Cooking with Wild Game (LN) - Volume 16 - Chapter 4.4

4

Exactly one hour after sunset, we headed to the hall where the banquet was being held.

After carrying the completed dishes to a room adjoining the banquet hall, the first course to be served up was the appetizers. If we weren’t bringing the dishes directly from the kitchen then I didn’t see the need to serve them to the guests one by one, but, well, this was how they did things in Genos.

The group that would be heading into the banquet hall included me and Ama Min Rutim, Varkas and Shilly Rou, and Ai Fa and the Sauti man to serve as bodyguards. We also borrowed the help of some pages, who were bringing a serving cart with utensils. Just like last time, Ai Fa and the other hunter stood by the door and watched over us as we worked.

“Ah, excellent work, everyone. Allow me to introduce you to our guests from Banarm. These are the chefs who manned the kitchen to prepare tonight’s dinner, Varkas of The Silver Star and Asuta of the forest’s edge.” The man who welcomed us was none other than Duke Marstein Genos, who I hadn’t seen for around two months and ten days. The ruler of Genos had long brown hair, a pretentious mustache fitting for a noble, a slim and youthful appearance, and a gentle manner overall...and yet, it was always difficult somehow to get a good read on him.

The nobles from the previous banquet were also present: Polarth from the house of Daleim, Leeheim from the house of Saturas, Lefreya and Torst from the house of Turan, Melfried from the ducal house of Genos, and Welhide from the house of Banarm.

The only other guests I recognized were Diel, Arishuna, and Dari Sauti, which left more than ten unfamiliar faces. But next to Welhide there were two men wearing the same sort of red formal attire as him, so I figured they must belong to the envoy group from Banarm. Then there were six additional middle-aged men and four young noblewomen.

“Well then, it’s already become quite dark outside, so shall we go ahead and get this banquet started?”

Apparently, they had already completely finished introductions, so we went ahead and started setting out the food quickly and efficiently. First up was my carpaccio and Varkas’s appetizer with the small chips and fish paste.

“These appetizers use rillione fish.”

Rather than leaving it to the pages, Varkas handled the task of serving his dish himself, alongside Shilly Rou. Though the girl had seemed to be on the verge of breaking down in bitter tears not that long ago, her face was now as composed as a theater mask as she worked.

“Ooh, I had heard rumors about such things, but you really can eat fish in Genos, can you? And this one is most certainly quite shocking. A dish that uses uncooked fish?” the older man seated beside Welhide said with a smile as he stroked his well-maintained mustache. The somewhat obese man beside him was looking at the two dishes with great suspicion.

“There’s nothing to worry about. The fish were brought here to the Turan manor from far off towns while still alive, so they are as fresh as a karon slaughtered just this day. Isn’t that right, Varkas?”

“Quite right indeed, Duke Genos.”

“Well then, let’s hurry up and get started. I haven’t had your cooking for several months now, so I’ve been greatly looking forward to it.” Perhaps noting how hesitant some of the guests were, Marstein took the initiative and reached for Varkas’s dish. “Ah, this is delicious. Even the head chef of the castle cannot hope to compete with you when it comes to cooking fish, Varkas.”

“I’m honored by your generous words.” The indistinct aura about Varkas didn’t change in the least, even when standing before Duke Genos. But now that Marstein had kicked things off, the guests all started eating the dishes one by one.

“Ooh, your dish is also excellent, Sir Asuta. There cannot be many chefs in Genos who can prepare fish so skillfully.”

Surprisingly, that comment had come from Torst. Polarth, meanwhile, was chowing down and seemed quite satisfied, while Leeheim...he clearly looked to be in an even worse mood than the last time I’d seen him.

The last time I had laid eyes on Leeheim was during that whole quarrel with Reina Ruu. Just as Polarth had said, his anger didn’t seem to have receded at all over the course of the past half month. If Polarth hadn’t warned me, I would have asked Reina Ruu to help with the serving rather than Ama Min Rutim, which definitely could have been problematic.

At any rate, all the other guests looked quite satisfied. However, not one of them was speaking up. It was probably just like with the taste testing—many of them were eating raw fish for the first time, so they found it hard to put their feelings into words.

I guess it’s the novelty of the experience winning out over the taste? It really might not have been suitable as an appetizer, just like Varkas said, I thought to myself, while the pages brought in the next dishes.

“This is a soup prepared with karon milk and karon breast meat.”

“My soup dish uses tarapa and giba sausages.”

With that, that karon soup with its complicated flavor and aroma was served alongside my minestrone. The first one to speak up this time around was Diel.

