Truth And Potato Cakes - Part Two

From the moment of my birth, I was obligated to live in the “underworld.”

I could never stand out, pushed into spending my days performing dirty work behind the scenes.

Investigating the secrets of corrupt high-ranking ministers.

Constructing intelligence and spy networks across various regions.

Mastering the arts of assassination and espionage.

My daily life existed entirely within the darkness.

My name is Garn Lover.

Here in the territory of Sunity, I am an intelligence officer in charge of so-called “underworld” work.

My name does not actually exist on the castle’s official roster.

It is written neither in the administrative records nor in the roster of soldiers.

The name Garn Lover is merely one I assume as needed, for I have no real name.

My future was decided when I was born, buried deep in the mud known as darkness.

Soiled again and again… I did nothing but fight single-mindedly for the sake of what I had to protect.

Despite living such a life, I recently found something to look forward to.

My current assignment comes directly from the second prince.

It is to monitor a man who has been imprisoned.

Ordinarily, committing Lese-Majesty against the feudal lord could be settled by simply taking his head off.

However, the second prince, Lord Gings Sunity, was taking precautions.

Lord Gings fears that Shuri might let slip whatever information he may have learned.

What that information might be, even I do not know.

“Lord Gings. What is the nature of the information he likely possesses? Unless I know what it is, I cannot properly deal with the matter.”

“Silence!”

Inside Lord Gings’s private chamber, I was receiving a reprimand.

Lord Gings turns fifteen this year; if he can just rack up achievements, he will stand in a position befitting a candidate for the lord’s successor.

However, Lord Gings lacks the talent to govern a territory.

While his talent in military affairs is undeniable, none of that aptitude was allocated to domestic governance or diplomacy.

Because he knows this all too well, he grows impatient, leading to the current situation.

“If that damned cook holds information that only I should know, kill him. I will also advise Father and Brother as strongly as possible to execute him for Lese-Majesty. With me holding real power over military affairs, not even those two can ignore my counsel.”

“In that case, would it not be best to kill him secretly?”

“I can’t do that. If he dies under suspicious circumstances inside the prison, it’s clear as day that the Gungrave Mercenary Band will come rushing in and turn this territory into a pile of rubble.”

Lord Gings bit his nails, trying to suppress his irritation.

“My plan is to succeed Father, grant the Gungrave Mercenary Band land, incorporate them into our military, and make them my lapdogs. That was my plan, yet that damn cook had to go and pull a stunt like this!! Every single one of them does nothing but get in my way!”

“Lord Gings, please calm yourself. From here on out, I shall stay by that cook’s side in the guise of a guard. If anything happens, I will contact you immediately.”

“I’m relying on you, Garn Lover. Damn it all, I have to rewrite the plan…”

Watching Lord Gings bite his nails atop his bed while spouting curses, I thought to myself.

This person is pitiful.

He possesses a natural gift for battle, yet in this unremarkable territory—well-equipped with military supplies but lacking exceptional subordinates or elite troops—his talents cannot be fully utilized.

Of course, Lord Gings works desperately to change the status quo. He trains troops, pours effort into fostering subordinates, and spends time mastering military tactics.

If he were a regular general, he would be a splendid individual capable of commanding an army admirably.

However, this person inherited the bloodline of a feudal lord. That talent alone is not enough. Managing the territory, diplomacy with surrounding nations, supervising and confirming tax management, placing administrative staff, adjusting tax rates through collection, and regulating the market economy.

There are countless things that must be done, yet what this person can do is strictly limited to military matters. From managing supply lines to constructing war tactics, he stands far above the rest of the lord’s family residing in this territory. Had he been born under different circumstances, he would undoubtedly have excelled as a fine general.

He lacks certain talents. It is only that, yet for him, it is a fatal flaw.

Leaving the room, I let out a sigh and headed toward the basement.

The target’s name is Shuri Azuma.

The individual who served that splendid whole roasted pig dish to the lord.

The cook of the Gungrave Mercenary Band.

Currently, the Gungrave Mercenary Band is being made to wait in the city.

The commanders were crammed into a single inn, while the other soldiers were scattered across various inns throughout the city.

Here in the territory of Sunity, a castle town sits right outside the castle gates.

Functioning as a fairly large city, it had now become a massive prison for the Gungrave Mercenary Band.

Gungrave should be unable to make a move right now.

Though they were supposed to receive land, Shuri Azuma’s actions caused their standing to plummet instantly.

