A+A-Chapter 102
Carbonara
It became troublesome.
Edmond who had served the Kingdom for 30 years sighed in a room at the royal palace as he listened to the information collected by the spies.
[I see. There’s a high probability that Her Highness the princess would be married to the Sand Country.]
[Yes. It’s already rumoured that a large procession led by His Highness the crown prince of Sand Country visited the Imperial Capital. There’s no mistake.]
Edmond’s faithful spy that had served him for a long time nodded to his words and replied.
[I understand. It’s a state ceremony. Good job.]
After listening to the whole information, Edmond dismissed the spy.
[…Empire, what on earth are you thinking?]
Edmond’s face while he muttered so showed strong vigilance.
Although the upper authority of the Kingdom including the king said that the Empire without Wilheim was insignificant, Edmond who had been in charge of intelligence for a long time knew about the strength of foreign nations like the Empire more than anyone else.
The Kingdom admitted that the Empire led by Wilheim was great.
That’s why when Wilheim had grown old and pa.s.sed away, the king was now not afraid of the current emperor that was surrounded with mediocre vessels.
After all, with the exception of the emperor, the country was filled with savage demons and commoners. The Empire was not an enemy of the Kingdom which was a major player of the Eastern Continent for a long time.
In that, Edmond thought that the thinking that was common in the Kingdom was quite sweet.
Certainly, the current Empire did not have its former momentum of a hungry wolf.
The war that the current emperor had presided over had only occurred once in the last decade or so, and that was just before Wilheim died.
Since then, the Empire had only positioned its large number of soldiers for border security, did not fight in battles and only planted Cobbler’s fruit in its wasteland.
(However, it’s not because they lost the great emperor Wilheim and there is no one to guide them.)
Edmond felt that… a country which felt like a starving wolf that attacked here and there was an easier opponent.
After discovering the G.o.ddess’ crops named Cobbler’s fruit (it’s just a pa.s.sing story that only followers of Green G.o.ddess listened, but he wondered if there’s a grain of truth in it), the Empire had made a huge change in their policy.
It was a conclusion that Edmond reached after looking at the transformation of wastelands where barley couldn’t be cultivated in into fields where Cobbler’s fruit were planted.
(Perhaps it can be regarded as Wilheim’s last trickery… such a cunning person.)
It was likely that the last battle to obtain the Empire’s port was a little impossible now that he thought about it now and it was probably Wilheim’s last legacy before he died.
By this, n.o.body doubted when the Empire suddenly stopped fighting.
Although he obtained teachings from Wilheim, the new emperor was forced into national defense policy because he couldn’t manage warfare that required for a large number of troops to be organized.
(However, this is different. The truth is that the Empire is enriching itself by cultivating Cobbler’s fruit, it is storing power right now.)
The military was always necessary.
Even in peaceful time without war, there were always demons that would act violently following their instinct.
It was the job of military and the knights to subdue them. Regardless of the existences of adventurers and mercenaries, the country shouldn’t rely on them.
Therefore, it’s not unusual for the Em
pire with its large territory to work on policies that could feed its people while keeping its huge army on its first sight.
But as long as the backups were there, it’s possible that if something went wrong, it could return to its former hungry wolf self and wage war at any time.
(Neither the king nor the aristocrats are aware of the danger.)
Or it was necessary to say that the current Kingdom was greatly filled with disorderly people.
Feeling sorry for the current situation of his country, Edmond sighed again.
The Kingdom was once the center of the Old Kingdom… in order to resist the group of evil spirits under the rule of the king that became the terrible lich and rampaging demons, it was said that influential lords that governed the frontier territories created an alliance. Since the original was a product of compromise, the national power was not cohesive.
The Princ.i.p.ality which was the retainer of the Old Kingdom said that the words of the king were given priority above all since he had the rightful lineage of the Old Kingdom. And unlike in the Empire where no one defied the words of the emperor, the king of the Kingdom, even if he was the head of the most influential n.o.ble house, if he wanted to do something, the king needed to lay groundwork to make necessary adjustment.
Therefore, the Kingdom which was unable to cope with the rapid movement of the Empire often found itself in hot water.
(Also this time… I can do nothing for the Kingdom.)
It was not good for the Kingdom if the Empire with its nonexistent history in magic was connected with the Sand Country which was said to be comparable with the Kingdom and the Princ.i.p.ality in its study of magic.
Even if the Kingdom had many heavyweights that despised the Empire due to the reign of Wilheim, everything would be finished before they could even do anything since they would pull at each other’s legs first before doing anything.
(The future of the Kingdom, I despair about it… my head hurts.)
While feeling frustrated, Edmond would continue to “gather information”.
He was placed in a musty reference room and was surrounded by historical material gathered from various places ever since the beginning of the Kingdom.
