《Upstart Pastry Chef ~Territory Management of a Genius Patisserie~》


 Volume 1 - 0

    <h4>Prologue: Kurt¡¯s Daily Life</h4>


    <h4>Vol. 1: A Vow and Golden Madeleine Arnold</h4>


    I want to be the best pastry chef in the world. That is my dream. Even if I die, this wish will never change. Or so I thought... but I could never guess that my dream would still be the same even after being reborn. I died, then I was reborn as the son of a poor family in another world. However, even now, I¡¯m still aiming to be a pastry chef. ? Under the showering morning sunshine, I wield a spear in an open space. Stab, stab, I put precise intention in each move. With my flowing strength and breath, I polish myself, scraping off the useless elements from each stab. I¡¯m always training like sharpening des. It was simply nothing but polishing myself continuously to be sharper, more flexible. Spear-training is the destiny of those who were born in the Arnold family. ¡°Kurt-sama! I brought you some breakfast.¡± Around the time when I settled down, a lone girl came approaching. She¡¯s my personal servant, a girl with distinctive silver hair and fox ears in the same color. I¡¯ve always unconsciously thought of her as a child, but recently, she has gradually grown up to be a woman, which startled me. ¡°Thank you. You¡¯re a great help, Tina.¡± I take out a sandwich from the pic basket that she brought with her. The sandwich is a simple dish made from rye oat bread and cheese inside, but I can taste the attentiveness to details. It¡¯s delicious. Giving the finishing touches of a casual dish to be a delicacy is the hardest thing to do.  Exactly when I felt thirsty, Tina already took out a water container, pouring tea into a wooden cup. The cool tea eased up my warmed up bodyfortably. ¡°Yes, today¡¯s food is just as pleasant as usual. Thanks to Tina¡¯s meal, I can always do my best.¡± I rustle her hair. The sensation from her silky hair and fox ears is truly pleasant. ¡°Hmph, Kurt-sama! You¡¯re treating me like a child again!¡± ¡°But you¡¯re still a child, right?¡± ¡°A beastkin bes an adult really fast!¡± I¡¯m 15 years old, Tina is 13. Just as she said, beastkin grow up really fast. That¡¯s why even though she¡¯s just 13, her charms have be apparent already. ¡°Because I¡¯ve known you since you were so small, I can¡¯t help but to always treat you like a child.¡± She wasn¡¯t even 10 when I met her, merely a child at that time. Things happened, and now it has already been three years since I picked her up and brought her to my house. The thought of her growing up into this beautiful girl never passed my mind back then. ¡°Well then, shall we go? Everyone is waiting.¡± ¡°Ah, Kurt-sama, please wait for me!¡± As I walk away in quick steps, Tina follows me in a hurry. Let¡¯s work hard today as well. ? I¡¯m Kurt Arnold, the eldest son in the Barcy of Arnold. The Arnold family serves as a vassal to the Federal Empire. The territory of the Arnold Barcy epasses a vastnd in the northernmost border of the Federal Empire, but there¡¯s a wide mountain range of backwoods region beyond. While the Arnold family protects the Federal Empire from monsters and enemies from the north, this fief¡¯s livelihoodes fromnd remation and increasing harvest quantity. The poption amounts to approximately 500 people, spread out in five viges. Being entrusted with the newest pioneering vige, I¡¯m leading around 50 settlers to advance innd remation. Last year, the first stage of the remation was finally done, as we crossed a field which could yield agricultural products. Growing wheat is the duty allocated to women and children. Right now, I¡¯ve arrived at my destination. Thisnd is still a mess. Weeds are popping up everywhere, while rocks are rolling about. We¡¯ve cut down the trees, but there are tree stumps all over the ce. We¡¯re turning this into a farming field. Muscr men have already gathered to start working. These are the people of my fief of whom I¡¯m really fond. ¡°Oh, Young Master. You¡¯ve arrived!¡± ¡°Young Master, we¡¯re saved! There¡¯s an annoying stump that we can¡¯t pull out at all!¡± ¡°No, an injured person is more urgent! Please excuse me, Kurt-sama. That Abel has his arm nearly done over, would you please take a look at it?¡± These people rushed over in ragged breath as soon as my figure is visible to them. This is the front line of our remation duty. In the already reimednd, the women and children are growing provisions, while the men work to clear up more plots ofnd. I listen to each and every one of them, then sort the tasks in a priority list. ¡°That tree stump is impossible for anyone else, so can you tie a rope around it? I¡¯ll be aiding the injured person for the time being.¡± ¡°Young Master, I¡¯ll leave it to you!¡± ¡°As expected, Young Master is really dependable.¡± The men who are proud of their strength are praising me one by one, leaving the stubborn tree stump to me. This slender, 15 year old me. There¡¯s a secret to that. ¡°So, where¡¯s the injured person?¡± ¡°He¡¯s resting in the shade of a tree over there.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hurry.¡± I follow one of the workers approaching a youth who leans on the trunk of a big tree. He¡¯s pressing down a piece of cloth, which is stained by blood. ¡°Are you alright, Abel?¡± ¡°Kurt-sama, forgive me for being a burden. I think there¡¯s <i>hematoma</i>.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. Injuries will always be a part of the job. Show me the wound.¡± Abel pulls off the cloth he pressed on his arm before, confirming the wound. It¡¯s deeper than I imagined. ¡°It seems like it must be stitched. I¡¯ll stitch the wound.¡± ¡°I¡¯m really sorry to trouble you...¡± I open the first aid box that I¡¯ve prepared before. First, I let him chew on a hygienic piece of cloth so he won¡¯t bite his tongue. Then, I wash over the wound¡¯s surface with a strong alcohol. I stitch the wound with a needle, then roll the bandage around it until it¡¯spletely wrapped. ¡°Abel, it¡¯s alright to go home today. Until the wound is closed, take a three day rest. Don¡¯t do any physical job or your wound will reopen. After about a week, I¡¯ll remove the thread and re-examine it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m indebted to you, Kurt-sama.¡± Abel bows his head down. I was aware that people around me were staring at my hands in deep interest, as stitching wounds was something truly rare. As I finish the deed, everyone opens their mouths simultaneously. ¡°That¡¯s really skillful. The wound is deep, but he can stop the bleeding in a short time.¡± ¡°Young Master is amazing. He gives appropriate instructions on the remation project and shows deep knowledge in medical treatment!¡± ¡°From the tax gathered from everyone, we can eat proper meals. Doing my job to this extent is a natural thing to do.¡± With blushing cheeks, I speak modestly. Since it¡¯s considerably dangerous, doctors won¡¯te to this kind of remote region. Even so, there are many people who are wounded on-site or due to their work. I¡¯m doing self-studies so that I can be everyone¡¯s strength, even if it¡¯s just a little. If I can be useful, I¡¯ll proudly do it. ¡°Young Master, you are the only one who can say that, you know? The others, they can only squeeze and squeeze us to give them taxes without doing anything.¡± ¡°Yet Young Master cannot inherit the title of the next Feudal Lord, huh?¡± ¡°Hey, you!¡± The words that some people murmured in passing are being rebuked by the others. And the people who said they wanted me to seed closed their mouths as soon as they said it. Iughed bitterly. ...Most likely, my younger brother will seed the Arnold Barcy instead of me. I have a crucial w and I can¡¯t reach it with my own power. The reason why thest worker warned the other one must be about this. However, I haven¡¯t given up. ¡°Don¡¯t mind it. I¡¯m the one who understands it the most.¡± ¡°But, Young Master.¡± ¡°Speak no further. More importantly, let¡¯s continue our job.¡± They¡¯ve showed a bad attitude, then on the other hand, they feel bad about it. The air is tense. To neutralize the situation, we head over to the problematic tree stump. A rope is properly tied all over it. I slowly close my eyes, circting my mana. ...Mana, the magic power of the chosen ones. By simply letting it circte, a man can strengthen his physical abilities or increase his self-healing power. Among the chosen ones, it seems a few of them wille out in the open about their ability to use magic. However, regretfully, I couldn¡¯t reach that mental state yet. Confirming that the mana has reached the necessary level, I take the rope in my hand, then pull it forcefully. I can feel a strong resistance, but my strength can still increase as well. Finally, the tree gives out. There are loud echoing rounds of apuse around me. Iugh proudly, and they respond to it. Today¡¯s remation is doing fine as well.


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    <strong>Trantor¡¯s Note:</strong> Yes, the name of the empire is Federal. (lol) Talk about confusing. <strong>Edit: </strong>Kitsune will be tranted as fox from now on. ? The author only gave one term: ¡°ryoumin¡±. It is literally ¡°fief¡¯s people¡±. To be politically(?) correct, I think it should be ¡°serfs¡±. But it¡¯s just unnatural to have in casual sentences, so I¡¯ve been using ¡°serfs¡±, ¡°people¡±, ¡°vigers¡±, and ¡°worker¡± interchangeably. I¡¯ll also do so in the future chapters. Another suggestion would be ¡°settler¡±, so I¡¯ll use that when it fits. Feedbacks are certainly appreciated, especially if you give a rating in NU~

 Volume 1 - 1

    <h4>Chapter 1: The First Step to Sweets Making</h4>


    The noon passes.


    I mingled with the workers and continued working on the remation. By doing this together, a person¡¯sbor lessens, and when there¡¯s a trouble, I can deal with it on spot.


    ¡°Everyone, I bring your lunches!!¡±


    With her silver hair and kitsune ears swaying in the wind, Tina shows up with the women serfs. In their hands, there are pic baskets filled with plenty of breads.


    ¡°Everyone, that¡¯s our lunch! After eating, let¡¯s work a little more!¡±


    ¡°¡±¡±OOOOOH!¡±¡±¡±


    The workers run to the women. Having done nothing but physicalbor, of course they would feel hungry. They practically devour the simple freshly baked salted bread with dried blueberries. Even though the bread is modest, slowly and carefully hand-kneaded bread is delicious.


    With this, we can pull out our best effort in the afternoon as well.


    ¡°Young Master, see you tomorrow!¡±


    ¡°Young Master, thank you again for today!¡±


    ¡°My, when Kurt-sama arrived, our jobs were doing well. We feel safe even if someone¡¯s hurt. We can even eat meals. We¡¯re really grateful!¡±


    I wave my hands towards the people who bid their farewells one by one. It¡¯s still around 3 PM, but our job today is finished. Doing remation means dividing thebors so that we could have more food to eat in the future. If it¡¯s only the wheat grown by women and children, the fief¡¯s poption will starve. That¡¯s why, we have an early round up, so that we have time to hunt and forage in the mountains and rivers.


    This area has abundant natural resource. Everyone in this vige is blessed by not having to worry about filling their stomachs.


    However, in order to have an early round up, we have to advance efficiently. It¡¯s exactly because everyone does their jobs well that we can finish up early.


    The neighboring vige used to be the most advanced vige in remation, but since our vige surpassed it, they have to do nothing but advancing to take back the first ce. However, I heard that since their work slowed down, they couldn¡¯t eat satisfying meals either.


    ¡°Good job today, Kurt-sama.¡±


    Tina ran over and gave me cold water. I gratefully ept it. The water is more delicious than usual. I can taste a subtle acidity. This is the source of the deliciousness.


    ¡°This water, it¡¯s delicious.¡±


    ¡°I received cowberries from the vigedies for Kurt-sama. I tried squeezing and mixing it. Everyone from this vige seems to respect and feel grateful to Kurt-sama. I feel proud as Kurt-sama¡¯s maid.¡±


    ¡°It was really tough at first, though.¡±


    It¡¯s been three years since I started managing this pioneering vige. At first, there were insults and gossips when I came to be figure vige head as the eldest son of Arnold family.


    ¡°All is thanks to Kurt-sama¡¯s best efforts!¡±


    I feel a little embarrassed. The works I¡¯ve been doing for three years is finally acknowledged. To be doing well in advancing more than any other viges is my pride.


    ¡°Thank you, Tina. You do know that you don¡¯t have to go out with me, right? You work for Arnold family. Helping with these things aren¡¯t within your duties. You can just do houseworks inside the house. Shouldn¡¯t you return to the main vige¡¯s mansion? It¡¯s inconvenient to be in this pioneering vige, right?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want that. I work for Kurt-sama, not for the Arnold family. Wherever you are, that¡¯s the ce I want to be at.¡±


    After saying them, Tina opens out her arms. I take those hands.


    The eldest son of a baron. If stature is all it¡¯s about, I¡¯m desirable. However, my younger brother J?rg is the one who¡¯ll inherit everything.


    This is because I¡¯m not an existence who can be ¡°a certain genius¡±. The other servants desperately try to curry favors with my younger brother and avoid getting involved with me. Tina is the only one who actively reaches out to me.


    ¡°Rather than me, isn¡¯t it better to curry favor with my brother Yorg?¡±


    ¡°No way. I love Kurt-sama.¡±


    ¡°In the near future, whether I¡¯ll be expelled from this house or not will depend on Yorg¡¯s assistance. He might not be able to see me favorably to get involved.¡±


    In the family, there will be only one person who inherits the nobility title. The one who doesn¡¯t inherit the Baron title won¡¯t have a bright future. I¡¯m making arrangements so that it won¡¯t be like that at least, but without doubt, this is still a dangerous situation.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t have anything with that. Even if you¡¯re not an Arnold, Kurt-sama is Kurt-sama. If Kurt-sama is expelled from the family, let¡¯s go to a town together! We can start our second life there! I haven¡¯t touched any money you¡¯ve given to me until now. If it¡¯s just you alone, I¡¯ll show you that I can take care of you, Kurt-sama.¡±


    I understand from her voice that Tina is 100% serious.


    Honestly...


    ¡°Don¡¯t say stupid things. ...But, well, If I go to a town and do amon job, if I¡¯m with you it must be fun too.¡±


    My imagination ran on its own. Throwing everything, not as Kurt Arnold, but just as Kurt, living a future together with Tina.


    ¡°It will be fun.¡±


    ¡°But, I can¡¯t. I¡¯vee this far already. I have a dream. To make my dreame true, I <i>have</i> to be here. It¡¯s alright, even though I can¡¯t inherit as the feudal lord, I¡¯ll arrange everything so this vige will gain its freedom.¡±


    It¡¯s not like I¡¯ve given up to be the feudal lord. I will strive until myst breath.


    ¡°Kurt-sama¡¯s dream can¡¯t be fulfilled if not here, indeed. ...But, Kurt-sama, I was relieved when I heard that you were staying in this vige. Let¡¯s go to our usual ce immediately. Look, to our secret ce. It¡¯s time to see the fruit of our efforts.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. You¡¯re right. Let¡¯s go. The first step to make my dreame true.¡±


    Tinaughs.


    I get pulled intoughing too.


    I have three secrets.


    First, I have a memory of being born in Japan and aiming to be the best patisserie chef in the world.


    Second, I¡¯m still aiming to be the best patisserie chef in the world, in <i>this</i> world.


    Third, in order to fulfill my dream, I will make a secret base with Tina.


    We will clear out the forest and im the open field. The wholend will be flower field. And then, that will be the secret base to make my dreame true.


    To make wonderful sweets, superb ingredients are necessary.

 Volume 1 - 2

    Chapter 2


    <h4>Chapter 2: Raspberry and Honey</h4>


    The flower garden is covering one side of the forest that has been cleared out . There are small and cute white flowers sprouting on canes as tall as a person nted here . These are raspberries . Tina and I created this garden by nting the split root and crown of the wild raspberry canes from the forest .


    ¡°Wow, Kurt-sama . They are so pretty!¡±


    Tina lets out a high pitched voice in excitement, admiring the garden in front of her . Turning around with a smile, Tina who has been assisting me in this garden looks pretty too .


    ¡°Indeed they are . The flowers are wonderful too, but soon we can harvest the raspberries . Exciting, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Yes! I love sweet and sour raspberries!¡±


    We didn¡¯t create this garden to admire flowers . Arnold family¡¯s governednd is poor . The new vige I governed is even poorer . In such case, there¡¯s no time to raise ornamental flowers .


    Then, why on earth would we grow these nts? The reason is obvious: to fulfill the dream of bing the best pastry chef in the world . Raspberry can be sweets¡¯ ingredient, but that¡¯s not my only goal . Raspberry is a perennial nt that can be harvested twice a year, meaning they can be found growing wildly in this mountain, so they are strong against sickness and insects, and easy to handle .


    In the corner of this garden, we¡¯ve lined up ten wooden boxes around 50 cm tall . In the bottom part of the wooden boxes, there¡¯s a passage used by bees, which areing in and out busily .


    ¡°The bees are just as happy with the raspberries . They suck a lot of nectar . ¡±


    ¡°Raspberry flower¡¯s nectar is sweet . The honey produced from raspberry will be delicious and has refined sweet taste . ¡±


    Tina and I have been working on beekeeping . Contrary to Japan, sweet vor in this world is extremely precious . I can¡¯t obtain the first indispensable ingredient in sweets: sugar . Other than sugar, sweetness cane from fruits, or honey . The first one is highly influenced by seasons, but honey is sustainable .


    Unless I can get a stable source of honey, there¡¯s nothing I can do . Luckily, there are wild honey bees in my fief . I made the best use of my beekeeping experience back in Japan . Since my parent¡¯s home¡¯s livelihood in Yamanashi were orchards and beekeeping, my knowledge was more than sufficient .


    I¡¯ve thought about collecting honey without working on beekeeping, but it¡¯s difficult to find wild bee nests . We have to crush the nest every time we collect honey . The number decreases startlingly fast if we do it too often . Besides, there¡¯s another problematic issue: we can only collect a small amount of honey from wild nest to begin with .


    ¡°Tina, are you ready?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Kurt-sama!¡±


    We put on hemp clothes that covers our whole body . They¡¯re heavy enough to protect us from bee stings and they mask the scent that the bees hate . The honey bees have calm temperament and won¡¯t aggressively assault humans themselves, but they wille rushing to attack anyone who gets close to their hive .


    We approach the wooden boxes carefully . Hundreds of beese swarming around us . I ignore them and take off the lid of the wooden box . The bees were startled and vigorously flew out to the sky in an instant . I stretch my hand into the box to push through those bees .


    Inside the box, there are ten wooden frame ce in equal intervals . Each frame contains honebs . I take out one honey frame . There are countless number of hexagonal sacs just like in a natural bee nests . Inside them, there are pupas andrvas¡­ as well as a great amount of umted honey, proven by how honey color coats the wax .


    With a brush, I remove the bees clinging to theb .


    ¡°They honey is gathered atst . ¡±


    Tina gulps and purrs . She has been waiting for a very long time .


    ¡°It takes a very long time, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    We started this beekeeping activity three years ago . The first year was a disaster . We did find a wild bee nest, then moving the queen bee and worker bees to our wooden box, but they were totally annihted due to bad workmanship of the box .


    Afterwards, we remade the wooden box over and over again without feeling discouraged . Through trials and errors, somehow we reached the point of enabling honebs to form inside .


    From then, the colony gotrger . It was good that we seeded in increasing the number of bees, but since the number of worker bees weren¡¯t enough, the honey was used to breed . We couldn¡¯t harvest it .


    First, we devoted ourselves in increasing the number of bees by adding more hives . However, since we didn¡¯t prepare the countermeasure against cold weather, once winter came, the bees were totally annihted .


    We started the second year by increasing the number of bees in the same method . The bees could get through winter somehow . Moreover, in order to reduce the food insufficiency from the increased number, we nted a flower garden near the boxes . If the bees had to look far for nectar, even the worker bees would end up feeding on it instead . By preparing plenty of food nearby, the amount of honey preserved in the hives would dramatically umte .


    Then, today, we¡¯ve finally reached this point .


    ¡°How is it, Kurt-sama? Is it good enough?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a sess . The honebs are filled to the brim . Look, you can see right now how it¡¯s dripping . It looks great,¡± I answer while taking out the tool to adjust the beebs on the side of the hive .


    The tool is called as extractor . It is shaped like drums, with metal fitting to enable the honebs fixed vertically inside . ¡­The principle sounds simple, but it¡¯s actuallyplicated . Still, we could build it somehow .


    Inserting the honeb frame in a snug fit, I cut off the honey wax which clings to the cap first, by a knife . Honey turns into wax and naturally functions as hard cap . After I cap off the honey, the golden-colored syrupy honey oozes out, piling up at the bottom of the extractor .


    ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll start . ¡±


    There is a handwheel handle on top of the extractor . When I spin it, the inner part of the hardening honeb rotates, which causes honey to steadily flow from the centrifugal force .


    It¡¯s a primitive method . The hive gets airpressed and the honey is thoroughly extracted . There certainly are other ways to take the honey . However, they would end up breaking the beehive . By using centrifugal force, I can take out the honey and reuse the hive .


    After returning the honeb into the beehive, the beese flying back too . We can harvest again next year this way . It¡¯s a hardbor for bees to make a hive . If we let them rebuilding it, they would need to allocate more time to breed worker bees . They won¡¯t have time to stockpile honey and the amount of money we could harvest next year would be greatly reduced .


    Basically, after extracting the honey, I return the honeb into the hive ande backter with a newb . I work on the whole hives . Tina switches with me when I get tired in the middle of the process .


    ¡°Whoa, there¡¯s really a lot in there, Kurt-sama! It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen this much honey!¡±


    With sparkling eyes, Tina¡¯s tail is swinging around . In this era, acquiring honey is a real treat . Even if we¡¯re scouring the forest all day long without rest, there¡¯s no guarantee that we¡¯ll find a wild bee nest . And even if we do, there¡¯s only a small amount of honey preserved inside the nest .


    ¡°Yes . Finally, we get the result of our hard work . Honestly, I thought that it was impossible so many times . ¡±


    For two full years we couldn¡¯t harvest any honey . Tina had been a great help all along . We change ce to collect the honey oozing out from a single wooden box and throw off the stuffy clothes .


    ¡°Can I lick it?!¡±


    ¡°Wait for a while . I¡¯ll finish up real soon . ¡±


    I went and return with a huge bucket . Then, I put on a coarse fabric as a filter . Honey that has just been poured out from the hives contains rubbish,rvas, carcasses, husks, fragments ofbs and other stuffs mixed inside . I clean the honey in one go this way . If I don¡¯t do this, the honey won¡¯t be edible . Then, finally, the honey is collected . There¡¯s about 13 liter of honey from a single wooden box . This feels great .


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s give it a taste . ¡±


    Tina and I dip our fingers to the honey . The honey stickily coats our fingers . Then, we lick it off .


    Sweet . So sweet that my cheeks are loosening up . I can taste a hint of sourness, is it because this is the honey made from raspberries? Tina holds both of her cheeks, making high sounds that doesn¡¯t sound like a human¡¯s voice, then shows the best smile she has . Seems like she really likes it .


    ¡°We should collect from the rest of the boxes tomorrow . Let¡¯s go home now . I want to make sweets with this honey right after we get back . ¡±


    ¡°Woah, Kurt-sama¡¯s sweets! I¡¯m excited!¡±


    Tina¡¯s eyes sparkles, with her tail swinging happily .


    ¡°I¡¯m going to make amazing sweets, sweeter than anything you¡¯ve tasted before . Look forward to it . ¡±


    ¡°That¡­ I¡¯m so happy I can die now . ¡±


    Geez, Tina sure likes to exaggerate . The sweets I¡¯ve been making for Tina only use wild grapes or akebi fruits from this mountain . Although they carry a hint of sweetness, I think they are still not enough to be called as sweets . However, I¡¯ve obtained honey now . The first-rate quality honey at that, even .


    I haven¡¯t shown off my skills in a long while .


    I can make real sweets!


    Now, as the first step to make my dream in this worlde true, let¡¯s bake the best sweets I can do .

 Volume 1 - 3

    <h4>Chapter 3: Honey Cookies of the Beginning</h4>


    Tina and I harvested the honey with huge effort. We returned to our vige with a water container densely packed with that honey.


    Our house is a shabby looking small room erected on the ground.


    As we¡¯re reiming newnds, naturally building settlements was done in a hurry. Quantity is prioritized, resulting in simr buildings anywhere in the pioneering viges. Even if I¡¯m the eldest son of a Baron house, I don¡¯t have more luxury than the others.


    However, this is enough. I¡¯m together with Tina, and we¡¯re sheltered from wind and rain. I don¡¯t wish for anything more.


    ¡°Huft, we¡¯ve finally arrived at home. This water jug is really heavy, but it¡¯s the kind of heaviness that makes me happy!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right, since it proves that the container is fully packed with honey.¡±


    Both of usugh together. From now on, we can harvest a lot of honey every year without worry, the reward of our three years worth of effort.


    Next year, let¡¯s add more bees and flowers. It¡¯s true that beekeeping is the start of my dream, but it can turn into money too. I have gone to a big town, which is extremely rare in the south. At that time, I saw honey lining up in the shops there, which had reasonably good price. Selling honey as it is should be good enough, but if we could sell special sweets products on top of it, our profit will definitely skyrocket.


    ¡°Now, I¡¯m making sweets from the honey we harvested today. Since we¡¯re hungry, let¡¯s make something that won¡¯t take much time.¡±


    ¡°Should I help you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to.¡±


    She giggles. ¡°As I expected, you won¡¯t let me help you on making sweets. Then I¡¯ll tidy up around the house while waiting.¡±


    Tina leaves the ce while still wearing a smile. I rely on her for our daily meals, but sweets is the only thing I couldn¡¯t hand over. From the start to the end, not doing everything by myself is inexcusable. Flour measurement, how many stirs and how much power, how long to bake and setting the heat level, the most trivial mistakes could be fatal in sweets making.


    There¡¯s also the air temperature, humidity, and the ingredients¡¯ condition. Those delicate differences change the most suitable work. I couldn¡¯t hand it over to someone else.


    ¡°Now, shall we begin?¡±


    I decided to make cookies. Letting her wait too long would be too pitiful. Baking cookies won¡¯t take that much time.


    First, I put fire woods into the stone hearth in my right. This should be done first because it takes time to increase the hearth¡¯s temperature.


    From the outside, I could hear thumping sounds. Tina should be chopping some fire woods there. She works hard for me. I have to make the sweets as the reward for her hard works.


    I take out wheat flour from the sack, then I put it through a-like sieve. Actually, wheat flour has different grain size. I need to only use the small grains, making it hard to form separate lumps and easy to mix with air.


    I do that twice, returning the remaining grain to the sack. There¡¯s no way I¡¯d throw them away; they¡¯re simply not suitable for sweets but they¡¯ll still get eatenter on.


    Then, I swap the sieve with a bowl to contain the fine flour. I lick some honey, identifying the sugar content. It¡¯s about 75%. The mixing ratio between this honey and water should be 9 : 0.7 to make the best cookies. Using adle, I scoop the water and mix it with honey. First rate chefs have senses in both arms. They know the exact gram unit just by scooping with a spoon ordle.


    I lick to taste the water-diluted honey. The preparation is superb.


    ¡°Tastes good. Indeed, using that flower is the right choice.¡± Once again, I felt satisfied by the honey.


    The honey¡¯s taste obviously depends on the variety of the bees, but it alsoes from the taste of flower¡¯s nectar they consume. Fundamentally, once the bees collect from a flower, they will keep sucking from the same one. Thus, I can control the taste to some extent by choosing the flowers they suck on.


    Choosing raspberry doesn¡¯t merelye from their ability to bloom twice a year and their strength against sickness. The huge factor is that they make honey without any peculiar taste and can be used in most sweets.


    ...As an experiment, I have another facility located separately with some hives to let the bees suck on different flowers so that I could find the best vor. But that¡¯s for another time.


    ¡°Now, I¡¯m sure we still have some butter.¡±


    I take some butter out of the bottom of the shelf. In a settler¡¯s vige, butter is a valuable item. There are few domesticated goats. These butter are made from their milks.


    Since there¡¯s not enough for the whole vige¡¯s daily use, each house takes turns to get some milk. I turn the milk into butter and store them. I only take the amount that I need and warm them up near the fire.


    If I use cold butter, they won¡¯t mix well with the wheat flour, but if I warm them up too much, the vor will fall. The prescription is crucial. I also warm the mixture of water and honey at the same time. If I add cold mixture into the melted lukewarm butter, it won¡¯t mix well either.


    ¡°Well then, I¡¯ve finished the preparation.¡±


    Finally, I¡¯m making the sweets. First, mix the butter and honey with water. Then, add flour and knead it by hand. The essential part of making a cookie dough is to avoid kneading too long. If I knead it longer than necessary here, the butter will melt from my body warmth and lose its vor, the viscosity will have more gluten, it will break apart and lose its texture, then be a t firm dough of <i>senbei</i>, rice cracker.


    So it won¡¯t be lumps in short time, I have to take care to mix it thoroughly. Even though cookies are simple, they¡¯re actually profound. The sensation takes the image of cutting through.


    ¡°I should rest it for a bit.¡±


    It¡¯s important to rest the dough for about 30 minutes in shaded ce. While resting the dough, I write up the report about pioneering advancement of the vige for my father, the feudal lord. This is my obligation as the vige head. I must periodically report our progress.


    ¡°This should be enough. ...Well then, it¡¯s about time.¡±


    By the time I finished the report, the cookie dough has turned into a good shape. I put it on top of a cutting board.


    I must stretch it thinly with a rolling pin. With the wheat flour of this quality, 4 millimeter thinness should be appropriate. This depends on the ingredients used.


    It¡¯s important to be careful, but the more I touch the cookie dough, the more its vor will fall. For example, after I cut the dough, the remaining dough is going through kneading and stretching again. However, due to the kneading, gluten will form and the crispiness will decline. I¡¯ve seen the method to roll and smash the remaining dough, but I think to do that to cookies is a sphemy.


    As a general rule, I can only touch the cookie once: when I¡¯m stretching the dough. And that is to make the thinness perfectly uniform, to prevent uneven browning. Failure is unforgivable.


    ¡°Yosh, it looks good.¡±


    I cut the stretched dough into square portions using stone kitchen knife. The truth is, I really want an iron set of cookwares, but I¡¯m holding back since iron is still very valuable and thus highly priced.


    I line up the cut cookie dough on stone te in equal space. Then, I put the stone te with cut cookies on top in the well heated hearth. The optimal temperature to bake cookies is 170 degree of Celsius. In this era, I have to maintain it by adjusting the fire woods in and out.


    It¡¯s a tremendous effort. I can¡¯t take my eyes off even for a second. It takes about 10 minutes until the cookies are baked. I devote myself to the fire, concentrating all my nerves.


    ¡°Huff, it¡¯s done.¡±


    Around the time the cookies are done baking, I was drenched with sweat. Even a simple pastry like this needs hardship with this world¡¯s civilization level. However, I could counterbnce that hardship.


    I take out the cookies from the hearth. The baked cookiese out in beautiful <i>kitsune</i>-color. The fragrant savoriness of butter and alluring sweet smell of honey blend together, filling and spreading in the air.


    ¡°Wooow, it smells really good.¡±


    Suddenly, a voice call out from my back, making me startled. Without being noticed, Tina was already behind me.


    ¡°You surprised me. Since when?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve finished chopping the woods for a while and returned here since. I¡¯ve been watching the hearth and Kurt-sama who was looking after it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s better if you call out to me.¡±


    ¡°<i>Muu.</i> But whenever I call Kurt-sama when you¡¯re making sweets, you¡¯re always mad at me.¡±


    ¡°Ah well, that¡¯s true.¡±


    I shouldn¡¯t get mad when I get called in the middle of making sweets where a millimeter difference of your grip can ruin everything.


    ¡°And also, Kurt-sama¡¯s serious looking face is so cool. I wanted to keep looking at that face.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s embarrassing to hear that.¡±


    Right as I said that, there was a cute growl from her stomach. When I look at Tina, her face turns deeply red with her kitsune ears fluttering down.


    ¡°Uh. Uhm, Kurt-sama. I¡¯m so sorry. That¡¯s because I can smell something really delicious, so.¡±


    I¡¯m chuckling from how cute she¡¯s acting.


    ¡°Ah, no, it¡¯s all right. I can tell how much you¡¯re looking forward to my sweets. Then, let¡¯s wait no further and give it a taste.¡±


    Tina¡¯s eyes sparkle from my words...


    ¡°Yes!¡± She gives an excited reply.

 Volume 1 - 4

    <h4>Chapter 4: Dream as Sweet as Desserts</h4>


    ¡°Sweets, sweets, delicious sweets~?¡±


    Tina twirled around as she brought a te with cookies piling up on top of it, then ced it on the table. On the table, there are wooden cups filled with water, a pile of cookies on the te, then wild nt and jerky sd with walnut sauce.


    Since it¡¯s a poor vige, we can¡¯t exactly eat cookies as dessert after meal. The cookies be today¡¯s main staples instead of bread. I looked at Tina who was in a good mood. I feel happy just by looking at her.


    ¡°Now, Kurt-sama.¡±


    ¡°Shall we?¡±


    Tina and I sit down side by side. We reached this point after many twists and turns.


    When we lived in the mansion of the main vige, we couldn¡¯t eat together like this. The masters ate with the masters, the servants ate together with the servants.


    I invited her to eat together with me as soon as we arrived in this vige, but Tina grumbled about how unthinkable it was for her, a servant, to eat together with me, her master. It took me three months to persuade her into eating with me.


    And then, we started eating face to face, but one day, with a deep red face, Tina asked if she could eat beside me. With sweet voice, she said that in that way, she would feel Kurt-sama closer to her. After that, we eat side by side. Indeed, I could feel her closer this way.


    ¡°Is anything wrong, Kurt-sama?¡±


    Tina calls out to me who didn¡¯t say my meal prayers even after some time has passed. Her petite frame sitting by my side and looking at me with naturally upturned eyes. How terribly cute.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing... I just remember some old memories.¡±


    I sp my hands in front of my chest.


    ¡°For the good food today, we thank the forest and the god.¡±


    Tina mirrors my hand and prayer. Thises from the state religion of Federal empire, Frangetty religion. As long as we live in this country, the good men will pray before meals like this. After a few seconds of prayers, we began eating.


    ¡°What kind of sweets did you make this time?¡±


    ¡°Its name is cookies. I¡¯ll leave the exnation for you to taste on your own.¡±


    Tina reaches out her hand towards the cookies, showing her hugely anticipating face. Firmly holding the cookie, she put one inside her mouth.


    ¡°Mmmmh! Mmmmmmm!!!¡±


    With both hands on her cheeks, she groans while her legs iling around, her tail swaying magnificently. She gives the reaction of eating the most delicious thing for her. When I look at her, I feel really d from the bottom of my heart that I made these.


    The important things for a patissier are the cooking environment, the best ingredients, and people who love eating sweets more than anything. To say that love is the best ingredient is half right and half wrong. It¡¯s not that something will taste delicious just from love. I want to please people who eat it. If that feeling is sincere, I will put my best effort. That¡¯s why it can be delicious.


    ¡°When I chew it, a wonderful sweetness burst inside my mouth! It¡¯s not just sweet, I can also taste a strong vor of butter, and yet the vor is so refined. I¡¯ve never felt this this happy from eating something before!¡±


    Tina reaches out for the second time. With joy filling her narrowing eyes, she chews it. A delightful crunching sound resound on my side.


    I also pick and eat a piece of cookie. Inside my mouth, there¡¯s the sweet vor from honey and richness from butter spreading. Chewing consistency and the aftertaste are also exceptional.


    If I were to criticize, it would¡¯ve been better if I used butter with better quality as well as wheat flour with less gluten. However, too bad that I don¡¯t have those. I¡¯ve made the best that I could do with existing ingredients. In the future, when the vige bes rich, I want to collect many things bit by bit. There are many important ingredients beyond honey.


    ¡°The cookies are an easy sweets made by mixing and baking wheat flour with butter and honey. The texture is distinctly sweet and crunchy. It¡¯s a wonderful sweets where we can add walnuts and create many variations.¡±


    ¡°Cookie, what a cute name. And, this, I can¡¯t stop taking them.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead and eat a lot.¡±


    ¡°Yes! Munch munch, itsh delishioush!¡±


    Tina has forgotten me, captivated by the cookies. She always pushes her limit and behaves properly in front of me, but now she forgets those and even talks with her mouth stuffed. It¡¯s been a while since thest time I saw her act like this.


    Tina stuffs more and more cookies to her mouth. Then, the cookies are all gone.


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    Just as thest cookie disappeared, Tina looked at my face with an unrealistic apologetic face.


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry.... Kurt-sama, since they¡¯re so delicious, I was so engrossed that I even ate your portion....¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. It means you¡¯re happy with my cookies. I¡¯ve also eaten 2-3 pieces already.¡±


    ¡°Uuuh... I¡¯m really really sorry. I¡¯ll do anything I can in return.¡±


    Tina apologizes fervently, as if she¡¯s doing a <i>dogeza</i>. I won¡¯t get angry from you eating too many cookies, though.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind it, because Tina has saved me.¡±


    I¡¯m someone who doesn¡¯t have any hope to inherit the feudal lord¡¯s position, without anyone ever caring about me. Tina, she was the only one who said that she loved me.


    When I left the main vige, everyone opposed me and said that it was impossible for me to build a vige. However, Tina believed that I could, following me through this harsh circumstances. She never onceined about the beekeeping that never bore results before this year, strongly persevered in keeping mepany.


    No matter how much I thank her, it won¡¯t be enough. If Tina wasn¡¯t here, I probably would have abandoned my dream a long time ago.


    ¡°That¡¯s... I¡¯m terrified. Looking from that angle, I¡¯m able to live right now because Kurt-sama saved me. If Kurt-sama wasn¡¯t there, I would have died a dog¡¯s death that time.¡±


    ¡°Then, Tina saved me and I saved Tina. It should be fine like that, right? The cookies, they¡¯re just something I make when I want to eat in the first ce. Oh, I know, the bread we feed to to everyone in the vige, how about I bake cookies instead? I suppose it¡¯s impossible to make them every single time, but it should be alright to allow this kind of luxury once a month for the remation workers.¡±


    ¡°That sounds wonderful. I¡¯m sure everyone will be happy! It¡¯s really that delicious! It¡¯s the most delicious food I¡¯ve ever eaten in my entire life!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that. It¡¯s a blessing for a patissier to make people that happy.¡±


    ¡°Patissier?¡±


    Tina showed a bewildered face. True, patissier should be a foreign word that she doesn¡¯t know.


    ¡°A person who¡¯s an expert in making sweets is called a patissier.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s it. Then, Kurt-sama is the best patissier in the world!!¡±


    Time slowed for me for a second. The words Tina said is the dream I could never let go.


    ¡°That¡¯s not necessarily true. If you go to a big town, there¡¯ll be numerous others who can bake even better sweets than the current me. However... I do want it. Someday, I¡¯ll be the best patissier chef in the world.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Kurt-sama will definitely achieve it! I¡¯m sure of it, because the sweets that Kurt-sama makes could make me this happy.¡±


    Tina smiles. Her smiling face never fails to give me confidence.


    ¡°I feel like I can do it if Tina says so. I should make the cookies immediately for the sake of everyone in the vige. Even so, Tina, it¡¯s okay to eat my portion, but I¡¯ll get mad if you eat everyone else¡¯s, you know?¡±


    As I make that joke, Tina¡¯s face blushes and her kitsune ears stand in a poof.


    ¡°Hmph, so that¡¯s how you see me!¡±


    Just like this, the debut of genuinely sweet pastries that I made in this world has made a grand finish. There are heaps of other sweets I want to make. My dream has only just begun.

 Volume 1 - 5

    <h4>Chapter 5: Once Upon a Night¡¯s Talk</h4>


    ¡°Kurt-sama, I bring you some candles!¡±


    As the remation n from next month onwards and its budget calction werepleted atst, Tina who already changed into pajamas appeared with some beeswax.


    The beeswax is collected from beehive. Inside the ten hive boxes, the bees are merrily making their nest. However, the bees make their nest bigger than they need. In those times, I shave off the hive with a knife, then the shaved nest bes materials for beeswax. If not for that, someone poor like me won¡¯t be able to use candles. Candles are expensive.


    ¡°I¡¯m saved. The candle is almost gone just now.¡±


    I opened a thick book and copied the contents on a paper. I¡¯m working on manuscripts.


    The client who produces the manuscripts from Ringrade, the bestmercial city in the south of Federal empire. It¡¯s a request from a book store there.


    Once a month, a peddler makes round to each vige and fetch the progress report for Baron Arnold. By conveying to the peddler, I could pass on the books I want to write the manuscripts for. If I finish the manuscript by the next month, I entrust them as well as the original book through the peddler. This has been going on for two years.


    Since themercial city of Ringrade gets books delivered from various countries and cities, thenguages used are all over the ce. When they turn out to be magic books, they¡¯re also written in codes.


    It is my job to trante them and write them down in thenguage ording to the client¡¯s wishes. Making manuscript bes a good source of ie. My manuscripts have a good reputation, and despite how it takes time to send from and to a remote ce, I¡¯m happy that my job is uninterrupted.


    Getting this job is a tremendous luck on my part. I once exchanged greetings along with my father to Marquis Fernand whose headquarter is located inmercial city of Ringrade. At that time, I was curiously blessed with the opportunity to speak alone with him. From there, I was introduced to a book store he frequented, where I hit it off with the book store¡¯s manager, and reached this point.


    ...At that time, my father still expected things from me. That¡¯s why I could introduce myself to the marquis.


    ¡°Kurt-sama is working too hard. You¡¯re doing spear-training in the morning, remation at noon, and when it¡¯s finished, you¡¯re doing the beekeeping works, and once you return home, you¡¯re still doing the remation documenting jobs. On top of that, you¡¯re also doing the manuscripts. You¡¯ll copse one day.¡±


    ¡°I do this because I like it. Also, I haven¡¯t copsed yet until now. That¡¯s why, I¡¯m all right. I want to be able to freely use the money.¡±


    The moment I said that, Tina¡¯s cheeks puff out. Her anger is always visible from the way her silver kitsune ears stand rigid in a poof.


    ¡°They¡¯re all lies! For the sake of the people in the fief, youy out lunch meals every day, you buy the wheat yourself when there¡¯s not enough, you bandage people when they¡¯re sick or hurt. Doesn¡¯t everythinge from Kurt-sama¡¯s money that you make from manuscripts?!¡±


    ¡°Well, yes, there¡¯s that too.¡±


    Arnold family is poor. There¡¯s not enough budget to supply everyone or to buy medicines. Even the tools for beekeeping need money. There¡¯s some budget for remation project, but they are really insignificant. That¡¯s why, I¡¯m using the money from manuscripts.


    ¡°It¡¯s strange how Kurt-sama has to make huge effort by yourself!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true. I don¡¯t necessarily make any extra effort. They¡¯re all my hobbies first and foremost. They¡¯re documents so expensive that I can¡¯t buy them even if I want to, and I even get money from them. Those expensive,missioned manuscripts usually match the books I want to read. Management studies, medical books, sorcery books, history books. Each and every one of them makes me happy just from reading them. When I make the manuscripts, I also end up memorizing the contents. Isn¡¯t it wonderful that everyone can be happy from the money I get from that opportunity?¡±


    ¡°<i>Wuuuuuu</i>, there¡¯s that, but... But if Kurt-sama only think about other¡¯s happiness, when will you get your own?! Even though you¡¯ve worked this hard, even though you have this amazing potential! But no one ever notices that, why, why?!¡±


    Tina cried for me. For my sake.


    ¡°Tina,e over here.¡±


    I beckon Tina. As I did so, she sat between my legs on the same chair I was sitting on.


    Just until recently, she was still childish, acting her age. Since she got lonely easily, I spoiled her often. At that time, as I worked on the manuscripts, I embraced her and lent her my ears as we talked. This way, I can still continue on my work while letting her get spoiled. Tina leans on me.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I received this treatment. Kurt-sama, you¡¯ve grown.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because I¡¯m still on my growth period. Still, I know it hasn¡¯t reached Tina¡¯s growth rate.¡±


    I¡¯m still 15. I want to have more build and height.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mean it that way. You¡¯re bing more and more wonderful.¡±


    ¡°In front of a cute girl, any boy will act cool.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true. A person as wonderful as this, there¡¯s no one else other than Kurt-sama.¡±


    I be embarrassed, unable to say anything. The only sound around uses from the running quill pen. It¡¯s not the unpleasant silence from having nothing to talk about. It¡¯s a mysteriously warm feeling.


    The night goes on this way. Let¡¯s finish today¡¯s work soon.


    When I realized, Tina was already asleep leaning on my arm. I hold her and go to the bed, sleeping while hugging her like a body pillow. When I hug her, I¡¯m filled with a gentle feeling. Ever since we arrived at this vige, we¡¯ve been sleeping while holding each other like this.


    After enough ying around with Tina¡¯s puffy tail, I fell asleep, ending that day.


    I open my eyes. Today, I won¡¯t be doing my daily spear training. The training is done at night instead. If I don¡¯t wake up early, I won¡¯t be able to return to the main vige.


    Today is the one day of the month when my father, the Baron Arnold, returns to the main vige, the day when I must report the progress level, then report how much wheat we¡¯re able to harvest, and decide on the tax amount. Other than that, the issue of who¡¯ll inherit the feudal lord position between me and my younger brother should get clearer.


    Arnold family is conventional. When two sons born in the family have grown into adulthood, who is more suitable to be the feudal lord will be decided on a selection ceremony. In that decision, neither personality,petence, poprity, nor achievements will matter. It will be decided by one single thing.


    Ie out of the bed carefully so I won¡¯t wake Tina up. I¡¯ve decided to leave her behind. Even if she goes with me, she¡¯ll only be greeted with displeased eyes.


    ¡°What, do you intend to leave by yourself?¡±


    However, I was too naive. A small hand grips the hem of my shirt tight, looking at me with bitter eyes.


    ¡°Good morning, Tina.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going as well.¡±


    ¡°...It won¡¯t feel good, though?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to let Kurt-sama go to that kind of ce alone.¡±


    Sheesh, this girl. I hit Tina¡¯s head softly a couple of times.


    ¡°You¡¯re spoiling me, but I ept that. Now hurry and get prepared.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Kurt-sama!¡±


    Making a spirited reply, Tina jumped out of the bed and went to the water well to wash her face. However, she got me. If I were to go with Tina, there¡¯s no way I¡¯ll show the uncool side of me.


    <strong>Trantor¡¯s Notes:</strong>


    I¡¯m best at ignoring responsibilities. (coughs)


    Another sneaky trantion, and I mean it this time because even this page is scheduled! Mwaha.


    It gets more exciting from here on. I know they¡¯re still 15 and 13, but the interaction is so pure and will probably stay that way for a while, I guess. Especially since Tina¡¯s name only appears at the fourth novel haha. So for you shippers, be patient.


    Since Kurt talked about books, I was thinking about Maine from ¡°Ascendance of Bookworm¡± hahaha. I just downloaded the LN today and the illustrations are treats for my eyes, even though I haven¡¯t read it yet in fear of getting side tracked from my job today. Okay, even <i>more</i> sidetracked. (sobs) (And kanji without being able to copy-paste it terrifies me. Vertical reading does that too.)


    For you who like this kind of development/conflicts in isekai, I suggest you read Ascendance of Bookworm if you haven¡¯t! (And stron¡¯s trantion skillz is simply superb I have no words for it. I mean it.) Still, I can¡¯t wait to see Kurt going to said town, since it¡¯s the second time it¡¯s mentioned. I¡¯m reading as I trante, so I¡¯m not further from you guys actually.


    Phew, long T/N, sorry. Feedbacks are always appreciated!

 Volume 1 - 6

    <h4>Chapter 6: Baron Arnold</h4>


    ¡°Tina, we¡¯ll arrive at the main vige soon. Hold on tight!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Kurt-sama!¡±


    I went to the main vige by riding a horse, galloping all the way. It¡¯s not like there¡¯s no carriage, but riding the horse directly is faster and less tiring for the horse. It is one of the only two horses in the settlers¡¯ vige. I must treat it well.


    There¡¯s Tina behind me, hugging me tightly and circling her hand around my waist. I believe I didn¡¯t just imagine her rubbing her cheeks on my back once in a while. Really, what a pampered child.


    In this pace, it should take no time to arrive at our destination.


    Just as the noon passed, we¡¯ve finally arrived at the main vige where the mansion of Baron Arnold resides. The mansion is two-story building made from brick, elegant andpletely not betraying the family¡¯s poor condition. As I step inside the house, the servants greet me. Most of them are old women who already has difficulties in doing field works.


    Employing them is for the sake of utilizing the cost of the food from people who¡¯s lost their physical strength, too harsh to make them work on the field.


    Tina appears smaller behind me. She doesn¡¯t have many good memories about this mansion, if there¡¯s any at all. I made small greetings to them before making my way through in the mansion, arriving at the front of Father¡¯s office in the second floor. I knocked lightly.


    ¡°It¡¯s Kurt. I¡¯vee to report the remation progress.¡±


    ¡°Enter.¡±


    Opening the door ording to Father¡¯s voice, I enter the room. Tina stays right in front of the door.


    ¡°Dear Father, it has been a while.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯vee a long way, Kurt.¡±


    Father was sitting on a solid looking chair, showing a calm expression. He had a huge stature from years of tempering, but his eyes carried brilliant intelligence at the same time. I respect Father greatly. He does have his stubborn parts, but he¡¯s a feudal lord adored by his people.


    With a smiling face, I walk before stopping in front of him, handing over the report. Father receives the document, spreading the papers on the table, going through each one of them.


    ¡°Hm, the remation is doing well and splendidly. To think that it¡¯s merely three years to pay this much tax. Even if I were to do it, I need five years or more to reach this point. This year, the money from aiding the remation and the tax collectede gradually, but from this part, it¡¯ll be a surplus from next year. I¡¯m quite surprised.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because the workers are working hard.¡±


    ¡°It is difficult to pull out the motivation from people, much less with this small budget. You¡¯ve done a good job, disregarding the fact that the fief¡¯s people can¡¯t get rewards. Then, guiding them until they show the willingness to work and make a great effort at that is more difficult. Kurt, you¡¯re an excellent son. Under your hands, the Arnold family should be greater and more prosperous.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not doubting this report?¡±


    ¡°There are some doubts, obviously. It¡¯s all right to tell you now; actually there¡¯s someone observing your vige. That report is perfectly consistent with yours. The observer highly praises you. Not only you¡¯repetent, your personality is also excellent, the ideal vige head that the people adores. Your report for me also doesn¡¯t have excess nor deficiency; it¡¯s concise and precise. I value this highly.¡±


    Father praises me without restrain. I can¡¯t feel joyous from those words, because I could feel that they have the continuation.


    ¡°And those are precisely why it¡¯s regrettable. ... that I couldn¡¯t let you seed as the feudal lord. If only you were born to some other family than the house of Arnold.¡±


    Yes. In me, the talent that Arnold family wishes for the most is not existent.


    ¡°Father, the one who will seed the feudal lord is not yet decided. The selection ceremony is next week.¡±


    In the ceremony next week, who¡¯ll be the feudal lord between me and my brother J?rg will be decided.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. J?rg still hasn¡¯t inherited the title yet. My mistake.¡±


    The probability is exceedingly low. Albeit so, I never ceased to aim for that.


    ¡°Kurt, there¡¯s something I have to tell you. Tomorrow, the marquis wille to thend you reimed for an inspection. Be prepared.¡±


    ¡°And what is the reason?¡±


    ¡°Your ce is the newest vige, yet it brings the most oue. It is most suitable for an inspection.¡±


    The marquisate is a great aristocrat who gathers every nobility from this area, including Arnold family. Theye periodically to their subordinate aristocrat¡¯s territory to confirm their progress. Father¡¯s main part is the development of new farnd. In that light, my settler¡¯s vige should be favorable.


    ¡°And also, Kurt. You¡¯ve worked hard until now. After the selection ceremony,e and return to the main vige. It¡¯s no longer important to take care of that vige.¡±


    ¡°Wha¨C!? What did you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°In this round of inspection, I will tell the Marquess that your pioneering vige was built by J?rg, because J?rg is closer to be the next feudal lord. I want to give the impression on the next feudal lord¡¯s excellence. If I present that vige, he would remember J?rg better in auspicious light. It¡¯s also about time that J?rg begins having a work experience. With his abilities, it would be improbable to start a pioneering vige from step one, but if the vige is on the track, it¡¯s convenient and should be a good experience for him.¡±


    Red color blinds my eyes from boiling anger. When I realized, I already mmed both of my hands with all my strength.


    ¡°Don¡¯t joke with me, what about your promise?! Up until now, just what do you think I¡¯ve been feeling!? How far I¡¯ve piled up my efforts for the sake of building that vige!!!?¡±


    I raised my voice in anger towards my father for the first time since I was born.


    ¡°You promised me three years! You told me I could only put into work the remaining people in each vige, reiming and turning a wastnd into a worthy vige! In return, even if I don¡¯t inherit the title, I could stay as the vige head in this fief! Father, you agreed to this!¡±


    It was the vow made a long time ago. I understood that I probably wouldn¡¯t be the feudal lord. If I couldn¡¯t be the feudal lord, the remaining options were to aid my brother or leave the fief. I declined both. It would distance myself from my dream to be the best pastry chef in the world.


    That¡¯s why, I chose the path to be a vige head, leading one vige and paying tax to the feudal lord. I would turn the vige rich, make ingredients for sweets, sell special sweets product. Then with the money I gain, I would collect and buy various ingredients, making even more sweets and pastries, building up my wealth until finally I would make the best pastry in the world.


    For that reason, I increased the vige¡¯s wealth, even starting beekeeping. I also make preparations for various other things. Even so, once my vige gets confiscated, all of my efforts will turn into nothing.


    ¡°I certainly made that kind of promise. However, you¡¯re overdoing it, Kurt. Since you¡¯ve made it that far, there¡¯s no move I won¡¯t take. That vige is too attractive to throw away.¡±


    ¡°For that kind of reason!?¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re frustrated, you should be the feudal lord. Since you can¡¯t, of course I y this move instead. Your vige doesn¡¯t belong to you. It belongs to the Feudal Lord from the Baron house of Arnold.¡±


    Even though the talk was just over, Father had already turned around. I¡¯m gripping my fist until my knuckles turn white.


    ¡°Father, do reconsider. I couldn¡¯t think of a case where J?rg is able to lead that vige. The only thing I see is bankruptcy.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s impossible if he¡¯s alone. That¡¯s what an ordinary person is. I¡¯ll protect him. If he fails, it¡¯s good enough that he can learn from it.¡±


    ¡°...Please excuse me.¡±


    ¡°In the afternoon,e to the courtyard. The pre-ceremonial match will be thest one today. Kurt, win it if you don¡¯t want to lose your vige. I¡¯m repeating myself, but you could¡¯ve just be the feudal lord.¡±


    <i>...and that¡¯s the exact thing I couldn¡¯t do!</i> Those are the words I swallow back down from my throat. Clinging further is useless now. I turn and leave this ce behind as I feel despair.


    The moment I exited the door, Tina ran up to me. Could she have guessed something from looking at my face? She just grasps my hand tight without saying anything. It heals my irritable heart a little bit. There¡¯s still a bit of time before afternoon. I need some fresh outdoor air.


    While thinking so, I walk to exit the manor. Then my eyes met with someone I dislike. ...J?rg, my younger brother. Average height, average build. White skin. I can¡¯t see him as someone who trains regrly.


    He¡¯s a good for nothing who unts around his parents¡¯ influence in the main vige, which is considerably more prosperous than most viges in Arnold fief.


    ¡°Brother, have you heard about it?¡±


    ¡°About what.¡±


    ¡°About handing over the vige you built to me. It sounds like an okay vige. Since I¡¯ll manage it directly, it will be even better.¡±


    I¡¯m seething with an urge to kill from his words. Tina who has been walking by my side steps forward.


    ¡°That vige was built by Kurt-sama¡¯s hands! To hand it over to someone like you...!¡± Tina¡¯s voice rises up in anger. For my sake, she gets even angrier than me. I feel happy from that.


    ¡°Heeeh. This girl is cute. So that shabby-looking brat turns up into this, huh?¡± J?rg¡¯s hand tilts up Tina¡¯s chin. Tina¡¯s expression turns into a re.


    ¡°You¡¯ve piqued my interest. I¡¯ll raise you. Together with the vige, I¡¯m taking this girl. I can¡¯t stomach the fact that it¡¯s a second hand from my brother, but I¡¯ll tolerate that.¡±


    ¡°Rejected!¡±


    ¡°Why are you so mad? Be joyful. I¡¯ll let you live a luxury more than my brother can give. I¡¯ll buy you fashionable outfits from the city. I can even get my hands on some sweets.¡±


    ¡°...What a dull person. I couldn¡¯t see how you measure up to be Kurt-sama¡¯s brother.¡±


    Tina wards off J?rg¡¯s hand. J?rg looks angry and raises his fist. I protect Tina and catch the thrown fist.


    ¡°Mind your manners, J?rg. Hitting someone who rejects you is unsightly.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s this, Brother? You¡¯re opposing me, the feudal lord? No matter how I treat my people is my own business.¡±


    ¡°Already ying the lording part? It¡¯s not decided yet.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s already decided. You should have understood. Oh well, today¡¯s match will make you realize that if anything.¡±


    ¡°Even so, the selection ceremony is next week. Just do this afterwards.¡±


    ¡°I agree. Then, once I be the feudal lord, I¡¯ll enjoy this aplenty.¡±


    J?rg passes through after making that threat. He probably would go back to his own room.


    ¡°I have another correction. Tina isn¡¯t a thing. She¡¯s a human being. Even after you¡¯ve be the feudal lord, don¡¯t think you could act as you wish.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a noble¡¯s privilege to treat human as toys. You¡¯re so formal, Brother.¡±


    That guy is no good. He can¡¯t be the feudal lord. Grabbing Tina¡¯s hand, I exit the mansion. Her hand is shivering.


    ¡°Forgive me, Tina.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not something you should apologize for, Kurt-sama. He¡¯s the jerk.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m happy that you say that way. And also, thank you for being angry on my behalf. I feel like you¡¯ve saved me a little.¡±


    Tina¡¯s words are dangerous, but that made me happy. No matter what happens, I want to protect her and that vige. I feel that from the bottom of my heart.


    The afternoon match is not just a match. It¡¯s said to be a rehearsal of the selection ceremony. I brought in my fighting spirit now more than ever.

 Volume 1 - 7

    <h4>Chapter 7: Bloodline and Duel</h4>


    It¡¯s the promised time; I came with Tina to the mansion¡¯s courtyard. My father and J?rg were already there, as well as their attendants.


    ¡°Kurt, J?rg. Let your power be seen. The selection ceremonyes next week. This is thestpeting game. Proceed to fight with caution.¡±


    J?rg and I stand up in the courtyard. We brought spears. The tip of those spears are wrapped in cloth to prevent bloodshed, but they are still lethal weapons.


    ¡°Brother, I¡¯m in a slightly bad mood today. Don¡¯t go easy on me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never intended to do so in the first ce, J?rg.¡±


    On top of my head, I never recall going easy on him.


    ¡°Both of you, in your positions. The match will begin soon.¡±


    The first generation of Arnold family excelled over his fellow soldiers, raking up deeds one after another just by a single spear, acquiring a nobility rank and territory with his own hands. Therefore, the head of Arnold family must be chosen from the one who shows the most excellent military prowess. Apetition of martial arts where using mana is prohibited.


    Then, due to that origin, the children born as Arnolds must train their spear arms thoroughly. The selection ceremony is a duel between grown up candidates for the next feudal lord position, the rite to crown the winner as the head of the family. For the sake of mutual skill improvement, J?rg and I are matched in a duel once every two months.


    ¡°Let the match begin!¡±


    At the sound of Father¡¯s voice, we move. Tina sps both her hands in front of her chest, praying for my victory. This is only a match after all; there¡¯s nothing to gain from winning this. However, the results of these pre-matches are more or less rted to the psychological superiority for the actual selection ceremony.


    ¡°Here I go, Brother!¡±


    J?rg swings out his spear. One strike, just with one hand, without putting some strength in his waist, without any decent weight transfer. It¡¯s an excessively poor hit.


    But, he¡¯s fast. Unnaturally so. I can only think that something mysterious and invisible is boosting his spear. I focus all my nerves on calcting his trajectory, then diverting the spear with my both hands. My hands are numb. I used all my strength, but this power...


    ¡°HA!¡±


    Still, I deflected it, barely. I won¡¯t overlook the gap that I¡¯ve created. With the shortest distance, I run up andunch a thrust.


    It¡¯s been 10 years since I picked up my spear for the first time, practicing every single day without ever missing one session. Those practices be my flesh and blood without fail. This is the one hit from all the muscle in my body work together perfectly in a spiraling motion, gathering all my strength into a single point. The strongest, fastest blow that my current body can pull out. And yet...


    ¡°So light, Brother.¡±


    The spear that should have left a gap returns the hit in a blink. Jorg¡¯s flippant yet troublesome spear catches up with my fastest thrust, flicking it off with ease. I understand that his strike left a center of gravity, making his spear quick to return.


    But, too fast. He doesn¡¯t use any mana, yet as if being supported by a ¡°mysterious thing¡±, Jorg¡¯s spear is unnaturally fast, unnaturally heavy.


    ¡°I see.¡±


    I suppose it would¡¯ve turned out like this. Using power in as a momentum, rising plenty of centrifugal force, then swings sideways. If it¡¯s stopped, this strike will be blown off easily. However, Jorg stops that one with an unperturbed face.


    ¡°Brother, you¡¯re so skillful... Beautiful form, polished martial arts, you¡¯re really awesome. I can¡¯t begin to imagine how much effort you¡¯ve put into this.¡±


    Jorg flippantly releases poking thrusts. They are flippant, but every single blow contains lethal amount of power. An irrational attack supported by this ¡°invisible thing¡±. If I directly receive just one blow, it¡¯ll be over. Deflecting, diverting, negating, I resist those attacks with pure skill.


    However, Jorg continues to receive strike points, while I must extort the energy from my whole body. Rotating strength and stamina consumption between us are totally different. It¡¯s bing more unfavorable for me.


    In this world, there¡¯s an irrational power, working outside the boundaries of logic. Jorg has it, Father also has it. Their spears have irrational speed and strength. This is the power attained by the bloodline of Arnold family, the talent. A power I never stopped wishing for, and never be able to reach. For the sake of making up for this irrationality, I never fail to train, tempering my body, polishing my martial arts.


    Yet, still...


    ¡°You¡¯re awesome, Brother, really awesome. You can handle my spear with pure skill! But you know, it¡¯s useless if you don¡¯t have the talent! Brother... You¡¯ll never reach me with that kind of cheap trick!¡±


    Jorg proims his victory. He must have thought that my power has declined. My limit hase approaching. My breath is ragged, my concentration strength is also on its limit. The numbness in my hand umtes, I no longer have the strength to grip. I couldn¡¯t defend myself against another blow.


    ¡°Good job, Brother. I¡¯ll happily take all the things you¡¯ve built up.¡±


    Jorg¡¯sughter turns deeper.


    ¡°The position of feudal lord.¡±


    For the sake of that dream, I wield my spear everyday for ten years.


    ¡°The vige you¡¯ve built desperately.¡±


    For the sake of my dream to be the best pastry chef in the world, I spent three years frantically working on the remation day and night, and finally the vige took this shape.


    ¡°Your favorite girl.¡±


    Tina who always supports me by my side. Whenever I feel like breaking apart, I can always put more effort since her smile is always there.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it regretful, my dear old brother who can do anything!? My wonderful, excellent brother. Just because of one talent you don¡¯t have in spear, everything, every single thing will be taken from you!!¡±


    Jorg wields his spear while being convinced of his victory. Don¡¯t mess with me. I won¡¯t recognize this. I don¡¯t want to give up. I... I...


    Along with my thoughts, the mana in me rages. My whole body is covered in faint green light. In that second, the sensation in my hands returns. My power is recharged. Gripping my spear tightly, I attack Jorg¡¯s spear, sending it flying.


    Father opens his mouth. ¡°The winner, Jorg. Kurt, you used mana. You lost from breaking the rule.¡±


    After I released the thrust in my trance, my father¡¯s voice drags me back. Is that so? So I used mana, huh...


    ¡°Haha, Brother. You surprised me. Geez, using mana like that. Wanting to win so bad to break the rules, you are so finished,¡± Jorg speaks aloud, showing a grin out of nowhere.


    ¡°Father, Jorg, I apologize.¡± I sincerely bow my head, while my mind wanders elsewhere.


    Father said that I used mana (<i>maryoku</i>/magic power), but he was mistaken. What I used was actually magic (<i>mahou</i>/sorcery). One in a thousand children will be born with mana. With mana, a person can strengthen their body and elerate body¡¯s healing as well as using earth-fire-wind-water power. They are blessed with the ability to hone suitable magic skills.


    However, there will be one in a hundred children who has mana who can use magic. Magic is the very essence of that person, a unique power. That was the power that I used.


    ¡°Brother, in the real match, can¡¯t you stop losing from a foul y?¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± I answer absentmindedly.


    Father stops looking deep in thought and separated us up. What made me absentminded wasn¡¯t the happiness from knowing that I could use magic, but because I was thrust by the unshakeable reality.


    ¡°Kurt-sama!¡±


    Tina runs up to me in a rush. As I realized that, my tears naturally flowed through.


    ¡°What happened, Kurt-sama?¡± Tina asks worriedly.


    ¡°Tina, can I cry it off a bit?¡±


    As I ask the question, Tina embraces me tightly. I return her embrace.


    The magic I have is ¡°restoration¡±. It floats in my mind just like that.


    <strong>Restoration:</strong> a therapeutic healing power, recovery heal, analyzed heal, transformation heal, destruction heal.


    At that moment, I healed myself and regained my grip. To heal means to return something to its normal state. In order to do that, I must know the normal state of the healing target. Therefore, this magic grants the user the ability to see everything.


    What I came to know was my own talent as well as how the irrationality of this world worked. I came to understand the secret of my father¡¯s and brother¡¯s absurd spear y. Even though I didn¡¯t have the talent, I always expected that if I continued to put through the effort, a talent like theirs would bloom in me.


    Thinking like that, these all-seeing eyes thrust the reality to me. That the trainings that I did for thest ten years were all for naught. That I could never use the power that supported the spear like father¡¯s and Jorg¡¯s for my entire life. And, that if only it doesn¡¯t have to be the spear, I¡¯ve always been more than capable to overwhelm Jorg.

 Volume 1 - 8

    <h4>Chapter 8: Deration of War</h4>


    Recovery, my inherent magic.


    Because of that, I¡¯ve be aware of the principle of this world. In this world, the capacity of an ant is already established in the form of experience levels. The sublimation of a Skill will ovee that predetermined value.


    For example, if I use my eyes right now, I could notice that my father¡¯s spear aptitude is B rank, while his spear ability is level III. Whereas my brother Jorg¡¯s spear aptitude is B rank, while his ability is level I.


    Aptitude is separated into S, A, B, C, D, E, F ranks, where ordinary man¡¯s rank is D. Having B rank aptitude makes you a genius. If your rank is D, you may obtain a Skill after training earnestly for ten years. If it¡¯s B, you can master it in a year. For a father and son to have this spear aptitude means that the talent is inherited in my Arnold family.


    However, my aptitude for spear is F rank, while my spear ability is not mastered. Of course it would be. My aptitude for spear is the lowest ss. The blessing of spear ability is to have an Action that will do a rising correction. Jorg¡¯s spear¡¯s speed and heaviness are thanks to that ability.


    Spear ability. Just for that one thing, Jorg surpassed my ten-year worth of training. Isn¡¯t that kind of thing absurd? What are those ten years of training for...? No matter how good I am, I will always be overshadowed by that ability. Moreover, with his B-ss aptitude, Jorg¡¯s spear ability won¡¯t stop growing. From level I to II, from II to III. On the other hand, I don¡¯t have any hope to grow anymore.


    ¡°Tina, what if, just what if you understand that everything you¡¯ve been working hard for is useless, and you¡¯re helpless against it?¡±


    I ask Tina who¡¯s been embracing me close. I came to want toin helplessly.


    ¡°...If it were me, I¡¯ll try even harder. Putting more and more effort, and if that¡¯s still no good, then I¡¯ll think about another way. Working hard is not the goal, it¡¯s just a method. For the sake of my goal, I¡¯ll look for another way.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Working hard, then finding another way, huh...?¡±


    For what sake did I temper myself with spear? Spear is the symbol of Arnold family, so as the eldest son of Arnold, I wanted to be aplished in it? Because Father told me to? No, those are wrong.


    I wanted to be the best patissier in the world. In order to achieve that, I wanted to seed my Arnold family. That¡¯s why it was important for me to be chosen in the ceremony. The spear was the way to achieve that.


    If the only way to win is through martial arts, then I should just throw away the spear.


    ¡°Thank you, Tina. I saw a ray of hope. ...and also, I¡¯m sorry. To hug you so sudden...¡±


    I loose up my embracing arms before letting her go. Tina showed regret as I did so.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing you should apologize for! I¡¯m happy you¡¯re spoiling me. Also, seeing Kurt-sama when you¡¯re feeling down only make me love you more. Please keep spoiling me from now on.¡±


    Tina stands up while running her mouth with a red face. I feel like I¡¯ve returned to my usual self. I softly brush her hair.


    ¡°Thanks to Tina, I could see the silver lining, you know?¡±


    I will never hand over the vige that I¡¯ve built for the sake of my dream, nor will I hand Tina over. Closing my eyes, I ask myself: <i>What is my specialty? Aside from spear, do I have anything to fight with?</i>


    The answer came to me. Through my recovery magic, my all-seeing eyes show me clearly what my talent is. The answer is, the talent of an S-rank aptitude.


    ¡°But... will I make it on time?¡±


    Winning against Jorg by developing an S-rank aptitude¡¯s potential should be easy, but it¡¯s not like it won¡¯t pose any problems. In the fighting ceremony, there¡¯s no designated weapon as long as one side wins against the other through martial arts only. Yet, spear is the symbol of Arnold family. If I throw that away, can I be the true sessor as the feudal lord of Arnold family?


    Another issue is that there¡¯s almost no time. I only have one week to throw away the spear and learn a new weapon from scratch. Even with an S-rank aptitude, a Skill requires around a month to sublime.


    The other problem is about my own feeling. Logically speaking, I know that I have to throw away the spear, but I can¡¯t bear to cut off my ten years of hard work. I don¡¯t want to render them useless. My mind sinks into a whirlpool.


    ¡°Kurt-sama, let¡¯s go home? If we stay here, Kurt-sama only looks pained.¡±


    Tina holds my hand. From her small hand, Tina rys her body warmth. This warmth opened my eyes.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. Let¡¯s go to our vige.¡±


    In order to protect this warmth, what am I hesitating for? No matter what I must throw away, no matter which path I must take, I have to win.


    Using my all-seeing eyes, I¡¯m thinking in desperation. It showed me a trick that I could utilize. It was a way to increase the experience level and sublimate a Skill. But merely doing that won¡¯t be enough. Isn¡¯t there something? Anything? I have to think of a way topress a month into a week.


    In an instant, it showed my brain a Skill that I already had.


    [<strong>The Fool¡¯s Desire</strong>]


    When I became aware of the word, I understood everything.


    <strong>The Fool¡¯s Desire</strong>: The tenacity of one without talent. Turning one impossible desire into a possibility.


    * Requirement(s): Training every day earnestly against the capacity of an F-rank aptitude for more than 10 years.


    * Effect(s): All the abilities will operate as if the aptitude¡¯s rank is risen by one level.


    ¡°...Haha, hahaha. So it¡¯s not useless after all. My spear.¡±


    If one without talent continues to put desperate effort, that foundation will be the ¡°know how¡±. Isn¡¯t that what a Skill sublimation like? I¡¯m the only one who can obtain an aptitude surpassing S-rank. If I missed out a training for just one day, I wouldn¡¯t obtain this Skill. This is the fruit of my stubbornness and tenacity.


    What I gain from my hard spear training is not this Skill, but something else, things that Jorg would never be able to obtain. The principle of martial arts. The body movement. Breathing. I¡¯ve been learning them along with the spear.


    I grasp the spear that I¡¯m holding onto. Thank you for these past ten years. I¡¯ll take my next step forward now.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Tina. I¡¯m alright now.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Kurt-sama. Let¡¯s go back home to our vige.¡±


    Tina and I walk forth hand in hand.


    When I fetched my favorite horse that I left in the mansion¡¯s barn, Jorg was already there with his spear. There are two of his followers waiting on his sides.


    ¡°Geez, Brother, you¡¯re so slow. You¡¯ve got the nerve to make me wait.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember having any business with you.¡±


    ¡°But I have a business with you. You see, I¡¯ve been thinking about a lot of things. I think that it¡¯s important to punish my unfair brother. A penalty of making me embarrassed from winning over a foul y, you know? Actually, I just can¡¯t stomach the feeling that you¡¯re actually still thinking to win against me. I really should teach you where you¡¯re really standing.¡±


    Jorg shows a vulgar expression. His followers also looks the same. The one who actually stares at those three people is Tina, not me. Feeling in danger, Tina cowers in fear.


    ¡°I understand the gist of your thoughts, but let¡¯s hear it once.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you hand over that girl, Brother. That girl clears my gloomy mood. I really can¡¯t wait until I be the feudal lord. You should go back home alone, Brother.¡±


    ¡°I refuse.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Brother. Should you really oppose me? Haven¡¯t you understood well from today¡¯s match that I¡¯d inherit the title? Oh, well, if you don¡¯t want to hear what I¡¯m saying, I¡¯ll just steal her by force. It¡¯s just so much fun to say it in front of you.¡±


    While facing this way, Jorg points the tip of his spear towards me.


    ¡°Oh my weak brother, don¡¯t try to anger me too much. You¡¯ll regret it.¡±


    I suck a deep breath.


    ¡°You, Jorg. I¡¯ve been thinking about this for a while now. Aren¡¯t you actually misunderstanding something here?¡±


    From way back, I thought that my younger brother¡¯s strangeness couldn¡¯t be helped. But, honestly, why would he mess around with me to this extent?


    ¡°What? Even if you show me a scary angered face, there¡¯s no way I¡¯d get scared.¡± Jorg takes a step back.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that you think that you¡¯re stronger than me?¡±


    Upon my question, Jorg and his followers burst into chaoticughters that they¡¯re hugging their stomach.


    ¡°Ahyahyahyahya! Hi, hi. I¡¯m tearing up. Brother, you¡¯re jesting. Have there even a time when you win against me?¡±


    I see, this brat is a real idiot.


    ¡°Jorg, get ready for a fight.¡±


    ¡°Heh?¡±


    ¡°I said, hold your spear and get ready for a fight.¡±


    Feeling my killing intention, Jorg holds his spear while still being so slowminded. In that moment, I fill my body with mana to the brim and lunge forward. The ground is dented. My footsteps clearly imprints the ground as I rush forward.


    Jorg thrusts his spear in a reflex. I grasp that spear with my hand, knocking it off with full strength. With his spear flying, Jorg was swung along with the spear, resisting the centrifugal force, and hit the stone wall of the barn.


    ¡°Gah!?¡±


    ¡°It does seem like you¡¯ve misunderstood something, so let me teach you. You are weak. You¡¯re just better than me in spear. Without the ability to use mana, did you honestly think that you were stronger than me?¡±


    I step closer towards Jorg who seems to be ina great deal of pain after being hit against the wall, slowly daunting him.


    ¡°Ee-eeek, Brother. Wh-why are you so mad. J-joke, it¡¯s just a joke.¡±


    In the matches before Father, mana can¡¯t be used. Exactly due to the rule of fighting only with spears that I can¡¯t win against Jorg. If there¡¯s no such rule, there¡¯s no way I¡¯dck anything against a boy in this level.


    ¡°You terrified my precious girl just because you were joking?¡±


    Crouching down in front of his eyes, I grab his hair with my left hand and tilt his head, pinning his right arm. Then, my fist flies out. With a squished sound, I heard something get crushed.


    ¡°Ah, agh, aghh, b, brother, eeek, eeeeek!¡±


    My fist grazed Jorg¡¯s left cheek, crashing into the stone wall. Jorg was so terrified that he pissed inside his pants.


    ¡°For me, I could ept anything you¡¯ve done to mess around with me until now. Do you understand why? It¡¯s because you¡¯re the most probable candidate to be the feudal lord. I thought that it was bad to have a discord between a single vige and the future feudal lord, so I endured them.¡±


    ¡°That, that¡¯s right, Brother. I- I would be the next feudal lord. You shouldn¡¯t op-oppose me, ee, eeek!¡±


    He was so irritating that I punched with my left hand this time, grazing his cheek and crushing the stone wall.


    ¡°Do you have any idea how many times I¡¯ve wanted to kill you? I no longer can count them with both hands. If I wasn¡¯t thinking about troublesome things, I should just kill you to automatically be the feudal lord. If I really wanted to, I would¡¯ve done it anytime I liked.¡±


    That way of thinking passed through my mind so many times. It would really have been easier than baking a cake.


    ¡°Even so, either from sentiment of being rted by blood or my fair spirit, I kept my good sense and desisted it. In a way, you live because I let you, you know? If I¡¯m short-fused, you¡¯d die a long time ago. Be grateful that you have a kind brother. However, there¡¯s a limit to my patience too. Too bad, it doesn¡¯t matter when you¡¯re messing around.¡±


    ¡°Fo, forgive me, Brother, don¡¯t kill me, it¡¯s my fault, it really is, so.¡±


    With tears running down, Jorg pleads for my forgiveness. As I see that, my head cools down a little.


    ¡°Jorg, this is the first time I voice out what¡¯s truly in my mind. Why do you think I convey these thoughts to you?¡±


    ¡°B-because Iy my hand on your precious person, B-brother.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s one big reason. But actually, there¡¯s another reason. If I fight normally now in the selection ceremony, I¡¯ll still win. That¡¯s why, I don¡¯t have any reason left to avoid a discord with you. I¡¯ve had enough of your rudeness. If you don¡¯t want to die, choose your words carefully. This is my war deration. I¡¯ll win fair and square against you in the arena.¡±


    I wanted to say those lines.


    ¡°Tina, shall we go now?¡±


    ¡°Ye-yes, Kurt-sama.¡±


    I straddle the horse, then Tina who is flustered runs up to me, climbs up the horse, and wraps her arms around my waist.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Tina. Looks like I¡¯ve scared you.¡±


    ¡°Ah, no, I¡¯m fine! I was a little scared, but you were really cool today, Kurt-sama.¡±


    She blushes, her voice¡¯s pitch rises. Somehow, it seems that she¡¯s not actually scared. I feel relieved from the bottom of my heart, then races up the horse.

 Volume 1 - 9

    <h4>Chapter 9: Marquis Fernand</h4>


    It took us a night to return to our settler¡¯s vige from the main vige.


    I blew a war deration to Jorg. It¡¯s something I couldn¡¯t pull back. ...Or rather, there¡¯s a side of me which dered the war exactly for that reason.


    I prepared and adjusted my outfit. Usually, I¡¯d wear something in that¡¯s perfectly fine to get stains during the remation. But today, Marquis Fernand wille inspecting this vige. I have to wear the proper clothes.


    Marquis Fernand will be looking around the settler¡¯s vige that I built. ...as Jorg¡¯s vige.


    My father and Jorg will apany the marquis. I was only told to tag along to answer all kinds of questions from him. There¡¯ll be many questions that can¡¯t be answered by someone other than me who built this vige.


    ¡°Tina, today I¡¯m relying on you to take care of the house.¡±


    ¡°I understand, Kurt-sama.¡±


    I¡¯ve exined the situation to Tina. She can¡¯t tag along today, as expected.


    ¡°Here, your lunch box.¡±


    Tina passes on a pic basket to me. Inside, there are sandwiches that Tina made and the cookies that I baked. The sandwich fillings today aren¡¯t just cheese, there¡¯s also goat meet in between. This is a rare luxury. This is surely her way of cheering.


    ¡°Kurt-sama, you can do it!¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll work hard. Though I do feel a littleplicated.¡±


    I exited the house while smiling bitterly.


    After that my dispute with Jorg, I received a summon from my father¡¯s envoy. At that time, we went through a briefing regarding Father¡¯s and the marquis¡¯ inspection. There were some matters acknowledged in the briefing repeatedly.


    First, Jorg takes the credit of managing the vige. However, they¡¯ll say that I¡¯m his advisor. This way, if I¡¯m the one who inherits the title, I¡¯ll be able to proudly say that everything is done by me as a practice.


    Father and Jorg had no choice but to acknowledge that, because Jorg knew next to nothing about the vige. If he only mentions stuffs from my report document, there¡¯ll be ws.


    Second, I won¡¯t let Jorg say useless things. Father will take care of the fundamental matters, but I¡¯ll be the one to reply more detailed questions. Since Jorg is most likely bad at sayingplicated things, Father has no choice but to agree to it.


    Marquis Fernand will arrive in the main vigest night, so Father and Jorg is showing our hospitality. He should arrive soon.


    I see the silhouette of a horse carriage. With that splendor and family crest, there¡¯s no mistake that it belongs to Marquis Fernand. Somehow, there¡¯s a horse running alongside it. The one riding that horse is Marquis Fernand himself in person. Right, I think Father has mentioned something about this. As a hobby and stress reducing activity, sometimes he would handle the horses personally like that.


    Both the horses and the carriage halt right in front of me.


    ¡°Hello, Kurt-kun, it¡¯s really been a while, yes? I¡¯ve been looking forward to see you, more than Jorg-kun actually.¡±


    Before Father and the others even managed to climb down the carriage, Marquis Fernand greet me in a volume that only I could hear as he took off from the horse. He¡¯s in histe thirties. Even though he¡¯s slender, there¡¯s an apparent unmistakable bearing of a noble from him.


    ¡°I¡¯m extremely grateful, Marquis Fernand. I¡¯ve also been looking forward to the day where I¡¯ll be able to be graced with your presence. First of all, my gratitude. Because of your assistance, I was able to obtain my manuscript job. That I¡¯m able to gain more knowledge as well as a funding source, you have my utmost gratitude.¡±


    My manuscript job that I¡¯ve been doing was introduced by Marquis Fernand. No matter how my I thank him, it won¡¯t be enough.


    ¡°Well that is all swell. I am your fan. Actually, I bought about half of your manuscript works. Your trantion sense is great, and you are highly urate in deciphering the codes of magic skill books. Against my better judgment, I ended up buying even the original books, where I can stumble upon new findings. I expect a lot from you next time as well.¡±


    I¡¯m grateful. Commission for tranting and deciphering brings iparably great profits.


    ¡°I will continue diligently.¡±


    ¡°Your modesty is also great. Also, I bring someone who really wants to see you more than I do. A more avid reader than I am, also an avid learner. While learning byparing your trantion to the original works, it can¡¯t be helped that you have piqued this person¡¯s interest. Thus I bring this person along.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to meeting them. In this kind of vige, I have too few opportunities to talk with a knowledgeable person.¡±


    In a remote vige, no matter what, there¡¯s nobody I could discuss science and literature with. I¡¯d like to have that once in a while.


    ¡°Then I¡¯m d. That person will show up soon.¡±


    The carriage is open. Firstly, my father and brother climb down the carriage, then Father aids ady to climb down as well. The one who exits the carriage is a beautiful youngdy. Most likely, she¡¯s slightly younger than me, isn¡¯t she? She¡¯s a girl with pale pink hair and nice style. For some reason, she gives off the impression of a gentle person.


    Jorg looks at the girl, bearing this goofy perverted face. I understand. I couldn¡¯t say anything but agreeing that she¡¯s <i>that</i> beautiful. My eyes meet with Jorg¡¯s. Since he looks frightened, I look away.


    ¡°Dearest Father, might this personage be Kurt Arnold-sama?¡±


    Like a flower blooming, the girl rushes over with a smile.


    ¡°He is Kurt Arnold-kun. Falnor, please be a little moredylike.¡±


    ¡°I apologize, Father. However, when I think about that Kurt-sama, I couldn¡¯t curb down my enthusiasm. There are things in his trantion that I want to ask for exnation.¡±


    ¡°Kurt-kun, please excuse this kind of daughter of mine.¡±


    ¡°Not at all, you should not mind about it.¡±


    ¡°Falnor, why don¡¯t you give your greetings.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Father.¡±


    The girl who¡¯s called Falnor stands up before me, then lifts the hem of her skirt, lightly bow her head down. A graceful conduct of behavior, befitting her nobility.


    ¡°I am Falnor Fernand, the third daughter of Fernand family. Please do take care of me hereafter.¡±


    ¡°I am Kurt Arnold, the eldest son of the Baron house of Arnold. Please take care of me as well.¡±


    We bow our heads to each other. Falnor gently offers her hand, which I hold in return. What a soft and warm hand.


    ¡°Yesterday, we¡¯ve been weed with a great hospitality. However, I was really disappointed because there was no Kurt-sama. Please do exchange some words with me today for yesterday¡¯s worth as well.¡±


    ¡°I also wish for a long discussion, but my obligation today is to take Marquis Fernand around.¡±


    ¡°Is that so... even though I¡¯ve finally earned the opportunity to meet you...¡±


    Saying so, Falnor shows a regretful expression. I open my mouth after showing a wry smile.


    ¡°How about this. In the break of the inspection, if Marquis Fernand allows it, we might have our discussion.¡±


    ¡°I have no qualms about it. Rather, please do so on my behalf as well. Would you give my daughter apany?¡±


    Falnor¡¯s eyes light up the moment Marquis Fernand says so.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s get to it right away. About the exnation over here, Kurt-sama...¡±


    It¡¯s a thick book. Falnor just takes out the manuscript that I wrote from her bag. There arebels everywhere, and opening the pages reveal that they are filled with notes.


    ¡°Falnor, I permit you to have your discussion on the inspection¡¯s break, but I won¡¯t allow more than that.¡±


    ¡°I apologize, Father.¡±


    Grinning, Falnor sticks out her tongue. What a splendid girl. In that instant, I can feel the stares. Jorg has been looking at me with a crooked, envious expression. Really, why is it so difficult to handle this brat?


    ¡°First, I¡¯ll show you the reimednd that has turned into farming field. Last year, we have safely managed to sprinkle the wheat seeds. With the effort of my son Jorg, it has reached this point in merely three years.¡±


    Father begins to exin to the marquis. He first showed the ce where the remation is finished. Because it¡¯s the autumn sowing type of wheat, it will get harvested soon. One side has been entirely covered with abundant wheat.


    ¡°Hou, what a splendid wheat field. It looks even healthier than the wheat in my territory. Is there some kind of secret?¡±


    The Marquis appears to be keenly interested. Father stares at me, signaling to answer that question.


    ¡°Please allow me to answer that. If I have to choose an opinion, it would be caused by a peculiar fertilizer and the benefit of soybean.¡±


    ¡°What is this peculiar fertilizer?¡±


    ¡°In the corner of this field, there are piles of ck soil.¡±


    ¡°Dark soil... and how are they produced?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re made from scattering dungs of the livestocks. I believe that Milord also uses them.¡±


    ¡°That sounds about right. I do so.¡±


    In this era, the concept of making manure doesn¡¯t exist yet. Spreading the dungs of livestock is the limit of this level.


    ¡°However, there are various problems about that. Directly using the manure sometimes result in sick nts, so this method doesn¡¯t always have a good effect. Not only there aren¡¯t enough nutrition in the soil, it bes the breeding ground of the bugs and sickness.¡±


    ¡°Then would you say that you have found a method to solve this?¡±


    ¡°That is correct. I dig a deep hole to throw away the manures. I call it <i>koudame</i>. We¡¯ll create naturally high temperature condition like this, killing the bacteria and bugs, as well as releasing the hot gas that could kill the nts. We can add the nutrients that dungsck afterwards, mixing maples <i>momiji</i>) that are abundant in autumn, wheat¡¯s threshed husks, and crushed shells, then let it go through a fermentation process. After around a month, it will be that kind of ck soil. It is a fertilizer that will provide the nutrients necessary for the crops without actually harming them.¡±


    The marquis makes the ¡°hou¡± admiring sound.


    ¡°That is superb. Do you mind if I implement it in my territory?¡±


    ¡°Not at all. I will write down the detailed instructions. Additionally, please bring back a jute bag filled with about 10 kgs of the ck soil. There¡¯s an issue of soilpatibility. You may continue using it after testing with half of your field and receives a good result from the ck soil. I also did the same.¡±


    I suddenly bombard out everything new about the field, please pardon this rudeness. Agricultural failure is closely tied to the people¡¯s starvation. We need to be cautious.


    ¡°I ept your kind advice. However, is it truly alright, not to make this the trade secret of Arnold family?¡±


    ¡°For that matter, I think it¡¯s more wonderful if the whole country can be rich.¡±


    That is important for my dream. How could people who¡¯re still troubled over their meal of the day eat some sweets? If the food production increases, there are some margin for people to afford sweets. I want to turn this world into that kind of world. That¡¯s why, I write down this fertilizer in the report to my father and share them with everyone in this fief. However, this is put down as a childish joke and hasn¡¯t been implemented widely yet...


    ¡°You have nothing but benevolence. Now, you also mentioned the soybean?¡±


    ¡°Yes, by growing soybeans, the field soil¡¯s condition will be restored. By growing wheat and soybean in turns, not only the soil is enriched, the soybean also bes a staple food for the people.¡±


    ¡°I see. Let¡¯s do that as well. Now let¡¯s talk about the waterway that I¡¯ve never seen before right there.¡±


    ¡°About that...¡±


    I made a thorough exnation about the device I set up in this field. Before I was reincarnated, I took care of beekeeping and orchard in may parent¡¯s home back in Yamanashi, as well as doing part time job in the neighbor¡¯s farm, hence my knowledge about these things, the techniques passed down and advanced through thousands of years of agriculture in Japan. I make the best use of the parts I could use in the fief.