Unless they harbor intentions of treason, they are not to move until our investigation is complete. They are being held down by Lord Gings’s orders.

If they disobey, they will not receive their land. Furthermore, we, who know the city’s geography intimately, hold the upper hand.

They should not be able to move carelessly.

However, it is not certain.

Their bond is many times firmer than we imagine.

Starting out as orphans raising their flag together, they have built themselves up to this point.

Taking every precaution possible is surely no needless worry.

Gungrave’s tactics surpass Lord Gings’s. That resourcefulness, political maneuvering, and masterful sword skill are a threat.

Arius’s magic produces flames capable of melting even walls. Before her, defensive walls mean nothing at all.

Rir’s inventions turn the tide of battle. Being unable to even predict them is a nightmare.

With Kuuga’s presence and sword skills alone, the soldiers cower and are unable to exert their strength. He truly deserves to be called a demon of the sword.

Teg’s scouting and archery skills cannot be underestimated either. Just thinking about when his arrow might pierce our throats from afar is terrifying.

And the existence that makes their bond even more solid.

Shuri Azuma.

If we mismanage him, just as Lord Gings said, this city will be turned into a pile of rubble.

Yet, I do not understand the person named Shuri Azuma.

Even after investigating, no records or information about him prior to joining the mercenary band can be obtained.

I prided myself on the fact that no information could escape my investigative and spy networks.

Though the result was a complete defeat. No matter how I investigate, I cannot figure it out.

He is shrouded in mystery.

Where did Shuri Azuma come from?

Where did he acquire those cooking skills?

Including all that, I have decided to investigate.

If we ignore the existence of Shuri Azuma, it is bound to cause major turmoil not just in this territory, but across the entire Sabrayu Continent.

My intuition tells me so.

Now, while it was fine that I decided to act as a guard, upon seeing the target, I found myself in a bind.

No matter how I look at him, he does not appear to be someone who poses such a threat.

Can I really spy on a guy like this and probe for whatever information Lord Gings doesn’t want leaked?

Taking out the sake and salted dried clams I brought along, I decided to take a short break.

Placing a chair in front of the jail cell, I settled in comfortably.

“Ah… Ugh… What should I do? Should I make an excuse? No, but if I mess up, I might be killed… But… Argh!”

“Quiet, prisoner! Keep it down inside the cell!”

“Yes! I’m sorry!”

Shuri Azuma fell silent at a single warning from me. And he sat in seiza, no less.

Damn it, did I overdo it?

If possible, I want to take the lead, extract whatever information I can, and be done with it.

However, if I rush, I will ruin the operation.

“Tch, I can’t even drink my sake in peace…”

Drinking sake clears my head a little.

My mental gears turn better, too. But the moment the alcohol wears off, I instantly get irritated.

That is why I drink whenever there’s a opening to keep my mind sharp.

“Um, is it okay for a guard to be drinking sake?”

“Huh!?”

This bastard hit right where it hurts.

Of course it is not okay to drink.

“It’s nothing, I’m sorry!”

Looking at Shuri Azuma speaking timidly, I felt like letting out a sigh.

Why is there a need to put a guy like this in a dungeon cell? Even if we threw him into a waiting room, he wouldn’t be able to escape. He has no martial strength and doesn’t seem to possess quick wits either.

That’s probably why he’s asking. He wonders if I can prevent a prison break while drunk.

He’s looking down on me.

“…No matter what a scrawny guy like you tries, you can’t defeat me. Besides, those iron bars can never be broken. Having a guard here is just for show.”

Those iron bars are engraved with Magi-Spells for magic reflection, and the iron itself was custom-made by the finest blacksmith in this territory.

There is no one who can break through this and escape prison.

If there were, that person would be a monster of some sort that we could never hope to match.

Therefore, I can focus my nerve on observing this guy without worrying about a jailbreak.

Taking it easy, I will gradually extract information from him.

That was what I was thinking.

“What is that item you’re taking out of the bag?”

Shuri Azuma suddenly questioned me.

It seems he is curious about what I am eating.

As expected of a cook, he has a sharp eye.

“Huh? Clams, I tell you, clams. Salt-cured and dried, a side dish for sake. I’m eating them dipped in this fish sauce. There’s none for you.”

I have no intention of giving him any.

Without this, the sake doesn’t go down as well. If the sake doesn’t go down well, my mind won’t work.

If that happens, I’m finished.

“Is that wine you’re drinking sake?”

“Rice sake. Now be quiet.”

It is a type of sake that recently started flowing in from Niewbist.

