First, cook both sides of the rockbird well. Normally, it would be better to use kitchen paper to wipe up the extra fat, but this was a different world, and we were camping, so I just dumped it over to the side.
Now, add the teriyaki sauce. When the sauce starts to simmer, mix it well with the rockbird meat, and there, the teriyaki rockbird is finished.
For today, I’d decided to make the freeze-dried onion soup. This one had a lot more stuff in it, too. Also, just having instant consommé soup all the time would be boring.
✦ ✦ ✦
I served the finished meal to the members of Iron Will first.
“Hey, where is my share?”
“You eat a lot, Fel, so I’m serving everyone else first. I’ll make it right away, so wait a bit.”
“Mm, I see.” From there, I cooked my heart out making teriyaki rockbird.
Fel seemed to really take to the teriyaki rockbird, so the entire bird outside of our portion ended up being eaten by him. The rockbird teriyaki was good, and I quite liked it, but next time I’d like to eat it in a calmer environment and really savor it.
✦ ✦ ✦
We’d come far enough to say that Veenen was right in front of our eyes.
From here, we could see the fort on the country’s border. The soldiers inside seemed to be coming out in force.
Haahhhh~ It really did come down to this, huh? I looked over at Fel, who was following behind us slowly, and sighed.
“It seems like there’s a lot of soldiers coming out, doesn’t it...”
“Fel is with us, after all. I’ll go on ahead and explain the situation.” Having said that, Werner ran towards the fort ahead of us.
Sorry for the trouble, I apologized in my heart.
Reaching the fortress, we found Werner and the border guard soldiers lined up, waiting for us.
“I am Edgar Wollgård, captain of the Kingdom of Veenen’s fourth knight brigade. I’ve heard the situation from Werner, here. Is it true that you have formed a contract with that Fenrir, there?” The guard captain that seemed to have the highest title there (he even had a last name, so he might have been a noble), asked me with such a tense air about him that I thought I could see it.
This is because Fel’s here, isn’t it... I thought, the other guards still have their weapons in hand so they can react to anything, too...
I guess even a rotten legendary beast is still legendary, or something, I mused.
“Yes, I’ve formed a contract with this Fenrir.” When I said that, the guards all let out an, “Ooohhhh!”
“I see. But still, it’s a Fenrir, a beast that’s been said to have destroyed a country. Will it really not harm this country or its citizens?” For a person entrusted with guarding the border, I guess that concern would have been pretty appropriate.
“Hey, Fel. These people here are really worried about letting you, whose strength is legendary, into the country. They’ll be in trouble if you go wild in their country, after all. You definitely won’t do anything like that, right?”
“Nh, do not lump me in with those dumb-as-a-rock monsters. As long as they do not lay a hand on you, who is my master, or I - I will do nothing of the sort.”
“There you have it, Captain.” He was making a face, shocked at the exchange between Fel and I.
“You really did contract with the legendary magic beast... Even though it’s right in front of my eyes, I still don’t really believe it...” That’s right, captain, I complained in my heart. I was forced to enter a contract with him while I still wasn’t really sure what was going on...
“From your conversation just now, it seems like the story of your contract is true. If that is the case, I’ll allow you in. However, make sure you hold the reins on your Fenrir tightly, please.”
“Yes, I understand. Hey, Fel, I’m begging you here, so please behave, ok?”
“I understand already. Just as I have said earlier, as long as they do not lay a hand on us, there will be no trouble from my end.”
“I’m really, reaaalllly, begging you here. If something happens, it’ll be my fault.”
“You are being awfully persistent.”
“Well, I just wanted to reaaaallly make sure you get it. Oh, if you end up doing something that causes trouble for everyone, I can just take away meals.”
“Guh...!” I’ve somehow made it through the border, so I really needed to make sure he got it. If something were to happen, I’d be the one in trouble, after all.
“I see. If you’ve tamed that Fenrir to this degree, it seems like the worst won’t come to happen.” The captain said, looking slightly relieved.
“Captain, I’m pretty sure that worst will never happen. We were there when Mukohda formed his contract with Fel, and we also traveled together the rest of the way here. In all that time, Fel hasn’t flown off the handle once.”
“It’s just as our leader says. Fel went and hunted monsters at Mukohda’s instruction, too. I was super surprised!”
Rita, I was surprised, too. When I told him to go and get his own meat, I had meant that he should take responsibility for the cost of his own food, so I sent him hunting. I didn’t have him hunt for my own profit, so please don’t get that wrong, okay?
“Hoohh, so you’ve really got a firm control over him.”
Wait a minute, captain, what do you mean by, “Hoohh?” You know you look like you’re planning something bad by putting your hand to your chin like that? Please stop, I don’t want any trouble.
Well after this and that, we somehow managed to get permission to cross the border and so had made it safely into the kingdom of Veenen.
By the way, since I didn’t have a guild card, I was made to pay a tax of 5 silver coins. There was also a tax to let Fel in too, so that added an extra 2 silver coins onto the fee. The fact that Fel cost money too kinda hurt me in my wallet. I need to hurry up and get into the Merchant’s guild.