Elf Tensei Kara no Cheat Kenkoku-ki - Book 4: Chapter 10-1: Compromise

Dinner had concluded, and we were enjoying post-dinner tea. I couldn’t help but feel relieved that I had managed to avoid displeasing anyone during the meal.

「I’m pleasantly surprised. I never thought we could have such a feast in such a remote place.」

「That’s right, Ojou-sama. It’s even better than the mansion’s cuisine. I overindulged. I should have stopped after two bread rolls.」

At the dinner table, Lucy, Kuu, and I were representing Erucy. On the opposite side, were the visitors from Erin Azul and the woman called Jii. The rest of Erin’s group had declined the invitation, and, regrettably, I hadn’t invited Yukino.

Compared to Lucy, who had been raised as an elven priestess, and Kuu, the daughter of the fire fox clan’s chief, Yukino had somewhat questionable manners when it came to interactions with outsiders, especially in diplomacy.

I had prepared Yukino’s portion as well, packing it in a bento box for her to enjoy later.

「I’m delighted you enjoyed it. It was worth the effort.」

「Did Cyril-san make this dish?」

「Yes, I put a lot of effort into making it.」

Today’s menu featured bread rolls baked to perfection with plenty of goat butter and yeast, sautéed goat meat, duck stew, and a turnip salad.

I used a young male goat for this meal. As goats grow older, their meat becomes tougher and develops a stronger taste. Meat from goats that are about to be weaned is very tender, has no strong odor, and tastes great. Ideally, I would have let it grow bigger even if it lost some flavor before cooking it, but the sudden arrival of the guest made this impossible. I paid meticulous attention to the cooking time and sauce to accentuate the exceptional quality of the meat.

「Cyril-san is quite skilled.」

「Yes, Cyril is amazing. My proud husband.」

When the word “husband” was mentioned, a slight twitch appeared at the corner of Azul’s mouth.

「We also have dessert prepared for after the meal, so please indulge.」

I brought out a large metal cylinder. Inside it was filled with ice and saltwater, with a smaller metal cylinder contained within. Opening the smaller cylinder revealed white chunks clinging to the outer wall, which were, indeed, ice cream.

The process was simple: I combined goat milk, cream made from the milk, Erucy’s syrup, and egg yolks inside the inner cylinder. Then, I placed that cylinder within a larger one filled with ice made by Yukino, and I rolled it for a solid thirty minutes. This allowed the ice cream to freeze while incorporating a significant amount of air, resulting in a soft and creamy texture.

Since ice cream wasn’t something that could be found in Erin, I expected them to be surprised.

「I’ve never seen this before. What is it?」

「It’s called ice cream, a cold and sweet treat. Scoop some with your spoon and give it a try.」

I served the ice cream onto plates, and Azul cautiously pierced her spoon into the white dessert. Intrigued by the soft sinking sensation, she eagerly tasted it.

「This is amazing! It’s cold and sweet, and it melts in your mouth. I’ve never had anything like this.」

「I love this treat too. Lucy, Kuu, don’t hesitate, try some.」

The two who had been watching us attentively finally dug into the ice cream after my invitation.

「Cyril, this is incredible. I might like it.」

「It’s so refreshing; I could get addicted to this. Why didn’t you make it sooner?」

「It requires egg yolks, and we only recently acquired chickens.」

Eggs open up a whole new range of culinary possibilities. However, at the moment, we were prioritizing hatching more chicks to increase our chicken population. So, I couldn’t use eggs casually. It was a situation where we couldn’t afford to do so unless it was a special occasion like this.

「Actually, this is the simplest version of ice cream. There are other variations. One has cranberry juice added for a sweet and sour refreshing taste, and the other one incorporates Erucy wine for an adult ice cream with a hint of alcohol. Feel free to try them based on your preferences.」

The cranberry version was relatively easy to make, but the alcoholic version required some ingenuity. Alcohol didn’t freeze like water due to its lower freezing point, so I had to use gelatin extracted from deer bones to solidify it before mixing it into the ice cream.

「Of course, we’ll have both, in large portions!」

Azul’s servant eagerly volunteered.

「Jii, don’t embarrass me.」

「Well, you see, this is… um… it’s like a poison test, making sure my lady can eat any of them safely! I’m doing a safety check for all of them!」

「Jii, do you realize how rude it is to do a poison test in front of our host?」

「I… I mean, well, there’s that, but, you know, It was only a thought. Don’t mind me!」

For some reason, the woman in men’s clothing was smiling at me, thumbs up and all.

「By the way, Jii, you didn’t touch the turnip salad, did you?」

「I’ve always disliked turnips, even as a child.」

「I ate it without any issues, but didn’t you plan to conduct a poison test on everything so I can safely eat anything?」

「Hahaha, I had complete faith in our elven friends; I knew they wouldn’t poison anything.」

In many ways, Jii was quite disappointing. She had dug herself into a hole so deep that she didn’t know where to stop. Azul smiled kindly and then spoke slowly.

「Jii, your pay cut has been extended for another six months.」

「N-No way…」

And with that, Jii collapsed. She devoured her ice cream between tears, letting out sighs of both happiness and resignation.

「I’m sorry for showing you an embarrassing display. I apologize on her behalf.」

「Don’t worry about it.」

We exchanged wry smiles.

「In the elven village… I mean, in Erucy, do the villagers eat such delicious food every day?」

Azul’s lips curved into a smile, but her eyes began to show a serious glint.