    ¡°Amazing, how amazing. I never thought that this kind of device existed. Honestly, Baron Arnold. Your son is amazing.¡±


    ¡°Ah no, he never shows it. However, he really has been doing his part well as Jorg¡¯s assistant.¡±


    ¡°Now that you mentioned it, the head of this territory is Jorg-kun, while Kurt-kun is helping to assist, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Yes. That is so.¡±


    ¡°Then I shall ask Jorg-kun, what is that farming tool? I¡¯ve never seen that shape before.¡±


    The tool that he points at is <i>senbakoki</i>, the grain thresher. Our threshing performance entirely depends on whether we have that tool or not.


    ¡°Eh, uh, that. That¡¯s just something my brother created on his own, so, I. Uh, don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Well then, why don¡¯t you let me know the name of ten vigers working in this fief?¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s. Actually. I just guide them, so to the extent of knowing every single name, is kind of..¡±


    ¡°....It seems that I¡¯ve asked a dull question. Baron Arnold, Kurt-kun, this has been an extremely valuable time. Thank you. Kurt-kun, I¡¯m sorry to impose on you, but let me know once you¡¯re done with the instructional transcription. However, it is unsightly that I¡¯m the only one profiting from this. Let me reward you as well.¡±


    Marquis Fernand turns at me and smiles.


    ¡°Baron Arnold. All that we¡¯ve seen today is devised by him. He¡¯s also the one doing the documentation. I believe you do not mind that I reward him personally?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely.¡±


    ¡°Well then, Kurt-kun. What do you wish for?¡±


    ¡°Well, if possible, female domestic chicken that willy eggs, with some of their male counterparts.¡±


    My mouth moves in an instant. After telling that, my face blushes. Since it¡¯s a reward, I blurted out the wish from the bottom of my heart without thinking twice. When making sweets, eggs are essential. However, chicken are so expensive that I can¡¯t buy them. I¡¯ve been thinking to buy a few number I can afford the next time I go out to the town, though.


    ¡°Hahahahahaha, honestly, you¡¯re far from being greedy. Isn¡¯t that fine? I¡¯ll present chicken to this vige.¡±


    The marquisughs until he¡¯s holding his stomach.


    ¡°Let¡¯s end today¡¯s inspection here. Baron Arnold, I¡¯ll have to impose on you in your mansion in the main vige for tonight. Tomorrow, I shall return to my fief. Before that, would you allow me to go hunting in your territory? Hunting is my hobby. My blood boils when I see a lush forest like this.¡±


    ¡°I have no qualms. However, there are beasts in this forest and it¡¯s easy to get lost here. It¡¯s important to bring someone well-acquainted.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not wrong. Then, Kurt-kun. May I rely on you to guide me around for hunting?¡±


    When the marquis said that, Jorg opened his mouth, ¡°Oh, no, please let this servant be your guide.¡±


    ¡°No, you¡¯re fine to stay.¡±


    ¡°Why is that? I am the next baron. I should be more suitable.¡±


    Jorg¡¯s voice held impatience. He believed that he was overwhelmingly close to be the next feudal lord.


    ¡°I said you were fine to stay. I could not entrust my life to you. I could tell with a nce that you don¡¯t know the next thing about the forest. That skin that never sees sunlight, thatnky figure. I¡¯m not that reckless to have such an amateur as my guide.¡±


    Jorg¡¯s voice disappears; he couldn¡¯t make any rebuttal. Jorg has taken a leisure stroll in the main vige before, but he never enters the forest. Jorg ps his mouth open and close, but eventually, he just keeps being silent.


    Sparing him a nce, I open my mouth.


    ¡°Then if Milord is fine with me, please do allow me to be your guide.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll entrust it to you. You seem like you know some good spots.¡±


    Me, the marquis, Falnor, and two guards for the marquis enter the forest. The marquis has prepared a stack of bows in advance inside the horse carriage.


    ¡°What can we find in the forest around this time?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the season for ducks and pheasants, I suppose.¡±


    ¡°I see. I¡¯m looking forward for today, then.¡± The marquisughs joyfully.


    ¡°Oh, also, Kurt-kun, there¡¯s something I actually want to confirm... The vige introduced to us today was said to be Jorg¡¯s work but isn¡¯t it actually your doing?¡± the marquis said with a smile on his face.

 Volume 1 - 10

    <h4>Chapter 10: The Kind Man¡¯s Unnecessary Concern</h4>


    Suddenly, Marquis Fernand saw through Father¡¯s lies.


    ¡°What would you possibly be saying?¡±


    ¡°My eyes aren¡¯t blind, you know?¡± His tone is confident.


    ¡°That vige, in Jorg¡¯s vige, I¡¯m merely helping as his assistant.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m tired of hearing that lie. It¡¯s obvious for anyone who has eyes. The eyes of vigers there follow your figure; none of them are looking at Jorg. Also, your replies to my questions are on point, with the passionate character from the sweat shed by oneself. I will say this one more time, my eyes aren¡¯t blind. Just by looking, it¡¯s apparent whose vige it is.¡±


    I lift both my hands in surrender. ¡°I lost. Indeed, I built that vige. It finally took shape after three years of blood and sweat.¡±


    If Father found out about this, I would get a severe scolding. However, it couldn¡¯t be helped. It¡¯s Jorg¡¯s fault for not being able to give decent replies.


    ¡°I¡¯m d I rified this matter. Could it be that Baron Arnold usually snatches your merits to secure Jorg¡¯s candidacy by design?¡±


    My heart thumps unpleasantly. That emotion is anger. Anger from snatching my dream.


    ¡°As amazing as ever, Marquis Fernand. Nothing escapes you to that extent.¡±


    The marquis chuckles as I speak.


    ¡°I see. As I expected of you as well; can¡¯t you read his hidden true feelings?¡±


    ¡°His hidden true feelings?¡±


    Is this about what could my father possibly feel as he trampled upon my feelings?


    ¡°I feel bad for Baron Arnold, but let me tell you a secret. Baron Arnold isn¡¯t a man of that small caliber. His thoughts lie elsewhere. Therefore, I did not rebuke his false reports before.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s that possible...?¡±


    It was just that when I heard my ownership of my vige got absurdly confiscated and passed on to Jorg, I didn¡¯t think beyond that, or even imagined what could possibly be the reason.


    ¡°Do you like this vige? Even if you can¡¯t be the feudal lord, do you think you could continue living on as the head of this vige?¡±


    ¡°It is as you said.¡±


    I wanted to make my dreame true while spending time in this vige. That¡¯s because of the attachment I felt towards this vige that I built with Tina, the bond that I have with people living here, conquering the world by Western confectionery with Japanese taste made by utilizing the knowledge I honey and fruits from my Yamanashi family¡¯s orchard, the ultimate sweets from the best ingredients I could make with my own hands. That strong aspiration is the reason why I like growing various things while imagining the perfected form of the sweets.


    ¡°That¡¯s precisely why. Because you¡¯re clinging to this vige, your father took this away from you using the most usible excuse.¡±


    ¡°Why would he make that kind of cruel move!?¡±


    If it¡¯s for the sake of profit, I could understand. But to think that he would take away the vige only to aggravate me. How could I possibly forgive that?


    ¡°I actually receive a request from Baron Arnold. It¡¯s a plead to employ you after the selection ceremony is over.¡±


    ¡°Wha-!?¡±


    This is the first time I heard something like that.


    ¡°Baron Arnold said something like he really wanted to let you seed the Arnold family, but you don¡¯t have the essential point: a talent in spear. However, it¡¯s too regretful to let you settle down as a small vige head in the fief of Arnold barony. He spoke so heatedly about how your talent would help myself attain greatness.¡±


    ¡°For that to be the reason he takes away the vige I¡¯m attached to...¡±


    Father has always been thinking with good intention. ording to his thoughts, by taking away the vige, once the marquis extends the invitation, there¡¯s no way I¡¯d refuse that. On the other hand, as long as I continue to stay in this vige, I would definitely disagree to that offer.


    ¡°I certainly regard you really highly. I noticed your countless knowledge and intelligence from your manuscript works. I also understand your practical ability by looking at this vige. And then, I could grasp how popr you are from the way the vigers look at you. I truly wish to employ you. Just leave it to me to find you an important position.¡±


    Everything is connected now. I dare to say that my father¡¯s moves are all done for my sake, thinking how Marquis Fernand would see through the lies spoken in today¡¯s inspection. The inspection itself actually serves as the my job interview for the marquis. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t let me be alone with Marquis Fernand, because there¡¯s a great danger of exposing all of his lies.


    To let the marquis see my abilities, he rises Jorg¡¯s arrogance. Most likely, if I go to the marquis¡¯ ce, my future would be a rose-colored life... But even so.


    ¡°Marquis Fernand. Please allow me to refuse this talk.¡±


    ¡°Hou, may I hear the reason?¡±


    ¡°I have no intention to give up on the feudal lord¡¯s seat.¡±


    ¡°Hm, you say that resolutely. However, even if you be the feudal lord, I believe that your future will be brighter if youe to my base rather than staying in this remote area.¡±


    ¡°I understand that perfecly. Even so, I have a dream. That dream can¡¯t be fulfilled unless I am here.¡±


    ¡°One that has more value than my offer?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s my lifelong dream. If you don¡¯t mind, I will escort you to see my dream.¡±


    Then, I take the marquis and Falnor along to see the raspberry flower field that Tina and I created.


    ¡°This is such a well done flower garden.¡±


    ¡°Was this garden created by Kurt-sama?¡±


    White raspberry flowers are blooming everywhere in the field. The loveliness of such natural blooms shows the glittering lives that moves the heart of the two people who are used to see various gorgeous flowers.


    ¡°Yes, I made this garden together with a girl named Tina. There are wooden boxes on the corner where beesing in and out. They are man-made bee hives, a device to extract honey without crushing the nest.¡±


    ¡°Hou, in other words, no matter how many times the bees umte honey, this allows you to harvest that honey?¡±


    ¡°Yes, right now 10 boxes are my limit to care after, but since we have a great harvest this year, I can add more people next year, working with around 50 boxes. From each beehive, I can take up to 40 liters of honey per year, making it a ludicrous industry.¡±


    In this era, honey is extremely valuable. There are many viges whose livelihood are beekeeping, yet because they have to crush the nest to squeeze out the honey every time, their performances are poor. Moreover, that method takes up a great time. In conclusion, the price is really high. But on my side, we can produce them cheaply in great quantity.


    ¡°So this is your dream, to operate upstartrge-scale honey production?¡±


    ¡°That is incorrect. Keeping the bees is merely the way to achieve it.¡±


    Then I open the basket that Tina handed over to me, taking the cookies made from honey, and hand over those cookies to Falnor and the marquis. I¡¯m really grateful that Tina packed up the cookies as well. That girl really is my goddess of fortune.


    ¡°My dream is to be the world¡¯s best pastry chef. Since I couldn¡¯t go anywhere without the ingredients, I made the honey. Because selling processed products will bring more profit than selling them raw, I want to sell the cookies I just gave to you as this vige¡¯s special product. I¡¯ll buy fruit tree seedlings with that money and build orchards. Furthermore, I¡¯ll add the types and quantities of the sweets, then use them as my capital funds to start trading to procure rare ingredients, and eventually I¡¯ll use those with my own vige¡¯s raw products to create the ultimate pastry. ...That is my dream.¡±


    A far and distant dream. But I don¡¯t believe it¡¯s impossible. I¡¯m properly looking at the path.


    ¡°How to call it, a tale of dream. For the sake of that kind of thing, you cast away a future that will certainly bring you a rose-colored life. The tale of your dream, is a sweet dreamrger than the sweets themselves.¡±


    ¡°Please decide if I can fulfill that dream or not after you take a bite of that cookie. It¡¯s a cookie made from plenty of honey harvested from here. That cookie is my resolution, the first step towards that dream.¡±


    ¡°This tiny piece of cookie... A mere in looking thin piece contains your everything. Interesting, let¡¯s try it.¡±


    Marquis Fernand and Falnor both take a bite. I hear the small pleasant sound of chewing from them. Both of them are used to eating luxurious gaudy-looking sweets. If I could make them understand, I would finally see the feasibility of my dream.


    ¡°This is... To have a taste like this, in this small vige. Compared to this, all of the sweets that I¡¯ve tasted are no different than lumps of sugar.¡±


    ¡°This pleasant sweetness, dreamy chewiness, with no cloying, it disappears all of a sudden. Aaah! Why is there only one piece!?¡±


    Exactly because of its simplicity that it could show the amazingness of honey as the raw material, as well as the superb aftertaste due to the meticulous attention without anypromise when baking that one piece of cookie.


    ¡°Huff... I lost. I could already see the path of your dream with this cookie. Even if you don¡¯te to my ce, you could do it. But if you¡¯re like this, this vige will still be taken away from you, you know?¡±


    ¡°It is all right. I will win. I¡¯ll show you that I¡¯ll be the feudal lord.¡±


    ¡°Hou, so confident. Did anything happen?¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have asked for chicken as my reward earlier, otherwise. There¡¯ll be no meaning if I get expelled from this vige.¡±


    ¡°That is true.¡±


    Listening to my response, Marquis Fernand shows a wry smile. I believe that I¡¯ll win the selection ceremony. Truthfully, in today¡¯s inspection, I finally thought of a way to gain more abilities in a short time; a secret n to finish learning ability with my S-rank aptitude that should¡¯ve taken 2 months in one week, no, in one day.


    ¡°But what a pity. I can¡¯t help but to think of how I¡¯ve missed to gain a skillful subordinate... Besides, if I had known that you could make sweets so wonderful, how could I possibly let you go?¡±


    As I heard those words, Marquis Fernand, Falnor, and I allughed out loud together.


    ¡°If you like it so much, I¡¯ll pack more cookies along with the earlier document. I¡¯m grateful that you let me know about my father¡¯s thoughts. Well, even so, my father¡¯s worry is an unnecessary concern to me. I will cut open my path in life by myself.¡±


    Thanks to Marquis Fernand, I can feel at ease without feeling any resentment towards my father. I¡¯m really thankful for that.


    ¡°Wow, we can bring Kurt-sama¡¯s sweets as a souvenir!? How wonderful.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I will make them for you earnestly.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m happy too. Obviously a piece is far from enough. If it¡¯s this wonderful cookie... That¡¯s right, we have to send a gift to the Duchess soon. She¡¯s such a gourmet, so it¡¯ll probably be great if we can send her your cookies. Precisely because she¡¯s really used to extravagance, this simplicity will resound in her heart. Let¡¯s send them garnished with her favorite roses.¡±


    I hesitate a bit. These cookies are indeed delicious. But to send them to a ducal house...


    ¡°I will do so. However, If I¡¯m going to send something to the Duchess, won¡¯t it be good to send better cookies? Using the honey and wheat from this vige, then unsalted butter made from cows milk, and almonds. And because of how she favors the roses, I need the rose petals, and also rum. If I have these, I¡¯ll show you the very best cookies I could make.¡±


    ¡°If you have something that could surpass these, then after the selection ceremony, bring yourself to my manor. I¡¯ll collect the ingredients in that ce, so would you cook there?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll dly do so.¡±


    Buying the marquis¡¯ favor will definitely be a plus point if I think about what would happen afterwards. For that sake, I have to be the feudal lord first. My mind stiffens from that thought.


    ¡°Right, about the chickens. I¡¯ll bring them here when I return to witness the ceremony. Until then, prepare something that can be used as chicken shed.¡±


    ¡°That fast? That¡¯s great news.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just another reason. I wish to eat more of your sweets, it doesn¡¯t seem like I could hold back until you bring yourself to my manor. When Ie back here, I¡¯ll bring chickens and chicken eggs, so would you make more sweets for me using the eggs at that time?¡±


    I think about the recipe. Sweets that will disy the deliciousness (<i>umami</i>) of the egg. .....It has to be that, isn¡¯t it?


    ¡°Then I have a request. Would you be able to prepare up to 50 eggs?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s possible, but what are you going to do with those?¡±


    ¡°To celebrate the new feudal lord, the Baron house of Arnold will hold a festival. I¡¯m thinking to treat all 200 attendants with some sweets. Then I¡¯m going to need 50 eggs.¡±


    ¡°...You. Really, you¡¯re interesting. Then, I have to arrive as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to hurry. There¡¯s two hours from the end of the ceremony to the start of the festival. If I have that, I can handle 200 people¡¯s portion.¡±


    I smile, and this time, it¡¯s Marquis Fernand¡¯s turn tough out loud.

 Volume 1 - 11

    <h4>Chapter 11: Kurt¡¯s Magic and Special Training¡¯s Preparation</h4>


    I see the departure of Marquis Fernand and his daughter, Falnor, before getting on my way back. They are returning by the carriage pulled by their valet to the main vige where my father and brother are. Marquis Fernand invited me to go back to the main vige with them and have a dinner together, but I politely refused. This is my choice. I won¡¯t see my father or brother until the selection ceremony.


    Besides, I don¡¯t have much time. It¡¯s essential to gain an ability within the short remaining time. I go back to my house, determined to deliberately reflect on a method to train starting tomorrow and how to make the preparation.


    From the morning, I head over to the remation site with Tina, because I have something I must tell the vigers. As Tina and I arrives at the site, the workers greets me one after another. I return their greetings then ask them to gather before me.


    ¡°Everyone, I apologize. I have something important to tell you.¡±


    My words cause quite a stir around me.


    ¡°I think there are those among you who already knows. Five days from now, I will have a duel with my younger brother Jorg in the selection ceremony. Whoever wins will be the next feudal lord, but if I lose, they promised me that I could still stay in this vige.¡±


    The vigers look relieved. It must be the relief from knowing that I won¡¯t leave this vige even if I lose, isn¡¯t it?


    ¡°However... That promise is overruled. If I were to lose, I have to return to the main vige and leave this vige¡¯s management in Jorg¡¯s hand.¡±


    Every viger¡¯s face turns sour in one breath.


    ¡°No way, that good-for-nothing?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t heard anything good about him. Even his blood rtives arementing his idiocy, you know?¡±


    ¡°I heard once that he squeezed out his brother¡¯s talent.¡±


    I can hear the noises everywhere. The people in this vige originallyes from other viges; they obviously have heard the rumors about Jorg. He has a bad reputation from doing anything he wants using his parents¡¯ influence.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hand over this vige to him. I want to avoid any misfortune befalling everyone of you, because I really love this vige. For that sake, until the selection ceremony, I wish for the time to devote myself on the preparation. I wish to do the special training for the duel in the remaining time.¡±


    I bow.


    ¡°If I¡¯m not here, you naturally will need to deal with any problems as well as wounded people, but I truly won¡¯t be able to work on the remation for a short while. I apologize for burdening you guys, but no matter what, I want to win.¡±


    My surroundings be silent. Then, someone open his mouth, ¡°Please raise your head, Young Master. How could we not be okay with that?¡±


    ¡°Hear, hear. We¡¯ve been spoiled too much by Young Master.¡±


    ¡°A week is nothing. We can do something about it by ourselves.¡±


    ¡°Actually, if Kurt-sama doesn¡¯t win because you don¡¯t do it, let alone a week, we won¡¯t be able to meet your eyes for our lifetime.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s absolutely true.¡±


    The vigers allugh at the same time.


    ¡°Kurt-sama, please don¡¯t mind about the matter here. We¡¯ve been doing this with Kurt-sama, we¡¯ve learned many things from you. We can do with ourselves. That¡¯s why, do the special training or anything with all your power. In exchange, please win it for us too.¡±


    Heat wells up inside my chest. ¡°Forgive me. Thank you,¡± I answer shortly with constricted voice.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to say it, but Kurt-sama, you won¡¯t leave this vige even after you be the feudal lord, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a given, because I¡¯m going to make this an even better vige.¡±


    Then, I stand up and leave the spot. If I sit idle longer here, I¡¯m going to show them my embarrassing figure. For my sake as well as theirs, I must win.


    Returning to home, I¡¯m standing in the kitchen.


    ¡°Kurt-sama, which special training are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°Cooking.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Tina stares at me, looking dumbfounded. Well, I understand why she would.


    ¡°If I practice cooking, I¡¯ll be stronger. It¡¯s a method that can only be done by me. There is a special training that cannot be done without overwhelming talent and advanced food preparation technique, you know?¡±


    ¡°Talent and food preparation technique, you say?¡±


    ¡°I obtained Magic, and it gave me the knowledge about the mechanism of the world. Thanks to that, I realized what would be the ultimate method for special training.¡±


    My all seeing eyes taught me about the mechanism of proficiency. There¡¯s a hole in that mechanism by that will improve the proficiency in a thoroughly efficient way. That is cooking.


    When Tina heard the word Magic, her ears standing up and her eyes sparkling. ¡°Amazing! Magic? What kind of Magic is it?¡±


    Her surprise is understandable. A person who can use mana will only appear in every 1,000 people to begin with. And people who can the power that is the very essence of themselves called Magic only appears one in every one hundred people. In other words, one in a 100,000 people. Obtaining magic means being lucky.... but there¡¯s also the scary part.


    ¡°I¡¯ll say this beforehand: Don¡¯t ever spill it to others. You¡¯re the only one I can tell.¡±


    ¡°Only me... Only for me...¡±


    Tina grabs her hand while being dazed. Working a lot of waters, those hands are ruined and chapped. It¡¯s the hands of hardworkers.


    ¡°Tina, do your hands hurt?¡±


    ¡°It does hurt a little, but I can tune it offpletely, so please don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s heal it. I¡¯m able to do that, because my power is recovery magic.¡±


    Boosting mana, using Recovery. In an instant, Tina¡¯s whole body appears in in my mind.


    ¡°Amazing! My hands are pretty! I¡¯m so happy! It was actually really tough,¡± Tina speaks in overjoyed voice, looking at her smooth hands. As a girl, she seems happier to have them pretty again even when her wounds are all gone.


    ¡°Tina, do you feel any change besides from that?¡±


    ¡°Change? Now that you said it, somehow, I can feel something warm overflowing inside me. What is this, it¡¯s the first time I feel this kind of sensation.¡±


    Looking bewildered, she hugs her body. I understood everything. Tina¡¯s mana has awakened.


    When I used Recovery, I knew about her. Only one in a thousand people could use mana was a misconception. The truth is, anyone can handle mana. However, people who are born with the organ healthy enough to bring forth mana are only one in a hundred.


    In other words, if I cast Recovery, anyone can have their mana-generating organ be healed, enabling that person to use mana thereafter.


    I gulp.


    People who uses mana are precious. Alone, they can work more than a few soldiers¡¯ worth. The ability to create as many soldiers as I wish? This is too dangerous.


    And it¡¯s not only that. My recovery can heal practically any wounds or sickness as long as my target is alive. I can even ¡°heal¡± aging. I can make an army corps who will never age. That¡¯s my Recovery. If anyone finds out about it, it¡¯ll be more than just troublesome.


    ¡°Oh no, something, it¡¯ll overflow.¡± Tina¡¯s newly awakened mana is toying with her. Softly, I put my hand against her back and suppress her mana. Next, I¡¯ll have to teach her how to use it.


    ¡°Tina, listen to me carefully. That power is mana. The mana inside you has awakened.¡±


    ¡°My mana...¡±


    ¡°Yes, now concentrate on my hand on your back.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s strange, I can feel Kurt-sama¡¯s warmth flowing into my body.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a good feeling. Now, turn your consciousness to my warmth inside you.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I can feel Kurt-sama inside me.¡±


    ¡°Then, try to follow along with my power by yourself, using that something strange inside you.¡±


    ¡°Chasing after Kurt-sama¡¯s heat. This, it feels good.¡±


    Inside Tina, her mana cirction has begun. Tina has used the mana controlling principle. I remove my hand. It should be all right now.


    ¡°Congrattions, Tina. You can properly control your mana now.¡±


    ¡°This kind of... Being able to use mana by myself this easily... Is this because of Kurt-sama¡¯s Magic?¡± After Tina looks at her hands strangely, she asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, though it¡¯s just by chance. Originally, everyone is born with mana. But many people have their organ damaged, the one that will bring it forth. When I used Recovery on Tina, I healed it along with your hands.¡±


    ¡°Is that so.... But I¡¯m happy! With this, I can be even more useful to Kurt-sama! I can bring heavier stuffs and protect Kurt-sama!¡±


    I grasp her fists tightly, causing her ears to stand up rigid. ¡°I¡¯m happy with your feelings. But still, if someone finds out that anyone can use mana, I¡¯ll be in a great danger, even get killed as the worst consequence. So, this is just our secret.¡±


    ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll definitely keep it as a secret.¡±


    Tina bows with stern face. I¡¯m d Tina was the first one I used this Recovery to. This could cause countless troubles to the target.


    We probably could keep this our secret. To some extent, there are many people who have their mana awakened for the first time after some years. And I¡¯m not worried that she will telltale others about me being the one who awakens her mana.


    ¡°Now, then, that¡¯s a little detour, but I should start now. The special training.¡±


    Putting a cabbage on the cutting board and cutting it with a knife, I feel fired up.

 Volume 1 - 12

    <h4>Chapter 12: The Cabbage, The Sword, and Special Training</h4>


    ¡°Tina, right now I¡¯m going to show you my serious effort.¡±


    My voice reverberates in the kitchen. There¡¯s a knife in my hand, and a cabbage on the cutting board.


    Obtaining an ability requires an improvement in proficiency. Then, what is a proficiency? It is the amount of experience of conducting an action rted to an ability.


    My aptitude is sword-aptitude and magic-aptitude. These two are have S ranks and, following closely, are archery, cooking, and cksmith with A ranks. Other than those are nothing important, there are some Bs but the rest are below C. Ifpared to an ordinary person who¡¯ll have the the capacities below D with 1-2 C, I must have been really blessed.


    I was surprised to have a Cooking Ability as well, with Cooking Ability II on top of that.


    A Cooking Ability doesn¡¯t mean any food I make will taste delicious unconditionally. It¡¯s just the ability to correct the nimbleness of my fingers and to see through the condition and vor of the ingredients. It¡¯s only an assistance to prepare the food at most, but I¡¯m happy with it. I won¡¯t be happy if it¡¯s a Skill that¡¯ll change the taste of my food unnaturally.


    ¡°Right now, I¡¯m going to master the swords, because I can¡¯t win against Jorg with spear.¡±


    ¡°Swords?¡±


    I¡¯m tempering myself thoroughly by using a highly versatile Sword Ability. Being able to use sword skills is useful in many things.


    ¡°Um, excuse me, Kurt-sama, you¡¯re going to temper yourself in swords right now, right?¡±


    ¡°Naturally.¡±


    As I say that, Tina stares at the knife I¡¯m holding and tilts her neck.


    A sword proficiency requires using a sword. Then, with my all-seeing eyes as the side effect of my Recovery Magic, I saw the slim chance.


    Supposedly, when someone equips something he thinks of as a sword, the width of his proficiency improvement towards the cutting target will change. That proficiency improvement is caused by the urrence of an action with stronger emotion than the standard. That emotional strength will be the positive correction.


    For example, even if I practice swinging while holding a wooden sword (<i>bokutou</i>), if I think of it as a wooden stick rather than a de, I won¡¯t improve as a whole. Cutting something will also overwhelmingly increase my proficiency improvement width, more than swinging practice. On top of it, if I cut something organic, my improvement width will increase almost twicepared to cutting inorganic matter, without actually decreasing the emotional strength. It even results in raising the emotional value.


    ¡°Tina, for the sake of getting stronger in swords, the promptest method is to cross real swords.¡±


    Crossing swords in a fight with real weapons is the most suitable method to improve the proficiency. If I use a real sword, I will have thatpulsory awareness towards the sword. I undoubtedly has to practice with an organic matter to move beyond shing. Moreover, the knowledge that I¡¯m taking a life willrgely move my emotion.


    ¡°But, Kurt-sama, you¡¯re currently in the kitchen, holding a kitchen knife, you know? Can you do the real sword fight with that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the case of doing frontal attack in a true crossing swords. In my case, real swords fight is impossible, hence this other method.¡±


    ¡°The other method? By not using swords?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m using the sword properly, though? To a cook, the knife is sword and the pot is shield.¡±


    I regard the knife in my hand as a sword. The all-seeing eyes made me realize that I firmly recognize the knife as sword. I also have a reason why I chose cabbage.


    ¡°Look at my sword dance. Haaaaaaaaaaaaaa!¡± <i>S</i>mall, pleasant sound of chopping against the cutting board keeps resounding.


    In my previous world, I was working as a patissier in a high ss restaurant, being responsible for the desserts that worked as the finishing touch of the course.


    The restaurant I worked at regarded the desserts as the most important thing. A patissier is responsible for the dessert that came out at the end of the course, the number one thing that would leave impression to the customers. Bing that kind of patissier means I had to be the most skillful one in the restaurant. Also, if I didn¡¯t understand the restaurant¡¯s dish, I wouldn¡¯t be able to make the ultimate marriage of the dish and the dessert. Therefore, the patissier had to be able to cook all the restaurant¡¯s dish to perfection. That¡¯s the reason why I mastered cooking dishes other than sweets as well.


    Being reincarnated doesn¡¯t change my skill. I carved the movement etched into my soul to this body, again and again.


    ¡°Amazing, Kurt-sama, you¡¯re so fast. I can¡¯t even see the knife.¡± Tina¡¯s eyes bes round.


    I wield the knife to sh three times a second, finely chopping the cabbage. On top of that, with my Cooking Ability, my movement bes really precise to the point that I can elerate to sh five times a second if I try.


    ¡°This is my power.¡±


    Let¡¯s review the proficient system. I will be more proficient from cutting something than practice swinging. Additionally, using organic target will make the efficacy skyrocket.


    I repeat the five-sh-per-second speed from this overwhelmingly efficient organic cutting. In other words, I sh 100 times in 20 seconds, 18,000 times in an hour. I can continue doing this for two hours, or 36,000 times.


    I can usually do sword swinging practice only 100 times a day more or less. The tenfold efficiency from cutting an organic matter that results in 36,000 swings means that in just a day, I¡¯ve rivaled a year disciplined training of an ordinary person.


    That¡¯s not even counting my S-rank sword aptitude. Moreover, with the one-rank boost from The Fool¡¯s Desire, I¡¯ve surpassed the S-rank. I obviously will gain some Abilities.


    Furthermore, I have Recovery magic. When I feel tired, I should just use Recovery. I can repeat this one-year worth of intense training set again and again.


    ¡°Uhm, Kurt-sama, this is amazing. Really amazing, but can you get stronger from this?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely. Even now, I can feel I¡¯m rapidly growing my swords skills, but...¡±


    ¡°But?¡±


    ¡°The emotional value isn¡¯t enough. There¡¯s no passion.¡±


    ¡°Well, you <i>did</i> cut through cabbages and just cabbages...¡±


    A problem urred. With theck of emotional value, I¡¯m swinging back and forth in the line between improving my proficiency and not. I can¡¯t prevent this efficiency decrement. I have to do something about it.


    Thinking about it calmly, if this method can get you stronger, all of the cooks and housewives will be proficient in swords. If they don¡¯t, maybe they don¡¯t think of the knife as sword, or the housewives¡¯ proficiency from low emotional value won¡¯t push them past the line.


    It¡¯s important to push out the boiling passionate emotion when finely chopping the cabbage. I thought of a way.


    ¡°DIE, YOU CABBAGEEEEEEEEE!!¡±


    I load my killing intent to the cabbage finely chopping action. I don¡¯t finely chop the cabbage, I kill it. I finely chop them with that awareness.


    ¡°Ku- Kurt-sama?¡±


    Tina looks at me with baffled, frightened look. It¡¯s the first time I saw this face on her.


    ¡°As I thought, this is no good, huh?¡±


    The emotional value more or less increases, but I can¡¯t sustain the killing intent. I¡¯m a cook to begin with. There¡¯s a resistance towards thinking of pointing my killing intent to the ingredients.


    Think, I have to think.


    That¡¯s right, if I have a strong emotion, I can apply it to anything. What I turn towards the food shouldn¡¯t be killing intent, but love, right?


    I¡¯m making food for the sake of the people who will eat them. I turn my face towards Tina¡¯s smile. The emotional value increases. I¡¯m cooking the most delicious meal for her sake. There¡¯s no way my spirit won¡¯t raise from that.


    ...However, the emotional value is still not enough. I¡¯ve reached the line of passing the proficiency, but it¡¯s still far from having that positive correction. The idea of raising my killing intent like before is not good, but the way I turn up my voice is good. Let¡¯s raise the voice full of love.


    ¡°Be delicious (<i>oishiku nare</i>)! Be delicious!¡± Yup, by raising my voice, the emotional value also increases.


    For Tina¡¯s sake. Bring even more love, more affection. The heightened emotion helps in proficiency climbing.


    ¡°Ah, uhm, Kurt-sama. Can you hear me? Kurt-sama? The Kurt-sama today is really weird...¡±


    ¡°Be delicious! Be delicious!¡± Let¡¯s wield the knife while wholeheartedly letting my voice out! Tina said something beside me, but I¡¯m so full of concentration that I can¡¯t hear her.


    But I stillck one step. A step to reach the highest efficacy. Work it up! My love for Tina isn¡¯t just this level!


    Ah, is that it? I can¡¯t only show a smile. An obscure emotion is no good. I must rify my feelings properly. With that I could form the shape of my feeling for the first time.


    Tina, what do I think about you?


    ¡°Be delicious! Be delicious!¡±


    Her sweet face and figure, somewhere well-proportioned, her gentle and kind face, her fluffy tail, her beautiful pointy rigid kitsune ears; I really like her outward appearance.


    She pretends to be tough, acts like an adult, but sometimes acts really spoiled. Her on the inside is also precious to me.


    She loves me, supports me more than anyone else. Tina never ceases to show me her best smile; I¡¯m saved by this gesture of hers.


    That¡¯s right. Because she¡¯s that kind of girl, I love Tina with all my heart!


    ¡°Be delicious! Be delicious!¡±


    Swelling up to the limit with all about her in my mind, my emotional value finally arrive at its upper limit. The optimal efficacy. Death match with real swords; with the passionate emotion that surpass this stage, I finely cut the cabbage.


    ¡°Be delicious! Be delicious!¡±


    After two hours, finally I reach the point of being unable to move my arms. This is my limit. Sweat spurts out all over me. It¡¯s the best two hours with the highest density. I quickly perform the Recovery magic to myself. Let¡¯s do another set.


    ¡°Now then, with this kind of... Tina?¡±


    I promptly fix my eyes on Tina beside me. She looks at me, somehow covering his mouth with both hands, with tears overflowing from her eyes.


    ¡°Kurt-sama, your mind has finally broken..... Forgive me. I never realized it before it came to this. ....Someday, I will return you to normal, I¡¯ll always be with you and protect you. That¡¯s why, you don¡¯t have anything to worry about, Kurt-sama.¡±


    What on earth is she saying? She said that as if I¡¯ve be crippled.


    Even though I just want to firmly obtain swords ability with this special training. .....I¡¯ve obtained the Sword Ability I from these past two hours.


    The power of love is truly great.


    But, there¡¯s still one problem. What should we do with this mountain of cabbage?


    ....I thought of a good solution. Afterpleting the first phase of special training, let¡¯s provide the food to the remation workers. I¡¯ll use these cabbages and make the best afternoon snack.


    I¡¯m itching to put my skill on use. Everyone will definitely be happy.

 Volume 1 - 13

    <h4>Chapter 13: Commoner¡¯s Snack</h4>


    My sword training first began three days ago. My skill has exceeded Sword Ability II.


    Commonly speaking, a genius one will need several years of intensive training to reach the first limit. The Ability will go from I to II, II to III, increasing the number. The important proficiency will exponentially increase.


    However, I have an overwhelming talent and a [The Fool¡¯s Desire] Skill which I obtained from ten years of relentless training. Through a secret n involving my cooking ability and my love towards Tina, that bes a possibility.


    .....Still, it pains my heart that Tina hase to think of me as running as an entric. Persuading her is tough.


    ¡°Kurt-sama, what should we do with this cabbage mountain?¡± Tina asks while preparing the water inside the pot, then put the scraps of beef jerky inside for today¡¯s lunch. The beef jerky will be a delicious stock.


    ¡°I¡¯m thinking about it.¡±


    In order to save the cabbages, Tina peel them one leaf at a time, but they still be fine chops. Albeit so, the cabbage still piles up to another mountain.


    By the way, I have a reason to keep using the cabbages like this. In the neighboring vige, they grow cabbages but the harvest this year is abnormally great. If I let them rot, they¡¯re just going to be fertilizer.


    Due to that situation, they can only be bartered for a low amount of wheatpared tost year. I bought them in massive quantity, nning to distribute them to the vigers.


    ¡°We¡¯ll distribute cabbage snacks for the workers. I¡¯ve gained insights from spending these past three days on a special training to beat Jorg. I can just show up and deliver them myself.¡±


    There¡¯s no point to merely deliver the cabbages, so I prepared a recipe to teach the delicious way of eating them. I¡¯m practicing that recipe today.


    ¡°I¡¯m d. I think everyone will rejoice upon finally seeing Kurt-sama again.¡± Tina smiles while adding more firewood to the hearth. As she does, the fire res up instantly. Tina¡¯s fluffy tail furs bristles up.


    ¡°<i>Kyaa</i>, what¡¯s this? It suddenly res.¡±


    When I look at Tina, I can tell that mana has poured from Tina into the hearth. ¡°Tina, calm down and take a deep breath. I¡¯ve taught you how to use mana earlier. Look at the fire closely, you¡¯re connected to it with mana.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I understand. It¡¯s true, I was thinking to re the fire.¡±


    ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be like this normally. Tina¡¯s attribute is Fire. When you¡¯re carrying mana, you can awaken your magic attribute as you get in touch with a suitable one. Tina has awakened today, congrattions.¡±


    ¡°Wow, really?! It seems to be handy in handling fire!¡± Tina, while saying that, uses her mana at the hearth to turn up and diminish the fire. It¡¯s a wonderfully convenient power.


    ¡°You are strong. You should be able to cook something even without firewood.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll try it... Ah, it¡¯s a sess. Kurt-sama, I can prepare a warm meal even without chopping woods!¡± Tina swings her tail happily with sparkles in her eyes.


    Wood chopping is a hardbor and makes scrubbing the stone hearth troublesome. It¡¯s wonderful that we can settle that problem with mana.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s splendid. But I¡¯m jealous.¡±


    ¡°Jealous?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I have the Earth attribute, but I haven¡¯t awakened my attribute magic yet.¡±


    With my all-seeing eyes, I know that I have earth attribute. However, there¡¯s no indication at all that my attribute magic will awaken, even though I work on the fields everyday. ...I have a mixed feeling. Somewhere, I have to find a ce where I¡¯m even more in tune with the earth.


    ¡°Kurt-sama will definitely be fine! It¡¯ll awaken someday.¡±


    ¡°I hope so. I think it¡¯ll be necessary sooner orter. Tina, that soup we prepare for lunch. Can you use your mana so we can deliver them today? We should eat them there too.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind at all. I¡¯m looking forward to Kurt-sama¡¯s meal.¡±


    And so we head over to the reimednd, bringing the mountain of chopped cabbage.


    We arrive at the reimednd. I carry an enormous stone te on my back and a pot filled generously with soup by hand, while Tina brings the basket with all of those cabbages.


    I thought of a way to use all of those cabbages; it¡¯s a simple meal made from small amount of wheat, cabbage, and stock. However, there¡¯s a special mention for that effect.


    ¡°Everyone, how are you?!¡± I greet those bunch of workers.


    Salt, the leader of the remation workers, opened his mouth, ¡°Hey, Young Master. You¡¯vee here.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve taken a rest on my special training, so Ie with provisions to see if there¡¯s any problem arise.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing right now. Oh, still, we¡¯re happy that youe around.¡±


    ¡°I see, it¡¯s good then. I¡¯m going to prepare something here. When it¡¯s time for to rest, can you call everyone here?¡±


    ¡°Understood, I¡¯ll do so.¡±


    Then Salt returns to his fellow workers¡¯ ce. I started preparing the provisions for everyone. Piling up the stones, I created a table and ced the stone te on top of it.


    In order to make it perfectly horizontal, I adjust it carefully. Though I say that, there¡¯s no stones with decent size so I cut them cleanly with a stone knife. With my Sword Ability II, it¡¯s easy to do something like that.


    ¡°Tina, please heat up this stone te.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Kurt-sama.¡±


    Tina intensely heats the stone with her fire attribute magic. What I¡¯m making is pastry. Though I said so, it goes to the category of cheap sweets (<i>dagashi</i>), <i>monjayaki</i>.


    ¡°Young Master, I¡¯ve gathered everyone.¡±


    ¡°Okay, then let¡¯s start.¡±


    First, I pour Tina¡¯s soup into a wooden bowl... In a stock made from the leftover meat scraps from the previous meat jerky, I adjust the taste by salt. After that, I add wheat flour and cabbage. Then I added the sauce.


    The sauce is a concentration made from the cabbages that gets chopped too fine and turn into paste, with meat juice and vegetable scrapes in the suitable amount added into it, then tasted with vinegar, honey, and salt.


    Since it¡¯s <i>monjayaki</i>, the batter is runny. That batter is first poured into the heated stone te in small amount.


    I hear the pleasant sizzling sound, the savoriness (<i>umami</i>) of the meates from the evaporated soup and sauce, exuding the smell that invites our appetite.


    The vigers make gulping sound. When the fire passes to a certain level, I make a hollow circle with wooden spat, forming a wall of batter. I pour even more batter than earlier to the hollow center. The watery batter should have been oozing everywhere, but thanks to the wall, I could keep the batter on spot.


    The batter bes semi-transparent. There¡¯s a lot of people here; since there¡¯s no need to flip it over, unlike okonomiyaki, I could cook something really, really big on the huge te in one try.


    ¡°I¡¯ve finished cooking. It¡¯s called <i>monjayaki</i>. Since there¡¯s a lot of water and cabbage, we can use just a little of wheat flour.¡±


    When I said that, everyone around meughed. They get a wooden spoon one by one.


    ¡°It¡¯s a bad manner, but it should be eaten by taking directly from the stone te with the spoon and scoop it to your mouth. First, I¡¯ll show you how.¡±


    In order to show them the example, I take a helping of <i>monja </i>with spoon, ce it on my left hand and bring it to my mouth.


    The savoriness of meat that generously spreads in the soup with the sweetness of cabbage, then the sourness from the sauce all mix together inside my mouth. The unique soft texture of cooked cabbage tastes good.


    ¡°<i>Hafu, hafu, </i>yep, it turns out great. It looks bad but it¡¯s delicious. Now, eat them.¡±


    At first, the vigers look timid as they open their mouth, but as soon as they take a mouthful, the look in their eyes change, and take a portion one after another. As a person starts, the rest of them reaches out and chews on the <i>monjayaki</i>, uncaring if they burn their mouth.


    ¡°This is really good!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, somehow the taste lingers.¡±


    ¡°Even though it looks like vomit.¡±


    ¡°Oi, don¡¯t say that or we can¡¯t go on.¡±


    The vigersugh together. I¡¯m d that they seem happy about it.


    The stone te was covered by a monstrous size of <i>monjayaki</i>, but it disappear in no time from everyone¡¯s vigorous devouring. There¡¯s a limit to the size of the stone te, so not everyone can eat at the same time. As soon as they got their share, I cook another helping of <i>monjayaki</i>.


    My hands¡¯ movement bes indiscriminately good. I be exceedingly perceptive in timing the heat and when I mix the flour in, I could easily, no, exactly imagine how it will turn up.


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right. That¡¯s how it is.¡±


    I get the reason. My Cooking Ability has risen. I¡¯ve been doing a special training in sword, but that¡¯s also cooking. With overflowing love, the emotional value was maxed out. Adding that to practicing day and night, my Cooking Ability has firmly sublimed to level III.


    This is a blessing in disguise. A level III is the ability that Rank B or above can reach in a lifetime.


    ¡°Now, everyone, eat all of them up. I¡¯m going to use the cabbage to thest bit!¡±


    When I said that, the men are all lifting up their spoon, and...


    ¡°YEAH!¡±es their enthusiastic reply.

 Volume 1 - 14

    <h4>Chapter 14: Earth Attribute Magic Awakens</h4>


    Finally, there¡¯s only two days left before the duel. My Sword Ability has reached level III. My physical condition is also wless.


    I only had one problem among them.


    ¡°Kurt-sama, what¡¯s wrong? You look troubled.¡±


    ¡°Well, you know. I don¡¯t have any weapon to use in the duel.¡±


    The only weapons that I can somehow use are spear, farm tools, and stone knife. At this rate, I would probably go out in the selection ceremony with my stone knife, but that doesn¡¯t look good at all.


    ¡°Swords... There¡¯s no one in this vige who has one.¡±


    ¡°If we have enough iron to make sword, we use it for the farm tools. If we have the materials, we could bring them to the cksmith in the main vige. But it really hurts that we can¡¯t get help from him because he¡¯s Jorg¡¯s follower.¡±


    People who have expertise are all gathered in main vige, and on top of that, there are a lot of them who butters up to Jorg who has the biggest chance to be the next feudal lord. Most of them are my enemies.


    ¡°Moreover, I¡¯m really attached to this guy that I¡¯ve always been using. I feel my own hesitation towards wielding a new weapon.¡±


    I grip the handle of the spear in my hand. It feels natural, I knew it. I¡¯ve perfectly adapted to this guy that it feels that it¡¯s a part of my body.


    For a full ten years, this guy has always been my pal. If I could, I want to continue going through everything with him from now on too.


    However, there¡¯s nothing I can do aboutcking a spear ability. As I thought, I couldn¡¯t treat the spear like a sword in the same way that I see a stone knife as one. At the very least, a cutlery with shing purpose is important.


    ¡°It seemsplicated... if only we can change Kurt-sama¡¯s spear into sword.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it.¡±


    I¡¯ve got a sudden epiphany. The spear should be remolded into a sword through sorcery. If I do it that way, I can obtain a sword, and I could keep fighting with this guy who has always been figthing together with me.


    Also, there¡¯s something else in my mind. If it¡¯s ¡°that <i>katana</i>¡± which is a <i>katana </i>AND a spear at the same time, shouldn¡¯t I get the correction from my Sword Ability while having advantage from the spear skills I¡¯ve been cultivating?


    ¡°Could it work that way?¡±


    ¡°It should be. That is, if I could awaken my earth attribute magic.¡±


    Earth atttibute magic could even operate gems. I predict that changing the shape of spear should be possible.


    ¡°In that case, the next thing we should do is to awaken Kurt-sama¡¯s attribute magic somehow, right?¡±


    ¡°The book mentioned about the importance of being one with the earth.¡±


    My all-seeing eyes also gave me the same answer. When I could be one with the earth, the earth would respond to me. Thus, there¡¯s no option than making me feel the earth with my whole body.


    ¡°Tina, I¡¯ll see and try if I could awaken my earth attribute magic in half a day. I¡¯m going to y with the field¡¯s soil back there, with a method that¡¯ll allow me to feel the earth better than ever.¡±


    If I spend just half a day, I can catch up even if it ends up in failure. If it¡¯s no good, I should just give up.


    ¡°Then, I will return here with a lunch boxter.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting with pleasure. I¡¯ll show you my effort while looking forward to Tina¡¯s lunch box.¡±


    And thus, I walk outside to obtain an earth attribute magic.


    <h4></h4>


    ¡°To increase the sense of unity, huh?¡±


    Since I haven¡¯t awakened from all the severe field works that I¡¯ve been doing until now, merely touching with hands shouldn¡¯t suffice. Tina has awakened her power from putting firewood, but there¡¯s a huge individual difference.


    ¡°Should I try plunging into the ground?¡±


    I¡¯ve spread the nutrition-filled humus ground that I transported from the forest across the field. Then, I plunge myself into it, covering my whole body with soil.


    ¡°Hm, this is still not enough, huh?¡±


    I don¡¯t get any notion at all. I still need even more sense of unity. So I soak the ground with water I fetched earlier, turning the soil into mud.


    I dive again for the second time. Since the ground has be mud, I feel my body somehow be one with earth more than before. Let¡¯s keep trying this for now. I shut my eyes while feeling the earth with my whole body.


    <h4></h4>


    It¡¯s been an hour since then. I can feel the power of earth slightly better than before, but as I thought, this is still not enough. Spending more time than this is useless.


    More than not losing the direction, it¡¯s better if I can deepen my connection with the earth. I¡¯m confident that I just need a little more.


    ¡°Kurt-sama, I¡¯ming with your lunch box!¡±


    Tina approaches me. She carries a basket and sk, smiling sweetly, maybe because her cooking todayes out satisfactory. However, she pauses, her smile bes muddy.


    ¡°Ah, thank you. I¡¯m going to try a little bit more, so can you wait with the food for a while?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m okay with waiting, but, uhm, what is it that you¡¯ve been doing?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m feeling the earth with my body to sense the unity with the earth. I¡¯ve never felt the earth like this before, you know?¡±


    ¡°O-oh, I see.¡±


    Tina shows an understanding for me even though she seems surprised.


    Well then, what should I do now? Soaking my body in the mud with my arms and legs stretch open is still not enough. I¡¯m probably still too lenient in this. Rising up to my legs, I break free from the mud.


    ¡°Tina, I have a request.¡±


    ¡°What is it, Kurt-sama?¡±


    ¡°Seems like it¡¯s not enough to soak in the mud. I wonder if you could bury me alive.¡±


    I strengthened my physical ability with mana, then rapidly digging out a hole in the ground and put myself inside. The hole¡¯s depth is enough to let my head stay out from the neck up.


    ¡°Tina, bury me with soil.¡±


    ¡°Y-yes, Kurt-sama!¡±


    Tina helps covering me with soil. I be unable to move a finger. My sense of unity with earth has grown again.


    ¡°Kurt-sama, isn¡¯t it too harsh?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. It even feels good.¡± Being enclosed by Mother Earth makes me feel exquisitely relieved. Seems like I¡¯m almost there.


    ¡°Tina, give it the finishing touch. Please bury my neck up too.¡±


    ¡°If I do that, you will die!¡±


    ¡°If I awaken my earth attribute magic, I can drive them away by myself.¡±


    ¡°What if the power is not awakened?¡±


    ¡°Count to 100, if there¡¯s no movement, dig me out. I can still hold my breath to that extent.¡±


    ¡°...I understand. Then, I will start.¡±


    Tina covers my head from soil above. My sight gradually bes darker and it¡¯s more difficult to breathe. When she finishes, my head ispletely buried.


    It¡¯s quiet. Moreover, it¡¯s warm, somehow. Sound and light are gone, and Ie to hear the earth¡¯s pulse.


    That¡¯s it. This is definitely the power of the earth. Before me, a brand new scene is spreading. The world changes. This is a world as seen by the Earth Spirits. I¡¯ve grasped something from it.


    ¡°Kurt-sama, it¡¯s the limit. I¡¯ll dig you up if nothing happens in ten seconds!¡±


    I can hear Tina¡¯s panicking and almost crying voice. I regret making her worry over me. Thank you. It¡¯s okay now. I¡¯m all right.


    It¡¯s awakened. This is earth attribute magic.


    [I¡¯ll be in your care.]


    That¡¯s right, when I talk to the earth, the earth that envelopes me moves. I feel the soil that weights down my head disappear, and I open my eyes.


    Tina¡¯s head is right before me. She¡¯s crouching down, looking in my direction.


    ¡°Kurt-sama, has your earth attribute magic awakened?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I finally obtained the earth attribute magic.¡±


    The earth that enveloped me removes itself and piles under my feet, propelling me out of the ground.


    ¡°Now, my clothes are covered with mud. I should wash up and change my clothes, would you please look away?¡±


    ¡°Y-yes, Kurt-sama.¡±


    Tina bes flustered and moves her eyes away before covering her face with both hands. Since it¡¯s Tina, I¡¯m embarrassed if I¡¯m seen naked.


    After I make sure that Tina has averted her eyes, I take my clothes off and wash the mud off with water. I run the water through the cloth before wearing a new set.


    ¡°Thanks for waiting, I¡¯ve finished changing.¡±


    When I look at Tina, she did turn her face away, but she looks in the direction on a sidelong nce through the gaps of her fingers.


    ¡°Tina.¡±


    I step to her front and flick her forehead.


    ¡°O.. ouch. What are you doing, Kurt-sama?¡±


    ¡°I told you not to see, but you ignored my instruction.¡±


    ¡°Uh, that¡¯s.. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Tina apologizes while pressing on her forehead.


    Oh well, it¡¯s not like it leaves a bad feeling. Tina has also grown to that age. Maybe she¡¯s curious about a male¡¯s naked body.


    ¡°Tina, you don¡¯t want it to happen to you, right? To be peeked while naked.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind if it¡¯s Kurt-sama... Uhm, no, I don¡¯t say anything. That, um, I just give in to temptation.¡±


    ¡°Then, as a revenge, I¡¯ll do the same and peek on you when you¡¯re bathing. Then you¡¯ll understand how I feel.¡±


    As I told her the joke, her face blushed heavily.


    ¡°It¡¯s a joke. There¡¯s no way I¡¯d do something like that.¡±


    ¡°Ah, Kurt-sama. You¡¯re making fun of me!¡±


    I force aughter.


    ¡°The earth attribute magic that I obtained is thanks to Tina¡¯s help, so I¡¯ll forgive you this time. I want to be reborn anew in spear.¡±


    I take the spear leaning on the wall and grip it tightly. I¡¯ve grown firmly ustomed to this sensation in my hand. As I expected, I want to fight along with this guy.


    ¡°Yes, Kurt-sama!¡± Tina replies spiritedly.


    However, I can hear a cute stomach growl sound. As though she¡¯s extremely embarrassed, her kitsune ears are pping down, her face blushing in a very different kind of the face she made earlier.


    ¡°My stomach is empty, let¡¯s eat the lunch box you¡¯ve brought before. I¡¯ll show you my reborn self after that.¡±


    ¡°Uuu... Kurt-samaaa...¡± Even though she¡¯s embarrassed, she still firmly nods. She must have felt really hungry.

 Volume 1 - 15

    <h4>Chapter 15: A New Weapon and A Vow with Tina</h4>


    ¡°Tina, today¡¯s sandwich is great. You don¡¯t use fish often.¡±


    ¡°Yes, when we went to the main vige, I exchanged some beef meat with smoked fish.¡±


    ¡°The salty fish works really well with the sauce.¡±


    Tina¡¯s sandwich is made by spreading butter on the bread, adding my fine sliced cabbage and lean part of smoked fish, then smearing handmade sauce in it. The smoked fish is made by dipping in water to make it soft at the same time with drawing out moderate amount of salt on it. Its great vor from the salting, and the salty-sweet sauce that Tina made from the leftover vegetable and the meat scraps stimtes the appetite.


    ¡°This sauce is more delicious than usual. Oh, you used honey, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°When I ate the <i>monjayaki</i> that Kurt-sama made yesterday, I tried adding the sweetness to the sauce since it seemed like it would be more delicious. It¡¯s a big hit.¡±


    Salty-sweet sauce really fits the briny smoked fish.


    ¡°Will you make this again for me?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely, Kurt-sama!¡±


    Tina smiles happily. Seeing that kind of Tina makes me feel that the meal is even more delicious. Our happy lunch time passes like this.


    After the lunch, I gripped my spear. From now on, the spear will be reborn into a new weapon. The earth magic could intervene the ore. I¡¯m going to change the shape of the iron.


    ¡°Answer me, earth spirit.¡±


    The attribute magic uses the power that fills the nature. By borrowing the power of the earth spirit, I¡¯m dealing with the spear. However...


    ¡°As I thought, I can¡¯t do anything when the iron is like this, huh?¡±


    It¡¯s an earth attribute magic that I worked so hard to obtain, but as I thought, changing the shape of iron by the earth attribute magic that I memorized doesn¡¯t seem possible for me. Processing metal is too soon for my current self. I need to provide the ability to temper with magic. This current power level honestly won¡¯t do, as I expected.


    ¡°Kurt-sama, is it no good?¡±


    ¡°The iron is a little too solid. If I could make it softer, I probably could do something about it.¡±


    ¡°Softer... I could manage something, I think...¡±


    Tina¡¯s face looks enlightened.


    ¡°Kurt-sama, can you let me handle your precious spear? Perhaps it¡¯ll turn bad, but I think I have a method to make it softer.¡± Tina looks at me straight in the eyes while asking that.


    This spear hasn¡¯t been touched by anyone other than me up until now. But I don¡¯t mind if it¡¯s Tina. Moreover, even if she turns it into something unusable, she¡¯s the only one that I would forgive.


    ¡°Either way, it¡¯s no good in its current state. I¡¯ll gamble on Tina.¡±


    ¡°Kurt-sama¡¯s spear. I¡¯ve received it.¡± Tina receives my spear with both hands, gripping tight.


    What could she possibly be doing? As I see her, I could feel the sudden influx of mana. Holding the handle with both hands, she closes her eyes.


    ¡°Kurt-sama¡¯s spear will be heated up by my me.¡±


    A me blows up, then it gets sucked into the spear. The iron tip bes red hot. The air around it is warped. Tina¡¯s me heats the iron until it¡¯s on the brink of melting.


    The attribute magic is a magic that borrows the spirit¡¯s power that fills the atmosphere. Tina is greatly loved by the fire spirits. Her power is tremendous even though she doesn¡¯t have any Ability.


    If the iron almost melts, my earth magic should be able to do something about it.


    ¡°Thanks, Tina.¡±


    Not having me attribute, I can¡¯t do anything firsthand to the red hot spear. That¡¯s why I put my hand above Tina¡¯s hand.


    ¡°If the spear is already heated and soften by the me, I could change the shape with my power. Really, Tina, you always manage to surprise me. I love you.¡±


    ¡°Kurt-sama, that, please stop saying something like that. I get too happy that I can¡¯t muster any strength.¡±


    I can¡¯t see her face, but from behind her, I can see her nape blushes red.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to begin. Tina, continue the heat it up with this current strength of your me.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Kurt-sama!¡±


    Borrowing the power of the earth spirits, I¡¯m working on the spear by using the earth magic. As I do so, the red hot spear starts to move in twists and turns. I try to imagine a brand new shape. The spear starts changing shape following that image.


    Moreover, I don¡¯t just change the shape. I forge it under pressure, take out the impurities, give it sharpness and tenacity. Tina melts it with great effort. This opportunity improves its basic performance. The spear is reborn. It¡¯s reborn together with me.


    Hey, pal... Lend your strength to me from now on as well. I hope that we can keep advancing together without anypromise.


    ¡°Tina, it¡¯s good now. Please slowly cool the spear down.¡±


    The me attribute magic is controlling quantity of heat. It doesn¡¯t only increase the temperature, it can also cool things down.


    ¡°Yes, Kurt-sama!¡±


    Cooling the iron rapidly will put damage to it, so I ask her to be really careful. With cold sweat, Tina little by little takes away the heat.


    Then, finally it¡¯spleted. My new pal.


    ¡°Thank you, Tina. We made it. My new spear.¡±


    ¡°<i>That</i> is Kurt-sama¡¯s new spear.... Is it all right to use spear, though?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure it¡¯s all right. This is as much a spear as it it a sword. A weapon with two facets.¡±


    Let¡¯s try its practicality. I get in the ready pose with the new weapon, then I wield it. The spear is speeding up. This world¡¯s irrational power, [Sword Ability]¡¯s power is working to perfection.


    I¡¯m d. It is recognized as spear <i>and</i> sword.


    ¡°Awesome, it¡¯s the first time I see such a sharp blow. More than Kurt-sama ever been, more than Jorg-sama. ...And even faster than Kurt-sama¡¯s father than I¡¯ve seen once.¡±


    ¡°I think so too.¡±


    The power of wielding a spear doesn¡¯t disy both the Ability¡¯s Skill and my own martial skill as additions, but as multiplications. If I don¡¯t have the Ability, there¡¯s nothing I can do about it, but it¡¯s not like the martial skill doesn¡¯t have any meaning either. From the start, the sharper technique used, the blow strengthened by the Ability would get strength and speed improvement. The Sword Ability III¡¯s eleration on top of my ten years worth of training, they be like this.


    ¡°But, Kurt-sama said that Kurt-sama couldn¡¯t win in spear.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I made it this way. Even though it¡¯s spear, it¡¯s not.¡±


    I show my newly reshaped spear in front of Tina.


    ¡°The de is curved at the tip... This is a spear, yet it¡¯s a shing weapon, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°True, this is <i>naginata</i>. Its other name is ive.¡±


    The altered spear doesn¡¯t be sword. It¡¯s naginata.


    It¡¯s different than spear as its tip is a de just like Japanese sword. In other words, the reach is long, it can pierce like a spear, and it can cut like a sword. Perhaps, it¡¯s the most excellent weapon in a pool of simr weapons.


    ¡°It looks just like a spear, but it¡¯s actually a sword, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°To be urate, it is both sword and spear. That¡¯s why, I could utilize both the spear ability piling up until now and my newly awakened sword talent. It¡¯s that kind of weapon.¡±


    The shape has changed. My spear. But it still fits in my hands just like always. With this guy, there¡¯s no need to start tempering a new sword ability from zero. It¡¯s great how I could just add shing movement to the spear routine I¡¯ve been doing.


    ¡°With this, it¡¯ll definitely be your win!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true, I¡¯ll definitely win.¡±


    I have confidence in winning. With the irrational power thates from Sword Ability, with the intense training for the whole ten years, and wielding the weapon that could utilize them both, there¡¯s no way I could lose.


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right, Tina. Thanks. Tina is really the best.¡±


    I hold and grasp Tina¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Ku-kurt-sama.¡± Tina¡¯s face be deep red as she bes a little panicky.


    ¡°This naginata couldn¡¯t be made without Tina. Thank you so much. Tina has helped me again, you are really my Goddess of Fortune.¡±


    Whenever I was lost in my way, whenever I met a wall that I couldn¡¯t surpass by myself, Tina never failed to help me. The fact that I coulde this far almost makes me believe in ult stuffs. I¡¯ve reallye to see Tina as my Goddess of Fortune, my fated person.


    ¡°Th-that¡¯s too much, Kurt-sama. I just wish to be useful to Kurt-sama. Because Kurt-sama awakened my mana, I could use the me. Even so, if this power can be useful for Kurt-sama, I will always, always use it for Kurt-sama¡¯s sake.¡±


    While looking flustered, Tina still answered strongly.


    Always, huh? It sounds wonderful.


    Right now, it¡¯s my first made naginata, but next, I could make whisks, cake knife, and other necessary utensils to make various pastries.


    ¡°I¡¯m happy that you said that. Tina. I also hope that I can always be with Tina.¡±


    Tina bes bashful, grasping back the hand I grasp her with. I didn¡¯t say that because I only wanted to use her me Attribute Magic. I sincerely love this girl called Tina.


    ¡°I want to show you my gratitude, what do you want?¡±


    Tina makes a thinking gesture. Then, she opens her mouth nervously, ¡°Then, I wish for Kurt-sama¡¯s pastry... A special pastry that¡¯s only for me. A pastry that only Kurt-sama and I will know.¡±


    Iugh bitterly. What a difficult wish.


    A pastry for Tina¡¯s sake only can¡¯t be something superficial. It shows an image in my head, a pastry made of Tina¡¯s image. A pastry that is silver-colored, warm, covered withyers of veils, and with a precious gem-like center. It¡¯d better be that kind of pastry.


    ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll make a pastry that¡¯s only for Tina. With my whole power... no, even more than that. However, I want more time allowance. If I make a pastry that¡¯s worthy of Tina, I need more time. The base that will show Tina¡¯s image in a nce, I want to refine that pastry until I¡¯m satisfied.¡±


    Tina shes a smile, akin to flower blossoming.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll wait. Let alone ten years, I¡¯ll even wait for twenty years!¡±


    ¡°No, I won¡¯t let you wait that long, though. Right here and now, I promise you that I will make the best pastry in the world for Tina¡¯s sake only.¡±


    That is not something that I¡¯ll do just because I have the recipe from Earth. No matter how long time passes, I will gift the greatest pastry, my unique recipe, just for Tina. I take out my pinky finger.


    ¡°Kurt-sama, you absolutely have to do it, you know?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I absolutely will do it.¡±


    Looking deeply moved, Tina nods and entwines her pinky finger with mine. This is the seal to a vow in this world. We bothugh together and unwrap our fingers.

 Volume 1 - 16

    <h4>Chapter 16: Gathering Pastry¡¯s Ingredients</h4>


    Atst, it¡¯s the day before the selection ceremony. I¡¯m doing morning session of my training. In my hands, there¡¯s the naginata that Tina and I created together.


    The naginata is a spear with a tip of Japanese sword-like de. Mine is the unusual type with rtively less curvature. Withrger curve, it¡¯s easier to sh. With smaller curve, it¡¯s easier to thrust. I leave the main function to thrust.


    Reaching level III in Sword Ability is enough. Right now, it¡¯s crucial to get used to this new weapon, so I¡¯m getting my body used to the timing management.


    ¡°Ha!¡±


    I try thebination of consecutive thrusts then a sh. Without hesitation, I move my body until I can hear an air-splitting sound. I pay meticulous care in the center of gravity and grip sensation of the spear, my pal for more than ten years that became the base for naginata. I get my body to be familiar to the newly transformed naginata as much as possible.


    At the end, I do the oppositebination, from sh to thrust. Assuming that the thrust can be dodged, I move while predicting how to attack a routed enemy who doesn¡¯t have sufficient posture. Inside my head, I tear my imaginary enemy to pieces.


    ¡°Fuuuu.¡±


    I stop my movement, then exhales a deep breath as I close down my eyes. Today¡¯s traininges crashing down inside my head again as I revise the problematic points as well as the improved parts. The greatest problem is that my own movement bes faster than I have imagined when being propelled by the Sword Ability; I haven¡¯t made sufficient adjustment for that. I should make upward adjustment for my imaginary body movement.


    From that, I open my eyes and try the improved movement. Yep, this feels good. It has be a little more preferable. Let¡¯s stop today¡¯s training session here.


    ¡°Kurt-sama! Thank you for your hard work!¡± Tina rushes over to me. I receive a piece of clean cloth from her to dry my sweat.


    ¡°Thank you, Tina.¡±


    ¡°Your movement bes more and more fluid, and it bes faster too.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I actually feel that personally. Still, my body sometimes moves too fast to control. It¡¯s like managing a runaway horse. Today¡¯s form is not even my full strength, which I cannot disy yet.¡±


    Because my movement¡¯s speed is raised several times all of a sudden, I feel a huge sense of difort. Therefore, I curb down my power to a manageable extent.


    ¡°If it¡¯s Kurt-sama, you¡¯ll be fine! You can do it soon.¡±


    ¡°As I thought, even for me, it¡¯s impossible to do that in one night. But winning over Jorg with this is still nothing. I can wield 60% of my strength without any problem.¡±


    In order to disy the martial arts ingrained in my body, I need to show that much. Still, if I¡¯m not thinking, I could show my full power with my whole body in one strike.


    ¡°It¡¯s more than he deserves.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. Even if I show my full power, I¡¯m going to train until it¡¯s alright to do so.¡±


    For the sake of bing a pastry chef, perhaps strength isn¡¯t that important. Still, as feudal lord, I want both the power to protect my people and to help those who are precious to me.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to help secretly too.¡±


    ¡°Tina¡¯s help doesn¡¯t need to be done humbly or in secret. Just look at this naginata, I could make this thanks to Tina. That¡¯s right, this guy was reborn through Tina¡¯s and my hands, so it could as well be our child, huh?¡±


    ¡°The child of Kurt-sama and I...¡±


    Tina¡¯s cheeks be red as she looks at my naginata with dazed expression.


    ¡°We should grant this guy a name. I want to give it a name that fits Tina¡¯s image. A silver-colored radiance. Silver sh (<i>ginsen</i>). I want to call it that way. Tina doesn¡¯t mind, right?¡±


    When my mind thinks of Tina, I can only see her silver-colored hair and tail. She¡¯s my light. Her silver radiance, therefore it has to be Silver sh.


    ¡°.......The child of Kurt-sama and I.¡±


    Tina is still inside her own world in a dazzle. Let¡¯s pull her back to reality, shall we? I pat her head with my hand. Since that doesn¡¯t seem enough to pull her away from her own world, I pinch her kitsune ear lightly.


    ¡°Ku-kurt-sama!?¡±


    She¡¯s back, finally.


    ¡°The name on Tina¡¯s image, Silver sh, can I give it to name my pal here?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely! Please use it without reserve!¡±


    ¡°Thank you. It feels like Tina will be there, fighting together with me.¡±


    Tina lifts her head and smiles.


    ¡°I¡¯m happy that it feels like Kurt-sama and I will always be together. Kurt-sama¡¯s naginata... No, Silver sh-chan, please receive my feelings!¡±


    Tina touches the de of naginata with her hand, fervently pouring her thoughts inside it. Does she mean to inject power to it? Her silver kitsune ears are standing upright, and her long and fluffy tail is pointed straight to the sky.


    ¡°Please receive a lot of my power so you can help Kurt-sama!¡±


    Tina¡¯s breathing bes rough. It¡¯s no longer a joke at this point. With a wry smile, I caress Tina¡¯s head. Her eyes narrow in pleasure.


    ¡°Kurt-sama, what else should we do today?¡±


    ¡°Today, I have to prepare for tomorrow¡¯s selection ceremony, then rest, I think.¡±


    ¡°Is the special training over?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve done everything I could. The rest of it will be decided by putting myself in a perfect condition. Not only the physical body, but the mind too.¡±


    I can heal all my fatigue to perfection with Recovery. Indeed, my body has be used to the naginata... to Silver sh from continuously wielding it without rest since the day I obtained it. If I use Recovery, I don¡¯t even need to sleep. Still, I intentionally slept a few hoursst night, and today¡¯s rest is to heal the fatigue of my mind, for which y and sleep are important.


    ¡°Yosh, Tina. Let¡¯s go on a date today. Will you keep mepany, Princess?¡±


    I put Silver sh leaning on the wall, then I reverently hold my hand out to Tina.


    ¡°Where shall we go, My Prince?¡±


    Tina bashfully takes my hand.


    The mood is good. She matches her words to my joke right on spot. I grasp Tina¡¯s hand and bring her outside, walking into the woods.


    ¡°Kurt-sama, I found <i>yamaimo</i> (mountain potato)¡¯s ivy.¡±


    ¡°Tina, that¡¯s a great discovery.¡±


    Tina and I gather the blessing of the forest. Even if I call it a date, we end up collecting edible stuffs while walking leisurely in the mountain. Even so, the both of us are having fun. It¡¯s not bad doing something like this. Moreover, actually, I also have the other objective, that is to collect ingredients for tomorrow¡¯s pastry-making as a treat for everyone.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll entrust finding to Tina. I¡¯ll be in charge for the <i>yamaimo</i>.¡±


    ¡°Leave the <i>mukago</i> fruit to me!¡±


    Unexpectedly unknown, <i>yamaimo</i> appears an ivy nt wrapping itself around a nearby tree, then bear small purple fruit. <i>Yamaimo</i>¡®s fruit is called <i>mukago</i>. It can be eaten by boiling with salt. It¡¯s soft and ky like potatoes, and has simr vor to chestnuts. It tastes extremely delicious.


    I can use this as a staple food in exchange for bread for a while. I can save wheat flour this way. Tina diligently put the<i> mukago</i> fruits she gathers into the basket.


    ¡°Well then, I should pick up the pace too.¡±


    If I dig on the ground around <i>yamaimo</i>¡®s ivy, of course there will be <i>yamaimo</i>. However, I need to be absurdly patient when digging <i>yamaimo</i>.


    The reason is, <i>yamaimo</i>¡®s size can easily be longer than 1 meter. In other words, I have to dig even deeper than that. If I just pull it out, it will probably be snapped. Therefore, I have to be quite careful in digging the area around the <i>yamaimo</i> so it won¡¯t get broken.


    ¡°Kurt-sama, the ivy is wonderfully thick, so it must be big, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°I think so too. I¡¯m digging with great expectations.¡±


    Looking at the leaves and the ivy to begin with, I can imagine the size of the <i>yamaimo</i> underground. This <i>yamaimo</i> is a big hit, which also means I must put a great effort in digging it up.


    ¡°Is it all right not to bring shovel here?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s unnecessary.¡±


    I have earth magic. I can ask the earth spirit to work. I know that I can pick up the underground <i>yamaimo</i> and the surrounding soil by hands.


    [What is your request?]


    As I ask the earth, the earth starts moving. The soil around the <i>yamaimo</i> was kept out, leaving the bare naked tuber hanging alone inside the hole. Tina, who has collected <i>mukago</i> fruits, peeks into this and her eyes lighten up.


    ¡°Amazing, Kurt-sama¡¯s earth magic is really convenient! You can dig as many <i>yamaimo</i> as you want this way!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s simply convenient.¡±


    Usually, we need more than 2 hours for stuffs more than 100 cm.


    ¡°How is the <i>yamaimo</i>? Should we use it as soup ingredients? Or maybe grate it into a side dish? Ah, or like, like.¡±


    Liking <i>yamaimo</i>, Tina speaks up about many ways to process them.


    ¡°Tina, sorry. This isn¡¯t for us. After the selection ceremony is over, I¡¯m thinking to make some pastries along with the new feudal lord¡¯s greetings. I want to make this into the pastry¡¯s ingredients.¡±


    After the selection ceremony, a festival will be held. The fief¡¯s people as well as Marquis Fernandes¡¯ attendants who will attend there amount to around 200 people. Marquis Fernandes wille with eggs, but I need to provide the rest of the ingredients.


    As I thought, the ingredients currently in my disposal aren¡¯t enough. If I use <i>yamaimo</i>, I could reduce the need for wheat to just 1/3 the necessary amount. If I use <i>yamaimo</i> and wheat in 2:1 ratio, I can make a moist dough. I could probably depend on my father to lend me some ingredients, but I¡¯d hate to do that. I want to gather the ingredients with my own power.


    ¡°Uuu, I¡¯m disappointed.¡±


    Tina looks downhearted. Seeing that kind of her makes me smile bitterly.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s look for another <i>yamaimo</i>. If there¡¯s a lot of them, we can secure enough for our own portion.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll work hard!¡±


    Tina¡¯s <i>kitsune</i> ears twitches, listening around. She looks deep in search to seriously look for other <i>yamaimo</i>.


    ¡°Still, it¡¯s not really a problem, because we¡¯re going to look for other necessary ingredients for the pastry other than <i>yamaimo</i> in the forest.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine! I¡¯ll find it soon!¡±


    I chase after Tina, who looks really eager as she walks forward, with a wry smile. Well, then, there are still some ingredients to make the best dessert. Let¡¯s work on finding them.

 Volume 1 - 17

    <h4>Chapter 17: Walnut Oil of the Forest¡¯s Blessing</h4>


    In the end, not 30 minutes after that, Tina found the second yam.


    Since two tubers are more than enough for pastry¡¯s ingredient, one of them should be eaten in the house. Tina looks really happy when she carries the yam that I dug.


    ¡°Heave ho, the fox goes<i> konkonkon</i>?¡± She seems to be in an extremely good mood, to sing something weird as she opens her mouth.


    ¡°Flutter fluttery tail, <i>konkonkon</i>?¡± Matching the song, Tina¡¯s tail swings around cutely.


    ¡°Only the tip of the ears goes aack?¡±


    It¡¯s a weird song, but somehow it¡¯s pleasing to listen. Next time, I should ask her to sing it in a quiet ce.


    ¡°This ce is so nostalgic.¡±


    ¡°It was winter when we came here.¡±


    Together with Tina, we enter a small cavern inside the forest. I call it cavern, but it¡¯s a really small spot that only spans a minute walking.


    There are still some snow left inside the cavern. This ce is Tina¡¯s and my cold storage. By piling up as much snow as possible in the middle of winter in this cavern, the snow won¡¯t melt until around the end of spring. If we put what we get in the autumn inside this cavern, it could possibly be preserved for a long time.


    There¡¯s a vase lying inside the cavern. We crammed it with walnuts found at the end of autumn.


    The walnuts can stay for half a year instead a cooling ce. Walnuts which are full of nutrition are the emergency rations for winter which won¡¯t bring the blessing of the forest, or when there¡¯s not enough food by the end of winter, or when there¡¯s a food shortage due to the crop failure in the spring.


    It¡¯s a vige with around 50 residents, so even just this amount of walnuts can prolong the lives of the people for a while if we save carefully.


    ¡°Tina, the walnuts that we picked, I was thinking to use them as pastry ingredients. Do you mind?¡±


    Since the walnuts here are those picked by both Tina and I, I can¡¯t use them without Tina¡¯s acknowledgement.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. ...What a shame, though.¡± Tina sounds a little dejected.


    Every year, if there¡¯s no misfortune that pushes out to eat the walnuts as emergency good, we both enjoy it and share it in the provisions sent to the vigers. The walnuts are our treat, so Tina surely has been waiting in anticipation too.


    ¡°Sorry, Tina.¡±


    ¡°....Can I have a single selfish request?¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course.¡±


    ¡°Today¡¯s meal, please use some walnut to make something wonderful.¡±


    ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll make a meal using walnuts to the best of my skills.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll dly wait for it!¡±


    It¡¯s the request from sweet Tina. I must answer this request. Let¡¯s make an extraordinary meal using this walnut. But before that...


    I grip and smash the walnut¡¯s shell, taking out the white meat and pop it into Tina¡¯s mouth. Eating a little is no problem at all. While showing a surprised expression, Tina properly chews on the meat then shows a joyful face.


    Afterwards, the both of us returned to the house after picking plenty of hardy kiwi (<i>sarunashi</i>) fruit and edible wild nts like <i>nobiru</i> (wild rocambole) and <i>udo</i> (ginseng-like nt). The date ended like this, and as I walked down the mountain with Tina, I feel a little tired in my mind.


    No, I still have one thing left to do. I must make a superb dinner for Tina¡¯s sake. Walking towards the kitchen, I spread the walnut.


    ¡°Kurt-sama, what are you making?¡±


    ¡°Walnut oil. We can squeeze the oil out of the walnuts. It¡¯s convenient to use, since it¡¯s just like butter. I can use some for today¡¯s dinner as well as tomorrow¡¯s pastry.¡±


    To tell the truth, for making the pastry tomorrow, theck of butter is more severe than theck of wheat. My pioneering vige has nothing but a few goats for domestic animals.


    No matter how, it¡¯s impossible to prepare the essential butter for 200-portion of pastries. That¡¯s why, I¡¯m using walnut oil.


    The oil taken from walnuts have a hint of sweetness and a rich vor. Walnut oil cannot substitute for butter, but it¡¯s a great rival. Depending on how I use it, I can make even more delicious sweets than butter.


    ¡°So walnuts can produce oil too, can¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s really tasty too. Please wait while I prepare today¡¯s dinner using Walnut oil.¡±


    I smile and spread the walnuts on top of the table as far as possible. In my hand, I have my beloved stone knife. And then....


    ¡°Amazing, splitting that hard walnut shells in halves like that!¡±


    With the knife, I cut them in two. Thanks to Sword Ability III, I have a strengthened sh. Thanks to that, the walnut shells which usually take a huge effort to split has now been cut into two.


    ¡°Tina, can you collect the white meat inside the walnuts into one ce?¡±


    ¡°Please rx, you can leave it to me!¡±


    By using forks, Tina takes out the walnut meat one by one. Looking at her sideways, I continue to cut the walnuts in halves.


    ¡°Kurt-sama, you¡¯ve collected a lot of walnut meat.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, thanks to Tina, we can go to the next step now.¡±


    The wooden bowl is filled to the brim with walnut meat. I wrap it with a coarse cloth, then hit the wrapped walnut with the wide part of the knife. Inside it, the walnut bes shattered. Then I squeeze it tightly, without forgetting to strengthen my physical strength to the limit by mana.


    ¡°Woooow, oil is dripping from the cloth!¡±


    The oil that trickling from the cloth goes into a tub. The amber-colored oil is gradually piling up in the bottom.


    ¡°The oil reallyes out. That surprises me.¡±


    ¡°This is walnut oil. Actually, even if eaten raw, the oil is still delicious. Do you want to try some?¡±


    ¡°May I? Then...¡±


    Tina licks the walnut oil.


    ¡°Ah, delicious. It has the walnut¡¯s vor. The vor is rich, and it¡¯s light and sweet.¡±


    ¡°Right? The pastry made from this would definitely taste good.¡±


    ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll be waiting for it!¡±


    The ingredients for the pastry I¡¯ll make tomorrow are the eggs brought by Marquis Fernandes, the wheat harvested in this vige, the walnut oil collected from the mountain, the yam I dug, then some honey, the hardy kiwi we picked today.... which is a green, 5 cm-sized native species that is simr to kiwi fruits.


    Other than eggs, everything is procured from this vige or forest. Each one of them is a superb ingredient, and since they are collected from the same forest, they have greatpatibility. The ingredients that receives brimming life force of the forest will certainly perform a hundred percent and with them, I¡¯ll make the pastry that will highlight the deliciousness of the eggs.


    I¡¯ll be making a golden-colored pastry. I¡¯ll have to think of a name befitting of a golden-colored pastry.


    ¡°Well then, I¡¯ve taken enough oil. With this, the pastry¡¯s ingredients are all present. Tomorrow, I¡¯ll present my ace pastry for Tina as well, so please expect to eat it.¡±


    ¡°Having to wait until tomorrow... I think I¡¯m going to die.¡±


    Tina looks bitter while staring at me. I wrylyugh, then went to bottle up the walnut oil.


    While working on it, I¡¯m smiling. Western confectionery has four crucial ingredients. Though somewhat imperfect, I¡¯ve gathered all of them at my disposal.


    Wheat flour...... the wheat harvested in the vige and yams


    Eggs......id by chicken that will be brought by Marquis Fernandes


    Butter...... the vige¡¯s goat butter and walnut oil


    Sugar...... honey


    Since I have these four, I could put my skills to my satisfaction. I have great expectations starting tomorrow.


    ¡°Oh well, the pastry is for tomorrow, but as I promised, today I¡¯m going to make something wonderful for dinner using walnut. You can count on it, so forgive me this once.¡±


    ¡°What are you making?¡±


    With great expectations in her eyes, Tina looks at me.


    ¡°I¡¯ll only give you the spoiler that it¡¯s a treat using deer meat and walnut. The rest is something to be expected once it¡¯s done. Not only tasty, it¡¯s also a cooking to pray for good luck.¡±


    Inside my head, the image of cookinges to me. Light vored meat, with the richness from walnut. With special sauce, it¡¯s surely something that will make Tina happy.

 Volume 1 - 18

    <h4>Chapter 18: Venison and Walnut Special Cuisine</h4>


    I go to the storehouse behind the house to take the ingredients for dinner. It¡¯s for the sake of making a treat using walnuts as per Tina¡¯s request.


    I enter the storehouse. Inside, there¡¯s a whole venison hanging, pre-treated by taking out the intestines. This is cured since two weeks ago, an offering item to supply the main vige on the selection ceremony asion tomorrow.


    The main vige actually has near 200 people attending the festival, so it cannot provide all the food. For that, each vige has been demanded to bring over a food supply.


    For the sake of the offering item, I can¡¯t give that burden to the vigers. Therefore, I alone entered the forest and hunted a deer with my mana-strengthened physique. Even Father should ept one whole deer like this.


    ¡°Smells good. It¡¯s curing well.¡±


    If the meat is prepared this way, it will be more tasty. It should be eaten around this time. The prepared venison is cut for Tina¡¯s and my portion. It¡¯s not as if we¡¯re sneaking a bite. This is done to confirm whether it¡¯s cured well or not, so to say, a sampling.


    ......It¡¯s just a coincidence that I take the highest quality of the tastiest sirloin part.


    I return to the kitchen with the meat, where Tina rushes up to me.


    ¡°Tina, I¡¯m going to start cooking, do you want to help?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Kurt-sama!¡±


    Tina, who eats dried meat and rarely sees them raw, looks at the venison with sparkling eyes. It¡¯s a luxurious gem. We must enjoy this as much as we can.


    ¡°Can I ask for a strong fire from you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it!¡±


    Without even inserting fire woods, a me is blowing up in the hearth. Lately, I¡¯ve been cooking by utilizing Tina¡¯s me magic. The reasons are that we don¡¯t need fire woods, it doesn¡¯t stain the hearth, it¡¯s easy to adjust the heat level. It¡¯s such a highly convenient magic. Now, I can¡¯t imagine cooking without Tina.


    Strong fire, medium fire, low fire. Since Tina has properly memorized those levels, she can make perfect adjustment of the heat level even with broad requests.


    I put a frying pun on top of the heart. This frying pan is something that we made together, using the iron sand collected by earth magic. As I thought, it feels good to have iron utensils. I¡¯m seething in excitement.


    Heating up the frying pan is the pre-cooking stage. I cut the tendons of the deer¡¯s sirloin meat, making it tender. Then, I mix water and a small amount of wheat flour, and turn a previously baked bread into bread crumbs. I rub some salt over the venison, dip it in the water and flour mixture, then coat it with the bread crumbs. Like this, the pre-cooking ispleted.


    ¡°Kurt-sama, the frying pan is properly heated now.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    I return to the spot before the frying pan, then coat it with the walnut oil. As I do so, the fragrance of the oil spreads at once around me. When the walnut oil gets heated, an alluring scent will spread.


    ¡°Woooow, it smells so good.¡±


    ¡°Not yet, it¡¯s only the beginning. Tina, medium fire, please.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Kurt-sama!¡±


    I put the two pieces of venison that has gone through the pre-cooking stage into the walnut oil-coated frying pan. There¡¯s a juicy sizzling sound resounding here.


    ¡°Hey, you should understand why I said it was only the beginning, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I already feel satisfied from this smell.¡±


    The smell of venison¡¯s juice blends with the smell from walnut oil, creating a luscious smell around us. What I¡¯m cooking is walnut-vored deer meat cutlet.


    The venison is light and delicate. If I use animal-based oil, it will kill the vor. However, the walnut oil¡¯s gentle vor won¡¯t destroy deer vor, but enhance the savoriness. Since I¡¯m deep frying both sides, I flip over the meat.


    ¡°Wow, such a pretty color.¡± With an admiring voice, Tina looks at the venison cutlet that has turned into a beautiful <i>kitsune</i> color.


    In the blink of an eyes, the heating ispleted. The venison is purposefully made into 1 cm thick. It¡¯s the thickness that will showcase the harmony between the coating¡¯s crispiness and the meat¡¯s juiciness the best.


    ¡°Yosh, it turns out good. It just needs the finishing touches.¡±


    I put both venison cutlets on the tes.


    Then I make the finishing sauce. The crushed walnuts that¡¯s left from the oil extraction, is blended with the <i>sarunashi</i> I picked today... the local variety of kiwi fruit, then I add some honey. It bes a great looking pure white sauce.


    I quickly pour that sauce. The white sauce on top of a <i>kitsune</i>-colored cutlet is such a sight.


    ¡°It¡¯s finished. Deer cutlet with walnut sauce.¡±


    It¡¯s a special cuisine of savoriness of venison with walnut oil and walnut paste in the side, poured with a special rich-vored sweet and sour sauce.


    ¡°Whoa... It looks delicious. Let¡¯s eat it soon!¡±


    ¡°I know, right? And is my request of boiling the<i> mukago</i> fruit done?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s done when Kurt-sama went and took the venison!¡±


    ¡°Great job! Now, let¡¯s eat.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Like that, we go to the dining table.


    ¡°For the food we obtain today, we thank the forest and the God.¡±


    After we pray as usual, we start digging in. In the dining table, there are my handmade cutlet and <i>mukago</i> boiled with salt. Other than that, there¡¯s beef jerky soup. The meal right now is more extravagant than usual.


    ¡°Then, let¡¯s start eating.¡±


    ¡°Yes, eat them.¡±


    The cutlet is already cut. Tina puts one cut into her mouth. A crunching soundes from her. Tina¡¯s eyes widened as she chews. Gulping down, there¡¯s a loud sounding from her throat.


    ¡°Whoa, this is the first time. I always thought that we never had enough oil for venison, but to produce the rich vor to this extent is just...¡±


    Tina is engrossed with the cutlet.


    ¡°That¡¯s because venison and walnut match well.¡±


    Lightly vored meat really goes well with walnut. For example, if the walnut sauce is poured onto pork instead, the pork and walnut¡¯s vor will fight each other to a disastrous result.


    The lightness of the deer is the exact reason why it can ept the astringency and richness from the walnut.


    ¡°Moreover, the sauce¡¯s sourness keeps increasingter on.¡±


    <i>Sarunashi</i>, the local variety of kiwi fruits, produce a slight sweetness, but an extraordinarily strong acidity. It¡¯s not suitable to be eaten raw, but it is most suitable to add acidity. No matter how light the venison is, it¡¯s still heavy when fried. That is refined by adding the acidity from <i>sarunashi</i>. It should also y an active role in tomorrow¡¯s pastry as well.