“Yes, this is quite tasty. The tarapa soup and giba meat are both delicious.” Her whole voice was sounding more ladylike than normal, even beyond just her tone. Though, at the exact moment I thought that, Diel’s eyes narrowed into a glare aimed at me from across the room. Her intuition might have been as sharp as that of a person of the forest’s edge.

“So this is the giba meat I’ve heard so much about, is it? Hmm, it certainly has an unusual shape,” the older noble said as he stared curiously at the plate of minestrone. It seemed that he wasn’t familiar with sausages.

“Still, aren’t giba those beasts that are considered symbols of calamity here in Genos? Is there really any value in eating such a thing instead of karon?” the plump noble by his side asked.

Instantly, Welhide furrowed his brow and replied, “This is part of a banquet Duke Genos had prepared for us. It is far too rude to say such things, so...”

“Ah, no need to get so worked up. How about I go ahead and give it a taste first?”

Maintaining a gentle smile, the older noble thrust his three-pronged utensil into a giba sausage. His healthy-looking teeth bit into it. He chewed several times with his broad jaws...and then his eyes shot wide open.

“Ooh. This...is delicious. And it is shockingly tender as well. This is smoked giba meat?”

“Yes. First I packed minced meat into an intestine casing, then I smoked it, and finally boiled it.”

“Hmm, it truly is amazing. This meat is certainly every bit as good as karon.”

“That can’t be right,” the plump noble grumbled, grabbing hold of the plate of minestrone. But before long, his eyes also shot open in shock.

“What do you think? I wasn’t lying, was I?” Welhide triumphantly declared, and then his gaze turned my way. The earnest and enthusiastic young noble seemed to be the same as I remembered. It honestly made me feel a bit self-conscious, thinking of how this young noble had been spreading the news of how delicious giba cooking was around his hometown of Banarm.

“My, it really is delicious.”

“I can’t believe it. Is this truly giba meat?”

“Even putting the giba meat aside, this whole dish is simply wonderful.”

The noblewomen were excitedly chatting away. All of them were young ladies dressed up in gorgeous attire, and they didn’t seem to hold any official posts. So were they ultimately invited to the banquet just to liven things up?

“But it certainly is not as if this other dish falls short of it, don’t you agree?” an unfamiliar noble in a neighboring seat chimed in. Instantly, the banquet hall was filled with voices appraising which one was better.

“Both are delicious. Asuta, your skills have grown so much over these past few months that they hardly seem recognizable,” Marstein declared in a gentle yet clear voice. “What do you think, leading clan head of the forest’s edge Dari Sauti? I hope that you are able to enjoy this banquet even more than the previous one.”

“Well, this dish definitely has an unusual taste, but it isn’t hard to get down at all,” Dari Sauti stated, at which point the room suddenly got a lot quieter.

It seemed hunters of the forest’s edge really were treated differently by nobles, and those under them as well. Dari Sauti possessed a larger frame than anyone else present, and when you added in the sword at his hip and the giba pelt he wore, I could certainly see how plenty of the lords and ladies would feel intimidated.

“This is also my first time eating Asuta’s cooking since our last shared banquet, so I’m very surprised myself at how much he’s improved.”

“I see. The settlement at the forest’s edge is wide, so does that mean not just anyone can enjoy Asuta’s cooking so easily?”

“That’s right. People in the post town have been eating it every single day, but those of us whose houses are far removed from the Fa clan aren’t able to. Something I can’t help but regret a little when eating such delicious food,” Dari Sauti said with a smile. He looked like a really gentle guy with that expression on his face. Well, he had an especially calm and mild nature for man of the forest’s edge to begin with.

But still, he didn’t smile even once at the previous banquet. Guess that goes to show how much his distrust toward the nobles has lightened up.

Or perhaps he was intentionally trying to put on a friendly face. Even if he wasn’t on the level of Gazraan Rutim, he seemed to have a solid understanding of the art of socialization.

“Well then, now for the next dish,” Varkas stated, presenting a fresh plate. “This fuwano dish has maroll meat and shells kneaded into it.”

“My dish uses fuwano and poitan and is called pasta.”

This time around, the hall filled with voices full of wonder. There seemed to be a great deal of surprise at the strange dish I had presented—my giba bacon cream pasta. Visually, my dish definitely left a stronger impression than the twist rolls.

“You eat this by twisting your three-pronged utensils around to wrap it up. If you support the underside with a spoon, that should make it a little easier.”

With a commotion still filling the air, the guests began digging into their pasta.

From somewhere in the crowd, Polarth loudly called out, “Ah! This is delicious! Delicious, but unlike anything I’ve ever had! I’ve been trying not to speak up too much. Considering my deep friendship with Sir Asuta, I thought it best to allow others to form their own opinions...but I cannot simply keep silent after tasting this!”

