Ihoujin, Dungeon ni Moguru

Chapter 076.2: ...To The Land Of The Myriad Kings V – Part II

Translator: Solo

I started butchering the frogs.

I took off my coat and draped it over the horse. I had worked up a sweat and it was streaming off my brow. But mysteriously, I didn’t feel tired. It was like I was receiving vitality from the forest.

I left the small-sized frogs alone and only killed the large ones.

They were poisonous, but the frogs were really carefree. Even though their buddies were being butchered in front of them, they were still hopping around me without a care in the world.

I got used to it and was able to butcher the frogs quickly. If I got a part-time job butchering frogs, I would probably be able to get a high pay.

The burlap sacks that I had brought were now full of frog limbs. They had a strong hold on life, and twitched even after being put into the sacks. It was creepy.

I casually looked down at my watch and I got a shock.

As much as eight hours had passed.

Oh no, I’ll have to go back quickly or I’ll cause His Majesty worry.

「Oh」

There are no more large frogs. Does this mean that I’ve finished exterminating them, I wonder? My sense of time feels a little off. It feels like it’s only been about an hour since I started.

Looking around, I realized that the deer wasn’t here. The horse was though.

I tied the sacks filled with frog limbs to the horse’s saddle.

Three meals a day for four people, oh, His Majesty counts as three people. I think it’ll last about ten days. After that, it’ll depend on the food I receive from the old elf, I guess.

I heard the clear voice of the deer.

It felt like I was being called, so I returned to the clearing where the old elf was.

「You really got rid of the frogs, I see」

「Huh, yes」

She’s looking at me like she’s seen a weirdo. Why? I only did what was asked of me……

「In a world of war and heroes, what people seek has always been power. You’re probably the first and last person to have come asking for edible wild vegetables」

「It won’t do for the king I serve to be hungry after all」

Huh, uttered the old elf in a soft voice.

「Are you not a king?」

「I’m an ordinary person. An ordinary adventurer」

「That’s strange. Those who aren’t qualified to become kings shouldn’t be allowed into the forest. Something like this has never happened in the last millennium. ………Oh, I wonder if the potentialities were taken out of sequence1」

What the heck did she just say?

「There are exceptions to everything. The one who seeks wild vegetables, receive these ingredients」

There were heaps of foodstuffs beside the deer.

「Th, this is…….!」

What I saw made me excited.

There were large qualities of wild vegetables that were bundled up like straw. Giving them a quick look-over, there were osmund ferns, wild rocambole, shidoke vegetables, horseradish, and even alpine leek. In addition, mushrooms big enough to be used as chairs.

「Wow」

In addition, a lump of rock salt about the size of a basketball.

As they say in old anime, people cannot fight without salt. In other words, His Majesty can fight now.

There were many more foodstuffs packed in grass-woven baskets, such as nuts that produced oil just by rubbing them lightly, herbs that could be used to accent the taste, as well as fruits like big chocolate vines, raspberries and apples.

There were still much more. I simply couldn’t make out everything that had been prepared.

I joyfully loaded everything onto Verxina. The horse’s size wasn’t for show. It was quite a big load, but the horse was completely unfazed.

「This really helps me out」

「The frogs were starting to get too noisy, so it was just right. I'll ask you again, is something like this really alright? There are also things that make people’s life easy in this forest, you know?」

「I’ll feel bad if I receive any more than this, so it’s fine」

I don’t bear things that are too much for me. It’s my ironclad rule.

I’ve done well so far because of it.

「In that case, you should be on your way now. If you stay here for too long, you too will become part of the forest」

「Alright, thank you very much」

I said my thanks and bowed my head.

I had been worried, but with this, I would be useful to His Majesty.

When I raised my head, there was no one there. Instead of the old elf, before me stood a giant tree that pierced the heavens.

I bowed once more, and then left.

A giant tree and a fawn watched on as I went back.

The exit was close.

I had only gone about a tenth of the distance I had walked with the deer before I had stepped out of the forest.

I was immediately chilled to the bone. I put on the coat that I had draped over Verxina.