It is dry, crisp, and goes down very smoothly.

It has a wonderful throat feel, and lately it has become my favorite.

It is a drink that reveals a different face depending on whether it is warmed or chilled.

I believe this is the finest among all alcoholic beverages.

However, this guy’s words seem to be barreling down a path far beyond my expectations.

“I have a request.”

“Denied.”

“Could you share some of that with me? If I have the sake and clams, I can make a delicious side dish for drinking.”

What did this guy just say?

He intends to cook in a place like this?

No, more importantly…

“With this?”

Cook with sake and clams?

To be sure, I have heard rumors that there are techniques to flavor dishes with wine.

But this is rice sake, you know? Cook with this clear sake and clams?

“Yes. And if I have a pot and fish sauce, it’ll be perfect.”

Does he seriously intend to cook here?!

Shuri Azuma pulled a sheet of paper from his bosom, spread it out inside the cell, and began preparing.

Did we fail to confiscate that paper?

If I recall, the information stated that Shuri Azuma creates fire with mysterious paper to cook.

In this cell built of stacked stones, there is nothing flammable, and as long as I am monitoring him, there is no chance of escape.

If so, what is his objective?

Does he intend to mix in poison?

No, that’s actually convenient.

If he intends to introduce poison, it can be judged as harboring treasonous intent toward the lord.

If that happens, we can execute this man openly, imprison Gungrave under legitimate grounds, and perhaps absorb the mercenary band.

If driving a wedge into the mercenary band and binding them with chains can be achieved through my sacrifice, it is a cheap trade.

“…Go ahead and try. It’s a nice way to kill time.”

“Understood.”

When I handed over a set of cooking utensils, Shuri Azuma excitedly began cooking.

Is this guy really just wanting to cook?

Even though I handed him a kitchen knife, he hasn’t tried anything.

I intended to entice him into harboring treasonous intent and take advantage of it to torture him, but I feel like the wind has been taken out of my sails.

By the time he finished cooking, the sake, clams, and fish sauce had been reborn as a single dish.

Even watching the cooking process leaves many mysteries, but there was no sign whatsoever of adding poison. He truly just prepared a meal.

Could it be that I have failed to perceive this person correctly?

Such a thought suddenly floated into my mind. He is supposed to be one of the key figures in the mercenary band, and undoubtedly a person requiring extreme caution.

He should be… he ought to be, and yet…

What is this? The smell and appearance of the dish in front of me are so magnificent that my brain isn’t working properly.

The aromas of the alcohol and fish sauce harmonize splendidly, tickling my nasal passages.

The dull-looking clam meat has turned slightly brown, making it known that the flavors have soaked in.

Through both vision and scent, it is a dish that screams, “Eat me!!!”

If I hadn’t suppressed it with reason, I undoubtedly would have pounced on it by now.

“Here you go.”

“Oh, smells good.”

I see, so this is his culinary skill.

Everything about it looks more delicious than any dish I have ever eaten, yet it wouldn’t be strange at all if ordinary commoners were eating it.

Simple, yet a splendid item in which ingenuity and technique are concentrated.

That is the impression I held toward this dish.

After all, I, who can’t get by without drinking sake, have forgotten all about the alcohol and am glued to the dish before my eyes.

Picking up a piece, I pop it into my mouth.

Splendid.

No other word comes to mind.

The flavor of the fish sauce is firmly alive. And the alcohol colors the dish as an aromatic accent.

The rice sake is dry with a clean finish.

It expresses everything through aroma alone.

It makes me feel tantalized, so tantalized.

After all, despite expressing everything, it is a phantom sensation reproduced by aroma alone. My sense of taste desperately tries to feed on the fragrance, to feed on the mist.

However, as the flavor of the clams combines with the fish sauce, that is resolved.

There is no unpleasant intoxication like with liquor. Yet, there is a satisfaction as if having consumed alcohol.

And on top of that, it is a priceless masterpiece completed as a clam dish.

The fact that they were salt-cured and dried also works as a plus.

The salty flavor drains out nicely as the sake is heated over the fire, and the flavor concentrated by the drying overflows.

Combining, calculating, drawing out, and fully cooking all of these elements.

“It has the aroma of alcohol, but none of the harshness of liquor. The fish sauce is done nicely, too.”

That’s a lie. It’s not a dish that can be expressed with such words.

Truthfully, just as a bard weaves songs of heroes, stacking paper as high as a mountain would not be enough to praise this dish.

