Chapter 44: The Astonishing Truth
As I emerged into a place that felt vaguely familiar, I was told that we were almost at the City of Egdra. I couldn’t help but admire Shaara’s incredible sense of direction and homing instinct; truly, she was a remarkable member of the Forest Clan.
On November 23rd, three days later, we passed through the gates of Egdra and arrived at the hotel. I asked the manager to report to the Marquis that we had returned. The reply came back promptly: he wished to depart for the Royal Capital on the 25th, so we were to come to the Marquis’s residence the following day. It seemed we had just made it in time.
The next day, we were taken to the Marquis’s residence in a carriage provided by the hotel.
“Marquis, I apologize for the delay,” I said.
“I was thinking of leaving a bit earlier. Did you have any success?” he replied.
“Yes, indeed. Please look forward to dinner.”
I asked Aisa to guide me to the kitchen, where I handed the chef ten river shrimp and instructed him to grill them.
“Kaito, what is this?” the chef asked.
“There’s no need for ‘sama,’ chef. I’m just an adventurer. These are river shrimp, and when grilled, they turn a beautiful rainbow color, but they’re harmless. Once they’re done, please remove the heads and use them to make a soup. The six shrimp are for everyone to enjoy. I’ve also brought five Woolsa fruits for dessert.”
“Kaito, if they’re rainbow-colored shrimp, they should be called Rainbow Shrimp. This is my first time seeing them, so I can’t say for sure, but it must be true.”
At the dinner table, the Marquis, Hyaru, Shaara, and I sat together. The chef himself presented the grilled river shrimp to me. He had cut them in half and instructed to serve them on plates without any sides.
“Impressive! What is this?” I asked.
“These are river shrimp. According to the chef, they’re called Rainbow Shrimp, but first, please enjoy the soup.”
The Marquis and Hyaru froze in place. I could hear the Marquis muttering, “So this is Rainbow Shrimp,” but was it really that extraordinary? I could guarantee it was delicious, as Shaara and I had already tasted it. Shaara was eager to eat, but since the Marquis and Hyaru hadn’t touched their food yet, she was left waiting, looking at them with a face that seemed ready to drool.
After taking a sip of the soup, both of them froze again, letting out a low groan.
“Please, try the meat as well. It’s exquisite,” I encouraged.
In a daze, they began cutting the shrimp and taking bites, freezing once more after the first taste. Once they started eating, Shaara happily took a sip of the soup, her face glowing with satisfaction as she began to devour the shrimp. The moment the Marquis and Hyaru’s freeze broke, they eagerly cut their portions and stuffed them into their mouths, mirroring my own first experience with Rainbow Shrimp, which almost made me laugh.
Both of them, still somewhat dazed, finished their meals. For dessert, we had Woolsa fruits, which they remarked were extremely rare, recalling having tasted them once at a banquet in the Royal Castle.
We moved to the salon, where the three of us shared drinks and engaged in conversation. Noticing Shaara next to me looking a bit bored, I offered her some of the fruit. Seeing her happily munching on it, Hyaru took one for herself and popped it into her mouth.
“It may not pair well with drinks, but its rich sweetness is sure to please the ladies,” I commented.
“I’m saving some for Fi. I brought back plenty!” Shaara replied.
“I’ve never seen anything like this before,” Hyaru remarked.
“We call them Woolsa fruits. They spoil quickly, so only the inhabitants of the forest know about them,” Shaara explained.
“Kaito, if you have plenty of those shrimp, I would like to buy some from you,” the Marquis said.
“That’s fine. I anticipated you would ask, so I brought back a lot. I got carried away during my first taste test, though,” I admitted.
“How many do you have?” he inquired.
“I think I have around 500 to 600. Even if I give you half, Shaara and I will have enough to last a year when combined with the Silver Fish,” I replied.
“You have Silver Fish too?!” the Marquis exclaimed.
“Yes, I heard they are Shaara’s favorite, rich in oil and delicious, so I couldn’t let them go,” I explained.
“I apologize, but when we reach the Royal Capital, please come to my residence. I would like to see what you have and make a purchase,” he requested.
“Of course. Right, Shaara?” I said.
“Mm… Just leave half for me,” she replied, looking as if she were about to lose her favorite food, which made me chuckle, and even the Marquis smiled wryly.
The next day, Aisa and the other maids and attendants greeted me with beaming smiles, thanking me for the shrimp and Woolsa fruits.
As usual, we departed in the Marquis’s carriage, with Hyaru, Shaara, and me inside, while the maids and attendants followed in another carriage. Twenty knights and twenty adventurers took their positions as guards, and the carriage procession began to move in an orderly manner.
