Chapter 45: Crispy Delights
After breakfast, we sealed off the knights’ training grounds, gathering only the four members of the Hamawar family and ourselves to inspect the Golden Bear and Water Dragon.
The Golden Bear measured over 4 meters in length, easily surpassing 5 meters from its snout to its hindquarters. I really didn’t want to see it standing up and charging at us. Thankfully, it was lying sideways at a distance.
One Water Dragon was taken down with a single blow to the head, but the other had a gaping hole from its jaw to its forehead, with three more holes punctured through its body.
“Two Water Dragons, huh?”
“Well, would you look at that.”
“How enormous!”
“Kaito, why is your tail curled up like that?”
“Well, you see, it won’t fit into my Rank 12 Magic Pouch, so I was thinking of shortening it overall.”
“Both the Water Dragon and the Golden Bear are quite large.”
“Kaito, if the Royal Family wants to buy the Water Dragon and Golden Bear, would they be willing to sell?”
“As long as our names aren’t mentioned, that’s fine. Right, Shaara?”
“It was you, Kaito-sama, who brought them down, so it’s up to your wishes.”
“Without Shaara, I wouldn’t even be able to step into the nearby forest. The prey we caught together gives her a right to speak up. The division of spoils is part of being an Adventurer; don’t forget that.”
“Yes, thank you very much. I leave it to you, Marquis-sama.”
“Thanks, Shaara.”
In the salon, the items to be presented to the Royal Family included two boxes of Silver Fish, totaling 42 pieces, and two boxes of Rainbow Shrimp, around 100 pieces. I decided on four jars of Fragrant Flowers, ten bunches of frozen fruit, three Purple Kurupp, all packed in a basket, and sent a letter to the Prime Minister. I received an immediate response to bring them tomorrow.
I lined the basket with a white cloth and piled everything up. The three Purple Kurupp went into a separate basket in the same manner, while the bunches of fruit were placed in a wooden barrel filled with finely crushed Hyaru’s ice to keep them from spoiling. The Silver Fish were frozen in groups of seven into six boxes, and the Rainbow Shrimp were frozen in groups of 20 into five boxes. After changing the water for the Fragrant Flowers and checking for spoilage, I stored everything in my Magic Pouch, ready for the next day.
That night, we had Silver Fish with crispy skin for dinner, and Shaara’s face was beaming with delight.
After seeing the Marquis off to the Royal Castle, Shaara and I borrowed the knights’ training grounds to start dividing the honey we had gathered. The containers were designed to resemble economical 4-liter shochu bottles, with a mouth the size of a fist and handles attached. It took us until just before noon to transfer everything, but we managed to fill 47 containers. That was roughly 180 liters. I decided to give five jars each to Filin and Fi.
In the afternoon, we enjoyed the frozen bunches of fruit while chatting about the forest with Filin and Fi, and Shaara was in high spirits. Since Shaara was born in December, she turned 14 and received congratulatory words from everyone, making her blush.
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When Marquis Hamawar arrived at the Royal Castle, he was guided deep into the castle by the attendants and led to a lavish room where His Majesty and the Prime Minister were already waiting.
“Ah, Hamawar, you bring Silver Fish and Rainbow Shrimp, I see.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. The Adventurers who ventured deep into the forest recently brought these back to the City of Egdra. In addition, I have obtained Kurupp fruit and the bunches of fruit known as ‘bunch fruit’ by the Forest Clan. I also acquired four jars of Fragrant Flowers for Her Majesty the Queen.”
At the Prime Minister’s signal, wagons of various sizes were brought in. First, six boxes of Silver Fish were presented, and the appraiser meticulously examined each frozen box of Silver Fish one by one.
“All the Silver Fish are in perfect condition.”
Next, two boxes of frozen Rainbow Shrimp and the Kurupp and bunch fruit were appraised. Since the bunch fruit was not known by name, it was referred to as ‘bunch fruit’ as the Forest Clan called it. Once everything was confirmed to be fine, a waiting man stored them in his Magic Pouch and stepped back. The last of the Fragrant Flowers exuded a delightful aroma, and the appraiser confirmed there were no issues.
“Your Majesty, the Fragrant Flowers can last a month as long as they are kept in clean water. If placed in a sealed room for one to two hours in the morning and evening, the scent will permeate, allowing enjoyment for a day. When stored in the Magic Pouch, they can last over a year. The bunch fruit will fall off in four to five days, so I have frozen them for preservation; please store them in the Magic Pouch.”
“You’ve done well to bring back so much. What are the names of the Adventurers?”
