Published: August 15, 2025
Dinner was a grand barbecue that included the local residents around us.
“I hope it suits your taste,”
“Perhaps because the climate here is a bit different from Ehrenfest, the variety of vegetables seems a little different. There are some rare ones, and since the ingredients are fresh and good quality, just sprinkling salt on freshly grilled vegetables makes them delicious enough.”
As I was being served by Monica, I put a vegetable called Lesuk into my mouth. It looked like a peach, but in taste and how it was eaten, it resembled zucchini.
While chewing, I glanced around. Although there were designated seats for the nobles, others were sitting freely—some on logs that had been cut and laid down, some on larger stones. Because of this freedom, I couldn’t tell how everyone else was managing.
...Ah.
I saw the gray priests, who always ate according to their social status and divided the food equally, frozen in place holding their own plates brought from the temple. They seemed unsure whether they should take the food, and if so, how much they should eat, their faces full of confusion.
“Come on, eat up!”
“Y-yes...”
The locals kindly encouraged them, but these priests, who were used to having food distributed equally and had never taken food by themselves, appeared completely lost.
“Monica, please go and call Lutz.”
“But Lady Rosemine’s serving—”
“There’s plenty on the plates now, so if you hurry, it’ll be fine.”
“Understood.”
Monica ran off to call Lutz, who was standing in front of the grill, eagerly eating meat and vegetables one after another. Soon, Lutz came over with a slightly dissatisfied look, led by Monica.
“Lady Rosemine, I heard you called for me...”
“Lutz, sorry to trouble you, but could you teach the guild members and gray priests how to eat? They’ve only ever been served their portions and don’t know how to take food themselves.”
“Seriously!? ...Ah, pardon my surprise. I’ll do as you say.”
Having survived fierce food battles among siblings, Lutz probably couldn’t understand not grabbing food when it’s right in front of you. Still, knowing the temple’s peculiarities, he shrugged in exasperation and headed toward the cluster of gray priests.
“Hey, Gibe. Eat quickly or it’ll all be gone.”
As he spoke, Lutz scooped vegetables and meat from the grill onto Gibe’s plate with swift hands.
“You can take it yourself like this, so eat well. This is Lady Rosemine’s order.”
Gibe looked at his plate, then at me, and then around before starting to eat. Seeing this, the other gray priests began placing the same food and same amounts on their plates and started eating.
...Can the gray priests survive here?
I couldn’t help but worry whether they would make it through to the harvest festival.
At the same time, I noticed that Fran, who was serving Darmel, and Monica, who was serving me, hadn’t taken a single bite. There were no meals divided by status here. If they didn’t eat now together, their dinner would disappear.
“Fran, Monica, you should eat too. Without eating with everyone else, you won’t receive the divine blessing like in the temple, you know?”
“But attendants can’t serve and eat themselves.”
Giebe Ilkner and his family, in particular, were not served; they took their plates and had the locals at the grill serve them directly.
“I’ll get my own food...”
“No, you won’t.”
Both Fran and Monica cut me off sharply, and I slumped my shoulders.
“...Monica, at least please tell Hugo to serve two portions for them.”
“But what about serving Lady Rosemine in the meantime?”
Monica asked me with a serious face, leaving me at a loss for words. Is my serving more important than my own meal? I see. They are devoted, adorable attendants but quite troublesome.
“I will deliver the message, Lady Rosemine.”
Brigitte, who was beside me, stood up quietly, took an empty plate, and headed toward the grill. She chatted with the locals, sipped the recommended wine, laughed joyfully, and walked lightly to the grill.