turns, that may help smooth things over. Just like how you all were in charge today and I was the assistant, there could also be times like that where I’m leading things and you’re helping out.”

“Right. Sheera Ruu and I would both be very happy if we could do so,” Reina Ruu said as her previously gloomy expression instantly burst into a bright smile. “But if the meeting with that noble doesn’t go well, all this decision making will be for nothing...”

“Yeah. Donda Ruu, Kamyua Yoshu and so many others are striving hard to make sure that doesn’t happen, but I’ve honestly got no clue how it’ll all play out.”

“Even if it takes time to settle everything, as long as we can stay at the Morga forest’s edge like we have up till now in order to someday start doing business again, then that will be enough for me. The dangers now feel a lot less worrying compared to all that time when we didn’t even know where you were,” Reina Ruu said with an innocent smile. It was so worry-free that she was reminding me of her little sister, Rimee Ruu.

And so, I earnestly replied, “Thanks,” with a nod.

It was then that I thought I felt a gaze on the back of my neck, so I turned around to look. However, I didn’t see anybody looking my way. And yet, Ai Fa was frowning and looking over the passersby with a piercing glare. Had she just now averted her eyes from me with her hunter’s instincts before I could turn around to see her looking?

“Is something the matter?” Reina Ruu questioned.

“No, it’s nothing,” I answered with a shake of my head.

Even Ai Fa would be glad if Reina Ruu and I formed a healthy relationship through our cooking and business, right...? Probably...

As all that was happening, we arrived at The Sledgehammer.

And yet, I felt like I wanted to sigh.

That was because along that narrow road through the residential district with its little houses sat the huge totos-drawn carriage belonging to the house of Count Daleim.

“Ah, we’ve been awaiting you, Sir Asuta. Let us hurry and bring this discussion to a conclusion.”

After Nail led me into the dining hall I found Polarth awaiting me along with three guards and one other man, a thin guy who looked to be well into middle age.

After letting out another sigh, I sat down right across from Polarth.

“What is it today, exactly? I believe I should have already told you everything you needed yesterday...”

“Indeed. We were able to bake up poitan splendidly by following your instructions! Currently, we are in the midst of confirming how long the baked poitan and the uncooked poitan dough will last for. It would certainly be quite helpful if the poitan in that boiled and dried form can be preserved for at least as long as ground fuwano, but I suppose we shall see.”

I was rather taken aback to find he had already taken things that far. And actually, how long powdered poitan would last was something I had wanted to check for a while now, myself.

“And so, I believe first we must spread knowledge of how delicious baked poitan is throughout the post town, in order to sell its flour and in turn raise the profits of the plantations! Right now we’re in the midst of garnering Count Saturas’s support and searching for inns and stalls that will choose to handle poitan in place of fuwano, but aside from that, we’re also forming a plan to sell our own cuisine.”

“Your own? You mean opening a stall or something?”

“That’s right! At any rate, there’s nothing for catching attention quite like selling delicious food! It seems the meals you people of the forest’s edge sell have built up quite a reputation here in the post town, but regrettably, there are surely still many westerners who want nothing to do with giba meat. Similarly, I have yet to work up the nerve to taste such dishes myself.”

“Right...”

“And so, I had been thinking of using the great many ingredients that can be obtained in the castle town in order to come up with a dish that seems like it will sell. There is no need to turn a profit from the endeavor, so I figured selling an elaborate dish would be just fine. And yet, my head chef chided me, saying such a thing would not be proper.”

It seemed the older man sitting there quietly next to Polarth was the head chef in question.

He looked rather intimidated being in the presence of hunters from the forest’s edge like Ai Fa and Shin Ruu, but he suddenly sat up straight.

“This is the man in question, the head chef in charge of the Daleim house’s kitchen, Yang. Yang, could you repeat what you said to me once more?”

“Yes... My apologies for saying so, but it’s only natural that a dish using higher-quality ingredients will be improved. But if you earn a reputation that way, the poitan will end up being overshadowed. So if you’re selling a dish in the post town, I believe it would be best to stick to ingredients usually handled there.”