“My. You acting so well-behaved just causes those around you to worry something is wrong, Polarth,” a noblewoman with an especially extravagant appearance chimed with an amused chuckle. Youthful and gorgeous, her yellowish-brown hair was done up high, and she wore a flowy pure-white dress. The gemstone-adorned necklace she wore sparkled brilliantly under the candlelight. “Still, this certainly is a scrumptious dish, unusual though it is. Did it indeed come from your home country, Asuta of the forest’s edge?”

“Yes. The ingredients are all from Genos, but this dish comes from my homeland.”

“While you are a person of the forest’s edge, you are also a visitor from overseas, correct? How wonderful. I would love to have you serve as a chef at my manor,” the young noblewoman stated.

However, an emotionless voice soon retorted, “Do not speak such foolishness.” Melfried’s chilly gray eyes like moonlight were calmly fixed on the woman. “You should refrain from saying something like that when you know full well what occurred between Asuta of the Fa clan and the house of Turan. Try to keep your position at least somewhat in mind.”

That was an entirely reasonable statement, but it didn’t exactly feel like something to be bringing up in front of Lefreya. I worriedly glanced over her way, but she looked perfectly composed as she wound up some pasta.

“Oh? I simply said what I truly felt. Is it really so unforgivable? It is not as if I suggested taking Asuta away by force.”

“As I said, such thoughtless statements are—”

“Since you act so stiff and formal, things wouldn’t be in balance if I wasn’t uninhibited, would you not say?”

Caught off guard, I looked back over at the noblewoman. How exactly could she speak so bluntly toward Melfried? Just as I started pondering that thought, Marstein ended up providing the answer with a smile.

“My apologies for surprising you like that, Asuta. This is Melfried’s wife, Eulifia.”

“Ah... Is that so?”

“Indeed. Though she’s only my daughter-in-law, people strangely seem to think she’s more similar to me than my own son, which can cause some trouble now and again.”

“My, I don’t believe I’m anywhere near as wicked as you are, Duke Genos,” Eulifia replied with a pleasant laugh. She must not have actually had any ill will behind that attitude. The other nobles soon were all chatting away with smiles of their own.

“But Eulifia, Asuta has earned a reputation as the greatest chef in the post town with his skills. If he were to end up serving nobles, that could garner further animosity from the people. You should suppress your desires in order to maintain the peace in Genos.”

“Is that so? Then perhaps I should also make purchases from his stalls in secret like Polarth does.”

“Eulifia,” Melfried stated, a sigh mixed in with his voice. His wife really must have been quite the woman to make a coolheaded man like him sigh.

“It is not as if I go there in person every time...” Polarth chipped in. “Still, this is a splendid dish. More than that, it feels as if these two fuwano dishes are drawing out the flavor in one another, but you two cannot possibly have arranged that in advance, correct, Sir Asuta and Sir Varkas?”

“Arranged it? Of course not...” Varkas expressionlessly replied.

“I see,” Polarth said with a broad grin. “Still, Sir Asuta’s creamy dish and Sir Varkas’s baked fuwano seem to pair quite well. I feel fortunate to be able to eat both dishes together.”

I was a bit surprised to hear that, but, well, it was all just a matter of chance. However, when Polarth said that, I got the feeling that Shilly Rou was glaring at me for just a moment. Had she distorted his words to take it as him saying Varkas and I were both equally skilled?

At any rate, half of the six courses were now finished. Next up, it was finally time for the vegetable dishes. And this time it was Varkas’s offering that drew everyone’s eyes.

“Oh, my... This is just as unusual as the previous fuwano dish.”

It was the one made by slicing thin strips of vegetables and herbs, and its aroma was overwhelming. We had been served ones that were around the size of ping pong balls, but now that they were being served for real, their size was more like tennis balls. It seemed the dish really was an original creation of Varkas’s, as everyone but Lefreya were raising their voices in wonder.

“How mysterious!”

“It is like eating an aroma itself!”

“How exactly did you go about creating such a dish?”

Things were steadily heating up throughout the banquet hall. But even as the guests chatted, things pressed onward and the next dishes were brought out: Varkas’s amazing basted fish, and my giba meat Milan-style cutlets. The nobles of Genos and the guests from Banarm were all in a tizzy as they ate our dishes. Though I personally felt I came up short of Varkas in regards to our meat dishes, fortunately nobody ended up complaining. But as the only one familiar with the taste of normal giba cutlets, Dari Sauti had a bit of a complicated look on his face.

“Aah, delicious! They are all so good, are they not, Lady Arishuna?” Polarth asked.