Is this the skill of Shuri Azuma, the cook of the Gungrave Mercenary Band?

If there was poison, it certainly existed.

The poison known as enchantment.

Presumably, Gungrave was also taken by this poison, which then spread to the troop members, and holding that poison, they have won numerous battles.

To create such a thing and put on an indifferent face, this man…

“You’re an interesting guy.”

“Do you think so?”

There is no doubt he is an interesting guy.

Looking at him picking at the clams while looking bashful, it doesn’t seem like he holds decisive information that could bring down Lord Gings either.

“Yeah. Normally, a prisoner doesn’t cook meals.”

“And normally, there’s no guard who hands ingredients to a prisoner and makes him cook, right?”

Rendered dumbfounded by his nonchalant comeback, a laugh somehow bubbled up inside me.

“Ain’t that the truth.”

It feels like the first time in a long while that I’ve laughed.

Eating a meal, talking with someone, and laughing.

To think that I would experience such ordinary, human daily life.

That felt strangely nice.

It was oddly amusing.

“Looks like I won’t be bored.”

To me, who was despairing of life and trying to lead an idle existence, it seems God has given a magnificent gift.

According to records, my current status is that of a guard.

For a gift bestowed upon a lazy guard, it feels far too large and far too valuable, though.

---

After that, two rival factions began to form within the territory between First Prince Lord Ecres and Second Prince Lord Gings.

The core of the dispute was regarding the treatment of Shuri Azuma.

First Prince Lord Ecres maintained that he should be kept alive.

The reason was that the lord had taken a great liking to that whole roasted pig skin dish, and Lord Ecres had been bothered all along by Shuri Azuma’s cry of “You mustn’t!” when the wine glass was knocked down.

Could there have been some underlying reason?

Lord Ecres’s assertion was that we should investigate and get to the bottom of the cause.

In contrast, Second Prince Lord Gings’s assertion was that he should be killed. Since I had been informed of this as well, I was not surprised.

However, the true nature of the information Shuri allegedly held remained unknown.

“Have you still not extracted the information from him?!”

That night, Lord Gings summoned me to his private chamber and berated me.

“My apologies. Contrary to expectations, he is tight-lipped. He does not easily let anything slip.”

“Damn it! If you don’t hurry, Brother or Father might intervene again!”

When Lord Gings grew irritated, he began biting his nails.

No matter how many times he was warned, that habit could not be cured. That was why his fingertips were in tattered shape.

I saluted and prepared to leave the room.

“Wait.”

Behind my back, Lord Gings called out.

When I turned around, Lord Gings had a puzzled look on his face.

“What is it?”

“Have you gotten healthier lately?”

? I didn’t understand the intent behind Lord Gings’s question.

“My, what do you mean by that? I always pay attention to my health and fulfill my duties to the best of my ability.”

“No, you’ve clearly gotten healthier. You can’t fool my eyes. Your complexion is good, and vitality is overflowing from your body. Did you quit drinking or something?”

!?

“…Whatever do you mean?”

“Don’t lie. I manage even my subordinates’ physical conditions for military duties. One look is all it takes to know whether someone is healthy or not. I even knew you were relying on booze in secret. Even so, your physical condition is in top shape. It’s incomparable to before.”

…I do have an idea why.

However, if I speak of it, I might be executed on the spot.

“Indeed, I have stopped drinking. Due to physical ailments, I was in no state to drink, so while I abstained, I somehow reached this point before I knew it.”

“I see. Still, to think you would become so healthy. As expected, alcohol should be taken in moderation. Be careful, Garn Lover.”

“As you command.”

Saluting and exiting the room, I recalled recent events while walking down the hallway.

Indeed, I no longer drank alcohol excessively.

Then my physical ailments healed, and my head works even without relying on liquor as before.

It is likely thanks to Shuri’s cooking.

That Sakamushi he made. When I tried to imitate it, it mostly failed to turn out right, but there was no need to drink alcohol.

After all, it was a food that smelled of alcohol. It went well with booze, but one wouldn’t end up drinking too much.

It was around that time that he tossed those words at me.

A few days later, when I went to his place, he was making an exquisite dish using potatoes.

A simple dish made with only potatoes and butter.

However, one could only be astonished by its deliciousness.

The fluffy texture of the potatoes and the richness of the butter.

And the subtle sweetness of the butter made it an irresistible dish.

This goes well with alcohol.

However, he looked at me and said:

“If I had oil, I could make an even more interesting and delicious dish. One that goes well with booze, yet keeps you from drinking too much.”