    ¡°It¡¯s wonderful how I can taste walnut¡¯s vor more than anything I¡¯ve ever tasted before! It¡¯s the first time I eat walnut this tasty. ¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because it¡¯s the cooking that is most suitable to showcase the walnut¡¯s tastiness. The coating and the sauce, I made both to highlight the impressive quality of the walnut. So, I can take that you¡¯re satisfied with this, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, if I can eat walnut cooking to this wonderful extent, I can endure not eating the treat by the end of spring!¡±


    I¡¯m d that Tina seems happy. I¡¯m joining and eat a piece of the cutlet. It¡¯s really good, if I can say so myself. On top of that, I take some boiled <i>mukago</i> fruit to my hand. It has the gentle vor, exactly between of potato and chestnut that goes really well with the deer cutlet. I naturally can¡¯t stop my chopsticks to keep going for them.


    ¡°Huft, thanks for the meal.¡±


    Tina has finished eating her portion in an instant. Her face looks really unguarded.


    ¡°I humbly thank you for the meal.¡±


    As I see Tina¡¯s happy face, I feel happy too. All of my heart¡¯s fatigue regarding tomorrow¡¯s match seem to disappear.


    Following Tina, I also finish my part. It was a really great meal, if I could say so myself. Also, this cutlet (<i>katsuretsu</i>) isn¡¯t made just for today¡¯s treat that put out walnut vor in maximum. It¡¯s a lucky charm.


    To win (<i>katsu</i>) against the enemy. Well, this is probably just a wishful thinking, but it doesn¡¯t feel bad.


    Afterwards, Tina and I slowly talk to each other, then I sleep while embracing her. This is the night before the decisive battle. It¡¯s not strange to feel anxious in this kind of situation. Even so, thanks to Tina, I¡¯m able to sleep soundly. There¡¯s a warmth in my chest; it bes my strength.

 Volume 1 - 19

    <h4>Chapter 19: The Selection Ceremony</h4>


    I set out from the vige early in the morning. This time, I bring a lot of stuffs and a lot of people, so I use horse cart. There will be around ten people attending the festival after the selection ceremony, so we all ride the horse cart together.


    As we exit to the main road, there are vigers gathering around the end of the main road ahead. There are a lot of people, seems like almost the whole vige is there. Just what could possibly have happened? While thinking that way, I cross over with the carriage. In that moment...


    ¡°Young Master, you must win!¡±


    ¡°Kurt-sama, you definitely can¡¯t lose!¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s Kurt-sama, you¡¯re gonna win, I know it!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re expecting some souvenirs, next family head!¡±


    The rooting words are rapidly thrown in my direction. It¡¯s a powerful voice. Then, the feeling that rides upon those words, I can tell that this cheeringe from the depth of their hearts


    ¡°Thank you, everyone...¡±


    I tear up a little bit. So happy.


    ¡°Kurt-sama is loved.¡±


    ¡°It seems so. They¡¯re such a wonderful people who are almost wasted on me.¡±


    I fall in love with this vige again. The cheering from the vigers keep going on until our horse cart is no longer within their sight.


    Arriving at the main vige, the vigers climb down, leaving Tina and I alone inside the carriage to go to the main vige¡¯s warehouse. From early in the morning, the horse carts representing each vige have already lined up there. For the sake of today¡¯s festival, they have prepared as much offering as possible to put on airs.


    In a sense, it leads to appeal how powerful the assets of our viges and how loyal we are to the main vige. My father and his servants are promptly handling the row until it¡¯s my turn.


    ¡°Father, I¡¯vee with the offerings.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your effort.¡±


    Father inspects the deer meat that I brought. The corner of his lips slightly twitch upward.


    ¡°Hm, such a splendid deer. It¡¯s quite a treat.¡±


    ¡°I was thinking that it should be enjoyed in today¡¯s festival.¡±


    I give a business-like greeting. If I show even a little bit of emotion here, seems like a lot of things will overflow. Since the business is taken care of, I retreat. I shouldn¡¯t overstay.


    ¡°Kurt!¡±


    Father calls me to a halt. When I turn around, Father visibly hesitates for a moment before opening his mouth.


    ¡°After the selection ceremony, no matter if you win or lose,e to my room. There¡¯s something I want to talk with you alone.¡±


    Father looks small. It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve ever seen him like this.


    ¡°I understand. Father, I won¡¯t fail to visit after the selection ceremony.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Kurt.¡± Father murmurs apologetically.


    I don¡¯t like seeing him like that, so I change the topic. ¡°......I also have a request, if I may speak about it.¡±


    I almost forget an important matter. After I be the feudal lord, there is a crucial rite to make people understand where I will lead this territory to. It is important to have my father¡¯s approval to prepare it.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°After the selection ceremony, no matter if I win or lose, please lend me the mansion¡¯s kitchen. I wish to make pastries as a treat in the festival.¡±


    When I said that, my father made a befuddled expression.


    ¡°Treating with pastries?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s something more important to me than anything. Also, it will convey my thoughts to everyone better than a thousand words.¡±


    Father still doesn¡¯t look like he grasps it, but he allows the usage of the kitchen. For now, this is enough. He will understand my real intention at the festival.


    The selection ceremony is held on the central square of the main vige. Together with Tina, I¡¯ve arrived before itmences.


    A dedicated ring has been erected. The ring is one level higher. Audience stands have been prepared in the circumference. Under the watch of the people of Arnold family, the feudal lord¡¯s candidates must wield the spear and prove that they are worthy of bing the feudal lord.


    There¡¯s still time, so no one else hase yet. There¡¯s only me and Tina.


    ¡°Kurt-sama.¡±


    Tina grabs my hand tightly. I didn¡¯t realize that she has been holding my hand. My hand is trembling.


    ¡°.......How strange. I know that I won¡¯t lose, but I still feel nervous.¡±


    I have my Sword Ability III and the martial arts that will showcase that. It¡¯s actually harder for me to lose. But, even so, I can¡¯t erase the anxiety in my heart.


    I haven¡¯t won against Jorg even once. That experience casts fear in me. It¡¯s illogical.


    Seeing me like this, Tina smiles. ¡°Kurt-sama, can you squat down for a moment?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡±


    When I squat down as Tina told me, she wraps her arms around my head, burying me in her chest. Tina¡¯s warmth and softness and sweet fragrance. I notice her heartbeat too.


    ¡°Whenever I really feel painful, or anxious, my mother will do this to me. When she does, I can relieved. Kurt-sama, how is it? Are you still scared?¡±


    I close my eyes. Tina¡¯s very existence pleases my heart.


    When I realized, I no longer feel anxious or tense.


    ¡°I feel fine now. Thank you. My attitude isn¡¯t like me at all, I feel embarrassed.¡±


    Beingforted by Tina who is younger, makes me feel miserable as a man.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay once in a while. I love Kurt-sama, including that side of you.¡±


    I¡¯m thankful that I met Tina. I sincerely think so. Releasing Tina¡¯s embrace, I stand up again. I¡¯m no longer trembling.


    The only thing left is to win.


    After a short time, people are gathering. I see a familiar face among them.


    ¡°So you¡¯re in this ce, I¡¯ve been looking for you.¡±


    The one who greets me in friendly voice is Marquis Fernandes. Behind him, his attendant is following him while holding a big wooden box.


    ¡°I apologize for making you look for me, Marquis Fernandes.¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s fine. I simply want to show this to you without wasting any second.¡±


    Before the gaze of Marquis Fernandes, there¡¯s the wooden box that his follower was holding. That is, most likely...


    ¡°Could it be, that is what I requested?¡±


    ¡°Correct, that is your requested item.¡±


    His follower approaches me and opens the wooden box. Inside it, there is straw, which holds eggs. I take one of them. Well-shaped, there¡¯s no shorings in the size. This egg is good.


    ¡°They are amazing.¡±


    ¡°Because this is a reward for you who has shown me something wondrous. I¡¯ve prepared the very best kind. I¡¯ve arranged the chicken thaty these eggs to arrive here tomorrow morning. It would be troublesome to hand over today, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°I really appreciate your thoughtfulness.¡±


    I cannot go out of the main vige today. It¡¯s a great help to have them tomorrow. It¡¯s a pleasant consideration.


    ¡°In exchange, I¡¯m urging you for a wonderful pastry. Both Faruno and I are looking forward to it.¡±


    ¡°Could it be that Faruno-samaes here as well?¡±


    As the third daughter of Marquis Fernandes, she came along to quench her curiosity of me at the inspection time. I didn¡¯t think that she would go as far asing to this selection ceremony as well.


    ¡°She doese, seeing that the result of today¡¯s selection ceremony isn¡¯t entirely unrted to her.¡±


    I listen to Marquis Fernandes¡¯ words, then tilts my head. Marquis Fernandes only shows me a meaningful smile. In that moment, Father, my younger brother Jorg, Faruno, and their attendants arrive. When Jorg¡¯s eyes meet mine, he looks away. Looks like he has a bad awareness of me after that one incident.


    On the other hand, Faruno runs up to us with sparkling eyes in an instant. ¡°Aah, Father! It¡¯s cunning of you to speak to Kurt-sama first, even though I have departed in haste!¡±


    ¡°Hey, you shouldn¡¯t run. It¡¯s very udylike. Look at Kurt-kun, he¡¯s so surprised that his eyes be round.¡±


    ¡°Ah, that, uhm, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m usually moredylike, though?¡± Drooping her head, Faruno murmurs shyly.


    ¡°No, I do not mind it in the slightest.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that! Kurt-sama, you have to win in today¡¯s selection ceremony! I will cheer on you.¡±


    ¡°Uh, yeah.¡±


    I feel perplexed because I have no idea why Faruno would be rooting for me. I can feel someone¡¯s prickling gaze. Jorg res in this direction. Right now, I kinda pity him. Rooting for me means wishing for Jorg¡¯s defeat.


    ¡°Faruno, with our position, it¡¯s dangerous to root for either side. That could be taken as a Marquis¡¯ will. Even as a reward, giving the eggs in a public space is probably not enough prudence on my part.¡± The Marquis warns Faruno.


    His words are reasonable. Faruno¡¯s current remark possesses quite a danger. In this ce, there are leaders from other viges other than us. If they are to think that the Marquis endorses me, it might get unpleasant.


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, Father.¡± Faruno apologizes for the second time.


    ¡°Marquis Fernandes, Faruno-sama, the only thing in my mind is to put my whole effort. Naturally, my younger brother Jorg is the same. The strongest, the one most suitable for the title will be the next feudal lord. As simple as that.¡± I give a follow for Faruno.


    Marquis Fernandes smiles thinly, noticing my intention.


    ¡°Just as you said, Kurt-kun. We do not intend to put the mouth for the session of Arnold barony.¡± Albeit a little forced, Marquis Fernandes deres strongly.


    It should be fine now. Afterwards, we give the proper greetings and separate with each other.


    Finally, the selection ceremony¡¯s time hase. Jorg and I face each other in the prepared stage.


    ¡°Brother, I can finally end you. What I¡¯ll do after bing the feudal lord, look forward to it.¡±


    The surrounding spectators begin cheering. Soon after, Father appears, announcing the beginning of the selection ceremony, starting the duel. This battle will decide everything. The one who will be the feudal lord will decide if I can protect everything I have, or if they all will be taken away from me.


    ¡°If that were to happen, do as you like. That is, if you can.¡± Iugh fearlessly.


    I no longer feel anxious. Tina has given me courage. The rest is just to win this.

 Volume 1 - 20

    <h4>Chapter 20: Conclusion</h4>


    Jorg and I, facing each other in the fighting ground.


    Father has appeared for five minutes, he should signal the beginning of the selection ceremony soon. The audience is oddly excited, predicting the result of the battle. Most of them has no shred of doubt about Jorg¡¯s victory.


    ¡°Brother, I really hate you.¡±


    Jorg stares at me with eyes full of despise. His words are drown out by the noise from the audience, only conveyed to me.


    ¡°What a coincidence. I really hate you too.¡±


    Until now, we¡¯ve only ever seen each other with severe displeasure. There¡¯s no way I could like him.


    ¡°I always, always envy you, Brother. Since you were small, you could do anything. You could memorize how to read and write letters in two months, while it took me three years. You could learn to do calctions in two days, I needed two years. Within a month, you could memorize the spear forms, while it took me half a year. It has always, always been like that. I could never do the things you could in a blink of an eye. ¡®If it were Kurt-sama¡¯... everyone kept saying that, you know?¡±


    It was a nostalgic talk. At that time, there were still some cuteness in this guy. The reason why I haven¡¯t killed this guy until now was probably because I still had the memories of those times.


    ¡°Brother, you were loved by everyone. Father, Mother, Eris, Anna, Robert, every single and each one of them only looked at you. There was not a single thing that I could win against you. ....Until my spear talent awakened in me.¡±


    When we were little, I could even win against Jorg in spear ys. It was likely that we were reversed due to the awakening of his spear talent.


    ¡°After I won against you in spear, the world was overturned. It felt so good. Everyone came to love me. They didn¡¯t look at you, Brother, but at me. However, Brother, everyone was still gossiping behind my back, you know? How I¡¯m worthless besides my spear, how there¡¯s no future if Arnold family is in my hands... How they wished you would awaken your spear talent!! Nothing ever changed no matter how hard I tried!¡±


    Jorg¡¯s hatred changes into murderous intent. So that was the reason this guy dropped all his efforts, huh?


    ¡°Right now, it¡¯s like that too! The Marquis, his daughter, they¡¯re only engrossed in you! Even now, if I take just one step outside Arnold house, someone like me is a shit while everyone seeks for you! Just what do I have to do so that they see me and not you!?¡±


    Jorg screams wildly like a spoiled child. It¡¯s so pathetic, now.


    ¡°How should I know? Why do I have to answer someone I hate?¡±


    ¡°How cold, Brother. Also, hating me is a lie, isn¡¯t it? Brother, the only time you ever properly felt something sincere at me was when I attacked that brat inside the stable. Brother never has any interest in me. For you, Brother, I¡¯m nothing but an insect. You¡¯ve only been driving me away when I got close. In the whole territory of Arnold barony, Brother, you¡¯re the one who never notices me the most!¡±


    He can say quite the strangest thing. I just decided to leave my younger brother alone as long as he didn¡¯t inflict more harm.


    ¡°What, do you want me to care?¡±


    ¡°Maybe I do. I always chased after you, Brother. But that is over now. I will be you. If I can snatch everything you care about, I can be you. I will get your vige and your precious woman, and I¡¯ll be you!¡± While saying this ridiculous thing, Jorg¡¯s eyes show that he¡¯s serious.


    I see, he doesn¡¯t seem like joking. He actually told me all this fantasy-like speech.


    ¡°Jorg, you are you. Even if you take everything from me, you can¡¯t be me.¡±


    Jorg¡¯s face twitches.


    Then, I continue my words, ¡°Moreover, I won¡¯t let them be taken away. I will no longer lose against you. I won¡¯t be defeated.¡±


    I take a fighting stance with the naginata....... with Ginsen. When I do so, I can feel Tina¡¯s warmth. In short, my current self is invincible.


    ¡°You¡¯re acting strong, in spear! But, the spear is the only thing I won¡¯t lose against you, Brother! Even though you won¡¯t lose if using mana won¡¯t break the rules!¡±


    Jorg also takes a stance with the spear.


    ¡°And to begin with, what¡¯s that weird spear, Brother? Is that the source of your confidence? If that¡¯s so, it¡¯s futile. That kind of petty trick won¡¯t make you win!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll understand once the fight starts.¡±


    I don¡¯t need to exin further. It will be conveyed in the middle of the fight.


    Then, Father appears between me and Jorg who are ring against each other. He opens his mouth.


    ¡°The selection ceremony shall now begin,¡± he announces powerfully.


    The spectators who have been making ruckus until just now also get silent.


    ¡°The first head of Arnold family piled heaps of deeds with nothing but his spear and attained his court rank. With a single spear, he made monsters and mana-wielding soldiers from enemy countries yield before him. Even after attaining his court rank, he continued protecting the people and defeating the enemies. Therefore, the head of Arnold family has to be the most excellent one in martial arts.¡±


    I¡¯ve listened to this tale so many times and so fed up with it that my ears turned into octopus. For Arnold family, excelling in martial arts without using mana is the thing they boast about. That¡¯s why they have this tendency to be prejudiced against mana. I can feel their aesthetics, which is not to rely on it.


    Just like how the First did it, you have to continue it in the future too.


    For me, it sounds utterlyughable. It¡¯s better to use all of the power that you have.


    ¡°In this ce, it will be settled with nothing but their self-trained bodies and their weapons! One will be lost if he bes unconscious or gives up. Otherwise, in the case where I judge that one bears an injury that is life-endangering, I will part the judgment of his defeat.¡±


    Those are the rules. This time, both my naginata and Jorg¡¯s spear will not be wrapped in the clothes that will reduce their abilities to kill.


    ¡°Now, Kurt, Jorg. Are you both ready?¡±


    ¡°I am well prepared.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m good too, Father.¡±


    Father nods, then raises up his hand.


    ¡°Then, let the selection ceremony begin!¡±


    Then he swings his arm down.


    The duel of the selection ceremony has now begun. I decided to make the first move.


    Jorg¡¯s stance has a gap somewhere. He has the self-conceitedness that he can follow my movements just by looking at me.


    Rather than dealing his hands in order to win, it seems like Jorg has the characteristic to greatly humiliate me. That¡¯s why, in the previous matches, he had nothing nned; even his posture was a mess.


    Both of us were taught in the basics by our father. It¡¯s a given that Jorg has the bare minimum of the correct stance.


    If I attack that gap, the winner and loser will be decided in an instant.


    I step into my full power. The martial arts that I trained for 10 years is elerated with my Sword Ability III.


    This is just one, simple thrust. The starting point of my spear. Which is the exact reason why this is the best blow that will decide everything. If it¡¯s this blow, I can wield my full power without abusing Sword Ability III.


    Ginsen travels with the speed that surpasses the wind-cutting sound.


    ¡°Jorg, be serious. This is my real ability.¡±


    The de of my naginata... of Ginsen rips a wound in Jorg¡¯s cheek. His blood softly flows.


    Jorg cannot respond in the slightest. I ended it just by hitting him in one blow. I return to my stance after swinging my spear back.


    ¡°Wh-what was that, y-you disappeared just now, h-huh, what¡¯s with t-that speed.¡± Jorg looks confused.


    To his knowledge, my movements still belong to a human after all. Without spear talent, I can¡¯t surpass the limit of an ordinary man. And yet, he¡¯s now confused because I let him see a thrust that reaches a divine realm.


    ¡°I¡¯ll say this one more time. Get serious. This is my real ability. I missed deliberately, but I won¡¯t do it again,¡± I dere while thrusting Ginsen.


    Jorg takes a step back.


    There¡¯s a reason why I deliberately made the miss: I won¡¯t allow Jorg have any excuseter. If I beat him with the blow earlier, this guy will cry that he was caught off guard because I hid my true power before the actual match, and that his defeat was because he had no chance to show his true power as well.


    I won¡¯t forgive that. He will lose with his real ability, without fail. I won¡¯t ever let him think that he doesn¡¯t win because he can¡¯t fight with full power.


    ¡°No way, Brother, your speed, y-you... you broke the rules! You must have used your mana. It¡¯s weird! Right? Father!¡±


    Jorg turns to Father, ming me for breaking rules.


    ¡°No, Kurt hasn¡¯t used mana.¡± Father shakes his head and denies it. He can use mana a little bit too, so he can tell if I use it or not.


    As long as Father says that, Jorg has no choice but to believe it. His face turns pale.


    ¡°Jorg, you can just surrender. Your abilities are inferior to me; with your speed and weightcking, do you think you can still win?¡±


    ¡°That was just a fluke. Obviously, just a fluke. Moreover, until now, I haven¡¯t been serious at all. You should regret that you didn¡¯t beat with that blow.¡±


    Jorg¡¯s veins popped, and he clutched his spear forcefully. It¡¯s the first time he ever made a proper-ish posture. But still, it¡¯s a poor one. Indeed, he hasn¡¯t been serious at all until now, but that negligence has only made his spear blunt.


    ¡°Yes,e with me with your full power. I will make you yield.¡±


    This time, both Jorg and I run at the same time. I purposely respond to Jorg¡¯s thrust. His spear shes with Ginsen, then flipped.


    I estimate the time when Jorg¡¯s posture¡¯s bnce is thrown off, then I grip Ginsen and leave the center of the gravity to the front. In short, I promptly seize the next action.


    I step into his territory powerfully. It would be good to ride on the momentum of stepping in, but that might kill him.


    Originally, if he enters the interval of his spear, he can mow down or kick away, but Jorg¡¯s ability isn¡¯t high enough to do them. Jorg only bes flustered, exposing his gaps awkwardly. I turn Ginsen upside down, then with the same posture, I strike Jorg¡¯s torso with the blunt end. It¡¯s a direct hit with a dull sensation.


    ¡°Gah!¡±


    Jorg falls to his knees, then vomits. It¡¯s a clean hit to his vital spot. It must be painful.


    I distance myself without giving the finishing blow. It¡¯s Jorg; he has no will power. He should give up with this.


    ¡°B-brother, not yet. It¡¯s not over yet.¡± Jorg props himself up to his feet by his spear, ring with a pale face.


    ¡°You still want to do it? The discrepancy between our full powers is as clear as the day.¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡±


    Staggering, Jorg holds his spear while throwing himself at me. I lightly avoid it and make him miss, then hit the back of his neck with the back edge of naginata¡¯s de. Because it¡¯s katana, the back of the de is just a blunt weapon.


    Jorg pitches forward to fall. This should be the end, right? And yet...


    ¡°B-brother, where are you, going?¡±


    With a severe attack to his neck, I thought his consciousness would definitely grow dim, but Jorg gets back to his feet.


    I was sincerely surprised. He shows will power to this extent.


    ¡°You can barely stand, right? Just surrender.¡±


    ¡°As if I¡¯d lose! As if!¡±


    He sends out his spear weakly again and again, but that kind of attack will never reach me. However, Jorg still continues to wield his spear.


    ¡°For me, for me, there¡¯s nothing but the spear. If I lose even in the spear, I, I¡ª¨C!!¡±


    Jorg grits his teeth, still swinging his spear. He grits too strongly that his back teeth starts to crack.


    Right now, Jorg is more serious than he¡¯s ever been before. It¡¯s the first time I realize I¡¯ve been underrating him. I¡¯ve been thinking that he would give up after being shaken off adequately.


    ¡°Jorg, sorry. I¡¯ve been looking down on you.¡±


    Jorg¡¯s thrust is repelled by Ginsen from below, turning his body into a <i>banzai</i> posture. Then, I brandish my sword upwards... This isn¡¯t a posture of wielding a spear.


    ¡°You cannot be stopped by a half-hearted blow... so I¡¯ll be serious too.¡±


    Then I swing downwards. Ginsen shes in silver color like his namesake, making a big diagonal sh on Jorg, like a monk¡¯s robe. Blood sshes around.


    ¡°B-brother. I, I always, towards you¨C¡±


    While the blood of rain falls, Jorg tumbles down with vacant eyes.


    ¡°Winner, Kurt!¡±


    Father announces the winner, while a flustered doctores running to Jorg¡¯s side. The wound isn¡¯t as deep as it looks, if he can stop the blood on time, he can save Jorg¡¯s life.


    When I look into the spectator¡¯s area, a great half is rejoiced by my victory, while those who have been tailing over Jorg until now bes really pale. I turn around.


    ¡°Kurt, go to my room ahead of me. I will follow you soon after checking Jorg¡¯s condition.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Father.¡±


    I bow towards my father and exit the stage. As I step down from the stage, Tina has been lying in wait for me.


    ¡°Kurt-samaaa!¡±


    Tears are welling up in her eyes as she jumps at me. I wee her to my arms. Tina wraps her arms around my back strongly.


    ¡°Kurt-sama! I¡¯m d. I¡¯m so, so d that you won!¡±


    With tearful voice, Tina tells me how d she is, over and over again. She¡¯s surprisingly worried over me.


    This girl was surely anxious from the bottom of her heart. I¡¯ve spend this one week only by cutting cabbages and awakening my earth magic. Moreover, she must have been anxious because she has been beside me all this time, looking over me continuously beaten by Jorg.


    ¡°Yes, I won. It¡¯s thanks to Tina. Because you were here, I could win. With this, we can live our lives in that vige from now on.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes!¡±


    Until Tina stops crying, I pat her back and let her do as she wishes.


    Marquis Fernandes and Faruno arrives. With a bitterugh, Marquis Fernandes gestures with his eyes and hand that he will wait for me, while Faruno looks at me and Tina with displeased look.

 Volume 1 - 21

    <h4>Chapter 21: A Father¡¯s Feelings, A Son¡¯s Feelings</h4>


    After holding me tightly, Tina stops crying and removes herself.


    ¡°Kurt-sama, I apologize for not behaving properly,¡± Tina said in a tearful voice while covering her embarrassed face.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s alright. Knowing that you care that much makes me happy.¡±


    Tina looks all the more bashful. I nonchntly rub her head, then facing the Marquis¡¯ direction.


    Tina hides herself behind my back. She¡¯s not really good with strangers, and she wouldn¡¯t want to show her tear-stained face to people she doesn¡¯t know.


    ¡°I¡¯ve kept you waiting, Marquis Fernandes.¡± I bow my head down.


    Marquis Fernandes is an aplished person. Logically speaking, an ordinary noble would be mad to see a servant pulling and cutting him off from a conversation.


    ¡°Ah no, it is all right. I also feel depressed to see tears in a lovely maiden¡¯s face,¡±es the reply from Marquis Fernandes, who shows a friendly smile. Tina, who hides behind me, bes less wary and shows her face.


    ¡°Nevertheless, congrattions. Well, I was surprised that you actually won. Have you actually surpassed Baron Arnold¡¯s level?¡±


    ¡°No, I haven¡¯t reached my father¡¯s spear yet.¡±


    Both Father and I have reached Level III of our own Abilities. The rest is decided by our pure skills. On a nce, I have a higher skill than my father, but that¡¯s due to Naginata¡¯s superiority and whether or not I can live up to it. I recognize that much.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to be humble. I heard that you could use mana, and you¡¯re already this strong without it. I wonder, just how much stronger will you be if you use it at the same time? It¡¯s terrifying. Don¡¯t you think that you could advance on the path of power?¡±


    Indeed, if I use mana, it won¡¯t have toe to this battle. Father may be able to use a little bit of mana, but that¡¯s merely a breadth of it like anymon person. Joining the power of mana to the strength thates from using an Ability will grant me a power that far surpasses anything anyone ever known before. Ability and mana, a person who disys both is indeed very rare.


    ¡°Even so, my dream is to be the world¡¯s best pastry chef. I will show you how much I can aplish in this path.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it. Now There¡¯s another thing to... Ah, we¡¯ll leave it forter.¡±


    Marquis Fernandes looks at Faruno¡¯s direction with meaningful eyes. Faruno also looks back with meaningful eyes, covering her giggling mouth.


    ¡°Kurt-sama, please ept my warmest congrattions. It was a beautiful disy of skills. Even in my fied, there¡¯s no one more skillful that Kurt-sama.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°The truth is, I was thoroughly charmed. Your knowledge, your sweets, your martial arts, Kurt-sama is a sinful person who¡¯ve stolen my heart.¡±


    ¡°That is my honor. For my humble self to receive such words from a beautiful youngdy like you, I feel like soaring high.¡±


    Somehow, I feel difort from my back.


    Tina puffs her cheeks, crumpling on my shirttail. Her jealous expression is cute. My words earlier were just ttery though.


    ¡°Marquis Fernandes, Faruno-sama. In the uing festival this evening, I will present to you my treasured sweets, baked using the eggs I gratefully epted from Marquis Fernandes. Please, look forward to it.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to say anything, I¡¯ve been looking forward to it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the same for me. Kurt-sama! I¡¯vee today in order to eat your sweets!¡±


    It seems that they¡¯re expecting it more that I thought. I feel more pressure now.


    ¡°But, what on earth will you be making?¡±


    ¡°I will treat you to a golden-colored sweets. It will live up 100% to the eggs¡¯ deliciousness.¡±


    ¡°Ohh, I can¡¯t wait.¡± Marquis Fernandes¡¯ eyes narrow to a smile.


    ¡°Well then, I need to greet my father properly, then preparing for the food. Please excuse me for leaving early.¡±


    I need to prepare the sweets for 200 people in just 2 hours. I must hurry.


    ¡°Forgive us for holding you back. Please do what you must.¡±


    ¡°Kurt-sama, let¡¯s talk againter.¡±


    I bow to Marquis Fernandes and Faruno, then go away from that ce.


    When I walk into Father¡¯s office, he¡¯s already inside. Somehow, this scene oveps with the talk I had once with Marquis Fernandes.


    ¡°Father, my apologies for beingte.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. You¡¯ve done well.¡±


    Father looks exhausted for some reason.


    ¡°First, let me apologize to you. I¡¯m sorry for all you¡¯ve gone through until now. I¡¯ve treated you horribly. ......I had every intention to chase you away from this territory.¡±


    Without making excuses, Father apologizes right in front of me.


    ¡°I¡¯ve actually heard about Father¡¯s intention when I spoke with Marquis Fernandes back then. It allowed me to sort my thoughts. There¡¯s no need to apologize.¡±


    Father listens to my words, then opens his eyes in astonishment. <i>Is that so</i>... he murmurs in small voice.


    ¡°There were better thingspared to wasting your lifetime in a ce as small as Arnold family..... no, evenpared to seeding this fiefdom, I thought I would let you aplish big things by going to Marquis Fernandes¡¯ ce. I believed that you had that Talent.¡±


    Bitterness spreads in his voice.


    ¡°On the other hand, there¡¯s your younger brother Jorg. He might not be able to live if it¡¯s not here. He has his gift, but it crumbles in front of you. Moreover, his character strays even further away. No, it¡¯s probably the result of how we reared him. As long as he¡¯s near you, problems will arise.¡±


    Father shows his anguish and remorse with those words.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t able to do right in guiding him... But even so, if you¡¯re not here, I believed that I could start over from the first step, protecting this current Arnold barony, and let it be the inheritance for the future generation.¡±


    ¡°Father, are you saying that you wish for Jorg¡¯s and my happiness by yourself?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I wish for you to aplish the huge things out there, and for Jorg to be steady, protecting this territory.¡±


    After spilling those words, Father keeps being silent.


    I understand his feelings. He loved us in his own way. He must have thought that there was no other way to let us both achieve happiness but this.


    ¡°Father, let me express one thing. The things you¡¯ve done came from arrogance. You weren¡¯t thinking about our feelings, pushing things just from your side. If you truly thought that way, I wish you had discussed things with us. If you did so, I would be able to lend you some knowledge, no matter how poor that was.¡±


    I¡¯m happy that you wished for our happiness, but I wished that you would convey those feelings as well. If you did, I would be able to lend my hand before Jorg became this twisted.


    ¡°As for me, I wasn¡¯t looking at Jorg at all. He told me that much, that his big brother had no interest in him at all. And I admit that he was right. For me, Jorg was an existence that I couldn¡¯t care about. I was his big brother, but I didn¡¯t love him.¡±


    If only I had connected with him more often, he probably wouldn¡¯t turn out like this. This matter makes me feel guilty. If Ipare him to all the knowledge and experience I¡¯m carrying from my previous world, I can¡¯t help it.


    And his Spear Talent also made him even more unhappy. There¡¯s no reward for working hard. Without working hard , he¡¯s being spoiled. It¡¯s not strange for him to be twisted from experiencing both at the same time.


    That¡¯s why, Ie to think that I want to help him, a little.


    ¡°About Jorg, that¡¯s already done and over with. He should know about the real world. He should be able to realize how trivial the things he¡¯s worrying about right now if he goes out. Let¡¯s make a request to Marquis Fernandes. It¡¯s okay if he¡¯s not weed with hospitality; more hardships will be good for him. On top of that, I think it will be good if he can decide on his own to find the ce he belongs out there, or to return here.¡±


    As long as Jorg stays here, he won¡¯t change. If hees to know the world out there, he will mature. It¡¯ll be better if he can figure things out by himself after that.


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible... I can¡¯t possibly request to anyone to take care of someone that useless...¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s possible. I¡¯m holding a favor from Marquis Fernandes. I¡¯m going to use the favor for this.¡±


    The promise to make sweets for the Duchess. It¡¯s fine to use that favor for Jorg¡¯s sake. That will be my first andst charity for the younger brother I¡¯ve neglected.


    ¡°Kurt, forgive me. And, thank you.¡± Father bows his head.


    It¡¯s the first time I see him appearing so small.


    ¡°Father, will you go out to the festival?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t feel like it.¡±


    ¡°Please do forgive me, but, would you please go out no matter what? I¡¯m going to treat everyone with a piece of sweets there. That sweets will draw the future of Arnold fief from now on.¡±


    With thosest words, I go out from that room.


    Kitchen is my destination.


    I can¡¯t afford some half-assed sweets. I must make the fief people see my dream, and as soon as it¡¯spleted, Marquis Fernandes will probably cancel the order to send my sweets to the Duchess.


    And yet, I don¡¯t feel anxious at all.


    It¡¯s quite the opposite; I feel fired up.


    From now on, this is my battle as a patissier.

 Volume 1 - 22

    <h4>Chapter 22: Madeleine Arnold</h4>


    In the kitchen, there are ingredients lining up in a cramped ce. They¡¯re probably the food offerings sent earlier this morning from each vige.


    The food supply for the festival are mostly done and gradually being sent out to the main vige¡¯s central za. The hearth and the kitchen surface are empty. It seems like I could put out my skills as I like.


    ¡°Kurt-sama, we bring you the ingredients!¡±


    Tina and the vigerse inside with a huge baggage. In their arms, there are wheat flour, yams, bottles of honey, walnut oil, then green fruits thates in 5-cm sizes, the local variety of kiwi fruit, <i>sarunashi</i>. On top of those, they also carry a huge, cloth-wrapped tray.


    ¡°Thank you, everyone. You¡¯re a huge help. Can I ask everyone to leave but Tina? I want you to help me with baking the pastries.¡±


    ¡°Can I?!¡± Showing a fully blooming smile, Tina clenches her fist.


    Until now, she¡¯s been helping me with everything but the pastry making. However, from now on, I¡¯m aiming to make the best pastry with her. It¡¯s only her Fire Magic for now, but I n to teach her a lot of things, little by little.


    ¡°I said you could. Rather, I hope you will.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Kurt-sama!¡± Tina answers in high spirit.


    The bunch of people around us grin broadly, looking at us with warm eyes.


    ¡°Young Master, we¡¯re going to the za ahead of you. If we stay here, we¡¯ll be getting heartburn even before tasting the sweets.¡±


    As Tina hears the joke, she blushes and puffs her cheeks.


    ¡°Even if my sweets give you guys heartburn, it will still taste really good, you know? Then, let¡¯s meet upter.¡±


    I send them off. Then, Tina stands besides me.


    ¡°I¡¯ll help Kurt-sama in making the pastry as best as I can!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m relying on you. Tina¡¯s power is indispensable.¡±


    My mind gets reminded of the convenience of Tina¡¯s Fire Magic in an instant. I can no longer go back to adjusting the fire by the woods anymore.


    ¡°My power is indispensable...¡±


    ¡°Tina is my best partner. Please lend me your power.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll work hard! For Kurt-sama¡¯s sake, I¡¯ll do anything! ....Partner, best partner...¡±


    From earlier on, Tina¡¯s tail has been shaking to a buzz. It seems that the fighting yell gives her that effect. Now then, let¡¯s start baking.


    First, I steadily sift the flour portion that I¡¯ll use, then grinds the yam to scrapes.


    I borrow two bowls which are lying around in the kitchen. And then, I separate the egg white from the yolk. A bowl holds all the egg white in one side, while the other bowl holds all the yolks in the other side. The yolks are quickly piling up, while the egg white are clear transparent. These are good eggs.


    ¡°Uwaa, Kurt-sama, you crack the egg with one hand and only need one second to cleanly separate them. It¡¯s just like magic!¡±


    ¡°Ites with practice. If Tina practices a lot, you can reach this point too.¡±


    Most likely, my Cooking Ability III also factors in, though. My body follows the image of my movement in previous world. Thanks to that ability, I can reproduce those movements.


    The weapon¡¯s ability only tampers with pure speed and heaviness, but the cooking ability affects my sensitiveness that corrtes with preciseness. Just like that, I finish separating all the eggs that Marquis Fernandes brought for me.


    ¡°Now, shall we begin?¡±


    I grab the bowl of egg whites, then put my homemade whisk inside and stir.


    I¡¯m making meringue. Incorporating air into the egg white until white stiff foams are forming. The more I whisk, more lumps of white meringue are forming.


    ¡°Uwaaaaaa, the egg white bes that big. It¡¯s just like magic.¡± Tina¡¯s eyes are sparkling brightly with excitement.


    After that, I add honey in small amount at a time. Not all at once. The trick is to add the honey little by little.


    ¡°Yosh, it¡¯s a wless meringue.¡±


    I pull the whisk away as it¡¯s peaking. Steady and firm, yet fluffy looking meringue is done. This is the foundation. If I fail here, I no longer have anything to show.


    ¡°Amazing, just from that egg, it bes this big and white and rising.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because there¡¯s a lot of air inside. If we mix this into our batter, it will turn out to be really fluffy.¡±


    If I bake the dough in themon way, it¡¯ll properly be firm. However, by adding the meringue, the batter will be full of air and bes fluffly.


    ¡°Now let¡¯s move to the next step.¡±


    I mix in the egg yolks I¡¯ve separated earlier with 2/3 ratio to the meringue. With this ratio, I can reach the bnce in this recipe. The remaining 1/3 of the yolks will be usedter.


    As I mix the egg yolks in, the meringue is stained with yellow color.


    Then, I add in the wheat flour that I¡¯ve sifted earlier, as well as the ground yams. The fluffy batter that¡¯s full of air can easily dry out. By mixing the yams, the mouthfeel taste will overall improve and the batter will ooze out a natural sweetness.


    Lastly, the walnut oil.


    I add in the amount of oil that makes up thecking amount of eggs. With this, the yams taste will be more harmonious and gentle. This can only be tolerated by using the walnut oil. If the recipe uses butter, it will be cloying and inedible. The refreshing aftertaste and richness from the walnut oil allows therger amount of it being added.


    Next, by properly mix them all up, the batter is done. It¡¯s not even baked yet, but the sweet fragrance already seeps in the air.


    ¡°Yellow, fluffy, and glistening, it looks delicious already.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like it can¡¯t be eaten this way, but it¡¯s more delicious after being baked, you know?¡±


    With a wry smile, I take the cloth-wrapped tray. This was produced by magic. There are already ellipse-shape carved and lining up on the te. I smear it with walnut oil.


    ¡°There¡¯s something carved on the ellipses. This is...¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve noticed. It¡¯s Arnold family¡¯s crest.¡±


    One by one, I fill the cavity with the running batter I¡¯ve prepared. This way, I can bake a lot in one batch.


    The baking time should be around twenty minutes. If I bake five times, I can make 200 portions for everyone. Somehow, I manage to be on time for 200 people¡¯s portions in just two hours. What I¡¯m making is Meringue?Madeleine.


    After I fill every cavity with batter, I put the tray into the furnace.


    ¡°Tina, the fire please. Make it strong.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Kurt-sama.¡±


    ¡°Please make the fire temperature go down a little... yes, a little more. Yes, right there. Please maintain this heat. Can you manage that?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely, Kurt-sama.¡±


    With sweat running down, Tina bakes the madeleine. When the timees, from the best eggs, using the forest¡¯s wonderful ingredients like walnut and yams, there will be the spongy, moist madeleine. However, this is still iplete. I won¡¯t let today¡¯s special pastry to end up just being a madeleine.


    Just now, for a total of five times, we baked madeleine enough for 200 people¡¯s portion. Right now, I¡¯m going to raise the madeleine up to another whole new level.


    ¡°Kurt-sama, this already smells so sweet and wonderful, I can¡¯t stand it. Just one, just one, please let me eat just one!¡±


    Tina looks at the light brown color of baked madeleine with vacant eyes. The special madeleine made with walnut oil and yams will be delicious enough this way.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Tina has worked really hard, so it¡¯s okay to have a taste. But this is still notpleted. The finishing touches starts now.¡±


    ¡°So it will be even more delicious than this?!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the real thing now. Look, the baked madeleine has the Arnold family crest, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°Yes, the Arnold family crest is prettily carved there.¡±


    ¡°But don¡¯t you think that the family crest is too dented? After I fill that part up, my pastry will bepleted.¡±


    I carved that shape while thinking to incorporate the family crest. However, when I think about the appearance, it¡¯s quenching.


    I have a reason not to do that. I still have 1/3 egg yolks that I left out before. Adding walnut oil into the yolks, then small dose of salt, after that the <i>sarunashi</i> fruit juice, I mix them all together while adding in the honey.


    I¡¯m making sweet yolk sauce. In French fine cuisine, there¡¯s one of the five basic sauce, the Hondaise. I¡¯m modifying that to use in pastry.


    As expected, the umami of the eggs are concentrated in the yolks. More than scrambled eggs, the runny yolk of the sunny side up has stronger taste. I¡¯m making the sauce that will properly enliven the richness of the egg.


    The one single thing that enlivens the egg¡¯s rich vor is actually...


    ¡°Tina, please warm this sauce. Slowly, just like before.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be careful.¡±


    Tina¡¯s hand warms the egg sauce. The egg yolk¡¯s deliciousness when eatenes from, first and foremost, the temperature.


    The egg¡¯s vor is most developed at 60 degrees, on the verge of getting solidified. It¡¯s the so-called coddled egg. The egg sauce turns into a beautiful golden color.


    There¡¯s also custard cream to enliven the egg¡¯s vor, but, in this way, the rich vor of the egg is actually stronger.


    I give Tina a sign with my eyes to stop warming them. I pour the coddled egg yolk sauce into the cavity of the madeleines in the perfect temperature. Yes, the sauce is made for the sole purpose to be fill the carved family crest. The madeleine is showing the golden colored crest of Arnold family.


    Now this ispleted. The yellow madeleine.


    ¡°Wooooooooow, so pretty. Pastry with golden-colored family crest. How romantic.¡±


    Tina¡¯s eyes are sparkling while staring at the pastry. The pastry¡¯s appearance is as important as the taste. Especially as a treat in a festival like today. The madeleines adorned with golden family crest will be perfect for the asion, won¡¯t it?


    ¡°Now, try it. This is the best pastry that I can make right now. It¡¯s an original recipe based on a pastry called madeleine. Therefore, the name of this pastry is Madeleine Arnold. I¡¯ve decided.¡±


    ¡°Pastry that bears the name of Arnold.... how wonderful!¡±


    It¡¯s a pastry that pulls out 100% of the egg¡¯s vor, made from the vige, that enlivens the ingredients that came as the forest¡¯s blessing. Those are the reason why Arnold¡¯s name is a perfect fit. It can only be made in this fief. A deluxe madeleine.


    ¡°Now then, Kurt-sama, may I taste it now?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely, please enjoy it.¡±


    ¡°Then, thank you for the food.¡±


    Tina bites into the Madeleine Arnold she¡¯s been holding and closes her mouth.


    <strong>Trantor¡¯s Notes:</strong>


    Yay! Finally the cooking! Just so you know, in my hiatus, I ate madeleine almost everyday lmfao. I originally thought it was going to be dry poundcake, but my expectation was fully, beautifully, wholy broken. xD I love these madeleines!


    Also...


    Look at these beauties lmfao. (I¡¯m still rooting for non-harem route though.) If you have some money to spare (and probably Japanese address), please support the author by buying the books! Or should I prepare a donation pool to buy them for us...? I wonder...

 Volume 1 - 23

    Bringing thepleted pastries, Tina and I go from the mansion¡¯s kitchen to the festival¡¯s location, the za. The madeleines are gathered into pic baskets, while the egg yolk Hondaise sauce is also brought along, inside an earthenware pot.


    The two of us aren¡¯t enough to bring everything, so the mansion¡¯s servants are helping us with the rest of them. We didn¡¯t specifically ask for their help, but the servants seemed understand that there were things they could help with.


    Until now, they thought that my younger brother would seed the family and didn¡¯t give much attention to me, thus suddenly receiving their courtesy like this feels unsettling. Because I became the head of Arnold family, they must have hurried to sell some ttery. Though I have some mixed feelings about this, they¡¯re not to me. They only want to protect their lives.


    When we arrive at the za, the festival is on the brink of starting. We barely made it, but somehow, we managed to make pastries enough for 200 people.


    In the za that bes the festival venue, there are tables lining up, filled with feasts. Arnold fief is a poor territory, but there are enough luxury, worthy of celebrating the next generation head. Rarely being luxurious, the vigers¡¯ eyes are sparkling with excitement.


    ¡°You¡¯re finally here, Kurt-kun. Is that the rumored pastry in that basket?¡±


    In the za, the person who greets me before anyone else is Marquis Fernandes. There are also Father and Marquis¡¯ daughter Faruno nearby.


    I¡¯m d that Father can participate and looking calm. With this, I can properly give him my pastry and convey my feelings to him.


    ¡°Yes, I made this with my whole power. Since the eggs that Marquis Fernandes gave to me were really splendid, I managed toplete something that exceeded my expectations.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡±


    ¡°I wish to hand these out in the end of the festival, so I hope you wouldn¡¯t mind to hold on a little bit longer.¡±


    Madeleine Arnold is a pastry that will change vor due to the temperature.


    In the end of the festival, I arrange the baskets in each table, so that they are eaten with the Hondaise sauce that Tina warms up just before they reach the hands of the vigers.


    ¡°Well, Kurt-kun. There¡¯s something important to discuss after the festival. Would you spare some time for that?¡±


    ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll be seeing you there.¡±


    Most likely, it¡¯s a greeting as the next generation head. I must brace myself.


    When my mind wanders like that, Father opens his mouth. ¡°Marquis Fernandes, please pardon my rudeness. The festival will begin any time now, please pardon me for leaving this ce shortly to give some greetings. I will be taking Kurt with me, therefore, Logory will be the one taking our ce to be your guide.¡±


    ¡°Yes, please do,¡± the Marquis answers to Father¡¯s request.


    Logory is a serious man, Father¡¯s right-hand man. He¡¯s a servant who singlehandedly undertakes the Arnold family¡¯s ounting and a passionately devoted man. There should be no problem to let him take the spot.


    ¡°Well then, Marquis. We will see you soon. Kurt, pleasee with me.¡±


    Father bows his head down, then we removes ourselves from that location.


    ?


    Father and I stepped on the tform. Erging his voice at once, he deeply inhaled his breath then opened his mouth.


    ¡°Hear, my beloved people. Right now, the festival to celebrate the next head of Arnold family will soonmence.¡±


    His voice sends the fief¡¯s people into an uproar. Well, they seem to be at their limit from devouring the festival¡¯s banquet.


    ¡°First of all, I wish to ry my word of gratitude. As a result of everyone pitching from each vige, we are going to have this grand banquet. Thank you. Today, eat up, drink up, make big noise to your heart¡¯s content.¡±


    The mansion¡¯s servants are bringing bottles of alcohol to each table. Smiles are blooming in the people¡¯s faces. In this fief, alcohol is a treasure. It can be said to be a tremendous splurge.


    I¡¯ve been thinking to concoct mead when the production of honey increases. At this point, it seems unlikely to get my hands for them, though.


    When I see the servantsing with alcohol, my head tilts in confusion.


    Strange. They didn¡¯t bring the rtively cheap ale, but rather wine made from grapes. I can¡¯t regard them as something that the Arnold family could provide.


    The servants open the alcohol and poured them into the fief¡¯s people¡¯s cups, but just from the scent wafting in the air, I can tell that this is a first ss quality even among wines. The vigers are all salivating from knowing this kind of first ss alcohol for the first time.


    ¡°This alcohol is a congrattory gift from Marquis Fernandes. The other day, my son Kurt has provided various knowledge from the Marquis, earning him chicken and eggs as his rewards. However, Kurt¡¯s knowledge seems to have been more splendid than expected. Therefore, the marquis¡¯ subordinate counseled that his previous rewards wouldn¡¯t be enough topensate for their estimated profits and will hurt the marquis¡¯ dignity. In order to add to that bnce, we received this beverage. Please, everyone, let us express our gratitude to Marquis Fernandes, and to Kurt, for enabling us to enjoy this alcohol today.¡±


    As soon as they heard Father¡¯s words, the fief¡¯s people simultaneously looked in my direction, holding a multitude of reverence in their gaze. I feel my face blushes from the surprise attack.


    When I look in Marquis Fernandes¡¯ direction, he has been looking at me with all-knowing teasing smirk in his face. In order to catch me off guard, he hid this news when we met.


    Just from one event, I could gain the people¡¯s sympathy. This should enable me to manage the people easier from hereafter. It¡¯s something to be grateful for, but to me it feels like someone has gotten the upper hand. I decided to return this favor and debt someday.


    Without lingering on the excitement, Father continues speaking.


    ¡°As you all havee to know, in the selection ceremony, it is decided that the next family head is Kurt. Once Kurt bes the family head, this fief will surely be prosperous. On top of the alcohol we¡¯re enjoying for this event, anyone who looks at the vige that Kurt has been building for three years will understand. Perhaps there are among you who have heard the rumors, but let me clear it up. Kurt¡¯s vige will be the richest vige in our fief from next year. I am certain that other viges will also benefit from that from now on.¡±


    The fief¡¯s people starts to make noises. As I thought, for them, the most important thing is how to live their lives for another day. They probably wouldn¡¯t be able to think of how to move forward if it was just Father¡¯s words, but with the marquis¡¯ surprise, they have been led to think that I am a great character.


    Everyone starts to imagine a bright future and chats excitedly with their fellow vigers. There¡¯s hope in there.


    ¡°With this, I am going to end my greetings. Kurt, please convey a word or two to greet the people and have a toast with them.¡±


    I receive my Father¡¯s request and take one step forward.


    In order not to miss a single word from me, the fief¡¯s people are all hushed up.


    ¡°Being able to convey my words to everyone in this ce, you all have my gratitude. I am Kurt Arnold, the man who will inherit as the next feudal lord of Arnold family.¡±


    After saying those words, it actually starts to feel like I¡¯ll really be the next family head.


    ¡°I wish to make thisnd prosperous. However, this is not something that I can show to you just by words. Today, I¡¯ve made a small piece of pastry. It¡¯s a sweet pastry. With this pastry, I¡¯m going to show you the future that I envisioned. I wish that by eating that bit of pastry, I will convey to all of you about my resolution.¡±


    When they heard about the sweet pastry, the people showed the same reaction as the moment when they heard about the wine: full of expectation. In this world where sugar is a preciousmodity, sweet pastry has a charm that¡¯s almost violent.


    ¡°For now, let¡¯s have a toast, everyone.¡±


    All the people raised their wine filled cups.


    ¡°Cheers!¡±


    They toast with their cups and starts the feast.


    <strong>Trantor¡¯s Notes: </strong>


    Yo! I¡¯m all fired up so you can expect a few more chapters from me soon.

 Volume 1 - 24

    <h4>Chapter 24: Sweet Future within the Pastry</h4>


    The banquet was exciting. There are a lot of treats and delicious alcohol. Moreover, everyone feels hopeful for a more prosperous life from now on. It¡¯ll be strange if it¡¯s anything less than exciting.


    The entertainers y music with their hands, and the other people dance to match it withughter on their faces. It¡¯s really a wonderful festival. I¡¯m savoring this atmosphere with my whole body.


    ¡°Jeez, Kurt-sama, have you been paying attention?¡±


    ¡°Faruno-sama, I¡¯m listening.¡±


    Faruno¡¯s voice calls back my consciousness.


    Since the start of the festival, I have been captured by Margrave Fernande and Faruno. The main topics are the supplementary information for the document about the device I¡¯ve been implementing in my territory, as well as the books I have tranted before. Both are fairlyplex topics, so I can¡¯t afford to answer absentmindedly. Since the both of them seem to be enjoying themselves here, I¡¯m d.


    When Tina sees my empty cup, she pours the wine again. She has been conducting herself with full devotion for a while now.


    Just with her by my side, I feel at ease. She¡¯s a great help. I continue the talk for a while, then turning my focus to the venue. Both the food and drink seem to have diminished already. If I want to start, now would be a good time.


    ¡°Margrave Fernande, Faruno-sama, I am treating everyone to the pastry in a few moments.¡±


    Margrave Fernande nods, while Faruno opens her mouth to speak.


    ¡°It is regretful that we have to halt our discussion. However, I¡¯m looking forward to the treat.¡±


    ¡°I intend to treat both of you personally. Therefore, if you don¡¯t mind waiting, I¡¯ll return soon.¡±


    ¡°Wow, wonderful. It¡¯s a promise, then.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    I rise up from my seat.


    ¡°Tina, let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s give Kurt-sama¡¯s pastries to everyone!¡±


    Thus, with Tina, I¡¯m walking away to reach the table where we left the pastries.


    ?


    There are baskets filled with madeleine and earthenware pots filled with Hondaise sauce on top of the table.


    ¡°Tina, I¡¯m counting on you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll slowly warm them up!¡±


    With Tina¡¯s power, the sauce pots are warmed up to 60¡æ to stimte the best deliciousness from the eggs. It¡¯s the long-awaited pastries; I want people to eat them in their most delicious state. I¡¯ve already divided the Hondaise sauce into a few numbers of small earthenware pots.


    The servants are bringing the madeleine baskets and small sauce pots to each table. People have started making a fuss over what¡¯s going on. After the servants open the baskets, a sweet smell immediately fills the air. People realize that inside the baskets, there are the sweet pastries that I made; their faces start to melt.


    Tina and I are moving around too. This time, we¡¯re going back to Margrave Fernande¡¯s and Faruno¡¯s ce. I want to directly present the pastries to them, as the heir of the Arnold family.


    ?


    ¡°<i>Hou</i>, the ones distributed just now are your pastries, correct?¡±


    When I return, Margrave Fernande calls out to me.


    ¡°Yes, they are my pastries. Would you allow me to present it to you?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely.¡±


    Tina opens up the basket, then I arrange the madeleines on a te.


    ¡°Baked pastry, isn¡¯t it? It smells really nice, like the scent of a fragrant forest. It looks really pleasing to the eyes as well, with a vibrant light-brown color. Isn¡¯t that the crest of the Arnold family carved on it? That is a good presentation. Very befitting of a grand ending to a festival.¡±


    ¡°It looks fluffy and delicious. I also agree with Father that it smells really nice. What is the source of this scent, I wonder?¡±


    ¡°The scentes from honey and walnuts. By baking them, they turn into this wonderful smell.¡±


    They both inspect the madeleine with great interest.


    ¡°Also, my pastry isn¡¯t finished yet. Let me put the finishing touches for you.¡±


    I receive the earthenware pot from Tina, taking the task to scoop the Hondaise sauce. The temperature is perfect. The moment that pot is open, the sweet and sour scent from hardy kiwi spreads in the air. It is a refreshing fragrance that smells different than the walnuts.


    ¡°<i>Hou</i>, so you¡¯re going to add the sauce.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you are correct.¡±


    With that, I¡¯m pouring the sauce into the crest symbol. The golden-colored crest of the Arnold family appears in the madeleine.


    ¡°<i>Uwaa</i>, it¡¯s a golden-colored pastry. It¡¯s so pretty! How wonderful.¡±


    ¡°My, my, I¡¯m surprised. So this is what you meant when you said golden-colored pastry. Beautiful. It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen this kind of presentation. I almost have no heart to eat it up.¡±


    The both of them raise their voices in admiration. Faruno, especially, can no longer hold back; her hand has already gripped her fork really hard.


    ¡°With this, it¡¯spleted. This is the pastry that I created, and I named it Madeleine Arnold. By all means, please, enjoy it.¡±


    The surrounding servants who have been watching us are also pouring the warm sauce into the madeleines.


    ¡°Kurt-kun, you have attached the name of Arnold to the pastry, but do you have the resolution to smear mud in the family name if the taste isn¡¯t as good as it looks?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I can say with certainty that this is the best pastry that my current self is able to make. It absolutely won¡¯t let down the Arnold¡¯s name.¡±


    Without a shred of doubt, I answer clearly.


    Margrave Fernande brings a spoonful of Madeleine Arnold to his mouth. The moment he starts chewing, his eyes opens wide.


    ¡°This is?! Such a rich egg vor!¡±


    Of course it would be. The sweetness of honey and acidity of fruits are added into the yolk-based sauce. Let alone that, if I only used the egg yolks, the 60¡æ of temperature stimtes the best deliciousness of the eggs. If it¡¯spared to custard cream, thetter won¡¯t hold a candle in enjoying the rich taste of the egg.


    ¡°Father, it¡¯s not only the taste. The smoothness is also wonderful, it¡¯s so plump and fluffy, so moist. However, the ce where it meets with the rich golden sauce, the texture changes into something even smoother. It¡¯s a dream-like pastry.¡±


    The baked batter was expanded by folding meringue into it, which made the pastry fluffy, but on the other hand, made it easy to get too dry. However, adding yams and walnut oil maintains the batter¡¯s moisture. When it gets in touch with the velvety Hondaise sauce, it creates a sensual texture. The texture of the part that touches the sauce and the part that doesn¡¯t are really different, which lets people to enjoy various sensations while eating it.


    Also, the affinity of the vors are excellent. Other than the eggs, all of the ingredients are grown right in the Arnold fief. It¡¯ll be stranger if they don¡¯t fit each other.


    ¡°I was already surprised by the cookies back then, but that one had a simple richness. This one, however, has a luxurious and gorgeous rich vor. At this rate, there won¡¯t be a problem to have this on my dining table. It is a pastry for nobles. Moreover, it is very refined. My, my, it seems like I have still underestimated you. And you also made this with constraints in the ingredients and preparation time. You¡¯ve done an excellent job.¡±


    Margrave Fernande, while showering me with praises, can¡¯t stop his hand from taking the food into his mouth. It seems that he likes it that much. From the venue, I can also hear the voices of the fief¡¯s people.


    ¡°Sweeeeet! I can <i>so</i> die happily now.¡±


    ¡°Just by eating this pastry, I can sincerely feel that it¡¯s good that Kurt-sama is our next lord.¡±


    ¡°Aaah, I¡¯ve finished mine already. The things I¡¯ll pay if I can eat it again...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too good to be true. This kind of food, how can we eat it again?¡±


    ¡°If Kurt-sama bes our family head, we can probably eat it again in the future.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll be good if that happens, I want to let my unborn son taste it too.¡±


    I¡¯m d that it enjoys a huge poprity. Everyone indulges themselves to eat Madeleine Arnold. Meanwhile, Faruno, who has just finished hers, starts to speak.


    ¡°Kurt-sama, there is a heavy shoring of this pastry.¡±


    She gives me a severe look. I be pale from her words. What kind of thing could I have overlooked? What kind of mistake could I have possibly done?


    ¡°Yes, a shoring... that is,¡±


    She pauses to emphasize the importance.


    ¡°There are too few of them! We can¡¯t have seconds!¡±


    When I heard that, Margrave Fernande and I smiled wryly.... Our eyes met and we bothughed louder.


    ?


    After everyone finished their pastries, I step up on the stage once again. This is my closing speech. Also, this is the moment where I make them understand about my dream.


    ¡°Everyone, there are a few words I¡¯d like to speak.¡±


    The location falls into silence. Everyone is paying attention to me.


    ¡°Did you enjoy the pastry I made?¡±


    When they heard my question, everyone responded one by one. I¡¯m d that there was nothing but rave reviews. It was as if they had enjoyed it to their heart¡¯s content.


    ¡°I am d to hear that. That pastry is called Madeleine Arnold. Just as the name says, it¡¯s a pastry that expresses the future I want to create in this Arnold fief.¡±


    Certainly, I didn¡¯t use the Arnold¡¯s name just for the elegance or being entric. I need it to be an Arnold.


    ¡°My dream is to create a fief where all of you who live here may enjoy eating pastries as amon thing in your daily life.¡±


    The fief¡¯s people are all showing a shocked expression, their necks stiffen. For them, this is truly but a wishful tale of dreams.


    ¡°Everyone, you may not be able to imagine that kind of life. The Arnold fiefdom is poor, a lot of us are having it hard just to think if we have anything to eat tomorrow. Pastries are a dream within a dream. We can¡¯t even get our hands on sweet things. Moreover, pastries are a noble¡¯s food in the first ce. Isn¡¯t that what you¡¯re thinking?¡±


    The reality is harsh, but it¡¯s true.


    Pastries are luxurious goods of noble¡¯s taste. That is themon sense of this world.


    ¡°But, you know, the ingredients for this Madeleine Arnold are all gathered from this territory. That kind of pastry, there¡¯s no way we can¡¯t enjoy them, is there?¡±


    The fief¡¯s people are muttering impossible one after another.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go through the ingredients, shall we? Wheat... that¡¯s already grown by everyone. Walnuts... if we go to the forest, we can pick up as many as we want. Yams... Even though they¡¯re hard to dig, they are easy to find. Hardy kiwi fruit... It¡¯s the green fruit growing all over the ce. The eggs, I can send the chickens to each vige once they have multiplied from what Margrave Fernande has given to us. And then, the sweetness is obtained from honey. The honey is something I have sessfully harvested from the honey bees in my territory. With just a little bit longer, I can perfect the techniques and share them with other viges. In the near future, all of our families can enjoy honey. These are all the ingredients.¡±


    As they listen to my words, they make a greater fuss. Finally, they have started to see that my dream is achievable in the future.


    ¡°Eggs and honey have to be postponed until next year, but everything else can be gathered even right now. Everyone, the future where we can make this pastry is right before us!¡±


    For making this pastry today, I¡¯ve been really fixated on using ingredients just from this territory. For the sake of making them realize that my dream cane true, it¡¯s important to make the best pastry frommon ingredients. Once I¡¯ve cleared that step, it bes the pastry that will make the fief¡¯s people believe in that dream. That¡¯s why the name is Madeleine Arnold. A pastry of a sweet dream. Their faces start showing enlightenment.


    ¡°I think you all have heard that my vige is more prosperous than other viges. I have no intention to hide that honey. You see, for me, I will be trying each new invention in my vige, and spread them to all of the other viges in the Arnold fief once it seeds. By doing that, I¡¯m sure we all can prosper!¡±


    While we¡¯re still in the same fief, each of the viges are stubborn in their ways of doing things. I want to change that. In addition to the rumors of the sess of my vige and the recognizance of Margrave Fernande, the power of my pastry can surely be epted by them now, right?


    ¡°And then, once we are not burdened by our daily meals, let¡¯s enjoy the pastries from the abundant ingredients, honey, and eggs. Pastries aren¡¯t just to be enjoyed by the nobles. It¡¯s something we can enjoy every day. I¡¯ll show you that I can make this Arnold fief into that kind ofnd.¡±


    That is exactly my duty as the feudal lord.


    More than that, it is my dream as a pastry chef. Isn¡¯t it sad if there¡¯s only a limited number of people who can enjoy sweets? I want more people to know the happiness of eating pastries.


    ¡°My goal is [and overflowing with sweets and smiles]. I want to make that dreame true, and if you havee to believe in me, please p your hands. As the next Bar of Arnold, with this I¡¯m closing my speech.¡±


    I bow my head down. Saying any more words will just be boorish.


    Can my dreams be epted? The moment that thought came to my mind, I heard waves of noises. It was a huge round of apuse. Every single person in this ce pped their hands with all of their strength.


    Among them, there were Father, Margrave Fernande, Faruno... and there was Tina, too. Everyone believed in me.


    I want to make thisnd prosper, along with these sweet and kind people.


    I think of that from the bottom of my heart, and smile.


    <strong>Trantor¡¯s Notes:</strong>


    Only the epilogue left! I¡¯m cheering on myself, go go go!


    That being said, I¡¯m really tempted to change fief¡¯s people to vigers, which sounds more... homey. But, eh, whatever. xD

 Volume 1 - 25 - Epilogue

    <h4>Epilogue: Engagement and the Future of Arnold</h4>


    The festival ended without a hitch.


    After my closing speech, the fief¡¯s people surrounded me as soon as I stepped down from the tform, bombarding me with one question after another.


    The questions ranged from the concrete vision of our territory¡¯s management, the recipe for the pastry, to whether or not I n to marry.


    I intend to look closely at everyone¡¯s lives with my own eyes by visiting every vige in turns soon. Leaving the cleaning up to the servants, I¡¯m going back to the mansion together with Tina. There¡¯s still my promise to talk with Margrave Fernande after the festival, after all.


    As I turn to the guest room, Margrave Fernande and Faruno, as well as Father, are already there, drinking tea. Tina stays behind me, standing with the other servants.


    ¡°Hello there, Kurt-kun. That was a wonderfully passionate speech. You¡¯ve clearly conveyed your future vision to us. Oh, well, even before knowing in our heads, I think our stomachs have already understood anyway.¡±


    ¡°Margrave Fernande, receiving your words makes me incredibly happy. I believed that, more than a thousand words, I could convey my thoughts better in that way.¡±


    ¡°Indeed it was. Because, just by using the ingredients one can find in this territory, you could treat everyone with the pastries that even us nobles couldn¡¯t eat. There¡¯s no way we wouldn¡¯t believe in your words about making this fief into and where you could enjoy sweets.¡±


    The margrave has already grasped my intentions firmly. As I thought, this man is amazing. When that thought dawned on me, Faruno starts to speak.


    ¡°Kurt-sama, this will probably turn into a longer talk. Please, have a seat. It¡¯s fine, right, Father?¡±


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s fine. Take a seat, Kurt-kun.¡±


    Since Margrave Fernande has nodded, I obey his words and take a seat. Meanwhile, ck tea was served in front of me.


    ¡°Your session as the next family head is a joyous asion. However, what are you nning to do from now on?¡±


    ¡°I think it is important to discuss this with my father, but in the mean time, I wish to return to my vige and act as my father¡¯s assistant. As I have spoken before on the stage, I¡¯m going to experiment with some new inventions in my vige, then spread it to other viges if it works.¡±


    It won¡¯t be good if I suddenly tell all of the viges to implement a new method and it fails. Moreover, it¡¯s more than just giving them some materials, we also need to consider an exchange of vige personnel. We need to send people who have the skill drilled into them to other viges, and in exchange, there should be personnel from other viges whoe to study the necessary skills for a year. By doing so, the efficiency rate should increase.


    ¡°For me, I only have now to start experimenting on new things. If I want to manage all of the viges at arge scale, now is the only time I have to experiment at my own my pace.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s good thinking. You still have to try out new things. At least, while Sir Arnold is still fit, you can do your experiments for the sake of connecting to a better future. Sir Arnold, what do you think?¡±


    Being asked by Margrave Fernande, Father ponders only for a second before speaking.


    ¡°I agree with that n. In order to make the Arnold fief wealthy, it¡¯s more beneficial to let Kurt do whatever he wants, for now. I¡¯d like to slowly teach him the duties of a feudal lord in the mean time.¡±


    ¡°Thank you very much. Margrave Fernande. Father, as well. I will show you that I can exceed your expectations.¡±


    Being approved by the two of them means I can make my moves as I like. The rest relies on my own skills.


    ¡°Kurt-kun, do your best.¡± The margrave sends me his smile.


    ¡°Kurt, I have great expectations. Don¡¯t spare any effort.¡± Father bluntly says so, but I can see more than hope in his eyes as he looks at me.


    ¡°Thank you very much.¡±


    I sipped my tea. This should conclude the talk today, right? As that came to my mind, Margrave Fernande coughs once to clear his throat.


    ¡°In any case, this is a change of the topic, but I heard Kurt-kun had turned 15 now. You¡¯ve already reached the age when marriage is no longer out of the question. I¡¯m sure you knew as well that nobles are rmended to marry when we are 17.¡±


    Nobles in this world marry early at the age of 15, while 17 is a suitable age. If they don¡¯t marry in their teenage years, they will get cold looks.


    I¡¯m 15 now. Soon enough, I¡¯lle to the age where I must move forward. Yet, I absolutely have nothing to worry about in that department.


    ¡°That is indeed the case. Soon, I must stabilize my position.¡±


    ¡°Now, I have a proposal for that matter...¡± The margrave looks in Faruno¡¯s direction. ¡°How about marrying my daughter, Faruno?¡±


    ¡°Margrave¡¯s daughter with me, the heir of this barcy?¡± Without thinking twice, I asked back.


    I¡¯ve predicted something like this, but this talk is <i>that</i> crazy. The social status of a margraviate and a bar are vastly different. If we put that in the modern society¡¯s perspective, they have the difference between a vice CEO and a field senior officer.


    ¡°That is correct. I wish for it to happen. If we only look at your present self, frankly, you cannot bepared to my daughter.¡±


    I inwardly nod in agreement. The daughter of an aristocrat is a tool for political marriage, in order to create a secure bond with another household.


    As the third daughter, just from the fact that Faruno is the margrave¡¯s daughter, she has an immeasurable value. Even if the card is dealt wrongly, it¡¯s impossible to use her to forge a bond for a bar and their family.


    ¡°You are a man who dreams big. I suggested this because it wasn¡¯t a bad investment to recruit you early. Moreover, this girl has already responded positively.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I have already been charmed by Kurt-sama! I don¡¯t know anyone who is as intelligent and energetic as you. Kurt-sama, would you please join in an engagement with me?¡± Faruno smiles bashfully.


    There is no reason for me to refuse, if I¡¯m only considering about my future development. Forging a blood tie with Margrave Fernande will have a huge impact. I can obtain various benefits, whether they¡¯re tangible or intangible. However...


    ¡°Faruno-sama. Please forgive this humble self and allow this much of rudeness from me. I dare say that for you, the lifestyle in the Arnold fief will be unbearable. There is nothing here, even daily meals need frugality. I have spoken of a life where we can eat pastries in our daily life, but that requires two years or so to happen. In these past few days, you have received the best hospitality in the main vige, but for the both of you, it might not feel so. However, it is impossible to provide this for a long time. The daily life here is even harsher, even more so in the settler¡¯s vige where I reside in. It¡¯s especially bitter and agonizing.¡±


    I¡¯m telling them an official reason to refuse the engagement. However, Faruno didn¡¯t seem to falter.


    ¡°I am prepared. But, you probably wouldn¡¯t believe the wordsing from a youngdy who is ignorant in the ways of the world like me. If I am dragging your feet, Kurt-sama, it is fine for me to receive your hits inside the house. Father has also epted it.¡±


    ¡°Just as Faruno said. Even if that happens, I won¡¯t raze the Arnold barcy to the ground. The exception would be, if, by any chance, youy your hands in anger before the marriage. I won¡¯t forgive you if my daughter bes damaged goods.¡±


    The astonishment grows in me. I have no idea that her resolution reached to that extent.


    ¡°In any case, since there¡¯s no misunderstanding between Father and Kurt-sama anymore, the engagement has been safely arranged. Please take care of me from now on, Kurt-sama.¡±


    After that, she holds her hand out for a handshake with a blooming smile as pretty as a flower in her face. I grasp it and identally seal the deal.


    Tina, being vignt of Faruno, has her tail¡¯s fur rising up.


    It seems that things will getplicated from now on.


    I go outside alone with Faruno. She said that she wanted to talk just between the two of us.


    ¡°Faruno-sama, I¡¯m¨C¡± I swallow the words in my throat back down. Those words are meant to turn her down. Yet, one feudal lord cannot refuse the engagement. I¡¯m not the only one who will bear the burden, even the fief¡¯s people will.


    ¡°I understand, Kurt-sama.¡± Faruno looks at me as if she has understood everything. ¡°Kurt-sama, you think of that servant girl as more than just a servant. It was impossible to refuse your engagement with me due to your position, but you actually wanted to be united with her. Isn¡¯t that correct?¡±


    ¡°...so, I¡¯ve been seen through?¡±


    No way, I didn¡¯t expect that my feelings for Tina could have been seen just like that. If I can speak about my true feelings, I love Tina. I don¡¯t want to betray her, who has been with me through better or worse.


    ¡°It¡¯s because I have fallen for you. Of course I can see it.... Not only knowing it, I also used my father¡¯s proposal for myself. It¡¯s true that I have fallen for you, but more than that, if I stay by your side, I thought that I would be able to grow.¡±


    ¡°Grow?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Even though I look like this, I have been assisting my father. However, it¡¯s just a duty, doing the same tasks over and over again. Nothing ever changes. If I can go to Kurt-sama¡¯s ce, I can start something new. I believe that I¡¯ll be able to do a lot more. I do not wish to be a human being who just ends up as someone else¡¯s essory.¡±


    I suspected that she wasn¡¯t just a youngdy, but for her to think this far....


    ¡°I do not want to be misunderstood; it was never my intention to force marriage upon you. I think there is nothing as dull as a marriage without love. It¡¯s only about using each other, having a guilty conscience, and feeling suffocated. Me, I do not wish for that kind of life. I want love in my marriage. That kind of desire probably disqualifies me as a noble¡¯s daughter, though.¡±


    ¡°For you to say all of that while knowing my feelings and Tina¡¯s, are you breaking off the engagement?¡±


    ¡°No, I won¡¯t. Let¡¯s try living together for a year. I will try my best to make you look at me. I won¡¯t be a mere decoration. With my experience as my father¡¯s assistant, I¡¯m sure that I can be Kurt-sama¡¯s support. Then, after a year, Kurt-sama shall decide. Whether you choose to marry me or not, I will not bear the slightest grudge. If I can¡¯t make you to look at me after a year, the engagement will be nullified as per my request. I will be responsible for persuading Father. I won¡¯t let any harme to you.¡±


    ¡°This talk sounds too convenient for me.¡±


    Yes, it is too beneficial for my part. There is no advantage at all for Faruno.


    ¡°Indeed, you¡¯re right. This talk is too advantageous for Kurt-sama. For one year, you will be able to shield yourself from Margrave Fernande; you won¡¯t be harmed for rejecting either. But, you see, even if I am to be turned down in the end, I will return to Fernande with all the things I will have learned from Kurt-sama for one year. This is my resolution.¡±


    Faruno simply smiles. For the first time, I think that she looks ¡°pretty¡±.


    ¡°Then, I will take advantage of your proposal.¡±


    Contrary to what we did before, I¡¯m the one who takes up her hand now. Faruno returns the grasp. With this, we truly seal the deal for our engagement.


    <strong>Trantor¡¯s Notes:</strong>


    By the way I¡¯m still rooting for non-harem route, heh. But anyway, you know that sometimes authors have typos? Yeah, I don¡¯t know if it ever happens in this WN or not, because I can¡¯t differentiate if it¡¯s truly typos or if my understanding of thenguage isn¡¯t enough. *cries* Oh well, hope you enjoy it anyway.


    There are minor and major edits in this chapter. Special thanks to <strong>King of the End</strong> and <strong>Master of Idling</strong>~ ?


    <b>A major note about Kurt and his nobility: </b>Apparently, he¡¯s of Bar-ranked family, not Baron. A barcy is the only British hereditary honour that is not a peerage, wiki says. It¡¯s basically being a knight, but the title is hereditary. Plus, it¡¯s not included as nobles. The title-holder is called simply ¡°Sir¡±, while in Japanese they still use the whole rank behind the family name, hence the mixups.


    I¡¯m going to cry and edit the whole volume right now.

 Volume 2 - 0 - Prologue

    <h4>Prologue: A Brand New Daily Life</h4>


    After my engagement with Faruno was decided, I slept overnight at the Arnold¡¯s mansion, then returned to my vige.


    Though it was an engagement, Faruno made her own preparations separately by returning to Marquisate of Fernandes.


    The vigers greeted me excitedly when I arrived. They already knew that I was the next feudal lord. ...The group of vigers who returned earlier must have told them somehow.


    I go back to my house once to change clothes, then head out again. There¡¯s a very important job to do today.


    ¡°<i>Uwaa</i>, there are so many chickens!¡± Tina¡¯s eyes sparkle.


    In front of her, two carriages arranged by Marquis Fernandes are linied up. One by one, the chickens are carried through trays over to the sheds I¡¯ve prepared for them. Yes, the chickens I¡¯ve been waiting for have finally arrived. Finally, I¡¯ve obtained one of the most important ingredients as a pastry chef: the eggs!


    ¡°Not only the quantity, the quality is also great. I¡¯ve expected this the moment Iid my eyes on the eggs, but these chickens are indeed great.¡±


    I¡¯m observing the chickens; they look healthy and young. Surely, they¡¯lly a lot of great eggs. I bow deeply towards Marquis Fernandes.


    ¡°Yes, these chickens are good. They¡¯re big and plump, they look so tender... Gulps.¡±


    Tina¡¯s drool is dripping.


    It¡¯s as if she has entered her fighting mode; her fluffy tail points up rigidly and her fox ears twitches non-stop. Even now, she looks ready to jump at the chickens anytime.


    ¡°Tina, you can¡¯t eat them, you know?¡±


    ¡°Wh-what are you talking about? There¡¯s no way I¡¯m... going to do that.¡± Looking shaken, Tina replies to me. She subtly turns her face away; she¡¯s so easy to understand.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to hurry; we¡¯ll have the chance to eat them soon. For now, more than collecting the eggs, our priority is to increase their numbers. We only need to leave a few roosters behind; our meals will get morevish soon.¡±


    I received around fifty chickens, but that number is far from enough. In order to distribute the chickens to each vige, I should treat the eggs as a preciousmodity. For now, I¡¯m determined to focus on increasing their numbers.


    The eggs should be left alone aside of a celebration.


    ¡°Chicken meat! <i>Uwaa</i>, should we grill them, or make some stew, or... whatever it is, I¡¯m looking forward to it!¡± The chicks haven¡¯t even hatched, but Tina is already thinking about how to cook them in the future.


    I understand her feelings, though. Around here, the only meat we can eat is game meat thates from hunting wild boars, deer, or ducks. Those are tasty, but the deliciousness of a domesticated source will be different for sure. Moreover, my heart throbs in excitement when I think of how there will be a steady supply of meat, which is a huge relief.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m looking forward just as much. Or maybe even more, if I think about Tina¡¯s cooking.¡± I¡¯m brushing Tina¡¯s head unconsciously. Her fluffy hair and ears feel really good.


    After a while of that, Tina grips my hem hard.


    While wondering what she¡¯s thinking, I¡¯m looking at her, then at the carriage that doesn¡¯t unload any chickens. Instead of chickens, there are piles of lumber and bricks. I¡¯ve been specting on their purpose for a while now.


    ¡°It seems that Faruno-sama¡¯s engagement with Kurt-sama is true.¡± Somewhere, Tina mumbles solemnly.


    ¡°It seems so.¡±


    There are several carpenters who have been working energetically for a while now. The stuff dropped from that carriage are a house¡¯s materials. Somehow, they are bringing materials from a disassembled house, to assemble it again. That¡¯s the method to shorten the assembling process.


    It seems that thepleted house will be a terribly extravagant one.


    The house they are building right now will be inhabited by Faruno and her servants. No matter how much I¡¯ve verbally promised not toy my hands on her, no one will be able to believe that if we live in the same house. Therefore, Marquis Fernandes is building a house in my vige and sending some servants to Faruno for monitoring.


    I¡¯m surprised that Marquis Fernandes will go as far as building a house for the sake of the engagement. It seems that Faruno wille to this vige when the house ispleted. Two weeks after that, I will announce my betrothal to Faruno and go to Marquis Fernandes¡¯ house to make the pastry for the duchess. The details should be discussed at that time.


    I have to think of a pastry recipe.


    The duchess is a woman who likes roses. Since I¡¯ve told my ns to make cookies that will enliven the beauty and fragrant of roses for a long time, Marquis Fernandes will arrange the ingredients for me. Right now, I¡¯m thinking about the n to improve it.


    ¡°Still, it¡¯s amazing how easy it looks like to build a house.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because he¡¯s a marquis. He¡¯s only third in the court after the Emperor; of course he can go to this extent.¡±


    That is the marquis¡¯ status. It¡¯s not something that a barcy¡¯s inheritance, one that barely qualifies to enter the court rank like the Arnolds, could evenpare to. It¡¯s sufficient to say that they¡¯re like existences above the clouds. The only ones whose status stand beyond it are the imperial family and the ducal house.


    ¡°Kurt-sama is amazing, to be able to catch the attention of the daughter of that man.¡± Tina sounds proud when she says that, but she can¡¯t hide the sadness and loneliness behind those words. She must have thought that I will be taken away.


    I wrap my arm around her shoulders.


    ¡°Tina, sorry. I wanted to refuse that engagement. I know it¡¯ll make you sad... However, my position doesn¡¯t allow that. I know it¡¯s unfair to you.¡±


    ¡°That, I won¡¯t dare to say that kind of thing. My position and Kurt-sama¡¯s are already different from the start.¡± Tina¡¯s voice sounds sorrowful.


    It¡¯smon sense for a noble to build connections with other nobles. There¡¯s also the tendency to avoid marriage with a beastman like Tina.


    I happen to think that it¡¯s such bullshit. I can stay with Tina. I won¡¯t make her sad. That is more important to me than anything. Because Tina was here, I didn¡¯t abandon my dreams. Because she was here, I worked hard to reach this ce. I wish I can stay with her from now on too.


    ¡°Your feelings are enough. Kurt-sama, please think of what will make you the happiest. That will make me the happiest too.¡± Tina removes herself.


    ¡°Tina, I... All right. I¡¯m going to think about my own happiness.¡±


    Tina nods.


    She must have misunderstood somehow. My happiness is to bring her joy. I replied like that, because no matter how much I tried to reach out to her, she only responded in words. I have to think of the best way to stay with her.


    ?


    After I received all the chickens, I entered the chicken shed and discreetly used <ruby>Recovery<rt>Heal</rt></ruby> on one of them.


    If they were only that many, the sick and injured chickens would mingle together. They might also produce worn-out chicks in the long-term.


    My <ruby>Recovery<rt>Heal</rt></ruby> is effective for non-humans too.


    When I used it on wheat before, I was shocked when the wilted wheat was revived. By using <ruby>Recovery<rt>Heal</rt></ruby>, I was expecting them to grow into healthier chickens as they mature.


    But then, a tiny mischievous thought sprouted in my mind. If the target is human, I can enable them to use mana once I heal their mana-producing organ. I had been thinking for a while about whether or not a non-human could also use magic.


    I looked at the chickens with my all-seeing eyes, the side effect of <ruby>Recovery<rt>Heal</rt></ruby>.


    <ruby>Recovery<rt>Heal</rt></ruby> is the power that can return something to its normal condition. Therefore, I must first know what the normal condition constitutes. That¡¯s how I gained this ability to see through everything with my eyes.


    ¡°As I thought, they have it.¡±


    The chickens also have a mana-producing organ. It was naturally unusable since it was damaged, but I could heal it. If the chickens can use mana, maybe they willy more eggs.


    [<ruby>Recovery<rt>Heal</rt></ruby>].


    It¡¯s not like I don¡¯t have any bad feelings, but the temptation is too big. I cast <ruby>Recovery<rt>Heal</rt></ruby>on the weakest-looking chicken. It was not only sick, it also crashed into something when being carried over, resulting in one broken leg. Dying was the only thing left for that one.


    ¡°Cluck, cluck, cluckawk, cluckawk!¡±


    The healed chicken jumped. And then, it rushed out straight to the wall with mana in its whole body, smashed through the wall, and escaped. Just like that, it ran out of the vige and disappeared into the forest.


    ¡°And there it goes. Of course.¡±


    If it can escape, it will. Let¡¯s avoid granting the chickens the ability to use mana next time.


    From then, I manually collected the eggs by scanning the shed and returned to the house. If I left them lying around, they¡¯ll get spoiled. Of course, there won¡¯t be any chicks hatching from them either.


    Let¡¯s include these eggs in today¡¯s meal. I¡¯m sure Tina will be happy to eat some egg dishes.


    <strong>Trantor¡¯s Notes:</strong>


    LMAO I don¡¯t know what to think with the chicken-that-uses-magic. I¡¯m pretty sure it will have a part in the future, idk lmfao.


    See you next Friday!

 Volume 2 - 1

    <h4>Chapter 1: Faruno¡¯s Butler</h4>


    After seeing off the mana-wielding chicken¡¯s escape into the forest, I returned back to the house. Just before I arrive, I stop walking.


    ¡°Who¡¯s that with Tina?¡±


    In front of the door, Tina is talking to someone. Albeit slender, that man has a toned body. He¡¯s wearing a butler¡¯s uniform, but he looks more like a soldier than a servant.


    ¡°I am called Volg. Starting from today, I will be aiding this vige. As the next feudal lord of the Arnold barcy, as well as the head of this vige, I¡¯vee to pay my respects to Kurt Arnold-sama. This is an introduction letter from Marquis Fernandes.¡±


    He has a courteous bearing. He looks well-mannered too. He¡¯s an extraordinary man. However, he emits an unusual pressure that causes Tina to look frightened. She looks pitiful with her ears stuck t to her head; even her tail¡¯s fur curls up.


    ¡°That, Kurt-sama, is currently not avable.¡±


    ¡°When will he return to this ce, if I may ask?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s, I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Very well, then. May I wait inside the house? I have something from mydy for Kurt-sama.¡±


    ¡°That is, uhm...¡±


    ¡°Could you please respond firmly?¡±


    Surprised, Tina shrinks.


    She¡¯s probably afraid to be left alone with that man inside the house. Yet, considering the standpoint of the other party, there¡¯s no way she could refuse. Being cornered to that extent, Tina¡¯s eyes start welling up. I hurry over to their ce.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for beingte.¡±


    ¡°Kurt-sama!¡±


    The moment I show up, Tina smiles in relief at me before hiding behind my back. I wryly smile. From now on, there will be more circumstances where she has to meet a lot of strangers. I have to fix her shyness.


    Looking at my expression, the man in butler uniform starts to speak.


    ¡°May I confirm that you are indeed Kurt Arnold-sama?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m Kurt Arnold. It¡¯s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m honored. My name is Volg. As amoner, I do not have a surname.¡±


    After introducing himself up to that point, Volg gives me a grin. ¡°Then, Kurt-sama. It¡¯s not necessary to use polite speech with me, as I am but a mere servant. Before long, you will be a bar, the husband of my employer.¡± He then bows to me.


    I don¡¯t receive that kind of treatment very often. It feels slightly embarrassing.


    ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll just use casual speech. To have youe here and greet me, it¡¯s my bad.¡±


    ¡°No, it is mine. I am terribly sorry for intruding at this kind of hour. In the future, I will be Kurt-sama¡¯s contact person. If you have a need that requires all of us, please give your instruction to me.¡±


    ¡°Understood, let¡¯s do it that way. Having you here itself is something I¡¯ve heard from Marquis Fernandes.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate it, Kurt-sama.¡± After saying that, Volg inspects me from head to toe with his eyes.


    The look in his eyes reminds me of a blood-boiling beast.


    ¡°...<i>Hou</i>, when I was told by Faruno-sama, I thought it was fake, but this is indeed a fine warrior. My blood is seething.¡±


    I am hit by a dreadful fighting spirit from Volg. Behind me, Tina isn¡¯t someone who can endure this. She¡¯s clinging onto me.


    ¡°Ah, my mistake. It is my bad habit. When seeing someone like you, my blood is excited like the old times.¡± Volg bows down with a gentle smile. The fighting spirit that he emitted just now haspletely disappeared.


    ¡°Oh, no, that¡¯s, I¡¯m really sorry to feel frightened. It¡¯s my mistake. Even though I¡¯m Kurt-sama¡¯s servant, I can¡¯t respond properly.¡± Tina also bows her head in response. Her wariness towards the male in front of her has lessened. It must be because his true nature is that of kindness.


    ¡°Please ept my apology as well. My servant was impolite.¡±


    Everyone in this spot is bowing now. When I look up, my eyes meet with Volg¡¯s. This is a mutually awkward situation, so weugh together.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m already used to be feared by girls and children. I wasn¡¯t considerate enough... Well, prolonging our apologies will waste our time. If this incident can be put behind us, I¡¯ll be truly grateful.¡±


    ¡°You said it. I am the one who should be grateful. It will be dinner time soon, shall we eat dinner together in my ce while having our discussion?¡±


    ¡°I am only a servant. I won¡¯t be forgiven to eat at the same table as Kurt-sama who will soon be a noble.¡±


    ¡°That rule is applied to your territory. At least, in my vige, there¡¯s no such thing. If we gather at the same dining table, we can reach a mutual understanding in peace. From now on, we¡¯ll be acquainted for a long time. I want us to take our time and speak without any reserve.¡±


    Just as Volg, who wishes to speak with me, I also want to know Marquis Fernandes¡¯ and Faruno¡¯s expectations from Volg, even though it may not be much.


    ¡°I understand. That is indeed a good reason. Let us partake in it.¡±


    Tina grabs the hem of my shirt tightly. When I see her making that kind of face, she nods with teary eyes. It seems that she has also found her resolution.


    ¡°Youngdy, you don¡¯t need to look so cautious.¡± At the opposite of Tina, Volg smiles.


    ¡°Ah, uhm, yes.¡± Tina vaguely replies without understanding his intention.


    ¡°I have no desire to attack you whatsoever, because I have no interest in women.¡±


    Tina¡¯s neck is tilting to the side, but anyway, for the time being, she looks relieved. On the other hand, it¡¯s my turn to feel warier.....


    In any case, let¡¯s just get inside. The talk shall begin after that.


    ¡°Come inside. It¡¯s small, but I hope it suits your taste.¡± With that, I invited another fief¡¯s member to my house for the first time.


    ?


    ¡°It¡¯s modest, but it¡¯s been maintained attentively. It¡¯s a nice home.¡± When Volg gets across the living room, he speaks in admiration.


