“Mm, it’s a little different from the last time you made it,” commented Leo, “but it’s sublime.”
“The flavor is a little stronger than with snow birds, but the aftertaste is quite refreshing,” said Shiori. “It goes down a treat.”
“Gullinkambi are carnivorous, but they like eating quality water grass from pristine streams,” said Alec. “That might be why. I’ve gotta say, though, it really makes you crave some wine to go with it...”
“I feel like someone said that the last time I made liver paste...” muttered Shiori.
The meatball soup was going well, though Shiori added a touch more salt and pepper to perfect the flavor before deciding it was actually ready. Once they bottled the liver paste, that would leave only the karaage.
“I’m sorry about the unit commander... I mean, at the strategy meeting.”
Leo uttered these words as he was putting liver paste in clean bottles. It came up so suddenly that Shiori didn’t know what he was talking about at first; after all, so much had happened in such a short time. When it did click for her, however, she wasn’t immediately sure how to respond. Her reaction let Leo know that the experience had not been pleasant for her.
“He wasn’t ill-intentioned, and there was meaning to what he was doing. All the same, the truth is that it did hurt you. So on the commander’s behalf, I want to apologize. I’m sorry for what happened.”
Leo knew they were surrounded by adventurers and knights, and so to avoid drawing attention to them, he didn’t lower his head or bow apologetically. But in his downcast eyes and face, Shiori saw that he was sincere.
“It’s all in the past now,” said Shiori. “The margrave apologized to me too.”
“Yes, but—”
“You mentioned there was meaning in what he was doing,” said Alec, who until then had been silently helping fill bottles with liver paste. “It wouldn’t surprise me at all if it was the margrave who put the commander up to it. He probably wanted to get a clearer sense of which of his subordinates was up to something.”
Alec’s eyes remained on his work, which made his words sound all the more casual. Anyone nearby would have seen them at the kitchen and assumed they were talking about nothing of any real importance.
“I don’t know the details, but I suspect you’re right,” said Leo. “Did someone tell you already?”
“No, I haven’t heard anything—I just sensed that was the game while the discussion was happening. I know the margrave personally, and I know the sort of person he is.”
“Ah, I see,” said Leo, wide-eyed for a moment before he chuckled. “All the same, it left you unsettled, Miss Shiori. The unit commander was worried about it too. I’m sure he’ll be around in due time to apologize in person.”
“I was certainly surprised,” admitted Shiori, “and most worried at the time. But if there was a method to all the madness, then please, try not to let it bother you.”
Shiori, too, could sense that if the margrave had felt compelled to put on that act under already pressing circumstances, then he’d likely felt forced to move preemptively. She passed Leo a bottle of liver paste.
“For your commander,” she said.
“Oh, thank you,” he said, smiling with surprise. “The guy’ll love it, I’m sure of it.”
“And be sure to tell him thanks from me when you give it to him.”
“You have my word.”
In Leo’s referring to his superior as just another “guy,” Shiori could tell the two had a close relationship.
And perhaps Leo, like me, was also saved by those around him.
Shiori could imagine what it would have been like for Leo, forced to change divisions due to his injuries, but she made no mention of whatever past hardships he might have faced, and merely took to filling the last bottle.
While the karaage was frying, Linus returned. He’d been out somewhere while they’d all been cooking, and now he had a basket full of pearl trout and berries.
“Where in the world did you get those gathering senses of yours?” joked Alec.
“Well, y’see, after my bath, I just thought there’d be nothing better than a drink with some grilled fish. I did it on a whim, really. The berries are just a bonus!”
“People don’t gather this much on just a ‘whim,’ Linus...”
“Well, at least with Sir Linus around, we need never worry about starvation,” laughed Leo.
So, while Shiori watched over the frying karaage, Linus took all the fish out of the basket. He dressed them, washed them, then salted a selection and put them on skewers. The rest he filleted and put in a frying pan.
In this season, pearl trout scales glittered just like actual pearls. And while they looked placid and like any other delicious river fish once dressed, they were in fact carnivorous magical beasts—they were known for aggressively using ice magic to hunt smaller fish and wildlife.
As fat began to drip from the skewered trout, the wonderful scent of grilled fish filled the air. The filleted trout, meanwhile, were sautéed with salt, pepper, and butter, then generously heaped on a plate.
“These filleted fish are for the injured,” said Linus. “I have a feeling some of them might not be able to stomach heavier meats.”
Rurii and Bla happily ate all the fish gizzards. Violid was now up and awake too, but wasn’t a big fan of fish, and instead stared inquisitively at the frying gullinkambi meat.
“Oh, right,” said Linus, remembering something. “Let’s grill these too.”
Linus sliced the fat from the gullinkambi hearts he’d put aside, took out the blood vessels, and washed them with salt water. After seasoning them with salt, pepper, and herbs, he skewered them and put them over the fire.