Chapter 2: Lord Nohs Incurable Disease (1)


    Two dayster, Dominic, who had participated in the vige chief meeting, could hardly suppress a yawn.


    "Moving on to the next item. Lord Noh''s birthday is approaching. Shouldn''t we have a discussion to ensure that the gifts from each vige don''t duplicate?"


    "Excellent suggestion! It was quite awkward for everyonest year when the gifts duplicated, so let''se to a consensus in advance this time."


    "But it''s challenging to decide, given that we''re all aware of Lord Noh''s preferences."


    "What if we draw lots?"


    <em>''I anticipated it would be dull, but to this extent?''</em>


    As soon as the meeting of approximately twenty vige chiefsmenced, Dominic understood why Calron had been so eager to pass on his position.


    Look at them now. They''ve been bickering over insignificant matters for more than two hours. It''s almostical.


    "Our vige is offering a youngmb; we can''t back down on that!"


    "Come on, everyone knows that Lord Noh favorsmb. Are you trying to monopolize it?"


    "Ahem, ahem. In that case, our vige will present a calf."


    "We''re going with a pig!"


    "Seriously, folks! Let''s settle this with a lottery!"


    With his arms crossed, Dominic, who was observing the situation, realized two things.


    First, the vige chief meeting wasrgely filled with trivial discussions.


    Second, Lord Noh must have a strong liking for meat.


    He had heard that Lord Noh was a nationally renowned knight. One day, he unexpectedly passed on his lordship to his son and confined himself to the castle, reducing his public appearances.


    Some sycophants spected, ''He must have discovered the key to bing a Sword Master!'' but the truth remained shrouded in mystery.


    "Excuse me, vige chiefs. Let''s have a meal first and then continue the meeting."


    At that moment, a maid from the lord''s castle announced mealtime.


    <em>''Finally, something worthwhile.''</em>


    The only thing Calron regretted about handing over the vige chief role to Dominic was the meal provided after the meeting in the lord''s castle.


    Even though it was a rural territory, it was far from impoverished.


    So, what''s the fuss about serving a meat dish to twenty vige chiefs once a month?


    <em>''I wonder what kind of spices or sauces the nobility uses? Will it be a familiar taste? If it''s delicious, I should discreetly inquire about the recipe.''</em>


    His eyelids, which had been drooping just moments ago, perked up as his eyes sparkled.


    He followed the maid to the dining hall.


    It wasn''t a grand banquet hall for nobles but simply a dining area where the servants dined. However, Dominic was already captivated by the dishes on the tes and noticed nothing else.


    "Wow-."


    A contented smile naturally appeared.


    The bread, crafted from high-quality flour, was filled with nuts and emitted a rich, nutty vor as he chewed. The seafood stew was slightly salty but brimming with the essence of shrimp and ms.


    But what delighted him the most was something else.


    "It''s tripe!"


    Steam wafted from the hot stone grill, where tripe sizzled alongside a variety of vegetables. Dominic unconsciously swallowed his saliva at the sound of the frying oil, which resembled the patter of raindrops.


    The richness inherent in offal is something that even the finest lean meat can''t entirely replicate. Dominic considered these two distinct culinary experiences that couldn''t bepared in terms of superiority.


    "Have you ever had tripe before?"


    The chef, who had been meticulously cooking the tripe to perfection, chimed in as Dominic disyed his satisfaction.


    "Of course, I''ve tried it. It''s evident that you''ve prepared it well. Mishandle offal, and it bes inedible due to its aroma. Whoever did this must be a skilled butcher."


    "That''s me! Looks like the young vige chief knows a thing or two!"


    The chef''s face swelled with pride, clearly indicating he was the one who had prepared it.


    "In our region, I''m the top when ites to handling meat. Our Lord Noh must have a penchant for meat, right? That''s why my skills keep getting better."


    "I didn''t realize I was in the presence of such expertise."


    Offering a fewplimentary words, Dominic found himself presented with the most sulent part of the tripe.


    Aplimentary serving of tripe, all for some pleasant conversation.


    "Give this a try; the vor changes depending on how it''s cooked!"


    "Certainly! Cooking offal is inherently more challenging than cooking meat."


    "You''ve got good taste! Hehe."


    "So, there are individuals of high rank in the Estate who enjoy tripe? It seems you''ve cooked it frequently."