“With all due respect, I cannot disclose that. The items were obtained under the condition that the identity of the gatherers remains a secret.”
“That makes sense. If they were put up for auction, a bidding war would be inevitable. At the banquet on the 20th, we can astonish the ambassadors and dignitaries from various nations.”
“Your Majesty, I have something tailored for the occasion, but unfortunately, it won’t be ready in time. I cannot afford it myself, but if you purchase it, it will not fall into the hands of other nations.”
“Interesting words indeed. Speak!”
“Among the items brought back by the Adventurers from deep within the forest are the Golden Bear and Water Dragon.”
“The Golden Bear is one thing, but a Water Dragon? I desire it.”
“The Golden Bear is quite a specimen, measuring well over 5 meters from snout to tail. As for the Water Dragon, it cannot fit into a Rank 12 Magic Pouch, and I had to pull its tail with a rope.”
“What?! No way…”
“I confirmed it. One Water Dragon was taken down with a single blow to the head, while the other was hit four times.”
“Two Water Dragons, you say?”
His Majesty was taken aback, and the Prime Minister looked stunned by the news.
“Hamawar, tell that Adventurer that I wish to buy the Golden Bear and one Water Dragon. Let them know I will purchase both at a price that will not be a loss compared to past auctions.”
“Understood.”
As Marquis Hamawar bowed, he was rewarded with three Magic Pouches filled with 1,000 gold coins each for the fine items and information.
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Prime Minister Nagalan was ordered by the King to investigate the past auction prices of the Golden Bear and Water Dragon. At the same time, he dispatched subordinates to the Adventurers’ Guild in Egdra to uncover the identity of the Adventurer who brought in those items.
However, when Marquis Hamawar and Kaito decided to bring this matter to the Royal Family, they had already anticipated this and arranged to send a false letter to Egdra. The only ones who knew about the harvest from deep within the forest were the four members of the Hamawar family and the servants who had received a share from Kaito and his group, leaving little chance for leaks.
The Golden Bear and Water Dragon were to be stored in Magic Pouches and transported to the Royal Capital by a group of knights from the Hamawar family and Adventurers from Egdra, making it appear as though they had been brought from Egdra.
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After returning from the Royal Castle, I received two Magic Pouches bearing the Royal Family’s crest from the Marquis, giving one to Shaara. When she heard it contained 1,000 gold coins, she trembled and tried to refuse, but I wouldn’t allow it.
“If you plan to become an Adventurer, your earnings are to be split in half. If you don’t like it, you can’t team up with me,” I told her, and she reluctantly accepted, though her eyes were still darting around nervously.
She’d get used to the pouch of gold coins eventually. I, for one, felt that the gold coins in my Spatial Storage weighed more than my own body.
Shaara and I spent our time leisurely at the Egdra Hotel in the Royal Capital, enjoying the life of newcomers. One issue was that Shaara was starting to grow taller and more feminine, yet she still wouldn’t leave my room. I hadn’t grown at all since I was 15, just before my heat cycle, and we weren’t even sharing a bed.
It was awkward for me, but Shaara seemed completely unfazed, cheerfully taking on the role of my caretaker.
While she had certainly gotten better at brewing tea, she devoured the snacks faster than I could, and it was troublesome when she begged for the Silver Fish and Rainbow Shrimp from my storage, wriggling around.
It wasn’t that I was withholding them out of spite; it would be bad if word got out that I was feeding her too much. So, I occasionally took her to Filin’s mansion to let her eat her fill, but sometimes I felt like saying, “You’re more like a cat than a Catfolk.”
When I visited Filin’s mansion, I was busy grilling Rainbow Shrimp and preparing the meat for snacks to go with my drinks.
I was roasting the skin of the Silver Fish until it was crispy, fighting with Shaara and Fi over the delicious morsels. Just as Shaara said, the crispy skin of the Silver Fish is truly tasty! It’s perfect as a snack with drinks or just as a treat on its own. It’s amusing to see even Hyaru and the Marquis nibbling on the Silver Fish skin now. According to the Marquis, crispy snacks are the best accompaniment for alcohol. Maybe next time, I should look for some medicinal herbs that can cure a hangover.
Shaara has been training with the Knights whenever she visits Fi’s mansion or the Marquis’s estate, receiving rigorous training that feels just like real combat. She has earned the respect of everyone, proving herself to be a remarkable warrior worthy of the name of the Forest Clan. However, since she is training against Knights, she refrains from showcasing her full physical abilities, focusing solely on hand-to-hand combat techniques. As for me, my job is to gather medicinal herbs, and since I dislike rough activities, I prefer to observe from the sidelines.