It felt like I had been bewitched by a fox. 2

However, the foodstuffs were definitely still there. It didn’t look like they had turned into leaves.

I’ve had a strange experience.

I’ve got another story of my journey that I can tell the party. The first is the story of how His Majesty fights, but……they probably won’t believe that story with just words alone.

On the way back, I kept pace with Verxina on foot.

I had thought of it as a shitty horse, but the two of us had shared a strange experience together, so a friendship was born.

Was what I thought, but……

「Wait」

……Verxina bit down on my collar.

「Not this agai――」

My screams were drowned out by the howling wind again.

Perhaps its balance was off due to the load it was carrying, but its movements were rougher than the first time it had carried me.

My entire body was being swung about, and with my head spinning, we returned.

「Hmm, you’re back early……………… What?!」

Zamonglass was shocked upon seeing us.

What’s with his reaction?

「You’re back already, Souya? You were surprised, right? However, that’s something that every vassal of Ashtalia goes through」

His Majesty was maintaining his weapons with his back to me. I was surprised to see a king do this kind of thing himself, but for a warrior, it was only proper.

As expected from you, Your Majesty.

「That forest is……………… Impossible!」

His Majesty also had the same reaction when he turned around.

「I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. Butchering the frogs took quite a bit of time」

「What are you talking about? Barely any time has passed since you left」

Huh? Oh, but now that he mentioned it, it doesn’t feel like the height of the sun has changed. It's hard to tell because of the unchanging gray sky. While I was in the forest, did the passage of time slow or something?

「Did you go into the forest?」

「Huh, yes」

I unloaded the foodstuffs from Verxina. The frog's limbs were still twitching.

Wow, fresh.

「If that's true, you’ll only be the second person on record since Velsvain. What on earth did you obtain inside the forest?」

「Like I promised, I came back with these」

Wild vegetables, fruits, nuts, frog meat, and more.

Zamonglass approached me with an extremely menacing look.

「In the forbidden forest lies treasures that give those who obtain them the power to change the human world. Treasures that impart wisdom beyond human knowledge when touched. Did you ignore all that and come back with blasted wild vegetables?!」

I don’t give a damn.

「Tell me earlier then. Or rather, you should go get them yourself」

「Y, you………」

Perhaps it’s his age, but the old man is on the verge of snapping.

「That lack of greed might be the reason why he was able to enter the forest. Souya, every single vassal of Ashtalia was turned back when attempting to enter that forbidden forest」

「Zamonglass and Regure too?」

「Yes, they were turned back. Those who serve a king must sometimes humor the king’s absurdities. Even if, for example, it’s something unreasonable beyond all mortal ken. By tradition, vassals are sent to that forbidden forest to teach them that. And they are turned back. In other words, it’s a rite of passage for vassals」

「I see」

I turned to Zamonglass and grinned broadly.

He went livid and shot me an angry look back.

Irvin, your teacher sure is young at heart.

「But for someone who entered the forest and returned alive to appear among my vassals……」

「What he brought back are wild vegetables though」

Zamonglass nitpicked with a stinging tone.

「I'll go prepare the meal, alright?」

I’ll ignore him. A meal comes first.

「Wait, Souya. You can prepare meals even though you’re a man?」

「Yes, I can. As an adventurer, I do it all the time」

It’s because it's my hobby.

Zamonglass opened his mouth. I thought he was going to say something sarcastic, but……

「I don't know the extent of his skills, but he can’t be any worse than Regure. Her cooking is at the level where I don't want to call it cooking」

……surprisingly, he advocated for me.

「Regure’s, that is, in various ways, hmm……」

His Majesty also remembered and pulled a long face. Thanks to Regure, the bar my cooking had to clear had been lowered.

I took some cooking utensils from the tent.

For the fire, there was a bonfire built with charcoal that was used for warmth.

First, I had to prep the ingredients.

I rinsed the frog limbs using water I had drawn from a well. I had been careful not to get the poison on them, but better to be safe than sorry.

After I had finished rinsing the frog limbs, I put them all into a large pot, and then added some rock salt that I had scrapped off and water. I also added some herbs that I didn’t recognize. I left the meat alone for a while.

