episode_0079

Since there was no description of the monster cooking itself in the original work, I thought that when Lumiang showed off the monster dish at their first meeting and said, “I prepared it myself,” it was just a show.

If we say so, we could encourage the final candidates who are obsessed with winning to eat a vomit-inducing meal.

It actually worked.

But, the roasted hind leg of the red longhorn I had just eaten tasted exactly the same as the one I had to put down after one bite at the face-to-face meeting, and only then could I realize it.

It was true that I had prepared it myself.

I thought the chef of the Grand Palace was a master of monster cuisine, so I thought I’d hire him, but it was foolish.

[Thank you all for enjoying the food.]

As we finished the food in such a short time, Lumiang wrote his greetings on a piece of paper.

We are the ones who need to say hello.

He greeted me while wiping his mouth with a handkerchief, as he was eating so hurriedly that he couldn’t maintain his dignity.

“I didn’t know that the Grand Duchess’s skills were this great. If she were to sell it on the market right now, it would sweep the market price.”

Ariel also started the meal with her eyes wide open and finished it with her eyes wide open, not sparing any praise.

“This is by far the best monster dish I’ve ever had…! It’s so good that I can feel the huge wall!”

A huge wall.

From Ariel’s perspective, it might feel that way.

For a hard-working chef who has practiced and agonized for months, this absolute taste will feel like an insurmountable wall.

I was worried that she might feel disappointed at the taste of my efforts being denied, but fortunately, Ariel had a bright smile and admiration in her eyes.

“… .”

Rachel also seemed to be satisfied with the taste, as she cleaned her plate, and Master Rendler also applauded Lumiang with an admiring face.

[I’m glad you all liked it. I’d like to repay you, even if it’s just a little, for all you’ve done for me… Can I cook for you, just for the time we’re together?]

At Lumiang’s words, our gazes simultaneously turned to Ariel.

The taste is more than guaranteed with just one meal.

no.

Subjectively, it was the best tasting monster dish I had eaten while traveling around the western part of the Northern Territory, and it was the taste I had been searching for.

I don’t know how long we’ll be together or what will happen in the future, but it was clear that I wanted to fully experience the skill while we were together.

Judging from the fact that everyone’s gaze was focused on one place, it seemed like everyone was thinking the same thing, but Ariel’s thoughts were important because she was working as a temporary chef for the Gourmet Expedition due to the Monster Chefs having a hard time recruiting people.

If Ariel insisted on sticking to her role, I would be a little disappointed, but I would respect that completely.

Because I didn’t want to interrupt the joy you feel while cooking.

fortunately(?).

“I’m fine! I was already worried because my writing progress was slow. I’ll have to concentrate on writing while the Grand Duchess takes care of the cooking!”

Ariel clapped her hands and gladly accepted, and so we got to meet a wonderful monster chef who would take charge of our food for a while.

**

It has been three days since Lumiang took over as chef.

Rumiang, who was worried that it might be hard, was so happy that he could repay her in this way that he didn’t know if it was hard, and thanks to moving his body and eating properly for three days, his pale face was starting to show some color and his skinny body was slowly gaining weight.

Sometimes, he would lose his mind with a gloomy face, perhaps recalling painful memories from the past, and sometimes he would mumble something incoherent, perhaps having a nightmare, but when I think back to when we met again, I see that Lumiang was recovering quickly.

It wasn’t my intention or wish, but it was heartbreaking to see the heroine ruined and even withered to death because of my decisions, so I was happy just to be able to help Lumiang recover.

That’s why.

Protecting them from Daron’s threats was also something he would not hesitate to do.

It’s been almost a week since I’ve been staying in Rugen Village.

Meanwhile, Lumiang was just cooking monster food for us without saying a word.

Without saying that I was going home or that I had to do something.

Now that I knew what it meant, I had to ask.

Because it’s time to leave Rugen Village.

If there was a pursuit, they had to avoid staying in one place for too long, and since they had already stayed longer than expected, it was time to move if they wanted to head east to the relatively milder climate before the harsh winter set in.

So on the seventh day, I asked Lumiang.

“Your Highness.”

[?]

“I plan to depart for the Marquisate of Eris tomorrow morning.”

[okay..?]

“What do you plan to do, Your Grace?”

[…]

The hand holding the pen stops motionless on the paper.