    "Absolutely! Lord Noh not only loves meat but offal too."


    "Ah, I see."


    "A lion doesn''t dine on grass, you know?"


    Someone here was echoing the same sentiment Calron had once expressed.


    "By the way, there''s a vige meetinging up about Lord Noh''s birthday gift, right?"


    "You heard about it?"


    "What''s your vige nning?"


    "Well, it appears all the high-quality cows, sheep, and pigs have already been spoken for."


    "Everyone wants to make a good impression on Lord Noh. Hehe."


    "Seems that way."


    Dominic shrugged.


    Then, the chef spoke in a hushed tone.


    "Even if your vige is small, there must be at least one ce that brews alcohol, right?"


    "Of course."


    Though not top-tier beverages like fine wine or whiskey, every vige had individuals who crafted spirits from grains or fruits. Even in Evergreen, where many retired mercenaries resided, there was amunal beer warehouse.


    "We do brew beer."


    "Then offer that. Maybe a barrel of orc ale."


    "No, it''s not of high enough quality for someone of his stature."


    "True alcohol connoisseurs don''t fuss over brands. Lord Noh is just that kind of person. What was it called? The snacks thatplement each type of liquor are different, aren''t they?"


    "Pairings?"


    "...What ring?"


    "Ah, forget it."


    Dominic was taken aback. The idea of pairing food and drink was well-established in his previous life, where upscale restaurants would offer beverages toplement each course. However, it seemed different here. Even the heavy drinkers in Evergreen appeared to follow their own preferences without much consideration for pairing.


    "Why hasn''t anyone paid attention to the fact that Lord Noh is a lover of alcohol?"


    "Hehe, are you questioning me, young man?"


    "No, it''s just better to be sure."


    Nheless, he needed to address this matter clearly. If he had blindly trusted the cook''s word and offeredmoner''s beer, only to incur the Lord''s displeasure, it would have been a significant problem.


    "Well, our Lord Noh prefers meat much more than he does alcohol, that''s why."


    "Hmm."


    "You seem skeptical. Take a peek inside the kitchen cupboard when you leaveter. There should be at least dozens of oak barrels."


    "Are you saying all of that is alcohol?"


    "Of course! That''s just what''s visible. The ones that are still maturing or are of high value are in the basement."


    If the cook''s words were urate, it indicated that the lord was more than just a casual drinker.


    "I''ll definitely repay this kindness next time."


    "What kindness? Would you like more tripe?"


    "Thank you."


    Dominic, with his cheeks filled with tripe, wiped away the greasy residue from around his mouth and muttered to himself.


    "Eating like this every day might give you gout."


    "...Gout? What''s that?"


    "Oh, you''re not familiar with it? It''s a painful condition that typically starts in the toes. It urs when uric acid isn''t properly flushed out of the body and umtes. Eating foods high in purines can exacerbate it... Ah, I''m sorry."


    The cook regarded Dominic as if he had just heard a foreignnguage, furrowing his brow.


    Dominic quickly silenced himself, but the cook''s skepticism didn''t dissipate. A face that had been full of goodwill and warmth now held suspicion and caution.


    <em>''I restrained myself for so long, darn it.''</em>


    Ever since he regained his memories of his past life, he had never casually disclosed his knowledge like this. Yet, it always resulted in unfavorable oues.


    [Who does this wanderer think he''s deceiving! Quack!]


    It consistently led to him being viewed as a chatan.


    "They''re going to resume the meeting. You can go."


    The tone had turned decidedly chilly.


    <em>''At least I got to enjoy a hearty serving of tripe.''</em>


    He couldn''t expect such generosity in the next month''s meeting, but there was nothing he could do about it now. It was water under the bridge.


    As he trudged back to the meeting room, where another futile argument awaited,


    <strong>Whoosh-</strong>


    "Ugh!"


    A ck cloth suddenly covered his head, and he was struck from behind.


    Dominic tried to hold onto his fading consciousness, but it was futile.


    "Carry him."


    "Yes!"


    Confirming that their kidnapping target had lost consciousness, three burly men nced around and then, like a shadow, like the wind, lifted Dominic onto their shoulders and vanished into the depths of the castle, an area off-limits to guests.


    The sky remained as bright and sunny as if nothing had urred.