My heart leaped in shock.

I had been cutting back on alcohol, and while he had certainly seen me drinking, he went far beyond my expectations.

“You drink too much. The smell of alcohol reaches all the way over here. A constantly yellowish face, a sluggish body. Stamina so low you get out of breath just going up and down stairs. Every single one of those is a symptom caused by drinking too much. Eventually, you’ll be vomiting blood and feeling numbness in your limbs. Quitting cold turkey is impossible. But if you deceive the urge and fill it with substitutes so you don’t drink, you can manage somehow. What I mentioned just now are all early symptoms. If you curb it now, I promise you’ll live a long life.”

That guy… Shuri looked at my face, diagnosed me accurately, and even predicted my future symptoms.

To be sure, the symptoms he mentioned were starting to occur.

Before Lord Gings told me my complexion had improved, I had that exact color.

There were times when my body felt unnaturally exhausted.

For some reason, I would lose my breath on the stairs.

I thought I just lacked stamina, but to think it was all from drinking too much.

Was I breaking down?

They say alcohol ruins the body, but to think I was on the verge of becoming like that.

To be seen through to that extent in a mere week of face-to-face meetings left me with nothing short of astonishment.

However, if it’s to survive, I have no choice but to do as he says.

From that day on, I reduced my alcohol intake even further.

After a few more days passed, he made another exquisite snack using potatoes.

This time, he simply sliced potatoes thinly, seasoned them with salt, and deep-fried them in oil.

Yet I couldn’t stop eating.

It’s a simple dish. Even I could copy it after just one look.

I could, but…

Precisely because it is such a simple snack, its addictiveness—or rather, its unstoppability—is nothing short of surprising.

On top of that, he even has variations for fried potato slices.

And they are delicious even after cooling down.

The way street stalls sell them, and the abundance of varieties.

If someone were to launch a business with this right now, there is no doubt they would become insanely rich.

That is how delicious a snack it is.

“To think you know a business method that could make someone a millionaire with just a single potato…”

“You’re exaggerating!”

There is no exaggeration about it.

Potatoes have a low unit cost. They can be obtained easily enough to serve as a staple food for commoners.

Furthermore, potatoes can be cultivated even in barren land and harvested in large quantities.

That’s why in farming villages, they cultivate potatoes to serve as food for the winter.

And as for ways to eat potatoes, aren’t the only options steaming them or putting them in soup?

No one would serve them raw, and of course, no one would use a shift in perspective to fry them like this guy does.

Shuri laughed it off as an exaggeration, but I was reassessing my evaluation of him.

If he set his mind to it, this guy could survive even on his own.

Moreover, he could thoroughly destroy the food culture of that country or territory, and on top of that, build a new food culture.

He is like a god of destruction and a god of creation residing in the same body.

If this guy is left unchecked, the state of that country will be altered from its very foundations.

Food culture is proof of human activity handed down since ancient times in that land and culture.

If you throw this guy into such a place, everything will undoubtedly shatter. That is how delicious his cooking is. And commoners can easily make it.

And the country built after smashing everything to pieces would take on a form I have never seen before.

This guy is dangerous.

However, killing him would mean nipping the beginning of a new history of food culture on this continent in the bud.

“Well, for now, let’s eat?”

“Yeah. Still, I really can’t stop eating this.”

“Right?”

However, these so-called potato chips just won’t stop.

This is delicious.

Eating this feels like it will blow my worries away.

Though they’re not supposed to be blown away.

And starting the next day, I engaged in drafting a report regarding Shuri.

Obtaining permission from Lord Gings as well, I did nothing but compile observations and hypotheses regarding the human being named Shuri into documents.

“…He’s a strange guy.”

In the process, the impression that kept coming to mind was still that of a strange man.

Despite being in the environment of a mercenary band, he possesses the kindness and honesty to care for the physical health of me—the guy from the castle’s side—who threw him into a cell.

He wears a somewhat good-natured—to put it another way, gentle—smile.

His cooking skills are first-rate. Moreover, he creates exquisite dishes using common ingredients.

And he has no ambition.

With skill of that level, he could succeed with a restaurant.

He could apply cooking methods to develop products and function as a merchant.

Alternatively, he could serve a royal family by developing new dishes.

Yet he is satisfied with being the cook of the Gungrave Mercenary Band.

Since he has the talent to succeed, it is truly mysterious.

Unlike me, he should be able to grasp glory in the surface world.

“No use thinking about it.”

I compiled the report for the time being.