Lumiang looks at me, at a loss for words.

Then, he quickly wrote down an answer and showed it to me.

[I don’t know..]

He smiled at that answer.

I thought that was the best answer she could give right now.

It reflected the complexity of her situation and thoughts.

I just smiled faintly because it was the best answer for me.

Anyway, I had no intention of leaving Lumiang here and departing.

It would be worse to just leave the heroine, who has lost her purpose and life goals, alive like this than to not help her at all.

That’s why I was worried that I might refuse to accompany him, and Lumiang’s answer put an end to that worry.

“Okay, that’s good.”

Lumiang wrote with a somewhat surprised expression on his face.

[what?]

“How about staying with us until you learn what you don’t know?”

I had already discussed it with my companions.

The opinion is unanimous.

The discussion was over without any need for persuasion or lengthy discussion.

Knowing the threat that Deron poses and not recognizing the weak is an act of abandoning humanity.

Lumiang, who had been faintly happy, soon took on a gloomy expression as if dark clouds were gathering.

[But… I already owe you a debt that can’t be repaid… I don’t want to make it difficult for you all because of someone like me.]

I didn’t live so laxly that I abandoned morality just because it was hard.

It was a past life where I endured the hardships of being in a pit of hell, taking responsibility for what I had to do, and living a life where I bumped into hard rocks.

I had to live so unfairly because I didn’t have the time to untangle things that were complicated and the power to break down things that were hardened. But to me now, who has the time and strength, a threat like Deron is nothing compared to the evil enemies of my past life.

Moreover, there are no restrictions now.

The Engagement War wasn’t even in progress, and there was no need to consider the intentions of the absolute powerhouse that was Grand Duke Logan.

To me, Lumiang’s worries were actually welcome, and he smiled happily and told me not to worry.

“You’ve never been in debt, but if you really need to pay it back, you probably don’t have to worry about it.”

[huh..?]

“Didn’t the Grand Duchess say that?”

[I… what…?]

“I said I wanted to treat you to a meal, at least while we were together.”

‘ah.’

Lumiang, who could not even put that one word of exclamation into words, opened his mouth and let it out silently, and thus one more person joined our culinary expedition.

While we’re together.

Although I still didn’t know when that time would end.

**

The next morning.

After we each packed our bags, we loaded them onto the cart that the lender had borrowed.

Although it was not a large wagon, it was large enough to carry one person even when carrying luggage, and it also had a black tent erected on it, making it easy to hide something.

A donkey, responsible for transporting it, is scratching its hooves in place.

Even if Lumiang’s recovery was fast, it was still difficult to walk the rough road.

In order to avoid any possible pursuit, or to hide Lumiang while passing through a large town or city with checkpoints, he had rented a cart.

“You can get on the cart.”

[thank you.]

Lumiang, who had climbed onto the cart, took it out from a bundle of papers tucked into his waistband.

It was said to be a bundle of twenty pages containing simple greetings and frequently used phrases written in advance.

It is said that it was created because it seemed like I was unnecessarily taking up other people’s time while writing, but thanks to it, communication between people became faster and smoother, making it much more convenient.

However, since it was impossible to differentiate between the weights of the handwriting, it all ended up being unified as ‘medium’, so it felt a bit stiff.

“If you are uncomfortable or need assistance, please shake the dofuss ball.”

[yes.]

[Don’t worry.]

[are you okay.]

After confirming that Lumiang, who had taken out three pieces of paper in succession and conveyed his intention, had taken his seat, Mr. Rendler took the reins.

“Then let’s go.”

As I pull the reins forward, the donkey begins to pull the cart forward.

Our destination was the Marquisate of Eris, but since we had rented a wagon, we could not go over the high mountains, so in order to get to the Marquisate of Eris at the eastern entrance, we had no choice but to pass through the Archduke’s territory where the Siege of Winterfell was located.

There should be no problem if you pass quietly through the South Gate, which boasts the largest landmass among the Northern Territories and is located farthest from the Grand Castle.

but.

I had to consider the feeling that I couldn’t get through it quietly for some reason as a useless worry that I had to endure alone.

“I should have rented a cart earlier! My steps feel like they’re flying without my luggage on my back. Don’t you think so? Rachel?”

“I don’t really have any luggage for escort.”

“Ah.”