The journey was peaceful; with this many people traveling together, it was only natural that wild beasts would keep their distance. It would be odd for an Armored Buffalo to charge at us. Shaara continued to demonstrate her biological radar abilities, pointing out targets to Hyaru. This time, Hyaru’s haul consisted of two Fang Boars and three Orcs. The guards, accustomed to this routine, remained on their horses, watching as Hyaru stood on the driver’s seat.
Shaara took on the role of the collector, and the adventurers were impressed by her speed as she dashed from the carriage to retrieve the fallen beasts.
Since the local lords were away preparing for the upcoming banquet at the Royal Castle, we arrived in the Royal Capital on schedule, twenty days later, without needing to greet anyone.
At the Adventurers’ Guild, I handed over the spoils to the guarding adventurers before heading straight to the Marquis’s residence. This time, we skipped the hotel and went directly to greet Lady Fiileen before heading to the kitchen. Since I had some live specimens, I showed the chef the Silver Fish and Rainbow Shrimp.
“What magnificent Silver Fish! I’ve only seen them cooked before; they’re beautiful,” the chef remarked.
“Lady Fi, this is a gift for you,” Shaara said.
“What? For me?” Fi asked, surprised.
“Yes! They’re sweet and delicious,” Shaara replied.
“Try it! It’s more like honey than just sweet, and the taste is exquisite. It’s definitely a fruit for women. Since they spoil quickly, if we freeze them, they will be cold and easier to eat, and it will slow down spoilage,” I suggested.
Fi took a bite and broke into a radiant smile, offering one to Lady Fiileen, who also took a bite and pressed her cheeks in delight.
“This is incredibly delicious! I can see why Kaito says it’s exquisite. Thank you, Shaara!” she exclaimed.
“Hehe, I have another one!” Shaara said, presenting a jar of fragrant flowers.
Fi took it and looked at Shaara expectantly.
“I think you’ll love it. Go ahead, open it,” Shaara encouraged.
As Fi removed the lid, a delightful aroma wafted through the air.
“Is this… Fragrant Flower?” she asked, startled, as she pulled one out.
Lady Fiileen’s eyes widened in surprise, and the Marquis leaned in to take a closer look, astonished.
“I don’t know when the last time one of these was auctioned off, but you found quite the treasure,” he said.
“It was Shaara’s nose that found it! She followed the faint scent, and I had a hard time keeping up. She carefully stored it so it wouldn’t wilt, saying she wanted to bring it back for you,” I explained.
“Hey, Shaara, is that the only one?” the Marquis asked.
“Would you like one, Marquis?” she replied playfully.
“N-no, I was just thinking that if you have more, it would please the Queen if I presented her with not just food like Silver Fish and Rainbow Shrimp, but also flowers,” he clarified.
“Kaito, is that alright?” Shaara asked.
“Those flowers belong to Shaara, so she can do as she pleases,” I replied.
Shaara produced nine more jars and handed one to Fi, two to Lady Fiileen, one to me, and stored another in her Magic Pouch, leaving four jars for the Marquis.
“I apologize, Shaara. I will definitely repay you for this,” he said sincerely.
“No, I’m grateful for all the help from you, Lady Fiileen, Lady Fi, and Hyaru. There’s no need for thanks,” she replied.
I couldn’t help but pat her head, but something felt off. Huh? What was that?
“Well, Shaara, you’ve grown taller than Kaito,” Lady Fiileen remarked.
“Eh—?!” My pained cry echoed throughout the Marquis’s residence, much to everyone’s amusement.
Feeling a bit downcast, I still enjoyed dinner, which consisted of grilled Rainbow Shrimp and soup made from their heads. The Marquis and Hyaru, having tasted it before, squinted with delight as they began to savor the soup.
Fi and Lady Fiileen took a sip of the soup and froze.
“What can I say…?”
The rest of the meal was consumed in silence. The Marquis and Hyaru watched with grins as Lady Fiileen and Fi took bites of the grilled shrimp. After witnessing their second freeze, I felt satisfied as I savored my own shrimp, wearing a broad smile.
After dinner, the salon was filled with lively discussions about the forest, and Shaara became overly excited while sharing stories about Silver Fish fishing, which reminded me of the time the Golden Bear appeared.
“That’s right! I almost forgot about the Golden Bear and the Water Dragon!”
“Water Dragon, you say!!”
“Yeah, uh, it attacked while we were packing the Silver Fish into boxes, so we took it down. I plan to take it to the Adventurers’ Guild tomorrow for appraisal.”
“W-wait, hold on, Kaito! Please wait before you show it to the Adventurers’ Guild!”
“What’s the matter, Marquis?”
“Kaito, you caught the Golden Bear and the Water Dragon deep in the forest, right?”
“Yeah, but is there a problem?”
“Could you show me the Golden Bear and the Water Dragon tomorrow?”
I didn’t mind showing them, so I agreed. However, seeing the Marquis looking exhausted and disheartened, we decided to call it a night.