I put the wild vegetables that I would need to remove the scum for into another pot and soaked them in water.

The variety and amount were plentiful, so I was at a loss on what to cook. It was a good problem to have.

I placed the nuts containing a lot of oil in a frying pan and crushed them. It was a rough way of doing it, but more oil than I had expected came out. I wondered for a moment if the nuts could be eaten by themselves if I stir-fried them. I also considered removing them later.

After washing some alpine leeks, I chopped them up.

I added them to the frying pan and stir-fried them carefully over the fire. This was a method I was used to.

After the fragrance had seeped into the oil, I took out one of the frog limbs that I had soaked in salt water.

Upon a second look, it looked like a big chicken wing.

I stir-fried it over high heat.

It smelled pretty good. I seared it a little on both sides.

I taste-tested the meat. ………It was the first time I had eaten frog meat, and true to common belief, it tasted like chicken.

The fishiness of the meat had been offset by the alpine leeks. Its flavor was light. It would probably taste great when stewed, but I didn’t have the time. I made a seasoning for it by scraping off some rock salt and mixing it with a smattering of herbs that looked suitable. It was simple, but this should do it for the seasoning.

I taste-tested it again………it should be passable.

I started stir-frying the rest of the frog limbs rapidly.

At the same time, I made a garnish in another frying pan. After chopping up the big mushrooms and horseradish, I stir-fried them with salt. After that, I rubbed some wild vegetables that seemed like they could be eaten raw with salt, and then gave them a quick boil in hot water. I cooled them off with cold water, and then added some fruits.

The plates that the food was placed on looked expensive. Each plate was likely worth 5 gold coins.

Zamonglass had prepared a table, so I laid out the dishes on it.

We were outdoors and the temperature was what it was as well, so I had His Majesty dig in right away.

「Your Majesty, it’s frog meat stir-fried with garlic, mushrooms stir-fried with salt, and wild vegetables and fruits from the forbidden forest」

「………………In the history of Ashtalia, I’m probably the first person to eat frog meat」

「Setting its taste aside, it’s nutritious and calorie-filled, so please eat it before it gets cold」

「Your Majesty, my sympathies」

Zamonglass, who was beside His Majesty, had a troubled expression on his face.

His Majesty steeled himself and put one of the frog limbs into his mouth.

The bones crunched as he chewed it thoroughly.

「Hmm, for the most part, it’s edible」

「Thank you very much」

「Actually, it’s delicious」

He started to scarf them down heartily. It felt good seeing that, but I still had to cook for the other two, as well as for myself.

「What, food?」

While I was tossing the frying pan, an immodestly-dressed Regure came out of the tent, looking like she had just got up.

「What~ are you cooking?」

As she bit into an apple that was near at hand, she came up and hugged me from behind.

「Don’t get in my way. Go sit down」

「Eh, okay」

She scowled and separated herself from me.

His Majesty's eating speed is fast, so it’s a struggle making you two’s share.

「Though it’s “former”, I’m probably the only one among the knight of St. Lyridias to have eaten frog meat」

Zamonglass ate the frog meat while complaining.

It didn’t look like he found it bad-tasting.

「Frogs, huh? I used to eat a lot of them in the past though. ………Huh, it’s delicious. It might be the most delicious frog meat I’ve ever eaten」

It was well received by Regure.

These people can eat.

Especially His Majesty. He eats as much as three adventurers. In other words, he eats enough for six normal people.

At any rate, it’s a pleasure being useful to someone. Especially if that someone is a king who suits my preferences and is exceedingly strong.

They were gobbling up the food as soon as I made it, so it was only when the meal was beginning to end that I got to make my own share.

「Souya, I'm satisfied. I wonder how long it has been since I’ve eaten to my heart's content」

「Thank you very much for your gracious words」

His Majesty looked very pleased.

Although His Majesty had said that they had no supplies, there appeared to be alcohol, and all three of them were drinking it.

The frog meat wasn’t as bad as I had expected. The legs were especially delicious. I wished I could have coated them in curry powder and fried them. I wouldn’t have fed them to my wife and sister though.

「By the way」

I said, bringing up the subject of another food.