Before meeting Lord Gings, should I go meet Shuri once more?

Somehow, going to see Shuri has become enjoyable.

Because every time I go to see him, I get to eat supreme food.

However, lately things haven’t gone that way.

I have to organize reports, and I have work to do.

Above all, due to the power struggle between Lord Ecres and Lord Gings, hoarding of food has occurred, leading to a food shortage in the castle town.

That must be why. The ingredients in the castle and the food available in the castle town have become quite limited.

Potatoes are easy to buy, but other things rarely line the storefronts.

It’s a troublesome matter. If this factional dispute or power struggle continues any longer, an outburst from the populace could occur before long.

I want to do something before that happens.

Going down to the basement, a nice smell began to drift over.

“That guy is making something again…”

Even while exasperated, my cheeks relaxed in anticipation.

Now then, what has been made today?

“Oh, you’re eating.”

Descending with the usual sake snacks and fish sauce prepared, Shuri was eating something yellow.

By the way, I didn’t bring any sake this time. I’ve had quite enough of sake.

What Shuri is eating is a lump that looks somewhat chewy.

“…You’re eating something that looks delicious again.”

Whenever there’s an opening, he processes food himself and eats it.

I’ve never seen a prisoner who gives guards such a headache.

However, since that guard is me, I’m benefiting from it and am happy.

“There’s one left. Do you want to eat it?”

“Oh, I’ll take it.”

“It’s even more delicious if you dip it in fish sauce.

So please share some of that with me, please.“

“Even going so far as to kneel?”

Is this guy just going with the flow, or is he opportunistically cheeky?

He often takes actions like this that invite laughter.

His smooth movement into a prostration this time was somehow hilarious, too.

Ah, my cheeks are relaxing again.

Feeling this cheerful doesn’t happen very often.

I pulled out the jar containing the fish sauce.

“Will this do? Uh, what do you call that food?”

“It’s called Potato Cake. It’s a snack where you make potatoes chewy and eat them.”

“Potatoes again? Do you want to become an official supplier to a nation or something?”

“Huh? Can I become one just with potato dishes?”

This guy really has no self-awareness.

“Yeah, if you have potato dishes this delicious, you can.”

“Then please spread the word, Garn-san.”

I doubted my ears. Holding the Potato Cake in my mouth, for a moment I couldn’t comprehend what this guy had said.

Me? This dish?

Spread his cooking? Me?

A dish capable of sprouting money like water, spread by me?

Before I realized it, I took the Potato Cake out of my mouth and grabbed the iron bars.

“Are you saying that in earnest?!”

“Yeah. Once I’m free, I’ll teach you. Potato dishes, wild vegetable dishes… There haven’t been many people I could cook with, so wouldn’t it be fun?”

Not just potatoes, but wild vegetable dishes too?!

Wild vegetables are essential ingredients for surviving the winter. Whether one has them or not drastically changes the severity of winter.

However, wild vegetables are at best boiled and eaten. And they smell grassy.

If… if this guy can make dishes that make even wild vegetables taste delicious…

It means possessing the self-sufficiency to travel from village to village with ease.

Not only that, he could become an indispensable figure in a village.

If he knows how to cook wild vegetables, there’s a possibility he even knows how to prepare wild vegetables and mushrooms that haven’t been eaten until now.

And he said that as if it were nothing!

“You, do you not understand how much value this holds!”

“How much value… It’s delicious, it sparks conversation, and it fills your stomach. Isn’t that enough for cooking?”

It felt as though I had been struck on the head.

No, it wasn’t something like that. An impact as if a battering ram had been slammed into my head assaulted me.

Shuri’s words are the truth.

In dining, in ingredients, in cooking, in living.

He expressed the entire truth of it all in just a single sentence.

The person who said it wore an indifferent face.

However, those words are originally what those of us who manage territories must know.

Protecting the lives and safety of the people.

Having pride that there is no error in one’s work as the people eat and enjoy family harmony.

Could there be any greater words than these?

No, there are none.

And to this guy, those words were an ordinary, mundane, unremarkable scene of daily life.

Something that should always be close at hand.

Something that should always exist in the world.

In other words, no different from a stone by the roadside.

Just as natural as the wind blowing.

Something that an ordinary human being over there should feel.

Something that exists repeatedly as a scene of daily life.

“…You really are that kind of guy.”

He can call ordinary happiness, happiness.

The lack of ambition was simply because he was an honest guy who could rejoice in small happinesses.

