Touring the New Town
While we were chatting, the carriages rolled into the new town.
They went as far as the hot spring source—the very center of town—before we all got out.
“This is the center of the town. The hot spring source. We’re planning to pipe this water throughout the whole town so it can be used anywhere.”
“This town’s bigger than I thought. From the gates to here took at least twenty minutes by carriage.”
“These steam clouds are something else. You can feel the heat, too. But… what are those straw huts surrounding the source?”
Yeah, those huts drew the eye.
There were even more than last time—twelve in total, packed in so tightly there wasn’t a gap between them.
A fence kept people from approaching the huts or the spring itself, but still…
“We’re running experiments to see if we can turn the hot spring water into powder. If it works, folks could enjoy hot springs right in their homes.”
“Reinhardt, how do you keep coming up with so many ideas?” Raphael said, half in exasperation.
“It’s not really me doing it. It’s the craftsmen. All I ever say is, ‘Wouldn’t it be neat if we could do this?’”
Wilson unlocked the gate and walked over to the spring. After a while, he came back carrying a bamboo basket.
“Boiled eggs? You had them made ahead of time?”
“Yes,” Meyer said. “I asked the cook stationed in the new town to set them in the source this morning, so they’d be ready by the time we arrived.”
“Thanks, Meyer. These are hot spring-boiled eggs, something you can only taste here.” I handed them out from the basket.
Cracked the shell, took a bite. Firm, fully set, and even flavored already. Better than last time.
“These are tastier than before.”
“The cook here tested spots all around the spring and found the one that produces the best results.”
“One of our family’s cooks?”
“Yes. With more patrol knights and staff managing the new town, we’ve also assigned cooks. We’ll be having lunch at the new town’s manor.”
According to Meyer, there had been fierce competition among the cooks to be stationed here.
Apparently, the draw was the research into hot spring eggs and new dishes, plus the chance to work on ice cream and desserts made with “that” milk.
I thought we might get something experimental again, but today’s menu was hot spring egg carbonara, salad, and soup—
followed by ice cream and a fruit parfait with whipped cream.
“Reinhardt, both the carbonara and the whipped cream in the parfait are richer and tastier than what we’ve had in the capital. Are the ingredients different?” Brigitte asked.
“I thought the same,” Raphael added. “Are you using milk from that beast that resembles dairy cattle?”
“Right on. Good, isn’t it? I’m not sure if there’ll be enough to use in cooking across the board, but here in this town, the ice cream will be made only with that milk. We’ve been using it in dishes at home too.”
“Can’t you raise more of those beasts?”
“Diane, no chance. They’re high-rank monsters, strong, and they only live in very specific environments. You can’t just keep them anywhere. Plus, they dislike being around a lot of people.”
“Then how did you manage to keep them?”
“A lot of coincidences lined up… and they happened to take a liking to their caretaker.”
While we were having tea after the meal, the butler came in.
“Forgive the intrusion, but there’s a matter we can’t handle ourselves. Could you give us instructions?”
“You can speak here.”
“But…” He glanced uneasily at Raphael and the others.
“They’ve already seen plenty. No point hiding things now.”
“The Varshe farm was attacked by bandits.”
“But the Varshe must have dealt with them, right?”
“Yes. Bale captured some bandits and brought them here bound, but one of them is badly injured. Should we treat him or not?”
“Treat him just enough to keep him alive and ask his reasons. Anything else?”
“Yes. In his delirium, his words had an accent unlike this country’s. We suspect he might be a spy from another nation.”
I exchanged looks with Raphael and Brother Hubert. So soon, huh?
We’d just been talking about this. What a nuisance.
“Send a magic bird to Grandfather—ask him to come at once. Meyer, go check the situation.”
Both of them left the dining hall immediately.
“So the secret monster is Varshe? Never heard of that name.”
“They are said to be phantom beasts. Never leave their territory, living deep in the forest. Sorry, but I can’t let you see it. We can’t afford to lose their trust. And as you heard, it’s an extremely strong monster.”
“Is it vicious?”
“No, usually it’s gentle, but it’s also very sensitive. Doesn’t like crowds.”
“Forget about us—go confirm the situation.”
“Thanks. I will.” I left the dining hall.
What do you think about this chapter?