「Your Majesty, wheat from the left continent has also spread to Lemuria, but how do you eat it here? Do the people of this land bake it to make bread too?」

「We stretch it out until it’s like a piece of cloth, cut out patterns in the shape of flags, and then boil them in soup」

「I see, in Lemuria, it’s eaten after making it into thin threads」

「Don't eat it in a strange way. That wheat may be labeled as wheat from this continent, but it wasn’t grown on this land. As you can see, this continent is cold. Its warm season is short. However, the Dilllands archipelago in the seas to the south of this continent is a region that can be said to enjoy everlasting summer. Nature and crops are abundant, but the people who live there are embarrassingly weak at war.

In other words, that wheat is their tribute. As a sign of that, it’s made into the shape of flags.

The Dilllands archipelago buys peace from the Myriad Kings with that wheat, but these days, many Myriad Kings, especially those who side with the black elf, send the wheat back untouched. I had wondered what happened to the surplus wheat, but from what you said, it appears that it has flowed to the other continents」

「The amount that has flowed out is considerable. I believe that the way it’s eaten will change depending on the location」

「It's mysterious, isn’t it?」

His Majesty washed down a mouthful of chocolate vines, skin and all, with alcohol.

「What does the damned black elf feed the army? Surely the black elf isn’t making suspicious food using nefarious magic and brainwashing them or something?」

「Your Majesty, it had slipped my mind, but I stole this from their tents. It might possibly be food」

Regure tilted her chair back, fished through the supplies behind her, and took something out.

It was a silvery, cylindrical……

「You’ve got to be kidding」

……can.

Is it made of tinned iron, I wonder? It’s tightly sealed.

With the alternate world’s blacksmithing techniques, making a can is possible, but it’s simply that no one has thought of it.

There’s also a chance that it’s just a coincidence, but it was found in the hands of the mysterious force known as the black elf.

The simplest thing I can associate it with is someone like me. I've seen a precedent. A historical man from my homeland had become a god by planting trees.

「Your Majesty, those that follow that black elf, how many of them are there?」

「There are 24 flags of Myriad Kings on the left continent. Among them, 14 flags follow the black elf. 6 flags follow Elysium. The number of troops each Myriad King commands is different, but I suppose they have at least 300,000 troops in total」

However, the scale is different.

I hate to think it, but there’s a possibility that a foreigner is leading the army. Otherwise, serving as a vassal just like me, I guess.

Zamonglass added to His Majesty explanation.

「There are many Myriad Kings, but there are four among them who are referred to as the strongest four.

The dauntless king, Dugan?Stelch?Horobi?Robbs, whose name is immortalized even in the Vindoobunikuru.

The youngest and most reckless king, Ra?Daga.

The mercenary king, Garspar?Johann?Weimaffee?Kurtorch?Roomen.

And the secret child of Velsvain, the ultimate embodiment of martial skill, a horseman who rides a huge horse that’s akin to a demon beast like it’s part of his body. Armies are scattered when he shows his ability with a lance, and dragons are driven off when he wields his sword. Ra?Dainsleif?Riog?Ashtalia, the unrivaled king who is regarded as the next god of war.

These Myriad Kings, who are known as the strongest four, have not sided with anyone」

「As expected from you, Your Majesty」

I applauded His Majesty's title.

How should I put it, even if it’s temporary, is really alright for someone like me to be his vassal?

「Well, the state of my country is as you can see though!」

His Majesty made a self-deprecating joke.

I'm sorry, it's hard to laugh at it. Even Regure is looking awkward.

「Zamonglass-sama, can you cut this? Just the upper part」

「Yeah」

I held out the can.

A flash of silver flew across my sight, leaving an afterimage. All my eyes could catch was him returning his sword to its sheath.

The top of the can fell off. It was a very clean cut.

Inside the can was pink meat that looked and smelled like spam.

「Is that something that can be eaten?」

His Majesty's reaction was worse than when he saw the frog meat.

Using a fork, I pried out a chunk of the meat and put it into my mouth.

「………………Yuck」

It tasted bad.

In many ways, it was a taste that made me uneasy.