    ¡°That is thanks to our Tina here. She does her job carefully and urately.¡±


    Tina¡¯s house cleaning skills are extraordinarily high. It¡¯s the result of her doing everything continuously without even once cking off in her duties. She¡¯s not even doing it repetitively, since she doesn¡¯t forget to use her creativity.


    ¡°It¡¯s a job so well done that the servants in my ce should see this too.¡± Volgughs in crackles.


    ¡°Why are you in this vige? If you are Faruno-sama¡¯s butler, shouldn¡¯t youe with her, usually?¡±


    ¡°I have a reason for that. I must observe the assembling of thedy¡¯s residing ce so there would be no negligence norpromise. As long as I am here, we can build her the best residence. .....Moreover, I can use mana. Just one of me can cover more than a dozen people¡¯s work.¡±


    ¡°I see. Even at a nce, you don¡¯t look like a simple butler either. Are you also Faruno-sama¡¯s guardian?¡±


    ¡°Indeed I am. However, I have entrusted that role to my subordinate. Moreover, my task here cannot be entrusted to anyone else. I was personally designated by Marquis Fernandes himself, because he expected things to go smoothly with me as your intermediary.¡±


    The truth is, I¡¯ve realized since I looked at him from a distance that this man has strong mana. I¡¯ve never even seen anyone who has mana as strong as him. Most likely, we are at the same level.


    In that case, he can do much heavier duties. My all-seeing eyes have also told me that this man has an advanced Ability. Not only an Ability, he also has a deep understanding in martial arts. Even just by standing casually, I can¡¯t see any weak points on him.


    ¡°I understand. I¡¯m going to cook our meals now, please wait in that room over there.¡±


    ¡°I have heard from mydy that making pastries is your strong point, but to think that you¡¯re also dabbling in cooking... The truth is, I¡¯m looking forward to the taste of the food that has made my master and youngdy to groan in admiration.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll put my effort to reach your expectations.¡± I smile and walk towards the kitchen.


    ?


    ¡°Tina, I¡¯m going to cook now, so could you please make some tea? After bringing the tea for him, I wish you¡¯d entertain him with some small talk.¡±


    ¡°Ye-yes, Kurt-sama.¡± Tina nods, but her face is frozen. Even though she understands that Volg isn¡¯t a bad person, she still instinctively cowers.


    However, this is the part where I have to steel my heart. In order to fix her shyness of strangers, this will be good training for her.


    ¡°Now, it¡¯s rude to make him wait. Let¡¯s fix something up really quickly.¡±


    I¡¯m wondering about the recipe. There¡¯s no bread ready. If I¡¯m to bake bread right now, it will take too much time. There won¡¯t be bread for our staple food tonight, but some simpler substitution. In that case, so that it won¡¯t take too long, something easy to make like crepes. I still have wheat flour and yams, so I can make it, somehow. Andst, the main dish... to fit them...


    ¡°Ah, I have that, right?¡±


    From the racks, the ingredient that I take out is the bacon, made from the deluxe end-of-autumn wild boar ribs. It¡¯s a thick meat densely packed with fat. Marinated in special deluxe <i>tare</i> sauce, it¡¯s a rare beauty, smoked with maple wood chips. I saved it in hiding as a treat for special asions.


    It will be lonely to present it alone, so let¡¯s use the eggs that I need to get rid of today. The garnish is the excessive cabbage in my stash.


    Since I have these, I can make <i>that</i>. It¡¯ll be good if it suits his taste.


    I lit the fire in the stove while thinking so.


    <strong>Trantor¡¯s Notes: </strong>Please read in isecai.wordpress. Thanks, looking forward to see you there!


    By the way, when introducing himself, Volg says that he has no ÐÔ, which usually means gender. I wonder why he says that, it¡¯ll be good if someone can enlighten me. I changed that part to having no surname, but I do wonder if that was used in such context.


    Now I wonder what is Volg¡¯s age. If he¡¯s young on top of being slender and toned... heh heh heh. *is not chill*

 Volume 2 - 2

    <h4>Chapter 2: An Ordinary Treat</h4>


    I¡¯m going to cook dinner in the kitchen. The frying pan is already being heated up.


    While heating up the frying pan, I put together wheat flour, yam, salt, water, and walnut oil in a bowl, then begin kneading it. In this arrangement, I¡¯ve also added chopped alpine leek¡¯s leaves that I obtained from the mountain. The alpine leek is a potherb. Using it this way will add aroma and strengthen the vor. I let it rest for a while. Once I roast it in frying pan instead of the oven, it will turn into bing.


    Bing is a t bread specialty in Chinese cuisine. Poprly paired with Peking duck skin, it can be made in a short time.


    ¡°Now then, while the dough is resting, I must cook the main dish.¡±


    My prided bacon marinated in deluxe <i>tare</i> sauce and smoked with maple wood chips is sliced into generous thick slices. Bacon is tastier when cut into thick slices.


    Without putting oil, I put the slices into the hot frying pan. It emits a sizzling sound and the savory aroma from the fat, as well as the scent of maple wood chips that was used to smoke the bacon. It¡¯s the meat full with fat, after all. Even if I don¡¯t use oil, the fat oil oozing out from the bacon itself is enough. With the overflowing oil, the bacon is deep fried.


    This is the correct way to cook crispy bacon. By doing it this way, the bacon won¡¯t taste bitter. The bacon¡¯s fat bes translucent. Right now, the next thing is to crack some eggs on top of the bacon.


    What I am cooking is bacon egg. It¡¯s extremely simple, but it tastes so good. There¡¯s no way it won¡¯t be tasty; it¡¯s made from the deluxe bacon plus freshlyid eggs from this morning, after all.


    ¡°I have to cover it.¡±


    I¡¯m covering the frying pan. Like this, convection will ur, cooking it through covered pan roasting. The egg yolk is tastier when warm. I want to flip it over, but there¡¯s bacon beneath them. If I flip it, the egg yolk will be smashed. So I just cook one side.


    When I uncover the lid after estimating the suitable time, some smoke blew out of it. The egg white is firm, while the egg yolk is half-done. It¡¯s the ideal sunny-side up egg.


    ¡°<i>Yosh yosh</i>, the meat juice and fat oil are plenty.¡±


    From the thick slices of bacon, a generous amount of meat juice and oil oozes out. Half of that oil is moved into a container. I lick a little of it. Salt and <i>tare </i>sauce used when making the bacon are mixed together with the taste of meat juice and oil. Just those should have guaranteed the deliciousness of this dish.


    Then I add honey, vinegar, and salt together, as well as fruit juice from lingonberry making a sweet and sour sauce. I will also properly use the leftover oil and meat juice in the frying pan.


    ¡°I wonder if the bing dough I kneaded earlier has rested enough.¡±


    I press the dough into a round t shape. Then, the ttened dough is put on top of the frying pan, thus being deep fried by the wild boar fat oil. By doing this, I can cook a crispy bing. Not only that, the remaining wild boar fat oil and meat juice are being absorbed by the dough, making it remarkably delicious. The part untouched by the oil will be fluffy and tender. Before long, the bing is cooked.


    ¡°Lastly, the finishing touch.¡±


    Stacking the bacon egg on the bing, I also put the finely sliced cabbage on top of them. Lastly, I¡¯m pouring the seasoning that uses meat juice and oil,pletely covering them. I¡¯m being careful to avoid spilling the egg yolk and sauce.


    With this, it¡¯spleted. It¡¯s jianbing-wrapped bacon egg. If I had some spices, I could make it more delicious, though...


    I¡¯m heating up the meat soup that Tina made for lunch to be the apaniment. There are only two dishes, but these should be enough.


    ?


    ¡°I¡¯ve made you wait. Herees our dinner today.¡±


    On arge te, I ced three bacon-egg with bing wraps before going to the living room.


    ¡°Kurt-sama, I¡¯ll bring the rest of it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave that to you.¡±


    Tina rushes into the kitchen. When I look back, she¡¯s already putting smaller tes and the soup that I¡¯ve reheated into a tray. She¡¯s good, as expected. She can predict my intentions and move ordingly.


    ¡°<i>Hou</i>, so this is Kurt-sama¡¯s cooking. I¡¯ve been smelling cooked meat for a while, making me feel hungry.¡±


    ¡°Please excuse us for only having this modest dish.¡±


    ¡°I am only an old servant; I do not wish for fanciful dishes. I do have high expectations for the taste, though.¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s that, there¡¯s no worry. I can guarantee the taste.¡±


    Volg and I look at each other¡¯s faces, then grin. Tina has finally returned with the tray. The soup and small tes are arranged on the table.


    ¡°Well then, let¡¯s eat before it gets cold. This is the most delicious when it¡¯s still hot.¡±


    ¡°Then, it is better if we eat right at this moment, isn¡¯t it? There¡¯s no reason for us to waste Kurt-sama¡¯s cooking.¡±


    We sit in different chairs. Volg doesn¡¯t seem to mind eating from the same table as Tina. It looks like he has epted the custom that I told him before.


    ¡°¡±¡±We thank the God and the forest for the food we have today.¡±¡±¡± Our voices blend together as we offer our prayers before eating. Then, the dinner begins.


    ¡°Kurt-sama. There¡¯s no knife or fork. How do you suggest we eat this?¡± Volg asks while looking perplexed.


    He previously said that he came frommon origins, which shows up in his asional rough verbal expressions. However, from time to time, I can feel an unmasked elegance from him. This is only my spection, but I suspect that he was born in a noble family and forced to be amoner because he didn¡¯t inherit the title.


    ¡°In this vige, we don¡¯t eat in a refined manner. Just sink your teeth into it like this.¡± I bite into the bing-wrapped bacon egg wrap that I¡¯ve taken.


    ¡°So it¡¯s like that. Thank you for your guidance. Thest time I ate that way was on the battlefield. My heart is beating since it¡¯s really strange. Well then.¡± While showing a slight hesitation, Volg also bites into my cooking. ¡°This is?! How could it!?¡±


    It only took a second from that, but he starts wolfing down the food without minding any courtesy. He even licks off the sauce that drips to his hand cleanly in a bad manner. Then, after he finishes eating, he draws out a long sigh and looks dazed.


    ¡°That was amazing. It was terribly delicious. It made me forget myself.¡±


    ¡°I am very d that you are happy with it.¡±


    When I looked to my side, Tina was also frantically munching on the jianbing-wrapped bacon egg with her small mouth. She looks seriously cute.


    ¡°I¡¯ve smelled something like spring onion even before eating, but the moment it entered my mouth, I was instantly overwhelmed with the taste of meat and the sweet and sour sauce, the taste of meat juice and egg yolk kept bombarding my taste buds, and it met with the sauce once again. The texture was also terribly interesting, with the crispiness on the outside and the fluffy tenderness on the inside, there was no hope for me to stop eating.¡±


    The bing wrap¡¯s purpose is to trap the aroma and meat juice inside. Thanks to the tightly wrapped bacon egg and sauce, the moment it is bitten for the first time, the aroma instantly spreads. It was the so-called explosion of aroma. Moreover, there was the bombarding vor from the deluxe wild boar bacon and the sweetness from fresh eggs rushing forth.


    The sauce that came out when I was roasting was able to draw out the deliciousness from the meat and the eggs no matter how many times, then the bing enveloped all of that deliciousness.


    The task of the bing wasn¡¯t just that. It enabled the teeth to bite into the crunchiness on the surface that felt good, while the fluffy dough on the inside entangled with the meat juice and egg yolk. It then met again with the crispy part; between that and the fluffy part, the texture was ever changing. The Alpine leek also did a good job of creating the effect of washing off the rich vors.


    It¡¯s precisely because it is simple that the attentiveness to details creates a huge difference.


    ¡°To be able to make this kind of dish from such simple ingredients really surprised me.¡±


    ¡°But you still made an unsatisfied expression.¡±


    He should have been sincere when saying that the cooking was enjoyable. Yet, he still looks unsatisfied.


    ¡°Am I too obvious? To be frank, I still feel like I haven¡¯t eaten enough. As soon as I finished eating something this delicious, my stomach feels all the more empty.¡±


    ¡°I thought you would say that, so I prepared something.¡±


    I go back to the kitchen, then bringing back a bottle and a te of thinly sliced bacon that was roasted for a moment.


    ¡°What could it be?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s mead, made from honey. I¡¯ve been thinkingtely to make alcohol in my own fief. This is my trial product. Let¡¯s drink it with bacon as a side dish.¡±


    Mead is an alcohol that is so easy to make that it is said to be the oldest alcohol in mankind¡¯s history. Just by leaving honey with low sugar content alone, the condition to make alcohol is met. It is suitable to start being produced in my fief.


    ¡°That¡¯s good thinking. I wish to partake without fail.¡±


    I nod to his response, then pour plenty of mead into his cup. This is me, utilizing my knowledge from the previous world and raising the bar. On top of having just eaten something tasty and feeling good about it, if he drinks this, he will be fairly less wary to speak.


    Now, let¡¯s hear about different kinds of information from him. I don¡¯t think that Faruno has an unusual design for me, but it wouldn¡¯t be surprising for the people around her to n through her.


    <strong>Trantor¡¯s Notes: </strong>Please read in isecai.wordpress. I¡¯m looking forward to see yourment/anything ?


    In this chapter and the previous one, Tsukiyo Rui-sen actually made a note about Volg. His personality was altered since he originally didn¡¯t fit the story¡¯s mood. Apparently he was kind of overbearing at first? Yeah. So we have Volg¡¯s current personality instead.


    I¡¯m hating this chapter, it makes me hungry. ? Also me Tokanya for the pics of the food.


    Bing is written as mochi, with ¡°pin¡± furigana. At first I put jianbing here, but ording to CNN¡¯s Shanghai Street Food report, it¡¯s more Taiwan shouzhua bing than dan bing (jianbing). Well, good to know!

 Volume 2 - 3

    <h4>Chapter 3: Volg¡¯s Expectations and Mead</h4>


    ¡°I had no idea that briny bacon would be a great pair with mead like this.¡± Volg, with his hand holding the bacon that I took out and drinking mead, makes an admiring praise.


    ¡°I¡¯m just pairing the things I like. I hoped you would enjoy it.¡±


    A sweet alcohol and briny vored side dish are a great pair. My trial mead has drawn the alcohol percentage from aplete dposition of sugar, so it definitely could be a special product if I adjust the vor by adding honey and fruit juice. With a strong alcohol percentage, it can still have a mild taste and be drunk smoothly.


    ¡°Volg, tell me one thing. Why is a mana-wielder like you sent to this kind of remote region? Usually, you can be stationed anywhere you want, right?¡±


    That is themon sense of this world. A person who can wield mana is very valuable just for the sake of it. In that sense, the Arnolds are the abnormal ones.


    ¡°It¡¯s for the sake of protecting mydy, of course. With you as the opponent, she can¡¯t be protected unless by me. .....Well, that¡¯s the excuse, at least.¡± Volg throws a challenging look at me. ¡°You intended to make my tongue loose from the alcohol and leak some information to you, I suppose.¡±


    ¡°You caught me. That was indeed my intention when I offered this alcohol.¡± I lightly confirm it.


    It¡¯s true that I have that kind of ulterior motive. Even if I¡¯m caught, I don¡¯t feel offended nor hurt.


    ¡°Actually, there is no need for you to do that. I had no intention of hiding anything from you from the beginning. Marquis Fernandes entrusted his wish for me to train you.¡±


    I tilt my neck to side when I hear that.


    ¡°You were recognized as the next feudal lord of Arnold due to your mastery in the spear. When I saw your stance and behavior, I could tell that there was nothing I could teach you about martial arts. But that¡¯s it. In this world, there are people who are overwhelmingly powerful once they wield a specific weapon.¡±


    Without knowing the existence of Abilities, the fact that such people do exist is perceived as general knowledge. For example, the ancestor of the Arnold family; the moment he wielded a spear he demonstrated movements whose might far surpassed the next person. There are many more stories of those kinds of existences.


    ¡°Furthermore, people who wield mana have extraordinary physical abilities, being able to move in a manner that surpasses any ordinary man.¡±


    That¡¯s also the truth. It is said that the difference of fighting power between a soldier who wields mana and one who doesn¡¯t is about 30 : 1. Generally, the physical abilities of someone who wields mana is approximately equal to Ability II. Conversely, if someone has Ability III, they can win against an ordinary mana-wielder.


    ¡°It means, you cannot draw out your full power unless you are using a specific weapon, despite being able to use mana.¡±


    ¡°I was found out, huh... Well, with my undeveloped body, even that is already doubtful.¡± I couldn¡¯t utilize the majority of my physical ability once it was increased by my Ability. That¡¯s the reason why I never go full power except when I¡¯m training.


    ¡°Even if you can¡¯t draw out your full power, that strength is still something to watch out for. As expected from the man who mydy sees. Back to the topic, you have to be able to pull out your full power while wielding a spear, in addition to thebined power from your mana boost. You have both mana and your weapon, the makings of a great soldier. You have that potential.¡±


    I thought so, too. If I can wield both the power of an Ability and the power from mana at the same time, to what extent can I disy my strength, I wonder? Although this strength is not important for baking pastries, there are things that I cannot protect if I am powerless. Being strong can only mean something if I exist. I want to protect everything with my own power.


    ¡°I want to be able to do that too.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the exact reason for me being here. Incidentally, I can also use both. In other words, this is something that I can teach you. Let¡¯s train you properly until you can draw forth your full power from wielding both mana and weapon simultaneously.¡±


    ¡°What do you get from doing this?¡±


    ¡°In times of emergency, Marquis Fernandes will be able to rely on your power. Ultimately, the number of excellent mana-wielders will determine the superiority on the battlefield. You alone are worth a hundred soldiers. Isn¡¯t that something worth expecting for?¡±


    ¡°Does that mean I have to return this favor if a battle urs?¡±


    ¡°A bar¡¯s position doesn¡¯t allow him to refuse a dispatch call from the marquis in the first ce. No matter how small, this offer increases your likelihood of survival, so it has a huge benefit for you. Though I also have my personal expectations. ......Me, I want to go all out.¡±


    Volg shows me a bloody grin.


    ¡°Three years ago, in the war, I also participated. As I could wield mana and able to increase my strength the moment I used a weapon, I naturally did. But it was terribly dull. Too weak.¡±


    That was the smile of an overwhelmingly strong soldier, his hidden arrogance.


    ¡°I really wish for an opponent I can fight earnestly, a toy that won¡¯t break even if I go all out. At your current state, Kurt-sama, your strength isn¡¯t enough. However, if I train you, you can be a man worthy of me going all out with. No, maybe you¡¯ll evene out as someone who can beat me with ease. I believed that since the first time I took a look at you.¡±


    I wryly smile. How to say it, that reason is so straightforward that I feel at ease, on the contrary.


    ¡°I understand. Volg, train me.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll train you thoroughly.¡±


    This talk has no merit for me. It¡¯s only a justification for what I¡¯ll receive. Using both mana and Ability together. I¡¯ll show this man how I willpletely pass that special training.


    ?


    Afterwards, Volg took a while to go back to his ce. Tina perceived Volg as a scary person, so she worried deeply about me, who had agreed to ept his teachings. I patted her head, then she stopped looking so anxious. <i>Don¡¯t worry. That man means no harm. </i>


    Feeling relieved, Tina looks interested in the alcohol now. She can¡¯t stop looking at the leftover alcohol.


    ¡°Tina, do you perhaps want to taste this drink?¡±


    ¡°Th- that is, only a tiny, little bit.¡±


    She¡¯s young, but she¡¯s growing fast. There shouldn¡¯t be a problem with letting her drink the alcoholic beverage.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, you can drink, but only a little. This is the alcohol that I made through great effort, so I¡¯ll be happy if you can tell me your impressions. Once we sessfully increase the number of the bees, this will be produced inrge amounts too.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Kurt-sama, thank you for the drink! Everyone seems to enjoy alcohol with happy faces, I really wanted to try.¡±


    I pour some mead into Tina¡¯s cup. Tina¡¯s eyes are sparkling with anticipation.


    ¡°<i>Uwaa</i>, it¡¯s golden colored and pretty, and it smells so good.¡±


    She grasps the cup respectfully with both hands, then drinks from it. Gulp, gulp, gulp, the soundes from her throat. It¡¯s sweet and tastes good, so she drinks it smoothly. But, it¡¯s no good. If she drinks the ss in one go like that.....


    ¡°<i>Kurt-shamaa</i>...¡±


    It seems my bad feeling is on point, her eyes arepletely on the hunt. Somehow, she seems weak against alcohol. She¡¯spletely drunk now.


    ¡°What is it, Tina?¡±


    ¡°Why can¡¯t <i>Kurt-shama</i> just look at me? There¡¯s looots of women around you, I¡¯m lonely. Even though <i>Kurt-shama</i> is my <i>Kurt-shama </i>and we¡¯ve aaalways been together.¡±


    As she says that, Tina climbs onto myp and leans her body weight on me. She¡¯s behaving like those times when I¡¯m spoiling her.


    ¡°Tina is very important to me, though?¡±


    ¡°I knew that.<i> Kurt-shama</i> is kind, and spoils me lots and lots, but, I want you to only look at me. I want you to only be my <i>Kurt-shamaa</i>.¡±


    From the position of leaning her back on me, she turns around. She opens her legs and straddles myp like a ko. Then she rubs her cheek on my chest.


    ¡°<i>Kurt-shamaa</i>, just what am I to you? Why won¡¯t youy your hands on me, nobles usually do, everyone says so, I¡¯m fine though if it¡¯s <i>Kurt-shama</i>, so why, you¡¯re so kind, you¡¯re way too kind.¡±


    Tina¡¯s eyes are clouded, her heart is beating hard.


    ¡°Say, Kurt-sama,¡±


    Tina looks up and meets my eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m,¡±


    Her breath is hot. She¡¯s different than Tina that I know. My distance with her grows closer. Then......


    ¡°Zzz...¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Without realizing, I made a stupid sound.


    After saying whatever she wanted, Tina¡¯s breath grows deeper as she falls asleep. Jeez, what a selfish princess.


    I decided not to let her drink alcohol again. I smile bitterly, then carry her over to the bedroom. If, once she wakes up, she remembers all of this, let¡¯s try hard to make fun of her instead.


    <strong>Trantor¡¯s Notes: </strong>Please read in isecai.wordpress ?


    About Tina¡¯s underage drinking and all those fanservices... I hope this kind of fanservice won¡¯t happen too often. It¡¯s supposedly cute and innocent, but I don¡¯t buy it. Kurt¡¯s reaction doesn¡¯t make it innocent nor funny sighhhhs.

 Volume 2 - 4

    <h4>Chapter 4: The Distance to J?rg</h4>


    It¡¯s been a few days since Volg and the others arrived and started building the residence. Right now, their presence has been a huge plus for the Arnold fief. For delivering their daily necessities, the peddlers have been really active. Thanks to the payment that I received for thend price and nuisance fee, I start to let go of our budgeting problems.


    In the raspberry flower garden where the honey bees are gathered, I thought about my younger brother, J?rg. I went to visit him after the day of our match, but I couldn¡¯t. I was told that his wounds were deep and he hadn¡¯t regained consciousness. I left it for a while and decided to go visit him again around the time he should be awake. It¡¯lle any time now.


    I want to talk with J?rg about a lot of things. I wish that I could close the gap with my younger brother even if just a little. It¡¯s for his sake, sure, but it¡¯s also for my sake.


    I think I¡¯m going to make him some sweets that suits us brothers and bring it to him.


    ¡°Just as Kurt-sama said, the honebs are filled up by a white substance.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m happy that it has reached this point. Inside that substance, there¡¯s a new queen bee among thervae.¡±


    Right now, while cleaning the bee hives just with Tina, we have a new task: to increase the number of bees. The organism that we call bees will hatch from eggs that can only beid by the queen bee. Furthermore, in a hive, there can only be one queen bee. That¡¯s why there¡¯s a limit to the pace and the number of bees we can increase in one hive. Conversely, if we transfer a queen bee to a different hive, that queen bee can make a new colony and increase the number of bees more efficiently.


    ¡°But it feels kind of strange to intentionally hatch a queen bee.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s human intelligence.¡±


    The difference between a queen bee andmon bee only lies in their food source as arva. Only by feeding on a white substance called royal jelly will it grow into arge and strong queen bee, capable ofying many eggs.


    Usually, by feeding a number of queen beervae candidates with royal jelly, there¡¯ll be one among them that safely grows into a queen bee, while the rest of them are killed. They won¡¯t create a new one unless the current queen bee is old and weak.


    However, we can hatch an artificial queen bee. By modifying one section of the hive, we can carry royal jelly for thervae inside. The bees have this habit of feeding royal jelly torva in a peculiar shaped room called a queen cell (<i>oudai</i>) in the corner of the broods. Therefore, it¡¯s just the case of how to form a queen cell.


    Moreover, the nutritious royal jelly that can nurture a queen bee can also be a high grade medicine. I was thinking to sell some once we could harvest them, eventually.


    ¡°Therva inside the queen cells that we prepared is growing into a queen bee as we speak. We¡¯ll transfer it to a different hive somewhere with some worker bees and drones. Once it happens, the hatched bees will increase even if we leave them alone.¡±


    With this, we can make another new hive. There are only ten hives now, but I¡¯m aiming for fifty hives next year. The hive boxes can be made thanks to the surplus budget, the materials are also being purchased little by little.


    ¡°Kurt-sama, we can increase the number of bees and hives, obviously... but we can¡¯t catch up with the tasks.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what¡¯s been on my mind, too.¡±


    Tina is right. Originally, this pioneering vige has no extra personnel for the remation. On top of that, we¡¯re alreadycking manpower from the additional task of taking care of the chickens. Among them, there¡¯s no one who has already seen the task of beekeeping. Tina and I already have our hands full by taking care of ten boxes. I can¡¯t even begin to spell the trouble that fifty boxes would bring.


    ¡°How about taking people from other viges?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s possible. This vige is the newest one, so the remation takes up the most of our time, but the other viges have new children. If we put up a notice of recruitment, people will probably flock here. At the very least, I want to get as many helping hands as possible this time.¡±


    One of the purposes ofnd remation is to feed the vigers. However, due to the issues of remation pace and the number of children, there are also vigers who can¡¯t seed theirnds, those second sons, third sons. I should conduct a scouting for these capable personnel. Once I do that, the other vige will be happy from reducing the excess mouths to feed, while my vige will be happy to receive the additional manpower that we¡¯recking in.


    However, I want to avoid that method this time as much as I can. If we sessfully cultivate fifty beehives, other viges will soon follow. Once wee to that, the excess members they currently have will be necessary.


    ¡°Did you think about other ns?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to Marquis Fernandes¡¯ ce to bake pastries as a present for the duchess soon. I¡¯m thinking about recruiting people to immigrate to our settler¡¯s vige at that time. The other side is much stabler than ours, they have also stopped their remation progress, so they have an extreme surplus of members. I¡¯ve been meaning to increase the poption of the Arnold fief itself.¡±


    ¡°That sounds wonderful! Thisnd will be wealthier than we are now!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Reality is harsh, though. Whether they choose toe here or not is a problem by itself already. Moreover, it¡¯s out of question if we can¡¯t increase their earnings, including for those additional members. If we can¡¯t make them think thating here will increase their livelihood, no one wille.¡±


    ¡°Arnold is infamous for being poor, so they may not wish toe here.¡±


    Hearing Tina¡¯s worrisome mumble, I can¡¯t help but to smile bitterly.


    ¡°For now, yes. It¡¯s kind of hopeless this time around, I think. Once our honey business goes well, though, that kind of image will soon disappear. Anyhow, the honey we have here has already received a stamp of approval from Marquis Fernandes for its taste. Once we start selling it, I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll be a wealthy vige in no time.¡±


    The honey will surely bring an enormous fortune for us. Well, we still have the problem ofcking manpower to reach that point, though. Realistically speaking, we can recruit people by saying they have nothing to lose this time. If that¡¯s still no good, we can borrow people from other viges, start selling at a small scale, then start recruiting again for the next cycle.


    While thinking about that, we¡¯re proceeding with the tasks to increase the number of bees. For now, in order to cultivate new bees, the stockpiling nectar is used by the bees, so we can¡¯t harvest too much honey. This is our future investment, though. It¡¯s for the sake of harvesting way, way more honey than we have now, next year.


    ?


    After doing a bit of work, I returned to the kitchen again. I¡¯m here for the sake of making sweets for J?rg. I realized that this was the first time I did something like this for that guy. In that sense, maybe I was strange. For the sake of him who has been the closest to me, let¡¯s make sweets. That is my duty as his older brother.


    If I had looked at him properly and loved him, our rtionship would certainly be far different than what we have now. I can¡¯t change the past, but I can change the future, so I¡¯m going to make special sweets for that sake.


    The sweets that will patch up my bond with J?rg, one that will send him off to his new stage.


    <strong>Trantor¡¯s Notes: </strong>Please read at isecai.wordpress~


    Finally the brother¡¯s arc! ...kay maybe it¡¯s too much to say ¡°arc¡±, I bet it¡¯s already done in the next chapter. Meh.


    Please note that I have limited vocabry in beekeeping. If you¡¯re interested in it, there are many sites to learn from! If I, for one, live in an open area instead of being surrounded by neighbors, I would have learned to do it years ago. xD

 Volume 2 - 5

    <h4>Chapter 5: Spiky Konpeit¨­</h4>


    <strong>Isecai¡¯s Important Note:</strong>


    I¡¯m going to start using Japanese suffixes and pronouns in direct sentences (a.k.a within dialogues). Sorry, I can¡¯t resist it lmao.


    Somehow, I managed to save a slot of time and came to the main vige for the sake of visiting my sick brother, J?rg. It seems that he has been staying put in his bedroom.


    I arrive at his room and knock on the door. There¡¯s no answer. I knock once again. And as expected, there¡¯s still no answer.


    ¡°J?rg, are you in there?¡±


    I can feel a presence, I¡¯m pretty sure someone is in the room. I abruptly turn the door knob. Seems like it¡¯s not locked.


    ¡°I¡¯ming in, J?rg.¡±


    I only gave that simple warning before entering J?rg¡¯s bedroom.


    ?


    It¡¯s the first time I ever stepped into J?rg¡¯s room. The view inside startles me. Aside from the spear leaning on the wall, there¡¯s practically nothing. It¡¯s J?rg, you know? I thought his room would be shier, more luxurious.


    Looking at this room makes me even further from understanding the human called J?rg. The room is <i>that</i> hollow.


    ¡°J?rg, I¡¯vee to visit.¡± That¡¯s what I said before sitting on the chair beside the bed. J?rg peeks out from the bed cover, looking at me as if looking at the most annoying thing for him.


    ¡°What, Nii-san? Have youe tough at me?¡±


    ¡°Why would I?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Nice Guy! You see, it¡¯s my loss, the big mouthed, insulting, hateful guy in your book! As an Arnold, you eliminated me in the spear talent that <i>I¡¯m </i>supposed to have, bing the heir to the fiefdom, I¡¯m sure it really feels good, doesn¡¯t it? Thanks to you, I¡¯m back to just being a useless younger brother! I¡¯m worse than you in everything, just a worthless human being.¡± J?rg raises his voice.


    Perhaps, the spear is the only support for his mind. Once that¡¯s taken away from him, there¡¯s no way he can stay calm.


    ¡°I never thought that you¡¯re worthless, J?rg. Objectively speaking, you have the talent in martial arts, you can think fast, and you have a good ability to learn. There¡¯s no one as talented as you in Arnold.¡±


    J?rg became rebellious from continuousparisons against me, but he was a man with talent to begin with, an excellent child from a long time ago. If I wasn¡¯t around, he would have been the anticipated heir to the fiefdom in everyone¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Maybe you don¡¯t. But I¡¯m still no match for you. In everything.¡± Saying that, J?rg turned his face away. He paused a moment before speaking again, ¡°Hey, what are you nning to do with me? As the next lord, you can do anything to me. Are you driving me out by myself? Or, are you taking revenge for the things I did to you until now? Whatever, I don¡¯t care anymore. Do whatever you like.¡±


    J?rg actspletely negligent. Is he afraid of my retaliation?


    ¡°I don¡¯t really hate you, though. I have no ns to take revenge on you either.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re lying. I did a lot of horrible things to you. There¡¯s no way you won¡¯t resent me.¡±


    ¡°I really don¡¯t resent you. I don¡¯t hate you either. I only think of you as annoying...... Ah, what you did to Tina made me angry for real, though. But this J?rg, the one in front of me, isn¡¯t a nuisance, so I don¡¯t mind it. I don¡¯t think I have the energy to hate someone, it¡¯s a waste of time.¡±


    J?rg looks speechless, his lips are trembling all over. Then his face contorts in sadness, before showing a dry smile as if he gets it.


    ¡°I knew it, Nii-san. You don¡¯t even resent me, right? Everything is just my one-sided struggle. I knew it, you have no interest in me whatsoever.¡± He murmurs as if he¡¯s given up in everything.


    ¡°......I¡¯m telling you what I think until now. I have no interest in you, J?rg. But I wish to change. I want you to forgive me. I never looked at anything besides my own dreams. I never thought of anything besides making pastries, neglecting you in the process. Even though you¡¯re my only brother in the whole world.¡±


    That¡¯s my true feelings. I only had the room to think about how to seed the fief. Only now I realize how I have wronged others. That¡¯s why I want to make it right. J?rg and I are brothers. That fact isn¡¯t going to change.


    In that case, I want us brothers to be happy.


    ¡°......What was that? Saying all of that now, are you pitying me?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wrong. It¡¯s not for your sake, but mine.¡±


    ¡°You just forced those feelings on me. Who do you think you are? You know that you never cared for me whatsoever.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I have to change. From now on, I¡¯m going to stay close to you for real, as your brother.¡±


    With the tears start flowing, J?rg looks away.


    ¡°......Jeez, you¡¯re sote, Nii-san. I always wish you¡¯d turn around. If you looked at me, I would¡¯ve dly handed over the headship of the family. I knew that everyone would understand, because you were a better fit to govern Arnold instead of me. ......I always admire you.¡± J?rg spoke as if he was choking.


    Those words make me understand that he was really lonely.


    It doesn¡¯t mean that his past wrongdoings or negligence don¡¯t exist. It¡¯s just, now I get that he also has his own thoughts behind them.


    ¡°I¡¯m actually happy to hear your words. ......J?rg, I think it¡¯s necessary to put some distance between us. As long as I¡¯m here in this fief, people are going to look at you just as my younger brother. That¡¯s why, I have a proposal for you.¡±


    After I said that, J?rg turned to look at me.


    ¡°I sent a request to Marquis Fernandes to let you be a baron¡¯s attendant.¡±


    J?rg bes warped because he¡¯s always beingpared to me. If he can put his effort to use his own talent and hard work, something is most likely going to change. He has to utilize the quick wits that he was born with.


    ¡°It¡¯s different from an excellent man like you, but can someone like me be a baron¡¯s attendant?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s usually impossible. However, Marquis Fernandes noticed my pastry-making skills. Furthermore, he¡¯s relying on me to present some pastries as a gift to a ducal house. If the marquis is satisfied with that pastry, I was promised that you could be an attendant as a reward.¡±


    A noble¡¯s attendant isn¡¯t a bad status. It¡¯s even a desired employment for a son of noble who couldn¡¯t inherit the peerage.


    ¡°Nii-san, is it okay? You¡¯re using your hard-earned reward for me.¡±


    ¡°I want to do that. J?rg, I wish you¡¯d put your best effort in a ce without connections to Arnold. As a man, you¡¯d like to try that, right? To see how far you can go with your own power.¡±


    J?rg stepped on the wrong path where he felt strained from his inferiorityplex against me, where he only wanted me to look his way. What he needs right now is putting some distance from me and having an environment that will reward him for his efforts.


    ¡°Thank you, Nii-san. I want to go to somewhere I won¡¯t bepared to you. I want to try going to a ce where I¡¯ll be recognized not as your younger brother, but as myself.¡± J?rg¡¯s mutters sound lonely.


    ¡°Hey, J?rg. I still have the continuation to this talk,¡± I said, pausing for a moment there. ¡°In the baron¡¯s ce, after you try going all out, I want you to decide on your own path there. Whether you want to keep working there all your life, or you want toe back here to Arnold.¡±


    ¡°Coming back to Arnold?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. If you feel like it, if you have truly grown up, I wish to rely on you as my assistant. I told you just now. You have talent, J?rg. I want you to lend me your strength. Of course, if you¡¯re more interested in your new environment, it¡¯s okay not toe back. There¡¯s still a long time before you have to decide on your path. Meanwhile, I want you to think of your choice...... of your own life.¡± I convey it strongly.


    I won¡¯t pressure him to choose one or the other. Because that¡¯s his life.


    ¡°My choice...... Yes, I¡¯ll do that, Nii-san. I want to be aware of the path I¡¯m taking. I¡¯ll stop being captivated by you.¡±


    J?rg shows me his smile. That kind of carefree smile is his first in ten years, I think.


    ¡°Work hard. J?rg. Well, I¡¯ll send you some letters, and I¡¯ll be happy to receive some from you. Because we¡¯re brothers, right?¡±


    ¡°Nii-san, you¡¯re shameless. You know how distant you were for ten years already.¡±


    His words are harsh, but there are tender emotions in there as we bothugh. After a long, long while, I finally feel like we¡¯re really brothers.


    ¡°This is your farewell gift.¡± I pass the wrapped jar to him.


    ¡°Nii-san, this is?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s sweets that I made for your sake. They¡¯re called konpeit¨­.¡±


    J?rg opens the wrapping. Beneath it, there¡¯s a jar of colorful sugar candy, konpeit¨­. It¡¯s small, spiky sweets in multiple colors, filling up the jar. I made the variations by mixing some extracted essences from vegetables into boiled, concentrated honey.


    ¡°They¡¯re hard and spiky, sounds like us, right? It looks like that, but after putting them in your mouth for a while, they¡¯ll be round and really sweet. I wish that we can be like that.¡±


    J?rg grins and puts one konpeit¨­ into his mouth. Rolling it around, the konpeit¨­ vanishes. ¡°Nii-san, this, it¡¯s amazing, it¡¯s sweet and brittle, ah I see, this sweetness, is warm, sweet, and calming. It¡¯s a great sweet. It¡¯s great if we can be these kind of brothers.¡±


    J?rg slightly looks and sounds like a child. It suits him.


    ¡°These sweets won¡¯t get spoiled. Bring them with you throughout the years. When it feels tough, take a few of them. That¡¯s the present I¡¯m giving you. These sweets are just for you. Until you return home, I won¡¯t make this for anyone else.¡±


    ¡°Specially made for me, I¡¯m really happy. Nii-san...... Thank you.¡± J?rg hugs the jar tight. ¡°I had no idea that you¡¯re such a romantic man.¡±


    ¡°Did you? That being said, I know nothing about you either. But that¡¯s okay, isn¡¯t it? From now on, let¡¯s get to know each other, one step at a time.¡±


    After that, we talk to each other until the sun is down. That is just as if we¡¯re really good normal brothers. The sweets that I¡¯m presenting to the duchess for my sake, for his sake too, has to be really convincing to everyone.


    <strong>Isecai¡¯s Notes: </strong>


    LMAO JORG. If Kurt has any interest in you, I think this title will appeal to a whole different market.


    Not that I object.


    But aaaaaah satisfying, one volume and a few chapters before they could patch things up. I¡¯m d. Finally! I even changed my personal rule against using pronouns so that you can imagine Jorg being cute and calling ¡°nii-san¡±. ...Ohe on, he¡¯s, what, 10? How can he be uncute? //oi


    I¡¯ll probably go back too to fix this and ¡°tou-san¡±/¡±otou-sama¡±, because they have different nuance than saying ¡°Father¡±, after all. You know, in case you wanna go back and reread everything sometime.

 Volume 2 - 6

    <h4>Chapter 6: Departure to Marquis Fernandes</h4>


    ¡°Tina, you don¡¯t really have toe with me, though?¡±


    ¡°I am Kurt-sama¡¯s partner. I¡¯ll attend to you no matter where you go!¡±


    Tina and I are inside the carriage arranged by Marquis Fernandes. We are departing towards Marquis Fernandes¡¯ territory. In that ce, the announcement party to celebrate my engagement to Faruno and the pastry-making for the duchess¡¯ present are both awaiting. Things will get busy soon.


    ¡°Kurt-sama, Tina-san, please do your best. I wish I was allowed to go as well, but I cannot part from this ce no matter what.¡± Volg, Faruno¡¯s butler, expresses his apology while sending us off. He can be said to be a heavily armed existence. If he¡¯s not around, the process of building Faruno¡¯s residence will surely slow down.


    ¡°Volg, you should just focus on your own duty. I¡¯m going to do my best in my own. That¡¯s all.¡±


    I owe Volg. Just as he said on his first day here, he¡¯s been training me to use both mana and ability at the same time. I have an opponent to go all out with, and he also makes me realize my imperfections. Volg taught me how crucial it was. Thanks to him, I¡¯ve gradually be stronger.


    ¡°I¡¯m leaving Faruno-sama to you. If you¡¯re giving me high praises, maybe my sry will increase.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it if you treat me next time.¡±


    Volg and I are throwing jokes at each other. Our bond grew deep from exchanging fists.


    ¡°The present from Faruno-sama really suits you, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll use it with great care.¡±


    I hit my chest. There¡¯s a hidden pocket beneath where I store the present from Faruno.


    ¡°How splendid. Mydy will surely be pleased as well.¡±


    When Volg came to greet me, I received Faruno¡¯s gift from him. The true form of the present was a cake knife. It¡¯s of really high quality, way beyond this civilization. It¡¯s indispensable for a pastry chef, so I was truly happy. That¡¯s why I made an inner pocket in my coat and carry it with me everywhere.


    ¡°Kurt-sama, Volg-sama, it¡¯s time to depart.¡± The coachman called to us.


    It¡¯s about time to go, or else we won¡¯t arrive in Marquis Fernandes¡¯ territory by sundown.


    ¡°Bye, I¡¯ll be going. Salt, I¡¯ll leave the things here to you while I¡¯m gone. I¡¯m sorry for adding to your burden.¡± I call out to another man in this ce. Salt is the settler¡¯s vige¡¯s representative. He¡¯s a popr man, I rely on him whenever I¡¯m not around.


    ¡°Got it. Don¡¯t worry about us, young master. Just go all out. With your great effort, thisnd will be more and more prosperous.¡±


    Because he¡¯s here, I can be absent. At the end, as I have to oversee the whole Arnold fief from the main vige, I¡¯m nning to leave things in this vige to him. The tasks to take care of the bees while I¡¯m gone are left to several new members from other viges. These past few days, I drilled into them the minimum tasks for beekeeping. With the current number of the bees, they suffice. In my end game, they¡¯ll go back to their own vige and lead the beekeeping in there for me.


    ¡°Then, we¡¯re departing.¡±


    The coachman whipped the horses, and our horse carriage departed.


    ?


    ¡°Kurt-sama, going to Marquis Fernandes¡¯ territory means going to Eba, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s Eba. I also brought enough money with me. That ce has a lot of things, so I¡¯m excited. Ah, I really want to buy some ingredients for pastries. I¡¯ll be speechless if they have cacao.¡±


    ¡°Cacao? That¡¯s the first time I heard it. But it sounds delicious! ......Eba, it¡¯s really nostalgic.¡±


    Marquis Fernandes governs a vast territory. There are richnds, so of course it has towns. Marquis Fernandes¡¯ house resides in the port town of Eba. With the harbor as the transportation check point, it¡¯s a hugely activemercial town, brimming with many things. In this region, there¡¯s no town that canpete with it. And then, Eba is a nostalgic ce for me and Tina.


    ¡°I met with Kurt-sama in that ce.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m moved whenever I remember the Tina back then.¡±


    ¡°<i>Mou</i>, stop it, please. I feel a little embarrassed with myself at that time.¡±


    Tina was originally an orphan from Eba. Her mother, who once lived in a vige of beastkin and elves, vited the vige¡¯s rules to marry a human and practically eloped by going out of the vige, then lived in Eba with her husband. However, Tina was left alone as her parents both died from an epidemic.


    ¡°But because that happened, I can be with Tina. That¡¯s my precious memory, you know?¡±


    ¡°<i>Mou</i>, I don¡¯t know Kurt-sama anymore.¡± Tina adorably looks away, even her tail turns away from me.


    I wryly smile. Really, it¡¯s because your reactions are so cute that I can¡¯t stop teasing you. I¡¯m messing around with Tina like that in the horse carriage, and the errand man from Marquis Fernandes opens his mouth to speak.


    ¡°Excuse me, Arnold-sama. Isn¡¯t that spear heavy?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not heavy. I want to keep it close all the time, just in case.¡±


    I held Ginsen close to my chest. From the time we left the vige, it never leaves my side. Because I have a bad feeling.


    ¡°But you must be tired. Please let me take care of it.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to do that, because it is already a part of my body.¡±


    ¡°But, that, Arnold-sama is our important guest. I can¡¯t let you feel any inconvenience as our guest. If anything happens, it¡¯ll be given back to you as soon as possible, so, please allow me to take care of it?¡±


    He¡¯s excessively persistent. I start to feel wary about this guy. Something is fishy. But let¡¯s just observe the situation.


    ¡°Since you insisted, I¡¯ll let you handle it. Also, this isn¡¯t a spear. It¡¯s a weapon called <i>naginata</i>, and his name is Ginsen. Treat it with care.¡± So I say while passing the <i>naginata</i>. I prepared an insurance closely. I should be able to deal with anything just like usual.


    After that, the man¡¯s lips turned up in a tiny smile. Seems like he¡¯s thinking about something wicked. Now then, what kind of move will he make?


    Acting nonchntly, my wariness grows stronger.


    <strong>Isecai¡¯s Notes: </strong>


    Ekuraba¡¯s appearance! The first(?) crossover with Tsukiyo Rui-sen¡¯s other titles. I think the other trantor put Eba in it. It... sounds like a shortened version of eir bars, so I¡¯m inclined to agree with this romaji. xD


    By the way, I just realized how ¡°light¡± this WN ispared to The Wolf Lord¡¯s Lady or Herscherik. It¡¯s not just about the number of characters (okay mainly it is), but more about the shorter sentences. Awesome.


    Seems like we¡¯re going to see some martial prowess before getting to our sweets goodness, again. I start to see the pattern here.

 Volume 2 - 7

    <h4>Chapter 7: Bandits</h4>


    The horse carriage rhythmically goes forward to our destination. For now, there¡¯s no problem. It¡¯s just the movements of the man before me that piques my interest. Looking out of the window, he looks to be sending some signals. I¡¯d rather nothing happens like this, though.


    ¡°Neiiiigh!¡±


    But that kind of thought is naive. The horse is neighing, shaking the carriage wildly.


    ¡°Give me Ginsen!¡±


    I shouted instantly, but the man ignored my shout and jumped out of the carriage with Ginsen in tow.


    I see, so that¡¯s his aim.


    ¡°Tina, wait for me inside the carriage.¡±


    ¡°Kurt-sama, please stay safe.¡± Tina squeezes my hand while looking at me. Her face tells me that she wants to go out there with me, but she knows she¡¯ll just be a burden. She seems to swallow the words back down.


    I ruffle her hair and speak, ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll be back soon.¡±


    Let¡¯s finish this up real quick so she won¡¯t be worried.


    ?


    When I went out, a bandit-like group already surrounded the carriage. The man who held Ginsen ran straight towards the bandits¡¯ direction.


    ¡°The easiest trap to notice is heavy, huh?¡± Iugh wryly. From the start, that guy has been the bandits¡¯ aplice.


    I¡¯m assessing the situation. The coachman is crouching from the arrow on his leg, the horse is dead. Nearly every bandit is equipped with arrows, and the moment they saw me, they strained the bow strings.


    ¡°Fire! He¡¯s unarmed. Even if he¡¯s an Arnold, without a spear he¡¯s just a normal man!¡± the guy holding Ginsen shouts.


    I see, he knows that much.


    The Arnolds are somewhat famous for disying a greater strength than an average man, but only when fighting with a spear. However, that¡¯s not the information that should¡¯ve been known to amon bandit. Someone must have been pulling the strings.


    The bandits fire the arrows. They pour down like rain.


    I take out and hold the cake knife from my coat¡¯s inner pocket. However, I don¡¯t take off the protective cloth wrap from it.


    It¡¯s the tool to make the pastries that will make people happy. I must not taint it with blood.


    My brain is elerating. My strength overflows. Sword Ability III has manifested. Yeah, disying the ability is already sufficient.


    My powered up brain and reflexes show the arrows¡¯ trajectories. Then, with my empty left hand, I chop and deflect the direct hits only. I avoid the arrowheads, my deflecting hand doesn¡¯t hurt at all. All the bandit men¡¯s jaws are dropping.


    ¡°No way, isn¡¯t he just a normal man without a spear!?¡±


    ¡°My bad, I¡¯m not a normal Arnold.¡±


    I step in with full strength. In that split second, I kick off with my foot, denting the ground¡¯s surface with a thunderous roar as I jump off like a rocket. Fusing the strengthening from mana and ability equals an overwhelming physical strength. This is exactly my full strength. The power that I gained from my special training with Volg.


    The power of my former self can¡¯t hold a candle to my current power. I close in upon one of the bandits. Striking his jaw with my left palm, I reap his consciousness instantly. He didn¡¯t even have time to scream.


    After toppling one of the bandits, those who remain finally notice my movements. Our time axis are different. They can¡¯t even perceive my movements. I strike at many bandits. With me running past the gap, they fall unconscious one after another. Aiming to palm strike or hand chop their jaws or napes, I barely use up my strength.


    ¡°Oi, I didn¡¯t hear about this. As long as his spear is gone, he¡¯s supposed to be a normal dude.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t human speed.¡±


    ¡°What the hell is happening?¡±


    The screams are mingled. Every scream is reaped. And then, not a minute after, they¡¯re all annihted except for two men remaining. They are the guy holding Ginsen and a single bandit.


    ¡°Now then, I should listen to your story now. That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t knock you out.¡± I turn around at thest bandit, intimidating him. From his equipment and the way he moves, I figured he was the bandits¡¯ leader.


    ¡°Bastard, making fun of me, eh!?¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t do such a thing.¡±


    I flip over the rushing, raging bandit, then I hold him against the ground, dislocating both of his shoulders and knee joints, rendering him utterly powerless. I don¡¯t give a damn to his shriek. There should be no problem if he can still speak.


    ¡°And you, don¡¯t you run away. You¡¯re the bandits¡¯rade, right?¡±


    I grin towards Marquis Fernandes¡¯ servant.


    ¡°Yo-you¡¯re mistaken.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true, I have nothing to do with this, nothing at all. Believe me, please believe me.¡±


    He¡¯s tearing up, obstinately insisting with both his hands clutching and begging. However, I don¡¯t buy it. I tug Marquis Fernandes¡¯ servant¡¯s shoulder and forcibly dislocate the joint.


    ¡°Gya-gyaaaaaaaaaaa!¡± He screams like a pig to his surroundings.


    ¡°Say, aren¡¯t you underestimating me? Who¡¯ll buy that kind of lie? You knew about the Arnolds¡¯ power. Because you knew, you attempted to separate me and Ginsen. You thought I¡¯d be an ordinary man without Ginsen. Such an obvious attempt, even an idiot would¡¯ve noticed.¡±


    This guy was pushy and sloppy. Most likely, he really was underestimating me, a low bottom aristocrat from a rural vige.


    ¡°Moreover, I knew you kept signaling to the outside after I entrusted Ginsen to you. I intentionally faked ignorance. Afterwards, the bandits dide. Coincidence much?¡±


    I grab his left shoulder too. However, there¡¯s one thing that still makes me calm. This incident isn¡¯t rted to Marquis Fernandes himself. The marquis didn¡¯t know that my aptitude lies in swords instead of spears, but he knew I could wield mana. This level of manpower contending against a mana wielder is unthinkable. This ambush was designed under the assumption of opposing a mere spear ability wielder. Therefore, Marquis Fernandes is clean. If he betrays me, I¡¯ll lose my ability to trust other people.


    ¡°Ee, eek, wr, wro, wrong!¡±


    ¡°Which part am I wrong?¡± I nomittally ask.


    ¡°Really, I, it¡¯s wrong. I¡¯ve nothing to do, nothing to do with this.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s confirm it.¡± I walk towards the bandits.


    Tucking back the cake knife to my coat, I pick up a twig around the ce and snap it off to sharpen the edge.


    ¡°You bandit over there, is this man yourrade or just someone who cooperated with you? I¡¯ll gouge your eyes out if you lie.¡±


    The bandit pisses in his pants. Even if he wants to retaliate, his arms and legs are immobile, turning him into a mush. ¡°Ye, yes, you¡¯re right. After he took your spear, we needed to assault you. He told us that, you, you¡¯re just an ordinary guy without your spear, we could get money from attacking you. That man is an aplice.¡±


    ¡°Th, that¡¯s a lie! He¡¯s just spouting nonsense!¡±


    Marquis Fernandes¡¯ servant makes a fuss.


    ¡°So? Is that man lying? Then I¡¯m gouging your eyes out now.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true! W, we received some money......¡± The bandit repeatedly begs to be believed.


    Oh, well, seems like it. It¡¯s easy to see with my own eyes whether they¡¯re telling the truth or not.


    ¡°It¡¯s just as it looks like. Seeing his desperation, I can figure out that he¡¯s not lying. But, what about you? If you¡¯re still nning to lie, I¡¯ve no other option but to let you see hell. If you tell me the truth here, I¡¯ll spare your life.¡±


    With me shing around the twig, that man started to spill them all out, one at a time.


    ?


    From that point, I tied a rope around the bandits¡¯ leader and the servant who cooperated with the bandits, loaded them onto the carriage, and departing once again to Eba, where Marquis Fernandes resides.


    I can gain more valuable information from these two. The remaining bandits are a hindrance, so I have them tied up around trees. What is going to happen to them, I¡¯ll leave that to Marquis Fernandes.


    The injured coachman is an unrted victim, so I treated his wounds in that ce before resting inside the carriage with Tina.


    I push the horse to run. I¡¯m borrowing the bandits¡¯ horse to rece the dead one. The one they have is actually not bad. I¡¯ll make sure to take it back with me to the vige.


    ?


    Rushing while being guided by the coachman, we finally arrived at Marquis Fernandes¡¯ mansion. When we arrived, the servants cheerfully went out to greet us. However, after I quickly exined to them about that servant¡¯s betrayal and the ambush by the bandits, the servants hurried to return to the mansion. After only a short while, a servant shows up and brings Marquis Fernandes with him.


    ¡°You¡¯ve done well to reach this ce. Kurt-kun. ......For bringing trouble to you, I deeply apologize.¡± Even though he has a very lofty position, Marquis Fernandes bowed his head deeply to me. This man is truly capable. He¡¯s not haughty like a normal noble.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t bow to me. Marquis Fernandes is also a victim here as well. I let your coachman get injured, even a horse died, so.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard about the bandits¡¯ ambush only until Rasse¡¯s hand in that. I wish to hear about the details from you.¡±


    Rasse is that servant¡¯s name, the one who betrayed us.


    ¡°Yes. As far as I know, the man called Rasse admitted to being a certain noble¡¯s errand man and received some huge amount of cash to assassinate me. There¡¯s some indication that the noble isn¡¯t too happy with my engagement to Faruno-sama, or so it seems.¡±


    ¡°This is a serious situation. Still, though, recklessly picking a fight with you is just not treasuring their lives.¡±


    ¡°They won¡¯t fear an Arnold like me once I don¡¯t have my spear. After scheming to take the spear, they must have bragged to the bandit that I can die in the raid.¡±


    ¡°A real fool...... The person who meant to assault you and Rasse too, epting the scheme for some money.¡±


    This incidentes from a noble¡¯s jealousy. A third-rate noble¡¯s son like me, who obtained Marquis Fernandes¡¯ backing and even the beautiful Faruno, must have been a source of envy. Most probably, that person aims to rece me.


    ¡°Since I have no n to blow this incident up, I will leave it to you, Marquis, for the aftermath. The man who seems to be the bandits¡¯ leader and Rasse are both left alive, so feel free to do as you please.¡±


    In other words, control the information to follow the dirty money. Someone like Marquis Fernandes will want to protect his dignity while finding the mastermind.


    ¡°Absolutely. Leave it to me. I¡¯ll tie up the loose ends.¡±


    From now on, it¡¯s their part. I have nothing else to say.


    ¡°Kurt-kun, let me properlypensate you. It still doesn¡¯t change the fact that my servant has caused you problems. I¡¯ll arrange it before you return home.¡±


    ¡°Please ept my deepest gratitude.¡±


    Declining here will simply smear mud in Marquis Fernandes¡¯s face, the Arnolds are probably unlikely to receive any expression of apology either.


    So, I obediently took advantage of the marquis¡¯ favor.


    <strong>Isecai¡¯s Notes:</strong>


    Gotta thank Jorg¡¯s bullying, it makes Kurt decisive. I¡¯m really tempted to use some xianxia phrases like ¡°they don¡¯t know they¡¯ve kicked an iron wall this time¡± lol.

 Volume 2 - 8

    <h4>Chapter 8: Sweet Smelling Baked Apple</h4>


    <strong>Isecai¡¯s Important Notes:</strong>


    Since I¡¯m going to start using pronouns, obligatory guide for you who doesn¡¯t know:


    Editor: King of the End


    After finishing the talk with Marquis Fernandes, his servant soon led us towards our room.


    Faruno, who was gone due to attending some noble¡¯s wedding ceremony, will be back after three days. There¡¯s a part of me who feels lonely somewhere.


    I look around the room. It¡¯s a nice one. Most likely, it¡¯s prepared for privileged guests. Since it¡¯s divided for a married pair, I can be here alone with Tina. I have to thank Marquis Fernandes.


    I¡¯m nning to bake the pastry for the duchess¡¯ present the day after tomorrow, then appear at the engagement¡¯s announcement party with Faruno three dayster. The announcement of my betrothal to Faruno is rted to arge assembly of nobles. I can¡¯t afford to be sloppy. From now on, I have to enter my serious mode.


    ¡°Tina, let¡¯s go to the market tomorrow. Before baking the pastries, I want to look around and see various things. I¡¯ve decided on the recipe, but if I find a new ingredient at the marketce, I may gain a sh of insight. ......Moreover, there are heaps of new food before us. I can barely hold back.¡±


    I smirk. If my heart doesn¡¯t dance here, I can¡¯t call myself a patissier.


    ¡°Yes, Kurt-sama, let¡¯s go. Eba¡¯s market. I¡¯m looking forward to it. There seems to be a lot of wonderful things!¡±


    ¡°I know, right? Even if the ingredient isn¡¯t necessary for the next pastry, let¡¯s buy the good things. We don¡¯t get this kind of chance too often.¡±


    A port town, now, what kind of thing will I get to see this time......?


    ?


    Tina and I have set off to the market in the morning. The early activeness startles me. It seems that there are almost 50 thousand people popting this port town. Even if I gather all the vigers, the poption of the Arnold fief will barely reach 500 people. They¡¯re truly iparable.


    People and goods are overflowing. I feel jealous, really.


    <i>¡°Uwaa,</i> that shop¡¯s disy looks like a line of seafood. They look so much bigger than the fish from the rivers.¡± Tina, looking at the fish that resembles sea bream, is shocked. Her fox ears are twitching cheerfully. ¡°Ah, that shop has many fruits I haven¡¯t seen before! Red and round, I wonder how it tastes. It smells sweet.¡± This time, her eyes sparkles from finding apples.


    Excited at everything in her sight, Tina is really in high spirits. While wryly smiling, I chase after her and her antics.


    ¡°Let¡¯s leave the fish alone, they¡¯ll get spoiled before we can reach Arnold, and if we try to prepare them to eat in Marquis Fernandes¡¯ territory, I¡¯ll get distracted.¡±


    ¡°......Really? It¡¯s such a shame.¡± Tina¡¯s fox ears copse t to her head. Seafood is something that she will never have the chance to eat in Arnold¡¯s mountainous area, so I understand that she really wants to have a taste.


    ¡°We can¡¯t buy them raw, but I want to eat them too. Let¡¯s have lunch at that shop. I¡¯m sure they have this fish in their menu.¡±


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s a good idea. Let¡¯s eat by all means!¡± Tina clings to my arm. There¡¯s nothing better than making her happy.


    ¡°Let¡¯s try the fruit by buying a few. If it tastes good, we can buy lots of them to share with the people back home.¡±


    After saying that, We go to the fruit shop, pass the money, and buy two apples. One of the two are cut in halves by the cake knife I take from my coat, then I give Tina her share.


    ¡°Try it, it¡¯s your half.¡±


    ¡°Is it really okay?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what we bought them for, right?¡±


    After I say that, Tina smiles and bites into the apple. I can slightly hear her mouth chomping with delight.


    ¡°It¡¯s sweet and sour, juicy, and really tasty. Kurt-sama, this is really good. Let¡¯s grow them in our fief too!¡± She¡¯s greatly impressed, because her tail has been swaying side to side in excitement.


    I nibble the apple too. Compared to the apples I¡¯m familiar with, this is more sour and less sweet. But that¡¯s fine. It¡¯s really suitable to be added into pastries. I¡¯ll definitely buy them before we go back home.


    ¡°I want to grow them too, but it¡¯s kind of impossible. Even when treated well, apples are difficult to grow, they won¡¯t be good before we can harvest the fruit. Even if everything goes well, it takes about three years to reach that point. The hurdle is high for this one.¡±


    Until it can grow up into a tree, it¡¯ll need time, no matter how you see it. Moreover, it¡¯s weak to sickness and weather, we¡¯re going to need a huge investment in time and manpower if we want to do it seriously.


    ¡°That means, it¡¯s impossible in Arnold? I see. I thought if we could collect a lot of this fruit, everyone will be happy.¡±


    Tina looks down. I rub her head while smiling gently.


    ¡°Growing them is hopeless, but we can buy them, you know? If our honey sales are on track, we can ask the peddlers to have them stock it for us. Right now, we¡¯re just working hard for our livelihood, but anyhow, we¡¯ll definitely be able to buy themter.¡±


    Hearing my words, Tina¡¯s smile blooms widely as she nods. ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°Also, Tina. If you¡¯re that happy with the raw ingredient, you¡¯re going to hurt a patissier¡¯s pride.¡±


    ¡°Kurt-sama, you mean?¡±


    ¡°Why do you think I bought two apples? Of course it¡¯s to make a pastry. Once we get back, I¡¯ll use the other one and bake a great pastry, so look forward to it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m really looking forward to it! Kurt-sama¡¯s pastry!¡± Tina shows a joyful expression once she starts imagining my homemade pastry.


    Looking at that kind of expression from her, Ie to really feel happy too.


    ?


    Looking at the market, I¡¯m really surprised by the number and variety of meats, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seasonings, and liquors. I really came to wish that I lived here. As I thought, as a patissier, this kind of environment is truly attractive. From now on, I think I¡¯m going to spare the time to visit here once a month.


    Among them, my eyes are caught on whiskey. I wouldn¡¯t have been able to guess that they were advanced enough to have distilled alcohol. I¡¯ve requested rum from Marquis Fernandes, but if there¡¯s dry spirits, it¡¯ll be more suited to the rose cookies this time. Just by finding this, our visit to the market has be really valuable.


    ¡°<i>Oji-san</i>, can I have a taste? I want liquor as bitter and fragrant as possible.¡±


    ¡°You got the money, boy?¡± The stubborn looking shopkeeper stares at me and asks it.


    My 15-year old figure probably looks like a boy¡¯s in his eyes.


    ¡°Absolutely.¡±


    I let him peek into my purse. It is full of gold and silver coins. I received them from Marquis Fernandes as the ingredients¡¯ budget.


    ¡°......Come on. Give me the best grade liquor.¡±


    The shopkeeper poured an amber-colored liquid into a small cup. I down everything in one go. So strong. But it¡¯s a good one. If using this, it¡¯ll go really well with the rose¡¯s fragrance.


    ¡°<i>Oji-san</i>, I¡¯ll take this one.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your continued patronage.¡±


    It¡¯s a good liquor with a reasonable price. The taste only gets as good as the price though.


    Tina is looking at the whiskey with apparent desire. She likes liquor. After drinking once, she¡¯spletely into it. However, it doesn¡¯t seem that she realizes it.


    I can¡¯t let her drink liquor. That¡¯s the valuable lesson that I gained from the previous incident. When drunk, she¡¯s unbelievably clingy, spoiled, and assertive, far from her usual self. In that incident, the one line was nearly breached.


    From then on, in the market ce, we bough the ingredients one by one, such as fresh milk and eggs, then returned to the Fernandes residence. The milk and eggs are given with an additional fee as a part of the negotiation, so that I could get the fresh ones sent to me early next morning. This is also an important point to make the best cookies.


    Once we arrived, I made baked apples. I carve out the core of the apples, then add brown sugar, butter, and some whiskey to bake it in the oven. It¡¯s an easy pastry.


    Sure it¡¯s simple, but a well done baked apple is one of the best pastries. The heating process will tenderize the acidity and strengthen the sweetness. The fruit¡¯s flesh is moist inside, but the skin will be crispy, giving it a really seductive mouthfeel.


    And then, the butter¡¯s savory taste and the brown sugar¡¯s strength, fusing with the bitter liquor, heightening the fragrance, creating multiyered taste that will in no way be contended by the raw form. I¡¯m absolutely sure that Tina will like it and pester me to bake it again for her.


    I tasted it, it seemed like it turned out really good. I can also taste the vor, the aroma of heated whiskey. This is my goal by making a baked apple.


    ?


    On the next morning, Tina and I went to the Fernandes mansion¡¯s kitchen. Right now, I¡¯m going to bake the pastry for the duchess. It¡¯s a huge responsibility. A duke rank has a status that¡¯s only second to the king and royal family (grand dukes). If I present a sloppy product, I may get punished by guillotine.


    Compared to the marquis, a duke has fewer assets and less military strength, but the authority and influence is stronger. The saying goes like this: prestigious duke, beneficial marquis. For Marquis Fernandes to give me the chance to present my pastry to the duchess with that kind of status, my gratitude is boundless.


    ¡°Tina, bring out the jar that we prepared yesterday.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Kurt-sama!¡±


    Tina takes out two jars. One of them contains rose petals dipped in honey, while the other one is filled with rose petals dipped in whiskey. By doing it this way, I¡¯m transferring the rose¡¯s scent and vor. I checked the smell from the lid. Yes, that¡¯s a nice smell. The rose¡¯s fragrance is extracted well.


    ¡°Kurt-sama, the fresh milk and newlyid eggs from this morning have arrived too!¡±


    ¡°Got it. With this, the ingredients are all present. Now, shall we begin?¡±


    My invaluable rose cookies. Let¡¯s give them the best appearance and taste.


    <strong>Isecai¡¯s Notes:</strong>


    Damn it Kurt, you¡¯re getting harem after all!? <del>Isn¡¯t Volg and your brother</del> Ahem, isn¡¯t Tina enough for you?

 Volume 2 - 9

    <h4>Chapter 9: White Rose and ck Rose Cookies</h4>


    I promptly begin my preparations.


    The first ingredient that I take into my hands is the fresh cream, made from the freshly squeezed milk that had just arrived.


    ¡°Kurt-sama, what are you making?¡± Tina, endlessly excited, is peering at my hands¡¯ movements.


    ¡°It¡¯s butter. That¡¯s right, I¡¯ve never shown you how to make butter, have I?¡±


    I pour the fresh cream into a metal bowl, and whisk it fast. I¡¯ve asked Tina to make ice with her magic arte, adding ice cold water to it. By doing that, the fatyer gets solidified and bes butter. To bake cookies, unsalted butter without any salt at all is the best. Adding salt will turn the butter¡¯s color muddy. However, not adding salt will make it easily spoiled, so it¡¯s a luxury item for an ordinary lifestyle.


    The fresh creamy milk from this morning turns into butter right now. It¡¯s the best possible butter ever.


    ¡°Awesome, really, white and smooth and it bes butter. It¡¯s just like magic.¡±


    ¡°Cooking <i>is</i> magic. Taste it, fresh butter is just the best.¡±


    I scoop the fresh butter with a spoon, turning it to Tina¡¯s mouth, which she chomps on at once. Tina¡¯s face melts happily.


    ¡°Wooow, it melts instantly, so mellow.¡±


    The new butter is light, but the vor is strong and rich. Spreading it on some bread and eating as is will make a great breakfast. Fresh butter tastes a whole different level if eaten in thirty minutes from when it¡¯s done.


    ¡°The butter is done, I¡¯m going to start the dough.¡±


    ¡°Kurt-sama, it¡¯s cookies this time, right? Why did you prepare four bowls?¡±


    ¡°To let the rose flower blooms, I need to make four different kinds of dough.¡±


    While chopping the almonds that Marquis Fernandes arranged for me, I put rose-dipped whiskey, eggs, butter, and brown sugar. As I bake them, the dough will turn a dark, deeper vor...... This is separated into two parts of different ratios.


    After that, I knead wheat flour, rose petal honey, then walnut oil that I brought from the vige. As they¡¯re baked, the dough will turn white, light vored and brittle. Without using the eggs, they¡¯ll taste as fresh as they can be. ......I also separate them into halves with different ratios.


    I¡¯ve made four different kinds of dough.


    ¡°The contrast between the white and ck dough is really interesting.¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t seen anything yet, it¡¯ll start getting exciting now.¡±


    I divide the well-kneaded dough into several parts, then press them each until thin. I made all the white and ck dough into thick and thin rectangles.


    ¡°Tina, freeze all the dough. Carefully, okay?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Kurt-sama.¡±


    The dough are getting frozen by Tina¡¯s hand. And then, I cut that frozen dough.


    ¡°Okay then, let¡¯s put the finishing touches.¡±


    I stack those thin rectangr dough in different sizes one on top of the other,yered up they get rounder. And then, with the remarkablyrge white doughyer, I roll them up toplete the dough.


    ¡°Kurt-sama, what is this?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll understand when you see it.¡±


    I¡¯veyered the dough one on top of another again and again into a cylindrical shape, then with my cake knife, I slice it evenly. The result is round-cut cookies.


    ¡°Is that, rose?¡± Tina¡¯s voice went a pitch higher in surprise as she looked at the cut cylindrical dough.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, it¡¯s a rose.¡±


    ¡°The cut surface turns into a rose pattern! So you can do it this way. But I¡¯m bummed, itcks a tiny bit of something, how regretful.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all good. The roses aren¡¯t in full bloom yet. When they¡¯re baked, they¡¯ll start blooming then.¡±


    Laying the round cut cookies, I insert them into the oven. Then, at roughly the same time as they¡¯re baked, I arrange the remaining batch by stacking them up to the very end. This time, the ck dough acts as the wrap instead.


    ¡°Thest one was ck rose on a white canvas, but this time, it¡¯s white rose on a ck canvas! This is so pretty too.¡±


    That¡¯s right, the reason I divided the dough wasn¡¯t for being entric or showing off. I was stacking the white and ckyers of dough alternatively in order to draw the rose. It¡¯s the same technique as Kintarou candy. By stacking rectangle shaped ingredients and turning them round, a drawing will be made. With this, no matter how many times I cut them, I can make the exact same drawing.


    ¡°But why did you divide it into four? You can make the rose pattern just by dividing it into two, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s no good. The rose¡¯s deliciousnesses from the harmony between the white dough and the ck dough. Drawing the ck pattern and the white pattern will result in different ratios of ck and white. Which ingredients to use, how much should I mix them together, their most suitable solution will be different. That¡¯s why, the dough to make white rose and to make ck rose, even though they look the same color, they actually are properly separated.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve considered that far......¡±


    ¡°Doing it that far is the reason why it will be a superb pastry.¡± I grin. A pastry¡¯s look is important, but the taste is also important. A patissier¡¯s job is to make sure they both bloom. Apromise is unforgivable.


    ¡°It¡¯ll finish baking soon. Tina felt bummed before that the rose didn¡¯t look good, right?¡±


    ¡°I- I¡¯m really sorry. That, uhm, I think they¡¯re pretty, but I thought that something that looked like a drawing was not enough after all.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all right, that impression is correct. But, you know. My cookies have magicid in them. You¡¯ll see what magic as soon as they¡¯re baked.¡±


    I take the cookies out of the hearth. The smoke that blows out of it brought the scent of butter and roses into the air.


    ¡°Kurt-sama, I can smell the rose¡¯s fragrance!¡±


    ¡°So the smell is a sess. Next is the look. Now, look at these cookies. I won¡¯t let you say that they¡¯re awkward.¡±


    The smoke starts clearing out, and reveals what I¡¯ve taken out of the oven, which are......


    ¡°Such a beautiful rose pattern! In a lustrous light brown body as the background, there¡¯s a ck rose! I¡¯m not bummed at all! It¡¯s like a picture painted by the most famous artist!¡±


    ¡°Cookies change form once they¡¯re baked. I made the dough that will make you anticipate if the change will ur when the dough is baked, as well as what the shape and color change will be.¡±


    That¡¯s exactly my rose cookies¡¯ magic. The required skill for artisan cookies.


    ¡°How did you find out what was going to happen after they were baked?¡±


    ¡°Ites from my years of experience, and also intuition. You¡¯ve praised its appearance, but I¡¯m confident about the cookies¡¯ taste too, you know?¡±


    My words make Tina¡¯s eyes sparkle as she looks at me. Her whole body conveys that she really wants to eat the cookie.


    ¡°Tina, after we¡¯ve baked the second batch, shall we have some tea?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s, something so delicious-looking being entrusted to me forter, that¡¯s just......¡±


    While looking at Tina¡¯s entirely downhearted tly pressed fox ears, I don¡¯t know whether tough or cry. However, this is a pastry that has the value to wait for. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be happy.


    ?


    A few minutester, the two parts rose cookies, the white rose and ck rose cookies, arepleted. Tina and I take a sample. It gets a huge sess rating from me, as well as from Tina. Thest thing to do is to present this pastry to Marquis Fernandes and get him interested.


    I told Marquis Fernandes¡¯ servant that the pastry gift for the duchess is done, and to tell his master that I wish he would taste the cookies soon.


    With this, we¡¯ve arrived at the real deal.

 Volume 2 - 10

    <h4>Chapter 10: The Fated Judgment</h4>


    While Tina is making some herb tea, I stack the cookies on top of a te.


    The servant ryed to me that Marquis Fernandes was currently busy and needed to make some time and prepare himself, so I¡¯m going to bring the cookies with me to the designated room.


    I knock on the door.


    ¡°Come on in.¡±


    When I hear that reply, I enter the room.


    ?


    ¡°So, those are your pastry.¡±


    Marquis Fernandes rushes in high spirits to greet me, unbing of his age. I put the te of rose cookies in front of him.


    ¡°Yes, these are my pastry.¡±


    ¡°What will you call them?¡±


    ¡°Well, I straightforwardly called them Rose Cookies. There are white rose and the ck rose varieties, please enjoy both of them.¡±


    The cookies are attractively arranged on both sides of the te. I also add meringues as a bonus, made from turning egg whites into foam, adding sugar, and baking them...... They are also shaped like roses and lined the edge of the te.


    ¡°<i>Hou</i>, so you drew roses on the cookies! I wonder how you could make such things! They¡¯re truly beautiful!¡±


    Marquis Fernandes speaks in astonishment after looking at the Rose Cookies.


    ¡°Moreover, this is such a wonderful scent. The scent of roses. No matter if you look or smell them, they¡¯re Rose Cookies. These will surely please the rose-loving Duchess Renalier.¡±


    ¡°To please is my utmost objective. This scent appears thanks to the honey I used in the ingredients and the rose petals that I marinated all night long in liquor. The Rose Cookies are meant to have their scent enjoyed first, then their appearance, and finally their taste. By all means, please relish in the taste. Their true worth will be shown by being eaten the first time.¡±


    When I bow my head respectfully, Marquis Fernandes nods while looking satisfied.


    ¡°The main value of a pastry is the taste. If the taste is not up to par, everything will be for naught. We¡¯re talking about Kurt-kun here, so I¡¯m certain the vor will be wonderful. Then I¡¯ll enjoy them.¡±


    He takes a piece of Rose Cookies to his mouth. The first one is the ck rose.


    ¡°<i>Hou</i>, such a refined vor. This ispletely different to the cookies I ate before; it¡¯s rich, vorful, andplex. The texture is also interesting, it¡¯s soft and pleasing. I see, this is you being serious, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°I also gave it my all back then. It¡¯s simply that they served a different objective before. I aimed for luxury and gorgeousness with the ck rose. A pastry befitting for nobles.¡±


    Yes, I only used wheat flour, honey, and butter for the previous cookies. That¡¯s the exact reason why they were determined by freshness and simplicity.


    However, it¡¯s different this time.


    Instead of daily ingredients, I aimed to treat someone in luxury. I used the deep vor which came from marinating whiskey, the strong body of brown cane sugar that wouldn¡¯t lose to whiskey¡¯s vor, and the highest quality of butter.


    Neither are more superior than the other. It¡¯s just, as a present, the current ones should be more suitable.


    ¡°The one you have sampled just now is the ck variety. Please, enjoy the white variety as well.¡±


    ¡°Both varieties look simrly bnced between ck and white, but...... I see, so it¡¯s that, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Marquis Fernandes eats the white rose cookies, his eyes widen in surprise.


    ¡°Compared to the one I ate just now, it¡¯s more refreshing than refined. Even though they are made from the same ingredients, they can be different to this extent, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°You are right. The ck roses are the gorgeousness that will force anyone to yield before them. Therefore, while they leave a soft texture, they have a strong vor as a whole. On the other hand, the white roses are gentleness. To capture that light vor, I didn¡¯t add as much strong-vored ingredients. The texture is more crisp and light, so that the aftertaste will not linger.¡±


    That¡¯s the reason why I separated the dough into four parts. The dough for ck roses was richly elegant, while the white roses¡¯ dough was lightly sweet.


    ¡°Wonderful, presenting both at once will make one unable to stop eating them. Enjoying the smell, the sight, the taste, no one can have enough of these. Being able to elevate a baked pastry to this extent...... it¡¯s way beyond my imagination. Kurt-kun, you always easily surpass my expectations.¡±


    Marquis Fernandes gave me a rave review while stuffing his cheeks with cookies.


    ¡°What do you think, Marquis Fernandes? Did this pastry pass your evaluation?¡±


    Marquis Fernandes grins widely after hearing my question.


    ¡°It did, obviously. These cookies can be stored for a long time, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, the honey I kneaded into them has a powerful sterilization property. Since theyck water content as a baked pastry, they should be all right for two months.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s most wonderful. Then, let¡¯s pack up our things, we¡¯ll depart to the duchess¡¯ ce.¡±


    I bow down. With this, I¡¯vepleted one of my big tasks.


    ¡°Another thing, Kurt-kun. About your promised reward, the talk about rmending your younger brother, J?rg, as an attendant for apetent noble with a good character in a pioneering area, I havepleted the necessary arrangements.¡±


    He¡¯s well prepared. I doubt that he ever thought that I would mess up in making the pastry or break his expectations. That¡¯s why, he has alreadypleted the arrangement even before eating that pastry.


    ¡°If I may inquire, who will my brother be sent to?¡±


    ¡°I chose Baron Frenhertz¡¯s ce.¡±


    ¡°<i>The</i> Baron Frenhertz? I¡¯m really grateful. It is a tremendous help.¡±


    I bow my head.


    Rumors about that baron reached far, even to the Arnold fief. He has no shorings inpetency or character. If it¡¯s his ce, I¡¯m sure J?rg will be able to mature well.


    Moreover, I also have another present for him other than the konpeitou, that I secretly kept even from him. He¡¯ll realize it by himself soon enough. It will surely be of use for him.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to bow your head. This is the reward for your hard work, after all. Thank you for the best cookies. It¡¯s impossible not to thank you for it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m really grateful for your kind words.¡±


    As I look up again, Marquis Fernandes wryly smiles.


    ¡°Now, it¡¯s okay to go. You¡¯re free to do anything until your engagement announcement tomorrow. You don¡¯t have to return the remaining cost of the ingredients either, use it freely.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s appropriate.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all right. I¡¯ve already gotten so much more than I paid for. Moreover, I¡¯ll also think of how topensate you for the trouble that my servant caused.¡±


    ¡°I humbly thank you.¡±


    ¡°Another thing, ept these. You can leave now. Your cute servant is already waiting impatiently for your return, thinking ¡®Can I, can I now?¡¯ about the cookies.¡±


    Really, I can¡¯t stomach this person. Tina, who restrains herself behind me, bashfully blushes hard.


    After thanking him for thest time, I excuse myself from his room.¡±

 Volume 2 - 11

    <h4>Chapter 11: Heart Reflecting Croquembouche</h4>


    The day of my engagement announcement arrived, just like that.


    The party is being extravagantly held in the garden of Marquis Fernandes¡¯ mansion. Faruno has returned in thest minutes; she only showed her face in person at the party.


    I was introduced by Marquis Fernandes, who stepped on a stage at the party. I requested to serve some pastries. I intended to convey what kind of person I was to them in this way. That was the reason why I baked some kind of pastries at my ce yesterday.


    It was a huge batch that took me seven hours. A pastry that befits the mood of a party. It should be able to amaze everyone here.


    ¡°Kurt-sama, it really suits you!¡±


    ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m a little embarrassed, though.¡±


    Tina and I are in our borrowed room. I¡¯m wearing a first-ss tuxedo.


    I actually brought my best clothes from Arnold just in case, but they don¡¯t seem up for the asion of Marquis Fernandes¡¯ party. Therefore, I¡¯m wearing the clothes that Marquis Fernandes prepared for me instead. The servants prepared them by fixing the clothes that the marquis himself wore in his youth, or so I heard. It doesn¡¯t seem like amon thing for the marquis to do; the servants told me that there was a special meaning in the gesture.


    ¡°It¡¯s good that I¡¯m not outdone by the clothes. It feels a bit embarrassing to wear something this nice.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like that at all! It¡¯s a perfect fit!¡±


    Tina¡¯s words aren¡¯t just ttery; I notice from how excited she looks now. Right now she¡¯s wearing the same clothes as the servants of Fernandes. The maid clothes really draws out Tina¡¯s cuteness.


    ¡°Tina looks really cute too. Maybe I should request those clothes to be brought with us.¡±


    ¡°That, that¡¯ll be awesome.¡±


    ¡°If I do, it seems that I¡¯ll get them without getting a bat of an eye, if it¡¯s him.¡±


    There¡¯s nothing to lose, so let¡¯s try asking.


    It¡¯s for the sake of enjoying the cute Tina from now on as well.


    ?


    I go to the venue; the party is about to start. There are a lot of terribly extravagant faces lining up. Marquesses, counts, and other important nobles seem somon here. Let alone being in the same party, even striking a conversation with them was something that had to be thought carefully, initially.


    There are naturally their sons of appropriate age at their side, with their sons¡¯ wife greeting with Faruno, hoping to strengthen their bonds with Marquis Fernandes.


    If there is someone among them who would want to kill me, it wouldn¡¯t be surprising.


    My engagement with Faruno was <i>that</i> abnormal.


    ¡°Kurt-sama, you¡¯vee!¡±


    Faruno showed up while bringing her servants. She has also made some followers of the nobles¡¯ sons and daughters. However, they couldn¡¯t start a conversation with Faruno. In this kind of party, a lower ranked scion is strictly forbidden from starting a conversation with scions of higher stands. Everyone is waiting for Faruno to start talking to them first.


    ¡°Ah, likewise. I deeply apologize for brazenly disturbing you.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s absolutely no such thing! Otou-sama is really cruel! Kurt-sama¡¯s rose cookies. They¡¯re all gone out of those being presented for the duchess, leaving me with nothing whatsoever! Then he bragged about how proud he was for the wonderful pastry! That was the true cruelty, wouldn¡¯t you think so!?¡±


    Faruno puffs her cheeks in anger. I can only bitterly smile in response.


    ¡°So you¡¯ve been looking forward to my pastry. In that case, before going home, I¡¯ll bake them once more. I still have some portions of ingredients left.¡±


    As I said so, Faruno blooms into smile then looks embarrassed.


    ¡°I, I am truly happy, but I didn¡¯t mean toe out as demanding. I¡¯m not that kind of woman, you see?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I understand. I merely wish to bake it for your sake. For the sake of a wonderfuldy, I¡¯ll bake the pastry. As a pastry chef, there is no higher pleasure than this, you see.¡±


    Faruno¡¯s face turns deep red this time.


    The surrounding male scions re at me, while the youngdies squeal uncontrobly with red faces upon our interaction.


    It¡¯s a bit tiring. I cannot keep up with the mood in this kind of setting.


    ?


    After talking for some time, Faruno and I make our rounds greeting others. I must go around and greet the influential people here. I leave it to Faruno to decide whom to talk to. I am a simple son of a bar. Within these people, there is no one who will be d to speak to me first.


    The characteristics of the nobles speaking with me are divided into three patterns. The first ones are those who praise me in order to tter themselves up in front of Faruno. The second show indirect sarcasm. The third are spear experts who are astonished and curious about the famous Arnold descendant.


    These are within expectations.


    After one round, I finally have some leeway to look around.


    This is a luxurious party that can only be hosted by Marquis Fernandes. My fief can¡¯t even begin topare with this. Delectable food, delicious wine, they disappear fast into the bellies of the nobles with discerning ptes.


    When the party reached the end, Marquis Fernandes, the organizer, finally showed up.


    ¡°I humbly thank all of you who havee to my daughter¡¯s, Faruno¡¯s, engagement party today. For the sake of bringing joy to all of you, we put our best into this event. Have you enjoyed yourself?¡±


    As expected of an aristocrat. There are no rowdy yells here. However, with cheerful expressions, they all convey how great a party hosted by Marquis Fernandes is.


    ¡°If you¡¯ve enjoyed it, it is our utmost pleasure. Now let me introduce you to this party¡¯s guests of honor. Will you bestow me the honor to receive you up on the stage, Kurt-kun, Faruno?¡±


    Faruno and I head over to Marquis Fernandes together. The crowd splits to make way for us in that direction.


    ¡°First, let¡¯s begin with my introduction on their behalf. He is the heir of Arnold Barcy, Kurt Arnold-kun.¡±


    In an instant, the eyes of the crowd all gather on me.


    ¡°Kurt-kun is an extremely bright young man who has just began his own pioneering vige this year. Not only that, he¡¯s also the strongest Arnold in the young generation.¡±


    The strongest Arnold.


    That means the strongest spear wielder. Thergest praise given to someone who is skilled in spear without using mana.


    ¡°He¡¯s also an exceptional mana wielder. As an Arnold, he possesses the power thates both from his physical strength and mana.¡±


    The surrounding eyes on me change their looks.


    By wielding a special weapon, I can transcend humanity, and that is on top of having the power of mana. That makes my value immeasurable. In that case, a marquis daughter¡¯s betrothal to me bes less abnormal than it was before.


    ¡°Excellent feudal lord, wielding the mystical power of mana along with the Arnold¡¯s spear. Up to this, this is how I will exin this, but there¡¯s another mystical power that Kurt-kun has. Ah, no, that¡¯s not quite right. This is actually <i>the</i> greatest mystical power of Kurt-kun.¡±


    The crowd of the nobles start to stir up somemotion.


    There¡¯s still more? Shock, uneasiness, and then, expectations, all start to brew. Then, after turning the temperature of the venue up to the limit, Marquis Fernandes looks at me, presenting the highest hurdle.


    I can tell that I have to make my own greetings from now.


    It¡¯s a mess.


    However, this is something that I must do.


    ¡°I am extremely honored for the introduction. My name is Kurt Arnold. Thank you for gathering to celebrate my engagement to Faruno-sama on this asion.¡±


    First is the pleasantries.


    ¡°What Marquis Fernandes named as my greatest mystical power is my pastry making skill.¡±


    In the instant I said that, the nobles¡¯ expectation turns into dejection. They look at me with skeptical eyes, using me of saying nonsense.


    Marquis Fernandes keeps grinning from ear to ear. He¡¯s a real horrible man.


    ¡°More than words, the pastries will speak for themselves. That is my conviction. Therefore, let me introduce you to the pastry. This is the pastry that I made for the sake of this day.¡±


    As I said that, Fernandes servants came and pushed a desk forward. On the desk, there is arge tree-like figure.


    Yes, tree. Built up from the petite<i> choux ¨¤ cr¨¨me</i> with crisp skin, glued together by caramel, it¡¯s a gigantic tree that¡¯s taller than even my body. Its other name is croquembouche.


    It¡¯s a standard celebration pastry on earth.


    The crowd¡¯s eyes are stolen by that giant pastry. The petite cream puffs tree is ced in front of the stage.


    ¡°I deeply apologize for surprising all of you. It should be your first time to see this kind of pastry. And, this pastry is still not finished. Let me bring it topletion right now.¡±


    As I said so, Tina brought a saucepan to me. There is caramelized sugar inside. That, and a special utensil.


    ¡°Please keep watching. I shall now make golden snow fall.¡±


    Above the stage, I raise the special caramelced tool overhead. As I do so, the caramelized sugar turns into gold threads, falling all over the petite cream puff tower. The gold threads ovep each otheryer byyer over, nketing the petite cream puff tower, building the so-called sugar sculpture.


    ¡°So pretty.¡±


    Someone murmured like that dumbfoundedly.


    Sparkling golden thread paints the petite cream puff tower with a gorgeous color.


