A Letter of Invitation

I peeled the potato skins, cut them into small pieces, put them in a large colander, and soaked them in a tub of water to remove the harshness.

I cut the onions and mushrooms into appropriate sizes and tossed them into an oiled giant pot to sauté.

The sound of them sizzling as they heated filled the air.

What dynamic cooking. It reminded me of when I helped with the soup kitchen.

Once the oil coated the ingredients, we added water and monster meat to simmer.

The potatoes, now free of their harshness, were added too, and we stirred constantly until everything was cooked through.

The stirring utensil was massive.

A wooden spatula sized as if meant for giants.

We used it to tend the pot constantly, making sure the bottom didn't scorch.

Working in shifts with Azu and the others while chatting made the long cooking process bearable.

"What are you seasoning it with?"

"Salt and this."

The matron produced a jar containing a red seasoning.

It was made from roasted beans and dried paprika, completely ground into powder. She said they sold it as a processed food to the Royal Capital as well.

Apparently it had a reputation for being sweet, savory, and highly nutritious.

When the jar's contents went into the pot and were stirred in, it thickened slightly.

The color turned bright red as if chili peppers had been added, but when I tasted it, there was no spiciness at all.

The savory flavors of the vegetables and meat had seeped out from all the simmering, making it delicious.

Add some salt to that, and Luido's special potato stew was complete.

It was like a twist on pot-au-feu.

I'd left Alexia and Elza in charge of the fish, and they'd made perfect salt-grilled fish.

The fish we'd caught alone wouldn't have been nearly enough, but the Master of the Lake was big enough to feed everyone.

By evening, the cooking was done and the residents had gathered.

The gifted ale was poured from barrels into cups everyone had brought, and the festival began with grilled fish and potato stew as the appetizers.

Though this was more of a banquet than a festival.

"Should have brought more ale."

"Oh no. Everyone looks like they're making a fuss, but they only drink enough not to affect tomorrow's work. Getting drunk and neglecting the next day's work is the greatest shame in Luido."

Forget the weariness of daily work, enjoy yourself with revelry, then cut yourself off before getting too drunk and sleep. Then put effort into work again starting tomorrow.

Since their opponent was nature, they didn't have the concept of taking days off, but they also never went overboard.

They were diligent people who disciplined themselves and worked hard.

Once most of the food had been served, we got our own portions and sat at a table to eat.

The Master of the Lake was fatty and went well with salt.

Perhaps because Azu and I had caught it together, it tasted exceptionally good.

The potato stew had a gentle flavor. The vegetables and meat, softened from simmering, crumbled in my mouth.

As the representative said, the banquet didn't last very long.

Everyone returned home looking satisfied.

When I asked, most households apparently did side work before bed.

I had nothing but respect for them.

"Everyone's really happy that you became Luido's manager, Yohane-san. After all, the strange taxes are gone, and you introduced buyers for the processed goods from our side work, so we're earning more money now."

"It seems the previous lord wasn't very popular."

"Well, no. Those people only had making money on their minds."

The lord and his associates hadn't just been unpopular. They had been manufacturing drugs and nearly destroyed Luido.

Their greed had invited Iefuda into their midst, and they had literally met their ruin.

Looking back, perhaps Iefuda had approached them precisely for that purpose.

Maybe I was overthinking it.

As a countermeasure, we'd developed candy that could prevent and treat the effects, but it sent chills down my spine to think what would have happened if those drugs had been distributed.

Incidentally, the hemp being cultivated in part of Luido had been left alone.

While hemp as a plant could be misused to produce drugs, proper utilization left nothing to waste. It was a wonderful plant.

For example, hemp bags were invaluable in our shop.

Hemp seeds were often used in salads too.

The inspection of Luido was successfully completed.

Thanks to the hard work of diligent people and the blessings of the Earth Elemental Stone, Luido would surely grow significantly as an agricultural city from here on.

We stayed one night in the manor formerly used by the lord, which now belonged to Yohane, and departed from Luido the next day.

Spending time here helping with farming and forgetting the hectic days was appealing, but unfortunately work wouldn't wait.

Princess Tianis had contacted me, saying she wanted to discuss the upcoming coronation ceremony soon.

She wanted to hear my firsthand impressions from witnessing the Empire's coronation.

This was probably one of the reasons I'd been sent to the Empire.

By the way, the villagers had given us plenty of vegetables as souvenirs.

We entered the Royal Capital, and I kept only Elza as an escort while having the others return the carriage to the shop.

Going back to the capital would be a hassle. I might as well meet with Princess Tianis while I was here.

However, after seeing off Azu and the others who'd taken the portal to Kassad, someone claiming to be a messenger arrived to deliver a letter in person.

If it were Princess Tianis or Lady Anatia, they would just use the communication device.

I wondered who it was from, and he introduced himself as a messenger from Lord Morman, the Finance Minister.

He said the Finance Minister wished to speak briefly with the person who had recently become Princess Tianis's advisor.

I'd met the Military Minister and the Prime Minister before, but I didn't even know the Finance Minister's face.

However, given his position, he was undoubtedly one of the great nobles.

He was the key figure directly managing the Kingdom's finances.

I might be able to refuse by invoking Princess Tianis's name, but considering the future, it might be better to learn his personality and way of thinking.

I accepted the invitation and decided to meet with the Finance Minister.