episode_0061

“Then let’s spread out and search.”

“Yes! Just leave it to me!”

“Yes.”

“I understand. Confucius.”

“And see you back here at 5 o’clock.”

All of the family members rode in a carriage and headed to the Rapellion Mansion, leaving only me, Rendler, Rachel, and Ariel in the Northern Territory.

Rendler said I should leave someone to attend to me, but I sent everyone because I didn’t want to increase the number of people on a potentially dangerous journey.

There are enough people who follow Ariel alone.

“Now~ Try the grilled Kraken leg brought in from the Northwest Sea~!”

“King of the snow fields! It’s the bile of the Winter Bear King! Just one bite will give you a surge of energy and energy~!”

As soon as the parade ended, the Monster Cooking Festival began in the Northern Territory and we dispersed with one goal in mind.

It would be nice to enjoy the festival, but in order for the food trip to proceed as planned, we had to find a competent monster chef within a week.

If it didn’t work out, the idea was to leave out ‘competent’.

There had to be a cook anyway.

The travel time and distance are long, and there are no rest stops along the way like in modern times, so it was essential to have someone capable of making dishes that people could eat using ingredients sourced from nature.

Rachel, who had traveled across the country for training, said she could cook simple dishes, but she did not want to add another responsibility to the shoulders of her teacher, who was in charge of both escort and training.

It may not be easy to find someone, but since Ariel, who was just a companion on the trip, rolled up her sleeves and came forward, I thought she would be found within a week.

the problem is.

“… Oh my, is that Prince Elden over there?”

“Uh huh. Shh. Quiet. Even so, you must be angry that you were eliminated as a final candidate, and if you get caught wrongly, your head will be blown off.”

“Let’s go around there. You never know what kind of trouble you might face if you meet them.”

“It’s best to avoid it now.”

… … Thanks to the fame(?) of the original Elden Rapellion, it is only pouring cold water on the situation where it is difficult to find a job.

The moment we meet with eyes looking at me pitifully, hehe! It’s hard to put words into words when you’re looking at a distance.

Like the same poles of a magnet, people move away the closer they get.

The moment I appeared, the market street, which was bustling like a swarm of bees, split apart like the Red Sea.

why.

I don’t feel sorry for you.

You don’t have to look at them like that.

I’m not a bad guy.

You don’t have to run away like that.

“Hey, say something.”

“Hi! Oh, I’m sorry if it bothered you!”

“… … .”

At this rate, wouldn’t the original Elden be a superstar in the villain world?

His reputation spread even to distant northern territories just by word of mouth, so if he were to move to modern times, there would be no doubt that he would become a Charlie Sheen-level bad boy star.

I had to press down on the hood deeply while thinking about such nonsense.

Then I went to those who were cooking the monster food and asked.

“The taste is great. Hey, aren’t you thinking of going on a food trip?”

“Yes? … Northern Territory is my hometown, so I have no intention of going anywhere else.”

“The workmanship is not bad. Are you going on a gastronomic trip? .”

“It’s the body of a woman… It will only be a hindrance.”

“Well, taste isn’t important. Have you ever thought of going on a food trip? .”

“I have to take care of my parents… .”

“… I guess I can eat it. You look like you have a lot of blood. Do you have any intention of leaving in search of romance?”

“Does it make money?”

“… Romance and money are inseparable.”

“Sorry.”

I expected it to be a challenge, but I never thought it would be this bad.

Even though expectations regarding taste were drastically lowered, it was an offer that was thrown back and forth.

Hasn’t the ‘North’ been depicted in fantasy works since ancient times as a place full of wildness and romance?

But why?

‘Is it really this soft?’

I worked hard with my feet until my feet were sweaty, but unfortunately, my footwork skills for today were at zero, and in the end, I had to go to dinner empty-handed.

The faces of our soldiers arriving one after another at the promised location were no different from those of defeated soldiers, but I asked with weak expectations.

“Renderer?”

“There was none.”

“Rachel?”

“There was none.”

“Ariel?”

I asked Ariel, who arrived last, without much expectation.

“There was one person… .”

I received an unexpected answer, and just as I was about to have some simple hope, the spark of hope was extinguished before it could even bloom.

“There was?”

“The employer said it was you, so you didn’t do it… . I tried to convince him several times that I wasn’t the same Elden I used to be, but he didn’t even think about it… . Sorry.”

“… There is no need for you to feel sorry. Rather, I feel sorry. Thank you for your hard work.”

As expected, this guy’s notoriety seems to be causing a bitter snowstorm in the difficult job market.

Should I say that it is the karma of someone who possesses an evil character?

I understand, but as someone who needed a monster chef, I couldn’t help but feel frustrated.

It’s not like I can go around shouting, “Oh my god, my gold teeth have changed.”

Anyway, the name wasn’t helpful, but we couldn’t just be frustrated because of that, so we were holding a meeting over dinner at Ariel’s dorm.

“Hmm. It won’t be easy to find a cook.”