    ¡°It is nowplete. Honored guests, please enjoy my pastry. This pastry itself is my introduction.¡±


    That is the end of my greeting speech.


    Several nobles approach the cream puff tower without being able to curb down their curiosity, then someone plucks one of them and puts it into their mouth.


    ¡°It¡¯s simr to bread, no, it¡¯s different. It¡¯s more crisp, ooh, the inside is fluffy and there is a generous amount of cream at the core.... interesting, this sensation, it¡¯s the first time for me. Fluffy and light airy cream. This, how to call this refreshing feeling, it feels that I can eat no matter how much.¡±


    What he ate was choux ¨¤ cr¨¨me filled with cream that was whipped to its utmost lightness. The sweetnesses from the gentle sweetness of honey. The refreshing taste discretelyes from lemon juice, just a hint of it that no one will realize it.


    ¡°Ooh, what a rich taste. One is not sufficient at all. Cream with a taste of eggs, moreover, is it wine? There¡¯s only a small amount of it, but this is such a gorgeous vor.¡±


    What he ate was choux ¨¤ cr¨¨me filled with custard cream withyers of umami vor. The strong sweetnesses from unrefined brown sugar that won¡¯t lose to the custard. Moreover, I stacked more umami by meticulously folding rum into the custard cream.


    ¡°What richness, you have to be blind not to taste the refreshing vor of this pastry.¡±


    ¡°Likewise, what are you saying? This kind of deep umami vor can only be represented with this pastry.¡±


    ¡°¡±Don¡¯t tell me there are two kinds of them?¡±¡±


    Both of them started plucking the other kind of cream puffs with their hands. As one starts taking them, other people gather to follow.


    Once they find out that there are two kinds of cream puffs, more cream puffs are taken away from the tree.


    Drawing the concept from white rose and ck rose, I came up with the coboration of rich choux ¨¤ cr¨¨me and refreshing choux ¨¤ cr¨¨me that people won¡¯t ever get tired of.


    Even with just them, the huge tower has disappeared God knows since when. All of a sudden, everything has disappeared into everyone¡¯s stomachs. On the corner of those refined aristocrats¡¯s mouths, there are spots of cream.


    Everyone looks at each other¡¯s mouths before examining their own, and fall into smiles. It seems that they¡¯re so into the pastry that they¡¯ve forgotten their senses of selves.


    ¡°Now then, have you enjoyed my pastry? This is me. Coming frommon ingredients, the profound dual side of light and deep vors. This is who I am.¡±


    I bow my head.


    As I do so, the crowd cheers with pleasedughs and apuse. Being made happy is the best.


    With my eyes, I let Faruno know that it¡¯s her turn now. Faruno takes a step forward.


    Her face is smiling, but it looks scary, somehow.


    ¡°Honored guests, it is my privilege to have a warm wee for my fiancee, Kurt-sama. As his fiancee, I feel proud of him as well.¡±


    Her voice isn¡¯t joyful though.


    ¡°Kurt-sama is a wonderful person. There is no mistake whatsoever in my father¡¯s words about him. However, there is one thing that I cannot forgive about him no matter what.¡±


    My back is drenched in cold sweat. What kind of mistake did I do to make her angry?


    ¡°He didn¡¯t let me eat his proud creation of pastries at all! Before today, he made the wonderful rose cookies, but not only did he allow only my esteemed father to eat them, he made a wonderful cream pastry this time, but he only let all of you to have a taste. Isn¡¯t he cruel? What do you think, everyone?¡±


    Then, she grins mischievously. The second her speech is over, the nobles fall intoughter.


    Really, what is this fellow saying?


    My eyes met with Faruno¡¯s. Faruno also let out aughter. It must be infectious since I also burst into a hugeughter.


    I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any other engagement party as gleeful as this up until now. Amidst the victory, the engagement party is wrapped up.

 Volume 2 - 12

    <h4>Chapter 12: A Date with Faruno and Eba¡¯s Darkness</h4>


    After the engagement party ended in huge sess, I took my time to have plenty of rest in Fernandes manor. Around dinner time, I put up a request for Marquis Fernandes to n an immigration recruitment proposal to Arnold fief. People should gather in about a month, most likely. This way, Arnold fief will go into a huge development stage.


    After talking to Marquis Fernandes and Faruno, I will bring her to my territory in a week. Faruno happily said that the mansion that she built in my vige should be able to be finished by then.


    Volg is working hard right now as well, for sure, inpleting the mansion.


    ¡°Kurt-sama, this is a date afterall, so please wear a happy smile.¡±


    ¡°My apologies, Faruno-sama.¡±


    Since she will be leaving in a week, Faruno took a tour around Eba.


    ¡°Is it really okay for me to tag along? Kurt-sama, Faruno-sama?¡± Walking behind me, Tina looks deeply apologetic while asking that question.


    ¡°I told you, it¡¯s really all right. Kurt-sama won¡¯t be able to enjoy the trip if you are being left behind. It¡¯s better if youe with us like this.¡±


    Tina initially wanted to busy herself. However, Faruno said that she had nned to bring her along as well. In her words, it¡¯s better to steal me* fair and square, she won¡¯t use underhanded way at all. It sounds more like a man¡¯s way of thinking.


    ¡°Faruno-sama, I wish to escort you, but regretfully I¡¯m really not familiar with this area. I have absolutely no idea where to bring you to let you enjoy the trip in the city.¡±


    ¡°Leave me with that task, Kurt-sama. This ce is my backyard, I will take you around to wonderful ces.¡±


    Faruno takes and holds my hand. Surprisingly, she sounds promising.


    ¡°Also, Kurt-sama, please drop the honorary speech. You¡¯re the man who will be my husband. Moreover, it¡¯s already officially recognized. From now on, please speak to me like you¡¯ll speak to Tina-san.¡±


    We are betrothed in name only, it¡¯s not decided if we¡¯re going through marriage; Faruno has expressed that she understood that nature, if I recall correctly.


    ¡°However, our statuses-¡±


    ¡°Before being a marquis¡¯ daughter, I am your fiancee. Therefore, your standing is higher than mine.¡±


    ¡°...........Understood. Let¡¯s speak more casually from now on.¡±


    When I said so, Faruno gave me a satisfied smile.


    ¡°Yes, you are more charming when speaking that way. Please do so from now on. Now, there is a theater that I really like in that direction. The program they¡¯re showing this time is a tale of legendary heroes party, [Maken no Shippo (The Magic Sword¡¯s Tail)]. It sounds delightful.¡±


    ¡°It does sound interesting.¡±


    Faruno looks festive. Oh, well, isn¡¯t it okay? If she can be happy with that, I¡¯m relieved. As I think so, Faruno bumps into a boy with small stature.


    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Faruno staggers, making the boy look worried and open his mouth like that.


    ¡°No, please don¡¯t be worried, are you wounded?¡±


    ¡°......Not at all. I¡¯m going now.¡±


    The boy disappears after the short apology.


    ¡°Faruno, are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine. I was too excited before.¡±


    Faruno looks embarrassed from her antics.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay to be excited, but pay attention to things in front of you, okay?¡±


    ¡°Indeed I should.......... ah.¡±


    Faruno¡¯s face be pale.


    ¡°Did something happen?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just my prediction, but that boy could be a pickpocket. It seems he has stolen my pouch.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    So that¡¯s why he seemed awfully hurried to get away from here after bumping into her. In that split second, he has already stolen the pouch with the dexterity of his hand. This shouldn¡¯t be his first time doing this criminal act.


    ¡°Tina, I¡¯ll leave Faruno to you. I¡¯m going to chase that kid now.¡±


    ¡°Understood. Leave Faruno-sama to me.¡±


    With Tina and her ability to use magic, I can feel relieved.


    ¡°Kurt-sama, I¡¯ll leave it to you. The money itself isn¡¯t important, the pouch itself is a precious gift from my father.¡±


    ¡°I understand, I¡¯m leaving now.¡±


    I hurry, aiming to run past the boy. I¡¯m confident in the strength of my memory. I¡¯ll surely be able to find him soon.


    ?


    After running full speed, I can somehow spot the boy who bumped into Faruno before. Noticing me, the boy frantically made his run, but I easily catch him in a deserted back alley.


    ¡°Let go, let me go!¡±


    ¡°If you return the pouch you took earlier, I¡¯ll let you go.¡±


    ¡°Whatcha talking about, I dunno nothing!¡±


    He seems to n on ying dumb to the bitter end. With a wry smile, I search into his pocket and grab the pouch Faruno used before.


    ¡°This is mypanion¡¯s belonging. I¡¯ll take it back.¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    The boy covers his head after realizing that he¡¯s caught redhanded.


    ¡°Kurt-sama!¡±


    In that moment, Tina arrives. Faruno is following behind.


    ¡°Tina, why are you here?¡±


    ¡°Faruno-sama asks to be brought here...... I caught Kurt-sama¡¯s scent.¡±


    Tina and her sharp nose. If it¡¯s to look for my scent that she¡¯s really familiar with, she can find me no matter how far we¡¯re apart.


    ¡°Then it cannot be helped. Faruno, I¡¯ve taken back your pouch.¡±


    I release the boy, then handing over the pouch to Faruno.


    ¡°Thank you very much. Kurt-sama, you¡¯ve returned this precious pouch to me.¡± Faruno holds the pouch close and gives it a squeeze.


    The boy looks at us with loathing eyes.


    ¡°Won¡¯t you give me to the guards?¡±


    ¡°That kind of thing sounds too troublesome. You may make your escape now.¡±


    I want to avoid having to drag the boy against his will or spend time for investigation if I can.


    ¡°¡®that so? Then, I¡¯ll take my leave here.¡±


    When the boy said so, several boys and girls showed up.


    ¡°Hey, Johann! Mille... Mille is done over. She¡¯s badly hurt! Come, hurry!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s blood everywhere, she¡¯s going to die at this rate!¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s beaten severely by a scary man, and that was taken!¡±


    Those boys and girls took turn in speaking up, making the boy turn pallid.


    ¡°Mille!? Shit, take me there quickly!¡±


    Then he starts running with the group who came here for him.


    From the start, I already know what kind of children they are from their looks and actions. A group of orphans, in order to buy food, they even resort to criminal conducts like pickpocket, creating the harsh look in their eyes. They¡¯re paying for their mistakes, I have no duty to lend a hand.


    But......


    ¡°Kurt-sama,¡± Faruno looks straight into my eyes. She¡¯s most likely thinking to chase after them and help the girl names Mille.


    I wryly smile.


    ¡°I¡¯ll say this clearly: I have nothing but bad feelings about this.¡±


    ¡°Even so. I need to know what is happening in my town.¡±


    Her gaze is full of determination. There¡¯s nothing else I can say in front of them.


    ¡°I know. We¡¯ll chase them. Tina!¡±


    ¡°Kurt-sama, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯ve burned the smell to my memory.¡±


    If it¡¯s just me, I can simply chase after them. But there¡¯s Faruno. I shall follow them by relying on the smell that Tina memorizes this time.


    I¡¯ve thought about dropping off Faruno who cannot fight, but since both Tina and I are here, it should be all right.

 Volume 2 - 13

    <h4>Chapter 13: Miracle and Compensation</h4>


    We chased the boy down, and the sight made us feel nauseated.


    ¡°This is, so cruel.¡±


    A ten year old girl is fallen on the ground, covered with bruises and blood gashing out all over her body. Most likely, she was hit by many people. There are several children gathering around and calling her. The boy who stole Faruno¡¯s pouch is there too.


    ¡°Oi, wake up, Mille! Mille,e on!¡± The boy frantically jolts the battered body of the girl.


    I step behind him and stop his swaying.


    ¡°What are you doing, old man!?¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s old man!? I¡¯m only fifteen!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s still old!¡±


    Those ten year old children can only see it that way, huh?


    ¡°Never mind that. Her head is probably hit as well. Don¡¯t rock her, you¡¯ll only make it worse.¡± My tone leaves no room for refusal, so he can only stop and take a step back.


    ¡°Tha-that¡¯s, no way, oi, you, are you a doctor?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not, but I have some understanding in this area.¡±


    I¡¯ve read considerable amount of doctor-rted books, and because there is no doctor in the pioneering vige, my experience in dealing with medical care has been stacking up.


    ¡°I beg you. Please, please save Mille!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m nning to do that. That¡¯s why I¡¯m following you here. Letting a child die leaves a bad taste, after all.¡±


    I lift the girl¡¯s upper torso, continuing the medical examination. Clearly, this is the worst that could happen. Her ribs are fractured, piercing into her lung. Moreover, I can see that the bone fractures ur all over her body, leaving inner bleeding in her viscera.


    ¡°Oi, how is it? Can you make her better?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll be toote to use normal means.¡±


    I reply while applying emergency measures. No matter how excellent of a doctor he can find, in the situation of this scale, she cannot be healed. She can only wait for her death.


    My words drained the color from the boy¡¯s face.


    ¡°Why, why!? Mille mustn¡¯t die.¡±


    ¡°And aren¡¯t you the one who knows that better than anyone?¡±


    I curtly reply to the boy¡¯sments.


    ¡°.......What are you saying?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m saying that it¡¯s a retributioning back to your ass.¡±


    ¡°Th, that¡¯s, we¡¯re just doing anything we can to stay alive.¡±


    I exhausted all the knowledge of normal medical care that I knew to generally use stopgap measure. From now onwards, if I don¡¯t use my magic, there¡¯s nothing else that I can do.


    ¡°I¡¯ve done everything that I can, more or less.¡±


    ¡°I have to thank you. Mille¡¯s face has regained some color.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need your thanks, because I didn¡¯t save her. I only made her condition a bit easier. The only thing that awaits her is still death.¡±


    It¡¯s saddening but this is the limit.


    ¡°Still, thank you. I¡¯m happy that you still do your best for her, even just a little bit.¡± The boy clenches his fist. ¡°Hey, you.¡±


    He looks at me with imploring eyes.


    ¡°Before, you said that she couldn¡¯t be healed with normal means. So is there other means that¡¯s not normal?¡±


    Hou, he was quick to catch onto my words even in that kind of situation. Indeed, if it¡¯s me, I have a way to cure her.


    ¡°Indeed, I have a way.¡±


    ¡°Then please save her. I¡¯ll do anything; anything that I can do, I will. If you want to work my ass off, I will. If you want money, with enough time I can collect them. So, please, save Mille.¡±


    He does a <i>dogeza</i>. The other boys and girls are also bowing down deeply.


    I take a deep breath.


    I¡¯m naive. I don¡¯t have the power to throw them away here like this.


    ¡°Before I make my decision, tell me, how did she get into this state?¡±


    First, let¡¯s get that issue cleared.


    ¡°Mille... no, everyone here, we¡¯re entrusted by an acquaintance to sell some drugs.¡±


    ¡°Narcotic?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. Mille lost the bag that carries the drugs. Maybe, just maybe, someone assaulted her and took them forcibly because they didn¡¯t have money to buy them. Since she resisted, she became like this. I think she desperately resisted because if the drugs were taken away, those people would kill her for sure.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a pickpocket, she¡¯s a drug seller...... Why on earth would you do this?¡±


    I know that¡¯s a meaningless question, but I still ask him. The answer is already obvious.


    ¡°To stay alive. We¡¯re all orphans. I gather the bunch without rtives, ept some jobs, and live like this.¡±


    As I thought.


    Pickpocket and drug seller. Probably, there are people in the shadow who use these children.


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible. There are orphanages in this town. How would there be children who need to do this kind of things to survive?¡± Faruno bites her lips.


    ¡°That¡¯s the way it is. It¡¯s unbelievable to you, but we¡¯re going to get killed to be there...... There are many among us who escaped from there! They didn¡¯t get anything to eat, they would get beaten up, and there were worse things there.¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s still better than this kind of life, I¡¯m sure.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because we have it better here that we escaped. We definitely won¡¯t go back to the orphanage!¡±


    The boy shouts, interrupting Faruno¡¯s words.


    No matter in what era, this kind of thing exists. There were those who would open orphanage for the financial aid, then getting the children do the heavybor, or treating them like toys.


    Amon practice.


    ¡°Faruno, it¡¯s reality. ept it. If you still don¡¯t believe it, get them to tell you which orphanage it ister on, then dispatch a spy there. That will make this matter clear.¡±


    That¡¯s for the best. What happens afterwards will be up for Faruno to decide.


    ¡°Yes, I will do so. I wish to know the truth.¡±


    Now I¡¯m pressed to make <i>my </i>decision. There¡¯s a way to make everyone happy.


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask you brat one thing.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not brat. It¡¯s Johann.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Johann, are you the leader of these kids?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, they all listen to me.¡±


    ¡°And you all do things like pickpocketing or selling drugs?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, we can only live in this town by doing that.¡±


    The boy answers with obvious guilt in his voice.


    Not all hope is lost for them, then.


    ¡°Faruno, can I ask you one thing? I intend to recruit people for my pioneering vige in this town.¡±


    ¡°Kurt-sama, are you saying what I think!?¡± Faruno¡¯s eyes are wide open in surprise.


    ¡°Is it okay to bring these kids to my vige? Will Marquis Fernandes allow me to do so?¡±


    Immigration requires some procedures. Frankly, I don¡¯t know how to proceed in case of the immigration of children without any rtives. Adopting them into my vige is for the sake of being responsible for them. Even if I cure them right here and now, they¡¯ll lose their lives anyhow, for example. If I want to extend my hand to them, I have to see it to the end.


    ¡°......That will be difficult. No, I will personally get my father to approve it.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Then, I¡¯m d.¡±


    With her words, the issue of formalities is settled, as well as the matter of Faruno¡¯s will.


    Now, it¡¯s just about what I want to do. And, what these kids wish to do.


    ¡°Johann, my condition to save this girl is to have you to lead all of the kids here to move to the vige I govern and do manual jobs there.¡±


    The children all take a sharp breath in. I must have looked like ve trader to them.


    ¡°Are we forced to work there?¡±


    ¡°I will make you work. However, I don¡¯t intend to exploit you. Right now, you¡¯ll do about the same amount of work as the vigers, you¡¯ll get about the same amount of food as them. It¡¯s a poor vige, but I won¡¯t let you starve. I promise you that it¡¯ll be better than what you have now.¡±


    ¡°You lied, didn¡¯t you? You think it¡¯s okay to make the children work until we break. You think that we¡¯re just tools. You¡¯re definitely going to use us until we die...... Hey, can you allow just me to do that? I can endure any job you put me through, I¡¯ll work as hard as many people at once. So, please, save Mille. Spare all the others.¡±


    Johann, who¡¯s already in dogeza position, deepens his bow until his forehead touches the ground.


    I took a liking to this boy already. A person who¡¯ll go this far for the sake of hisrades is rare. He¡¯s young, but he¡¯s a good man.


    ¡°I won¡¯t ept it. It has to be everyone. If I take you, the leader, away, do you think that these kids will have a good life to begin with? They¡¯ll continue doing this kind of life; there will be others who suffer Mille¡¯s fate. In that case, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s better to give them new lease of life instead?¡±


    Johann gives a hesitating look upon my question. There¡¯s no way that their current life style feels good for them. He at least knows that much.


    ¡°Johann, I will go with you. I won¡¯t let you go alone.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going too. I¡¯ll go to hell if it¡¯s with you, Johann.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m scared but I will go with everyone.¡±


    The children shouts in a strange tension. Seeing them, Johann finallyes into his resolution.


    ¡°Got it. Everyone, let¡¯s go to hell together!¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°Oou!¡±


    The children cheers in loud and heated manner.


    Looking at those children, there are a single person who gets mad. Yes, the person behind me.


    ¡°What kind of trash talk is that!? Kurt-sama is definitely not that kind of person! Kurt-sama definitely won¡¯t lie! He¡¯ll definitely bring happiness to everyone!!¡±


    Tina is the one who gets mad. Her tail fur stands up as she cries angrily.


    ¡°Your kind of people won¡¯t get how we feel.¡±


    ¡°True, true!¡±


    ¡°Saying that while wearing that kind of nice clothes!¡±


    The children take the chance to counter her words. They must have seen Tina like some kind of youngdy.


    ¡°I do understand! Because I¡¯m a kitsune! Kurt-sama picked me up and made me happy! I won¡¯t forgive anyone who talks bad about the kind Kurt-sama!¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that because nee-chan is pretty?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, you¡¯re beautiful.¡±


    ¡°His goal is your body.¡±


    Kids nowadays are really mature.


    ¡°What kind of nonsense is that!? Kurt-sama doesn¡¯t do perverted things to me, ever! He never even kisses me! He treats me preciously! He¡¯s a gentle person!¡±


    Tina denies vehemently. And after passionate shout, she blushes to deep red.


    Honestly, what a clumsy girl. But that¡¯s what makes her so precious.


    ¡°Putting aside Tina¡¯s words, my vige trulycks people. Those who are willing to work arduously will be warmly weed, and there are rewards for those who bring good results. So please decide upon that notion.¡±


    ¡°......We¡¯ve told you our answer just now. We¡¯ll go. We¡¯re not reluctant either. From that nee-chan¡¯s words, we want to go even if Mille¡¯s not in this situation.¡±


    That answer is enough for me. I take a deep breath. Then, I reach into my bag and take out a ck bead.


    ¡°Nii-chan, is that...?¡±


    ¡°This is a legendary medicine that will be able to cure any illness, any wounds in a second.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no such thing.¡±


    ¡°There is. Right now, I¡¯ll use it for Mille. You can look and see for yourself.¡±


    I make a serious look, then I bring the ck lump to Mille¡¯s lips with trembling hand.


    ¡°Nii-chan, your hand is shaking, you know?¡±


    ¡°Well. To be honest, I¡¯m still hesitating. This is a legendary medicine, after all. I probably won¡¯t be able to obtain a second one. It can cure any wounds or illness. This kind of medicine doesn¡¯t have any market price. If I sell it, I can have all the money I need to live luxuriously all my life.¡±


    All the people in this ce hold their breaths.


    Oh well, if there¡¯s such a thing, I can enjoy a luxurious life. But that¡¯s a big fat lie. It¡¯s just a lump of brown sugar. But there¡¯s no way that I can reveal my Heal right here, especially in front of Faruno. That¡¯s why I¡¯m acting like it¡¯s real.


    ¡°Using such a valuable medicine for our sake...¡±


    ¡°Of course I¡¯ll do this much. You¡¯ll be my newrades in my vige.¡±


    ¡°You, it turns out that you¡¯re a really good person.¡±


    The children are crying.


    Oh, well, I might as well get this debt of gratitude.


    I put the ck lump into Mille¡¯s mouth. At the same time, I use Heal on her, curing her wounds, but of course, I won¡¯t let her gain mana power.


    She slowly opens her eyes.


    ¡°Eh? I, I was hit a lot of times, I thought I died.¡±


    She props herself up. Johann glomps with tearful face right after.


    ¡°Mille, I¡¯m so d, I¡¯m really d that you didn¡¯t die!¡±


    He squeezes her and starts sobbing childishly. The other children are affected and start crying too.


    They¡¯ll be my newrades. Their bonds will surely be useful for the development of my vige.

 Volume 2 - 14

    <h4>Chapter 14: New Comrades</h4>


    ¡°Honestly, you really surprised me. To even take away the orphan children to your vige.¡±


    Atst, it¡¯s time to depart. We¡¯re going home to my vige. In front of the Fernandes manor, Marquis Fernandes sends us off.


    ¡°My apologies. You¡¯ve graced us with a well prepared immigration recruitment notice, but I selfishly asked you to drop the quota all of a sudden.¡±


    After obtaining the orphan children, the number of people needed for the important duties dropped. I cannot afford to chew more immigrates than I can swallow either. Reducing the number in the eleventh hour made me impose on Marquis Fernandes.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind the small things. As I heard correctly, it¡¯s our family¡¯s Faruno¡¯s fault. However, you¡¯ve changed as well, haven¡¯t you? If youpletely rely on me, you can summon more adults with agricultural experience and stamina. You take the orphans in order to help them. You seem to be a man of character.¡±


    Iugh before shaking my head.


    ¡°It¡¯s something I decided with sound reasons. The young can absorb more. Moreover, they have a strong bond. The teamwork born from that bond can alreadypensate for theck of experience and manpower.¡±


    With Johann in the center, there are twenty children. They take his lead in concise manner. If I leave it to Johann, it¡¯ll be a great line ofmand.


    The greatest issue in an immigration recruitment is the inability to form leadership in the pool of people whoe from different ces, or rather, the inability to give preferential treatment to someone, or rather, to be surrounded by harsh works only. There¡¯ll be much dissatisfaction surfacing forth.


    Furthermore, a great half of the immigrates will be wishing to return to their hometowns, no matter how good the lifestyle that the new ce offers. I won¡¯t worry about this point from these children.


    ¡°I see, so it¡¯s like that.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s more. I also need to bring happiness to the other vige¡¯s inhabitants. These children don¡¯t have anywhere else to call home. Those who don¡¯t have a ce to belong will wish for one, won¡¯t they?¡±


    In summary, I¡¯m not a phnthropist. Still, as long as there¡¯s a good bnce of benefit for me, I do wish to bring happiness to everyone.


    ¡°Kurt-sama, I¡¯ve be more charmed by you from this asion, really. For the sake of one girl, you¡¯ve not only used a valuable medicine, you don¡¯t just help these children temporarily, but give them the chance of a lifetime. As expected of my future husband.¡±


    Faruno¡¯s eyes sparkle like a young woman in love, making me unable to respond with anything but a wry smile. This is out of my calctions. To think that she¡¯ll believe my lie. Faruno really thinks that I used a miraculous medicine to cure the orphan girl.


    Marquis Fernandes smiles bitterly. He couldn¡¯t have possibly drawn the conclusion that I cured the girl through Magic, but he must have seen through the sleight of hand, one way or another.


    ¡°Kurt-<i>aniki</i>, our preparations here are done!¡±


    ¡°Thanks for the hard work, Johann!¡±


    The children¡¯s leader, Johann, has arranged the children to climb into the horse carriage. Since that time, we¡¯ve been talking about various things and opened our hearts. Johann doesn¡¯t only fill the role of the leader for the children, he¡¯s also a brilliant thinker and has the experience on the better part of society. He¡¯s someone I can rely on. In the near future, I can see him bing my right hand man.


    With this, the only thing left is to go home.


    ¡°Well, then, Marquis Fernandes, Faruno-sama, I¡¯ve been imposing on you for a long time.¡±


    ¡°Likewise, it¡¯s been a joy to have you around.¡±


    ¡°Kurt-sama, I will also set off to your vige next week! I will definitely let the orphanage matter be settled satisfactorily by those of whom are responsible!¡±


    Faruno waspletely shocked by the orphanage incident. She seems to have gone through the children¡¯s statements thoroughly and is currently investigating the matter. She has also investigated the whereabouts of the bunch who made the children sell drugs for them.


    She should be able to handle it well.


    With that, we set off to our own vige.


    ?


    After a long while of shaking carriage travel, we¡¯ve finally arrived in the vige that I¡¯ve longed to see. The carriage gallops to a stop before the children climb down one after another.


    ¡°Kurt-aniki, this is our vige from now on, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Be prepared, because I¡¯ll have you work hard from now on.¡±


    ¡°Of course, that¡¯s the n, right, everyone?¡±


    When Johann asks the children, everyone loudly cheers in response.


    ¡°Oh, <i>bou-chan</i>, you¡¯vee back home.¡±


    Saltes approaching. When I¡¯m not around, he¡¯s the great person that I rely on to manage this vige.


    ¡°You¡¯vee with a bountiful harvest, I see.¡±


    ¡°Salt, I¡¯ll introduce them. These children are the neers of this vige. Let them take the full time job of the beekeeping that we¡¯ve talked about before.¡±


    ¡°Ou, I got it. When I heard that new vigers wereing in, I prepared some new ces to reside. I wonder if they¡¯re enough, though...... I didn¡¯t think that there¡¯ll be this many.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll manage, somehow.¡±


    The n was to ept five new families into this vige. We keep adding new shacks in the vige while taking neer families into ount.


    ¡°Johann, bring everyone here, I¡¯ll take you to your new homes.¡±


    ¡°Got it, Kurt-aniki.¡±


    With that, I went to bring the children to their new ces.


    ?


    ¡°Lining up here are five houses that will be your new ce. I¡¯ll leave the arrangements to yourselves.¡±


    While I¡¯m speaking, the children already chatter enthusiastically, deciding on their own houses, who knows since when. As expected of those who can only rely on each other to survive, their teamwork is good.


    ¡°It¡¯s awesome, Johann! Everyone has his own bed!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no hole in the ceiling, no ticks jumping around either!¡±


    ¡°There are proper windows!¡±


    ¡°The wind isn¡¯t entering the house and the wood doesn¡¯t stink!¡±


    Those are incredibly trivial things to be happy about. They must have lived an extremely harsh life before this.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be provided with a food supply each month, so you¡¯ll have to get by on your own. Watch how much you eatpared to how hard you work.¡±


    As if on cue, there are vigers bringing in the food supply for them. Wheat, all kinds of vegetables, and beef jerky portions on top of that. Other than them, there are also clothes. It¡¯s the cheapest kind, but they¡¯re still important.


    ¡°Johann, I need to confirm with you, can you guys actually cook?¡±


    ¡°Oi, nii-chan. If we couldn¡¯t, we would¡¯ve already kicked the bucket a long time ago, y¡¯know. Us children stay afloat by ourselves, see? But is it really okay to receive all this food and stuff once a month?¡±


    Johann is trembling all over while looking at the monthly supply.


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s okay, isn¡¯t it obvious? The stuff that gets easily rotten and the game provided by the hunters will be delivered as we obtain them. I have to say this again, but this is the supply for a month, okay? I don¡¯t want to hear you crying if they¡¯re all gone before the next supplyes in.¡±


    ¡°Understood. If we have these, we won¡¯t starve. Mille, you¡¯ll be our head cook. Count the exact portions we need, okay?¡±


    ¡°Okay. <i>Un</i>, with this amount, we can survive for two months, even!¡±


    That¡¯s the girl I healed before. She seems like a bright child, so she must have said it after doing a mental calction.


    ¡°Then, remember to start working tomorrow. Today, just settle down in your new ce and rest up. Tina, you¡¯re their trainer. Tell them everything they need to know about looking after the bees. Train Johann intensively at first, then Johann can ry your teachings to the others.¡±


    ¡°I understand Kurt-sama. I willplete the task perfectly! I¡¯ll teach them the way of living in this vige too, so please rest assured!¡±


    Tina squeezes both her hands with some strength. I smile wryly.


    When I lent a hand to these children, Tina strongly wished to help the children, even more than Faruno. She must have rted to them as orphans.


    With them and Tina doing thebor, increasing the number of bees won¡¯t be any problem. Our honey production will take a leap in one breath. Adding bees means we have to expand the raspberry garden as well. There are a lot of work to do. However, now we have the workers to meet the job demand.


    From now on, this vige will grow in prosperity.


    When I see the smiles of the children, I be really confident in that.


    Let¡¯s do our best from now on as well!

 Volume 2 - 15

    <h4>Chapter 15: Reunion with Faruno</h4>


    Early in the morning, I dashed at full speed.


    It was a genuine full speed sprint. In other words, I used both my skill and mana. It means that I drew out all of my ability to its utmost limit.


    Shadowing my full dash is Faruno¡¯s butler, Volg.


    As usual, he never fails to wear his butler suit while training me. He¡¯s holding a short sword, jumping from one tree branch to the next.


    ¡°Ha!¡±


    Then, he kicks the tree branch to roll over here, making a leap easily.


    In order to disrupt his movement, I stop my leg and thrust out my trusted buddy, Ginsen. However, he has predicted my movement and spun his body in mid-air, reaching out towards my chest.


    Without panicking, I pick Ginsen up and swing it. It¡¯s a counter against Volg¡¯s attack towards my chest. He parries with his short sword, then jumps behind in that state, redirecting all the recoil resulting from the counter attack.


    He creates some distance in that state, then I lost his shadow.


    I close my eyes and concentrate with my senses.


    This is the middle of the forest. There are many covers for his tracks.


    I heard the leaves rustling. When I focus my senses in that direction, I found nothing. A rock must have hit something there.


    In that case, Volg must have been in the direct opposite of that direction. I turn that way, keeping a low posture. Volg has been crawling on the ground undetected.


    It¡¯s the second counter attack.


    This time, Volg closes in while stopping Ginsen and parrying the attack. Keeping the initiative on his side, he makes a two-point attack. I receive the attack using Ginsen¡¯s belly.


    Before the pursuit, I¡¯ve been kicked in the stomach, so it¡¯s a follow up of that kick.


    Volg, cutting with his short sword.


    With this, the sounds of shing of weapons keeps resounding in the forest.


    ?


    ¡°Volg, thank you. I can move my body more properly thanks to you.¡±


    After the morning intensive training ended, I express my gratitude to Volg while drinking some water.


    ¡°Not at all, my physical ability is also growing thanks to you. Indeed, you¡¯re going through a terrifying growth rate. I might have narrowly won today, but if I am the man I was when we first met, I definitely would have lost. ......At this rate, I¡¯ll probably lose against you in the near future.¡± Volg smiles thinly.


    I don¡¯t deny his words. When ites to it, it¡¯lle to understanding. Both to me and Volg.


    ¡°I¡¯ll work hard so I can make that daye, a day quicker than before.¡±


    ¡°I shall put my best effort so that day won¡¯te as well. Losing makes me feel miserable, indeed.¡±


    I bump my fist with Volg.


    I¡¯ve gained a lot of things from interacting with this man. He is my mentor as well as my rival.


    ¡°By the way, Faruno is scheduled to arrive today, isn¡¯t she?¡±


    ¡°Finally she is. Today I¡¯m weing the youngdy. I¡¯m able to do my main upation atst. I¡¯ve been doing so much carpenter work that I¡¯m starting to forget I¡¯m a butler.¡±


    Finally, the mansion ispleted and Faruno ising. Oh, well, even though there seems to be one problem or the other brewing, I¡¯d say I¡¯m looking forward to it.


    ¡°I can only leave my youngdy to someone stronger than me; I said that as a joke, but it was no longer a joke now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m only betrothed to her. I don¡¯t know how it¡¯ll turn outter on.¡±


    I smile bitterly while saying so.


    My promise with Faruno states that if she can make mee around to her in a year, we¡¯ll be married. If not, the engagement will be dissolved. No one knows what will happen from now on.


    ?


    Receiving carriages with the Fernandes crest in my vige has be a daily urrence. They usually contain materials for the mansion, or daily necessities for the carpenters. However, now that the building ispleted, the carpenters have all returned home, leaving Faruno and her attendants, the frequency should drop sharply.


    Tina and I were preparing to go out and wee Faruno. The other party is her, but proper preparation is still necessary.


    ording to the schedule, she should have arrived about this time...


    And so, it arrived.


    The carriage carved with Marquis Fernandes¡¯ crest appears from the highway, halts in front of our house as its door is vigorously opened. Faruno shows up from inside.


    ¡°I¡¯m finally able toe here. I¡¯ve been wishing to see you, Kurt-sama!¡±


    Faruno jumps out vigorously. I¡¯m the one who receives her.


    ¡°That¡¯s, how to say, it¡¯s improper, Faruno.¡±


    Let¡¯s rebuke her this time. She¡¯s not yet a girl sent off to her new family after being married.


    ¡°Even if you say so, I cannot help it, because we¡¯ve always been separated in our ways.¡±


    Faruno removes herself from me while puffing her cheeks.


    ¡°......That¡¯s, how to say it? I¡¯ll be under your care from now on.¡±


    I offer my right hand out. Faruno instantly grabs it with her own.


    ¡°Likewise, I will be under your care, Kurt-sama!¡±


    So she said.


    ?


    We¡¯re touring around the vige with Faruno, in order to let her know what kind of life she¡¯ll be living here. If she doesn¡¯t know about our lowest living standard, it¡¯ll be harsh for her.


    Going around the vige while talking back and forth, Faruno looks engrossed in her conversation with me. After a round of chatter, I cut the chase to the important part.


    ¡°To tell you the truth, I¡¯ve prepared to make some sweets for your sake, Faruno.¡±


    I think that only some pastries will be proper to wee her, so I¡¯ve prepared special sweets.


    ¡°It¡¯s the best news! Let¡¯s head over to Kurt-sama¡¯s house immediately!¡±


    ¡°We can do that, but I have a single request. If you allow it, the sweets won¡¯t be just to celebrate your presence, Faruno, but also all of the newrades in my vige. I wish to entertain all the children in your mansion. Is it okay? My house is too small, after all.¡±


    Girls like to be special. More than making newrades happy, she¡¯ll want to celebrate herself. Still, I daringly made that request. If it¡¯s Faruno, who expressed her concern for those children, surely... Right?


    ¡°Oh, my... Isn¡¯t it all the better? Good food tastes better when being shared with everyone! Moreover, I¡¯ve been thinking about those children too. It¡¯ll be wonderful if I can start talking with them while eating your pastry!¡±


    ¡°Thank you. Then, I¡¯ll make it with the best of my ability. You¡¯ve alle to be a part of my vige. For Faruno¡¯s and all those children¡¯s sake, this pastry will celebrate our new future.¡±


    The main ingredient this time is raspberry. Right when the season changed, I got those red fruits. I got those children to harvest them. If they can eat what they raise on their own from now on, it will surely add to their spirit.


    Let¡¯s make the pastry with the best of my ability.

 Volume 2 - 16

    <h4>Chapter 16: Raspberry Tart of Blessings and Bonds</h4>


    I decided to bake a raspberry tart in order to celebrate and wee Faruno and the children.


    It¡¯s just the right time for raspberry harvest. Yesterday, I got the children to pick them. Most of them are preserved in honey, the rest of them are split into today¡¯s use and distributed supply for the vigers.


    As a preservation method, honey preservation is certainly superior. With a strong sterilization effect, fruits can be preserved in honey for more than a year.


    In other words, even in winter when no fruit can be harvested, we can still enjoy the juicy raspberry¡¯s vor. Moreover, there¡¯s a different delicacypared to the fruit when eaten fresh.


    ¡°I should sample the taste.¡±


    I bite into raspberries that I¡¯ve cut into small pieces. Refreshing sourness rushes about in my mouth. Then there¡¯s a faintly sweet taste. There¡¯s not enough sweetness when they¡¯re eaten fresh, but after being tossed and heated, the sweetness should be just about right.


    I fetch the tart crust dough that I made yesterday from the shelf. The tart dough was kneaded by adding eggs and walnut oil to wheat flour. I press the dough, shaping it into a circr shape, not forgetting to make the thinness uniform. Then, I puncture the dough, make the rim of the crust, remove the air by adding stone weight, andplete the pre-cooking stage.


    ?


    After the crust is done, it¡¯s now the cream¡¯s turn to be made. This time, I use pistachio foraged from the mountain to add to the tart cream. Pistachio is a wonderful nut which contains a lot of oil. After going through some preparation, mix the pistachio that has been ground into paste with newly made fresh cream. Then, don¡¯t forget to add honey and egg yolk gradually here.


    The fresh cream has been dyed with a beautiful emerald hue, signaling that the pistachio cream is done.


    With this pistachio cream, I¡¯ll be able to build up the sweetness that the raspberrycks, while smoothing the sour edge as well.


    I sample the taste. ¡°Yeah, tastes good.¡±


    I spread the pistachio cream on top of the finished tart¡¯s crust evenly. The umami of pistachio will only grow after being heated.


    ¡°It¡¯s the baking¡¯s turn next.¡±


    I put the tart crust that has been filled with pistachio cream into the oven. Due to the heating, the alluring smell of the pistachio wafts across the kitchen.


    ?


    The tart is only baked for a short while. The shape is good, the surface of pistachio cream is also smooth. Afterwards, it needs to be cooled down for a moment.


    In the mean time, I make custard cream from egg yolk, honey, and fresh cream. This tastes better without going through the fire. After the tart is cooled, I spread the custard cream on top of the tart¡¯s surface. I¡¯m sure this will add a nice ent to the pistachio cream.


    I sprinkle chopped pistachio to add more ent to the texture. Then, it¡¯s the main actor¡¯s showtime. I cover all the custard cream generously with raspberries. Juicy and vibrant red fruits are as dazzling as precious rubies.


    <figure id="attachment_15515" ss="wp-caption aligncenter" data-shortcode="caption"><figcaption ss="wp-caption-text">Tartlet version.</figcaption></figure>


    ¡°With this, it¡¯spleted.¡±


    Faruno and the kids will surely be overjoyed.


    ?


    I take advantage of Faruno¡¯s favor by borrowing a room in Faruno¡¯s mansion to hold a wee party for Faruno and the children. When I arrive in front of the room, I can already hear their chattering voices.


    ¡°Kurt-aniki is a ve driver to his workers!¡±


    Johann exaggerates mundane things to Faruno. He¡¯sining with a bright tone, though, making it sound like he enjoyed it.


    ¡°But Kurt-sama is so kind. He teaches us politely.¡±


    ¡°Besides, if you work earnestly, you can finish up properly.¡±


    The other children yfully refute him.


    ¡°Oi, you¡¯re spoiling it.¡±


    As Johann says with a chuckle, Faruno smiles bitterly.


    ¡°Are you happy that you came to this vige?¡±


    Upon Faruno¡¯s question, the children look at each other.


    ¡°¡±Un.¡±¡± They nod in unison.


    ¡°As I thought, it feels good to do a decent job. We don¡¯t feel guilty or get beaten up over it...... besides, we can eat a lot here.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, after a lot of work, the food will surely be there too. This is the ultimate happiness.¡±


    The children get highly excited.


    They work earnestly without pretense. Tina is training them; they absorb everything so quickly that they have remembered almost everything in just a week. And if a single one of them remembers, he/she will properly exin to thepany, lessening Tina¡¯s burden significantly. Recruiting them into this vige has been a huge boon.


    Feeling the joyful atmosphere from this room, a smile naturallyes to my face too. Then I enter the room.


    ?


    ¡°Everyone, I¡¯ve brought the pastry to the celebration party.¡±


    The moment I entered the room, the children let out high pitched noises.


    ¡°<i>Uwaa, </i>it smells <i>so </i>good!¡±


    ¡°So pretty!¡±


    ¡°Those are the raspberries that we picked yesterday, right?¡±


    ¡°I took a tiny bite, but it just tasted sour.¡±


    There are intriguingments, but in general, the response is positive.


    ¡°Everyone, Kurt-sama¡¯s pastries are so wonderful that even nobles will give them high praises. I couldn¡¯t even count how many nobles said that they wanted to eat another one, but they couldn¡¯t. Being able to eat such a pastry is truly a blessing.¡±


    When Faruno says so, the children¡¯s expectations turn higher.


    ¡°The pastry that nobles can¡¯t even eat!!¡±


    ¡°Awesomeee.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d we came to this vige~¡±


    The children lean forward impatiently, they can¡¯t wait anymore. In that case, I should let them eat it soon, right?


    ¡°Tina, please prepare the tes.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Kurt-sama.¡±


    With a gleeful look, Tinaes back with small tes. I take out the cake knife from my upper clothes, then I cut the tart. As the cake knife goes through the pie, it makes delicious crunching sounds.


    The sweet smell from the raspberry, the savory smell from baked pistachio cream, and with all those fragrances wafting through the air, there¡¯s that crisp sound.


    With the barrage of sound and smell tempting them, the children start drooling.


    ¡°Tina, line up the sliced tart, please.¡±


    ¡°As you wish.¡±


    Tina sets the sliced tart into the tray and ces them. There are children who look like they can¡¯t hold back to take the tart that¡¯s lying right in front of them, but their hand is pped by the child next to them.


    All the portions of the tart are set in this way.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get to the troublesome talk first. Everyone, I really thank you foring to my vige. Today, I made a pastry to convey my gratitude to all of you. And I want you to know how much you¡¯re part of this wonderful creation, so I made this one. You helped in making it, from the honey and the raspberry. I want you to know just how wonderful that is.¡±


    Short as it is, my speech is over. I think the children can¡¯t stand to wait any longer.


    ¡°Let¡¯s give our prayer. There are probably some of you who don¡¯t know it yet, so I¡¯ll say it first. After repeating the prayer that I¡¯m about to say, you should eat right away.¡±


    I p once.


    ¡°For the food that we have today, we thank the forest and god.¡±


    ¡°¡±¡±For the food that we have today, we thank the forest and god.¡±¡±¡±


    Everyone speaks in unison, then starts to eat the raspberry tart.


    ?


    Inside the room, the sound of chomps resounds as teeth bite into the tart¡¯s crust. What a pleasing sound. I can¡¯t hold back either and start eating my portion.


    The base crust gives a crunchy response as I chomp into it, then the smoothness of pistachio cream envelops the feel for the longest time, while the custard cream gives a fluffy feeling to it.


    When I chew, the chopped nuts reveal themselves, the raspberry juice spreads in the mouth, the sweet and rich cream blends together with the sour raspberry. A fascinating world that can¡¯t be achieved by a single one of them now harmoniously spreads in my mouth.


    It¡¯s a great vor. I did a good job.


    When I look next to me, Tina¡¯s tail is shaking in a buzz. Tina seems to be lost in putting the remaining tart into her mouth.


    I can say the same for the children. They¡¯ve forgotten how to talk as their teeth keep sinking into the tart. Obviously, eating that way will make the tart finish up in a second... And the next second, the children who were enraptured with the deliciousness recover themselves...


    ¡°Aah, I¡¯ve eaten it all!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s, it¡¯s gone!¡±


    ¡°This pastry, for the first time in my life...¡±


    ¡°Uuuu, I still want to eat it~¡±


    They cry words of regret one after another. There are children who lick their tes in a bad manner, flick their finger to steal the cream from the corner of the lips of the child next to them.


    ¡°Kurt-sama¡¯s pastry is as wonderful as always. Even in Marquis Fernandes¡¯ territory, no one can eat pastries as good as this.¡±


    Faruno, the only one who eats with a knife and fork instead of bare hands, gives me praise.


    ¡°Praising me to that extent truly makes me d.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve confirmed it from eating this pastry. Kurt-sama¡¯s pastries are profound. The delicious taste isyered one upon another while attaining a sense of harmony. It¡¯s different to any other cook in the world.¡±


    Faruno¡¯s unintentional words describes the fundamental principle of pastries in the modern world. On top of multipleyers of delicious vor, it needs to achieve bnce as well. That exact sense is what showcases a patissier¡¯s skill.


    ¡°Receiving that kind of praise means that I have to make even more wonderful pastries, don¡¯t I?¡±


    Since I¡¯ve built those expectations, it makes me wish to answer those feelings.


    ¡°Kurt-aniki, are there any seconds?¡±


    ¡°Ou, I want to eat it too.¡±


    ¡°Me too, me too!¡±


    The food doesn¡¯t seem to be enough for growing children. It¡¯s a good thing that I¡¯ve put it into consideration.


    ¡°To be honest with you, I¡¯ve indeed prepared something.¡±


    Opening the door and carrying over the tart from the kitchen, Volg appears.


    ¡°My apologies for the wait. Youngdy, Kurt-sama, everyone.¡±


    Everyone stands up lively, not expecting a second batch at all.


    ¡°If you want seconds, raise your hand.¡±


    The children, as well as Tina with her ears pointing straight up, raise their hands. Then...


    ¡°Me as well, I wish for another slice as well.¡±


    While looking extremely embarrassed, Faruno also raises her hand timidly.


    It looks so strange that everyoneughs.

 Volume 2 - 17

    <h4>Chapter 17: A Strange Visitor</h4>


    It¡¯s been three months since Faruno arrived; the season has changed into autumn. The bee production increase is doing extremely well, with new hive boxes containing new queen bees and increasing the number of new bees in turn.


    The winter brings cold and food shortage, rendering the bees useless. The amount of money won¡¯t be able topare to what we can harvest now.


    The raspberry garden also continues to expand thanks to the children¡¯s hard work. Other than that, when the raspberry flowers don¡¯t blossom, we also introduced blueberries for the bees¡¯ food.


    The chickens also continue to increase. It¡¯s about time for the chicks to startying eggs. In spring, we can start enjoying genuine eggs. I was worried about whether the n to make delicious pastries a local specialty sold from this vige could get on time or not, actually.


    I¡¯m writing in an ount book in my room. I¡¯m having more fun than usual. Because, it¡¯s the first time since I came to this vige that the ount book shows a positive bnce. My heart is soaring.


    ¡°Tina, you made a mistake there.¡±


    ¡°Uu, it¡¯s so difficult, Kurt-sama.¡±


    This time, I¡¯m not inly writing the ount book alone, I¡¯m also teaching Tina how to do it. I¡¯ve taught her how to write and count, but this time, I¡¯m teaching her how to make an ounting record. If Tina can do that, I¡¯ll be overjoyed. If possible, I wish to leave the paperwork to someone else while finding new inventions as my task.


    ¡°Kurt-sama, I¡¯ll be intruding.¡±


    Faruno appears then. At first, she showed strange excitement when entering my house, but now she hase to the stage where she can let herself in on her own. She¡¯s not wearing a dress, but something more practical to use, even if it¡¯s still well tailored. She has also gotten used to this vige.


    Her main task is to examine the advanced agricultural techniques from this vige, then ry that information to Margrave Fernande. For that sake, she doesn¡¯t hold back from mingling with the vigers and doing their job as well. Of course, it¡¯ll be wrong to say that she¡¯s the only one who reaps the benefit. I also request something from her in equal value aspensation. It¡¯s about time to get my reply from Faruno.


    ¡°Aah, you¡¯re here. Faruno. Hold on, I¡¯m a busy right now, so could you wait for a moment?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t mind. You¡¯re doing the ounting, right? ......I can be your strength in this area, I think. Will you let me take a look for a moment, please?¡±


    Faruno moves her pen as fast as a breeze. Reading over the materials on the side, she¡¯s writing down the ounting records. From what I can see, she¡¯s actually quite punctual.


    ¡°Hee, so Faruno can do this kind of thing too.¡±


    ¡°In Margrave Fernande¡¯ territory, I¡¯m involved in the administration. I can do it to this degree.¡±


    She sounds reliable. The digit of the scale of the Fernande¡¯ territory can¡¯t bepared to my humble vige. Theplexity of the ounting in that territory must have increased ordingly. I have noment about her capabilities.


    ¡°If it pleases you, I can help with this job. Kurt-sama shouldn¡¯t worry about the finances, please start new breakthroughs at your own pace. I think it will be more suitable to be handled that way.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to do that. I will do it!¡± Tina snaps at Faruno.


    ¡°Tina-san, you are smart, I¡¯m sure you can do this too. However, you have your serving tasks and you¡¯re the beekeeping manager as well, aren¡¯t you? You can¡¯t be in so many ces at once to do this task too. Kurt-sama and Tina-san, I think it¡¯s better if you can splt the responsibilities to others as well.¡±


    Indeed, it¡¯s just as Faruno said. I¡¯ve been taking Tina¡¯s dependable help as a given, impossibly so. Even now, it must have been too much for her. I have to reflect on this.


    ¡°Faruno, can I leave it to you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, absolutely.¡±


    I¡¯m aware that I shouldn¡¯t let an outsider know about the contents of my wallet, but she¡¯s a person above the clouds in the first ce. Knowing or not knowing so, if she has malicious intent, it¡¯ll all be over. Besides, I believe in Faruno as a human being.


    ¡°In any case, Faruno, about the thing that I asked you, could it be done?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we have received huge help from Kurt-sama until now, then there¡¯s also the hassle you suffered back then, father dly consented to your request.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d, then.¡±


    I grin. It¡¯s a huge step in achieving my dream.


    ¡°Kurt-sama, what did you ask for, exactly?¡± Tina¡¯s questiones.


    ¡°What I¡¯m asking for, is something irreceable to start selling pastries. Since Margrave Fernande¡¯ apology letter came, I took that chance to ask for a store in themercial city Eba as well as preparing a channel to sell them outside Margrave Fernande¡¯ territory. I also asked him not to put taxes on my pastries. No matter which one I asked, it is not something that can be bought with money.¡±


    ¡°I see... That¡¯s amazing.¡±


    When springes, the honey harvesting production will jump up. Then, I¡¯ve also obtained a stable supply of eggs. The wheat has also surpassed the amount needed in daily meals in the vige. In other words, everything has been provided in this territory and I only need to start selling. So I want to sell and start making money.


    However, to start selling, the hurdle is extremely high, not only for me personally, for one whole territory. And I¡¯m able to pass that high hurdle thanks to Margrave Fernande. For that sake, I don¡¯t mind even if I have to expose the abilities that I possess.


    ¡°Just as Tina-san said, it¡¯s amazing. However, Tina-san, please do not misunderstand. This isn¡¯t Margrave Fernande¡¯ charity. It¡¯s a fair value for the work that Kurt-sama has been doing until now. Kurt-sama who can put forth that value is the amazing one. Even Father said that he could finally regain the bnce while smiling.¡±


    Hearing her words, Tina¡¯s eyes dazzlingly sparkle with respect.


    In any case, finally I¡¯ve reached the point where I can start making the vige prosperous with a single step left.


    ?


    ¡°Kurt-aniki!¡±


    A boy shows up after banging the door open. It¡¯s Johann, who was once the leader of street children in the town. He¡¯s idolized by the other kids, and has been doing great in bringing them up together.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Johann?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s terrible. That, in our raspberry garden, there¡¯s a copsed woman!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s terrible. Lead the way.¡±


    Following Johann, I set out from the ce.


    ?


    With Johann guiding, we arrive at the raspberry garden where the children are crowding over. There¡¯s a girl lying on the ground at the center.


    ¡°Uuuu, uuu...¡± With a pale blue face, she¡¯s been groaning.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me, an elf?¡±


    It¡¯s a beautiful female with golden hair. Her ears are longer than a human¡¯s. Her clothes don¡¯t seem to originate from this region either. I¡¯ve known that elves exist, but it¡¯s the first time I see one.


    ¡°Are you all right?¡±


    I¡¯m asking her, but there¡¯s no response. I examine her condition. She¡¯s conscious, there¡¯s no mistake. Normally, she¡¯ll wake up anytime, but...


    ¡°I¡¯m so hungry I can¡¯t moveee....¡±


    While thinking about my suspicions, the person in question let me know why she can¡¯t move in the most straightforward way.


    When we hear that we gawk, feeling strength leaving our bodies.

 Volume 2 - 18

    <h4>Chapter 18: The Resolution to Set Off</h4>


    ¡°Munch, huff huff, gulp gulp.¡±


    The elf girl, who had been lying down until earlier, is now currently vigorously eating the milk porridge with bread that Tina brought for her.


    The milk porridge is made from adding honey to warm goat milk. There are pieces of bread put in there. It¡¯s a dish that is sweet and full of nutrition, perfect for most sick people.


    The children are looking at her with envious gazes. Both my examination and her own statement indicate that she copsed without being able to move due to an empty stomach.


    ¡°Then, how did you copse?¡±


    ¡°Munch, gulp. The reafhon wafh,¡±


    ¡°Stop there, it¡¯s okay not to answer. I¡¯ll listen to you once you¡¯ve finished eating.¡±


    I have so many things to ask, but I decided to wait until the elf girl is done eating.


    ?


    ¡°Huuuff, that was delicious. You brought me back to life.¡±


    With the corner of her lips white from the milk, she murmurs in satisfaction. She¡¯s a beautiful type with golden hair and blue eyes, but something about her gives a messy impression. She¡¯s so energetic that I can¡¯t connect her to the person who copsed not too long ago. I should be able to ask her without worrying though.


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask you again. Tell me, how did you copse?¡±


    When I ask, the elf girl makes a small pondering gesture before opening her mouth.


    ¡°I, set off on a journey, to a human kingdom, from the spirit vige. But, no matter where I went, I couldn¡¯t find any humans. I ate all my rations, I failed to hunt, then I copsed because my stomach was empty. Generous man, thank you for the meal. You saved my life.¡±


    The elf girl speaks apologetically.


    ¡°Well, don¡¯t mind it. Why did youe to a human kingdom in the first ce?¡±


    Elves are an exclusive race; they live self-sufficiently without mingling with other viges, living by themselves in the vige and forest where they are born until their death, or so I heard. That¡¯s why, even though people have heard about their existences, those who have seen them personally are exceedingly rare.


    ¡°Right now, the spirit vige is in a bad situation...... a gue has spread, everyone copsed. Me, who was still healthy, went out to buy medicine. Elven medicine didn¡¯t work. But, I think human medicine might.¡±


    I see, it fits my previous knowledge if she set off from the spirit vige in order to save them. The medical development in human towns will be superior to a secluded vige.


    ¡°But, I¡¯m d that I¡¯ve arrived in a human kingdom in this way. At a nce, you seem to be a doctor. Can you cure everyone¡¯s illness?¡±


    The elf girl stares at me earnestly. What to do? She seems to have concluded that I¡¯m the doctor here from my medical examination and the reaction of the people surrounding us.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t heard about the patient¡¯s condition, but regarding diseases, there are those that can be healed and cannot be healed. The result and the necessary medicine are also different. There are diseases that can¡¯t even be healed by medicines in the first ce. If possible, I¡¯d like to hear the full story.¡±


    I have a bad feeling about this. This elf is more ignorant than I thought. She wasn¡¯t even aware how important it was to be specific about the disease. She spoke as if a good medicine would work effectively on any disease.


    ¡°Uh, there are violent coughs, then copsing, then the fever goes really high. No appetite. In weak ones, they die after a month. Really terrible illness!¡±


    The elf girl tries to describe the disease as best as she can.


    ¡°It¡¯s no good. It¡¯s too vague. I don¡¯t have knowledge of it...... and most likely, the others are the same. I can make you medicine to stop the fever, though. But I can¡¯t dere that it will save everyone more than that. I¡¯ve told you this earlier, but there are medicines that will cure the symptoms, but there are also a lot of diseases that cannot be healed by medicines.¡±


    ¡°It can¡¯t be.. Then, why did I go for. At this rate, the spirit vige,¡±


    A gue that makes an elf¡¯s vige perishes. If it happens in a human town, it will be a huge topic. I never heard anything like that happening recently, either in the Arnold fief or in Margrave Fernande¡¯s territory. Most likely, it¡¯s an unknown disease.


    ¡°If it¡¯s Kurt-aniki, aren¡¯t you able to cure them? See, you saved Mille, don¡¯t you have that miraculous ck medicine!?¡±


    Johann cuts in from the sideline.


    Indeed, in order to hide my power of <ruby>Recovery<rt>Heal</rt></ruby>, I made up something about a ck medicine that could heal anything.


    ¡°Such a thing!? Please! I beg you, share that medicine! I, not only me, but all of the elves will give you anything in return, as long as we have them. Elves are bound by their vows, we will never lie. Trust me!¡±


    When she heard Johann¡¯s words, the elf girl deeply lowers her head.


    I lost the chance to tell her that I cannot do that.


    I¡¯m hesitating.


    I can cure the elves.


    Should I let them die to protect the secret of <ruby>Recovery<rt>Heal</rt></ruby>? Is it really good to cast despair on this desperate girl? However, I don¡¯t know if I can protect my secret if I do something as showy as curing an entire vige. My <ruby>Recovery<rt>Heal</rt></ruby> is so dangerous that I have to be prepared for an instant destruction once someone else finds out about it. Its utility value is too high.


    ¡°I beg you!¡±


    The elf girl pleads again.


    When I¡¯m still pressed for words without actually being able to answer, the elf girl raises her head to see my response. Then her eyes go open wide. Within her sight, there¡¯s Tina.


    ¡°Culrina-<i>anesama</i>?¡±


    The girl calls Tina with a name that I didn¡¯t recognize.


    ¡°Culrina-<i>anesama</i>, why are you in this kind of ce? Please, I beg Culrina-<i>anesama </i>as well. The vige, the vige will disappear, everyone will die.¡±


    The elf girl grabs Tina¡¯s shoulders then makes a desperate urging.


    Tina is in dismay.


    That¡¯s not a reaction for an unknown Culrina to her.


    ¡°Tina, do you know this Culrina person?¡±


    When I ask her, Tina nods, then slowly opens her mouth.


    ¡°It¡¯s, my mother¡¯s name.¡±


    That one sentence is enough to surprise every single person here.

 Volume 2 - 19

    <h4>Chapter 19: To Spirit Vige</h4>


    The blonde, blue-eyed elf girl called Tina as Culrina-anesama.


    It seems that it¡¯s Tina¡¯s mother¡¯s name.


    ¡°That is this girl¡¯s mother¡¯s name. Did you know Culrina-san?¡± I ask the elf girl.


    I want to find out, no matter what. There¡¯s a possibility that Tina¡¯s birth mother is in the spirit vige.


    ¡°Yes, I received her kindness many times. She¡¯s a person who is just like my sister. But, I didn¡¯t know that she had a daughter...¡±


    The elf girl stares at Tina without blinking. Then, she shows an expression as if she has realized something.


    ¡°By the way, I haven¡¯t introduced myself, have I? I¡¯m Chloe from the spirit vige. I¡¯m an elf.¡±


    Her line of sight is directed at me.... and Tina.


    ¡°I¡¯m Kurt. I¡¯m the head of this vige.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Tina. I¡¯m Kurt-sama¡¯s servant.¡±


    After hearing our introduction, the elf girl, Chloe, murmurs Tina¡¯s name in small voice, chewing her lips.


    ¡°Hey, Tina. Is Culrina-anesama well? Since leaving thirteen years ago, we haven¡¯t been in touch. I am worried.¡±


    Hearing that question, Tina¡¯s face turns saddened in an instant, then she opens her mouth.


    ¡°Mother died four years ago. It was from a gue disease.¡±


    Chloe went speechless. It was from two things: the death of someone dear to her, and that her cause of death has urred in the vige as well.


    They should be different diseases. Still, there are some points to think about.


    ¡°......So that¡¯s it? Culrina-anesama is a liar. Even though she went out from the vige saying that she would definitely be happy. Even though that¡¯s the reason why I didn¡¯t stop her.¡±


    Tears flow from Chloe¡¯s eyes.


    When I see it, the wariness that I have against her slightly dissipates. There¡¯s no way that someone who¡¯ll cry for Tina¡¯s mother is a bad person.


    ¡°Tina, did you know about the spirit vige?¡±


    ¡°Only as much as what my mother told me, I¡¯ve never gone there before. But when she talked about the spirit vige, she always looked happy. It¡¯s a bountiful vige, with lots of fruits grown, everyone is always smiling, and they never get hungry.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Then why would she run from the vige?¡±


    From Tina¡¯s story, in order to be with Tina¡¯s father who was a human, Tina¡¯s mother felt that it was better to leave the spirit vige who banned mingling with humans behind. For Tina¡¯s mother, stepping into the outside world for the first time must have been filled with many harsh trials.


    Chloe the elf grimaces.


    ¡°Culrina-anesama is stupid. If she didn¡¯t leave, she could still live happily in the vige even now. The outside only brought sorrow to her.¡±


    Tina shakes her head when she hears Chloe¡¯s words.


    ¡°Please take those words back. Mother¡¯s time in the vige was filled with happiness, and she went through a lot of hardship after she left, but she said that she was happier because she had me and Father. Even on her deathbed, she said so.¡±


    Tina¡¯s eyes pierce straight into Chloe¡¯s.


    ¡°Is that so. Sorry. Tina. So that¡¯s what happened.¡±


    As if being reassured, Chloe manages to wring out the words even while wearing a weirdly suffering look.


    The atmosphere has turned strange, but I must continue the conversation.


    ¡°Chloe, it¡¯s regretful, but... In this vige, there¡¯s no medicine that could save the spirit vige.¡±


    ¡°I, I see. Nothing can be that good, huh.¡±


    Chloe seems to have half-resigned, she bites her lips while receiving my reply.


    ¡°About the thing you should do from now on, there are two choices. The first one is to return to the spirit vige. The other one is to take a horse carriage from here and run it for about a day to reach a town much bigger than this vige.¡±


    Chloe¡¯s face lights up gradually.


    Perhaps, she thought that there could be something that could help herself in bigger town.


    ¡°I cannot rmend you to go into a human¡¯s town, though. Most likely, that fragmented information about the disease epidemic won¡¯t let you find a doctor who can prescribe any suitable medicine, even in such a big town. .....Also, for the time being, you are too ignorant and naive, Chloe. If you arrive there, you¡¯ll be tricked by someone and be mere food. Most humans aren¡¯t kind, you see.¡±


    An ignorant and naive elf girl, showing her weak self while moving around in such a big town, is called being suicidal.


    ¡°That¡¯s, how, I see, no good. Can¡¯t do anything.¡±


    Indeed, there¡¯s nothing that she can do. However, I probably could save them.


    ¡°Tina, there¡¯s one thing I¡¯d like to ask. How do you feel about the vige where your mother was born? Do you detest the vige who chased your mother out due to their rules?¡±


    If Tina¡¯s mother was forgiven by the vige, she would probably be alive even now. It¡¯s not strange if Tina detests it.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t feel that way at all. Even after leaving the vige, Mother still loved it...... That¡¯s why, I don¡¯t wish for a ce that my mother loves to disappear.¡±


    I see. Then that decides what I must do.


    ¡°Chloe, after listening to your story, it¡¯s probably futile, but there¡¯s a chance that I can save them if I examine the patients firsthand.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying the truth!?¡±


    ¡°Only that there¡¯s a chance. There¡¯s also a chance that I¡¯ll judge nothing can be done after doing the examination. But still, nothing will change if I don¡¯t start anything. If you wish to bet your chances on me, I¡¯ll go to the spirit vige.¡±


    As the only doctor in this vige, I have legit knowledge and practice in the medical field. Moreover, in the most unlikely event that I judge the medical science can¡¯t do anything about it, I have my [<ruby>Recovery<rt>Heal</rt></ruby>]. If it¡¯s possible, I wish to stay away from using [<ruby>Recovery<rt>Heal</rt></ruby>] at all. I¡¯m praying that the medical science can settle the issue.


    ¡°Even so, thank you! It¡¯s no good to make this choice. But, no good doesn¡¯t mean absolutely impossible.¡±


    She grasps both of my hands, conveying how much she¡¯s thankful.


    Faruno, who has been silent from the start, finally asks me, ¡°Going to the spirit vige, is it for Tina-san¡¯s sake? There will be problems if the single person responsible for the whole territory bes absent to handle a personal matter for a long time. Moreover, there is a possibility that you will be infected. If you die, how will this fief turn out? I don¡¯t believe that you are so careless that you have not thought about that possibility. As the head, can¡¯t you see how reckless this decision is?¡±


    Faruno¡¯s words are severe, but they are highly justified.


    ¡°There will definitely be a profit, you see. I am intrigued by the fruits grown by the elves. The works of beings who works with nts, even I have heard stories about how heavenly they taste. If I can procure a stable supply, it will be a strong asset of mine. Assets for pastry development for Arnold is very important. For that sake, there¡¯s a value in betting my life. Moreover, I didn¡¯t say about this reason, but [there¡¯s no way that Tina and I will get infected, we won¡¯t ever be carriers for the illness either].¡±


    When I say so, Faruno giggles.


    ¡°So you¡¯re thinking about pastries even in this sort of situation. How very like you. Also, about your secret. I¡¯m very intrigued by it, but I will leave it to hearing about it someday.¡±


    Those are half-cooked reasons, but I¡¯m not lying.


    If it¡¯s for baking delicious pastries, I¡¯ll definitely be able to do it.


    ¡°Everyone, I¡¯ve decided to go to save the spirit vige. I wish for Tina to go with me as my aide.¡±


    Tina strongly nods at my order, while Faruno puffs her cheeks.


    ¡°I¡¯m going as well.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t, because it¡¯s a vige where there¡¯s a high possibility of contracting the epidemic. If I let Faruno be exposed to that, it won¡¯t be over by receiving a punishment on my own. Like I said before, there¡¯s no worry about that happening to Tina and I, but it¡¯s not the case with Faruno. I can¡¯t bring you.¡±


    If Faruno contracts the disease, there¡¯s a possibility that I can cure it by using <ruby>Recovery<rt>Heal</rt></ruby>. However, if I bring her to that kind of ce, there¡¯s no way this point won¡¯t be reported to her father, making it terribly dangerous.


    ¡°But if Kurt-sama has the solution for the disease, it¡¯ll be all right.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m saying that I don¡¯t know if I can do that...... My bad, but please take care of this ce. I feel reassured if I can leave this ce to you, Faruno.¡±


    ¡°I understand. May fortune be with you.¡±


    After reaching that point, Faruno finally gives a nod.


    ¡°Johann, while Tina and I are absent, all of the beekeeping and raspberry gardening works will be your responsibility. Are you up to the task?¡±


    From the children surrounding us, Johann takes a step forward. With Johann in charge, the children will work well altogether.


    ¡°Ou, leave it to me, Kurt-aniki!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m leaving it to you. Then, Faruno. Let Salt know that I¡¯m absent. If you do so, he¡¯ll be able to handle his job well.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I understand.¡±


    Salt has be indispensable as a big man who leads the workers. With this, they can make it somehow without me around.


    All that¡¯s left is to set off to the elven vige.


    ¡°Chloe, you¡¯re in charge of guiding us to the spirit vige. Tina and I will go home once to arrange the journey preparation and we¡¯ll depart immediately. If you¡¯re worried about your physical condition, you may take an overnight rest first, how about it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m good! I can go soon! Elves¡¯ body is tough!¡±


    What a spirited thing to say after copsing not too long ago. I should no longer have any worry to address about her.


    And so, Tina and I decided to depart to the spirit vige.

 Volume 2 - 20

    <h4>Chapter 20: Pinal Fruit</h4>


    Since we¡¯ve decided to head to the spirit vige, Tina and I went back to the house once, arranged the clothes to pack fast, and went to set off from the pioneering vige right away.


    Serving as the pathfinder, Chloe the blonde-haired blue-eyed elf is guiding us. We don¡¯t use horse carriages. The spirit vige seems to be further away deeper into the forest that we¡¯re currently reiming, there¡¯s no open path leading us there.


    Both Tina and I can strengthen our physical abilities with mana, so it¡¯s faster to run.


    ¡°Slow down a bit? Kurt and Tina can both follow me?¡±


    Running ahead, Chloe¡¯s questiones for us.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Tina, you¡¯re fine too, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I can take it easy since I¡¯m right behind Kurt-sama.¡±


    Tina responds cheerfully. She has been perfectly sticking to my back since earlier.


    If we increase the speed, the air resistance will also intensify. For example, countering the air resistance in 40 kmh speed will consume half of existing kic energy. Tina uses me as a windbreaker and suppresses her physical strength consumption.


    ¡°How about you, Chloe? Honestly, you copsed not too long ago, I¡¯m still worried.¡±


    ¡°Worried, thank you. But, I¡¯m okay. Milk porridge that Tina made was delicious, and being in the forest makes elves healthy.¡±


    I bitterly smile. I can see that already by how powerful her legs look like.


    All of the elves possess mana, almost without exception, plus, they seem to have grown ustomed with it. Really, their mana utilization is superior, of course her energy consumption is minimum with that.


    The three of us run past the forest.


    Albeit not better than the elf, Tina and I have be familiar with the forest. Getting tired isn¡¯t an issue at all. If I actually brought Faruno, our speed would bergely crippled.


    After running for a while, Chloe reaches her knapsack and takes out a round fruit of a pale red color.


    ¡°Tiring, right? Plenty rehydrate with nutrition. If you eat this, your tiredness will fly away.¡±


    I receive the fruit and pass it to Tina. As I do so, Chloe takes out another one.


    Chloe bites into the delicious looking fruit. No matter how I look at it, the fruit with that sweet scent can only be peach.


    ¡°I sincerely thank you. You actually brought more food, so how could you copse like that before?¡±


    ¡°This, I brought to exchange with the medicine. What can make humans happy from the spirit vige, I can only think about this pinal (¥Ô¥Ê¥ë) fruit. I thought about eating them so many times, but I didn¡¯t. The part that I eat, will take away more medicine from my people, I¡¯m scared.¡±


    Chloe shows aplicated smile.


    So there¡¯s that kind of issue. This girl has a screw loose, but she¡¯s definitely a good girl.


    I sink my teeth into this pinal fruit that I can¡¯t differentiate from peach. It really gives off the scent so sweet that I¡¯m at my limit.


    Inside my mouth, sweet and sour vors start to spread.


    The biting sensation feels so pleasant. The plumpness that bounces back at my teeth..... when I break it, the fruit juice sshes and fills my mouth. The vor of pinal fruit pervades my tired body.


    What a nostalgic taste. It¡¯s very simr to the breed of peach that I grew in my house of my previous life, the Hakuho breed that¡¯s called to be the most superior among all the peaches.


    The flesh is delicate, while there are more than plenty juice. Strongly sweet and mildly sour. The juice is dripping, gushing forth the moment you eat it. With this, I could probably make a specialty pastry. In my previous world, the pastry that crowned me a winner in so many concours that I participated in was a western pastry made from the fruit from my hometown mountain.


    If I have this pinal fruit, I can make it again.


    ¡°How? Delicious?¡±


    Chloe turns around with unconcealed pride.


    ¡°It¡¯s the best fruit. I¡¯ve never tasted a fruit this delicious in this world.¡±


    I want to talk back a little to her, but after eating a fruit this wonderful, I can only earnestly give my full approval.


    Turning around, I see that Tina also has the fruit juice dripping from the corner of her mouth, but she¡¯s not discouraged from licking them. It seems that she utterly likes it.


    Tina notices that I¡¯m watching, then her face turns red while she hides her hand behind her back. If she¡¯s that pleased with the raw ingredient, there¡¯s no need for a pastry chef, is there? Inside my heart, I swear to make a pastry with this pinal fruit that will definitely be more delicious than the raw ingredient next time.


    ¡°This pinal, I grew it.¡± Chloe stands tedly.


    I¡¯ve heard the stories about how good the fruits grown by the elves were, but I didn¡¯t think it would be this much.


    At any rate, fruits from Earth are works of art that be gradually more delicious after umting selective breeding for decades. The fruits in this worldck something. And yet, the pinal fruit that Chloe gave to us can rival the fruits back on Earth. For the sake of obtaining this fruit, I will do anything.


    ¡°So it¡¯s made by Chloe. It¡¯s amazing. Is there any other fruit?¡±


    ¡°Un, there are. We pick a lot of paples (¥Ñ¥×¥ë), I think.¡±


    ¡°What kind of fruit is that?¡±


    ¡°Uhm, let¡¯s see, a lot of small fruits wrapped in purple skin. You can see green flesh if you peel the skin.¡±


    From that description, it has to be grapes. Peaches, and grapes. For me, the resident of Yamanashi prefecture in my previous life, both of them can be said to be my soul food. My anticipation is rising up.


    ¡°Chloe, if I can settle the epidemic, will you be able to gather a tenth of one year¡¯s worth of fruits in the spirt vige?¡±


    Just in case, I blow the condition out of proportion, under the assumption that the condition will be rejected. It¡¯s better to obtain a continuous supply, if possible. Even a tenth of the harvest is an overcharge, though, as expected.


    ¡°Un, I can. It¡¯s good that way! The head will give the final decision, but it¡¯s not a problem at all!¡±


    ¡°......Hold on a second. I think you just blurted out something ridiculous.¡±


    ¡°You think so? The spirit vige always has too many to eat, so about 3 out of 10 will be turned into fertilizer. If it¡¯s just a tenth, no problem. You¡¯re helping us, after all.¡±


    Chloe talks indifferently.


    Turning 30% of these incredible fruits into fertilizer!? How outrageous. I realized that I lost too. If I knew that, I¡¯d haggle 30% worth out of them from the start.


    While thinking so, we continue our journey to the spirit vige.


    ?


    We camp out because the sun has started to sink. From Chloe¡¯s story, if we continue to travel early in the morning, we¡¯ll reach the vige by tomorrow evening. A two-day trip by using mana. I¡¯m surprised by how close it is without ever realizing it before.


    It should be caused by the undevelopednd. If we continue the remation for years, maybe we¡¯ll notice it by ourselves.


    I¡¯m boiling water above the campfire. No matter how much we¡¯re used to it, the forest at night is still scary. Moreover, we¡¯ve expended our mana and we can¡¯t rely on merely our stamina. We¡¯ll recover once we properly rest.


    ¡°Water magic arte, it¡¯s convenient.¡±


    ¡°From my side, earth and fire magic artes are convenient too, though.¡±


    Tina made the campfire with her fire magic arte, while I used my earth magic arte to make an improvised stone pot, continued by Chloe using her water magic arte to fill it.


    With magic artes of Fire?Earth?Water elements in our hands, there¡¯s generally nothing we can¡¯t do.


    ¡°Are there many Water attribute users among the elves?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re split in half between Water and Wind. On the opposite, the lunars (¥ë¥Ê©`¥ë) are mostly Fire, and sometimes Earth, I think?¡±


    ¡°Lunars?¡±


    ¡°In the spirit vige, we call fox-eared folks by lunar. Like Tina.¡±


    In human viges, all people born with animal ears and tails are collectively called beastkin. It¡¯s the first time I meet with the lunar term.


    ¡°Are there any other folks beside elves and lunars?¡±


    ¡°Un, plenty. Bunnifas with rabbit ears, Cobals the dogs. The spirit vige is a gathering of various races outside humans.¡±


    ¡°Outside humans, huh...¡±


    ¡°Because humans take away thend and lives of other races. Can¡¯t live together. Yes, I¡¯m telling you. Maybe there are more people now who hate humans because Culrina-anesama eloped with the copsed human she nursed.¡±


    I perfectly grasp what she implies. Whether for good or bad reasons, humans are greedy. I¡¯m also interested in the first half of her words.


    ¡°Tina¡¯s father has gone to the spirit vige before?¡±


    ¡°Un, when I was small, Culrina-anesama picked up a human who copsed in the forest. I remember because he told Culrina-anesama and me a lot of things about the outside. There were opinions that we couldn¡¯t let the news about the spirit vige leak out so we should kill him, but Culrina-anesama defended him, allowing him to stay in the vige under the condition that he wouldn¡¯t tell anything about the spirit vige to anyone.¡±


    So that kind of thing happened. I wonder what kind of job Tina¡¯s father did back then. Tina¡¯s upbringing is good. I can tell from her vocabry and gesture. If both parents weren¡¯t simr, they couldn¡¯t raise her this way.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me, I cannot get out of the spirit vige once I step in?¡±


    ¡°Normally, yes. But, this is an emergency. I guarantee your safety.¡±


    I¡¯m relieved, then. For a second there, I was concerned of getting the worst oue.


    ¡°If there¡¯s anyone in danger, Tina is, more than Kurt.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    Tina turns around from the campfire¡¯s direction.


    ¡°I¡¯m in danger? Could it be because I¡¯m a half human?¡±


    ¡°That is not the issue. Halves will only inherit the traits of one of the parents, so Tina is a full lunar. But, Tina is Culrina-anesama¡¯s daughter, so that person will...¡±


    After going that far, Chloe stops.


    ¡°You have my full attention, so I wish you¡¯ll continue the topic.¡±


    ¡°O-oh well, that¡¯s, what happens, happens.¡±


    Chloe bes ambiguous.


    I can imagine it, though. Most likely, it¡¯s an issue from Tina¡¯s blood family. There¡¯s a possibility that they will detain Tina.


    ¡°Kurt-sama.¡±


    Tina lifts her head to me, gripping the hem of her clothes.


    ¡°It¡¯s all right.¡±


    I rub her head, enjoying the soft feel of her hair and fox ears. When that timees, I¡¯ll leave it to them. If Tina chooses me, I will take her away no matter what, but if she chooses to be in the spirit vige with her kin and blood rtives, I will send her there.


    I love Tina, so separating from her is lonesome. However, I don¡¯t have any intention to disregard her feelings. Besides, even if she chooses the spirit vige, I can still see her around.


    The night nkets down like that. Finally, we¡¯ll reach the spirit vige tomorrow. Meeting new fruits, the battle with the disease, Tina¡¯s reunion with her blood rtives.


    Each one of us with our expectations of the spirit vige.


    <strong>Credits:</strong>


    <strong>Isecai¡¯s Notes:</strong>


    Remember the three terms about magic used in this series?


    ħÁ¦, <i>maryoku</i>, is tranted as mana.


    ħÐg, <i>majutsu, </i>is tranted as magic skills before (I think. I¡¯m going to have to reread my trantion.) But due to the fact that there are more of it mentioned here, I¡¯m going to change the trantion into ¡°Magic Arte¡± or just ¡°Arte¡± so that it won¡¯t be confused with the third category.


    ħ·¨, <i>mahou</i>, is simply Magic. Actually, it¡¯s the rarest form of magic usage in this series (Kurt¡¯s Heal) so I wonder if I should trante it as Arcane or something more fancy. If you have suggestion, I¡¯ll wee it with open arms.


    ....And now, to look back at how many times that <i>majutsu</i> appears in this series from the beginning. I¡¯m going to cry now.


    Also, the most delicious looking picture I found of Hakuho peach is an ad, so I¡¯ll just add it here lmao:

 Volume 2 - 21

    <h4>Chapter 21: Kudzu and The Meeting</h4>


    We continued our journey early in the morning. We ate pinal fruit for breakfast. I feel energetic after eating one. We slip a lunchtime in, this time it is my turn to treat them with a handmade instant soup dissolved with water, with crackers boiled into it. Chloe is really into it.


    Due to the war, there¡¯s a high demand tendency for preserved foods. I¡¯ve been considering to make this a specialty product, along with pastries.


    Then, true to Chloe¡¯s words, we reach our destination before evening.


    ¡°So this is the spirit vige.¡±


    The spirit vige is located in an open space very deep in the forest. It¡¯s encircled by wooden fences, and on the outer circle of lines of wooden houses , there are orchards thriving about. There¡¯s a unique outstanding clear stream canal, while around the canal, lush nts withrge leaves grow in abundance. Those nts are hanging around the fences or wrapping around the trees, exuding a sweet smell and producing light pink flowers.


    If I¡¯m not mistaken... I pick the grass, ovee with faint anticipation.


    ¡°As I thought, it¡¯s kudzu. So even this kind of thing is grown here. Moreover, it¡¯s grown well. Without the cleanest water, it won¡¯t be able to turn out like this.¡±


    What a superb kudzu. Kudzu has a deep connection that can¡¯t be severed from pastries. It¡¯s famous as the ingredient for Japanese confectionery from time immemorial, but recently, the wondrous trait of this nt has been widely known and used in western pastries as well.


    Agar and gtin is separated by its ¡°hardening¡± or ¡°not hardening¡± use, but kudzu starch can delicately change its hardness ording to the water portion added. It¡¯s aplete freedom to choose from springy texture simr to <i>mizu mochi </i>and <i>goma dofu</i> to soft and velvety jelly. On top of that, the taste won¡¯t be muddy at all. Furthermore, when making cakes, it can be used as a substitute for wheat flour. If I use this, I can create an appealing mouthfeel texture.


    ¡°Un? That weed? It can clog up the water, so we trim them regrly. The flowers are pretty and it smells nice, but since it¡¯s growing on its own, it¡¯s a nuisance we¡¯ve been troubled with.¡±


    However, in contrast with my high spirit, Chloe the elf oddly tilts her head.


    ¡°Kudzu is a weed!?¡±


    Kudzu is an extremely useful nt that can be used in food, as medicine, and for feeding the horses and goats. It¡¯s to the extent that I want to bring it and grow it in Arnold fief.


    ......Ah, no, it should be impossible. To grow them, arge amount of pure water is needed. In the Arnold fief, it will only die.


    ¡°So human is changing. Wanting that kind of thing, you can just pick as much as you like and bring it home.¡±


    ¡°I thank you beforehand.¡±


    I decide to bring them home as much as possible. With these superb kudzu, I¡¯ll be able to get naturally great kudzu starch. Since they¡¯ll be heavy, I should make the starch in this vige before going home. Fresh kudzu is bulky after all, so I don¡¯t have any other choice.


    ¡°Then, from here, I¡¯ll bring you to Colt-ojisa... Cough, to the head. I¡¯ll warn you that he¡¯s a bit hard to please.¡±


    With that, we enter the vige while following Chloe.


    ?


    ¡°Chloe, so you¡¯re safe and well!¡±


    ¡°You said that you were going to a human vige, so we were really worried about you.¡±


    When Chloe enters the vige, the elves and beastkin call her out one after another. It seems that she¡¯s a popr one here.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to make everyone worried. But, thanks to that, I¡¯ve returned with a human doctor.¡±


    When she says that, many head turns at me. Being at the receiving end of such excessive attention, I feel ufortable.


    ¡°I came as the doctor, Kurt. I¡¯ll be troubling you for a short while.¡±


    Or so the greeting goes, but I feel the distance already. They don¡¯t really wee humans, it seems. I¡¯ve been warned though, so I don¡¯t feel discouraged.


    ¡°Everyone, don¡¯t make those faces. He¡¯s the human doctor that I brought back after much hardship. Please.¡±


    Even with Chloe¡¯s desperate plea to amend the situation, the reaction from the surrounding crowd doesn¡¯t change.


    ¡°But, Chloe, the one you brought here is a human.¡±


    ¡°Elder told us not to have anything to do with humans.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. If we just wait a bit longer the vige shaman can pray the sickness to go away..¡±


    One by one, the residents of the spirit vige voice their objections.


    Seeing them, Chloe¡¯s voice turns thick with anger.


    ¡°What things are you saying!? We couldn¡¯t do anything by ourselves, so we could only ask for help from humans. It¡¯s a sickness, can¡¯t you see? Nothing will change by praying! If we have that much free time, we should cook something that will make the sick people healthy, we should encourage them!¡±


    That¡¯s the most natural thing to do, but I can¡¯t tell them those words. I tap Chloe¡¯s shoulder instead.


    ¡°I don¡¯t put that in my mind, it¡¯s okay. More importantly, we should hurry and go to the head¡¯s ce, remember?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, even though you¡¯ve been troubled bying here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve predicted this much at least, it¡¯s okay.¡±


    With that, we continue walking under the stares of the surrounding crowd. The interesting part is that Tina keeps receiving a different kind of showering stares than mine. The vigers¡¯ eyes show astonishment and endearment. They seem to want to call Tina over, but since she makes herself small behind me while gripping the hem of her clothes, they hesitate to do so.


    Just what exact kind of existence was Tina¡¯s mother to this vige?


    ?


    We are guided towards arge one-floored wooden building in the vige. It¡¯s obviously befitting of the vige head¡¯s building.


    ¡°Colt-ojisa.... cough, the head lives here. Wait a moment, okay?¡±


    Chloe knocks on the door. Then, the door opens. There¡¯s a female elf. She seems to be in her twenties.


    ¡°Chloe, what are youing here today for?¡±


    ¡°Farina-san. I have two people whom I¡¯d like to bring to the head. Would you please call him for me?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not a problem, but,¡±


    Saying that, the female elf looks at me and lets out a faint shriek. After that, she looks at Tina, and her eyes go open wide. She looks flustered as she goes inside the establishment.


    Dozens of minutester, we can hear thudding sound of quite lively footsteps. The one who shows up is a silver-haired fox-eared male who looks around 35 years old. He has a sturdy body and seems to possess an odd presence.


    The moment heys his eyes upon Tina, he smiles with tears running down his face.


    ¡°Culrina, you have finallye home, haven¡¯t you, Culrina?¡±


    Then, he turns and rushes over to Tina¡¯s side.


    Tina lets out a small ¡°hii¡± sound and hides behind my back.


    But that still doesn¡¯t stop the man.


    ¡°I was lonely, I was truly lonely. Finally you have returned to Papa¡¯s ce. It must have been hard on you to go out of the vige, right? Right now, you should get plenty of rest.¡±


    He¡¯s wailing while hugging not Tina, but me.


    It¡¯s quite ufortable.


    ¡°The struggle must have been hard on you, to be all muscles like this...... wait, what kind of hardship could, this is...¡±


    After a while, it seems like he finally realizes that Tina isn¡¯t the one he¡¯s currently hugging.


    ¡°Uhm, nice to meet you. I¡¯m Kurt, a human. I came here to heed Chloe¡¯s call.¡±


    When I said that, the man before my eyes shoves himself away. Then, after wearing a terribly disappointed face, he turns serious.


    ¡°This is truly impolite. Human...... no, Kurt. Talkter. There¡¯s an urgent matter that I need to address now.¡±


    I was certain that he would haveshed out, but he unexpectedly became calm instead. Then his gaze is locked on Tina for the second time.


    ¡°Culrinaaaaaaaaa!¡±


    Then he rushes for the second time.


    This time, Chloe opens her arms and stands to block him in front of Tina.


    ¡°Colt-ojisan, stop! This girl is a spitting image of Culrina-anesama, but they¡¯re different people.¡±


    As soon as Colt hears that, he hits the brake. His face is frigid, due to the extreme shock, his silver fox ears are ttening. It¡¯s the same as Tina¡¯s depressed look, but he looks like on the verge of a smile.


    ¡°But, no matter how I see her¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s Tina. Culrina-anesama¡¯s daughter.¡±


    The moment he hears Chloe¡¯s words, he¡¯s showing a disappointed yet happy face, aplicated expression.


    ¡°I see, you¡¯re not Culrina. But, her daughter. ...... Has it been that long?¡±


    The words he spit out are full of bitterness. I could tell what kind of person he is from the development so far. Silver ears, the same as Tina¡¯s. Then, the adoring words for Culrina the moment he thought she hade back home.


    Most likely, he¡¯s Tina¡¯s grandfather.


