Published: January 17, 2026
“Now, enjoy this banquet prepared with the utmost skill by the chefs recognized by the royal family. Savor every dish without holding back.”
“Thank you very much!”
After touring the royal castle, the banquet was held in a dining hall with an unusually high ceiling. A long table that could comfortably seat twenty people was filled edge to edge with dishes. By the way, each guest had a servant attending to them, and my attendant was Til, who proudly—no, tensely—stood by my side with determination. She seemed quite nervous, sneaking glances at the other maids while standing behind me with sharp breaths.
Meanwhile, I was bubbling with excitement as I discovered many unfamiliar dishes.
“Oh, this looks delicious too. Til, can I have a bite of this? Ah, you don’t need to be so elaborate with the plating…”
“Please wait a moment… alright, now I’ll add this torque leaf on top…”
For some reason, Til seemed to be competing with herself. Every time she served a dish, she carefully replated it as if it were going to be displayed in a showcase. It looked very beautiful, but I was eager to try the next dish quickly.
“Yeah, it’s delicious. Thank you, Til.”
“You’re very welcome! Now, which dish would you like next?”
Still, I must not forget to express my gratitude to Til. When I thanked her, she smiled radiantly, holding a plate in one hand and striking a very enthusiastic pose.
Seeing this exchange, His Majesty and Mr. Panamera laughed aloud.
“Hahaha! This is a different atmosphere than usual, but such a banquet isn’t bad at all!”
“Your Majesty, this is the usual style of banquet in Viscount Van’s territory.”
“Oh, I envy Sir Panamera, who can always enjoy this. So, how is the new territory? It must be your first time managing your own land.”
“I am deeply honored to be entrusted with such a wonderful land. Moving forward, my territory will develop further and serve as an important base not only for the Kingdom of Scuderia but also as a monitoring point for the Yelinetta Kingdom. I intend to put my full effort into fulfilling this significant responsibility admirably.”
Mr. Panamera’s usually rare polite response to His Majesty’s question was strangely amusing. The way he put on a mask was priceless. Underneath, he was the Empress of Ashes. What a story! If this were a cat café, it would be outright fraud.
Lost in such absurd thoughts, I took a bite of the new dish Til had served.
It was a slightly salty salad with a popping texture. The vegetables were crisp, sweet when bitten, and delicious. Huh? Is this an izakaya menu? Izakaya Bellinate doesn’t have yakitori? Ah, but this herb-grilled dish is incredibly tasty. The skin was crisp and grilled, and biting through it released tender meat juices into my mouth. The slightly spicy seasoning enhanced the rich flavor. This izakaya was a jackpot.
“Oh, it seems Viscount Van is enjoying it too.”
While I happily ate, His Majesty nodded in satisfaction and said so. Then, Aperta, who had been eating with a serious face beside us, turned her head with just her expression.
“Your Majesty, shall we begin discussing the Fiesta Kingdom soon?”
“Hmm, yes… though during the meal, may I have a moment?”
“Ah, certainly.”
“Boy, swallow what’s in your mouth quickly.”
“…Alright, I swallowed.”
At Mr. Panamera’s prompt, I hurriedly finished the bite I was chewing, and His Majesty nodded with a wry smile.
“Lacks tension, but this is just right.”
Prefacing his words, he lifted his face.
“…So, you two may feel as you wish. What is your view of the Fiesta Kingdom? I would also like to hear your opinions on the future.”
Lowering his voice, His Majesty asked. Panamera sat up straighter and responded first.
“Yes, being a maritime nation, I feel they are currently the strongest power at sea. On land, they would not lose in battle, but it’s best to avoid naval combat... As for the future, I believe we should swiftly form an alliance. I only spoke with a man equivalent to a knight commander here, but I judged him to be straightforward and manly, as a seafarer should be. A country that entrusts such men as heads of their forces is, in my experience, persistent and extremely troublesome to deal with.”