The captain of the Imperial Second Order of Knights, the “Black Snake”—Kirul Kissjail.
The man was apparently called that.
His makeup and tone of voice were completely those of a woman, but he was definitely a man.
“Still, you were late. I made myself quite comfortable here.”
“Too bad for you, I was swamped with unexpected work. I slaughtered one or two bandits along the way.”
Exchanging such a threatening conversation, the person called Kirul handed his coat to a maid and sat down heavily right across from us.
It was quite a bold move to make in front of a princess. It must be true that they were friends.
Kirul glanced at me once, then immediately returned his gaze to Belze.
“So, is that boy the rumored cook?”
“Pino. I named him.”
“Hey, don’t give a dead dog’s name to a human. It’s disrespectful to both.”
“Mu…”
Ah, he is a sensible person—I thought.
Facing Belze, who brought her food to her mouth with a dissatisfied look, Kirul narrowed his eyes.
“……Oh, what a nice aroma. Is it charcoal? And what a vibrant, beautiful pasta. Did you make it?”
“Yes. It is charcoal-grilled conger eel red pasta.”
“Conger eel? I don’t know it well, but at least it seems certain that you are a cook.”
Had he been doubting me until now? I gave a wry smile.
“If you like, would you care for some as well, Lord Kirul? The ingredients are already prepped, so I can make it right away.”
“My, what a thoughtful man. Thank you, but I’ll pass.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. You see, I hate red things.”
……You hate red things?
This is another picky eater with a different direction than Belze.
While I was floating question marks, Kirul introduced himself properly.
“I am Kirul Kissjail. I have been granted the honor of knighthood by the Empire. Nice to meet you?”
“I am Pino. I have no family name. I have been entrusted with the role of cook by Princess Belze. It is a pleasure to meet you.”
When I bowed my head, Kirul nodded and—
“Well then, Pino. This time, I, Kirul, will audit your qualifications as a cook.”
He declared it clearly.
──An audit?
However, the one who reacted instantly was not me, but Belze.
“Kirul. What do you mean by that? I haven’t heard anything about this.”
“Yes, that’s right. Because I didn’t tell you.”
“I came to this town to meet an old friend. If you had no intention of doing that, it was a waste of time. Get out of here right now, and I will leave the town too.”
I was surprised.
Because this was the first time I saw Belze show such open hostility toward another person.
But Kirul was unperturbed.
“Too bad, Belze, but that’s impossible.”
“What did you say?”
“I’m here on official business. Your relationship with this Pino fellow and his qualifications—verifying them is an imperial order.”
At his words, tension ran not just through us, but also among the cooks and maids in the kitchen.
“A-An imperial order…?”
Does that mean it is a direct command from the Emperor himself…?
“What is this about, why would His Majesty—”
“Of course, he would. A court cook is a government servant, a public official. No matter how much of a princess you are, you can’t just have your way with a single word. You need a test, don’t you, a test?”
“G, gununu…”
“Besides, His Majesty isn’t the only one concerned about this matter, you know.”
Even Belze was being beaten in an argument by logic.
Even in such a situation, it was a little amusing.
…Putting that aside, in response to Belze tilting her head at Kirul’s words, he continued.
“The ones who requested this audit mission from me were your daddy, your mommy, your older brother, your older sister, the Prime Minister, the head maid, the head court chef…”
“That’s a lot!?”
“Everyone is worried. They’re worried you’re being sweet-talked by some stray nobody.”
Being the youngest is nice, being loved by everyone—Kirul snorted with a look of exasperation.
“That’s how it is, Pino. Normally there’s a written test, but can you even read and write in the first place?”
“I can read. Writing is a bit shaky.”
“I figured. Well, I heard you come from a commoner background, so I’ll spare you out of mercy this time.”
Oh, surprisingly kind.
“Instead, there are two things I consider important.”
“What might they be?”
“First is cooking skill. It goes without saying since you’re supposed to be a court chef. This includes not just taste, but also aesthetic sense in coloring and design, attentiveness, table manners, and so on.”
I see.
That is certainly a matter of course.
“……And the other?”
“Behavior and ethics as a public servant. No matter how delicious the food you make, I will not let anyone pass who brings shame to the Imperial Family. And above all, a public servant cannot function without justice, morals, and ethics.”
……Understood.
When I nodded, the handsome man smiled mischievously.
“Ah, that’s right. If you get a failing mark on the audit, your head will literally go flying, so be prepared.”
“Eh?”
“There are plenty of people who want to charge you with the crime of lese-majesty. By the way, I’m of the same opinion.”
“……Kirul. If you intend to continue that unpleasant joke, I will charge you with the crime of lese-majesty right here and now.”
Belze was much more dissatisfied than I was.
Kirul muttered, “It’s not even a joke, though—” and continued.
“Well, fine. Let’s make the audit three days from now at night. Please prepare the dinner.”
“Understood.”
“……Three days from now? I thought you’d say something unreasonable like prepare it by tomorrow.”
To Belze, who was glaring at him, Kirul said soothingly.
“I’d love to do that, you know. But we have another job in this town.”
“Another job?”
“Yes. Finishing that up and coming back will probably take three days… so prepare to your heart’s content. Well, honestly, I don’t expect a stray dog like you to clear the challenge.”