It has nothing to do with social standing or age.

He can be thankful for the happiness that is right there.

He was just a human being who lives like a human should.

“I don’t know what you’re thinking, but… I am who I am.”

And the fact that he himself has no self-awareness is frustrating.

Even though I only realized it after meeting him, he had been practicing it for a long time.

That is why he can live so nonchalantly and innocently.

“I understand. Forget it.”

Thinking about it became foolish.

He likely has no intention whatsoever of assassinating the lord, committing disrespect, or weaving political plots.

I released my hands from the iron bars.

Then, dipping the set-aside Potato Cake into the fish sauce, I stuffed it into my mouth.

Ah, it’s delicious.

Just purely delicious.

The texture is novel, too. It’s chewy and fun to chew.

“Damn it. Why do I have to monitor such a carefree guy? And why did I hand him a kitchen knife so casually? It’s practically aiding a jailbreak. Yet he doesn’t break out. What a carefree, foolish guy. And yet the food is delicious… What is this? It has the comforting warmth unique to potatoes, yet a mysterious chewy texture. There’s no dryness of potatoes at all, and it crumbles and melts softly in the mouth. It’s even better when dipped in fish sauce. The saltiness and savory flavor are just right.”

“I’m sorry, but there’s only one of those. I didn’t have much of the ingredients.”

“I’ll bring you more! Make as much as you like! Gah, I’ve really gone soft, haven’t I? Why did you have to knock down the lord’s wine glass and get arrested in the first place?”

“That’s simple.”

I will likely never be able to forget the words that followed.

Because he said it without giving it a second thought.

“If he had carried that to his mouth as it was, the lord would probably have collapsed and almost died.”

The instant I heard that, I was shocked.

The lord? Almost die?

When I pressed Shuri on the matter, he explained it to me while cowering.

That the lord is afflicted by a strange illness.

That the more it recurs, the worse it gets.

That if things continue like this, the lord’s body will surely break down.

Faced with such a monumental fact, I was confused even as I listened.

To be sure, the lord’s physical condition deteriorated after he began using that wine glass.

After using the wine glass, he would scratch his hands as if they were itchy, and sometimes he would cough.

Come to think of it, those were likely signs of the allergic symptoms this guy mentioned.

And those symptoms were actually something the lord had suffered from for a long time.

In the past, when he used an iron sword, he often looked unbearably itchy whenever he grew fatigued.

However, once he rested, the symptoms subsided, and he returned to normal.

That was why he and those around him assumed it was a physical phenomenon that occurred when exhausted.

Strictly ordering Shuri never to speak a word of this to anyone else, I hurried back to the office and began rewriting the report. Dipping a quill pen in ink, I summarized the obtained information on new sheets of paper.

Presumably, this was the information Lord Gings had been anxious about.

This is a guess, but Lord Gings does not intend to harm his father, the lord.

Lord Gings was merely extremely impatient.

Time was insufficient for him to accumulate achievements and inherit this territory. It likely stemmed from a single-minded desire to induce poor health in the lord, and in the meantime, establish his standing as the successor by admirably pulling together the territory and the military.

That is because he fears having his inheritance stolen by his older brother, Lord Ecres, who exists as a successor in this territory.

Having all authority over the officers he trained and raised stolen away would be nothing short of a nightmare.

That was why he ordered me to act as a spy on Lord Ecres as well.

On top of that, there is this information.

At this rate, Lord Gings’s deposition might be unavoidable.

He almost killed his own father, the lord who unites this territory.

Carrying the completed report, I headed for Lord Gings’s private chamber.

Fortunately, because of the late hour, I did not pass anyone.

Because leaking this information to anyone else must be avoided.

“Pardon the intrusion, Lord Gings.”

Standing in front of the private chamber, I knocked.

A voice immediately came from inside, so I entered.

“What is it, Garn?”

Lord Gings was reading a book on tactics in his private room.

Despite the late hour, he is truly a dedicated person.

“I have written the report. My apologies for the late hour, but please review it.”

“Is it urgent?”

“Yes.”

“Very well. Hand it over.”

I handed over the report and stepped back.

Scanning through the report, Lord Gings looked at me.

“I see. No change on Brother’s end. However, expansion of his faction is observed. And the guy in the dungeon still hasn’t spilled any information, huh?”

“Yes.”

I had handed him a false report.

Written there was none of the information Shuri had spilled.

I wrote harmless information, yet enough to satisfy Lord Gings’s self-esteem.

Aside from the crucial information, everything was true.