After remaining silent all this time, Arishuna nodded back. “Yes.”

Though her expression hadn’t changed at all, I had stealthily been watching her and saw that she had cleared every plate from the appetizers up to the meat dishes.

“Everyone seems like they’re really enjoying themselves, don’t they? Even though we’re right in the middle of the city of stone, it feels like I’m looking at a banquet at the forest’s edge,” Ama Min Rutim whispered to me.

It was true that things were getting lively enough to make that comparison. Of course, considering how the events at the forest’s edge just burst with energy, this felt very modest in comparison...but everyone’s excitement was clearly coming across.

Marstein was wearing a satisfied smile, and Welhide and company were intently focused on cutting meat. It went without saying that Polarth was getting all worked up, but several unfamiliar noblemen and women were proving every bit his match. Aside from a few exceptions like Melfried, Arishuna, and Dari Sauti, everyone was clearly bursting with joy.

“These are the final dishes, the sweets meant for dessert.”

Now my kimyuus-egg-based steamed pudding and Varkas’s meringue cookies that similarly used kimyuus egg were served. And the nobles all kept on smiling right up till the very end.

“Ah, what a truly splendid meal. It certainly was worth coming all the way from Banarm,” the older noble said as representative for the envoys. “Just what I would expect from a city known for its delicious food like Genos. It’s enough to make my head start aching, thinking about what food we could possibly prepare to satisfy you all when you visit Banarm.”

“Well, Banarm has cuisine all its own. Personally, karon dried milk hat bake is a favorite of mine,” Polarth tactfully chimed in with a broad smile.

The banquet seemed to be in full swing. Once we left, they would probably start drinking, just like they did at the forest’s edge. But at any rate, my job seemed to be done. And so, I was standing there beside the wall along with Ama Min Rutim, waiting for Marstein to dismiss us. But then, a young man’s voice complete with a sarcastic-sounding laugh rang out clearly.

“Still, the difference in skill was quite apparent this time around. The greatest chef in Genos is undoubtedly Varkas of The Silver Star.”

The one to say that was none other than Leeheim. Now that I thought about it, this might just have been the first time I had heard him speak tonight.

“Oh, so you preferred Sir Varkas’s cooking, first son of Saturas?” the older noble innocently questioned.

“Of course I did,” Leeheim replied, his mouth twisting into a sneer. “The novelty of giba meat won out at the previous dinner party, but you cannot overcome such a vast difference in skill with only that. But, well, I suppose I should say it was handled well enough, since it did not get in the way of Varkas’s cooking.”

“That is surprising to hear. Personally, I felt that it was by no means inferior.”

But Leeheim pressed on. “To say such a thing seems a touch ill-mannered. After all, chefs do have their own sort of pride in their work.”

Somehow, I got the feeling that Leeheim’s words were dripping with more malice and animosity than was necessary.

Getting a bit worried, I glanced over at Ai Fa, who was standing beside the door. Fortunately, though, she was just shooting a chilly stare at Leeheim’s profile.

“Sir Leeheim, are you not the one who acted rudely? Today’s event is a welcome banquet, and was not meant as a place to compare tastes,” Torst interjected, seeming somewhat confused. However, Leeheim didn’t stop talking.

“I simply stated my earnest feelings. And I had no intention of insulting the chef from the forest’s edge. It is only natural to arrive at such a result when sharing a kitchen with the greatest chef in all of Genos.”

“Oh? Personally, I was rather surprised by how things turned out,” Eulifia now chimed in, looking amused rather than perplexed. “After all, if this were a taste comparison, then I would have to give my support to Asuta of the Fa clan. Truly surprising, is it not?”

“Surely you jest! I cannot possibly imagine that is how you truly feel.”

“Oh, but it is. I would give the victory to Varkas for the vegetable and meat dishes, but aside from those I felt that Asuta’s cooking was more delicious.”

“Eulifia, we are not comparing tastes, so there is no need to make such judgments.”

“It isn’t as if I started it. And I just said what I was truly feeling.”

Once again, a commotion started to spread through the room.

It was starting to feel like it would be best for me and Varkas to leave.

Though I was certainly interested in their opinions, more than that, I didn’t want to earn any more of Shilly Rou’s displeasure. And I felt it best we distance ourselves from Leeheim too, as he was clearly trying to provoke us people of the forest’s edge.

“If we were to judge the dishes one by one, I would place them as perfectly equal,” Welhide stated, not having the slightest clue as to what I was thinking. “Sir Asuta’s fuwano dish was simply splendid, while I was truly, deeply surprised by Sir Varkas’s vegetable dish, so I would place them equal in that way as well.”