To my complaint, Rendler responded bitterly.

“Looking at the situation, I don’t think raising the employment wage will solve the problem.”

“At this point, are you thinking of changing your job to become a chef?”

“… Hehehe. Because the only thing I’m dark about is cooking. I’m sorry.”

Rendler is embarrassed by the pointless suggestion, scratching the back of his head.

Cooking seemed to be a very dark field for it to be the ‘only’ dark field, but I decided to end the nonsense.

Since Old Man Rendler was going to take on the important responsibility of being a porter anyway, I had no intention of making him also a cook.

“If it’s not possible, I’ll do it.”

“I am grateful for your will, but I cannot make your shoulders heavier as you are already carrying many important responsibilities.”

Although she seemed to have some expertise in monster cooking, Rachel could not accept the offer because she was also responsible for guarding, training, and hunting.

Since the festival had only just begun, the teacher’s cooking was decided to be left as a last resort, and no sharp tricks were used until the meal was over.

It was the moment when the meal was about to be finished.

Ariel, who had remained silent, exercised her right to speak with a solemn expression.

“Or, let me cook!”

Everyone’s attention is focused on that bold statement.

Naturally, it was a look filled with curiosity and doubt.

The count’s book-loving daughter didn’t seem to have any connection to cooking.

He didn’t seem to have a hobby of cooking his own food.

Above all, Ariel, who accompanies her to the Duchy of Langren, has a dedicated cook.

Unfortunately, the chef who served me the monster dish at Ariel’s dorm the other day was someone else as he had been specially invited.

If I had asked the dedicated chef to add three more pairs of spoons to the table, at least I wouldn’t have gotten hungry on the journey to the Duchy of Langren.

It may put out an urgent fire, but it is not the ultimate solution to the absence of a monster chef.

What I needed now was someone to prepare me a great monster-cooked meal while walking with me on a long journey that might take anywhere from a few years to a dozen years.

“Ariel? you? Why?”

“Ah, everyone has a role, but I feel like I don’t have any role.”

Because it’s a role… .

Ariel had already received enough grace, so there was no way she wanted another role.

Moreover, Ariel was just a companion who would accompany him to the Duchy of Langren.

“There is no need to feel burdened by things like roles. I’ve already received a lot of help from you.”

“It’s because I also want to do something. I think it might be fun.”

“Really?”

“Oh, of course, I won’t do it if I find a professional chef, so you don’t have to worry about it! I just want to give it a try because I think it would be fun.”

what… If that were the case, there would be no need to stop him.

If you support the challenge of a reading enthusiast who wants to find new fun, you will be satisfied.

I don’t know when I’ll be able to find a monster chef to chase romance, but until then, it’ll be good to look forward to Ariel’s skills.

“Okay. Let’s do that. Then.”

At my consent, Ariel clenched her fists and showed fighting spirit in her hazel eyes.

“Good! Then, I’ll start practicing cooking tomorrow!”

“I’ll look forward to it. Ariel.”

“Yes! Something is already exciting!”

In this way, the first countermeasures meeting came to a short end.

Anyway, I couldn’t find a silver bullet to overcome the hiring crisis for monster chefs, but the cooking skills of a bookworm named Ariel were quite interesting.

Of course, if the workmanship is excellent, it will be a big problem.

Even if you have great talent for cooking monsters, it would be a problem.

Ariel, Countess Elrond is a woman who is too delicate to hunt monsters and go on a difficult gastronomic journey based on homelessness and survival.

Even if Count Elrond is a daughter who is free from the family’s expectations, he will not support his daughter who wants to go on a dangerous monster-hunting gastronomic trip with a bastard.

I wandered around the festival site for three days hoping to find a monster chef, and entered the fourth day empty-handed.

… Time didn’t pass that much during the wedding battle, but it was hard to believe that four days had already passed.

“It’s a big deal. There is no one else to ask anymore. Confucius.”

“Keuhum. I never thought I would be saved like this.”

The festival was slowly coming to an end, and the chefs who had visited Northern Territory for the festival were leaving one by one.

There is no need to be impatient as the magic and swordsmanship skills that I have just begun to master are still minimal, but it is quite pessimistic that finding a monster chef who pursues romance while not knowing about Elden Lapelion’s notoriety feels like a near-miracle. It was work.

In such a situation.

“Ta-da! It’s roasted basilisk belly!”

Ariel’s monster dish was brought to the table for the first time.

“Ohh.”

Grilled basilisk belly meat until golden brown.

It is a giant snake-like monster, so when you cut it into pieces to make it easier to eat, it looks very similar to smoked grilled salmon.

The belly fat, which looks mushy yet chewy, is grilled to a golden brown and has an appetizing color.

“It was a little difficult to prepare, but it was still a dish I made myself from start to finish. Heehee.”

Ariel is quite confident.

“And it was quite fun? Cooking.”

So, we ate one piece at a time.

“….”

“…?”

“…!”

And so the second countermeasures meeting began.

I’m glad you had fun at least.