Kirul glanced at me and said it as if to laugh it off.
This man was fully intent on failing me, at least as of right now.
See you then, Kirul said as he walked past the maid and left.
With the maids rushing to chase after him to see him off in the background, Belze sat and wore a difficult expression.
“Princess Belze, are you alright?”
“I am alright. You are the one who is not alright.”
“……Is he that strict of a person?”
“Well, he is known for a certain kind of cleanliness. His eye for people is reliable, but he never forgives wrongdoing and never compromises… In the entrance exams for the Second Order of Knights that he leads, at least ten people always receive the death penalty every year.”
That is, well, my goodness.
The talk about heads physically flying didn’t seem to be a joke at all.
I wonder what to do.
The real show is in three days. It is enough time to think about the menu and course format, but—
“You hate red things?”
Come to think of it, that is a surprisingly difficult condition.
Fruits, meat, wine. There are unexpectedly many red ingredients. And they are quite major cooking ingredients.
“……I am sorry. If it was going to come to this, I should have shared his hobbies and preferences much earlier.”
U, uuuu—Belze groaned in agony and scratched at her own hair.
Why is she more debilitated than me, this princess?
“Come to think of it, I wonder what that other business Lord Kirul mentioned was.”
“……Probably trouble with the trade routes or something.”
“Trade routes?”
Belze nodded while resting her head on the table.
“The Second Order of Knights are the long legs directly under His Majesty. Unlike the First Order, which consists of the imperial guards, they are an expeditionary unit that adapts to any environment—sea, land, volcanoes—and carries out their duties…”
“Huh.”
“If they are dispatching the Second Order all the way from the Imperial Capital, it must be a mission that greatly affects the nation’s economy. After all, this port town is an important trading hub for the Empire too. That is the only thing I can think of.”
I see. As expected of the princess.
She has a quick wit, just like someone of good ruler’s blood. Even though she is so depressed.
That means they will be heading out to sea tomorrow.
“A ship. That sounds promising…”
“?”
While clearing away Belze’s dishes after she finished her pasta, I continued to think about this audit.
◆
The next day, Belze and I came to the port early in the morning.
A pleasant ocean breeze and the sunlight growing somewhat stronger as summer approached.
Narrowing our eyes against the eastern sun, we looked up at the giant ship docked at the port.
“What a fine ship.”
“Because it is a warship. The ships owned by the Second Order of Knights are especially well-made.”
That’s right, the place we had come to was a ship of the Second Order of Knights, which was scheduled to set sail right about now.
While we were blankly admiring the ship, there was a shadow running over from afar.
It was Lord Kirul. He looked irritated.
He was trailing several knights behind him.
“H, hey you guys… what on earth is the meaning of joining our mission!?”
“It is none of your business.”
“Of course it’s my business, it’s a huge deal, what are you talking about! Or rather, if you have that kind of time, prepare the dinner!”
That is a fair point.
However, it’s not like we don’t have an aim.
Paying no mind to the screeching shouts, Belze, who had recovered after a night’s sleep, teased Kirul with a stony expression.
“Never mind that, if it is the Second Order of Knights renowned for their cleanliness, there should be nothing to hide. Or Kirul, are you refusing an order from a princess? Look, it is the crime of lese-majesty, lese-majesty.”
“Y, you little brat…!”
The other person is a princess, you know.
At any rate, Kirul could not refuse our boarding the ship.
The audit for me was an imperial order that even Belze could not fully refuse, but conversely, for anything else, Princess Belze’s authority was absolute.
“Hah, good grief… Fine, I’ll let you on. Just don’t get in the way!”
“Understood.”
In the end, Kirul had no choice but to invite us onto the ship.
“……So, Pino. Is this really fine?”
“Yes. It is perfect.”
This whole thing was my idea.
There are two aims.
One is to closely observe the auditor named Kirul Kissjail.
Life on a ship is communal living. Food preferences will inevitably show. Grasping those beforehand will definitely be useful on the day of the banquet.
And the other is to have Kirul see my usual behavior, not just during the dinner.
“My usual behavior?”
“Yes. If I try to put on airs only on the day of the audit, it will be seen through anyway. Besides, I will eventually be heading to the Imperial Capital and the court alongside Princess Belze…”
At that time, whether I like it or not, I will expose my presence in front of the members of the Imperial Family and have my manners evaluated.
If so, just putting on airs for now to pass this has no significant meaning.
In the end, there is no other way than to have people recognize my character.
“If we spend morning, noon, and night together, affection will inevitably well up. Rather than having you do an audit just for a single day, it is definitely a better impression if we share our daily sense of living first to eliminate preconceptions before facing the audit.”
“……You really are a shrewd fellow.”
Well, it’s calculation.
Since a mistake this time cannot be undone, I am being calculating.
Walking leisurely side by side toward the ship, we exchanged light banter.
“Pino, make something on the ship.”
“Eh, are you hungry? Was breakfast too small, perhaps?”
“No. It’s harassment. Let’s make the knights have a miserable time with a delicious aroma.”
What a thing to do, isn’t that food terrorism?
“Then, as a post-meal dessert, how about something sweet?”
“Sounds good. Baked sweets. We will wipe them out with the aroma of baked sweets.”
“Princess Belze, what on earth are you fighting against?”
And so, we set off on a little boat journey.