    He looks only as old as 35, but beastkin¡¯s age cannot be predicted by how old they look.


    Until 15 or 16, they grow even faster than humans, but after that, it¡¯s a slow growth for them. Their lifespan is the same as humans, but their unique trait is that they look young until they die. In reality, Tina¡¯s grandfather should be close to fifty years old, but he looks young.


    ¡°Once again, let me introduce myself. I¡¯m Kurt. As a doctor, I came to the spirit vige for the sake of healing the epidemic upon Chloe¡¯s request. And this girl is Tina. She¡¯s my assistant.¡±


    Because the situation has calmed down, I do another introduction.


    Colt, Tina¡¯s grandfather, inhales deeply to calm down further before speaking.


    ¡°I am Colt, head of the spirit vige. Thank you for speciallying to this vige. Then, I¡¯m deeply grateful to you for bringing my granddaughter here. Let¡¯s talk more inside the house. There are a lot of things that I wish to hear about.¡±


    With that, we are invited to enter the house of the head of the spirit vige, Tina¡¯s grandfather.

 Volume 2 - 22

    <h4>Chapter 22: Lives and Rules</h4>


    We are led into the house of Colt, the man with silver fox ears and Tina¡¯s grandfather. His house¡¯s interior design gives me the image of Japan somehow. As I thought, they have different culture than townspeople.


    ¡°This is the parlor. Make yourself at home.¡±


    It¡¯s a culture without the usage of tables and chairs, as Colt sits upon the tatami-like floor by folding his legs in seiza. Chloe the elf also sits at his side. Following after them, Tina and I sit down as well.


    The female elf who showed up earlier came to serve some tea. She should be the house helper here.


    After calmly choosing the moment, Colt is the one initiating the conversation.


    ¡°Firstly, Kurt. Thank you for putting your life on the line bying to the spirit vige even after hearing about the disease outbreak.¡±


    Colt lowers his head.


    It shocks me, a little.


    I heard of how they are from an elusive race, I assumed that I was going to be told to scurry away without even listening to what I have to say.


    ¡°Please lift your head. It¡¯s not yet known whether I can cure the disease or not.¡±


    ¡°Even so, I wish to express my gratitude for putting your life on the line anding here. Then, you have my deepest gratitude for bringing my granddaughter here.¡±


    Colt stares at Tina fixedly. In his eyes, there¡¯s nothing but affection. As if she notices that, Tina¡¯s wariness slightly dissipates.


    Tina opens her mouth.


    ¡°Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Tina. That. Are you, my ojiisama?¡±


    ¡°If Tina is Culrina¡¯s daughter, you¡¯re my granddaughter.¡±


    ¡°......In that case, I am your granddaughter.¡±


    ¡°I see. Tina. I¡¯m happy to be able to see you. You look exactly like Culrina.¡±


    ¡°I am also the daughter of the man who eloped with my mother. Do you hate me?¡±


    Colt makes a shocked expression. Then, he smiles.


    ¡°As if I could hate Culrina¡¯s daughter. Even now, I still love that child. Besides, I don¡¯t have any bad impression of that man. I still have the grudge over taking Culrina away, but I can understand why she would fall in love with him. He¡¯s a good man.¡±


    ¡°Then, why did you banish them from the spirit vige!?¡±


    Tina raises her voice. She¡¯s so sure that he would be more evil, the embodiment of devil with prejudice against humans, but the man in front of her doesn¡¯t seem to fit the shoes.


    ¡°That¡¯s because it¡¯s the vige¡¯s rule. We cannot allow any human to live in this vige. Thisnd, in the first ce, was built to be a shelter for those who were chased away from their homes or have been the victims of humankind. There are a lot of folks who despise humans. As their head, I cannot break the rules that I initiated.¡±


    I can rte to him. If the ruler cannot protect the rules, no one will ept them.


    ¡°However, in the end, as a father, I¡¯ve done something that I cannot ever forgive.......¡±


    Colt shakes his head, his voice rebuking himself.


    ¡°Actually, there¡¯s nothing to forgive or not to forgive. Culrina made her choice; that¡¯s all there is to it. Living outside with a human. Or living in thisnd being separated from him. Culrina, with her own will, chose to be with the person she loved more than being in this vige. I respected and supported her wish. That¡¯s because I thought it would lead to Culrina¡¯s happiness. Besides, I told her that she could always return.¡±


    Colt is speaking in a in manner. Even though he expressed how lonely he was just now, he still followed his reasoning.


    ¡°That¡¯s....... That is too...¡±


    ¡°At that time, Culrina and I reached a mutual conclusion. Most likely, if we forced this vige to ept a human among us, both Culrina and the vigers would suffer.¡±


    Tina couldn¡¯t say anything.


    Even though she understood the logic, she surely couldn¡¯t agree with it in her heart.


    Colt throws a question at that Tina.


    ¡°Tell me one thing. Is Culrina doing well?¡±


    ¡°Mother, along with Father, died from an illness.¡±


    ¡°......I see. If only they had their happy moments after living outside the vige, I would be saved.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, they had.¡±


    Colt covers the corner of his eyes for a second. A single teardrop falls. However, when he removes his hand after so many seconds, his expression is calm.


    ¡°Tina, after Culrina passed away, has life been treating you badly?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m all right. I¡¯ve been under Kurt-sama¡¯s care ever since.¡±


    When Tina tells him that, Colt looks in my direction.


    ¡°I am a doctor as well as a noble who looks after a fief. I met Tina who just lost her parents on the roadside and employed her as a servant. Right now, she has long surpassed a servant, she¡¯s been helping me as my assistant.¡±


    He must have been interested in his granddaughter¡¯s well being. I let him know the way it truly is.


    ¡°So Kurt has saved Tina. My gratitude to you has just grown deeper and deeper... Tina. If it¡¯s all right with you, the spirit vige... ...No, please forget what I just said.¡±


    In the middle of asking Tina toe home, Colt stopped. It shouldn¡¯t be because he has any ill will about Tina. Since this vige is rampant with epidemic, Tina won¡¯t be happy if she returns here. I can tell that much by looking at his eyes.


    We are enveloped by a suffocating silence for a short while.


    ¡°My apologies for bringing up my personal issue. Shall we get to the main problem? Kurt, you said that you came here as a doctor to save this vige...... but, my apologies. Can you go home instead?¡±


    I swallow my breath. I didn¡¯t expect to crash into those words at this timing.


    ¡°Wait¡ª Colt-ojisan! What are you saying?!¡±


    ¡°Chloe, this is my judgment as the vige head. Do be quiet.¡±


    ¡°But! He might just be able to save everyone!¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re making more ruckus, you may excuse yourself out of here.¡±


    Colt admonished the noisy Chloe.


    This has turned ugly.


    ¡°Is it because you have no faith in my power?¡±


    ¡°The problem lies before that. The spirit vige has decided to live without having anything to do with humans. It¡¯s as simple as that. I¡¯m very grateful that Kurt hase here. I will reward your kindness and courage ordingly. However, I can¡¯t borrow a human¡¯s strength.¡±


    So it¡¯s decided.


    I also understand that rule.


    However......


    ¡°If you are not the only one who reached that conclusion, I will consider it.¡±


    I naturally open my mouth to object.


    ¡°I am the head of the vige. It is my obligation to decide what goes in this vige.¡±


    ¡°Indeed you should. However, we¡¯re now in the state of emergency. For the sake of Culrina¡¯s happiness, you could decide whether she left the vige to live with human or remained alone in this vige. Why was it that you didn¡¯t make that choice with the whole vige?¡±


    It¡¯s a half usation. However, I don¡¯t think that I¡¯m saying the wrong thing.


    ¡°Kurt, I wish you¡¯d speak in a way that I¡¯d understand.¡±


    ¡°I understand that there¡¯s a rule that no human will be relied upon in this vige. However, I think that we need to ask those who are currently suffering from this sickness, whether they die like this, without borrowing a human¡¯s power. Or, if they wish to leave the vige as the price of viting the rule and having their lives saved by a human.¡±


    This is an extreme argument. They die, or they break the rules and get banished from the vige. I have no qualms in leaving those with death wishes. However, there¡¯s no reason to leave the others to die, those who can¡¯t make peace with their deaths. If it¡¯s me, I¡¯ll definitely pick the road to live.


    ¡°There¡¯s some truth to your words, Kurt. Then, what would be of them if they go out of this vige? They¡¯re all folks who know nothing outside of the life in this vige.¡±


    ¡°They can choose to take care of my fief. Just their luck, I¡¯m stillcking manpower in my vige. Moreover, Tina is the perfect example. There¡¯s and that will wee other races than human.¡±


    ¡°We will only be the feed for humans.¡±


    ¡°When you look at Tina, do you really think that I¡¯m that kind of human?¡±


    Tina tightens her grip on the hem of my shirt. The fact that shepletely trusts me probably reaches Colt as well.


    ¡°......Honestly, what a glib-tongued man. However, that¡¯s a fair argument. I see. Indeed, there are those who wish to live.¡±


    Colt smiles bitterly before looking at me straight in the eyes and speaking up.


    ¡°What is thepensation that you¡¯re aiming for? I¡¯m sure that you¡¯re not here simply out of obligation, right, Kurt?¡±


    It directly esctes to that point, huh? Oh, well, not that I mind.


    ¡°Originally, if I can save this vige, I want a tenth of one year¡¯s worth of the pinal and paple fruits that you harvest here.¡±


    ¡°Is that amount good?¡±


    Colt asks with a puzzled look.


    ¡°The pinal fruit that Chloe treated us to is a very outstanding fruit. So outstanding that it¡¯s actually enough to exchange for healing those who are sick.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re extraordinarily honest, aren¡¯t you? I thought that humans were more greedy.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m greedy enough, actually. It¡¯s something that I absolutely need for the sake of achieving my dream.¡±


    ording to Chloe, for the rich spirit vige, the amount requested should cost them virtually nothing. They don¡¯t trade the fruits away, so those they don¡¯t eat will just be thrown away.


    However, for Arnold, those thrown fruits are as precious as gems. If I have the pinal fruit from this ce, I can make arge profit in my pastry business.


    ¡°However, the circumstances have changed. If I save the whole vige, that much is sufficient, but I want a seedling of pinal and paple fruit tree for each person that I save. Moreover, the banished folks will have toe to my vige. I¡¯ll lend my hand for that. I¡¯m nning to grow the fruits in my vige.¡±


    It¡¯ll need time to reach the point where I can harvest them, but securing both future harvests and the manpower aren¡¯t bad conditions to trade for.


    ¡°The reward in itself is not a problem. However, I cannot give you an immediate reply on the issue of sending the vigers with you. This is on the prerequisite that you can indeed cure the sickness to begin with. First, why don¡¯t you examine the current patients. After you¡¯ve confirmed that you can treat them, we¡¯ll continue this talk. There are patients in the second floor.¡±


    Colt stands up and gives us a cue to follow him. He should be intending to bring us to the sick ward.


    ¡°Tina and Chloe, please stay here. It¡¯ll be bad if we add more people who might contract the disease.¡±


    When meeting the sick, there¡¯s a danger of being contaminated. It should be all right if I¡¯m the only one who gets exposed to the danger.


    ¡°No way, I¡¯m going too. She is my mother, after all! In this case, I have to be together with her all the more!¡±


    ¡°I understand. Chloe should go with us too.¡±


    With that, leaving Tina behind, the three of us head over to the patients.


    I can¡¯t put it into words, but I do have a bad feeling about this. I have a bad premonition. If the premonition is correct, speaking right before we¡¯re going to deal with it, this vige will soon perish.


    While sincerely praying that my premonition is a miss, I¡¯m starting up.

 Volume 2 - 23

    <h4>Chapter 23: I Won¡¯t Let This Man Die</h4>


    I was guided to the bedrooms on the second floor of this mansion.


    There¡¯s a beautiful female elf lying down on the bed.


    Seeing her pained eyes, Colt, the man in his prime age with silver fox ears, stares down before speaking.


    ¡°She is Chloe¡¯s mother, my younger sister. Since two weeks ago, she¡¯s beenining about feeling fatigue, losing her appetite, and coughing violently until she coughs blood. She¡¯s been sweating profusely, much more than anything.¡±


    Colt and this female elf, being brother and sister of different races, isn¡¯t something rare in this world. Interracial children will be born perfectly inheriting only one side of their parent¡¯s races.


    ¡°Thank you for describing the symptoms to me. Then, I¡¯ll begin the examination.¡±


    I touch her forehead, then activate the first step of my [<ruby>Recovery<rt>Heal</rt></ruby>] ability. Using [<ruby>Recovery<rt>Heal</rt></ruby>] in the early stage will let me know everything about the target.


    What it does tell me is how the patient is suffering from the disease. Moreover, it¡¯s spreading through bacteria to those who can¡¯t build the antibodies. Her lungs arepletely finished. There is no hope to let them heal by themselves. She¡¯ll probably draw herst breath in less than a month.


    Moreover, this bacteria is spread through the air. This type of infection is usually incurable. It¡¯s aplex disease with striking simrity to pulmonary tuberculosis, which is said to be incurable until recently even on earth. With the level of facilities in this world, there¡¯s nothing that could be done about it.


    However, I can heal it using my [<ruby>Recovery<rt>Heal</rt></ruby>].


    ¡°I understood the characteristics of the disease.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying that you understand it just from holding her forehead?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m a Magic user. I can use Magic to heal people.¡±


    When he heard it, Colt became speechless. The fact that someone possesses Magic is their most well guarded secret. Due to the scarcity, if it¡¯s known by others, they will put themselves in danger. And that¡¯s even before counting the extremely high value of my [<ruby>Recovery<rt>Heal</rt></ruby>], it¡¯s truly not a secret that I can divulge to anyone.


    ¡°Is it all right to tell me that?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, because this is the only way to do it. This disease is not a joke. We have no time to hesitate nor to put up appearances. If it¡¯s left alone, the vige will perish. Besides, I trust you.¡±


    It¡¯s because Colt loves Tina¡¯s mother and Tina herself, that I could entrust him with this secret.


    ¡°I¡¯m about to wrong you with this, but why are you willing to cure this disease this far? Can you tell me your reason?¡±


    Colt¡¯s hands are trembling. He should be in fear of the reality that I shoved in his face.


    ¡°First of all, this sickness cannot be healed on its own. A certain bacteria..... the source of the disease resides in the lungs, and there is nothing in a person¡¯s body that could resist this source. Moreover, the medicine that could kill this source of disease doesn¡¯t exist in this world. This source will continue to multiply, rendering the body weak, and finally causing death. I¡¯ll repeat it to you, self-healing is impossible.¡±


    Upon that truth, Colt¡¯s face warps in agony. He seems to hold the expectations that the sickness will someday be healed with time.


    ¡°There¡¯s something else.¡±


    ¡°Can it be something worse than this?¡±


    ¡°Yes. After contracting this disease, the source will multiply inside the person, then travel through the air as they cough. Then, inside the air that they cough out, the source of the disease will continue to multiply. Before long, those who are still healthy at this moment will show symptoms due to the increase of the source. Then, the source of the disease will scatter even further.¡±


    A disease outbreak is inevitable if it¡¯s left alone.


    When Chloe arrived in my vige, I checked if she was a disease carrier, but she was still all right at that time. However, infecting the few number of residents in this vige who haven¡¯t showed symptoms yet is only a matter of time.


    ¡°......It¡¯s truly a dreadful thing. Then, at this point-¡±


    ¡°Without healing all of the patients at once, the infected people will only increase. After some time, the momentum of the contagion will increase.¡±


    I shed off any consideration and tell him the in facts. If there¡¯s any hesitation here, the damage will intensify.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the truth...... This vige is done for.¡±


    ¡°If you can possibly rely on me, I can heal every patient with my Magic. You should gather those who starts showing the symptoms and I can heal everyone at once. One more thing to add, after being healed, there¡¯s still a concern of rpse. I shoulde regrly to do the examination.¡±


    That¡¯s a pragmatic response. With this, everything can be settled.


    Because there¡¯s no response from Colt, I continue speaking.


    ¡°If you¡¯re thinking of saving this vige without borrowing my power, you should immediately quarantine all people who show symptoms. Even just by being physically close to the patients, the damage will be done. Ah, no, it¡¯s better if they are killed, because they will only suffer until their death. You¡¯ll need to do the same to the next people who are infected. ......By doing it in the quarantined area, you should be able to minimize the damage.¡±


    It¡¯s a proceeding that is exceedingly inhumane. However, the situation truly calls for it.


    ¡°......As if I could quarantine my precious fellow vigers. Moreover, killing them.¡±


    ¡°In that case, let me lend you a hand. I¡¯ll show you that I¡¯ll heal everyone.¡±


    ¡°I cannot borrow the strength of a human either.¡±


    ¡°Then the vige will perish. That¡¯s all there is to it.¡±


    Colt sinks into silence.


    I let his head turn desperately. His obligation as the head and as a man, both are severely torturing him.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the topic. My words earlier, about carrying out the n to let the patients, who break the rules by being healed by me and get banished from the vige, going to my fief to take care of it, can be put into realization. I wish to save those who still hold their will to live even with banishment as a repercussion. ......However, if there¡¯s a single person left in this vige who still carries the disease, eventually all the vigers will sumb to death. I wish you will decide as the head of this vige while keeping that in mind.¡±


    I bluntlyy it all out in the open.


    Just like he said, here in this spirit vige, I am an outsider. I wish to save this vige for Tina¡¯s sake. I intend to lend all my power. The circumstance is as it is. I already stopped thinking of hiding [<ruby>Recovery<rt>Heal</rt></ruby>] either way.


    Even so, in the end, without depending on Colt¡¯s decision, I can¡¯t do anything.


    Chloe, who has been staring intently at us throughout the conversation, stands in front of me. She res at Colt.


    ¡°What are you hesitating for, Colt-ojisan!?¡±


    ¡°......Chloe.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s be saved. Aren¡¯t the lives of everyone more important than the vige rules!? For me, everyone¡¯s lives are more important than that. If Colt-ojisan can¡¯t reach that conclusion, I¡¯ll go around and convince all the sick people one by one. And then, with my mother and everyone who gets healed, I¡¯ll bring the survivors to Kurt¡¯s vige!¡±


    That surprised me, a bit.


    Chloe isposed. With a cool head, she¡¯s thinking about the way to save not only her mother, but many others. With the current state, it should be the way to save the most people.


    ¡°I...... I.............. I have decided. Kurt, I want you to ept it.¡±


    Colt makes me grasp something he puts in my palm. When I open it, there¡¯s a beautiful jade-colored orb.


    ¡°This orb is called jade. The heart of an elf who passed on will be an orb. This is my mother¡¯s keepsake. Among the elves, it¡¯s a custom to pass their jade orb to someone precious to them on their death. Once, humans hunted down the elves to obtain them. They¡¯re not only beautiful, they also have the capability to increase mana.¡±


    ¡°I knew about jade orb. I used to think that it was ultimately a myth, though.¡±


    I can feel mana emanating from the orb in my palm. Such a soul-stealing fascinating translucent color. This one stone is probably more valuable than the whole Arnold fief.


    ¡°I¡¯ll present it to you, Kurt. It¡¯s an advance payment for the doctor¡¯s treatment. Can you help with Chloe¡¯s request? First, I want you to heal my sister.¡±


    To have been told in that manner, I don¡¯t have any reason to refuse. And what¡¯s more intriguing is......


    ¡°Is it all right to let me know that this material can be found in the elves¡¯ heart? If I were to fall to my greed and start to hunt them down...¡±


    ¡°You will bring apany of humans and strike this vige down. Correct? But Kurt won¡¯t do anything like that. It¡¯s to return the favor of letting me know about your Magic.¡±


    Colt smiles faintly.


    To be told that much, there¡¯s no way I can betray him.


    I¡¯m holding on to the jade orb. My mana shoots up on its own.


    ¡°Then, I¡¯m healing....... [<ruby>Recovery<rt>Heal</rt></ruby>].¡±


    I invoke my Magic. A warm light envelops the female elf, then the disease is cured. And then, the pained sleeping face evens out, her breath calms down, and she¡¯s no longer sweating.


    Chloe¡¯s face turns into a wide smile, falls onto her knees, and grasps the female elf¡¯s hand with both of hers.


    ¡°Colt-ojisan, mother, is, mother is, healthy. This peaceful face, it¡¯s the first time since she¡¯s fallen sick.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. Such a terrific power. She¡¯s healed in such a short time.¡±


    There¡¯s no surprise here. My [<ruby>Recovery<rt>Heal</rt></ruby>]¡¯s power is <i>that</i> abnormal.


    ¡°Chloe, Kurt. I¡¯ve decided. I wish to save those who can be saved. The truth is, I want to bend the rules and cure everyone. However, there are folks who will definitely refuse a human¡¯s treatment. I can¡¯t change their hearts. And from what you told me, if any single one of the sick remained, the disease would still spread. It¡¯s a deadlock, but at the very least, I wish you will save those who have the will to live outside.


    Colt¡¯s eyes show his resolution. Those are from a sorrowful resolution.


    ¡°What are you nning to do?¡±


    ¡°I will look after this vige until the very end. As the head. I¡¯ll keep struggling to save as many as possible until the end. I will show them a peaceful end, by implementing the quarantine method that Kurt mentioned.¡±


    I¡¯m thinking now.


    If I be the feudal lord, will I be able to face this kind of unavoidable copse of Arnold with thisposure? Then, will I be able to think about my people until death stares at me in the eyes?


    If Colt is only thinking about his own life, he knows that he can go to my fief along with Chloe. But even so, he decided to save as many lives as possible instead.


    I want to be this kind of man. That¡¯s why, I won¡¯t let him die.


    Then, I shall put it into action. Not only by this convenient [<ruby>Recovery<rt>Heal</rt></ruby>] power. As Kurt Arnold, I shall go all out without anything to spare.


    ¡°I refuse. this single stone is not enough for me to take care of everything.¡±


    ¡°<i>Fumu</i>, is that so? Then it¡¯s all right. If it¡¯s something within my power to do, you may request anything. It¡¯s fine even if I have to gather all existing jade orbs in this vige.¡±


    Colt looked at me with disappointment clouding his eyes. Those eyes are saying that I am still a greedy human after all.


    ¡°What I want is the best fruits. If this vige perishes, I will be troubled.¡±


    However, with a single sentence from me, that disappointment turns into astonishment.


    ¡°Rather than jade orbs, you want fruits?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I am indeed a doctor and a lord, but I am also a <ruby>pastry chef<rt>p a t i s s i e r</rt></ruby>. More than any precious jewels, delicious fruits are more attractive to me.¡±


    Colt looks at me while I retort, then heughs.


    ¡°Hahahaha, to think that that¡¯s what you want to suddenly say. What an interesting man you are, Kurt.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s noughing matter. I mean it. Colt-san, you said it yourself, right? [In this circumstance, I want to bend the rules and cure everyone. However, there are folks who will definitely refuse a human¡¯s treatment. I can¡¯t change their hearts.] So in that case, I will show you that I can persuade them.¡±


    ¡°That is impossible. There are way more folks who refuse humans than you thought, Kurt. Even if they understand that you¡¯re a doctor who can heal them, the probability of persuading them is still nonexistent.¡±


    That should indeed be the case. A doctor¡¯s words might not be able to reach them.


    But then, even so.


    ¡°I am a <ruby>pastry chef<rt>p a t i s s i e r</rt></ruby>. The power of delicious pastries transcend racial barriers. I will definitely reach their hearts.¡±


    I swear by my pride, that my pastry will smash down the wall of even the most obstinate folk¡¯s heart.


    That, is my resolution.

 Volume 2 - 24

    <h4>Chapter 24: Kudzu Starch and Special Wine</h4>


    There are two things that I requested from Colt, while grandly posing as someone who can persuade the spirit vige residents with the power of pastries.


    First, I want him to prepare a venue to hold all of the remaining healthy folks. I will entertain them with my pastries there.


    The second, to let me borrow one room for all my food preparation.


    After healing Chloe¡¯s mother, we hold a strategy meeting.


    It¡¯s a tiny form of cheating, but I¡¯m going to heal everyone who still hasn¡¯t shown the symptoms with my [Recovery]. I¡¯m going to stealthily cast my Magic while handing out the pastry to everyone individually. By the time that they finish eating the pastry, I will show that the pastry will act as the silver bullet measurement against the illness. Afterwards, I will persuade them to let the sick folks eat them too. That¡¯s the proceedings that I have in mind.


    This is Tina¡¯s idea, actually. By doing this, I can stay away from leaking out the existence of my Magic. I didn¡¯t intend to obtain their approval by doing anything except disying my pastry to them, at first. However, it¡¯s a good idea. The number of lucky vigers are less than two hundred, so this n is possible to do.


    All that¡¯s left is to make a delicious pastry that anyone, even sick folks, can eat.


    ?


    ¡°Kurt-sama, you can do it anytime!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s go. Tina.¡±


    After being guided to the room we¡¯re staying in, we drop our belongings and go outside. It¡¯s for the sake of ensuring the pastry ingredients for tomorrow.


    The main ingredient this time, is the peach-like pinal fruit. The other one, is......


    ¡°Kurt-sama, there¡¯s a lot growing here. Let¡¯s carry as much as we can.¡±


    ¡°I know, let¡¯s get them in one go.¡±


    Yes, it¡¯s the kudzu that¡¯s growing on the bank of the water canal.


    I can make kudzu starch from the roots. And these are such outstanding kudzu, of course they must have outstanding roots.


    A pastry that will use pinal and kudzu starch. That¡¯s tomorrow¡¯s pastry.


    ¡°O Earth.¡±


    I¡¯m crouching, then grabbing the soil¡¯s surface. My magic arte has the earth element. I¡¯m using that power now. The earth is shaking up, then pushing out kudzu roots to the surface.


    The kudzu root is about as thick as Tina¡¯s thigh, and not only big, they¡¯ve also grown to meters long.


    ¡°<i>Uwaa</i>, so huge. It¡¯s just like the yams.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been soaking in plenty of nutrition. Maybe, it¡¯s thanks to the water andnd of the spirit vige. It¡¯s definitely a great ingredient for the pastry.¡±


    It¡¯s only by chance that we can obtain plenty of starch from the root to stockpile just before winter; there shouldn¡¯t be a problem to raise them from this.


    ¡°Tina, please wash the root and tie it with strings. We¡¯ll go home after bringing enough.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Kurt-sama.¡±


    Tina washes kudzu root in the waterway in a breeze, then ties them all up together. After digging up the necessary amount, I join her too. Then we stack them all up, strengthen our bodies, and bring them with us.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like anything but a tree root, but these will be pastries, right?¡±


    Just after starting to carry them away, Tina starts talking.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. It needs some work, but the kudzu starch made from kudzu roots is the best ingredient for pastries.¡±


    Normally, kudzu starch will need three days to to be made from the moment I decide to make it. However, this time, with a bit ofpromise in the quality, I intend to make it in one night.


    ?


    Returning to the room we borrowed, I pour plenty of water into a water jug. Then, I ce the kudzu root on top of a stone nk that I made with earth magic arte. I keep piling them up on the nk.


    I use earth magic arte. The stone moves and smashes the kudzu roots until they be fibrous. Then I put the smashed kudzu roots into the water jug. This time, I also put small stones into the water jug. Then I invoke my earth magic arte. The stones smash the kudzu root around, producing some juice flowing that will be kudzu starch.


    Smashing the kudzu root, as well as squeezing out the juice, are originally hardbors. However, thanks to the magic arte, it¡¯s be easier.


    I can sense someone behind me. Chloe the elf has arrived. She¡¯s carrying a basket on her back containing a lot of peach.... pinal fruits, as well as grape-like paple fruits. I asked her to pick some to use in the pastry.


    She looks at me doing thebor, then with a startled face she speaks. ¡°Ah, you really do use that grass.¡±


    For her folks, kudzu is just an annoying weed. Using that in a pastry is something queer to them. But that¡¯s exactly why there¡¯s a meaning to use it.


    ¡°Of course. Or rather, what I use isn¡¯t the grass, but the root. Oh, right, thanks for the hard work to gather all these pinal fruit and paple.¡±


    ¡°You can rest assured, I picked the most delicious and mature pinal fruits properly. And as you said, I only picked the sour paples.¡±


    Aside from the peach-like pinal fruit, this time I¡¯m using grape-like paple fruit as well.


    ¡°I¡¯m d, then. Our work here is almost done too.¡±


    After wringing out all the juice, I take out the roots. Inside the water jug, there¡¯s only tea-colored liquid. After that, I¡¯m straining out the pulp root and small stones.


    ¡°<i>Fuun</i>, so you squeezed out the smashed root in the water. Then what are you doing next?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m leaving it overnight. The bottom part will be thick and pure white, while the top part will be pure ck. I¡¯m going to use the white part and throw out the top part.¡±


    It¡¯s the so-called scum removal. The scum will be dissolved in the water, gathering on top, while the starch will be deposed at the bottom. That starch at the bottom will harden and be kudzu starch.


    Doing this in one day, actually, won¡¯t be able to remove all the impurities. The purity will improve when the process is repeated twice or thrice, but I don¡¯t have that much time. It¡¯ll be a more or less low quality kudzu starch, but I don¡¯t have any choice except topromise.


    ¡°So that¡¯s it. This is scum removal, right? We always do this for edible wild nts too.¡±


    ¡°The one and the same.¡±


    The details are different, but the way to do it is the same.


    ¡°In that case, I can be of help, I think.¡±


    Chloe moves closer to me then peers into the water jug. I¡¯m startled by how close her face is.


    ¡°Ei!¡±


    When Chloe holds the water jug up, the water starts to undte.


    ¡°What on earth are you trying to do?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m working the water up, increasing the melting power.¡±


    ¡°You can do something that convenient?¡±


    ¡°Easy-peasy. I¡¯m only cheering on Water-san to do their best.¡±


    Like Chloe says, the water¡¯s brown tea color turns into ck with great vigor. The scum is gathering on top, while the starch sinks to the bottom. The work that originally requires an overnight ispleted in one second.


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised. Water magic arte can do something like that too. With this, the end result won¡¯t bepromised.¡±


    In a breeze, I throw out the darkened water on the top. Only the white liquid remains at the bottom, tinged with tea-color, which I filter to set the impurities apart.


    Without Chloe, I meant to dry the liquid and turn it into kudzu starch, but with Chloe¡¯s magic arte, I can repeat the process to improve the purity now. I don¡¯t have topromise.


    Adding clear water, the preparation is all set.


    ¡°Chloe, I can count on you one more time, right?¡±


    ¡°Un, leave it to me.¡±


    Chloe invokes her water magic arte once again. Like before, the top bes murky ck. The rest is the same. I throw out the murky ck top, then the brown-stained white liquid at the bottom bes purer in white.


    I repeat the process for the third time, and now the liquid body has be pure white.


    ¡°<i>Hee</i>, how pretty. I¡¯m surprised that we can get this from that grass.¡±


    ¡°This pure white liquid will be white clumps once the water content dries out. Once they¡¯re smashed to dust, they¡¯ll be a powder called kudzu starch. It¡¯ll be the best ingredient for pastries.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s quite a lot of work, huh?¡±


    ¡°Normally, it¡¯ll take three days to make. And it¡¯ll be worth it. Thanks to you, Chloe, I can make it in one night.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, let¡¯s try to shorten that one night too. The next is just to make the water dry, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true, so?¡±


    ¡°In that case, I can ask the pure Water-san to move aside.¡±


    After saying that, she invokes her water magic arte. The water content from the white liquidpletely dissipates, leaving white clumps behind. I can smell a faint sweet scent. When I touch it, it feels really smooth.


    I break the tip apart. It turns into powder that¡¯s finer than sugar.


    It¡¯s perfectly done. ......This is the kudzu starch that I wanted to make. If chefs from my previous world heard that kudzu starch can be made this quickly, they¡¯ll probably cry.


    ¡°It¡¯s the best that it can be. Thank you, Chloe. You¡¯re a great help. It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve ever seen kudzu starch this fine.¡±


    I grab her hands, telling her how much I¡¯m grateful.


    It¡¯s kudzu starch that has received plenty of blessings from the water andnd of the spirit vige, made into the highest purity thanks to water magic arte.


    My blood is boiling as a chef to showcase this highest grade ingredient.


    ¡°<i>M</i>, <i>maa,</i> sure, from now on, I¡¯ll help a lot too, so leave it to me. Kurt is my mother¡¯s savior, and besides, since I¡¯ve broken the rules, I¡¯ll be under the care of Kurt¡¯s vige, so.¡±


    Chloe¡¯s face turns red as she bashfully replies.


    I once refused to acknowledge Chloe¡¯s notion ofing to my vige in hertter words, but since she said that it would be better if she became the intermediary with the vige, I¡¯vee to take advantage of her will.


    Once the matter of this disease is settled, she wille to my vige.


    ¡°Now, then, we¡¯ve finished the kudzu starch way faster than we nned thanks to Chloe, shall we chat for a while? About the pastry that I will serve to everyone this time, there are two things that we absolutely need to protect. Tina, Chloe, do you know what they are?¡±


    The two of them sink into their thoughts after my question. Then, Tina is the first one to speak up.


    ¡°Is it that it has to be delicious?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s also important, but the answer that I¡¯m expecting for is slightly different.¡±


    Making it delicious is just the principle. Even without being in this circumstance, it¡¯s essential.


    ¡°Ah, I got it. Something that everyone hasn¡¯t eaten before.¡±


    ¡°Correct. Then, the reason is?¡±


    ¡°When we¡¯re taking it out and telling them that it¡¯s medicine, if it¡¯s not something that they haven¡¯t eaten before, we won¡¯t have any persuasiveness.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right on point. That¡¯s why I¡¯m using kudzu. No one in this vige has eaten kudzu before. By using it, I can make a mysterious pastry that no one has ever seen before. On top of that, kudzu is really good for the body. It¡¯s not a lie to call it medicine too.¡±


    ¡°Yay! I¡¯m totally right!¡±


    Tina made a small guts pose.


    The rarity and the presentation impact. I decided to use kudzu to stage those two factors.


    Actually, as a medicine, kudzu has various effects. It can excrete the waste products in the blood system, promote blood cirction, warm the body, improve the immune system, stabilize the autonomic nerves, promote the endocrine functions, and prevent senility. It¡¯s given the highest praise as the panacea in ancient Japan and China.


    ¡°Tina, amazing. You got to be correct. I have to be correct too....... <i>nnnn</i>, got it! It has to be easy to eat. It can¡¯t be medicine if it¡¯s not a gentle pastry that can be easily eating by the sick!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re absolutely correct. What I must make is a rare pastry that no one has ever eaten before, and that it has to be a gentle pastry that can be consumed by the patients to top it off.¡±


    It¡¯s actually quite difficult. It¡¯s already hard to make a rare pastry that they haven¡¯t eaten before, but a delicious pastry is fundamentally heavy on the fat percentage, making it very heavy in taste.


    ¡°Kurt-sama, can you make that kind of pastry?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I can. Since we have this kudzu.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it. I want to quickly eat it.¡±


    What I¡¯m making is western pastry using <i>wagashi</i> technique. This is my one specialty pastry that earned me victory in a concour when I was studying abroad.


    Anyone in the spirit vige will enjoy the taste and beautiful presentation that they¡¯ve never savored before.


    ¡°About that, have you obtained the one other thing that I requested, Chloe?¡±


    ¡°Ah, I forgot to mention it. Yes. Here. Wine made in the spirit vige. I never heard using wine in pastry before, you know?¡±


    Chloe fetches a bottled sake from the basket on her back. It is essential for this pastry. I requested the strongest wine that she could find, I wonder how it turned out. I¡¯ll take a look at it.


    When I cut the seal open, there¡¯s a peculiar grainy characteristic to it, but it¡¯s such a gorgeous fragrant that¡¯s tinged with some fruit.


    My eyes are widening. This is.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it wine made from rice?¡± I said without thinking.


    The taste is so nostalgic that I feel like tearing up. It tastes like some Japanese <i>sake</i>. Moreover, my tongue is covered with a slight sweetness thates from top quality sake.


    ¡°Rice? That¡¯s wine made from <i>ramama</i>, though?¡±


    ¡°Ramama? Is that a grain nt with lots of small white grains?¡±


    ¡°<i>Un</i>, that¡¯s right. It¡¯s the main staple of the spirit vige.¡±


    It has to be rice. Is this spirit vige a paradise on earth?


    Now I have all the more reasons not to let this vige perish. I want to eat the rice that I haven¡¯t seen in a long time.


    ¡°Well, because you told me the strongest wine, you should be able to use it. I took it out of Colt-ojisan¡¯s treasured stash.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s enough. With this, I can make the best pastry.¡±


    I¡¯m quickly altering the recipe that I¡¯ve assembled in my mind. Then the finished shape rose to the surface of my mind.


    It¡¯s going to be an even more amazing pastry than what I initially imagined.

 Volume 2 - 25

    <h4>Chapter 25: Light Snow Silk Crepe</h4>


    The ingredients that I have in hand are a strong <i>sake</i> made from rice, peach-like pinal fruit, grape-like paple fruit, and kudzu starch. Only these.


    However, these are plenty. I can make the best pastry.


    ¡°We¡¯ve gathered the ingredients, the cooking preparation can start now. I can handle the rest on my own, so the two of you please go home and rest. Tomorrow will be a hard, long day.¡±


    When I say that, Tina the pretty girl with silver fox ears and Chloe the blonde haired beauty shake their heads.


    ¡°Kurt-sama, I¡¯m your partner. Let me help you!¡±


    ¡°I just want to stay and look since it¡¯s interesting. Besides I might be able to help with my water magic arte.¡±


    I smile bitterly. Oh, well, if they want to be mypany, I don¡¯t have any reason to waste effort to refuse them, huh?


    ¡°I got it. Then I¡¯ll ept your help. I¡¯ll be under your care, okay?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Kurt-sama.¡±


    ¡°Un, leave it to me.¡±


    They look quite eager.


    I¡¯m heating up the pot. Then, first I¡¯m boiling down the rice wine that Chloe brought, until the remaining portion is a sweet syrup with the wine¡¯s umami. It¡¯s a feat that can only be achieved with wine of high sugar content.


    After that is done, I add water into the sweet syrup, putting in the pinal fruit that has been peeled and cut, then adding in the juice from the grape-like paple fruit. The paple fruit that Chloe has put the effort to gather is added for the acidity.


    The scent of wine, peach, and grape is wafting around the vicinity. Then I add the pink peeled skin of the pinal fruit. With this, it will turn into vibrant pink color.


    What I¡¯m cooking right now is pinal fruitpote.


    Compote is a European traditional fruit cooking process, created by boiling fruit with water, sweetened water, or Western liquor. It¡¯s different from jams, as it retains the fruit body¡¯s mouthfeel texture and vor, and can be eaten alone.


    Absorbing theplex umami and elegant sweetness from rice wine, as well as the acidity from paple, the pinal will be more delicious. Actually,pote is made with lemon and western liquor, but for pinal, paple is a better fit. Products from the samend have greatpatibility.


    ¡°<i>Uwaa</i>, Kurt-sama. It smells great.¡±


    ¡°Sheesh, I want to eat it right away.¡±


    These two arepletely immersed in this fragrance. It¡¯s understandable; even I feel that drool is pooling inside my mouth.


    ¡°It¡¯s still far from being finished, it¡¯s on its way, you know. The pastry baking starts now.¡±


    After enough time, I quench the fire. It¡¯s just in the right pink color.


    ¡°Now we¡¯vepleted the first step. Next, we need topletely remove the heat and let it sit overnight. Only then the deliciousness will settle in. Tina, can you make a lot of ice?¡±


    ¡°Of course, Kurt-sama!¡±


    I made Tina create ice with her fire magic arte. The essence of fire magic arte is heat maniption. It¡¯s not difficult to create ice with it.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity but this is all we can do for today. The rest is for tomorrow.¡±


    Hearing my words, the two of them make disappointed faces.


    ¡°I see, so we can¡¯t eat it today...¡±


    ¡°Right...... But should we get a small freebie?¡±


    I take out the lukewarm pinalpote and cut it down into small pieces. Then, I toss them into their mouths.


    After they¡¯re done with their shocked expressions, they chew into it soundly.


    ¡°This is really amazing. Adult taste. Raw pinal is delicious too, but it has a wonderful and moreplex vor.¡±


    I¡¯m smiling. When Tina ate the raw fruit, she looked quite moved. At that time, I vowed to myself that I¡¯d make her feel moved more than eating it raw.


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised too. I thought that raw pinal is the best, but it can be eaten like this too.¡±


    Chloe the elf also seems to feel the extreme deliciousness, as she keeps peeking into the pinalpote in the pot after eating her portion just now, looking like she hasn¡¯t had enough.


    ¡°I¡¯m happy if it pleases the two of you. But if you¡¯re surprised with this, your body can¡¯t handle it, you know? After sitting overnight, it will be more delicious, and the kudzu pastry made with it will be even more delicious. This is merely the lowest level.¡±


    Their eyes are shining with tant expectations.


    ¡°Aaah, I want to eat it soon!¡±


    ¡°Right? Tomorrow can¡¯t arrive too quickly!¡±


    Being able to please them to this extent, it¡¯s worth making. While continuing in a good mood, I remove the remaining heat and bottle up the pinalpote. And then, I spread ice inside the water jug, putting in the bottle that has beenpletely wrapped with cloth, and seal the cap. Doing this will make it stay cooled until tomorrow noon.


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s go back to our rooms. We can make the best pastry. So let¡¯s have a strategy meeting so that people will eat that pastry.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°Right? We have to save everyone!¡±


    With hope in our hearts, we return to our room.


    ?


    In the next morning, Ie back to the kitchen. Of course it¡¯s to start making the pastry. Chloe and Tina are making breakfast in Colt¡¯s mansion.


    Cooled down properly, I take out the bottled pinalpote from the water jug. I¡¯m sampling the taste.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a great vor. It¡¯s immersed just right.¡±


    After one night, the vor has developed well. If there¡¯s anything wrong with adding the acidity from paple fruit, everything will be ruined. But that part ispletely satisfying.


    In that case, the rest is just to bake a pastry using this ingredient.


    First, I boil some water and add kudzu starch into it. The water turns white, but it bes more transparent as it¡¯s being heated up continuously.


    ¡°I¡¯m adding the syrup from thepote here.¡±


    It¡¯s to add sweetness and fragrance. There¡¯s already a gentle sweetness from kudzu. It¡¯s all right to add the sweetness in moderation.


    I turn off the heat right after it¡¯s stained with a translucent pale pink color.


    ¡°As expected from the 100% kudzu. The smoothness is different.¡±


    Kudzu is a high ss item. The kudzu starch circting in the market is made by adding sweet potato starch or something else into it. However, this is pure kudzu starch 100% made from kudzu. It¡¯s a luxury that can¡¯t be enjoyed on Earth.


    Then, my pastry is something that can¡¯t show the umami if not using this 100% pure kudzu. I carefully pour the dissolved kudzu onto the stone board I previously created with my earth magic arte. This board was created yesterday, and has been continuously cooled down by Tina¡¯s ice. On the stone board, there are countless of ping pong ball-sized holes. On top of the half spheres, I fill half of it with kudzu. After all the holes are filled with kudzu, I cover the stone board with cloth.


    ¡°Now, it should be better than I thought.¡±


    While waiting for the kudzu to be firm, I peel raw pinal fruit¡¯s skin and slice them. Thepoted pinal fruit is indeed more delicious than the raw fruit. However, the raw fruit also has its advantages. My pastry will make good use of the vors from them both.


    When I finish slicing the necessary amount of pinal skin, it¡¯s right on time to uncover the cloth from the stone board to check it out. The kudzu has be nice and firm. Because I added more water before, its color ispletely transparent that I can see the stone color beneath it.


    First, I put pinal fruitpote into it, then adding raw pinal on top of it. Finally, I pour more dissolved kudzu into the half sphere until it¡¯s full.


    Then I cover it again with the cloth. With this, all that¡¯s left is to wait as the pastry is done.


    What I¡¯m making is the pastry that will showcase the utmost limit of the ingredients, mizu mochi. Pastries using fruits are the most delicious without many additions.


    I sit on a chair, then wait for thepletion of the pastry.


    ¡°Kurt-sama, breakfast is ready.¡±


    ¡°Everyone is waiting, you know?¡±


    Tina and Chloee to fetch me.


    Before I leave, let¡¯s take a look at the pastry. The kudzu ispletely firm now.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m going. The pastry is finished too.¡±


    So I shall go back. The moment I think like that, though, the two of them look highly spirited.


    ¡°Kurt-sama, so the pastry is done!¡±


    ¡°Show me, Kurt. I¡¯ve been curious since yesterday!¡±


    Such an amazing pressure. I just took a look at it, but this is out of my control.


    ¡°It cannot be helped then. This is my pastry.¡±


    I fetch a te and take out just two of them from the mold. Then I put the pastry onto the te. When the half-sphere pastry is on top of the te, it wriggles.


    ¡°<i>Uwaa</i>, so pretty.¡±


    ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve seen it. Amazing, it¡¯s transparent and wiggling.¡±


    My pastry is a beauty, just like these two girls said. The pale pink translucent kudzu skin wraps around the vibrant pink pinalpote. It¡¯s like a jewel inside a crystal. And that crystal is wiggling from the tiniest vibrations.


    It¡¯s a western pastry with<i> kudzu sakura</i> reference, a Japanese pastry where a red bean pastry filling is wrapped in kudzu skin.


    The outer skin is soft due to the maximum amount of water content, allowing the transparency, and the center filling is fruitpote. For the sake of making it more full-bodied, I added thepote syrup into the kudzu skin.


    It¡¯s a simple pastry, but bncing the ingredients¡¯ distribution is extremely difficult.


    If the water is too little, it will harden. If it¡¯s too much, it will copse. Without reaching that utmost limit, it cannot be made.


    ¡°Come one, you too. It¡¯s okay to eat.¡±


    They¡¯re admiring the pastry without eating them, so I prompt them.


    ¡°This is too pretty, it¡¯s too wasteful to eat.¡±


    ¡°Right? It¡¯s like precious jewel, so.¡±


    Even while saying so, the spoons that I handed to them are reaching the pastry now.


    The moment Tina¡¯s spoon touches it, it¡¯s wobbling. She then put more strength into it, and the spoon smoothly slides in. Thepoted peach breaks apart easily. Tina brings the spoon to her mouth and hold it in.


    ¡°Mmmmm, mmmmmm?¡±


    Tina¡¯s fox ears point up, while her tail is buzzing.


    Yosh, it¡¯s a grand sess. It¡¯s the reaction when Tina is eating something truly delicious.


    On her side, Chloe is also nkly bringing the pastry into her mouth.


    ¡°Amazing. This pastry. It¡¯s jiggling but when I put it in my mouth, it¡¯s springy, but it also disappears like snow.¡±


    ¡°Only kudzu can make something like this, you know.¡±


    Kudzu¡¯s particle is extremely fine. That¡¯s exactly why this smooth, voluptuous texture definitely can¡¯t be found in any other ingredients. The springy texture and the smooth sensation is something unique to kudzu. It¡¯s the texture that can only be drawn out of the purest 100% kudzu starch.


    ¡°This is amazing, I¡¯m amazed with the texture, but the skin is lightly sweet. When I bite the pinal filling, a reaaally amazing syrup is overflowing, and they are mingling together. It¡¯s been heated, so why can it give such a strong smell?¡±


    ¡°Along with the pinalpote that¡¯s more delicious than raw, I also added a little bit of chopped raw pinal.¡±


    That¡¯s why I added the fresh pinal. The fragrance and overflowing juice. This is the fresh fruit¡¯s advantage. This pastry showcases the advantages of bothpote and fresh fruit.


    ¡°Amazing. Humans can make this terrific pastry.¡±


    Chloe¡¯s face turns red, while staring at me respectfully.


    ¡°It¡¯s not humans who can make this. It¡¯s because it¡¯s Kurt-sama.¡±


    Somehow, Tina stands proudly with a smug face.


    ¡°It seems the pastry is a huge sess. Then let¡¯s go back to the mansion. Everyone will be tired of waiting by now.¡±


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right. We came here to call Kurt over.¡±


    Chloe stands up in panic.


    Tina also stands up while wiping the corner of her mouth. As if she just remembered, she popped a question.


    ¡°Oh, right. Kurt-sama, have you decided on the name of this pastry?¡±


    ¡°Un, I¡¯ve decided. Light snow silk crepe.¡±


    ¡°........Light snow. Melting endlessly in the mouth, it¡¯s a perfect name for this pastry.


    Tina is precisely reading my intention. The endlessly falling and refreshing coolness of a light snow is this pastry¡¯s uniqueness. Also, the silk-like smooth texture of a crepe is the nuance of thetter half. Crepe has the nuance of a wrapping, so in the broadest sense, this pastry is a crepe.


    Afterwards, while soothing Chloe¡¯s grumbling, we return to the mansion and enjoy our breakfast.

 Volume 2 - 26

    <h4>Chapter 26: Even If I Lie</h4>


    After I finished breakfast, I went to the kitchen for the second time.


    Chloe, who apanied Colt the chief, has already gone for preparing the construction. They¡¯re extremely busy arranging the vigers¡¯ gathering under the pretext of offering a mass prayer to end the disease in the afternoon today.


    My part is to check the amount of pastries. I must make around 200 portions.


    Light Snow Silk Crepes are being made all at once by pouring into the stone board. Truth be told, this pastry is made not just to treat everyone as a medicine, I also put the possibility of selling it in Margrave Fernande¡¯s territory into consideration. It¡¯s a highly original and incredibly delicious pastry that can be produced inrge numbers, using kudzu as the ingredient that no one has ever seen before. There¡¯s no way it won¡¯t sell well.


    However, since it won¡¯tst long, I¡¯m going to have to go to the store and make it there personally. It won¡¯t be a regr product, but a special limited once a month menu. There should be that way of selling too.


    ¡°Kurt-sama, I¡¯ve brought a lot.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Tina.¡±


    I asked Tina to bring a lot of broad leaf bamboo grass (<i>sasa</i>).


    ¡°What are you going to use these for?¡±


    ¡°A substitution for tes. As expected, there are not enough tes for two hundred people, and they can¡¯t just be handed over by hand.¡±


    The sasa is washed with water, and the Light Snow Silk Crepe is put on top of it.


    ¡°It¡¯s really pretty. cing it on top of sasa leaf makes it look more delicious than being put on a te.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a good bnce between the translucent pastry and sasa. Besides, the scents won¡¯t sh. Moreover, sasa won¡¯t decay and it also has the effect on defeating the source of illness.¡±


    In Japan, there¡¯s a culture of wrapping <i>mochi</i> and <i>sushi</i> in sasa, because it has the benefit of making the food longsting, other than due to the appearance and convenience.


    One by one, the sasa leaves are lined up on top of the tray I created using earth magic arte, then the Light Snow Silk Crepes are ced on them.


    ¡°Kurt-sama, I¡¯m helping too.¡±


    Tina starts helping out. She washes the sasa and lines them up on the tray, so I can focus on cing the Light Snow Silk Crepes on them.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be good if everyone eats Kurt-sama¡¯s pastry.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. Let¡¯s believe it¡¯ll happen.¡±


    With that, the two of us continue the work in silence.


    ?


    After finishing the preparation step, we left the kitchen with the trays. We¡¯re delivering the pastries. While going to the pastry¡¯s storage area that Colt told us beforehand, my eyes caught sight of the altar installed at the center of the vige.


    It makes me think of huge campfire, the way those wooden frames are being arranged. They¡¯ll probably use fire. Sparing a sidelong nce for them, we deliver the pastry to a building that¡¯s an arm away from the za. It¡¯s covered with damp cloth so that it won¡¯t be exposed to sunlight. There are water jugs filled with plenty of water nearby. It¡¯ll prevent dryness and preserve the coolness.


    After making round trips, we¡¯ve delivered all the pastries and met up with Colt and the others to sync our awareness.


    ?


    The day yields to the afternoon; it¡¯s finally the prayer time. All the present vigers are gathering in the central za of the vige. Tina and I are watching from the corner of the za.


    On the raised tform, Colt exins the current state of the disease¡¯s spread, then he signals the beginning of the prayer. The altar arranged at the center of the za is thick with mes. The elves around it are offering prayers simr to Buddhist prayers while being d in white <i>hakama</i>. Around them, all the vigers who aren¡¯t sick from the disease are praying. Everyone wears a serious face. Most likely, they don¡¯t really think that the disease matter will be solved by praying either. But even so, this is the only thing they can do. They¡¯re cornered to this extent.


    ¡°Kurt-sama.¡±


    Tina squeezed my hand. She can feel the unusual unease and helplessness in the air.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be all right. I will figure it out.¡±


    I squeeze her hand back. It makes her smile.


    After the prayer ends, it¡¯ll be my turn atst.


    For Tina, for Colt, for Chloe, there¡¯s absolutely no room for failure.


    ?


    After a while, the prayer ends. Colt ascends the tform for the second time.


    ¡°Everyone, thank you for taking the time toe in this busy hour. I wish that your prayers will reach the heavens as well.¡±


    Colt¡¯s voice resound in the vicinity. His voice shows his sincerity in his wish. That feeling seems to reach the vigers as well, because they¡¯re making docile expressions.


    ¡°In this ce, there is something that I wish to tell you. Already many of you know this, but my daughter, Culrina, who left this vige with a human, has passed away. She seems to have been defeated by disease. The same disease that took the life of the human who took Culrina with him.¡±


    The vigers who heard those words were visibly shaken; their faces darkened. Tina¡¯s mother should be a popr person adored by this vige.


    ¡°Also, Culrina has brought a child into this world. My grandchild. Her daughter¡¯s name is Tina. She¡¯s born as a Lunar, and looks like the spitting image of Culrina. That Tina hase to this vige. Let me introduce her at this ce, along with another person who came with her.¡±


    The vigers made argermotion. Then, Tina and I climb to the tform. From the side, she looks like Culrina. She¡¯s an exact resemnce. Or so what everyone is whispering about.


    First, Tina starts to speak.


    ¡°Nice to meet you. I¡¯m called Tina. I¡¯m very happy to be able toe to my mother¡¯s hometown. To me, she told me a lot of things about the spirit vige. It¡¯s a ce of joy, a great ce. I¡¯m very sad that a disease has stricken a vige that wonderful.¡±


    Tina conceals her face. She truly feels sad. And it¡¯s because she¡¯s sincere that her feelings can reach the vigers.


    After pausing for a while, she speaks again.


    ¡°The truth is, my objective toe to this vige isn¡¯t to visit my mother¡¯s hometown. Chloe left the vige in order to borrow the strength of a human doctor to save the vige, and she had a fateful encounter with Kurt-sama, who is beside me. Kurt-sama took care of me when I was lost on the roadside after losing both of my parents, and hired me as his servant. To help Kurt-sama as his assistant, I came to this vige.¡±


    As the story changes course, the vigers be baffled. Tina continues in the middle of that.


    ¡°Kurt-sama came to this vige in order to cure the disease of the vige. However, his medical treatment was rejected because this vige couldn¡¯t borrow a human¡¯s strength. If it¡¯s Kurt-sama, he can definitely cure the illness. I wish, you will ept Kurt-sama¡¯s treatment. Please.¡±


    Tina lowers her head. However, the reactions from the vigers are bad. I can pick up the voices by strengthening my hearing range with mana.


    [A human doctor?]


    [If he truly can heal the illness, if it¡¯s true.......]


    [It has to be a lie. There¡¯s no one in the vige who can do anything about it.]


    [It¡¯s unthinkable to borrow a human¡¯s strength.]


    [Hear, hear. I¡¯d rather die before I¡¯d throw away my pride.]


    [But, if he can save nee-chan, even if he¡¯s human, then]


    The negative opinions, those who doubt me, make up more than half of the crowd. Very rarely, there are voices who express their willingness to borrow my strength even if I am human.


    Well, it¡¯s as I imagined. It¡¯s difficult to make them ept medical treatment through a frontal attack.


    ¡°Tina, it¡¯s okay. You¡¯ve done well.¡±


    I grasp Tina¡¯s shoulder while saying that.


    ¡°Kurt-sama.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all right. Leave the rest to me.¡±


    Tina has done her part really well. From now on, it¡¯s my responsibility.


    ¡°Nice to meet you. I am Kurt?Arnold. I¡¯m a human doctor. I came to this vige upon Chloe¡¯s request. Let me tell you something first. As Tina said earlier, I could definitely cure this illness.¡±


    I strongly assert my words. There¡¯s argermotion than before, then all their interest is pointed at me all at once.


    ¡°However, regretfully, I was told that you wouldn¡¯t borrow a human¡¯s strength, and I couldn¡¯t lend my hand. To protect that rule, I am told that those who have the resolution to be banished from the vige can be healed. After this, please state it if you intend to do so. You don¡¯t have to worry after being banished from the vige either. It¡¯s in a human vige, but I¡¯ll prepare the ce for you to live and work. This has gone through your vige head¡¯s, Colt¡¯s approval.¡±


    This is the precaution if the pastry does fail. In the event that the pastry still cannot persuade everyone, I informed them that I¡¯ll still save them, at the very least.


    ¡°I want to save lives. However, I¡¯m not allowed to. To be honest, my heart is torn apart. .......I have the power to save you, but I can only watch the residents of this vige die. It makes me feel miserable and helpless.¡±


    Like how Tina did it, I show them the sincerity in my words. No matter how small it is, if it can make them trust me.


    ¡°That¡¯s why, at the very least, for the sake of all the vigers here, I wish to do what I can. I am a doctor, as well as a pastry chef. Using the ingredients in this vige, I made a pastry that none of you has ever seen before. I wish to present this pastry to you. After presenting the pastry, I¡¯ll be viting the vige¡¯s rule and thus will leave this vige along with those who wish to get my medical treatment even if they have to be banished from the vige. I¡¯m sorry, that I cannot do anything other than this.¡±


    I lower my head.


    The vigers are looking at me withplicated expression. It seems that at least they have let their guard down, more or less.


    ¡°Everyone, Kurt¡¯s pastry is truly delicious. That¡¯s why, please, eat them.¡±


    A strikingly cheerful voice resounds. It¡¯s Chloe.


    She appears on the tform out of nowhere. In her hand, there¡¯s a Light Snow Silk Crepe that has been ced on sasa. It¡¯s jiggling while being moved.


    On top of that, Chloe scoops it with a spoon. The spoon sinks smoothly, then she brings it to her mouth. She starts chewing in a blink of an eye. She held her cheeks with her two hands, showing a happy expression.


    ¡°Yuuup, it¡¯s as delicious as I thought? It¡¯s the first time in my life I¡¯ve ever eaten this kind of pastry.¡±


    Chloe showed with her whole body how delicious the pastry was. The vigers swallowed their drool soundly.


    ¡°Hey, everyone. We don¡¯t know when we¡¯ll fall sick. I think that we shouldn¡¯t waste away this chance to eat the best pastry like this. Just epting the pastry won¡¯t break the rules of the vige, right, Colt-ojisan?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. It¡¯s not included in the rules.¡±


    ¡°Hear that? Ah, but if you won¡¯t eat it, I¡¯ll be eating everyone¡¯s portion.¡±


    Chloe¡¯s words are making fun of them, and the vigerse to their decisions.


    ¡°We¡¯ll eat too.¡±


    ¡°As if we¡¯ll let Chloe eat all of that delicious-looking thing.¡±


    Then, theye this way. I smile bitterly, step down from the tform, then bring over the Light Snow Silk Crep on the sasa. Just like our nned arrangement, I bring that to the table and start distributing them.


    ¡°Here you go.¡±


    ¡°Oniichan, thank you.¡±


    While handing over the Light Snow Silk Crepes one by one, I secretly cast Heal on them without fail.


    At first, there are a lot of vigers who look reserved, but as soon as there are more folks who start eating, their tension is loosened; the vigers put my pastry in their mouths. Then, my poprity shoots through the roof.


    ¡°Everyone, make a proper line.¡±


    ¡°This is the end of the line.¡±


    Chloe and Tina help with arranging the line. It¡¯s quite helpful. When the line surpasses one hundred, I start to let out cold sweat. Today, there are about a hundred and fifty folks in this ce. It is the first time that I cast [Recovery] nonstop to this extent.


    However, I can only endure. There¡¯s a meaning to cast it on every single one of them.


    If I start to lose my consciousness. I¡¯m, totally done for.


    When I thought like that, I could feel warmthing from my back. It¡¯s Tina¡¯s hand. She supports me. Just from that, I feel like I can work hard a little bit more. That¡¯s how I feel.


    She probably came here because the line flowed smoothly that Chloe could handle it by herself.


    Just, a bit, more. Let¡¯s sprint to the finish line.


    ?


    After a while, finally, the Light Snow Silk Crepes are finished being distributed.


    ¡°What¡¯s this, it¡¯s jiggling?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s slippery, it¡¯s plump, it¡¯s sticking to my mouth.¡±


    ¡°But, it¡¯s not sticky at all. When I bite into it, the plumpness feel so good.¡±


    ¡°Not just the texture, the taste is great too. So pinal can taste this good.¡±


    ¡°I can taste paple too. And rice wine too.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the first time I ate it, but I feel the taste is so familiar.¡±


    ¡°This transparent skin, how is it made, really? Wish he could teach me.¡±


    The spirit vige¡¯s residents spoke in admiration one after another.


    Because it¡¯s a small pastry, one by one, the Light Snow Silk Crepes are disappearing. Even those who have tasted just a tiny bit can¡¯t hold back anymore and simultaneously start following the people around them who have been savoring the delicious food.


    All of the vigers finish eating the Light Snow Silk Crepes.


    With this, the first hurdle has been passed.


    I step onto the tform. Now, let¡¯s throw the bomb.


    ¡°Everyone, thank you for eating while showing how delicious my pastry is. Seeing it makes making it all worthwhile.¡±


    Being asked that question, one by one the positive responses rise up. It¡¯s delicious. Thank you. They reply with those words.


    ¡°I¡¯m really happy to hear those words. This pastry is named Light Snow Silk Crepe. I made it with love.¡±


    Then I cut my sentence. I speak again at the timing of grabbing their most attention.


    ¡°Then, I have to ask forgiveness from everyone. This pastry isn¡¯t just a pastry. It¡¯s medicine. With this, I¡¯ve medically treated everyone in this ce. Sorry for making you break the rules.¡±


    In an instant, silence falls down. Then, great noise dominates the area.

 Volume 2 - 27

    <h4>Chapter 27: Quite An Escape Route</h4>


    Because of the words flying out of my mouth, they cry in anguish and roar in anger. I am pierced with so many dangerous stares. It seems like I¡¯ll be beaten up anytime.


    In summary, it goes ording to my assumption.


    ¡°Silence!¡±


    Colt shouts out. He came to my side as soon as themotion began. Chloe is here too.


    Just with that, the crowd is hushed.


    ¡°But, chief, this guy tricked all of us!¡±


    ¡°Hear, hear! We can¡¯t forgive this kind of thing!¡±


    ¡°We ate them because he said it was a delicious pastry.¡±


    ¡°To begin with, did you know about that?¡±


    Themotion is heating up again in an instant. However, Colt doesn¡¯t flinch.


    ¡°Yeah, I knew of it. Not only that, I also helped him out. Among us, there are those who have been infected by the disease, even if it¡¯s light. How are you feeling right now?¡±


    The vigers look into each other¡¯s face. The vigers who have already been infected but not bedridden yet are in this ce too. Among them, there¡¯s a girl with fox ears who speaks up.


    ¡°My body became lighter. All the things that I suffered feels like a lie now.¡±


    ¡°Me too. It was hard for me to even stand up before.¡±


    ¡°Me too, me too.¡±


    One by one, those who have their bodies cured speak up.


    ¡°You should understand now. Kurt¡¯s power is real. That¡¯s why I asked for his help. Come here, Aloe.¡±


    Upon Colt¡¯s request, a beautiful elf appears. She¡¯s Chloe¡¯s mother, the first elf that I healed in this vige.


    ¡°Long time no see. I think all of you here already knew that I was bedridden and suffering heavily from this illness. However, just as you can see, I¡¯m very lively. ......It¡¯s because I received Kurt-san¡¯s treatment one step ahead of you.¡±


    Those words transmitted a huge stir in the area.


    There¡¯s no persuasiveness in telling them that I can heal the illness with just words. It¡¯s better to show them the perfect example in this way. I want to show them, not only those mildly sick in this ce, but also the patient who was on the verge of death, Aloe.


    ¡°That¡¯s not all. I shivered when I heard the details of the disease. This disease is way more dangerous that we could possibly imagine.¡±


    Aloe looked in my direction. She must have signaled me to start the exnation. So I exined the disease here.


    It cannot be healed on its ownI¡¯m the only one who can produce the medicineThe incubation period is long, even if it doesn¡¯t look that way, there¡¯s a high chance that everyone has already been infectedIt spreads through coughsEven if a single sick person remains, the disease will continue to spread


    The area is enveloped by despair. It seems that all of them believed in what I just told them.


    After waiting for the vigers¡¯ understanding, Colt speaks up.


    ¡°That is precisely why I made everyone eat Kurt¡¯s pastry, albeit forcibly. .......Also, from now on, we¡¯ll let the bedridden patients eat them as well. The vige is on the brink of destruction. The tradition is precious. However, this is not the time nor ce to talk about it. If there¡¯s a single sick person left, the vige will perish.¡±


    Everyone could feel the dread emanating from the words of the vige¡¯s destruction. They probably thought that the disease would disappear someday on its own. They all came to think so.


    Without anyone realizing it, Chloe has stepped forward on the tform. She stands beside her mother, Aloe.


    ¡°Hey, everyone. Is it that important to refuse a human¡¯s help? Is the vige¡¯s customs more precious than lives? I, for one, don¡¯t think that way. My mother¡¯s life is precious. Everyone¡¯s life is precious. .......I vited the custom and borrowed Kurt¡¯s help. That¡¯s why, I will leave the vige and live in Kurt¡¯s vige. I¡¯ll be happier that way.¡±


    Chloe calls out with tears running down her face.


    ¡°Hey, please wake up. I¡¯ll say it one more time. If there¡¯s a single person left with this disease, this vige will perish. Even those who want to live through a human¡¯s help will also die. Even those who are still healthy will die. Even though Kurt has cured us, even though he has helped not only me, but everyone in the vige...... Hey, please truly think about it.¡±


    Chloe¡¯s eyes and the vigers¡¯ reflect back and forth. Little by little, the opinion is tipped over to borrow my help. The biggest reason is that it involves others. Their stubbornness will kill their fellows. That truth must have been too heavy.


    Let¡¯s give thest push.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a resident of this vige, so I can¡¯t understand the heaviness of the rules. However, I understand the heaviness of a life. Are you really putting everyone¡¯s life on the same scale with the pride of the spirit vige? That pride, is it more precious than your spouses, your children, your brothers, your lovers, and your friends?¡±


    There¡¯s no way it can be.


    Everyone has someone precious. Just like how I think Tina is more precious to me than anything.


    ¡°If even that cannot give you determination, how about thinking of it in another way? This talk bes difficult because it¡¯s about receiving medical treatment. So let¡¯s say everyone is suddenly healed after eating a delicious pastry. Because the pastry is delicious, you want to give it to the sick patients who cannote to this vige. Think about it that way?¡±


    Huuh? Everyone¡¯s eyes which seem to cry with that kind of voice are all gathering at me.


    ¡°The pastry is delicious, right?¡±


    No one shakes their head to deny that question.


    ¡°In that case, don¡¯t you think that you want the sick people to eat it too, now? That¡¯s a gentle pastry that even the sick can eat.¡±


    Both the kudzu and the peach are easy to digest. It will be delicious and easily consumed by even the sick.


    The vigers face each other in unison. To begin with, they have already received the medical treatment. If thisrge number of vigers are considered to vite the rules, the vige will be uninhabited. Then, with that fair reasoning, they prepared to take the escape route.


    ¡°Will you allow me to go and serve the delicious pastry to those who are sick?¡±


    All that¡¯s left, is,


    ¡°¡±¡±We¡¯ll be under your care!¡±¡±


    Simply this.


    ?


    Afterwards, I took a little nap to regenerate my mana, then I made my rounds to visit each and every patient in their houses. In that way, when I handed over the Light Snow Silk Crepes, I could do the [Recovery] operation over and over again.


    When the sun went down, I already visited all of the houses, finally.


    I¡¯m deathly tired. I feel like I¡¯ve casted a lifetime¡¯s worth of [Recovery].


    My power can save a lot of people¡¯s lives, though. I¡¯m also happy that I can see how delighted they are when enjoying my pastry.


    Returning to the room I borrowed, I crash on the bed as soon as I arrive.


    ¡°Thank you for your hard work. Kurt-sama, have a good night¡¯s sleep.¡±


    I received those words from Tina. Then I bury my face in Tina¡¯s chest. I feel terribly content. While feeling content, I slowly close my eyes.

 Volume 2 - 28 - Epilogue

    <h4>Epilogue: The Return</h4>


    ¡°Kurt, thank you, for saving this vige. I sincerely thank you from the bottom of my heart.¡±


    The next day, Colt and I stand in front of his mansion and face each other. He faintly smiles. Other than us, Tina and Chloe are here as well.


    ¡°I just did thebor for the sake of obtaining the best fruits, as a pastry chef, as well as for Tina¡¯s sake. Besides, I couldn¡¯t save anyone with just my power. Without your determination and support, we would still be in a deadlock.¡±


    That¡¯s not humility speaking, I truly feel that way. I could put it into practice, only because Colt came to the rescue.


    ¡°Even so, thank you. As I promised, I¡¯ll send over a tenth of a year¡¯s worth of harvested products from this vige every year.¡±


    I scratch my neck. I feel like he just said something weird, actually......


    ¡°A tenth of pinal fruit, right?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you thought that I¡¯m that petty? It¡¯s a tenth of all the food products in this vige. Paple, Ramama, Yona...... and other things grown in this vige, all of them will be sent over to you. And the weed you called ¡°kudzu¡±, you can carry as much as you like.¡±


    Paple is the grape-like fruit, Ramama is the rice-like nt. It¡¯s the first time I heard about Yona, but, it must have been just as wonderful as the others. They¡¯ll certainly be the weapons in my pastry export.


    ¡°It¡¯s an incredibly attractive offer for me, but is it really all right?¡±


    Strictly speaking, there¡¯s a lot of things to receive. So much that I feel guilty over it.


    ¡°Since they¡¯re the portions that will only turn into fertilizer, there¡¯s no problem. With the water from elven magic arte, the harvest is always plenty.¡±


    It¡¯s the surprising advantage of having a steady supply of water to grow the agriculture, but to achieve that kind of result. I¡¯m quite jealous.


    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll gratefully ept them. It¡¯s only that I feel that I¡¯m receiving too much, so I¡¯ll be sending over some products this way too. The spirit vige has a lot of wonderful products, but there are many wonderful things in human towns as well.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll be looking forward to it. Delicious pastries are good too. That transparent pastry that you made, Kurt, is the most delicious thing I¡¯ve ever tasted.¡±


    ¡°To be told to that extent, I¡¯m really happy. Next time, I¡¯ll be treating you to other different pastries.¡±


    Our eyes meet and weugh. It¡¯s about time to depart. I feel reluctant, but it¡¯s time to end the talk.


    ¡°Kurt, you¡¯re going now, right? It¡¯s okay to stay around for a while, though?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not possible for me to do that. I also have my own territory to look after.¡±


    I¡¯ve been absent from my vige for a while.


    There are things I¡¯m worried about. We have to prepare for winter, and I need to arrange the real export of the pastries. Other than inventing the recipes, I need to do all sorts of things fromying the groundwork for Marquis Fernandes¡¯ previous arrangement and other things. I have to do them before the snow starts piling up, making it impossible to cross the mountain.


    ¡°I see, such a pity. I¡¯d have like to show our gratitude in a huge celebration, initially.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m happy to receive such feelings. When the opportunity arises, perhaps.¡±


    My talk with Colt thus ended.


    Before setting off from the spirit vige, I should confirm it onest time.


    ¡°......Tina, is it really okay?¡±


    I ask Tina at my side.


    I already talked about it with Tina yesterday, but I wanted to know about it in this ce too.


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m returning to Arnold with Kurt-sama. I think that this vige is a great ce too. But I am Kurt-sama¡¯s partner, my home is in that vige.¡±


    Tina looks bashful.


    If Tina wished so, I told her that it was all right for her to stay in this vige. She has blood rtives, and it¡¯s a prosperous vige. She¡¯ll be happy.


    However, Tina chose to be by my side.


    ¡°Thank you. Tina.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s there to be thanked for? I¡¯m just, I wish to be together with Kurt-sama.¡±


    Flustered, Tina¡¯s face turns red.


    She¡¯s determined to choose me. I absolutely have to make her happy.


    ¡°Chloe, you too, is it okay? You don¡¯t have to push yourself for nothing.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not for nothing, not at all. The others [only want to eat pastry]. But, from the start, I¡¯m the one who invited Kurt here as the doctor, and asked you to cure my mother. No matter how I looked at it, I¡¯ve broken the rules. That¡¯s why it¡¯s natural for me to leave the vige.¡±


    Chloe says so with a cheerful voice.


    ¡°I wronged you, it seems. Sorry to make you lose your vige.¡±


    If I was a bit more careful, Chloe wouldn¡¯t have to leave the vige at all.


    ¡°H, hold on for a second. I¡¯m kidding, I¡¯m just kidding. It¡¯s not because I broke the rules or anything, really. Colt-ojisan said that it would be good to have an intermediary person with Kurt, so I stepped forward as the candidate. I¡¯m going only because I want to go! You see, now I can eat more delicious pastries than the ones in the spirit vige!¡±


    With a faint blush on her cheeks, she goes on and on in her fast speech.


    It makes me feel a bit relieved. I don¡¯t really like the thought of forcing someone.


    Having Chloe with us is a huge help. To procure a long term supply of the fruits, having a mediator is indispensable. Besides, Chloe¡¯s water magic arte is useful in various things. There¡¯ll be circumstances when I¡¯m going to need her help.


    Tina grabs my hand and squeezes it tight while looking at Chloe.


    ¡°I won¡¯t give him.¡± She whispered so.


    ¡°Ahaha.¡±


    Chloe drylyughs while having cold sweat.


    I put my hand on Tina¡¯s head and pat her in any case, making her eyes narrow in glee.


    ?


    And the time to depart finally arrived.


    We¡¯ve already packed our belongings. There are many young elves and lunars from the spirit vige here. Those are the personnel arranged by Colt. They all carry a huge basket on their backs with lots of fruit inside. The three of us can¡¯t possibly bring all those fruits, so we have them to take care of it. Furthermore, it seems that they¡¯ll stay with Chloe in Arnold for a while. ording to Colt, they are obedient and hard working.


    Up to the spirit vige¡¯s gate, there are many vigers around.


    In terms on giving them the medical treatment, I¡¯ve been forceful. It wouldn¡¯t be strange if there are vigers who resent me.


    They open their mouths. I put myself on guard, a bit.


    However, the words they actually speak out.......


    ¡°Thank you, niichan.¡±


    ¡°The pastry was delicious.¡±


    ¡°You saved us. You¡¯re our life¡¯s benefactor.¡±


    One by one, they shower me with warmth in their words. I feel my eyes stinging hotly.


    ¡°Bring this with you, it¡¯s the rice wine that I brewed.¡±


    ¡°This is jerky that¡¯s just been nicely dried. Bring it as a present to Kurt¡¯s vige.¡±


    ¡°These are first ss pinal. You won¡¯t see any pinal in the vige that can top these.¡±


    ¡°Our cheese is a masterpiece!¡±


    One by one, they shove their small presents to me.


    The rice wine, the wild boar jerky. A remarkably huge pinal. Delicious-looking cheese bundle. And other things.


    My luggage is piling up into a mountain.


    I¡¯m d. I could properly convey my feelings to them.


    I had to politely refuse the things that I cannot carry with my hands. Then, until they are out of my sight, I keep walking while looking in their direction.


    ¡°I¡¯ll definitelye back! At that time, I¡¯ll treat you to other delicious pastries, okay!¡± I shouted.


    By no means will Ie with the excuse of saving the vige again.


    I vow to do so from the bottom of my heart. I¡¯ll definitelye again. Next time, let¡¯s let them enjoy a simply delicious pastry without any medicine nonsense.


    From the vige, I could hear words¨Cwe¡¯re waiting, you absolutely have to¨Camong others.


    With that, my journey in the spirit vige hase to an end. In this vige, I obtained my pastry ingredients as well as lots of more wonderful things.


    I¡¯m d that I came here. I truly think so from the bottom of my heart.

 Volume 3 - 0 - Prologue

    <h4>Prologue: Invitation from The Ducal House</h4>


    <h4>Volume 3: Pride and Jet ck Imperial Torte</h4>


    <i><strong>Note: </strong>Turning Marquis Fernandes into Margrave Fernande. </i>


    After our journey to save the spirit vige from the disease, we finally arrived home. It didn¡¯t even take a week, but I gained a bountiful harvest from the journey to the spirit vige.


    ¡°Soon, it¡¯ll be Kurt¡¯s vige, right?¡±


    ¡°Right, our vige. I was only absent for a short time, but I feel nostalgic already.¡±


    The greatest boon that I gained from the spirit vige is this girl. She¡¯s Chloe.... a young blonde haired female elf who lived in the spirit vige. She has a pleasant personality and rich knowledge about fruits that she gained from growing fruits in the spirit vige. She could also use water magic arte.


    Using water magic arte in agriculture will definitely be very helpful.


    Besides her, there are other elves and lunarsing with us. Colt, the spirit vige head, said that they all could use elemental magic arte.


    ¡°Kurt, thank you so much. If you didn¡¯te, it would¡¯ve been the end of the spirit vige.¡±


    Chloe hugged my left arm. I could feel her chest against my arm.


    ¡°Chloe, you¡¯re sticking too close.¡±


    Tina, who saw it.... the pretty girl with silver hair and fox ears opens her mouth. She¡¯s my precious partner.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it fine? It¡¯s not like he¡¯ll lose something.¡±


    ¡°He will. A girl¡¯s chasteness or Kurt-sama¡¯s reasoning power. Many things!¡±


    Looking unimpressed, Tina tugs my left arm and pulls it away. Perhaps she thought that I¡¯d be taken away by Chloe. Even though there¡¯s no reason for her to be worried at all.


    ¡°Be careful, you two. We have a lot of luggage right now.¡±


    ¡°Uuu, I¡¯m sorry, Kurt-sama.¡±


    ¡°Eek, he¡¯s angry.¡±


    I did a dekopin to their foreheads, lightly to Tina and harsh flick to Chloe.


    ¡°Don¡¯t make fun of Tina too much.¡±


    Chloe rubs her forehead, looking slightly dejected.


    ¡°Uuu, I understand.¡±


    Tina snorts in a better mood.


    Upon our antics, the elves and fox kins walking behind us are snickering. They are helping us to carry the fruits that I obtained from the spirit vige. The fruits that I got from the spirit vige are incredibly delicious. I¡¯ll be receiving a tenth of the spirit vige¡¯s agricultural products every year. We can¡¯t carry them by ourselves, so we receive a lend of hands. Ultimately, they¡¯re only borrowed hands, so I let them know that they can go whenever they have to.


    I can¡¯t wait to make pastries from the spirit vige fruits from now on.


    ?


    After walking for a while, we arrived at my vige. Of course I couldn¡¯t notice if there¡¯s any significant changes in one week. While walking in my house¡¯s direction, my eyes met with Volg¡¯s.


    He¡¯s a butler who belongs to Faruno, my fiancee, the dearly beloved daughter of the noble who is responsible for this whole territory, Margrave Fernande. While serving as Faruno¡¯s guard, he¡¯s also my coach who possesses extraordinary skills.


    ¡°Kurt-sama, you¡¯ve returned atst.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m home. Why are you so flustered?¡±


    It¡¯s rare for Volg to lose hisposure. To be exact, it¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve ever seen him like this.


    ¡°A grave situation has urred. Now, as soon as possible, will you go to our mansion? If it¡¯s handled imprudently, the Bar house of Arnold might fall into ruin. Even Margrave Fernande himself will fall into an unfavorable situation.¡±


    ¡°That sounds bad...¡±


    I can¡¯t really imagine what matter could be that urgent. Faruno definitely knows the full details of this matter. Firstly, if I don¡¯t try to ask, I can¡¯t do anything.


    ¡°Tina, I¡¯ll be heading over to Faruno¡¯s ce now. Please let Salt know about our arrival and show Chloe to an empty house. After that, please make the fruit carrying helpers feel at home.¡±


    ¡°I understand. Kurt-sama, please let me know about the conversationter on.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    With that, I leave the matter of Chloe and the rest to Tina, while I walk alongside Volg in Faruno¡¯s mansion¡¯s direction.


    With Salt, the leader of the pioneering vige, and Tina, Chloe and thepany will be handled well.


    ?


    Faruno¡¯s mansion is located in my vige. She recently had it built for her the moment we got engaged. All of the materials were imported from Margrave Fernande¡¯s territory; it was an outstanding building that didn¡¯t seem to fit in a poor pioneering vige.


    I enter the mansion and the servantse to greet us. They are all hired not by me, but by Margrave Fernande.


    ¡°Wee, Master. We will inform Faruno-sama about your arrival in haste, so please wait shortly.¡±


    The servants call me Master. It¡¯s a bit too soon. They hasted to go inside and returned in no time.


    ¡°We apologize for the wait. Kurt-sama, this way please.¡±


    With that, I was led into Faruno¡¯s waiting parlor.


    ?


    ¡°Wee back, Kurt-sama.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m back, Faruno.¡±


    Faruno wees me with a smile on her face. She is my fiancee. She¡¯s 16 years old, with fluffy pink hair and giving off a gentle impression. Her body is exuding her feminine charm.


    ¡°From the look on your face, the matter of the spirit vige¡¯s disease seems to have concluded well. As expected from my future husband.¡±


    ¡°It was unexpectedly a disease that I recognized. I could make the cure with the materials that I possessed.¡±


    Without telling the truth, I let her know the official exnation. It¡¯s not like I don¡¯t trust Faruno, but she¡¯s still a Fernande. I can¡¯t tell her about my true weakness, my Magic.


    ¡°I¡¯m d that you coulde home without missing a single thing.¡±


    Faruno rubbed her chest while looking relieved. It seems that I¡¯ve truly made her worry. I¡¯m grateful for that feeling.


    ¡°I¡¯m d to be able to see your face too, Faruno.¡±


    We look at each other andugh. It¡¯s the gentle passing of time.


    And then, Faruno clears her throat.


    ¡°I apologize for mentioning this when you have just arrived, Kurt-sama. An urgent matter has urred.¡±


    ¡°I heard about that. What had happened, exactly?¡±


    Let alone Arnold, it¡¯s even dangerous for Fernandes.


    ¡°About that. Kurt-sama¡¯s present for Duchess Renalier, the rose cookies, have be a problem.¡±


    There¡¯s an ugly feeling in my heart. Before, Margrave Fernande rmended my pastry as the present that he would send over to Duchess Renalier. When I heard that Duchess Renalier dearly loved roses, I made rose cookies that would let her enjoy the roses¡¯ fragrance, vor, as well as appearance.


    Was Duchess Renalier dissatisfied with my cookies?


    Did it leave an impression so bad that she would destroy the Arnolds to take responsibility and even make Margrave Fernande lose face? If I earned a Duke¡¯s ire, such a thing is not impossible.


    ¡°My pastry didn¡¯t pass her favor, did it? I¡¯ve brought trouble to Margrave Fernande. And to you as well, Faruno. I¡¯m really sorry,¡± I say with trembling voice. I grip my hands so tight that I draw blood.


    I¡¯m confident in my pastries. However, after all, getting a favorable impression in being good enough in a rural area won¡¯t bring enough standard of luxury for a duchess......


    However, Faruno firmly shakes her head.


    ¡°Uhm, Kurt-sama. You¡¯re misunderstanding the situation.¡±


    ¡°What was it?¡±


    ¡°That, Duchess Renalier has fallen in love with your rose cookies, saying that it was the first time in her life she tasted that kind of pastry. Not only loving it, in the traditional banquet of the empire¡¯s four Dukes, she wanted to disy the rose cookies. I heard that she was said to exim that she had founded the territories that could produce such a wonderful cookies.¡±


    ¡°I see, it¡¯s not because my pastry wasn¡¯t well received.¡±


    ¡°To be able to make her delighted to that extent, even my father became really proud.¡±


    For the present, it made me feel relieved. However, that relief is short-lived. With how things progressed so far, I can sense where the talk is headed to. It¡¯s really bad, isn¡¯t it?


    ¡°......However, she liked it too much. It presented an excessive appeal to her, as she didn¡¯t only express her pride, but also disparaged the pastry of the host of the present banquet, Duchess Lanaletta, in the same ce. It seemed that she even said that the rose cookies are only one among other more wonderful pastries that could be made.¡±


    My head throbbed. That was a posturing noble.


    ......Well, being a posturing noble might bring its own benefits. By finding out about the height of the cultural standard in their own fief, they can constrain the moves of their opponents and possesses an influential pose. The four Grand Dukes will intensify the rivaling disposition between them all the more.


    For a regr banquet, to be attended by the four Grand Dukes, most likely it was a battle of stomach exploration rather than the usual armed force. Also, a part of the actual strength of the rose cookies lies not in its suitability. If it¡¯s a patissier who could make the rose cookies, of course he will earn other¡¯s trust that he¡¯s able to make even better pastries.


    ¡°Faruno, Margrave Fernande received a request, didn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°As I thought, you would catch on to it... An envoy came to my father¡¯s ce. The pastry chef who made the rose cookies himself was invited to the castle. Just in case, Otousama told the envoy that Kurt-sama was the single person responsible for the whole fief and would not be able to leave his territory for a long period of time. However...... the appeal was not granted.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not possible. When the other party is a duchess, it¡¯s impossible to refuse.¡±


    In the whole empire we live in, the emperor stands at the top, while those who are connected by blood to the royal family are the Grand Dukes. After that, from the top to bottom, there are Dukes, Margraves, Marquess, Counts, Viscounts, and Barons. With the exception of the royal family, the duchess hold the highest authority.


    Margrave Fernande handles themercial capital city and possess a vast territory, so he holds the advantage of economic and military strength evenpared to an ordinary ducal house, but he¡¯s far from being their match in political strength.


    ¡°Of course, sorry about that even when we just met.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it seems that Duchess Renalier will be the host for the next regr banquet, and she wishes to host the best banquet for the four Dukes. Kurt-sama, you will disy the best of your skills in that event. Delicious isn¡¯t sufficient, dishes so strange they have never been experienced before among the Dukes must be presented as the full experience. If it can be provided, there will be an enormous reward awaiting.¡±


    Dishes they never experienced. Well, it should be a given. After bing a duchess, eating all the delicious things is somon it¡¯s boring. Besides, if I want to show my cultural power to the other Dukes, their inexperience is required. The duchess has even said she¡¯ll provide an amazing reward, so it should be fine to anticipate that, right?


    However, still......


    ¡°What if I betray their expectations?¡±


    ¡°She will suffer disgrace in front of the four Dukes. It will be a miracle to keep your life and the Arnold fief from ruin.¡±


    The answer is just as I expected.


    That¡¯s what it means when the other party is a duchess. However, I¡¯m excited for it.


    I can eat various gourmet dishes of this country, and my cooking will circte among a group of Dukes.


    My blood is boiling up.


    ¡°I understand the situation. Either way, I don¡¯t have the right to choose. So I¡¯ll go. To Duchess Renalier¡¯s territory.¡±


    With that, I decided my new target.


    The risk is unprecedentedly high, but the rewards will also be iparably huge. Both the fact that I¡¯ll be able to receive the prize from a duchess, and that my name will be well known among the four Dukes.


    <strong>Credits: </strong>


    <strong>Isecai¡¯s Notes:</strong>


    Both Faruno and the servants in her house call Kurt ¡°<i>dannasama</i>¡°, but when spoken by a wife, it means husband, and spoken by the subordinates, it means master. Japanese is weird.


    Wikipedia seems to position the marquis and margrave equally and interchangeably, so when the Fernande dad appeared in the series for the first time, although the direct trantion in jisho shows that he¡¯s a margrave, I gave him the Marquis title instead. So now that both the Fernande¡¯s title and another marquess (as mentioned in Faruno¡¯s engagement party as well) have their own hierarchy, I have to change it. It makes more sense too because the Margrave seems to be expanding the empire¡¯s territory by doing all the remation, and a margrave does defend/expand an empire¡¯s boundaries. b


    Also changing Fernandes because it doesn¡¯t sound too German, whereas ¡°margrave¡± is. o)¡ª( I¡¯m doomed, so many chapters to edit out //cries. (I¡¯ll edit them once this chapter is published.)


    Anyhow, my interpretation so far is that there are four Grand Dukes who hold regr banquet in ducal houses in rotation. Free food in exchange with prestige for hosting the grands, I think. If the details reveal something different in the future, I¡¯ll go back and edit this chapter //cries.

 Volume 3 - 1

    <h4>Chapter 1: The Increasingly High Hurdle</h4>


    When I told Faruno that I would go to the ducal house, she smiled.


    ¡°Thank you for agreeing resolutely. You have truly be reliable.¡±


    I¡¯ve made up my mind. The rest is just to go to Duchess Renalier¡¯s territory. I wish to be as prepared as I can, though.