“There you have it. And so, we have been waiting here as you see, to hear your opinion as one who has already found success here in the post town.”

“Got it, that makes sense. But in my case, I had giba meat itself to seriously help me out. It’s a very fatty meat, which I believe makes it a higher-quality ingredient than either karon legs or kimyuus legs with the skin still attached.”

“Ah, skinless kimyuus meat is quite wretched. And I cannot say that I’ve ever eaten karon leg meat...”

“Karon legs are sold to the post town, while the rest of the meat goes to the castle town. It’s been that way for many years,” Yang explained in a rather stiff tone.

That thin man couldn’t have weighed more than half of what Polarth did, but there seemed to be some sort of pride or willfulness or something to his skinny face.

“To start with, Yang here has animosity toward expensive ingredients, despite living in the castle town. It seems his belief is that such things are all bought up by chefs working for Count Cyclaeus, yet the taste of a dish isn’t decided by the cost of its ingredients.”

“I see. I’d have to say that I’m in agreement, there,” I earnestly replied.

Honestly, I felt shocked to find there was a chef with that much of a backbone living in the castle town.

“But that may make it difficult to create a dish that would earn a reputation. I mean, you cannot obtain reten oil, mamaria vinegar, or Jagar-made sugar in the post town, can you? I simply cannot see how you could produce proper cooking like that,” the old man opined.

“Ah, hold on a moment. I’ve been experimenting with dishes using not just giba meat, but karon and kimyuus too lately. And my first step had been trying to figure out if I could use karon milk here in the post town... Is it difficult to make dried milk and milk fat from the stuff, though?”

“To manufacture dried milk, you would need the proper equipment first. But milk fat wouldn’t be all that difficult...” the head chef replied, only for his eyes to suddenly light up with understanding. “But from what I know, karon leg meat and skinless kimyuus meat are lacking in fat. So I can’t see how one could produce anything but a mediocre dish from them without using reten oil. But if you used milk fat... That alone would probably be enough to improve the quality of the dish.”

“So you can produce milk fat on your own?”

“As long as you have the hands needed, it’s entirely possible. First you leave the karon milk to sit overnight, then scoop off the fat that floats to the top, and finally seal it in a leather bag and beat it.”

“Ah, that way you further separate the liquid from the fat, right?” I replied, somehow starting to feel excited myself for some reason. “So, what about the price? I’ve heard you can buy a bottle of karon milk for a single red coin or so, but you can only extract a tiny amount of fat from that, right?”

“That’s true. But the amount of milk fat used in a single meal is hardly anything. If people learn we’re using both baked poitan and milk fat, it should be possible to earn quite a bit of attention throughout the post town, wouldn’t you say?”

“How wonderful. I feel as though I can see the light of hope shining bright,” Polarth chimed in with a great big smile. “Would it be possible to also employ sugar from Jagar and tau oil? That way, would it not be possible to produce a far more competent dish?”

“I get a hold of tau oil through an inn owner I know, but from what I hear you can only get sugar in the castle town.”

“Is that so? Is sugar truly that expensive?”

“No,” the head chef answered Polarth with a shake of his head. “Compared to tau oil, sugar isn’t all that pricey, of course. The issue is Count Cyclaeus always hurriedly buying it up. And at present, the people living in the castle town scramble to purchase any that is leftover once he’s done.”

“I see. That only makes it all the more necessary that we take down Lord Cyclaeus,” Polarth stated, his expression perfectly calm despite how threatening his statement was. “Still, I suppose the karon milk must come first. Lord Cyclaeus hasn’t been purchasing all of that, now has he?”

“That’s right. After all, the merchants from Dabagg also see karon milk as something that can only be sold in nearby towns. So they only portion out what’s necessary and sell that.”

“In that case, it should be possible to buy karon milk in the post town and use it to make milk fat, right?” I excitedly chimed in, only for the head chef to shoot me an intense look for some reason.

“You’re called Sir Asuta of the Fa clan, correct? Are you really alright with that...?”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“Using milk fat, it should be possible to make a first-rate dish even using ingredients like karon leg meat. In that case, wouldn’t your giba meat cooking lose the advantage it gains from having plenty of fat?”