Beyond that, there was a secret door that only Edmond knew.
Once in 7 days, a black door with a picture of a cat would appear on Satur’s Day.
Edmond quietly entered it.
In the back of the reference room, the sound of bell echoed.
Looking around the bright room slowly, Edmond decided to sit after greeting the great sage Artorius.
Edmond picked a quiet, un.o.btrusive seat.
[Welcome.]
After he sat down, the waitress approached.
[…Fumu, a newcomer. You, what’s your name?]
He noticed she’s not the usual demon waitress Aletta and was a female human that looked similar to people of Mountain Country, so he lightly asked.
The female who did not seem to be familiar with her uniform replied with a little awkward smile.
[Ee. I have been working at the kitchen and my concurrent post ever since last week, my name is Yamagata Saki. Pleased to meet you.]
[I see. So you are called Yamagata. Can I order now?]
Based from her speech and demeanor, she was not accustomed to service work like Aletta, but it seemed that she was educated.
While doing such observation, Edmond ordered his usual.
[I want to order carbonara.]
Even though he was not Alphaid, he would eat that noddle dish first. That was Edmond’s style.
[Yes. Carbonara… is it? Please wait for a moment.]
While listening to the order, Yamagata took out something unfamiliar that looked like a stick and a board and wrote something down smoothly.
(Hou, so she is able to write. So she is educated after all.)
After seeing that she could write letters, it could be said that there’s a considerable difference in her education compared to Aletta who only memorized the orders.
While she did not appear to be concerned from being observed, she retreated to the kitchen.
(Well, let’s observe the customers now.)
After ordering, Edmond slowly observed the room.
The lizardman who ate omurice with his usual expressionless face, and the flock of fairies that gathered together like a group of bees eating something sweet placed on the table.
The ogre couple sitting down on the floor while devouring meat and alcohol while cheerfully talking with a boy with brown skin, and a Lamia sitting elegantly showing that she was educated.
And the knight of Princ.i.p.ality and the daughter of Gold family sitting on their usual adjoining tables.
A chef of Alphaid Company sitting on the only seat where the kitchen could be observed from.
The elven sisters who ate quickly and elegantly, the older one seemed grumpy while the younger one looked cheerful.
And, someone he didn’t want to be involved with, the great sage who was enjoying his golden beer slowly.
In this restaurant, each customer was enjoying their own food.
It seemed impossible in Edmond’s common sense, but he got accustomed to it and then realized.
Even just by looking around, he could obtain various information from this restaurant.
Edmond preferred to gather information. By using it, he went up from an aristocratic civil servant to a minister.
His observing eyes were sharp and he could glean information in this restaurant.
[Thank you for waiting. Here’s your carbonara.]
[Oo, it’s here. Well then, let’s eat.]
However, it’s different when eating carbonara alone in this otherworld dining hall.
A meal for one person that he couldn’t usually eat and something he could eat without being disturbed by anyone and without troublesome haggling.
Edmond decided to forget about his work only when eating this.
The fragrance of cheese was carried by the drifting steam.
A glimpse of entangled noodles covered with melted light yellow cheese mixed with eggs, pink smoked meat and black pepper scattered over it.
(Umu, carbonara has to be this way.)
Edmond, who was born and raised at the Kingdom, had particular feelings about noodle dishes.
When he just became an adult, the innovative cuisine successively created by Alphaid Company was noodle dishes.
In those days, even the royal court discussed what kind of dishes would be introduced next.
(However, the origin of the cuisine introduced by Alphaid Company seems to be this restaurant.)
He winded up the noodles with his fork while recalling such memories.
He then carried to his mouth while smelling the cheese scent.
Edmond reflexively smiled to the taste of melting cheese and freshly cooked noodles spreading in his mouth.
The rich taste of eggs and cheese was irresistible. The sharp taste of black pepper then tightened the rich taste and the fat melting from the smoked meat had moderate saltiness.
All of it melted into the cheese and was conveyed along with the firm texture of the noodle.
(Umu, as always, this flavor is irresistible.)
He never thought that eggs and cheese would fit together so well when he tasted it for the first time.
Also, by using noodles somewhat thicker than usual, its flavor was not defeated by the cheese.
While seasoned with plenty of cheese, the taste of wheat noodle still remained firmly.
(Well, next is…)
He stabbed the pink smoked meat and carried it to his mouth.
The meat taste that was condensed in the smoked, square-cut, thick meat had a different umami from the thick cheese, amusing his tongue.
He ate the noodles, then the smoked meat, and then the noodles again.
The carbonara was finished in an instant.
[Fuu… excuse me, I would like to order coffee.]
After he finished eating, Edmond drank the otherworld bitter tea named coffee to rest his tongue.
(Well then, let’s get back to work…)
Edmond who was satisfied with one serving of carbonara resumed his work