    ¡°The problem now is how to travel Duchess Renalier¡¯s duchy. If I¡¯m not mistaken, I need to cross over more than a couple of mountains.¡±


    ¡°Kurt-sama will head towards my father¡¯s manor. Duchess Renalier will send escorts to my father¡¯s manor. Since it¡¯s not an ordinary means of escort, they couldn¡¯te to this vige.¡±


    Duchess Renalier¡¯s escorts, unordinary means. Hearing those two, there¡¯s a single thing that crosses my mind. Could it possibly be that I can personally taste that experience in my life? The most expensive travel in the whole world. Well, it¡¯s not impossible. If I use a horse carriage, the trip going there will take about half a month. However, if I use <i>that</i>, I¡¯ll arrive in just two days.


    ¡°Got it. The next issue is departure time. I want to cram as many things as possible. For making a pastry that Duchess Renalier never tasted before, it¡¯ll be the easiest to use ingredients that she never knew about.¡±


    Most likely, the kudzu and pinal that I brought with me now would fill the requirements. However, I want to arrange every possible ingredient besides them.


    ¡°That¡¯s...... The banquet will be held in ten days, so the escort shall arrive three days from now in the afternoon.¡±


    My face makes a tiny twitch. If the escort arrives at the Fernande domain in the afternoon three days from now, I must depart tomorrow afternoon or things will get ugly.


    What a reckless schedule. Moreover, to arrive in Duchess Renalier¡¯s territory four days from now means that I merely have six days for preparation. In six days, I have to invent the most ideal pastry using the ingredients I¡¯ll carry from this ce and those I will obtain in Duchess Renalier¡¯s territory, as well as preparing all of them on top of that.


    This kind of schedule is insane. Still, there¡¯s no time to mull over it. I still have an ominous feeling about another thing, though. Or rather, there¡¯s something that I fear for.


    ¡°Duchess Renalier said that with a fragment of my abilities, I could make a more wonderful pastry than the rose cookies, didn¡¯t she?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct.¡±


    ¡°Did that refer only to the pastries?¡±


    That¡¯s the part where I have this awful feeling from. As I recall from Faruno¡¯s words, [It seems she wishes for the best banquet attended by the four Grand Dukes. She orders Kurt-sama to personally disy your best skills in that event]. Is it only the best pastries, or is it the best banquet? Could it possibly be that she demands not only pastry, but the best of a full ¡°course¡±, starting from the hors d¡¯oeuvres to the main dish as well? On top of that, those must be something that they have never eaten before. New inventions.


    ¡°Aha, ahahahahahaha. That, that is very unlikely, isn¡¯t it? That, no matter how many Kurt-sama there is, even the pastry is already a major difficult matter, let alone the best full course that no one has ever eaten before in merely six days.¡± Farunoughs dryly.


    It seems that she has noticed that possibility as well. If not, the order will only express the best pastry, not the best banquet.


    ¡°For the time being, it can only be inquired from the Duchess herself. I¡¯ll move ording to the worst possibility. There¡¯s not much time before tomorrow¡¯s departure, I¡¯ll prepare until thest second. Sorry, I want to talk in leisure, but we don¡¯t seem to have that kind of leisure right now.¡±


    There¡¯s no way I can ovee this hardship without utilizing each and every weapon that I have in my arsenal, the things I¡¯ve built in my vige.


    I¡¯m going to stop these anxious thoughts. Well then, from now on it¡¯s the battle of each minute and each second.


    ¡°I understand. Kurt-sama, even with my poor abilities, I will do my utmost to support you. In the case of our worst assumption that you will have to handle the full course instead of just the pastry, please write down everything that you¡¯re going to need. From when you arrive in Fernande to the time when the escortes to pick you up, we¡¯ll gather and utilize every single power that we possess. In the port town of Eba, there¡¯ll definitely be a lot more variety of products than even in the duchy.¡±


    That is very helpful. I¡¯ve taken a look around the marketce once. The things that I want then are my objectives now, to some extent.


    ¡°I¡¯ll borrow your strength then, Faruno. You¡¯re a great help.¡±


    ¡°No, it is caused by Fernande¡¯s carelessness from the start. We¡¯ll naturally do our best to help. Besides, I am Kurt-sama¡¯s wife!¡±


    ¡°Thank you. Then, there¡¯s one thing that I¡¯d like from you. It¡¯s the ingredient that I absolutely need. It¡¯s by no means unreachable with Arnold¡¯s budget, is it okay to borrow Fernande¡¯s strength?¡±


    As a patissier, that ingredient is a single ingredient that I am most familiar with. When I saw it in Eba, I was overjoyed.


    ¡°You absolutely can! Please don¡¯t worry about money!¡±


    I¡¯ll be more confident if I can use that.


    With reassuring words, Faruno and I left the mansion.


    ?


    Since it¡¯s much too sudden, I can¡¯t decide on any recipe at all. In order to anticipate each and every single circumstance, in the end, I¡¯m going to gather all the things that won¡¯t be avable in the Duchess¡¯ domain.


    Walnut oil...... A deluxe oil made from squeezing the plenty nutritious walnut. With this, I can rest assured with the possibility of making rich pastries.


    Honey...... Refreshing honey purely made from raspberry flowers¡¯ nectar. It¡¯s the vor of this fief, the vor of the beginning of myself as a pastry chef.


    Kudzu starch...... The kudzu collected from the spirit vige. Kudzu starch is something that has never appeared in this world. There¡¯s no mistake, it should be a not yet known vor.


    Pinal and paple...... This is also the spirit vige¡¯s harvest. Moreover, these are of exceptionally top quality. If I marinate the pinals in honey, they will exude a different charm to the raw ones.


    These are ingredients to make the pastries. Now, I need to arrange the ingredients to make other meals. In the storehouse behind my house, there¡¯s a rack of venison. The meat is still being dry cured.


    However, what I¡¯m going to use isn¡¯t the dry aged meat, but something hidden in secret, deep in the storehouse.


    ¡°Yosh, found it.¡±


    It¡¯s a piece of elliptical, dry and hard block of dark reddish brown color. I lightly hit the wall with it, and it produces a clear solid thud. The appearance and the sound are both simr to dried bonito kes. This is the so-called <i>shikabushi</i>, venison kes in the block form. It¡¯s an ingredient that recently made its way into French cuisine of modern Earth. It¡¯s the ingredient with umamiponent like dried bonito kes. It¡¯s worth noting that it doesn¡¯t have the fishy stench though.


    <i>Shikabushi</i>, made from the lean meat of venison by the chefs who chose it from all the ingredients that they experimented on through trial and error to get the umamiponent. If I use this, I definitely will be able to produce a wonderful soup stock.


    ¡°Well then, I need to find something that can make use of it.¡±


    While making that monologue, I left the storehouse. Other preparations are still necessary. I promptly gather all the food ingredients that will be my weapons in this battle.


    <strong>Credits: </strong>


    <strong>Isecai¡¯s Notes:</strong>


    The shikabushi. Interestingly this isn¡¯t an ad, but a promotional picture of a Japanese kickstarter campaign: https://.makuake/project/chinzeiya/ I didn¡¯t look too deep into it, but in case you¡¯re wondering. xD

 Volume 3 - 2

    <h4>Chapter 2: The Departure</h4>


    After all that strenuous effort, I somehow managed to finish my preparationste at night. During that time, I also received help from Tina and the others. I didn¡¯t know how it would turn out if I were to do everything by myself.


    ¡°Kurt-sama, the pinalpote and honey marinade are done.¡±


    I asked them to prepare the honey marinated pinal and pinalpote. Pinal, just like peach, is quick to rot. Afterwards, when I think about selling the pastry products using pinal fruits, I have to consider the time needed to transport them, sell to the customers, and from being sold until they are eaten. I certainly can¡¯t sell them fresh at all.


    That¡¯s why, I prolonged their shelf life using honey marinade andpote (boiled in alcohol) methods. Both of them make it possible for longer storage, about a little over two months.


    ¡°Thank you. With this, once we get back home, we can prevent the pinal fruits from beingpletely unusable.¡±


    Another thing to do is to turn the grape-like paple into jam. The current process is done not only because they will be used in the banquet; rather, it¡¯s to prevent the fruits that have been brought here with much effort from rotting and being unusable.


    ¡°You¡¯ve just arrived here with much effort, and yet I made you do all thatbor. Sorry, Chloe.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t fret over it. Uhm, so when Kurt isn¡¯t here, I can make them follow the instructions from Salt who was just introduced to them, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve told Salt what to do. For the elves with water magic arte, I think they will be a truly great help. Since we don¡¯t know how far the usage will take a toll on them, please let them know to tell us immediately when it bes painful.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Siiir. I¡¯ll tell that to Narnata and the others.¡±


    Narnata is one of the elves who came here with Chloe.


    Er, no, hold on. Isn¡¯t there something strange with the conversation just now? The way Chloe spoke, it was as if she would be going along with us to the Duchess¡¯ domain.


    ¡°Chloe, you¡¯re going to stay here, right?¡±


    ¡°Ahaha, what are you saying? Of course I¡¯m going with Kurt.¡±


    Chloeughs in glee.


    ¡°Chloe, I¡¯ve told you the reason why I¡¯m going to the Duchess¡¯ domain, right?¡±


    ¡°Un, I was listening.¡±


    I told Tina and Chloe that tomorrow I would depart in order to take on the responsibility of the banquet that would be hosted by the Duchess. It¡¯s an enormously great honor, but at the same time, if I fail to humor them, it also brings the danger of an instant destruction. For argument¡¯s sake, if I manage to obtain a duke¡¯s signature, I¡¯ll be able to be royally approved to sell to margrave or ducal houses. That kind of value is beyond priceless. However, if I fail, it¡¯s undeniable that I could single-handedly ruin my house. Or even worse damage than that.


    ¡°I do understand. But, I think that I¡¯ll be useful, just like when I helped you process the kudzu with my arte, besides, I¡¯m confident in having discerning eyes about fruits, you know. Take me with you. I¡¯ll be useful.¡±


    There¡¯s a logic to her words. If I can utilize water magic arte, I can make soups and the like in short time. Moreover, I can also process the brown sugar......


    ¡°There are even more benefits, you know. I¡¯m strong, evenpared to others in the spirit vige. You can depend on me if there¡¯s any fights. Besides, water in human towns is stale, right? With elven arte, I can make delicious water. I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be worth it to bring me with you just from this point!¡±


    I¡¯m gradually swayed.


    The water made by elven magic is delicious. I already tasted it in the spirit vige. The Light Snow Silk Crepe probably won¡¯t be that delicious without elven water. In the spirit vige, using that water is a huge part of the reason why the products, the alcohol, and everything else there are delicious. Nice water, I gulp and realize how much I want to produce it on my own.


    Besides, I experimented with the honey-soaked andpote fruits that we made just now. Between my vige¡¯s water and Chloe¡¯s water magic arte, whether they bring out different vors from the fruits or not. The results determined that using the water created by Chloe¡¯s magic arte would make it more delicious.


    ¡°......All right, then. I¡¯ll borrow your strength, Chloe. But frankly, it¡¯s dangerous to bring an elf to a human territory, so I want to avoid it.¡±


    The elf race is so precious that they are called a walking jewel, so it won¡¯t be weird if they are targeted anytime.


    ¡°Thank you for being worried. But, I¡¯m all right. I¡¯m strong. Besides, Kurt, you¡¯ll protect me, right?¡±


    Saying that, Chloees close to give me a hug. I think she has a hugging habit.


    ¡°I got it, I got it. Move away. We¡¯ll go early tomorrow, so please rest ahead of me.¡±


    I tear Chloe off. As for me, there¡¯s a single thing left to do. It¡¯s about the fief¡¯s management while I am absent, and not only for the banquet. I need to tell Salt about the policy, then I have to make the supporting documents.


    Fundamentally, there¡¯s no problem in leaving things to Salt when I¡¯m not around, but if these kind of events keeps happening, it¡¯s better to have some basic procedures. I shall think about that carefully.


    ¡°Pardon me, Kurt-sama.¡±


    Tina hesitates for a bit before calling out to me with her upturned eyes. Is it because of the anxiety? Her fluffy silver colored tail looks a bit wrinkled.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Tina?¡±


    ¡°Please take me with you too! I probably won¡¯t be as useful as Chloe, but I will definitely do my best!¡± She raises her voice.


    I look at her antic, before bitterlyugh.


    ¡°Tina, that¡¯s already a given. I was nning to take you with me from the start, you know?¡±


    ¡°Kurt-sama!¡±


    With twinkles in her eyes, Tina hugs me. Usually she won¡¯t do something like this, but it seems Chloe is rubbing off on her.


    I pat Tina¡¯s head. The softness of her fox ears feel really good.


    ¡°Tina is my important partner, right? I¡¯ll be troubled if you¡¯re not with me.¡±


    Her fire magic arte is convenient, she can make mes and ice only by thinking about it. Because she always lends a hand to me, my cooking skill is high. However, more than that, her presence brings forth courage in me. In front of Tina, I don¡¯t want to show her my uncool side.


    ¡°I¡¯m really no match, huh?¡±


    Looking at Tina¡¯s and my figures, Chloe murmurs in a small whisper. I¡¯m sure that voice didn¡¯t reach Tina.


    ?


    The next morning, after finishing up a series of preparations, we finally depart. Chloe also tags along. She stayed at my house yesterday.


    I left early in the morning, passed the materials to Salt, and held a briefing session. Without a singleint on his face, he listened to my instructions and sent us off. He was always a huge help.


    After cramming all the ingredients, the luggage bes tolerable. When we went out of the house, I can hear the sound of a horse carriage¡¯s gallop.


    ¡°Kurt-sama, I came to send you off.¡± Faruno came with her prized coach. It seems that Volg became the coachman. This time, we¡¯re going simultaneously with Faruno and the butler-cum-guard, Volg. Since Fernande¡¯s fate also depends on this, naturally they have reason toe.


    ¡°Thank you. From Arnold, me, Tina, and the one who had spent some time in this vige from yesterday, Chloe, will depart.¡±


    ¡°I understand about Kurt-sama and Tina-san, but the girl over there wille too?¡±


    Faruno looks in Chloe¡¯s direction suspiciously. Chloe also looks in Faruno¡¯s direction before speaking up.


    ¡°Uhm, you were that person who bullied me when I just arrived at this vigest time, right?¡±


    ¡°That way of remembering is quite vexing.¡±


    Well, Faruno did oppose my decision to go and save the spirit vige when Chloe came here for the first time. However, she provided an incredibly sound argument, so it was wrong to say that it was bullying.


    ¡°Un, I phrased it badly. You weren¡¯t wrong. Let me introduce myself again. I¡¯m Chloe. As thanks for saving the spirit vige, I became Kurt¡¯s possession. Nice to meet you!¡±


    ¡°¡±Wha!?¡±¡±


    Faruno and Tina cried in shock at the same time and turned to me.


    ¡°Chloe, please stop making those kinds of jokes. ......Faruno, because of the incident, I made a long-term transaction trade with the spirit vige. She is our contact person. She also has water magic arte and can help us with one thing or the other, so I¡¯m taking her along.¡±


    Faruno listens to my exnation and returns to her calm expression. Tina¡¯s mouth also turns round in understanding.


    ¡°Cough. So that¡¯s how it is. Chloe-san, please let me introduce myself once again. I¡¯m Faruno Fernande. I¡¯m the third daughter of Margrave Fernande, and Kurt-sama¡¯s fiancee. It¡¯s very nice to meet you.¡±


    ¡°Un, likewise.¡±


    There are delicate sparks between the two of them. I¡¯m not worried at all, though. They seem to march to the same beat. I have that kind of feeling.


    ¡°From Fernande¡¯s side, are there only Faruno and Volg?¡±


    ¡°Yes, from Fernande¡¯s side, the ones who will be visiting the ducal house are me and Volg as my butler-cum-guard. Those who will be joining us from the other side are my father and several other cooks. My father arranged some of the best cooks in the Margraviate of Fernande as Kurt-sama¡¯s assistants.¡±


    There are only a few people here, for a noble excursion. But this is good. A great number of people will only make things moreplicated.


    While carrying our luggage, we departed towards Margrave Fernande¡¯s manor. ¡°There¡¯s the most high-priced, high-speed means of transportation in the world as an escort.¡± from the ducal house. I¡¯m actually looking forward to it, a bit. This is probably my only chance to be able to experience <i>that</i> kind of travelling.


    <strong>Credits: </strong>


    <strong>Isecai¡¯s Notes:</strong>


    It feels so nice being able to go back to UPC after the whole sci-fi shebang. More and more useful peopleing towards Kurt and helping out. It¡¯s okay to build your pastry empire, just make sure it¡¯s not harem, Kurt, lmao.

 Volume 3 - 3

    <h4>Chapter 3: Pastry More Expensive than An Estate</h4>


    Leaving the Arnold fief in the morning, we arrived in the port town of Eba slightly after the sun set. I¡¯ve obtained the license to open a store in Eba, but I think this distance would be a hassle.


    It¡¯ll be better if I have some mode of transportation that¡¯s faster than a coach, though... If I¡¯m solely thinking about the mode of transportation, running with mana will be faster, but the small number of products that can be carried that way will be an issue.


    ¡°Ojousama, Kurt-sama, we can already see the manor.¡±


    Volg, Faruno¡¯s butler-turned-coachman, informed us that we arrived in the Fernande¡¯s manor.


    ¡°We arrived without any problems this time, huh?¡±


    I bitterlyugh.


    Before, in the trip going to this ce, I was miserably assaulted by the bandits. From Arnold¡¯s perspective, that incident enabled me to gain the store opening license and import tax annulment so it leads to our benefits, but I can¡¯t say that the trip went without any trouble.


    ¡°Since then, we have been thoroughly investigating the incident so that there¡¯s no chance of a recurrence. Besides, I am here as well. If they know I¡¯m with someone, usually they won¡¯t attack.¡±


    Volg¡¯s words don¡¯t sound like an empty bluff. He¡¯s a mana wielder, an Ability user, and possesses rich knowledge. He obtained many deeds from the previous war, a weirdly capable person who became Faruno¡¯s butler.


    ¡°True, that. I know much about Volg¡¯s skills, much more than I wish I did.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s only Kurt-sama. You¡¯re the only one who can say that they know my skills. Because the one to whom I¡¯ve shown all of my strength right now is only you.¡±


    Every morning, I train under his guidance. Right now, I still cannot catch up with his prowess. However, I¡¯m confident that I will catch up in just a bit more.


    ¡°Their male bonding is great, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Kurt-sama looks so happy.¡±


    Faruno and Tina looked at my conversation with Volg with envy.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that great, though. Moreover, Faruno. It¡¯s the hometown that you haven¡¯t seen in a while. Don¡¯t you feel nostalgia?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a tiny bit nostalgic. The regr bookstore, cafe. It makes me want to visit them and say hi.¡±


    Faruno looks outside, muttering with deep emotions. ¡°The escort wille two days from now, right? Please enjoy the hometown that you haven¡¯t seen in a while.¡±


    It¡¯s vexing, but Arnold fief,pared to Eba, is only a remote, rural area. It must have been unsatisfying for Faruno, who¡¯s always lived here.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have that much free time, because I need to collect the ingredients for Kurt-sama¡¯s sake.¡±


    ¡°Apologies. But, you¡¯re a great help.¡±


    ¡°I can help and be Kurt-sama¡¯s strength. As your fiancee, I¡¯m proud of it.¡±


    Faruno¡¯s eyes are blooming with the pride that she said. I¡¯m truly grateful that she¡¯s happier to help me out than going to her favorite book store or cafe.


    With that, we arrived at Faruno¡¯s house, the mansion of Margrave Fernande.


    ?


    When we arrived at Fernande¡¯s mansion, we received the summons of Margrave Fernande waiting for me. It says that I have to enter his office room after I¡¯m done refreshing up and making myself look proper.


    Faruno doesn¡¯te with me. She already goes to arrange the ingredients that I wished for. The amount and varieties will definitely need some time to get.


    What I¡¯m asking her for are the things that I definitely can¡¯t obtain in Arnold, the ultra high grade ingredients and all sorts of herbs. Precisely because this is a port town, I¡¯ll be able to get a great variety of herbs from all around the world.


    When I went therest time, I already marked all kinds of herbs that I wished to obtain, ording to my knowledge and adjustment. The depth of the cooking will entirely depend on whether I have those or not.


    ¡°Kurt Arnold-sama, please, this way.¡±


    I¡¯m escorted by the Fernande servants in front of me. Then, one of them knocks on a door, waiting for their master¡¯s reply before sending me in.


    It¡¯s arge office room. Inside, there is Margrave Fernande¡¯s exquisite work desk in the center of the room and a soft looking sofa.


    ¡°You¡¯vee, this is great.¡±


    ¡°I apologize for noting sooner. Margrave Fernande.¡±


    I lower my head deeply. Even though I¡¯m Faruno¡¯s fiancee, at this moment, I¡¯m talking directly with someone who has great influence.


    ¡°Raise your head, please. Your fief seems to be flourishing. Looking at the honey production, I even doubted my eyes. It¡¯s just like magic.¡±


    Currently, my fief¡¯s specialty is beekeeping. Compared to the primitive apiculture in this world, the amount and quality of harvested honey will be entirely different, naturally.


    ¡°Thanks to you, we can somehow manage.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be humble. It¡¯s your own ability. You have shown your best power for a while now, right? The methods to make organic fertilizer that you taught us before, after being implemented in my own territory, yielded a very sessful result, way out of my expectations. I was thoroughly surprised. Then, I also thank you. That girl seems to be having so much fun, by what I can gather from her letters. She must have been enjoying her current life from the bottom of her heart.¡±


    ¡°Likewise, I¡¯ve been relying on Faruno-sama so many times. She¡¯s really excellent.¡±


    It¡¯s only been about three months, but in this short time, she has be an existence that my pioneering vige cannot do without.


    ¡°As a parent, hearing such a rave review of Faruno makes me really proud. ......That, I have troubled Kurt-kun this time. I deeply apologize. I never predicted that the oue could have be this important.¡±


    Margrave Fernande stands up before bowing before me. This man, he doesn¡¯t look like a noble, in a good way. He¡¯s willing to admit his own mistakes.


    ¡°No, this is not Margrave Fernande¡¯s fault. For me, it is also a situation where I can advertise myself, as I wished for in the first ce.¡±


    Being recognized by a ducal house. I wanted that kind of reputation. Regarding the result that backfired, I couldn¡¯t me Margrave Fernande for it.


    ¡°If you say so, I¡¯m relieved. Please, have a seat.¡±


    After being offered, I sit on the sofa right in the middle of the room. It¡¯s a great sofa. It¡¯s soft and feels nice as well.


    Margrave Fernande also sits right in the opposing seat.


    ¡°I take it that you¡¯ve heard from Faruno.¡±


    ¡°Yes. She has told me about a request from Duchess Renalier, my pastry to be presented in the Four Grand Duke¡¯s banquet nine days from now.¡±


    In our empire, there are four grand dukes governing the East, West, South, and North directions. A grand duke is someone with royal blood, but it¡¯s not a simple decorative title. In actuality, the four grand dukes upy the top power of this empire right after the emperor. Duchess Renalier upies the East territory; Margrave Fernande, and of course, the Bar of Arnold, must answer to her.


    ¡°Exactly. In that ce, she ordered for ¡®the best banquet that no one has ever witnessed before¡¯. I meant to apply for a refusal, but it was ultimately denied.¡±


    Margrave Fernande¡¯s face twists in suffering.


    ¡°I truly understand. There¡¯s only one thing that intrigues me in that speech. The food that I must cook, that no one has ever tasted before, is my pastry, isn¡¯t it? Or is it, a full course that no one has ever tasted before?¡±


    Margrave Fernandeughs in all the bitterness. Then, he speaks.


    ¡°Gravely and regretfully, it¡¯s the full course.¡±


    I¡¯ve prepared myself, but still, hearing it confirmed in person shakes me to the core.


    In the restaurant where I worked as the pastry chef in my past life, a patissier is the one responsible for the dessert, thest dish to be presented that will leave the most longsting memory for the customer. In that restaurant, it is the position that requires the highest ability. Plus, in order to be able to pair the best dessert with the full course, the pastry chef has to bepletely familiar with all the dishes in the restaurant. That¡¯s why, I had to master every single dish. I have nock of ability in that department.


    However, after I came to this side, I rarely cooked anything other than pastries. I¡¯m concerned regarding how far my senses have dulled.


    ¡°Of course, I have no intention to push all the responsibility to you. I will have all the most excellent cooks to support you. They are extremely capable.¡±


    The cooks that Margrave Fernande appointed as my support will be very essential. Being employed by Margrave Fernande won¡¯t befit someone without the best talent.


    ¡°Then, I will leave the cooking to them. My focus is simply the pastry, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°No, at most, he can only be your support. It¡¯s not just him. Being the best cooks in this Eba means that they have received training in Duchess Renalier¡¯s domain, in general. To put it bluntly, they won¡¯t be able to make any new dishes that the Duchess has never tasted before.¡±


    That is logical. The further from the capital, theter it could follow thetest trend. Even so, I¡¯m grateful that I can receive the aid of an excellent support.


    ¡°I see...... Then, I will receive him as the extension of my limbs. But is it all right? To trust me. I¡¯m a country bumpkin who was born and raised in the poorest countryside.¡±


    When I say that, he grins.


    ¡°I thoroughly understand that. But still, you can do this, can¡¯t you? Not only your pastry making methods, even your vige management, agriculture, and industry, you showed me how you surpassed their forefront development while being a rural country bumpkin. I, for one, believe in your strength.¡±


    Being told to that extent, I have to answer his expectations. I must survive this ordeal.


    ¡°Still, it was all very sudden, wasn¡¯t it? If only I have about a month, I would¡¯ve been able to prepare everything.¡±


    Preparing the cooking ingredients, if managed poorly, can take more than several months. Having only one week as the whole preparation time, naturally equals to having an unreasonable limitation.


    ¡°I also think that it¡¯s cruel. However, her impatience is understandable.¡±


    Margrave Fernande smiles bitterly.


    ¡°Is it really understandable? I thought that it was simply caused by a stubborn rivalry for sure.¡±


    ¡°You see, that person, she¡¯s not someone who will abuse her power out of stubbornness. ......Right now, the aristocrats of this empire are split cleanly into two factions, the royal and the noble. Many are leaning towards the noble faction. As someone from the royal faction, she must have wished to increase her influence, no matter by how much. The banquet where the four Grand Dukes attend will be a valid method for such disy.¡±


    Frankly, I don¡¯t have that aha moment. From this talk about politics, I can¡¯t decide anything without experiencing the atmosphere in that ce by myself, as I thought.


    ¡°And which one does Margrave Fernande belong to?¡±


    ¡°I try to be neutral, but still leaning towards the royal faction.¡±


    ¡°I see, that means loyalty and respect to the empire, right?¡±


    ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t equal to that notion. It¡¯s simply about different opinions. The royal faction wants to use the empire¡¯s resources to enrich the current empire, while the noble faction wishes to use the resources to invade other kingdoms and pige their resources. The group of the noble faction wishes for newnd, which is also for the sake of increasing their resources. Compared to developing their current territory, it is indeed more effortless.¡±


    Margrave Fernande exins it in a simple way that I can digest.


    ¡°So that¡¯s how it is. But what intrigues me is the reason why Margrave Fernande avoids war. Rather, isn¡¯t it a good opportunity to raise your reputation, with your strength?¡±


    A chill runs down my spine.


    There¡¯s a dark light dwelling inside Margrave Fernande¡¯s eyes. That¡¯s an endlessly deep darkness.


    ¡°It¡¯s simple. If I do it that way, I won¡¯t win. ......Those who experienced the previous war, those who stood and fought on the front lines, everyone knows this. It¡¯s bad for me, as the possessor of the greatest military power in the east to say this, though. It¡¯s unthinkable tounch an assault from here. It will only bring death to those soldiers for nothing. As one would expect, it¡¯s easy to be intercepted with a homnd advantage whileunching an attack. If an assault isunched from here, it will waste the resources in vain, while appearing suspicious as well.¡±


    He doesn¡¯t excessively overestimate or underestimate the enemy. If he says so, it means he¡¯s certain about it.


    ¡°Kurt-kun, personally speaking, I wish that you can lend your strength to help Duchess Renalier. I fully understand that it¡¯s impossible to stop a war simply with the power of a pastry. However, by increasing the influence of Duchess Renalier who belongs to the royal faction, it will be one of the powers that will stop the war.¡±


    ¡°I see now. I understand. I will devote all of my power. If I may speak bluntly, I didn¡¯t have the motivation to do this because I thought was going to be involved in the selfishness of a hysterical woman. However, if there¡¯s such reason, I will cooperate.¡±


    From the bottom of my heart, I can feel power seething up. And with that vigor, I speak.


    ¡°First and foremost, if there¡¯s a war, I will definitely be troubled due to being sent to the front lines. In that kind of situation, I won¡¯t have the time to make my pastries. Compared to cooking for the enemy camp, I prefer to cook for the sake of the Duchess.¡±


    I wonder if my joke hits the bull¡¯s eye, because Margrave Fernande raises his voice andughs. In that kind of moment, someone forcefully opens the door.


    ¡°Kurt-sama, I¡¯ve obtained it. The most important thing from your request, that!¡±


    The one who appears is Faruno. There¡¯s a cloth bag in her hand. I can hear a jingling sound, simr to rubbing beans.


    ¡°Faruno, it¡¯s improper. You even surprised Kurt-kun, you know.¡±


    ¡°I apologize. Otousama. ......But, I cannot possibly stay still.¡±


    Faruno lowers her head and heads in my direction. Then, she opens the cloth bag on my palm. There¡¯s a rich fragrance, the nostalgic fragrant that even appears in my dreams. I open my eyes, and put my hand in the cloth. There¡¯s a long, slender, reddish brown bean in my hand.


    ¡°Thank you, Faruno. You¡¯ve done well by finding this.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it was truly difficult. But, Kurt-sama. This is truly expensive. This one small bag can buy arge house.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s definitely worth it. ......Margrave Fernande, have you seen this?¡±


    ¡°I have seen that before, but I haven¡¯t eaten it.¡±


    I¡¯m relieved. If even Margrave Fernande is only that acquainted with this, despite him living in the port town with abundant types of ingredients across the sea, then...


    There¡¯s no mistake. Duchess Renalier will see this for the first time.


    The true culprit behind this ingredient that has to be imported from across the sea and cannot be cultivated in this continent, is......


    ¡°This is called Cacao. By using this, I will show you that I can make the best cake in existence.¡±


    The King of Chocte Cake, that¡¯s how we called the cake we arranged as the specialty of the restaurant back then. There were guests from the overseas who deliberately came to eat my cake, my pride, the alpha of the full course.


    That¡¯s what I¡¯m making.

 Volume 3 - 4

    <h4>Chapter 4: Dragon Carriage</h4>


    After my conversation with Margrave Fernande ended, I returned to my designated room to find the cute silver haired foxkin Tina and the pretty golden haired elf Chloe were engaged in a chat. ¡°Tina, you¡¯re cheating. I want to be with Kurt too.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t speak like that, please return to the room that has been prepared for you.¡± Lately, these two are often seen ying around with each other. For Tina, there¡¯s no one who she can argue with carelessly. So it makes my quite happy. In this way, I can see the cute side of Tina who acts like her own age. ¡°What happened, you two?¡± When they heard my voice, they turned this way. ¡°Kurt-sama, Chloe is just being selfish.¡± ¡°But, but, it¡¯s lonely to be left alone by my friends.¡± After attentively listening to their words, I can conclude that they¡¯re arguing over the room allocation. Tina and I upy therge room for spouses that we used thest time we came here, whereas Chloe is in a single room. I see now, so that¡¯s the beginning of those lines. ¡°In that case, why doesn¡¯t Chloe move in here too? There are only two beds, but Tina and I always sleep together so it¡¯s already one too many.¡± ¡°.....Kurt, hold on there for a second.¡± Chloe suddenly stares right at me with a nk look on her face. ¡°Kurt and Tina always sleep together?¡± While being visibly shaken, Chloe asks the question while looking beet red. ¡°We always sleep together.¡± Even when Chloe stayed in my house, she didn¡¯t realize it because she was staying in the guestroom. I slept with Tina that day too, though, just like always. Because, when I hug Tina, I feel so good that I can sleep. ¡°So the two of you have that kind of rtionship between man and woman.¡± Chloe looks at me and Tina in session, while she blushes even deeper. Huh, it seems that she¡¯s misunderstanding something here. ¡°That¡¯s not it. It¡¯s just sleeping together. Literally. Tina used to suffer from terrible loneliness a long time ago. She said that the night was scary. Just like that, we kept on doing that until now.¡± I¡¯m recalling the Tina at that time, it makes my mood turn more pleasant. Tina covers her reddening face in embarrassment. ¡°Phew, I was so shocked. I thought that the two of you have stepped on the stairs of adulthood, you know?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say such a weird thing out of nowhere! I was shocked too, just now!¡± Tina¡¯s fox ears stand up in a ping while bellowing loudly. It¡¯s just that, for me, I¡¯d like to do something like that sooner, but, well, let¡¯s wait for the opportunity without rushing it. If I do something like that against her will, our rtionship will turn sour and that will be the worst mistake tomit. ¡°In any case, if you don¡¯t want to be alone, feel free to use the bed. Just don¡¯t fight, okay?¡± ¡°Thanks! Then, I¡¯ll take your word for that.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay to be more reserved, actually.¡± Chloe looks overjoyed, while Tina looks a bit disappointed. Now, it¡¯s time to get into the main topic. ¡°The two of you, listen to me. Until just now, I was in a conversation in Margrave Fernande¡¯s office, but as I thought, it seems that I wouldn¡¯t be responsible only for the pastry, but for the whole banquet.¡± The two of them gulps soundly. I know that they¡¯ll understand how grave this situation is. ¡°Of course I will put my best effort into it, but I¡¯m going to ask the two of you to lend me your strength. Can I rely on you?¡± ¡°Of course you can, Kurt!¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to say it, Kurt-sama!¡± They both are brimming with spirit. Chloe, with her water magic arte, and Tina, with her fire magic arte, I will borrow their strength properly. The both of them will definitely be a huge advantage. ¡°Then, the first thing tomorrow is that I¡¯ll have you help me with the ingredients¡¯ preparations. There are ingredients that need to be fermented for one week first. If we prepare it tomorrow, we can make it in time.¡± The one thing I¡¯m making is the sauce that I will use in my meat main dish. I want to be able to prepare that here, at least. Besides, there¡¯s also the chocte production. Originally, chocte needs to take 3-4 weeks after the process before it can be used. However, the fermentation is possible to be sped up using the power of [Recovery]. It can boost a human¡¯s metabolism. I¡¯m sure it can be utilized in that way too. Exining my instructions for tomorrow takes us deep into the night. Just before we sleep, there was Chloe who intended to get into the bed of Tina and I, and Tina who defends it severely. Basically, it¡¯s a peaceful night. ? It has been two days since I arrived in the Margraviate of Fernande. I¡¯ve been borrowing the strength of others; Tina¡¯s and Chloe¡¯s, obviously, but also Margrave Fernande¡¯s cooks, all to prepare the ingredients that needed to be prepared. When the afternoones, I¡¯ll depart to Duchess Renalier¡¯s domain. I¡¯m already dressed for the asion. I¡¯m running through everything on my list so many times, especially the super important chocte that we produced from the cacao and the earthenware pot that contains the special sauce that will be used in the main dish. I¡¯m bringing all the ingredients that I wished for. However, there¡¯s another thing that I¡¯d like to have. I intend to look around for that in the Duchess¡¯ dukedom instead. And then, the escorts have finally arrived. They came from the sky. ¡°What a spectacle.¡±


    <figure id="attachment_15882" ss="wp-caption alignnone" data-shortcode="caption"><figcaption ss="wp-caption-text">Kurt (LN): ¡°I¡¯ve heard the rumors, but seeing the real thing really takes some nerves.</figcaption></figure>


    ¡°Yes. (Even I have only traveled with it a few times). Someday, I¡¯d like to have one of those in my territory as well.¡± Together with Margrave Fernande, I look up to the sky. There¡¯s a dragon up there. Not the long and slender type of Eastern dragon, it¡¯s the Western dragon. Dragon carriage is the most luxurious mode of transportation in this world. By being drawn by a dragon, the speed and stability are guaranteed. Using that means that the travel to Duchess Renalier¡¯s dukedom that will take up more than half a month by a horse carriage, will only take up half a day. In Duchess Renalier¡¯s territory, there¡¯s a vige, the only vige in the world, that breeds dragons as well as trains them. Like that, the dragons are used as mode of transportation for humans and cargo. ¡°If it¡¯s Margrave Fernande, I¡¯m sure it can be purchased, right?¡± ¡°With the current finances, well, it can be, somehow.¡± As a distinguished man of wealth, he still said that he could manage it. There¡¯s no mistake, that means it must¡¯ve had an astronomical price. ¡°Kurt-kun. The problem is the waiting period, you know. With a skilled breeder, it still needs to be reared for twenty years from a hatchling before it can be used. If it¡¯s not a hatchling, it seems that they won¡¯t be emotionally attached to humans. Acquiring a dragon¡¯s hatchling is already difficult to begin with. Before they¡¯re fifty years old, they can¡¯ty an egg.¡± That¡¯s a really long time to speak about. The demand for dragon carriages is higher than a mountain. It¡¯s impossible to fulfill each and every demand out there. ¡°I see. More than that, the aircraft drawn by the dragon is also something that I¡¯m intrigued with.¡± I see the blimp, and it doesn¡¯t seem like something easily produced. ¡°The manufacturing process of that is also being kept a secret, it seems. I think the method has something to do with Magic, though.¡± Usually, a blimp is something rtively light enough to be filled with gas, but it¡¯s difficult to do with the level of technology in this world. Originally, it floats with the heat from the gas, but it should be different. It can stabilize the movement. Chloe, who has been looking up to the sky at the same moment, has started talking. ¡°That is Wind Magic Arte, isn¡¯t it? There¡¯s no mistake. We elves are sensitive to magic, so I can tell.¡± ¡°That should be appropriate, considering the height it goes to. Besides, that kind of continuous supply, can it be provided by human?¡± ¡°......There are also the issues of materials and blueprints. But, I don¡¯t want to say it. I don¡¯t really feel good about it. That kind of thing. It¡¯s disgusting.¡± Chloe stares at the blimp with a grim face. It seems that something nags in her head. The blimp and the dragon descends to the ground. After that, the men who followed Duchess Renalier¡¯smand toe here also headed over in my direction. There¡¯s a slender and tall man, with a shorter, yet buffer man. From their attires, at least, they don¡¯t look likemoners. ¡°We¡¯vee to escort you, Margrave Fernande, next Bar of Arnold.¡± They lightly bow at Margrave Fernande and I. ¡°If you¡¯re bringing any luggage, we will be loading them, with your permission.¡± ¡°That is unnecessary. There is a lot of cargo that needs to be handled with care, so do let my subordinates to take care of it. Please bear witness to the process.¡± ¡°We understand, Margrave Fernande. Then, anytime you wish.¡± With that, the luggage is loaded one after another, then we climb into the blimp. The dragon ps its wings, lifts the blimp up, and starts to travel through the sky.


    <strong>Credits: </strong>


    <strong>Isecai¡¯s Notes:</strong> Kurt says that fermenting cacao fruit to cocoa beans will take 3-4 weeks, but on a Google glimpse I find that you only need 2-7 days.  But maybe he¡¯s talking about processing the beans until it can be used as baking chocte as well. About the title. <i>Ryusha </i>is literally written with kanji of dragon and transportation. However, the direct trantion is actually ¡°imperial carriage¡±. I imagine that since the emperor is hailed as ¡°the dragon¡±, they used the kanji for several things to symbolize the imperial standing. However, since it¡¯s emphasized that the dragon is of Western kind, I retain the ¡°Dragon¡± trantion. I can be mistaken so feel free to correct me if I¡¯m wrong. ^w^ (It also has another meaning that¡¯s less relevant to this context, which is a part of a pagoda.) In case you¡¯re wondering, Faruno¡¯s father¡¯s name is Alfred Fernande. And the picture contains a talk that¡¯s added in the LN. (I¡¯m not looking for the differences, though. Just those relevant to the insert pics!)

 Volume 3 - 5

    <h4>Chapter 5: Duchess Renalier</h4>


    The sky travel was somewhatfortable. It doesn¡¯t shake at all, so no one feels nauseous.


    I thought that the wind and clouds would affect the situation, but the dragon repels them. The dragon doesn¡¯t just fly with its wings, it flies with the power of Magic too. Moreover, it flies while repelling the wind. The circumference of the dragon is windless, and the blimp that the dragon pulls also receives the same benefit.


    Looking at the blimp, I can understand why Chloe felt disgusted. The source of this dynamic force is a jade jewel. I recognized the feeling on my skin.


    I should give a present to Chloeter on. I want to apologize for giving her an unpleasant memory on our trip.


    A plot ofndrge enough to receive thending of the dragon can only be located in the outskirts of the town. Once we descended there, we transferred to a regr coach.


    I¡¯m shocked when I see the townscape. This town is the citadel of Duchess Renalier¡¯s Duchy, M?r (¥Þ©`¥é¥ë). Saying that it¡¯s elegant is an underestimation. The energy and amount of people here are inferior to Eba that Margrave Fernande governs, but it¡¯s really organized, and I can feel each and every aesthetic in them. Those who live here must have been the topmost elite, and the umted long history in this town draws the town¡¯s charm.


    ¡°Looking at this makes me realize what a country bumpkin I am.¡±


    ¡°Kurt-kun. I can¡¯t say I don¡¯t understand your feelings. I can¡¯t imitate the style¡¯s height and atmosphere here.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. But still, I very much prefer Eba. It has more passion.¡±


    The gap between the rich and the poor in Eba is wide. It¡¯s a melting pot of every single possible thing in the world, where people are getting reced one after another. Therefore, it¡¯s a gathering of the upstarts. That very same high energy is what gives strength to the whole town.


    ¡°The way you said that makes me really happy. We should arrive in the Duchess¡¯ estate soon. Keep yourself nice and steady.¡±


    With that, we arrived at Duchess Renalier¡¯s estate atst. I was already surprised when I saw Margrave Fernande¡¯s manor, but this exceeded that time.


    The estate is built with profound brickwork, while the yard is so vast, and yet being minutely detailed in every nook and corner. The craftsmen¡¯s sensitivity left no stones undone, it¡¯s an impableyout. I¡¯m a bit overwhelmed.


    It¡¯s necessary to have a wide coach¡¯sne in the yard. While enjoying the beautiful yard, the coach continues to gallop forth. Even the margrave¡¯s daughter, Faruno, who should have gotten used to this kind of thing, is actually so fascinated that she¡¯s speechless.


    On the opposite side, Tina and Chloe don¡¯t seem to have much interest. I heard from them that the handiwork was too unnatural and that they much preferred the beauty of the raspberry garden in my vige.


    It must have been their sense of aesthetics as an elf and a <ruby>foxkin</ruby> who live along with nature.


    ?


    After we arrived in the estate, we are escorted to the room where we¡¯ll be staying. I heard that they didn¡¯t provide extra arrangements for the servants, so I look at Tina and Chloe. Those faces tell me that they¡¯d rather us to be together, pleading, even.


    Among the nobles, there are those who feel restless without being constantly apanied with their servants and guards, so it¡¯s easily eptable.


    The room arranged for me isn¡¯t a room, as in a single bedroom in a hotel. Topare it to Japan¡¯s scale, it should be like 4LDK apartment. It¡¯s huge, and all the furnishings are first grade.


    ¡°We¡¯re being well received, aren¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s an amazing room.¡±


    ¡°Un, it¡¯s so amazing that I can¡¯t say anything else.¡±


    Even if it¡¯s by mistake, it¡¯s not a room that will be arranged for a bar¡¯s heir. If a bar is invited to a party, the lodging? Yeah, the lodging has to be arranged on his own, usually speaking.


    So, having this kind of room arranged as if I¡¯m the guest of honor must be due to the high anticipation on their behalf.


    Tina and Chloe¡¯s eyes are sparkling with curiosity, as they look around restlessly.


    ¡°Both of you, you can do anything you want except for breaking things.¡±


    As I say so, they start to shout in unison.


    ¡°Kurt-sama, this bed is so soft!¡±


    ¡°Look! There are lots of pretty clothes in the closet! I wonder if we can wear them.¡±


    ¡°Over here, there are fruits.¡±


    ¡°The tea served here smells sooo good!¡±


    If it¡¯s not me, looking at the un-servant-like behavior from the two of them will probably make that person mad, but for me, I¡¯m having fun seeing them being happy about all of this.


    But, we have no time. Soon, I¡¯ll be called for an audience. I have to prepare myself to be as presentable as possible.


    ?


    The presentable me is now waiting together with Faruno and Volg for Duchess Renalier while looking at the audience hall. As a duchess, it¡¯s natural for her to have that kind of room. Margrave Fernande has long gone ahead of us. As the first one, it seems there are things that shall not be spoken with me in the room.


    Actually, I¡¯m not interested in that at all. As a duchess and a margrave, they must have subjects to discuss between them.


    ¡°Kurt-sama, those clothes are very suitable for you.¡±


    ¡°These are the only clothes that I have that can be presentable in front of the Duchess, though.¡±


    I¡¯m wearing the clothes that I previously received from Margrave Fernande for the engagement party. With this, my attire shouldn¡¯t draw any ire, I suppose.


    ¡°Likewise, Faruno. That dress you¡¯re wearing for the first time really fits you. White dress and pink hair. I like the fluffy princess-like dress, but a smoothly falling dress like this looks just as beautiful.¡±


    Faruno is in a white dress that looks refreshing. Compared to the usual, it entuates her silhouette better. It¡¯s a rare sight from Faruno, who prefers cute and fluffy designs.


    ¡°To be called beautiful, oh my. Kurt-sama, you¡¯re quite the charmer.¡±


    Faruno bashfully holds both of her cheeks.


    Behind her, there¡¯s Volg who seems to be on the verge of smiling while looking at us. I think it makes me embarrassed too.


    ¡°Have you ever met with Duchess Renalier before, Faruno?¡±


    ¡°A few times, or so to say, but they were before she became the Duchess. We were close in age, thus there were many asions as such.¡±


    ¡°Before she became the Duchess?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s justifiable if Kurt-sama didn¡¯t have any previous knowledge regarding this. The previous Duke** Renalier was killed in the previous war. Afterwards, the current Duchess Renalier¡¯s brother was supposed to be the sessor, but he died due to an illness two years before that, and the only person who inherited the bloodline was the current Duchess Renalier.¡±


    The circumstances of the upper side of the society barely reaches a backwater region like Arnold. I did think that it was unusual for a woman to be the family head; I see that there were those kind of circumstances.


    ¡°It must have been tough for her if she¡¯s around your age, Faruno.¡±


    ¡°Yes, she¡¯s only 18 now. Holding a duke¡¯s responsibility at that age isn¡¯t something that I can even begin to imagine.¡±


    Frankly, I¡¯m shuddering as I think of myself in that position. Shouldering the weight of a bar and a duchy is too vastly different.


    ¡°.....Although she was that young, she expanded the duchy all at once. My father haspletely acknowledged herpetency, even going as far as saying that she¡¯s a beast. She¡¯s someone I really admire.¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s someone Margrave Fernande acknowledges, she¡¯s unmistakably excellent, then.¡±


    ¡°People of whom Father unreservedly praises, including Kurt-sama, can be counted with one hand.¡±


    In that case, I can¡¯t show any weak spots. I shall brace myself and go in.


    We received Duchess Renalier¡¯s summons and went into the audience hall, but Margrave Fernande had already been talking with Duchess Renalier there.


    Duchess Renalier is a woman who is younger than I thought, with beautiful dark blonde hair. The extravagant dress she is d in feels ssy instead of gaudy.


    The duchess is sitting on a throne that is slightly higher than the rest of the room, talking to Margrave Fernande who has been standing right in the center of the audience hall. I can hear what they are talking about, but the main topic must have ended earlier.


    Faruno and I walk until we reach Margrave Fernande¡¯s side, then we kneel there. It¡¯s not allowed to start the conversation from our side, so we¡¯re waiting for her to speak first.


    ¡°You¡¯vee from afar, Faruno Fernande, Bar of Arnold¡¯s heir. We are truly grateful for your answer to the sudden call.¡±


    ¡°It is our honor to offer our measly power for the sake of thisnd¡¯s future, Your Grace.¡±


    It¡¯s impossible toin about it, so I nod.


    ¡°Arise. I see now, you are Kurt Arnold. You have a good face indeed. Intelligent and confident. A person whom Margrave Fernande cherishes. I can understand his desire to im you as his own.¡±


    ¡°Margrave Fernande has truly treated me well.¡±


    ¡°Have you heard about the reason for this call to summon you?¡±


    ¡°I have heard about the banquet of the four Grand Duke¡¯s gathering that will be held a week from now, and the necessity to serve a new, delicious full course that no one has ever experienced before on that asion.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s exactly the case. I take it that you have also understood about the circumstances?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Grace.¡±


    I recall the talk that I had with Margrave Fernande. The opposition between the imperial faction who wants to stop warring, and the noble faction who wants to go to war. In order to increase the influence of the imperial faction, it¡¯s necessary to show the faction¡¯s strength in this banquet. I thought that it was a simple banquet before, but it wasn¡¯t strange to have that kind of underlying issue. For example, in Austria, pastries were the weapons of their diplomacy. They are famous for the great dining diplomacy using the famous imperial pastry of Vienna.


    ¡°I wish to stop a war. And for that reason, I¡¯m borrowing your strength. I wonder if you, whoes from the spear wielding family of Arnold, actually prefers a war more?¡±¡±


    There¡¯s some truth to that. Originally, the first generation of Arnold was amoner who gained his rank with a single spear; my father also became famous from his participation in the war, gaining a medal of honor, and restoring the former strength of Arnold using that medal of honor.


    However......


    ¡°It¡¯s only until my father¡¯s generation. I will raise my standing through the power of pastries, not spear. A war is definitely unnecessary.¡±


    That is the vow of my dream. I dered it to my people the moment I was crowned as the heir of the feudal lord. I cannot break those words. If there¡¯s a war, it will take so much time that I don¡¯t even have.


    ¡°You are interesting. So you¡¯re saying that instead of a warrior, you¡¯re a cook. Yes, even to the extent of throwing away the Arnolds¡¯ valor.¡±


    ¡°It is indeed true that I¡¯m not a warrior, but I¡¯m not a cook either. I¡¯m a <ruby>pastry chef<rt>p a t i s s i e r</rt></ruby>.¡±


    When the duchess hears my words, her eyes turn round and sheughs. Then, someone who uses that moment to drive another attack appears. It¡¯s Volg.


    ¡°Your Grace, let me humbly say in this moment. We will be troubled if our young master is undervalued. Indeed, Kurt-sama is a <ruby>pastry chef<rt>p a t i s s i e r</rt></ruby>, but he didn¡¯t throw away his valor. His military strength has even exceeded this humble self. He also possesses excellent governing skills, and his cooking skills should not be even mentioned. He¡¯s a <ruby>pastry chef<rt>p a t i s s i e r</rt></ruby> who is able to fight on this political stage with his cooking.¡±


    Chills run down my back as I think of the double meaning there. While I¡¯m being highly praised by Volg, he¡¯s also the one who caused these chills. Naturally, someone who¡¯s not even an aristocrat like him wouldn¡¯t be allowed to speak in this ce.


    ¡°How absurd, aren¡¯t those too many talents?¡±


    And yet, Duchess Renalier is only chuckling, without rebuking him at all.


    ¡°Volg, it¡¯s been a while. The hero of thest Great War is still ying pretend as the butler, I see.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not ying pretend. I truly take pride as Faruno-sama¡¯s butler.¡±


    ¡°I see, so you don¡¯t intend to return home at all?¡±


    ¡°At the very least, not until Faruno-sama gets married, rears a child, and that child bes independent.¡±


    ¡°......And at that time, both you and me will be thinking about our retirement, won¡¯t we? I see, I understand this man doesn¡¯t only get approval from Margrave Fernande, but also from you. How exciting.¡±


    Duchess Renalier looks at me with heated anticipation. Such a terrifyingly intense pair of eyes.


    ¡°Bar of Arnold¡¯s heir. From today onwards, your preparation shall begin. However, in order to spur your spirit, we shall talk about your merit early. You may expect something good. I will reward you with a favor.¡±


    I gulp. A good reward to be expected from the duchess. There¡¯s no way it¡¯s something measly.


    ¡°First, the pastry that you are going to sellter on. You may specify all of them as Duchess Renalier¡¯s appointed purveyor¡¯s goods.¡±


    That¡¯s a great remuneration. Duchess Renalier will only recognize the highest quality goods. Being recognized by her will make the nobles from all around the empire to gather. Besides, I will have the appeal of having the duchess as my backer. In the trade of the whole empire, this is the most convenient reputation that one can get.


    ¡°Next, my M?r town¡¯s secret recipes. You are authorized to ess all of them for your perusal.¡±


    That also makes me overjoyed. The art of baking in this world isn¡¯t advanced, but it¡¯s still refined over time by those who lived in this world. There has to be a pile of secret arts and discoveries that I don¡¯t know about.


    ¡°Regarding your fief, you are exempted from taxes for three years. You shall use the leftover funds for the advancement of the Arnold fief.¡±


    Three years exemption of taxes. Now this is truly good. Frankly speaking, it¡¯s more effective than temporarily being granted some hard cash. Taxes will increase along with the ie. With it being exempted, I can put my full effort towards earning as much as I can without anything to worry about.


    ¡°Have you be spirited yet?¡±


    ¡°I already am.¡±


    This is the best thing to gain for the sake of Arnold¡¯s development.


    ¡°Then let us conclude our negotiations. It is about time; let me invite you for dinner. For now, I wish that you will get acquainted with the skills of my cooks. Moreover, I wish that you will sincerely think that ¡°It¡¯s the bare minimum standard, so can my cooking surpass this?¡±.¡±


    ¡°And if I cannot?¡±


    ¡°I will have you return home. You won¡¯t be punished for going home at this point...... however, it will still be regretful. If you fail this trial, you will be stamped with a disqualifying letter, both as a pastry chef and as a cook. Therefore, advance with caution.¡±


    This is a trial. If I¡¯m thinking about a safety n, it is probably better if I fail here. By failing, I will be able to escape the obligation of this banquet. A letter of disqualification is way more preferable than dragging mud across her face in front of the four Grand Dukes.


    However, I don¡¯t have any intention to fail, because this is a battle with my pride as a pastry chef at stake. I shall advance with all my strength.


    <strong>Credits: </strong>


    <strong>Isecai¡¯s Notes:</strong>


    Ah, the dark side of the world. ? I¡¯m sure the jade jewel doesn¡¯te as a gift of thanks like Kurt¡¯s. Congrats for one of the readers who got this right. ?


    4LDK means a space with 4 bedrooms, a living room, a dining room, and a kitchen. It¡¯s huge for an apartment.


    Anyone else getting Renalier x Faruno possibility here? Renalier x Volg? Why is there no illustration of Volg at all, so far!?

 Volume 3 - 6

    <h4>Chapter 6: Kurt Arnold, The Cook</h4>


    The room arranged for the dinner is naturally extravagantly gorgeous. We are summoned there.


    As expected, Volg is considered a servant and not summoned here. He, along with Tina and Chloe, have their food arranged in a separate room.


    The ones inside this room are Duchess Renalier, Margrave Fernande, Faruno, me, and another person who seems to be the chef of this ducal house. He res at me with a sullen look.


    ¡°In this ce, we¡¯re going to be treated to the best full course that our Renalier house alone can afford. This is a trial, but please think of it as a reference for the full course that you will be performing as well.¡±


    That is indeed the case. I didn¡¯t have the proper experience of eating the full course meal of this world. I want to make sure how exactly it is different to what I was familiar with.


    ¡°Then, let us begin.¡±


    Duchess Renalier snaps her fingers. When she does, the first course is arranged in front of us.


    ¡°First, the appetizer. I forgot to tell you about it, but please make sure to only finish halfter.¡±


    Arranged on a white te, there are raw ham slices, so thin thay they¡¯re translucent, being on top of cheese, with a sauce of saut¨¦ shellfish, simr to scallops.


    I promptly enjoy my te. The ingredients are great. The cheese is suitably aged, the dry cured ham is seasoned with salt, and the scallops are truly fresh, it must have been caught today.


    ¡°How is it?¡±


    ¡°The ingredients are great. However, there are some issues about the cooking method.¡±


    ¡°Do borate.¡±


    ¡°The cheese and ham cannot achieve harmony, and this is too heavy for an appetizer. It will be better if the cheese is half as thick, I suppose. Then, the shellfish are slightly overcooked. This reduces the savory vor of the shellfish. As an appetizer, I think it¡¯s better to cook it by steaming instead of pan frying. Moreover, the sauce has a lot of grease and tastes too strong. In order to showcase the savory vor of the shellfish, we can use a sweeter kind of oil.¡±


    ¡°I see, I understand. Go to the kitchen and make an improved dish from those you have pointed out.¡±


    ¡°Wha,¡±


    I¡¯m taken aback, obviously. Is this what she meant by a trial? If I tell her the right thing, she could have felt embarrassed on the spot. Besides, saying that we can only eat half earlier, did she already expect to eat my improved dish?


    ¡°It should be fine. Then I shall excuse myself for a moment.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for waiting.¡±


    Afterpleting the dish in the kitchen I was escorted to, I have now returned. I was pierced by countless stares when I entered the kitchen.


    Well, that should be a given. They seem to have heard about a new, outsider cook that Duchess Renalier brought in because they were too timid and disappointing.


    ¡°It¡¯s faster than I expected.¡±


    ¡°Because it¡¯s a simple dish.¡±


    I only sliced the fresh ham and cheese thinly. I paid more meticulous attention to the scallop-like ingredient; I barely heated it up by steaming it, then used a sauce from stirring vinegar, herbs, salt, and a tiny amount of wine together.


    ¡°There are things that just like what you said. Especially the shellfish, it¡¯s great. The juice from the shellfish itself is fully locked in; the acidity in the sauce is highlighting the sweetness. Wonderful. This is truly an appetizer.¡±


    ¡°Saut¨¦ technique with the butter isn¡¯t a bad cooking method in itself. However, it will make the savory vor of the shellfish run out, and be too strong to be an appetizer. In that point, the pan-covering method will lock all the vor in. If the shellfish¡¯s quality is good on its own like the ones you have here, the sweetness of the shellfish will determine the result.¡±


    Duchess Renalier nods.


    ¡°What do you thing, Head Chef Venaritta?¡±


    ¡°......I cannot find any reason to disapprove the youngster. Indeed, as an appetizer, the one that he made is more delicious.¡±


    He¡¯s still wearing his sullen expression, but when it¡¯s about recognizing a dish, it seems that he¡¯s a man with arge heart.


    The next dish to be served is the soup. I recognize the vor of beef bone broth and vegetables from the stock.


    ¡°Bar of Arnold¡¯s heir, how about this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a nice soup. However, it seems that there are too many herbs used to cover the bad smell. The method of the scum removal step is somewhat crude. It clouds the vor...... and I¡¯ll say it just in case, but even I don¡¯t have any method to improve the soup in a short time.¡±


    I can¡¯t make the same soup without boiling it down for more than half a day. Even for me, it¡¯s still impossible, naturally.


    ¡°I understand. Head chef, what do you have to say about this?¡±


    ¡°There is no mistake. The smell is slightly too pungent. Besides...... Sorry, but this is my mistake. The one being responsible was careless. I will have them fired.¡±


    ¡°Can you do that for me? I intended to designate it for the real banquet. If in the real performance the cook continues being negligent, I have no need of you.¡±


    It sounds harsh, but she¡¯s speaking a sound argument.


    ¡°Now, then, we shall continue on to the next dish.¡±


    After the granita in between to cleanse our pte, we continued to have the fish and meat dishes served afterwards. I pointed out the problematic points within and how to improve them.


    The improved dishes that I brought in seemed to satisfy Duchess Renalier, while the head chef became all the more sullen. It seems we won¡¯t have any desserts.


    It means that there¡¯s nothing to doubt about my skills in that area, so there¡¯s no meaning to hold a test there.


    ¡°You have shown us your skills. You identified the problematic points of the dishes in session impromptu, then how to improve them. How horrifying. I initially thought that it would be fine to serve the full course in the real banquet before you improved them.¡±


    I seem to have triumphed over Duchess Renalier¡¯s expectations, because she seems to be in a good mood.


    ¡°I think it is better to stop assuming in that direction. Itpletely misses the fundamental points of a full course meal. A minute improvement won¡¯t enable it to be the best course.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve said an interesting thing. How does it miss the points?¡±


    ¡°Thest dishes of oxtail stew, as well as tuna meuni¨¨re before. The line up is unsatisfactory.¡±


    ¡°And why is that?¡±


    ¡°The both of them tasted too strong. The fish dish needs to be lighter. If it¡¯s going to lead to the ox tail stew, the fish dish needs to be more refreshing, in my opinion. Moreover, there¡¯s still the desserts afterwards, especially if the desserts are meant to be on the richer side in the preparation.¡±


    At the beginning, I was bewildered by the greasy fatty cut of the tuna meuni¨¨re when it was served. The cooking method of meuni¨¨re is meant to avoid the fatty cut of tuna to begin with. I improved it by choosing the red lean meat, but even that was still too heavy tasting.


    ¡°I have learned a lot. In that case, the full course has to be reinvented from the scratch.¡±


    After Duchess Renalier said that, I heard a rattling noise.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡±


    The head chef is standing while ring at me.


    ¡°I recognized your talent. Your tongue, knowledge, they¡¯re amazing. But what you are doing is only finding faults in our dishes. You haven¡¯t shown us your skills at all!¡±


    ¡°That is indeed the case. We don¡¯t have the opportunity for that today, so please have a taste of my cooking soon.¡±


    As someone who also cooks, just like him, it¡¯s not like I can¡¯t understand his feelings. With all the dishes having ws and to have them easily improved means that I¡¯m better than him. It must be unbearable. Each of those dishes were visibly nned by them with precision. They were great chefs; that¡¯s why I¡¯m an unforgivable existence to them.


    ¡°Head chef Venaritta, so I take that you cannot acknowledge him as the person in charge for the next banquet, is this correct?¡±


    ¡°If only based on today¡¯s trials, then yes.¡±


    ¡°I see, then how about doing it this way? The head chef won¡¯t acknowledge him only from improving the dishes. Bar of Arnold¡¯s heir thinks that it¡¯s no good to serve the existing full course menu. In that case, Bar of Arnold¡¯s heir needs to make a fish dish the way he wants it, and if that is better than the current course, he sessfully passes the trial. There are still some ingredients, correct? If he can do it, that means he¡¯s the real deal.¡±


    The head chef is silenced and nods. Geez, can you not say it that easily? Commanding someone to think of a recipe impromptu in this ce.


    ¡°Fine, I will make it promptly. I¡¯ll show you my cooking.¡±


    I replied immediately. It seems that I¡¯m more of a sore loser than I previously thought.


    <strong>Credits: </strong>


    <strong>Isecai¡¯s Notes:</strong>


    Kurt glides over thest part, so here¡¯s how they look like:


    <figure id="attachment_15979" ss="wp-caption alignnone" data-shortcode="caption"><figcaption ss="wp-caption-text">Cucumber Granita (those are shaved ice!)</figcaption></figure><figure id="attachment_15981" ss="wp-caption alignnone" data-shortcode="caption"><figcaption ss="wp-caption-text">Sole Meuniere (can¡¯t find tuna)</figcaption></figure><figure id="attachment_15980" ss="wp-caption alignnone" data-shortcode="caption"><figcaption ss="wp-caption-text">Oxtail Stew</figcaption></figure>


    Venaritta (¥Ù¥Ê¥ê¥Ã¥¿)¡¯s name is interesting about its connection to the M?r town. So I chose M?r due to the elongated ¡°ma-¡°, which reminds me of the Japanese katakana for M?rchen. And when I tried to google a few possibilities for the head chef¡¯s name and find ¡°Venarotta¡±, guess which province is it located in Italy? Marche!


    Am I getting close to the author¡¯s thought process?


    My question is... does steamed scallop goes well with raw ham and cheese?

 Volume 3 - 7

    <h4>Chapter 7: Tuna Steak Tartare</h4>


    ¡°I understand that making a fish dish that is suitable for the full course impromptu is an absurd task...... But, if it¡¯s you, I¡¯m sure you will ept the challenge. I wonder if 30 minutes is enough for your time limit?¡±


    A fish dish matching the full course meal that I experienced for the first time. Moreover, only 30 minutes is allocated to think of the recipe and cooking itself. That¡¯s not nearly enough time to think of a recipe; even the cooking process itself will barely make it within that time limit. To make it worse, my creativity will be restricted by the need to make something withpatibility to the whole full course...... Absurd is underestimating it, honestly.


    ¡°I shall try, Your Grace. Please wait for a short while. However, I need help from Tina...... from mypanion. She¡¯s my assistant.¡±


    Tina isn¡¯t in this room. She¡¯s having her meal in a different room for the servants, along with Volg and Chloe.


    ¡°That servant, I see. I understand. I will pass the summons so that she goes to the kitchen.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m relying on your help.¡±


    I meet up with Tina from the other room on the way, and we head to the kitchen together. The current request is a fish dish. Moreover, I must think of the bnce with the full course. In order to be a bridge to the heavier menu of the oxtail stew, I cannot use the cut with high fat percentage. It should be a dish using the refreshing and lean cut of the tuna as the main ingredient.


    ¡°I wish you will let me use the remaining part of the tuna that is used in today¡¯s full course dishes. I prefer to use the lean cut. If possible please use the belly part.¡±


    When I enter the kitchen, in order to make a new fish dish, I call to the cooks but they are only responding slowly. They all are only watching, surrounding me from a distance, not evening closer. More or less, if I leave it as it is, there will still be bones and skin from the cut. However, since there¡¯s no decent cut avable, I have to put out my request. Nobody is responding, so I repeat it again.


    ¡°I¡¯m making a fish dish under Duchess Renalier¡¯s instruction. Please let me use the ingredients. I¡¯m sure you have been instructed by her to fulfill my requests.¡±


    Even after I say that, the only response I get is hostile res. It appears that I¡¯m collectively hated. When I think of what to do, a single cook put on a cut of tuna to a tray.


    ¡°Forgive us, we¡¯re taking a while in preparing it. Please, future <i>¡®Bar</i>¡® of Arnold.¡±


    He puts the emphasis on the bar. When the rest of them hear it, they sneer at me. A bar is extremely low ranked as a noble. To put it simply, they¡¯re making fun of me.


    ¡°Thank you. If I have this, I can make a delicious dish.¡±


    If I say that, it won¡¯t be weird if they fly into rage right here, right now. Let¡¯s do this the peaceful way. I nce at the tuna cut before throwing it to the garbage can.


    ¡°Kurt-sama!?¡±


    The surrounding cooks in the kitchen are wide eyed, making surprised noises along with Tina here.


    ¡°Tina, this cut of tuna is no good, unfortunately. I cannot make a decent dish with this. It¡¯s been done an injustice. Even the dead tuna will turn over in its grave.¡±


    I smile at Tina.


    Geez, I¡¯ve done it now.


    The cut of tuna that they gave to me has its skin peeled off on purpose, and it has long since dried. They¡¯re even <i>courteous </i>enough to rub salt on the surface, which has vaporized the water content and removed the extract. If I use it, I can only make a dry and tasteless dish.


    ¡°But, Kurt-sama, if you throw it away, can you cook a decent dish at all?¡±


    ¡°I can. Don¡¯t we have all the ingredients we need here?¡±


    On the tabletop, there¡¯s the leftover of a full fish that was previously cut. The so called bone and skin parts.


    ¡°These kind of ingredients, isn¡¯t it usually the parts that get trashed?¡±


    ¡°Tina, this is the best tuna. Whichever cut it is, it can be the best dish. It¡¯s only that there¡¯s no chef here that can use it properly.¡±


    That¡¯s not a bluff. From the size of the bones, I can calcte the weight of the tuna, which was on the small side at 20 kg. The feeding ground should be rich and allow it to swim freely, making it an extraordinary quality ingredient.


    With this tuna, whichever part that I use can be turned into the best dish. Yes, hidden parts with delicious vor that surpasses even the highest grade lean cut are concealed within this so-called trashed bone and skin.


    ¡°......being able to make the best dish from this kind of thing, as expected of Kurt-sama.¡±


    Tina smiles at me with contented look. Now, let¡¯s start cooking.


    Before that, there¡¯s one thing that I have to make clear.


    ¡°All you Duchess Renalier¡¯s chefs.¡±


    The group of people who thinks that they have snared me into a trap twitches and trembles.


    ¡°As someone who also cooks, I know that you cannot stand my presence, and that I have hurt your pride through this event. ......I have no intention to tell Duchess Renalier that you have given me a bad cut of tuna on purpose.¡±


    Being in the same ce with me for the time being surely doesn¡¯t feel good for them.


    ¡°But, you know what? If you¡¯re a chef, don¡¯t do petty tricks like that. Fight me instead, as a chef. And, no matter what the reason, don¡¯t treat the ingredients like toys. You¡¯re disqualified as chefs. Not your capabilities. It¡¯s your heart that¡¯s already over.¡±


    Listening to my words, they keep silent while their hands are balled into fists down there. That¡¯s not from anger of receiving this disgrace; there must be an anger towards themselves as well, for slipping off of the right path as chefs.


    ¡°Duchess Renalier, the dish ispleted.¡±


    Tina and I returned to the dining hall with 10 minutes remaining in the allocated time.


    ¡°That was fast. I¡¯m looking forward to your dish.¡±


    Duchess Renalier smiles. When I snap my fingers, the servants areing in with tes of my dish.


    ¡°This, how beautiful!¡±


    On the center of a pure white te, there¡¯s a round mass of tuna meat paste. The rim of the te is garnished with emerald sauce. There are other things that I arranged together, forming small mountains on the te.


    ¡°This dish is called Tuna Steak Tartare. Raw tuna is pounded and chopped with a kitchen knife, mixed with seasonings, and kneaded into this round shape.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of this dish before. I shall eat it now.¡±


    So Duchess Renalier says as she starts to cut the tuna steak tartare.


    ¡°Such a very rich vor of tuna, I thought it would smell fishy as well, but it¡¯s not in the least. On the opposite, it smells appetizing. Is it because of the mixed seasonings?¡±


    Duchess Renalier continuously brings cut after cut of the tuna into her mouth.


    ¡°Please, enjoy the sauce that I¡¯ve arranged as well.¡±


    When I say that, she starts pouring the sauce that I arranged on the rim of the te before eating it.


    ¡°I see now, it bes all the more refreshing. It¡¯s a wonderful sauce. The fresh vor in my mouth, and it makes my stomach happy on its own.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a sauce made from herbs that helps improve the digestive system.¡±


    I take into consideration the effect of removing any excess oil remaining on the pte while preparing for the next dish. On the side, I look at Margrave Fernande and Faruno, as well as the head chef, Venaritta. Everyone seems to enjoy my dish properly.


    ¡°I am really satisfied. Now, it¡¯s time to judge the dish. ......Head chef Venaritta, let us hear your judgment. For today¡¯s full course meal¡¯s fish dish, which one is better between your dish and this tuna steak tartare?¡±


    Following Duchess Renalier¡¯s instruction, head chef Venaritta groans. He¡¯s a man in his prime age, but his body is trembling and he speaks as if he¡¯s squeezing out the words.


    ¡°......It¡¯s better than the dish that I instructed to make. If we have this man in charge, the banquet attended by the four Grand Dukes will undoubtedly be a huge sess.¡±


    After hearing those words, Faruno¡¯s face blooms into a smile.


    ¡°Thank you very much.¡±


    I lower my head. Making that kind of judgement requires discipline and courage. Most likely, the rest of the chefs despise me for the sake of this man.


    ¡°You have passed. Kurt Arnold, the heir of the Bar of Arnold. Won¡¯t you tell us more about this dish at once?¡±


    ¡°Understood. This dish is made from the lean cut of tuna, beaten and pounded. It also contains several finely chopped herbs, onions, and gtin made from tuna bone broth that has been chilled and solidified. Then I added a little bit of olive oil into the mixture and made it into this round shape.¡±


    The cooking method is extremely simple. Onions and herbs are used to remove the fishy smell and deepen the vor, the gtin made out of solidified tuna stock reinforces the umami. To make the juice in a short time and turn it into solid gtin, I received Tina¡¯s help.


    ¡°Such a wonderful cooking art. It seems that indeed, with that method, the vor of the lean tuna can be drawn out to the fullest. However, I¡¯m still intrigued with the lean tuna to begin with; it¡¯s too delicious. In this town, we eat tuna regrly. I¡¯ve tasted the best tuna as well, but even for me, I¡¯ve never tasted tuna as delicious as this. Say, head chef, is today tuna anything special?¡±


    Answering Duchess Renalier¡¯s question, head chef Venaritta shakes his head.


    ¡°It¡¯s the same top grade tuna as always.¡±


    The ducal house of Renalier always procures the highest grade of ingredients, so it¡¯s the same old answer.


    ¡°In that case, could you exin to me the reason for this?¡±


    ¡°The lean part that I used this time is the meat that sticks to the bones.¡±


    ¡°Bones?¡±


    ¡°Yes. The most delicious part of any kind of meat are the ones around the bones. This time, I used mainly the meat from the lower back of the tuna, collected by being scraped with spoon.¡±


    It¡¯s just like spare ribs or fried chicken, they use the meat part around the bones. It¡¯s because that part is delicious. Even tuna isn¡¯t any exception, the most delicious part is the one surrounding the bones. Especially, the extraordinary sinewy part of the lower back of the tuna.


    The most delicious lean part of the tuna in that ce are the leftover remains that¡¯s usually thrown away, almost like being bonded by fate.


    ......Coincidentally, that part is called ¡°<i>negitoro</i>¡± in Japanese. Rather, the <i>negitoro </i>that is circted in the market is made out of adding oil to the scraped lean meat of tuna. Only a fake ingredient that looks nothing like the real deal. The real <i>negitoro</i> even surpasses the highest grade of lean meat.


    ¡°......pft, hahaha, I see, the meat scraped from the bones. That is definitely something I¡¯ve never tasted before.¡±


    ¡°Did I perhaps make you feel unpleasant?¡±


    ¡°On the contrary, I¡¯m pleasantly surprised! Yes, this is the reason why I summoned you. New ways of thinking that we couldn¡¯t think of before! If you keep this up, I¡¯m looking forward to your real performance.¡±


    ¡°Yes, please look forward to it.¡±


    I smile along with Duchess Renalier. Then, I snap my fingers. Another servantes in with a dish.


    ¡°This is?¡±


    ¡°Since there was still time remaining, I¡¯ve prepared a dessert. Or rather, because of the trial, we¡¯ve been eating a lot more than usual, so I prepared something simple.¡±


    Served on a transparent ss, it¡¯s peach-like pinal sorbet. It¡¯s a simple dish made of adding diced pinal flesh to a mashed raw pinal, then mixed a little bit of sugar and wine while incorporating air and letting it harden.


    ¡°Oh, my, it¡¯s cold, sweet, and sour, really delicious. It smoothly rolls on my tongue. It¡¯s the first time I tasted something like this! Oh no, I can¡¯t stop. ......If you can make something like this on the spot, I¡¯ve be even more excited to look forward to your pastries.¡±


    It¡¯s a simple pastry made to draw out the umami of the best quality of pinal that was harvested in the spirit vige. That¡¯s why it is so delicious. The sweet and sour, cold sorbet is the highest grade of dessert. Moreover, this world hasn¡¯t been introduced to ice cream yet. It¡¯s a novel dish.


    ¡°Yes, I will prepare something more wonderful for the real full course. The course in my mind is aplete full course, but it¡¯s also a course that will be dedicated to thest dish, the dessert. It will be the full course that makes you anticipate thest dessert.¡±


    My best specialty, the supreme chocte cake. In order to let them eat it in the most delicious way, I will calcte every thing in the full course, from the appetizer to the main dish.


    <strong>Credits: </strong>


    <strong>Isecai¡¯s Notes:</strong>


    I like it when characters are being politely savage. -v-


    <i>Negitoro</i> ¨C <i>negi</i> means spring onion, <i>toro</i> means the fatty cut. I know I used lean cut all the time here, but it just means lean tuna as a whole, while fatty cut is more about the taste? I think? Should I use red tuna? @

 Volume 3 - 8

    <h4>Chapter 8: Eba¡¯s Ingredients</h4>


    Yesterday, Duchess Renalier put me through a trial. The content was to point out the mistakes of the dishes that were prepared by her chefs, then make dishes that surpassed them. I cleared the trial safely, and while I¡¯m staying in this ce, I¡¯m wearing the title of Honored Head Chef, facing the banquet with the four Grand Duke¡¯s attendance, and obtaining permission to use the enormous budget as well as all the facilities in this estate to my heart¡¯s content.


    However, happy isn¡¯t the only thing that I¡¯m feeling. There are only six days left to fulfill my duty of creating the best menu.


    There¡¯s not much time.


    The full course this time is created to showcase the ending, my pastry. There¡¯s no room for anypromise.


    ¡°Kurt-sama, you¡¯re thinking about the menu, aren¡¯t you? Can¡¯t you use the menu that you¡¯ve thought of beforeing here?¡±


    Looking worried, Tina asks that question to me.


    Frankly speaking, I¡¯ve approved of a menu before, I¡¯ve even prepared everything and let them rest.


    In particr, I¡¯ve fermented a condiment to be used in the main dish; I¡¯ve put it in a sealed jar, and it¡¯s still going through the fermentation process right now.


    The day I have to cook the full course, it will be just the right time to be enjoyed.


    And then, I also have the <i>shikabushi</i>, venison kes, that are several weeks old. Other ingredients that needed to be fermented for a while like chocte has already been prepared too. I¡¯vee here after arranging all sorts of ingredients from Eba, the town in Margrave Fernande¡¯s territory.


    ¡°I wonder if that¡¯s beneficial at this point. I kind of changed my mind after seeing the tuna that we ate yesterday. That sort of ingredient couldn¡¯t be found in Eba, and that was actually really good.¡±


    I never dreamed that I would be this attracted after eating that top grade tuna. I nned to put a tuna dish as hors d¡¯oeuvres. And then......


    ¡°Just from going out to the town for a bit, I might find other great ingredients. That¡¯s why, today I intended to go tour the town. If I can think of better recipes from scratch there, I¡¯m going to gradually change them.¡±


    I must do that if I aim for the ultimate full course.


    ¡°Kurt-sama, amazing as usual. But, maybe it¡¯ll disturb the bnce in the full course that you¡¯ve thought about, so it¡¯s dangerous.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a difficult issue to tackle. I don¡¯t have time to test them out either. But,promising is impossible for me, so I can only do my very best to prevent that from happening.¡±


    That¡¯s my stubbornness as someone who¡¯s in the food business.


    While I was having that kind of talk with Tina, someone knocked on the door. It should be the arrival of the guide to the town that I asked for from Duchess Renalier.


    The door is opened.


    ¡°You are¨C¡±


    ¡°Hmp, nobody knows better about the marketce in this town than I do. For an all-important banquet, I¡¯ll contribute my own power too.¡±


    The person in front of me is a man with a great physique in his prime age...... the head chef who belongs to Duchess Renalier, Venaritta.


    ¡°I¡¯m really grateful for the knowledge and experience that you¡¯re sharing with us. But is it really all right?¡±


    I ended up crushing this man¡¯s pride to dust in that trial. I made head chef Venaritta admit in front of his master that he wasn¡¯t as good a chef as I was.


    ¡°Youd, don¡¯t fret about what¡¯s passed. It makes you dull. I recognize your skills. So I gotta pay my respect. Besides, this full course will decide our master¡¯s fate. If I can do something good for it, I won¡¯t hold back from cooperating with you.¡±


    I was slightly surprised. He¡¯s truly a big-hearted man. Only a few will admit their inferiority against someone else, let alone cooperate with that same person.


    ¡°Well, I owe youd a favor too, though.¡±


    ¡°A favor?¡±


    ¡°You kept under the rug my boys¡¯ reckless moves that obstructed you from your task. Sorry about that. I heard about that afterwards. They were only thinking about me that they did such thing to a chef. If you told Duchess Renalier about it, boy, everyone wouldn¡¯t just get discharged. Usually, they are a sincere lot towards cooking. It¡¯ll be painful to see them fall just from one mistake.¡±


    So it¡¯s about that case. I didn¡¯t tell the duchess out of my self-interest. I just didn¡¯t want to let it blow out of proportion.


    ¡°No, don¡¯t mind about it. I still could make a nice dish anyway. Besides, if that small hindrance caused me to get your help, I got it for cheap.¡±


    ¡°Again, thank you. I will give you my full cooperation, along with the boys¡¯ too. And then, please let them learn a lot of things from youd. I think that you will breathe some fresh air into the stagnant cooking of this town.¡±


    ¡°Likewise. Please let me learn a lot of things that I don¡¯t know here, as well.¡±


    Head chef Venaritta and I stiffly shake our hands. His help would be greatly appreciated, though. There should be countless secret spots and special purchasing routes that could only be known by a big wheel in this area. Every chef has their own connections. That¡¯s something that I can¡¯t achieve as a neer. With that being settled, we head out to the marketce by the coach that Duchess Renalier arranged before.


    The coach was shaking on the way to the marketce. There are head chef Venaritta, my cute silver haired fox kin girl assistant, Tina, a pretty elf with golden hair, Chloe, and then several men who posed as guards/helpers.


    ¡°So, what do you want,d? The marketce here is huge. We can¡¯t make a full round, you know.¡±


    We definitely won¡¯t have enough time.


    The only thing that I won¡¯t budge on is the dessert, the chocte cake. It is my specialty. There¡¯s no way I will bend this one over.


    The main meat dish is the same; I¡¯ve prepared the condiment for that dish for more than a week. I prepared the duck meat that would be just right to be eaten at the banquet¡¯s timing. So I can¡¯t change out this one either.


    In that case......


    ¡°Herbs and spices. I want to try and obtain everything that I can only buy in this ce. It should be able to make the vors deeper or moreplex than now. And then, fish. My current fish dish still doesn¡¯t have impact. I want a simple and fleshy fish. It¡¯ll be better if it¡¯s the white-fleshed kind with strong umami vor.¡±


    When head chef Venaritta heard me, he kept nodding his head. And then, he speaks.


    ¡°If you¡¯re looking for herbs and spices, I know a good wholesale dealer. There are ordinary varieties there, but the owner also showcased all their prized ones to me. Let¡¯s head over there.¡±


    Wholesale, huh? I see, in that ce, there¡¯s no need to take a look around many shops then, in that case.


    ¡°And next, the fish. There¡¯s a goods distributor who always delivered his best fishes to me, he¡¯s some kind of connoisseur too. I always get the fish that he¡¯s handpicked. If we go to his ce, there shouldn¡¯t be any problem.¡±


    How very Renalier¡¯s employee-like, these selections. Terrifyingly efficient.


    The day passes as we visit one small shop after another. We decided to go to the wholesale dealer and goods distributor that head chef Venaritta rmended. In that kind of moment.


    ¡°Wait! Stop the coach, please.¡±


    I issue the order in panic and immediately leap out of the coach. We just crossed paths with hunters. They are robust-looking men. They were carrying some deer over their shoulders, that had been blood-let and cleaned. I call out to them.


    ¡°You, wait up! Are you selling that deer?¡±


    ¡°The hell, man? You just jumped out of a fancy-looking coach.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind that. I¡¯m asking if you¡¯re selling that deer.¡±


    ¡°Yea, you got it right. We¡¯re hunters from a nearby vige. We came here to sell the things that we¡¯re not eating there.¡±


    As I thought. In that case, I have something to request of them.


    ¡°I see. Today¡¯s meat looks great, but if you catch a deer early in the morning six days from now, can you deliver the deer to the ce I¡¯m staying at? I want something freshly caught in the morning only. I¡¯ll pay five times the market price.¡±


    In the full course this time, I have a startling budget. That¡¯s why I can do things recklessly like this.


    ¡°Five times, how can we trust you?¡±


    ¡°As the chef in the ducal house of Renalier, I¡¯m making something special six days from now. The deer is necessary for that. I won¡¯t lie with Duchess Renalier¡¯s reputation as my responsibility. Take a look at the coach behind me.¡±


    When I say so, the hunters take a good look at the coach behind me. They found the Renalier House¡¯s crest and their eyes widened in an instant. After all, she¡¯s this town¡¯s governor. The hunters will definitely recognize her crest.


    ¡°You, so you¡¯re that kind of important person. Got it. If I get the help of my fellow hunters, I¡¯ll deliver a freshly caught deer for you. Because you¡¯re gonna pay up five times the normal price properly, am I right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, dly.¡±


    I grin. Originally, without fermenting the meat after the hunt first, it¡¯s hard to get that umami vor. However, the dish that I¡¯m going to make is an exception; it really needs a freshly caught deer.


    That¡¯s why I intended to strike it off of my list. But if I can procure the fresh ingredient, I can make the best hors d¡¯oeuvres. These hunters caught the deer while barely wounding it, they also seem to do the follow up work with expertise.


    After that, we chatted for a while before splitting up after I gave them the deposit. Since there¡¯s a possibility of them failing to hunt a deer or to run away after getting the deposit, let¡¯s procure a back up n.


    After that, I¡¯ve bought plenty of great herbs and spices that I¡¯m satisfied with. With these, I can give depth to the dishes. And then, I found a fish that I finally saw in this world..... It¡¯s eel. An eel dish is unexpected, but they are highlighted in the French cuisine too. After deciding the fish dish this time to be eel-based, I buy them. With that, the shopping is done. With this, the quality of the fish dish just jumps up with a rise. I finally decided the details of the full course¡¯s dishes from the ingredients that I procured today. But first things first......


    ¡°I have to make some white sugar. I wonder if it¡¯ll turn out good, though.¡±


    My chocte cake won¡¯t be good to be paired with honey. It¡¯s important to use sugar, but the only thing existing here is only some unrefined brown sugar. Brown sugar retains the impurity in the vor. Though I can make a pastry that will highlight that rustic beauty of the vor, it¡¯s difficult to make a delicate, high ss pastry with it. That¡¯s why, I have to refine some white sugar from the brown sugar with my own hands.


    Truth to be told, I only knew how to do it, but I never did it before. Whether I can obtain it sessfully or not will change the dessert¡¯s quality by one rank. I feel a little anxious, but let¡¯s try it first anyway.


    This is the turning point. I put in my fighting spirit.


    <strong>Credits: </strong>

 Volume 3 - 9

    <h4>Chapter 9: Brown Sugar, White Sugar</h4>


    I¡¯m back in the kitchen hall of Duchess Renalier¡¯s estate. It¡¯s also a private hall. Even if only temporarily, serving as the head chef means getting this kind of special treatment. Besides me, there are also my assistants, the cute girl with fox ears Tina and the beautiful elf Chloe. Tina can operate the heating to a delicate level, while the water that Chloe produces is suitable for cooking.


    Today, my purpose toe into this kitchen hall is to make white sugar.


    I won¡¯t start processing it from Sugar Cane, obviously. By refining the brown sugar in our hands, it will turn out as white sugar.


    Soft brown dark sugar and unrefined sugar cane in bowls" data-medium-file="https://isecai.files.wordpress/2018/06/brown-sugar-bowls.jpg?w=337&h=226?w=300" datarge-file="https://isecai.files.wordpress/2018/06/brown-sugar-bowls.jpg?w=337&h=226?w=640">


    ¡°Then, Tina, Chloe, let¡¯s begin. Let¡¯s turn that dark brown sugar into white.¡±


    ¡°White colored sugar, is it? So that kind of thing exists too.¡±


    Tina asks with deep interest.


    ¡°Yes, when the sugar¡¯s color is dark, there are hardened crystals of msses mixed in it. If we take out the ck msses, it will turn white.¡±


    Yes, this thing called brown sugar here is actually a stable product after processing the juice of sugar cane by boiling and letting it cool down. White sugar is something left behind after taking out the ck msses and leaving out the sucrose.


    ¡°Does the different names between the brown and white sugar mean different things too?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re entirely different. Brown sugar¡¯s taste is muddled with a bitter and harsh vor to some extent. But white sugar, it smoothly elevates the sweetness.¡±


    ¡°Then why does everyone only make brown sugar?¡±


    ¡°Because to make the other one takes too much time to separate the ck treacle, and then it will reduce the amount. It¡¯s only about the muddled taste too, because actually, unrefined brown sugar is packed with nutrition. If I don¡¯t consider the nobles¡¯ pte, I won¡¯t deliberately make some white sugar in the first ce.¡±


    Yes, and to make it worse, sugar is really valuable. Sugar cane will only grow in a warm climate, it can¡¯t be grown in our continent at all. That¡¯s why, we can only import them from the continent across the ocean by ship. That¡¯s the reason for their high prices. And that high priced sugar is deliberately being halved through a refinement process? No one would do that.


    ¡°Since it¡¯ll use the white sugar that valuable, it will be a very luxurious pastry, won¡¯t it?¡±


    Tina¡¯s words are justifiable.