I wasn’t worried about that in the least.

“The giba meat itself is also delicious. At the very least, I don’t believe it’s in any way inferior to kimyuus with the skin still attached. If giba meat stopped selling just because there was milk fat around, that would mean it was never worth selling to begin with.”

“It would seem that you have quite a bit of confidence.”

“Yes. Not in my cooking skills, but in how delicious giba meat is.”

The head chef fell into incredulous silence, and so Polarth chuckled and spoke up in his place.

“So modest, Sir Asuta! Though I myself was only granted the honor of tasting your cooking just once, that fried kimyuus dish was simply exquisite! Despite your youth, your skills are truly excellent. That is precisely why I wished to consult with you as such.”

“Ah... I’m honored, but you’re giving me more praise than I deserve,” I replied, and then suddenly remembered a question I had. “By the way, there’s something I wanted to know, too. How long does baked fuwano last, exactly? And does drying it out alter the texture?”

“Baked fuwano grows dry and hard overnight. Naturally, it is best to eat it freshly baked.”

“Even so, it won’t go bad for a few days... I’ve heard that many travelers will dry fuwano out and boil it up in a soup made with water and vegetables for short journeys. But most travelers still seek out poitan instead as it’s cheaper and doesn’t taste any worse,” the head chef explained, which was enough to satisfy me.

“Thank you. The truth is, I was wondering if I could create a dish where I made a fried coating using finely-ground dried fuwano. And so I was planning on buying fuwano as soon as today and letting it dry out overnight.”

Fuwano very closely resembled wheat, so if I dried out baked fuwano and then dry fried it, then it would likely create a suitable panko substitute. At the very least, I had to figure it would work out at least as well as substitutes like crushed rice crackers or peanuts.

“Drying out baked fuwano, and then grinding it again? What a truly unusual trick. Can you make delicious dishes like that, then?”

“Yes. I think I could make something at least on the level of that fried kimyuus you had the other day.”

And if I could get a hold of eggs too, then I could also take a crack at stuff like cutlets and croquettes.

Of course, those required quite a bit of giba lard, so it would probably be tricky to work them into my business in the post town... But just picturing how Ai Fa and everyone else would react was enough to cause my heart to soar.

It was then that I suddenly recalled Mikel’s words. An illness of the internal organs, caused by extravagant dining...

Fried foods are like the poster child for high calorie dishes...

If that was the only issue, it wouldn’t likely be a big concern as the people of the forest’s edge could just work those calories off through the intense manual labor involved in their day-to-day lives. But I really couldn’t help worrying about the fact that on top of that, those dishes would also be a whole lot more fatty than anything I had made for them before.

In that case, what if I prepared a lot of vegetables to go with it...? The important things are the dietary fiber and citric acid, so maybe tino, tarapa, and gigo? I could probably make something that tastes pretty similar to Worcestershire sauce by adapting tau oil, but maybe it’d be better to give the people of the forest’s edge a refreshing flavor using sheel juice or something...

Like Mikel said, I too had absolutely no interest in making meals that would make a mess of people’s bodies.

While such thoughts were still racing through my head, Polarth suddenly energetically proclaimed, “Very well, then! Let us hurry and send an envoy to Dabagg! As long as we give them some coins, they could bring karon milk back as soon as tomorrow. Yang, prepare to open the shop by the day after tomorrow.”

“Huh? You’re opening for business that soon?”

“Indeed. To be honest, I would prefer to open tomorrow instead. But at any rate, we must make our move before Lord Cyclaeus catches on regardless, and it would be best to shake him up by providing results before your meeting with him on the 15th of the white month, yes? Sir Zasshuma informed me as such.”

“Well, you’re not wrong, but...”

But the 15th was just four days from now.

Would such a rushed endeavor seriously produce results?

“It will be fine. This is a critical moment for me too, in which I could easily be abandoned by my father as a result. And so I shall give my utmost to ensure a bright future for the house of Daleim, the people of the forest’s edge, and all living here in Genos. So to start with, look forward to what we shall have to show two days from now!” Polarth stated, smiling away all the while.