“Hmm, I would have to give more wins to Sir Varkas overall... However, the soup and the giba meat in the fuwano dish were magnificent. I would find it incredibly difficult to assign a victor.”

That had come from the plump noble. Now that those two had gotten it started, the nobles I didn’t know started voicing their impressions.

Polarth, meanwhile, held his tongue as he smiled inscrutably. And though Diel looked perfectly calm and composed, she kept stealing glances my way with pursed lips.

“My support goes to Asuta,” Lefreya stated, speaking up clearly for the first time. “Perhaps it is because I am accustomed to eating Varkas’s cooking, but I felt that all of Asuta’s dishes were more delicious.”

“Ah, but...”

“With that last dessert...”

It got difficult to make out what any one person was saying at that point. As he watched with great interest over the commotion that I didn’t think belonged at a banquet like this one, Dari Sauti stroked his chin.

“This has certainly gotten out of hand. Now that it’s come to this, let’s go ahead and get it all out there,” Marstein said with a strained chuckle. The ruler with a mysterious air of authority about him seemed to have given up on something. “Varkas and Asuta, I’m terribly grateful for the unparalleled work you did. You will receive your payment later, so I ask that you go ahead and take your leave.”

“Of course,” Varkas and I replied, both bowing.

Around half of the guests signaled looks of goodbye, while the rest were all fixated on arguing, seemingly not having even realized what Marstein said. While feeling their enthusiasm hot on our backs, we exited the dining hall.

“It certainly turned out to be quite the turbulent banquet.” As we stood there in the carpeted hallway, Varkas’s expressionless face turned my way. Beside him, Shilly Rou was biting her lip and looking down at the floor. “Were it just either of us alone, I cannot imagine there would have been so much confusion. In all likelihood, there was an issue with the menus we presented.”

“Our menus?”

“Yes. Though both of us prepared dishes meant to give the tongue a rest, the other side’s dishes negated that. With no time to rest for either heart or tongue, their confusion was only natural.”

“Yeah, I suppose that can happen.”

“It is entirely plausible. After all, I felt similar bewilderment during our taste testing,” Varkas stated, and then he stared straight at my face. “Your strength exceeded my expectations. I am certain the four great gods sent us here to the same land in order to help polish one another’s skills, Sir Asuta.”

“I-I’m honored, but that might be a bit excessive.”

“It is not excessive in the least. It is the truth.” Varkas stole a glance at Ai Fa and quietly said, “My apologies,” before suddenly grasping my fingers with both hands. “Please take care of yourself, Sir Asuta. You are incredibly precious to me.”

“Right, and I think you’re important to me too...”

Though I was concerned about Ai Fa and Shilly Rou’s gazes, I went ahead and said how I truly felt.

I had learned a bit of discretion through my various failures, but at my core I was someone who hated to lose. And yet, even with the premise in mind that there was no winning or losing when it came to cooking...I simply couldn’t overlook this mysterious chef who could make food that was tastier than mine.

“I don’t know when we’ll next meet, but I want to keep on striving to make dishes I can be satisfied with. So I hope that someday you’ll try my cooking again.”

“And I also intend to keep on experimenting so as not to disappoint you... To speak honestly, I wish that I had been born into this world at the same time as you.” After giving my fingers one last tight squeeze, Varkas let go. “Chefs lose their strength as they grow older. I truly do wish I could have met you in the same era, at the same age... You may just be more fortunate than I am, Shilly Rou.”

“Maybe,” the girl replied in a stifled voice.

“Well then, please take care. And if you ever have business in the castle town, please stop by my restaurant.”

“Thank you. You take care too.”

With that, Varkas left, a smile in his eyes, if not on his lips.

Sighing heavily, I turned toward Ai Fa and Ama Min Rutim. “Looks like we finally finished the job, so how about we head back to the forest’s edge?”

“Indeed. Rimee Ruu may have already fallen asleep,” Ai Fa replied with a strangely gentle look in her eyes.

Ama Min Rutim was smiling kindly too. “Asuta, thank you so much for choosing me to help man the stove today. I wish to return to the forest’s edge as soon as possible to talk to Gazraan.”

“Gazraan Rutim? What are you going to tell him?”

“Everything I learned today. I’m sure he will be able to better connect what I’m feeling to the future of the forest’s edge.” Ama Min Rutim gently closed her eyes and said, “I can see now. Even nobles are all just people like us.”

“Yeah... That’s exactly right.”

Ama Min Rutim was really wise, so it was entirely possible I didn’t truly understand what she was feeling. But I was certainly able to wholeheartedly agree without any doubts.

And so, our second job in the castle town finally came to a close.