However, what must not be known was not written at all.

“Expansion of his faction, huh. Those civil officials… discarding me to join Brother, are they?”

“The officers vow unchanged loyalty to you, Lord Gings. However, there are also voices worried that if we bare our fangs at the civil officials, the payment of salaries might be delayed.”

“Hmph, no need to worry. That is why I am gathering foodstuffs within the territory. Tell them that.”

“Yes. Also, regarding the surveillance of Lord Ecres, he has yet to notice our movements.”

“Understood. I shall devise a strategy. You may step down now.”

“As you command.”

Bowing and exiting the room, I directed my steps toward another objective.

The location I was heading to now must not catch anyone’s eye. I proceeded cautiously, yet hurriedly.

Standing before the room, I checked my surroundings and entered swiftly.

“Pardon the intrusion at such a late hour.”

“It’s quite alright, Garn. Time with you is precious to me, after all.”

Seated in the office stamping approvals was a young boy.

A remarkably beautiful boy with glossy silver hair tied back into a ponytail, who could easily be mistaken for a beautiful girl if looked at carelessly.

Short in stature and slender in build, that boy was Ecres Sunity.

My true superior.

“So? For you to come means there must be quite an important piece of information or a report, right?”

“Yes. Please look at this.”

I pulled out the true report hidden in my bosom and presented it.

Receiving it, Lord Ecres pondered while looking over the text.

While ordered by Lord Gings to spy on Lord Ecres, I reported Lord Ecres’s information with restraint, and reported Lord Gings’s information to Lord Ecres without hiding anything.

A so-called double agent.

And Lord Ecres wore a troubled expression.

“If this is true, it means Gings was trying to kill Father. This isn’t something that can be laughed off.”

“Yes. However, I do not believe Lord Gings went so far as intending to kill him.”

“Hmm. To be sure, Father’s constitution—or should I call it a strange illness here?—well, it has never been considered fatal until now. Since long ago, he simply didn’t mix well with iron. But reading this report, does it mean I was in danger too? This person is amazing, isn’t he, Brother?”

“…Do not call me Brother, Ekrennis. I am merely your subordinate.”

“It’s Brother who should stop; call me Ecres. Ekrennis was my childhood name, and now I am Ecres Sunity. The eldest son of the lord who governs this territory.”

Smiling wryly at each other, we obtained a moment of peace.

I was born as the lord’s eldest son.

However, my mother was a maid. Her standing was that of a commoner. I was born from my father laying a hand on her on a whim.

The lord acknowledges me, but does not claim to be my father. Nor have I ever called that guy my father.

In the first place, I do not recognize a guy like that as my father.

He secretly exiled my mother, and gave me nothing but skills that force me to live only in the darkness.

And while keeping my existence secret, he had me forfeit all rights of succession.

Therefore, the only one who knows about me is the “younger sister” before my eyes.

Ecres is a pitiful existence as well.

This child was born as the eldest daughter of the lord’s concubine.

In our youth, I supported her as a guard.

The misfortune was that my younger sister was talented.

She displayed peerless talent in domestic governance and economy, raising our father’s expectations.

As a result, our father—the lord—decided to treat Ecres as a boy and raise her as a successor.

Ekrennis as a female died. Since then, she has lived as the successor, Ecres.

The one who rebelled against that was that hag of a legitimate wife.

The legitimate wife bore a male child. That is our younger brother, Gings.

Gings possessed talent regarding warfare.

Using that as backing, the legitimate wife proposed raising him as the successor.

As a result, factions split between the First Prince and Second Prince, leading to a feud.

If I can make Ecres happy, that is enough for me.

To me, the only one I can call family is Ecres. The only true family who knows everything and can stay together knowing everything.

However, Ecres wishes to save Gings as well.

“Ecres. Gings is…”

“Yeah, I know. I’ll properly address this matter and make him face punishment. And then, I will leave this territory. It will be my final job.”

Ecres wishes to yield the succession to Gings.

And she wishes to cast away her fetters.

I want to support that.

“We will likely end up clashing with Gungrave and the others.”

“Probably. Before that, I’ll persuade Gings and put things in order. Yielding the succession, you see. Before that, I want to meet him.”

Ecres smiled.

“That Shuri-kun.”

“…If it’s from now on, no one will catch us.”

“Then let’s do that.”

Ecres stands up from the chair.

Shuri, I intended to let you meet Lord Ecres eventually, but it turned out earlier than scheduled.

If possible, I pray that you will become our salvation.