Chapter 300: In Search of Delicacies
“Hoh… Rare ingredients, you say…”
The one who tilted his head at Rest’s inquiry was Dibble, Rest’s magical mentor. He happened to be visiting Clover Count Territory for some errands, so Rest took the opportunity to gather information about ingredients.
“Ah, I see. You’re looking for ingredients to serve at next month’s party. In that case, I can think of a few options.”
After a moment of contemplation, Dibble began to explain.
“Ingredients suitable for a noble’s party are generally auspicious items. Foods that symbolize longevity and prosperity for descendants are particularly favored.”
“I see.”
It seems this aspect is similar to Japan. Foods that bring good fortune are indeed preferred.
“The most prestigious ingredient is dragon meat. Dragons are the strongest of monsters and are known to live for over a thousand years. There are legends that consuming dragon meat grants one an immortal body… Of course, such things rarely appear on the market.”
While worms could be considered dragons in a broad sense, they are certainly not recognized as high-class ingredients. Their appearance is utterly grotesque.
“Another readily available monster meat would be that of the sub-dragon, specifically lesser dragon meat. Since dragon meat is hard to come by, it is often served as a substitute at parties. Wyverns, being winged reptiles, are regarded as symbols of rising to prominence due to their association with ‘ascending to the heavens.'”
“Wyverns, huh… Are there any around here?”
“They are primarily found in the Southern Mountain Range, which forms the border of the kingdom.”
The Aiwood Kingdom is bordered by a large mountain range to the south. Beyond it lies a conflict zone where several nations are fiercely competing for territory, but crossing the mountains is difficult, resulting in little interaction.
“The Southern Mountain Range… I’ve never been there.”
“Oh, I have!”
Yuri, who had been listening to the conversation, raised her hand. Rest and Dibble exchanged glances, tilting their heads in confusion.
“The Southern Mountain Range? How on earth…?”
“It’s quite far from both the royal capital and the Cattleya Marquisate, isn’t it?”
“Well, um, there was a day when school was closed, and I went on a little picnic. I intended to just explore outside the royal capital for a bit, but before I knew it, I had wandered into the mountains. I almost got lost!”
“…………”
No, if you accidentally wandered into the mountains while intending to take a short stroll, that already counts as getting lost. How on earth does one end up in a border region while thinking it was just a picnic?
“Now that I think about it… I did skip class without permission once. Everyone in class was wondering what happened to me… Could it be that I was lost in the mountains?”
Once again, Rest was astonished by Yuri’s reckless and unconventional nature. She had the sort of poor sense of direction one might find in a comic book character.
“Well, let’s set that aside for now.”
Dibble cleared his throat, as if to regain his composure.
“In addition to wyverns, let me compile a list of ingredients that nobles prefer for celebratory occasions. I believe the Rosemary Marquis House will prepare some as well… though there are ingredients that are hard to obtain. As for alcohol… well, rather than asking me, why not consult Duchess Crocus?”
“Celestine? Why her?”
“Yes. Duke Crocus is renowned as a connoisseur of fine wines, and his territory has vineyards for wine production.”
“I see… I wasn’t aware of that.”
Thinking back, he recalled hearing about distilled liquor being made in a fishing village he visited before. Perhaps it was due to his father’s fondness for alcohol.
“Got it. I’ll ask her later… Sorry for interrupting.”
“Not at all! If you have any other questions, feel free to consult me anytime.”
Rest received the list of ingredients, thanked Dibble, and then left the area.