    ¡°Honey itself is a product of our fief, so I¡¯m hesitating to actually stock sugar. Besides, the other main ingredient, the cacao, is very expensive. It¡¯s a pastry that I cannot serve if we¡¯re not in these kind of circumstances. We should fully enjoy this opportunity to our heart¡¯s content.¡±


    I grinned while gradually pouring lukewarm water onto the brown sugar. When I do so, it melts into something that looks like y. I pour that into a stone tub that I made, which has been covered with a cotton cloth.


    And then, I tuck the y-like brown sugar liquid in the cotton fabric¡¯s wrap before sealing the tub with a stone lid. I carefully tilt the stone tub, as I have punched some fine holes on the bottom right part of the tub to remove the water. That stone tub was made from my Earth Magic Arte. I hope it¡¯ll turn out good.


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s knead out the msses.¡±


    I strengthen my whole body with mana. Originally, I was going to make a tool that had its own dedicated lever¡¯s power, but this time, I¡¯m going with manualbor. I press down the stone lid with my maximum strength. When I do so, ck msses start to flow out of the y-like brown sugar inside the cotton fabric wrap, then run to the bottom part of the stone tub.


    By doing this, I¡¯m separating the msses from the brown sugar. This is a taxing manualbor. My arms are tired. I cast [<ruby>Recovery<rt>H e a l</rt></ruby>] to my tired arms and continue the work.


    After taking out all the msses at once, I opened the stone lid and took out the brown sugar inside the cotton wrap. That once dark brown has shed that murky color and became whiter.


    ¡°<i>Uwaa</i>, Kurt-sama, it really turned white.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not nearly enough yet, we have just started.¡±


    In that state, I continue to press down until there¡¯s no longer any msses that can get kneaded out. That¡¯s why, I use this process called kneading. Adding water by hand, the y bes refined into whitish clumps.


    Upon reaching that step, I still add more water, enabling me to extract even more msses. Essentially, the water content, the temperature, the humidity level, and the refining time. Any of those needs artful skills. However, thanks to my Cooking Ability, I can act on my intuition, to some extent.


    After I feel that it¡¯s good enough, I add water to make it y-like again, put it into a cotton wrap inside the stone tub again, press down the stone lid with my full strength again, and extract more msses out.


    ¡°Kurt, can you keep going?¡±


    This time, Chloe the elf is the one asking worriedly. The water that I used this time is produced by her Magic Arte. That¡¯s why it¡¯s been going well so far.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s going to turn out well. If I keep extracting, it¡¯ll gradually be closer to white.¡±


    My breaths are ragged. I¡¯m surprised that I still get this tired even after strengthening my body with mana. If possible, this kind of manualbor isn¡¯t something that I ever want to do again.


    This sugar refining technique is the method to make <i>wasanbon</i> (fine-grained Japanese sugar) that Japan boasts about. I remember that, once, in order to adopt Japanese essence into Western pastry, I observed and studied the making process of <i>wasanbon</i>, the highest grade of sugar in Japan on-site as a part of my research. It never urred to me that the experience would be useful in this kind of ce.


    ¡°Kurt-sama, how many times do you have to repeat this kneading step?¡±


    ¡°At the very least, five times.¡±


    ¡°White sugar is highly troublesome, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but it¡¯s worth all the manualbor. It¡¯s a <ruby>pastry chef<rt>p a t i s s i e r</rt></ruby>¡®s lifeline.¡±


    The strong and peculiar taste of unrefined brown sugar isn¡¯t bad, actually, but as I thought, the easy to use white sugar with its delicate sweetness is better.


    This time, since we have enough budget to buy as much brown sugar as I please, I ended up buying it inrge amounts. I intended to bring back home the remaining portions that I don¡¯t end up using in this asion, as much as possible. It¡¯s necessary to pursue the special pastries that I aim for. I want to put them somewhere reachable...... It should be all fine and dandy to procure this much of a side benefit.


    ¡°Let¡¯s keep this up until we get the pure white color.¡±


    Like that, I continue making the white sugar with all my might.


    I repeat the kneading process for five times. Finally, the sugar ispleted. It¡¯s a thoroughly pure white-colored sugar. This is what I aimed for. After wringing out the water content, it bes solidified white clumps. Originally, it has to be aired out topletely remove the water content, but with Chloe¡¯s Water Magic Arte, the water content can be isted and removed in a second. I smash the stiff clumps before putting them through the sieve. It¡¯s a very taxingbor, but this feeling of aplishment is so good.


    ¡°Kurt-sama, it truly became white.¡±


    ¡°Shocking, right? The mass is cut down by more than a half, though.¡±


    Being immensely curious about the pure white sugar, Tina and Chloe can¡¯t stop themselves from staring at it.


    ¡°The value is definitely worth all thebor, you know? Tina, Chloe, try and taste the difference to some brown sugar.¡±


    I plop a clump of brown sugar into their mouths.


    ¡°It¡¯s sweet and tasty.¡±


    ¡°I never knew about sugar before, but the brown one is tasty enough for me.¡±


    The both of them are already in glee from the brown sugar. It¡¯s natural to be happy from it because brown sugar is already an expensive ingredient that is sweet enough to fill their cravings. However, if they¡¯re already astonished by the brown sugar, I wonder how shocked they¡¯re going to be after the white sugar next?


    ¡°Now, this is the white sugar.¡±


    I plopped the white sugar clumps into their mouth just like before. Their eyes went wide.


    ¡°The sugar before is tasty, but this, this is so smooth, and velvety when it melts, so wonderful.¡±


    ¡°<i>Un</i>,pared to this, the brown one is too sticky and tastes sort of weird. I like this one better.¡±


    Correct. That¡¯s why people refine sugar despite thebor and the reduced amount.


    It¡¯s almost foul y to serve a pastry made with white sugar in a world that only knows brown sugar, really. And as if that¡¯s not enough, there will be chocte too. Using those two bombs, and with my best techniques. The pastry that I¡¯m going to make will be the most wonderful pastry that no one has ever seen before. I should be able to easily get the full clear on this mission to fulfill Duchess Renalier¡¯s conditions.


    I could make my number one worry on the list, the white sugar. Now, let¡¯s build up the rest of the menu upon that.


    <strong>Credits: </strong>

 Volume 3 - 10

    <h4>Chapter 10: Bouillon de L¨¦gumes and Clear Soup</h4>


    Atst, it¡¯s only two days before the banquet being attended by the four Grand Dukes. The whole Renalier estate is buzzing with activity.


    In the four Grand Dukes¡¯ banquet, it¡¯s not only the Dukes who will be attending; their subordinates and even their servants numbering close to a hundred people in total.


    Starting from tomorrow, the guests of honor will arrive in sequence. And then, each of them will require their own special hospitality, which is why this kind of busy atmosphere isn¡¯t strange form.


    ¡°Head chef Kurt! Would this be appropriate for the preparation?¡±


    ¡°I finished the stock. Please taste it!¡±


    Right now, I¡¯m in the kitchen hall. Over here, the chefs of the Renalier house are receiving my instructions. After all, having more people means having more hands. It¡¯s impossible for me to prepare all the staff¡¯s duties on my own. And as expected, even without considering the servants of the guests, just the subordinates of the four Grand Dukes have surpassed thirty additional people already.


    I don¡¯t make them just by myself; on top of letting the servants help me out, I have to drill the cooking methods into them as well. As expected, though. Being a chef in this ce means that their skills as chefs are first rate. Anyhow, besides the elites that Margrave Fernande handpicked and brought as my helpers, I also have the help of the prided chefs of Duchess Renalier. They quickly grasp the gist and remember them.


    However, I still personally made the servings intended for the four Grand Dukes on my own, because I want to prepare the best of the best for them.


    At the same time, there¡¯s also the dessert, my chocte cake specialty. If any troublesome mishaps ur in that, there¡¯s no one else who can handle it but me, so I must make it by myself from start to finish.


    The cake¡¯s taste will deteriorate in one day after being fresh out of the oven. Frankly speaking, I want to make them all on the exact day, but there¡¯s not nearly enough time for that. That¡¯s why, other than those that will be served for the Grand Dukes, I will make everything one day before. When I think about it, in reality, today is the deadline to drill all the necessary techniques into the other chefs. The time is running tight. Still, after being instructed for a few days now, they finally shape up.


    ¡°Yosh, the fish¡¯s preparation there is great. The soup is...... yes, the sweetness of the vegetables are drawn out. But, the herb bouquet. It needs to be better. Add more parmesan.¡±


    If they keep this up, they should be able to perform well in the day.


    I open the paper that contains the recipes.


    Appetizer Tuna Tartare Steak and Deer Liver Pat¨¦Sd Steamed Shellfish and Tomato Sd with Deluxe SauceSoup Deer Medicinal SoupFish Dish Eel Soup in Puff Pastry PieMeat Dish Roasted Jade DuckDessert Deluxe Chocte Cake


    Overall, the main purpose is to keep the fat content low while raising the appetite.


    For the cooking in this era, the tastiness of a dish equals the amount of grease. That¡¯s why, I intentionally turn away from the fat content.


    It is exactly because they are ustomed with greasy food that my skills will be the determining factor. That kind of full course dishes must be yet unknown to the four Grand Dukes. Delicate dishes that will showcase the natural vor of the ingredients and bold preparation that will astonish the guests; those are my cooking¡¯s forte.


    ¡°Yosh. Everyone, gather around. Let¡¯s taste the soup.¡±


    The soup this time is made through quite some time and effort. I pile up the vegetables and herbs of various kinds, and then extract the vor for a whole day long. Bouillon de L¨¦gumes. With a technique that recently got extravagant praises in French cuisine. It¡¯s the technique for a vegetable-based stock.


    I¡¯m not using herbs just for the taste. It is said to heal the stomach of those nobles who are so used to eating extravagant dishes day after day, elerate their digestive system as well as used as medicine for internal disorders. I chose this dish to create the effect of making the dish afterwards even more delicious, efficiently so. This soup is a delicious and edible medicine. The role of the Soup in a full course meal isn¡¯t simply as being delicious. It has to lead to the great vor of the next dish. This vegetable soup is delicious on its own. However, there¡¯s a little bit more to it.


    ¡°Typically, soup is carefully boiled for a long time. But this one is not just about that.¡±


    The western soup is the same as here, typically prepared by boiling the ingredients until they turn into a rich soup. ording to that theory, this cooking is finished after boiling the vegetables for a long time, like now. However, this is a deer soup. The real deal has only just begun.


    ¡°Look at it. It¡¯s the soup technique of the Far East.¡±


    I shave the <i>shikabushi</i> that I brought here with a knife into transparent kes. Shikabushi is made from the most delicious hind legs of a deer, then dry aired and cured until it looks like bonito kes.


    Due to the curing process, the kes version has overwhelmingly stronger umami than the raw meat. Even the Western world recognizes this method, the bonito kes have that fishy smell that they cannot ept.


    This <i>shikabushi</i> is the counter-measure for that issue. It doesn¡¯t stink and it has strong umami; <i>shikabushi </i>is suitable for any kind of cooking.


    I heat it up before pouring the vegetable soup into a small pot. And then, I add the thinly transparent shikabushi into it, and stir it for about ten seconds. That¡¯s all it takes. It¡¯s the so-called clear soup method. It¡¯s enough to draw out the umami, and with such a short time, it won¡¯t cause any bad smell from the meat. The moment the <i>shikabushi</i> is heated up, it will still ooze the wild game smell, after all. But with this, I can make a clear soup wherever I am. It¡¯s still necessary to carefully boil the vegetables to pull out all those delicious vors, but for meat, this method is better to obtain the umami without making it smell raw. It¡¯s truly a soup thatbines the Western and Japanese.


    ¡°Drink it up.¡±


    When I speak like that, the surrounding chefs look bewildered. Their heads cannot catch up to the foreign cooking method.


    ¡°I shall be the first to try.¡±


    Head chef Venaritta took a step forward, then received a small te from me. He sipped the soup.


    ¡°......Delicious. I see now. So we can actually draw out the meat¡¯s umami and vegetable¡¯s sweetness to this extent. With the slowly boiled vegetables as the base, you sharply add the meat¡¯s umami in an eye-opening harmony. There¡¯s no wild game smell at all, which must be contributed to the unboiled method. Wonderful. This kind of soup is a new invention. I feel moved and will remember it well. Boys, what are you dallying around for!? Quickly drink that. You¡¯ll learn well.¡±


    With those words, the chefs started to drink from the soup that they had gathered before.


    ¡°So this kind of vor does exist. What a perfectly clear taste.¡±


    ¡°With only ten seconds I can taste the meat¡¯s umami to this extent.¡±


    ¡°So it can be this delicious even without butter or oil?¡±


    The fellow chefs voiced out their impressions. Those sound like good reactions. The soup I made this time is exactly a foul y, though. Bouillon de L¨¦gumes, thetest method from the French cuisine world; the most advanced ingredient, <i>shikabushi</i>; moreover, the clear soup method of Japan. Also, the techniques tobine them with medicinal cooking knowledge. For the chefs of this world, it¡¯s a soup that they absolutely cannot create.


    ¡°My, my. I thought I wouldn¡¯t be surprised by anything that you brat made, but I¡¯m still struck dumb. There will be hidden surprises in the other dishes too, won¡¯t there?¡±


    ¡°Of course there will. This is a soup that will make the main dish shine until the veryst moment, just a minor performance.¡±


    The other dishes are borately nned with everything that I have as well. However, if it¡¯s only about causing pure astonishment, this soup has to take the crown. It ispletely different than the custom here.


    Serving this to these chefs is deliberately nned so that they will have an easier time of listening to me afterwards. With that out of the way, if I make the dishes that will blow away their stereotypes, the chefs will instantly soften up to the idea. This should make their work after this be easier.


    ¡°Everyone, we don¡¯t have much time. Let¡¯s keep doing the preparations!¡±


    To my voice, they......


    ¡°<i>Ooou!</i>¡±


    Everyone in this ce answers with the yell of their fighting spirit. One by one, they receive my training towards their performance and the cooking instructions. With this pace, we can somehow prepare everything up to the real event in time, I¡¯m sure.


    <strong>Credits: </strong>

 Volume 3 - 11

    <h4>Chapter 11: Duke H?rtling</h4>


    With all themotions here and there, it¡¯s finally the night before the D-day. Faruno and Margrave Fernande seem so busy for sending their greetings to various ces. The margrave doesn¡¯t only have a high social status, he¡¯s also recognized as an influential person in the empire. In this kind of ce, there is no end to that kind of people, though.


    In order to calm down my thoughts, I went out to the garden with Tina and Chloe to catch some breather in the night. The wind feels nice.


    ¡°Tina and Chloe, great work today. I don¡¯t know what to do without you.¡±


    My prided Chocte Cake. My newly improved work of art, the king of chocte cakes. Today, I¡¯ve finished the preparation step of all the portions except for those presented to the four Grand Dukes. The girls helped me out through the ordeal.


    Tina used her Fire magic arte as superb fire controller, and thanks to Chloe¡¯s Water magic arte, making jams had never been that easy.


    Of course, preparation stage of the full course meals is also wless. Except for one thing that we¡¯ll receive in the morning of the D-day.


    ¡°I¡¯m happy that I can be Kurt-sama¡¯s strength!¡±


    ¡°I came along for that reason to begin with. I¡¯m d I can be useful.¡±


    While looking a little bashful, they responded to me like that.


    ¡°But, it¡¯s a pity. Kurt-sama¡¯s cooking all looked so delicious and yet we couldn¡¯t eat them.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the full course for those elite people, huh. Can¡¯t be helped. It¡¯ll be bad if we say unreasonable things to Kurt.¡±


    I smile wryly. They hit the mark, officially. But on the side, the arrangement is actually more flexible.


    ¡°Rest assured. After everything concludes tomorrow, I¡¯ll ask for permission to hold our own banquet.¡±


    Duchess Renalier is a reasonable person to talk to. She already agreed to two of my requests.


    ¡°<i>Uwaa</i>, I¡¯m looking forward to it!¡±


    ¡°<i>Un</i>, I¡¯m excited too. No matter how many Kurts we have, this kind of extravagant dishes cannot be cooked once we return to the fief, after all.¡±


    She¡¯s certainly right. This time, I can splurge money without thinking to procure the highest grade ingredients. There¡¯s some pressure, but inside my heart, I undoubtedly also feel happy.


    The three of us look up to the moon. It¡¯s a beautiful full moon. It¡¯s a really beautiful night.


    While being fascinated by the full moon, I hear some footsteps and turn in that direction.


    ¡°Tch, so it¡¯s preupied.¡±


    A good-looking middle aged man shows up, d in extravagant yet tacky outfit, while cursing on us. He¡¯s trotting heavily while entering the garden that we¡¯re in.


    Behind him, there are people who look like his servants, holding baskets filled with wine and snacks. He must have been here to do the moonviewing with some drinks.


    It¡¯s an elegant garden befitting a night with beautiful moon. It¡¯s not strange to have other peopleing here. However, that man just spoiled the serene atmosphere of the night. Comining won¡¯t change anything, so I exchange nces with Tina and Chloe, signaling for us to return to our room.


    ¡°Please, do not mind our presence. We¡¯ll retire to our room now.¡±


    After saying that, I turn my back on that man. However......


    ¡°Such poor-lookingd. Low ss noble, huh?¡±


    I tsk¡¯ed inwardly. Right now, I¡¯m wearing my own clothes instead of the outfit that Margrave Fernande gave to me. Those clothes are too stiff, so I¡¯m apprehensive in wearing them here, but that is such a blunder on my behalf.


    ¡°I am Kurt Arnold, a Bar¡¯s heir.¡±


    ¡°Arnold the spear, huh? So even a bar is invited to this ducal house. How low has Duchess Renalier fallen?¡±


    I feel a bit irritated at the man¡¯s attitude, but I keep it from showing in my face. In the nobles¡¯ society, there are ranks. From his attitude, his rank should be higher than mine. Unless I have absolutely no other choice, there¡¯s no need to start a fight in this ce.


    ¡°This humble self is truly honored to have received such invitation from Her Grace. There are obligations that we must do, therefore, we will retire with this.¡±


    I bow once and intend to make ourselves scarce, but the man in front of us seem intent on speaking more.


    ¡°Eh, halt. I am Marquess nritte Fordell. You have some redeeming points. If you show me some sincerity, I don¡¯t mind giving you some benefits.¡±


    ¡°Sincerity?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Leave your two servant girls here. They¡¯re rarely seen top grade women. Moreover Lunar and Elf are an interesting enough for me to taste once. I wonder how they¡¯ll cry. I heard they¡¯re harder to break than human. Sounds fun.¡±


    nritte looks at Tina and Chloe with lecherous eyes that seems to lick them all over their bodies.


    Tina¡¯s fox tail puffs up in the opposite direction, while Chloe¡¯s elven ears are trembling.


    ¡°My deepest apologies, but they are family. I will not present my family members for any reason.¡±


    ¡°Bastard, you dare to refuse this marquess even though you¡¯re just a bar?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that is indeed my intention.¡±


    Actually, it¡¯s just like what he said; it¡¯s unrealistic for a bar to defy a marquess. If I want to act terribly calctive, I have Margrave Fernande and Duchess Renalier as my backers. ......Still, unless I have absolutely no other choice, it¡¯s true that I don¡¯t want to dump more problems to theirps. However, this is that instance where ¡°I have no other choice¡±.


    ¡°Truly, give an inch and they¡¯ll ask for a mile. I¡¯m being this kind but you smear the mud on my face. This is totally inexcusable. Oi, you guys beat that man and drag the women here.¡±


    He sends out a dangerous order to the servants lying in wait behind him.


    I¡¯m not afraid at all, though. There¡¯s no expert among them. I can singlehandedly turn the tables around by myself. I switch my thoughts intobat mode. It¡¯s that kind of turn of events.


    ¡°It¡¯s so terribly noisy over here. The moonlit sky is so beautiful tonight, though? Why are you being so wasteful?¡±


    A young man with blue hair shows up. He¡¯s around 20 years old. He¡¯s wearing simple and good-looking luxurious ck suit that fits him perfectly.


    ¡°Why, isn¡¯t it Duke H?rtling. What brings you to this kind of ce, Your Grace?¡±


    The middle-aged man suddenly looks panicked, talking despondently.


    Duke H?rtling. I remember hearing that name somewhere. He¡¯s one of the four Grand Dukes that I¡¯m serving for soon. And then, he¡¯s also head of the noble faction who wishes for war.


    ¡°Fordell. I heard what you were about to do, you know?¡±


    ¡°This man is a mere bar, but he dared to insult me!¡±


    Marquess Fordell yells while pointing at me with veins bulging in his face.


    ¡°Hm, is he speaking the truth, heir Kurt of bar of Arnold?¡±


    When he calls my name, I feel agitated in an instant. Why would Duke H?rtling know my name? It¡¯s unthinkable for him to eavesdrop on us. If he was within the hearing range of our conversation, I would have noticed his presence.


    Then it¡¯s only possible if he knew me from the beginning. A duke remembering an heir of a bar? That¡¯s also unthinkable. ......No, if he has thoroughly investigated Duchess Renalier¡¯s movements, he would have arrived at my information as well. Just how far did this man know?


    Pushing down my agitation, I speak up.


    ¡°Marquess Fordell mistook mypanions as prostitutes, so I refused his extortion. The marquess seemed unable to ept my refusal, and intended to use pure strength to continue the pressure, but Your Grace appeared in the nick of time.¡±


    ¡°I see now. Fordell, is this what you meant by an insult? Since you couldn¡¯t allow him to refuse, you intended to assault the heir of Bar of Arnold?¡±


    ¡°Th, that¡¯s right! A mere bar, no, not even a bar, a brat like him, to me, to this me!!¡±


    ¡°I see. Fordell, you¡¯re lucky.¡±


    The next second, Duke H?rtling lightly tapped Marquess Fordell¡¯s shoulder without batting an eyelid. There¡¯s a muffled sounding from Marquess Fordell¡¯s shoulder as it bent in an odd angle.


    ¡°Eek, eeeeeeeeeeek, m-m-my shoulder, aaaaaaaaaAAH!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so noisy. It¡¯s only slightly broken. Defiling Duchess Renalier¡¯s garden only warrants this much, but I actually really want to cut your arm off.¡±


    While he looks elegant and exudes a dignified, noble atmosphere around him, his smile looks so barbaric.


    ¡°Marquess Fordell. I won¡¯t let you off just by this much if you truly assaulted this man. He¡¯s someone valued by that Margrave Fernande, even as far as making him betrothed to her daughter. He¡¯s also a person of interest for Duchess Renalier. He can trample someone like you as if you¡¯re an ant. He¡¯s the Arnold of the spear to begin with. You¡¯re out of your mind to pick a quarrel with the strongest Arnold in this generation.¡±


    The strongest Arnold in this generation. Those words won¡¯te up from the superficial kind of information. I have predicted that he had investigated me, but he proved to know me better than what I predicted. As someone unreachable on top of the clouds, why would a duke like him try to find out about me to that extent?


    ¡°Heir of Bar of Arnold, my subordinate has troubled you. I wish you would allow this to settle the matter. I shall send an apology gift to your roomter on.¡±


    ¡°Thanks to Your Grace¡¯s timely manner to stop him, there is no trouble at all on my behalf. I am deeply grateful.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d if you think so. Still, I will definitely send the apology gifts. This is my responsibility. Also, I¡¯m looking forward to your cooking. I hope you can take a good night rest today.¡±


    After saying that, he leaves the ce.


    While looking at him, Tina speaks.


    ¡°That person is scary. His words are gentle, but cold and detached.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like him either. The mana around him is prickly and sharp.¡±


    The two of them reject his presence with their own intuition. Their senses are quite sharp. I should be vignt against that man.


    We went back to our room while abandoning Marquess Fordell whom his servants were nursing, was clutching on his arm.


    I¡¯m going to serve food to that kind of man. This matter frightens me a little.

 Volume 3 - 12

    The day of the Four Great Dukes¡¯ banquet has finally arrived. This is the test of my true value. I¡¯ve just finished thest round of checks of the preparation in the kitchen hall. Tina and the others are with me too. The only tasks remaining are those which only she can do. It¡¯s past the afternoon now, the schedule is tight, so we must start the cooking process. Nearly every task has been progressing well. Currently, my only worry is...... The only ingredient that has to be procured today and hasn¡¯t arrived yet.


    ¡°Head chef Kurt! The ingredient is here!¡±


    A subordinate who came into the kitchen hall called me. Those are the exact words that I¡¯ve been hoping for.


    ¡°Finally!¡±


    My requested ingredient has finally arrived. It¡¯s the venison. I requested it from the hunters whom I met in the town back then. A fresh venison that has just been caught early in the morning today.


    ¡°Carry it to the kitchen hall, now. I need to prepare it.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    A splendid deer enters the room. Even the bloodletting step is perfectly executed. Moreover, the condition is great. It seems to be fatally wounded in one shot, because there¡¯s no damaging wounds. The best deer.


    ¡°Head chef Kurt. Freshly caught game isn¡¯t that tasty, are you sure you want to use this?¡±


    ¡°Fresh game isn¡¯t that tasty, indeed.¡±


    When the meates from a freshly hunted game, there¡¯s no <i>umami</i>ponent in it. It will only get intensified after being aged.


    ¡°Then why deliberately use a deer that hunted just for this event?¡±


    ¡°Because I won¡¯t use the meat. ......What I¡¯m going to use is this. The organ meat is more delicious the fresher it is.¡±


    With a dismantling knife, I cut the deer¡¯s belly open, then taking out the liver. It¡¯s a beautiful gleaming deep red color. A deer liver.


    ¡°No way, are you nning to serve an intestine to the Four Great Dukes?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? Liver is the most delicious innards. A wild beast will devour the innards first and foremost from the prey. And the fresher it is, the more delectable it is. A deer liver¡¯s deliciousness is ranked on the very top among all livers. It¡¯s the most delicious part in the world. I¡¯ll slice it raw to a <i>sashimi</i>for you.¡±


    My subordinates with their mouths agape nce at me, who already goes back to deal with the liver. There¡¯s a trick to deer liver¡¯s treatment. Deers have no gall dder, so the bile is stored inside the liver. This bile fluid is yellowish green and tastes bitter; it¡¯s also dangerous and bad for our body. It has to be removed first.


    I slice the liver perfectly into two. In the center of the liver, there¡¯s a hollow part, much like the core of an apple. I threw away the bile stored in there, and then wash it with running water.


    I barely touch the parts above the bile, only sifting through the top part of the liver as the bottom part where the bile continuously flowing to is separated into another te.


    Even if I wash it diligently, the bottom part where the bile is flowing to won¡¯t taste that food. It¡¯s tasty enough, but I will only serve the most delicious part for the Four Great Dukes.


    ¡°Tina, freeze this liver for me.¡±


    ¡°Understood, Kurt-sama.¡±


    Tina¡¯s Fire magic arte...... Or in fact, the arte of controlling heat, is freezing the liver in great speed. This step is necessary to kill the germs and parasites. Deers have exceedingly warm body temperature, so the liver can be casually eaten raw, but I can¡¯t be too careful.


    After properly frozen, it¡¯s slowly thawed by Tina¡¯s power. This step prevents food poisoning.


    ¡°Now, then, another step to do.¡±


    No matter how much I tell them that liver sashimi is delicious, I can¡¯t serve it just after slicing like this. I put a wire mesh on top of charcoal fire that I¡¯ve prepared before, then I put on those liver slices to grill the surface.


    Doing this will stimte the umami. After the rolled liver has turned into grilled color, I cool it down by dunking it into iced water. And then, I slice it thinly before putting the slices on a te. The outer skin is in the color of appetizing dark brown, while the center is the color of vibrant ruby. The secret ingredient in this dish is the clear top liquid of miso, made from fermented soybean. It brings out a vor simr to <i>shoyu</i> soy sauce. It¡¯s not something spread in this world.


    ¡°Now it¡¯s done. The best sashimi in the world. Try some.¡±


    I pass the cuts that can¡¯t be served to the guests to my subordinates. He gulps. The dark brown and ruby and the emerald decoration. That kind of vivid appearance should stimte his appetite, right? And so he put some in his mouth.


    ¡°This is amazing. It¡¯s sweet and firm, it¡¯s not smelly at all, this is the first time I tasted something like this. So venison can be this delicious?¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s not a freshly caught deer, the taste won¡¯t be this vorful. That¡¯s how important a fresh game is.¡±


    The liver¡¯s sweet vor¡¯s true identity is glycogen, and deer liver stores more than four times as much glycogen as cow liver. There¡¯s no other liver that hides this kind of overwhelmingly delicious vor besides the deer kind.


    Deer liver is delicious, it has a very low content of fat, and not a drop of oil is used in cooking the dish, so it¡¯s very easy on the stomach.


    I don¡¯t wish to use butter or oil in my ideas of the full course. A full course with an harmony of umami. I¡¯ll serve the best while still holding that principle.


    The hors d¡¯oeuvres¡¯ duty is to introduce what kind of full course dishes that will be served from now on, as well as building anticipation towards it. After eating deer liver pate, they definitely will be astounded and their anticipation will go straight through the roof.


    ¡°Head chef Kurt, I understand that you¡¯re going to cook something amazing, but isn¡¯t the amount of the liver too small? Only with this.¡±


    ¡°Deer liver pate is a special dish that will only be served to the Four Great Dukes. We still haven¡¯t prepared enough to manage freshly caught deer¡¯s liver after all.¡±


    The other nobles will have to settle with Tuna Steak Tartare.


    ¡°In that case, it¡¯ll be enough for sure!¡±


    ¡°Maybe you¡¯re truly lucky. You can boast that you¡¯ve eaten a dish that no one but the Four Great Dukes has eaten.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a great honor! I won¡¯t forget this gratitude for life!¡±


    He looks like he greatly appreciates that dish, because he¡¯s been staring at me with deeply yearning eyes.


    ¡°Now then, it¡¯s the end of the allocated time for making the hors d¡¯oeuvres. Now let¡¯s start cooking the rest of the dishes too. There¡¯s not much time left.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    With that, the kitchen hall exudes a warzone-like bustles. I also start my cooking, because the dishes presented to the Four Great Dukes will all be made by myself.


    Finally, the banquet has begun. In Renalier ducal estate, the hall designated for parties has been prepared for a long time. Inside the hall, only the best decorations were used for this party.


    Everything in that room is of the highest grade: every painting, every chandelier, every te. There¡¯s no way Arnold house can buy even a single one of them.


    The Four Great Dukes are sitting on the highest elevated spot in the halls, around the desk that exclusively prepared for them, while the other nobles are gathered around a gigantic dining table.


    Simply from the special seats, the Four Great Dukes look like heavenly existences above the clouds for the rest of the people surrounding the gigantic table: the margraves, marquess, viscounts, and me.


    A banquest that could gather this much honor doesn¡¯t exist anywhere else, right? I¡¯m blending with the servants who are carrying over to serve the dishes instead of being idle. It¡¯s Duchess Renalier¡¯s order. I must appear as a waiter and exin the dishes as necessary.


    When I go to the elevated floor designated for the Four Great Dukes, all eyes are focused on me. I can feel special, bizarre power from one of Four Great Dukes, the one who was involved in that incident yesterday, Duke H?rtling.


    Those eyes are testing me. After all of them received the ap¨¦ritif and the hors d¡¯oeuvres, Duchess Renalier stands up. There¡¯s a microphone in her hand.


    ¡°Today, I express my greatest gratitude to all of you who has gathered in my ce for this banquet.¡±


    That¡¯s really straightforward. I can say that we are peers of the same age, but she has the style of an empress.


    ¡°The full course of this asion is something that I, and the ducal house of Renalier, the governor of the Eastern province of the empire, have prepared with all of our might. I promise you that this is truly the newest invention, and the most delicious meal that you¡¯re going to experience.¡±


    People in the vicinity are making noises. They naturally would, in a sense. It¡¯s because the host of the Four Great Dukes¡¯ banquet is on a rotation. If someone says that it¡¯s the newest and best in that kind of asion, it¡¯s equal to saying that she will surpass the other members of the Four Great Dukes.


    Every time, in order to demonstrate their might, the Four Great Dukes will prepare the best full course. No one will ever say those words thoughtlessly.


    I wryly smile. I didn¡¯t think that the hurdles will be staked up high in the open. However, I have no intention to falter here. I¡¯ve definitely made the dishes that will live up to those words.


    ¡°Well, then, everyone. Let¡¯s have a toast. In the honor of the greater growth of our empire.¡±


    In this ce, every single person raises their ss.


    ¡°To the empire!¡±


    With that, the banquet officially began.


    The nobles drink their ap¨¦ritif to quench their throats, and then they reach out to taste my hors d¡¯oeuvres.

 Volume 3 - 13

    <h4>Chapter 13: The Truly New, Best Full Course</h4>


    The banquet began. As the man responsible for both the dishes and the menu descirptions for the Four Great Dukes, I stay close to the great dukes¡¯ table.


    Just like its titr namesake, the Four Great Dukes consists of four people.


    Duchess Renalier of the east. A beautifulte teenage girl who exudes keen senses. She¡¯s also my current employer. Part of the imperial faction who wishes to avoid the war.


    Duke H?rtling of the west. A young man in the middle of his 20s who appears to be gentle. I came to know the madness hidden behind that innocent appearance due to the dispute yesterday. Part of the noble faction who wishes for war.


    Duke Eichhorn of the south. A good looking man in his 40s who looks kind. I heard he was part of the noble faction.


    Duke Ortl?pp of the north. A slender elderly man in his 50s with stern-looking face. Imperial faction.


    The one that I have to be wary of is Duke H?rtling of the west, obviously.


    After Duchess Renalier finishes my introduction, I open my mouth to speak.


    ¡°The full course of the day was kindly entrusted to me. My name is Kurt Arnold. There are two dishes that I serve as the hors d¡¯oeuvres, Tuna Steak Tartare and Seared Deer Liver.¡±


    There are two hors d¡¯oeuvres. The first one is tuna, the most delicious part of the flesh that I carved out diligently from the bones before being chopped to bite sized pieces. Then I mixed the tuna with gtin formed on top of the tuna bones consomm¨¦ soup, herbs, and all sorts of condiments to be refined into a firm Steak Tartare. Then I put vinegar into a basic vivid green sauce.


    The other one is the venison from a freshly caught game this morning. After the skin was heated, I promptly cooled it down, then adding special made sauce, the Seared Deer Liver.


    Neither of them use a single drop of oil. Hiding a burst of umami, they¡¯re truly the most excellent hors d¡¯oeuvres. As the appetizer of the full course, they don¡¯t have anything to criticize.


    ¡°This is beautiful. It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve ever seen a tuna dish such as this one. Vibrantly red, with emerald sauce.¡±


    Duke H?rtling of the west slightly exaggerates his praises for my cooking.


    ¡°The appearance is pleasing, but how about the taste? .....Ah, no, no, I was surprised. It¡¯s the first time I ever ate tuna this vorful. Moreover, it doesn¡¯t stray off the stage as a light hors d¡¯oeuvres. I¡¯m impressed...... There¡¯s another one, Seared Deer Liver, is it? How about this one?¡±


    Duke H?rtling put the deer liver into his mouth with cheerful look.


    ¡°This, how on earth!? You, is it possible to ask for seconds? I lost myself for a moment there. The springiness is too great, the moment I bit into it, it burst so pleasantly. A wonderfully unparalleled milky sweet taste. Wonderful! The best hors d¡¯oeuvres. The slight heat from the sauce is probably the deciding factor. To make me feel this moved simply from the appetizer, what a chef you are.¡±


    He must have wished against the sess of the banquet that Duchess Renalier hosts, but he didn¡¯t stop praising my cooking.


    ¡°I deeply apologize. This Seared Deer Liver needs a special ingredient, therefore there is no more than can be offered aside of these current servings. There will be more dishes that I made with all my skills afterwards. I wish for your leniency.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s truly regretful. But, I¡¯m having higher anticipations now for the next dishes. Fufufu, what kind of surprise that we¡¯ll get next, I wonder?¡±


    Duke H?rtling obediently pat the corner of his lips. The other ones of the Four Great Dukes didn¡¯t particrly show anything different from his odd behavior.


    However, looking intrigued by the rave review from him, they take their food in turns.


    ¡°<i>Hohoh</i>, I now understand why Duke H?rtling gave this such a high praise.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. The truly new, best full course that Duchess Renalier isn¡¯t necessarily more than just a statement, but it doesn¡¯t seem like she was only being presumptuous. ......Perhaps the next ones will reveal the true nature* of this full course to us.¡±


    The strict-looking elder duke of the north, as well as the good-looking middle-aged duke of the south, both praise my cooking. I used a weapon called deer liver, which was said to be the most delicious sashimi in the world. If they don¡¯t show at least this much of raving, I¡¯ll be troubled.


    Suddenly, the general nobles who had heard the high praises from the Four Great Dukes about the venison dish visibly asked the servants to prepare the same dish for them.


    I contemte on this cruel thing, of being unable to prepare enough amount to serve the dish for anyone other than the Four Great Dukes. I burdened the servants with the fallout with the other nobles. However, I can¡¯t just stay still and contemte.


    After the dishes are served in this banquet, I give the slightmentary on the dishes, and before the Four Great Dukes finish eating, I return to the kitchen hall to give the finishing touches. It¡¯s truly a busy task, yet necessary.


    Now, it¡¯s time for the next dish.


    The next presented dish, the Scallop Sd also gained favorable impression. It¡¯s a te of steamed scallop with dressing.


    In the dressing, I used the grape-like paple fruit. It¡¯s the finest quality fruit that the elves raised. The dressing that pulls out the best of the fruit is able to both draw the light vor of the scallop and hold exceptional affinity with the fresh vegetables.


    After that, the presented dish is the soup. In the soup consisted of only vegetables boiled in a long time, I take out the clear liquid as the foundation before adding <i>shikabushi</i>, smoked venison kes, just for a short moment to create this specialty soup.


    The sweet vor of the vegetables and the umami of the vension are both present aplenty. And then, with the benefit of vegetables and all sorts of herbs, it will wash down anything in the mouth, condition the stomach, and increase the appetite.


    ¡°Transparent and beautiful looking soup. Yes, it¡¯s delicious. Aforting taste. It feels permeating inside the body.¡±


    Just like before, Duke H?rtling of the west is all praises for me.


    ¡°Hmph, this doesn¡¯t pass the bar. The hors d¡¯oeuvres and sd were wonderful, but the soup that we came up with in thest banquet in the Eichhorn, the potage soup made from local specialty pork, was clearly better. The richness of that potage with plenty of butter and the sweetness of pork fat, I¡¯m salivating from just remembering it.¡±


    The good-looking middle aged Duke Eichhorn of the south drinks the soup in one gulp and talks bad about it.


    ¡°And why is that?¡±


    The elderly Duke Ortl?pp of the north, slurps the soup noisily, making it look really delicious.


    ¡°Is there a counterargument somewhere tin your speech, Duke Ortl?pp?¡±


    ¡°For me, as a soup dish of a full course, this is overwhelmingly better. Your specialty pork potage soup is delicious, naturally. But that was too heavy. The oil cloyed in the stomach, while turning the tongue numb, hm. I could not taste well the fish and meat dish afterwards. First, it was simply enough to be a standalone dish.¡±


    ¡°But, the vor-¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s rted. Right now, I can¡¯t do anything else except anticipating the fish dish next. The soup, hm. Its role is to be a foil to the very end. ......Moreover, hm. I can¡¯t think of the taste as inferior. The tender sweetness of the vegetables, and the packed umami of meat to get drawn out to this extent without any stench. Instead of cloying the stomach, the more I eat, the more I feel my belly cleansed. It¡¯s a magical soup. This kind of soup, I never tasted it before, hm. Without realizing it, I ended up drinking it all.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m of the same opinion. Duchess Renalier, this is truly amazing, isn¡¯t it? Even the soup is the best. I tip my hat off already. As expected of the east, renowned for the forefront of cultural development. Today has been a series of surprises.¡±


    Duchess Renalier¡¯s expression crumbles for a second. It seems that there¡¯s something else that came to her mind.


    ¡°It is my honor to receive the praise. However, up until now, it¡¯s only the opening performance. After this, the main dishes of fish and meat, and moreover, the dessert, are being prepared as we speak. If you are surprised by this, I cannot guarantee what will happen to your bodyter, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it. It¡¯s this soup¡¯s fault, my stomach feels too empty. Now, let us taste the next dish, please.¡±


    As he said, the soup is already finished, even for Duke Eichhorn, whoined about it.


    The conversation dragged on, robbing me of the opportunity to go back and do the final touch. If I go back to the kitchen hall right now, the guests will have to wait, won¡¯t they?


    However, there¡¯s no problem. I¡¯ve predicted this oue. The next menu, Eel Soup in Puff Pastry, has already been baked and carried over here.


    I left that cooking step to Tina. She¡¯s truly reliable in anything that requires fire while cooking. I have no doubt that she will have the perfect final touch.


    ¡°Understood. It will be served soon.¡±


    I snap my finger. When I did, the servants serve the dish all at once. This dish is presented in arge tea cup. And then, that tea cup is covered by a puff pie dough and baked.


    ¡°Eel Soup in Puff Pastry is served.¡±


    ¡°This is another mysterious dish. It¡¯s the first time I saw a fish dish served in a tea cup. Seems like it means something.¡±


    ¡°It terribly reeks of poverty from the looks of it, isn¡¯t it so? I¡¯m disappointed after all that anticipation.¡±


    The dukes of west and south of the noble faction express their own shing impressions. Indeed, at this point, the appearance is too in and there¡¯s no aroma from the dish. However, this is the bomb of my arsenal. It means that it holds an explosion.


    ¡°This dish is a dish that will bepleted by the guests¡¯ own hands. Please break apart the puff pastry lid, and let them fall into the cup. If possible, simultaneously for everyone.¡±


    When I said that, the Four Great Dukes hold their spoons and break apart the pastry lid. In that moment.


    ¡°<i>Oou</i>, what a wonderful aroma!¡±


    ¡°It really arouses my appetite.¡±


    ¡°<i>Oou</i>, it tightly grips my stomach.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve ever seen a red soup.¡±


    The aroma hidden under the puff pastry lid burst out all at once. Yes, this puff pastry has fulfilled its role to lock in the aroma inside.


    Inside the puff pastry, a curry soup with fleshy eel fish and all sorts of condiments boiled together.


    Spicy aroma really draws out one¡¯s appetite. This dish doesn¡¯t contain anything else other than eel and condiments. That¡¯s precisely why it tastes straightforward without any muddles.


    ¡°This tender and fatty eel is just too good. When it¡¯s together with spicy soup, it¡¯s the best.¡±


    ¡°<i>Hafu, hafu</i>, this spiciness tastes so pleasing. I feel like I can keep eating no matter how much. Oh, I never thought I would sweat this good.¡±


    ¡°The crispy puff pastry is exceptionallypatible too.¡±


    The four of them eat the stewed eel as if they¡¯re in a trance. Eel contains a lot of fat, so it will taste greasy when being eaten normally. However, with this specialty curry soup, they won¡¯t taste that greasiness. The spiciness seize the tongue from being numb of the vor to the utmost limit.


    Moreover, the spices aren¡¯t there just for the taste, they also enhance a person¡¯s appetite. Truly a strange vor. Emotionally moving and chemically reacting. Experienceing both at the same time, there¡¯s no way anyone can stay calm.


    Originally, this will disqualify the dish from being French, but I can get away with it in this world.


    ¡°Ahahaha, honestly! I decided to hold back from being surprised anymore, but this really caught me off guard. It¡¯s not just delicious. It¡¯s the first time I enjoyed eating this much.¡±


    Duke H?rtling of the west raises his voice whileughing.


    ¡°The next one is still the main dish. I will make the final touch in front of all honorable guests, please, enjoy it.¡±


    The servants transport a drum container in. Hidden inside the container is the main dish of the day.


    Now, let¡¯s scare them out of their wits.


    ¡°I shall request the honorable guests to watch carefully now.¡±


    It¡¯s been going well so far. The dishes remaining are just the meat dish, and the dessert. If I fail here, all the things that I¡¯ve built up until now will fall into ruin. With that to propel me forward vigorously, no, with more vigor than anything before, let¡¯s show that I can smash forward until the end.


    While thinking that, I took out the thing residing inside the drum container.


    <strong>Credits: </strong>


    <strong>Isecai¡¯s Notes</strong>:


    Ahem. So Kurt¡¯s appetizer is actually Seared Deer Liver instead of Pate. Sorry for the mishaps, everyone! Actually I found the Tataki (Seared) recipe immediately after looking at Google with Japanese keyword, and it looks like this:


    It doesn¡¯t look like something that Kurt can serve to the Dukes, but it looks exactly like how Kurt exined it in the previous chapter so I just have to include it here. xD (and edit the prev chapterter on lol)


    Also, Kurt¡¯s exnations aren¡¯t really spoken out loud, I think. But maybe it is. IDK, Japanese authors put weird things ¡°off screen¡± so maybe Kurt did exin out loud but we didn¡¯t get to see it happening on screen despite it being narrated in his inner monologue. ORZ


    That part where a duke said ¡°the full course¡¯s true nature¡±, the idiom said ñR½Å¤ò¶¤ï¤¹. The interesting part is that ñR½Å means horse¡¯s leg. xD I can¡¯t help but to think of a slight sneer in that part, as if he was saying, ¡°A deer liver? Why not a horse¡¯s leg next!¡± lol. I¡¯m most probably taking it too far though.


    Duke Ortlopp talks a bit strangely. He keeps adding ¡°-nou¡± in the end. On its own, it can be tranted as ¡°useful¡± (as in the opposite of useless), but for some reason, I think that¡¯s just his speech pattern, so I just added the ¡°hm¡± in the odd part of the sentence. XD


    I don¡¯t know why the spiciness will make the eel curry soup fail the French??? Anyone???


    By the way, the soup in puff pastry is called Zuppa Soup around here. I think it¡¯s not called the same anywhere else though, maybe localized term? Because in the other part of the world I find it called Fish Pot Pie (but the term can mean a lot of different appearances, so I pick this one). By the way, here where I am, the content is more often creamy mushroom chicken soup though. I love the crisp pastry as well as the part that just sticks to the cup/bowl and still has that chewy texture. Yum yum.


    Also, I think Duke H?rtling wants Kurt for his own lol.

 Volume 3 - 14

    <h4>Chapter 14: Jade Roasted Duck</h4>


    The drum container that the servants carried all of a sudden, inside that is precisely the main dish of this full course. And this time, Tinaes forward along with the drum. I need to borrow her power to make the final touch.


    ¡°Completing right in front of our eyes, is it? There should be a meaning to it.¡±


    Duke H?rtling looks at the drum container with deep interest.


    ¡°Naturally.¡±


    It¡¯s against my principle to do anything meaningless. I want to have them enjoy the dish to the utmost.


    It¡¯s obvious that the vor is the most important element of a dish, but there are also other crucialponents, such as the presentation, the aroma, and then, the staging.


    Any of those will result in elevating the enjoyment of the original taste of the dish. And of course, the opposite also applies. That¡¯s why, for the meat as the main dish of the full course, I want to let all those elements shine to the utmost.


    I take out the roasted ducks from the drum container, pierced with an iron skewer. The browning of each roasted duck arouses appetite. I used the drum container to let the heat spread evenly.


    ¡°So the main dish is just a whole roasted animal? Such a kill joy.¡±


    The good looking Duke Eichhorn of the south from the noble faction jeers; it¡¯s odd enough that he never misses a chance to disparage my dishes.


    ¡°Eichhorn, be quiet for us. Think about all the dishes that had been served before, you should be able to understand that it¡¯s impossible that this chef is going to present us a simple whole roasted fowl, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    The elderly Duke Ortl?pp of the north rebuked Duke Eichhorn. He¡¯s right. This isn¡¯t just a whole roasted duck. I¡¯ve plucked out the innards and stuffed the stomach to a bulge before sewing it closed.


    I put up the iron skewered duck on top of a deep dish. And then, I cut off the seam with a carving knife.


    When I do so..... vibrant jade color liquid flows out of the duck into the deep dish. It emits intense amount of steam.


    ¡°<i>Oou</i>, what a fragrant aroma.¡±


    ¡°What an aromatic juiciness. Moreover, it¡¯s a very calming aroma.¡±


    The second aroma explosion. The aroma of meat juice from the duck and gentle, sweet fragrance that embodies the forest mingle together and waft in the air. I¡¯ve prepared this final touch in order to let the guests experience this aroma.


    I cut the duck meat into slices and put them onto the tes, and pour the jade-colored liquid seeping out of the duck¡¯s belly, borrowing Tina¡¯s power to boil it to down.


    I add some wine and seasonings, reduce it to make a sauce, then pour plenty of it on the duck. Now, it¡¯s finallypleted.


    ¡°This is the main dish of today. It¡¯s called Jade Roasted Duck. Please, enjoy to your hearts¡¯ content.¡±


    As soon as the dish is served on the table, there are only impatient hands all over them. It¡¯s only natural. The previously presented dishes have increased their appetites, and this aroma made them submit to it. They must be at their limits already.


    ¡°This. What a rich vor. The dry duck meat entwines with the sauce. What is the true form of this jade sauce?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too delicious. It¡¯s both gentle and vorful, I never tasted anything like this before.¡±


    ¡°Hm, the meat dish is also of the finest quality. Lately, I didn¡¯t have much appetite, which was probably due to my age..... When was thest time I finished everything on my te like this? If it¡¯s a full course like this, I wish I can eat it everyday, hm.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m very satisfied with this meal. .....But I wish I can eat a little more.¡±


    Thest dish to be served, Jade Roasted Duck. The cooking technique was simple. Basically, it was just attentively heating the ducks in the drum container. However, I prepared a special condiment. The ingredient was natively grown in my hometown, the mountain of Arnold, pistachios.


    I crushed the pistachios along with walnuts,bined them with cheese, and let the condiments go throughctic acid fermentation.


    Pistachio, which contains the first ss special umami even among nuts, mixed well with cheese. Those vors umted and turned even morepact, while the fermentation made the vor milder and yet deeper.


    I put plenty of the condiments into the duck¡¯s belly after emptying out their innards , then roasted the ducks in the drum container.


    When I did, the pistachio condiments inside the belly permeated into the meat, and likewise, the meat juice and duck fat also seeped into the sauce, making it a sauce with umami aplenty inside those bellies.


    That condiment came out when I cut open the duck¡¯s seam. Using that as the sauce enabled me to serve the best dish. In this full course, it¡¯s the only dish with extra fattiness. That¡¯s why it tastes all the more delicious.


    And then, I¡¯ve calcted that this dish is stopping short of bringing them toplete satisfaction. They are in the stage of being so close to fulfillment, and that is the best condition for their stomachs to eat the dessert.


    ¡°Phew, I feel sated. The dessert will round it all up, right? It was a great full course.¡±


    ¡°Bringing us to this state, I can¡¯t find any fault at all...... Renalier is blessed with a great chef. It¡¯s the first time I finished a full course meal while feeling this pleasant. Before, when finishing the main dish, my stomach had only suffered. I always thought that it was a given, but this, this has opened my eyes. This is truly what it means to enjoy a full course meal.¡±


    The full course ispletely over. There¡¯s only a bonus left, the dessert. The room is filled with that kind of atmosphere.


    That is a big misunderstanding, because the real show is only about to begin.


    ¡°Honored guests, with this, the true main dish will be prepared from here onwards.¡±


    The Four Great Dukes show startled looks when they hear me..... then their expressions turn into great anticipation.


    ¡°I thought only the dessert remains after this.¡±


    ¡°Yes, the full course meal throughout the previous servings were all prepared to ensure honored guests¡¯ condition to fully enjoy the dessert. The reason for that, is the dessert, which is my most prided dish, the best menu of this full course.¡±


    I respond passionately.


    That is my identity. The dishes before are no more than the tools to fully showcase my identity. I devised today¡¯s dishes, which were essential to let the guests enjoy 100% of the decadent chocte cake. The dishes before only had reserved amounts of fat content. I also conditioned their stomachs with the knowledge of medicinal cooking, which provided the vitamins that they severelycked from the luxurious meals that they usually consume. Today¡¯s full course dishes could be called edible medicines as well.


    Looking at my figure brimming with confidence and passion, Duchess Renalier giggles to herself, then speaks.


    ¡°Let me say that the person responsible for today¡¯s full course dishes, Kurt Arnold, the heir of the Barcy of Arnold, is actually not a chef. I made an impossible cooking request to him.¡±


    Those words shock the other members of Four Great Dukes more than before, as they look at me even more closely.


    ¡°Duchess Renalier, saying that someone with the ability to present dishes to this extent isn¡¯t a chef..... then pray tell, what is he? What is his real upation?¡±


    ¡°His true upation is a <ruby>pastry chef<rt>p a t i s s i e r</rt></ruby>. The dessert that will be served to us next will finally show his true worth.¡±


    I can hear someone¡¯s gulping sound. The preparations are all good. In that case, the only thing remaining is to show them my full power.


    ¡°Then, to bring us all towards the finish line, I will bring out the best dish. What I will present to you today, is the apex of chocte cakes, Sachertorte. I improved the dish into what I shall call as the Imperial Torte.¡±


    Since they never heard the word <i>chocte</i> before, the anticipation of the unknown seeps into the Four Great Dukes¡¯ eyes. The<i> imperial </i>word in the name holds the meaning of the imperial stage. In other words, it¡¯s a pastry worthy of the emperor.


    If there¡¯s any falsehood in that title, I will be punished for treason, let alone making the worst impression. However, my cake definitely deserves that title. It holds the knowledge of my past life and the most wonderful ingredients that I¡¯ve encountered until today. Using those two, it¡¯s a cake that no one else can make besides me.


    Now, let¡¯s satisfy their curiosity to their hearts¡¯ content, shall we?


    <strong>Credits: </strong>

 Volume 3 - 15

    <h4>Chapter 15: Imperial Torte</h4>


    Atst, it¡¯s the finale of the full course meal, the greatest highlight, the dessert. The servants have just brought in the 80%pleted Imperial Torte, which is nothing more than chocte sponge cake that I have baked prior to this banquet. That is still not enough to be called the supreme cake. There¡¯s still some finishing touches left.


    My prototype chocte cake, Sachertorte, was a baked chocte-vored sponge cake with plenty of butter and chocte. I put apricot jam to ze over the surface, and then I coated the whole cake with sugary fondant that contained chocte as its finishing. With just that much, it was already called the king of chocte cakes.


    In order to make Imperial Torte which surpassed that Sachertorte, I used walnut oil in exchange for the butter and mildly added Western liquor to spice it up. After that, in exchange with the apricot jam, I used Pinal jam from the peach-like fruit that had received all the blessings of the elven vige. I sliced it into twoyers and made fruit creamyer as well.


    ¡°Fufufu, dark-colored cake? It¡¯s yet another queer one again. Is it the effect of that thing called chocte, I wonder?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that is indeed correct, Duke H?rtling. This is a pastry for adults, guaranteed to give you the most elevated taste.¡±


    Around the time I replied with a smile, the servants brought up a polished marble te. It¡¯s the absolutely indispensable tool in making Imperial Torte. Now, I shall begin the finishing touch.


    ¡°From now on, I¡¯ll be making the finishing touches in front of all the honored guests. Please, have a look.¡±


    Firstly, I¡¯m having Tina heat up a bowl of chocte until it turns into liquid form. The temperature is about 40-50 degree of Celsius. This is important.


    I pour 2/3 parts of the melted chocte to therge marble te. The dark liquid spreads on the te, and it exudes the alluring smell of heated chocte. After all, it¡¯s the highest grade of chocte made from cocoa beans. Not only it is of a great quality, I also adjusted it to be the most suitable ingredient for Imperial Torte only. This smell will even entice the most sensible man in the room. The Four Great Dukes who smell this for the first time must be unable to endure any longer, right? Their eyes are perfectly glued to it.


    I spread the chocte thinly on therge marble te, then I mix it all together again with spat. This process is called tempering. By processing the chocte like this, the cocoa butter will crystallize; it will harden to give the crisp mouthfeel texture and shine in brilliant luster finish.


    The processing temperature, thinness when it¡¯s spread, all of them allow no room topromise and demand all of my focus. Even the most trivial miss will result in theck of glossy finish of the chocte and harm the texture. The ability to perfectly conduct a tempering is one of the proofs of a <ruby>first rate pastry chef<rt>p a t i s s i e r</rt></ruby>. Thinner, even more endlessly thinner. Looking at the sight of my cooking process seems to take away the breath of those around me.


    Gradually, as the temperature is cooling down, I withdraw the spat and form horn swirls that holds up. It¡¯s the evidence of a sessful crystallization. I mix the chocte that I¡¯ve safely tempered into the bowl with the 1/3 remaining chocte inside. If I fail here, everything wille to nothing.


    It¡¯s perfect.


    I ster the jam made of pinal fruit that has been immersed in liquor onto the chocte sponge cake.


    The liquor taste is a great match with the chocte. The jam made from the finest quality pinal fruits grown with the elves¡¯ blessing is already so delicious on its own. It¡¯s exceptionallypatible with chocte.


    Then, I coat the surface of the chocte cake that has pinal jam stered on with the chocte that has been tempered.


    Swiftly, evenly. All in a second. The chocte coating spread turns solid just like that.


    Just in case, I¡¯m having Tina take away the heat too. It¡¯s not about applying cold air onto it, but taking away the heat itself so that the cake will firm up without any bad influence. The perfectly tempered chocte emits an endlessly gorgeous luster finish.


    ¡°Beautiful.¡±


    Looking at my cooking process, Duchess Renalier uttered that word absentmindedly. The technique of a craftsman who has gone to the extreme will be a beautiful work of art in itself.


    With this, my cake ispleted. It¡¯s literally a shining cake. This is the improved version of Sachertorte, Imperial Torte.


    ¡°This is my finished dessert. I will cut it now.¡±


    I cut the Imperial Torte into portions. Except for the Four Great Dukes¡¯ table, the guests receive a serving of Imperial Torte that I have baked yesterday.


    ¡°Then, please enjoy. This is the best pastry that I am able to humbly present to you.¡±


    I can hear someone gulping. The Four Great Dukes reach their Imperial Torte.


    ¡°This is......¡±


    ¡°What the......¡±


    Their expression turns sloppy as they sink in ecstasy. They are at loss for words and can only indulge greedily in the cake as if in a trance. Just like that, the cake is all gone. Everyone in the room wear the same sated look on their faces. Until they finish eating, not a single person in the room make any words. When something is truly delicious, people will be rendered speechless.


    To be able to draw out this kind of reaction from them is not only credited to the power of the best cake, but to all the full course meal leading to the dessert which have served to make the cake as delicious as possible. The seeds sowed from the beginning bore the fruits at the finish line.


    After quite some time has passed, the nobles finally open their mouths to speak.


    ¡°I was thoroughly surprised. When I was enjoying the high ss bitter vor and the sweet chocte exterior that snapped in my mouth, it revealed a gentle sourness from the jam, and it even hid a soft decadent cake in the inside. Those bitter, sweet, and sour tastes blended into one vor that is so emotionally moving..... ah, indeed, it¡¯s just as you said. All the dishes that I highly praised before only served as the opening performance for this. Ah, no, I¡¯m quite sure that I didn¡¯t just eat a cake. I wonder what that is.¡±


    Duke H?rtling looks dazed in disbelief.


    ¡°This chocte thing is really amazing. However, one needs talent to perfectly draw out that chocte¡¯s potential. As expected, there¡¯s nothing toin about, whatsoever. Duchess Renalier, it¡¯s your victory. I¡¯m unable to deny that the full course that you have presented is truly the best, newest full course meal.¡±


    Eichhorn of the west has already surrendered.


    Duchess Renalier smiles.


    ¡°It is my pleasure to be able to deliver. I wonder if that means you have acknowledged the height of the cultural development in the east that I manage. Is it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, I admit it. It¡¯s the full course that is 100 years more advanced than the rest of us. However... Is this truly the power of the east?¡±


    ¡°And what are you trying to say with those words, Duke H?rtling?¡±


    ¡°No, no reason in particr. Today is truly the best banquet of all times, Duchess Renalier.¡±


    After that, they engage in a pleasant chat.


    Somehow, the banquet has sessfully ended. It was a good experience for me to be able to use the highest grade ingredients as I liked, but I wish I could avoid another pressuring job like this.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, today¡¯s full course menu was all prepared under your direction. Is that correct, Kurt Arnold, heir of the Barcy of Arnold?¡±


    ¡°That is correct.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve ever tasted a full course meal this amazing. I absolutely need to thank you. I will present you a giftter on.¡±


    ¡°As expected from Duke H?rtling of the west. You have a deep pocket. It won¡¯t do if I fall behind the duke of west. I will also send over a present for youter on.¡±


    Personal gifts from the dukes. Most likely, they will be things that I can never eveny my eyes on, in my whole life. I do wish that I can ept them to further advance the Arnold fief. However......


    ¡°I terribly apologize, because I cannot ept those gifts. I was only moving to assist Duchess Renalier, not a single speck more. This amazing banquet is all the meritorious deed of the person who chose me as her assistant, Duchess Renalier. If I ept presents, they will be from Her Grace¡¯s hands. I cannot possibly ept any other present.¡±


    I can only say that, because jumping on board of this openly headhunting maneuver will only result in bad reputation in a short term and increase the number of my enemies.


    ¡°Ahahahahaha! Kurt-kun, you...... You are really good.¡±


    Duke H?rtling¡¯s voice is cheerful and amicable, but his frame is trembling.


    ¡°Forget the speech just now. However, let me say this at the very least. I wish to eat your food again. I can¡¯t endure only tasting it once. Can you serve more for me?¡±


    ¡°That possibility depends on Duchess Renalier.¡±


    ¡°Ahahaha, that¡¯s right. It is indeed as you said. Un, but I¡¯m still surprised. A ck kite can give birth to a dragon, let alone an eagle.¡±


    And that is the end of my conversation with Duke H?rtling. Duchess Renalier shes a smile at me. That was probably the correct answer. After that, the banquet gradually ties into a close.


    ¡°Since we¡¯ve stuffed our bellies, let¡¯s move to the dance hall. A ce for casual chats has been prepared beforehand. You may freely participate, so I wish you all will do as you please.¡±


    Along with those words, people move in crowds. Free participation means the ideal opportunity to build thework. No aristocrat will miss it. I stand still in my spot. If possible, I don¡¯t wish to join in, but I shouldn¡¯t be like that, right? Though the lowest of the kind, I¡¯m still of nobility too. Though, most likely, there are many nobles who will approach me as I¡¯m seen as Duchess Renalier¡¯s person of interest, which sounds troublesome.


    I simply take a small break now. After all, I¡¯m mentally exhausted. I¡¯m simply standing still, watching the servants and the nobles that they¡¯re escorting.


    An elderly man call out to me in that state. It¡¯s Duke Ortl?pp of the north. He¡¯s Duchess Renalier¡¯s ally from the imperial faction.


    ¡°Thank you for the wonderful food. I¡¯m also grateful for the help you¡¯ve sent to Duchess Renalier.¡±


    ¡°I onlypleted my tasks.¡±


    ¡°Even moreso. That girl only has a small number of allies. By thoroughlypleting your task, bing an existence that she can trust, you give her a great mental support.¡±


    I¡¯m at loss for words to reply. In a conversation with this person, I don¡¯t want to show any disrespect by saying something clumsy.


    ¡°Your food was great, youngd. Not just the taste, even thoughtfulness you put into it was amazing. Today, my body feels lighterpared to when I haven¡¯t eaten, I also thoroughly enjoyed the performance. I never thought that it could happen to someone from eating something. You are a great chef, youngd. Like that H?rtling, I¡¯d love to enjoy your food again in another opportunity.¡±


    Without waiting for my reply, Duke Ortl?pp turns around. And then, he spoke even though I can¡¯t see it from where I¡¯m standing.


    ¡°I shall bestow one advice from an old man like me. You¡¯ve shown too much power. After this, people with bad intention will approach you, and your old allies will see you with greed, perhaps make a full change in front of you. Don¡¯t be too trusting, but don¡¯t be too doubtful. To live longer as a noble, that is the crux that you must engrave in your mind.¡±


    He¡¯s a person a I cannot fathom. There¡¯s a weight of a person who has lived long enough in his words. His figure gradually disappears from my sight. While being all alone, I mutter on my own.


    ¡°That¡¯s indeed true. A pastry chef¡¯s power is not enough. I must learn a lot more.¡±


    In my past life¡¯s knowledge, I have the knowledge of pastry and food, but I haven¡¯t learned anything about this world other than those. And then, as a noble, the presented opportunity for Arnold is too small. My ability cannot be limited to simply being a pastry chef. A simple pastry chef will only be the prey in the thriving and rampantly running evil in the noble society. I¡¯ve painfully experienced that by myself.


    <strong>Credits: </strong>

 Volume 3 - 16

    <h4>Chapter 16: The Dance Party</h4>


    The full course meal served at the banquet earned rave reviews, which began with the Four Great Dukes and ended with the rest of the nobles. Only then did I feel relief from the burden on my shoulders. Honestly, I very much prefer to hold a private banquet with Tina and Chloe like this, but I still have a single task to do.


    I need to mingle with the other nobles, so I head over to the dance hall where the get-together is currently held.


    The banquet has ended safely, but there¡¯s an intriguing matter. About Duke H?rtling. He is hiding something beneath his gentlemanly behavior. He also has an umon interest in me. It wouldn¡¯t be strange if he has set some traps for me after this.


    ¡°You¡¯re making aplicated face. Kurt-sama, do you hate dance parties?¡±


    ¡°No, I just have something on my mind, that¡¯s all.¡±


    The soft-looking pink-haired beautiful young girl who is standing beside me smiles. She¡¯s Faruno, my fiancee. Her well developed pleasant-looking figure is d in a lovely dress of the same pink color as her hair.


    ¡°This is the first time you¡¯ve shown me this dress, but it looks cute. It¡¯s a perfect fit for your warm atmosphere, Faruno.¡±


    ¡°Kurt-sama is blessed with a glib tongue.¡±


    Faruno¡¯s cheeks redden. I tear my eyes off of her to look at our surroundings. As expected of Duchess Renalier, she even hosts dance parties. Live music from the absolute best orchestra reverberates in the room, while the prided chefs of the Renalier ducal house are all serving snacks to the best of their abilities, they have even prepared the finest wine to go with them.


    Holding this party once must have already exceeded the budget of my pioneering vige for a month. I¡¯m not concerned with the food, though. I want to savor this chance as much as possible, I wish to learn thisnd¡¯s culture and techniques. However, it¡¯s not as if I have that much spare time. Such a waste of such a valuable opportunity.


    ¡°Fufu, I¡¯m very d that I can participate together with Kurt-sama in this party.¡±


    ¡°I have way more fun staying in the kitchen hall and working with the pot, though.¡±


    That¡¯s 100% true for me. I do have the interest to build awork for the sake of marketing my pastries or gaining approval for my business, but I have no hobby of climbing the socialdder.


    Participating like this in a dance party, the nest of everything that is evil, brings me so much agony, but I still have to do it. I¡¯d rather work behind the scenes, but Duchess Renalier has specifically told me to participate. As a lone aristocrat, there¡¯s no way I can escape from participating.


    The nobles around me don¡¯t even notice the music or wine, as they plunge head first intoworking here. Naturally, that¡¯s how I should act too.


    ¡°You cannot say that, Kurt-sama. You are my fiancee after all.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. I can¡¯t possible leave my cute fiancee in disgrace.¡±


    When I say that, Faruno grabs my arm. She said something logical. Even if I have no interest in climbing the socialdder, I want to avoid causing the ire of the other aristocrats. I must interact with them within my limits. While thinking like that, Margrave Fernande shows up while bringing a man with him.


    ¡°Hey, Kurt-kun. Have you been enjoying the party?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am. I won¡¯t be able to taste the music and liquor of this quality anymore if I run away from this opportunity.¡±


    ¡°There are countless marquesses and counts who asked me to be introduced to you. How do you want me to act, though?¡±


    ¡°It will be a great help if I can be introduced to as few nobles as possible, within the limitations of not marring your reputation, My Lord.¡±


    Hearing my reply, Margrave Fernande wryly smiles.


    ¡°Honestly, you¡¯re really a man with no greed. It¡¯s a chance to increase your personal connections. ......Nah, someone like you doesn¡¯t need that, I suppose. You have even moved Duchess Renalier. After gaining the duchess¡¯s favor, you don¡¯t really need to curry more favor with the other aristocrats here.¡±


    Margrave Fernande says that lightly, but he actually hits the mark.


    ¡°And I caught the eyes of someone as influential as you as well, My Lord.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, your words made me happy.¡±


    ¡°However...¡±


    I pause there.


    ¡°There¡¯s a single person that I want to greet personally, Baron Frenhertz. I wish to directly express my gratitude for taking my younger brother J?rg under his care. And then, if possible, I wish to know J?rg¡¯s present condition.¡±


    J?rg had been twisted, crushed by his own inferiorityplex which had umted from beingpared to me while he was growing up. That¡¯s why I sent him out of the Arnold fief to try living with his own power and talent as a man in a ce where he wouldn¡¯t bepared to me all the time. So J?rg headed over to Baron Frenhertz¡¯ domain and started being a retainer there.


    We¡¯ve been keeping in touch through letters, and he mentioned that he was doing well in his writings, but because he¡¯s such an obstinate person, I can¡¯t just take his words at face value. As an older brother, I want to listen to the opinion of his superior.


    ¡°Ahahahaha, so it¡¯s something like that. You¡¯re thinking of your brother, huh? It¡¯s just as well, because the truth is, Baron Frenhertz also wishes to see you. That¡¯s why I brought him here.¡±


    When Margrave Fernande says that, the man who has been standing by his side faces towards me and smiles. He¡¯s a man withrge build that can only be achieved through continuous tempering. His face and figure seem to have sincerity, fortitude, and vigor painted all over. His atmosphere resembles my father¡¯s somehow.


    ¡°Hear that, Fernande? Kurt Arnold, the one who is currently in the spotlight, spoke well of me, you know? I¡¯m not someone who can be cast away so easily, right?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just some simple ttery from Kurt-kun, don¡¯t let it get to your head.¡±


    Margrave Fernande and Baron Frenhertz talk to each other as old bosom friends without any attention to their respective statures. Now that I think about it, my father told me that they were childhood friends who also fought together side by side in thest war. Without fail, Baron Frenhertz would takemand of the front line in thest great war and Margrave Fernande had a great faith in him. It seems that he also has saved Margrave Fernande¡¯s life before.


    ¡°No, it isn¡¯t just some ttery. Even among the pioneers in my fief, there is no one who doesn¡¯t know your name.¡±


    ¡°Come here,e, you make my back itch. Sheesh, after thinking that you¡¯d be more impudent and intoxicated in that kind of spotlight, you said those things instead. It¡¯s not cute, really. As expected of J?rg¡¯s older brother. His boasting does hold some truth. No, it¡¯s more like the real one is an even better man.¡±


    It¡¯s a little embarrassing. Has he been praising me out there?


    ¡°Is J?rg doing well?¡±


    ¡°Yup, that he is. He¡¯s my right-hand man now. He¡¯s talented in the spear and quick-witted. Lately, he even had his mana awakened. He¡¯s earnest in learning, so he catches on fast to everything. Having that chap around is such a great help, you know?¡±


    So J?rg has been doing his best. I feel relieved hearing that.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving him under your care from now on as well. He might be uncooperative, but he¡¯s a good man at heart.¡±


    ¡°Of course. I¡¯m not that stupid to discriminate against that man. Still, though...¡±


    Baron Frenhertz shows aplicated expression. Looking at that face makes me feel somewhat anxious.


    ¡°Is there something?¡±


    ¡°Initially, I promised to send him back if he misses his home, but now, it¡¯ll be painful for me if he does go back there.¡±


    I can¡¯t stop myself fromughing. I see, so J?rg has been recognized to this extent.


    ¡°Whether he will eventually go back to Arnold or not, it will be his decision alone. If you don¡¯t want to return him, please treat him well until he doesn¡¯t want toe back home.¡±


    ¡°I thought the same. Maybe I should give him one of my daughters. It looks like my third one has fallen for him, and it doesn¡¯t seem impossible to get reciprocated from his side as well.¡±


    Just like that, we kept talking about J?rg. It seems that he was appointed to go with Baron Frenhertz to this estate, but he said that he didn¡¯t want to see me before he could stand on his own. I feel slightly regretful, but there¡¯s a greater happiness from having him say that for me.


    After separating from Baron Frenhertz, I greet the other groups of aristocrats with Faruno. As Duchess Renalier¡¯s person of interest, they butter up to me. Many of them seem to have the intention to ask for any leftovers, so having Faruno and her high standing to ward them off is a great help.


    If it¡¯s just me with my low standing, I¡¯ll probably only be taken advantage of and it will be disastrous.


    Finally, after making one round of greetings, Faruno looks at my face with greedy looking eyes. I wonder what the cause for those eyes is. That¡¯s right, I think she¡¯s been looking at the pairs who joyfully danced in the center of the dance hall.


    ¡°Faruno, shall we dance too?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Kurt-sama! I dly ept your invitation.¡±


    She definitely wished to dance all along, but it must have been difficult for a girl to be the one who initiates it.


    ¡°However, I¡¯ve never danced before in my life since I was born. Please don¡¯tugh if I take the wrong step.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all right, because I will be leading.¡±


    So we head over to the center of the hall to dance like that. When we go there, other people around us start to gather with great attention. It¡¯s natural. I¡¯m a person who suddenly rose to fame, while Faruno is a pretty girl who catches people¡¯s eyes. While basking in the showering attention, Faruno and I begin dancing.


    ¡°Kurt-sama, is this truly your first time? Your movements are very fluid.¡±


    ¡°I memorized the movements of the others around us with my eyes. Besides, I only match my moves with Faruno¡¯s. Doing that will make me dance, naturally.¡±


    Just as I said, I unexpectedly catch on to dancing pretty well. The detail of the movements is difficult, but I can grasp the outline. I can predict how to move next from the music and Faruno¡¯s movement and breathing. Then I just need to move ordingly.


    ¡°I¡¯m very happy that I can see Kurt-sama¡¯s splendor. It¡¯s aplex feeling, though. I can only dance well after a lot of bitter study.¡±


    She sighs without realizing it. Even this disy of her childish side is part of her charm. After a while, the music ends. We stop dancing and Faruno retracts her hand reluctantly. It¡¯s rare for nobles to dance with the same partner twice in a row. I feel slightly reluctant as well, but this is just enough, isn¡¯t it? When Faruno and I separate, though, there are many female scions gathered nearby.


    They should be here to request for a dance. If possible, I want to refuse that, though...... While I¡¯m thinking of that, the crowd splits open.


    Duchess Renalier is there in person. Her fixed blonde hair is fascinatingly elegant. Her bewitching figure, d in a ck dress, draws out her attractiveness. Both Faruno and Tina represent cuteness, but this girl can only be called beautiful.


    ¡°Kurt Arnold, heir of the Barcy of Arnold. Thank you for your hard work today. The food was more wonderful than I expected.¡±


    ¡°Those words are enough to reward all of my efforts, Your Grace.¡±


    ¡°If it is suitable for you, would you allow me to have this one dance?¡±


    Her words cause the people in the vicinity to make noises. A duchess and a bar. Originally, even asking for such a thing is enough to make me waver. Even so, it should have been allowed for this day, right?


    ¡°Yes, it is my honor.¡±


    I reach out my hand, and she takes it.

 Volume 3 - 17

    <h4>Chapter 17: Kurt Arnold¡¯s Conviction</h4>


    In the social function after the banquet, Duchess Renalier invited me to dance. I epted that invitation and took her hand. After that, we began dancing.


    I personally experience directly touching her hand, facing close with her, who is still in herte teens. I wonder how heavy is the burden that she takes on with her small shoulders.


    ¡°You have such big hands. Moreover, they are strong and firm. It¡¯s the first time I hold these toughened hands of a man.¡±


    That¡¯s because she has only been touching the hands of the nobles. Theirs would be soft, clueless about physicalbors. My hands are gnarled, the kind that belongs to a field worker.


    ¡°My apologies for showing you this unpleasantness.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing like that. These are a worker¡¯s hands. They¡¯re wonderful, but it came as a surprise for me that these hands could actually make those tiny, detailed pastries.¡±


    Duchess Renalier grips my hands tighter, as if she wants to confirm the feel of them. It¡¯s a little tickling.


    ¡°Every pastry chef is a magician, after all.¡±


    Yes, magic. With unexpected ingredients and techniques, we continue to make pastries that make people smile.


    ¡°Fufu, it¡¯s interesting for a real magic-user who possesses mana like you to express it that way. At least, let me say this. Thank you. Today¡¯s banquet truly improved the influence of my words.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d that I can be your strength. I do not wish for war either.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m shocked that someone like you would be born to the Arnolds of the spear.¡±


    Until now, the Arnold house flourished through their deeds of arms in the war. Originally, my family would wee war with open arms to think of what kind of deeds they could achieve through that opportunity.


    ¡°It is my intention to make the Arnolds flourish from pastries and special regional products instead of warring. That¡¯s why, a war is just a hindrance.¡±


    I¡¯ve decided it like that. I want to prosper while making everyone smile.


    ¡°Hey, have you really not thought about discarding your current territory? There¡¯s a territory near my domain that isrger and richer that I can prepare for you. I can even elevate your peerage rank into a marquess. If I¡¯m not mistaken, you have a younger brother, right? Let him care after your current territory instead.¡±


    That offer does hold a tremendous charm. It¡¯s a huge promotion in the socialdder. However......


    ¡°My deepest apologies, but I have to decline that offer. There are also a lot of things that cannot be achieved unless it¡¯s in the Arnold fief. And I actually love my current territory, because I helped shape thend into its current state.¡±


    When I say that, Duchess Renalier looks startled.


    ¡°My, I didn¡¯t expect to be rejected. ......But that is so very like you. All right, then, do as you like. However, if I need your strength again, I wonder if you are willing to lend it to me?¡±


    There¡¯s only one answer to that question.


    It was within my hypothesis. If I showed my strength right now, she would rely on meter on.


    ¡°If Your Grace¡¯s resolution never changes, I will always lend my arms.¡±


    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll be under your care.¡±


    With that, our conversation ends. We continue dancing until the music is over.


    The music finally ends and we finish our dance. As expected from dancing twice in a row despite never doing it before, I want to take a rest.


    Luckily, there¡¯s an intermission before the next song starts ying, so in this time of rest, I decide to walk away from this spot. If I stay around, the other female scions will most likely expect a dance from me as well.


    The servants are carrying the food and drinks as replenishment. The dish this time was prepared by the chefs of the Renalier house while I acted as a support, but because there were a lot of methods and ingredients that I didn¡¯t know about, I was positively thrilled.


    ¡°Your Grace, did you recognize those kinds of servants?¡±


    Suddenly, something grabs my attention. After several days in this ce, I often get in touch with the servants responsible as the waiters in this area, so I kind of remember their faces, but I don¡¯t remember ever seeing theirs.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. It is impossible for me to remember every single servant in this ce.¡±


    That¡¯s a given, huh...... The detail that grabbed my intention wasn¡¯t only their unrecognizable faces. It¡¯s their footwork. Those people aren¡¯t amateurs. Their footwork doesn¡¯t show any useless movements, which is the result of years of training.


    There¡¯s no way that mere servants can possess that kind of footwork. Moreover, it¡¯s not just one of them; all three of them are the same. Moreover, their gesture shows that they keep nonchntly confirming the position of Duchess Renalier. Those servants approach this spot.


    ¡°Your Grace, shall we look for a little bit of fresh night air?¡±


    I take her hand and walk toward the terrace, so that I can take her away from this area in a natural manner. I wonder if it was too sudden, because the gesture makes her face redden.


    ¡°What do you intend to do?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s better if it¡¯s just an unnecessary precaution. They,¡±


    I stop talking in that moment. The servants make their run without any sound. It¡¯s an impressive body movement that pushes their way through the rows of people. They are heading towards our direction, no, Duchess Renalier¡¯s.


    ¡°Step behind me, Your Grace.¡±


    I step forward to cover her. Then I take out my cake knife. They did some body checking, but because Duchess Renalier is an influential woman and I¡¯m just a pastry chef, they let me bring it in.


    I make my stance with the cake knife. Originally, this kind of knife cannot be used as weapon, but I have my Sword Ability. Just by holding a de, my physical ability will climb up, my movements be sharper, I be exponentially stronger. Moreover, I strengthen my body with mana. Handling both¡¾ability¡¿and mana. That¡¯s what makes me the strongest Arnold.


    ¡°You! Servants over there! Hold your position!¡±


    Disregarding my shout, those servants plunge forward towards our ce. It¡¯s as I suspected then. It¡¯s not like I expect them to really stop; I want to confirm the fact that they did disregard my order.


    They must have nned to hinder me with two of them, while the third servant will grab the duchess. They take out the big knives they have hidden. Those are different than my cake knife; they¡¯re lethal weapons. I have to be on guard. The moment I focus my attention on the knives.


    ¡°......Do it.¡±


    One of them takes out a sharp needle from his mouth and spits it out with the duchess¡¯s nape as the aim. I swing my cake knife and make the needle fall.


    It was a surprise attack, with the knives grabbing all the attention. Without the reaction speed granted by mana strengthening, I wouldn¡¯t be able to ward them off. While my posture got disturbed by that action, the other twounched their attacks.


    It¡¯s a situation that no ordinary man can shrug away from.


    ¡°Too slow!¡±


    But I¡¯m no ordinary man. With twice the strengthening, that movement has long surpassed a human¡¯smon sense. I reside in a different time axis.


    I make my posture down low, then I stop one of the servants by kicking right on his jaw. My foot is raised overhead; I crash it down against the back of the head of the other servant. The third servant who aims for Duchess Renalier makes his way to my side.


    He¡¯s fast. He reeks of mana. I can¡¯t reach him with this pace.


    Clicking my tongue, I turn around and throw my knife towards him. I hesitate to turn a kitchenware into a direct weapon, but I have no spare time to think like that. At the very least, it¡¯s not the knife that Faruno gave to me, but one that I borrowed from the Renalier house.


    Flying like an arrow, the cake knife pierces the right half of the man¡¯s chest , toppling him down. With this, I have curbed down the impending danger. However, the problem only starts from here.


    ¡°Kyaaaaaaaaa!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an assant!!¡±


    ¡°What are the guards doing!?¡±


    The Four Great Dukes gather around, so naturally there should have been strict security. However, some assassins could trespass and make their move. This incident will undoubtedly drag down Duchess Renalier¡¯s poprity.


    ¡°Calm down!¡±


    Right then, a beautiful voice rings in the room. It belongs to the head of the noble faction, Duke H?rtling. With just a single order, the silence returns.


    ¡°Why are we, the prestigious nobles of this empire, getting perturbed by this level of incident? Everyone of you, keep yourself close to someone you can trust.¡±


    As expected from one of the Four Great Dukes, he shows how easily he appeases the crowd in a blink of an eye. Then, he walks towards here.


    ¡°Duchess Renalier, are you well?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m all right. The heir of the Arnold barcy protected me.¡±


    Duchess Renalier who was disturbed before has finally returned to her calm state.


    ¡°I¡¯m d that you¡¯re all right. You¡¯re one of the most valuable people in this empire. We cannot lose you. This is a simple suggestion, but it must be difficult to continue the party like this, isn¡¯t it? Let¡¯s close the curtain of the party.¡±


    There¡¯s no other option. The nobles from the imperial faction must have felt especially threatened.


    ¡°Yes, I agree.¡±


    Duchess Renalier nods and then speaks out.


    ¡°Honored guests, let us have today¡¯s party toe to its end. .....I deeply apologize that it has to end like this. We promise that we¡¯ll strengthen our security. I will call the guards immediately, please return to your rooms with them.¡±


    That way, the nobles make their way back. Today they should shut themselves inside their rooms.


    Duchess Renalier shows her firm attitude, but she looks strained. It¡¯s not strange, though. Someone just aimed for her life, and the party that has been going so well has to be destroyed by such an incident at the very end. There must be a mole within the guards. Her mind must be a mess.


    I softly grab her hand. Being by my side who just saved her life would have added some ease for her, right? Then she instantly opens her eyes......


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    She murmurs with a small voice.


    Looking at us in that circumstance, Duke H?rtling makes a thin smile and speaks.


    ¡°The one aiming for Duchess Renalier must have been someone from the neighboring Hartbuffer (¥Ï¥ë¥È¥Ð¥Ã¥Õ¥¡) Principality. Those facial features and the peculiar scent from them, there¡¯s no mistake.¡±


    Duke H?rtling speaks loudly as if trying to make everyone know on purpose. The nobles in the vicinity curse loudly towards the Hartbuffer Principality one by one out of anger and disgrace from having their lives put in danger. The ce is heating up, and in that timing, he speaks to me.


    ¡°Heir of the Barcy of Arnold, you are amazing as a pastry chef, and your martial arts is skillful too. I would have never pegged a toy-like knife capable of instantly defeating first-rate assassins. To my understanding, you must have possessed mana. Oh, how much you must have suffered!! As expected of the strongest Arnold!!¡±


    He¡¯s smiling, but it¡¯s eerie somehow. I don¡¯t know whether he notices my vignt state or not, but he continues to run his mouth.


    ¡°If there¡¯s someone like him, I¡¯m sure we can win the war. It¡¯s suffocating for you to use your talents in cooking. That¡¯s right, if webine his power with the hero of thest war, Volg the jet ck, not even the famous magic knight of the Hartbuffer Principality can remain undefeated!!¡±


    The surrounding nobles get excited with his words. They start to incline their opinions towards his words.


    I have confirmed something after reaching this point. He¡¯s the one who drew in those assassins. His objective is to destroy Duchess Renalier¡¯s party. If the assassination seeds, it will eliminate Duchess Renalier, the head of the imperal faction, while the noble faction will win. Even when it failed like this, he makes my strength to appeal the possibility of winning the war. It¡¯s a two-fold n.


    He got us. That¡¯s why he must have propelled me up into the spotlight.


    ¡°Duke H?rtling, I¡¯m a pastry chef, not a soldier.¡±


    ¡°Even though you possess this strength? As nobles, it is our duty to contribute to the empire. It is treason if you don¡¯t fight.¡±


    I can hear the righteousness of those words at a nce. However, there¡¯s no way I approve of it.


    ¡°Indeed, I am strong. If I¡¯m sent to the battlefield, I can massacre any number of enemy soldiers hurling at me. However, what will that achieve?¡±


    ¡°The more you kill, the less allies we¡¯ll lose.¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s not within your wish to lose any of those allies, the war shouldn¡¯t happen in the first ce.¡±


    ¡°If we win the war, we can obtain the gold and resources of the neighboringnd. It¡¯s essential to make this empire prosper.¡±


    I¡¯ve been waiting for those words.


    ¡°Winning the war won¡¯t return the lives we will lose. There is a way to make the empire prosper without spilling any blood. Since there¡¯s such method, it is not a necessity to choose the path of carnage. I humbly work together with Duchess Renalier to realize that path.¡±


    Making the empire prosper from the inside is the statement of the imperial faction. Duke H?rtling shows a displeased expression at once.


    ¡°As a part of the whole, I, with my humble strength, am spreading my pastries all over this empire. The feelings that all the honored guests experienced when tasting my pastry today, will be able to reach everywhere in this empire. I choose that path, because I believe in the path that will make many, countless people happy in that way.¡±


    ¡°......A mere sophistry.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s a conviction. And then, Duchess Renalier has the power to make my conviction a reality. Even without newnd, the people¡¯s lives can flourish even more.¡±


    Yes, there are still so many possibilities. Even without taking an inefficient method like war, the people¡¯s lives can still be improved.


    ¡°The thinking of someone wet behind his ears. If they attack us, it¡¯s only natural to strike back at them.¡±


    ¡°And in order not to let that happen, there is diplomacy, which is a noble¡¯s job, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Fufu, you speak of something interesting. But what happens, happens.¡±


    ¡°......I¡¯m not denying that possibility. If that timees, in order to protect the peace, I will arm myself with the spear. However, now is not that time.¡±


    Duke H?rtling¡¯s discerning eyes pierce into me. And then he raises both hands and show his back.


    ¡°I understand that it¡¯s impossible to make you consent...... ¡°With words¡±, that is. Then, I¡¯ll be returning home now. Your food was truly delicious. I shall look forward to being able to enjoy that again, somewhere.¡±


    His exit draws people¡¯s attention. I notice thest words that he left behind, his minute emphasis on ¡°with words¡± part. I don¡¯t know what kind of scheme he has in mind right now.


    ¡°Heir of the Bar of Arnold, you¡¯ve helped me.¡±


    ¡°It is my duty to protect you, Your Grace. There¡¯s no need to thank me.¡±


    ¡°Truly a desireless man, aren¡¯t you? I tell you that you have gained my favor and am about to reward you withpensation, you know?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because I¡¯m the one who owes so much more, Your Grace.¡±


    ¡°Fufu, I¡¯m really no match for you. I¡¯mpletely helpless now, due to wrapping up all of this. Will you allow me some of your time tomorrow, perhaps? I wish to thank you and talk with you a little.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Grace. It¡¯ll be my honor.¡±


    With that, the party ends after so many ups and downs. This incident haspletely ended...... is the exact opposite of what¡¯s in my mind.


    However, it¡¯s the world of politics from here on out. There¡¯s only so much that I can do. Right now, first of all, let¡¯s think of how to feed Tina and Chloe, who must have been starving. It will be our private, modest banquet.


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    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!